The Wife of Bath's

In the prologue, the Wife of Bath establishes that she is an expert on marriage because she has had five husbands since the age of 12. Her tale, which continues the discussion of marriage, is about compromise between husband and wife. Though she gives the general idea that men must first give the wives sovereignty in marriage to get happiness in return. If not she knows how to manipulate them into getting exactly what she wants. This tale sheds some light on how Chaucer viewed women as extremely manipulative.
A selfish knight commits a rape after he is "overcome by lust." This is something a woman would never want from her husband. The knight is ordered to go on a quest to find out what women want most, in exchange for his life. He hears many different answers, and as his deadline approaches, he finally comes across an old hag. She tells him that she can give him the answer if he does what she will request in the future, and the knight agrees. The hag tells him that women want sovereignty in a marriage more than anything else. When her answer turns out to be right, his life is saved. The hag then requests that he marry her. The knight protests because she was very old and ugly. He marries the hag anyway and she asks him if he would rather have a wife who is beautiful and unfaithful or one who is ugly and loyal. The knight passively lets her decide for him. This turns out to be exactly what the hag (and all women) wanted. The hag becomes beautiful, which is what the knight (and all men) wanted. Their marriage becomes happy because they both compromised.
It seems like the Wife adds this story to back her point of view of how men should always obey their wives to stay happy. Even King Arthur hands over the Knights case to his queen and we see a happy ending for what would've otherwise ended in an execution.

Tale of Genji

In “The Broom Tree,” readers are shown the ideal qualities that men
looked for in women.  A collection of letters from rejected women
leads Genji and Chujo into a long discussion about finding the perfect
one. A few other people join the conversation to offer their own
opinions. Chujo seems very experienced and almost jaded, mentioning
that the perfect woman is very hard to find. Finding a beautiful woman
with a suitable personality is not enough. She must also be able to
run the household, uphold a good reputation, and come from a decent
family. Even these qualifications have certain specifications. For
example, if she comes from a decent family, they must not be too rich.
The men seemed to have detailed opinions on how a woman should behave.
“If she is a jealous type you may remember her or may lose interest
over time, if is she is skilled but not skilled enough she may not be
of good use. If she lacks jealousy she may have another man on the
side which over time one would lose interest in her. If she’s
stubborn, she may keep one’s interest for a while but if too stubborn
one may go the other way.” These are all pessimistic generalizations
and the men don't take into consideration different circumstances that
may arise with different people. For example,if a woman lacks
jealousy, it could simply be because she trusts her husband.

It is mentioned at the start of the chapter that Genji did not like
the promiscuity around him. His affairs were the target of nosy
gossips, but he knew it would be worse if he had no affairs at all.
This shows how society encouraged men to have many mistresses, and it
was probably expected that women would face rejection and heartbreak
often. Judging from this chapter, men seemed to view women as inferior
beings whose feelings did not matter. Most women were seen as
replaceable, and society reinforced this because adultery was
acceptable and therefore very common. Because men knew that there
would be no consequence in moving on to another person, they probably
wouldn't think to work on their relationships in a realistic manner.
This chapter reveals how the men long for a stable relationship with a
woman, but will probably never find her because of their (and
society's) unfair and unrealistic standards.

Man'Yoshu - Edited

Man’Yoshu is a compilation of ancient Japanese poems from the Nara Era. Most of the poems originally are written in “tanka”, which means “short poem/song” and has a set number of syllables divided into units, though the English translation we read does not conform to the original tanka structure anymore (Tanka Booklet).
Since the poems found in the Man’Yoshu were written by a variety of people ranging from unknown commoners to the emperors it provides us with a glimpse of life during the early Nara Era in Japan. It is quite apparent that these poems weren't written for some king's pleasure. They were expressions of the broken hearted: non-fictional tragedies. Or even excerpts from diaries people kept and logged their emotions in.
Most of the poems were based on themes of separation and death, hence contain sorrowful emotions. Kakinomoto Hitomaro, one of the prominent authors in the compilation, is a good example in how his poems were about separation from his wife, or of him seeing a corpse. "Does she not wait for you; worrying and longing; your beloved wife?" (page 2155). Kakinomoto's concern for the man's wife shows how much his own wife means to him. Which is quite unique since this is probably an actual man, unlike the other fictional characters we have read about, who truly holds the relationship of husband and wife as something irreplaceable.
All the Man’Yoshu poems contain beautiful imagery. Mostly of nature such as the beauty of mountains, streams and plants, specially the bamboo trees.
"O scarlet leave; falling on autumn mountainside; stop, for a while, the storm; your strewing makes; that I might glimpse; the place where my wife dwells"(page 2154). This sentence brings forth an array of different colors and textures to our mind prodding our memories, hence leaving us feeling somewhat like the author who is longing for his wife.
The story told in each poem can probably be summarized in just one word, hence I believe it was the imagery and the depth of emotion used in these ancient poems that sets them apart.

