Professor Gipko
Hum 2110 001
May 13, 2013
Exam III
I.
Dante’s journey was to lead him into the road of salvation because he was contemplating suicide. Dante see what happens to people that commit suicide; they are trees that cannot talk unless pain is inflicted on them. This symbolizes people committing suicide. The trees let a horrific scream when the when they dismembered, it causes them to bleed as well. The reason the souls are trees is that they rejected life, there for they have to be constantly reminded of what they did to their own selves. Dante knew now what he thought before was wrong; that he is supposed to love life; for which is life a privilege, it is not to be taken for granted.
In Circle 4 of the Hell are the souls of hoarders and wasters. They are angry and pushing weights against each other. The weights symbolic retribution is the weight of money that was not spent or the weight of money that was constantly spent only on them own selves. The punishment fits the sin, by far. People that have mostly are too greedy to share or help others. I say that if I had money that I would spend it on people that are need of help, I would help them.
Hamlet as hero, I would say so. Hamlet only wanted to find out if his Uncle Claudius killed his father to gain the throne. Hamlet cannot kill Claudius unless found a reason so that Hamlet would go to heaven and Claudius would to hell for his sins. The family goes to a play that resembles the murder of King Hamlet. Claudius runs out goes and prays in the church showing his guilt Young Hamlet now knows that he did indeed kill his father. He pretends to be mad man to watch his uncle. In the end Hamlet gets his revenge, but at a price, he loses his life as well. Hamlet died a hero in a heroic way.
I would say that Hamlet is a political tragedy just because of the ending. Hamlet goes a fencing match between him and Laertes, which is supposed to be friendly; but Hamlet killed Polonius which was Laertes father. If Hamlet won he would have to drink out the wine glass from which it was poisoned. Hamlet won the first hit, but refused to drink and said that he would play another hit first. He hit Laertes again, but Laertes hits back and wounds Hamlet. Hamlet then, wounded Laertes with his own sword. The queen drinks the wine, not knowing that the wine was poisoned. She tells Hamlet that the drink of was poisoned and she dies. Laertes tells Hamlet that he slain by the poisoned sword. Hamlet knew then that he was going to die as well. He ran a Claudius and pierced him with the poison sword and killed him. In the end Hamlet and Laertes both die, but in a happy that was calming. Laertes forgave Hamlet and Hamlet got revenge.
II.
The Odyssey, Oedipus the King, The Aeneid, Inferno, and Hamlet are all similar in one way or another. They might common on their themes, political, social, and psychological issue or my own opinion. The stories are all common in some ways, but what ways? Which one is like a brother instead of a friend? Opinions and facts play a role in the stories. It is possible to be so alike.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri's epic three-part poem, The Divine Comedy. Dante, in the poem develops many themes throughout the adventures of his travelers from political to religious. The Inferno is a work that Dante used to express his ideas of God's divine justice. It is a horror story we can read from the safety of our armchair, just as the characters, like someone playing a virtual-reality game, wanders through every scene unscathed.…
- 2632 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays -
"Midway through the journey of our life, I found/myself in a dark wood, for I had strayed/from the straight pathway to this tangled ground." These famous lines from Dante's Inferno signify the themes of religion and personal salvation in the poem. Often when one embarks on a journey of self-discovery, they travel to places which astound one by their strangeness. Expecting to see what is straightforward and acceptable, one is suddenly presented with exceptions. Just as such self-examiners might encounter their inner demons, so does Dante, both as a character and a writer, as he sets out to walk through his Inferno. The image of being lost in "dark woods" sets up a clear dichotomy between the supposed unenlightened ignorance that one endures due to a lack of faith in God and the clear radiance provided by God's love. Dante uses contrasting symbols to indicate the character's challenge. The "dark woods" embodies Dante's fear, yet the "right road" symbolizes his confidence in God, ultimately revealing that Dante's journey is to find the presence of God in a sinful world. However, the journey upon which Dante is embarking is not solely his, but rather that of every human being. Consistent with the views of his time, Dante believes that this journey is one that every individual must undertake, so as to understand their sins and find peace with God. This is an element with which modern readers can identify, as present society is conscious of an individual's right to find peace within themselves and the universe. While there are many different religions and divine beings which are worshipped today, the medieval view of personal salvation and spiritual peace is still applicable to any of these variations. Dante's journey throughout the Inferno also gives readers a glimpse into his own perception of what constitutes sin. It may be harder, however, for modern readers to agree with the punishment for certain sins, in light of liberal advances in society's views and the…
