Romeo and Juliet PR

Watching the play Romeo and Juliet I was deeply moved by the passion and love displayed by the main characters. As I watched their tragic love story unfold, I found myself experiencing a range of emotions. At first, I was drawn by the intense chemistry between Romeo and Juliet. It was clear from their first meeting that they were meant to be together, and I couldn’t help but feel drawn to their undeniable passion. The way they looked at each other and spoke to each other was so genuine and they needed to be together. As the story progressed, The obstacles that Romeo and Juliet faced, from the families being enemies and the misunderstanding of Mercutio and Tybalt’s death, seemed impossible. Despite their deep love for each other, it seemed as though fate was working against them at every turn. By the end of the story, I was left with a profound sense of sadness. The tragic ending of Romeo and Juliet’s love story was a reminder of how fragile life can be, and how even the strongest passions can be overcome by circumstance. Overall, watching Romeo and Juliet was an emotional rollercoaster, and I couldn’t help but be moved by the intensity of the characters’ feelings. Despite the tragic ending, their love story stands as a testament to the power of passion in literature. 

As for practicing and reciting the prologue was a little bit difficult for me as I sometimes have a hard time remembering specific lines and tend to get anxious when speaking in front of people which causes me to mess up and forget my lines. however, I enjoy watching Romeo and Juliet. 

PR#4 Romeo and Juliet

In the play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, the use of very formal language enabled some of the meanings to be deeper than they would have been had the words been arranged differently or had there been a different use of vocabulary. “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have; for both are infinite.” (Act 2, Scene 2) This is an example of a hyperbole which is to be taken as an exaggeration of Romeos love for Juliet while showing the severity of it. When reading, I enjoy encountering hyperboles. I use hyperboles frequently in my every day language and therefore find it is quite an effective way to relay a message. I found it enjoyable to  make connections with the world that Romeo and Juliet was set in and the world that i myself live in. I saw social situations such as Romeo and his fellow Montagues going to the Capulet’s party to see a girl that Romeo had interest in. I imagined how a situation like that might have played out with my peers and how i would react to it now. I also saw the relationship that Juliet had with her parents and appreciated that in the society I live in and with my parents chosen methods of parenting, I am given a lot of opportunity. I am not forced to make the same decisions as my parents have or uphold a certain standard, instead choosing to hold myself to a standard that I choose. I value the amount of support that i am provided and was able to realize that when Juliet refused to marry Paris and her parents got very upset, saying that she should be cast from the family. I value my security within my family more because of this realization. I enjoyed reading this play which I could relate to my every day life while still having a plot that held me captivated throughout.

PR#4 Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare wrote the drama Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are the two major characters that drive it. My attention was drawn to Romeo’s intense desire to win Juliet over with his words. Even if the drama uses some antiquated language from the 16th century, overall, I enjoy it. My favourite scene is when Romeo enters the masquerade party covertly and Tybalt merely looks at him as if he were a stranger or a criminal. I admire how Juliet and Romeo fell in love at first sight. I adore the way the play is plotted, and there are several plots that make me feel both terrified and like I’m a part of the action of the play. I’ve never seen a romantic film that ends tragically for both families, so the play made me hesitate. I was depressed after watching this play because most movies had joyful endings. 

I’m curious as to how Montague and Capulet initially got to be rivals. Is there a history behind it? If Romeo had never met Juliet, would Mercutio still have died? Would Romeo have drunk the poison if they didn’t become enemies in the first place? Would the ending be different if they lived happily ever after? Well, I guess it’s all a mystery now. 

PR #4 – Romeo and Juliet: A Few Thoughts

The play Romeo and Juliet (1968) was rather puzzling when I first began to read the script. None of the comparisons made any sense so I had to continuously check the side translation to attempt to make sense of the words in my head. The old Elizabethan English was very different from what I am used to when reading literature. All the ways the English language was so different in the past led me to think about what else was different during Elizabethan times. Were there any references that only the audience members would understand? One aspect of the play that is never explained is why the Capulets and Montagues have such a deep hatred for each other. Perhaps, the information was not important to include. Is there a possibility the audience members would have been aware of what households the play was referring to?

The first scene of Juliet shocked me as I was unaware of her young age before watching the movie. Shakespeare’s play seemed as though solely about love and the weight that bond can hold. I was not expecting a young teenager to be a part of a love story with a tragic ending. When Paris proposed marriage to Lord Capulet the scene forced me to think about how young teenagers just like Juliet only had one path in life; to get married to a man and give him many children. This instilled anger in me as I thought: why did her mother let such a young girl get married? Why did no one accept when Juliet adamantly refused to marry Paris? Why did no one seem to care what she thought? Blaming this on the parents seemed to satisfy me until thinking of the women who were brought up before Juliet. Such as Juliet’s mother and Nurse, were not able to take her thoughts and feelings into consideration just as theirs were not either.

In the 16th century, women were not considered to be individuals able to wield a sword or weapon of any sort. Men would only hurt those of equal social standing and who had a weapon. Drinking poison was considered a softer or feminine way of harming another. Coming from the idea that women were the ones who collected berries and plants. It is interesting how Romeo and Juliet’s suicide contradicts the gender role placed on these acts. Romeo is the one to take the poison and Juliet stabs herself with his dagger.

PR #4 – Romeo and Juliet: What are the Depths of True Love?

Romeo and Juliet was a truly heartfelt story that I deeply connected to. Emotions of love, sadness, excitement, and happiness swept my mind through the entirety of the film. For example, the numerous fight scenes left me exhilarated, and the tragic death scene had me heartbroken. The way Shakespeare was able to impeccably transfer the feelings of the characters was simply remarkable, although there were times where I was a bit confused.

The diction and register used in the play left me somewhat clueless, as I had never read or heard any form of “Elizabethan English” before. The grammatical and verbal structures found in Romeo and Juliet, including the prologue, greatly differ from modern-day English. This made the meaning of certain lines difficult to decipher before getting a translation from Mr. MacKnight. Though it was difficult to understand, it was still nevertheless beautiful to listen to.

Within the prologue, Shakespeare’s poeticism took various forms. For me, his imagery and alliteration skills were clearly prominent. For example, “Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean,” (l. 4). This was one of my favourite lines from the prologue, as I pictured a violent, bloody battle scene with two families in the centre of a city. Later on in the prologue, Shakespeare writes, “A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,” (l. 6). This line painted the picture of two lovers taking their lives to symbolise their deep affinity for each other. One line was particularly prominent to me however. “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes,” (l. 5). The alliteration and double meaning of this line was simply a stroke of genius from Shakespeare, where “loins” signified the reproductive organs as well as the “lines” of genealogy from either family. 

This play will stick with me, as it leaves me questioning the depths of true love. “So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes,” (Act 2, Scene 3, Friar Lawrence, ll. 67-68). Should one love another for their appearance over their character, or does character take precedence over looks?

PR – Romeo and Juliet

So recently we finished watching Romeo and Juliet movie. I might have missed some parts but I think I know the plot. And I’m not really a big fan of this type of movies. The movie itself is good, the actors are good at what they are doing, the plot is good-written, the costumes and the place where this movie was filmed looks really good. But I’m not a fan of romantic movies about love and stuff like that. Its an interesting idea of two groups killing each other cuz they’re enemies for some reason and suddenly two people from both sides fall in love with each other and the sad ending with them both dying, but, as I said, its boring to me. Also it was hard to understand what the characters were talking about because of the old language that the story was written in and I had to take time to understand whats being said. But overall the movie is okay, its just I’m not into this type of stories.

PR – Romeo and Juliet

“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare is a timeless masterpiece that captivates readers with its poignant portrayal of love, tragedy, and the complexities of human emotion. As a student watching this classic work of literature, I found myself utterly engrossed in the intricate plot, vivid characters, and lyrical language that Shakespeare employs.

First and foremost, the love story between Romeo and Juliet is deeply compelling. Shakespeare’s depiction of their forbidden romance transcends time and place, resonating with readers of all ages. Despite the obstacles they face, their love remains steadfast and unwavering, serving as a powerful testament to the enduring nature of true love.

