Week Ten Reading Diary Continued: The Mahabharata, Peter Brook

Part D - The Art of War

The Mahabharata War Scene, Peter Brook (1989)

After nine days of battle, men end the day with their rituals. Bhishma who is injured, meets with the Kaurava brothers, Karna, and Drona in his quarters. Duryodhana tells Bhishma that he is disappointed with his performance and how it is his fault that they have not succeeded in the war.  

As the Kaurava brothers and Karna leave Bhishma’s quarters, Drona stays behind.  Bhishma tells Drona of his dream.  In his dream, a stranger kills him.  Drona laughs as Bhishma tells him, and Bhishma asks why someone would kill him.  Drona responds that only you  know the answer. 

Bhishma is left to think about how he will win the war against the Pandava’s.  He hears a sound outside of his quarters and knows that it is Amba, the princess that he turned away earlier in the epic.  Amba walks into Bhishma’s quarters and tells him that she has been following him all of these years and that her feelings of revenge have not changed.  Amba then reveals that she has a secret, she will partake in the next battle and that she has taken on a man’s image.  Her new name is Shikhandi.

This scene is not how I depicted it in my mind.  Brook was able to make the scene dramatic especially with the music that played as Amba spoke to Bhishma.  I did not gather that Bhishma was frightened from Amba’s presence, nor was he uncomfortable.  In the movie it seemed as if he knew his life was going to end.

When Kunti approaches Karna and they have the conversation about his birth, Karna cannot help but acknowledge that after all of these years Kunti has abandoned him.  The only possible reason why she would want him to side with the Pandava's is because of the power that she possesses and the thought of her losing a son.  

Bibliography: “The Mahabharata” directed by Peter Brook (1989)

                     “The Mahabharata” written by R.K. Narayan (1978)

Week Ten Reading Diary: The Mahabharata, Peter Brook

Part C - Vyasa describes the life of the Pandava brothers lives while living in secrecy and the awakening of Krishna.

As Vyasa continues to tell the story to the young boy, Krishna appears and consults with Vyasa about his future.  Vyasa assures Krishna that he can change the path of his life and that nothing is ever set in stone.  People have the ability to change and live a life that possesses great spiritual awakening and health. I begin to see the story as Narayan told it in his book.  The Pandava brothers have taken on their new roles in their lives as they live incognito in king Virata’s palace. 

The Pandava Brothers

Yudhisthria has become an expert in the game of dice, and has been able to possess self control when playing the game. Out of all of the brothers, Bhima could no longer live in disguise.  Draupadi felt that her husband’s betrayed her and their lives are not what they should be.  Kichaka, the brother-in-law of king Virata challenged Draupadi.  He wanted to call her his own, and lay with her to establish their bond.

As this scene continues differences are soon recognized.  In the Narayan's version, Draupadi is molested and asks for justice to be taken.  She wanted Kichaka to be charged.  Yudhisthria stands before Draupadi with the king, and agrees with king Virata that an investigation must take place before any action can be taken against Kichaka.  Draupadi tells Bhima, and Bhima attacks Kichaka. He kills him by squeezing him to death.

In the movie, Draupadi does not go before king Virata.  Instead, she sets a trap for Kichaka.  She tells him that she will meet with him later, and become his. When she leaves Kichaka’s room after he agrees, she tells Bhima that she is disappointed in all of her husbands. She tells Bhima that he must defend her and show that he is the best husband.  Bhima hides in Kichaka’s room underneath his covers and excites him as he pretends to be Draupadi.  Bhima then reveals his true self, and kills Kichaka in the name Draupadi.

There is much poetry that is expressed in this part of the movie in comparison to part a and b. A vast majority of it is through the character of Krishna.  Krishna’s character starts to develop into a character that questions his self, and the lives of others. 

Bibliography: "The Mahabharata" directed by Peter Brook (1989)

                     " The Mahabharata" written by R.K. Narayan (1978)

Week Nine Reading Diary Continued: The Mahabharata, Peter Brook

Part B of Peter Brook’s The Mahabharata was intriguing and comical.  The dice game that was portrayed in the written version of The Mahabharata was as intense as the movie; yet there were differences that can be pointed out. 

Yudhishthria displayed the same desperate behavior in the movie as he did in the written prose with one exception.  He acknowledged that he was a terrible gambler.  Yudhishthria continued with his plans of participating in the dice game and showed his weaknesses of not being able to possess self control.  What I found interesting is that the king’s wife Dhritarashtra, was very vocal during this particular scene.  She interrupted the game by asking Yudhishthria if he wanted to end the game before he bet the freedom of his brothers and wife.  Yudhishthria being a person who does not possess any self control wished to continue the game and lost.

Yudhishthria During the Dice Game

When it came time to bring Draupadi to the court after the game of dice ended, Dhritarashtra again was not quiet when it came to sharing her opinion on the situation.  In both versions, Draupadi questioned the right of husband to gamble his freedom if he had already lost his.

Draupadi's thoughts: A man cannot sell something when he does not posses the right or freedom to do so, and if Yudhishthra was already a slave then what possessions could he give?

