Thursday, February 17, 2011

PATHETIC FALLACY/objective coorelative



Act III, ii, and iv
Thank Victor, Brandon, and Yenifer for our lightening,
and thank Raymond for his deeply felt King Lear
and thank everyone else who helped to stage these important
scenes in class. You were terrific. NOW FINISH READING THE PLAY!
 pathetic fallacy is the attributing of human behaviors and actions to inanimate objects. What examples of pathetic fallacy can you find in the play. (What examples from other literature, in movies, or in music can you think of?)  Consider its usefulness as a dramatic concept. Connect the storm in Act III, ii  to the idea of pathetic fallacy.  Of what use might be it in this play.
objective correlative is discussed in an earlier blog posting. It was also discussed twice in class.
pathos and bathos  discussed last semester. 
Act III, iv
 

16 comments:

  1. Theres a pathetic fallacy in the play because king lear is always talking to the sky as if it was a person. Hes hoping for an answer back. The storm was probably his answers.

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  2. As mentioned in the class, King lear has or does a Pathetic fallacy with or to the storm, this of course being a pathetic fallacy because the storm does not have any human behavior. It certainly isn't at all inanimate for it can produce strong winds, and thunder.

    The examples I can think of pathetic fallacy are the pixar movie: "Cars" human behaviors such as being able to talk or have feelings are attributed to... automobile vehicles (cars)

    And my short story! "Oli and Bassy" where a Bass Guitar talks to its owner. As a matter of fact all instruments can talk in the short story's universe.

    In conclusion, that is my understanding of what a pathetic fallacy is.

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  3. The storm is an an objective correlative in this play. When King Lear has his epiphany, it happens just when the storm appears. In a way the storm represents the anger that King Lear has in him. A storm is naturally destructive, and this is how King Lear's life is turning out to be. In the storm scene when King Lear shouts and speaks abruptly, its cohesive to the thunder and lighting that is also taking place in the setting, which makes the scene more exciting and it makes it more of a reality.

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  4. As I believe it was pointed out in class, the storm in Act III, ii is both an objective correlative and a pathetic fallacy. As Brittany said, the storm is a representation of how King Lear is feeling, his anger and rage but also his desperation and sadness. The storm is also a pathetic fallacy because in his outburst of anger King Lear finds no one to address but the storm. He is essentially releasing all his anger out into the storm.
    I think the storm can also been seen as metaphorical, because if you think about it in the perspective that "after a storm the sun always comes out",it would mean that things will get better for King Lear from now on. Or perhaps that now he is enlightened. Now he knows the truth and can see everything for what it is.

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  5. Examples of pathetic fallacy are, what the other four students said, used with King Lear whenever he tends to talk to himself. For example, the storm scene when he is yelling out to the sky, shows pathetic fallacy in the play. Also, towards the ending of Act II, iv, it's another example of King Lear and pathetic fallacy when he is yelling in between his daughters and to the sky. What I see more of a connection with pathetic fallacy and King Lear is that it's his own way of expressing his anger and letting it all out. And that's what I believe what pathetic fallacy is and how it is used in the play.

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  6. You guys are writing very insightfully about KING LEAR. It's a pleasure to read your intelligent discourse. Keep it going! Also, Sergio is very perceptive in pointing to the use of pathetic fallacy in Act II,iv.

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  7. As Brittany and Yenifer have said King Lear's feelings are being represented with the Storm. In my opinion King Lear addresses the Storm during his out burst because he wants the Storm to take all of his pain and anger when it leaves. As Yenifer said " after a storm the Sun will come out," King Lear might feel more relieved and at peace after the Storm but it won't last long. During this scene your able to feel King Lear's anger and pain through the Storm. I also agree with Tiffany, King Lear speaks to the Sky and Storm as if he is waiting for a reply.

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  8. Excellent Jeanette, his position, as king at the top of the natural order, has been usurped by those beneath him. Nature is in revolt! The storm is the tangible physical manifestation of this. In a way he his utterances to the storm suggest that only by King Lear being restored to power can the turbulence created by the filial ingratitude of his daughters, and their husbands, who are still his subjects, abate. So he is asking the storm for a reply, i.e., corrective action.

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  9. As we read in class today, it WAS quite obvious that the Pathetic Fallacy of the "Storm Scene" was King Lear subjecting the storm as an actual person. King Lear has finally released his inner thoughts that show a more sorrowful side to him, and also it shows his rage as well. The whole Idea that King Lear was expecting to be treated as a King still with no land is actually quite Ironic. I suspected King Lear to give up his title as a king the moment he gave away his land.

    Tiffany's thought of "Hes hoping for an answer back." is actually quite amazing but I feel as if King Lear probably wasn't waiting for a answer at all, I feel that King Lear was waiting for some kind of magical power that would wake him up from a nightmare. So for an answer, I feel as if King Lear already knows the answers but he can't accept them! Thats probably why he loses his mind - because of his failure to accept the truth for what it really was.

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  10. The definition of a pathetic fallacy is the treatment of inanimate objects as if they had human feelings, thought, or sensations and which these tangible objects do not have the capacity for such qualities.

    In act 3 scene 2 of King Lear, Lear shows pathetic fallacy when he yells and talks to the storm as if it had feelings. He takes out his rage and confusion on the storm because he has gone crazy! I agree with what Brittany had to say about how the storm is destructive and how it is a representation of Lear's feelings. I also find what Alexis said interesting. Since King Lear had no one to take his rage out on, he had to yell at the storm because that was his only answer.

    I believe an example of pathetic fallacy is in Shakespeare's 18 sonnet. He desribes his poems and his literature as he would a woman. He describes his work as amazing and with everlasting beauty.

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  11. wow, this picture is amazing...it really makes the scene seem much more dramatic and alive....

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  12. The lighting photo makes that scene much more dramatic and reminds me of Raymond's great King Lear act.

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  13. Pathetic fallacy is found in the storm scene, where the storm represents King Lear's madness. I agree with Jeanette, the photo of the lightening reminds me of Raymond's act and it also makes me really have a dramatic visual of the storm scene.

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  14. I believe that the pathetic fallacy begins in the storm scene. I believe that the storm scene represents change in Lear's attitude. He is appalled that his daughters do not want to let him stay in the castle along with his hundred men. The storm scene represents anger, sadness, and hopelessness. The reason being is that Lear is hopeless in finding a place to stay and is very sad about the situation that is happening. As he leaves the castle he feels alone and neglected. He speaks to himself looking up to the sky seeking for a new beginning. I also agree with Jeanette and Tiffany, he is speaking to the sky and storm waiting for a reply.

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  15. I agree with all my classmates this pathetic fallacy is one of the most point out and very intriguing because even though we know that the storm is representing the feelings of King Lear, i have a question "there an other character that can relate to this storm?"...
    and the use of this pic helps a lot to bring more of a realistic picture of whats happening in the scene.

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  16. In King Lear there is a pathetic fallacy in the play because king lear is always talking to the sky as if it was a person. The storm was probably his answers. King Lear addresses the Storm during his out burst because he wants the Storm to take all of his pain and anger when it leaves.

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