King Aegeus - Greek Mythology Essay Example for Free

King Aegeus Greek Mythology Essay Even though many believe mythology was written just to satisfy, it actually serves as an explanation. These tales written by Ancient Greeks were not written just to entertain, but for a purpose. Mythology is an important factor which helps discover secrets of our race. Using these myths, natural phenomena is explained, morality is taught, and man’s greatest hopes and deepest fears are revealed. Still today these stories are looked at to explain everyday events. An example of mythology unlocking keys to the human race is when natural phenomena is explained. In the story of Theseus, his father, King Aegeus, kills himself and falls into a body of water which is now known as the Aegean Sea (Hamilton 152). King Aegeus shows the love he has for Theseus by committing suicide when he believes his beloved son was killed in the Labrynith. The Greeks celebrate his life by naming the Aegean Sea after him. In addition to this incidence, the explanation of seasons is given using the tale of Demeter, â€Å"Demeter did not refuse, poor comfort though it was that she must lose Persephone for four months every year and her young loveliness go down to the world of the dead,† (Hamilton 53). When Demeter is without her daughter, whom she loves dearly, for four months, she becomes very unhappy. As a result of her depression, the earth becomes cold for this time period, thus making the season of winter. Certainly mythology is a great source of justification for the unexplainable. Not only does mythology explain natural phenomena, it also teaches morality in many of the myths. For example, in the story of Daedalus, he warns his son not to fly too high because the heat of the sun will melt the glue on his wings and he will fall, but Icarus gets caught up with having the ability to fly, disregards his father’s advice, and ends up falling into the sea (Hamilton 139-140). The moral portrayed in the story is that children need to obey their elders, for they have more life experiences and wisdom. When Icarus does not listen to his father, fate is not kind to him. Another situation that depicts a significant lesson is the one that takes place in Perseus’s story when Queen Cassiopeia boasts her daughter, Andromeda, to be more beautiful than the daughters of Nereus. This angers the gods and they send a man eating serpent to Ethiopia which can only be freed by the sacrifice of Andromeda (Hamilton 146). The message of this myth is that being prideful is dangerous and can cause people to perform harmful actions towards the boasting party. Often times, individuals are proud of what they have and flaunt their possessions for attention, when it is better to just sit quiet and let others realize it themselves. Clearly, the morals taught in mythology were relevant to life then and are still relevant in life today. The final function mythology serves is being able to explore man’s greatest hopes and deepest fears. This is displayed in Thisbe and Pyramus’s tale when their ashes are put together in the urn so that they will be together forever (Hamilton 103). In life, it is one’s dream to be with their loved one for as long as they are alive. It is very common when a couple dies that they want to be buried together in the hopes that even death will not be able to separate them. Friendship is a relationship similar to marriage that is highly valued and is demonstrated when Hercules leaves the Argonauts to go look for his best friend, Hylas (Hamilton 120). It is not like Hercules to abandon such a journey that would make him even look even more heroic, but his friendship with Hylas takes priority over the voyage for the Golden Fleece. The force present in friendship is so strong that one will do almost anything for the other. Without a doubt mythology provides many of examples of man’s greatest hopes and deepest fears. Obviously mythology can be used in many ways to explain everyday happenings. Whether it is natural phenomena, morality, or man’s hopes and fears, mythology plays an important role. The mythological stories, written by the ancient Greeks, often parallel events that happen today. Studying more in depth of these myths might lead to a better perception of life now. Work Cited Hamilton, Edith. Mythology Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: Penguin Group, 1940. Print. 13-315.

