The Devil's Dictionary Essays

  • Ambrose Bierce

    1438 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are many authors throughout history whose influences and accomplishments have been overlooked. Ambrose Bierce is among them. Bierce, like Edgar Allan Poe before him, played an essential part in the development of the short story. He was also like Poe in that he was a master of "brevity in horror" (Kunitz 77). Although most people today only know of Bierce's fame as a short story writer because of stories like "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", he was also known for his criticism and satire

  • A Brief Biography Of Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce was born on June 24, 1842 in Meigs County, Ohio. His parents, Marcus Aurelius Bierce and Laura Sherwood Bierce, had thirteen children, and Ambrose was the tenth of the thirteen. Ambrose’s idiosyncratic father decided to start the names of all thirteen of his children with the letter A. His family was poor, so his parents decided to move to Ohio, like many other families, in hopes that the westward expansion might help them financially. When they realized the riches they

  • The Complexity of Team Work

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    51-61. Strom, P. S., & Strom, R. D. (2011). Teamwork skills assessment for cooperative learning. Educational Research and Evaluation, 17(4), 233-251. teamwork. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teamwork Waddell, B. D., Roberto, M. A., & Yoon, S. (2013). Uncovering hidden profiles: Advocacy in team decision making. Management Decision, 51(2), 321-340.

  • Angelology and Satanology

    636 Words  | 2 Pages

    middle of paper ... ...” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed., ed. Walter E. Elwell, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001. J.P. Asmussen, “Manichaeism” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed., ed. Walter E. Elwell, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001. W. S. Bainbridge, “Satanism” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed., ed. Walter E. Elwell, Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001. H. Bietenhard et al., “Satan” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd ed., ed. Walter E. Elwell

  • Hamlet: A Devil In Disguise

    1257 Words  | 3 Pages

    this relates to the meaning of the play is that only men could potentially be influenced by the devil, or be the devil themselves. Though Gertrude was thought to be blinded by the devil, she is never thought to be one herself or to have done the devil’s

  • Two Tales of Secret Sin

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    As children, we were often told not to steal cookies from the cookie jar because it would result in our names being put on Santa’s “naughty” list. Although minor, the theft of a single cookie is an example of a sin. According to the dictionary, a sin is defined as a “violation of divine law”, but does a child’s desire for a chocolate chip sugary treat really fall under that category? Sin can be blatantly obvious or it can be secret. One of the most often reoccurring themes in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s

  • Why Is The Crucible Still Relevant Today

    743 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today’s society can be related to the days during the Salem witch trials. We are so quick to judge people without really knowing the truth. We believe what other people say, not knowing if they are lying or not, and we do not seem to care if they are lying. In our world today, we tend to believe most everything that is on the internet or what the media pushes on us to believe. Does witchcraft really exist? Yes, it is a type of pagan religion. Were those accused during the Salem witchcraft trials

  • Examples Of Humanism In Macbeth

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    however, did not make Macbeth into a murdering traitor but rather himself. This is showing how Macbeth and Lady Macbeth use their reasoning to accomplish what they wanted to do instead of what is right and just. Lady Macbeth becomes more of the devil’s advocate and persuades Macbeth to go through with murdering Duncan. She questions Macbeth if he is a man when he does not want to go through with the murder, “When you durst do it, then you were a man” (Shakespeare 1.7.49). Towards the end, Lady Macbeth’s

  • The Importance Of The Devil In Hamlet

    1771 Words  | 4 Pages

    this relates to the meaning of the play is that only men could potentially be influenced by the devil, or be the devil themselves. Though Gertrude was thought to be blinded by the devil, she is never thought to be one herself or to have done the devil’s

  • Repetition In Edgar Allan Poe Poetry Essay

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    Edgar Allan Poe, a late 1800s American poet, writer, and critic best known for his gothic style poems and short stories, some of which include, “The Raven”, “The Tell Tale Heart”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, and “Annabel Lee” captured and still captures the imagination and interest of readers nationwide. Through Poe’s use of descriptive imagery and symbolism, as well as repetition he conveys the overall theme of his poems and short stories. To begin, Poe uses symbolism and descriptive imagery

  • Claudius, the Central Antagonist in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

