The Foolish Puritans of The Scarlet Letter
"What is one man's poison is another's meat or drink," Beaumont and
Fletcher wrote in one of their plays. Almost everything in the world is
interpretable in at least two conflicting ways. In The Scarlet Letter, the
Puritan society shuns a character named Pearl, yet the author, who lived in
the Romantic period, views her with awe and reverence. Nathaniel
Hawthorne's use of nature imagery in The Scarlet Letter reflects Pearl's
wild, capricious character that serves as a constant reminder of Hester's
sin and whose romantically idealistic beauty frightens the Puritan society.
In Hawthorne's descriptions of Pearl as an infant and toddler,
nature imagery emphasizes Pearl's startling beauty and unpredictable, yet
innocent, character. Pearl's beauty and innocence are apparent from the
time of her birth. Hawthorne describes Pearl's "innocent life [as] a lovely
and immortal flower"(Hawthorne 81). Even though Pearl is a product of the
"guilty passion"(81) between Hester and Dimmesdale, both her soul and her
body are untainted and flawless. Hester notices that Pearl has no physical
defects, but Pearl's character has an unexplainable aspect of oddity and
unpredictability. When she plays near Hester's cottage, Pearl "[smites]
down [and] uproot[s] most unmercifully [the] ugliest weeds"(87) which she
pretends are the Puritan children. Hester believes that Pearl is so
emotional and temperamental because the passion which Hester and
Dimmesdale experienced during their sinful act somehow transferred into
Pearl's soul. However, Pearl's antipathy for the Puritans is justified; the
children often torment her for no good reason. When Hester and Pearl go
into town, the Puritan children stop playing and either surround Pearl and
stare at her or prepare to hurl mud at the unfortunate pair. Both actions
by the Puritans result in a fit of outrage by Pearl. One reason that the
Puritans treat Pearl badly is because of her mother's sin. The Puritans
believe that since Pearl is the product of adultery, she is automatically
evil and depraved. The Puritan hatred for Pearl is also due to the fact
that she, like Hester's scarlet letter, is beautiful, and they are in a way
jealous of both. Supposedly, Hester's scarlet 'A' is a punishment, but she
embroiders it richly and wears it with subtle pride. When the Puritans
first see the 'A', they want to replace it with an 'A' made out of
A sinful nature is an aspect in man that makes him rebellious against God. Everyone has a sinful nature and it affects every part of us. Sin corrupts the human mind and has consequences for doing wrong in the eyes of the Lord. Every individual on Earth sins, and this is represented in the novel The Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale to portray how different people cope with their sin and the consequences of that sin.
The Puritan life is based purely on sin. The Puritans believe that all people are sinners and are thus despised and hated by God. Sinners are subject to the worst punishments and suffer the worst torment. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, several characters serve as models of sinners in agony from their error. Both Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne bear the punishment of their adultery, which evidenced itself in their daughter Pearl. While Dimmesdale plagues himself with guilt and Hester lives with the brand of the scarlet "A", it is Pearl who receives the worst penalty, suffering for a sin which she did not even commit. The village where she resides associates her with the circumstances of her birth, branding her with a reputation as difficult to bear as her mother's. Although many in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter endure the results of sin, none have punishment equal to that of little Pearl's.
