Telling My Story: Humanities

 As the year comes to end for me in my Humanities 310 course, there is a lot to reflect on. Looking back to the first week for this course reach higher then my expectations; the majority of the class was really enjoyable and fun to learn about. The goals that I had for myself were to accomplish the course with at least a B or higher. Typically when it comes to classes with a lot of reading I usually struggle in, but this course noy only made it enjoyable but really easy to follow. When we first began to read Shakespeare there were struggles for me personally to comprehend the material, but after a while and through a discussion we as classmates gave advice to one another on how to succeed when it came to Shakespeare which truly helped a lot. 

What had interested me most about the class was wanted to learn about how the power of kings and queens had back then and the influence of the church. These are topics that really get my attention and really interest me how it has affected our present day. There is a lot to learn from our past not only from our own countries, but from others as well. I think it is really cool to see and study how other parts of the were doing in different eras. Something I learned in class was about what royal families their were and how they came to power. It was really interesting to learn how power was inherited to the son, but there were many out there who wanted the throne and did whatever it takes to do so. Something else I had learned was about architecture. Something I came in knowing prior to taking the course was the Protestant Reformation. This was a topic that I had studies on my own and was really glad to expand my knowledge about it even further. 

            Shakespeare, William, et al. Hamlet. Gallimard, 2016.

• The play Hamlet will forever sit as a long time favorite to me when it comes to Shakespeare works. The story has slow start in the beginning, but as you read along to the play it sky rockets like a rapid roller coaster. There are never dull moments in this play and really focuses on the idea of revenge. The play will always leave you asking yourself what will happen next and as it is a play from Shakespeare it will never disappoint anyone's expectations. 

De, Beaumarchais Pierre Augustin Caron, et al. The Marriage of Figaro. Oberon Books, 2003.

The Marriage of Figaro was a a new work that was introduced to me this year. I did not really have any expectation for this opera as I had not really known much about so I just dove right in. Not me being the biggest fan of opera it really surprised me by how good the story telling was. Figaro, being our main protagonist, was deeply in love and was bout to experience his very own wedding, but he had suspected oh his own wife not being faithful. Though one of the shorter works I have ever encountered, it really did the job well and did everything right. The ending will caught you off guard and not really something you would predict.  

Thomas Cole: Expulsion. Moon and Firelight

Expulssion, Moon and Firelight
Thomas Cole
Oil on Canvas
1827

Expulsion. Moon and Firelight by Thomas Cole was created in 1828 by Thomas Cole who is considered to be the founder of Northern American landscape painting. The waterfall and bridge produce a cross shape in the composition, which is symmetrically arranged. Paradise is on the right, and the world after the Fall is on the left. Stated in Museo Nacional, "The whole landscape, which seen by a favorable light, and in a genial temperature, had been found so lovely, appeared now like some pictured allegory of life, in which objects were arrayed in their harshest by truest colors, and without the relief of any shadowing..., the bold and rocky mountains were too distinct in their barrenness, and the eye sought relief, in vain, by attempting to pierce thee illimitable void of heaven, which was the shut to its gaze by the dusky sheet of ragged and driving vapor" (Museo 2). The stark contrast between the blazing light inside the arch and the shadows around it emphasizes the scene's magnificent quality. Cole was concerned about the consequences of the United States' growing industrialization, and here he shows the North American landscape as a metaphor for Eden. 

Thomas Cole 

The land scape that had inspired Thomas Cole was when he saw a suspended bridge in New Hampshire in 1827; the scene's sole characteristics are the environment and the elements of creation such as the stone bridge, the waterfall, the volcano, and the moon. His excursions through the granite formations of New Hampshire's White Mountains served as inspiration for this painting. Stated in the Museo Nacional, "Cole drew inspiration for the bridge that marks the division between the world of paradise and wild, chaotic nature from a landmark in the white mountains called "the Bridge of Fear..." (Museo 3). These paintings set the tone for Cole's new, more elevated landscape style. Firelight and the Moon Cole saw landscape painting as a tool for communicating theological or moral implications, God's power over nature, and man's defenselessness towards it. 

