Take a look back at history, ancient Rome and the Aztec empire. They all believed in their own sort of myth. A similar factor between the majority of fables is their theme. A person should never let their hubris get the better of them. Hubris; a person's pride, their ego, and an unmistakable arrogance. The passages “The Wreck of The Hesperus” written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow along with “ The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald” Created by Gordon Lightfoot share many similar details in addition to a collective theme. Both tales have immensely similar plot lines. In the first passage “The Wreck of The Hesperus” A young lady, the daughter of a sailor, is taken along by her father on a long voyage despite, the old legend of hurricane warnings that
have come to pass. The hurricane beings and inevitably the boat is jerked around like a flag in the wind, and after sometime is found upon the shore line in its ruins. When the story “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” commences, we are informed that the November gales are said to come early. The gales of November is a storm, that historically sank the ship the Edmund Fitzgerald. When aware the ship would be sailing into the gales of November, the Edmund Fitzgerald did not surrender but instead continued along, to the port of Whitefish Bay. Before long the Edmund Fitzgerald reaches the same imminent end. The common theme between the narratives “The Wreck Of The Hesperus” and the “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” Is the vanity of a person should never get the better of them. The most evident sample of the theme begins when the sailor, in the story by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow states “Last night the moon had a golden ring, And to-night no moon we see!” (17-18). These two lines show the warnings promptly ignored by the sailor due to him believing he would be able to overcome the storm. The sailor made a horrendous decision by ignoring the omens he would come to find were true. Comparable to the cautioning in “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. As the story is told by Gordon Lightfoot “And every man knew, as the captain did, too T’was the witch of November come stealing” (19-20). What is shown in the lines previously stated is that the captain along with his crew were well aware of the storm that would soon be arriving. Instead of heading in another direction the captain and his men continued on their way into the eye of the hurricane. Later on in the poem It is stated that “If they’d put fifteen more miles behind her.” (36). The audience is shown by this that if the Edmund Fitzgerald had been a mere fifteen miles faster or slower they could have avoided the hurricane. The similar details show how both passages are used to relate a similar theme, that arrogance will lead to an inevitable downfall. If only the sailors had listened to the indication that a storm would be among them, their unfortunate deaths could have been avoided. Common themes amidst the dramas “The Wreck Of The Hesperus” and the “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” Is the pride of a person should never overcome their logical thinking. The morals of both stories are supported by lines in the poems including 17 and 18 of “The Wreck of The Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth LongFellow And 19, 20, and 36 of “Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald” written by Gordon Lightfoot. In relation to the theme the two poems have many similar details including the plot to both stories. Most significantly the fables include the idea that human arrogance is the collapse of their futures.
In Odysseus's mind he has very good reasons to kill the suitors. He decided to kill them when he found out that they wanted to marry his wife. The suitors has all assumed that he was dead, for 20 years. As a result they tried to marry his wife. Penelope also believed that he was still alive and she tried to delay any marriages. Odysseus's idea to kill them all is not very logical especially because while he was away on his 20 year expedition he cheated on his wife two times. Odysseus actions were very rash. The reader can see this when Eurymachus says, “Rash actions, many here,” (Homer 818). Eurymachus knows that Odysseus has made rash decision and he is trying to show him his ways and how it is bad. Later the reader reads that Odysseus doesn’t really see that and he is just excited to be reunited with his wife.
The use of the sea or the river as a means of transport is another strong similarity between the two tales. Both of the heroes start their journeys by travelling on a wooden raft, and ultimately they are both thrown heavily into danger whilst travelling on the water. In The Odyssey Odysseus’s men are punished by The Sun God for eating his cattle by being thrown into a sudden storm, Odysseus is thrown overboard and after narrowly escaping is the only survivor. In a similar way Huck’s run in with a ferryboat is described as being just like a sudden storm, as it comes suddenly out of nowhere. When the f...
Throughout different translations of the Beowulf epic, composers put their unique touches on different situations to portray different ideas on the same issues that are brought up within the original old english version. This is truly evident during the portrayal of Grendel’s mother within the separate translations. The variance shown between translations helps to distinguish the differences between what each composer considers a villain to be personally. This is clearly evident between written translations and Robert Zemeckis film adaptation due to the visual imagery we receive when faced with Grendel’s mother. Even still their are small differences between written translations that play a major impact on how the author views villains as a whole. These differences helps the composers to display different viewpoints on how our society functions today.
Roman and Greek mythology are filled with multiple interpretations of how the creator, be it the gods or nature, contributed to the birth of the world. These stories draw the backgrounds of the gods and goddesses that govern much of classical mythology. Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Hesiod’s Theogony are two pieces of work that account for how our universe came to be. A comparison of Theogony with Metamorphoses reveals that Hesiod’s creation story portrays the deities as omnipresent, powerful role whose actions triggered the beginning of the universe whereas in Metamorphoses, the deities do not play a significant role; rather the humans are center of the creation. The similarities and differences are evident in the construction of the universe, ages of man, and the creation of men and women on earth.