Euripedes tugs and pulls at our emotions from every angle throughout The Medea. He compels us to feel sympathy for the characters abused by Medea, yet still feel sympathy for Medea as well. These conflicting feelings build a sense of confusion and anxiety about the unfolding plot. In the beginning, the Nurse reveals the recent background events that have caused Medea so much torment: "She herself helped Jason in every way" (13) and now he "has taken a royal wife to his bed" (18). Right away we are angry with Jason for breaking his wedding vows, and we are building up sympathy for Medea as the Nurse describes her acts of suffering. When we first see Medea, she speaks passionately to the women of Corinth and convinces them to side with her. She evokes their sympathy by drawing further attention to her suffering and speaking in terms that bring them all to common ground. Aegeus becomes Medea’s first victim when he, unknowingly, provides the final building block in her plan for revenge against Jason. We sympathize for Aegeus in his ignorance. Medea now has confidence in her plan, so she reveals it to the women of Corinth. She is going to send her children to Jason’s bride with a poisoned dress that will make her die in agony. We are still compelled to sympathize with Medea at this point because she has justified her reasons for seeking revenge. However, the princess is oblivious to Medea’s plot; she will accept the gift for its beauty then meet an unexpected, agonized death. The image of pain and agony elicits our sympathy as well. Medea presents her most perverse speech when she explains how she will kill her own children then flee Corinth. Alone, these acts provoke pure disgust, but Euripides has developed Medea’s character as a coercive force; we still sympathize with her for her plight, yet we also hate her for her decisions. The women of Corinth try to persuade her away from this morbid choice, but their arguments are ineffective. Euripides employs stichomythia in the exchange between the women and Medea to show Medea breaking down boundaries between self and other, which prevent sympathy (811-819). Euripedes focuses on suffering, ignorance, and rhetoric to leave us torn in our sympathy for every character.
The cyclic thread of vengeance runs like wild fire through the three plays in Aeschylus’s Oresteia. This thread, with its complexity of contemporary and universal implications lends itself quite well to – in fact, almost necessitates – deeply interested study. While a brief summary of the Oresteia will inevitably disregard some if not much of the trilogy’s essence and intent, on the positive side it will establish a platform of characters, events, and motives with which this paper is primarily concerned. As such, I begin with a short overview of the Oresteia and the relevant history that immediately precedes it.
In life much of our future rest upon our decisions. These decisions come in all different shapes and sizes, and some have the potential to thrive our futures into greatness, while others can destroy our lives to the point of no return. In the play Medea, by Euripides he provides his audience with a dramatic story of a woman who will stop at nothing, to reach her goals of revenge. In Medea there are many significant decisions made throughout the story. The decision by Medea to let her desire for revenge rule her life, I believe is the most important. Medea is a tragedy, which shows the true destruction and horror that came from one decision.
We are all sinners. Although one may try hard not to sin, all humans eventually succumb at some time or another to sin. While people may not able to avoid the fate which awaits them, the power of free will allows people to decide how they will respond to sin. While some may respond with guilt and regret, others may react with a sense of redemption and a renewed sense of responsibility.
The rise of photography began in the early 1830’s in France, and wasn’t very popular as most artists preferred a paintbrush and canvas to a new contraption that wasn’t popular and wasn’t manufactured locally or globally yet and that was fairly expensive to try to produce, and since this time it has been debated if photography deserves its place in the art world. Through the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s it grew in popularity and throughout time photography went from being badly received to a new form of art though people around the world still debate if it is indeed “art”. Photography has a long history from the first camera obscura in the 18th century to the latest Nikon or Canon camera in the 21st century.
...ars. Jason begins to question why Medea has killed their children. In the stage directions it is noted, “Medea appears above the roof, sitting in a chariot drawn by dragons” (Euripides 1316- 1319). Only gods and prophets could command such creatures in Greek mythology. This action signifies the character Medea freeing herself from the guilt of killing her children and emotionally impairing her husband. Only through purity can one achieve such divinity. This makes Medea’s rebellion divine. Medea’s actions are a proof of mythology as symbolic of rebellion.
The problem set at the beginning of the play is that Jason has decided to marry another wife, Glauce. Medea is angered and will not let Jason off without punishment. The loss of Jason is not only a matter of passion; Medea has been completely humiliated by Jason's decision to take a new bride. Her pride shows again when she refuses Jason's aid. Though her situation is difficult, she would rather destroy all than accept help from one who has wronged her so horribly. Living as a barbarian among Greeks has made her more defensive, more full of hurt pride. To punish Jason, Medea had her children deliver poisoned gifts to the new bride, to kill her children, Glauce, and Creon. . Medea is not without feeling, nor is she a sociopath. She comprehends the difference between right and wrong, but chooses to follow the dictates of rage.
