Iliad Assignment 3/1

1. What does Patroclus propose to Achilles and what is Achilles’ response? Why does Achilles grant Patroclus’ request?

Patroclus proposed to Achilles that he could wear Achilles' armor into battle to command and fight along side his fellow Greek warriors. Achilles lets him because he knows that there is no other option that could be taken for the Greeks (besides him fighting) due to the fact that they are losing so badly.

2. On p. 413 line 35 (approximately), Patroclus tells Achilles that Achilles is “cursed in [his] own courage.” What does Patroclus mean by that and do you agree with him?

I think that he is saying that the problem with Achilles is that his ego is too large for his own good. I do agree because I think that Achilles has taken his little boycott session a bit too far.

3. Either ask questions about the text or write down vocab words from the text with definitions.

• Salvos-a simultaneous or successive discharge of artillery, bombs, etc.
• Lithe-Readily bent; supple
• Greaves-Leg armor worn below the knee. Often used in the plural.

Iliad Assignment 2/28

1. Write a question. It can be an interpretive question that you have an opinion on or something about the text that you don't understand. You do not need to write the answer.

My only question about this part is who Phoenix is? I did not understand what his meaning in the text was and where he came from.

2. What was your opinion of Achilles before reading Book 9? Does it change after reading Book 9? Explain why or why not.

Before reading book 9 I had a point of view on Achilles where I would back him no matter what his decisons were, I think this may be because the author made him to fit into a more protagonist role. After reading this section my view on him really doesn't change, he is still the headstrong character that he was in the beginning. The only thing that I would say is different is that now he believes even more for his cause to boycott than he did earlier.

3. At various points in the text some characters attempt to persuade other characters to take a course of action. Make a list of the persuasive strategy used by these characters:

1. Diomedes tries to persuade Agamemnon to stay in the fight for the long run and not give up. I think that this was an appeal to reason because he makes it seem that this was their only feesable option to take.
2. Achilles tries to persuade Pheonix to not fight but to rather stay with him and return home with him. I think that this was an appeal to reason because he lists specific factual reasons to do so.
3. Pheonix tries to persuade Achilles to stay and fight for his motherland rather than to retreat back home. He is appealing to ethics and emotion, because he tries to influence Achilles to listen to him by listing reasons that have to do with honor and that relate to his fellow men.

Iliad Assignment 2/27

1 Question- I don’t understand what the difference between Diomedes’ speech and Nestor’s speech was.

2 Opinion of Agamemnon- Before reading this I had a very poor outlook on Agamemnon the king. I saw him as a heartless selfish headstrong man, that didn’t care much about the opinions, whether they be good or bad, of others. This was mainly emphasized during his resistance of giving Cryseis back to the Trojans despite his men’s cries to take the offer and return home. Yet, after reading this section my opinion of him altered a lot. I now see him as a man who can admit defeat but acts in a cowardly manner about it. He also showed us that he is very generous himself when he needs help, in the case of his gifts for Achilles. But above all it is clear to me that Agamemnon isn’t clear at all, he is a complicated man and we will have to read more to find out a more complete definition of him.

3 Persuasive Speeches

-Nestor
-Nestor is telling the king how he thinks he should handle the war
-Appeal to emotion and reason
-Because he butters him up in the beginning by telling him all these good things about him then tells him what’s up

-Odysseus
-Odysseus is trying to persuade Achilles to fight for them again
-Appeal to emotion, ethics and reason
- he appeals to emotion and ethics by telling him of how the men need him to fight so that they wont all die

-Diomedes
-Diomedes is trying to tell Agamemnon what he thinks that he should do in their situation
-Appeal to ethics
-He is appealing to reason because he talks about how Zeus gave him honor when he gave him the scepter and that by retreating he is sacrificing honor of all Greeks

2/22 Iliad Reflection

If you were an ancient Greek, which of the following statements would you agree with?
A) Achilles’ rage is justified and I support his decision not to fight, even if it means the Greeks might lose lots of men, or even the war itself.

Or

B) Agamemnon is the commander, as such he is in the right, and I support his decision to ask for Achilles’ war prize Briseis – even if it means that Achilles will sit out the war.

If I were a Greek I would not agree with either of these quotes. Agamemnon and Achilles were two very egotistical men that both made very self-centered decisions that eventually compromised their own army’s lives. First of all I do not agree with Agamemnon’s stance because as illustrated in the book, his warriors do not agree with his decision to keep Chrysies instead of receiving the ransom and giving her back (pg 78 lines 25-36). In his position Agamemnon should have listened to the voice of his people but instead he made the decision that best fit him and not the health of his own people. On the other hand I also disagree with Achilles because his decision is also hard headed. He should be able to suck up his loses and realize the greater good of his people instead of trying to spite Agamemnon (page 83 lines 198-202). In those lines Achilles is so mad at Agamemnon that he threatens to return home and not help his people win the war, just because of an unimportant fight between the two men.

2/22 Dissagreement assignment

In your blog write about a time when you had a big disagreement with a friend - or other person - that led you or the other person to regret things that were said or done. Focus on the negative consequences of the disagreement and decisions that you or the other person made that might have made things needlessly worse. You can also write about something similar from literature or the movies, or even about other people that you know. Remember this is a public forum so be careful what you write. You can change names and fictionalize details.

