Blogging Around

Rohan's Blog, Captured Thought: William Shakespeare

Summary:

Originally Rohan disliked Shakespeare. He was put off by poorly taught lessons, bad reviews, and the language of the books. Although he continued to give Shakespeare a chance, it was only last year that he finally found something to like. Through what was originally a physics question, he realized that Shakespeare's views on topics like revenge, family, power, and death are still meaningful today. Now he is excited about Shakespeare, instead of being bored by him.

Response:

I completely agree that Shakespeare's views on life are relevant to the modern day. His themes, as in the examples you listed, all continue to motivate and influence us in much the same way as they affect the characters in his plays.

Just as Romeo is destroyed by an act of rage, so too is thoughtless action a weakness of our society. If anything, this applies more so in the internet-based era.

And yet instead of focusing on themes like this, many readers seem fixated on Shakespeare's use of language. While his words are undoubtedly poetic and intricately crafted, they are not the key to the survival of Shakespeare's works.

Instead it has been the statements about life that have carried Shakespeare through the ages. As you said, we can all connect to the themes in Shakespeare.

I love this song, and I like your interpretation of it. In your last paragraph you mentioned how, paradoxically, the best way to improve our lives is to show our pain.

Charlie's Blog, iMedia: Mad World

Summary:

This blog was an analysis of the song Mad World. The song has a very melancholic tone, which fits with its message. The song's lyrics are very relevant to the current American culture of striving and stressing, and to the practice of hiding all the negative emotions associated with this. In the end, however, the song leaves open the hopeful possibility that people will be able to share their pain, expand their world, and improve their lives.

Response:

While this could be viewed as simply making the world a darker place, it does not have to be this way. As you said, this acceptance of the darker parts of life expands the world.

Pain and negative emotions are a natural and vital way human beings deal with their environment. They teach us and exert a great motivational influence on our lives.

And yet the common practice is too pretend like this influence does not exist. By ignoring the negative, society ends up missing an entire side to side to human interaction and culture.

This hidden side is a problem on a personal level too. True friends share both pain and joy, and eliminating this double sided connection serves to isolate us.

Thus negativity, when it is hidden, only breeds more negativity. However, when it is used to form a bond it can be turned to a positive, connecting purpose.