- 2847 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
While Dante’s imagery is sometimes straightforward, he also has disparate instances where his the elegant diction in his imagery leaves the audience haunted such as when he describes those in hell for committing suicide, “Our bodies will be hung: with every one, fixed on the thornbush of its wounding shade” (XIII. 101). The imagery of this mutilation leaves the audience wondering about the about the wounding shade.…
- 476 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
If one person is to despair, then many people are to comfort. If the energy of one is not enough, then the support of others will guide a person through depression. Dante definitely wanted there to be some sort of binding comfort hidden within the torture of their punishment: When those souls committed suicide, there was no hope, no one to give them hope. In Hell, they are constantly with millions of other souls that shambled down the same path. With imagery and word choice, he could tuck that comfort into the little corners of darkness in the forest, without letting anyone but those who were searching for that comfort see it. Alas, the path, whether it is of life or of a wood, must end at some point. As the whispers fade and the light is ceasing to fleet, a new layer of Hell begins, but it is full of a different sort of light; the light of a wandering…
- 966 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Throughout the fast-paced lives of people, we are constantly making choices that shape who we are, as well as the world around us; however, one often debates the manner in which one should come to correct moral decisions, and achieve a virtuous existence. Dante has an uncanny ability to represent with such precision, the trials of the everyman's soul to achieve morality and find unity with God, while setting forth the beauty, humor, and horror of human life. Dante immediately links his own personal experience to that of all of humanity, as he proclaims, "Midway along the journey of our life / I woke to find myself in a dark wood, / for I had wandered off from the straight path" (I.1-3). The dark wood is the sinful life on earth, and the straight path is that of the virtuous life that leads to God. Dante's everyman, pilgrim…
- 1408 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
“No green leaves, but rather black in color, no smooth branches, but twisted and entangled, no fruit, but thorns of poison bloomed instead.” (XIII, 4) No longer humans, but trees, they stand in a fruitless wood, being eaten by half-woman, half-bird creatures called Harpies. These sinners have committed Violence against themselves. They destroyed their bodies on earth so they have been denied any resemblance to a body in hell. Harpies are perched on them, eating their leaves as they scream in pain. When leaves or branches are ripped from them, they bleed and feel as though limbs are being torn from their bodies. Their wounds heal so as to reoccur, making it so the harpies may eat them eternally. This is not a reasonable form of justice, as once thought in Dante’s time. The Christian church has changed its opinions on suicide since the publishing of Dante’s work. Once not even awarded a Christian burial, people who commit suicide are now considered not in the right state of mind. Since they have suffered in life, they should not be forced to suffer for eternity in death.…
- 757 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the returning prince finds that his scene of sanity is gone in picking up the broken pieces of his life. He tries to coup with it all, facing the reality of his father being dead, dethroned by his uncle, and losing the love of his life Ophelia. What more could a man take in staring death in the face and questioning it. As human beings we all have a purpose on this earth, to find what we are destine to do. Hamlet reaches acceptance of his situation. Wondering if he will be known for being a great avenger, or the son who didn’t avenge his father’s death.…
- 434 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Hamlet is a tragic hero in the true sense of terrible event because he died trying to complete his goal of avenging his father. He is a tragic hero who asked Horatio to let his story be known of how he saved Claudius but, in the process, lost everything he loved, including his own life on one level people might not believe completely he is a tragic hero because he did not die at the hands of Claudius. Instead, he died at the hands of Laertes through Claudius's dishonest actions. Hamlet might have been a more tragic hero if he had died at the hands of Claudius while fulfilling his prophecy to avenge his father's death. Hamlet flaws did not discourage him to give up and he accomplish his end goal which makes him a tragic hero. King Oedipus is…
