...In the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" there are many elements of The Odyssey used to explore aspects of modern American culture. For instance, in the beginning there was a scene in which people were getting baptized. Two of the three main characters, Delmar and Pete, wanted to join in because it forgave all of their sins. This shows that during the Great Depression, a lot of people looked to religion to help them out of their hard times. This also resembles the scene in The Odyssey with the lotus eaters. Another example is the “cyclops.” The man portrayed as the cyclops in the movie, Big Dan Teague, is a member of the Ku Klux Klan, a symbol of racism. He is later killed by a burning cross, which shows that racism is disheartening. A scene in the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" involves baptisms. The filmmakers, the Coen brothers, used the scene in Homer’s The Odyssey with the lotus eaters to develop this scene in the movie. The scenes are very similar in that they lure the men in and provide them with something they like; in the movie they are redeemed of their sins and in The Odyssey they are provided with food. In "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Delmar is the first to get baptized and he says, “Well I was lyin' - and I'm...
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... In Abraham Lincoln's life he is brought up as being a hero because he is brave and fought for the ones in his country. What makes Abraham Lincoln brave is he served for the sixteenth president. Also Abraham Lincoln led the United States through its Civil War—its bloodiest war until he was assassinated. As Abraham Lincoln being a hero makes him brave because brave is in the definition of hero and not just that he had courage also.Abraham Lincoln is brave and is a symbol of heroism....
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...The overall tone of the episode in Odyssey X provides a very probable motive for Cleanthes’ strange etymology since the use of ‘cunning intelligence’ would be very fitting for Odysseus who already used his μῆτις in a similar situation in the cave of Polyphemus (Odyssey IX). At the same time, we need to stress that Cleanthes does not examine the episode from the perspective of lack of knowledge and its compensation but in the light of the Stoic opposition of passions and reason: he connects μῶλυ to the verb μωλύεσθαι (“to subside”) since this etymology presents Odysseus as a person whose ability to suppress his emotions allows him to act in accordance with reason. This line of interpretation, based on further Homeric examples (such as Iliad XXIV, 549 ff. and Odyssey XX, 17 f.), was continued by Chrysippus. Despite Galen’s criticism against Chrysippus’ method of using Homer and Hesiod in support of his philosophical arguments, this long tradition of philosophical exegesis of epic poems (including their epistemological reading) was continued by later...
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...The Odyssey is a Homeric Poem written by Homer, a blind poet, that is one of the greatest poems ever written. The Odyssey is filled with heros, monsters, creatures, and gods. This poem is about a journey taken by Odysseus. On his way home he faces many obstacles making his journey home much more complicated. While he is facing obstacles he is faced by 4 gods Athena, Zeus, Helios, and Poseidon. These gods help him throughout his journey home. Athena, the most powerful god, helps Odysseus make his journey home by providing him with guidance and beauty. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, warfare, crafts, and is one of the most powerful of the 12 olympian gods. Athena created the potter's wheel, vase, horse bridle, the chariot and the ship....
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...Philosophies (Women)- Women play either a motherly role or that of a seductress. They are weakened along with being lost without a guide and a support. An example would be Penelope, wife of Odysseus since she is a mother, but while Odysseus is gone, and when suitors come along, in a way she tempts them in terms of power (of the role of king) and as a woman, but she actually never gives in to any of the men. The purpose of women was mainly to lament the losses for their men and also persuading for their safety. Criticism- Homer had written the Odyssey with a bit of over-the-top reiteration, along with the missing component of a sense of unity. However, even when Odysseus wasn’t on a scene, the lines of the story still indicate that he is...
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...Of the three epic poems read thus far in Classics 2220, Virgil’s Aeneid and Homer’s works: the Iliad and the Odyssey, the most important difference between Virgil and Homer is whether fate is treated as fact or can be affected by the choices of mortals. Homer’s works are more meaningful for citizen readers because they emphasize the importance of free will as illustrated in the shields and prophecies of the narratives. Aeneas faces a prophecy and acts believing it would come true regardless of his choices. Though Achilles and Odysseus face prophecies, both perceive the ability, however limited, to choose their own futures. Many feel trapped by what society has told them and feel they have no control, while in reality, just like Achilles and Odysseus, every person has the ability to affect their future for better or worse. In Virgil’s Aeneid, it is preordained that he will immigrate to Italy from Troy and found the city of Rome (1.1-19). In the very beginning,...
