...of the Moment (TM) is: He asked, "Who said 'a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet'?" The correct answer to this is Romeo of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, NOT Shakespeare as most people answer. The point is that there are a great number of 'characters' in the Bible. Often their statements are taken as God's word. ...

... of the Moment (TM) is: He asked, "Who said 'a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet'?" The correct answer to this is Romeo of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, NOT Shakespeare as most people answer. The point is that there are a great number of 'characters' in the Bible. Often their statements are taken as God's word. ...

... campus to campus I remember people who responded with only Shakespeare quotes to everything, truely turned it into a philosophy. Others say he invented the human character. Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 1 Part 1, Zefirelli for instance reminds of life in the streets and is pure philosophy to me man; http://youtube.com/watch?v=...

... go... “Love is a smoke made with the fumes of sighs. Love is a fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes. What else is love? A very wise insanity, A choking bitterness, and A lasting sweet.” After this we can then re-write all of Romeo and Juliet! Then .... ?

... you talk about someone or something if it does not exist?  Do words need a referrent? It's like saying, what's a widget? So do fictional characters like Romeo and Juliet, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, Annakin Skywalker  exist in some philosophical universe of creation? C3 Our idea of "real" persons is probably just as "fictional" as our idea...

On Jun 20, 8:35 am, C3 <C35...@aol.com> wrote: How can you talk about someone or something if it does not exist?  Do words need a referrent? It's like saying, what's a widget? So do fictional characters like Romeo and Juliet, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, Annakin Skywalker  exist in some philosophical universe of creation? C3 Read Jasper FFordes' "Lost in a good book" or "The well of lost plots"

...can work the other way also where characters become metaphors for ideals or concepts. Jeckyl and Hyde is a metaphor for the good/bad nature in all humans. Romeo and Juliet = young love. The One Ring = Absolute Power The Matrix = Engineered Reality The list goes on and on and into holy books, the ancient ballads, most if ...

...talk about someone or something if it does not exist? ?Do words need a referrent? It's like saying, what's a widget? So do fictional characters like Romeo and Juliet, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, Annakin Skywalker ?exist in some philosophical universe of creation? Yes. They all exist. Everything that is conceivable by man...

...talk about someone or something if it does not exist? �Do words need a referrent? It's like saying, what's a widget? So do fictional characters like Romeo and Juliet, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, Annakin Skywalker �exist in some philosophical universe of creation? Yes. They all exist. Everything that is conceivable by man...

...you talk about someone or something if it does not exist?  Do words need a referrent? It's like saying, what's a widget? So do fictional characters like Romeo and Juliet, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, Annakin Skywalker  exist in some philosophical universe of creation? C3 I remember many years ago, putting a similar question to a sci fi panel...