Charlotte Smart's response

Charlotte Smart said...

Tragedy in theater does not always surround “sorrow.” Tragedy is not always distressing throughout. In theater a tragedy starts with an exposition, or description of the setting, characters, etc. It builds up to an exciting force and rising action, in which the protagonist attempts to alter the outcome of incidents. The climax is the peak of power and the height of the action. The falling action of a tragedy signifies the antagonist’s rise. The moment of final suspense signifies the approaching end and the outcome appears as if it will go as the protagonist expected. Then, finally, the catastrophe, the big bang, the finale falls down upon the reader or viewer. The protagonist and generally his or her companions come to a bloody, brutal end while the antagonist either dies as well or recognizes the error of his ways. Tragedies are not always melancholy. Tragedies push the reader and viewer to think and contemplate the hero’s actions. They may not provide laughs, but they trigger other emotions. Juliet keeled over her beloved’s body provokes sorrow, and Hamlet’s “feigned” insanity pushes one to contemplate whether he is sane or mad. Tragedy is the pulse of theater.

What is Tragedy?

Knowing what you know, how can you explain whether something is tragic or not? What are the things that make up tragedy or tragic ends? Explain.

Something that is tragic is when something bad, harmful, something that causes pain for hero making him or her doubt whether or not what they are doing is good, is right. A Tragedy is a story, play, etc... that ends with a death of the protectionist or one of their friends. Like in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In the end for Romeo and Juliet to escape their lives of separation from each other and their parents' hatred for the other, they both commit suicide so that they may be together in the "underworld." In tragedies, the playwright or author try to evoke emotions on the readers. They are trying to prove a point, leave us with a lesson, that we can learn from. Tragedies are unlike comedies more realistic. They are situations that we may face in our lives, but the sadness, the pain that the protagonist must face is more accentuated. In tragedies, the protagonist's life never ends well. At the beginning we see that the protagonist is doing well, living a happy life, but then something goes wrong and the protagonist is faced with a situation that can either end in a happy ending or end badly. At first it seems that the protagonist may actually have a happy ending, but towards the end something else goes wrong leaving him or her in a worsen state. The reason I believe people appreciate tragedies more than comedies is because we can see our selves in the protagonist, and after seeing what he or she has to go through makes us appreciate our lives more and see how lucky we and how we should value our life.

Tragedy

Defining if something is tragic, or "a tragic end" is often a hard thing to do. Tragedy in the truest and oldest sense of the word, is a form of ancient Greek theatre which is meant to invoke a sad emotion, such as pity or sadness. In this way, it is meant to be a catharsis for the audience. It can often be a parallel to real life. Tragedy is often a story about a noble hero/heroine, and because of fate, or the god's will, or their own fault, they come to an awful end while striving for a goal. Often there is tragic love, or love lost involved. Sometimes in the end, the hero doesn't die. But if they don't, then their fortune changes for the worst. In other words, the hero's fate takes an irreversible change in a bad direction, and they end up in a less comfortable, or less alive state then when they set out.

So if that is how you define tragedy, then I would say that a tragic end is defined by things ending up worse than where they started, often much worse.

Tragedy

The dictionary definition for tragedy is "a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically that of a great person destined through a flaw of character or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or society, to downfall or destruction." but although that is a basic definition, tragedy is so more. Tragedy is usually distinguished by starting off with the protagonist in a better situation than at the end of the book. A tragedy will often go from bad to better to worst. Therefore the stories often end in death or a calamity of equal magnitude. Tragedy is something that makes you pity the characters or be afraid of something. It is a way for us to get more perspective about how our life doesn't suck as much as we think it does. We enjoy tragedy because it often reflects events that occur in our life.

Tragedy

When I hear tragedy I think of soap opera. Soap operas are

made up of a lot of drama. Something really bad has to happen to

protagonist to make the story line tragic. Out of this tragedy the

protagonist can maybe pull something good out of the tragic event.

Sometimes his or her fortune does not change, and then he or she

is plagued by tragedy. A tragic event can count as someone close

dying, a house being burned along with the family, etc. Tragedy is

made so that we feel sorrow for the protagonist. We can feel his or

feelings through the events that happen.

What is Tragedy?

