1. How is the Romantic notion of the Sublime reflected
in the ideological, conceptual and linguistic construction of the texts under
consideration in this Romanticism reader? Discuss one or two examples...
2. Go online and see if you can find out anything about what
really happened at the Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816...
3. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
4. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
3. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
4. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
3. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia (2013), “The Villa Diodati is a manor in Cologny close to Lake Geneva” (para.1). Villa Diodati was the place that was groundwork of the horror stories such as Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley and The Vampyre written by John William Polidori. In popular culture, Villa Diodati also characterized in the film “Gothic”, and in the novel “Haunted” written by Chuck Palahniuk as a modern version (Wikipedia, 2013, para.2). In addition, Wikipedia (2013) says that “Tim Powers's novel The Stress of Her Regard has several scenes set there featuring Byron, Polidori and the Shelley's” (para.2).
Here are some websites of Villa Diodati :
Villa Diodati : http://www.villadiodati.nl/
Villa Diodati : http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/Places/diodati.html
Villa Diodati Workshop : http://www.lit-arts.net/VillaDiodati/
Villa Diodati Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Villa-Diodati/115721795142943
Villa Diodati Tumblr : http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/villa%20diodati
Here are some links from youtube :
Gothic - (Scene 1) [1986] : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn3w26w0n10
Ken Russell's Gothic Trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2hl5Ee5_1E&feature=player_embedded
References
qmoongb. (2009). Ken Russell's Gothic Trailer . Retrieved 19 May, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2hl5Ee5_1E&feature=player_embedded
wikipedia.com. (2013). Villa Diodati. Retrieved 19 May, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Diodati
Yussuf von Deck. (2012). Gothic - Scene 1. Retrieved 19 May, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn3w26w0n10
4. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
ReplyDeleteAccording to Wikipedia (2013), “The villa is featured in the film Gothic” (para.2). Lord Byron and his friends John Polidori, Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley and Clare Clairmont spent time in the Villa Diodati. They talked about their scary stories that led to Gothic genre such as Frankenstein and The Vampyre (villadiodati.com., n.d.). Also, the events that Shelleys’ visit to the Villa Diodati and the writing Frankenstein and The Vampyre have been fictionalized in the Gothic film (Wikipedia, 2013). Wikipedia (2013) also says that “The same event has also been portrayed in the films Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Haunted Summer (1988), among others”.
References
villadiodati.com. (n.d.). villa diodati. Retrieved 19 May, 2013, from http://www.villadiodati.nl/
wikipedia.com. (2013). Gothic (film). Retrieved 19 May, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_(film)
wikipedia.com. (2013). Villa Diodati. Retrieved 19 May, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Diodati
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DeleteThe think the vampyre is an important text in the birth of gothic as a modern genre. It portrayed a new kind of vampire one which is popular and even more so with females.
DeleteI think this could have been a draw point for popular vampires such as Angel from the Buffy the Vampire slayer series and maybe even Edward from the twilight series.
The Vampre opened the door to a different kind of vampire
2. Go online and see if you can find out anything about what really happened at the Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816...
ReplyDeleteAccording to Procidentia (2010), “It was a fateful summer in 1816 when a highly distinguished group rented the Villa Diodati near Lake Geneva in Switzerland” (para.1). Some eminent poets such as Mary Shelley, Lord Byron and John Polidori gathered in the Villa Diodati at that time. However, because of a miserable weather, they were “housebound for days at a time” (Providentia, 2010, para.1). As Procidentia (2010), “Since 1816 was also The Year Without a Summer with abnormal weather patterns disrupting agriculture around the world, the mood at the villa was not exactly genial” (para.1). Procidentia also says that they excited, reading an “anthology of horror fiction” (para.2).
As James (2010) points out that writers wrote a scary tale. For example, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and John Polidori’s The Vampire.
References
James,S. (2010). Dracula: The Roots of the Vampire Romance. Retrieved 19 May 2013, from http://www.harperteen.com/author/microsite/readingguide.aspx?authorID=32567&displayType=essay&articleId=8955
Providentia. (2010). Who inspired Frankenstein? Retrieved 19 May 2013, from http://drvitelli.typepad.com/providentia/2010/12/inspiring-frankenstein.html%20
2. Go online and see if you can find out anything about what really happened at the Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816.
ReplyDeleteVilla Diodati
The Villa Diodati is the famous manor in Cologny, Switzerland. Although it is renowned for fits beauty its fame comes from being the summer residence of Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, John Polidori in 1816 where the birth of the horror stories Frankenstein (Mary Shelley) and The Vamypre (John William Polidori).
Tambora Volcano
The Eruption of the Tambora Volcano on 10th April 1815 plays an important part in the coming together of the “brat pack” of writers. The Tambora volcano was responsible for producing the largest eruption known to the planet for over 10,000 years (Volcano Discovery, n.d). The power of the eruption forced large amounts of ash and aerosols into the stratosphere which effectively changed the climate of the area as well as others areas of Europe. This created a time known as "year without a summer" where it was constantly dark with terrible weather this affected Cologny where in 1816 the brat pack were staying thus ruining their summer (Volcano Discovery, n.d).
