Lesson video

Hello, everyone, it's lovely to see you today.

My name's Dr.

Clayton, I'm going to guide you through your learning journey today.

Today's lesson's called Emulating Saint's Use of an Anti-Climax in "Hera".

So we're gonna spend a little bit of time thinking about why Saint might choose to use an anticlimax in "Hera", for planning and writing your own modern day equivalent of "Hera" with an effective anti-climax.

So if you're ready, grab your pen, laptop, whatever you use for this lesson and let's get started.

So by the end of the lesson you'll be able to use symbolism and semantic fields to emulate Saint's use of an anti-climax.

So we have four words there we're going to be using as our keywords.

They'll be identified in bold throughout the learning material and I'll try to put them out to you as well so you can see them being used in context.

So our first word is anti-climax, which is when something is much less exciting or dramatic than expected to be.

We're going to be thinking about how Saint crafts effective anti-climax and then how we can emulate it.

Our second keyword is transience, which means the state or fact of lasting only for a short time.

We're going to be thinking about how Saint's anticlimax is linked to ideas of transient and how you can achieve this in your own writing.

Our third keyword is futile, which means achieving no result, not effective or successful.

We're going to be thinking about how transience can be linked to ideas of futility.

So how the idea of nothing lasting forever can be linked to the idea of something achieving no result.

Our fourth keyword is subvert, which means to criticise or undermine the usual way of doing something or common values.

We're going to be thinking about how using anti-climax can undermine our traditional ideas about what an ending should look like or what winning should look like.

So I'll just give you a moment to write down those keywords and the definitions.

So pause the video, write them down now.

Fantastic, let's get started with the lesson.

So two learning cycles for our lesson today.

For our first learning cycle, we're gonna first think about why Saint might choose to use an anticlimax and as you craft an effective anticlimax, before moving on to think about we can use as ideas to own anticlimax to a modern day equivalent of Hera's story.

For our second learning cycle, we're gonna deconstruct a model answer, see how we can apply the ideas of symbolism and semantic fields to our own anti climactic ending before you have a go at writing your own anticlimactic ending.

So let's start by thinking about what an anti-climax is and why Saint might use one.

So then we can effectively apply those ideas to our own anti climactic ending.

So let's start with the definition.

An anticlimax on something as much less exciting or dramatic than as expected to be.

Now stereotypically we might think of an anticlimax as being disappointing.

If you hear someone saying, "Oh, that was anticlimactic", they generally mean that something was a letdown.

What I really want to do is move away from this idea of an anticlimax being disappointing and think how it might be purposeful instead.

Now we might use Saint's "Hera" as having anticlimactic ending 'cause rather than becoming a ruler, Hera, chooses to walk away from destroying Zeus and the gods fade from existence, the whole story evolves run Hera plotting to overthrow Zeus.

We expect some sort of showdown that doesn't happen.

So it's less dramatic than we expect it to be.

Now, arguably Saint uses an anticlimax, in order to subvert the reader's expectations around ambition and power.

So Saint uses an anticlimax to undermine our expectations of what achieving our ambitions looks like, perhaps even what success and winning looks like.

So to subvert, "Hera" is about ambition and power.

Saint creates ideas of transience within the anticlimactic ending.

So Saint creates idea of nothing lasting forever, in order subverts ideas but what success and power might look like.

What I'd like to start off by thinking about then is how might transience link the concepts of ambition and power? Now this is a really tricky question.

So try thinking about whether you think power lasts forever and use that as your starting point.

So pause a video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, and there's fantastic ideas there.

Let's talk through what you might have said.

Now, transience is essentially the idea that nothing lasts forever.

And arguably this relates to power.

'cause no one can hold onto power forever.

Even though its powerful people and regimes eventually lose their power, that might just include if you continually chase after power, that desire for power and control will only leave you unsatisfied.

'cause even if you get it, you won't be able to hold onto it.

Everything's temporary, nothing lasts forever.

So now let's think about how Saint creates an effective anti-climax in "Hera".

In "Hera" Saint used the following techniques, not a craft ideas of transience.

So craft the idea of nothing lasting forever.

So she used the symbolism of water with the image of the world being washed.

