Loyalty in Odyssey Essay - 824 Words

Loyalty in The Odyssey Loyalty is defined in the Websters dictionary as faithfulness or devotion to a person, a cause or a duty. Through this definition, it can be expressed that loyalty is a major theme in Homers epic, The Odyssey. The author presents four mayor illustrations of loyalty, which are given by Penelope, Telemachus, Eumaeus and Philoetius and Odysseus. Penelope is Odysseus faithful wife who not only doesnt re-marry but also keeps hope that Odysseus is still alive and will someday come home. Telemachus embarks on a journey in search of his father, who has never actually met. Eumaios, the swineherd and Philoitois, the cowherd, remained committed to their duties as true servants of Odysseus. And ultimately, Odysseus†¦show more content†¦Telemachus, Odysseus only son, shows his loyalty to his father by going on a voyage to search and investigate his fathers destiny. Telemachus comments He father me, left me behind at home, and from me he got not joy ( Homer, Book XVI, 135). The autho r clearly demonstrates how this character, despite of never -----with his father, stays true to his cause: finding his father. Many times the author states Telemachuss will to bring back Odysseus, If men could have all they want, free for the taking, Id take first my fathers journey home ( Homer, Book XVI,135). Another significant illustration of loyalty is given by Eumaeus, the swineherd and Philoetius, the cowherd, to their long gone master, Odysseus. Eumaeus speaks highly of his kings return home, Now bring my prayer to pass! Let that men come back-some god guide him now (Homer, Book XXI, 267). On the other side when hearing that Odysseus is coming home, Philoetius replies if only Zeus would make that oath come true-youd see my power, my fighting arms in action (Homer, Book XX, 264). The author describes how ‘both men broke into tears and threw their arms around their old master when they realize the true identity of the beggar, Odysseus. They obviously have great respect and devotion for him. By standing next to Odysseus in the slaughter, risking their own lives, the author properly establishedShow MoreRelatedTheme Of Loyalty In The Odyssey973 Words   |  4 Pagesmajor themes of The Odyssey are loyalty, hospitality, revenge and Disguise. Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus for 20 years, waiting for him to return home and Eurycleia is loyal to Odysseus and tells him who had been disloyal to him while he was away. When Homer recorded The Odyssey, members of the household and staff were loyal to the paterfamilias. Loyalty was expected in ancient Greek times out of respect. Women and servants were submissive to the paterfamilias and their loyalty demonstrated thisRead MoreExamples Of Loyalty In The Odyssey989 Words   |  4 PagesLoyalty is defined in Webster’s dictionary as unswerving allegiance, faithfulness. With this definition it can be expressed that loyalty plays a big role in Homer’s epic ‘the Odyssey’. Homer has presented three main characters that have shown loyalty to Odysseus. Penelope, the faithful wife, Telemachus, the son who has never met his father and lastly Eumaeus, the servant who has remained loyal to his master even when he was gone. Odysseus has been gone for twenty years, leaving behind his wifeRead MoreLoyalty : The, The Odyssey, And Inanna1760 Words   |  8 PagesLoyalty has always been seen as a commendable trait, not only in human beings but in any creature, all through history. Soldiers have admired their enemies for their loyalty to fallen comrades, thousands of stories have been written about the intense loyalty animals portray for their owners, and even companies in the workforce look for loyalty in potential employees. Loyalty has been seen as something that distinguishes the trustworthy from the untrustworthy, and something that sets the great apartRead MoreLoyalty And Faithfulness In The Odyssey And Odysseus1177 Words   |  5 PagesLoyalty and Faithfulness are two characteristics that would make up a great person. Being loyal by sticking to something and showing your support and Faith is having trust and confidence in someone or something. Having these characteristics is important because it is k ey to success Both of these traits however make up the god like Odysseus. And the result of him having these traits ended in success and him coming back home. Loyalty and Faithfulness was very important in the Odyssey and Odysseus displaysRead More Loyalty in Homers Odyssey Essay601 Words   |  3 PagesRelationships in Homers Odyssey Loyalty is heroic. Loyalty is defined as faithfulness or devotion to a person, cause, obligations, or duties. In Homers Odyssey one can see loyalty in many forms. Odysseus is loyal to the gods whom he realized held his life in their hands. Penelope was loyal to Odysseus, while trying not to offend the rude suitors. Telemachus was loyal to a father whom he only knew from the stories he had been told. Time and time again we see loyalty in the strongest sense, completeRead MoreThe Role of Loyalty in The Odyssey Essay1030 Words   |  5 Pagespresent throughout the Odyssey, written by Homer. Be it hospitality, perseverance, vengeance or power of the Gods, loyalty is truly the theme that brings the whole book together. Being 10 years after the Trojan War, many have forgotten about Odysseus and