Machiavelli's Outragious Statement

I think the most outrageous statement that Machiavelli wrote was; “In conclusion, the arms of others either fall from your back, or they weigh you down, or they bind you fast.”

This statement really struck me because I very strongly disagree with this. Contrarily, I can also see the truth behind it. Many people use people, hurt them or leave them when they no longer benefit them. In Machiavelli own words, “Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.” But I am still a strong believe that people who love you and who you love back will build you up not tare you down so I believe Machiavelli was wrong. I think he is wrong because not ALL people will desert you, weigh you down or bind you. Many people, especially in the LDS church, set out each day to serve and love those around them. They love all those who come into their lives and treat them with respect. There are also many people who may not quite be to this point but aspire everyday to be more Christ-like.

Machiavelli’s philosophy definitely applies today to all the many self-centered people who inhabit this world today. Especially with the rising materialistic trends in the world today people often forget the people they love and replace them with things they buy. Luckily there are still people who are good, kind and honest in this world. So Machiavelli philosophy is not entirely true and it cannot be applied to all mankind, especially amongst the people who strive to be Christ-like. Yes, they may make mistakes and fall short every once in a while but they will always endeavour to make up for their shortcomings because they are full of love.

Why I Read

 List the top 3 reasons why you read. Then compare that list to what Dante says in Canto V of the Inferno about why Francesca and Paolo read? How does our motivation for reading affect what we take from our reading? Are there correct or incorrect motivations for reading?

1. I read because I love stories and I love being captivated and learning about the characters. I feel like when I'm reading I'm making friends with the characters and for a moment being apart of a their life. Reading also increases your capacity to imagine and your knowledge of life and your vocabulary.

2. I read because it is required for my classes.

3. I read the scriptures to be spiritually uplifted, to learn of the Lord and his council.

In Canto V, Paolo and Francesca read for pleasure. Dante doesn't agree because he thinks they should only read for educational purposes. You should  read and then go and act upon the things they have learned. I like this because I really value learning and I think that we can better our lives through reading. Unfortunately, I don't think that Dante would read all the same books as I do because sometimes I do just read for fun.

I know that when I read with motivation I take a lot more from my books and am more able to remember what I have read. This especially occurs when I am reading for my classes, if I am interested in the material I am reading I take a lot more from it.

I don't think that there are any incorrect motivations for reading but I do believe that you must read good books. In my life I have stopped reading several books because they have made me almost depressed and I don't think that is right. I think reading in general is just a very beneficial activity and as long as you are actually reading then you are on the right track. 

U.S.A. = Rome

The similarities between Roman and American society as supported by Juvenal's Satire III:

1. Importance of Money - In Roman society, similar to the U.S.A., Juvenal writes that, "the first question asked will be as to his wealth, the last about his character: 'how many slaves does he keep?' 'how many acres does he own?' 'how big and how many are his dessert dishes?' A man's word is believed in exact proportion to the amount of cash which he keeps in his strong-box." This Quotation shows that the value of a man was almost directly tied to the amount of money he owned. Just as in America this could only create a mentality that you must do all you can to get money so that you are able to do the things you want to do.

2. Busy-ness - I could not find any written confirmation of parallels between the U.S.A.'s problem of bussy-ness and a sense of busy-ness in Rome. I think that this could do with the fact that with so many technological advances in this day and age life has become more complicated. In a way we should have more free time but instead we continuously fill that free time up with plans. 

3. The ME Attitude - Just like the many people who have gone into debt to satisfy their wants instantly, according to Juvenal, Rome had a similar issue. When he describes the styles of the day he says, "every one dresses smartly, above his means, and sometimes something more than what is enough is taken out of another man's pocket." Appearance was as huge of a deal in Ancient Rome as it is today in the U.S.A. Such placement of values reflects the "Me Attitude" because it shows an importance in vanity.

4. Poverty - Correspondingly, poverty is also rampant in both Rome and the U.S.A.. Juvenal says; "It is no easy matter, anywhere, for a man to rise when poverty stands in the way of his merits: but nowhere is the effort harder than in Rome" Just as I said in my last post the U.S.A. economy creates an endless cycle of poor people who are unable to break from the mold. The same seems to hold true with Rome.

5.  Obesity and Unhealthy Lifestyles - Although there was not the same health issues in Ancient Rome as there are today many people still lead unhealthy lifestyles in Rome. Rome was a place "where you must pay a big rent for a wretched lodging, a big sum to fill the bellies of your slaves, and buy a frugal dinner for yourself." "Most sick people here in Rome perish for want of sleep, the illness itself having been produced by food lying undigested on a fevered stomach." Both of these things are not correlated with the nutrients of the food but instead with the place that they lived. They were not able to purchase enough food which is, obviously, unhealthy. So in that way peoples health was still suffering from their lifestyle choices in Rome as it is today in the U.S.A.

1st World Problems

What are the five most challenging social problems facing the United States today?

