This is the final movie that we watched. Compared with the other four films we have watched, this is the most recent in term of time. The film has been produced in year 2006. Nothing much I can say about this film. It is also a coloured film compared to other film we have watched which is black and white film. But generally, it is about love because it featured a few of couples whom have their own love story and conflicts with it and then it solved in the end by marriage. I like the beginning of the story because normally if we talk about literature and William Shakespeare, we tend to think it is all about English. But, in this movie, it reveals the setting which was inspired by 19th century Japan.

A Streetcar Named Desire

This film which was produced on 1951 is one of the films that I like and enjoy watching it because its setting shows the real kind of lower class place and their living style with featured multicultural people. The black and white film reveals the low economic class and how is it opposed with the people from higher economic status which is presented in Blanche, the newcomer in Elysian Fields (the setting) to meet her sister, Stella. She seeks a place to live after has been through a hard life and lose her husband and also Belle Reve which is the place she and Stella should inherit. In her search for shelter, she finds that her sister lives (approvingly) with drunkenness, violence, lust, and ignorance. This classic film was adapted from Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named Desire with the same title. I feel so lucky because from watching this film, it helps me to understand the play better which our class has been assigned to study it.

The Legend of Macbeth

This is the third movie that our class has watched if I am not mistaken. I think this film is quite interesting movie compared to the previous movies that our class has watched so far that are; Shakespeare Wallah and Pygmalion. But, one thing that I think everyone of us in the class would comment on is the violence in the film. Towards the end of the story, the scene is getting even more violent. In my opinion, it seems very real the way the head of Macbeth being chopped and flagged after that; sign of victory to the king’s son. I am so impressed of this because it seems very real. But also, it is awfully violent and gross. Overall, this story by William Shakespeare and the film director by Roman Polanski is a successful film but very much violent and can give nightmare to people who cannot see that kind of violence.

Pygmalion film(1938)

Pygmalion is the second film that we have to watch. I could say that this is one of the best films I have seen among five because it shows how a very thick Cockney accent woman is turned out to be a typical English woman. All of the features has been changed especially the way she speaks and the manner to be a typical English woman by a man whom I believe is a linguistic professor; Professor Higgins. Eliza, the Cockney woman tries her best in becoming a new English woman. Along the way, the film contains comedic moments which attracted my attention to it. The main subject in this film which is adapted from Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion gives the idea of changes and does these difficult changes worth it for both Eliza and Professor Higgins? I think it is worth it. Because at that time, people from lower class can be differentiate with the upper class just from the way they speak. From the changes, Eliza is seen as a respected woman even though she is quite awkward for the first time. After watching it, I feel that this film which has been produced in year 1938 is far more ok than ‘Shakespeare Wallah’.

Being Evaluated By Others

To be evaluated by others for me is something that can make you feel more butterflies in your stomach or more nervous than ever in doing the simulated teaching. Moreover, people who evaluate you are not just one person but many of them who happen to be your own course mates. However, peer evaluation somehow or rather helps me improve my teaching skills and trigger my strength to do the best for my simulated teaching. This is because I will make sure that I would not spoil my teaching session by making simple mistake which would affect the evaluations on me. I will make sure that I am well-prepared for the teaching. Sometimes, we rather satisfied with what we have done and think it is the best. That makes we did not realize the mistakes we have made. So, from the evaluations, I can see my mistakes and try to improve on it for the next teaching session.

How I Evaluate Others

When my friends did their simulated teaching, I firstly look at the appearance. Some say first impression is important. As for me, I agree with that. The appearance such as the attire, the way people walk and speak can picture their behaviour and also their confidence. Same goes with the teacher. Students might think that the teacher is not good enough to be a teacher when his or her appearance and attire does not seem confident enough. All the gestures and speeches from teacher can be easily seen and can show they are nervous or not. I also evaluate in terms of the language teacher use and the voice projection. It must be accurate and clear enough. It is important because when I sit at the back and I did not hear the teacher’s voice it would be hard to focus on the lesson. This then will affect the good impressions and perceptions in students of the teacher. So, for me it is important to put your best appearance and use accurate, fluent language and clear voice projection in order to paste good impressions in student about you when being a teacher. Other than that, I also look at the practices or tasks they made for the students whether it is interesting and can attract the students to the lesson or not. Overall, for me, it is how the teacher handles the lesson, their appearance and the tasks they made for the students that are important to evaluate.

Teiresias - A Powerful Seer

Talking about Teiresias and what I have discovered about him, there are a few versions about how he became blind. One of them associated with a Greek god, Zeus and his wife, Hera. It is said that he came upon a pair of copulating snakes and hit them with his stick. Hera was not pleased and turned him into a woman. He was turned to a man back by Zeus after 7 years. This happen when he was drawn into an argument between Zeus and Hera upon a subject both of them was arguing about – whether men or women have more pleasure in sex and he said Zeus is true that the answer is women. But Hera immediately struck him blind. Then, Zeus gifted him the gift of prophecy and 7 lives. Another version is he was blinded by Athena, one of the Greek goddess because he had stumbled onto her bathing naked. His mother, a nymph of Athena begged her to undo her curse but instead, she gifted him the ability of augury.
What I want to highlight here is that, it is why he is such a powerful seer despite of his blindness. He was not only has a gift of foresight which the ability to know and see the future but also has experienced both man and woman life. Furthermore, he also has been gifted seven lives from Zeus and lives for seven generations at Thebes. His oracle is always right and people believe him. I am sure that the myths of Teiresias blindness making him such a powerful prophet.
In Oedipus Rex, what I have discovered about Teiresias is he is a blind prophet who knows everything about Oedipus’s fate but he reluctant to tell anyone especially Oedipus because it will harm the king in the end. But he hinted Oedipus that the murderer of King Laios is someone who he wouldn’t want to know (which is Oedipus himself) after gets angry being confronted by Oedipus. Here, theme of sight and blindness arises which relates to his ability to see the future despite of his blindness. Contrast with Oedipus who can see but has no insight to make him realize or see the truth.
He appears a lot in Greek tragic plays such as Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes, Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, and Antigone and so on. Most of them show the powerful ability of fortune-telling Teiresias has.