Abstract This paper uses the Aristotelian definitions of tragedy in order to place Blanche Dubois as the tragic hero in "A Streetcar Named Desire." The paper first looks at the symbolic and actual setting of the play, then analyzes Blanche's character to find her "tragic flaw/s." The essay shows Blanche as a creator of her own fate, not a victim of Fate.
From the Paper "It is the view of the Kowalski's apartment as a representation of the afterlife, a place of punishment and reward, which first introduces to us Blanche as a self-determining tragic protagonist. If the afterlife is fair, and we must assume it to be, then she has earned her rewards and punishments there. Yet this is not only a story of earned consequences, but also of Blanche's metaphorical "expulsion from paradise," though this is certainly a paradise much troubled. Elia Kazan, the director of this play under Williams, realized the mythological fall from "grace" in his "intuition and then conviction...that he should envision each of the eleven scenes as a step in Blanche's progression from arrival to expulsion." It is astonishing to follow how easily Tennessee Williams casts a victim of rape and social oppression into a mold built around self-destruction."
A comparison between Homer's epic novel the 'Odyssey' and the adapted screenplay version of the epic film,"O Brother Where Art Thou?", directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen .
Abstract The following paper draws parallels between Homer's "Odyssey" and the Coen Brother's "O Brother Where Art Thou?". In the year 2000, the inventive and provocative filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen reworked the Odyssey in a liberal way, changing scenes, settings and characters. The writer compares the original epic and the original screenplay and discusses dozens of small but meaningful comparisons. For instance, Odysseus and his men descend into Hades where they encounter several ghosts from Odysseus's past; in the film the boys meet a fellow inmate who they thought was dead. Odysseus from the original epic and Ulysses from the film (played by George Clooney) both have to prove to their wives that they are true: Ulysses must bring Penny the ring to redeem himself. In the Odyssey, Book 23, Penelope declares that ?there are tokens with which we two alone are acquainted,? (Butler trans.). Although it was written millennia ago in ancient Greece, the parables of the Odyssey remain extant for a reason: Its themes are universal and accessible and adaptable for all time. The Coen brothers' movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?" exemplifies Homer's timelessness, as well as their own versatility.
From the Paper "Homer's Odyssey is more than an epic tale of a man ?who wandered far and wide,? across the sea; it is an archetypal journey with universal and enduring import. It is not difficult to find parallels between Odysseus's adventures and modern ones, for ultimately the Odyssey transcends its details. Homer erected a narrative structure that lends itself to adaptation and reconstruction. Most notable to modern reinterpretations of Homer's Odyssey is James Joyce's Ulysses, which focuses on and develops the relationship between father (Odysseus/Leopold Bloom) and son (Telemachus/Stephen Dedalus). In the year 2000, the inventive and provocative filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen reworked the Odyssey in an equally liberal way, changing scenes, settings, and characters. But whereas Joyce's version of the Odyssey is microcosmic, its journey more psychological than physical, the Coen brothers? O Brother Where Art Thou? rambles through a decidedly physical and farcical tale. At first glance the film resembles Homer's epic little: only certain elements are obvious like George Clooney's character's name (Ulysses) and the three sirens by the river. A deeper investigation of the film and the original text reveals numerous, if more subtle, references."
Abstract This paper explores the guiding theme in "A Streetcar Named Desire", namely, the search for immortality, justification, and redemption. It does this by examining the metaphorical aspects hidden within the story and by drawing comparisons between the main character in William's play and characters in Greek mythology that deal with themes of the afterlife.
From the Paper "The first point which must be explored, of course, is the leap into this metaphysical landscape. How does one go from a setting in New Orleans to discussing how this story is set within the scope of the afterlife? Actually, it's rather obvious. Yes, the story takes place in the French Quarter of New Orleans, but more to the point it is set in the ?Elysian Fields.? According to Greek mythology, the Elysian fields are the afterlife where one is judged and rewarded for past deeds. It is to be noted that Blanche arrives in the Elysian Fields ?by way of a Freudian streetcar named ?Desire,? transferring to one called "Cemeteries".? (Ridell) While that progress from desire to death may be a sort of foreshadowing of the play's narrative arc, it is equally possible that it is a more direct description of the route taken by Blanche prior to the play. (The way that history repeats itself is, of course, a major part of this theme and of most afterlife scenarios, so both foreshadowing and introduction-to-the-past may be intended) In short, Blanche's earlier desires and escapades may have killed her in either a literal or a figurative sense. She then proceeds logically by way of Cemeteries to the afterlife of the Elysian fields."