1. Importance of Money - Many people now put money before everything else. Family, happiness, relationships, passions and hobbies. People spend less and less time on the people or things they love because they are constantly working to make more money. Also, because people want more and more money they often take out debts which they can never repay because they continue to want more and more and not make enough money.

2. Busy-ness - People are constantly busy, they fill their lives with so many jobs and activities that they have little leisure time. Although this is sometimes a good thing people often forget that to develop relationships with people you have to spend time with them. To make food and eat together strengthens family relationships but with so many extracurricular activities that is happening less and less. Consequently, social relationships are also degrading in importance, such as the family unit.

3. The ME Attitude - There is a huge sense of entitlement in the generations of today. We want all the things we want right now with as little work as possible. This creates a lot of problems with debt because people who feel they are entitled to certain things will take out a loan to pay for it. It also creates mediocre workers who choose not to work as hard as they should because they think they deserve the money anyways.

4. Poverty - There is a lot of poverty in America. Although there is a possibility to become a millionaire, like the American Dream promises, most people never reach it. I recently watched a video about the wealth inequality and it said around 15% or 47 million Americans were under the poverty line. That is extremely high and causes a lot of problems socially. Many people who grew up in poverty remain poor the rest of their lives, it is an endless cycle.

5.  Obesity and Unhealthy Lifestyles -  There is a health epidemic throughout the United States. People are super busy with their ever demanding jobs and activities that instead of cooking a healthy meal they choose to go out to a fast food restaurant or pop a frozen pizza in the oven. This is an issue because it creates tons of health problems and health problems drags down peoples quality of life and standard of living.

The Golden Age

Golden Age refers to a period of time when a person or place is having a time of prosperity, peace, stability and fulfillment.

Under Augustus, Rome was experiencing a Golden Age. Augustus' ruled for a very long time and throughout his entire rule he provided stability for Romans by continuing to improve the Empire of Rome's power and prosperity. They had recently fought in many civil wars and the peace that was maintained through Augustus' rule was a huge encouragement to the people of Rome. There was also a lot of prosperity during Augustus' rule and no Roman was for want of bread because there was such an abundance of food. They were also still allowed many freedoms of expression and their lives were able to find fulfillment through many forms of art, activities and education.

I am Canadian and I think that most countries go through cycles where first the economy peaks (could be referred to as a Golden Age) and then the country falls into an economic recession. The most recent Golden Age in Canada would probably have been right before the 2007-2008 market crash. Especially in my province, unemployment rates were low, average wages were high, the work force was searching for employees and people were becoming more and more educated. My province, Alberta, became completely debt free and the oil companies situated in Alberta were making more money that ever. There was peace, which has almost always been the case in Canada, and people were able to find fulfillment.

Oedipus

This production maintained the elements of original Greek tragedy in 3 ways:

1. The Costumes
• Although they didn't have actual masks the tragedy did use the same people, from the chorus, to play different roles by just changing their costumes. 
• This allowed members of the chorus who were peasants to turn their covers inside out and remove their head pieces and become royalty or a prophet or a seer. 
• They were not all wearing the cothurni but in semblance they were all wearing earth-coloured long-sleeved smocks which allowed them to easily switch roles
  
2. The Chorus
• The chorus sang many of their lines to only the claranet, a drum and the beat of their sticks. Although the music has been lost from original Greek tragedy they used music in their performance just as they used to.
• Just as with the singing the chorus also danced during their songs. The choreography was simple yet also provided some catharsis for the audience.
• Just as in original Greek tragedy the chorus spoke their lines together.
3. The Set
• As with original Greek tragedy where the set remained the same the entire performance as it all took place in one day and in the same place. 
• Although it was not performed in a perfectly constructed amphitheater the actors still wore no microphones and spoke loud so the audience could hear.

Hamartia

Oedipus hamartia:

1. Pride
• His ultimate  prideful mistake was that he thought he could run away from his fate. This, ironically, lead him to the fulfillment of the prophecy. If he had not been so prideful and left Corinth he would never had encountered his father at the crossroads.
• Throughout the play Oedipus is constantly referring to when he outsmarted the sphinx that was plaguing Thebes.
• Whenever he refers to his triumph over the sphinx he say as if it is proof that he can never be wrong and that he is wise. Such as when he is accusing Creon of treachery and when Teiresias foretells of his downfall.
2. A Quick Temper
• His raging temper is shown throughout the play directed at anyone that remotely offends him.
• His temper is what lead to the murder of his father. Although this wouldn't have been as violent to the  Greek audiences as it does to us now, it still is a valid point. If he had instead moved out of the road for the men he would not have been whipped and would not have killed them all.
• His anger is also shown when he quickly condemns and curses the man who killed King Laius.
•  When Teiresias speaks, or does not speak, Oedipus' quick temper and haste to accuse Creon both lead to the unwillingness of the people to help him when he does fall.