*gasp* ... update ... on ... *wheeze* ... tutorials ...

I think I have now experienced the mental/academic version of a bludgeoning. Not (thank god) as bad a bludgeoning as I had been afraid of - I redeemed my sense of my ego in the English tutorial on Faustus. But WOW. The history tutorial somewhat kicked my ass.

First off, our topic was the Reformation, which is probably my weakest Tudor knowledge area (and also, arguably, the most important - definitely the one with the least gowns and queens). I didn't have to do the essay for my group (that's next week, on comparing two aspects of the Elizabethan court), and I did talk a decent bit, if less than I could have. But there was so much I didn't know, and hadn't gotten to read. And Mark, my tutor, asked the group these questions that you just have to think about for a bit. I tried a couple smart-alecky throwaway answers, but I think I may dispense with that for a bit in favor of actually serious ideas. Those worked better.

That being said, it wasn't a train wreck, which I'd been fearing. We all acquitted ourselves well, I thought, especially given that it was the first day and our first-ever tutorial at 8:45 in the morning. Small mercies.

And the English tutorial was a lot of fun. Kathryn and I wrote our essays on Faustus, and basically argued opposing (but not mutually exclusive) ideas: she that Faustus is solely responsible for his damnation, me that Faustus is heroic because he accepts that responsibility. We read them both out loud, and then the four of us - me, Kathryn, Matt, and Katie, our tutor - just talked about ideas the essays had raised for the rest of the hour. Matt had this fantastic notion that since good and evil are always diametrically opposed, and evil is this external force, that God is in fact present in the play in Faustus, which raised the question of Faustus' agency in his damnation, and...

Neon-flashing geek sign just went off over my head. Sorry. I think it's cool.

Anyway. I'm going to go plotz and read Girl With a Pearl Earring (bought a copy in a goodwill store for less than a pound!). That will make me feel better until the drinks party at 6.

And tomorrow: HAMPTON COURT AND THE GLOBE!!!! There will be PICTURES again!!!