Compare the portrayal of Clytaemnestra in both Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and Euripides’ Electra. Which portrayal do you think is more effective and why?

Louise Phillips U6 EYS Compare the portrayal of Clytaemnestra in both Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and Euripides’ Electra. Which portrayal do you think is more effective and why? The character of Clytaemnestra is portrayed very differently in both Aeschylus’ Agamemnon and Euripides’ Electra. In Agamemnon, we see a very strong female ruler, who is completely absorbed by her passion for vengeance, whereas the figure in Electra is far more maternal, and shows a concern for her family and reputation, which was not apparent in Aeschylus’ play. This subdued version of Clytaemnestra shows a stark contrast to the fierce and dominant character in Agamemnon, however both characters remain fascinating for different reasons. The Clytaemnestra of Agamemnon seems to be fearless of retribution, with an infallible belief in her own righteousness; ‘I have no fear that his avenger’s tread shall shake this house’. In Electra, however, we see a very different character, humbled over the years, and afraid of Orestes, ‘I’m terrified…they say he is full of anger for his father’s death’. These different reactions to the same topic emphasise how greatly the character of Clytaemnestra differs in each play, from the meek and subdued housewife of Electra, to the self-assured and confident murderess of Agamemnon. One explanation for the changes in character of Clytaemnestra in

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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In Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan, one of the main characters in the story, exhibits all the qualities of a tragic hero.

Aristotle's tragic hero has certain characteristics which can be applied to Oedipus the King and Milton's Satan. Aristotle states that a tragic hero can be classified as a person that falls from the state of being happy to one of misery because of his own mistake. This can be seen in both Oedipus and Satan, since they are miserable as a result of their own doing. According to Aristotle, the tragic hero must fall through his or her own error, or hamartia. This term is also interpreted as "tragic flaw", usually applied to overwhelming pride, or hubris, which causes fatal error. Satan and Oedipus show that they have hubris and this is probably one of the main contributing factors for their fall. Although, the main characteristic of the tragic hero, as stated by Aristotle, is their ability to make the reader or audience to empathize with them, he wants there to be a sense of fear and mistrust because of their devious nature. In Milton's Paradise Lost, Satan, one of the main characters in the story, exhibits all the qualities of a tragic hero. He has fallen, literally and figuratively, from grace. Once one of God's more powerful angels in heaven, Satan questions God's power and forms an alliance to overthrow Him. Satan's army fights diligently only to have God "...cast him out from Heaven, With all his host of rebel angels..." (Paradise Lost, Book1, Line 37). Book One of Paradise

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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In this essay I will be examining the characteristics of the characters Aeneas and Dido as they appear in the first book of the Aeneid.

Aeneas and Dido in the First Book of The Aeneid In this essay I will be examining the characteristics of the characters Aeneas and Dido as they appear in the first book of the Aeneid. In the first book of the Aeneid, Virgil introduces Aeneas. Aeneas is shown to be a Trojan hero and prince who survived the siege and sacking of Troy and managed to lead a band of survivors to safety. Aeneas is the son of Anchises and the goddess of love, Venus. After fighting in the Trojan War, Aeneas escaped after the Greeks sacked the city, leading a small band of survivors on a quest to find Latium, where, it had been revealed, the descendants of Aeneas would found the beginnings of the Roman Empire. After leaving Sicily, on what the Trojans believe to be the final stage of their journey, Juno sends a storm, which wrecks some of the ships and scatters the rest. She does this because she believes a race descended from the Trojans will destroy her beloved city of Carthage. After the storm, Aeneas makes his way to the shores of Libya, where he is met by is mother, Venus, disguised as a huntress. She tells him to make for the city of Carthage. There he is welcomed by Queen Dido, and reunited with the rest of his followers who have survived the storm. Dido invites the Trojans to a great banquet where Venus arranges that Dido will fall in love with Aeneas. Aeneas displays many qualities that

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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Oedipus.Try to visualize Oedipus as a forceful, powerful ruler who begins the trilogy in absolute control of the situation. As the story progresses, however, Oedipus' power and pride are broken down. How do you see him at the end of Oedipus the King?

