...there was some method behind it. His plan was to fake going mad, but through the play, he begins to truly descend into insanity. When talking with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet shouts, "I am but mad north-north-west: when the / wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw" (2.2.402-403). Throughout the play it is difficult to believe that Hamlet is faking madness, as he appears to be truly insane. Although his father’s murder was the biggest cause of Hamlet’s madness, it is necessary to remember, that it is not the only reason. Hamlet’s madness is evident to Ophelia: "O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown!" (3.1.163). Ophelia’s breakup with Hamlet drives him deeper into depression and madness, while she also begins to struggle with life ultimately dying from possible suicide. Joseph Carroll alludes to the fact that Hamlet is descending into madness, and yet somehow, he manages to stick somewhat of a plan. Carroll writes, “The struggle for coherence and sanity amidst radical uncertainty,” (Carroll 251). The throne of Hamlet’s father was wrongly taken from him, when Claudius murders Hamlet Sr. and quickly married Gertrude. Carroll recognizes that, “Thwarted political ambitions are the least of Hamlet’s concerns” (Carroll 235). Hamlet struggles with his sanity during the play, it seems to be guided by a plan at first, but throughout the course of the play, his perfect plan as well as his sanity, begin to crumble. Carroll believes that throughout the story Hamlet shows real...
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...of his life because he kills an albatross; even deeper than that, it is also a religious allegory that conveys a plethora of themes pertaining to Christianity. On one hand, if a person were to read "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" simply as a tale at sea, the poem stands to be remarkable because of its rhyme of simplicity and easy flow. On the other hand, if one reads much deeper into the intricate details, symbolism, themes, and literary aspects, Coleridge will have produced a masterpiece in their eyes. Furthermore, a multitude of critics agree that there are several connotations that signify religion in this ballad; however, very few agree upon it being an allegory that mainly reflects the specific ideology of Christianity. Christianity preaches that life is basically a test by which we either pass and go to heaven, or fail and go to hell. Also, the human body is a victim of the human thought and action, which is represented by the soul. Therefore, in relation to the ballad, we can refer to the ship as the human body and the Mariner who steers the ship and leads it to destruction as the human soul. This ship led by the Mariner goes through a trial of storm and winds, but fails because of the Mariner. In Christianity, when a person is over with the trial (dies), his body rots away, " for dust you are and to dust you will return," (Genesis 3:16 19), and the soul remains alive, either tortured, or pleased. The ship sinks. However, the Mariner becomes a captive of Life-in-Death...
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...Dasia Mitchell November 1, 2015 Reaction Paper #1 Individuals in nations where a specific religion is weaved in the way of life may mark their fellow citizens who embrace an alternate religion as backstabbers. Others outside that nation may call them mentally programmed. Wheatley was in this circumstance, and she attempted to persuade individuals this wasn't valid. The poem "On Being Brought from Africa to America" represents this point. Wheatley wrote in the first line, "Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land.1" Could she truly have implied that Africa was characteristically a Pagan area? She had when she composed these words received the Christian religion. Christians who truly accept what the Bible says normally trust that individuals...
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...Beowulf: Christian or pagan? The epic poem, Beowulf, which was composed about 850 CE, is a tale of a warrior named Beowulf. The plot of Beowulf primarily revolves around the expeditions and fights that Beowulf undertakes throughout his life. Regarding this poem, one of the essential controversies is whether it is a Christian or pagan poem. In the text, Beowulf is depicted as the one who values his own fame most and is hallowed highly by people due to his violence in battle. These characteristics of Beowulf seem to separate the poem from Christianity. Although the poem appears to be originally pagan, Beowulf is a Christian poem in terms of its historical background, biblical allusions, and the characters’ beliefs and reliance on God. First, the author of Beowulf lived in a period when the transformation from Germanic paganism to Christianity occurred. When Beowulf was written, the old paganism was dying out, and the influx of Christianity from Europe and Ireland had taken place. “This transformation reached every level of society and affected nearly every aspect of daily life” (Streissguth 83). Due to this Christian influence, people had to make a radical change, discarding the old beliefs that value courage, vengeance, and violence in gory battle. The poet of Beowulf was also a part of this drastic change of the era. The “nameless author undoubtedly was a Christian” (Bloom 1). We can observe the author’s Christian quality when he blames people who return to paganism in the poem:...
