December Readathon

I spent my weekend of December 1^st and 2^nd mostly for December Readathon hosted by o (Delaisee). I have picked Dickens’ The Great Expectations for this occasion, and I’m glad I did that, I enjoyed every pages of it.

I started on Saturday morning at page 189, and stopped at page 466 on Sunday night; 278 pages all. For me, it’s a good achievement because my usual speed on weekend or holiday is 50 to 100 pages. It was my first readathon ever, and I think I’ll do it again in the future if the time fits my schedule, and if I have a perfect book to read!

From this readathon, I learned that social media and blogging are two biggest enemies to my readings—especially social media, because blogging is part of my reading activities. To be able to join the readathon, I must close all internet connection so that I can focus mainly on my book. Sometimes I really miss the old times when I can read all day long without interruption…

Antony and Cleopatra – Final Review

This is my second Shakespearean tragedy after Julius Caesar, and while we are still entertained with wars—though not as flourish as Julius Caesar’s—we are also spoiled with stories of love and lust, loyalty and betrayal, nobleness and dirty politics; all bitters-and-sweets in human’s live.

I believe Antony was a great general, he fight with his soldiers; not just watched and gave orders from the camp (compare this with Octavius who pointed Agrippa to lead the army), and for that his soldiers loved and respected him—well at least before he was crazy. He was a gentleman of his time, always treated his soldiers fairly, and his friends loyally. However—as every man must have his weakness—Antony could not resist love charm; and in this case, the charm has a name: Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt.

From the beginning of the play we can see that Cleopatra was an obsessive woman, she kept asking Antony how much he loved her. If one does not know her reputation, one might think she was just like any other silly young girl who was in love. But I believe this was not the case of Cleopatra. I think she was an ambitious, self-possessed and even cunning woman—you could not become a queen at that time if you did not possess those qualifications—and for her, to keep her throne was more important than to win a man’s heart. I think, after Caesar’s death, Cleopatra needed an allegiance to protect her interests, and she had chosen Antony.

On the contrary, Mark Antony had really fallen in love and trapped into Cleopatra’s charm, that he neglected his duty as the ruler of one third of the world, leaving the young ambitious Octavius worked alone (with Lepidus) in Rome for his own interests. This was Antony’s biggest fault, to let his heart controlled his brain. However, with a woman so charming and determined like Cleopatra, it’s difficult for Antony to avoid his faith.

Cleopatra on the Terraces of Philae
by Frederick Arthur Bridgman, 1896

I loved this play a lot, it has all you can ask for an exciting reading; history, romances, politics, wars and witty dialogues now and then. I always love Roman history, so I don’t have any trouble of loving this one too, plus I think I’m a new fan of Mark Antony, although Cicero is still (for me) the best. One thing I don’t like from this play, is how Cleopatra was portrayed here by Shakespeare. I think, except for once or twice when she was really angry and in the last chapters, one will think Cleopatra was a spoiled teenager who was madly in love.

I am still wondering whether Cleopatra had betrayed Antony as Antony had accused her. If not, why had the Egyptian deserted their master twice, first in Actium battle, second near Alexandria? And Cleopatra never gave Antony any reason why she had instructed her army to abandon him in Actium, nor did she defend herself when Antony accused her after the last battle; she just left him and hid in the monument.

Assuming that Cleopatra was innocent and she hid herself merely afraid of Antony’s rage, why did she send her eunuch to tell Antony that she had died, but then sent another messenger to say that she was still actually alive? Did she send the first one because she knew how Antony would react if he heard about her death—thus keeping her promise to Caesar; then sent the second one because she was in fact still in love to him? Oh what a complicated woman!

The label of “hero of this play” I think must be granted to Eros, who—when was instructed by Antony to kill him—chose to end his own life because he could not kill his own master, but he did not want to disobey him either. Antony did not have the courage to kill himself and must ask his men’s help, but Eros stabbed himself without any doubt. Antony killed himself as a result of his own conducts, but Eros killed himself merely of his infinite loyalty to his master.

“My dear master,

My captain, and my emperor, let me say,

Before I strike this bloody stroke, farewell.

(stabs himself) Thus I do escape the sorrow

Of Antony’s death.”

I have enjoyed this play until Mark Antony died. After that, it’s like an anticlimax for me. I did not really want to know how Cleopatra will end her life (for I had already know the facts), and what Octavius would do. Act V was the most boring part of this play, and for that—and for absurdity in Cleopatra’s manner—I granted four stars for Antony and Cleopatra. Although this play was slightly interesting than Julius Caesar, but all in all, I liked Julius Caesar more.