Unlike the film, in the written prose the men of the court argued against Draupadi and in so many words wanted her to stay in a woman’s place. It was a child who spoke up for Draupadi’s freedom and logically explained the circumstances of the matter.

In the film, Dhritarashtra made the decision as to Draupadi being sold as a slave, and believed that it did not make a difference whether her husband was a free man or a slave at the time when he gambled her freedom away.

Throughout this part of the movie, Dhritarashtra played both sides of the fence when it came to her children and husband.  She is a manipulative character.

Bibliography: "The Mahabharata" directed by Peter Brook (1989)
                       "The Mahabharata" written by R.K. Narayan (1978)

Week Nine Reading Diary: The Mahabharata, Peter Brook

When I read The Mahabharata written by R.K. Narayan, I did not like it in comparison to The Ramayana. I thought about giving the Mahabharata another shot, by watching the theatrical version by Peter Brook.  It was very different in a sense, yet I have enjoyed watching the movie so far.  I enjoyed the versatility of the cast, and the dramatics they presented.  Not to mention one of my all time favorite actresses Erika Alexander played the roles of Madri and Hidimbaa. I cannot wait until I watch part two later this week. 

In part one of the movie The Mahabharata, Vyasa the poet, begins the tale of the epic. The movie is told as a narration, and Vyasa  is searching for an individual who able to write, which I thought was rather strange.  In my mind, I portrayed Vyasa as a person of high intellect and who was literate. However, Lord Ganesha appears out of nowhere and begins to record the story as Vyasa narrates Vyasa's character in the movie is true to the character in the written tale in a sense.  His appearance is disheveled and the princesses that he met with carnally treat him with dislike and disgust.

The story of the birth of the Kaurava's was strange.  Dhritarashtra ordered her servant to beat her stomach with an iron rod because she felt movement.  After holding “life” in her stomach for two years she could not wait any longer for the life of her child to be real.  After her servant beats her stomach, a large black ball rolls across the floor symbolizing the “ball of flesh”.  It is cool to the touch.  Similar to the written version by R.K. Narayan, Dhritarashtra wants to throw the ball of flesh out.  Bhisma saves the flesh and tears it into one hundred pieces.  He sprinkles water over the flesh and puts the flesh into multiple jars. 

Omens are then presented.

The Mahabharata, Peter Brook (1989)

Bibliography: "The Mahabharata" directed by Peter Brook (1989)

                       "The Mahabharata" written by R.K. Narayan (1978)

Tech Tip: Updating Your Template/Background

If you have become tired of your current background and template, this post is for you.

When logging into your blog, click on view blog.

In the top right-hand corner of your blog, you should see your email address, New Post, Design, and Sign Out.  Click on Design.

Design will take you to the template page where you can change the template of your back ground or upload a picture for your background. 

Choosing a template is easy.  You are given the choice of Simple, Dynamic Views, Picture Window, Awesome Inc., etc. 

If you would like to upload a picture of your choice for background, click on the customize button underneath the picture of your blog on Live on Blog.

On the top left-hand side you will see the word Templates, underneath templates click on Background. 

Your Current background image will appear on the right-hand side next to Templates. 

Click on the down arrow on the right-hand side of the image. The top choice that will appear is upload image. 

If you already have an image saved on your computer, click on choose file and search for that image and apply it to your background.  Otherwise you may Google search for an image and save the picture to your computer.   

After you have applied the photo to your background, on the right-hand side of your current background image that is shown on the top of the page, you have a choice of aligning the picture where you want, and choosing if you would like the picture to tiled or not.  Once you select your preference, on the top right-hand corner you will see an orange button that says “Apply to Blog”.

Click “Apply to Blog”, and viola, you have a new background for your blog.

I hope this tip was helpful, if not comment below and I will respond to help you! =)

Blogging Ideas

I would like to update my blog.  After these past few weeks I have noticed the variations of font, backgrounds, and colors that many of my fellow classmates have chosen for their personal.  Also, I have noticed that the template that I chose is very popular with some of my other classmates.  I think it would be a great idea, and a learning experience on how to change change my template, the font size and type, and color.

Last week, I visited one of classmates blog.  I noticed that Kayla had chosen a beautiful template, and the font stuck out to me. It was different.  A vast majority of the blogs that I have came across uses either Times New Roman, or Arial.  I am also guilty of this. Kayla took time out to make sure her blog represented her, and I love it! Click on Kayla's name to be connected to her blog.

Lore (Lauren) also has a very nice blog.  This is her second course taking with Laura, but you can also tell that Lore is an avid blogger.  Her blog and storybook amazed me the first time that I saw them.  I looked at her blog from last semester and I was still in awe. Lore knows what she's doing and she does an excellent job! Click on Lore's name to be connected to her blog.

Lastly, Jessica's blog is cool.  I love the template that she chose and the font style.  They correlate very well with the  class.  Her blog posts are easy to read and easy on the eyes.  It is easy to navigate to things that are listed; such as her likes, tweets and comment wall. Click on Jessica's  name to be connected to her blog.