Starting with this aspect, Cole used his imagination to build the scene for Adam and Eve's expulsion. The Garden of Eden in Fort Worth represents the world before the fall, with an ideal environment that has never been seen before dominating the composition. After being exiled from Paradise, Adam and Eve cross a rocky bridge into a chaotic natural setting in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts' Expulsion. Instead of the route to exile, Cole depicts the stone bridge as the gateway to Paradise, which he paints with light and fire, portraying Eden shining in the darkness. Cole compared the untamed American terrain to Eden in terms of its potential to impart God's work of creation. What I had experienced when first glancing at the art was how much of a landscape it had covered and the difference between both left and right. Just by looking at the painting I could infer that it would have some relation to the bible as it depicted a two differenthttps://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/cole-thomas/expulsion-moon-and-firelight distinct world such as heaven and hell. 

Work Cited:

Nubla. Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza. (n.d.). Retrieved December 17, 2021, from https://www.museothyssen.org/en/visit/thematic-tours/nubla 

Figaro: A Man in Love

The Marriage of Figaro
Pierre Augustin de Beaumarchais'

The character that I will be analyzing today from the well known opera Marriage of Figaro by Pierre Augustin de Beaumarchais' is the main character himself Figaro. The play's protagonist is Figaro; he is a young man who is engaged to be married to Susan, a lady he adores. He has a tumultuous past, since he has no knowledge of his family or parents and is prone to getting into mischief, yet he always manages to win in the end. Figaro is the count's majordomo and valet, and the two have a long history together. Figaro appears to have a knack for devising elaborate and confusing schemes that generally include the count being duped. Figaro is also a respectable and good-hearted man, but has his share of uncontrollable emotions. When he suspects Susan of having an affair with the Count, he gets depressed and enraged, launching a lengthy rant against the nobility and governing classes. He remarks in his soliloquy that the count is ordinary but elevated because of his title, whereas Figaro is everything from ordinary in character but lives in obscurity due to his lack of position or status.

In act 5 Figaro conducts a long soliloquy about inequity and the aristocracy when left alone. "But, despite my desire to be Something in this world, my detestation of the brazen Effrontery, profound Ignorance, and insupportable Insolence of these fashionable Friends of Nobility was so innate that I found I could better endure all the Miseries of Poverty than the Disgrace and Disgust of such Society," he writes. He breaks out in tears. At the conclusion of the play, everything is resolved. It turns out that the intricate pranks that the characters perform on each other are more successful than any direct dialogue. The count is humiliated when he learns that his wife is aware of his affair with Susan, and Figaro and Susan marry happily. The play demonstrates how, rather than didacticism or direct confrontation, sleight of hand, trickery, and comedy may expose deeper and more striking truths. 

                      Here is a short 2:26 second video that I highly recommend for many to watch:  

"The Marriage of Figaro in about a minute" 

The term satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts in which vices, follies, abuses, and weaknesses are mocked, generally with the goal of shaming or exposing perceived defects in people, businesses, government, or society as a whole into betterment. Although satire is normally intended to be amusing, its primary goal is frequently to provide constructive social critique by employing wit to bring attention to both specific and broader societal concerns. The satire in the opera brought alive many of the ways people of social status, gender and role during this particular era.  

Work Cited:

Holcroft, T., & Beaumarchais, P. A. C. de. (1785). The follies of a day ; or, the marriage of Figaro.: A comedy, as it is now performing! at the Theatre-Royal, Covent-garden. from the French of M. de beaumarchais. Amazon. Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Figaro-Pierre-Beaumarchais-ebook/dp/B005XSCBBK.

The marriage of figaro in about a minute - youtube. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWX5oGv2Jxo.