She use the reputation of leaves and she use the semantic feel of being unbalanced or disintegrated.

Words just broken and toppled.

So what I'd like you to think about is how might these techniques and ideas create the idea of transience and nothing lasting forever? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back.

Everyone's fantastic ideas there.

Let's talk that you might have said and you might have thought about the idea.

You can never step in the same bit of water twice 'cause water is constantly moving, it's constantly in flux.

It also symbolise the idea of rebirth.

That's why we use water as part of baptisms, 'cause the idea that water is washing away our past selves.

You also might have thought about the physicality of water and how's the power destroy building civilizations? Any of you've ever seen a flood, you'll know how much damage water can do.

That links the idea that nothing stays the same, 'cause water can affect things in a physical way.

Now repeat idea of going away, of leaving of departing might relate to ideas of nothing staying the same because you're not staying in the same place you're moving all of the time.

You also might have thought about the fact that the words of homonym for tree leaves that might reminds of the idea of changing seasons, of time passing in terms of semantic field or something being unbalanced or being disintegrated.

I think that reiterate the concept of anticlimax, 'cause anticlimax sets us off balance 'cause it's not we expected.

It's just that nothing even divine power can last forever.

So now for quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is tell you where the following statement is true or false.

So is it true or false that a semantic field of being unbalanced relates to ideas of transience? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Now the correct answer is true.

Now I'd like to tell me why it's true.

So pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

They might have said a semantic field of being unbalanced implies sense of instability and relates the concept of nothing staying permanently in the same place forever.

So very well done if you've got those right.

So now let's start to think about how we can start drafting a plan for our own anti-climactic ending.

In Saint's "Hera", Hera desires, power and control throughout the novel to be a ruler of the realm.

So what I'd like you to think about is what might a modern day equivalent to the ruler of a realm be? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, now some great ideas there.

Now as Laura says, "Perhaps they might want to become a CEO or own their own company." Or as Sophia says, "Maybe they want to become prime minister or another powerful government position." All of these ideas are linked to someone having power and control.

Now let's think about how we can create some context for our story.

Let's imagine we're going to write a story about an ambitious woman who aspires to take over as CEO of a company in "Hera', we let in order to achieve her ambition, Hera does the following.

She creates a monstrous army to overthrow Zeus.

She has children not to gain allies.

She poisons fellow gods, she punishes divine and mortal women who have affairs with Zeus.

So what I'd like you to think about is what modern day alternatives to Hera's actions might be.

Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

Let's talk through some things you might have said.

So maybe you have thought about her spreading rumours about colleagues, maybe her taking credit for the work of others or maybe forming alliance of the colleagues not to undermine others.

All of these things that we associate with ruthless people who are willing to do anything to get what they want.

So now that we thought a little bit about the context of our story, let's think about the ending.

So imagine we're writing a story about a woman who aspires to be a CEO in order to achieve her ambition, she's involved in many unpleasant meetings.

So what I'd like you to think about is what might anticlimactic ending the story be? So what would be less exciting and dramatic than we might expect? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back here with some great ideas there.

Now as Laura says, maybe she's finally offered the promotion, but she simply walks away.

She never has to answer for the tactics she used on to get there.

She never achieves her ambitions.

Now this will be anticlimactic because for this big buildup to her doing anything and everything to achieve power, but actually simply walking away when it's offered to her, it's much less dramatic than we might expect it to be.

So we have an idea of our ending.

Now let's think about how you might respond to it as a reader.

So imagine you're reading the story.

How do you think you'd respond to an ending where a woman is offered a promotion but simply walks away? Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

Now, as Laura says, I think I might feel disappointed if she and we as the reader went through all of that hard work for nothing.

And as Sophia says, I think I'd feel pleased that she ended up not benefiting from the unpleasant methods she used not to get the promotion.

As you can see here, anti-climactic endings are very subjective.

We all have different ideas about how we want a story to end, what we might consider to be a less dramatic ending than we expected.

So now let's think about the why question behind our story.

What is the character's motivation? This will help when it comes to writing an ending.

In Saint's "Hera" Hera arguably walks away from Zeus and the throne because she realise the power of the God is fading.

It's becoming meaningless.

