Above all, I realized that Laxdaela Saga was much more in-depth in terms of the plot and a more complicated read as well. The writer was certainly aiming for readers to understand the lineage of the main characters to signify the characters’ social rank and importance within the plot. For example, when introducing a new character, the writer would go on by saying, “son/daughter of…, who was the son/daughter of…” Although incredibly confusing at times, this was a way to tell an approximate timeframe.…
The myth of the Five Races of Humankind further demonstrates humanity’s helplessness at the hands of Zeus. Hesiod contends that humanity is now in the 5th stage of moral decline since the “golden” age of men, in which men were like the gods in that they lived “free of sorrows, far apart from effort and pain”(97). Men in the golden age were peaceful and good but presumably the evils brought by Pandora took root in humans and caused a degeneration of morality. Hesiod laments having been born in this 5th age of men because it is full of cruel people, who commit evil against family, friends, guests and even the gods. Perhaps the most telling reason for Hesiod’s sadness is his belief that Zeus would “destroy this race of evil people too”. Not only…
In 1993 President William Clinton signed into law a policy that effectively bans gay, lesbian, and bisexual service in the military. This policy, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), gave the armed forces the right to discharge a soldier based on their sexual preferences. There are two main parts to the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. In the Don’t Ask section of the policy, a commander is not allowed to ask, and service members are not required to disclose their sexual orientation. The other part, Don’t Tell, claims a basis for discharge exists if "the member has said that he or she is a homosexual or bisexual, or made some other statement that indicates a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts." This act is seen as unconstitutional by many Americans and is currently hurting our military when we need it the most.…
The first half of the book, “The Bible and Myth,” Oswalt takes the time to define what a myth is and what differentiates the Bible from a myth. The first chapter deals with the Bible in the framework of its backgrounds and its influence to humanity at large. The second half of the book, “The Bible and History,” look at several philosophical thoughts proposed by others that attempt to explain the Bible’s importance separate from historical authority.…
Upon reading Greek tragedies, many similar themes and tropes would often reappear as a way to tell the audience that the story which they are reading is a tragedy. One of these tropes was the seeking justice. Whether if the justice for another person or their own gratification, justice was a major influence in these plays. Two examples of such tragedies were the Oresteia and Hippolytus. In both, the death of one character sparked a chain reaction that leads others characters to find ways to avenge the fallen ones. This would usually entail more death to come, and cycle of violence seemed to be endless until the gods stepped into the fray to resolve the conflict that the humans simplicity could not. While many could interpret the god’s actions as the law because as powerful beings, they…
These myths were told to people and it helped them realize the difference between right and wrong. It helped them come to terms with understanding their own humility and it also helped them gain an understanding that they should never think themselves higher than their immortal gods. These myths tell the tales of mighty heroes and how their greatness was achieved while at the same time illustrating the flaws these heroes had in their personal quest to become gods. A deeper look into the Trojan War reveals meanings, attitudes, and life lessons that the Greeks were very adamant in preserving for the betterment of their society and to the world around them. These tales seldom ended in happy endings like the ones we are accustomed to observing in our culture today and is important to remember that they weren’t written solely for entertainment—they were written with a greater purpose. In truth, these myths give people the opportunity to glimpse at the way the Greeks lived and how they thought back then. These myths were an integral part of ancient Greek culture, this was how they passed down lessons from…
Greek authors, when one considers the time period in which they lived, are relatively simple to distinguish from one another, particularly in how they treat Greek myth in relation to the message they aim to convey to their audience. Homer and Sophocles use myth to reflect their different perspectives on human nature, which coincides with their audience’s previously held perceptions of the myths they are dealing with. Homer’s Odyssey suggests that humans need not search for meaning in their lives, as it is administered and controlled by the gods; Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex offers a completely different standpoint, in which humans, for all their worldly knowledge, can still be held blind to the truth of their existence and origins.…