You can read my post for each act: Act I - Act II - Act III - Act IV - Act V

Weekend Quote 12: Antony and Cleopatra

A not only beautiful but also meaningful quote from Mark Antony about how we must bear sorrows that come to our lives…

“Bid that welcome

Which comes to punish us, and we punish it,

Seeming to bear it lightly.”

Instead of taking sorrow as a severe punishment of what we had done wrong, we can opt to welcome the punishment and take it lightly. Rather that the sorrow punishes us, WE punish the sorrow (by taking it lightly). I think this is a great wisdom to be applied in our lives. We are not immune from making mistakes, all we must do is to accept the consequences, learn from it, and move on.

This Weekend Quote is hosted by Half-Filled Attic. Feel free to join. You can:

• Give the context of the quote
• Give your opinion whether you agree or disagree with it
• Share your experience related to the quote
• Share similar quotes you remember
• Or anything else. Just have fun with the quote.

December’s Reading Events and Plans

How time has been running very fast! At this time tomorrow I would be starting the first day of December by a reading event.

It’s o (Delaisse)’s December Readathon to start December (1 – 2 December)

I’ll be spending most of my times during this weekend reading Great Expectations; no internet (yes, I’ll pluck off my modem connection for two days, how difficult that would be? I can do it!). I have started Great Expectations to around page 130s, so let’s see where I would end up at the end of this readathon (I’ll post about this later).

I’m reading Great Expectations also for another reading event:

Dickens in December hosted by Caroline and Delia

Great Expectations is the only novel I’m going to read for this event, saving two others in my TBR pile for my own upcoming event on February 2013: Celebrating Dickens. But, I’ll watch movie adaptations of Great Expectations and A Christmas Carol for the Watchalong. Hopefully I can finish the reading before the watchalong!

Apart from GE for those two events, I’m going to read Merchant of Venice for my Let’s Read Plays event, Heart of Darkness for my WEM Self Project, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for completing my Historical Fiction Challenge (hosted by Maria).

Wew…it’s a month full of events/project/challenge, but it makes me even more excited! Yeah…I love challenges! ;) What about you, what’s your plan for the last month of this year?

Oh, and don’t forget to check my Book Kaleidoscope 2012 feature, in case you want to wrap up your reading experience of the whole 2012 in an interesting feature!...

What should I stay—: Antony and Cleopatra – Act V

After Antony died, this play suddenly became less interesting for me… Octavius felt both relieved for losing his biggest enemy, but also sad for losing a friend. His monologue was dry, I can’t imagine how he performed his oration at the Senate—oh but he was the single ruler at that time, so everyone must listen to him…

Octavius sent Proculeius to give sweet promises to Cleopatra only to prevent her from killing herself, so that Octavius could top his triumph procession to Rome by exhibiting her. Then Octavius sent also Gallus to Egypt to divert Cleopatra’s attention. Further on Octavius exhibited his former (gentle he said) letters to Antony to prove that he was actually reluctant to have a war with him. Oh such a hypocrite…

In Alexandria, Proculeius and Gallus arrived. While Proculeius persuaded Cleopatra to wait until Octavius came, Gallus suddenly captured her. Cleopatra dragged her dagger but the suicide attempt was stopped by Proculeius. Cleopatra spent her last times to memorize the greatness of Antony—I wonder if deep in her heart she ever had any remorse of what she had done to Antony? Did she really truly love Antony, as a woman, not a politician?

Her humiliating attitude when accusing her treasury of lying just showed how desperate Cleopatra was, when she knew that she had lost everything. And what a hypocrite Octavius was to say such: “..believe

Caesar’s no merchant, to make prize with you, Of things that merchants sold” while after Cleopatra died, he robbed her palace and moved all the exclusive things from it to Rome.

The Death of Cleopatra – Hans Makart ~1875

By the way, what Dolabella did was very risky, but we might already know, Cleopatra’s charm was difficult to deny… It’s really an irony to compare Antony’s and Cleopatra’s death. Antony, a great general, must ask Eros’ help to kill him, and must take his men example before he had the courage to stab himself—and still failed!—while Cleopatra prepared everything so calmly, effectively, and so bravely.

“Now to that name my courage prove my title!

I am fire and air, my other elements

I give to baser life”

Fortunately Octavius did generously by burying Antony and Cleopatra together.

“She shall be buried by her Antony.

No grave upon the earth shall clip in it

A pair so famous. High events as these

Strike those that make them, and their story is

No less in pity than his glory which

Brought them to be lamented.”

