3/15 Note from Class

Keyword

(1.)Verona
(2.)Romeo and Juliet
My professor referred to Verona ,located in Italy,and it reminded me of a wonderful movie —
Letters to Juliet
cast:
Amanda Seyfried as Sophie


Christopher Egan as Charlie

Vanessa Redgrave as Claire
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Story line Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is a young American woman who works for The New Yorker as a fact checker. She goes on a pre-honeymoon with her chef fiancé Victor (Gael García Bernal) to Verona, Italy. Victor is unmoved by the romance of Italy and uses his time to research his soon-to-open restaurant, often neglecting Sophie. Sophie accidentally discovers an unanswered "letter to Juliet" by a Claire Smith from 1957, one of thousands of missives left at the fictional lover's Verona courtyard that are typically answered by the "Secretaries of Juliet". She answers it and within a week the now elderly Claire Smith (Vanessa Redgrave) arrives in Verona with her handsome barrister grandson Charlie Wyman (Christopher Egan). Claire and Sophie take an instant liking to each other, but Charlie and Sophie do not get along.

Following the advice in Sophie's reply, Claire decides to look for her long-lost love, Lorenzo Bartolini (Franco Nero). Sophie, thinking Claire's story might help her with her writing career, helps Claire. The two find out that there are many Lorenzo Bartolinis living in the area. After many days of searching for the right Lorenzo, they find that one is dead. Charlie blames Sophie for his grandmother's sadness. He accuses her of not knowing what real loss is. Claire, witnessing the dispute, tells Charlie he was wrong and that Sophie's mother had walked away from her when she was a little girl. The following day, Claire insists that Charlie apologize to Sophie at breakfast, which he does. After dinner, Sophie talks to Charlie about love, and the two kiss. The following morning is their last day of searching for Lorenzo. On a whim, Claire points out a vineyard to Charlie and asks if he could stop so they can have a farewell drink for Sophie. As Charlie drives down the road, Claire sees a young man who looks exactly like her Lorenzo. They discover the man is Lorenzo Bartolini's grandson, and Claire and Lorenzo reunite.


Back in New York, Sophie breaks up with Victor before returning to Verona to attend Claire and Lorenzo's wedding. She finds Charlie with another woman, Patricia, and runs out crying. Charlie comes out to find her, and she admits she loves him but tells him to go back to Patricia. Charlie reveals that Patricia is his cousin and tells Sophie he loves her. He climbs up the vine to the balcony, recreating the original famous scene from Romeo and Juliet, but accidentally falls down, and they kiss as he lies on the ground.

There is a movie its main setting was in Verona(Italy)and is related to the classic romantic tragedy in the literary world that is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

beautiful street in Italy

I love this movie,I even  have watched it for a million times.There are some reasons about why I dote on it so much:

(1)the stunning landscape and heritage:

Verona is enriched by splendid Roman edifices and Medieval architecture,the quaint street on which the  was  brick-shaped ,unpaved.When the enchanted and magical Mediterranean  sunshine, which was a natural gift blessed for Italy,sprayed  cream yellow magical powder on the mottled,ancient walls and floor,my heart was captivated by how romantic it was and I was in awe of the beauty combined of history and original bestowed cells of aesthetic sense in every Italian's heart .

(2)The idea and center of this story:

It made my heart wrenched/dripped several times.I admired Sophie's resolution and her unforgettable and precious friendship with Clair ,which was made by a beautiful mistake of a letter Clair had written many years ago when she was a sensitive girl at her golden age waiting for her true love,Lorenzo.Clair and Lorenzo unfortunately was forced to separate since Clair had to left Italy to United Kingdom.
Thanks to Sophie, who has a sweet girl-next-door smile and passionate,considered(thoughtful) , vigorous heart ,she reminded Clair that true love never ages and fades away only if we grasp it and  never let go.I love concept of the director to interpret the romance .Romantic Italy,young people,like Clair and Lorenzo, fell in love,trapped by their cautious attitude toward the seemingly underdeveloped and youngish relationship and hesitation.They miss out almost for so many years,the memory of falling in love to each other at the first love,that sour and sweet taste conserved in their mind .Time steals people's youth and energy,but it can never take away love.In the end of the cinema,Clair urged his grandson,Charlie,do not leave the voice in his heart behind and regret for it before it's too late.She hoped Charlie not to make the same mistake and felt guilt about it every day for 50 years.Charlie and Sophie are just like Lorenzo and Clair ,they almost lost each other,but,maybe,with Juliet's magic,they discovered where their hearts belonged in time by following the the throbbing rhythm of each other's heart beats.Under the velvet  dark blue sky embellished with stars blinking and wrinkling , the two couples stare into each other's eyes ,hands locked ,and the time stopped,between them only is eternity.

