An examination of the way that the downfall of a hero is presented in three diverse works: Macbeth, Gawain and the Green Knight, and The Tale of Genji
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The Rime of the Ancient Mariner-Issues of Paganism and Christianity
In spite of the fact that the Mariner prays to God, the poem is more Pagan than Christian. Consider Coleridge's presentation of the story of the Ancient Mariner in the light of this comment. In the epigraph to 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', the quote that appears most prominent is 'there are more invisible natures than visible ones among the entities in the universe'. It is clear from this that Coleridge intended to explore both the physical and metaphysical/spiritual worlds within the poem. The 'invisible natures' referred to may be interpreted in many different ways and this will have an impact on whether it can be seen as Pagan or Christian. It may be hinting at a spiritual being, such as God, watching over the universe or perhaps many spiritual beings, as in Paganism, each responsible for their own area of nature. There is also the possibility that it isn't referring to those invisible presences working above nature, but those invisible presences among nature such as ghosts and the ability to carry out witchcraft. Unlike Christianity, a monotheistic religion, in which every follower believes in the same God (albeit sometimes interpreted in different ways in the 21st century) Pagans are free to believe in which Divine being, or beings they wish, making this religion highly personalised. The Mariner refers to 'God himself' in Part the Seventh, suggesting that
Analysis of poetry
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Analysis of Hamlet Act II.2
Carina Comment on the Presentation of Hamlet in Act 2 Scene 2 Act 2, Scene 2 is an important scene for the audience's impressions of Hamlet, as it is the first time we can see the "antic disposition" of which he has previously spoken. He enters the scene on page 50, and immediately enters into conversation with Polonius. We can see that the act of his madness relies upon rhetoric devices such as puns and double meanings, which are deliberately intended to confuse. On page 51, for example, when Polonius asks him what matter he reads, he replies: HAMLET: Between who? In this, Hamlet is playing on the double meaning of the word "matter"- although Polonius intends it to mean his reading matter, Hamlet knows it could also mean personal matters, and picks the wrong interpretation, intending Polonius to think that his mental instability is such that he cannot follow the conversation. Although there are these occasions upon which Hamlet seems to be truly mad, the audience can see that he is being rather clever in constructing his act. When Polonius clarifies the meaning of the word "matter" which he intended, Hamlet responds with a thinly veiled attack on him: HAMLET: The satirical rogue says here that old men have grey beards, (...) and that they have a plentiful lack of wit. Here, Hamlet pretends to discuss the "slanders" of which he reads, but the audience can see that he is
Discuss the presentation of Gatsby's character through Carraway's narrative perspective
Discuss the presentation of Gatsby's character through Carraway's Narrative Perspective In the novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald tells the story through the narrative perspective of Nick Carraway, a character within the novel who has a somewhat peripheral role in the story. The effect of this is that the reader learns about Gatsby's character through the eyes of Carraway, thereby revealing information about Gatsby gradually; the effect of this is to keep the reader interested in finding out more about Gatsby; were the reader to find out his past at the beginning of the novel, part of the character's appeal would be ruined: his mystery. The mystery surrounding Gatsby is something that Carraway's Narrative perspective plays the key role in creating; that Carraway and the surrounding characters don't know much about his past, other than rumours and fragments of information to begin with is mirrored in what Fitzgerald reveals to the audience, creating an empathy with Carraway. This empathy with Carraway means that Carraway's opinions are likely to be shared by readers on some level, as Fitzgerald gradually reveals information. That Gatsby's past is shady presents him as a secretive character, and stimulates contemplation regarding how Gatsby acquired his wealth; as Carraway speculates within the novel, 'Young men didn't... drift casually out of nowhere and buy a place in Long
Eddie Carbone as a tragic hero
How does Arthur Miller present Eddie Carbone as a 'tragic hero' in A View From The Bridge? In A View From The Bridge, Miller effectively created a modern Greek tragedy, with Eddie Carbone, as his tragic hero: the protagonist that contributes to their own downfall through a fault, or a weakness in their personality, despite starting of with the correct intentions. The audience is aware of Eddie Carbone's unfortunate fate at the start of the play. His status as the main character in the play, and the fact that Miller aimed to create the play as a modern Greek tragedy tells us that Eddie's fate in this case is in fact unavoidable. This idea is introduced to the audience straight way, in Alfieri's opening monologue, when he says: "And this one's name was Eddie Carbone" (4) the use of past tense suggesting that Eddie Carbone is no longer alive, foreshadowing the end of the play and his inevitable downfall and eventual death. Alfieri feels a sense of helplessness as he tells the story, as he "lost his strength somewhere" (48) which suggests that the play will end violently or dramatically, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Despite this, Eddie begins as a caring, simple 'longshoreman' who cares little for anything outside his work and family. We immediately see his good side as he offers his hospitality to those in need of it. He is already taking care of his niece,
Almond Tree-John Stallworthy
The Almond Tree In the poem 'The Almond Tree', the poet manages to effectively deal with the subject of death, or in this poem, the death of the poets hopes, by using different techniques such as imagery and symbolism. In 'The Almond Tree' by Jon Stallworthy, the poet is drives to the hospital to see his new born son, and once arrives there, finds out his son has Down's Syndrome, and in the rest of the poem, the poet deals with the death of his hopes, and eventualy learns to accept his son. The poet manages to create an appropriate mood for the death of his hopes by having the first section of the poem be positive, and build up a positive and excited mood. The poet manages to create this postivite mood by imagery. When the poet is describing the traffic lights, he refers to them being 'green as peppermints', the reference to confectionery makes the reader associate the image with sweet and pleasant things. The poet is so excited that he feels he can change scenes to suit himself, shown when the poet says 'as if i were the lucky prince in an enchanted wood', this builds up the positive mood because it shows that the poet is very enthusiastic, and so the reader feels that enthusiasm too. The poet is very conscious of himself in the first section shown when he said he was 'aware of the blood running down the delta of my wrist', and so this shows how excited he is. The verse
How typical is the style and content of The Old Fools in Larkin's High Windows?