his men as they constantly brave what the gods throw their way. This essay will be talking about Odysseus and Penelope’s mutual loyalty to one another, the loyal relationships between Gods a nd men and finally, the loyalty Odysseus’ men show for himRead MoreLoyalty as Defined in the Odyssey Essay946 Words   |  4 PagesLoyalty, as defined in the Odyssey seems to be the constant devotion to someone, the hopefully longing of their return and victory. Homer seems to value loyalty over many of the other human traits, as Eumaeus gets not only Homer’s famous â€Å"you† but his own book as well. The swineherd is not the only character that Homer uses to show loyalty, Penelope and Telemachus show unyielding faithfulness to Odysseus throughout the epic poem; as do many other characters even gods. Homer demonstrates the valueRead MoreAn Analysis of Loyalty in Homer’s Odyssey1555 Words   |  7 PagesAn Analysis of Loyalty in Homer’s Odyssey In short, The Odyssey is a story of the war hero Odysseus’ pain and suffering caused by the extensive separation from his family and home during the chronicle of events after the fall of Troy. In the unraveling of these adventures, the reader is immersed in a world of heroic feats, strange creatures and lustful gods. However, behind all the myths and legends, there are a wide variety of underlying themes and concepts, which not only develop the plot andRead MoreEssay Loyalty Shown In The Odyssey486 Words   |  2 Pages Loyalty to family, community, and the gods is an important quality in the lives of ancient Greek citizens. These qualities are clear demonstrated in The Odyssey through Penelope, Telemakhos, and Odysseus. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Penelope shows her loyalty in several ways. She shows loyalty to Odysseus by waiting for his return for twenty long years. She did not choose a suitor until she knew for sure that Odysseus was dead. To delay the decision of choosing a suitor, Penelope said she wouldRead MoreThe Odyssey : Themes Of Loyalty, Justice, And Hospitality1017 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout The Odyssey, three major themes of loyalty, justice, and hospitality are present. Loyalty is a basic human virtue that is glaringly visible in this book. First of all, Odysseus crew is aggressively loyal to him. The book starts off with Odysseus just finishing the Trojan War. His crew went through the war lasting a decade with the hero and never once left his side. All of his men were willing to go to take their lives for Odysseus, which is the ultimate form of loyalty. Odysseus

Maya Angelou And Still I Rise - 897 Words

In â€Å"The Story of an Hour† and the poem â€Å"Still I Rise† Kate Chopin and Maya Angelou have explored the theme of oppression in a variety of different ways. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is a short story based around how dramatically things can change within the space of an hour and how this can affect your life in the short period of time. Within the hour Mr Mallard is presumed dead in a railroad disaster, resulting in Mrs Mallard short lived ‘freedom’ after years of being oppressed, before soon learning that her husband is not dead as she encounters him. This shock triggers an ongoing heart problem and Mrs Mallard is soon confirmed dead. â€Å"Still I Rise† is a poem based around Maya Angelou and how she will overcome challenges that are thrown at her.†¦show more content†¦Another key technique applied by Angelou is similes. â€Å"But still, like dust, I’ll rise†, the reader pictures the rising cloud of dust in the ir mind. Her use of similes helps strengthen the meaning behind the words, leading to a deeper connection to the reader. The reference to slavery in the third line gives you a clear picture in your mind of the oppressors hating on Maya Angelou for who she is. In â€Å"The Story of an Hour† imagery is used to show the thoughts of Mrs Mallard as she thinks of the future freedom without her husband, â€Å"A long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely†. She is looking forward to the future because she no longer has to worry about anything else and all of her pressures in the form of Mr Mallard. Angelou uses a variety of structural techniques within the poem, the first of which is rhetorical questions such as â€Å"Did you want the see me broken†? This is used to openly question why her oppressors are hostile towards her. Half way through the poem the tempo begins to change as Angelou dramatically changes her mood from negative to positive, and begins to express her beliefs towards the oppressors. â€Å"The Story of an Hour† is about how things can change in a short amount of time, due to the small amount of time it makes you feel as though you are going along the journey with Angelou. This engages the reader as it is in such a small time frame, that they want to knowShow MoreRelatedStill I Rise By Maya Angelou1078 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou is a poem of objection and satisfaction in which Maya states that she will raise regardless of any situation. In her poem, â€Å"Angelou also incorporates anaphora, similes and metapho rs throughout the poem to illustrate the resilience of the speaker regardless of what befalls her† (Bouchard: â€Å"Literary Contexts in Poetry†). Using these methods, the reader is able to visualize the