Tragedy is genre of despair and darkness, meant to be realistic and to invoke emotions of sadness and pity in the viewers. There are several elements that all tragedies contain. Tragedies are more physical where their opposites, comedies, are more verbal. This means that tragedies are centered around tragic events, not so much on dialogue. Tragedies also have very specif plot lines; the most noticeable thing about the plot of a tragedy is its midpoint, the place where the plot line could split and go forward either positively or negatively. The end of a tragedy usually involves death, either of the protagonist or of someone close to them. If you want to determine if something is a tragedy, you have to look at the situation of the characters. If their situation improved throughout the story, then it was probably not a tragedy. If at the end, the characters are worse off than they started and/or dead, then it most likely falls into the category of tragedy.

Tragedy

When one hears "tragedy," the first thing that comes to mind is death. A tragedy always ends in death, or agony from the death of a loved one for the protagonist. As opposed to a comedy, where things start fine, end fine, and go badly in the middle, a tragedy starts badly, goes well, and ends badly. And as I said, the bad ending is nearly always death. Since death is the most permanent state of being there is, a tragedy ends with the feeling that nothing can ever really fix it. I would classify a tragedy as a story in which the main character ends up worse than he was at the beginning, and with no real hope of things ever being able to change. Although a tragedy may contain a comedy element, it is the ending that really separates the two, and you may not be sure of which one it is until you get to the ending, and everyone dies or the situation improves.

What is tragedy?

Knowing what you know, how can you explain whether something is tragic or not? What are the things that make up tragedy or tragic ends? Explain.

Are we part of those who we meet?

I do believe that the people who meet have influence and help shape our lives us in some way. We can't help them changing us. They help us change in either a good or bad way. Usually in a good way. The people who we meet shape our very life. They can alter us so greatly. Like knowing your grandma and not knowing her can change your whole life. With a close friend as well. I believe this can go for anyone we have met. Going on with knowing and not knowing someone can change us. With everyone we meet they change or help change our lives, helping us change into the person we hope to be. People I know have helped me change. My way of thinking is definitely different from that of two years ago. My friends, my family, the school and so many more have shaped me in my personality, my thinking, what I know and what I have yet to learn. I believe that because of these changes; good or bad, they have helped me become a better person. An example I think will be Desert Academy. I know that if I did not go to this school, and went somewhere else, my life would totally different. I would have different friends for one. The way I viewed my life and the whole world's would be different. Desert Academy has helped shape my life in a very good way.

WHO WE MEET

I think the people we meet in our lives do effect and shape who we are. There are constantly people and things around us, and each person has an idea of who or what we are like. I think if your were to leave someone on an island they would change in a great matter. They would shed something I like to call a shell, and the shell is made of ideas that form us. When you shed you "shell" you become who you really are. People have a huge effect on me. My friend Rachel owns a peace organization and every summer I come over to help with the camp. I meet other people from the middle east and I form and idea of the world. Rachel has huge impact on me in the way I think of other people. Or when you watch a movie of a dog dying you cry not from the fact that the dog is dead, you cry from the fact that people will miss the dog, and those people will feel pain, and thus you feel pain because your human to. When people kill themselves it's usually because they feel know one loves them, or they feel their life is incomplete. So in conclusion people effect who we are and how we act in life.

Are we part of who/what we have met in life?

In my opinion, we are very linked to every single event that happens in our life. Whether it is a big thing, or a small thing, it all has an effect on us. It all shapes us in some way or another. Think about little babies, they start out as imprintable beings, and who is around them through their whole life will effect who they become. In this way, I think who people are is always changing. We never stay the same for very long. Unless we are sleeping, we are always absorbing information, and taking things in. Everything from a huge fight with a sibling, to a movie we watch effects who we are. It might only effect our point of view on something or someone, but that still changes us. And it all comes back to people. We influence each others choices, as well as change who we are, all the time. Whether it is something subconscious like advertising, or something personal like asking someone to go to a movie with you, it all ends up at the same place. It all changes who we are, and what our points of views are.

"Part of all those I have met"

I fully believe that I am part of all those I have met. Every single thing that happens to me, every person I meet or thing I do has shaped how I live and my perspective on the world. Humans affect each other in huge ways, often without even knowing it. A few chance words or an unremarkable encounter can have a huge effect on someone else, both good or bad. This does not mean that we should never leave our houses for fear of being hurt, but that we should look for new experiences to learn and grow from. Children learn by experiencing things and gaining memories. This does not stop when we get older and people will always be able to influence each other. I am who I am because of who my parents are, who my friends are and who my teachers are.