Blindness and Sight in Oedipus the King - Lack of Vision :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Blindness in Oedipus the King People can be â€Å"blinded† to the truth. The answer to their question or solution to their problem may have been obvious. Yet, they could not "see" the answer. They were blinded to the truth. Associations have been made between being blind and enlightened. A blind person is said to have powers to see invisible things. They "see" into the future. The blind may not have physical sight, but they have another kind of vision. In Sophocles' King Oedipus, Teiresias, the blind prophet, presents the truth to King Oedipus and Jocasta. Oedipus has been blinded to the truth his whole life. When he does find the truth, he loses his physical vision. Because of the truth, Oedipus blinds himself. Jocasta was blind to the true identity of Oedipus. Even when she found out the truth, she refused to accept it. In this case, those who are blind ultimately do have a higher vision - the truth. Kind Oedipus started life with a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. In an attempt to avoid this fate, his parents, Laius and Jocasta, sent him into the mountains to die. However, a shepherd saved Oedipus. This shepherd gave Oedipus to Polybus and Merope. When Oedipus learned of his prophecy, he fled his home, thinking these people were his real parents. On his flight, he met Laius. He ended up killing Laius. He continued on, answered a riddle of the evil Sphinx, and ended up king of Thebes. With this kingdom, Oedipus married Jocasta. He had lived out the prophecy without even knowing he had. Thebes fell onto bad times, and a prophet put the blame on a polluter of the lands. Oedipus called on Teiresias, and Teiresias informed him that the polluter was the King. As Oedipus searched further and further, he discovered that he was the polluter and that the prophecy had come true. When Oedipus finally discovered the truth, he was so distressed that he ran pins int o his eyes, blinding himself. He had been blinded to the truth for so long. Oedipus was blind in more then one way. He was blind to the truth about his own life. Oedipus had no idea that his real parents were Laius and Jocasta. He was so blind that he got mad at anyone who was foolish enough to suggest such an idea. Blindness and Sight in Oedipus the King - Lack of Vision :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex Blindness in Oedipus the King People can be â€Å"blinded† to the truth. The answer to their question or solution to their problem may have been obvious. Yet, they could not "see" the answer. They were blinded to the truth. Associations have been made between being blind and enlightened. A blind person is said to have powers to see invisible things. They "see" into the future. The blind may not have physical sight, but they have another kind of vision. In Sophocles' King Oedipus, Teiresias, the blind prophet, presents the truth to King Oedipus and Jocasta. Oedipus has been blinded to the truth his whole life. When he does find the truth, he loses his physical vision. Because of the truth, Oedipus blinds himself. Jocasta was blind to the true identity of Oedipus. Even when she found out the truth, she refused to accept it. In this case, those who are blind ultimately do have a higher vision - the truth. Kind Oedipus started life with a prophecy that he would kill his father and marry his mother. In an attempt to avoid this fate, his parents, Laius and Jocasta, sent him into the mountains to die. However, a shepherd saved Oedipus. This shepherd gave Oedipus to Polybus and Merope. When Oedipus learned of his prophecy, he fled his home, thinking these people were his real parents. On his flight, he met Laius. He ended up killing Laius. He continued on, answered a riddle of the evil Sphinx, and ended up king of Thebes. With this kingdom, Oedipus married Jocasta. He had lived out the prophecy without even knowing he had. Thebes fell onto bad times, and a prophet put the blame on a polluter of the lands. Oedipus called on Teiresias, and Teiresias informed him that the polluter was the King. As Oedipus searched further and further, he discovered that he was the polluter and that the prophecy had come true. When Oedipus finally discovered the truth, he was so distressed that he ran pins int o his eyes, blinding himself. He had been blinded to the truth for so long. Oedipus was blind in more then one way. He was blind to the truth about his own life. Oedipus had no idea that his real parents were Laius and Jocasta. He was so blind that he got mad at anyone who was foolish enough to suggest such an idea.

