Reading Old Books in a Modern World

The quote I’d like to discuss is the following:

… He made his dwelling among the trees of the sacred grove of Phoibos Apollo, and he gave me glorious presents. He gave me seven talents of well-wrought gold, and he gave me a mixing bowl made all of silver, and gave along with it wine, drawing it off the storing jars, twelve in all. (Lattimore 142; lines 200-205)

This part of the book is talking about a gift that was given to Odysseus because he save the life of Maron and his family and how Odysseus and his companions were drinking wine. My question is: what does the seven talents really mean? I feel that there is a different meaning to “seven talents.”

I’ve thought of many shows that are on TV today, but most of them were already talked about on previous posts by my fellow classmates. However, I did find one show that I used to watch late 2014. The show is a Netflix series called “Hemlock Grove.”

Hemlock Grove is a Netflix Series that takes place in a fictional town in Pennsylvania. The people living in town ranged on all social classes, from the richest family to the poorest family. The TV series have certain characteristics of Jacobean theater; such as, secrets, promiscuity, abuse, killings, incest, and mainly demonic I’d say. The show started when police were investigating a murder of a high school cheerleader who was brutally murdered. The main suspects are two guys. One guy who is a ware-wolf and another guy who comes from high social class. However, they decided to investigate the case themselves. This let them to discover many secrets the town had hidden.

Acts 4 and 5 of the Dutchess of Malfi reminded me in some sort way of this show, where all the violence started, executions, etc.

RED BAND trailer below.

I’ve only watched the first season of Blacklist but I think it would be safe to say that the American crime thriller incorporates a bit of Jacobean style into the show. There are moments of violence, revenge, manipulation, ambiguous relationships and betrayal. The show primarily centers around the long time wanted fugitive Raymond “Red” Reddington who used to work for the government but has converted into a life of crime selling government information and etc.

Reddington is a very calculated man that has a reason for every move including surrendering himself to the FBI. If you are on move A, he is already on move A plus 4. In other words, he is 4 steps ahead of you. He uses this ability to manipulate the FBI into helping him capture dangerous criminals that are on his blacklist. While watching the show, one can realize that there’s a main plot developing within each subplot. He does whatever it takes to get what he wants including violence; even if it means shooting someone in cold blood or dropping them in acid while they’re still alive.

We realize as the show goes on, every criminal that is on Reddington’s blacklist serves a purpose to his ultimate goal – who wants him dead and how he can protect himself. In addition, as the side plot, there is the ambiguous relationship between him and the only FBI agent he is willing to speak with, Elizabeth Keen, while he acts as a confidential informant. He uses her need for a father figure as a means to access her resources to help him. He purposely doesn’t state what their relationship is in an effort to maintain control over Elizabeth.

Blacklist

In my understanding, Jacobean era’s drama contains corruption, weird Family relationships and Violence.

So, I choose ‘Breaking Bad’ as a good example of Jacobean Drama. This is a TV show that shows us how person who have skill but normal life corrupted and become a mass producer of methamphetamine.

For corruption, Walter, the main Character was originally a teacher. He had no savings or any money that keep his family living after he pass away. At that point he met his old student who make a methamphetamine for his living, and so he started the ‘cook’ for money for the family. His first motive is very understandable, except he is making pure meth that may cause huge social problem and complex drug crime. Also he is not only making drug, but also force his old student, Jesse, to kill people for taking care of work, and also he kills some people in the TV show. So, this drama show us how the school teacher who worried about his family become coldblooded drug and homicide criminal.

For Strange family relationship, Walter and his wife’s sister’s husband are very close relationship as family. However, after Walter step into meth industry, it became very interesting but also weird, because Hank, the Walter’s wife’s sister’s husband is work in the Drug Enforcement Administration. Yes, professional drug producer and agent who have catch that producer is in one family, and moreover, they are still good family until season 4.

For the violence, ‘Breaking Bad’ shows us many violence seams. Specially, two hit man brothers entered to the show with brutal killings and one of them is shot to death and other one also death, but blood loss. These two characters are very significant criminal characters, but there is also many killing and death in the show, by not main characters but also by Walter and Jesse. If we include not only direct killing, but some second hand killings and let someone die for purpose, the killing count will be rise more. Yes we can see a lot of blood from this show.

Yes, it follows Jacobean drama’s many features.

After long process of thoughts I came up with a show I recently watched on Netflix called Revenge This show can somewhat considered a modern day Jacobbean drama even though it’s not as violence but it is still filled with violence corruption, betrayal, revenge, and incest which are characteristics of a Jacobean drama. Revenge is a show about retribution. Meet Emily, the newest resident of The Hamptons. When she was a little girl (and known as Amanda Clarke) her father, David Clarke, was framed for a horrific crime and subsequently sent to prison. While serving his time, the conspirators plotted and murdered David in order to prevent the truth from coming out. Emily is now back with a new identity and ready to take vengeance on the people that murdered her father and stole her childhood. Emily’s friend, Nolan Ross, is there to aid Emily in her plans. Emily’s childhood friend, Jack Porter, Emily want to keep him out of harm’s way. Nothing will stop Emily’s pursuit of justice and no one is off limits.