Macbeth's Soliloquy (Act I, scene vii)

If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well It were done quickly. If th' assassination Could trammel up the consequence, and catch, With his surcease, success; that but this blow Might be the be-all and the end-all -- here, But here, upon this bank and shoal of time, We'd jump the life to come. But in these cases We still have judgment here; that we but teach Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return To plague th' inventor: this even-handed justice Commends th' ingredients of our poison'd chalice To our own lips. He's here in double trust: First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, Strong both against the deed; then, as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself. Besides, this Duncan Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been So clear in his great office, that his virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against The deep damnation of his taking-off; And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven's cherubim horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air, Shall blow the horrid deed in every eye, That tears shall drown the wind. I have no spur To prick the sides of my intent, but only Vaulting ambition, which o'erleaps itself And falls on th' other --

Macbeth is second guessing his plan to murder Duncan. Macbeth is concerned that he will be punished in the afterlife Acts as foreshadowing--the idea of karma, if you do bad things it will come back to you Macbeth concerned about betraying Duncan because kinsman and his subject Macbeth is also his host, so he should protect Duncan, not kill him Duncan doesn’t deserve murder; he is a good king who the people respect and love Macbeth realizes that he had no reason to kill Duncan, except for his ambition to be king

But are we Truly Evil?

   I do not believe that evil is inherent or is within all of us. I believe that we mimic the actions of others to fit social norms. These norms may appear to be "inherited" but our species is very social, and we want to fit in, so we bend our personality so we don't seem taboo. When we see something or someone evil, it is assumed that action is okay or normal to do. You could consider it evil to walk past a homeless person without giving change. However, nearly everyone does it, so it doesn't seem out of the ordinary to do it. Being "evil" is simply just peer pressure to a more extreme degree.

Fate vs Free Will

Do we have free will? Would we know if we didn't? What is it to begin with?

The concept of free will is a difficult one to comprehend. Basically it means that one has the ability to his or her own decisions and be able see them through to the end. In a free society like our one would think that every person does in fact have free will, but what really goes in this decision making?

The human brain is essentially a computer. I accepts input, calculates and stores data, and provides output. This means that any decision one makes is really just the product of calculations put through a machine that was programmed by an experience  that was affected by other people making the same type of calculations, making the whole thing one large loop that predetermines what every future decision will be. In this sense we really don't have free will do we?

However there is a way to break this loop. Fate. You make decisions not based on past experience  you leave it up to fate to sort it out. This is done through the flip of a coin or the roll of a die. Since your experiences has no control over what the out come may be this is the only way to ensure that a non preordained decision can be made.

Basically the more you leave if up to Fate, the more Free Will you have.

Vaulting Ambition

 

 

Ambition is the desire to successfully achieve a goal through determination. People who are ambitious tend to be hard working and willing to do almost anything to achieve what they want. Being ambitious usually helps the individual because it motivates them to get to a better position in life. Although, ambition can sometimes have a negative effect as well.

As people gain success in their life they tend to lose track of what is really important because their ambition blinds them from the consequences of their goal. For example wanting to gain a better position at work could cause a person to spend more time there than at home and strain their personal relationships. In the end the person could be higher on the workplace ladder but unhappy in their life with the people they care about.  

Ambition is also a personality trait that is never satisfied with what it has. People who are extremely ambitious tend to have multiple goals, and when reaching one start on another. This is good because it is ambitious people who progress society in all aspects of life.  But we should also sometimes be content with what we have and recognize when to stop and enjoy it.

I think people should have ambition because it is what motivates us to do things that help advance ourselves and sometimes society. I think that it helps people aspire to do great things for themselves and others and is what progresses civilizations into better ages. But I also think that ambition without thinking of consequences can sometimes be more harmful then beneficial.  

Perspective of Evil

Dexter

I believe that we are surrounded by evil people, and it is within those whom we may least expect. There is a degree of evil in which people cannot control, they are simply natured that way. Take Dexter, (from this video clip) for example. He is driven by a unique sense of evil, because he claims to kill for the better of society. He kills people who have not yet been captured by the police, and more importantly, people who have committed horrific acts of crime themselves (murder, rape, etc.). After watching every season of this amazing series, it has come to my realization that evil is not always visible to us, and looks can be deceiving. The question after watching this show really becomes whether or not it is acceptable to kill others who potentially "deserve it." It's like fighting fire with fire, but I believe that Dexter isn't doing anything wrong. What's your thoughts on this controversy?