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...In the beginning God create the heavens and the earth. At the time the earth was like a void, darkness everywhere consuming the planet, and God said four words, “and let there be light.” Then there on that planet earth God separated light from dark. He blessed the light and called the light day, and he cursed the dark and called it night. The second day has arrived. God then said the waters from waters, and called to the expansion of heaven. The third day came. God wanted to fill the gap in the water, so God created dry land, and made the gathered water seas. Now he said there should be vegetation on the earth. The third day has passed. God said let there is the expansion of time telling from the seasons, and let there be light at night call it stars. The fourth day has passed. God then created every living creature to roam the earth, and blessed the bird. The fifth day has passed. God said I must make man I will make man in my own image of me, and blessed these creatures. The sixth day has passed. On the day of Creation God rested. God made a deal with man everything you see on earth is yours, for this is Eve’s garden. You may take any fruit, except the tree of knowing good and evil. If you eat the tree of knowing of good from evil you will surely die. Later the serpent temps Eve to go and eat the forbidden apple. At first she said no put in the serpents crafty ways, he convinced Eve into eating the apple. Not only was he able to trick Eve but also he made Eve convince Adam...
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...crystal to be the Tree of Good and Evil. Moreover, the Husband and Wife have a visitor one late night. The husband allows the Man to stay the night. However, without knowing his wife would come to the house the following night. Eventually, the man and women become more comfortable at the house and enter the circular office and the woman breaks the fire crystal. This turn of events alludes to the Hebrew Scriptures, specifically, Genesis 2 (15-20). The second allusion is the story of Cain and Abel. It is a story certered around jealousy and murder. Cain and Abel were the first two sons of Adam and Eve. In the biblical story, Cain and Abel both had to make sacrifices to God as a thanks for the life they were given and a way to repent for their sins. God preferred Abel’s offering over Cain’s. Cain became very jealous and took Abel aside and struck him in the head which eventually killed him. Furthermore, in the movie, the first couple that arrives at the secluded house represents Adam and Eve. Eventually their two sons show up. There is clearly turmoil between the two. Eventually a fight breaks out about the will of the father. As a result, the jealous brother attacks and kills the other brother. Thesis: Answers your guiding question: Now that each allusion has been discussed, they will be related to the golden rule and other religions embody similar traits. The golden rule, treat others the way you would like to be treated, is evident in the allusion of Cain and Abel. It was...
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...of three episodes in which the hero is engaged in the peculiar mission of fighting with three fabulous monsters (Fisher 1958, p.173). The first monster Grendel is quickly defeated; the second, Grendel’s dam is depicted with greater elaboration but also ends in demise at the hands of Beowulf; and the eventual dragon, distanced from the previous two in a span of fifty years, brings the heroic career of aging Beowulf to an end. The unity of Beowulf’s three fights from ease to death, perceived by some researchers like Klaeber (1950), holds the epic together. Others see the epic poem more than a collection of three different fights in a hero’s life, but it is united and intertwined by two parts—the fights with Grendel and his dam and the final dragon fight—signaling “the opposition of hero and king, youth and age, the beginning and ending of a life achievement” (Tolkien 1936). On the basis of this premise, Fisher (1958) conceives the theme of the epic as the “doom of Beowulf”, the integration of “redemption and judgment treated in a way which skillfully blends the Germanic hero with the Christian saint” (p.171). Wrenn (1958) states the similar notion, arguing Beowulf, a Germanic hero, shows his greatest splendor “ not alone in winning glory by victory, but rather by finding his supremely noble qualities especially in the moment of death in battle”. The essay aims to analyze the three fights in detail in Beowulf’s lifetime and, shed light on the heroic fate of him from success to death...
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...THE BIBLE’S INFLUENCE ON ENGLISH-AMERICAN LITERATURE by Zhang Lanlan June, 2007 Xiaogan University Abstract As the sutra of the Christianity, the Bible has a great influence on both English and American literature and offers an eternal theme of their literary creation .English and American writers use stories of the Bible by three main methods. First, they quote person's names or stories of the Bible as the characters' names or plots of the creations from the Bible directly. Sometimes they make some changes on the original stories. Sometimes they quote stories directly from the Bible as the writing materials. Second, they make use of symbolic meaning of the Bible by some technical such as simile, metaphor and symbolism, so that the stories could exert a great influence on contrasting with the new products. Third, they merge the plots of the Bible to give connotative efforts to the readers. Exploring the methods helps us know the western culture and consciousness, have a good appreciation and study for the English-American literature. key words: English-American literature ; the Bible; methods 《圣经》在英美文学作品中的影响 摘要 作为基督教的经典，《圣经》对英美文化影响深远，为英美文化创作提供了永恒的母题。英美作家化用《圣经》故事的主要方法有：直接引用《圣经》中的人名作为作品的人物名称，或直接引用《圣经》故事或对原型故事进行变形或处理，作为创作素材；通过比喻，隐喻或象征等手法，把《圣经》故事的寓意融汇到作品情节中或人物性格里，使这些故事发挥有力的陪衬作用；使作品中的人物，故事和情节与《圣经》故事大体对应，让《圣经》能穿越时空的限制，从而发挥隐含的参照作用。 探讨英美作家化用《圣经》的方法，有助于我们了解英美文化的思想意识，更好的学习，欣赏乃至研究英美文学作品。 关键词：英美文学；《圣经》；方式 ...