The reader is introduced to an insight of Titus Andronicus’ cruel nature, after he ignores Tamora’s cry to have her first-born son saved from his sacrifice to revenge the lives of his sons that her Goth people took. This new interpretation of Titus as a ruthless murderer heavily contradicts the reader’s first impression of Titus that Marcus gave the reader. Marcus initially leads the reader to except that Titus is good and honorable man. Titus’ sudden act of violence makes the reader realizes that he has two sides to his character: the relentless warrior and the beloved hero. However as the play unfolds, an individual can realize that everything that occurs throughout the play is connected to the initial sacrifice. It is evident that Titus’ character goes through many changes, the not one but many sides of his personality are revealed.
Myths and religious doctrine are generally recognized as two entirely different things. Myths are usually referred to as a fictitious story or a half-truth; often they are stories shared between groups of people that are part of a cultural society. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, and purpose of the universe, and often containing an ethical code dictating appropriate human conduct. Although they differ in certain aspects, they still hold similarities. Comparable to parables within the Bible, myths have different versions which are both motivating, as well as entertaining. There are not only parallels to the idea of the stories but specific tales hold similar morals and equivalent characters.
One of the most unmistakable, evident themes of Hesiod's didactic narratives is the moral decay of the characters portrayed within them. Ironically, many of his creatures which he brings alive in his literature develop this decay in an evolutionary succession. Hesiod conveys to his readers this idea of negative succession mainly within one of his more well-known works, Theogony. Both groups of characters in the Theogony, gods and mortals, display this moral decay as his story progresses. This decomposition of law and morality within succeeding generations of characters is brought about by different events, according to Hesiod. In Hesiod's Theogony, different races of men are created and destroyed according to the will of the gods, so it appears that Hesiod is putting the gods in control of the general disposition of the mortals. The gods, unlike some mortals, have no superior being to fall back on or to blame their behaviors on, so it seems to me that they more at fault with their wicked behaviors than the race of men in this narrative. Although it seems that Hesiod attempts to put these immortals in a good light by tinting the image of their questionable behavior with his constant flattering adjectives (and such), he, either consciously or inadvertently, paints a dark picture of their true ethics and characters.
Homer and Hesiod were well-known epic poets that gave contribution to their culture by writing poetry on the different aspects and views of the Greek world. Homer’s long narrative poems dealt a lot with heroes at war, gods and goddesses involved with humans while Hesiod’s poetry is shorter, having little to do with heroes, and presents the importance of work and morality. Although the two poets have their own unique writing style, there are many differences and similarities in The Odyssey, Works and Days, and Iliad about beliefs in religion, description of women, and function of war.
There is overwhelming evidence corroborating the notion that the perplexity as well as bewilderment underlying man’s destiny along with his deeds is what may qualify Sophocles “Oedipus” as a real human tragedy in the sense that the whole story is about mysterious and enigmatic inquiries about truth as well as human tragedy.
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.
In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, the power that Iago has over Emilia in their relationship helps manifest the unfairness of gender roles thus, leading to a distortion of the worth of women. The power that Iago has over Emilia hurts Emilia’s self-confidence. The distortion of the worth of women ultimately leads to misunderstandings in Emilia’s view of relationships.
"Your intelligence may get you far in your life." In the poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus was the main character. He was a young man in search for his home at Ithaca. By the end of his long journey, he had spent approximately twenty years in search for his family and friends. During the lengthy trip, Odysseus shows how determined and extremely intelligent he can be by fighting through unbelievable things throughout the story.
In the second line “I will tell...” to line thirty-two “and the world...” the author communicates to the reader that Stesichorus has a different way of viewing the world. This is shown when Stesichorus said “everything everyone saw everyone saw because I saw it” (148). This portrays that Stesichorus believes that him seeing is essential for other people to see the world. This can be confirmed when Stesichorus said “I was responsible for everyone’s visibility” (148). I think the author is trying to tell the readers that Stesichorus blames himself for being blind because he “forgot” not to blink “until the start of the war” (148). During these lines, I think the interviewer pressured Stesichorus into going deeper in his story which might allow
“Which animal has one voice, but two, three or four feet being slowest on three?” This riddle was said by the monster Sphinx to all who wanted to enter into Thebes. She destroyed all that could not solve her riddle (Willson). Oedipus, whose life seemed to be controlled by fate, answered correctly. His life was one of tragedy and disaster. He is now the patron of philosophers, scientists, poets, artists, and of all truth-seekers (Wilson).
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.