1. How are we to understand Shahrayar’s madness? Does it make sense to you? That is, are male egos in macho societies that frail, or is his a special case?

I felt right away that the theme of the story was far fetched, once I got to the end of the story I looked back at the real theme and the reason why it was exaggerated. Thinking back to all the stories that we have read over the course of the semester I just now realized that every one of these weird stories have had a theme that has been “out there,’ I think the reason for this is so that the reader can fully understand the concept or the meaning of the story. For me it was hard to find his madness right away but going back I found that madness in the start of the story where he learns that his wife has been unfaithful. This makes Shahrayar livid he makes some very stinging remarks in regards to all women. I think the fact the Shahrayar is king it makes him more visible to people and they judge him more they don’t see all the sides of his personality. I’m not sure about all macho kingdoms but I feel that it depends on the person whom we are looking at. Everyone is different and may have different reactions to different situations.

 2. Both the vizier and his daughter, Shahrazad, tell tales that surround their human characters with important animals, but the animals play different roles in the imaginative worlds of father and daughter. Compare and contrast the powers attributed to the animal world in The Tale of the Ox and the Donkey and The Tale of the Merchant and His Wife with those described in The Story of the Merchant and the Demon. How may these differences reflect the contrasting visions of gender relations so central to The Thousand and One Nights?

In The Tale of the Merchant and His Wife it is perceived by me that the merchants wife has him on a “leash,’ when the merchant overhears the dog and the rooster it reminds him that being a male you have much more physical power than a women and you should use that than rather be manipulated by a women. The man should be the manipulator. In The Tale of the Ox and the Donkey, this story is about a helpful friend trying to save someone when really they are unknowingly stealing their spot. This often happens in real life in the workplace or on teams for that matter. The Merchant and the Demon is relevant to that of the Merchant and his Wife, where the demon has great control over the merchant. Drawing these lines makes one feel that dominance comes from within whoever thinks they are in charge. The leaders will prevail and come out on top in the end. Gender doesn’t necessarily matter.

3. Do you believe the penalties suffered are appropriate to the sins committed in Dante’s Inferno? Why or why not?

In a scene, I do believe that most of the penalties were appropriate to the sins that were committed in the Inferno. I see Hell as a place that no one wants to go to. I often feel that when a person does something wrong that should be done back on them so they know how it feels and actually learn from their wrongdoing. So yes in some ways I believe that for the most part the penalties in Dante’s Inferno were appropriate.