In Tennyson's poem 'The Lotus Eaters' how do ideas of realism and nature interweave? Draw on different cultural traditions for that.
In Tennyson's poem 'The Lotus Eaters' how do ideas of realism and nature interweave? Draw on different cultural traditions for that. Tennyson's poem the 'Lotus Eaters' tells us of the conflict between nature and realism, with nature being represented by the world of lotus-eaters, and the real world that of toil and struggle. It is this intertwining of these two worlds that present us with the main conflict of the poem. In order to compare the two we must look at nature as represented by the lotus, in comparison with the 'real' world of work and toil. First however we shall look at the context of the poem itself. The poem is derived from Homer's Odyssey where Ulysses and his mariners on the homeward journey to Ithaca encounter the land of the Lotus Eater's, the tale goes on to say that Ulysses bade 3 of his men to journey inland in search of men and food. We are told the effect of the lotus had on those of his crewmen that ate them 'their only wish to linger there with the lotus eaters, grazing on lotus, all memory of their journey home lost forever'. It is this desire of his crewmen that inspired the choric song in the Lotus Eaters by Lord Tennyson. The lotus, or rather the enchantment encountered after eating a lotus is a representation of nature, in the sense that it is the opposite of toil. The lotus-eaters wish to be like the God's 'careless of mankind'. The
Odysseus, An Egotistical Cretan. Odysseus tells Athena, whom he believes is a shepherd, a false account, of how he came to Ithaca, primarily since he needs to keep his identity a secret, familiarize himself with the situation on Ithaca and formulate a pl
Emily Noble Legacy of the Mediterranean Odysseus, an Egotistical Cretan Odysseus tells Athena, whom he believes is a shepherd, a false account, of how he came to Ithaca, primarily since he needs to keep his identity a secret, familiarize himself with the situation on Ithaca and formulate a plan to execute the suitors. He perceives that he has arrived in a mist-shrouded and unknown land. And thus secondarily, he needs to present a feasible reason for being alone and stranded with copious amounts of treasure for safety reasons as well as to allay suspicion in relation to his identity. Athena affects how he tells his lie because he can see and listen to her. To manipulate her more effectively, Odysseus exploits these factors to produce a story specifically tailored to the information Athena provides. Odysseus considers Athena's, or the shepherd she appears to be, appearance and response to his inquiry about where he is; by doing this Odysseus can form ideas about her social status, her intelligence, her nationality, and if she is hostile and unwelcoming or friendly. He does with the intention of creating a lie that she will believe as well as of sending a clear message that fulfills his primary goals concerning the suitors and himself. Athena is masquerading as a young man, a shepherd "...like a King's son, all delicately made." and is holding a hunting lance
Demonstrations of power from Creon and Prospero play a very pivotal role in the plots of The Tempest by William Shakespeare and "Antigone" by Sophocles, two plays about power relations.
Rick Serra February 6, 2012 Professor Bush CAL 105 Power Struggle Demonstrations of power from Creon and Prospero play a very pivotal role in the plots of "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare and "Antigone" by Sophocles, two plays about power relations. Both Prospero and Creon are able to control the actions of those around them but instead abuse their power and use it as if they were gods. In the play "Antigone," Creon, a king, uses his political power selfishly to rule over and force people to do what he wants. Prospero, from "The Tempest," uses his magical powers to help his daughter and others, along with himself. Sophocles and Shakespeare show the audience how power can be abused so easily and how power relations dictate the two plays, yet each play has very different outcome. In "Antigone", Creon uses his royal power, more for his own personal gain, with no real regard for his people. Throughout the course of the play, Creon abuses his power despite being warned of wrong doings. The play even begins with Creon abusing his power when he settled a decree that prohibited anyone from burying Polyneices' dead body, decreeing that "He's to have no funeral or lament,/ but to be left unburied and unwept," (Sophocles p.10). Creon is proud of his decree, and he also states that he would be a good king by listening to what people had to say concerning his decisions. When
TMA 07: Myths and Conventions
TMA 07: Myths and Conventions With careful reference to two of the works studied in Block 5 (Medea and Pygmalion), show how attributes traditionally associated with masculinity and femininity are contrasted. Medea by Euripides (431 BCE) and Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (1913 ACE) are plays that share common themes of sexuality and alienation with both their roots firmly set in mythology. Euripides and Shaw employ a range of techniques to present the compelling personas of their female protagonists, Medea and Eliza Doolittle respectively. The plays revolve around the powerful and physiological transformation of Medea and Eliza's striking aesthetic reform through the writers' skilful use of stage direction, language, tone and theme development. The actions and dialogues of the supporting characters also manipulate the audiences' and other characters opinions. The playwrights have carefully considered each effect when constructing and developing their lead character. Euripides has already launched the transformation of his protagonist at the opening of the play. Medea the queen, wife and mother shows signs of a more masculine and at times, an extremely 'barbaric' role, through her howling lamentations. The play begins with Medea's nurse setting the scene, she introduces the main
'The Simpsons' family and how the makers of the programme have a dissimilar view of American families.
