The Island is indeed an actor's play, for acting is its central metaphor and idea: acting as a means for the acting out of one

The Island is indeed an actor's play, for acting is its central metaphor and idea: acting as a means for the acting out of one's life, acting as a form of survival, and acting as a basis for (political) action. In The Island, two black prisoners, John and Winston, are men whose political stands against the state have caused them to be incarcerated, sentenced without determinable end in Robben Island prison. They are dressed in shorts "to look like the boys their keepers would make them." But clearly the authorities wish them to be far, far less than boys, for the prisoners are treated with extreme brutality and are given the sorts of tasks meant to reduce them from men to beasts, to annihilate the last shreds of their humanity. Their humanity, however, remains intact and it does so because the two men continue to act as humans by using dramatic acting as the means for sustaining their humanity. Improvisation becomes the means through which John and Winston understand and practice their humanity. The opening actions of The Island provide a painful, moving dumb show from which the drama that follows can be built. The extended mime of John and Winston's labours with wheelbarrow and sand shows the dehumanising, pointless tedium of life on Robben Island. With the blast of a second whistle, the transfer of sand concludes and a new mime commences. This time John and Winston are

  • Word count: 1834
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

Irish Immigration

Högskolan Dalarna EN1004 English Speaking Cultures Essay Assignment 1 The history of the Irish Immigration to America The United States of America is a country composed of many nations. Since its colonial era, people from all over the world has immigrated to America in pursuit of a dream. One of the largest an successful groups of settlers is the Irish immigrants one. This essay will trace the history of the Irish immigrants and their experience in America. . Encouraged by King Charles II, the Irish American immigrants were one of the first nations to settle in America. Escaping from an Ireland marked by economic discrimination, the first group of Irish immigrants arrived in America during the First Wave of Immigration, period between 1680-1776. This first group, known as Scots-Irish, spread over the country according to their preference for land. Their decentralization resulted in the weakening of their culture. During the Second Wave of Immigration to America in the 1800's, internal factors once again led the Irish to leave their homeland, thus America seemed to be the promising land: gold was discovered, high demand for workers, immigration encouraged by the American government and high wages. However, in the 1830's the Irish immigrants started to suffer discrimination. Religious opposition and attempt to Americanize their children were the most serious offense

  • Word count: 546
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

Fate and the Limitations of Free Will.

Sophia Takal September 25, 2003 Mr. Woorden Intro to Western Drama Fate and the Limitations of Free Will Socrates' Oedipus Rex is heralded as the best tragedy of ancient Greece. Indeed, Oedipus Rex, was able to surpass human experiences while still appealing to the audience viewing it. By telling the story of Oedipus, a king, the viewer was able to connect with a human figure, while still placing him in a reverence similar to the veneration of Greek gods. The notion of a limited free will as a central theme of Oedipus Rex is demonstrated through the many successful prophesies throughout the play; the viewer is forced to realize that fate is unavoidable, despite tremendous efforts to deflect it. Before the play even begins, Oedipus attempts to escape his fate, only to fail miserably at each turn. His life begins with a prophecy; he was sent as a child to be killed in an effort to avoid the fate to which he eventually succumbs. At every turn of Oedipus' life, the gods step in to make sure his fate is secured; when a human's free will intervenes, the gods are right there to correct the mistake. Through Oedipus' protracted journey towards an inevitable end, the ancient Greek viewer notes the impossibility of escaping one's providence. Similarly to Iocasta and Laios unwillingness to accept the message from the gods and attempt to avoid the situation entirely, Oedipus tries

  • Word count: 1394
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

To what extent and in what ways are the character of Antigone and Creon driven by moral imperatives or a willful impulse towards self-destruction?

