Essays on Epic

Thesis Statement: The film illustrated how greed and blood lust of the people can lead to a bitter end after several African Americans became victims of exploited labor force which is in the simplest form of slavery employed by the Native Americans, who took advantage of their ignorance during the 18th century. 1.) The block quotation that was chosen and was compressed in the film which and should have been more highlighted is the line, “As the price of whale oil continued to rise, while the economy of the other countries continued to suffer due to economic depression, Nantucket ...

Homer and Hesiod are famous for their work concerning poetry. This paper compares them as poets. To begin with, Hesiod was a well-known Greek poet, who was identified as a hard worker throughout his work between the 750 and 650 BC. He wrote his story in the first European poetry using the similar words used by the ancient writers. During this period, Hesiod was trying to establish a relationship with the Greek religious clients. Viewing the scholars’ arguments, they pointed out Hesiod as the main source of the Greek mythology, knowledge on farming, and a great timekeeper. He analyzes ...

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a literary work in the form of a poem traced to ancient Mesopotamia. It is believed to be one of the earliest literary pieces in the history of the world. It was authored originally in the Sumerian Cuneiform language dated between 2700BCE to 2500 BCE. The protagonist of the myth is one Gilgamesh, an ancient ruler, and warrior who ruled the city-state of Uruk. He is revered for having built the magnificent temples and massive walls of Uruk (Gardner & Maier 1984). The Old Testament, on the other hand, is widely borrowed from Torah which ...

Gilgamesh and Odysseus are well-known heroes from old epics of Mesopotamian and Greek cultures, correspondingly. The two characters have similar traits, such as courage and physical strength. However, there are also differences between the two of them. Each hero’s traits divulge fascinating information about their cultural ideals. Additionally, cross-referencing fictional individuals with real-life cultural ideals is worthwhile when examining any culture, at any point in history. Contemporary American culture, for example, appears to value physical attributes and attractiveness, more than anything. Examining Gilgamesh and Odysseus can be helpful not only in revealing details about the different cultural ideals ...

The Lament for Prince Peer of the Sun, of The Lament for Prince Kusakabe, is among the earliest poetic works of Kakinomoto no Hitomaro that have survived until modern days. The poem, which is an elegy in form, was originally intended to commemorate the late Japanese crown prince Kusakabe, a successor of the emperor Tenmu. The beginning lines of the poem point to the place of Kusakabe’s temporary burial palace and express the poem’s relation to the mourning period following Kusakabe’s premature death. The first meaningful section of the poem is a clear allusion to Japanese ...

Different cultures sustain various values, some of which are not even comparable with one another. Societies have myriad ways of expressing this, yet their cultural productions are some of the richest ways of understanding how they conceived the world. In this sense, the epic poem Beowulf is one of the greatest epic poems that have ever existed. This is especially true and evident in that, even though Beowulf was not actually Anglo-Saxon, he does represent the ideals of this people. As such, one can see that bravery was one of the most extraordinary characteristics that this people had as ...

Zulu 1964 and Bridge too far

Introduction This paper explains in details the SWOT analysis of the Zulu 1964 epic war film between the Zulu Army and the British. Besides this, it also focuses in a similar margin on the Movie Bridge too far. The clarity and analysis of the two movies is also supported by the chart diagrams entailing the strengths and weaknesses as earlier mentioned.

Zulu 1964

This is an epic war film between the British army and the Zulus in January 1879. It narrates about 150 soldiers of British who were seriously wounded in the process of Anglo-Zulu war and who successfully held a ...

Although the Odyssey is often considered the story of Odysseus’ homecoming, there are many other characters who have significant roles to play in the development of the general social milieu in which the epic is set. Two of the most important characters are Telemachus and Penelope, both of whom have to contend with suitors who, literally, eat them out of house and home. Since neither of them have the strength, either physically or politically, to drive out the suitors (called the Porci), they seek power through other means, particularly through the exercise of their intellect and their character. Although ...

3.08.2016

Alfred, Lord Tennyson is a vivid representative of the Victorian period in the history of England, and particularly, the English literature. Together with the English society he was witnessing the industrial development of the world and together with the Victorian community he felt hostile towards these changes. For these convictions he was highly appreciated by the members of the Victorian society and the Queen herself. We will analyze two of his poems, which reflect his attitude to biological and geological progress – “In Memoriam” and “The Epic”. The poem “The Epic” tells us about a Christmas Eve and four ...

