Mythological Essays

  • Mythological References in Hamlet

    1315 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mythological References in Hamlet What's in a name? Hamlet's good friend and confidant Horatio is doomed by the etymology of his nomenclature to give good speech. Shakespeare has gifted Horatio with an elegant lucidty that, when inspected closely, enables the reader to better comprehend the nature of the play; one of his first addresses is key in setting the tone of what James Joyce called "'the grave and constant' in human suffering" (Campbell 8). This is also a principal theme of classical

  • Mythological Realism in Fifth Business

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mythological Realism in Fifth Business Spellbinding like his creation Magnus Eisengrim, Robertson Davies is a wizard of the English language. Who says that Canadian literature is bland and unappealing? New York Times applauded Fifth Business – the first of the Deptford triptych – as "a marvelously enigmatic novel, elegantly written and driven by irresistible narrative force." How true this is. Dunstable Ramsay – later renamed Dunstan after St. Dunstan – may be a retired schoolteacher, but what

  • Mythological Heroes: Achilles And Hercules

    1387 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mythological Heroes: Achilles and Hercules The subject of mythology deals mainly with the notion of battle, or good versus evil. In this struggle many individuals are singled out for either the evil they cause, or from the good they bring to people. When you mention heroes in mythology, there are two distinct names that a majority of people bring up, those names are Achilles and Hercules. Achilles was born to King Peleus and the sea-nymph Thetis. Soon after Achilles was born his mother dipped

  • Biblical and Mythological Allusions in Moby Dick

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    An allusion is a reference to a well-known person, place, event, literary work, or work of art.   Writers often use biblical and mythological allusions to which their readers are familiar.  In Moby Dick, Herman Melville frequently uses biblical and mythological allusions.  With these allusions the reader begins to understand the topic of discussion and is also exposed to the wisdom and knowledge Melville possess. The first allusion appears in the first line of the novel.  “Call me Ishmael.” (Melville1)

  • Ellen Olenska as a Mythological Muse in The Age of Innocence

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ellen Olenska as a Mythological Muse in The Age of Innocence Long ago in ancient Greece, mythology was used to explain our world, our lives, and most importantly, our interpersonal relationships. Still today Greek mythology is infused into the literature of almost every influential and lasting author, one of the more effective authors being Edith Wharton, author of The Age of Innocence. The relationship between Newland Archer and Madame Ellen Olenska, two protagonists in Wharton’s novel, is an example

  • Celtic Mythological Motifs in Chretien's Yvain and Carroll's Alice

    1930 Words  | 4 Pages

    Celtic Mythological Motifs in Chretien's Yvain and Carroll's Alice Abstract: This is an analysis of celtic mythological motifs or themes (usually found Arthurian romances) in the medieval romance Yvain and the victorian classic, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland .} There are elements of the Arthurian romance in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Chretien de Troyes' Yvain . Both novels incorporate important aspects or reoccurring themes in Arthurian romances

  • Desire Under The Elms

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Desire Under the Elms” In “Desire Under the Elms”, by Eugene O’Neill, many uses of both biblical and mythological allusions can be seen. These allusions help add depth to the plot of the play by linking the play to other similar, well-known stories. Three of the best allusions are seen in Cabot’s talk about how God is a strong god, his talk about God being in the stones, and his telling Eben that he is blind as a mole. Cabot’s talk about God being a strong god is important to the story. He tells

  • Art - A Culturally Constructed Myth

    977 Words  | 2 Pages

    not resistant to the imposition of meaning. Barthes wants to suspend consideration of function, and concentrate rather on what things mean and how they function as signs. Mythologies is a study of the ways in which mass culture constructs this mythological reality and encourages conformity to its own values. Barthes' analysis of signs reveals that there are very few 'innoncent' objects, that almost everything is 'coded' (assigned meaning). Barthes arrives at this conclusion based on his theory

  • No Fixed Address

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    as webs of sorts. The most important web that Arachne is seen to weave is that perverbial web of lies—a person can never escape from that web. In the end, Arachne is indeed caught in her own web, and in the end, she is caught in it. Arachne, in mythological terms, is the master weaver; the women who pitted herself against a god and lost, thus being turned into a spider. Arachne Mantea is much the same. She is constantly putting herself into categories that she doesn’t belong in. Much of her life,

  • A Journey into the Soul in Heart of Darkness

    1544 Words  | 4 Pages

    hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart." Conrad 54 Conrad does not even mention their exact location which is very peculiar. The main river was described in the form a snake.  A snake can be looked at from many points of views, mythological, biblical, literal and metaphorically.  The snake represents all the twists and turns and being able to find one's inner-self is very difficult and twisted.  The snake represents some of the animal imagery in the novel.  Perhaps this is a

