(no subject)
And this is why you should never bore Classics students on the last day of term. Below the cut is some note-passing geekery between myself and fellow Classics geek Kat. It involves an ah of death, if Achilles had a TARDIS and, of course, some Merlin.
I should probably also explain that the 'ah of death' is a reference to an 'ah' in Euripides' Bacchae. We spent two freaking hours on this one 'ah'. I kid you not. The notion that it is an 'ah of death' comes from the ponderings of the illustrious Oliver Taplin who, although brilliant, was in this case dead wrong.
Cobalt: Am v. bored.
Kat: Indeed.
C: But at least I have the ah of death.
K: Ah!
C: *Is dead*
K: Hah!
C: Now I go down to Hades to join Arthur and the Embryos.
(Should probably explain this is from a previous conversation about the BBC's Merlin, in which I theorised that for Merlin to be the age he is, that makes Arthur an embryo. It ended up sounding like a really disturbing band.)
K: Bring back a signed T-shirt!
C: What are you doing?!
K: Filing off a rough bit of nail. With a penknife.
C:...right. How long can we spend on one freaking 'ah'?!
K: Too long.
C: The 'ah' won't kill us. Old age will!
K: Interpreting a drama through stagecraft? Noes!
C: Why are we here again?
K: Because it's freaking mandatory. And also we're too cowardly to leave.
C: True. But why make this mandatory? It's not teaching anything useful, even to cowards.
K: Because no one would come otherwise.
*Classics Geeks lapse into a moody discussion about staking their Greek Epigraphy teacher, as they are convinced he is a vampire and he lives in the vaults of the British Museum*
C: Surely 'ah' could be translated as 'ARRRGH!'? Maybe Dionysus is as cross/bored as us?
K: I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe the author put it there to piss off and confuse his audience.
C: In which case I salute him for doing so and curse him for boring me.
K: OCCAM'S RAZOR APPLIES IN LIT CRIT TOO, PEOPLE!
C: Apparently not in this class!
K: Which is why this class is a pile of tripe.
C: Also: Dionysus as Siegfried and Brunehilde?! WTF?!
K: Euripides clearly knew Wagner's work. How can you not know this? It's obvious! He got in his TARDIS and went to get inspiration from the distant future...
C: Did you not know? All ancient Greeks were Time Lords. The Romans were Daleks. The rest is history!
K: I can wax lyrical on this theory, actually, but I won't. You're right! It is indeed history. Also: all the gods were aliens.
C: Alexander used a nuclear missile on Asia, Achilles lost his meds and Odysseus lost his Sat Nav. THIS DESERVES WRITING Y/Y?
K: Y!!!
C: Along with Arthur and the Embryos and Dionysus and the toe stub and 'ah' of death.
K: DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT!
C: I would have no clue how to start.
K: One word after another. Achilles loses his meds and steals Odysseus' Sat Nav, and refuses to give it back, then sulks when Agamemnon tells him to return it...and destroys it but doesn't tell anyone.
C: I will not LOL, I will not LOL, I will not...this is like wanting to sneeze but worse!
K: But it makes perfect sense! You know it does.
C: It makes TOO MUCH SENSE.
K: EXACTLY!
Happily, the lesson then ended and a long hour in the British Museum cafe was then spent, frightening tourists with the ah of death and wondering whether Alexander would make a great Doctor.
In other news, I am sad now Merlin has finished. I have nothing to watch any more. But, hah, it's still SO. GAY. And I laughed at the BBC's complete lack of het. Merlin is Arthur's 'guardian angel'? Right, because that's the true description of a heterosexual, manly relationship. *Snort*
Also? Here are some Merlin soundbites from episode one. Because, you know, awesome.
I should probably also explain that the 'ah of death' is a reference to an 'ah' in Euripides' Bacchae. We spent two freaking hours on this one 'ah'. I kid you not. The notion that it is an 'ah of death' comes from the ponderings of the illustrious Oliver Taplin who, although brilliant, was in this case dead wrong.
Cobalt: Am v. bored.
Kat: Indeed.
C: But at least I have the ah of death.
K: Ah!
C: *Is dead*
K: Hah!
C: Now I go down to Hades to join Arthur and the Embryos.
(Should probably explain this is from a previous conversation about the BBC's Merlin, in which I theorised that for Merlin to be the age he is, that makes Arthur an embryo. It ended up sounding like a really disturbing band.)
K: Bring back a signed T-shirt!
C: What are you doing?!
K: Filing off a rough bit of nail. With a penknife.
C:...right. How long can we spend on one freaking 'ah'?!
K: Too long.
C: The 'ah' won't kill us. Old age will!
K: Interpreting a drama through stagecraft? Noes!
C: Why are we here again?
K: Because it's freaking mandatory. And also we're too cowardly to leave.
C: True. But why make this mandatory? It's not teaching anything useful, even to cowards.
K: Because no one would come otherwise.
*Classics Geeks lapse into a moody discussion about staking their Greek Epigraphy teacher, as they are convinced he is a vampire and he lives in the vaults of the British Museum*
C: Surely 'ah' could be translated as 'ARRRGH!'? Maybe Dionysus is as cross/bored as us?
K: I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe the author put it there to piss off and confuse his audience.
C: In which case I salute him for doing so and curse him for boring me.
K: OCCAM'S RAZOR APPLIES IN LIT CRIT TOO, PEOPLE!
C: Apparently not in this class!
K: Which is why this class is a pile of tripe.
C: Also: Dionysus as Siegfried and Brunehilde?! WTF?!
K: Euripides clearly knew Wagner's work. How can you not know this? It's obvious! He got in his TARDIS and went to get inspiration from the distant future...
C: Did you not know? All ancient Greeks were Time Lords. The Romans were Daleks. The rest is history!
K: I can wax lyrical on this theory, actually, but I won't. You're right! It is indeed history. Also: all the gods were aliens.
C: Alexander used a nuclear missile on Asia, Achilles lost his meds and Odysseus lost his Sat Nav. THIS DESERVES WRITING Y/Y?
K: Y!!!
C: Along with Arthur and the Embryos and Dionysus and the toe stub and 'ah' of death.
K: DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT!
C: I would have no clue how to start.
K: One word after another. Achilles loses his meds and steals Odysseus' Sat Nav, and refuses to give it back, then sulks when Agamemnon tells him to return it...and destroys it but doesn't tell anyone.
C: I will not LOL, I will not LOL, I will not...this is like wanting to sneeze but worse!
K: But it makes perfect sense! You know it does.
C: It makes TOO MUCH SENSE.
K: EXACTLY!
Happily, the lesson then ended and a long hour in the British Museum cafe was then spent, frightening tourists with the ah of death and wondering whether Alexander would make a great Doctor.
In other news, I am sad now Merlin has finished. I have nothing to watch any more. But, hah, it's still SO. GAY. And I laughed at the BBC's complete lack of het. Merlin is Arthur's 'guardian angel'? Right, because that's the true description of a heterosexual, manly relationship. *Snort*
Also? Here are some Merlin soundbites from episode one. Because, you know, awesome.