[Assignment]

The question of why a work deserves inclusion in the literary canon is especially interesting when it comes to world literature. Many of the world’s earliest texts arose out of an oral rather than a written tradition, giving them a form and tone very different than modern works considered to have literary merit. With these works, literary value is determined less by the words themselves and more by the ideas and themes that are developed and their relationship to the culture. In the case of The Epic of Gilgamesh, is inclusion in the canon is due to ...

The life, unfortunately, does not always resemble a happy kingdom where people live in peace and harmony. One day it brings you an ocean of happiness and glory, the other day it throws you to the dark abyss of poverty and solitude. In spite of all life’s ordeals, the person should never give up and show courage in overcoming everyday difficulties. Only the bravest and most ingenious ones, who are capable of learning on their own mistakes, will definitely attain success in the adventurous life journey. The courage is surely the most important trait of character which not ...

19th Century Humanities

The Industrial Revolution During the 19th century, Europe was both divided and united profoundly, and a figure of the main cultural trends spread. After 1871, European countries were increasingly linked to the diplomatic communication and culmination in worldwide alliance networks. It was the century of nationalism expansion thus, people guarded identities jealously and established stricter border management. The European world was divided amid two regions of differential growth (Krech 15). Political liberalization and industrial revolution amendments spread fastest in France, Scandinavia, Western Europe, Britain, Italy, and Germany. Southern and Eastern Europe changed at a slow pace and in different ...

The value of literature in human life cannot be overestimated. This kind of art is one of the most ancient and important for humankind. Though this type of art has a connection with such term as fiction, it still has quite a real basis. Literature has arisen much earlier than it was given a definition and typology. The man, who existed before the literature, had already used its main elements even earlier than ten thousand years ago, which played a very important role in the life of the whole humankind. Using the words that were written on stones, people ...

The cinematic medium of aesthetic expression has come to gain the strongest footing in the hierarchy of artistic works across the entire world in the present times. Stalwart filmmakers and their quintessential works have come to gain the accolades of the world’s audience as well as the scholarly film critics. Lars von Trier is surely one of the most acclaimed directors in the history of cinema. The filmmaker has left a mark on the realm of cinema with his unique style and portrayal. It is truly intriguing to note how Lars von Trier uses the cinematic techniques and ...

The Epic of Gilgamesh is regarded as one of the earliest extant written works and is in many ways the foundation for every story that would come after it, from the Biblical story of Noah and the flood to today’s action-adventure superheroes. The Epic of Gilgamesh tells a tale of gods and monsters, and of two heroes—King Gilgamesh and his companion, Enkidu—whose impossible feats of strength, bravery, and cunning would fit easily alongside those of figures like Perseus and Hercules. Like the myths of other well-known heroes, Gilgamesh and Enkidu undertake quests, first killing the Humbaba, ...

The Divine Comedy is a Medieval Poem that represents a journey of hell, heaven, and paradise. Dante’s journey explores the specifications that he and other people may acquire when determining their outcome of heaven or hell. His words express the sinfulness that occurs on earth and the reflection it has as punishment. The souls’ punishment of Hell reflects the disadvantage of traveling to Heaven. In Inferno, the sinners symbolize the hatefulness that occurs and the price that their souls pay in Hell. “He talks about the wrath of God and the souls coming together from every country”. . Dante ...

The paper will look at the Analects of Confucius in comparison to the Epic of Gilgamesh in regards to the beliefs of the Chinese and Mesopotamian people. The cultures of China and Mesopotamia were made up of completely different political and religious structures and principles. This does not mean that there were not some areas with similarities. First Confucianism is a complex system of values and religious practices that were passed down by Confucius and his followers in a collection of quotes called the Analects of Confucius which were written between 551-479 BC. Confucius was a philosopher and a ...

Canadian French nationalism is a complex issue that has its roots in the settlement of the country by French explorers. It has been a highly emotional issue that has affected the politics of Canada over the years. The eye of the storm is the province of Quebec where 81% of its people spoke French as opposed to the 90% of Canadians who spoke English in the rest of Canada during the early stages of the secessionist movement (Fenwick, 1981). The current Separatist movement has lost power and is no longer the threat to Canadian political and social stability it ...

Introduction

The Annals is a collection of sixteen books that survive, written by Cornelius Tacitus who was an historian of the Roman Empire as well as a Roman senator. In what remains of his final writings, Tacitus describes the Roman Empire beginning with Tiberius’ reign in 14 AD 14 up to and including Nero’s reign in 68 AD. The estimated date of the Annals is around 166 AD. The personages and events described in the Annals include Caligula, Claudius, Tiberius Nero, and Messalina. While Tacitus was writing from the perspective of an elitist and a scholar, it is evident ...

