...this play, Shakespeare takes particular care in the development of his characters in order to construct the meanings and messages embedded in Twelfth Night. Through the development of some key, central characters within the play, namely Olivia and Malvolio, Shakespeare showcases the chaos and hardship instigated by their pride, and is then able to reinforce the importance of order and adhering to the set, established, hierarchy of Elizabethan times. Shakespeare first portrays the character of Olivia as vain, superficially judgemental, and indulging in her own self-pity, neglecting her duties as the lady of the house. A secondary character, Malvolio, is depicted by Shakespeare to be overambitious and full of his own self-importance – attempting to overstep his position. Shakespeare manifests different forms of pride in different characters in order to show that whatever the facet of pride the character might possess, in the end, their fatal flaw will still result in chaos and misfortune, thereby emphasising the need of adhering to and attending to the duties of their positions so that order can be maintained. Through Olivia’s language and interactions with other characters, Shakespeare constructs Olivia as a personification of vanity, in order to display the detrimental effect her pride and neglect of her duties has on the household, but also as the play progresses and the character develops, order is regained. Within the play, Shakespeare, portrays Olivia, the mistress of her house...
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...Pride´s Repercussions In ¨The Scarlet Ibis”, James Hurst characterizes the narrator as overly egotistical to exhibit the theme that one's pride can cause harm to others. Towards the middle of the story, when the narrator's brother Doodle, who has a heart disability which causes him to have to strain to move, turns five years old the narrator, ¨feels embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn't walk so he, ¨set out to teach him.¨ (7) The word “embarrassed” implies the narrator´s large amount of pride, as rather than teaching Doodle for his benefit, the narrator only does so because Doodle´s disability puts a damper on the narrator's pride. Under normal circumstances, the narrator teaching his brother to walk should seem like a...
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...anyone. Pride, such as the English’s, is such a dangerous thing. Pride has been responsible for many wars and battles in the past, for fights between strangers and between friends, and for the deaths of anyone or anything that threatens ones name. Excessive pride only hurts oneself and those around them. In the short story, Shooting an Elephant, by George Orwell’s, the narrator is a police officer in Moulmein, in lower Burma in 1936. One day on the job, he was called into a town where a tame elephant had gone through a “must” and caused some...
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...Throughout history, pride has blinded even the most brilliant people, leading to extreme anguish for themselves and others. A classic example is the main character, Victor, in the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Through Shelley’s development of Victor Frankenstein, an intelligent man who is driven by hopes of achieving, she demonstrates how excessive pride and hopes of success can ruin a person and lead them into a path of despair. Throughout the story Shelley continues to develop the character of Victor Frankenstein, unveiling the intensity and vastness of Victor’s pride. During the beginning of the story, Victor indulges in his success at the University of Ingolstadt and becomes overcome by his knowledge, as he states that he “succeeded...
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...Although it is quite true that each person is uniquely different when considered as an individual, the reality is that people all have the same general personality traits. One such characteristic that all humans tend to have in common is pride. Everyone is motivated in some way by considerations of their social standing or by their sense of self-importance, which is why people, at times, are driven to act in a selfish manner at the cost of someone else’s own self-interest. While it is important for one to have self-respect and dignity, it is wrong to let those feelings get in the way and cause unnecessary problems. In the Ancient Greek epic The Iliad by the poet Homer, the actions of nearly all of the characters are influenced by their sense of pride. In the story, arrogance is the main reason behind all of the conflicts that take place, and throughout the entire epic, pride is depicted as a destructive force. Pride is the cause of the war, the source of sub-conflicts between the characters, and the motive behind the actions taken by Achilles throughout the story. The entire epic of The Iliad occurs in the middle of a ten-year conflict in the city of Troy between the Trojans and Achaeans. As is the case with most wars, the cause of the Trojan War is arguably quite pointless because it stems from nothing more than wounded egos. The clash of the egos begins when Paris “launches the war” (Homer 14. 33) when he offends Athena and Hera by choosing Aphrodite in a beauty contest...
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...important element of a satisfying and happy life. In ordinary life, the ideal of “meaningful work,” or work that has sufficient scope for self-direction, complexity, and consequential effects to support pride and a sense of purpose, is more relevant than ever. Few still believe that a different economic and political order can bring a fundamental improvement to the human condition. Good purposes and fulfilling activities are hard to specify impersonally in any case and any attempt to do so would insult individuals’ freedom to define such things for themselves. In this view, no single ideal of meaningful work could cover the variety of individual tastes and inclinations, nor accommodate the remarkable ability of people to invest their work with meaning even when the work has little to offer in the way of variety, authority, complexity, or social standing. 2) 1) In everyday life, work is still at the center of things; along with love, it is the most important element of a satisfying and happy life. In ordinary life, the ideal of “meaningful work,” or work that has sufficient scope for self-direction, complexity, and consequential effects to support pride and a sense of purpose, is more relevant than ever. Few still believe that a different economic and political order can bring a fundamental improvement to the human condition. Good purposes and fulfilling activities are hard to specify impersonally in any case and any attempt to do so would insult individuals’...