- 288 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
In the play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, the main character Hamlet is often described as a hero. There are 6 criterion for a Shakespeare play to be considered a tragedy; the hero is a man of outstanding quality, the hero has a tragic flaw, the hero’s downfall is a result of his own choice, the audience has a “sad sense of wasted human potential”, the hero has an increase in awareness and a gain in self knowledge, and the audience experiences a cycle of good and bad emotions towards mankind. Hamlet is a great example of a tragic hero, one of his greatest attributes is also his biggest downfall.…
- 380 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Hamlet states the contrast between him, and Hercules when talking about the difference between his uncle, and his father. Not only, does this again clarify the great difference Hamlet sees between his uncle, and his father, but it also shows that Hamlet does not view himself in a heroic way. Hercules is known as a great, strong warrior, and demi-god who earned a place on Mount Olympus after his death. Hercules may not have been the most intelligent hero, but he was very passionate about seeking atonement for his wrong…
- 623 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
At the opening of the play Hamlet is portrayed as a stable individual . He expresses disappointment in his mother for her seeming disregard for his father's death. His feelings are justified and his actions are rational at this point, he describes himself as being genuine. As this scene progresses it is revealed that Hamlet views himself as being weak: "My father's brother, but no more like my father/ than I to Hercules" (1.2.153) The doubts that Hamlet has concerning his heroism become particularly evident in his actions as the story progresses.…
- 1071 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Some will say Hamlet is just a regular man who becomes corrupted and evil throughout the play. Hamlet comes off as a villain. He acts to fate in a way a normal, non-heroic character would act. The emotions that he shows are much more intense than physical appearance. With heavy emotions Hamlet takes on the thoughts of suicide, which most people would say is a hero less act. If we look at the play once more, the actions he took were not just for him; he did it for a man he loved, his father. Can we not say that he suffered much more than he should have to bring justice? Hamlet is a selfless…
- 1258 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
In Canto 7, Dante describes the Hoarders that reside in circle four. The Hoarders are all of those people that were misers during their life. The reason that this is a sin is because is takes the focus away form God and places their focus on collecting and saving as much money as they can. This is the last circle of Hell where the affects of the sin committed do not have a direct impact on other people. It does however, affect others indirectly by influencing the economy of the place where they lived before being damned to Hell. It is not as severe as the sins of the Wrathful because the Hoarders do not seek to harm another individual. Dante compares the action of the sinners in this circle to the whirlpool Charybdis and its surrounding waters. "Just as the surge Charybdis hurls to sea crashes and breaks upon its countersurge, so these shades dance and crash eternally"(Dante, Canto 7 line 22-24). The useless efforts with which they…
- 1629 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
A literary hero is someone who displays feats of nobility along with courage. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, young Hamlet is obviously the hero of the play. Stranded in the middle of a court full of corruption, faced with his father’s death and his mother’s almost immediate remarriage, Hamlet somehow comes out of it a hero in the reader’s minds. It is his courageousness and nobility that lead him through his revenge, virtually unscathed by the corruption of the court.…
- 1484 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
The story of Beowulf is a story of honor, heroism, and triumph over evil. The story of Hamlet is a more tragic story where neither side of the spectrum of good versus is evil wins. There is no doubt that Beowulf is a hero, all of the obvious signs are there. He is seen as pure by all and no one can find fault in him. Hamlet however, is a more difficult person to read. He seems to eventually not care what others think of him, and is only concerned with avenging his father’s death. Whether we realize it or not, Hamlet is trying to be a hero, even though he goes about his heroism in eccentric ways.…
- 537 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays