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Sophocles makes frequent use of seafaring imagery in his Oedipus the King, creating new perspectives from which to view its characters and cities. Oedipus tells the story of a king undone by a lack of faith in prophesy, the king of a people in need of spiritual rescue. Arrogant Oedipus is reduced to a wretch … Read more
Sophocles used his plays to encourage Athenians to take responsibility for their own actions. In the fifth century B.C., Greece was experiencing an era of military exploration, political turmoil and social revolution, including women’s empowerment. Sophocles included all of these elements in plays, especially in Oedipus Rex and Antigone. Despite his upper class upbringing, Sophocles … Read more
What makes a Hero? Being known as a hero is a great honor. You are held in high esteem by people all over the world. You have great fame and sometimes even great fortune. But to become a hero is a challenging path. It requires you to have great strength of character, being honorable and … Read more
The purpose of this paper is to expound on the plot of “Oedipus rex”. The plot of a play contains a rising activity, falling activity, determination, exposition and peak. The rising activity takes after exposition and works towards the greatest part of a play. The falling activity is after the peak and guides the reader … Read more
Critics have noted that unlike his illustrious predecessors who also specialized in Greek tragedy, Euripides bears a far greater sensibility towards the marginalized sections of society such that many of his prominent characters are seen to be either women or people belonging to the ‘lower classes’. This was in stark contrast to Greek dramatic tradition, … Read more
In Euripides’ Medea, one could argue that Medea’s most tragic flaw is her emotions. Medea goes on a quest to seek revenge on her unfaithful husband Jason and her retaliation is her closure. Jason’s betrayal is the fuel for this revenge, and along the way Medea’s emotions overshadow her reasoning. Jason was Medea’s closest friend, … Read more
What makes a character in a story different from any other character? While reading epic novels about the Anglo-Saxon culture and epic heroes, a character’s characterization and his development of characterization set him apart from the other characters in the novel. There are multiple ways that characterization developed while using a different literary element present … Read more
Flannery O’Connor’s Wise Blood is a powerfully unsettling novel concerning a lost man in the grotesque, dark world of the American South. Published in 1949, Wise Blood’s protagonist Hazel Motes serves as a reflection of the power of mythology that continues to assert itself in O’Connor’s text. Throughout the course of the novel, Hazel Motes’s … Read more
Writer Oscar Wilde once said: “A mask tells us more than a face.” Throughout history, lies and masks have been a means to an end in achieving the goals of women who are limited in their current situations – social, political, or economical. Women traditionally cannot simply lash out in moments of angry frustration. The … Read more
Phoebe was the daughter of the titans. The titans were son and daughters of Uranus and Gaia, as told in Hesiod’s “theogony”. Phoebe the goddess of intellect , was married to Koios. Their children were Asteria and Leto as told in the “Dictionary of Greek and roman bibliography and mythology” Leto went on to bear … Read more
She was a Greek Titan Goddess, she was the Goddess of motherhood, and fertility. She took over most of her traits from her mother Gaia Goddess of earth. She was known as the “Mother of God” because she was the mother of the most powerful Titan Gods. Rhea was known as my Goddess such as … Read more
Considering divinity, destiny, and the existence of free will is not a concept that is exclusive to Greek Literature; in fact, whenever there are predetermined, all-powerful entities that guide the actions of lesser beings, it is quite natural to question the agency of those being guided. For instance, those that subscribe to any particular religion … Read more
Even though it was forbidden, Antigone decided to defy the state’s law and give her brother a burial. Antigone was right to defy King Creon because she had the right to bury her brother and her brother deserved a respectful burial so they could honor their family. Every person deserves a respectful burial. Even though … Read more
The Iliad is an epic poem that glorifies the heroic ideals that war imposes on its men. War itself has a strange, deadly fascination for those who are involved. Although war is characterized as being dreadful and grim, it is also characterized as the way for glory (‘kleos’) to surface in man. Warriors are often … Read more
The Greek rationalists’ search for the meaning of life through rational thought instead of the traditional legends marked the first radical shift from mythos to logos. While there was no clean break with either traditional religion or belief in the supernatural, Greek thought as a whole during the 7th- through 5th-centuries increasingly trended towards a … Read more
As a kind of collective character onto itself, the Chorus in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex assumes multiple functions and qualities that, together, effectively blur the lines between the private and public spheres of the drama. Evidenced in the text by their roles as observers and instigators, as well as social commentators, and then in the film-version … Read more
The idea of hubris is monumental in a plethora of Greek mythological works. In many ways the excessive pride of certain characters fuels their own destruction. This is certainly true with respect to the characters of Pentheus, Antigone, and Oedipus. All three of these characters demonstrate, through their actions, various degrees of arrogance that seem … Read more
