Thursday, January 30, 2020

“The Iliad” by Homer Essay Example for Free

â€Å"The Iliad† by Homer Essay â€Å"The Iliad† is known to be the most famous Greek poems written by a blind poet Homer. The Iliad is dated circa 8th century BC, although now some scholars such as Martin West and Richard Seaford prefer to date it in the 6th-7th century BC. The Iliad† tells about events taking place during the last year of Lion siege (about 10th century BC) or Trojan War. The Iliad belongs to a tradition of Greek oral poetry – epic poem. It is a long poem telling readers about historical events involving ancient gods, heroic deeds and ancient heroes. Since the Iliad is too lengthy, it is loosely organized. What is more interesting is that not every event or episode of the poem is absolutely connected with the main story line. It means that digressions are rather common in the poem. It is possible to notice the difference between epic genre and dramatic genre where all episodes tend to be closely connected with the plot and all digressions are uncommon. It is a distinguishing feature of The Iliad. Actually, the poem promotes the ideal sod war-like society. The main theme of the â€Å"The Iliad† is glorification of the war. There is an idea that the novel even celebrates war, because all the characters are judged by their competence, bravery and courage in the battles. It seems that the poem supports the war, because such judging extends even to the gods.   Iliad proclaims that to fight means to prove honor and bravery. Furthermore, the poem proclaims that war is predominant over the family life and has to be always on the first place for all men. For example, Achilles is the greatest warrior in the Greek army. Achilles wins eternal glory because he always rejected long, uneventful, calm and comfortable home life. Paris preferred not to fight and therefore he was scorned by his family and beloved woman. Paris is shown to be more subjected to women’s tenderness i.e. love and other feelings being inherent to humans. According to Homer, such qualities aren’t attributes of real hero. Summing up Homer’s hero is strong, courage, brave and always ready to fight and to die. Achilles is an ideal of Greek hero for Homer. References Fitzgerald, Robert (translt.). (1991). The Iliad of Homer. New York, USA: Penguin

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Illusion vs. Reality in Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie Essay

Illusion vs. Reality in Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, contains multiple themes.   While there are many themes, the theme that holds the piece together is illusion versus reality.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This theme is established very quickly, In fact, the first paragraph of the play describes the illusions to take place, "But I am the opposite of a stage musician.   He gives you illusion that has the appearance of truth.   I give you truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion" (1866).   During Tom's monologue, he discusses the premise of the play; when it takes place, who the characters are, and how the play is to be perceived (as a memory).   His reference to illusion is not used as to describe any of the plays specific events, but rather to subtly give weight to the plays ideas.   Although the play itself is an illusion of reality, Tom says that there is truth behind the illusion.   We use this as a sort of flashlight as we enter the play.   We shine it around, looking for the truth Tom speaks of.   We also seek the plays realities and illusions.   Williams, by stating this idea in the beginning, focuses the readers mi nd into such a state that he will unconsciously look for what Williams knows is already there-- the conflict of reality versus illusion.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We will look at the characters one by one, determining each of their realities and illusions.   This will help to establish why Williams chose this as a central theme, and what the resolution of these ideas are.   Because Amanda plays such a large part in the play, we will start with her.   Amanda's life is much illusion.   She establishes this right away when she begins to reminisce of the south and her nume... ...rld of Tennessee Williams. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 1965. Jolemore, Nancy.   "Lecture Notes and Study Guide Questions for Tennessee William's The Glass Menagerie."   Old Dominion University.   18 January 2000. 29 June 2000. <http://courses.lib.odu.edu/engl/njolemor>. Kolin, Philip C. Tennessee Williams: A Guide to Research and Performance. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1998. Presley, Delma E.   An American Memory.   Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990. Reser, Rob.   "A Touch of Glass."   29 June 2000. <http://www.filmspot.com/glassmenagerie.html>. Roudane, Matthew C. The Cambridge Companion to Tennessee Williams. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Williams, Tennessee.   "The Glass Menagerie." The Bedford Introduction to Literature.    Ed. Michael Meyer.   5th ed.   Boston:   Bedford/St. Martin's. 1999. pp.1865-1908.   

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Waiting for Godot Major Themes