hardships the poet went through. â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou offers ambition and inspirationRead MoreStill I Rise By Maya Angelou877 Words   |  4 Pagesfull shaped curves of her body, and the color of her skin . The poem â€Å"Still I Rise† by the well-known poet, Maya Angelou, specifically describes the reasons why she had so much confidence; even if she were to be judged by her appearances and mindset. This poem is about embracing females, but it mainly introduces similar life situations that many African American women have experienced. The symbols and point of view that Angelou specifically added in her poem made her readers realize that there areRead MoreStill I Rise By Maya Angelou2154 Words   |  9 Pagesdifferent religions and races is a theme that is explored throughout many texts like the ‘Still I Rise’ Poetry from Maya Angelou, ‘The Dollhouse’ short story by Katherine Mansfield, The movie ‘Gran Torino’ directed by Clint Eastwood, and the Documentary film ‘Born into Brothels’ by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman. First Text: A poem that conveys the theme discrimination is Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou helps the reader see the struggle and feel what the black society had been treated likeRead MoreStill I Rise By Maya Angelou Essay1649 Words   |  7 PagesPowell June 23, 2015 Still I Rise Maya Angelou’s poem, â€Å"Still I Rise† shows a repetition of strength stanza after stanza. African Americans were faced with the challenges of oppression and slavery. African American women not only as a minority of African American race, but as a female, were faced with all those challenges, along with woman’s rights. It took 55 years after the abolishment of slavery for females to finally have the right to vote, under the 19th amendment. Maya Angelou’s poem expressesRead MoreAnalysis Of Still I Rise By Maya Angelou1080 Words   |  5 Pagestougher and wiser. Still I rise is a poem written by Maya Angelou, an African American poet and a civil-rights activist. This poem was written around the civil rights movement, when people where being segregated by their race. Throughout this poem we are shown the thoughts and feelings people have displayed against her, but she will not let them get her down. Her dark past allows her to have strength and rise abov e the criticism where her ancestors fell to slavery. In poem Still I rise the main messageRead MoreAnalysis Of Still I Rise By Maya Angelou917 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Still I Rise† is an inspiring poem written by Maya Angelou, she delivers a powerful message from within to provide her African American ancestors an opportunity to rise above segregation and racism. Maya Angelou expresses her pride throughout the poem and describes different hardships in her past. Angelou incorporates her past experiences, powerful views, and over comings while also expressing the tone regarding her pride, feminist values, strong confidence, and close ties with African AmericanRead MoreAnalysis Of Still I Rise By Maya Angelou993 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussed in class starting with Maya Angelou’s â€Å"Still I Rise.† Angelou starts off her poem stating, â€Å"You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt but still, like dust, I’ll rise.(Lines 1-4)† From these lines, Angelou speaks on the strength that African-American have each day. Blacks have been seen in history as an abomination, and their names have been dragged through the mud just because of their skin color. But Angelou tells people that none of thisRead MoreStill I Rise - Maya Angelou (Reading Log)885 Words   |  4 PagesStill I Rise Maya Angelou The poem ‘Still I Rise’ written by American author Maya Angelou is written from the perspective of Maya herself. She is speaking to her audience of oppressors about how she has overcome racism, criticism, sexism, and personal obstacles in her life with pride and grace. It describes her personal struggle through life and how she managed to pull through and how she will continue on her life journey. This poem is historically rooted with mentions of slavery, a â€Å"past of pain†Read MoreEssay of Poem Still I Rise by Maya Angelou621 Words   |  3 Pagesunderstand life and their situations. The purpose of this writing is to discuss a literary work through a personal experience. The poem that will be discussed in this essay will be â€Å"Still I Rise† by Maya Angelou. This is her famous poem ever known. This author is a very good writer, I am reading her poems for the first time and I liked her poems so much. This poem suggests that we can overcome difficulties in life, despite rejections and injustice. It also discusses racism and all the problems black peopleRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Still I Rise By Maya Angelou1959 Words   |  8 PagesMaya Angelou was a highly respected spokesperson for African Americans as well as for women of the twentieth century. She spoke on the behalf of all enslaved African Americans who suffered during the civil war. Most of her works are considered autobiographical because they contain many of her own experiences. She is a natural narrative writer that uses a lot of imagery and repetition in her poems.She has a great influence in the field of literature as a woman’s activist. She has received numerous