Those We Meet

Are we shaped by those we meet? My initial answer is no, we are not. I would like to think that we are who we are regardless of other people. The choices we make, the places we go, all those have affect on us. But when I stop and think about it, I realize that my choices are all influenced by people, whether I am defying them or following their advice. And the places I go wouldn't have had the same affect on me if I was alone and the place was empty. The people we meet have a huge effect on us, whether we realize it or not. And when we do realize it, it usually isn't until much later. I didn't realize how much of an effect my grandmother had on me until she died. And it is so often that way, that we don't realize how much people have changed our lives until they are gone and no longer can.

Those I Meet

I am shaped by those I meet. Every encounter I am faced with, every obstacle that blocks my path, alters my life in some way. The friends I have met stay with me, long after we chose different paths. I have met strangers in many places. Strangers who assisted in forming who I am today. Some assisted me to the next level in my growth. Others only pushed me down. I have been inspired and heartbroken. I have rejoiced and mourned. Our life begins as an empty canvas. But with each experience and encounter, a brushstroke is applied and eventually a full portrait takes the place of the empty canvas.

Are you "part of all you have met"

We are all made up of the people we have met and our experiences. Everything anyone ever did or said to me has changed me at least slightly. Our memories in a way are like a road map to who we are. An image that comes up in my mind is a heart. At birth the heart is perfect and unscarred. This is us. As we meet people, we give them pieces of our heart in exchange for pieces of theirs. This is who we become. Everyone we meet leaves a handprint on our heart so the heart is still ours but it is shaped by people and events in our lifetime.

We are unique in our own way because each person is influenced differently by the same people. We must let people into our heart if we are to grow to our full potential. Everyone we meet we were meant to meet in some way. Sometimes one just has to let go of your perfect unscarred heart for one to become who one was meant to be.

A Final (or maybe not final) Thought

I know that I am no longer a part of your class, however, I enjoy reading and writing these blogs. For some reason, today I remembered them. I decided to look and see all of what you're discussing. As I read the newest blog question, I couldn't help but wish to answer it. So here, I write the following:

There are certain things in each of our lives, that we neglect to have control over. One must learn to go with the flow. There will be negative and positive times, each of which contribute to who we are-as an individual, as a culture and as a people. In simple terms, I would have to say, "Yes, I completely agree that we are who we meet (note that "meet" is not simply pass on the street, but rather one with who we engage in communication), we are what we do and we are how we feel." So, whether you know it or not, reading this now, a new part of you is being created...or maybe simply discovered!

In Mr. Wynn's English class, I learned just this-even if I didn't completely know it. Our class discussions inspired me, puzzled me and generally amazed me. Each and every one of you shared something with me-something I wasn't capable of seeing on my own. These ideas are now a part of who I am-and I thank you. I wish you all well with your "English endeavors" this year. Feel free to fill me in every once and a while.

"Love individuals not only for who they are, but for who they neglect to be."

- Zoe

I believe that what he is trying to say is that it was his experiences that made him. The things we experiance in our lives make an impact on our personalitys in one way or another and since our experiances are unike, so are our personalitys. A lot of our basic personality is there when we are born but the things we experiance can have a small effect or a huge effect on us. I beleive that what he is saying is that everything and everyone that he has met in his life so far has had an impact on his life in some way.

Are you "part of all you have met"

In Tennyson's Ulysses, our hero soliloquizes that he is "part of all that I have met." Do you agree with this? Does this idea apply to your life so far? Explain how. Answer by Tuesday 10/13.

•Proving Myth•

Myth is just as legitimate, if not as provable, as science. We can try to prove myth with real life things that match up with mythological tales.

Chinese fisherman caught a huge prehistoric fish that they had previously considered only a myth. It had been a story passed through the generations (much like our myths) that this huge fish had lived in their lake, and then one day, they found it. However, that is a merely accidental proof of a myth. I think that the kind of proof that we strive for is something more like a scientific proof. We want myth to be just as definite as science is made out to be. We want definite evidence for our hypothesis. We want to use our hypothesis, that the myth is true, and gather evidence, and prove our hypothesis. We can say that we know the sun passes through the sky every day, and that there is a myth that can find how that happens and why. We can say that because of that evidence the myth is true, but how can we know for sure?