Moreover, the themes explored in “Romeo and Juliet” are both universal and timeless. From the destructive power of feuds and hatred to the transformative force of love and forgiveness, Shakespeare delves into the depths of the human psyche, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of human relationships and the consequences of our actions.

Furthermore, Shakespeare’s mastery of language is evident throughout the play. His poetic verse, rich imagery, and evocative symbolism imbue the text with a sense of lyrical beauty that is truly mesmerizing. Each line is carefully crafted to evoke emotion and provoke thought, leaving a lasting impression on the reader long after the final act.

In conclusion, “Romeo and Juliet” is a literary masterpiece that continues to resonate with readers around the world. As a student, I was deeply moved by Shakespeare’s timeless tale of love and tragedy, and I am grateful for the opportunity to experience such a profound work of literature. I would highly recommend this play to anyone seeking a captivating and thought-provoking read.

PR#4 Juliet and her Romeo.

                     I really did not know what I was going to think of Romeo and Juliet when it was played in class, I already knew how it was going to end and that that knowledge would have made the film boring. This feeling was reinforced by the beginning of the show where I did not understand what was happening in the story. Thankfully, Mr. McKnight began to explain some of the more obscure dialogue that occurred and that’s when I began to truly appreciate the subtle choices and nuances that foreshadowed this tragic tale. One of my favorite scenes is during the masquerade party. As Romeo and Juliet are touchingly meeting each other for the first time, a performer starts to sing “What is a Youth” a song which gets closely associated with Romeo and Juliet. Because of Mr. McKnight’s advice, I paid close attention to the lyrics of this song and I am glad I did because it paints a perfect picturesque painting of Romeo and Juliet’s love blooming and eventually fading. The melody of this bittersweet song is played during every important scene of Romeo and Juliet that followed this one and it was engaging to reflect back on these lyrics during those times. By the time we got to the death scene that I knew was coming since the minute the show began, I was so captivated by the music along with the emotions onscreen, that I had become completely oblivious towards everything but the film. Everyone could have left the room and I’d be none the wiser. In conclusion, this story surpassed my expectations and I am content I was given the opportunity to watch such an engaging performance (even if I did not understand it half the time).

PR – Romeo & Juliet: Seize the Preserved

The play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare has been replicated, patented, filmed, recorded, memorized, and acted out dozens of times. So many times, that only the original, printed as a book, can be considered his preserved work of art. This is the only point to which a reader can experience Romeo and Juliet in its quintessence.

In the written play Juliet was more independent and sassier. I feel that if the directors of the film, Romeo and Juliet (1968), seized this aspect of her character Juliet would have had more flexibility and variety in her personality. Otherwise, she is simply a star-crossed lover with no path in life other than to love and care for Romeo. This conflicts with one of her reasons for rejecting consent to marry County Paris. For example, in the play when Juliet and Paris first meet in the church with Friar Lawrence, Paris is overjoyed to encounter her and proclaims his loyalty and happiness.

Paris

Happily met, my lady and my wife!

Juliet

That may be sir, when I may be a wife.

Paris

That ‘may be’ must be, love, on Thursday next.

Juliet

What must be shall be.

In the film, Paris only remarks the first line in the block quote above as a greeting. Juliet is very shy, conserved, and submissive as he talks to her. She does not even look him in the eye. She becomes small and then goes crying to Friar Lawrence. This may have been the objective of the directors, but I believe Shakespeare did not intend to create a character who played damsel in distress the entire time.  Friar Lawrence reflected a lot of what reminds me of the people of today. While every other character was intertwined and lost in the love story, Friar Lawrence was the realist and problem-solver. My thoughts while watching and reading Friar Lawrence’s role are that he was the kind of person who understands and supports Romeo and Juliet’s love because he once felt their love. However, he also rolls his eyes at them because he knows how it ends. He knows it always ends the same. Lastly, I appreciated that Shakespeare set the plot into reality by using characters with personalities and traits we would see today. The Nurse was a very outgoing, jolly, comforting and larger lady. Friar was an old, wise, man, who can solve any problem you bring. I believe Shakespeare did this because Romeo and Juliet’s love was too perfect, to heavenly. He needed to include something to bring the audience back to earth in order to make his play realistic and engaging. He did this by using characters we see in any society.

Additionally, I really enjoyed the repetitive musical theme of an orchestra playing “Nino Rota” in the background. This is something new to this unit because we were able to watch a film. The music made the film a millions times more impactful because the audience would know when an important scene was occurring. By the end of this movie, the theme song represented birth, love, and death all in one theatrical performance.

 

PW#8 Word V. Docs – The Championship Match

                 For years people have been asking age old questions, like what came first the chicken or the egg, what would happen if Pinocchio said “my nose will now grow”, and one of the most important (and the topic of this investigation) which is better Microsoft Word or Google Docs. This seems like a simple question at first but to really be able to give a definitive answer we must look at the pros and the cons of each of the platforms.

                 For starters i began to look at google docs’ strengths and I found out that peoples primary reason for preferring Google Docs is it’s user friendliness. To quote Reddit user “For me, Google Doc just seems simpler to work with. For some weird reason, even finding basic things like the option to format the document (change line spacing, etc.) becomes difficult in Microsoft Word. I’m pretty sure it’s just a ‘me’ thing. Sharing also feels a lot easier, not to mention everything gets backed up in Drive (does that happen with Microsoft OneDrive? I don’t know since I’ve never used it)”  or Reddit user “I don’t think that G docs are superior quite yet. But they don’t really have to be for most document creation, and Google knows that. They are certainly a no brainer to work with though. And since pretty much everyone already has a Google account, they’re are much easier to share and use for in-doc collaboration. The Comment and Suggestion tools are really easy to use. Just make sure to archive an original before letting the hounds loose to make edits or comments.”. It is clear that part of the glamour of Google Docs is that anyone can figure it out in a couple minutes. I have also come to the conclusion that it is easier to collaborate with others in the Doc platform because it can sometimes be annoying to share documents with people who do not have an office subscription, which brings me to Google Docs largest edge, it is free while Word is not. Google docs is certainly not without it’s downsides. One said downside has been brought up by numerous people, when working on a 50+ page document, Docs’ loading and update time is terrible. But this only happens to select people who make 50+ page documents, unlike Docs’ biggest issue that affects everyone who uses it, your data is not as private, meaning your trading privacy for convenience.

                   Word on the other hand can be more daunting towards a brand new user, and can be confusing especially if you are used to the simplicity of Docs. Word’s strength comes from it’s software and if you are willing to pay for Office and spend some time learning how to use it, there are more complex things you can accomplish. This advanced software gives users a smoother experience especially in large documents which is something that Docs’ lacks in. It definitely has more options if you use these type of platforms as a living, which is one of the reasons it leaves more amateur writers confused. Docs’ loading speed does have the edge on Word since it opens 10x faster.

                   In conclusion, both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses and it really depends on what you are aiming to accomplish to decide which you should use. But, if you are looking for a definitive answer, Docs’ universal usability triumphs over Word’s computing power.

 

 

PR – Romeo and Juliet: Is Love Destructive?

“Romeo and Juliet” written by Shakespeare, was entirely different from what I frequently choose to read. This may be because of the old English literature, or just the fact that it is a play rather than a book, but I am glad to have explored this literary medium. Each piece of dialogue had importance in the play. The plot was particularly engaging as it progressed. I was slowly able to connect and decipher the meaning behind the words of the prologue as the scenes progressed to enhance my understanding of the plot and predict what was going to occur next. The plot of “Romeo and Juliet” is commonly known: they both die out of love for one another. What I hadn’t acknowledged was the complex themes and depth of the plot that led the protagonists to this moment. There is the theme of happiness with Romeo and Juliet’s pursuit of one another. Shakespeare has highlighted the core motivations of pleasure seeking and pain avoidance in human nature through these complex characters. More prominently, however, is how the play portrays the chaos and passion of being in love. “Romeo and Juliet” raises the argument about whether love can overpower a sense of practicality. The play demonstrated a situation where the emotion of love was romanticized to the extent of how it can become destructive.