Poseidon the Greek God of the Sea, The Earthshaker, The Prince of Tides. Poseidon also known as Neptune the God of the Sea, Earthquakes, floods, drought and horses. Neptune is seen as a mature man with a hefty build and dark beard holding a trident. He was seen as a grown man with a hefty … Read more
Aristotle’s passage Poetics (350 BC) was written the century after the composition of Sophocles Oedipus the King (428 BC). Despite their chronological separation, the two texts relate in incisive ways. In particular, Aristotle used Oedipus as the foundation for his explanation theory. For Aristotle, a tragedy must have certain characteristics that Oedipus the King contains … Read more
Beowulf vs Hercules The origin of the two heroes Beowulf and Hercules is stated to be associated with divine heroes. They were honored and royal servants of their country and communities they lead their communities to heroic events and battles. In majority of their stories the two warriors usually have a successful end. The two … Read more
After the events of the Trojan War, Odysseus and his men headed back home to Ithaca. En route, they unknowingly stopped at the island of the Cyclopes to gather supplies for their long journey home. Unfortunately, the inhabitants of the island were not very friendly – particularly one Cyclops named Polyphemus. In an attempt to … Read more
Born a Titan Phoebe who is an ancient but not very well known greek goddess who has intriguing family. “Phoebe is part of the first generation of Titans, who ruled during the Golden Age” as Linda wisely stated. The word “Titan” stands for Mighty strength, people say its a huge understatement as soon as they … Read more
Throughout the Iliad, conflict commonly arise between characters regardless of whether they are allies, close friends, or enemies; many of these conflicts arise due to issues involving pride, power, glory, and honor. In Book Nine of the Iliad, Agamemnon’s embassy utilizes logos and ethos in order to convince Achilles to rejoin the Greeks in battle. … Read more
Achilles, the swift, godlike warrior of Greek lore, is among the most complex of Homer’s epic characters. Achilles and his ill-fated tendon figure prominently in the Western archetypal notion of a tragic hero; however, the application of the term “hero” to the Achaean fighter is disputable. Homer creates in Achilles a character that challenges the … Read more
Hiketeia is a ritual supplication in which an individual embraces the knees of another in solicitation of a favor or errand. The use of hiketeia in The Iliad establishes a nature of authority in characters of power, including Zeus and Achilles, by demonstrating and creating indebtedness in “generosity” granted to the supplicant. Passages in Book … Read more
Homer’s Iliad features many sacred cultural principles present in the ancient Greek culture, but the importance and gravity of fate are communicated at the forefront of the work. While the exact properties of fate and how it can be changed are a mystery to the audience, the importance and honor in meeting one’s fate is … Read more
The Greek goddess Athena was the goddess of wisdom and war. She was one of the most powerful goddesses. She was known for her strategic skill in war. Also, for being fierce and courageous in battle. Athena’s parents are Zeus and Metis. There’s a myth that says she was born from Zeus’s head. The story … Read more
Throughout the history of literature, authors and playwrights have often employed a foil – a character whose purpose is to create a contrast with the main character that allows the latter’s attributes to cement their presence. Ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles, in his play Oedipus Rex, seamlessly weaves his foil character, Creon, into the tapestry of … Read more
Sophocles was born in 496 BC in Colonus, a village just outside Athens, to a wealthy weapons-maker and a leading citizen. As a young man, Sophocles was talented at music and dancing. He was interested in playwriting and began to study The Odyssey and The Iliad. An anonymous biographer of the time called him “the … Read more
Symbolism is a reoccurring theme in the Iliad; one commonly takes note that after the death of Patroclus, Achilles’ old armor transforms from representing “divine Achilles” to the symbolism of death, or Patroclus symbolizing the sacrificial servant. Although the symbolism between Achilles’ old and new armor is often scrutinized, one may notice a reoccurring resemblance … Read more
In describing the characters of Odysseus and Oedipus, Homer and Sophocles both avoid defining these men by typical physical characteristics such as stature or distinctive facial features. Instead, these authors focus on detailing specific bodily wounds that function as embodiments of each character’s identity. Parallel plotlines in The Odyssey and Oedipus the King reveal the … Read more
The tragedy of Oedipus the King by Sophocles, is a story of a man named Oedipus who becomes king, and through a series of events, ultimately meets his downfall. Through his display of hubris and hamartia throughout the play, Oedipus has risen and fallen. Oedipus” misfortune has been argued as “some error of judgement of … Read more
If the Iliad were a simple war narrative with a clear bias towards the protagonist’s side, Sarpedon would be portrayed as a two-dimensional enemy soldier who dies during the action. However, the Iliad is no such story. Complex and intensely human ideals, morals and emotions are woven into the very fabric of the poem, and … Read more