So what I'd like you to think about is why do you think the woman in our story might walk away from the promotion? What might she realise? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider Welcome back, having some great ideas there.

Now as Sophia says, maybe she realises she doesn't like the person she's become in order to get the promotion.

Maybe she realises the work isn't the only thing that matters in life.

As with Hera, our character might realise that actually what she desires is futile since having power and control doesn't last forever.

So now let's think a little bit more about that why question.

Now we might connect to the big idea of transience and how nothing lasts forever.

In Saint's "Hera" arguably the anticlimactic ending is linked to the transience of power.

In our story, the anticlimax going to be a woman walking away from much desired promotion.

So I'd like you to think about is how our anti anticlimax link to ideas of transience.

Pause the video, take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone, fantastic ideas there.

Let's talk through what you might've said, so, you might have thought, perhaps it links the idea that work doesn't last forever.

Companies change, our life situations change, and ultimately we don't work forever.

Therefore, perhaps it links the utility of living to work.

Once you've retired, you might look back and regret putting so much time and energy into a career.

It also might subvert eyes about what matters in life.

So is it power and vision that matters or is it something else? So now for a quick check for understanding which the following will be an anti climactic ending to a story about an ambitious professional woman is A, she's confronted by a former colleague.

B, she achieves a promotion and celebrates or C.

She walks away from the promotion.

So pause the video, make a selection now.

Welcome back everyone.

Now the first two examples, arguments creates a sense of excitement adds through confrontation or the celebration.

Whereas walking away from promotion is much less exciting than expected and therefore it's the anticlimactic ending.

So very well done if you got that right.

Fantastic work everyone.

The first task of the lesson.

So let's imagine we're writing anticlimactic ending about a woman who walks away from a promotion.

Now in order to emulate Saint's work, we might answer the following questions.

So number one, how could we use a symbolism of water? It's just ideas of life constantly moving.

How could we repeat a synonym of the verb to leave, not to enhance the idea of moving away? And how might we use semantic field not to show ideas of being unbalanced? So pause the video, answer the questions now.

Welcome back everyone, some great work there.

What I'd like you to do now is consider Sophia's ideas.

Think about which one doesn't fit with an anticlimax.

So question one, how do you symbolism of water? It's just ideas of life constantly moving.

And Sophia said maybe it could be raining, perhaps an image of something being washed away in the rain.

Question two, how might repeat the synonym with the verb to leave, not to enhance the idea of moving away.

And Sophia said, perhaps repeat the word withdrawal.

How might we use semantic field not to show ideas of being unbalanced? And Sophia said, perhaps the clothing could be described as being sharp, smooth, and straight.

So pause the video.

Then which element doesn't fit with idea of an anti-climax? Welcome back everyone.

They might have thought about Sophia's idea of a semantic field being sharp, smooth, and straight.

Now that doesn't really fit because it's how we expect the character to look and therefore it's not putting us off balance in any way.

It's just a strong element of control.

So what semantic field might we use instead to show ideas being unbalanced and being disordered? Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back everyone.

Now perhaps you might have thought we could describe her clothing as being wrinkled, as being rumpel or being creased instead.

So it does just sense of being off balance and the feeling of being out of control.

So now we're gonna take these ideas, use 'em in our second learning cycle to write our own anticlimactic ending.

Amazing work so far, for our second learning cycle, we're going to talk those steps to emulating Saint's anticlimax, and read through a snippet of Sophia's work that puts those steps into action for ending the lesson with you writing your own anticlimactic ending.

So, in order to emulate Saint's anticlimax, we might use the following steps.

So you might use water symbolism to convey ideas of movement and time not standing still might use repetition of verbs to enhance the idea of moving away.

We might use semantic field.

It's just the world's unbalanced.

So what I'd like to think about now is how do you think these ideas might relate to a woman who walks away from a promotion because you realise that work isn't all that matters.

Pause the video.

Take a few moments to consider.

Welcome back, fantastic ideas there.

Let's talk through some things you might have said.

So in terms of water symbolism, perhaps I'll convey that her priorities in life are shifting in terms of repetition of verbs.

Perhaps it could show that she's moving away from her former self and her former goals in life.