Research Paper Draft: The Hospitality Law and Privacy

Introduction Privacy, including information privacy, has become one of the great concerns of our modern information society. Each day, without much difficulty, one can find a news story or report concerning some question of privacy. The main focus of these questions, however, have centered around the age-old debate between what is the best balance between security and privacy. That is to say, very little public, media or government attention has focused on other equally important areas of privacy including privacy in the private sector, such as in the hospitality industry. Nowadays, the hospitality industry increasingly has access mountains of ...

The article “A Brief History of Medical Diagnosis and the Birth of the Clinical Laboratory”, by Darlene Berger, is an interesting read, which thoroughly explores the subject at hand. This article, which is Part 1 in a series of four articles, discusses medical advances from. “Ancient times through the 19th century.” Berger makes very succinct observations about advances in medicine and the advent of the clinical laboratory. She does an excellent job of objectively discussing many of the important discoveries in medical history, providing stirring examples of success and of failure in the context of medical history, and cites ...

Literature

Despite having different backgrounds on leadership skills, Gilgamesh and Enkidu grow to become more alike in the sense that Gilgamesh learns to be respectful to humankind, just like Enkidu. The two learn an important lesson after having a disagreement and fighting; but in the end, they show no enmity towards one another. There are ten ways in which these two friends got to be quite similar. Gilgamesh identifies himself as a protector. This character is revealed when he goes for an adventure with Enkidu to kill Hambaba, whom he considers too evil to protect.

Gilgamesh learns to identify with ...

There are movies that enthral viewers’ hearts from the very first episode and can keep them interested and intrigued right to the end. The Lord of the Rings is surely one of the perfect examples of such films that are really hard to pause watching. If you are looking for three hours of fabulous adventures and the journey full of mysteries, this movie is definitely the best choice ever. Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy became a worldwide phenomenon in the beginning of the 21st century and had a deep effect on the universal screen ...

Introduction

The Watchmen is a film that is based on an American epic set in a rather alternate non-fictitious and that narrowly tends to mirror the current world especially the world of the 1980s. The chief differentiating factor just lies in the existence of some superheroes as part and parcel of the film production. A single point of diversion in the plot tentatively takes place somewhere in the early years. The existence and involvement of the superheroes in this American version is portrayed to dramatically affecting as well as altering the forthright outcome of the well-known real-world occurrences inclusive of ...

Greeks and Mesopotamians are well known for their myths about gods and how they affect the human existence and can determine your fate. Shared amongst them also are epic tales of heroic demigods and mortals who with great courage, help from the gods and bravery defeat many obstacles. The aim of this study is to examine the heroic qualities of two characters of Greek and Mesopotamian mythology; Gilgamesh and Odysseus. Special attention will be taken to ascertain how alike and different they were and what these heroic exploits teaches us about the ideals and expectations of Greek and Mesopotamian ...

Alexander Pope's creativity is an important stage in the development of the English poetry in the age of the Enlightenment. Although the legacy of Alexander Pope has long been divided into the early "ad-satirical" period, yet the poet's main contribution to the history of literature is associated with his late ethical-philosophical and satirical works (Noggle 145). The compromise character of A. Pope's aesthetics makes it easier to "compound the neoclassical and rocaille artistic aspirations" and makes the genre of comic mock-heroic more natural (Noggle 146). His poem "The Rape of the Lock" is the result of a masterful poetic ...

Intricacy and complexity of Arthur Miller`s play Death of a Salesman reflect not only existential along with social anxieties and miseries, but, also, American reality of the post-war period, when the US society seemed to get rid of devastating effect of the Great Depression and aftermath of WWII. In his play Miller depicts an average American who, like the rest of the world, has a dream. However, taking into consideration national and social peculiarities of protagonist this dream is tightly connected with more ideological notion entitled – the American Dream. Thus, through play`s protagonist, Willy Loman, one may ...

The chance to reinvent ourselves is one of the most compelling in the vast human experience. It is what compelled James Gatz to become Jay Gatsby, and to leave the life of a dirt farm family to own a series of ostensible pharmacies that sold illegal liquor out the back door, all so that he could win the love of Daisy and be everything that she wanted. It is what compels audiences to watch movies that show stories of change and transformation. Change can be complicated because it can end up leading to consequences that we did not expect, ...