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...Tolkien’s Christian Connections By Candace Browning I. Introduction II. Truth thru Myth III. Providence IV. Hope and Faith V. Pity and Mercy VI. Similarities to the Bible A. Various B. Creation and the Fall C. Christ D. The Virgin Mary VII. Conclusion I. Introduction For thousands of years, humanity has turned to the Bible to answer questions of how and why we are here. At the dawn of a new millenium, popular culture has shifted away from ancient stories like those in the Bible. Thankfully, more recent tales influenced by the Gospels have emerged to fulfill this craven desire. J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is one such book. It offers a mythological explanation of the apparent chaos, pain, disappointment, horror and violence of the world in terms of the struggle between good and evil. Taking this into consideration, a closer look at the The Lord of the Rings reveals grim and glorious lessons that can be learned. The works of Tolkien have been almost universally embraced by literate Christians who have long recognized the richness and beauty of Tolkien’s Middle-earth as well as the profound influence of his Christian faith upon the shape of his imaginary world. On the other hand, it may be read and enjoyed without reference to any theology whatsoever. It succeeds mainly as an exciting tale, but a full appreciation of Tolkien’s accomplishment requires some sense of what lies behind the book. It...
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...ALLEGOR AND IRONY IN 'OTHELLO' Y ANTOINETT B. DAUBER E Othello is Shakespeare's Spenserian tragedy, in which the theme of slandere d chastity becomes a vehicle for exploring the problems of an allegorica l art . Allegory is the mode of selfconscious faith, and Spenser's corpus may be rea d as a portrai t of the artis t as allegorist , wrestling first with the burdens of selfconsciousness and then with the burdens of faith.l In Othello, Shakespeare compresses and objectifies this struggle. Unlike Spenser, he is not committed to the maintenance of allegory, and so he freely dramatizes the interna l weaknesses and external onslaughts that lead to its destruction. What I am calling the 'Spenserian ' quality begins with the chivalric elements in the tragedy. Truly, Othello is a kind of Savage Knight, Desdemona, the absolutely, almost miraculously, worthy lady, and Iago, something of a manipulator like Archimago.2 But more particularl y I would call attention to a specific engagement with Spenserian rhetoric . Consider Cassio' s words of welcome to the disembarking Desdemona: Tempests themselves, high seas, and howling winds, The gutter'd rocks and congregated sands, Traitors ensteep'd to enclog the guiltless keel, As having sense of beauty, do omit Their mortal natures, letting go safely by The divine Desdemona. (2.1.68-73)3 He sets her in the line of Spenser's heavenly allegories . As a parallel , we may recal l Una , slandere d by the arch-magician , abandone d by 123 her...
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...The Origin of the Vampire Vampires, are they a mythical creature that was created by superstition and folklore or did they begin from someone’s fantastic imagination based on a real live person? Or maybe it was created to explain a cluster of misunderstood medical conditions that began before the medical world had advanced science and knowledge on the body and its psyche. It’s a word that inspires awe, fear, and romanticism all at once. Vampires are known in every culture and have been kept alive through stories that have been told throughout the generations. When someone utters the word “vampire” most people’s mind jump to Dracula from the great love story written by Bram Stoker. Dracula was created because Stoker was inspired by a real live man, the infamous, Vlad Tepes from Romania. That story is where love and vampires were intertwined and a kind of admiration was born. Only till recently they have become these seductive beautiful men and women in movies like ‘Twilight’ and ‘The Lost Boys’. So we are going to embark on the journey of where vampires began and explore the different aspects and origins of vampires. How these creatures were created was recorded in European folklore, Greek Mythology, found in medical conditions, and even taken from an excluded book of the bible. What is a vampire? Where did they come from? Well to get some answers we must first start at the beginning. First we must look at the word vampire. It is also spelled “vampir” or “vampyre”...
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...Hajj (The Pilgrimage ) Dr. Ali Shariati Translated by: Ali A. Behzadnia, M.D. & Najla Denny Prepared by the Evecina Cultural & Education Foundation (ECEF) P.O Box 11402 - Costa Mesa, CA 92627 Copyrights Preserved Published by Jubilee Press Reproduced with permission by the Ahlul Bayt Digital Islamic Library Project team About the Author Dr. Ali Shariati was born in Mazinan, a suburb of Mashad, Iran. He completed his elementary and high school in Mashad. In his years at the Teacher's Training College, he came into contact with youth who were from the lower economic strata of the society and tasted the poverty and hardship that existed. At the age of eighteen, he started as a teacher and ever since had been a student as well as a teacher. After graduating from college in 1960, on a scholarship he pursued graduate studies in France. Dr. Shariati, an honor student, received his doctorate in sociology in 1964. When he returned to Iran he was arrested at the border and imprisoned on the pretext that he had participated in political activities while studying in France. Released in 1965, he began teaching again at Mashad University. As a Muslim sociologist, he sought to explain the problems of Muslim societies in the light of Islamic principles - explaining them and discussing them with his students. Very soon, he gained popularity with the students and different social classes in Iran. For this reason, the regime felt obliged to discontinue his courses at the university. Then...