English Essay: To what extent and in what ways are the character of Antigone and Creon driven by moral imperatives or a willful impulse towards self-destruction? Wan Jin Kim Antigone depicts the clash of moral values between the two central characters of the play. Both their perspectives are correct to a certain extent but falter towards the end. At the end both the protagonist, Antigone as well as the antagonist, Creon are driven to their destruction by their own hammartia which turns out to be their Hubris. It is basically their character faults that is responsible for their downfall as well as the ever present and infallible divine justice. The play starts when the city of Thebes has faught back an armed attack in which Antigone's two brother fought I the opposite sides. Whereas Eteocles fought on the side of Thebes, Polynices' faught against it.This war ended with Thebes' victory, both the brothers' death and the ascension of the throne by Creon. In his first address to Thebes, Creon declares the supremacy of the state's laws over and above personal duties and seeks to rally the Chorus behind him. He implores the citizen's of the state to be totally devoted to the welfare of the state and show unquestionable loyalty to it. He goes on to state that in matter of burial of the dead of the war, Eteocles should be buried with full military honours as a Hero whereas

  • Word count: 1728
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

Discuss the music education programme laid out by Plato in the Republic.

Discuss the music education programme laid out by Plato in the Republic. One of the great tragedies of our work as classical scholars is the demise of the availability of Ancient Greek music. In endeavours to further uncover what this music actually sounded like, research is hampered by the fact that either the musical skills of classical scholars leave a lot to be desired, or by the fact that musicians who do take an interest do not have sufficient classical knowledge to decipher the original texts still left to us. Very few individuals have this combination of skills and interests, although one man, Dimitrios Yatromanolakis, may be ideally qualified to make a breakthrough in this field, since he combines both areas of expertise. Brought up in Herakleion on the island of Crete, he earned a BA in Classics from the University of Athens, followed by a masters and DPhil from the University of Oxford. At the same time, he continued to develop his musical knowledge, to the extent that he has not only mastered the piano and guitar but also the tabla and kithara. He is of the view that ancient music cannot possibly be 'dead', due to all the writings on ancient musical theory that are still accessible1. Primary sources offer us a wealth of information on this topic, and one of these lies in Plato's utopian opus, the Republic, in which harmonic theory (inter alia) is discussed in

  • Word count: 3721
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

Translation problems-does translation always betrays the original?

Title page Name: Maxine Sharples Module Code: LNGCH3031 Course Title Translation Studies Student Number: 270099 Contents Page . INTRODUCTION TEXT 3 2. METHODOLOGY / PROCEDURES 3ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. 3. FINDING / ANALYSIS 4ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED. 3.1. LINGUISTIC PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATION ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.4 3.1.1. TRANSLATION THEORY 6 4. CONCLUSIONS 7 5. REFERENCES / BIBLIOGRAPHY 9 Introduction Text 'Translating is inevitably betraying the original. There is no such a thing as a faithful translation' Translation..... Let us begin by looking at the definition of the word translation. 'the rendering of something into another language or into one's own from another language' (Oxford Dictionary,2000,p. 971) 'to turn from one language into another'(Oxford Chinese Dictionary,2000, p.419) Trans at the beginning of the word translation comes from the Latin prefix, meaning across or beyond. Translation if done correctly should go beyond the afore mentioned definitions. According to Bush (2001) in his book 'Literary Translation practises' states that translation is a subjective activity at the centre of a complex network of social and cultural practises. The imaginative, intellectual and intuitive writing of the translator must not be lost to the disembodied abstraction which is often described as 'translation'. Bush may be agreed with to the

  • Word count: 2183
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

What is a kletic poem? What types of relationships between humans and deities do these poems define? A kletic poem is one that

. What are some of the metaphors that the poets use for love? For war? (Be sure to cite examples that are different from the ones I have used.) How does this metaphorical language deepen our understanding of what the poets are trying to say? Considering that metaphors provide depth and inner complexity to poetry, it comes at no surprise they are so readily used in Greek lyric. Love and war, two extremes of opposite emotions, were topics often visited by several poets. Both topics, when spoken of metaphorically, provide the reader with a deeper understanding of the two. We begin to realize what associations pertaining to war or love we share or may not share with the author. Love can be described as many things, considering that there is no true definition for it. Likewise, metaphors for love vary in the same way. Ibycus, in his third poem writes, "Once again Love darts me a melting glance from under dark eyelids and by magical charms of all sorts entangles me in Aphrodite's endless nets" (pg 98, lines 1-4). The author describes love as if it were a person or an entity of some sort who glances "from under dark eyelids." Ibycus even capitalizes the "L" in love like it is a name such as Aphrodite. Anecreon writes a very similar piece which states, "...Love with the golden hair points to a girl in embroidered sandals and challenges me to play" (pg 101, poem 5, lines

  • Word count: 3471
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

A comment on the authors approach to historical writing as demonstrated by Thucydides (Thucydides, 'History of the Peloponnesian War', Book 6, chapter 15 (pp.418-19) and an analysis of the historical problems raised in this passage.