Collection of Stories
According to Philillips (2006) and various other sources the weather is what kept the writers indoors and from the group of writers decided to have a horror story writing competition. It is here the storylines for Frankenstein and the Vamypre emerged. The climate of the manor at this time is said to have influenced the writers heavily which each writer drew upon when writing their stories.
Conclusion
The origins the famous stories Frankenstein and The Vamypre in the summer of 1816 at villa diodati is a by-product of misfortunes which brought the writers to create such dark stories.
References
Phillips, B. (2006). Frankenstein and Mary Shelley's "Wet Ungenial Summer". Atlantis, 28(2), 59-68. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41055247
Volcano Discovery. (n.d.). Tambora volcano. Retrieved May 10, 2013 from http://www.volcanodiscovery.com/tambora.html
Smedley, R. (2011). The writing spaces: Villa Diodati & Mary Shelley
3. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
ReplyDelete1. Gothic (Ken Russel)
A horror movie re-telling the story of the Villa Diodati. Having the main characters fears coming to life to coming to life bringing them into a nightmare.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2hl5Ee5_1E
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091142/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
2. Haunted Summer (Ivan Passer)
Follows the same story line as Ken Russels, Gothic. With the characters being portrayed more as rock star like figues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEw2P0hFI2k
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095280/
3. Villadiodati.com
A website for people to share stories and gather to talk about the Villa Diodati. The website feels to cater for those who believe in the more supernatural side of the Villa Diodati essistence and the stories which were created within.
http://www.villadiodati.nl/main.php
1. How is the Romantic notion of the Sublime reflected in the ideological, conceptual and linguistic construction of the texts under consideration in this Romanticism reader? Discuss one or two examples...
ReplyDeleteIf the notion of the Sublime refers to "forms of expression which have the power to 'entrance' us, to 'transport us with wonder'" (Pateman, 2004, p.16)chapter 11 of Frankenstein seem to do just that. The chapter is narrated from the point of view of the creature who explains how after he woke up, he started experiencing the human world for the first time which confused him. He explains that "it was a long time before [he] learned the distinction between [his] senses" (chapter 11, Frankenstein, para 1, p.185). In this scene he relates how he experiences this new life with pleasure - "a gentle light stole over the heavens and gave me a sensation of pleasure" (para 4, p.185) but also fear "how strange, I thought, that the same cause should produce opposite effects!" when describing his experience with fire. All along this chapter he describes his feeling and sensations at discovering the strange world around him. While reading this passage we almost forget that he is not human, it makes me think of a child growing up on his own and having to fend for himself and it actually makes me feel sorry for him even thought in other parts of the book he does murder people. Maybe that is what Sublime is supposed to do to readers, make them feel the opposite of what a scene with a beast should make them feel for example fear instead of pity.
Great points. I think the sublime in his interactions is the focus on the how alien these feelings are to him. They are everyday feelings and knowledge but to him they are new and exciting. He has developed a romance with things that we take for granted. He is pouring his emotions and feelings into these interactions witch in my opinion make it sublime.
DeleteReferences
Shelley, Mary. (1985; 1818). Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, London: Penguin
Pateman, T. (2004, 1991) ‘The Sublime’ in Key Concepts: A Guide to Aesthetics, Criticism and the Arts in Education.London: Falmer Press
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ReplyDelete3. How many fictional accounts (film and other narrative media) can you find about that? Provide some useful links, including Youtube clips (hint: for a start try Ken Russel Gothic on Youtube).
ReplyDeleteThere are many fictional film or media in nowadays and before. Penn(2010) mentions that people’s normal life is gorgeous, but also can boring and tired. Therefore people want get away from their normal life, so people read and watch fictional media or book.
1. Frankenstein (1910) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcLxsOJK9bs
2. The Brain That Wouldn’t Die (1962) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8zYQ2QgNwY
3. The Land Unknown (1957) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecIFc6vtX8E
4. Gothic (1986) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2hl5Ee5_1E
5. Jack and the beanstalk (1952) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w30miI9Vgw0
6. Attack of the giant leeches (1959) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM0cT0BoZg0
7. Gulliver's travels(1939) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6eyrmYRk1w
-References
Penn, J. (2010, August 17). Why Do We Read Fiction And Why Do We Write Fiction? [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.thecreativepenn.com/2010/08/17/why-read-write-fiction/
2. Go online and see if you can find out anything about what really happened at the Villa Diodati that fateful summer in 1816...
ReplyDeleteArditt(2008) mentions that Villa Diodati in 1816 give influences to Frankenstein that is Shelley’s poetic. Villa Diodati makes Shelly can imagine scientific imagination. According to Villa Diodati(n.d.) in 1816, Lord Byron rents borrowed Villa Diodati with his friend Polidori, Mary Shelley and so on. That day, outside was storms and heavy wind, and inside was with fireplace. They talked about nightmares each other. In here Mary shelly was inspired and write ‘Framkenstein’. And also “Victor Frankenstein's home is called ‘Belrive’”.(Wikipedia, n.d.) Villa Diodati has gothic and scary mood, so until nowadays, it is operated to the sights.