SIMPSONS The next part of my essay gives attention to 'The Simpsons' family and how the makers of the programme have a dissimilar view of American families. The creator of 'The Simpsons' has a distinctive view on American families; this is clearly reflected in the Simpson episodes. The excerpts form the article "Welcome to Planet SIMPSON", BY Stuart Jeffries of the Guardian newspaper suggests "Homer Simpson is a ground down anti-hero who is designed to be laughed at hardly ever with" Homer is a conformist and says "I am not popular enough to be different". Homer gives Bart some fatherly advice to Bart telling him "Never say anything unless you're sure everyone around you feels exactly the same way". This shows that Homer Simpson is scared and anxious of not fitting into society. He is also frightened of getting fired even though he has been fired on many occasions before. Simpsons are an American family that is greatly influenced by television. In the 'STUNT BART' episode both Bart and Homer go "Whoa" at the same time. They are both astonished and overwhelmed at what they saw. They stare at the screen and they hear the fading echo "one helluva match", this is enough to persuade both Homer and Bart that they want to go to the rally. This also shows us that they are moderately similar in some ways. They are also effortlessly brainwashed by television commercials. From
On December 31 1896, a large seagoing tug called the Commodore set sail for the open sea - Author Stephen Crane was on-board as a war correspondent at the time.
Diane M. Hess College Composition II Instructor: Dr Hazel Cooper-Watts On December 31 1896, a large seagoing tug called the Commodore set sail for the open sea. Author Stephen Crane was on-board as a war correspondent at the time. During the trip the vessel ran aground a couple of times, this damaged the hull of the ship. The Commodore was eighteen miles from land when the damaged hull gave way and was swamped with water. Stephen Crane and three other men managed to escape in a lifeboat. The short story "The Open Boat" is a fictional story based on his real-life account of what happened during that fateful time. Through the use of symbolic language, metaphors and irony, Stephen Crane allows us to experience what had happened during that crisis and how the people involved came together to fight for survival out in the open sea. Writers, often use these three elements of literature, in order to make their audience react to the story they are telling. They set the tone, give of the plot and setting, and give images of what is happening to the character or characters in the story. First let us look at how Stephen Crane uses symbolic language in the story of "The Open Boat". Symbolic language is used in the "The Open Boat" to set the tone or the mood, as well as, the setting of the story and gives us insight to the hopeless feeling the men were experiencing while
What has drawn so many writers and dramatists to the story of Oedipus or Antigone?