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...The classic tragedy, as defined by Aristotle, has six major parts. These parts include a plot, characters, theme, melody, spectacle, and language. All stories, according to Aristotle must have a beginning, middle, and end, and must follow a logical sequence according to these six elements. The plot is the series of events, or sequence in which the action of the play occurs. Plot must follow a cause and effect relationship, which follows a logical pattern. Characters are the people in the play, who have certain qualities that can be determined by what they say, do and what others say about them. The theme of the play is the general feeling or statement made by the author that presents an observation or thought to the audience. Melody is the musical quality of the play, which includes a change of pitch by the voice, musical instruments , and also includes the high and low points of the play giving it an overall melodic quality. Spectacle includes the visual elements of the play, anything that is observed by sight. Often in modern movies and plays spectacle can be overdone, especially if a reason for the spectacle cannot be found. Language is the dialog or speech that makes up the story, and is used by characters to present the play to the audience. Aristotle lays out a very specific definition of what a tragedy should include, and how each element should be presented. He tells us that the tragedy must include these six elements and that they must be laid out in a logical manner...
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...Tom Rath says, “You cannot be anything you want to be - but you can be a whole lot more of who you already are.” Rath is the creator of Strengthsfinder, a program helps people find and understand their strengths. For example, my strengths include: Competition, Significance, Achiever, Futuristic, and Focus. Throughout our study of Greek culture, especially in The Odyssey, these are very common traits. These are traits commonly seen in athletes, warriors, and leaders such as Odysseus. My vase includes images such as those, along with images that connect to The Odyssey and my own life. Focus: Lens & Penelope While creating my vase, I incorporated both Greek culture and some modern-day styles. For example, I chose to incorporate a camera lens...
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...The epic The Odyssey by Homer accommodates many themes, one of them being Loyalty. Odysseus wife Penelope is a symbol of loyalty throughout the epic. Penelope’s loyalty towards her husband is seen in many ways. She is the epitome of a devoted wife. Examples of this can be seen in her creative ways of putting off many suitors who have taken over the house in Ithaca. Another example is seen in the clever tasks she has the suitors complete to keep them distracted and her self unwed. All of these tie into the general theme of loyalty in the Odyssey. In the beginning of the epic we see Penelope and the suitors in the house of Ithaca waiting to see which suitor penelope shall marry. Due to her loyalty to her husband she conjures up a plan in which...
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...Loyalty is like a shadow it’s something that’s with you all of the time, but sometimes it’s hidden. Most people don’t show their loyalty hidden, but loyalty is something that’s not supposed to be hidden .To me loyalty is when someone is there for someone else. Loyalty is a characteristic many people should strive to have; it earns the trust and respect of many. A loyal person would never be able to fail someone because they are trustable. Loyalty is everywhere and there are many different kinds of loyalty. Loyalty to strangers is one of the many different kinds of loyalty. We have all showed loyalty to strangers at least once. When people follow rules somewhere either at school, work etc. This shows loyalty. Loyalty doesn’t only earn the respect of someone, but being loyal to a stranger show that you respect them even if you don’t know them. When we follow rules at some place it shows we are staying honest to the rules and the rule makers. Our honesty shows loyalty. Another type of loyalty is to friends. We all have friends, but there are many components to being loyal to your friends. When your friends tells you something and they expect you to keep it a secret, keeping this a secret shows loyalty. Not keeping the matter a secret will show disloyalty. Disloyalty will lose a friend’s trust and it will be really hard to regain a friend’s trust when it’s been lost. When a secret, which is supposed to be kept, gets out the friendship itself is in danger of breaking. Helping...
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...In Homer’s the Odyssey, a man named Odysseus spends years and years trying to get home to his family. On his long journey, he encounters a number of different situations that test his true character. The reader finds out who Odysseus really is based on the situations he is put in and how he chooses to handle these situations. From being stuck on an Island with Calypso, a nymph goddess, to almost being eaten by a vicious cyclops, to seeing his wife for the first time in 20 years, Odysseus stays true to his character. Throughout the epic, Odysseus shows constant signs of bravery, leadership, intelligence, cleverness, and wholehearted faithfulness, and these things are what makes him such an admirable character. Bravery and leadership go hand in hand because bravery is a trait that all good leaders have. Odysseus showed amazing bravery and leadership skills throughout the Odyssey. One place where Odysseus’s bravery and leadership are revealed the most is when Odysseus and his men encounter Poseidon’s Cyclops son, Polyphemus. Odysseus used his leadership skills and bravery to help his men escape the wrath of Polyphemus while...