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...Traditionally, pride was frequently and widely established as the greatest possible sin to commit. Dante’s Purgatorio demonstrates how those who have been too prideful in their mortal lifetime are condemned to the first and farthest terrace from Paradise. But through the passage of time, the negative opinions that the seven deadly sins were originally regarded with have slowly changed for the better, and pride in particular has even become a quality to be encouraged. The seven deadly sins are traditionally thought to be the be all and end all of evils that mankind should avoid at all costs, and pride is the worst one of all, being the sin that leads to all other sins. To take pride in any achievements is to sin, which would guarantee one’s...
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...a tragic hero because, he died for his pride, his integrity, and hysteria. John Proctor had a few flaws; one of them that really hurt him was his pride. That flaw would make him go through a series of events that would soon lead up to his hanging. Proctor’s internal pride was lost when he had a affair with Abigail. Proctor's life is completely turned upside down when Abigail accused his wife who was then sent to jail, and almost executed. A Tragic hero is when he or she has a complete reversal of fortune brought by the hero's own flaw. At the end of every tragic play, the audience must feel pity or remorse for the...
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...Lion's Social Grouping Forget single sex classrooms; in order for education to be most beneficial, classrooms should be modeled after a lion's pride. The understood order of the classroom activities and daily progress would allow a much more adequate environment for both student and teacher. A hierarchy should be established early in a classroom with a high female to male ratio. Research shows that females perform much better from an academic standpoint in a environment were they are able to socialize. "Girls helped one another to understand and complete the in-class group work. The were able to accomplish problem solving, decision making, and calculations" (Baker and Jacobs) just as in a lion's pride. The lionesses work together in every aspect of their life in order to help themselves and also to help the pride. They hunt together, have cubs at the same time and assist one another while raising the cubs. In an all female environment, females become much more social and open while working towards a common goal. However in an all male environment, the males show much more hostility towards one another in group activities because of the competition for dominance. Which is why there are a significantly lower numbers of males in any animals' groupings, the competition for dominance takes over and the good of the group is compromised. Therefore in classrooms modeling the 'ideal' female to male ratio of an "average pride consists of one to four males and as many as 15 females" (Packer...
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...Shiftlet demonstrates pride and vanity when he leaves Lucynell at the gas station. He believes it is acceptable to abandon Lucynell, a disabled girl, at a gas station because he is superior to her. He believes he is superior to Lucynell because he is able to communicate and fend for himself. Lucynell is totally dependent on others and Mr. Shiftlet believes that because he was able to deceive Lucynell and her mother that he is superior to them. Overall, Mr. Shiftlet believes he is superior to Lucynell because he is able to take advantage of her and her mother. The temptation of pride and vain is demonstrated in the characters of Hulga, Mrs. McIntyre, and Mr. Shiftlet. Hulga demonstrates pride and vain by believing she is better than others because of her Ph. D. Mrs. McIntyre portrays temptation by allowing Mr. Guizac to be killed in order for herself to feel superior. Mr. Shiftlet depicted pride and vain when he took advantage of Lucynell and her mother in order to benefit himself. Overall, each character came in contact with the temptation of pride and...
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...hold your head high, with pretension and pride, or do you hold your head high with self confidence and grace? What’s the difference? Perhaps the presence of the tarnishing Pride: “a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” Pride is a bewildering quality. It is a trait confounding to deliberate. Many struggle with the notion which states pride is harmful. Is it? Does pride create a negative environment? Should fit be resisted? If so, when? Pride is an aspect that has the ability to either improve or impede on one’s life. It is a reality that many thoroughly despise. In the captivating novel, Johnny Tremain, a young boy struggles with the idea of pride. Gifted in every way imaginable, especially the art of being a master silver smith, the young boy, Johnny, let it go to his head. It resulted in conceited...