It was a stormy day before last years super bowl in, usually glorious, San Diego. My friend was one that was slightly more sensitive about his favorite things including football team. While knowing this I decided to poke a little fun at his faith in his team. Some of my comments were over the top but wouldn’t have really hurt him so when he became extremely upset and wouldn’t talk to me I became frustrated because I believed that I was in the right. Unfortunately I had no idea of knowing that he had just gone through something traumatic the night before. My friend was not one to share what was running through his mind so he never let me on. I ending up making one final comment that broke the camel’s back and we stopped talking to each other for a long time. Later someone told me about what had happened and I felt horrible. I apologized as quickly as I could and he forgave me but ever since then things haven’t been the same. I wish I could go back in time and change what I said, if I had just stopped for a second to think about the big picture we could still be great friends.

Illiad Reading - 2/13

Reread what we have read so far from The Iliad. That's lines 1-118 pp. 77-80. Ask any questions you have and any other comments or observations. Post this on your blog.

So far the reading has been difficult enough so that it is hard to understand the first time through but after going back and re-reading it is a lot easier to understand. I really like the contrast between the two fighting sides (the Trojans and the Greeks) and what really helps it is the authors use of extremely complex discriptive writing.

My Rage - Homework

The ending of the day inches to a halt as 3:40 hits the clock. As usual our teacher is late in letting us out. Suddenly I realize that those three numbers are anti-climatic. As my brain wanders to what I'm going to do with my newfound freedom, when suddenly the dictator that we call "teacher" univitingly opens his lips to utter the most dreaded word on a Friday that has ever been counjured up. Homework. The blood drains from my face and I am suddenly thrown from my dream world and into the unpleasent present. As he goes on with the description I feel as if I have been thrown into the belly of the beast and trapped behind bars. I just want to scream as loud as my lungs can manage. I want to yell to the clouds and make the shatter down to glistening pieces. I want the world to know and feel my anger, but I can't, I have to watch my dreams evaporate into the atmosphere and take on my responcibilities.

2/7 Fahrenheit Descriptive Writing

I chose to write in perspective of Faber right before Montag shows up at his door for the first time.

My feet shuffle briskly backwards and then a swift motion forwards as i frettingly pace in circles around the drearily decorated room. My ears block out the consistantly nagging noise of the clock that never dies, yet in the back of my mind it is only a matter of those ticking seconds before I am discovered. Suddenly a jolt of the heart jerks my eyes towards the source of the doorbell. Paralysis covers my body head to toe like a deer in headlights. Slowly and steadily each body part remembers its role and life drains back into my body. I start moving my feet awkwardly towards the door as I hear the thundering pulse of noise again. I gently caress the knob to the left and peer out the frame as the street lights outside reflect and dance on my otherwise darkend face. I see a man standing in front of me, what is a man doing here? at my house? my thoughts embrase the darkest of possibilites. In the next instant my eyes dart to the 451 patch on his arm and a fury of scalding fright courses through my veins as I realize that this is not an ordinary man, but one of the great fire gods here to strike me forver off the list of book offenders.

2/7 Descriptive Writing Assignment

1. Find the scene in the book

I chose to use page 80 where Montag has met Faber for the second time in many years. He comes to the door to talk to Faber but Faber is too scared to let him in or trust him because he thinks he is here to burn his books.

2. Make a list of the descriptive words in that scene – minimum of 3, but you should be able to find a lot

1. Peered - Bradbury uses this word to describe the slow and cautious movements of the old man when he opened the door. It shows him building up what little courage that he has to look brave while on the inside he cowers.
2. Fragile - Fragile shows not only the insistant fear within the man but also the age that characteristically comes with it. This man, Faber, is old and fragile. He can be hurt easily so it shows the reader even more of a reason that he is fearful
3. Trembling - Now you know for certain that he is scared. Trembling gives me an image of a soft scared person shaking from head to toe and emits a radience of intense fear.

Descriptive Words

Words: eager-halts-frenzy

I really like the description of frenzy because it reminds me of a crazy or hysterical situation. Whenever the word is used to describe something everything in my mind seems to start racing around and making sudden darting moves. Using the word frenzy to describe a hectic situation makes a big difference in my mind.

Alma- I liked the use of descriptive phrases like the wonderous halls. I think that it shows a kind of radience and beauty.

Lishane- I liked the use of the word roared as in "the barbarians roared" it reminds me of and extremely loud noise emitting from a large crowd of people.

Junior- I like the use of the word thorny when describing the paper. I think it is because even though paper isn't thorny at all, it is the state of mind of frustration and sadness that conveys it well.

2/6 Hesiod Writing Assignment

1. What do you think this myth tells about the ancient Greeks? What values did they have? Why would a story like this develop?

People who lived during that time era had many questions about how life worked and what created it (not as if we still don't have these questions) and the lack of any scientific knowledge only made it easier for the mind to wander into outlandish or creative conclusions. These people decided that they wanted an answer to the unanswerable so they made one up. This also tells us about their very radical difference compared to our society's invisible laws today. For example the eating of human was not uncommon and was acted out as a celebration for various different reasons including the belief of gaining powers. Clearly, society's norms and individual thought didn't regard the murder of a fellow human as being repulisive but rather not very important. You are able to tell this by the abrasive killing and off-the-cuff murder that was occuring simply to accomplish a task.

Fahrenheit 451. Pg 158-165

Ask a question

I wonder who they were at war with and why?

B. What does Montag mean when he says, “And when they ask us what we are doing , you can say, We’re remembering” ? Why is this quote important? How does it fit into the novel, what is Bradbury trying to say with this?

They say this because basically the whole point of knowing and reading books is to know about the past of humanity and to leaern from mistakes and success. By remembering things these people will become very knowledgable. All books have are ideas and facts to be remembered. That is what is so great and phenominal about them. That is why "they will win in the long run" in the long run they will remember the past and how to improve on it to better the future.

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