Canto Guide III

La Divina Comedia: Inferno
Canto III

Summary: Virgil leads Dante to the gate of hell. Above the gate reads the inscription “ABANDON EVERY HOPE, YOU WHO ENTER.” (9, 55, Inferno). Dante is confused by this and Virgil replies that “We have come to the place where I told you you will see the grieving peoples who have lost the good of the intellect.” As they enter, Dante hears terrible cries and sounds. Dante asks Virgil what he is hearing, to which Virgil replies “This wretched measure is kept by the miserable souls who lived without infamy and without praise.” Virgil and Dante are in Limbo, not really Hell and not heaven. Both places have rejected the acceptance of those who neither accepted God nor committed true evil. Additionally, the Angles who did not choose sides in the war in heaven reside here. The souls that reside here are tormented by flies, wasps, and worms that attack their bodies. Virgil takes Dante to the shore of Acheron, a river way, where they are met by the demon Charon. Charon is the transporter of the damned to deeper levels in Hell. Initially, he denies transport to Virgil and Dante however, Virgil tells Charon that their journey is “willed where what is willed can be done.” Thus since the journey is ordained Charon allows them on the ferry. Wretched souls cursing their lives and conception wail and scream as Charon hits them with his paddle to move them along. As they depart, the “dark landscaped trembled” as wind and light flash all over. Dante, overcome by this, faints.

Sin in This Canto: The sin of the neutrals is that they never chose God or evil during their lives. Because they never chose to accept the virtues of God nor the ways of evil they can’t be placed in Heaven nor in Hell. The sin of simply of not accepting God into your life is explored in this Canto, where those who chose not to do so reside without the things that did mean something to them during their lives. This sin is also explored with the Coward Angels who did not take sides in the War in Heaven. This sin is punished in the first level of hell because placing these sinners with others farther bellow would bring “no hope in death” for the neutrals.

Punishment: The souls in Limbo must reside as flies and wasps sting their bodies and disgusting worms gnaw at their bruised flesh. The neutrals have neither the preservation of their reputation or names. They have no leader and wail in Limbo.

Contrapasso: Because the neutrals never chose God or evil they are punished to having no leader and no reputation. This is Contrapasso because the neutrals never took a hard stance for either what is right or what is wrong and thus in Limbo have lost what they did have and value (their reputations) during their lives.

Important Characters:
The Neutrals
The Neutrals chose neither salvation nor evil
and thus reside with neither. In Limbo the
neutrals have nothing that mattered to them in
their lives yet aren’t as severely punished as
those in lower parts of Hell.
The Coward Angels
The Coward Angels are those who didn’t take
sides in the War in Heaven. Because they chose
neither God nor Lucifer they don’t belong in
Heaven or full Hell thus reside in Limbo.
Charon
Charon is a white-haired demon that
transports the damned into the deeper reaches
of Hell.

Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is placed above the gate to Hell?
A)Abandon All Hope B) Abandon Every Hope C)
Abandon All Hope, You Who Enter D) Lose All
Hope, You Who Enter
2. How does Dante react to the inscription?
A) He doesn’t really understand it B) He asks
Virgil C) He is eager to enter Hell because of the
inscription D) Both A and B
3. What is Dante’s first impression of Hell?
A) Dark B) Full of strange sounds C) Grotesque
D) Tortuous
4. What section of Hell are they in?
A) Section 3 B) Section 0 C) Section 1 D) Section
9
5. Who resides here?
A) Traitors B) Neutrals C) Rapists D) Killers
6. Which river transports the damned?
A) Acheron B) Styx C) Rhine D) Rubicon
Cont.
7. How are those in the first level punished?
A) Loss of Name B) Wasps/Flies C) Worms D) All
of the Above
8. Who transports the damned?
A) Virgil B) the Devil C) Acheron D) Chiron
9. Who undertakes the river crossing?
A) Sinners B) Neutrals C) Divine D) Purgers
10. How does Dante react to all of this?
A) Passes out B) Is Fascinated C) Sullen D)
Wants to leave

Higher Order Thinking Questions:
1. What is the significance of the gate inscription to those entering Hell? How does it affect Dante?
2. Are those in Limbo truly sinners? Does their punishment line up with their crime? How does Dante react to this? Virgil?
3. What is the significance of having a river flow through Hell? Are there any parallels that you can think of?
4. What might Charon see and hear as he transports the damned? How is Dante’s image of entering Hell shaped by him? What role do you think he plays as the damned enter Hell?

