Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales
1. How is the setting of the tales described? With such a setting, could you predict the general tone of the tales?
Early spring. General tone: happy, easy, lively, humorous. 2. Character of the Knight?
The knight displays many traits which make him seem almost too good to be true, and a true gentleman that rarely exists in reality. The knight holds four main admirable traits, making him the most liked traveler in \Canterbury Tales,\and also amplying the doubt of his realism. From the characters impressive introduction, it is clear that this man is the most valued and honorable traveler among the group. This perfect gentleman holds a love of ideals that are often not displayed by people. First and foremost, he believes in the ideals of chivalry, and always stays true to its principles. He also feels that one should be honest, truthful and faithful, which many people are not all of these ideals. The knight thinks one should only do what is right, and what will gain him honor and reputation. This character also believes in freedom and generosity towards all, and displays this ideal repeatedly throughout the novel. And lastly, the knight also strongly feels that any proper person should display courtesy and elegance at all times.
Another aspect of this character's life which makes him seem too prestigious to be truthful is his impressive military career. He fought in the holy war, The knight obviously held a very respectable reputation, and was treated with much honor and respect. He was a perfect gentleman, showing kindness and understanding to everyone he came in contact with. The knight was extremely well-mannered, always being on his best behavior. His appearance was the \gentle spirit. This main character was clothed still in his armor, wearing a tunic of harsh cloth and his coat of mail is rust-stained, clearly showing remaining signs of past battles.
Shakespeare Hamlet P8
1. Why is sleep so frightening, according to Hamlet, since it can “end” the heartache and the thousand natural shocks”? Nobody can predict what he will dream of after he falls asleep. Death means the end of life, you may go to or unknown world and you can’t comeback,. If he dies, Hamlet's can't realize his will. Though ―sleep‖ can end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks, it is a state of mind. Hamlet didn’t know at all. He is frightened by the possible suffering in the long ―dream‖. He can’t predict what will happen in the sleep, may be good may be evil.
2. Why would people rather bear all the sufferings of the world instead of choosing death to get rid of them, according to Hamlet? Death is so mysterious that nobody knows what death will bring to us. Maybe bitter sufferings, great pains, heartbreaking stories…Because people hold the same idea \that the dread of something after death-the undiscover’d country, form whose bourn no traveler returns-puzzle the will, and make us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of?‖ People also are frightened by the myths in another world after death.
3. What, after all, makes people lose their determination to take action? Please explain in relation to the so-called hesitation of Hamlet.
Conscience and over-considerations. He wants to revenge, but doesn’t know how. He wants to kill his uncle, but finds it too risky. He lives in despair and wants to commit suicide. However, he knows if he dies, nobody will comfort his father’s ghost. He is in
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face of great dilemma. They don’t know the result after their taking the action. Such as Hamlet, he doesn’t know what would happen if he kills his uncle or kills himself . So Hamlet was hesitated. Sonnet 18 P13 1. How does the poet answer the question he puts forth in the first line? (Page 14) The poet opens with a question that is addressed to the beloved, \to a summer's day?\question is comparing ―thee‖ to the summer time of the year. It is during this time when the flowers are blooming, trees are full of leaves, the weather is warm, and it is generally considered as an enjoyable time during the year. The following eleven lines in the poem are also dedicated to similar comparisons between the beloved and summer days. In lines 2 and 3, the speaker explains what mainly separates the young woman from the summer's day: she is \lovely and more temperate.\(Line 2) Summer days are sometimes shaken by \always as welcoming as the woman. However in line 4, the poet gives the feeling again that the summer months are often too short by saying, \a date.\or too dim, \gold complexion dimmed\(line 6) as \fair from fair sometime declines.\summer in various aspects. Her beauty will be one that lasts forever, \eternal summer shall not fade.\At last two lines, the poet explains how the beloved's beauty will accomplish this everlasting life unlike summer days. And it is because her beauty is kept alive in this poem, which will last forever. It will live \(Line 13) the poem is outwardly a simple statement of praise about the beauty of the beloved woman and perhaps summer to the speaker is sometimes too unpleasant with the extremes of windiness and heat that go along with it. However, the beloved in the poem is always mild and temperate by her nature and nothing at all like the summer.
At last, the poet starts to praise that the beloved is so great and awing that she is to live forever in this sonnet. The beloved is so great that the speaker will even go as far as to say that, \thee.‖(line 13、14) that the beloved is deserving to live on forever.
