...In book 22 of Homer’s Iliad, the character Hector made a decision to fight the brilliant Achilles who is a mighty warrior, even mightier than Hector. Hector is portrayed as a tragic hero. A tragic hero typically has five major traits-- they go through an internal conflict, have excessive pride, recognize and accept their fate, are noble yet imperfect, and suffer more than they deserve. To start, Hector’s nobility, while still being imperfect conveys he is a tragic hero. He works very hard to protect his country not only for the spoils of war, but also for glory and to not “‘die of shame to to face the men of Troy’” (22.126). Not only that, but he also refused to not go to battle when his family told him not to. His bravery and loyalty...
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...sent letters to newspapers and police taunting them, but he was never found. He got away with all of his acts unscathed. In the play Macbeth, the main character, Macbeth, kills the king of Scotland, and takes his role as the king. After he kills the king, there are many things that go wrong. After the murder, Macbeth is driven insane, has more people killed, does a terrible job of ruling, and sees his wife take her own life due to guilt. The statement that Macbeth committed the perfect crime is laughable, because the insanity that the murder inspires into Macbeth and his wife is not at all worth the power that comes with it. Everything comes at a price, and in the case of Macbeth, power comes at the price of insanity, rendering his crime imperfect. After killing Duncan, Macbeth says, “Whence is that knocking? How is ’t with me when every noise appals me? What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes. Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.” (Macbeth 2.2.74-81). In the above quote, Macbeth has just killed Duncan, and is filled with fear and anxiety. Any noise scares him, and says that if he were to dip his hands into the ocean, rather than the ocean cleansing his hands of the blood, his hands would stain the entire ocean red. That shows how he is incredibly overcome with grief, which is why he goes insane. Macbeth could not bear to think about what he has done...
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...On Combat: Grossman and Christensen Self development is one of the critical variables in the four domains of Army Leadership Development. In an effort to help expand the contexts related to self development, Grossman and Christensen’s On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace, add strong information to self development that would be useful to all military and police personnel. Picking up where his earlier work, On Killing, left off, Grossman and Christensen examine all facets of deadly combat including preparation/training, the actual moment of conflict and even debriefing at the conclusion of combat. The self development advocated by the authors establishes the true context of being a warrior, which they define as the 1% who protects the 98% from the remaining 1% who would do them harm (Grossman & Christensen 12). Though the work is not infallible, it examines subject matter that many psychologists have traditionally avoided. In addition, it combines psychology and physiology to extend beyond simply combat training and into the realms of healing after combat has occurred. The book is critically divided into four sections: The Physiology of Combat, Perceptual Distortion, Mental Attitude and Aftermath. Each of the four dimensions offer elements of self development that are useful to the reader. The first sections explains to the reader exactly what occurs physically during combat. As the author’s demonstrate, the will to kill another human...
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...introduced from the very beginning as a great and valuable warrior, and Sir Gawain as one of little loss, we can learn the most about each character not from the author’s description, but from their own words, actions and the praise they get from others. Sir Gawain sees himself as feeble and worthless, but his friends hold him in much higher regard. “Much mournful lament was made in the hall...
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...Another "peacetime" occupation was the tourney. The tournaments of the twelfth century were not jousts, or formalized single combats. Rather, they were mock wars, in which two or more groups of mounted warriors fought each other for loot and glory. Tournaments differed from real battles in only two respects. First, there was usually a safe area near the tourney site. Second, the chief goal of the warriors was not to kill or injure their opponents, but to capture their equipment and ransom their persons. Tournaments offered twelfth-century knights an opportunity to practice their warlike skills and to win or lose fame and treasure when no real wars were taking place. It was a very dangerous amusement, and it was thus most popular among the so-called "youths," young knights who had no yet settled down to raise families and run their own households. William Marshal spent sixteen years tourneying, with occasional interruptions for war. The History dwells at length on this period of his life, and tells us much about the tourneys of the time. William gained much profit from his tourney success. One of the first things he got was a patron. King Henry II, hearing of his chivalry, chose him to be the tutor of his eldest son, Henry the young king. But there are spots on this record, too. When the young king was still alive, William supported him in his revolts against his father, Henry II. A more serious matter is his policy after the French took Normandy away from John...
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...THE ARMY PROFESSION AND THE AMERICAN CULTURE USAACE NCOA SSG John Krimes 15Z SLC 14-002 SFC Holmes “You are all leaders! And since you have no one to lead, you will lead yourselves!” These are the words that our Drill Instructor screamed at us at boot camp. The Profession of Arms or the Army Profession is found on leadership (Dempsey, n.d.). The Army Profession is unlike any other profession. The people of the greatest world-power depend on its military and its ability to protect their lands and their way of life. The Army Profession has very little room for mistakes and must continuously improve its knowledge of the profession in the changing face of technologies, enemy tactics and a changing American culture. Just as a doctor takes an oath to preserve life, so does a member of the American Armed Forces. The Army Profession is held to the highest standards. The U.S. Army is federally bonded by the U.S. Congress to preserve the peace and security of the U.S., to provide defense for the U.S., and to overcome any nation responsible for aggressive acts that imperil the peace and security of the U.S. (An Army White Paper, 2010). The preservation of peace and security can come at great costs. Members of the Armed Forces are aware of the potential ultimate sacrifice of not only themselves but of their men and women. Training in technical skills and leadership are not taken lightly. It is understood that knowledge in skill-sets and the perpetual education of...