References
Arditt, M. (2008). Two extra guests at the Villa Diodati Michael Arditti enjoys Peter Ackroyd's erudite remixing of the Frankenstein story. The Daily Telegraph, 26. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/docview/321622786
Villa Diodati. (n.d). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Diodati
Villa Diodati.com(n.d.). Villa Diodati Retrieved from http://www.villadiodati.nl/
ReplyDelete
Great points. I think the weather was really an important aspect to what happened in 1816. With the weather the way it was it forced them all together with no other options then to really communicate with each other. Being mostly a group of writers it seems only natural that they would begin to write to help pass the time and with the weather being dark and gloomy the only suitable genre to write on would be horror.
DeleteReferences
Phillips, B. (2006). Frankenstein and Mary Shelley's "Wet Ungenial Summer". Atlantis, 28(2), 59-68. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41055247
4. Discuss the links between the Villa Diodati "brat-pack" and the birth of Gothic as a modern genre with reference to specific texts by the authors who gathered there and subsequent texts (e.g. The Vampire >> Dracula, etc).
ReplyDeleteAccording to Villa Diodati(n.d.), When 1816, Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and John Polidori went to Villa Diodati. The outside was so cold and storm. It made scary mode. They did competition that who can write the horror story. After weeks, Mary Shelley had a dream, and that dream was nightmare. The story of nightmare was about scientist who made monster and is troubled with that scientist’s creation. After this nightmare of Mary Shelley, Shelley made Frankenstein. Wikipedia(n.d) sais “Villa Diodati influenced gothic mood”. So villa Diodati is birth of Gothic.
After, Frankenstein influenced literature and culture such as media to horror movie or plays, and Frankenstein became a basic of classical horror story.(Wikipedia, n.d.)
For example :
• 1931: Frankenstein became a Universal film, directed by James Whale, starring Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Edward Van Sloan, Dwight Frye, and Boris Karloff as the monster.
• 1942–1948: Universal did "monster rally" films featuring Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula and the Wolf-Man. Included would be Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
• 1967: I'm Sorry the Bridge Is Out, You'll Have to Spend the Night and its sequel, Frankenstein Unbound (Another Monster Musical), are a pair of musical comedies written by Bobby Pickett and Sheldon Allman. The casts of both feature several classic horror characters including Dr. Frankenstein and his monster.
• 1973: Andy Warhol's Frankenstein. Usually, the doctor is a man whose dedication to science takes him too far, but here his interest is to rule the world by creating a new species that will obey him and do his bidding.
References
Frankenstein (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein
Villa Diodati. (n.d). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Diodati
1. How is the Romantic notion of the Sublime reflected in the ideological, conceptual and linguistic construction of the texts under consideration in this Romanticism reader? Discuss one or two examples...
ReplyDeletePateman (2004) describes the sublime as something which strikes people while it is often associated with romanticism it is more a term to describe something as being divine something that induces amazement and wonder. Pateman (2004) details that to create something which is sublime is more to with putting strong emotions into a piece of work instead of technique. The sublime is seen commonly seen in romantic art.
In Percy Bysshe Shelley work the “Ode to the West Wind” the romantic sublime can be seen in the writer’s description of autumn.
“O WILD West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being
Thou from whose unseen presence the leaves dead
Are driven like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing”
In the first stanza we are given a description of an autumn breeze described in such a way that the wind itself seems to become sublime. He firstly describes autumn as being a “being” an alive entity he then goes on describing the wind as being its “breath”. Throughout the stanza the only fully capitalized word is “WILD” which could be the Shelley’s attempt to give the autumn a personality. The sublime is further enforced in the winds somewhat divine ability to make the “ghosts” of the dead leaves flee. Although this is simply the act of wind blowing away leaves it is described in such a way that is striking to the reader. Making it feel as if Autumn is a heavenly being whose breath has the ability to drive away ghosts with unseen presence.
Pateman (2004) outlined that the sublime can also be seen in works of terror saying that “we find pleasure in the encounter with imagined or fictional pain”. This type of sublime can be found within Mary Shelley's 1985 novel Frankenstein.
“How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delicate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful”
This passage by Frankenstein describing his monster is eerily sublime and romantic. He has a deep connection to his creation. He is more or less in love with his creation even if it is not romantic. He describes the infinite pains he had undergone to create his monster. He sees his monster as sublimely perfect having poured his himself into it. He describes him as “beautiful”. To the reader the may seem terrifying considering Frankenstein was made from pieces of dead people and would be disgusting to most.
References
Shelley, Mary. (1985; 1818). Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, London: Penguin
Pateman, T. (2004, 1991) ‘The Sublime’ in Key Concepts: A Guide to Aesthetics, Criticism and the Arts in Education.London: Falmer Press
Percy Bysshe Shelley, from The complete poetic Works of Shelley,
Thomas Hutchinson, (ed) pp.550, 577-579 respectively