2. What makes the poet think that “thou” can be more beautiful than summer and immortal?
At the very beginning, the poet puts forth a question: ―Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?‖ Then he gives an answer: ―Thou art more lovely and more temperate.‖ On the one hand, ―Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, and summer’s lease hath all too short a date;‖ on the other hand, ―Sometime too hot the heaven shines, and often is his gold complexion dimmed.‖ So from the above two aspects the poet thinks that ―thou‖ can be more beautiful than summer. In addition, ―And every fair from fair sometime declines, by chance, or nature’s changing course untrimmed.‖ Compared with immortal, ―But thy eternal summer shall not fade, nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st, nor shall death brag thou wand’rest in his shade, when in eternal lines to times thou grow’st.‖ Therefore, the poet draws a conclusion: ―So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.‖ In this poem, the poet makes ―thou‖ more beautiful than summer and immortal because of his beautiful lines. So in this case, ―thou‖ in the poem can be regarded as female because love can beauty eternal. Or ―thou‖ can be referred to male, for friendship can make beauty everlasting. Even ―thou‖
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can be abstract ―love‖ or ―beauty‖ which will become eternal in the wonderful poem.
Francis Bacon Of Marriage and Single Life P17 1. Is marriage an impediment or help to one’s career development?
In the easy Of Marriage and Single life, Bacon prefers marriage to single life. He thinks ―unmarried men are best friends; best masters; best servants; but not always best subjects; for they are light to run away; and almost all fugitives are of that condition‖, ―Wives are young men’s mistresses; companions for middle age; and old men’s nurses‖. I have to say his words can still be true today; I’m at his back, though many young people now choose to remain single no mater male or female. But since ―3S ladies‖ or ―overleft ladies‖ become the catch word, the female seems more terrible. Maybe because women are easier to get old but to men 30 is the gold ages of career development. For the main reasons of 3S ladies, some are high standard for husband; some are the further studying. For men, maybe they are fighting in business; maybe they are too bad to find a wife.
Then we can see all the state of present marriage. Even though some say ―marriage is the tomb of love‖, I yet support marriage. Marriage and family make people more responsible and loving, make deeper love between spouses and make life more colorful. The ability to love and be loved is the most precious of gifts given to man, which should be highly treasured. Family let a man learn to care the whole unit. He has to take good care of his wife and son, love them, be responsible for them, all of which are the same to women. All these qualities are vital to anyone’s career. When you work back home, wife or husband is always the listener to you, son the warm heart to you. Spouses help each other and support each other; family is the harbor for soul. Thus it is help to one’s career development.
2.Certainly, wife and children are “a kind of discipline of humanity”。妻子儿女显然是人性的一种纪律约束
A bachelor’s单身 life focus is but himself, so he will spend a lot of money on everything that feast his eyes without hesitation. What’s more, he is likely to have a go at any risks that make him feel exciting and fresh for being free from any burden.
However, a married man always tends to think twice before making an important decision in order to prevent bringing any harm to his family. He should have the motivation to work hard to fulfill wife and children’s expectation.As a result, family let a man learn to care the whole unit. He has to take good care of his wife and son, love them, be responsible for the.A loving husband and a qualified father can contribute the greatest merit for the public to a large extent.
人的感情会移位，结婚的人对人生的态度肯定与单身之时不一样。有孩子的人更因为对孩子的爱迁移到芸芸众生身上。结婚意味着两个人的结合，不论肉体还是精神。在无形中把不相干的两个人熔铸成合体的一个人，对对方的关心和照顾如同自己，对对方的牵挂那是牵肠挂肚。婚姻也让两个人变得更有责任感，感情更加丰富，对社会将会产生奇异的变化，对人生的探索产生深远的影响。单身是自由的，没有婚姻的束缚，没有孩子的牵绊，享受生命的存在，享受一个人的独处.当孤独来临时单身的人会去找人生的知己，会碰到与之共度人生的另一半，于是便有了婚姻。 3. Bacon prefers marriage to single life. Do you find his arguments convincing?
Yes. I think Bacon’s arguments are convincing. In the demonstration process, Bacon uses the method comparison to analyze the advantages of marriage and the shortcomings
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of single life in order to tell us marriage is better than single life. Taking the sentence ―wives are young men’s mistresses, companions for middle age, and old men’s nurses‖ for example, it is quite convincing and reasonable. Marriage can bring happiness to people. It is the ecstasy when people pursue marriage in their youth. To a young man, on one hand, a wife needs his care and good graces. A wife is a flower and a man should pay much attention to her and give her special love. On the other hand, women are always older than men according to their mental ages. So, wives are more mature than her husband and she could make many decisions and arrangements for the family. That is why wives are young men’s mistresses. When a man in his middle age, he needs his wife to help him not only in the career but also in the family life. The middle-aged man suffers great pressure in career and he wants his wife to support the family together. Also, he could confide his troubles to his wife. So, that is the reason for having a wife in middle age. When the man grows older, his body is not so strong like before. So, he needs his wife to take care of him and do the things as ―nurses‖ for him. In addition, an old man is always like a child and he needs special attention from his wife. So, according to the reasons mentioned above, a wife is always necessary to a man and a wife always plays important and irreplaceable role in a man’s life. In addition, the argument is the conclusion according to Bacon’s long—time observation and consideration towards life. From my perspective, his arguments are convincing.
