reflection

Notebook week # 8

Beowulf begins with a brief introduction to Scyld Shefing, the first great king of the Danes, followed by a brief introduction to Hrothgar, Shefing's great grandson and the current king of the Danes. When Hrothgar is having a huge feast one evening, his dinner is interrupted by a monster named Gredel. Gredel continues to frighten the Danes with bloodshed until word of his atrocities reaches a mighty warrior named Beowulf, who decides to pledge his strength to aid the Danes. Hrothgar recalls assisting Beowulf's father in the past and gratefully accepts Beowulf's offer of assistance. Beowulf is promised everything if he successfully defeats Grendel, to which he responds either he kills Grendel or he is slain in Heorot. When confronted by Grendel, Beowulf grabs his arm and refuses to let go until Grendel forces himself away, ripping his arms totally off. Grendel's arm is affixed to the wall as a trophy, and Beowulf's valor is honored with a large feast.

After witnessing the animated film, it was intriguing to read Beowulf. Normally, I would read the book first before watching the movie. When I do this, I notice elements that were presented in the book but not in the film due to time constraints. This time, however, I observed more parallels than differences. From the opening respect to King Hrothgar's ancestors to how Beowulf's renown was highlighted later in the poem. There were numerous situations in the poem that established why Beowulf would provide his assistance to Hrothgar. Hrothgar's earlier narrative about assisting Beowulf's father demonstrates how obligated the two families are to one another. Thus, Beowulf meets Grendel not only to revenge the deaths of the many Danes who died at his hands, but also to repay his father's obligation to Hrothgar. I was especially struck by how Beowulf was portrayed as a tremendous fighter, and how he defeated Breca in a swimming contest despite wearing his armor.

NOTEBOOK ENTRY WEEK 9

Dante, The Divine Comedy: Hell, Cantos X-XVII

To acclimatize this horrible stink, Virgil and Dante must sit. During his sitting, Virgil discusses the layout of Hell to Dante as well as the other circles if on their journey they meet them. There are three areas in the seventh circle, which are themselves, and God, antagonistic towards their neighbors. I liked reading this piece because it illustrates how essential it is to take your time to think about what's happening in your life. Although this should not be due most of the time to an overwhelming odor, you should look not just at what is going on, but also. What is ahead of the prospects. A foreshadowing of what will happen to Dante in this next Hell cycle is provided by Virgil. It is helping him to regulate his emotions by giving Dante a brief, whether its fury, guilt, or confusion. I think Dante will do what he will be witnessing. I believe he will.

Virgil and Dante join the 2nd circle in this part with those who were violent against themselves. They meet trees and harpies, women like a bird in their faces and wings, nest in their trees and create a lot of noise that takes people away. Virgil pushes Dante to break down one of the woods, and immediately in sadness the tree shouts. Dante did not expect to witness this, Blood is starting to stream forth. I'd be as shocking as Dante, because when a branch breaks, it can grip the pain, presumably the same as the breaking, but can be worse.

Works Cited Alighieri, Dante, Dorothy L. Sayers, and C. Wilfrid Scott-Giles. "Cantos X-XVII." The Comedy of Dante Alighieri, the Florentine. Harmondsworth, Middlesex: Penguin, 1949. 128-79. Print.

NOTEBOOK ENTRY WEEK 10

Dante and Virgil are walking among the fiery graves of Heretics in Canto X. Farinata, who can see into the future, anticipates Dante's departure from Florence. Farinata verifies that the Heretics can only see faraway things as part of their punishment. The sixth gate is then passed through by Virgil and Dante. Dante and Virgil encounter a terrible smell while in the seventh circle of hell. Virgil then tells Dante that the seventh circle of hell is where all the violent are kept, while the last two rings of hell are where the fraudulent are punished. A gigantic Minotaur confronts them at the brink of the seventh circle of hell in Cantos XII. Entering the ring, they witness a river of blood where sinners have been boiling for their crimes. Virgil then instructs the tree soul to teach Dante his narrative so that he can relate it on Earth. Dante sees Capaneus among the sinners in Cantos XIV. Capaneus rages, adamant that the torments of hell would not shatter his resolve. Dante is still in the second zone when he is accosted by another group of spirits who claim to recognize him as a fellow countryman.

Cantos X's rapid tempo is an example of the activity that occurs in it. Dante employs a jump between moods and themes, which is crucial in establishing speed. Dante is also shown to have given much consideration to the emblems of pain and suffering. The impossibility to reclaim one's place in God's favor is what makes hell so terrifying. Virgil's remarks appear to imply that hell feels the effects of time as he recalls a physically different hell. The pool of boiling blood was an intriguing image of retribution. It was also intriguing to me because the punishment for committing suicide is to be transformed into a tree. Dante, the poet, illustrates and in the guise of periodic lectures delivered by Virgil to Dante the character, Virgil defines the geography of his Hell. Dante adapts Greek mythology's Geryon, the gatekeeper of the Eighth Circle of Hell, altering his shape and lowering the number of heads but retaining his role as a symbol of deception.

Citation

Dante, The Divine Comedy: Hell (trans. Sayers)