The movie quote is referred to the most eminent writer —William Shakespeare's one of the most famous tragedy ---Hamlet 

★What does this quote from Hamlet's letter to Ophelia mean: "Doubt thou that stars..."?

The original content of this poem...
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“Doubt thou the stars are fire;

Doubt that the sun doth move;

Doubt truth to be a liar;

But never doubt I love.”

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★Meaning : 

(Explanation 1.)

This is a quote from a love letter Hamlet wrote to Ophelia, who dutifully passed it on to Polonius, for young women were not to receive letters from men they were not betrothed to. Polonius now reads it to the King and Queen, as is his duty to do: He wants to let them know that he forbids Ophelia to think of Prince Hamlet's love and that this forbidden love might be the cause of Hamlet's madness. 

Hamlet is hypothetically contemplating Ophelia's possible doubt of things that are fixed as a way of forming an analogy to the undoubtable truth of his love for her. 

Though the logical construction is more complex than this, one way to understand what Hamlet says is to think he suggests that if, in her heart ("In her excellent white bosom"), she ever doubts that the stars are made of fire, that the sun moves, that truth can lie, she must never doubt that he loves her.  He is posing the hypothetical situation in which Ophelia may doubt things that are clear facts and saying that, no matter what, she must not doubt his love.

(Explanation 2.)

It seems that Hamlet has been courting Ophelia who is unable to respond to his(Hamlet's) feelings because her father Polonius forbids her to do so. Polonius feels that this unrequited love is the reason behind Hamlet’s madness.
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＊unrequited : not shared or returned by someone else
＊unrequited love : It means you are completely ,hopelessly,and desperately in love with someone ,all the while knowing that your feelings will never reach them.
＊all the while: for all of a period of time

Making a sentence→There I was thinking you were hard at work and you were upstairs in bed all the while.

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The most simplified and obvious interpretation of these lines is Hamlet’s hyperbolic assertion that Ophelia could doubt the most believable scientific phenomena and forces of the universe, but she should never doubt his love towards her.

"Doubt thou the stars are fire"

Of course, the fact that the stars are only made of fire is questionable to astronomical sciences now, but at the time period of the play, it was treated with downright certainty. However, Copernicus challenged the fact of the movement of the sun and most of the Shakespearean audience would have suspected this anyway.(Huh~)

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＊downright: 
(1)to the fullest degree,completely or totally

(2)absolutely(For example: downright handsome  or   downright mean)
(3)forthright(It's obsolete)
【Synonym】
＊obsolete: antiquated , archaic, dated, medieval , out-of -dated,outdated, prehistoric

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There is a possibility of semantic ambiguity in the poem if Shakespeare used the word "doubt" to mean "suspect". Hamlet's love poem, then, would ask Ophelia to go ahead and suspect all proven forces of the universe but “never suspect that he loves (her)”.→I agree!

＊semantic: of a relating to the meanings if words and and phrases

This, confusingly,  generates complete semantic inversion of Hamlet’s use of language to express his feelings, which sounds more like a denial of love. Was Hamlet telling Ophelia to believe he loves her or to be sure that he doesn't? Is it a poem Hamlet wrote to express his love or to refute it? 
This ambiguity has garnered a lot of interest amongst literary scholars although Hamlet’s love to Ophelia isn’t the main focus of the play.