Love is a violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that overrides all other values, loyalties, and emotions. Such as how Romeo and Juliet yearned to be with one another even though their family conflicts had taught them the other was their enemy. This powerful theme presented an expected ending. The majority of novels I read have a happy ending, but “Romeo and Juliet” portrays a different approach. Rather, the main theme I took away from both the written and acted play was how love is blinding. Love brings out the best in two people, it gives them a sense of purpose. Life without love is worthless. But what is considered the point where love is dangerous? How can emotions be both creative and destructive? The end of the story came all too soon. I was left with many thoughts on how Romeo and Juliet’s deaths affected the conflict between the families. Did they blame each other for the deaths of their loved ones? Did they come to a point of acceptance and understanding? Ultimately the play only ignited questions and contemplation on whether love is a weakness or a strength.

PR-Romeo and Juliet

I recently watched the “Romeo and Juliet” movie in English class, and it was amazing! I’m addicted to romantic movies, so watching this classic was great. Yeah, sure, it was a bit dramatic and everything, but you know what? That’s part of what makes it so fun. Romeo and Juliet were like the ultimate teenage love story. I mean, love at first sight? Totally relatable when you’re young and head over heels. Their passion was so intense, it was like they’d do anything to be together, even if it meant going against their families or society’s rules.Watching the movie and reading the original text gave me this whole new perspective. Sure, the old language that was used back then was a bit tricky to follow at times, but it was cool to see how the story played out on screen and in Shakespeare’s words. Finally that shocking ending! Even though you know it’s coming, it still surprises you with all the changes and drama it has. But it’s a great reminder that love isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, there’s always challenges stepping in the way. Anyway, “Romeo and Juliet” definitely surprised me. It’s got me thinking about love, fate, and all that good stuff a relationship can be like. Plus, it was a nice break from the usual English class routine. Who knew English class could be so entertaining?

PR – Romeo and Juliet

Overall, I did not enjoy the play Romeo and Juliet. Starting with the fact that I do not like romance movies in general and this particular movie being at the top of this genre already decreased the chances of me liking it. Some scenes were touching, and sometimes I was curious about what was about to happen. Romeo’s and Julia’s first eye contact was interesting to observe. I think the actors did a great job demonstrating what love at first sight looks like. I liked the main conflict of the movie and how it was resolved. Not that I like sad endings, but this one showed the gloomy reality that not all struggles end happily.

I did not like some of the camera movements. There were a lot of close-ups of the character’s eyes or him looking directly at the camera. These types of things make me uncomfortable. The language people were using is another reason why I did not like the play. There are too many fancy words that have a completely different meaning when you ask about them. I understand why the characters use this type of language, and it is beautiful in some way, but it is not to my liking.

I am glad that I watched this movie after a long time of refusal. I think of this as a chance to finally have a clear idea of what it is and if I like it or not.

PR to Romeo & Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is usually portrayed as a classic story about two lovers, who fall in love from the first glance and will do anything for each other and it is, not trying to deny that, but it is also a story about rivalry between two families, who don’t even know how their rivalry started, but what they do know is how it went and all the losses that each side has suffered.

It is always implied, that Montague’s and Capulet’s rivalry is what interferes with Romeo’s and Juliet’s love, but never that their love is one of the main causes of the continuation of their families rivalry. The story makes Tybalt look like a villain, but all he does is tries to protect his family’s honor, when Romeo invades their party without an invitation, Tybalt tries to protect his cousin from their enemy. Then there’s Romeo, who knows this relationship wit Juliet isn’t going to work and will only bring more of the unnecessary violence between two families, but still proceeds to continue their relationship with Juliet after discovering that she is a Capulet. As expected Tybalt doesn’t let it slide and even though Romeo doesn’t want to fight him, Mercutio doesn’t understand the idea of peace between two famillies, Romeo and Juliet had in mind when they were getting married and he challenges Tybalt to a duel instead in which he dies and then Romeo kills Tybalt, who was only trying to protect his family from the enemy, while careless Romeo was only thinking about himself and his desires. He could’ve easily prevented all those deaths, if he would’ve restrained himself and his desire for love, once he found out that Juliet is a Capulet.

PR Romeo and Juliet

Today we finished watching Romeo and Juliet and I can say that I think  it’s really interesting story with sad end. Story represents us how love can be truly strong and how sad it can end, despite the enmity of Montagues and Capulets, Romeo’s and Juliet’s love is very strong, but eventually it ended up in a sad way.

Sometimes it was really hard to understand due to old language that was spoken in the film, but it was not a big deal. Film is pretty interesting to watch because of it’s uniqueness and unusual old-fashioned costumes.

Overall I liked the film and plot, I enjoyed watching. It made me feel in different ways, first one is sadness, it is because how the film ended, second is a positive because it’s written in a beautiful way that makes you feel their emotions.
It’s a story that shows us how powerful love can be

PR#4 – Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet, written by Shakespeare in the late 16th century, is an impassioning story of two star-crossed lovers destined for death. The story of their love and heartbreak brought with it a flurry of emotions; after all, what could be more moving than the story of a man and a woman finding in their sudden love for each other a reason to defy their families’ mutual hatred? I found myself enraptured by the language use and dialogue, letting it wash over me to understand the meaning beneath. The Old English perfectly captured and aligned with the setting, creating the sense of an old-fashioned era which I found myself falling into. My incomplete understanding of the formal language also had me relying more heavily on context clues and theatrics. Aided by the frequent soliloquies from several characters, I was able to distinguish emotions, foreshadowing, and the direction in which the story was progressing. This propelled me to appreciate the depth of emotion and how love overtook both Romeo’s and Juliet’s cognitive thoughts and predetermined judgements. Paired with Shakespeare’s use of vivid imagery, the setting and characters came to life. The vibrancy of Verona’s bustling streets set the stage for the poignant narrative. Furthermore, the complexities of identity breathed life into each character; Romeo’s passionate declarations of love, Juliet’s conflicted emotions, and even the fiery tempers of the feuding families conveyed further depth and animation. Ultimately, the narrative, through many literary techniques and nuances, wrought emotional turmoil, but also raised the concept of traditional gender roles.

Partway through both reading and watching the story of Romeo and Juliet, a central question was brought to mind: beneath the layers of romance and the nature of desire, what traditional notions of gender and identity can be observed? When thinking of the 16th century, my impression stems towards inequality, sexism, and prejudice. The social dynamics are evident throughout, most clearly in regard to Juliet’s strained circumstances as opposed to Romeo’s and the vice her parents have on her affairs. This shares the historical conflict between parental will and romantic individualism, and shows Juliet’s lack of control. My thoughts during the narrative strayed towards the intentions of Shakespeare himself. The underlying themes of sexism hint at the inequitable social state of the 16th century, causing me to wonder whether Romeo and Juliet was a way for Shakespeare to comment on the struggles that individuals face when asserting their identities and desires within a society that seeks to confine them. The ending, tragic as it was, gave me pause. Most stories regarding romance end with a “happily ever after,” a conclusion that leaves the reader with a smile and little reflection; this narrative was not one of them. The death of both Romeo and Juliet, along with multiple side characters, suggests something to me about the tragic outcome of romantic individualism and disobedience of authority.  The internal devision on the grounds of gender inequalities was a large take-away from this story for me, raising important questions and pushing me to further reflect on Shakespeare’s intentions.

PW#7

Today i went to a career fair at Camosun Collage.  It was interesting to go to see all the different paths that my life could go down, going to an IB school such as brookes gives me so many options and the possibilities honestly are overwhelming. Just a couple years ago i wanted to be a marine biologist, a year ago i wanted to get into aviation, this year i want to do pediatrics. All these wildly different topics and yet i feel the same passion for everyone of them. Who knows what i will want to do next year? or the year after that? and if i cant decide on what i want to do for more then a year then how am i supposed to choose a career to do for my whole life? I find it hard to grapple with these questions, especially as my childhood comes to a close and grades in school start to really matter i wonder how i will live my life, what i will chase and what i will leave behind.

IRJE#6 In Memorial

This passage is near the beginning of the book Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin. The protagonist Lou is walking with her friend Ansel whom she sees much like a younger brother.

