Well...
As a teenager I must say I do my fair share of lying. But so does everyone... I mean do you tell your parents everything that happened at that crazy party? But these lies are all in good intentions and none severely effect anyone's life. They may not be exactly what one calls "white lies" but they are definitely small and legit.
However, is what I am doing right? It could be debated that I am violating society's ethical and moral code. This question is also brought up in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. All of the characters are pulled into a web of lies that range from these good intentioned "white lies" to matchmaking lies to devious, life ruining lies. One can examine each type and the situations they appear in and make a decision about the morality of them.
First lets consider the lie that Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio create to make Benedick fall in love with Beatrice. They do a very good job of convincing him that she really does like him even though it is clear from her actions that she cannot stand him. But, their plan works and he falls in love with her. So far, however, they have not balanced the equation. Beatrice clearly still hates Benedick. So what would happen if Benedick confessed everything he heard to her? Not only would Benedick be hurt because his friends were clearly lying to him but his situation with Beatrice would worsen. His heart would be broken and she may hate him more because of his attempts. So, in this case, even a lie with very good intentions can be negative.
But then one could say that Benedick will not approach Beatrice before the men convince her to love Benedick. Then this lie would have been positive and many good things could come of it. But, in my opinion, there is too much risk to warrant this even though the objective is love.
Looking back earlier in the play, we can see a lie that was meant to be damaging and almost is. Don John convinces the highly gullible Claudio that Don Pedro is "wooing" Hero for himself rather than for Claudio as was the plan. John intends to create strife in Pedro's forces as revenge for his defeat on the battlefield. Pedro is able to correct this lie quickly and no harm is done but, I think, everyone can agree that this would not be an acceptable situation for lying.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Armies in the Fire
The lamps now glitter down the street;
Faintly sound the falling feet;
And the blue even slowly falls
About the garden trees and walls.
Now in the falling of the gloom
The red fire paints the empty room:
And warmly on the roof it looks,
And flickers on the back of books.
Armies march by tower and spire
Of cities blazing, in the fire;--
Till as I gaze with staring eyes,
The armies fall, the lustre dies.
Then once again the glow returns;
Again the phantom city burns;
And down the red-hot valley, lo!
The phantom armies marching go!
Blinking embers, tell me true
Where are those armies marching to,
And what the burning city is
That crumbles in your furnaces!
Robert Louis Stevenson
This poem is interesting to me because it goes through such a wide range of emotions about a single topic. At the start of the poem, Stevenson talks about a fire as if it were something harmless and beautiful. He uses the word "paints" (6) to describe how the fire illuminates a room. It gives us a sense of warmth and beauty that we might associate with a crackling fire in a fireplace in the middle of winter. But his descriptions start to change. He writes, "Armies march by tower and spire" (9) This makes us think of fire as a more furious and dangerious thing. Also the use of "tower and spire" (9) tells how large the flames can become and gives us a sense of fear. Still later, the descriptions change again. He writes, "Blinking embers tell me true" (17) which makes the fire seem small and insignificant, yet almost old and wise. He is asking them for advice and they may give it to him.
This poem relates to me in a couple of ways. First of all, it reminds me of the life a teenager. The poem talks about such a wide range of feelings and emotions and to me that is similar to what an adolescent goes through. We can, all at once, be "painting," "marching," and "blinking." Also this poem almost seems like a the story of a relationship. Caring and gentle at first. Then passionate and raging before something goes wrong and "the lustre dies" (12). Then there may be a quick resurgence before things are let go and the lovers are left wondering what happened to their relationship.
The lamps now glitter down the street;
Faintly sound the falling feet;
And the blue even slowly falls
About the garden trees and walls.
Now in the falling of the gloom
The red fire paints the empty room:
And warmly on the roof it looks,
And flickers on the back of books.
Armies march by tower and spire
Of cities blazing, in the fire;--
Till as I gaze with staring eyes,
The armies fall, the lustre dies.
Then once again the glow returns;
Again the phantom city burns;
And down the red-hot valley, lo!
The phantom armies marching go!
Blinking embers, tell me true
Where are those armies marching to,
And what the burning city is
That crumbles in your furnaces!
Robert Louis Stevenson
This poem is interesting to me because it goes through such a wide range of emotions about a single topic. At the start of the poem, Stevenson talks about a fire as if it were something harmless and beautiful. He uses the word "paints" (6) to describe how the fire illuminates a room. It gives us a sense of warmth and beauty that we might associate with a crackling fire in a fireplace in the middle of winter. But his descriptions start to change. He writes, "Armies march by tower and spire" (9) This makes us think of fire as a more furious and dangerious thing. Also the use of "tower and spire" (9) tells how large the flames can become and gives us a sense of fear. Still later, the descriptions change again. He writes, "Blinking embers tell me true" (17) which makes the fire seem small and insignificant, yet almost old and wise. He is asking them for advice and they may give it to him.
This poem relates to me in a couple of ways. First of all, it reminds me of the life a teenager. The poem talks about such a wide range of feelings and emotions and to me that is similar to what an adolescent goes through. We can, all at once, be "painting," "marching," and "blinking." Also this poem almost seems like a the story of a relationship. Caring and gentle at first. Then passionate and raging before something goes wrong and "the lustre dies" (12). Then there may be a quick resurgence before things are let go and the lovers are left wondering what happened to their relationship.
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