Casting of Canterbury Tales

Casting of The Canterbury Tales

Brandon Abrams

October 31, 2012

Morrell English IV

The Pardoner- John Goodman

                John Goodman is the perfect character to play the Pardoner because of his comedic style as well as his burly appearance. Goodman has upheld this persona in previous roles, such as the critically acclaimed Argo and soon-to-be-released Flight with Denzel Washington. Goodman noted in a 2012 interview with Newsweek that he “like(s) playing characters who think they know a lot when in actuality they don’t. (Those) are the types of characters I like.” The Pardoner thinks he is the latest trend, trying to peddle fake relics and even the veil of the Virgin Mary, however, he really isn’t as cunning as he thinks he is. John Goodman would bring a comedic interpretation to the character while still portraying the Pardoner’s core traits. “I cultivate a haughty kind of speech And ring it out as loudly as a bell…”(Prologue3-4) this goes hand in hand with Goodman’s comedic style of being loud, strong, and brash and thus would be the perfect fit for the part of the Pardoner.

The Physician- Steve Buschemi

                Steve Buschemi combines a plethora of influences into his acting style. He can be cold, crazy, or cheerful all in one work. However, Buschemi has focused on darker roles in the last few years, most notably in Boardwalk Empire where he plays Enuch “Nucky” Thompson, a New Jersey bootlegger en route to becoming a “full gangster.” Buschemi has been noted in the New York Times for “liking roles where the character has an inner struggle” and “battling corruption within himself.” The same can be said for the Physician in The Canterbury Tales because while he may know all the inner workings of his medicinal practice he still battles corruption and financial greed. This would provide the perfect atmosphere for Buschemi to explore this role and portray greed. Also, Buschemi has the perfect body type for this role, portraying someone physically healthy yet morally corrupt.

The Knight- Daniel Craig

                Daniel Craig has become known in the film industry for playing a morally virtuous character fighting an inner battle within himself. This would be perfect for the role of the Knight because at the core of all knights during this time period was an inner battle to uphold chivalry. Craig, in such roles as James Bond in that franchise as well as in Defiance, upholds this inner battle while still fighting for what is right. Craig would bring a mix of ruggedness and still being a man of the church. This is most clearly seen in that “the Knight fought for what is right” (Canterbury Tales Prologue) and so would Craig. By having Craig portray the Knight it would enable the film to take a more rugged approach and thus become more of a commercial success. Furthermore, Craig has experience in roles that link closely to God, last portraying one in Defiance as a Jewish refugee during WWII. This would combine the right allocation of action and strength while still upholding covenants of the Church. 

13th Picture Writing Assignment

Brandon Abrams

October 11, 2012

English IV

                On a breezy, light summer day in July I pulled up to the Florida mall to go shopping. Walking into Saks, I perused the displays looking for something interesting. To my bewilderment the store was having their annual clear out sale. It was with that in mind that I navigated through every aisle.

                Strolling through the suits I fund a ZZegna charcoal window pane two piece suit 60% off. It was the perfect cut and size of 38R slim. I took that magnificent piece of tailoring with me as I looked at the jeans. New Diesel straight leg jeans lined the aisles at 70% off. Grabbing jeans left and right brought me to the neck wear, where my shopping desires reached new heights.

                I took flight towards a Zegna tie rack guarded by a sales representative.

               

Beowulf and the City

Brandon Abrams

Ms. Morrell

English III Honors

September 28, 2012

   

    Jonathan took a long sip of his black Starbucks espresso while he read that week’s edition of The Economist. He had just finished the article entitled “China and Japan’s Power Grab for the South China Sea.” He had a long day ahead of him in his office. You see, his law firm had just gotten the contract to work with Abrams Information Systems and Bomhard Technologies, Inc. to form a new company. Jonathon, being the managing partner of his firm’s mergers and acquisitions sector, knew that this would be a challenging merger due to the controversy surrounding both company’s role in an insider trading scandal that rocked the financial markets last year.

