The character of Criseyde in Troilus and Criseyde is intriguing not only because of the conflicts and tensions she is faced with, but also because of the occasional variations between the type of person she is in her thoughts and the type of person she is when she interacts with Pandarus or Troilus. In her thought she is more independent, self confident and her feelings for Troilus are made evident. Whereas her persona when she’s interacting with Pandarus or Troilus is more reserved and her actions depict her as weak and victim like. In Book II, the passage in lines 695- 765 (pgs. 96-101) reveals Criseyde’s thought process and what specific conflicts she is faced with as she contemplates what her course of action should be regarding Troilus after finding out from her uncle, Pandarus, that Troilus loves her and will die without her. This passage also reveals Criseyde’s view of herself, what she considers to be appropriate behavior, what issues she holds in high regard when deliberating what she should do and most importantly, it shows Criseyde to be a complicated person who isn’t just doing what her uncle says or simply fulfilling the desires of Troilus.
Criseyde’s thoughts in this passage show her to be a self-confident woman. In lines 745-755 Criseyde, for the first time, acknowledges that she is beautiful,
“I am oon the fairest, out of drede,
And goodlieste, who that taketh hede,
And so men seyn, in al the town of ztroie.
What wonder is though he of me have joye?”
Sarah Raza
Page 2
By acknowledging that she is beautiful, she shows that she isn’t someone who is low in self-confidence. It also shows that she isn’t surprised to know that Troilus has fallen in love with her, but rather it is something that migh...
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...is kidding around with Pandarus, she seems to be more of herself. She tries to be strong and think from her head about whether a relationship with Troilus would be beneficial to her or not, but in reality it seems as if she does genuinely like Troilus and wants to just be with him for pleasure; but she doesn’t want to reveal this to anyone or confront it in her thoughts. Instead, she seems to look for a reason to like Troilus and justify a relationship with him. Criseyde’s behavior varies with the degree to which she wants to constrain her true personality in front of Pandarus and Troilus. Criseyde seems to want to be in control of her feelings, but as her thoughts reveal, she is confused as to how she should behave. This leaves the reader open to expect anything from Criseyde, since her behavior is at times quite the opposite of how she is in her thoughts.
Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus can be argued that it is related loosely to Rita Dove's The Darker Face of the Earth. This comparative and contrasting characteristics that can be seen within both plays make the reader/audience more aware of imagery, the major characters, plot, attitudes towards women, and themes that are presented from two very different standpoints. The authors Sophocles and Dove both have a specific goal in mind when writing the two plays. In this paper I will take a closer look of the two, comparing and contrasting the plays with the various elements mentioned previously.
Since Creon has a tragic flaw of hubris and comes to an increased awareness about his wrongdoings, it is clear that he perfectly fits the characteristics of a tragic hero. Many readers may not be able to visualize how difficult it is for someone who loses something very important to them, unless they have experienced it firsthand. Creon's choices in the story are an example that signifies the use of the brain instead of emotions that could interfere with the decision. When given the choice of different paths, one should make compromises to satisfy not only themselves, but others around them when needed. Without doing this, it can lead to several disputes and severe devastation in life.
Cyrano has many traits that allow him to express his true feelings towards Roxane, but because of his insecurity about his nose he destroys his own chance of experiencing true love. Christian is only loved for his outer beauty, but throughout the play Roxane learns to love his soul proving inner beauty is always more valuable than outer
In this assignment, I will be analyzing the characteristics of Odysseus and Penelope based on Homer and Ovid’s accounts. By exploring this element, we can compare and contrast how Odysseus and Penelope behave in certain situations. Although they have many similarities, they are both different as well, in which each displays a series of their own wisdoms in their encounters.
In the first section of the letter, Crevecoeur mainly appeals to pathos and logos. By appealing to pathos, Crevecoeur evokes emotion, specifically evoking a sense of pride. He also appeals to logos in order to show his reasoning and thoughts about why America is a better place to live than England. In the middle of the section, Crevecoeur says, “Can a wretch who wanders about, who works and starves, whose life is a continual scene of sore affliction or pinching penury; can that man call England or any other kingdom his country?”.
Catherine Carbone, a Study of Her Personality and an Analysis of Her Interaction with Other Characters Throughout the Play Arthur Miller was born in New York City, America, on October 17th 1915. His father, Isidore Miller, was a ladies-wear manufacturer and shopkeeper who was ruined in the depression. The sudden change in fortune had a strong influence on Miller. The family moved to a small frame house in Brooklyn. He spent his boyhood playing football, baseball and reading adventure stories.
At the outset of Oedipus Rex no female characters are present; the reader sees a king who comes to the door full of curiosity: “Explain your mood and purport. Is it dread /Of ill that moves you or a boon ye crave?” When the priest has responded that the people are despairing from the effects of the plague, the king shows sympathy for his subjects: “Ye sicken all, well wot I, yet my pain, /How great soever yours, outtops it all.” Thomas Van Nortwick in Oedipus: The Meaning of a Masculine Life : “We see already the supreme self-confidence and ease of command in Oedipus. . . . exudes a godlike mastery in the eyes of his subjects. . . .”(21-22); such “godlike mastery” will be his undoing. The critic Ehrenberg warns that it “may lead to ‘hubris’” (74-75). Throughout the drama Sophocles draws out an ongoing contrast between the “godlike mastery” of the king and the softer, more balanced and selfless characteristics of Jocasta, his wife. She is a foil to Oedipus. Shortly thereafter Creon, Jocasta’s brother, is returning from the Delphic oracle with the fateful words of the god’s command: “...
of her. He is proud of her looks but is concerned that it will attract
In the awe-inspiring play of Antigone, Sophocles introduces two remarkable characters, Antigone and Creon. A conflict between these two obstinate characters leads to fatal consequences for themselves and their kindred. The firm stances of Creon and Antigone stem from two great imperatives: his loyalty to the state and her dedication to her family, her religion but most of all her conscience. The identity of the tragic hero of this play is still heavily debated. This tragedy could have been prevented if it had not been for Creon's pitiful mistakes.
she was pretty and that was everything” (225). This captivation with herself along with the constant looking in the mirrors and thinking her mother was only pestering her all the time because her mother’s own good looks were long gone by now (225) shows a sign of immaturity because she believes everything revolves around whether or not someo...