Vocabulary

※overrated (a adjective from a verb"overrate")
※overrate: to rate,or praise(someone or something)too highly
Making a sentence→The coach tends to overrate the players on his own team.

【Idiom】

※flip for:

 (1) To determine who gets to have something or do something by flipping a coin

(2)o react enthusiastically or passionately to someone or something;

 to immediately like someone or something very much

For example: Fashionable clients have flipped for her designs.

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Atlantic Ocean(searched from Wiki)

【Location】

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's oceans with a total area of about 106,460,000 square kilometres (41,100,000 sq mi). It separates the "Old World" from the "New World".

The Atlantic Ocean occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin extending longitudinally between Eurasia and Africa to the east, and the Americas to the west. As one component of the interconnected global ocean, it is connected in the north to the Arctic Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean in the southwest, the Indian Ocean in the southeast, and the Southern Ocean in the south (other definitions describe the Atlantic as extending southward to Antarctica). The Equatorial Counter Current subdivides it into the North Atlantic Ocean and South Atlantic Ocean at about 8°N.

elongated: longer and narrower than is normal or natural

longitudinal: going from the top to the bottom of something

interconnect: to connect two things to or with each other, or to be connected to or with each othe

★Aren't you curious about the letter?

The letter is not only a letter form a ordinary young girl's passionate covet,and helpless predicament she was  trapped into,but also,it is a beautiful semantic combination,leaving the readers touched by the w boundless,limitless and fathomless love the girl has for her lover.

Take a look of the wall outside Juliet's house

Juliet's secretaries

Antihero   (from Wiki)
context

An antihero, or antiheroine(female protagonist), is a protagonist who lacks conventional heroic qualities such as idealism, courage, or morality. These characters are usually considered "conspicuously contrary to an archetypal hero".
※conspicuous: 
(1)very easy to see or notice(Synonym: obvious, forthright, noticeable, emphatic)
(2)attracting attention by being great or impressive(Synonym: striking, flamboyant, remarkable,splashy, ornate, brilliant, flashy)

History

The antihero archetype can be traced back as far as Homer's Thersites. 
The concept has also been identified in classical Greek drama,Roman satire(sarcasm), and Renaissance literature, such as Don Quixote and the picaresque rogue.Although antiheroes may sometimes do the "right thing", it is often because it serves their self-interest rather than being driven by moral convictions.

Literary Romanticism in the 19th century helped popularize new forms of the antihero, such as the Gothic double. The antihero eventually became an established form of social criticism, a phenomenon often associated with the unnamed protagonist in Fyodor Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground.The antihero emerged as a foil to the traditional hero archetype, a process that Northrop Frye called the fictional "center of gravity."This movement indicated a literary change in heroic ethos from feudal aristocrat to urban democrat, as was the shift from epic to ironic narratives.

§Gothic double§
In literature, the term Gothic double refers to a duality within a character, based on the presumption that this duality centers on the polarity of good and evil. An example of this could be Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.(information below↓)

The antihero became prominent in early 20th century existentialist works such as Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis (1915),Jean-Paul Sartre's La Nausée (1938) (French for Nausea),and Albert Camus' L'Étranger (1942) (French for The Stranger).The protagonist in these works is an indecisive central character who drifts through his life and is marked by ennui, angst, and alienation.
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＊indecisive:
(1)not able to make choice quickly and confidently(Synonym: inconclusive)
(2)not setting something or making something final or certain(Synonym :irresolute )
＊ennui: 
a lack of spirit,enthusiasm ,or interest ;  a feeling if weariness and dissatisfaction(Synonym: boredom)
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The antihero entered American literature in the 1950s and up to the mid-1960s was portrayed as an alienated figure, unable to communicate. The American antihero of the 1950s and 1960s (as seen in the works of Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer) was typically more proactive than his French counterpart, with characters such as Kerouac's Dean Moriarty famously taking to the road to vanquish his ennui.The British version of the antihero emerged in the works of the "angry young men" of the 1950s. The collective protests of Sixties counterculture saw the solitary antihero gradually eclipsed from fictional prominence,[22]:1 though not without subsequent revivals in literary and cinematic form.