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...some reason that they do not approve of. For example Adolf Hitler is a big example of a villain. Another villain is Randall Boggs from the movie Monsters Inc. Another example of a villain is Goliath from the Bible. These are three examples of villains that are well known. They all have something in common. Either it is that they are mean, violent, scary, and so much more. What made Adolf Hitler bad was the idea of him wiping out the Jews and not so perfect people until only the perfect race could exist. The reason that made him do this was because during this time Germany was in a poor economic state. Adolf Hitler wants to murder all people who are not so perfect. That is what makes him bad. Adolf Hitler tries to achieve to wipe out the imperfect. What he does is basically make concentration camps and starts to capture and take other countries’ land. What he does is basically make concentration camps and starts to capture and take other countries’ land. Gale Student Resources says “By the time Hitler took control of Germany in 1933, anti-Semitic, or anti-Jewish, feelings were common...
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...With no male present, Grendel’s mother took initiative to raise Grendel alone in a society where women were expected to be passive and submissive. She also “pounced upon [Beowulf] and pulled out / A broad, whetted knife: now she would avenge / Her only child” (107). The active diction of “pounce,” “pull” and “now she would avenge” elucidates her vengeful ambitions. By taking upon a warrior-like role, Grendel’s mother disrupts traditional societal gender constructs, painting herself, as well as Grendel, in a negative light. Detached from the patriarchal world of bravery and heroism, Grendel is forsaken to a life of misery and infamy. Similarly, Grendel’s secluded position in society is cemented by the selfish actions of Cain, his biblical ancestor. God deemed Cain an eternal reject for the crime of murdering his brother. This fratricide reflected poorly on his entire lineage; “Cain’s clan, whom the Creator had outlawed” is therefore predetermined as “banished monsters” (9). Grendel’s condemnation suggests that maintaining familial ties is paramount in order to live a virtuous...
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...What is a hero? Is a hero someone with superpowers? Not exactly, a hero is a man or a woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities. The stories of “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Odyssey” are tales of two different heroes from two different periods. Gilgamesh and Odysseus are both considered heroes, but they have different abilities and accomplishments. Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk in Babylonia, on the river Euphrates in what we know today as Iraq. He lived about 2700B.C. Gilgamesh was considered a hero because of his amazing physical strength and fighting ability. The author describes Gilgamesh as “superior to other kings, a warrior lord of great stature…” (The Epic of Gilgamesh Page 32 Tablet 1 Line 27). Gilgamesh used his strength and stature to defeat powerful beings. One example would be his victory over Humbaba, the monster who guards the Cedar Forest. He fought this beast to build a reputation on his quest for immortality. Another example is his triumph over the Bull of Heaven that Ishtar sends to destroy the city after being mocked by Gilgamesh. He was also considered a hero by the way he protected his men. The author compares Gilgamesh to a “strong net, the protection of his men” (The Epic of Gilgamesh Page 32 Tablet 1 Line 31). He took care...
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...INDIVIDUAL DYNAMICS AND LEADERSHIP – BOOK REVIEW The Difficulty of Being Good by Gurcharan Das CONTENT S. No. Topic Page No. 1. Introduction and summary 1 2. Objective of study 1 3. Method of study 1 4. Critical Analysis of Chapters 2 4.1 Duryodhana’s Envy 2 4.2 Draupadi’s Courage 2 4.3 Yudhishthira’s Duty 3 4.4 Yudhishthira’s Remorse 4 4.5 Arjuna’s Despair 5 4.6 Krishna’s Guile 6 4.7 Bhishma’s Selflessness 6 4.8 Karna’s Status Anxiety 7 4.9 Conclusion 8 5. Key Learning 9 INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY The Difficulty of Being Good by Gurcharan Das is an attempt to study and analyse the Mahabharata and the relevance it holds in todays’ world. The author realises that the great warriors in Mahabharata were essentially human beings and they had their own follies. Their moral dilemmas and behaviour arising out of the choices they made are very much relevant even today. The Mahabharata is essentially about our incomplete lives, about good people being faced with ethical dilemma and making choices that are not always right. They find themselves caught up in difficult situations, unable to decide what is right & what is wrong for ‘Dharma is subtle’ and its difficult it is to be good & righteous in this world. Essentially it’s the pursuit of Dharma by human beings and the moral dilemmas encountered on the way , that the author seek in this book. In each chapter, he critically analyses different characters of the epic and relates their dilemmas and actions...