Science is what we are taught to believe from a very early age. Myth is counted as not legitimate. Science is presented as the ultimate truth, something not to be questioned. But take for example how years ago science thought that a high carb diet was better for you, but now it is thought of as just the opposite. Even thought science itself never proved either of those views, the general theory made itself known as the truth. Myth is made out to be worth less then science. But is it? How can we know? Is science less legitimate then myth, or more?

Proving Myth

Both science and mythology attempt to prove the things that we, as humans, do not know the answer to. People tend to believe science over mythology because it has more facts and statistics and other such things. However, I think that mythology is much more deeply rooted in us than science. If a person sees a ghost, their first reaction is that the ghost is the spirit of a dead person. Their first response is not, "Oh, my brain created an illusion of silvery matter in the shape of a human form." And, no matter how hard science tries to hammer scientific explanations into our brains, mythology was there first and remains there at the core of it all. We can't really prove science any more than we can mythology. We usually look to science to tell us the answers, and accept those answers as true, simply because science tells us they are. But myth is true for most people, as well as science. Nobody wants to hear that you love someone because of a chemical reaction in the brain, especially since nobody can prove it is true. You love somebody because a higher power fates you two to each other, or because it was meant to be that way. In this way, myth is already proven, and is held to a higher standard than science. Nobody knows what the Truth, with a capital T, is, but often peoples' truth, without a capital t, is defined by myth.

Proof of myth

Proof of myth can be found everywhere; traces of myth can be found in books like the Odyssey. Science is not necessarily proven, they support their facts with more facts which lead to more facts, and so on and so forth. Myths have facts which lead to something very logical, but the facts are not that real. People want something very solid to believe in, and science does that. Myths are solid but not to our imaginations. But to other people myths are their science and science is their myths. So in conclusion nothing is proven, and so everything is real in our mind or in life.

Proof of Mythology

Traces of mythology can be found everywhere: in pottery, poetry, and the stars. The Greeks created the gods in their own image. Thus, the stories of these gods mirrored their own stories. Myths not only explained occurrences later proved by Science, but also explained human nature. Myths provided us with an understanding of the world and how we interact with it. The Greeks lacked proofs for how emotions came into existence and often questioned why we acknowledge and experience these emotions. Myths provided those proofs and answers. Love. Soul. Bliss. Anger. Jealousy. That is proof of mythology.

Mythical vs. Scientific Proof

When we hear about the word "myth", we think about fictional, entertaining stories from the past. What we do not think about is how they could possibly be factual or have some aspect of the truth in them. Our truth and our fact usually consist of modern science, current information that is widely accepted. I think the reason our concept of fact keeps changing is that people want to have evidence that is extremely detailed and does not leave room to manoeuvre. An example of this would be the many reasons people have come up with to explain why the sun moves across the sky. The Greek mythological explanation is that the sun-god, Helios, is driving a fiery chariot. Our modern explanation is that the earth is rotating throughout the course of a day, exposing it to the sun at different angles. Neither one of those explanations, when looked at from a neutral perspective is more viable than the other. The evidence for both of them is that the sun moves across the sky each day and this is always true. I think that we have come to value our modern reason more than the mythological one is that people like everything to fit into an easily defined and predictable pattern. If we admit that it is really a human-like god controlling the sun, then that throws our world into disarray, we can no longer be sure of our predictions and that brings humans entirely out of their comfort-zone.

Proving Myth

Nothing is truly "provable." to prove something is to say it always is entirely true. Nothing is entirely true with no exceptions. Even gravity is a theory. Science that is supposedly proven is based on non proven theories. therefor myth like everything else cannot be proven. For some people though there is proof of myths being true. Myths are often used to explain things in our world that we don't understand. For someone the fact that lightning exists would be proof that Zeus exists and that he created lightning. For others it would be proof of positively charged and negatively charged atoms sending electricity to each other. Myth is what makes up our world. myths are everywhere and sometimes they are common belief. Who is to say that zeus doesn't create lightning and that we don't go to the realm of Hades when we die. The only way myth or anything else can be proved to someone is if they believe. Proof doesn't exist in the world so we must find it in ourselves to prove it for us to be irrevocably true. We create proof. Proof exists inside each and everyone of us.