Ambition

How does ambition impact people?

In my opinion ambition is what dictates individuals actions. Meaning throughout life individuals have motives behind there behavior that drive them to act the way they do in order to reach their goal(s). The difference between a positive ambition and a negative ambition is drastic and is what shapes us as individuals.

Examples:

Positive Ambition:
         Reaching your desired goal(s) through hard work and dedication.

Negative Ambition:
         Reaching your desired goal(s) by using others negatively (i.e. cheating, stealing).

How do you think ambition impacts people?

Fate and Free-will

          I don't believe in fate. I think that what happens to us is a result of the decisions we make. What we can't control is a result of the decisions of others. I think that this quote is interesting and presents some very good points: “There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.” - Elizabeth Gilbert. What you think dictates how you spend your time and, in turn, what happens to you, and what happens to the people who you interact with on a daily basis. This is why people always think that decisions are scary because they are final, and can change everything.

One Last Point on The Rez Sisters (itc)

I know everyone's excited to move onto the next part of the curriculum  but there's just one last thing I'd like to talk about.

My thesis for the paragraphs was that Nanabush brought out the true thoughts and feelings of the characters. I wasn't entirely convinced of my thesis, but I thought it was worth exploring. One of the things I explored for support was the scene where Marie Adele, while sitting with Zhaboonigan, throws a stone at the seagull (Nanabush), but Veronique thinks she's throwing it at at her. The exchange is very innocuous, but in light of my thesis I decided to more closely examine their relationship. Upon doing so, I found that Marie-Adele thinks Veronique only adopted Zhaboonigan for the government support.

I am quite in awe of the detail of connection Thompson Highway has put into The Rez Sisters (itc).

Feminine vs Masculine

What does it mean to be feminine? What does it mean to be masculine?                                       

Being feminine is not just to be biologically female.  Any human being can have feminine qualities. Traits such as being empathetic, sensitive, nurturing, caring, elegant and gentle are all examples of characteristics associated with being feminine.  Physical characteristics involving femininity are being short and small, wearing makeup and wearing girly and pretty clothing.

Being masculine is also not just to be biologically male.  Females can have masculine attributes as well.  Traits such as being strong, protective, tough, fearless and brave are all examples of characteristics associated with being masculine.  Physical characteristics involving masculinity are being big, built, tall, having short hair and wearing male clothing.

Generally females are more feminine than males and males are more masculine than females. There are exceptions for transgender human beings who may display more traits and physical characteristics from the opposite sex.

Social Media's role in challenging stereotypes

Social media has a great impact on the way we think, so it then must also challenge stereotypes. By having a large group of people all having their input heard, people could challenge stereotypes by being able to talk to people with the same ideals. One example is in the article we read early in the semester on that group that challenged a cowboys and Indians party. These people found out about this through social media, and showed these people how offending it was, even though the people holding it thought it was alright. This shows that social media's role is that of a tool to keep us well connected, and it allows us to be able to challenge stereotypes because all groups of people and their opinions are present. Because of this generalizations and stereotypes are not as common, because of ignorance to certain groups of people and their way of life.

Jail Time

Thought everyone would like this article about the races in Ontario jails, even Ms.Le.

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/03/01/unequal_justice_aboriginal_and_black_inmates_disproportionately_fill_ontario_jails.html

The Ideal Marriage

          I believe the perfect marriage consists of two people who are fully committed and in love with each other. In the perfect marriage you should be able to tell the other person anything and they should always be there to help you through everything. I believe marriage is a way to show that you want to be with that one person for the rest of your life, so in my opinion infidelity is unacceptable. If one partner decides to ruin the marriage by cheating personally I would never be able to forgive that person, but then again I have never been in love. I respect people who try to save their marriage after one partner has cheated, and I think that shows their love for the person. The ideal marriage should include two people willing to fight for their love even if one partner makes a mistake.  

