The Cowboy Figure The figure of the cowboy is prominent, not only in America’s history, but also in contemporary society. The cowboy has always been regarded as the epitome of freedom, machismo and individuality, and his character maintains a certain romantic quality about it. Riding the range with his trusty horse, forging the frontier, and exposing himself to the mercy of the wilderness, the cowboy lives for himself alone and yet he lives the life about which the rest of society can only
Several human figures can also be found gathered around one central human figure who is lying on the ground with the other figures of children around him. The figure of the man is in the foreground of the painting in the center. His arms are oriented in positions indicating fatigue or anguish, one arm by his side tucked tightly in toward his body, and the other is stretched over his head bent at the elbow and draping over his forehead. The man's clothing seems rather loose and baggy exposing his
Figures of the Renaissance Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan was a leader of the Renaissance and a benefactor to modern science. The results of his voyage around the globe were such that the average person living during the Renaissance re-thought their paradigms of the world surrounding them, even know most scholars and other educated types knew that in fact, the world was round in shape. Ferdinand, however, proved it. Thus he lays claim to having circumnavigated the first voyage around the
Oedipus and Hamlet as Father Figures Oedipus and Hamlet are two very well known characters in literature. They both stand out in a reader's mind through their actions, conflicts, strengths, and weaknesses. A reader becomes involved more in the action through these two characters. They allow us, the reader, to gain a greater sense of the stories plot. In many ways these characters hold similar traits to one another but the one that stands out most in my mind is their relationships with their
Galahad as a Christ Figure Very few people can call themselves a Christ figure. There are so many elements that go into being a Christ figure. Galahad had all those elements. He was enraptured, he saw 'the wonders of the Holy Grail', and he had disciples. Also, he made life better for human beings by sacrificing himself for others, he preformed miracles, and he heard holy voices and saw holy visions. Because of all that he did Galahad was a proven Christ figure of his time. Galahad would
The Adventures of Huck Finn CHARACTER: Character Name Description Quote Huckleberry Finn A young outcast boy who is always forced to survive on his own due to lack of authority. He is quick-witted and able to make intelligent decisions, but is often influenced by his friend Tom. Jim A black slave that belonged to Miss Watson but escaped after she threatened to sell him. Huck and him went off together on the river looking for the free states. The king & the duke Fugitives
called significant figures. This implies that all digits in a number are important; however, this is not true. Zeros that are used as placeholders after the decimal point are not significant. For example 0.0032 only has two significant figures, yet trailing zeros to the right of a decimal point are significant. So, the digit 94.00 has four significant figures. Furthermore, trailing zeroes of a whole number are not significant. So, the number 380 only has two significant figures. However, according
Cleopatra as a Historical Figure In hieroglyphs, the name reads “Kleopadra”. It is a name which in Greek means “Glory of Her Race” (Weigall, 44). It is a name belonging to a woman who has transcended the boundaries of time so that we may know her story. What better way to describe Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt, Ruler of the Nile, sent from the Gods themselves to lead her people, than “Glory of Her Race”? Cleopatra, the last ruling descendant of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, has arguably unparalleled
Iago as a Satan Figure in Othello The play "Othello" by William Shakespeare is based on an Italian story in Giraldi Cinthio's Hecatommithi (Groliers). In "Othello" we encounter Iago, one of Shakespeare's most evil characters. Iago is an ensign in Othello's army and is jealous of Cassio's promotion to Lieutenant. Through deception and appearance, we see unfolded a plethora of lies and clever schemes. The astonishing thing about Iago is that he seems to make up his malicious schemes as he goes
Figures of speech in The Fall of the House of Usher Edgar Allen Poe’s short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, sets a tone that is dark, gloomy, and threatening. His inclusion of highly descriptive words and various forms of figurative language enhance the story’s evil nature, giving the house and its inhabitants eerie and “supernatural” qualities. Poe’s effective use of personification, symbolism, foreshadowing, and doubling create a morbid tale leading to, and ultimately causing, the fall