Can we prove the unknown?

A myth is an idea, widely accepted by a group of people, to answer a certain question. But just because it's the collective opinion, doesn't suggest that it's true. So, is it possible to prove belief? What I may believe, is different from what you believe. Perhaps myths could be proven with enough information and data, but that's not to say that you can convince everyone that it's true. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for everyone to agree on everything. Myth is a matter of opinion and beliefs, nothing more.

Proving Myth

Myth is not something you can necessarily prove scientifically, but the person who made the myth or first told it could give you some proof. For example, the proof of a sun god is that the sun moves across the sky. This is not hard evidence that can prove the fact that there is a sun god, but it is enough for a person that wants to believe to believe. Myths are just one of those things on which you have to take a leap of faith.
Tommy Dearing

Proving Myths

I think that the proofs for Myths are the ancient writing from civilizations from long ago. For all we know they could be true and not just tales. We see the tales about the gods from the Greeks, yes science does prove that they are not possible. But, since we know that humans are capable of making mistakes and are not perfect, maybe the way we are viewing things which are true and which are false could be mistaken.

Maybe the Greeks were right about there being many gods that rule the world. There are writing in many other ancient cultures, like the Aztecs, Mayans, Hindus, etc... They all talk about how there are beings that do not have human traits. They have powers that humans do not have.

But not only in the writing, the art, the pottery, etc... they all show tales of beings that have great powers.

Question: How do we prove Myth?

Science is everywhere and tends to be our 'proof' for how the world works or why we do what we do. But Myth has its own proofs as well. What are they? Where should we look for evidence that proves Myth?

Belief

Humans believe in things outside of themselves because then people have an answer to how things happen, and why things are the way they are. From outside of a religion, people say religion is made up, a thing provide answers, but from inside each religion, the people say that that is the one true religion, passed directly from their mighty so and so.

I think the drive behind that belief is fear. People often dislike the unknown, or things they can't explain, So they find an explanation, something that can take the blame off of humans. Something that can make things make sense. If a huge forest fire devours all of a farmer's crops, he can say, "Well, that was the will of the gods. " In that way, it makes things into a laid-out plan, instead of anything else.

I was raised as an Orthodox Christian, but recently, I have been questioning this, and at this point, I really don't know much of what I believe. I do believe that there is a higher power, one that watches over us. I also believe that we are responsible for all of our actions, which in turn shape the rest of our lives. I think it is important to be open to every single person's beliefs, but not necessarily believe them yourself.

Questions of Life

Humanity believes in something greater in the hopes that life will become easier. We crave answers, finding comfort in concrete facts. In some cases, I believe religion is powered by fear. However, that fear provides a community to belong to, supplying people of similar beliefs. These people are often our close-to-home answers; those we talk to in times of need. Religion is called upon to lift responsibility off our shoulders, providing answers as to why.

Often, I think that people believe in one religion and not the other, simply because they are told to do so. When a child is born, it's parents decide it's religion. As the child grows, it chooses to, or not to be what it was "born as." Many people simply take what they get and for various reasons, again coming back to the idea of security: I am what I am, because it's what my family is. I am what I am, because it's what I know. I am what I am, because I'm afraid of what I'm not.

I was born Jewish. I have "Jewish" in my blood, but do I really believe I'm Jewish? Religions are the ideals with which people live by. I can't say that I believe in a big powerful dude sitting in the clouds somewhere looking out for all who roam under him and further more, I can't say that I believe in everything Jewish. However, I do believe in doing good for those less fortunate. I do believe in family and community. I do believe in looking out for the earth. I feel that good thoughts should be shared with the world. The first step to change is the belief that it's possible. I believe in who I am as a person. I believe in what's possible.

Belief

Belief systems and higher powers base themselves: a fear of death, of life, and of not knowing. People need comfort and explanations. Like a security blanket, they require the idea that one joins a higher power in a “better place” after passing away. This primordial fear traces itself back to the earliest civilizations. Early man, like today, needed answers. Out of their inquiries, came a belief in a higher being. They formed rituals for birth and death, and from these rituals organized religions developed. I do not believe in a higher power or a heaven after death.
I am not a terribly faithful person, but I am spiritual. I recognize the notion that if you do well, good will come back to you. I believe in energies and spirits, which are not necessarily a “God.” We are born, we evolve, we die, and that’s the end. There is no Devil to account for wrong doings. People must take the blame themselves. No God creates miracles. Rather, we possess the power to create these “divine” miracles.