I think his arguments are convincing. Bacon’s basic idea is that marriage is good to both individual and society. His analysis is taken step by step. At first, a single man thinks just to live a single life can he make some great contributions to the society. But a single person only cares about himself, he doesn’t pay attention to the future, it can be very unwise. Single life could also make a man to be serious to his freedom. On the contrary, marriage makes a man be responsible, tender, enthusiastic and warm-hearted. As the author saying: “wives are young men’s mistresses, companions for middle age, and old men’s nurses”. It means that when a man is young, wife talks about love with him, when he comes to middle age, wife always stay with him as a companion, when he becomes old, wife will take care of him till the end of time. Even though a wife marries a bad husband, marriage offers a good chance for husband to correct themselves. The whole essay’s main point is very obvious, author tells from two aspects. Firstly, he says how bad it is to be a single man. Secondly, he tells a lot of advantages of being married. Each aspect has enough proof. At Bacon’s period, his arguments may be more convincing than nowadays.
Of Studies P18 1. We are now living in the age of “information explosion”. What lessons can we learn from Bacon’s< of studies> in our access to information?
Our planet is developing forward. The fast-moving development of science and technology makes it more convenient for students to get sufficient and effective information by countless ways. That is the external condition for our study, which we can appropriately make full use of. But what we have to keep in mind is that the eternal master of study is no one but ourselves in the process of studying.
Actually, I’m sure everyone clearly knows the importance and significance of reading, of studies. However, the biggest problem is that they hardly have powerful resistance to those temptations around us, such as new-style video games, latest Hollywood block-buster, Avril Ramona Lavigne’s next concert. Placed in the information current,
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young students are difficult to rationally deal with the flooding information. The terrible result is that they become more and more indifferent to reading books, and whenever academic assigns come , we just start up their computer and access to information on the Internet no matter how much information they can really copy and make use. What a pity!
As to efficient study methods to all these information, Bacon insists on the combination of theory and practice, ―studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience.‖ And in terms of books which mean for today not only paper books but also information online for example e-books, Bacon holds the view ―some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be ready wholly, and with diligence and attention‖. All the ideas can definitely give college students precious lessons to study and reading books today.
When we face the flooding information, some are to be read in part; they’re just providing nothing than background which can be useful to understand and complete assignments. We cannot merely depend all on the computer instead of meditate hard on our own. Of course, practicing is quite significant today. In fact, that doesn’t mean practice should be the action out of papers; in turn, the term paper finished on one’s own is a practice of applying his knowledge to practical writing.
Information around us is showing up without stopping. They are all never checked by experts, true or false. We access to them when in need. Still we have to be cautious and just view them as a reminder or brainstorm resources to help integrate our ideas to well organize the whole assignment. This is the right attitude to information and to our own study.
2. In what sense does reading make a full man?
Reading makes a full man. Histories make men wise, poets, witty; the mathematics, subtle; natural philosophy, deep; moral, grave; logic and rhetoric, able to contend. Reading histories makes people learn lessons from the ancient time, avoid making the same mistakes and predict the development of things. People who read histories will be wiser than these who just act according to their own preferences without learning from histories. Reading poem s makes people learn the beauty of language, the beautiful classical style of art and live a poetic life. People who read poems will be wittier than these who haven’t feel the beautiful mood and pure life. Reading mathematics makes people focus on the accurate calculation, develop a scientific attitude, and form a pragmatic spirit. People who read mathematics will be more subtle to consider things from all aspects and do things from the drop carefully than these who don’t read. Reading natural philosophy makes people pursue truth, explore the unknown mystery, and practice actively. People who read natural philosophy will be deeper than these who don’t learn the theory of reflecting the truth. Reading moral makes people learn the way of harmony living, form the principle of ethical behaviors and develop correct outlooks on values. People who read moral will be graver than these who behave without correct principles and can’t deal with different relationships. Reading logic makes people master the rules of thinking, dealing with different things and exploring objective reality. People who read logic will be more contend to have clear ideas, mater the principles of objective truth than these who don’t act according to rules.
Different kinds of reading materials play different roles in making a full man. People should get into different reading fields and train themselves to become a comprehensive talent. Reading will do good to one’s physical health according to some reading materials of physical training. What’s more important, reading promotes the development of logic
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