TITHONUS

We began the lesson by discussing whether or not we would want immortality if we had the option.

- Some said yes, as they would like to live forever and experience the changes of the world, though they would like to stay youthful during this.

- Others disagreed with this, as they felt it was unnatural and would not like to outlive their families. Also, they stated that by living forever, you would have nothing to live for.



We then looked at four different comic strips, each consisting of the same story, told in different ways. We identified the narrative aspects of each comic strip.

- The first was retrospective, as the character was looking back on the previous situation. Also, the man was characterising himself, his language displayed him as confident, with a sense of heroism. We identfied him as an unreliable narrator. This is because the comic strip consisted of his point of view only. Also, it included homodiegetic narration, as the man was in the world of the story he was telling.

- The second was also retrospective. Intradiegetic narration was included, as the narrator was telling a story, within a story. This is also known as framing. The setting displays structural contrast, as he begins in a bar, showing he is unstable, and is then seen in an office, displaying a sense of independence, alongside stability. This comic strip included analepsis, as was thinking about the past, though prolepsis is also included as he flashes foward in the final image. Embeded narrative is included, as the man refers to Jessica's speech.

- The third comic strip was homodiegetic, as the narrator was included in the story. We identified that this comic strip started with what we previously saw as the end, as the first image is of the man looking in the fridge. This strip was rather personal, as it was from the narrators perspective. Also, the naration was concurrent.

- The fourth comic strip consisted of a fantasy theme, displaying a complete change in genre. Also the language within this strip was different to the previous language style we had seen in the other comic strips. Whilst this strip consisted of similar features to the other ones, it had a very different story.


ANALEPSIS = flashback, previous memories.

PROLEPSIS = flash foward, current or future situations.


We then read Tithonus, who was the brother of Priyam, the King of Troy. We focused on the opening and found the following aspects included:

- Iambic pentameters, which makes the speech sound like it is dragging, as is his life.

- Both interior and dialogic dramatic monologue. This emphasises how lonely Tithonus is feeling, as Aurora is unable to speak.

- lack of enjambment. This symbolises that everything within the opening verse is dying, as there is no flow and the lines are just ending.

- The language in the opening verse is very dark, and lifeless. "Decay...weep...wither." This symbolises the current state of Tithonus, and demonstrates his old age.

- Line 5 of the first verse is a dactylic trimeter. The rhythm is stressed, unstressed, unstressed, and there are three iams. This shift in verse demonstrates that Tithonus is different to others, and does not belong, similar to this line, which is different to the iambic pentameter within the opening verse. It also shows the shift from him speaking about the setting, to him speaking about himself.