The Chinese epic “Farewell My Concubine” by Chen Kaige is a cinematic masterpiece. It is a spectacle of action, history, culture, views of social and political landscapes that all intertwine in a love story that spans 52 years. It won the top prize in the 1993 Cannes International Film Festival and several other accolades in its time (Canby). The movie is vastly entertaining and enthralling. It is easy to get lost in the richness of the story – consider it a cultural achievement. This is an epic that covers years 1925 through 1977 in Beijing (formerly Peking), China. It showcases ...

Draupadi and Sita are two characterizations of feminity. One is more sensual and provocative, while the other is the symbol of purity. Draupadi is a princess, and the daughter of King Drupada. She is one of the main characters of Mahabharata. Sita is the wife of Rama, who is a depiction of the supreme god Vishnu. She is one of the main characters of the Ramayana. Draupadi would be the depiction of strong, controversial feminity, while Sita is the depiction of the perfect wife and woman, which would be the central traits that would make the two women very ...

Of all the mоnѕtеrѕ that аrе іn literary and mоvіе hіѕtоrу, none аrе as frіghtеnіng as thе zоmbіе. Thіnk аbоut іt. Yоu hаvе thе реrfесt kіllіng mасhіnе; аll іt dоеѕ іѕ follow іtѕ food - уоu - аnd trу tо еаt іt. Thаt іѕ pretty ѕсаrу іn mу bооk. Thе fоllоwіng іѕ mу article оn zombies, based on whаt I have rеаd іn bооkѕ аnd seen in movies. Thіѕ іѕ nоt rеаlіtу, but ...

Classical English literature studies

Comedy – a professional entertainment consisting of jokes and satirical sketches, intended to make an audience laugh. Late Middle English (as a genre of drama, also denoting a narrative poem with a happy ending, as in Dante’s Divine Comedy): from Old French comedie, via Latin from Greek kōmōidia, from kōmōidos 'comic poet', from kōmos 'revel' + aoidos 'singer'. ("Comedy: Definition Of Comedy in Oxford Dictionary (American English)"). Aristotle defines comedy as an imitation of men, who is worse than the average, but not in their perversities, but in hilarious sense. Comedy, as a genre ...

The concept of the American dream has been widely interpreted by many people to mean the national values that guide America towards attaining prosperity (Adams, 23). One such literature work that has tried interpreting the American dream is Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’. In this play, the author puts his focus on the concept of the American dream. In one way or the other, the play exposed the weak points and the failures of blindly having faith in the American dream, as it leads to a tragedy. Although there is no doubt that the American national values ...

Authority

The examination of the different characters in The Song of Ronald reveals the hierarchy of authority in the Early Medieval society. This epic poem showed that the people believed in God, though king Marsilie was known not to love God, but instead “worships Mahomet and calls upon Apollin” (Ronald 2). God occupies the highest position, and based on the readings, the loyalty of those who believed in him are answered favorably. For instance, on his way to avenge his men, Charles prayed that the Lord God will cause the sun to stop on its course and this was granted ...

The Canterbury Tales is one of the greatest pieces of literature because of Chaucer’s story-telling techniques. He weaves together various stories and characters to create this memorable tale that continues to be studied and examined throughout the ages. However, some of the pilgrim’s tales are more engaging to the readers than other ones. For instance, the Knight’s Tale is filled with courtly love, jousting and war scenes, as well as the time honored knight’s code. It can be considered a tale of courtly love as well as an epic due to its writing style. Despite ...

Griots hold a significant place in epics. According to the T’heydinn epic, griots perform the epic and they are aided by traditional instruments like the lute and harp. The argument is that griots “preserve the collective memory of society through poems, passing down knowledge and skills from father to son, with young griots first learning the instrumental skills before being initiated to into the poetic tradition” UNESCO n. p.). Here the role that griots play in society is said to be indispensable. To say that they are responsible for the memory of the whole society amounts to some ...

The definition of the Western Canon is always changing, according to literary critic and Yale professor Harold Bloom: but is that mutability a good thing? Bloom, a rather conservative literary critic, believes that there should be literary standards that outlive the fashionable theories of the day. In our times, these literary theories include ideas borrow from Marx, Foucault, New Historicism, and ethnocentric and gender perspectives, among other lenses through which to view the production of literature. Amidst these ever-changing standards and definitions of a “classic,” Bloom believes the study of literature and good reading habits—to read well and ...

With the advent of the newest technologies in film making, the quality of the movies produced compared from the beginning of the first walkie-talkie in the late 19th century up to the present times, it should be noted that there has been numerous changes since then that created a lasting impact on how films are produced up to this day. In this respect, this paper examines the effects of the digital media in regards to the film making industry whether these new technologies managed to help film directors and viewers in their analysis of the films. For this, 6 ...

