The Epic Of The Iliad - 1562 Words

Homer is the author of the Iliad and is known as the greatest Greek epic poet. He has had an enormous influence on the history of literature. The poem, Iliad, has been translated into different languages, one of which will be used in this paper, translated by Robert Fagles. The poem itself is about one simple word: rage. This anger that infuriates everyone is transformed into a war that will not stop until one side, either Greeks or Trojans, wins. With the majority of the Gods taking sides, the reader can see a combination of heroes and gods fighting side by side against the rival army. All heroes, except one, are described as hulking physical men. Thersites, on the other hand, is portrayed as a servant rather than a noble hero. His role†¦show more content†¦Thersites’ shameful appearance symbolizes his servant status and even influences how his opinions and thoughts are received by the rest of the army. Although Thersites is speaking with the truth, his low ranking, both socially and physically prevent others from agreeing with him. Homer does not give Thersites a father s name suggesting that he should be viewed as a commoner rather than a noble hero. However, he is given almost a rank and he was the one to suggest that all the men go back to their ships and head to their homeland ending this war at once, preventing any more deaths. Even if not seen by everyone in the army, Thersites is a common sense guy in which he thinks logically about the whole situation. Thersites stands up against the crowd and starts to question the reason behind the war. He turns to his comrades, their king, Agamemnon, and his officers, telling them that they had been sent on a fool s errand; chasing after a married woman, Helen, who ended up running off with young Paris. Thersites angrily yells at Agamemnon curious to know what Atrides is â€Å"panting† after this time and how greedy he is, since Atrides already had packed himself with â€Å"the lion’s

Alibr Essay Free Essays

Belonging Essay: â€Å"Sometimes it is hard to balance belonging to a group with keeping one’s own individual identity. † How has your study of the prescribed test and two texts of your own choosing either supported or conflicted with this idea? An essential element of belonging is one’s identity as it provides an understanding of the group to which one belongs. However, it is often difficult to retain one’s individuality while belonging to a particular community. We will write a custom essay sample on Alibr Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now This difficulty is evident in Sara Gavron’s film â€Å"Brick Lane† and Shaun Tan’s â€Å"Stick Figures† (Tales From Outer Suburbia), where both composer’s highlight the loss of individuality as a result of group conformation. In contrast, William Shakespeare’s play â€Å"As You Like It† demonstrates the converse as it highlights that it is possible to balance belonging to group while keeping one’s unique identity. As a result, by comparing the exploration of all three composers, a responder can enhance their understanding of the influences that affect one’s sense of belonging and identity. As one becomes part of a group an understanding of their own unique identity can often be enriched. This is evident in William Shakespeare’s play â€Å"As You like It† through Orlando, whose development of a sense of familial belonging empowers his own self-understanding. This is evident through the contrast between Orlando’s initial dejected state and final sense of status. This is evident through Orlando’s early despondence in the play in â€Å"in this world I fill up a place, which may be better supplied when I have made it empty. The impersonal tone associated with ‘a place’ alludes to Orlando’s own feeling of alienation and isolation as a result of a lack of connection with others. This is reinforced through the hollow connotations of ‘empty’ which accentuate Orlando’s lack of understanding of himself. However, this is contrasted with the conclusion of the play, as Orlando develops his sense of familial belongi ng with his brother Oliver. This sense of empowerment is evident in â€Å"you have my consent† where Orlando’s dominance is evidence through his approval of his brother’s wishes. This emphasises his enhanced status and identity, solely a result of his sense of belonging. As a result it can be seen that it is Orlando’s belonging to a group that nourishes his sense of identity. Antithetically, when a responder considers Sara Gavron’s film â€Å"Brick Lane† the converse of Shakespeare’s exploration becomes prominent. This evident when considering the character of Karim, a London-born Pakistani man. As a result of Karim’s cultural and religious heritage, he experiences a sense of alienation from the wider community as evident in â€Å"Go home Paki! † The derogatory term of ‘Paki’ compounded with the incensed tone created through the exclamation, Gavron demonstrates Karim’s social alienation. It is this isolation that yields his identity as evident in â€Å"this is my home. † The blunt nature of Karim’s statement highlights his resoluteness and confidence with his own unique multicultural self. Despite this, Karim’s identity begins to waver as he becomes part of a Muslim group that fights for understanding. This is evident through the contrast in costuming used by Gavron. Initially, she characterises Karim in a combination of western and Pakistani clothes, but as he joins the group, these western elements begin to disappear. This results in Karim conforming to the dress code of the other group members, implying the loss of his own unique identity as a result of his belonging. Hence, Gavron, unlike Shakespeare emphasises that one’s sense of identity can be lost through their connection with a group. In certain situations it is often difficult to retain a sense of unique identity while being part of a group. This is elucidated in Shaun Tan’s â€Å"Stick Figures† where the Stick Figures are shown to be alienated from their homeland due to industrialization. Tan emphasises that by belonging to this group of isolated individuals, a person can lose their sense of identity in â€Å"faceless clod. † The How to cite Alibr Essay, Essay examples