“She keeps looking at you.” Ansel tripped over a stray limb, nearly landing face-first in the snow. Absalon leapt sleekly from his path.
“Of course she does. I’m objectively beautiful. A masterpiece made flesh.”
Ansel snorted.
“Excuse me?” Offended, I kicked snow in his direction, and he nearly tumbled again. “I don’t think I heard you correctly. The proper response was, ‘Goddess Divine, of course thy beauty is a sacred gift from Heaven, and we mortals are blessed to even gaze upon thy face.’”
“Goddess Divine.” He laughed harder now, brushing the snow from his coat. “Right.” (p.30-31)

I loved this moment between the protagonist and Ansel because it was one of the few moments of lightness in a very loss filled book. Later in the book, Ansel’s life is ended by the mother of the protagonist. His life is lamented by all who knew him well, as he is seen as one of the only characters who was pure and good. Lou, along with almost every other character in this book, grew up in a way which forced them to kill or be killed. It was what kept them alive. I believe Ansel’s death held a greater impact than many other deaths in this book because of the moments of lightness and humour the author allowed the readers to have with him.

PW #7 – Socks

I am sure we all have a favorite pair of socks that we want to wear all the time and everywhere. Some people also call them their lucky pair. I too have one of those and will tell you about it.

Recently, my sister visited us during winter break and brought presents for my mom, dad, and me. When I opened the box, there were candies, a book, a bunch of small things, and three pairs of socks. Of course, the first thing I picked up was a book and candies. I did not pay much attention to the socks. The next day, all of us went to show my sister around the city, and I decided to pick one pair to wear. They were red and white and had Ukrainian letters all over them. My God, those socks were so comfortable! After that day, I could not go somewhere without them (unless they were in the wash), but…something horrible happened…I LOST THEM! I looked everywhere. Closet, the deepest corners under my bed, the washing machine, and even the kitchen. They were gone…No sight of them.

Days passed and I forgot about them. I bought a new pair of socks not so long ago and then, guess what? Today is the day! I found them! One sock was lying behind a huge plant in my room, and another one was in the closet under all the boxes and clothes. I was so happy to finally find them. Now I will put them only in visible places where they won’t get lost again.

 

PW #7 – The Excavation

John William had spent years with his crew searching for physical evidence of a certain subspecies. They had visited site after site, all based off of their hypothesized migration pattern of the herd. Their funds were slowly bleeding out of them, and the universities that originally supported them such as Oxford, Harvard, and the University of Toronto, all began to criticize their work. The desperation of the crew was obvious the moment you stepped foot into the dig site.

The day was June 4th, 2005, and morale was lower than it had ever been. The heat was overwhelming, and Texas was going through one of their worst droughts of the year. The ground was parched and difficult to break through, but their team persisted. At 2:47pm, just before John was about to call it a day, a cry of shock was let out by William John, an intern who had been working at the site for only a month and was completely unrelated to John William. He had uncovered a leg bone. Painstakingly, the team chipped away at the ground, brushing away particles as the rest of the skeleton was slowly revealed. They had found it. The long feet, the slouched back, and even the characteristic large nose bulge that would have been coloured a bright red when the specimen was alive were all indisputable evidence.  It was a perfectly preserved Homo Asinius, also known as a paleolithic clown.

PW#7 Bob

Bob was an ordinary person in a lonely town in Houston, Texas. Bob was a lonely kid since he had a square head but other Bobs have oval face shapes. And you guessed it everyone here names it ‘Bob’. Bob is so crazy in love with Bobberly. She is a pretty girl with a long hair and slim body. That is every Bob’s type. She the most precious Bob anyone can find. Bob have to try to find a way to get Bobberly attention during school. He try to give her chocolate, flowers, love letter. Everything he tried it seem like it didn’t get Bobberly attention at all. But little did he know she have her eyes on Bob all along.

PW #7 – Reading with Gollum

Sitting upstairs in her room a young girl is sitting on her bed a duvet gently wrapping around her body. There was a chair in the corner of the room where her older brother sat. The chair was antique and worn, squeaking every time the boy moved. Their mother sat on the edge of the girl’s bed reading The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien written in small print on the spine. A version of the novel that wore a drawing of all the round hobbit doors in the Shire on the cover.

Her mother began describing Rivendell with its giant cliff-sides adorned by waterfalls and lush vegetation. She continued to describe the stone buildings created with great mastery. The moon shone brightly through the girl’s window illuminating the room coldly attracting her eyes. As she stared at the moon her mind began to muse about how she would explore Rivendell, she would climb onto the pine trees and attempt to drink from the flowing water. The girl would play with her family by the Bruinen River, splashing her brother and skipping rocks along the surface.

The arduous journey through the Misty Mountains began, their mother described the foggy and unfriendly cold. The protagonist finds himself in a maze of caves with jagged edges leaving the children with shivers of fear. Becoming increasingly uncomfortable by himself in the corner the boy jumps onto the bed when the novel describes the disfigured nature of the slimy creature named Gollum. The mother finishes the chapter early seeing the children’s fear. After saying their goodnights the mother and young boy left. The young girl being left in a dark room with eyes wide open in fear. She was terrified that Gollum had been living in her closet and fell asleep, motionless. From then on, whenever she The Hobbit read to her, she believed that Gollum was listening from her wardrobe.

𝙳𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙰 𝙷𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚌 – 𝙿𝚆#𝟽

𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑,
𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚜𝚎𝚊 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚜 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚣𝚎𝚗 𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚜 𝚜𝚠𝚒𝚖𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚍 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚘𝚘𝚗’𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜.
𝙴𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎, 𝚊 𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑,
𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚣𝚎𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚐𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚖.

𝙾𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚊 𝚙𝚜𝚢𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚌 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚑𝚎’𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚞𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝.
𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚏𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝, 𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚖 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚘𝚝𝚜.
𝙻𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚏𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜,
𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍, 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚍, 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝.

𝚂𝚘𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗.
𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚞𝚒𝚕𝚍 𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚋𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚜𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚎,
𝚊𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚜𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗.
𝙲𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚎’𝚜.

𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚍,
𝙰𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚍.

PW#7 Do computer games actually make people violent?

Politicians, parents, etc. always say that people who play computer games are more violent, but is it actually true? Video games can affect the persons mood, it can affect it in both positive and negative way. For example, if a person completes a mission that he was stuck on, or just enjoys game’s beauty, or mechanics, or story, It can make the person happy, energized, it can even motivate him to do something, on the other hand a person can feel sad and devestated after playing a game going back to the boring world, where nothing interesting is happening in their life, that’s when they start to get rude and aggressive. Little kids are especially vulnerable to this, that’s why parents should controll how much time their children spend on games, the mistake a lot of parents make is that they forbid their children from playing the games completely, but that isn’t the right response, parents should set the limitations for how much time can their kids can spend playing video games. Another problem is parents think that characters from computer games will become a role model for their kids and their kids will attempt to do something they saw on screen, but it just doesn’t work that way, if someone plays games about mafia, it doesn’t mean that they will go on the streets and start smashing people with a bat. Video games are made to be able to do something you can’t in real life, it’s like movies, or books, nobody bans them because they have scenes of violence, they just put the age category on them, so what’s the difference between movies and video games, why is one accepted and admired by society and other is thrown rocks at?

PW#7 The Uncanny Valley Phenomenon

Have you ever looked at a human-looking doll or robot and felt uneasy? This may be caused by something that is called “The Uncanny Valley” phenomenon. This term is used to describe the relationship between the human-like appearance of an object and the emotional reaction it creates. Phenomenon makes people feel a sense of unease and repulsive sensations in response to humanoid figures that are highly realistic. In the modern world its quite easy to stumble across a human-like object, since their creators aim to make them as realistic as possible. But upon examination of them, people tend to notice those objects are not human enough, something is off about them. Scientists even made a graph that shows this so-called “valley”, and if the object lies in that “valley”, object’s observer may feel a sense of creepiness, disgust or unease. Everyone must’ve felt this feeling while watching some CGI scene or playing a video game or maybe even seeing it in reality – like a mannequin. They might be realistic, but if its not realistic enough u will get this uneasy feeling.
The phenomenon was first described by the Japanese robotics engineer Masahiro Mori in an article published in 1970. Mori identified the phenomenon as “bukimi no tani gensho”, meaning “valley of eeriness.” In 1978, author Jasia Reichardt translated the term to “uncanny valley” in the book “Robots: Fact, Fiction, and Prediction.” Mori noticed that people found his robots pretty cool and realistic, but this only worked to the certain point.
There has been a number of proposed explanations for why people experience the phenomenon, but no clear explanation has been found. Some theories suggest that the phenomenon is biological, while others suggest that there are cultural explanations as well.
Mori suggests that it might be a survival response humans developed long time ago. It might mean that at some point humans needed this type of response to avoid human-like objects like, maybe, baits. As we know some animals have developed special patterns on their skin to resemble something for protection or baiting other species. So, maybe, long-long time ago there was a creature that hunted humans with its human-like looks, thats why we developed this reaction in order to avoid this type of objects.

