Essays on Wise Men

Francesco Bassano’s "The Adoration of the Magi" presents a 16th century depiction of the birth of Jesus and the presentation of gifts to him by the wise men that is accounted in the Bible. The elegant dress of these individuals is made even more exotic by the the way that their bright colors are contrasted with the otherwise dim and dreary atmosphere. The magi, baby Jesus, and Mary are all the primary focus of the picture and demonstrate the homage that the wise men paid to the young savior. Oil on canvas was used in order to depict ...

The Apology chronicles a speech given by Socrates in response to charges brought against him in Athens Greece. Socrates was brought to trial around 399 BC for a myriad of charges. This hearing was recorded by his student Plato and is believed to be the most accurate, even though Xenophon's Memorabilia gives an account of the proceedings. The modern day connotation of the word apology, derived from the Greek word apologia is defined as “a regretful acknowledgement of an offence or failure” (Oxford Dictionaries). Where this definition is concerned, and with careful analysis, one cannot refer to this hearing ...

Though the settings differ substantially, the theme of love is clear both in “The Greatest Thing since Sliced Bread” and “The Gift of Magi,” through the author’s use of character, style and point of view. The book "The greatest thing since sliced bread" by Don Robertson and Gift of Magi are used to expound themes of love even though the two have different settings. The authors have employed the use of characters, point of view and style to bring out the theme of love. Gift of magi is a book concerning a couple and has inspired many readers ...

“My God, it’s heaven.”

The Circle by Dave Eggers starts with this line from its female protagonist Mae Holland. This is the reaction she was able to summon upon arriving at the compound of what was going to be her new office. She is amazed at the landscape of the campus, where she could see a tennis and a volleyball court, a fountain, and a day care center where the children of the employees stay while the employees work. There are children running about when she arrives, screaming and having fun as they enjoy the wide expanse of the campus in California. Mae ...

Introduction

Before the Protestant Reformation and the Enlightenment, though, the field of inquiry was completely different than it would be afterward. There was only one religious establishment during that time period, and that establishment had the power of eternal fear over everyone and everything. The fact that the Roman Catholic Church had the power to ban someone not just from church but from any chance of salvation radically altered the calculus of anyone interested in pursuing any sort of intellectual endeavor. Remember, this is the same institution that sought to excommunicate Galileo and Copernicus because of their claims that the ...

Alternate Ending (Grafting a new version of the ending)

Jim drew a package from his overcoat pocket and threw it upon the table. "Don't make any mistake, Dell," he said, "about me. How dare you cut of one of the most precious things about my life?" White fingers and nimble tore at the string and paper. A painful wail as she saw what was in the package. How painfully wrong she had been. For there lay The Combs--the set of combs, side and back, that Della had worshipped long in a Broadway window. Beautiful combs, pure tortoise shell, with jewelled rims--just the shade to wear in the beautiful ...

Military Victory. Tet Offensive. Tet offensive that took place in February of 1968 was a turning point of the Vietnam War. American leading political and military figures of the time expressed different assessments of the consequences of the Tet offensive, but they all agreed that it had dramatically changed the course of the war in Vietnam. Prior to the February 1968 attacks, the general consensus was that of an imminent American victory. General public was led to believe that the American forces and the South Vietnamese forces are superior to the Communist enemy. After the offensive, the attitude has ...