The antihero also plays a prominent role in films such as Double Indemnity (1944) and Night and the City (1950),in gangster films such as The Godfather (1972) and Goodfellas (1990),and in Western films, especially the Revisionist Western and Spaghetti Western.
 Lead figures in these westerns are often morally ambiguous, such as the "Man with No Name", portrayed by Clint Eastwood in A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).

＊proactive: 
controlling a situation by making things happen or by preparing for possible future problems

Royal Ballet---Don Quixote

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

film poster

Dualities

The novella is frequently interpreted as an examination of the duality of human nature, usually expressed as an inner struggle between good and evil, with variations such as human versus animal, civilization versus barbarism sometimes substituted, the main thrust being that of an essential inner struggle between the one and other, and that the failure to accept this tension results in evil, or barbarity, or animal violence, being projected onto others. In Freudian theory, the thoughts and desires banished to the unconscious mind motivate the behaviour of the conscious mind. If someone banishes all evil to the unconscious mind in an attempt to be wholly and completely good, it can result in the development of a Mr Hyde-type aspect to that person's character. This failure to accept the tension of duality is related to Christian theology, where Satan's fall from Heaven is due to his refusal to accept that he is a created being (that he has a dual nature) and is not God.This idea is suggested when Hyde says to Lanyon, shortly before drinking the famous potion – "...and your sight shall be blasted by a prodigy to stagger the unbelief of Satan." This is because in Christianity, pride (to consider oneself as without sin or without evil) is the greatest sin, as it is the precursor to evil itself.

In his discussion of the novel, Vladimir Nabokov argues that the "good versus evil" view of the novel is misleading, as Jekyll himself is not, by Victorian standards, a morally good person. In some cases.

Public vs private

The work is commonly associated today with the Victorian concern over the public and private division, the individual's sense of playing a part and the class division of London In this respect, the novella has also been noted as "one of the best guidebooks of the Victorian era" because of its piercing description of the fundamental dichotomy of the 19th century "outward respectability and inward lust," as this period had a tendency for social hypocrisy.
※dichotomy: a difference between two opposite things; a division into two opposite groups 
【Synonym: contradiction, incongruity,paradox】

Scottish nationalism vs union with Britain

Another common interpretation sees the novella's duality as representative of Scotland and the Scottish character. In this reading, the duality represents the national and linguistic dualities inherent in Scotland's relationship with the wider Britain and the English language, respectively, and also the repressive effects of the Church of Scotland on the Scottish character.A further parallel is also drawn with the city of Edinburgh itself, Stevenson's birthplace, which consists of two distinct parts: the old medieval section historically inhabited by the city's poor, where the dark crowded slums were rife with all types of crime, and the modern Georgian area of wide spacious streets representing respectability
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※repressive: controlling what people do,especially by using force;preventing people from expressing their feels.
※rife: very common and bad and unpleasant
※respectability:considered to be good,correct, or acceptable ;decent or correct in character ,behaviour ,or appearance ; fairly good【Synonym: proper, decent, estimated(deserving respect), prestigious, reputable】
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confidant

Meaning:
The term “confidant” is often used to describe a person who has been trusted with sensitive or private personal information. Everyone needs a confidant, but choosing a trustworthy person to share your secrets with can be a tricky task. Unfortunately, the ability to keep a secret is simply not a trait that everyone possesses. If you feel the need to divulge the details of your personal life, it’s a good idea to take the time to consider if your secret will be safe.

For some people, the ability to keep a secret is an absolutely vital part of their professional integrity. Doctors must work with private medical information on a daily basis. Lawyers are often privy to secrets as well. By the very nature of their professions, priests and psychiatrists must be trustworthy confidants. If you share your secret with someone who deals with sensitive information as a part of his or occupation, you can be reasonably assured of your privacy.
＊integrity: 

The average person, however, may be much less likely to act as a trustworthy confidant. Before you share a secret with a friend, ask yourself if he or she has been responsible in the past. If your friend is best described as reckless and impulsive, think twice before sharing your secret. A friend who regularly gossips about a mutual acquaintance is also a poor choice to share your secrets with. The best confidant is a friend who is both sensitive and emphatic.