Faith

In my opinion, humanity believes in things greater then themselves because it gives them a sense of purpose and of belonging to be able to have somebody higher than themselves to follow. Also, believing that those greater than yourself can control certain things takes a certain amount of responsibility off your shoulders. Having faith and having religion helps to give answers to the unanswerable questions. Because we crave answers, we also crave faith. Faith gives people hope in bad situations, because a being higher than ourselves can fix the problems we cannot.

My own beliefs are always changing; they are never set in stone. I don't know if I believe in God, but I do know that I don't believe in church. Despite some of my family's attempts to convert me (all of my mother's relatives are Catholic, some more devout than others), I do not identify with one particular religion. I believe in evolution. I believe in miracles, but I also believe in hard work. I believe in ghosts. I believe that when we die, we go to a better place. I don't believe in Hell. I believe that all people have worth. And I believe that, no matter what, you should always keep you mind open to the beliefs of others.

Faith?

I believe that humans believe in things greater than themselves because then they feel a sense of security. Humans like knowing that what they are doing is not always in their control and some other beings are control of their fate. It also gives them hope, knowing that someone is controlling their fate and not themselves. I believe this because of the events in the past and now. The Greeks and the Romans believed that Gods and Goddess were controlling their lives. Such as their livestock and fortune (money wise). Almost all religions now have one or more all mighty being(s). I think that humans first started believing that there was something greater out there when bad stuff started happening to them. Humans are more likely to think of actions that will help them in the short run rather than the long run. So when bad things started happening rather than good, people started thinking that maybe there is a greater being out there.

I do believe that there is something greater then humans, maybe not in a way that it controls our lives. Maybe there are greater beings out there that we can look for guidance. I believe that what happens to us, is not really caused by some other greater being, but rather our own actions. When bad stuff happens to us is because the course of action we chose was something that would only help us in the short run and not in the long run.

Faith?

I believe people have faith because it gives them a scene of saftey and responsibility. People have saftey in the fact that there is someone looking after you, and is answering all of your prayers. Responsibilty comes from haveing to follow a code or conduct. Some people will send offerings to their gods, or some will not eat chicken on friday. My family believes in all senses of faith.

Why does humanity believe in things greater than themselves? What is the drive behind that belief? Do you have your own set of beliefs?

I think humanity believs in things greater than themselves for many reasons. The first on that came to me is someone to blame. The idea of fate and someone else controling ones destiny takes away all blame for messing up your life. It is hard to look back, see what you did wrong and admit it was your fault. We blame a greater being for our life. Another reason would be to explain unexplainable events. If one doesn't understand something often they atribute it to a higher being. Such as how the greeks didn't understand lighting so they said that zeus created it. I think the last and biggest reason is for hope. When life is hard we need someone to pray to. Having someone to go to who can fix your problems is hopeful. It can give someone the drive to live when they have lost all else. A greater being is in a way the embodiment of hope. It is that miracle that one can hope or pray for.

I am a Jew. I although do not identify with all Jewish beliefs. I think community is very important. I also think there is some higher entity which watches over us. I do believe that we have complete control of our actions and therefor our destiny or fate. I think this higher entity can help us figure out the chalenge of life. We can look to it for guidence, but eventually everything has to come from us. We need to have faith in ourselves and not through our life away for nothing.

Question: What is faith? What drives people to believe?

Why does humanity believe in things greater than themselves? What is the drive behind that belief? Do you have your own set of beliefs?

Myth-Legend Fable-Fairy-tale

I believe that a myth is much like a legend in the sense that they are both verbal stories passed down from generation to generation though authenticity of authorship remains unknown. Both genres incorporate a lesson to be learned by the listener. Factual history along with the creative imput of ancestors appear to be a large component in legends. On the other hand, a myth is an exciting story generally dealing with nature and gods.