  • Jupiter and Semele by Moreau

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    on myth and legends to create very symbolic and often haunting paintings. Moreau was quoted saying: “I love my art so much that I shall only be happy when I can practice it for myself alone.” In a time when many artists choose to paint classical mythological subjects as if it were a proper education in Greek and Latin, Moreau was developing his own unusual and personal interpretations using a classical subject matter as his tool for artistic expression. This is very much the case in his painting of

  • Greco-Roman Influence in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra

    1407 Words  | 3 Pages

    Greco-Roman Influence in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra Greco-Roman mythological images seem to dominate Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Ever since the humanist revolution started, Renaissance writers, including Shakespeare, systematically tried to revive Greek literature and Greek mythology. It was an attempt to establish an alternative authority to Catholic scholastic dogma that has the stamp of antiquity. Shakespeare's knowledge of mythology was almost exclusively Roman, especially

  • Mythology In and Around Sophocles' Antigone

    2420 Words  | 5 Pages

    How extensive and deep are the mythological roots in the Greek Sophoclean tragedy Antigone? Research indicates that both within the drama and around it there are numerous mythological influences. The use of mythological elements in Greek tragedy is very compatible with the Greeks’ sense of history surrounding a drama. Martin Heidegger in “The Ode on Man in Sophocles’ Antigone” comments on the Greek audience’s sense of history and a drama: Polis means, rather, the place, the there, wherein and

  • Comparing Fuentes’ Aura and Ligotti’s The Last Feast of Harlequin

    2158 Words  | 5 Pages

    Mythological and Archetypal Reading of Fuentes’ Aura and Ligotti’s The Last Feast of Harlequin Mythological and archetypal techniques coupled with the interpretation of symbolism found within a piece of literature tells the reader something about the mind and character of a people or culture. Not only does it allow you to delve deeper into this collective mind and speculate about the meaning of a particular work, it can give you something more. I believe that by using these techniques you also

  • Pouliuli by Albert Wendt

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    been living all along is a mere façade. Pouliuli invites readers into the Samoan community of Malaelua, which is turned topsy-turvy when Faleasa misleads his aiga and community by acting maniacal. Albert Wendt ties a famous Malaelua saga about a mythological hero named Pili to Faleasa Osovae’s life. In the myth as well as in Faleasa’s story, they both had the same goal, which was to live the rest of their life “free”. To accomplish this goal, they both had to accomplish three tasks. Pilis’ tasks were

  • Free Essays on Sonnet CXXX

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    this girl is ugly, he still loves her. While others claim that he was not making any statements about her looks, but instead being realistic. It is my view that he was making a point of claiming that his girlfriend was a regular person and not a mythological goddess. Most people have heard on television or in movies, some guy tell his girlfriend that she has eyes as deep as the ocean or lips as soft as velvet. Although these all sound very romantic they are probably not true. In the first line of

  • Heraclitus - Permanent Flux

    841 Words  | 2 Pages

    world with his idea of “being” and allowed mankind to follow in his steps. The Pre-Socratics are known for creating philosophy by searching for a rational order to their world and their being. Prior to the philosophers, man simply accepted the mythological stories and supernatural concepts. The philosophers, however, approached questions to by observing their surroundings. This was the world they could touch and feel, therefore making it an ideal foundation to their quires. The first of the Pre-Socratics

  • Catherine Des Roches Epistle To Her Mother

    1537 Words  | 4 Pages

    Catherine des Roches' "Epistle To Her Mother" The "Epistle To Her Mother" by Catherine des Roches of Poitiers discusses the very close and dear relationship that exists between mother and daughter. In this letter, the daughter gives a very detailed and vibrant description of the closeness and respect that she shares with her mother. She also reveals her thankfulness to her mother for all that her mother has bestowed upon her. She does this by taking a vow of silence at the end of the

  • Four Views of The Sick Rose

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    what extent the literary text is self-sufficient. It seems to [Riffaterre] that a proper reading entails no more than a knowledge of the language" (39). Riffaterre identifies psychological, philosophical, and genetic interpretations (connected to "mythological tradition") as "aiming outwards." These approaches find the meaning of the text in the relationship of its images to other texts" (40). Riffaterre argues for a more internal reading of the poems. Riffaterre emphasizes the importance of the relationships

  • Mythological Creatures

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    of the gods and goddesses. However, there is a wide variety of mythological creatures. There are many different types of creatures in mythology including monsters, animals, giants, dragons, and automatons. Many mythological creatures are used in movies and books today. That is why knowledge of these creatures may be useful. The many types of creatures and the movies and books that they can be seen in today are what make mythological creatures an incredibly in depth topic. To begin with, most people