A Clockwork Orange by Antony Burgees Essay Example For Students

A Clockwork Orange by Antony Burgees Essay A Clockwork Orange by Antony Burgees(written 1962)1, Summary: The story is set in the seventies. The leading character and also the narrator is Alex, a very violent and cruel 15 year old boy. He and his friends Georgie, Pete and Dim murder, rob, torture and rape for fun. Alex is the leader of their gang. Alex and his friends arrive at an old cottage in the countryside and play a trick. Dim pretends to be wounded and an ambulance is very necessary. The trick works out, when the women opens the door the four rush in and torture her and her husband till they are lying on the floor. Then they leave the house. Alex loves Ludwig van Beethoven. Each time when he listen to his music he sees people who are murdered and woman who are raped. When he meets his friends he notices that there is some kind of tension between them. Then the start a new tour were they find a great house for playing a trick. They play the same trick but at that time the old woman in the house is suspicious and doesnt open the door. So Alex goes alone through the window. While he steals some things, the woman phones the police. As they meet each other they start fighting. Alex quite kills the old lady and the police arrest him. He is found guilty for murder and should go to prison for fourteen years. After almost two years in prison he hears about a new program which is called Ludovicos technique. It is supposed to change bad into good. So he volunteers for the program. They choose him and take him to a room where he has to see very cruel films, for example Japanese torture or the crimes of the Nazis. In some films they also play the music of Beethoven. He has to see two films per day and also gets injections. The injections makes him feel intense pain all in his body. As the time came when Alex only associates pain with the violent lifestyle he has, he is released. He enters a world which has totally changed since his arrest. He goes to the library and there he sits next to a man who he has violated before his arrest. The man attacks him. When the policeman came he notices that the two policemen are Dim and Billyboy. In the past Billyboy has been a leader of another gang which he has hated. They both beat him too. He manages to get to a house where the man is very helpful. Alex tells him the story about the Ludovicos technique and about the two policemen. The man has been the husband of the wife Alex and his friends have killed. The man takes him to a room where Alex hears loud music of Beethoven. The man has read about the treatment in the news so he knew how to hurt him. Alex cant stand the pain and jumps through the window. His suicide attempt is made public. After leaving the hospital he meets with the third member of his old gang, Pete who now has a family and is living a socially acceptable life. Now he realises that he is mature and something is missing in his life and so he decides to start a new life. 2, Personal Comment: When I began reading A Clockwork Orange I found it difficult and frustrating to read. The language which is used in the book is at first a bit annoying. It takes a while to figure it out but I found a Nadsat, English dictionary at the homepage of Clockwork orange so I could look the words up. I think it is very well written because Burgees writes like he is in the age of Alex, a teenager. The story is a little bit weird but in most cases it is realistic. Its a brilliant book about moral and violence but I think the ending is a bit out of place if you compare it to the rest of the book. I would highly recommend it to everyone who is interested in bad future prospects like Brave New