Doctor in the house free essay sample

Under our study the passage of the story Doctor in the house written by a famous British writer and an assistant editor of the British Medical Journal of the 20 th century Richard Gordon who worked also as a ships surgeon, but left his medical practice in 1952. The story Doctor in the house is one of Gordons twelve Doctor books and is noted for witty description of a medical students years of professional training. Doctor in the house is not really intriguing title for the story, but, perhaps, this simplicity makes this story so attractive for an experienced reader, who is able after looking through passages to find extremely interesting phrases, word combinations, unusual style of writing and etc. Speaking about the style of the story we can say that it is autobiography. The plot of the passage is build round an unpleasant inevitability, we mean the final examination of medical students. Gordon. Author tells us about him nothing, because he wants to say that Gordon is an ordinary student. Author uses indirect method of characterization, and we can learn something of him only through his feelings. And we see the exams through his own eyes. The story is told from first person narration. The composition of this text consists of the following components: exposition, when the author gives the concept of an examination. Narration, when the author describes passing the examinations, written paper and viva, also an interesting story about marking the papers at Cambridge. The tension reaches its highest degree when poor Gordon almost believe in his fail. And the climax, when the Author describes how the Secretary of the Committee calls out Gordon’s name, because in that moment we become interested in his results, do he pass or fail. The author deliberately postpones the denouement keeping the reader in pressing anticipation. It comes in the last paragraph, when he hears the magic word â€Å"Pass†. The main idea of the text is that the examination is nothing more than an investigation of man’s knowledge. We learn about the students well, because the author created true-to-life characters, even more so the Author was passing the examinations himself. The key word is examination, because the action is spanned around it. And he employs a lot of expressive means and stylistic devices to make the story interesting and exciting. The text is emotionally moving, and some details produce an emotional reaction. There are a lot of epithets, metaphors, similes, hyperboles, metonymies and etc. For example by a simile â€Å"the final examinations are something like death† the Author shows condition of a student before an examination, â€Å"like a prize-fighter† also shows a contest, then the author compares, using the simile, the students that want to produce a certain impression and looking at professor like the â€Å"impressionable music enthusiasts gazing at the solo violinist†. Medical textbooks compared through metaphor to a â€Å"well-trodden paths†. The simile â€Å"porters†¦.. like the policemen† shows how severe and threatening they seems , a metaphor â€Å"†¦frustrated brilliance† is about a gone hope of a student. By the syntactic parallelism â€Å"The world stood still. The traffic stopped, the plants ceased growing, men were paralysed, the clouds hung in the air, the winds dropped, the tides disappeared, the sun halted in the sky† and the simile â€Å"like a man just hit by a blackjack† Author gives a perfect description of Gordon’s condition before and after he finds out his exam results. The text is full of epithets, that make it more expressive. For example, â€Å"Flagrant cheating†, â€Å"depressing experience†, and so on. â€Å"Silence and stillness (synonyms), like an unexploded bomb(simile)† very exactly depicts the picture of the minute when every student was waiting for his/her marks. And Author gives a chain of synonyms for word â€Å"to fail : †Ã¢â‚¬Å"One comes down, one muffs, one is ploughed, plucked, or pipped†. To make us sure that this exams was really hard Author uses special medical lexis – tetanus. In my opinion, not so many people know what it is and even more how to treat it. Also there are one idiom judgement day. Author uses it to show how important and, at the same time, very hard to pass the oral examination is. With the help of antonomasia we see their real character the Nonchalant, the Frankly Worried, the Crammer, the Old Stager. We can easily understand what stands for this nicknames. Also Author tries to make us believe that is story really happened. He uses a lot of places that still exist. For instance, St. Swithin’s Hospital, Old Bailey and Cambridge. And we can be sure that the story takes place in some university in Britain. The general atmosphere created by the author is mostly bright, amusing, full of irony, but sometimes it is not, especially after the viva . To my mind, this story is very interesting and exciting. Gordons wonderful mastery of the language permits him to keep the reader tense till the denouement. In such a little extract of a book he was able to depict the not only the procedure of examination, but also feelings of students. I am student and I know in my own experience that it is really difficult to pass the examination, and Richard Gordon succeed in describing the all little details of this event.