The eternal struggle between optimism and pessimism is never more apparent than in the comparison of the creation myths of the Yoruba and the Babylonians, The Creation of the Universe and Ife and The Enuma Elish respectively. Humanity springs forth in much the same manner in each story: starting with a world of water and … Read more
Antigone written by Sophocles, speaks about the power struggle between Antigone and her Uncle Creon who is the King of Thebes. Both characters seemed to have their own beliefs in how Antigone’s brother Polyneices should be buried. With both Creon and Antigone being strong-willed individuals, they refrain from changing their morals for anyone. As the … Read more
In most Greek tragedies, the writer uses the chorus as a tool to comment on action in the play. The chorus does not play an active role in the story, such that if they were removed from the work, the plot would not be affected. However, in Oresteia, Aeschylus does not keep to this traditional … Read more
Zeus, the King of the Gods, was having an affair with the goddess of the harvest, Demeter. They conceived a beautiful goddess named Persephone. Demeter was very protective of her daughter, keeping her naive to the ways of the world and dressing her as a child, even as she grew into a women. She meant … Read more
The Iliad: Book and Film Comparison The Iliad became adapted into a film during 2004 called Troy, in which the story was both dramatically and subtly changed in its adaptation. A major difference in the film was that there were no intervening or actions of the gods whatsoever, whereas in the book, the gods were … Read more
Who was Rhea? Rhea was an Earth Goddess, responsible for the fertility of the soil, women and motherhood. She took over most of these responsibilities from her mother Gaia/Gaea. Rhea was the “Mother of the Gods”, her name means “flow” and “ease”. Rhea was the goddess of motherhood and not only that she saved her … Read more
Apollo Eleven was the historic space flight that landed the first humans on the moon. Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin touched down on the lunar at surface on July twentieth 1969 at 20:18 Universal Coordinated Time or UTC. Armstrong became the first man to step onto the moon’s dusty surface six hours later on … Read more
Consider how conflict is an essential element in two of the short stories you have studied. Conflict is of huge significance to every story, whether it be a scuffle among teammates or a full-scale war. The stories chosen to be discussed in this essay are The Sniper and My Oedipus Complex. These stories have been … Read more
Throughout the history of literature, authors and playwrights have often employed a foil – a character whose purpose is to create a contrast with the main character that allows the latter’s attributes to cement their presence. Ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles, in his play Oedipus Rex, seamlessly weaves his foil character, Creon, into the tapestry of … Read more
Urban legends are mythical stories involving occurrences of the recent history. These stories often include elements of humor and horror that spread quickly and are commonly believed to be true; they typically echo humanity’s deepest fears or concerns. An urban legend can be retold with different settings and characters, but the central theme or idea … Read more
Although Euripides was known for his propensity to challenge tradition and complacency, his Medea was quite controversial when it was introduced in 431 B.C. in Classical Greece (ca. 479-323 B.C. ). Athenian society, a man’s world by organization, had no place for women outside of the home. When a girl was young, she was ruled … Read more
Writing towards the end of the twentieth century, German literary scholar Hans Wagener reflects on the deep resonance of war literature, stating: “When we think about certain periods of history, epoch-making books come to mind that capture the spirit of those times most vividly”. Indeed, literary expressions of the Great War have performed a crucial … Read more
In his Iliad, Homer uses the character of Diomedes to personify his definition of effective leadership, often juxtaposing him with the unproductive and cowardly Agamemnon. Homer believes that the bravery to assert one’s opinions and the willingness to act independently, even against authority, constitutes a successful leader. After suffering severe casualties and losses at the … Read more
The ancient Greeks, like many ancient cultures, believed in multiple gods. The Gods had supernatural powers and strengths. Myths about these Gods helped explain things about Greek life, These myths were important because they explained why the Greeks did things in a certain way and what was important to them. The article Greek Mythology explains … Read more
Hell has been described as a residence for souls after death has long been a topic of discussion and debate. This notion intrigues man. It is a concept that man cannot know about except through direct experience, which, once obtained, cannot be shared. Yet this does not prevent man from envisioning its form. Since the … Read more
Antigone written by Sophocles, speaks about the power struggle between Antigone and her Uncle Creon who is the King of Thebes. Both characters seemed to have their own beliefs in how Antigone’s brother Polyneices should be buried. With both Creon and Antigone being strong-willed individuals, they refrain from changing their morals for anyone. As the … Read more
The God Apollo Introduction: Mythology is everywhere. In fact it has such a grip on our world that our lives would be very different without it. Mythology is the subject of myths and legends, normally dealing with imaginary creatures. Myths have been told since the beginning of time. The purpose of these myths is to … Read more
