Monthly Archives: December 2010

I couldn’t agree more with Charles Isherwood’s review of the play “Throne of Blood” in the New York Times article “Sprawling Cinema, tamed to a stage.” In his opinion of the play Isherwood states “Were it not for the gorgeous costumes — sweeping silken kimonos and samurai armor made of glistening black patent leather — Ping Chong’s “Throne of Blood,” a new production from the Next Wave Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, would be as boring to look at as it is to listen to.” This is exactly how I felt. Not being familiar with the movie or Macbeth made this play hard to comprehend and enjoy. Although the actors made their voice loud, it was difficult to understand a lot of what they were saying. If the actors had been mute it would have made no difference to me. The only aspects of this play that kept my interest were the dramatic visual effects on the background screen as well as the noise effects.

In the New York Times article “For Afghan Wives, a Desperate, Fiery Way Out”, is a heart wrenching story about the actions of Afghan women based on a life of mistreatment at the hands of theirs husband and in-laws.
In Afghanistan women are seen as inferior, they live a life of poverty under the authority of their husband and his relatives and are frequently victims of not only physical, but mental and emotional abuse. “The choices for Afghan women are extraordinarily restricted: Their family is their fate. There is little chance for education, little choice about who a woman marries no choice at all about her role in her own house. Her primary job is to serve her husband’s family.”(NYT11/07/10)
Since divorce is not an option for any woman in Afghanistan many feel that the best way out of their terrible predicament is a permanent one. The way in which these women chose to take their own lives is not quick and painless however and doesn’t always get the job done. Since these women do not have the means to such other methods one might see as “easier” such as a quick bullet to the head or jumping from a high building, hopefully dying in midair, they use tools that they can easily access such as matches and gasoline.
Lighting oneself on fire is a form of suicide called self-immolation and has become common among Afghan women many of whose bodies burn only for them to survive and be left with a lifetime of physical as well as emotional scars. The thought that a woman would go to such great lengths to escape her current situation shows just how horrific her life must really be and it is extremely sad to see the depression these women feel because of their husbands, knowing that they will never been seen as equal.

I have not heard of any cases of women in China committing suicide due to any form of abuse but similar to the women of Afghanistan, they are also inferior to men and do not share similar roles. This shift in power begins at the early stages of life and is expressed in The Book of Songs. “So he bears a son And puts him to sleep upon a bed,…Then he bears a daughter and puts her upon the ground,…” (A.1040). This shows just how early in a woman’s life she becomes submissive to a man and just like the women of Afghanistan, this role is set for life.

In The Book of the Courtier, Baldesar Castiglione describes what it takes to be a good courtier, someone who plays the role of a follower and helps leaders make decisions. A courtier must be well mannered, well behaved and very importantly, well educated. According to Castiglione, the best of courtiers begin learning early in life. “I say that if anyone is to acquire grace in bodily exercises (granting first of all that he is not by nature incapable), he must begin early and learn the principles from the best teachers.” (C.242)
The New York Times article “Sports training has begun for infants and toddlers” was a very interesting one. It is about a company called Gymtrix that offers sport education to children as young as six months old. The creator, Doreen Bolhuis has a Castiglione approach to teaching kids sports at such young age, believing it gives them a higher chance of success in the future. “We hear all the time from families that have been with us, ‘Our kids are superstars when they’re in middle school and they get into sports,’ Ms. Bolhuis said.”(NYT11/30/10) How Castiglione believed that to acquire certain characteristics one must be thought at a young age is very similar to what Ms. Bolhuis believes and I agree as well. I personally do not have any talents but I often find myself wondering why my mother never tried to introduce me to any activities or teach me anything when I was still young enough to absorb them. Who knows, I could have been the next Maria Sharapova.

A famous line from The Mourning Bride, a play by English playwright William Congreve, states “Heaven has no rage like love turned to hatred, nor hell fury like a woman scorned.” This can also be said about men and is proven by King Shahrayar in A Thousand and One Nights, when he is deceived by his unfaithful wife and punishes her by death. He then promises an unimaginable wrath against woman believing that all women are capable of such horrific acts and beds a new girl every night only to kill her the next day. “He then swore to marry for one night only and kill the woman the next morning, in order to save himself from the wickedness and cunning of women, saying, ‘There is not a single chaste woman anywhere on the entire face of the earth.’”
This terror comes to an end when he meets Shahrazad, the daughter of a vizier who believes it is her duty to stop him. Every night for a thousand and one nights she recites stories of various morals to the king. In the end it is because of her knowledge that he spares her life and marries her.
Prince William of England also appreciates an intelligent woman and chose one to be his wife. The New York Times article Diana’s Ring Seals Prince William’s Marriage Plans briefly explains where and how he met his future wife Kate Middleton. While someone might suspect she was already of a higher stature she is actually from middle-class home and the two met at The University of St. Andrews in Scotland. If Ms. Middleton becomes Queen, she will be the first to have a college education. It seems as though both Prince William and King Shahrayar were impressed by a ladies intellect and fell madly in love. Just like Shahrazad waited a few years for an outcome, Ms. Middleton has waited for her prince to propose. “Miss Middleton’s sometime tabloid nickname, “Waity Katie,” a reference to the notion that she has supposedly been waiting around for Prince William to propose.” (NYT11/16/10)
In the end, the patience of both woman resulted in a great achievement, Shahrazad saved her life and became Queen and Kate Middleton gained the chance of one say having such an honorary title.

What is Machiavelli’s idea of an ideal leader? What advice does he give about public image?

Discuss Shahryar’s transition of feelings towards women in the beginning of the text, and compare to the end of the story. How did Shahrazad sway his feeling of women through her stories.

In compairing Asian Literature with One Thousand and One Nights, which era allows women to play more of an important role to their society?

1. Brute force v.s. intellect. What is more powerful to accomplish something?

2. Compare and contrast thoughts of Machiavelli and confucius.

How does Sei Shonagon use her advanced knowledge differently in The Pillow Book than Shahrazad does in The One Thousand and One Nights?

King Lear is one of the greatest written tragedies. Both the most vile and virtuous characters in the play die. Does the play seem to suggest that justice will ultimately triumph or is justice only an optimistic concept in a world filled with despair?