I am going to change my blog template and put a little more work and effort into it, making it more presentable.  I want something that is vibrant, and eye-catching.  I would like to change the font style and size as well. I think it's time, and after noticing I share the same template as many of my other classmates...it's time for an update.

Time Scheduling and Contraints

Now that I am encountering the second half of this semester, I have found myself in the position that I said I would not be in.  I am a procrastinator! Yes I admit it wholly.  I will wait until the last minute to do all of my assignments, and feel the pressure of the walls caving in on me as I squirm to turn in assignments right before they are due. 

A few years ago, I was not the procrastinator that I am today.  I would do my assignments as soon as a teacher/professor gave me a schedule of assignments that were due.  I was one of those students who would complete assignments two to three months ahead of time.  I had so much time on my hands that I planned my outfits weekly and wrote down what I had worn.  Now that I think about it, I may still have my outfit journal somewhere in a box in my garage…

Any who, with this semester coming to an end, the only thing that I believe I can do is survive.  With Spring Break approaching, this will be a great time for me to reflect and come up with a plan.  I thought I had a handle on this semester with posting my daily assignments in my planner and updating my to-do list for work, but truth be told,

Things Happen

Unexpected Things

Life

Life Happens

As much as I plan, I know that unexpected things will occur in my day to day schedule; but so far what can be derived from my scheduling experiences thus far this semester is that I need to set time aside for myself to think. This has been my schedule for the past month and a half.

Sunday	Epics in India		Capstone
Monday	Epics in India	Hebrew
Tuesday	Epics in India
Wednesday		Hebrew
Thursday	Epics in India	Hebrew
Friday		Hebrew	Capstone
Saturday	Epics in India		Capstone

I generally start my assignments late at night, and end my day in the wee hours of the next morning.  I know if I start my assignments early, I will be able to accomplish more.   Therefore, I will attempt to change my current schedule to what it was previously.

Sunday	Epics in India
Monday		Hebrew
Tuesday	Epics in India
Wednesday		Hebrew
Thursday	Epics in India		Capstone
Friday		Hebrew	Capstone
Saturday			Capstone

White Rabbit: Alice in Wonderland

Week Seven Reading Diary Continued: The Mahabharata, Epified

The second part of The Mahabharata narrated by Epified was interesting like the first.  I really loved the emotion that the narrators portrayed of the characters and the artist did an excellent job by showing great details in regards to the characters movements, the characters personable traits like the reactions on their faces in regards to the matters they were dealing with, and lastly the back ground scenes where things took place.

 I especially enjoyed the story of Karna and the details in which the narrator explained the characters and their actions.  Karna was a very admirable character in the story; he appreciated his parents for everything they had done for him.  Because he knew he was sewn from a different cloth, after his encounter with Drona not once did he mention that he was born from a higher class and was “adopted” by people who were of a lower class.  He had the opportunity of explaining how he received his great warrior instincts, but he felt that if he were to explain the truth it would be a way of betraying his real parents, the ones who saved his life from the basket that was floating in the river.  His parents felt bad because they knew that Karna wanted to train, but with patience and time, a great sage had helped him.

Karna, Epified 

The character of Drona was different than what I expected.  I portrayed him as an older man who was wise and very caring.  In Epified’s version Drona was a bit cold and harsh.  They made the character seem as if status and money was the only way to spark interest in training other young men besides the Pandava’s.  

Bibliography: "The Mahabharata" written by R.K. Narayan (1978)

                     "The Mahabharata"  narrated by Epified (2015)

Week Seven Reading Diary: The Mahabharata, Epified

Epified TV in India’s version of the epic The Mahabharata was more entertaining than the book in my opinion, which is strange for me since I generally choose reading over watching movies and videos.  What made Epified stand out is the drama and suspense that it delivers to its audience.  The music and the tone of the author’s narration enhanced the story’s tale, in addition to the drawing of the scenes which provided a visual aid. 

The Mahabharata: Epified

The Mahabharata was broken up into seventeen different sections which offer a simplistic yet detailed view of the epic.  The author’s highlighted the main points of the story including things that I particularly did not catch; such as Amika’s deliverance of her ninety-nine sons.  When I read the story, I do not remember her delivering a mass of flesh and wanting it to be sent out into the forest.  In Epified’s version, Bhisma takes the fleshy mass and breaks the mass into one hundred pieces and puts each piece into a large vase with liquid.  After time, these large pieces of flesh become children.  Because of Amika’s forsaken sight (recalled by Epified ), and Dhritarashtra’s blindness, they are unaware of the characteristics their children display.  Immediately, it is noticed by all including their uncle Bhishma that these boys are evil and show depravity.

Another difference that can be pointed out between The Mahabharata and Epified’s version is the story of Bhima.  The author’s focused on Bhima more so than Yudhistira and Arjuna, with the exception of Arjuna’s discovery of Ekalavya. Bhimas’s story was extraordinary.  With Duryodhana’s exhibit of jealous behavior and unsuccessful attempt in killing his cousin, Bhima continued to prevailed and was blessed with strength that was greater than any man. 

Bibliography: The Mahabharata written by R.K. Narayan (1978)

                     The Mahabharata narrated by Epified (2015)