Honors Language Arts 10 Final

Honors Language Arts 10 Final

Code of Hammurabi

Origin: An ancient Babylonian legal collection carved into stone and established by King Hammurabi, with penalties varying drastically based on the offender’s social class and mirroring the crime committed

Modern: Refers to retributive justice, or “an eye for an eye”

Meet one’s Waterloo

Origin: French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte was decisively defeated by the Duke of Wellington at the Battle of Waterloo, ending his reign

Modern: To experience a final, decisive defeat or a crushing failure that ends a streak of success

There’s no joy in Mudville

Origin: The town of Mudville is losing 4-2 in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. The crowd’s only hope rests on the arrogant and unbeatable star slugger, “Mighty” Casey. Casey arrogantly lets the first two pitches go by as strikes, enraging the fans and completely misses the ball on the final pitch. The crowd goes home in despair.

Modern: Refers to the reversal of fortune at the finish line, the failure of a trusted leader, and widespread disappointment shared by a group of people

Wisdom of Solomon

Origin: Two mothers claimed the same baby so Solomon threatened to cut the baby in half, knowing the real mother would surrender the baby to save her child’s life

Modern: Calling upon the “Wisdom of Solomon” implies solving a dispute that requires immense tact, fairness, and an in depth understanding of human nature

Extend the Olive Branch

Origin: Noah sends a dove out from the ark to check for habitable land after the great flood recedes. The dove returns with an olive leaf in his beak, signaling to Noah that the floodwaters have dropped and that life is returning to the earth. It represents the end of God’s wrath and a renewed sense of peace.

Modern: To make a gesture of peace, reconcile after a conflict, or invite a fresh start

What fools these mortals be

Origin: A line from Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Spoken by the mischievous fairy Pluck, uttering this while observing the dramatic and irrational arguments of the young mortal lovers (Helena, Hermia, Demetrius, and Lysander) who are hopelessly confused by magical love potions. He is expressing his disbelief at how absurd and irrational humans become when driven by emotions.

Modern: Referring to the amusing, silly, and often predictable irrationality of human behavior.

Throw pearls before swine

Origin: Jesus Christ's Sermon on the Mount. “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces”.
Modern: Offering something of great value, like wisdom, love or deep insight, to someone who is unable to appreciate it or understand its worth

Turn the other cheek

Origin: Jesus Christ’s Sermon on the Mount. “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also”.

Modern: Prioritize de-escalation, forgiveness, and refusing to sink to the level of your aggressor. It shows that the i’ll will of others cannot dictate your own actions.

Crossing the Rubicon

Origin: General Julius Caesar made the irreversible decision to lead his armed army across the Rubicon River, a boundary that illegally trespassed into Italy and directly sparked a massive Roman civil war.

Modern: Passing a point of no return, describing an individual who commits to a risky, revolutionary, or life-altering course of action that cannot be undone

Pandora’s box

Origin: It was created by the gods as punishment for mankind accepting the gift of fire, Pandora received a jar and was told never to open it. Overcome by curiosity, she opened it and unleashed all of humanity’s evils, diseases, and miseries into the world, panicking and slamming the lid shut, she trapped hope inside.
Modern: Taking an action or making a seemingly small decision that leads to severe, unforeseen, or often irreversible complications or trouble.

Don Quixote

Origin: Miguel de Cervante’s 17th-century masterpiece Don Quixote, who travels throughout Spain, mistaking windmills for giants. He battles the imaginary enemies for a misguided cause. He is a hopeless romantic while his squire, Sancho Panza, is a realist.
Modern: The blurred line between reality and idealism, the triumph of imagination, and the struggle of an impractical hero attempting to change the world

Holden Caulfield

Origin: The protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye. Holden misinterprets Robert Burns poem, “Comin’Thro’the Rye,” believing it is about “catching” innocent children before they fall off a cliff.B

Modern: Being desperate to protect children from the corrupting adult world

Veni, Vidi, Vici

Origin: Julius Caesar’s quick and shocking victory over King Pharnaces II of Pontus. Caesar speaks these words in his triumphal parade in Rome to highlight the sheer speed of his victory

Modern: To effortlessly and rapidly succeed or dominant in an overwhelming way

Marie Antoinette

Origin: The last Queen of France before the French Revolution, saying “Let them eat cake.” Implying that if the working class cannot afford basic necessities like bread, they should simply switch to luxury items

Modern: Showing extreme wealth, frivolousness, and being completely out of touch with the struggles of ordinary people

et Tu, Brute?

Origin: In Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, Caesar is being attacked to the death by a group of senators, fighting back until he sees his close friend Marcus Brutus among his attackers, uttering the line in shock and devastation since he was someone that he completely trusted

Modern: The ultimate betrayal by a trusted friend or confidant

Armageddon

Origin: Refers to Har Megiddo (Mount of Megiddo) in Israel, a real, and highly strategic site where numerous historical battles were fought. Symbolizes the total, world-ending destruction of a place or way of life
Modern: Good vs. evil, catastrophic destruction, the end of the world, decisive and ultimate conflict

Mea Culpa

Origin: Confiteor, or a traditional prayer of confession in the Catholic Church

Modern: Referencing the concept of publicly admiring a mistake, taking personal responsibility for a wrongdoing, and offering a formal apology

Trojan horse

Origin: The Greek army pretended to give up and leave after a 10-year siege, leaving a giant wooden horse outside the gates of Troy. The Trojans believed it was a peace offering and dragged it into the city. The Greek army warriors were hidden inside and later opened the gates from within, allowing their army to return and conquer the city.

Modern: A trick, gift, or strategy that seems harmless or even beneficial on the outside, but often conceals hidden danger or malicious intent designed to cause ruin from within

Types of Irony

Verbal- Saying the opposite of what you mean

Situational- When the actual outcome of an event was different from what was reasonably expected

Dramatic- When the author and readers know crucial information but the characters do not