OEDIPUS Try to visualize Oedipus as a forceful, powerful ruler who begins the trilogy in absolute control of the situation. As the story progresses, however, Oedipus' power and pride are broken down. How do you see him at the end of Oedipus the King? Some readers imagine a broken, pitiful old man who's been crushed by the avenging gods. Others see him as a wiser, soberer man, rising majestically above his misfortunes. How do you see him just before his death at the end of Oedipus at Colonus? Although Oedipus is the title character of the first two plays, you don't know his exact age or his physical traits. Some readers believe that Sophocles left out these essential character details because he was more concerned with developing Oedipus' inner nature- his moral and ethical qualities- than in developing a character for performance by an actor. Other readers point out that the lack of details is characteristic of Sophocles' economical writing style. (Athenians would probably have already had a mental picture of the legendary Oedipus, anyway.) Oedipus isn't given a lot of physical action, either. He enters, exits, kneels, prays, shouts, struts, weeps, yells, and dies. His most significant action is blinding himself, but that takes place offstage. Why does Sophocles omit physical movement for Oedipus? Perhaps Oedipus must seem stately and regal, so he will stand as a symbol

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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Odysseus has no real feelings for the female characters he encounters on his travels. How far do you agree with this view?

"Odysseus has no real feelings for the female characters he encounters on his travels." How far do you agree with this view? Odysseus encounters many female characters on his prolonged journey back to Ithaca, including Nymphs and goddesses. Although his resistance temptation is often tested, his remaining nostos seems to surpass any feelings he has towards his female 'obstacles', and it is likely that he in fact has no real feelings towards the women he meets; simply using them for his own benefit to aid him on his voyage. In Ancient Greece, it was not considered adultery if a man slept with servants or foreigners. This means that in principle, Odysseus could have slept with every woman he met on his travels (though there would have still been consequences), but he only sleeps with the two goddesses, Circe and Calypso. I believe he does show some signs of feeling towards the women he meets, but it never compares to the love and longing he feels for his wife Penelope. The first female character the audience hear of Odysseus encountering on his voyage back to Ithaca is the Nymph Calypso. She is in fact one of the most alluring of all the women he meets, as he does end up staying on her beautiful island where 'even an immortal visitor must pause to gaze in wonder and delight' for almost ten long years. However, the first we hear of Odysseus that he is 'sitting disconsolate on

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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How are the figures of Telemachus, Odysseus and Athena presented in Books I to V?

Homers Odyssey Due 6th November N.B.: All texts referenced fully in the Bibliography, Page 7. How are the figures of Telemachus, Odysseus and Athena presented in Books I to V? Throughout the formative books (namely I to V) that shape the consensus of the poem as a whole, the author portrays a series of consistent motifs and themes - primarily utilising literary mediums akin to epic poetry of this period. Indeed, a great deal of this is highlighted through initial character portrayal and their subsequent interactions with those around them as the story progresses. This is particularly evident in the cases of the legendary Odysseus, his estranged son Telemachus (the main protagonists of the poem) and the Goddess Athene - who oversees the well being of the aforemented heroes. Odysseus, the central character of the poem, is repeatedly portrayed as a courageous character renowned for his cunning; everyone who comes into contact with Odysseus is left in awe of his abilities. The author reiterates this point without fail whenever Odysseus becomes the topic of conversation, and the diction employed is always wholly complimentary (Cook, Book I, l.128 "stout-hearted Odysseus", Book III, l.98 "noble Odysseus", Book IV, l. 270 "stout-minded Odysseus"). As with most heroes of epic poetry, the usual

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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Which Path Shall I Choose?