As Jonathan put on his charcoal grey suit trousers he mentally prepared himself for the day ahead. He knew that the head’s of both companies had a somewhat friendly relationship but that it was deteriorating quickly. Jonathan had to work quickly in order to ensure the merger went successfully. He picked out a white french-cuff dress shirt from his closet and fastened the buttons one by one. After completing this he tucked in his shirt and went to find cufflinks. He chose his power pair that fastened his shirt with gold squares adorned with black diamonds. After successfully putting in each cufflink he went to find a suitable tie for his endeavor. Knowing it was a power suit day he took down a Zegna red paisley and expertly tied a double windsor knot. He fastened his side-adjusters, laced up his brogues, and threw on his jacket.

While walking out the door of his 38th story apartment he puffed up his pocket square. As he walked down he left a name-displayer in the lobby to one of his new neighbors so that she could call him with her legal issues she spoke about last night. He hopped into his private VIP-carrier and set out to catch his prey on the mean streets of Manhattan. He got out of the luxury mobile he so aptly named upon purchase and strutted into Trump Tower, where the negotiations would take place.

Taking the vertical-lift up to the top floor he eyed the Donald himself. Jonathan and Mr. Trump went back a long time and frequently played golf together during the summer in the Caymans. He threw a casual salute and swaggered into the boardroom. But then, staring him down from across the table sat Nathan. Nathan, a skinny ambulance-chasing pink shirt wearing “attorney,” had never been Jonathan’s favorite compadre. Nathan was the Lex Luthor to Jonathan’s Superman and he knew it. His constant harassment of Jonathan got inside Jonathan’s head like none other could do. Nathan got up and pushed his button-concealer along his shirt, moving it into place. Jonathan motioned for a handshake but Nathan simply looked away. It was all Jonathan could do to not smack this sarcasm-spewer. They all sat down with the heads of the two companies and started negotiations.

    Negotiations pressed on for the coming weeks. Counsel on both sides were locked in disputes regarding the allocation of stock options. Nathan escalated his stickler-status and further cemented Jonathan’s image of him. The talks drained Jonathan emotionally, physically, and mentally with every decision complicated by the two side’s disputes. Jonathan collected a plethora of legal arguments from law-pages and scholarly-briefs but nothing could harm the seemingly indestructible Nathan. It was with this in mind that Jonathan realized the only way to defeat Nathan was with the power of will.

    As Jonathan prepared the next day he spoke to his latest client, the woman neighbor, and realized that the merger was taking time out of the things that really mattered in his life. He grew distant from his family and friends and wanted to get back to what really made him happy in life. As he slipped on his leather-slippers and walked downstairs a thought ran through his mind: “focus on the subsidiaries.” So as Jonathan walked into the boardroom which he once reigned king over he hammered subsidiaries in that day’s discussions.

    While Nathan was a Harvard educated people-defender he lacked the subsidiary knowledge that the Yale tutored Jonathan had. Jonathan went back and forth across a multitude of smaller companies comprised within the two major conglomerates. Eventually, Nathan was forced to concede to Jonathan’s prowess and the two companies merged.

    Abrams-Bomhard Systems was now official and Jonathan had won the war. He was proclaimed Forbes's “Top Negotiator Under 30” and left Nathan criticized by his peers. Moving forward, Nathan had to take a job at a local firm and was later fired due to professional misconduct. Nathan also lost his arm in a car accident and, having already been mortally wounded by his defeat to Jonathan, checked into a personal-care home. Jonathan, on the contrary, achieved massive rewards from his Executive partner and brought honor to his family. It was clear, from that point forward, that Jonathan was the top dog when it came to company mergers.

side-adjusters = belt

name-displayer = business card

VIP-carrier = limo

vertical-lift = elevator

ambulance-chasing = personal injury law

button-concealer = tie

sarcasm-spewer = jerk

law-pages = textbooks

scholarly-briefs = journals

leather-slippers = loafers

people-defender = attorney

personal-care = nursing home

Beowulf Komishibai Script

Beowulf Script

Brandon, Erin, and Drake

Board 1: Beowulf begins to prepare himself for his appearance in the Mead Hall, where massive celebrations take place. Beowulf dons his helmet and sword to present himself as a true hero to the people.