Ralph Waldo Emerson, famous literary writer, once inscribed, â€Å"Much of human life is lost in waiting† (Richardson, 24). Individuals cannot escape the waiting in daily life even if they wished so. Waiting is inscribed into society, from waiting for a bus ride, beverages at a favourite coffee house, items to be checked out at a grocery store or simply, arriving to a location too early for an occasion to occur. In Samuel Beckett’s legendary play Waiting for Godot, the main characters Estragon and Vladimir obsess about waiting for the mysterious individual Godot to arrive. From this waiting, scholars have created many literary analysis of the play the most persuasive being political, religious and existentialist in nature. The Cold War took place over decades, beginning in 1947 and concluding in 1991. The word cold is not only used in the title of this war, but also inscribed deeply into it. The war did not feature guns, bullets and soldiers, instead the war was fought aloofly between communist countries in things like sport events, propaganda and technological opposition. The Cold War appears as a metaphor for many scholars in Waiting for Godot. The characters hold a lot of emotion but never seem to really do anything with it, except discuss it at length. More than once the word nothing is used. There is often â€Å"nothing to do† (Beckett, 13) and â€Å"nothing to show† (Beckett, 4) and the character’s world stays the same. Scholars also point to the play as being Marxist in nature. Godot is the Capitalist full of power and who separates himself from the working class, the other characters are the working class, without personal purpose or goals. Pozzo and Lucky serve as an example of the Marxism analysis as well, Pozzo illustrating that to the Capitalist to labour. â€Å"Pozzo is blind to what is happening around him and Lucky is mute to protest his treatment† (Hutching, 68) serves as evidence of this relationship. Political interpretations abound in this play as do religious ones. The character in which the play focuses on yet never makes an actual appearance is Godot. It is imperative for the religious examination of the play to note that the root word of Godot is God. Perhaps this is what spun the belief that Godot is a representation of God. Religious references are apparent in the play right from the beginning. Estragon asks Vladimir what he wishes from Godot and offers as a suggestion in his probing â€Å"A kind of prayer? † to which Vladimir replies â€Å"Precisely† (Beckett, 14). Estragon and Vladimir discuss religion and specific bible passages during their wait. For example, they speak about a biblical reference of two thieves. â€Å"Our Saviour. Two thieves. One is supposed to †¦ have been saved and the other . . . he searches for the contrary of saved) . . . damned† Vladimir states and when Estragon asks what the thief is saved from, Vladimir responds â€Å"Hell† (Beckett, 64). It is interesting to note that in the bible passage, both thieves are saved from hell and like the thieves, Estragon and Vladimir wish to be saved from what Estragon later claims is â€Å"hell† (Beckett, 89). God and Godot also share a physical attribute; both have beards. Lucky states that Godot has a â€Å"white beard† (Beckett, 43) and later, the character of the boy offers that Godot also has a beard. Beckett frequently disappeared â€Å"into a trance† (Knowlson, 401) when writing and many followers of the religious analysis have accepted this as evidence that Beckett was unaware of his attentions, thus influenced by a â€Å"higher power† (Knowlson, 232). Strong appointments to this are those who see the play as Existentialist in nature. Existentialism, as defined by Oxford English Dictionary is, â€Å"The individual's unique position as a self-determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his or her choices. † The central idea of existentialism is that humans are accountable for designing, implementing and adhering to their own destiny. Thus, destiny is not God made, it is person made. Estragon and Vladimir have decided to stay in the dreary physical setting of isolation and containment. Estragon seems to offer readers a deeper thought process then his quiet and reliant friend Vladimir. Vladimir states, â€Å"All I know is that the hours are long, †¦ under these conditions, and constrain us to beguile them with proceedings which – how shall I say – which may at first sight seem reasonable, until they become a habit†¦ you follow my reasoning? † (Beckett, 91). This quote is powerful, suggesting that filling one’s day with actions just to pass time such as removing a boot as Estragon did, is suitable for a short period but unacceptable for a long course of time. Although he states this, Vladimir does not leave the scene. Pozzo and Lucky, two of the three only people Estragon and Vladimir have contact with, have a slave and master relationship, but neither chooses to step outside this, instead the two characters grow deeply dependant on one another. Vladimir and Estragon go as far as to contemplate suicide, but do not proceed to do so. Thus, all the characters in Waiting for Godot, could live an altered life, with enhanced opportunities, but choose to stay frozen in the dark. under these conditions, and constrain us to beguile them with proceedings which – how shall I say – which may at first sight seem reasonable, until they become a habit. You may say it is to prevent our reason from foundering. No doubt. But has it not long been straying in the night without end of the abyssal depths? Academics have long linked Waiting for Godot and Beckett himself, to the existential movement. The greatest argument followers of the theory have is that Beckett never discloses Godot being a symbol of God, instead, he greatly declined the claim stating â€Å"that if by Godot I had meant God I would [have] said God, and not Godot† (Knowlson, 412). â€Å"Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse type of suffering†, Paulo Coelho, celebrated Brazilian author wrote. The internal and external suffering which Estragon and Vladimir seem spellbound in is dreadful yet alluring in the same instant. Dreadful because the characters and audience wait for relief and alluring because they are enticed about what could be but is not. The waiting in Waiting for Godot has long stood as a secrecy requiring solving and the theories of politics, existentialism and religion offer convincing analyses to this literary puzzle. No one but Beckett himself and perhaps not even him, comprehend the genuine significance of this play, thus, like Estragon and Vladimir, scholars and audiences alike are caught waiting for a conclusion that may never arrive.

Monday, January 6, 2020

The Effects Of Mass Media On The Society - 1145 Words

According to Meltzoff and Moore (1977), heavy exposure to television is believed to be one of the causes of aggressive behavior, crime, and violence in the society. The potential of the mass media for social mobilization, education, and attitude change has been recognized and has been exploited in different parts of the world with varying degrees of success. But the effect that the mass media will produce at given situation still remains a subject of debate even today. Summing up what is known about the effect of the mass media, Berelson (1948:172) in Mcquail (2000:457)submitted â€Å"that some kinds of communication, on some kinds of issues ,brought to the attention of some kinds of people, under some kinds of conditions, have some kinds of effect†. The effects and influences, which motion pictures have, imply that the movies, as stimuli, have specific effects and influences on an inert audience that are in some manners especially impressionable, and hence may be affected or swayed in a given direction. This one direction conception of effects is widely held. The supposed inactiveness of motion picture audience has extremely excited many people; and forms the basis of many attitudes and beliefs about the supposed good and bad effects of the movie. There is this view that the effects of the motion picture on behavior and attitudes are small and transitory. This seems to be the underlying attitude of those, which characterize motion pictures as mere entertainment. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Mass Media On Society861 Words   |  4 PagesWhere do we get our information in society? How do we know what is true information from false information? 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