The Period From The Eighth To The Fourteenth Century Was One Of Vast R

The period from the eighth to the fourteenth century was one of vast reforms, some for the better and some for the worse. During this period in Europe, commonly known as The Middle Ages, economic reforms took place as well as social, political, and religious changes. One common theme throughout The Middle Ages consisted of the relationship between the Church and the State. The Catholic church during this era held a prominent role in society, and it had an abundant amount of power and authority during this time. The Catholic Church exercised its authority in many different stages, in which a response from the people occurred because of the way the Church showed its power. The nature of the Catholic Church began its reform around the time Charlemagne, from 768 to 814, took control. He became a Christian emperor and the first great political leader in Western Europe. His main goal was to promote the Roman Catholic religion throughout all of the world known to man, and to do this Charlemagne coordinated with the pope, which in turn the pope crowned him the holy Roman Emperor. Charlemagne strived to reestablish central authority and revive the culture of the Early Middle Ages, and he succeeded by gaining authority over a large area, including almost all of Western and Central Europe (Charlemagne p.130-131). Charlemagne also made many reforms, mostly Church and educational ones. He first reformed the monasteries by making them Benedictine; he also made sure that the churches were abiding by the rules and not doing anything wrong. Charlemagne designed a system in which four archbishops were set up in four different regions with their headquarters in cities in that particular region. The archbishops appoint bishops authority in their territories. As the Catholic Church's authority increases during this time, it also comes with consequences. This system of archbishops and bishops are great for the Church, but Charlemagne uses them as royal agents, which is part of royal policy. Furthermore, Charlemagne makes reforms in education in order to further improve the Church; he sets up a system which strengthens the priesthood by setting up bishop schools. These reforms indicate "a lack of division between religious and secular affairs" (Charlemagne p.131). Who really has authority, is it the pope or the king? King Charlemagne did make all of the reforms, but the pope also crowned him holy Roman Emperor. This will create problems in the near future between the Church and the State. The nature of the Catholic Church's authority again changed during the High Middle Ages in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Basically, the papacy became more confident by claiming greater powers and actually challenging the monarchs themselves for total authority (Sherman p.166). Pope Gregory VII is a great example of the increased confidence and authority during these times. The papacy under this pope asserted its powers under the proposition derived from Pope Gregory VII. It indicates many of the powers that the Church claims to hold. Some of them include: "The pope is the only person whose feet are kissed by all princes. He may depose emperors. He may be judged by no one " (Pope Gregory VII p.168). The pope is obviously claiming higher authority over the State, especially over the emperor. The Church also had the power to excommunicate members of the Catholic Church, which holds a sever punishment especially during the Middle Ages. Because an excommunicated person was forbidden from all social intercourse, this punishment would thus be terrible politically, socially, as well as economically (Noble p.204). In the thirteenth century, Pope Innocent III continued to claim powers for the Church and even had some of his claims hold up. He claimed that the royal power derived the brilliance of dignity from the pontifical authority, which includes the pope (Pope Innocent III p.197). Central governments in the European nations began to evolve and try to change the ways of the papacy, which, in turn, brought up problems for the Church (Noble p.205). This is especially true with the case of Pope Boniface VIII. He issued a letter which forbade the taxation of the clergy without explicit papal permission, and King Philip IV responded by campaigning against the pope. This, in turn, rallied support for the monarchy in France (Noble p.222). This attack on Pope Boniface VIII unveils the extreme splits in the Christian community; it seemed apparent after these events that European governments had no intention of recognizing absolute papal authority (Noble p. 226). The nature of the Catholic Church was basically transformed during