A comment on the authors approach to historical writing as demonstrated by Thucydides (Thucydides, 'History of the Peloponnesian War', Book 6, chapter 15 (pp.418-19) and an analysis of the historical problems raised in this passage. Thucydides' history of the Peloponnesian War describes many great events and the people that shaped them. In the selected passage (Thucydides, Warner R (Translator), 'History of the Peloponnesian War', Book 6, chapter 15, pp.418-19) Thucydides spends the bulk of chapter outlining the character of Alcibiades, specifically his excesses and extravagances as well as his role in the fate of Athens and the course of the war. This chapter has the honour of providing the introduction to the character of Alcibiades and sets his place in the history of the war and the fate of his home city, Athens. This chapter is written purely as a descriptive text, this is done presumably to add authority to this section and to appear impartial. Neither Alcibiades nor Nicias are quoted or paraphrased and no evidence is cited beyond general knowledge such as the 'fall' of Athens. Thucydides is at pains to explain that Alcibiades motivations are based on both his conflict with Nicias, personal wealth, ambition and honour. The final line of the chapter sets the scene for a speech by Alcibiades to explain why he is best suited for the leadership of the Sicilian

  • Word count: 2109
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

Evaluate whether Antigone of Sophocles is more a political, or a psychological drama.

Evaluate whether Antigone of Sophocles is more a political, or a psychological drama. Sophocles is one of the great innovators of theatre. He wrote three Theban plays, Antigone being one of the first. Antigone is one of the first heroines in literature. She is a woman who fights against a male power structure, exhibiting greater bravery than any of the men who scorn her. Sophocles's tragedy Antigone introduces classical readings that investigate the conflict between the claims of the individual and those of the community. However before one can decide whether Antigone is more a political or a psychological drama, one must define the two dramas, and see how they differentiate from one another. In Antigone, Sophocles creates Antigone, the tragic hero of the play. Antigone, the main character of the story cannot accept her dead brother Polyneicês not being buried. Going against the orders of Creon, her uncle and the King of Thebes, Antigone buries her brother. She follows her own morals and her heart rather than the laws that people abide by. Antigone's stubbornness not only influences the choices she made throughout the play; her actions also cause the demise of herself and many others in the kingdom of Thebes. Thus, leaving Creon to live a life of misery because of his blind heart. A political drama can be defined as a play, film, or television programme that has a

  • Word count: 1548
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay

The story, Antigone written by Sophocles.

The story, Antigone written by Sophocles, is based around the conflict between Antigone's Conscience and the town's policy. The full meaning of this play is to be found in the contrast between Antigone and her uncle Creon. Antigone's concern of burying Polynices is founded on Greek ideas about death. An unburied body meant that a soul was condemned to torment. To bury the body was more than just simply a matter of family loyalty, it was an act of faithfulness commanded by the Gods. Antigone takes on that responsibility even though it means betrayal to the town, the rejection of her fiancé Haemon, the rejection of her only sister Ismene, and her own death. She is truly obstinate about the event. As it turns out she is justified in her thinking but we do not know this until Tiresias comes in and then to everyone's dismay it is too late to matter. Antigone's two brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, have recently killed each other for power over the town. Polynices had returned from exile to try to regain the throne and was therefore seen as a traitor. Because Eteocles was the legitimate successor and Polynices the invader Creon has decided to punish the corpse of Polynices by denying it burial. Antigone insists that Polynices's body must be buried and asks her sister, Ismene, to help. Ismene will not help her sister because she feels that by disobeying the laws that she

  • Word count: 1366
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
Access this essay