Cyrano is depicted as an ugly man simply because of his nose. When he insulted about his nose by Valvert, a man that also has eyes for Roxane, Cyrano calmly asks and says “is that all? That was trifle short! You might have said at least a hundred things by varying the tone”(I.Rostand 28), and cyrano evens give Valvert more and better insults that he could have said. Cyrano himself makes slight remarks about himself and is surprisingly confident and comfortable with his nose, but when others insult it, he shows that he is not as comfortable as he seems, and ties into the fact that his appearance is an insecurity. Although Cyrano is not considered beautiful in the outside, he is beyond beautiful in the inside. His ability to write poems passionately and beautifully goes beyond his nose and in this case, his words spoke louder than his actions. In fact, his internal beauty is what Roxane is honestly in love with. Cyrano’s nose shows his uniqueness and sets him apart from the rest. Roxane refused to look past his ‘ugliness’, therefore she never got to find out who her true love was until it was too late. She saw Christian’s beauty and instantly fell in love. Inner and outer beauty also comes to okay, when Roxane finally says that she “began to love Christian not only for his beauty, but for also his soul”(IV. Rostand 108). Roxane has finally realized that it is not all about the exterior, but instead the interior. I believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and when you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. I think you should never judge someone at all, especially if the thing you’re judging them on is not permanent and can change at any given moment, “for beauty is a poor disguise that is soon worn threadbare by time”( IV. Rostand 108). Because he was judged on a surface level, Cyrano was
In the introduction scene as Cleo looks in her mirror, she reflects to herself, “as long as I’m beautiful I’m even more alive with others.” After observing that scene, it reveals how women look in the mirrors and do not actually see themselves. Rather, the view distorted by the cruel world’s beauty standards. Cleo should know that others may make you appear more present; it does not truly mean you exist in your in-itslef. Cleo, in her mind, maintains this immoral attitude throughout the beginning of the film that her looks must present to everyone, especially those people on the streets of Paris, her unacknowledged beauty. All this effort is made by not just Cleo, but most of society’s women to avoid the confrontation of being misperceived and or stigmatized. For instance, after watching a scene where Cleo is with her lover, instead of talking about her affliction and opening up to her partner, she still places herself as the perfect image of his perception of beauty. It is obvious that Cleo is left unsatisfied when her lover at the time leaves her. This being a cry for help for the true relationships in which she mourns for. Cleo focuses on being alluring as possible instead of speaking what really is on her mind. Cleo, in turn, fixating on how she is viewed by others. Through gazing at her reflection
her wisdom is evident when she says “I dare to guarantee/ your life is safe; I shall make good my claim. Upon my life the queen will say the same. show me the very proudest of them all in costly cover chief or jeweled Caul./ That dare say no to what I have to teach. Let us go forward without further speech.” (190-196). Having lived a long time, the crone understands human nature well and is willing to guarantee that she has an accurate assessment of what women truly desire. Like the queen and wife of bath, the crone is characterized as wise in Chaucer’s ploy to emphasize women’s capabilities regardless of society’s conventions. At the trail the knight comes forward with his answer; to have sovereignty and control over their husbands. The queen agrees that he is correct and lets him go. The crone then requests that the knight marries her and she doesn’t take no for an answer so they got married. While in bed, the knight tells her how upset he is about having to marry such an ugly crone. The old lady doesn't take this to offense and gives him two options on the kind of wife the crone can be: beautiful and unfaithful, or ugly but loyal to her husband. The knight realizes he is no position to choose for her and lets the crone decide for herself and in result becomes
This, in fact, is an example of “dynamic decomposition” of which the speaker claims she understands nothing. The ironic contradiction of form and content underlines the contradiction between the women’s presentation of her outer self and that of her inner self. The poem concludes with the line “’Let us go home she is tired and wants to go to bed.’” which is a statement made by the man. Hence, it “appears to give the last word to the men” but, in reality, it mirrors the poem’s opening lines and emphasises the role the woman assumes on the outside as well as her inner awareness and criticism. This echoes Loy’s proclamation in her “Feminist Manifesto” in which she states that women should “[l]eave off looking to men to find out what [they] are not [but] seek within [themselves] to find out what [they] are”. Therefore, the poem presents a “new woman” confined in the traditional social order but resisting it as she is aware and critical of
Aside from the actual narrator of the poem, the character Pandarus is the most influential force in shaping Book III of "Troilus and Criseyde". Pandarus does claim at several points to be swept along with the course of events, insisting "Withouten hond, me seemeth that in towne,/ For this merveille ich here ech belle sown" (188-89). Ultimately, however, he takes responsibility for his actions while also acknowledging his need for secrecy. "But wo is me, that I, that cause al this" (271). Because the influence of Pandarus is so significant, any broad thematic discussions developed throughout the work as a whole are potentially qualified or compromised by the presence of Pandarus.