How typical is the style and content of The Old Fools in Larkin's High Windows? The Old Fools is primarily concerned with Larkin's fear of ageing and dying, a fear that pervades through the poems of High Windows. Using a slightly mocking tone, he attemps to understand the thoughts and feelings of the aged on the subject, but instead finds even more questions, and the inevitable realisation that "We will find out." Death is a frequently occurring subject in High Windows: in The Building, Dublinesque, Vers de Societe and The Explosin he explores the inevitability of death and it's consequences on his state of mind. Often, the idea of a lack of consolation from organised religion is present within these poems. Larkin, as an atheist, found little comfort in the idea of an afterlife, believing instead that "oblivion" was the eventual outcome for humankind: "...for unless its powers / Outbuild cathedrals, nothing contravenes / The coming dark..." Oblivion, as a general fate, is not all that appealing, yet Larkin manages to lift the spirit of The Old Fools with subtle touches of humour. The cynicism and sarcasm that he often uses in the collection do not detract from the more serious overtones of the poems, but they do 'lighten the mood', coupled with a use of more uplifting imagery that hints at non-Christian religon. "...all the time merging with a unique endavour / To
How does Jenny Diski present the experience of seeing penguins in Antarctica?
How does Jenny Diski present the experience of seeing penguins in Antarctica? Andrew Kidd Diski presents her experience through a multitude of techniques, creating a highly personal account that captures the essence of her trip. The register of the piece is reasonably informal; the conversational tone is created mainly through the use of colloquialism ("packed so tight", "The fact is") and humour ("I don't know who counted but I'm inclined not to argue"). The text also contains contractions ("don't", "I'm") that would not be found in a more formal text, and a 'dead metaphor' ("...up a storm") which most readers will find familiar. As a result the audience can identify with the text more readily. Collectively, these techniques engender informality which supplements the genre: it is the recount of a personal experience, and the register that is used creates the effect that the tale is being recounted to someone whom the author knows - she seeks to include the person reading the text. This is also achieved through the use of the second person personal pronoun "you". Despite this, the piece holds more descriptive aspects, that create striking images among the generally informal narrative. In the phrase "great florid gash", the use of the intensifier "great" and adjective "florid" emphasise the horridness of the penguin's injury; the author blends description and narration to
Compare the ways in which Carol Ann Duffy and Elizabeth Jennings present intimate personal relationships under strain in the poems Close and Family Affairs
Compare the ways in which Carol Ann Duffy and Elizabeth Jennings present intimate personal relationships under strain in the poems Close and Family Affairs. Andrew Kidd The two poems depict relationships under strain, and while of the same genre, the form, structure and language of the poems differ. In Close, Duffy reveals the dominance of a former partner ("You have me like a drawing...") and hints at the clandestine nature of the relationship, through various references to darkness ("In the dark journey of our night,") and the mention of "a hired room". The ambiguity of the title supports the uncertainty of the relationship: does it refer to the "close" of a relationship, or actual closeness? Jennings describes a relationship with a female family member which has become lost to "indifference". Both show strained yet intimate connections: one is romantic, tainted by instability and a partner's controlling influence, while the other is familial and has become strained by an emotional distance that has grown. The language employed in Family Affairs creates an image of two women, bound by blood, but emotionally separated; the simile, "as fussy women stitch at cotton" evokes a very feminine picture, and the metaphor "umbilical cord long" gives a maternal feel to the relationship. Prepositional phrases ("too far", "further than") serve to reinforce the theme of distance and