Telling the Story: Gian Lorenzo Bernini

"A Pair of Angels
Gian Lorenzo Bernini

    The artist that will be focused on in todays blog is the famous sculpting mastermind Gian Lorenzo Bernini. In the article "Three Proposals for Gian Lorenzo Bernini" by Ann Sutherland Harris talked about major pints that Lorenzo did when it came to the technique and preserving his sketches. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was born in 1598, the sixth of Angelica Galante and Pietro Bernini's thirteen children. Bernini grew up in Naples, where he began sculpting at a young age, working closely with his father. Stated in the article, "The study of the sketching youth and the two academies presented here hardly make a dent in the total of lost drawings by Bernini, but all three are powerful drawings and their recovery may lead to further finds in the still explored recesses ode European drawing cabinets" (Sutherland 126).  Along with his colleagues, architect Francesco Borromini and painter and architect Pietro da Cortona, Bernini was a key player in the establishment of Roman Baroque architecture. Through an ambitious urban planning project undertaken under his sponsorship by the powerful Roman Popes of the period, his ideas helped restore Rome to her previous architectural splendor.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Something that was stated in the reading and not in the journal article was that Bernini revolutionized the way sculptures were displayed. He frequently produced them "in the round," which refers to works that stand alone in large areas and are intended to be seen from all sides by the observer, boosting the total experience and intimacy with a piece. In the reading it stated, "Bernini gives the figure additional expressive power by his deep cuts in the stone, producing strong contrast between light and dark" (Cunningham 364). Although Bernini's drawings have gotten less aesthetic attention than his sculptures, there are a number of perceptive publications in a range of languages that combined give a comprehensive overview of his work in this medium. Stated in the article, "Scholars and and collectors of old master drawings focus on the survivors" (Sutherland 119). Study works for some of his sculptural or architectural contracts would have been some of his most accomplished sketch work. These big projects would need extensive preparation before beginning the final piece, and sketches may be drawn relatively rapidly to test a concept for a single aspect of the entire artwork. 

Here is a short 5 minute video going more in depth on Bernini's own sculpture of "David": 

"Bernini, David"

    The main reason why I had chosen the artist and article that I did was for the sole reason that I wanted to expand my knowledge on sculpting back during this particular era. Stated in the article, "The accented strokes defining the contour of the figure, with breaks that cause the eye to finish parts of the line, appear in both sheets as do dramatic blocks of empty paper and dark tones that model the forms with a bravura hard to find in the work of any other Italian siecento craftsman" (Sutherland 121). There are many creative ideologies when it came to creating a sketch for Berninil; Bernini was a playwright, director, and actor who was heavily influenced by the theatrical. He authored, directed, and acted in plays, particularly carnival satires. This penchant for drama impacted not just his architecture and sculpture, but also his designs for stage sets, theatrical technology, and a wide range of ornamental art objects. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was a major influence and revolutionized the sculpting scene during his era. 

Work Cited                  

Riech. "Chapter 15: "The Baroque World" Culture and Values, by Lawrence S. Cunningham. 

Harris, Ann Sutherland. “Three Proposals for Gian Lorenzo Bernini.” Master Drawings, vol. 41, no. 2, Master Drawings Association, 2003, pp. 119–27, http://www.jstor.org/stable/1554582.

Bernini, david - youtube. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uEtvaUsI_w.

   

King Edward VI: "The Young Ruler"

Edward VI granting the Royal Charter, 1553.
by Beth Von Stats 

    The article I chose to focus on for todays blog is "Edward VI and The Pope", written by Roy C. Strong. The main reason why I had chosen the young ruler Edward VI and this article is connect to my concentrated theme is to what extent does religion influence human events. The throne of England fell to Henry VIII's youngest legitimate child, a son, who became known as King Edward VI, after his death in 1547. Because Edward is just ten years old when he ascends the throne, he is surrounded by a Regency Council of counselors and advisers. Stated in the article, "The young King is enthroned beneath a cloth of estate and at the feet of this doll like figure there lies an open book inscribed THE WORDEOF THE LORDE ENDVRETH FOR EVER; it is the Word of God whos purity crushes down and vanquishes the impure Roman pontiff" (Strong pg 311). After surviving measles and small pox, Edward VI only ruled for six years, succumbing to TB (then known as consumption). Viruses like this were common in Tudor England, which explains why people lived very short lives. Because the typical individual only lived until about the age of 35, a person of 18 years old would be considered middle-aged. As a result, Edward's death at the age of 16 was not unheard of. Before his death, King Edward VI followed a tradition started by his father Henry VIII. The Crown seized Catholic Church lands, which became known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It wasn't enough, though, that Church lands were taken. They were also re-distributed to aristocratic households around England, mostly to purchase the nobility's favor.