Lisa’s Personal Writing #7

The influence of books on teenagers transcends mere entertainment; it serves as a cornerstone for their holistic development. Books are not just repositories of knowledge; they are veritable treasure troves of wisdom, insight, and inspiration. Through the pages of a book, teenagers embark on profound intellectual and emotional journeys, exploring the depths of the human experience and gaining invaluable insights into themselves and the world around them.

One of the most remarkable aspects of reading books is its ability to nurture empathy and compassion. As teenagers immerse themselves in the lives of diverse characters, they develop a profound sense of empathy, learning to appreciate the nuances of human emotions and the complexities of interpersonal relationships. This empathy extends beyond the realm of fiction, shaping their interactions with others and fostering a deep sense of connection and understanding.

Furthermore, books serve as powerful catalysts for critical thinking and intellectual growth. As teenagers engage with complex narratives, they are compelled to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information, honing their analytical skills and expanding their cognitive capacities. This critical engagement with literature encourages them to question assumptions, challenge established norms, and develop their own unique perspectives on the world.

Moreover, reading books has a transformative impact on teenagers’ emotional well-being and mental health. In a world fraught with stress and uncertainty, books offer a sanctuary—a refuge where they can escape the pressures of daily life and find solace in the company of compelling characters and captivating stories. Through literature, teenagers learn to navigate the complexities of their own emotions, gaining resilience, insight, and a sense of inner peace.

In essence, the influence of books on teenagers is profound and far-reaching. It shapes their values, beliefs, and aspirations, instilling in them a lifelong love of learning and a thirst for knowledge. As they turn the pages of a book, teenagers discover not only the power of words but also the boundless potential of their own minds.

PW #7: A Childhood Memory

A fresh, calm afternoon. Sunlight trickles through gaps in the branches, leaving stains of golden light on the ground. On the side of the wooden house’s steep driveway, a patch of trees filters out the sun. Their leaves shine as they attempt to stand guard against the glow. Birds converse in short chirps all around, and ever so often one of them breaks out into a trilling song.

It is the perfect day to be fairies.

Through a delicate deer path, a girl slips through the tall glowing sentinels. She hears her sister already in the hideout and quickens her pace to go by the fir decorated with a small red wooden fairy door. After a moment, she passes through the trees and reaches the top of the hill, where the path inclines downward, carpeted in plush moss. Below is a flat rock outcropping, a meter or two wide, before the rock suddenly falls away vertically to the road.

The girl pauses at the bottom of the hill, at an empty stump where the incline flattens. With a dramatic gesture, she drops a crumpled brown leaf into its hollow. Having paid her fairy toll for entry, she ducks under the lazy branch of an arbutus tree into the fairy hideout and greets her sister.

In their sanctuary, there are several flat areas of rock cleared of damp moss on which to sit. Weeds inch over the ring of rocks for cooking dinners on the right. They soon section off tasks, with the girl assigned to breaking off dead twigs of broom bushes to cook for spaghetti while her sister swiftly makes a fire by arranging fallen orange maple leaves in the firepit. After barely a minute, the spaghetti is ready and seasoned with small herbs and flowers.

While cooking meals is certainly entertaining, what calls them to the hideout most is the sense of excitement as a car passes on the road below. Being fairies, they cannot be seen by anyone, so the drone of a passing engine spurs them into action. Quickly, they must duck to the side, behind a tree, to avoid human recognition. After the vehicle’s departure, they slowly sneak out of their places to resume their activities.

Above where they sit, in the branches of a thin sapling, a bird resumes its song.

20471120 PW#7

Recently I discovered a designer brand that  has a very unique name called “20471120”. It was founded by in by Lica and Masahiro Nakagawa in 1992. Masahiro had an interview and in this interview he told about why he called his brand by this weird and kind of crazy name, he had a dream where he was in the future, in 2047 20th November, “I thought that there will be a world where diversity and individualism are advancing as fast as computers and mobile progress”, brand’s name literally represents future of diversity and individualism.
Brand’s main point was to recreate an old clothes and give it a new life, they could combine it different types of other clothes and that was their uniqueness. Their collections were inspired by popular brands like Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Vivienne Westwood and Chanel. Also brand has interesting character called Hyoma, it is a small human wearing a futuristic clothes, eventually it became like a logotype, Masahiro told that Hyoma was born from the graffiti that he was writing as a student around 1986-1987.
Sadly but 20471120 was a very peculiar brand with interesting storywas closed in 2003 by Masahiro, but he still was working with fashion very actively and in 2007 he and Lica created their last label called “ZECHIA” which exists even today.

Sam’s PR to R&J

Personally I found the Romeo and Juliet movie very entertaining, in the visual sense. From sword fights to romantic nights it was scripted quite well and it was easy to watch. It was pretty eye catching because of the unique and original costumes, storyline, and scenes. For a visual learner this movie is a great way to understand the original script, and it’s difficult to look away from.

On the other hand, due to the faded knowledge of elizabethan english in modern society, if you were simply listening to the play it would likely be difficult to understand due to the major difference between modern day english and elizabethan english.

Overall I enjoyed watching and learning about Romeo and Juliet because of the unique story plot, and the sense of “decoding” the different use of the english language.

PR “ROMEO AND JULIET”

I already knew what Romeo and Juliet was about before reading it and seeing the movie, but still, it made me feel a bunch of emotions. It’s a really hard story to watch because of the complexity of it, how the protagonists just by being born in those families have their destiny sealed. Their parents never imagined that an emotion stronger than resentment would create a fatal destiny. Is a love tragedy that now for decades has been portrayed in a bunch of different media, is a classic that all people should know about.

Talking about the way it was written we can find different sentences and words that we as a more modern audience can find hard to understand and if it’s not portrayed properly in a play or a movie can be confusing, that happened to me while reading the play, for example, in act 1, the part where they start fighting about the rivals biting their thumbs to them if I didn’t saw the movie I wouldn’t understand what those this meant.

Overall, I enjoyed getting to know more about this classic play, romance is one of my favorite genres, and learning about this made the English class more fun.

PW#7 Punta Mita

During spring break, I took a trip to Mexico with my cousin. We stayed in Punta Mita, which was stunning, warm, and beautiful. My favourite part of the trip was visiting the breathtakingly beautiful beaches. While in Mexico, I went surfing almost every day and saw turtles popping their heads out of the water quite often. The food was amazing, especially the tacos, which were always fresh and delicious. We also visited a few towns near Punta Mita, including Bucerias, Sayulita, and La Cruz. I enjoyed browsing the local markets and buying some cool bracelets and T-shirts. my favourite part at night was watching the sunset from the place we were staying every night. It was incredibly stunning and soothing.

Romeo & Juliet

Rome & Juliet, this play has completely captivated me. Before getting to see Romeo & Juliet I already knew about it, I mean, is a very famous play but I didn’t know how it ended. When we watched the movie I felt sadness because of these two families and all of the hate that they had towards each other. I find incredible how far our ego and our sense of revenge can go and for these two families it ended in loosing their two children. On the other hand, we have love. Love has always been my favorite topic in books, songs, and movies, this one was not the exception. I enjoyed every single minute of the movie and watching the development of these characters while they fell in love with each other. I think that is very interesting how also the times have changed. Years ago it was normal to get married at 14 as we see in the movie and also that our parents made deals with our future husband to get a monetary benefit from the engagement; I don’t think this is right and when I saw it in the movie I felt impotence for Juliet because that was not what she wanted but her parents wanted to force her.

The prologue was a complete different experience. Ever since I was little I have had a very good memory, it is very easy for me to memorize things but when I have to present, that’s the difficult part. I get very nervous when I have to talk in front of people and I tend to forget everything but besides of that I enjoyed it. I liked the way they spoke before (or in Shakespeare’s plays), they used Shakespeare’s formal use of language that we don’t get to see now and that make it more difficult.