Because of Medea’s strange way of thinking, the reader is able to identify with her. Although she wishes harm on Jason, Medea does not care who else gets hurt along the way. “Ah, lost in my sufferings, I wish, I wish I might die,” (pg. 692, line 97-8). She is able to convince the reader with her first line that her suffering has been so awful, that there is no longer any point in living. Before truly understanding what is going on in the play, Medea is able to get many people on her side. At the very least, she is able to make most people feel sorry for her right away, and recognize her as a pitiful character.
The realm of revenge often warps the mental state of characters, leading them to enact vengeance regardless of the repercussions which may permeate their world. In Shakespeare’s renowned play “Hamlet,” the main character, Prince Hamlet, is conflicted between his quest to adhere to his private passion, in regards to his eagerness to avenge his father’s death, and his need to avoid neglecting his responsibilities towards his loved ones. Further, the effects of vengeance are illustrated by Medea, the main character in Euripides’ play “Medea,” who allowed her passion for revenge to supersede her duties to her children. Despite the numerous forms of retaliation, this brutalized world is one that ceaselessly dilutes the minds of characters, leaving them ravenous for revenge and oblivious towards any repercussions.
Medea’s illegitimate marriage and the betrayal of Jason drive Medea to extreme revenge. Medea chooses to act with her immortal self and commit inhumane acts of murder rather than rationalize the outcomes of her actions. Medea see’s this option as her only resort as she has been banished and has nowhere to go, “stripped of her place”. To create sympathy for Medea, Euripides plays down Medea’s supernatural powers until the end of the play. Throughout the play Medea represents all characteristics found in individual women put together, including; love, passion, betrayal and revenge. Medea’s portrayal of human flaws creates empathetic emotions from the audience. The audience commiserates with Medea’s human flaws as they recognize them in themselves. Medea plays the major role in this play as she demonstrates many behavioral and psychological patterns unlike any of the other Greek women in the play; this draws the audience’s attention to Medea for sympathy and respect.
Pearl has spent her entire life knowing who her mother is and identifies her with and only with the letter on. “Pearl’s image, crowned, and girdled with flowers, but stamping its foot, wildly gesticulating, and in the midst of all, still pointing its small forefinger at Hester’s bosom!” (Hawthorne 173). In this scene, Hester takes the letter off when she is with Dimmesdale, and Pearl refuses to come near her until she puts the letter back on; she recognizes that the letter is a part of who her mother is. The identity of herself is also uncovered as a result of the letter. Pearl sees how the Puritan society treats her mother and refuses to act likewise. Not only does she stand up to those who judge Hester, but she also practices being kind instead. “Pearl was almost sure, [the bird] had been hit by a pebble and fluttered away with a broken wing. But then the elf-child sighed, and gave up her sport; because it grieved her to have done harm to a little being that was as wild as the sea-breeze, or as wild as Pearl herself” (Hawthorne 147). Pearl cares for the wellbeing of those around her, both human and animal. This has shaped who she is through her kindness and her intelligence; it becomes what her identity is and displays how she identifies her mother, verifying that she was impacted the most by the scarlet
The stories characters, Medea and Jason, can be seen as representations of two different responses to life. For hundreds of years, society has judged each others actions and reactions based on just cause. This story, to me, has a type of underlying theme that drags the reader into a moral debate, which forces you to really question your own belief system.
Medea, a barbarian woman who once complied with Jason to acquire the Golden Fleece betrays her country by killing her brother and father to run in exile to Corinth. Jason takes Medea, who is not from a Greek background to Greece, a male-dominated society, where he then betrays her for a royal bed. This causes Medea to seek revenge and kill individuals around Jason including her own children. Medea is considered a tragic drama where the protagonist, Medea, atrociously murders innocent individuals in order to get revenge on Jason who betrayed her by marrying a princess. Although Jason’s betrayal causes Medea sorrow, there is overwhelming evidence throughout the play of characters who heard Medea’s evil plans of revenge towards innocent victims, therefore, her immoral actions shall be given a trial in Corinth where