What has drawn so many writers and dramatists to the story of Oedipus or Antigone? Sophocles' Antigone, written circa 441BC, deals with the protagonist Antigone's fight to give her brother, Polyneices, the proper burial that had been denied him by the king, Creon. It is considered among the great Greek tragedies of the time, and is still translated in modern times. When Greece was succeeded by Rome as the great city of the West, the Romans were more concerned with power and commerce rather than culture, therefore Greek drama was pushed aside by the majority, except a small number of Roman playwrights (Bowra, 1970, p. 154), such as Seneca. However, around 16 centuries after the birth of Christ, a collection of the plays were put into print, heralding the return of Greek drama, which is now present in countless different ways in our culture. As Knox explains in his preface to the plays, Sophocles was known to be one of nine generals campaigning against the revolt of Samos at the time the play is assumed to have been written (Sophocles, 1984, p. 35). His knowledge of politics is clearly reflected in his writing, and Antigone is no exception, as it is greatly concerned with the political issues of the polis (state). Political problems will always have great relevance in society, and Antigone has been used by many practitioners in the twentieth century 'to articulate new visions
Review of The Odyssey by Homer.
Throughout history, women have been expected to behave a certain way in order to uphold some kind of ideal image. The woman is expected to be a virtuous and upright person, forever loyal and subservient to her husband. However while history adheres to this common image of the woman, a very different mold is shaped for the man. This establishes a double standard between the two genders. The dictionary defines the term 'double standard' as a "system, code, or criterion applied unequally; specifically a code of behavior that is stricter for women than for men, especially in matters of sex" (Agnes et al. 429). This phrase defines women's history, as women are constantly viewed under different guidelines and principles than their male counterparts. Written by Homer, the epic poem entitled The Odyssey epitomizes the idea of the double standard in Ancient Greek society. It revolves around the subject of promiscuous behavior in the sexual sense, as males engaged in the behavior while females were expected to abstain from it. The idea of sexual promiscuity in The Odyssey creates an unfair double standard between its male and female characters. The difference of accepted sexual behavior between gods and goddesses is exemplified in an angry speech given to the gods by the goddess Calypso. When Hermes informs her that the prisoner Odysseus must return home, Calypso becomes frustrated.
Two Visits to the Underworld 750 Years Apart: The Odyssey and the Aeneid.
Rachel Doyle Dr. M. Reichert Cultural Foundations Two Visits to the Underworld 750 Years Apart: The Odyssey and the Aeneid Virgil wrote the Aeneid for a variety of social and personal reasons. Besides wanting to eat and support his family, Virgil also wrote to please rulers of Rome as well as other patrons, who looked up to the Greeks as great scholars (they employed Greek tutors) but very much wanted to honor the founders of Rome. Besides wanting to elevate Aeneas's stature as a hero, Virgil was also competing with Homer to see if he could produce a greater work of literature. Both the Aeneid and the Odyssey are stories about heroes and their ordeals. In order to fully appreciate the motivations behind the creation of Virgil's Aeneid, it is necessary to read Homer's Odyssey beforehand. Undoubtedly Virgil read and studied Homer's Odyssey, as did any educated Roman of his time. Virgil revered Homer but desired to write a story that would be about Roman heroes rather than Greek heroes. The visit to the underworld was one of the most dramatic, riveting parts of Odyssey. Comparing the different visits to the Underworld in the Aeneid and the Odyssey helps to expose the strengths and weaknesses of both narratives. Now I have a greater appreciation of Virgil's achievement as a great poet, perhaps greater than Homer. I also have a greater appreciation of Homer as a
The Journey of Our Lives.
The Journey of Our Lives By Courtney Wallace "Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same." -Anonymous Chris McCandless was very successful in his journey. Some of us judge success by how people advance, usually financially or even physically, during their journey. I feel that success can be interpreted in many different ways. In the book, Into the Wild a young man by the name of Chris McCandless takes a journey to Alaska by way of many strangers that he meets along the way; however, in this book, Chris never sees saw them to be strange. Chris found his place in society and he found what he wanted to do that shows success. If Chris had survived his trip and come back the same person that he left as, the trip would not have been successful because he would not have learned anything, and learning something is very important to your success. At the beginning of the book, Chris wanted to go out on a journey to Alaska because he did not want to follow the mold that society had made for him. He thought that his father was trying to pressure him into going to law school to be successful and to get married and to live in a suburban neighborhood with two kids and a golden retriever. Because Chris thought that he did not want to do that, he set out for Alaska to in the wild to try to find his place in the world. He went there