My final thoughts about this play? Please wait for my final review in a few days….

Gaius Cassius in Julius Caesar

Gaius Cassius was the senator who had inspired the conspiracy against Rome’s dictator at that time: Julius Caesar. Cassius was actually one of Caesar’s friends. He fought with Caesar under Pompey’s rule, and Cassius had witnessed in many incidents that Caesar was not as strong as people thought. It was when they must across the flooding Tiber, Cassius could make it but Caesar couldn’t; he cried at Cassius to help him, and help Caesar he did.

“I, as Aeneas our great ancestor

Did from the flames of Troy upon his shoulder

The old Anchises bear, so from the waves of Tiber

Did I the tired Caesar”

But what happened after that? Caesar climbed the stairs to the top, and became the top ruler of Rome, while Cassius now must lower himself in front of the man he once helped.

“And this man

Is now become a god, and Cassius is

A wretched creature and must bend his body

If Caesar carelessly but nod on him.”

Personal envy! That is where the conspiracy had begun. Cassius felt that he was not less than Caesar, but why must he bend his body towards Caesar? Why must Caesar become his boss? Moreover, Cassius felt he was more capable physically and mentally than Caesar, who he referred as ‘a sick girl’.

“I was born free as Caesar, so were you;

We both have fed as well, and we can both

Endure the winter’s cold as well as he.”

However Cassius was clever enough to know that he would need Brutus to convince people of Rome that the conspiracy was for their sake, for Rome’s honor—because Brutus was an honorable man.

To me Cassius was an opportunist. I believed he and Brutus was not a very good friend, but when he needed Brutus, Cassius suddenly claimed as his a long time friend who Brutus had recently neglected.

“Brutus, I do observe you now of late;

I have not from your eyes that gentleness

And show of love as I was wont to have;

You bear too stubborn and too strange a hand

Over your friend that loves you.”

Well….be careful if one of your not-too-close friends suddenly came to you complaining that you haven’t called for him/her for a long time, and how he/she had missed you. Often than not, he/she was expecting something from you…

And look how he convinced Brutus to join him, for when he saw that even after he marked Caesar’s weakness and flattered Brutus’ fame among the people, Brutus still needed time to reflect, the impatient Cassius used then a dirty trick of false letters. Cassius really knew how to deal with honorable men like Brutus!

At the end of the civil war, both Brutus and Cassius killed themselves, but with different reason. The noble Brutus because he would like to die honorably in the battle field; while Cassius—I think—because he was terrified of being punished when he was brought back to Rome, so terrified that he was mistakenly taken the shouts of joy as his troops’ loss--while it’s actually their win—and he killed himself at that. A tragic way to die, but a fair avenge for what he’d done to Caesar!

Book Kaleidoscope 2012 - Announcement

The year 2012 almost come to the end. In terms of reading, it has been a wonderful year for me. I have read a lot of great classics, and as usual I like to rewind my reading experience during the year. Starting this year, I will wrap it up in a new feature called: Book Kaleidoscope. There will be three categories, and for each category I will pick the top five best books, and I will post them separately around the last week of December.

Now, you are welcomed if you are interested in doing the same. It’s only for fun, and for a remembrance or portrait of great books we have read this year. Here they are…

Day 1 (December 27^th) - Top Five Book Boy/Girl Friends

From all the books you have read throughout the year, rank five male characters (if you are female) or top five female characters (if you are male) you love the most. Tell us the reason, and it would be great if you use images to describe them (if the book has been made into movie, you can share photo(s) of the best actors/actresses to perform them).

Day 2 (December 28^th) – Top Five Best Book Covers

Rank five covers of books you have read in 2012. Pick the edition that you really read, but if you read ebook, at least pick the one that you used for your post. Tell us why you think them gorgeous.

And last but certainly not least….

Day 3 (December 31^st) – Top Five Most Favorite Books

No explanation needed for this topic, of course…; just rank and let us know books you found most awesome, and you have enjoyed the most! (and why…).

Notes:

You can use any kind of books (don’t have to be classics), as long as you have a book blog. You don’t need to sign up or something, but if you want, you can leave a comment below.

The above schedules are mine, it’s good if we all can post on the same schedule simultaneously, but it’s understandable if you prefer to have your own schedule.

You can put the Book Kaleidoscope button in your posts if you want (I love the picture..).

I will open a linky for you to submit your posts. The linky will be up on December 20^th (in case you want to post it earlier) and closed on January 15^th (in case you can’t make it around the end of the year). I can’t promise you that I will visit and read each of your posts (year ends are usually hectic!), but I’ll try :)