If the difference between a myth and a legend is the history and factuality of the story, then what is the difference between a fable and a fairy-tale? A fairy-tale is fictitious, created to trigger the imagination with characters such as fairies, giants, knomes incorporated in a plot generally centered around magic. A fable, also fictitious at its root, teaches a moral lesson personified via common animals and/or insects (Tortoise and the Hare, Ant and the Grasshopper, etc.)

sananda

Myth V.S Legend

Myth-a traditional or legendary story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation, esp. one that is concerned with deities or demigods and explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature. Legend-a non-historical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical. Now whats the difference between the two? Both belong to a realm/surreal world, with no rules or limits. Both are not proven right or wrong, and both can be stories passed down by generations of humans. I believe there is no difference, what I think is that myth is just a branch coming off the root of legend.



Fairy tale V.S Fable

A Fairy tale usually is a story, read to children, that involves mythical creatures such as dragons, fairies, etc. A fable, like a fairy tale is read to children, but has a moral at the end of the story, and instead of involving mythical creatures, it involves animals such as bunny's, mice, etc. For example, when I was a little kid I would always listen to the coyote tales, which would usually end with a moral like, that's why coyotes have black noses, or something like that.

Myth vs. Legend, Fairy Tale vs. Fable

Although myths are often misnamed as legends and vise versa, there is a distinct difference between the two. Myths are usually events that have no logical explanation. Myths are not categorized as true or untrue. They are often a base of religion. Legends on the other hand are stories which are usually told like a historical event. They are very rarely explanations. Sometimes legends have a basis in an actual historical event. Both legends and myths are partly fictatious and partly true. Fables and fairy tales are often stories told for children. A fable always contains a moral or lesson. A fairy tale is full of magic and usually contains magical numbers and a plot of good versus evil. I think of fairy tales as magical ficton stories, whereas fables are stories based on reality with a message. Examples of fairy tales are Cinderalla, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Princess and the Pea. Some fables are the Tortoise and the Hare, The Boy who Cried Wolf and Stone Soup.

Myths, Legends, Fables, and Fairy Tales...

I believe that a myth is a story that has been handed down through generations, and is usually about a supernatural happening. A legend is also very old and is passed on by spoken word, but is generally a little more believable and seem as though they might have actually happened. A certain place or culture may have their own myths or legends, and these stories can be very important to the identity of that place. Myths and legends are similar, but their content is different, and that it what makes them separate from each other.

Fairy tales and fables are also similar, but separate. Fairy tales are children's stories that contain magical creatures and places. Fables are also stories usually told to children, but they contain a moral. And, I've found, they have animals in them. An example of a fable would be "The Hare and the Tortoise," which has the moral "slow and steady wins the race." Fables and fairy tales are different mostly because fables have morals and fables do not.

Myths, Legends, Fables, and Fairy Tales

A myth is a fictional tale, originating from the Greek term mythos meaning “speech” that tells of gods and goddesses or other supernatural beings. Many myths are about the creation of the universe, or they explain moral values. Some say myths are the earliest forms of history and philosophy. A legend, on the other hand, loosely bases itself off a historical event. People retell and elaborate on legends from generation to generation. Rather than being about mythical beings, legends concern people.
A fable is a story involving talking animals. Fables conclude with a moral or lesson about life. They originate from the Latin term fabula, which means “story.” Fairy tales, like myths, may also involve magical creatures such as dragons and witches. These stories help to explain the real world with embellishments and mysticism.

Myths and Legends are stories that are often very ancient, and with both of them, you can't know whether they are true. Myths are stories that are very much up to your interpretation, and they often deal with more complicated things than Legends do. Legends often have to do with people or animals, such as the legend about the Loch-ness monster. Also, Legends often seem more believable than Myth. Though there is a lot of overlap, I think that these two terms are very different.

Fairy Tales are often about magical or mystical things--things that don't seem possible. Fairy tales are meant to come alive in your imagination. Fables are often more mature, and have a lesson to learn from the story, but they are also stories meant to be enjoyed. I think that Fairy Tales and Fables are often the same thing.

Myth, Legend, Fable, Fairy-tale?

How would you differentiate between these terms? How is Myth different from Legend in your mind? How is a fable different than a fairy-tale? OR are they all the same? You decide.

Answer in two paragraphs: the first answering the myth/legend question, the second answering the fable/fairy-tale query.

We will talk about this in class; feel free to consult a dictionary if needed. Post by Tuesday

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