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...Kristen Mr. Jaycox September 7, 2011 Throughout the story of Beowulf, external battles like the one of Beowulf versus Grendel, not only reflects a sense courage and pride, but also reflects the internal battle of human tendencies Beowulf struggles with throughout the poem. The internal battle between Beowulf and himself reflects every other human being, showing that everyone can be like Beowulf in the way that he is courageous and proud, while some people possess the tendencies of Grendel such as, betrayal, cowardice, and fear. In the beginning, Beowulf’s sole purpose was to gain glory and pride within the Anglo-Saxon community. In order to maintain his glory, Beowulf travels to Herot to destroy Grendel. There are significant differences between Grendel and Beowulf. Beowulf represents courage, strength, and pride. As an Anglo-Saxon warrior, battling during day and with warning is everything a fighter needs to be; whereas Grendel comes at night, and without warning in order to kill the men. As Grendel approaches the Herot Hall once again, in lines 368-371 “All of Beowulf’s band had jumped from their beds, ancestral swords raised and ready, determined to protect their prince if they could…” The purpose of this line was to prove that Anglo-Saxon men are not “wimps” and instead stand up for their Lord and are willing to lose their lives for him. Also, it yet again points out the differences between Beowulf and Grendel. Just as Grendel sees Beowulf, “Grendel’s one though...
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...Go, wiser thou! and, in thy scale of sense Weigh thy opinion against Providence; Call imperfection what thou fanciest such, Say, here he gives too little, there too much: Destroy all creatures for thy sport or gust, Yet cry, if man's unhappy, God's unjust; If man alone engross not Heav'n's high care, Alone made perfect here, immortal there: Snatch from his hand the balance and the rod, Rejudge his justice, be the God of God. In pride, in reas'ning pride, our error lies; All quit their sphere, and rush into the skies. Pride still is aiming at the blest abodes, Men would be angels, angels would be gods. Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell, Aspiring to be angels, men rebel: And who but wishes to invert the laws Of order, sins against th' Eternal Cause. V. Ask for what end the heav'nly bodies shine, Earth for whose use? Pride answers, " 'Tis for mine: For me kind Nature wakes her genial pow'r, Suckles each herb, and spreads out ev'ry flow'r; Annual for me, the grape, the rose renew, The juice nectareous, and the balmy dew; For me, the mine a thousand treasures brings; For me, health gushes from a thousand springs; Seas roll to waft me, suns to light me rise; My foot-stool earth, my canopy the skies." But errs not Nature from this gracious end, From burning suns when livid deaths descend, When earthquakes swallow, or when tempests sweep Towns to one grave, whole nations to the deep? "No, ('tis replied) the first Almighty...
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...unexpected tragic events such as their deaths and those close to them. The tragic misfortunes that Antigone and her father king Oedipus face can in part be attributed to their shared flaws such as; pride, rash decision making, and rebelious attitudes. Their misfortues can however be partly blamed on their seemingly shared dark fate that manifests itself through their actions. Defiant Antigone and her father Oedipus are defiant for both choose to go against oders given by authority figures. In King Oedipus`s case he failed to heed a warning by a revered prophet named Tiresias, not to look for who killed king Laius resulting into a heated exchange between the two with Tiresius saying “this day will bring your birth and destruction”. Due to his defiance he later finds out that he is the killer and this leads to his downfall and death. Defiance can also be seen as the reason that led to Oedipus killing his father as he refused to let King Laius go first where the three roads crossed each other wanting to go first instead, and when King Laius`s chariot proceded first in an act of defiance Oedipus killed him. Like her father Antigone defies the order by king Creon requiring that nobody performs burial rites for Polynices one of her brothers whom the king considered as a traitor. Despite this order Antigone went ahead and performed burial rites on the dead...
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...Pride vs. Humility The Bible teaches us that humility is a virtue worth seeking and that pride is a sin. Culture throughout history seems to disagree with this perspective. Or do they, is it just so elusive that we grow weary of seeking it and simply give up? Does the lack of humility have any profound effects on our lives? Or can we simply cease striving for a goal that offers no benefit to our success and happiness? Pride is not a new attitude. We see pride is the source of the fall of Lucifer from glory in Isaiah 14:12-17 and will ultimately lead to his demise as we read in Revelation 20:10. (HSCB) King Nebuchadnezzar was so prideful in his accomplishments in building his kingdom that God caused him to go insane and live as a wild animal for seven years. Paul addresses two cultures in the Book of Romans that struggle with their own forms of pride, the Greeks and the Jews. The Greeks saw themselves as highly cultured and everyone else as barbarians. The Jewish culture saw themselves as better then others because they were (and still are) God’s chosen people. Today’s culture teaches American’s to be aggressive, to distinguish ourselves, and to stand apart from the rest; it teaches us pride. So is there any harm in being prideful? Let’s examine just one problem that arises when we are prideful, division. Pride causes division between God and us. Adam and Eve experienced this division at the introduction of sin into the world. In Genesis 3:5-6, Satan tells Eve that...
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