ENG 2800 with Prof. McGlynn

The language used in this story expresses Berto Della Massa’s intentions to deceive and trick the people of Venice. Boccaccio uses this deception to demonstrate how characters with good images can fool others due to their expectations of these characters who portray these good images.

I noticed that Jesus kept saying: “it is not yet my hour”. I believe this repetition signifies the concept of destiny and fate that this story expresses. Jesus knew when he was going to be arrested and murdered because he had the knowledge of his own fate. In the beginning of the story when Jesus did not get arrested signified that it was not yet his hour to be killed. The last supper and Jesus’ speech at the last supper foreshadowed that his hour was coming and he prepared himself to be arrested and crucified.

I had a lot of trouble understanding The Odyssey at first but I began to read the sparknotes before actually reading the assigned readings. This has been helping me understand more from the book. I especially enjoyed the part when Odysseus came up with the plan to stab Polyphemus in the eye with the stick and escaped form the cave by hanging from the belly of the sheep. That was pretty unusual and comical. I guess even Homer had a sense of humor.