There Is Evil In All Of Us

"Evil is innate".  Discuss the veracity of this statement.
I believe that there is evil in everyone. There are different ways and degrees of being evil though. Most people are able to see the difference between good and evil. I think that everyone has the potential to be evil because they can easily be influenced by evil thoughts. I believe that everyone has thought evil thoughts, but most are able to control the urge to act on it. 

The Ideal Marriage

     I think that the main component of an ideal marriage is love and affection. It doesn't matter if it's a heterosexual couple or same sex couple if they are in love they should be aloud to get married. I also believe that there needs to be commitment or some form of trust within the relationship in order for it to work out. The people within the marriage should also have common interests and feel comfortable around each other. I believe that you should be able to choose your partner I don't agree with arranged marriages. I personally don't agree with parents picking partners for their sons/daughters. The argument is that your parents know you best but I believe that the only person that knows you best is yourself. These marriages are usually arranged at a young age and we know that peoples personality's change over time. So the parents may think they picked the perfect person but they really can't predict who their child will grow up to be. That's why I believe you should be able to choose who you want to be with because you need to figure out who you are as well as who you want to spend the rest of your life with. This is way to big of a commitment in your life to have someone else decided it for you. What do you guys think is best free choice marriage or arranged marriage?

An Ideal Marriage

            I think that an ideal marriage has to consist of two people who love each other and are able to spend the rest of their lives together. I think that the two people who get married need to have to be able to spend long periods of time together and are able to stick with each other even after the little arguments they have. They need to be able to communicate, solve problems and be happy together.

What is your opinion about your ideal marriage? 

        

            I believe in today's society that people take marriage for granted. I believe that in our society people are more accepting of divorce compared to previous years where people were scared to even say that they had divorced parents. I remember in Kindergarten when I was one of the only people who had divorced parents and now today I know many others, so I believe that divorce is growing and that people don't take divorce very seriously. I understand divorcing someone because they cheated or are abusive towards one another. I understand that some people divorce because they argue too much but the thing is why couldn't have they waited to get married in the first place. I take marriage very seriously and believe that if you marry someone you should be with that person forever and maybe to fully know if you are meant for someone is to be with them for years before marrying them. I also think that people shouldn't take divorce for granted. 

                

Question: How does ambition impact people?

Ambition, by definition, is the desire by personal achievement, which means it is able to motivate someone to accomplish many things.  Ambition alone cannot have a positive or negative impact on someone, but it could cause the action on a negative desire, which would cause a negative impact.

Also, from another perspective, ambition itself could be perceived as evil because it is the desire for personal achievement. This tells me that ambition is an act of self indulgence without the consideration for other people's needs or desires.

The Dark Side

While I've never thought about it before this, I do believe that evil is innate. I'd bet that everyone has to deal with the temptation to do evil, to serve yourself before others. It's like Star Wars. The Jedi recognize that evil is innate, and do everything they can to stop their members from falling to the dark side, forbidding love and passion as these emotions lead to selfish temptations. Darkness and evil are in us all, it's our choices that see it remain dormant and safe, or active and flourishing.

The Evil Within

The Evil Within          By: Mack Kary
 In the upcoming play we will be reading, Shakespeare's "MacBeth" a topic we are introduced to is if evil is innate (comes from within). After thinking about the statement and hearing the opinions of others i think this statement is accurate, but doesn't stand by itself. External factors like one's personal life may persuade them to be evil, just like it persuades them to be good. In the end it is yourself who makes the choice to do the right thing or the wrong thing but external factors definitely influence the decision. Also, at times the right thing to do in a situation is subjective. An outsider may think that what the decision made by a person is wrong but they didn't know the external factors that helped influence one's decision. This can be true with people's perceptions of good and evil. I'm sure you've heard of someone doing something which could harm themself or others in the short long term but in the long term turns out to be very succesful and a good cause. In the end, the final decision is up to you to be evil or not, but consider that people can be strongly influenced by other factors. 

Fate Shaped by Ambition

I believe this answers questions 1 and 4

Evil is Innate?