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...The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark ASCII text placed in the public domain by Moby Lexical Tools, 1992. SGML markup by Jon Bosak, 1992-1994. XML version by Jon Bosak, 1996-1999. Simplified XML version by Max Froumentin, 2001. The XML markup in this version is Copyright © 1999 Jon Bosak. This work may freely be distributed on condition that it not be modified or altered in any way. Table of Contents Act 1 .................................... p. 5 Scene 1 .................................... p. 5 Scene 2 .................................... p. 11 Scene 3 .................................... p. 20 Scene 4 .................................... p. 24 Scene 5 .................................... p. 28 Act 2 .................................... p. 36 Scene 1 .................................... p. 36 Scene 2 .................................... p. 40 Act 3 .................................... p. 61 Scene 1 .................................... p. 61 Scene 2 .................................... p. 67 Scene 3 .................................... p. 81 Scene 4 .................................... p. 84 Act 4 .................................... p. 92 Scene 1 .................................... p. 92 Scene 2 .................................... p. 93 Scene 3 .................................... p. 95 Scene 4 .................................... p. 97 Scene 5 .................................... p. 100 Scene 6 .................................... p. 108 Scene 7 ......................
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...The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (originally The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere) is the longest major poem by the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, written in 1797–98 and was published in 1798 in the first edition of Lyrical Ballads. Modern editions use a later revised version printed in 1817 that featured a gloss. Along with other poems in Lyrical Ballads, it was a signal shift to modern poetry and the beginning of British Romantic literature. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner relates the experiences of a sailor who has returned from a long sea voyage. The Mariner stops a man who is on the way to a wedding ceremony and begins to narrate a story. The Wedding-Guest's reaction turns from bemusement to impatience and fear to fascination as the Mariner's story progresses, as can be seen in the language style: for example, Coleridge uses narrative techniques such as personification and repetition to create either a sense of danger, of the supernatural or of serenity, depending on the mood of each of the different parts of the poem. The Mariner's tale begins with his ship departing on its journey. Despite initial good fortune, the ship is driven south off course by a storm and eventually reaches Antarctica. An albatross (symbolizing the Christian soul) appears and leads them out of the Antarctic but, even as the albatross is praised by the ship's crew, the Mariner shoots the bird ("with my cross-bow / I shot the albatross"). The crew is angry with the Mariner, believing the albatross...
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...CATHOLIC CHURCH Table of Contents PROLOGUE I. The life of man - to know and love God nn. 1-3 II. Handing on the Faith: Catechesis nn. 4-10 III. The Aim and Intended Readership of the Catechism nn. 11-12 IV. Structure of this Catechism nn. 13-17 V. Practical Directions for Using this Catechism nn. 18-22 VI. Necessary Adaptations nn. 23-25 PART ONE: THE PROFESSION OF FAITH SECTION ONE "I BELIEVE" - "WE BELIEVE" n. 26 CHAPTER ONE MAN'S CAPACITY FOR GOD nn. 27-49 I. The Desire for God nn. 27-30 II. Ways of Coming to Know God nn. 31-35 III. The Knowledge of God According to the Church nn. 36-38 IV. How Can We Speak about God? nn.39-43 IN BRIEF nn. 44-49 CHAPTER TWO GOD COMES TO MEET MAN n. 50 Article 1 THE REVELATION OF GOD I. God Reveals His "Plan of Loving Goodness" nn. 51-53 II. The Stages of Revelation nn. 54-64 III. Christ Jesus -- "Mediator and Fullness of All Revelation" nn. 6567 IN BRIEF nn. 68-73 Article 2 THE TRANSMISSION OF DIVINE REVELATION n. 74 I. The Apostolic Tradition nn.75-79 II. The Relationship Between Tradition and Sacred Scripture nn. 80-83 III. The Interpretation of the Heritage of Faith nn. 84-95 IN BRIEF nn. 96-100 Article 3 SACRED SCRIPTURE I. Christ - The Unique Word of Sacred Scripture nn. 101-104 II. Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture nn. 105-108 III. The Holy Spirit, Interpreter of Scripture nn. 109-119 IV. The Canon of Scripture nn. 120-130 V. Sacred Scripture in the Life of the Church nn. 131-133 IN BRIEF nn. 134-141 CHAPTER...
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