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...Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey recounts the leading character Odysseus’s 10-year journey back home after the Trojan war. With the help of his companions, the poem mentions a series of trials structured by the god’s Odysseus must execute. One excerpt from the Odyssey, “Visit to Circe’s Island” describes Odysseus’s encounter with the “enchantress” (Willis 160), witch Circe who he must defeat in order to save his comrades. Many mythological tales referencing the great hero’s and gods of Greece are displayed using cups, vases, and many other forms of canvases. The featured vase and vase drawing shows a visual depletion of the excerpt. The full vase view shows various human looking figures with boar-like tails, forelegs, and heads representing Odysseus’s comrades who were poisoned, tricked and captured by Circe then turned into the “shape of swine” (Homer 11). Eurylochus was the only comrade who stayed behind...
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...to allusion comes in stanza fourteen when the speaker says “Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor. ‘Wretch,’ I cried, ‘thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee.’” This quote represents a biblical allusion, as a seraphim is an angel, and the speaker also refers to God and angels in the line afterwards. The speaker is using these quotes as a way to forget about Lenore, the woman in the poem that he repeatedly refers to. Mythological allusions are seen in the lines after the previously mentioned ones. The speaker says “‘Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore! Quaff, oh quaff this kind of nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!’” In these lines, nepenthe is an allusion to Homer’s Odyssey, and it is a potion used to comfort grieving individuals. The speaker wants to “quaff,” or drink, this potion in order to forget about his sorrows in regards to Lenore, the person that he just cannot get out of his head. “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe is a lengthy poem that uses a wide range of literary devices to portray the sense of loneliness and hopelessness of the speaker. The speaker’s use of diction, symbolism, and allusion accurately represent the speaker’s troubling thoughts involving isolation and despair and his encounter with the...
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...winning the competition and becoming patron of the city. The 5th century BCE temple of the Parthenon was built in her honor. Her adopted son, Erichthonius, one of the first kings of Athens, is traditionally credited with introducing the Panathenaic festival, held every four years to honor the goddess. The festival included a parade through the city, the presentation of a specially woven peplos to Athena, and athletic games. Prizes for the games were amphora painted with a figure of Athena and contained prime olive oil. Athena is also famous in Greek mythology for helping out heroes on their adventures. She helped Hercules, a demigod, achieve his twelve labors, Perseus figure out how to defeat Medusa, Odysseus on his adventures in the Odyssey, and Jason in building his magical ship the Argo. To prevent the Trojan War Athena descended from Olympus and walked between the two armies, making both sides swear oaths to keep the peace. Unfortunately a Trojan soldier named Pandaros, in an act of great cowardice, violated his oath and let loose his arrow, thus starting the Trojan War. She wore an aegis, a goatskin shield which had a fringe of snakes. When Perseus killed the gorgon Medusa, whose face turned men to stone, he gave the gorgon head to Athena, and the goddess placed it on her aegis. Athena loves a good scroll, book and even textbook. She loves reading and does not care anything of how she looks like. Athena was very smart, brainy and talented.. Her personality is straightforward...
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...intensity of the ballade if the music playing was ascend, which was a reversed version of a Romanian Liturgy. However, there must be a key element that distinguishes Kubrick from his contemporaries. Perhaps a secret formula? In my opinion a pattern of his style can be observed throughout his movies which is essentially staging to both convey an ambiguous narrative through visuals and add an overall visual aesthetic and beauty. This can also be identified as mise-en-scene. We can see that Kubrick was so keen on the on staging of the film that his movies took many shots until the perfect and satisfactory result was achieved by Kubrick. As one of the special photographic effects designer Douglas Trumbull in the movie ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ indicates in his essay: “One of the most serious problem that plagued us throughout the production was simply keeping track of all the ideas, shots, and changes and constantly re-evaluating and updating designs, storyboards and script itself.” (158) Kubrick was so tedious and perfectionist in the production of his movies that his cast was often frustrated. The shooting of ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ for example took four hundred days, which is an all-time high in the film history. This shows Kubrick’s dedication to the staging and performance of the...
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