Board 2: Beowulf has the swagger of a monster slayer and catches everyone’s attention. He brags to the crowd about his expeditions and they respond with cheers and applause. They also shower him with luxurious gifts and food.

Board 3: Sitting in the corner, Unferth scowls at Beowulf in disgust. He calls him out, saying that he is not a true hero. Questioning all of the attention he gets from his fan base. Unferth believes that Beowulf is not as strong as he claims to be because he cannot even win a swimming race.

Board 4: Unferth begins to reflect upon Beowulf’s previous failure against another warrior in a swimming match. He says that he must be an imposter because he will never be able to win a battle.

Board 5: Then from across the room Beowulf responds by correcting Unferth’s accusations. He says that Unferth cannot judge him when he himself has never even fought in a battle.

Board 6: Beowulf begins to explain to everyone what actually happened that day. Saying that he was neck and neck with the other man when suddenly…

Board 7: a giant sea monster attacked him. The other man got a huge lead as Beowulf fought off the beast, trying to survive. By the time he finished the beat down on the monster, he believed he could still win the race.

Board 8: However fate was not on Beowulf’s side because soon after, another monster attacked him. He defeated this one just as easily and continued racing.

Board 9: But then there was another monster…

Board 10: and another…

Board 11: and another…

Board 12: In fact, Beowulf had to fight nine monsters on the way to the finish line. He arrived an entire day late and ended up losing the race. However he was the warrior all the wiser because he had fought 9 monsters in the name of his lord.

Common App Essay- Long Original

Brandon Abrams

Common Application Essay

                When most people think of attorneys they think of Law and Orderesque men clad in three piece suits and formulating a case that prosecutes the criminal all under an hour. The common perception of attorneys has always been arguing so I guess growing up with an attorney dad just ingrained the art of the argument into me. As I grew older I learned that the argument wasn’t just for the sake of coming off as superior to your opponent, nor was it to see who could yell the loudest at each other. Simply, arguing, or more civilly “aggressive persuasion,” was all about getting your point across and your opponent to accept your claims. This upbringing in quarrelling eventually pushed me in the direction of competitive speech and debate as I entered my Junior year, and ultimately shaped my perception of the World around me and my own personal beliefs. Through this activity I have been able to value other people’s viewpoints even if I don’t personally agree with them, as well as interpret the world away from just stark black and white but rather as an infinite amount of shades of gray.

                Coming into my Junior year there were several things I wanted to do differently. I had just gotten out of Public high school and I knew I hadn’t nearly excelled to any of my ability. I always had an interest in debate so I signed up for the class. My initial experiences in the class opened my world up to things bigger than myself as I realized there was an activity where the best and brightest from all of the World competed against each other and had a profound impact on their surroundings. Always being competitive, I signed up for all of that year’s tournaments. I entered into an event called “Extemporaneous Speaking” where you are given three questions and must prepare a seven minute speech, given without notes, utilizing a cache of files you have meticulously comprised during the course of the season. At the onset I didn’t think that there could have been anything harder. The first few speeches I gave shakingly rolled of my tongue as I tried to keep from tapping my feet in order to vent my nervousness. Although the event, and the challenges it brought, tested every facet of my body and mind I was hooked and knew that I wanted to do this as much as possible. Moving on through the course of the season I rose through the ranks of my, the most competitive, debate districts in the country. Each speech made me a more aware global citizen while giving me the tools to succeed in school and afterwards. The research that went into every speech made me more aware of my surroundings and as I competed on the national circuit I became exposed to a wide variety of people from the World over. The people I met, the diversity I was exposed to, and the set of skills, the most important being the art of communication, I learnt all have made a better and more prepared person for college.

                Debate will always hold a special place in my heart and mind because of the people it exposed me to. From my teammates to my competition I have the greatest amount of respect for all and can say that I have made life-long friends from both parties. Moving forward, I hope use my communication, organization, and research skills to help me through my post-high school life and impact the global community in a way that increases everyone’s understanding of their surroundings. Being elected President of Speech and Debate my Senior year meant so much more to me than just the title, it meant that I would be able to play a larger role in my teammate’s lives and help them in the debate room as well as in their outside lives. I hope that I will be able to bring these skills, as well as my passion for the art of communication, to college life and make the difference for people who think arguing is just yelling to make the best point.