Ozymandius

Commanding poems that continue to be talked about and analyzed to this day. Each sonnet was published by Leigh Hunt early in 1818 in consecutive issues of his monthly Journal, The Examiner (Rumens, 2010). Even though the sonnet written by Smith has taken a back seat to Shelley in scholarly study, both poems explore the opulence of ancient history and the inevitable consequences of time. Inspired by recent discoveries in the Near East, Shelley and Smith were motivated by the words of historian Odorous Sculls who claimed the inscription on the statue of Renames II read, â€Å"King of Kings Commanding am l.If any want to know how great I am and where I lie, let him outdo me in my work† (Mimics, 2010). The motivation for these separatist poems was to create a piece of artwork that would withstand the inevitable passing of time. Unlike the crumbling boasting monuments of Ancient Egypt whose intent was to memorial their rule, their own literary words would be a piece of poetic art t hat would forever be remembered in European literature. While the differences outweigh the similarities between these woo poems, there is a uniting theme expressed by both Shelley and Smith.Each author uses the same subject, tells the same story and makes the same moral point of the arrogance of human authority and the inevitable decline of all leaders. Every great leader wants to be amortized and remembered. Time is the ceaseless enemy of this great wish of mortal men. It never stops, takes pause or shows tire as it breaks down the most triumphant of mortal monuments. Both poems use the expression of time to unite the idea that all power is fleeting as exampled by the only mains of the statue's leg.The variations in diction between Shelley and Smith allows for a vast difference of perspective. Smith, an author of historical novels and financial advisor to Shelley, lacked an overall flare that is seen in Shelley poem. However, his words reinforce the sense of loss and emptiness of t he desert and that forgotten Babylon' (Smith, 1818). Smith chooses a future perspective of someone stopping upon the ruins and wondering what greatness once resided in the Egyptian desert. His words are less imaginative and the tone of the poem comes across more loom than wrathful as compared to Shelley.There is no focus on the arrogance and harsh rule of Commanding. On the other hand, Shelley chooses to present the remains of Commanding from the narrator's perspective. The passage, â€Å"Tell that its sculptor well those passions read†, shows that the unrelenting style of rule, as depicted on the visage, was accurately portrayed to the traveler (Shelley, 1818). Shelley is able to strip focus away from Commanding' own aspiration of being amortized and draw attention to the truth of his unsympathetic reign as depicted wrought the hands of the artisan.Shelley literary style and viewpoint makes clear his disdain for ancient rule and monarchies (Solo Interactive Learning). Shelle y and Smith were both inspired by the political developments of their own day and opinions were heightened by the 1821 acquisition of a statue of Rammers II by the British Museum in London. In their own personal style, each poet conveyed the same paradox: â€Å"Commanding, the self-proclaimed King of Kings, commissioned a statue of himself to guarantee his immortality, but all that's left is a broken statue† (Durbin, 012).

Prejudice and Racism in Heart of Darkness Essay - 3434 Words

Racism in Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness is a social commentary on imperialism, but the characters and symbols in the book have a meaning for both the psychological and cultural aspects of Marlow’s journey. Within the framework of Marlow’s psychedelic experience is an exploration of the views the European man holds of the African man. These views express the conflict between the civilized and the savage, the modern and the primordial, the individual and the collective, the moral and the amoral, that is part of the general psychedelic experience. Marlow, as a modern European man, cannot escape the arrogance of the civilized, cannot accept the jungle as an equally important part of a whole reality, but he gains some kind†¦show more content†¦No; you want a deliberate belief.’†* The inherent strength of civilized people is in our ability to trust to faith, to believe so much in something that it will preserve our sense of self even when it is threatened by total absence of , even the opposite conditions of, all that formed to make it. The Africans fascinate Marlow, lure that part of him that wants to escape from the surface-realities created by sociality. Is it a deliberate belief that saves him from asserting his attraction, or an accident of situation? â€Å"‘You wonder I didn’t go ashore for a howl and a dance? Well, no—I didn’t. Fine sentiments, you say? Fine sentiments be hanged! I had no time. I had to mess about with white-lead and strips of woollen blanket helping to put bandages on those leaky steam-pipes, I tell you. ...There was surface-truth enough in these things to save a wiser man.’†* The technological realities of civilized man happened to allow him to focus his thoughts on work. This reconciles with the notion of a ‘deliberate belief’ because Marlow unshakeably believes that work contains truth (and he can assert this truth against the truth of the Africans) and is not another syst em of surface-reality. Marlow sees his journey as a demonstration of the failure of surface-realities to restrain man from gratifying his instinctual lusts; their failure in even remaining surface-truths but degenerating in the minds of man to delusions that undermineShow MoreRelated Prejudice and Racism in The Jewel in the Crown and Heart of Darkness1361 Words   |  6 PagesRacism in The Jewel in the Crown and Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   The effects of British colonialism are reflected in literature from both early modernism and post colonialism. Racial discrimination tainted both eras portrayed in the British morale of white supremacy over non-European counties unfolded. Heart of Darkness exemplifies early modernism in the British explorers viewed African natives of the Congo as incapable of human equality due to perceived uncivilized savagery. 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