Here is a short video ten minute video for a brief summary of King Edward VI: 

    The portrait I chosen was "Edward IV 1537-53", illustrated by William Scrots; it is an amazing portrait with little details that truly makes the small details to stand out and really focus on how important and powerful King Edward VI was back then. Strong stated, " The portrait of Edward VI is derived from the earliest portrait series of the new King, of which a version at Petworth is datef 1547" (Strong pg. 311). The little prince is dressed in a russet satin gown with flowing sleeves, velvet edging, gold thread embroidery, and lynx fur lining. The Prince of Wales' coronet and feathers are adorning the gem around his neck. Through the left window, a deer park may be seen, with Hunsdon House, Hertfordshire, in the background. From May to July 1546, Prince Edward stayed in Hunsdon. The artwork may be seen in Pyne's 1819 illustrated 'Royal Residences,' hanging at Windsor Castle's King's Closet. 

Edward IV (1537-53)
by William Scrots 
Oil on panel 

    

    The main reason why I was so interested in King Edward VI was because he was King Henry VIII successor; I was very curious to know how influential King Edward VI would be to his people in comparison to his father. Another major comparison I wanted to dive into was how the young king handled the situation of religion during his time as the thrown. Before him, his father abused the religion system influencing his own desires, so I was curious to see how the young king would do in his fathers place. King Edward was reformed to be a Poststent while a majority of England continued to be Catholics. Stated in the article, "The scene of iconoclasm in the Edwardian allegory are framed  by a backcloth of smoldering ruins of building collapsing one upon the other" (Strong pg. 312).   He paired a strong commitment to religious reform with a determination to address social and economic problems such as the alleged widespread enclosure of land for pasture conversion.

Work Cited: 

Strong, Roy C. “Edward VI and the Pope.” Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, vol. 23, no. 3/4, Warburg Institute, 1960, pp. 311–13, https://doi.org/10.2307/750601.

Edward VI (1547 - 1553) - 10 minute history - youtube. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMm03Tg2XPA.

Staats, A. B. von. (2020, February 16). A godfather's solemn charge - the coronation of king Edward VI. Queen Anne Boleyn. Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://queenanneboleyn.com/2017/02/20/godfathers-solemn-charge-coronation-king-edward-vi/.

William Scrots (active 1537-53) - edward VI (1537-53). Royal Collection Trust. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2021, from https://www.rct.uk/collection/404441/edward-vi-1537-53.

Beauty and Horrors of Hamlet

"Hamlet
by William Shakespeare
(1599-1601)

    Hamlet considers whether fate or free choice is more important, whether it is better to act decisively or let nature take its course, and, finally, whether anything we accomplish during our time on earth matters. When Hamlet discovers that his uncle has murdered his father, he feels compelled to act, but he has so many misgivings about his circumstances and even his own sentiments that he can't determine what to do. During the whole play  Hamlet is in the middle of three crises, according to the play's exposition: his country is under siege, his family is disintegrating, and the internal struggles he has to face. Overall, I really enjoyed reading the play as it brings to attentional what real problems many young princes and even the royal families had to face during that specific era. The main themes shown in this play had to do with corruption, revenge, religion, politics, and reality. The world known play Hamlet by William Shakespeare was originally published in 1603 originally written in Early Modern English. An interesting fact about the play was that it was his longest ever and the setting was focused on the country of Denmark. One major reason why Shakespeare was inspired to write Hamlet was because of  the death of his only son who had died from an unknown illness. The very wealthy, upper middle class, and lower middle class made comprised Shakespeare's audience. All of these people would seek amusement in the same way that we do now, and they would be able to afford to go to the theater.