When you are asked to keep a secret as a confidant, take your promise seriously. If you’re tempted to share the secret with someone else, ask yourself how you would feel if your friend divulged your personal information. Trust and accountability are the cornerstones of a successful friendship. If you fail to keep a friend’s secret, however, it’s best to confess your mistake and apologize accordingly. Denying any wrongdoing is a surefire way to permanently destroy a friendship.

Of course, there are some secrets no confidant should keep. In certain situations, a moral obligation to do the right thing surpasses the importance of keeping a secret. A teen who confesses to her best friend that she’s worried she may have a drug or alcohol problem is crying out for help. Similarly, anyone who tells you they are thinking of suicide doesn’t really need you to keep their secret. Breaking a confidence is a small price to pay when you’re potentially saving someone’s life.

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preserved fruits

Many varieties of fruit preserves are made globally, including sweet fruit preserves, such as those made strawberry or apricot, and savory preserves, such as those made from tomatoes or squash. The ingredients used and how they are prepared determine the type of preserves; jams, jellies, and marmalades are all examples of different styles of fruit preserves that vary based upon the fruit used. In English, the word, in plural form, "preserves" is used to describe all types of jams and jellies.

＊apricot: a small orange-colored fruit that is related to the peach and plum
＊marmalade :Marmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. It can be produced from lemons, limes, grapefruits, mandarins, sweet oranges, bergamots and other citrus fruits, or any combination thereof.

The benchmark citrus fruit for marmalade production in Britain is the Spanish Seville orange, Citrus aurantium var. aurantium, prized for its high pectin content, which gives a good set. The peel has a distinctive bitter taste which it imparts to the preserve. In America, marmalade is sweet.


Marmalade is generally distinguished from jam by its fruit peel.

marmalade

patrimony

http://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en/watches/patrimony.html

" patrimony" is also a brand-name(trademark)of watches~

matrimony

stubble

authentic

Quote: 

In the history of Wikileaks, nobody has claimed that the material being put out is not authentic.

aesthetic

: (1)of, relating to, or dealing with aesthetics or the beautiful aesthetic theories

 (2)appreciative of, responsive to, or zealous about the beautiful; 

also :  responsive to or appreciative of what is pleasurable to the senses his aesthetic sensibility

《For Example》

Topic:COLD, WHITE AESTHETIC, WHITE, LOVE, COFFEE

malaria←→cholera

【Idiom】

make out: 

1.to deal with a situation, usually in a successful way

※For example: How is Felicity making out in her new job?

2. to kiss and touch in a sexual way, or to succeed in having sex with someone:

※For example:
Boys at that age are only interested in making out with girls.(Well...Not all the boys are.Right?)

3. to manage to do something with someone or something.

4.to see, read, or hear something well enough to understand it.
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【Synonym of】clothe

A.apparel:

(1)personal attire :  clothing of a particular kind dressed in fine apparel —used chiefly in U.S. English to refer to clothing that is being sold in stores a new line of women's apparel athletic apparel

(2) the equipment (such as sails and rigging) of a ship

(3) something that clothes or adorns the bright apparel of spring

B.array: 

(As a Verb.)

-->1.to dress or decorate especially in splendid or impressive attire

For example: She arrayed herself in rich velvets and satins.

-->2.to set or place in order(=draw up used in Marshal)

-->3. to arrange or display in or as if a array

(As a Noun.) 

-->1.  clothing, attire

-->2.  rich or beautiful apparel (=finery)

C.attire: 

(As a Verb.)

-->1.to put garments on｛= dress, array｝

-->2. especially ,to clothe in fancy or rich garments

-->3.to put clothes and especially special or fine clothes on

For example: The dancers attired themselves in colorful attire(costumes).

D.garb(A Noun): a style of apparel

E.garment:

F.rig (out):  clothe, dress —usually used with out

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