Virtue and the Public Figure Introduction According to the dictionary Grand Robert, the term “public” means “what concerns people as a whole and what belongs to the social or political community and is done in its name”; a public figure is defined as “a person who is invested with an official function or plays an important role in the social or political life of his or her country”. In relation to these definitions, it is possible to identify different categories of public figures with more or less
Rhetorical Figures in Leda and the Swan "Leda and the Swan," a sonnet by William Butler Yeats, describes a rape. According to Perrine, "the first quatrain describes the fierce assault and the foreplay; the second quatrain, the act of intercourse; the third part of the sestet, the sexual climax" (147). The rape that Yeats describes is no ordinary rape: it is a rape by a god. Temporarily embodied in the majestic form of a swan, Zeus, king of the gods, consummated his passion for Leda, a mortal
The Rake Figure in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre Edward Rochester, the male protagonist of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre embodies a number of different roles of masculinity. One of the least recognized but very influential roles played by Rochester is the rake. The idea of the "rake" is commonly related to the Restoration period in England; yet this figure does not completely disappear during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Historical figures such as John Wilmot the second Earl of Rochester
Biblical Figures and Ideals in William Shakespeare's Richard II William Shakespeare's Richard II tells the story of one monarch's fall from the throne and the ascension of another, Henry Bullingbrook, later to become Henry IV. There is no battle fought between the factions, nor does the process take long. The play is not action-packed, nor does it keep readers in any form of suspense, but rather is comprised of a series of quietly dignified ruminations on the nature of majesty. Thus, the drama
Romeo and Juliet as Christ Figures Introduction and Modern Interpretations Modern audiences have been reintroduced to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet largely through modern film reinterpretations of the play. Many of these films, most notably Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 version of Romeo and Juliet and John Madden’s 1998 Shakespeare in Love, have focused on the tragic destiny of these "two star-crossed lovers". Seemingly, it is the destiny of Romeo and Juliet to commit suicide because they
Oedipus Rex – a Christ Figure Sophocles’ famous tragedy, Oedipus Rex, perhaps “the most important and influential drama ever written” (“Sophocles” 717), presents in the person of Oedipus the model of a good ruler, a humanely intelligent and vigorously active leader, a man who earlier saved his adopted city Thebes from disaster. Is Oedipus an alter Christus besides? The numerous parallels between the figure of the king Oedipus and the figure of Christ in the Scriptures prompts the reader
Poetry is language that says more than ordinary language. It uses figures of speech. Each figure of speech may suggest several meanings with minimal words. It uses words with strong connotations and these words appeal to the reader's emotions. The language in poetry is strong. The Oxford English Dictionary defines figure of speech as "a word or phrase used in a non-literal sense for rhetorical or vivid effect." Figures of speech add interest and meaning to the way a person speaks. It is
Tragic Figures in Antigone A good working definition of a tragic figure, in the Greek mythological sense, would be a person who, through a character flaw, is brought lower than that flaw would merit. The person with the flaw is usually royal, or at least noble. Greek tragedies were not written about common people. Antigone may be a tragic figure in the modern, common sense of the word; that is, she was someone who has something bad happen to her. "Oh," someone might say when they discover
Macbeth: A Noble and Highly Respected Figure In Ducan's Reign Macbeth was a noble and highly respected figure in King Duncan's reign. He lived a brave and honest life, serving the King and his country against evil. The Tragedy of Macbeth occurred when the weird sisters met Macbeth for the first time. An evil mind took over Macbeth, and he was doomed to the witches prophesies until his death. Macbeth was a General of the King's army, and served the King with honor and dignity. After
The Ugly World of Competitive Figure Skating For every Olympic games, there always seems to be some type of scandal or drama. The 2002 Winter Olympic games in Salt Lake City proved itself to be full of this excitement and controversy. That year the scandal appeared in one of the most popular events, figure skating. The competition was between the Russian and Canadian figure skating pairs. The Russians showed a performance full of technical difficulty without pulling it off completely. Their