    555 Words  | 2 Pages

    Claudius, the Central Antagonist in Shakespeare’s Hamlet An important factor of any fictional story is the antagonist, or a person who conflicts with the protagonist – the “hero” of the story (Encarta). As many have come to the realization already, Claudius is the main antagonist to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Uncle to Prince Hamlet, King of Denmark and Husband of Gertrude, Claudius is quite a character. Imagine the guilt and anxiety brought about by killing one’s own brother, claiming his kingdom as

  • Theme Of Isolation In The Crucible

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    Isolation of an individual from the judgement of society morally strengthens them. John Proctor, from Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a prime example of this. He was influenced by the evils lurking in the society of Puritan Massachusetts. Although the people of Salem considered themselves righteous and pure, many of them were not. They were overly watchful and judgemental of their neighbors, which lead to a corrupt church. It was lead by a mislead Reverend, and his lying niece, Abigail. Such unscrupulous

  • The Role Of Comic Relief In Shakespeare's Macbeth

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    flaw that causes the character’s life to end in an abnormal state of events. “A tragic situation exists precisely when virtue does not triumph but when it is still felt that man is nobler than the forces which destroy him.” (George Orwell, Columbia Dictionary of Quotations) In a tragedy the main character rises to greatness, then continues to fall down a shame spiral, which leads to his

  • The Effective Use of Symbols in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    702 Words  | 2 Pages

    estrangement, and avernal entities, the letter is still able to encompass these concepts into its symbolism. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. Langenscheidt's Pocket Merriam-Webster Dictionary. New York: Langenscheidt Publishers, Inc, 1999. Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, 1997.

  • The Allure of Vampires and Immortality

    1033 Words  | 3 Pages

    point is 'What is immortality?' Unfortunately this isn't as easily answered as asked. The Merriam Webster Dictionary says immortality is 'the quality or state of being immortal; esp : unending existence' while The World Book Encyclopedia states it as 'the continued and eternal life of a human being after the death of the body.' A more humorous definition can be found in The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce: 'A toy which people cry for, And on their knees apply for, Dispute, contend and

  • Rock And Roll Essay

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rock 'n Roll: The Revolutionary Spirit of Crazed Abandon Most things have their beginnings in something small: a word, a breath, or idea; but not music. Music begins with a single vibration. It explodes and carries on, morphing worlds of unrelated personas. It lives rampantly in the mouths of millions of unruly and free-spirited teenagers, like a fever. The rock 'n roll trend that defiantly rose against the conformist ideology of the mid-twentieth century left remnants that commenced the start of

  • Edgar Allan Poe Influence On Gothic Literature

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Horror has always been filled with monsters and the people they prey on. Ever wonder what inspired the things that raises the hair on the back of your neck? Well, people can give all the gratitude to Gothic literature. Gothic Literature is a mixture of fiction, death and sometimes romance. Many writers and their work has become well known in Gothic literature, such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The most

  • Gwinnett Bierce Biography

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    Online. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resource Center. Web. 8 Mar. 2014 Grenander, M.E. ‘’ Ambrose (Gwinett) Bierce.’’ American Literay Critics and Scholar, 1880- 1900. Ed. John Wilbert Rathbun and Monics M. Grecu. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. Dictionary of Literary Biography Vol. 71. Literature Resource Center. Web. 8 Mar. 2014 Grenander, M. E. “Bierce, Ambrose (Gwinnett) (1842-1914).’’ Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia of American Literature. George B. Perkins, Barbara Perkins, and Phillip Leininger

  • Barbecued Husbands: A Literary Analysis

    2152 Words  | 5 Pages

    Gluttony is described as an “excess in eating and drinking” according to American Heritage Dictionary; the Oxford English Dictionary adds that the word may also refer to an excessive desire for food and drink and by a natural extension to many kinds of overindulgence. The story which talks about gluttony is from the book Barbecued Husbands which is a collection of wonderful stories from the Macurap. Barbecued Husbands have many similarities with Greek literature in terms of, myths, fairytales, fables

  • Apology Of Palamedes And The Ethics Of Persuasion

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    only careers utilizing rhetoric, although they may be the first to come to mind. Any career that requires convincing communication needs to be familiar with the methods of rhetoric. References . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.audioenglish.org/dictionary/sophistry.htm Duke, G. (n.d.). The Sophists. Retrieved from http://www.iep.utm.edu/sophists/ Gorgias. (2008). Retrieved from http://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_gorgias.html Higgins, C. F. (n.d.). Gorgias (483-375 B.C.E.). Retrieved from