I believe this saying is true, to an extent. I believe we all have evil "in us" to an extent. We even experience it. It's called an Intrusive Thought. It's when we have an involuntary unwelcome thought. These are usually depressing, upsetting, and difficult to get out of you mind. These thoughts are just brushed off by most people. HOWEVER, we still have these thoughts, which makes me think evil is in all of us. The difference is that most of us don't act on it.

Masculine vs Feminine

I believe that a masculine role involves someone to be independent, emotionally stable (men never cry), to be the provider for their family, and protect others. They must be a strong,  smart individual with rights over women. In contrast, I believe the feminine role is dependant on males for food, money, etc. Their roles are to make food, clean, and make the men happy. And finally, they are expected to have and raise children, and to require assistance from males for all their problems.

Ambition

How does ambition impact people?  

I think ambition has a positive impact on people as long as it's a healthy ambition (ex.setting a goal for school, having a successful career, etc.). It drives you to make improvements and succeed. Even the idea of having any ambition opposed to not having one at all, it gives a person a purpose and something to work for. If a person has no ambition, they don't have as much of a drive to succeed. Having a goal gives you something to look forward to, and as you get closer to achieving that goal, it gives you a more positive outlook on life. What do you think? Have you found success through ambition?

The Ideal Marriage

I believe the ideal marriage consists of two partners who are in love with each other. Most of the time they live together and are there to help each other through any obstacles they may face, while providing each other the needs and wants in life. To expand my point of facing obstacles, I think every married couple will come across a rough patch or some sort of obstacle through out their marriage. Whether it be a small argument or larger issue, it is normal for that to happen. However, that links to my next point of how they help each other through the situations they encounter. I also believe that each husband and wife share a very strong bond with each other that is an important factor in their marriage. In the ideal marriage the wife is normally seen to be as the one who prepares the meals for the family, takes most care of the child(ren), and stays at home the most out of the two partners. The husband however tends to be the worker of the family such as taking care of repairs where they are needed as well as working regular shifts to make money so he can take care of the family. Do you believe this is true? If not, what is your opinion towards what the ideal marriage is?

Does Fate Exist?

Yes, I strongly agree upon fate does exist. I also believe on Karma. I say this because last week, i went to my buddy Ian's cottage for a week. I really wanted to go but my mom thinks i wont make it with my own car. so she risked of me taking her car instead since its newer and wont break down. she kept repeating herself to not get caught by the cops and to not do anything stupid. i also promised her to drive as safe as possible. then i reached my destinantion and i texted her 3 days after that i made it without any collisions or accident. then later that day we ran out of munchies and i had to go to the store 15 minutes away. i made it there just fun. as soon as i backed out of the driveway, i hit a pothole on my right tire and the front bumper of  the car cracked and it was just hanging. i was very scared. thats why i think that was fate. i told her that nothing happened with me but as soon as i sent it and she texted me back saying thats good. right after, i crash and ripped open her front bumper. so, that was all fate . i was really mad. Other than that, karma got me too. i told her i wont do anything illegal. but i drank a couple of dranks and that like messed things up and karma got me in the butt. it sucks. so in conclusion, Fate and Karma does exist. No matter how much you try and avoid it. its gona GET CHA .

Illusive Ambition.

Ambition can affect people in positive ways. But it can also be incredibly dangerous. Being too ambitious can lead to being destroyed by a quest for power. A great example is the leader of the Pro-human organization Cerberus, The Illusive Man (Real name Jack Harper). His desire was to protect and advance humanity as a species in competition with every other race. A noble goal, but he took it too far and became obsessed and over ambitious. He conducted horrible experiments and ended up doing more harm than good, losing his rationality and believing that the only way to keep humanity alive was to try and control the machines that were trying to kill us. This, ironically, almost led to our destruction. The Illusive Man is a perfect example of how ambition is dangerous and should be approached with caution.

"Evil is innate"

The veracity of the statement "Evil is innate" is really based on peoples opinion. I personally believe that being evil is a choice, of course everyone has evil in them but its your choice whether or not you act on it.

Evil is innate.

When thinking about the quote "Evil is innate" I think of some books I have read where the protaganist has had some issues in the past and has to deal with his/her decisions in life and develop their character and either turn out good or evil. I think that evil can be devoloped by the choices in your life, do you guys think the same or no?

Government Grant Money to Native Reserves

   According to the Canadian Aboriginal Reserve website, approximately $261 Million dollars is funded towards construction, restoration, and renovation of Indian Reserves every year. Their data claims that 2300 new homes are constructed, 3300 are renovated, and nearly 25000 are subsidized. Dividing that down, that leaves only $203000 for distribution amongst the entire Aboriginal community of Canada. This money is used for food, supplies, gas, luxuries. If an Aboriginal household has an average size of 4, this means that each family only receives about $1444 from the government, no including their home and renovations.

   The issue with this is that there are next to no jobs on reserves, and many jobs will not hire Aboriginals, and if they do, it is sometimes at a substantially lower wage than other workers. This means that most Aboriginals live in or on the verge of poverty. The Government of Canada has not drawn enough attention to the over 1 million people who have to raise a family on little over $10000 per year.

   I think that the government can set aside additional money to help not with construction and renovation, but to sustain the people living on these reserves. Each family should get an additional 2-5000 dollars to pay for food and other necessities. The way of living on those reserves is almost inhumane and the government hasn't taken enough action to remedy it.

Excitment for MacBeth

Is anyone else excited to read the next book MacBeth? What types of books do you guys like to read, and what do you hope to see in this new book we will be reading?

Racial Sensitivity in Costumes

This was originally meant to be posted the last time we were in the computer lab but apparently something went wrong when I posted it and when i went to see if there were any comments it wasnt there. So here is is again.

On February 25th, at a New York Purim (a Jewish holiday where people dress up) party, Jewish activist and politician Dov Hikind decided to go dressed up as a "basket ball player" with all the required elements: a jersey  a basketball, and black-face.

I originally heard about this story watching the comedy political news show The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and I thought it was a great example of the racial sensitivity in costumes we were talking about earlier this semester. Hikind is a politician who actively speaks out against racism, racial stereotypes, racial profiling, and yet he still dressed up in this way. Hikind's defence was "I can’t imagine anyone getting offended. You know, anyone who knows anything about Purim knows that ...people get dressed up in, you name it, you know, in every kind of dress-up imaginable". He apparently didn't intend any kind of disrespect but even today is has not issued a formal apology saying that he "is sorry people got offended", which is basically not an apology at all and since then black leaders have gotten together to call for his resignation from his office.


Sources:
http://heebmagazine.com/about-that-blackface-purim-costume/43347

Unintentional Degradation of Cultures

          The issue of inappropriate attire seems to effect different cultures.  When one is deciding which costume to wear for a certain occasion their main focus is to find a fun costume or one that fits with the theme.  When picking a costume one should take into consideration if it is appropriate, or if it will offend other cultures.  People may get offended if their culture is being represented in a negative way.  For example in the article about the "Cowboys and Indians" party, the native culture was offended because party goers were wearing low cut costumes, holding alcohol and throwing tomahawks at each other.  This unintentional degradation of the native culture caused the race to feel misunderstood and mistreated. To the party goers it was just a way to enjoy them selves, not to offend others.  This goes to show that although one may think that their costume is fun, they need to double think it to make sure that it will not offend others even if it is appropriate for the occasion.

Thematic Statement for The Rez Sisters

Follow the link below to see thematic statements and add your own.

Thematic Statements

"The Drunken Indian"

Everyone has views, opinions and a right to speech but do people’s views about Native come from ignorance or intentional racism?  A commonly heard stereotype is “the drunken Indian”.  I believe that alcoholism and addiction within the Natives has come from previous generations.  In the past, Natives attended residential schools, lived in geographic isolation, suffered racism and the Indian Act.  To some who endured these, it has caused them to turn to drugs, alcohol or other addictions.  Not to say that there are many with huge dreams and are willing to fight for a different lifestyle, I believe the past is what’s holding some back.  From this, I feel that is unfair for people to judge the Natives.  As much as they are making these choices, I believe their ancestors are the result of the situations they are facing. 

What do you think about the stereotype “the drunken Indian”?