PR “Romeo and Juliet”

Through this movie adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, I was touched by the actors who took on the roles of the characters, and I could relate to them on a personal level. Romeo and Juliet are embodied by young actors, helping to capture the madness of the young in love, the rush of their passion for each other, and their rashness and recklessness.

Regarding the characters, I did not like the parents of the main characters because of their profuse, unreasoned hatred of each other, which was the main cause of the family grudge. Friar Lawrence’s deeds were ambiguous, but he was sincere and well-motivated that it was inadvertently destructive of the tragic people.
The plot continued to make sense in general, as it was the popular story of “two star-crossed lovers” in particular. They both were presented as being very much in love, without remarkable reasons about why, and it’s told in an instant. Therefore, the entire concept of love at first sight is being amplified rather than giving depth to the characters.

The dialogues strictly kept the language Shakespeare had originally used. This lent formality and added a suavity of literary quality. From time to time, the dialogues were forced, as they felt separated from personal experience. However, it didn’t work out exactly as I had hoped, but it captures wonderfully the same timeless and lyric-dominant themes through the use of old-fashioned language.
The pictures purely addressed the ideas of the balcony scene, the crowd scenes with blissful and violent moods, and the climax of Romeo and Juliet looking for each other a tombs.Key images like Juliet awakening to find Romeo dead and their entwined lifeless bodies were powerful and devastating in their tragic romanticism.

Personal Response to Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy when they met at Capulet party and fall in love, they knew the hatre between Montague and Capulet will not end. They will not gain support from both their parent so it was impossible for them to have a normal love like normal people.

Loving a person no matter what happens, they covers up all the pain by their strong love and facing to dead at the end and the prologue describe it perfectly and fits the scene. To Romeo Juliet was the star in the night, and the reason of he choosing dead is not because the star falling but instead it’s dawn.

The scene of the Tybalt been killed, during that time the Tybalt is not Romeo enemy but instead his cousin in future, but he killed his best friend Mercutio so it was a painful choice to Romeo during that time. At the end Romeo was sorry for killing Tybalt for the revenge to Mercutio and that was a sad scene to me.

Friar Lawrence is having a good idea for the Juliet and Romeo marriage but due to some detail problems about the time that information delivered which cause the tragedy happen in the end and this was painful to Friar Lawrence.

PR Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet is my favorite play from Shakespeare. Reading Romeo and Juliet, watching the movie, and reciting the Prologue has been a deeply emotional experience for me. The story of these young lovers makes me feel sadness, admiration and frustration.

I love that Romeo’s and Juliet’s love is “prohibited”, it reminds me that we don’t get to choose how we feel, but we can choose how to act upon it. Their love was so strong it ended their lives, I think this gives two messages, firstly how powerful real love can be. Second is how vulnerable we become when we love someone, we don’t think straight and every decision is taken with the heart and not mind, as seen in the play.

While watching the end of the movie I realized that sometimes we, humans act as wild animals, we are so intelligent yet so primitive. For example, the war between Capulets and Montagues, they hate and fight each other for no reason, and the only thing that stopped this unreasonable war was the death of both of their children.

Overall, Romeo and Juliet is a strong reminder of the power of love and the destructiveness of hate. It makes me think about my own life and relationships, and inspires me to value love as well as thinking rationally.

PR to Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet triggered a bunch of emotions inside of me. Reading the text reciting the Prologue and watching the movie filled me with a sense of sadness and empathy toward the main characters Romeo and Juliet. The tragic love story of this young couple is a clear example of how everyone would do everything for love, and I couldn’t help but feel a mixture of sadness and admiration for their passionate yet fated romance. As I continued  the movie, I found myself empathizing with the characters’ struggles and I was rooting for their happiness, despite knowing the tragic outcome waiting for them. The themes of love, loyalty, and fate left me both heartbroken and captivated by the beauty of Shakespeare’s story. As I kept watching I didn’t understand why both of their families kept their ancient grudge against each other, but then I understood that it wasn’t about them, it was about who was better and about keeping the name of their families up in the high status. Then when we recited the prologue, at first I didn’t understand a thing about what the prologue said, but after reading it and several times I found out what it was, and for me it was very interesting how the prologue tells you that Romeo and Juliet will die before you even start the play! After reciting the prologue I really liked how at the beginning of the movie they used the audio of the prologue as an intro because even though it wasn’t the pay itself, it made the movie more like a play including the prologue and also Shakespeare’s language. Romeo and Juliet is a powerful reminder of the destructive force of hate and the importance of love and forgiveness in overcoming adversity. It left me with a sense of longing for a world where love wins over hate and where tragedies like theirs could be prevented

PR to Romeo and Juliet

While watching Romeo and Juliet, I found myself enraptured not only by the plot, but by the raw emotion that was produced through every scene and every line. The film evoked tragedy and passion at the same time and I found it amusing.

Before we began watching the movie, I imagined that it will be boring and extremely hard to understand because of the language used. However, while watching the movie, I found myself understanding the plot and, occasionally, some of the words and phrases being said.

When we were assigned the task of reciting the prologue, I did try to cram it and that ended with me not understanding what I was saying. But when I took my time to reflect on what was being said and comprehend the storyline, I was able to memorize it. Although my execution wasn’t as great as I wanted it to be, I was still proud of myself for memorizing it in short time. While reciting the prologue, I felt the weight of its words wash over me like a wave of inevitability. It served as a haunting start to the tragedy that was about to unfold, setting the stage for the heartache and despair that would follow.

As I watched the characters navigate the intense landscape of love and hate, I couldn’t help but feel a deep empathy for their predicament. The performances brought to life the inner turmoil, the reckless abandon, and the consuming intensity of Romeo and Juliet’s love affair. The chemistry between them was noticeable, igniting the screen with a fiery passion that was both exhilarating and heartbreaking to witness due to what was meant to follow.

In the end, Romeo and Juliet left me with a sense of melancholy, yet also a deep appreciation for the enduring power of love and the eternal struggle against fate. It is a lasting tale that continues to resonate with audiences today, reminding us of the fragility of life, the price of love and the enduring power of passion.

PW #7 – Seemingly Meaningless Connections

Old people wear glasses, need hearing aids, and walk with canes. However, old people also see clearest, do the most listening, and have no trouble supporting others. I have had a few special moments with some of our elders recently and wanted to share one of them here.

I was driving home from school one day, basking in the hot sun from what seems to be hotter after coming through the windshield. Enjoying the warmth of the leather seats on my legs, we stop at a traffic light. I look over to my right to see a bus drop off one, two, three and four people at the stop. The first three scurry and bustle off with their bags, phones, jackets and keys, while the older lady slowly makes her way off the bus. As the bus drives away she notices a majestic and fully bloomed cherry blossom. I myself have noticed the beauty of the cherry blossoms this time of year. She stops, and stares at its branches. Then its leaves. And finally, its flowers. She smiles. I smile too. I have never felt such radiating innocence before. She did not know I was watching her. She was able to enjoy this slow and peaceful moment, while I was blessed with admiring it.

Innocence is one of my favourite words. By definition, it is known (as a noun) as “a pure, guileless, or naive person”.  To me, innocence most comes to mind when you are experiencing a peaceful moment in which you feel a connection to something. A connection that seems so meaningless. Seemingly meaningless connections, this is innocence.

Personal Response to Romeo&Juliet

This is my first time completing the story of Romeo&Juliet.In the beginning, I just thought that they both died because of each other without a reason, I didn’t know that there was a strong social background of family opposition behind their love story.When I first read the book, then watched the movie and recited the prologue of their story, I had a strong feeling of sadness with this love story among with pure and beauty between Romeo&Juliet.Even though their families hate each other,It didn’t affect their relationship.Despite the family hate and challenges,they still have ways to be together. Romeo did many things to express his love and care for Juliet. He bravely overcame many difficulties and obstacles for the continuance of their love. As for Juliet, she showed her courage when she refused to marry Paris. They both overcame a lot of difficult challenge, especially with the opposing family and did a lot of things for each other. It also showed the story of the rivalry of their family which are the Capulets and he Montagues.The hatred of rivalries between these two families indirectly led to a tragedy where Romeo&Juliet both died in the end.I love how Shakespeare  describe the conflict between two families because they gives me a picture in my head. I agreed with the prolugue where it says

“A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;

whose misadventur’d piteous overthrows.“

Because of how they continue their love with all the challenges that were in their way but what they got was a tragic ending.