Authority

The examination of the different characters in The Song of Ronald reveals the hierarchy of authority in the Early Medieval society. This epic poem showed that the people believed in God, though king Marsilie was known not to love God, but instead “worships Mahomet and calls upon Apollin” (Ronald 2). God occupies the highest position, and based on the readings, the loyalty of those who believed in him are answered favorably. For instance, on his way to avenge his men, Charles prayed that the Lord God will cause the sun stops on its course and this was granted allowing ...

Different Perceptions of the Escape TV Show

“Prison Break,” a TV show that aired on the Fox from 2005-2009, seems to be promoting a message of unyielding love between different types of relationships a person has throughout their lives. There are many shows that carry this theme though, so the TV show must be about something else as well. The show is really promoting the escape of realities such as jail, corrupt laws, governments, and companies that, on their face, seem to have twisted ideologies. The show was so successful at promoting this idea to wide audiences, that it went past the two seasons it was ...

As suggested by the Berman, the twentieth century might be supposed as "the third and last phase" in the improvement of the condition we consider as "modernity." Though he allows that this creating world society of modernism accomplishes stupendous triumph in art and thought, there is a price to be yielded. Culture and identity, for so long perpetual from the backing to the grave, are no more assurances in the period of urban evolution, movement, industrialization, and aggregate war. As the present day open extends, it develops into a large number of segments, talking incommensurable private dialect; the idea ...

Literature and history are forms of self-reflection, self-expression of society, their main topic. Like in historical research much depends on the intuition of the historian, writers and literary critics at the unconscious level are capable of deep comprehension of life. Traditionally, researchers have turned to fiction only in the absence of more reliable sources. In studying the history of modern and contemporary time only an exemplary role was assigned to literature, but new directions of historical thought are changing attitude to the source. The artistic image, as a rule, is characterized by accuracy and persuasiveness; and it facilitates the ...

Odysseus’ Voyage home would not have been possible without the assistance and support of the goddess Athena. Throughout Homer’s Odyssey, she plays an integral role in guiding the epic hero home and bringing him to victory in his final battle to be with his family. While she and Odysseus share many traits, such as cleverness, guile, and prowess in war, in Book XVIII we see her acting to manipulate the situation at hand more than at any other moment in the story. The reason for this is that she alone knows the outcome of the impending battle against ...

Movies are a source of entertainment and act as agents of recreation. Around the world, millions of people at one point in their lives will admit to having watched a movie. Whether it is at the big screens, rental DVD’s or streaming online. With a larger followership, movies are popular with both the young and old, the polarity of the film may be due to the theme expressed, or the role the main actor plays in the movie. Furthermore, the popularity of the movie may be because of affiliation with another big box office hit of the year ...

After more than two hundred years of the first publication, the heroic poem about the adventures of Beowulf is still of high interest to the public. Not only do the scholars investigate Beowulf as an example of Old English literature, but a wider audience also finds this epic poem an important representation of Scandinavian culture. What attracts them is the fact that Beowulf is the only complete surviving text dates from the 8th and the early 11th century. The poem is indeed written in Old English language, but the stories take place in Denmark and Sweden. England is not ...

Everyone likes to be a hero, but being a hero is not a simple process. It is a journey of life from simple to complex; from simplicity to hardship and from ignorance to knowledge. For gaining real knowledge and enlightenment, the hero has to undergo many situations in which his physical abilities, his morals, values and principles are tried by the destiny. The hero’s hardship and ultimate success are portrayed in Western and Eastern Epics. Ramayana is one of the heroic epics in Sanskrit composed by ancient sage Valmiki. It is a story of high idealism and the ...

There have been numerous stories throughout the centuries of heroes who have struggled with inner and external conflicts and who have used different mediums to share their tales. Their journeys are different in many respects, but they all share the same qualities that define the role of a hero in any literature piece. Heroes continue to maintain their presences and their role in the stories that are told every day. The hero plays an interesting role in any piece of literatures and pulls the readers towards the plot. Gilgamesh is the typical hero who he survives the difficult journey. ...

In Hamlet, Polonius tells Laertes, “Apparel oft proclaims the man.” That truth becomes doubly so when it comes to costuming a character for purposes of performance. The character I have chosen for this paper is Cleopatra, and more specifically, Elizabeth Taylor starring as the Egyptian queen in the1963 movie directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Before I focus on the queen’s attire, it is pertinent to spend a few lines on the cultural and historical significance of Cleopatra as the queen of Egypt. Because of the iconic significance of the role, it is crucial that the queen is dressed ...