William Shakespeare

 One of the key themes in Hamlet, being a revenge tragedy, is retribution. The concept of honour is closely tied to the concept of vengeance. The honor of Hamlet as a 'good son' is linked to his responsibility to revenge his father. 'Speak, I am obligated to hear,' Hamlet exclaims to the Ghost, to which the Ghost answers, 'So are thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear' (Act 1, Scene 5, lines 10-11). This dialogue emphasizes the connection between vengeance and honour, as well as the acknowledged obligation of a son to exact vengeance on his father's behalf. In Hamlet, madness is another major theme. Hamlet chooses to ‘put an antic disposition on' after hearing the Ghost's account (Act 1, Scene 5, line 191). His insanity begins as a masquerade to avoid the skeptical monarch and his snooping spies, Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern, so that he might explore the veracity of the Ghost's allegations. As the play progresses and Hamlet stays mired in his own bewilderment and indecision, there are instances when he appears to lapse into true lunacy, raising questions about his mental health. It would not be unusual for his circumstances to cause him to become paranoid and mentally ill. The strain of feeling obligated to murder Claudius despite his strong moral and intellectual objections, along with the knowledge that he is surrounded by people he cannot trust and who are continually scheming against him, would put any character to the test.

My overall final thoughts about the play are positive. I thought the majority of the script was well written and really carried its own weight until the very end. From my previous reading of Shakespeare I was already aware of how the play might end, but from all the others this one surprised me the most. From start to finish I was impressed and what made me really had me thinking the most had to be the main themes of the play; most of the themes I can see as real world examples that many have done or even thought about such as revenge, corruption, and mental struggle. I believe that  Shakespeare did a great relating the play to many of his audience in one way or another. Hamlet is a play everyone should really look into as it stands as one of if not thee best play of all time written play by William Shakespeare.  

"Why Should You Read Hamlet?"

 (5:08)

Work Cited

Mategrano, T. (2002). Cliffs Complete: Shakespeare's hamlet. John Wiley & Sons.

Why should you read "hamlet"? - Iseult Gillespie - YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved November 2, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTu39aMg_mU.

Causes of the Reformation

Martin Luther
(1483-1546)

In the 1500s, the Protestant Reformation was a religious reform movement that spread across Europe. It culminated in the formation of a branch of Christianity known as Protestantism, a term that refers to the many religious groups that split from the Roman Catholic Church over theology disputes. Major reasons why the Reformation came to be was the rise in nationalism and moving away from the church. Important figures such as that of Martin Luther is one that stood out from encouraging this movement. 
 

Religion was a major factor when it came for people to understand the world and why everything was the way, but many, such as Martin Luther, began to believe in more of a collective identity constituting a demand to separate from the church. Stated in Chapter 14, "Thus Luther's insistence that the German rulers reform the church because the church was important to do so appealed to both economic and nationalistic self-interest", (Cunningham pg. 329). This was the first time in history that individuals were instilled with a sense of collective identity through diverse customs and behaviors. 

"95 Thesis"
Martin Luther

Another major reason why the Reformation began was because of how corrupt the church was to its people. In the reading, " The idea of reform in the church had actually been maturing for centuries, with out cries against abuses and pleas for change", (Cunningham pg. 329). The church during this period was the most superior ranking and social class holding a lot of power and abusing all of it. In the Article "An Economic Analysis of the Protestant  Reformation" by Robert B. Ekelund stated, "It treats the Roman Catholic Firm as a firm that provided religious and legal services used its market to extract rents from it customers", (Ekelund pg. 647). Many, including Martin Luther, were tired of this and wanted change to happen. An iconic moment during early on in the Reformation had to ben when Martin Luther nailed his "95 Thesis" to the church door. Martin Luther published his 95 Theses in an attempt to persuade the Roman Catholic Church to stop selling indulgences, sometimes known as "get out of hell cards." Luther believed the Church lacked the right to grant such indulgences, especially for a fee. Luther refused to change his mind about his convictions.

A Fun, Animated History of the Reformation and the Man who Started it All

(4:55)

Work Cited

    Ekelund, Jr., Robert B., et al. “An Economic Analysis of the Protestant Reformation.” Journal of Political Economy, vol. 110, no. 3, The University of Chicago Press, 2002, pp. 646–71, https://doi.org/10.1086/339721.

    Riech. "Chapter 14: The Renaissance in the North." Culture and Values, by Lawrence S. Cunningham. 

    A fun, animated history of the Reformation and ... - youtube. (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhGGjRjvq7w.