The Ovidian opinion of human nature is that humans will always do something wrong. When this wrong-doing offends one or more of the gods, the punishment typically results in negative changes in the person’s life, and often their ruin or death. In the myths Ovid presents in his Metamorphoses, the wrong-doing is brought about in one of three ways. The first of these ways is by an act of the gods, seen in the myths of Io and Tiresias. The second way is through bad luck, as we see in the myth of Actaeon. The third and final of the ways the wrong-doing comes about is through intentional wrong-doing, in which the humans choose an action that they know is offensive to the gods, as we see in the myths of Lycaon and Pentheus.…
Although taking on a different perspective may prove to be effective in the short-term, it does not offer a way to resolve the source of the problem, as Dr. Enns mentioned in lecture. To illustrate, Epictetus makes repeated mentions of reputation and how one is unable to control the view of others. However, could one’s meager reputation be a result of one’s poor temperament or general unpleasantness? By thinking that one is unable to influence other’s opinions of oneself, one is absolved from taking responsibility for one’s actions, free to act as a pompous donkey. Detachment is an ineffective means to live; if everyone overlooked the problems within our society, no progress can be made by the human race. It was those who were passionate, those who were attached to their society – the external world, that great feats in history were achieved. In fact, if one so chooses to follow the ways of a stoic, one remains ignorant while the problem may grow larger. Instead of thinking that humans have no control over all external factors in life, perhaps consider some as influenced by the result of one’s own…
Propaganda is a powerful social tool that influences audiences through manipulation and selective viewpoints and has been witnessed in history as far back as written records exist. It has been used to sanction the rise of new leaders, herald a society and its dominance, and push ideological agendas to audiences of all backgrounds throughout civilizations. The methods that propaganda has been used are numerous and include both written and spoken forms of communication to reach the audience. Literature is not exempt from the use of propaganda and Homer’s The Odyssey and Virgil’s The Aeneid are two historical sources where it can be found. The propaganda seen in these texts share similarities and differences which can be compared and contrasted and include the values of the societies they represent, the destinies of the heroes and what each represents to the society, and how the backgrounds of the creators influence what occurs in the story with emphasis on politics and traditions.…
Divine responsibility can be defined as maintaining order of the world and ensure offenders are being punished for their misdeeds. On the other hand, human responsibility is to differentiate between right and wrong and act accordingly, as to please the Gods. However, it is seen in the Odyssey that the Humans do not have complete faith in the Gods and their justice. As a result, the Humans begin to question the meaning of their lives in the grand scheme of things. Moreover, it is seen that the Gods often act according to their whims and fancies, thereby abusing their power and seeking their own end. The Gods do not usually get involved unless the matter concerns them directly. Uncertainty, as to what implications a Human’s actions would have tends to put him in a state of existential crisis.…
When one ponders the Greek mythology and literature, powerful images invariably come to mind. One relives the heroes’ struggles against innumerable odds, their battles against magical monsters, and the gods’ periodic intervention in mortal affairs. Yet, a common and often essential portion of a heroic epic is the hero’s consultation with an oracle or divinity. This prophecy is usually critical to the plot line, and also to the well being of the main characters. Could Priam have survived in the Achaean camp if not at the gods’ instruction (200-201)? Could the Argos have run the gauntlet of the Prowling Rocks if not for the gods’ advice of using a sacrificial bird (349).…
Homer’s The Odyssey is a tale about a man journeying home to his family while facing many trials along the way. Throughout the story, there are many themes that illustrated the Greek Society’s beliefs at the time. One of the most prominent themes is how the Greek Gods were portrayed throughout the story. Due to their significant aid to Odysseus’s endeavors, the Gods in Ancient Greek Society were revered as good and pure.…
The first advantage of using religious myth as a way of conveying religious truth is that it opens up a lot of boundaries between religion and science that are thus unbridgeable. Biblical stories, for example, might seem strange or absurd to the scientifically-minded modern believer, however, if they read the bible as a powerful piece of literature, which, although may not necessarily be absolutely true, they can still appreciate it as an excellent source of spiritual and moral guidance. This means that the Bible/Torah/Qur’an can all be read and understood by those who believe in them fundamentally, and those that believe them to be less absolute truth and more interpreted truth. This, in effect, opens up the message of the Bible as morally true if not literally true to a massive number of extra people who are more analytically minded and skeptical, and as such is a effective way of conveying religious ‘truth’.…
In greek mythology, many cases show that the Gods intervene in mortal matters whether it be in a positive or negative way. Another thing greek mythology shows is the fact that the Greek Gods are very similar to mortals than it seemed and how they, in a way, envied mortals.…