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Man’Yoshu is a compilation of ancient Japanese poems from the Nara Era. Most of the poems originally are written in “tanka”, which means “short poem/song” and has a set number of syllables divided into units, though the English translation we read does not conform to the original tanka structure anymore (Tanka Booklet). The poems found in the Man’Yoshu were written by a variety of people ranging from unknown commoners to the emperors. The Man’Yoshu provide us with a glimpse of life during the early Nara Era in Japan. Most of the poems were based on themes of separation and death, hence contain sorrowful emotions. Kakimoto Hitomaro, one of the prominent authors in the compilation, is a good example in how his poems were about separation from his wife, the death of his wife, and of him seeing a corpse and ultimately himself approaching death. All the Man’Yoshu poems contain beautiful imagery. Mostly of nature such as the beauty of mountains, streams and plants, specially the bamboo trees. The story told in each poem can probably be summarized in just one word, hence I believe it was the imagery and the depth of emotion used in these ancient poems that sets them apart.



Nakamura, Hishashi. Ten Thousand Leaves : Tanka Booklet. 2009. Print.

Rustam and Sohrab

Rustam and Sohrab is perhaps the most famous poem from the Shahnameh. The poems in the Shahnameh are based around the life of Rustam, an invincible, epic Persian hero. Having lived for almost five hundred years and slain men and beasts, he sounds like the Persian version of Hercules or Beowulf, but unlike the story of Beowulf or Hercules Rustam’s tale has a more emotion to it. When the poem begins you can feel Sohrab’s torment in waiting for the day he finally gets to meet his father. Finally has a man in his life who calls him son. Sohrab, although grown to be a rugged warrior, still yearns for paternal love and idealizes his father as a child would. It is quite touching how he instantly recognizes Rustam on the battle field, yet Rustam denies it and hence their bloody battle ensues. It is quite ironic how Rustam only is able to slay Sohrab by rendering him defenseless by shouting his own name, and then finding out that he just took the life of his only son himself. Tragically, Sohrab was victimized by the only people he loved the most in the world. First, his own mother hid the fact that she had bore a son from Rustam just so Rustam wouldn’t take him away from her. Whereas that’s all Sohrab desired: to be with his heroic father. Though it is interesting how Rustam never bothered to go see his “daughter” and instead find a warrior-like son that he desired. And then in the end, when finally Sohrab gets his one wish fulfilled he is lying on the dust dying from a fatal wound blown to him by the one person he adored and fantasized the most about in his young life.

Lysistrata

It’s always fun to read a fictional tale based loosely around true events. A lot of times writers use this strategy to shed light on on their point-of-view in a neutral manner. These clever writers are good at seeping their ideas subtly into other peoples minds. Aristophanes, being even more clever, uses this technique along with a comedy; what’s a better way to condition a persons thought process than to make them laugh along?
It is quite apparent that he does not like the ongoing Peloponnesian War going on at the time. He cleverly devises a classic old comedy complete with it’s sexual jokes and comical encounters between the opposite sexes to lull his audience into having anti-war sentiments. He names his protagonist (and the play) Lysistrata, which is derived from a word that means “loosening the army” (Behind the Name).

Through the comedy, Aristophanes manages to highlight important points as to why a war is not good for either of the parties involved. Βy means of the women, the least “intelligent” of the Greek Society, he identifies how a war between former allies is leading to a wipe out of their strong men, giving rise to the women population which are not so good for the economy as they don’t really work and hence overall leading to a weaker Sparta and Athens. In the end, he portrays “Peace” as a young, naked and extremely beautiful girl. I’m not sure how this was portrayed in the actual play, as they didn’t have women actors, but still the imagery sure would have made the men fantasize about peace.

"Behind the Name: Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Lysistrata." Behind the Name: 

                               the Meaning, Etymology and History of First Names. Web. 19 Mar.

                               2011. <http://www.behindthename.com/name/lysistrata>.

Antigone - Role of the Chorus

The chorus in most typical Greek Tragedies usually sets the mood for the play, introduces the main cast and provides narration throughout the play. In Antigone we see the Chorus throughout helping us shape our reactions to the proceeding actions. The Chorus in Antigone is like an in-play audience analyzing the events unfolding in the plot. Such as when Antigone is ordered to her living tomb, the Chorus’s sorrow is perhaps what the audience reciprocates as well.
Many times we learn of things through the chorus hence they also prove to be a summarizing built-in feature of Greek Tragedies. It’s almost as if the Greek Writers found a way to be present in their stories in spirit, directing and shaping the story. The Chorus in Antigone plays quite an important role itself: The Chorus convinces Creon to set Antigone free and bury Polyneices free. Creon agrees yet this “noble” act is what marks this story as a tragedy - even after this decision by Creon he loses both his son and wife. Yet again, the Chorus provides the audience with an epilogue. Leaving them to ponder over something and highlighting the theme of the play “Although the gods punish the proud, punishment brings wisdom.”

Zhou Dynasty Women

“Classic Poetry” is an excellent example of how a civilization’s legacy remains, even after thousands of years, through their pieces of art. Reading these short poems I can paint a whole picture of Ancient China. You can visualize what a normal person’s daily life was like since most of the poems are from the view-point of an ordinary person.
A number of poems we read basically talked about women; either regarding some issue that women in those days faced, or about how certain men acted towards women. In general, we can see how women were totally secondary in the society like most other cultures of that time. Men could go for second wives, or forcefully marry women such as in “Boat of Cypress’. Also, we can pick how fornication was a big deal, yet common practice, in that society by the poem “Chung-tzu, Please,” as the narrator is afraid of her family finding out about her sexual relations with Chung-tzu. Also, by “Dead Roe Deer” we can tell how a woman’s honor was shattered had she been found guilty of having sexual relations with anyone but her husband. She was treated worse than a wild, dead deer and not shown any respect anymore.
In the poem “Plums Are Falling,” a woman is yearning to be married off to anyone. Shedding light on how the ratio of men to women in that society was quite out of balance. Probably due to wars the number of men was quite low which lead to women having trouble finding partners, and also leading to the practice of polygamy.

Lustful Villains of the Ramayana

I have seen many Bollywood movies, hence I had some idea as to who Rama, Sita and Ravana are before I read The Ramayana for class. Rama and Sita are always portrayed as the ideal lovers, whereas Ravana - the name itself signifies something or someone evil. In fact, a lot of times in Bollywood movies the villain is compared to, or called Ravana.
The picture I had of Ravana in my mind was of a tyrant who abducts and rapes women. Though when Hanuman mentions that Sita was the only women Ravana had ever taken without her consent I started questioning the Hindu portrayal of Ravana. The fact that he does not over power Sita and rapes her when he easily can somehow made me appreciate him.
Looking deeper into the Hindu Religion I realized that for them to lust is a big sin. Connecting the dots, you can notice how in The Ramayana, every person who lusted for something or someone was portrayed as a bad person. Ravana’s sister who lusted for Rama got her nose cut off. Ravana who had everything in life one could want, yet lusted for Sita lost everything.
It was very confusing to me that Rama would go through such trouble to get Sita back, yet let her go based on suspicion that she might not be “pure” anymore. But then taking in consideration the society’s view towards lust and chastity it somewhat justifies Rama’s decision.

Sacrifice: The way to Nirvana -- Edited

One of the central themes in the Ramayana is that of sacrifice: sacrifice for one’s duties. In the Eastern World, to this day, duties to one's parents and spouse come before everything else. Throughout Ramayana duty conflicts many times with the characters personal wants. The ones portrayed as good sacrifice their personal desires for what they are ordained to do by Dharma. Dharma is a set of rules that ought to be carried out to ensure social and religious order within society. The belief of Dharma is strengthened by the story of Ramayana. Hence fulfilling the purpose of Vishnu’s reincarnation as Rama. Rama is portrayed as a Dharma-abiding king. He is a role model for his people. By giving up the throne and voluntarily going into exile Rama sacrifices power-gain for peace among his family. He doesn't care to put up a fight for it either since he has gotten his orders from his father. Whom he would never question as he is always supposed to show respect to his elders.  His love for Sita is highlighted throughout the story, though he gives her up when his people question her chastity. Again we see a sacrifice of love for duty. Sita on the other hand is portrayed as a role model for women. The way she always obliges to Rama’s wishes. How she goes through so much pain just to remain loyal to Rama is another Dharma code of conduct. She even walks through fire to prove her chastity when she is accused of not staying loyal to Rama. Lakshmana and Bharata through their love and respect for their elder brother give a good example of how brothers should always stay united and strengthens the bond of brotherhood. On a deeper level the Ramayana suggests that this life is a test and everyone is here to fulfill their respectful role. Hence to lead a fruitful life you must abide by Dharma so you get a reward for your sacrifices. It reinforces the belief of Dharma because the characters who strictly obliged to the code of Dharma are still venerated in Hindu belief system. 


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One of the central themes in the Ramayana is that of sacrifice. Sacrifice for one’s duties. In the Eastern World, to this day, duties to one's parents and spouse come before everything else. Throughout Ramayana duty conflicts many times with the characters personal wants. The ones portrayed as good sacrifice their personal desires for what they are ordained to do by Dharma. Dharma is a set of rules that ought to be carried out to ensure social and religious order within society. The belief of Dharma is strengthened by the story of Ramayana. Hence fulfilling the purpose of Vishnu’s reincarnation as Rama. Rama is portrayed as a Dharma-abiding king. He is a role model for his people. His love for Sita is highlighted throughout the story, though he gives her up when his people question her chastity. Again we see a sacrifice of love for duty. Sita on the other hand is portrayed as a role model for women. The way she always obliges to Rama’s wishes. Even walks through fire to prove her chastity. On a deeper level the Ramayana suggests that this life is a test and everyone is here to fulfill their respectful role.

Society in the time of Gilgamesh

Although The Epic of Gilgamesh is a highly dramatized account of the lives of people inhabiting Uruk around 2700 B.C., it gives insight into a lot of aspects of their lives.
The numerous gods mentioned throughout the epic assure us that the Uruk Civilization was polytheistic. Their gods had many humanly attributes such as seeking revenge, having kids and spouses, being stubborn and egotistical. Another aspect about their religion or their superstitions was that they took all their dreams quite seriously. It was almost as if they believed their inevitable future will be revealed to them through their dreams. Countless times Gilgamesh recites his dream to his mother. Enkidu even gives up living and resorts to a sick-bed just because he has a dream foretelling his ill-fate.
Their religious beliefs were not at all surprising to me, however, it was interesting to me how even 4000 years ago the family setup was exactly the same as it is now. The people of Uruk pray to their gods to send someone who will challenge Gilgamesh because they are tired of him snatching their children, wives and daughters. Also, I assumed that the virginity of a bride might not matter too much to people way back in the days, as that would’ve helped populate the then-quite-desolate world. But from the text we can interpret how it was a desirable trait in women. As expected, the society was quite male dominated, and this is apparent by their repeated references to women as “cursed,” or “unlucky.” For example, Enkidu is outcast by the gazelle because he has been seduced by the temple harlot. For the most, women seem to only have sexual purposes in the Uruk society. What is quite surprising and may be a bit amusing to a reader in current day and age is how the superhuman heroes, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, have no shame in holding hands, embracing each other or tearing up. People of Uruk did not see this as degrading to a man's masculinity.
Lastly, it was surprising to learn that the Uruk civilization was as technologically advanced as The Epic of Gilgamesh suggests. They had proper clothes and jewels and even had incenses, as we find out from when Gilgamesh’s mother, Ninsun, prays to Shamash. Other than that they seem to have well built palaces, furniture and good weaponry. A lot of times the people from the general public mentioned are coppersmiths, goldsmiths, armorers etc suggesting a good economy with lots of different specialized occupations.
Before reading The Epic of Gilgamesh I did not perceive a society that existed 4000 years ago to be as technologically and socially advanced as it turned out to be.