hopestanton9397 HISTORY

Lesson 130 essay

Jamestown

Before Plymouth Rock, Jamestown was the first colony founded by the English, or more specifically, the London Company. In late 1606, the London Company sent three ships to colonize the American coast. These ships were the “Susan Constant,” “Godspeed,” and “Discovery.” They landed at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, but sailed inwards about 40 miles on the James River. They then settled there in 1607, and called their new colony, Jamestown.

However, many of Jamestown’s settlers were idle fortune-seekers who did not help in the survival of the colony. Because of this neglect, 2/3 of the colonists died in the first year. In 1608, colonists from Germany and Poland arrived. This is when Captain John Smith took charge of the colony as the third president. He gave out good “laws” based on biblical principles and said things like this; “If any man would not work, neither would he eat.” He helped the colony for some time, but got a wound and had to return to England in 1609. The two years, that he was gone, was nicknamed “The Starving Time” due to the settlers not having a good leader to help them.

Finally a man named John Rolfe arrived with supplies in 1610, and planted tobacco plant. This was harvested in 1614 and the colony had its first profit. Rolfe became wealthy and married Pocahontas, a Native princess. But she got very sick, so Rolfe took her to England in hopes of curing her, but sadly died there.

By 1624, Jamestown could stand on its own feet and no longer needed the London Company. They repaid their debts and became a thriving population, lasting until they joined what later became Virginia, USA.

Jamestown was an excellent example set for the people that started colonizing the coast. Creating a colony and letting it last was easier said than done in the 1600’s but Jamestown is significant because it was the first permanent English settlement in the modern-day United States.

hopestanton9397 English

Lesson 135 essay

The essay that you are about to read is a summary of the play, “The Taming of the Shrew” by William Shakespeare.

The play starts with an English lord who tricks the drunkard, Sly, into thinking that he is a lord himself. The lord then puts on a play for Sly that is titled, “The Taming of the Shrew”. The play is about the 2 daughters of Baptista Minola who need’s suitors for them. The youngest, Bianca Minola, is a very sweet tempered and modest girl who has many suitors. Her older sister, Katherina Minola, or Kate, is the complete opposite of her younger sister. She is very ill – tempered and fierce and scares all off her suitors away. This is why she is known as the “Shrew”. Because she is this way, it is difficult to get her married. Because she wont get married, her younger sister can’t. So, Bianca’s suitors find a way to get Katherina married by telling a man named Petruchio, that there will be a prize for marrying her due to Baptista being very rich. Since Petruchio has a love for money, but also wants to find a wife, he accepts this offer and, after a very long argument with Katherina, marries her. This opens the door to marriage for Bianca, who then marries the man she loves.

But this play isnt about Bianca, it’s about how Petruchio “tames” Katherina. After they are married, (She doesnt really marry by her own will) Petruchio takes Katherina to his home. To tame her, he begins by “starving” her that night by saying that the food his servants cooked were not suitable for eating. He also tames her with other ways such as, not letting her have the clothes she wanted until she was more gentle, saying that the moon was up when the sun was clearly shining, and other silly ways such as these. sssss

Finally, Katherina and Petruchio get word that Bianca is getting married, and head back to the city where Baptista lives. It is not until this time when Katherina actually falls in love with Petruchio. This shows when three men, Petruchio, the man that marries Bianca, and one other, make a bet to see who’s wife will obey him when he calls for her. The very least person that everyone, besides Petruchio, expects to listen to her husband is Katherina. But it turns out that she was the only one who listened. She even took Bianca and the other wife with her because she was ashamed that they did not listen to their husband. She then called all the women together and gave them a lecture in front of the men. Here is a piece of it;

“Fie, fie! Unknit that threatening unkind brow, and dart not scornful glances from those eyes. To wound thy lord, thy king, thy governor. It blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads, confounds thy fame as whirlwinds shake fair buds, and in no sense is meet or amiable. A woman moved is like a fountain troubled- Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty; And while it is so, none so dry or thirsty. Will deign to sip or touch one drop of it. Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee, and for thy maintenance commits his body. To painful labor both by sea and land, To watch the night in storms, the day in cold, whilst thou liest warm at home, secure and safe; And craves no other tribute at thy hands. But love, fair looks, and true obedience- Too little payment for so great a debt. Such duty as the subject owes the prince, even such a woman oweth to her husband; And when she is forward, peevish, sullen, sour, and not obedient to his honest will, what is she but a foul contending rebel. And graceless traitor to her loving lord? I am ashamed that women are so simple. To offer war where they should kneel for peace.”

After this “speech” she gives, she kisses Petruchio and the play ends.

I highly recommend reading this play. It is very funny and I couldn’t help laughing while I was reading it. The “Taming of the Shrew” movie from 1967 also helped me understand the play so I also recommend it.