In terms of semantic field, perhaps that might suggest her perspective is lost balance because she no longer plays as much importance on work as she did before.

So now let's think about how you might put those steps and ideas into action in your writing.

To do that, we're gonna deconstruct a snippet from Sophia's anticlimax that emulates Saint's anticlimax.

So Sophia wrote Pattering down onto the cobbles, the rain created tiny streams carrying away any small debris in their wake.

The colours seemed to draw before my eyes seeping away into grey scale.

Looking down at myself, it felt as if I was drawing from my former self.

My once sharp and severe clothes seem to be wrinkling before me becoming rumpel increased.

"Miss, Miss?" I shook my head and slid into the waiting taxi, sliding into the unknown.

So here the image of the rain, creating tiny streams in the pavement and carrying away any small debris shows use of water, symbolism and the idea of water, keeping things continually moving.

Sophia's also emulated sense repetition of leaves by repeating the word withdrawal with a synonym to leave.

Just emphasise this through the words carrying away and seeping away as they too suggest sense of something leaving.

Then Sophia's also use semantic field disorder and someone being unbalanced through description of clothing being wrinkling, rumpled, and creased.

So now for a quick check for understanding, what I'd like you to do is fill in the gaps to complete the list on how to emulate Saint's anti-climax.

So you should use symbolism to convey ideas of movement and time not standing still.

Use of verbs to enhance the idea of moving away and use semantic field is just the world is.

So pause the video, fill in the gaps now.

Welcome back everyone.

Now the correct answers are use water symbolism to convey ideas of movement and time not standing still.

To use repetition of verbs to enhance the idea of moving away and use semantic field is just the world is unbalanced.

So very well done if you've got those right.

Fantastic work everyone.

Now for the final task of the lesson.

So we're going to be writing a story with anticlimactic ending.

Now let's imagine this is the story so far.

Becky starts working at a new technology company.

She's driven and ambitious and wants to be the CEO.

In order to get there, she spreads rumours about our colleagues, undermines colleagues, and takes credit for their work.

Finally, she's offered the promotion, but she walks away perhaps because she realises more to life than work and doesn't like the person she's become trying to succeed.

So what I'd like you to do is write your anticlimactic ending to a story about a woman who walks away from much desired promotion.

Now in order to emulate Saint's anticlimax, remember to, use a symbolism of water to represent ideas of transience.

Use reputational synonym of the verb to leave, not to emphasise the notion of nothing staying the same.

Use a semantic field to imply the world being off balance and disordered.

So pause the video, write your anticlimactic ending now.

Well welcome back, that was fantastic work there.

What I'd like you to do for the final part of the lesson is reflect on your anticlimax.

So consider the following questions.

Have your symbol of water to represent ideas of transience so that you have nothing staying the same? Have your piece of synonym, the verb to leave to enhance ideas of transience? And did you use a semantic field to apply the world is somehow off balance? So pause the video, reflect on the questions now.

Welcome back everyone.

It was great to see people making edits when necessary to make sure they've emulated Saint's use from anti-climax in order to create an effective ending that links the idea of nothing lasting forever.

You all did amazingly well today, everyone.

Here's a summary of what we covered.

Now, Saint, arguably uses an anti-climax, in order to subvert the reader's expectations around ambition and power.

So undermines our ideas of ambition and power.

It makes us question just how much we should desire them, 'cause arguably even we get them, it won't last forever.

In order to craft an anticlimax Saint uses symbolism and semantic fields to create ideas of transience.

So she creates an idea that nothing lasts forever and that links the futility to the pointlessness of desiring control and power.

Now, in order to emulate Saint's work, we might use symbolism of water and repetition of verb that implies departing as he is linked the idea of things constantly moving and nothing staying the same.

Furthermore, we might consider using a semantic field of being unbalanced.

This not only links the idea of nothing staying stable and balanced forever, but it also links the concept of anticlimax.

Now, it might throw us off balance because it's not what we expected.

I really hope you enjoyed the lesson everyone.

If you enjoyed talking about Saint's "Hera" I'd also really recommend Saint's "Ariadne" which tells the story of Ariadne helping Theseus defeat the Minotaur and what happens next, I hope to see you for another lesson soon.

Goodbye.