Personal Response to “Romeo & Juliet” – A Sword with blood on it

Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare is one of the most famous love stories. It begins with the prologue. At first, I didn’t understand half of it. The words I understood but not the sentence. But after hearing and saying it a lot. At the point where I memorized it, I finally understood the sentence. The English language changed a lot back then and today. They use different words than we do, and most of them we don’t speak anymore. When the story begins, I understood more in the film than in the book. Not because they speak it. No because of the body language. And with that, it helped me to understand the book when I read it because I knew where we were. The story I liked how dramatic it is, where in one scene Romeo and Juliet are happy and in the other Romeo needs to leave the city. then in the other Talking now on the plot. What I liked most in the story is the film where Tybalt kills Romeo’s friend, Mercutio. To show the audience that Tybalt stabs Mercutio, they show the sword with blood and didn’t use a bloody realistic scene we he gets stabbed and blood sprays everywhere. It was also interesting the clothes that they used. Fashion has changed a lot.

PR- Romeo & Juliet

What should I say? “Romeo and Juliet” being a classic tragic romance story that has been a hit all around the world. I had not been into it at all only knowing that they had both died at the end thinking they were foolish before reading the book and watching the film. And now after finishing the film, it had been a real rollercoaster for me feelings went up and down when watching the film and even after. Still remember when first the Montagues and Capulets were fighting and not knowing where Romeo was and to the extend knowing that he didn’t like Juliet at first instead he liked Rosaline was a small shock for me as I always thought that Romeo liked Juliet from the very beginning. And moving onto the scene where the Capulet’s held the party and Romeo still liked Rosaline before the party which was the reason that he went to the party and after seeing Juliet he immediately falls for her and even kissed on the first time seeing her. And then moving onto the famous scene where Juliet’s on her balcony and Romeo climbs to find her and kiss her. I’m sure we were all amazed by his tree climbing skills. And from this part I started getting why Romeo and Juliet would die for each other. Seeing him do dangerous acts just to spend time with Juliet I know that this man is in love and so deep that he couldn’t keep himself conscious. Then onto the part where they get married I know they both love each other a lot. They were both with the priest and when Juliet was forced to marry Paris the priest didn’t let Paris go in because he knows that she only love Romeo and would wait for him even if he was banished. The most unfortunate part of the entire story would be Romeo not being able to receive the letter from the priest so he didn’t know that Juliet was just asleep. At that moment I was thinking what if Romeo didn’t kill Tybalt or what if he had gotten the letter? These are the biggest “What-ifs” for me in the film of Romeo and Juliet. And the part that impressed me the most was how Rome and Juliet being in opposing families they still had an “underground love” that not many people knew.

IRJE#6 -Dream Team

During spring break, I had went to a book store and this book caught my eye immediately which is called “Dream Team” by Jack McCallum It talks about the stories behind the 1992 Olympic USA basketball team which is known as the Dream Team because of the amount of famous NBA players on the team including : Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Karl Malone and many more. Of course the man himself Michael Jordan would be in the team. Knowing they dominated the Olympics with a blowout every game is insane.

But remember this, too: Jordan would stay in the backseat for only so long. In both the Dream Team pre-Olympic practice in Monte Carlo and the games in Barcelona, Jordan rose up from time to time and, in the strongest thus-spake-Zarathustra terms, made sure that everyone – especially Magic- knew who really ruled the basketball world.  (p. 191)

This part for me as a basketball fan it’s really interesting as basketball fans know that after the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era where they had dominated the game of basketball in the NBA it was Jordan’s era after that. From this small part of the book we could know that Jordan’s competitiveness is in a very high level. And when we knew that Magic was dominating before hand Jordan is really taking up the spot of him and Larry Bird as they both are starting to retire.

I love this book because it shows a lot of behind the scenes for the 1992 Dream Team which is widely considered one of the best USA basketball team for the last 40 years.

“PW #7” Being Kind and ending up wrong.

Have you even been in a situation where being too kind ends up betraying you? Well, all my life, my mom has taught me to help others anywhere, everywhere, and at any time. Throughout my life, this has become more present because I have learned that helping others makes me really happy because I enjoy seeing others happy. However, I have also learned that by being too kind and exposing myself too much, my actions have consequences. Since I arrived at Brookes Westshore, I have placed helping others as my priority, and it has come incredibly well. Ive become a great and helpful person; however, recently I got in trouble with a school work. Some friends needed my help in a class, so with all their trust, they came to me, and of course I helped them. They did not understand a single question, so I gave them my response and also explained it to them for them to at least understand the question and be ready for the test. I at first did not understand the question either, so I used Google, which I consider a great friend because it makes things way clearer when the topic is too hard or when you don’t completely understand your teacher. After giving them my response, I felt like a good friend because I knew they would do amazing with my help. However, I got into trouble for sharing my responses and using Google, which, even though I understand the point of view of the teacher, maybe understanding the situation and having compassion for their students could have been a better response than immediately placing me at 0 with no way of fixing it. Finally, I have understood that maybe some teachers understand kindness in school to a certain level when others do not, and that’s totally acceptable.

Personal Response to Romeo and Juliet -Amelie

Watching the scripted and accurately portrayed version of Romeo and Juliet was a new experience for me to say the least. It is different than reading it in a book where expressions and suspense is hard to convey. Even in knock off versions such as the 1996 Romeo + Juliet hardly convey the emotion and tragedy that the scripted version so clearly conveyed. It was almost as if I could feel in my heart every emotion displayed by the characters. I felt the fear and horror of the Friar Lawrence as he stumbled out of the Capulet tomb after realising that he caused the death of poor Romeo and Juliet. I felt the sadness in Nurse’s face and voices as she wailed helplessly after the ‘death’ of Juliet. However, the thing that resonated with me the most was the Juliet’s desperation for Romeo, scrambling for his spirt- his love that was lost in deaths cold embrace. I could feel her hope and her happiness being sucked out of her body by the mere sight of her Romeo lying dead beside her tomb. It could have been the smallest details being portrayed by the actress: a quivering lip or even the subtle pauses in between her words that made it feel as if the actress would have really died from Romeo. The words:

Go get thee hence, for I will not away.

What’s here? a cup clos’d in my true love’s hand?

Poison I see hath been his timeless end.

O churl, drank all, and left no friendly drop

To help me after? I will kiss thy lips,

Haply some poison yet doth hang on them,

To make me die with a restorative.

Thy lips are warm.

(Act: 5 Scene: 3)

will stick with me forever as I remember Juliet’s saddened remark of a hint of life in the lifeless body of her Romeo.

 

PR to Romeo and Juliet

In my opinion, the book, the poem, and the prologue are very similar to each other, I was passing through the same feeling in those three different sources, and although each of those are different ways to explain something you are still having the same knowledge. For me was better to first read the book and then watch the movie because while I was reading, I had a better understanding of the plot, and when was the moment to watch the movie I knew the characters and their roles, And also in other way was good to read the book because when I was reading, I was imagining what the backgrounds and people look like and had an idea and the moment that I watched the movie everything got clear because I remembered the ideas that I had read and I was involving everything that I knew when I was reading the book. Finally, with the Prologue I preferred to watch the movie instead of saying it first because in the process of learning the prologue, we watched the movie and I had an idea of the best way to say it also watching it I could understand the plot and what feelings were the characters passing for.