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...is introduced to a completely different environment when he comes to Uruk. His human side comes in to play when he sees how Gilgamesh is treating the people. Enkidu and Gilgamesh became good friends and partners in adventures. He gains a great lot of experiences and a kind of love from Gilgamesh. Through his adventures with Gilgamesh he ends up loosing his life and right before he dies he wishes that he had stayed in his animal world and not join the world of man. Enkidu gets sick and tells Shamash that he wishes the hunter never met him, “…he cursed the hunter to his heart’s content” (p129). He ends up gaining a great friend and looses his life, through the friendship. Achilles comes off as a tragic hero. He comes off as a selfish warrior who does not care for his people. He is all for himself. He can be seen as heroic for his frightening skills and his part-god abilities. In the lliad Achilles, does not improve over time. He acts on his own rage and personal feelings. You can feel sorrow for Achilles,...
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...artwork put into these concepts is something you no longer see, and that is something I see wrong in the world today. The world today seems to be a very selfish and arrogant place. And I believe the return of these concepts would make life better for all. My first concept arête is seen in many different areas, such as; Achilles in the Illiad because he is the best warrior that man could be. Or, Penelope in the odyssey because she is the best wife that woman could be. The Parthenon is a prime example that Arete isn’t just held to people but also well strongly constructed building, a strong animal, or beautiful pottery. Arete means virtue or excellence of any kind. It meant living up to ones full potential. In Plato’s “Allegory Of The Cave”, the perfect form of something was its arête, what everything, and everyone is trying to get to. As Plato says,” arête is something you are always trying to achieve, but unattainable, it’s a goal.” The fact that this concept is seen as unattainable seems to be meant to be inspiring. Inspire people to always strive to better and there always room to be better. Human were made imperfect so we will always “sin” but that shouldn’t discourage us from doing our best to stay free of sin. Knowing and understanding this seems to be a form of human perfection in...
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...The History of the Fairy-folk of Ireland, Who were the Fairy-folk and where did they come from? By Patrick Fay University of Phoenix Ancient Ireland is full of stories about the fairy-folk and their mythical origins in Ireland, but who they and where did they come from. According to A History of Ireland: From the Earliest Times to 1922, there were several semi-divine races that ruled over Ireland throughout Ireland’s ancient history. The Fomorians, the Tuatha De Danann and the fir blog were all people of mythical origin that controlled Ireland at one point. The Fomorians although did not live in Ireland always held interest in Ireland, trying to gain tributes from the people who were in control over Ireland. To really understand how these people became known as the fairy-folk, one must understand the invasions of Ireland. There were 6 invasions of Ireland which included Cessair, Partholon, Nemed, The Fir Bolg, The Tuatha De Danann, and the Milesians (the Gaels) who are the descendants of modern day Ireland. Even though the Milesians defeated the Tuatha De Danann, the Tuatha De Danann never left Ireland. They moved to enchanted places to live in areas now known as the Sidhe mounds. Many years after the said “death” of members of the Tuatha De Danann that still show back up in history showing signs of immortality. When Saint Patrick went back to Ireland to...
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...“By portraying the perfect, Arthurian literature exposes the contemporary imperfect.” In the light of this statement, explore the ways in which Malory, Tennyson and Monty Python present chivalry. Chivalry is the preconceived moral code by which medieval knights would behave. As the 18th century critic Richard Hurd acknowledges, chivalric knights would demonstrate ‘their romantic ideas of justice; their passion for adventures; their eagerness to run succour of the distressed and the pride they took in redressing wrongs and removing grievances’. Throughout the works of Sir Thomas Malory, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Monty Python, this definition of chivalry remains constant, although with a particular focus on the tropes of physical prowess, superhuman endurance in combat and dutiful respect of ladies. However, as Leigh Hunt remarked of Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, the poem ‘treats the modes and feelings of one generation in the style of another’. I would argue that, in fact, this applies directly to all three writers. Malory presents the reader with an earthy, realistic, yet anachronistic representation to demonstrate the worth of such ideals in a country wrought with decline and chaos during the Wars of the Roses. Tennyson idealizes this knightly conduct: this glamorization of chivalry functions as a model which, for Tennyson, reflects the applauded propriety of Prince Albert and other Victorian gentry. Monty Python, in tune with the 1960/70s synonymous with the radical...
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...extremely speculative light, such that we only see the sides of them we want to. Heroes are expected to be perfect representations of all the humane sides of people, such that our perception of them remains no longer human. Whenever human error comes into play however, they are abandoned, as our perception of them reverts back to that of a someone not representing our imagined epitome of ‘Heroism’, losing their Heroic standards. Heroes are figures that represent the pinnacle of humanity’s redeeming qualities. According to Greek values, a Hero is a person of “Super human” daring, courage, strength and accompanying accomplishments. They are considered a separate category from Gods and humans. The Hero of the Odyssey, the great warrior Odysseus gains his fame from his cunning, excellence and ability to exceed ones natural limitations, to the point where he shall be unforgotten even in death. Homer already introduces Odysseus as a Hero when he says, “Speak memory – of the cunning Hero… destroyed by their own recklessness” (Book 1, Line 1 – 8). He is also described as being more than human, “Odysseus slept, the God like survivor” (Book 6, Line 1), “Listen, this man… live in the sky” (Book 6, Line 247 - 250), “Thus his prayer… until he reached home” (Book 6, Line 336 – 339). He is extremely intelligent as shown where in his encounter with Polyphemus he calls out “Nobody is my name… are my companions” (Book 9, Line 366 – 367) so that when the giant called out...
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