CP 101 Professor Hepola 11-14-14 Term Paper In the book “Saint Augustine's Confessions,” Augustine had negative views on literature and theater as a young boy. Augustine was not good with literature and he had a hated school. Augustine Says, “There is no force, no force at all, in the argument that these words are more easily learnt through the obscene text. These words actually encourage the more confident committing of a disgraceful action.” (page.19). He had no desire for reading and hated that he was forced to learn about them. Augustine talked repulsion against his teachers that they would make him study and learn things he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to read anything in Greek because he loved learning in Latin since it …show more content…
Why is it that a person should wish to experience suffering by watching grievous and tragic events, which he himself would not wish to endure? Nevertheless he wants to suffer the pain given by being a spectator of these sufferings, and the pain itself is his pleasure.” (p. 35). Even though he enjoyed watching the theatre as a kid, he fell into a sin. The sin was that fantasy life people would like to watch and enjoy, he didn’t realize it as boy. As he grew up he realized how much of a sin it was to even watch or practice the fictional life. He felt bad for the people who enjoyed watching the actors doing erotic content in the shows and also the fictional characters in the shows and how they would tell lies to the audience. It was giving the audience a sense of false belief and accusation. “But at that time at the theatres I shared the joy of lovers when they wickedly found delight in each other, even though their actions in the spectacle on the stage were imaginary; when, moreover, they lost each other, I shared their sadness by a feeling of compassion.” (p.36). Augustine was upset when people would practice or watch fiction because it was taking away real life problems and doing stuff for