Notion4 : Myths and Heroes Topic : Everlasting Love 26/05/18 1
Framework Definition of the notion Definition of the topic Shakespeare in Love... Stop All the Clocks by W.H Auden D.H.Lawrence on love... Edgar Allan Poe Our texts/poems/docs Vocabulary 26/05/18 2
What is a Myth? What is a Hero? A myth can be defined as a story about Gods or heroes, it can be a popular belief or a tradition or simply a false notion existing in society. A hero can be a mythological figure as it can be a person who is admired for his or her achievements, a superhero, a model or an icon. Generally, in what we call " Myths and Heroes ", the hero of the story tries to break/debunk the myth/ the false idea existing around him/her. 26/05/18 3
Examples... Aborigines were considered animals by the English colonies in the 17 th. Feminists proving women and men are equal : debunking the myth of women's inferiority Blacks' struggle for equality : debunking the belief that Blacks were only good at singing and dancing... 26/05/18 4
Everlasting Love Or, Eternal Love, is a feeling lasting or enduring through all time... When you think that the love you have for someone is never ending or will last forever until death. Some say : ''It is a continuing and indefinite feeling that goes beyond death...'' Does ''Everlasting Love'' really exist? Or is it a myth? In other words, May two people love each other till death? Or even beyond death? To what extent can we consider them as being heroes? 26/05/18 5
Romeo and Juliet (written between 1591-1595) One of Shakespeare's most famous plays. A tragedy that reconciles both families... 26/05/18 6
Romeo and Juliet 26/05/18 7
Romeo and Juliet What catches your eyes first? What are they wearing? What do the costumes symbolize? Give a title to the scene. 26/05/18 8
This is a still from a film. One of the leading roles is held by Leonardo DiCaprio. In the picture he is wearing a knight s suit of armour. He is looking at a young woman. He seems to be love-struck. She is dressed all in white. She is dressed up as an angel. He is holding her hand. She looks surprised 26/05/18 9
The scene takes place at a masked ball. The film is the story of a very famous couple. It is based on a play by Shakespeare. It is the perfect story to be told on Valentine s Day. It is a story of true love between two young people that are prevented from loving each other by a family feud. The picture seems to be divided into two parts: The dark side on the right, representing war, conflict, and quarrel, and the brighter side on the left, representing love and purity. These two aspects also symbolize the opposition / feud between the two families. 26/05/18 10
They are obviously dressed up and must be at a fancy-dress ball / masked ball. But the way they are dressed up shows their differences: He is the gallant knight, the man ready to fight to win the heart of the lady he loves. She is the pure lady waiting for the loved one. They represent opposites because the girl is the symbol of purity and the man embodies strength and courage / represents his will to win her heart. 26/05/18 11
Shakespeare's quote... '' Love is not love, which alters when it alteration finds [ ] Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, but bears it out* even to the edge of doom.'' *=supporte tout =bord de l'abîme Sonnet 116, W.Shakespeare (1564-1616) 26/05/18 12
Stop all the Clocks poem by Auden Life can stop now that the loved one has died. A mournful poem... A sad poem W.H.Auden doesn't believe in everlasting love : ''I thought love would last for ever : I was wrong.'' 26/05/18 13
Lies About Love by D.H.Lawrence '' We are all liars, because the truth of yesterday becomes a lie tomorrow [ ] The love I feel for my friend, this year, is different from the love I felt last year. If it were not so, it would be a lie. Yet we reiterate love! love! Love! As if it were a coin with a fixed value instead of a flower that dies, and opens a different bud.'' D.H.Lawrence (1885-1930), Lies About Love 26/05/18 14
Room in New York, 1932 Husband and wife in their flat in New York They seem to be bored... He pays no attention to his wife. She seems sad... They're trapped in their own lives... They might have quarrelled... She might be dreaming of a more romantic life... The atmosphere is cold, tense. They seem to be growing apart.. 26/05/18 15
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Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe 1 st doc (poem) The basic theme is that of true love being able to transcend death. Nothing can keep these two souls apart. But, despite their childlike relationship, or because of it, their love proved stronger than those who were older and wiser. 26/05/18 17
Ghotic style One of the most prominent themes that haunts the Gothic fiction of Edgar Allan Poe is death and the associated process of decay(déclin) and chaos ; and this is one of the more prominent themes in Gothic novels or short stories. In nearly every one of his tales, one of the characters has died or is being mourned and this sets the quintessential dark tone found in Poe s works. 26/05/18 18
Who was Edgar Allan Poe? E.A.Poe (1809-1849) American and British writer, poet and critic. He is famous for his tales and poems of horror and mystery, including "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven." Annabel Lee this lyric poem again explores Edgar Allen Poe s themes of death and loss and may have been written in memory of his beloved wife Virginia, who died two years prior. 26/05/18 19
2 nd doc (song) Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross, both American soul and pop singers, songwriters and producers. A love song in which they declared love for each other. But are they still together...? Is their love that endless? 26/05/18 20
3 rd doc (article) ''There s no such a thing as everlasting love'' - article Barbara Fredrickson, a psychologist doesn't believe in ''everlasting love''. Instead, she believes love is a micromoments feeling... 26/05/18 21
Quotes... To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. Oscar Wilde 26/05/18 22
Conclusions/Open Questions According to what you read, according to the poems and texts exposed here in this notion, give your opinion on ''everlasting love''. Does it really exist? May it transcend death for instance? Or is love just a set of ''brief connections'' as pointed out in the article written by B.Fredrickson? 26/05/18 23
Terminology everlasting (adj) = eternal = lasting or enduring through all time bliss (n) = extreme happiness = le bonheur love-struck (adj) = fou d'amour love at first sight = coup de foudre feud (n) = querelle hatred (n) = haine grief (n) = sorrow = chagrin devastated (n) = effondré mourn sb (v) = grieve for sb = pleurer qqun 26/05/18 24
broken-hearted (adj) = au cœur brisé 26/05/18 25