IRJE #6: Plant life

For my next IRJE, I am writing about a quotation from Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (the novel on which the film is based). The paleontologists Dr. Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler have been flown out to a Costa Rican island called Isla Nublar, where huge developments in genetics have allowed a private company to create a park with herds of genetically reconstructed dinosaurs. The quotation takes place as the two of them, a guide, and other experts pass the park’s swimming pool and Ellie notices that the huge, previously extinct ferns planted decoratively next to it are actually very poisonous – enough so that they could make anyone who touched them sick. Ellie muses about how “people” view plants:

“People were so naive about plants, Ellie thought. They just chose plants for appearance, as they would choose a picture for the wall. It never occurred to them that plants were actually living things, busily performing all the living functions of respiration, ingestion, excretion, reproduction – and defense. […]

“People who imagined that life on earth consisted of animals moving against a green background seriously misunderstood what they were seeing. That green background was busily alive. Plants grew, moved, twisted, and turned, fighting for the sun; and they interacted continuously with animals – discouraging some with bark and thorns; poisoning others; and feeding still others to advance their own reproduction, to spread their pollen and seeds. It was a complex, dynamic process […] which she knew most people didn’t understand” (pp. 85-86).

I chose this quotation because I liked how it not only made me think about how we may ignore plants in our daily lives, but also foreshadows the general irresponsibility of the park creators. While knowing that plants are alive, they are still used so often as decorations that it can be easy to forget that houseplants have their own cycles and “motivations” – to find more sunlight or create flowers to grow their species. Ellie states how the planting of deadly ferns at a pool where any visitors could encounter them demonstrates how the park creators see the plants as just decorations. Despite how ancient the fern is, the developers planted it without regard to how it might fit into today’s world and the defenses it may use. This foreshadows the rest of the book, where (spoiler!) dinosaurs escape their pens and wreak havoc on the humans who they don’t know how to react to.  This violence by the ancient life against humans is a theme of the book, showing how the money-driven park operators neglect to think about the fact that their assorted displays are not museum exhibits but living creatures unaccustomed to today’s world.

PR: Romeo & Juliet

Without doubt, Romeo and Juliet is one of the most classic love tragedies which tells a pair of fateful lovers’ story. However, the thoughts and feelings that Romeo and Juliet bring to me are not only about love, but also the consideration about marriage. To be precise, why marriage, what’s are the factors we, and the family in Romeo and Juliet might consider in a marriage?

Well, for most of the animals, they don’t have marriage, but they choose companion to reproduction. So, how do they choose? First, DNA, which is appearance, and health. Then, living conditions and status. the animals want they children to survive better, this is why they considering these.

However, do humans also based on these to choose marriage partner?
Obviously, the answer is yes, for Mr. Capulet. Paris is handsome, healthy, and most importantly, he was the relative of prince, which means he was rich, and had power, which also can be considered as a kind of “living conditions” and social status. At the same time, maybe for most of parents, whether nobles or commoners, no matter in drama or real life, they all agree with Mr. Capulet. I trust most of parents are not selfish, they consider more realism, putting the living conditions of they children, grandchildren, and the entire family first.

But humans do have another factor that animals and lots of parents won’t consider, the emotion, or we say love. Overall, marriage is not just about parents, but also the lovers. And the lovers do think love is the very first factor to consider about. So did Juliet. For Juliet, why did she love Romeo and absolutely disagree to marry Paris? Because of love, which unfortunately is the factor that Mr. Capulet would like to ignore. Juliet would not consider to not loving Romeo because he was an enemy of her family, nor would she fall in love and marry Paris because he was a relative of the prince. So, do the love between lovers benefit their children’s living conditions? In physical perspective, no. but it do benefits children’s emotional conditions. Some lovers think the good mood and relationship between themselves are way more important than their children. This also makes sense.

Completely different idea from her father, isn’t it? Mr. Capulet was right, marry Paris was good for family. Juliet was also right, marry Romeo, because she loved him! One is realism, one is romanticism, and it is impossible to answer who is correct anyways. This is a social, philosophical question, but it is interesting, which is the truth of marriage. And Shakespeare brought this truth to the public through his play.

PW#7 – Unbeelievable

Have you ever thought about what the single most important organism on the planet could be? Grass, trees, cows? Wrong. According to the scientific literature, bees are the most vital organism on the planet.

Bees provide humans with medicinal products and sweeteners, such as honey, royal jelly, and bee pollen. These products are greatly beneficial to one’s brain, digestive, and immune health, as they contain antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Vitamins and minerals are essential for one’s body to function properly, and antioxidants, polyphenols, and phytonutrients found in honey have many antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, bees provide humans with wax, which is used as an emulsifier and provides fragrance to soaps and shampoos; propolis, which also has a host of immune benefits, and can be used to treat allergies and skin conditions; and venom, which is used to treat inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatism. Bees also play a key role in the farming and production. One third of the world’s food production depends on bees (Food and Agricultural Organization). When animals and insects pick up pollen from flowers and spread it, they allow many plants, including agricultural crops, to reproduce (UN Environment Program). Thus, bees play a significant role in shaping the environment as we know it. Without them, there would be negative implications for the agricultural industry as a whole. In turn, effecting millions of people globally.

PW #7: Lethally in Love –

“Cyane… Is that you?” Persephone’s soft and drowsy voice whispered making Cyane blush harder as a shiver rose up from her back. Too afraid to respond Cyane turned her head towards the shadowed forest ahead of her, the cold shadow of the trees keeping her grounded. “Cyane” she heard Persephone breath again with a hint or relief in her voice; Persephone’s muscles relaxing in Cyane’s arms. Suddenly Cyane felt Persephone’s soft hand on her cheek and reacting impulsively, Cyane threw Persephone on the floor. “What the Hel?!” Cyane yelled at Persephone as she looked hopelessly back at her, reminding her of when they use to fight. “What?!’ Persephone whined from the floor of the forest as she gripped the grass below in frustration. “You- You-…. Why did you?!” Cyane sputtered in a rage of confusion, not even knowing why she was mad. “You almost got me killed!” She yelled exasperated after a moment of fumbling with her words. Persephone shot her a wounded look, her lip quivering in the corner for her mouth making Cyane’s heart melt. “Sorry” Persephone quivered “I just thought-“. “You just thought what?!” Cyane cut in, her frustration getting the best of her. “That you could just expect me to forget what you did to me! How you left me with nothing but what you didn’t care to bring! How you made me think you died!”. Cyane sighed, collecting herself and her seething temper. “You know what never mind” Cyane grumbled, her already broken heart chipping away as she glanced up at Persephone’s saddened amber eyes.

“Wait!” Persephone called out, her voice quivering as she choked on a sob. “Don’t leave me here… Please”. Cyane didn’t respond afraid she might say something she would regret. “I’m afraid he might come back- Thanatos. He’ll know that I lied and-“. “What could you have possibly lied about?” Cyane interrupted still facing the other way. Persephone paused but then she quivered out: “About my Mom. I told Thanatos that I wanted to find her first but she was already the first one I went see, ok?”. Cyane looked back to see Persephone quietly crying on the forest floor. “What are things not alright in lovers paradise?” Cyane retorted heavyheartedly, clenching her jaw. Suddenly Persephone bust out crying, covering her reddened eyes with her arms and Cyane suddenly felt super bad about brining it up. A pit of guilt welled up in her chest. “He Kidnapped me” Persephone burst out.

PR to Romeo and Juliet. Jose Tostado

“Romeo and Juliet” is an intense ride. Everything hits you hard. At the party, you can see how much Juliet and Romeo love each other, even though their families hate each other. It is so obvious in the movie. 

But you know it is all going to end badly because they both die in the end. It gets even more stressful when things can calm down but do not. It is tough to watch the tragedy happen, especially the last moments of Romeo and Juliet. 

You feel hopeful seeing how much they care for each other. The movie shows that nothing can get in the way of their love. It also shows how Shakespeare keeps pointing out how terrible things happen when people do not communicate well. 

Watching “Romeo and Juliet” makes you feel a lot of things. It is not just about love; it is also about how hate can mess everything up. Even though it is sad, it is also nice to see how strong love can be even when there is so much hate around. 

The movie also makes you think about fate and whether Romeo and Juliet could have avoided their tragic end. It makes things even more complicated by showing how misunderstandings can cause big problems. 

The movie shows how society’s rules and expectations make life hard for the characters. It makes their struggles seem more real, with families fighting and responsibilities getting in the way. 

“Romeo and Juliet” stays with you, even though it ends sadly. It reminds us how terrible things can get when people hate each other and how powerful love can be. This old story always gets to people, making us think about being kind, understanding, and making peace in a world full of conflict.