Ann Baucom Shirley Kahlert English 1B Which Path Shall I Choose? An individual's future is determined by a myriad of decisions, directing the individual down any number of branching paths. Those decisions constitute consideration, evaluation and resolution - all acts of free will. One is not fated to think, one simply does. "One could always have experienced or acted somewhat differently from the way one did."(Child 40) Upon learning of the prophecy that he was to kill his father and marry his mother, Oedipus "himself ran away to avoid fulfilling the prophecy." (Biddle 768) He made this decision freely, believing that if he left, the prophecy could not come true. The other path, which he could have taken, would have been to confront the prophecy. His, believed, parents did not help him make this decision. They knowingly continued with the falsehood of being his true parents. Had they spoken the truth, Oedipus could have chosen the second path and he would have halted his own demise. Iocaste is not to be left without mention in all that happens to Oedipus. As the wife of Laios, and a member of the rule, she allowed for the disposal of her three day old son, with conscious knowledge. Had she taken a different stance on the morality of the destruction of another human being, the events could have been altered. She acted freely and therefore is an accomplice to the fall of

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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Rooted as it is in the fabric of social life, the play cannot avoid making some criticism, even if only obliquely. Have you found that the plays you have read vary from each other in the degree to which they present criticism of society?

Examination Essay Writing 'Rooted as it is in the fabric of social life, the play cannot avoid making some criticism, even if only obliquely.' Have you found that the plays you have read vary from each other in the degree to which they present criticism of society? Consider the concerns of two or three authors in your answer. Anouilh's "Antigone" and Aristotle's "King Oedipus" both present varying degrees of social criticism. In 'Antigone', the role of the guards project the moral debasement of the society, which reflects the context in which the play was written. The major theme of following orders without independent judgment reflects the society at that time during the second world war and being impartial to the moral corruption and decay of their community. In 'King Oedipus', although to a lesser extent than in 'Antigone', Aristotle highlights the danger of complete dependence on an individual. Despite Oedipus Rex's apparent indestructibility, there is great human frailty in his character and indeed in every human being, and to invest too readily and eagerly in one particular individual, doctrine or personality can be dangerous. However, the overt criticism of society in 'Antigone' and the oblique criticism in 'King Oedipus' are only one theme in both these plays. There are more central themes that are particular to each play and in some cases the social criticism

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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Discuss the contribution of material culture studies to the understanding of social identity.

Discuss the contribution of material culture studies to the understanding of social identity. The aim of this essay is to explore how useful material culture studies is to understanding societies which existed under Roman rule, especially those of Gaul and Britain. These provinces of Rome adopted Roman culture and used Roman objects for their own use, which could come under the heading of cultural bricolage, where new cultural items are obtained by attributing new functions to previously existing ones, however I shall address this later on in the essay. Woolf comments that anthropologists and archaeologists use the concept of culture as a way of making sense of the diversity of human societies that cannot be expressed simply in terms of biological variation. It is seen by many to be a more precise way of understanding societies rather than seeing how advanced or rich a society was.1 Studying and understanding social identity can also be seen as an excellent alternative to relying on narratives written by Roman authors who were biased and wrote from a 'Romano-centric' position, and it also allows us to consider other elements, for instance class,status, gender, age, occupation, and religion. Material culture can be defined as "the study through artifacts (and other pertinent historical evidence) of belief systems--the values, ideas, attitudes, and assumptions--of a

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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'Describe the characters of Agamemnon and Achilleus as they are revealed in Book 1 of The Iliad. Who do you think was more to blame for their quarrel and its immediate outcome?'

'Describe the characters of Agamemnon and Achilleus as they are revealed in Book 1 of The Iliad. Who do you think was more to blame for their quarrel and its immediate outcome?' In book 1 of the Iliad the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles establishes their characters. We see Agamemnon and proud and authoritative yet often uncaring and uncompromising. Achilles is by contrast practical, powerful, yet deeply and sometimes dangerously passionate. Agamemnon is repeatedly unreasonable. When Chryses comes for his daughter (an entirely normal and natural request in the ancient world), Agamemnon does not listen, even though "all the other Achaians shouted their agreement". He is rude and arrogant towards the priest and "sent him... on his way", with threats and taunts about Chryseis, who will "serve my bed". When Kalchas, who has repeatedly stated that Agamemnon will not like what he says blames Agamemnon for the plague among the Greeks, Agamemnon reacts vehemently. "in deep anger... he spoke... 'prophet of evil, you have never told me anything to your liking". It is this unreasonable and uncompromising attitude that contributes to his quarrel with Achilles. He persists with his demand for compensation for the loss of Chryseis, even after he has seen how much this angers Achilles. Achilles however often displays a practical and compromising approach to problems. When the

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  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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