Abstract This paper examines D. H. Lawrence's use of a fairy tale structure to enhance the ironic tone of the story,"The Rocking-Horse Winner", by controlling three critical literary elements: plot, allusion, and symbolism. The author points out that Lawrence effectively uses the irony of the fairy tale structure to show how children can be overburdened and destroyed when the problems of the adult world, such as obsession, greed and jealousy, are transferred to the child's world. The paper concludes that, although Lawrence is clearly a master writer, perhaps a writer with a different style, such as O. Henry, could take the same subject matter and write a story without the tragic overtones that are characteristic of "The Rocking-Horse Winner".
From the Paper "However, even though the parallels are imperfect, they don?t obscure allusions to other stories in the genre. The idea of a "gift" that is turned against a main character is a theme that recurs throughout the fairy tale and myth genres. The story of King Midas is about a gift that is turned into a curse. His greed for gold is turned into a "golden touch" that destroys everything and everyone he holds dear. Likewise, Paul's gift of special knowledge from the rocking horse is turned against him when his mother spends the money he wins at the races faster than he can win it."
Abstract This paper uses the Wesleyan Quadrilateral of Experience, Tradition, Scripture, and Reason to outline the various interpretations and understandings concerning Christ's descent into hell. The paper uses a series of interviews with some of the America's top religion/philosophy instructors, as well as randomized viewpoints.
From the Paper "In general three main arguments have been established: first, that Christ did not descend at all; second that he did descend to the underworld (ei"& ta katacqovnta katelqovta), that is, the place of the dead; and third that he descended into hell (descendit ad inferna) and battled with Lucifer and/or Hades in an effort to rescue those who came before Christ."
Abstract This paper discusses the similarities between certain wedding and funerary rituals of Athens by analyzing the iconography of ancient Greek pottery and relating these ideas to those found in the Homeric "Hymn to Demeter". The paper includes direct quotes from the hymn, as well as images of ancient vases that correspond with the text.
From the Paper "Before the Common Era, citizens of Ancient Greece created an identity for themselves based on their polytheistic religion. The Greeks' entire existence revolved around paying worship to the multiple gods and goddesses whom they trusted to take care of them in this world and the next. Political, economical, agricultural, and social aspects of Greek communities all received strong influence from religious conceptions. Without widely spread literacy, most knowledge passed from person to person through oral communication. Myths, stories explaining relations of gods with humans, nature, and each other, frequently served as an easy way to spread ideas amongst citizens of all ages. Records of ancient festivals and customs suggest that "Greek ritual is borne out and reinforced by what we find in a myth." Because so many artifacts and literary sources have been recovered in Athens, the city plays an important role in helping us analyze the extent to which mythological tales affected everyday life in the Classical period."
Traces the historical development of the Greek concept of immortality and the afterlife through the investigation of the works of ancient Greek philosophers, dramatists, and poets.
Abstract This paper traces the beginnings of the Greek concept of the afterlife in the Homeric Age through classical Greece and into the Age of the Philosophers. The paper's argument links the shift from a belief in a meaningless immortal existence into a conviction in a more hopeful afterlife to the increase in the prosperity of the Greek economy over the same time period. Both primary sources and secondary materials are utilized to support this claim. The paper cites Aristophanes, Homer, Hesiod, Herodotus, Plato, and others.
From the Paper "The religion of the ancient Greeks was a dynamic and animated one, not prescribed in code on a set of tablets or a scroll of papyri but rather existing in the minds of the people. Therefore, it was subject to change. In the times written about by Homer, where the gods were active participants in the lives of the Greeks, the idea of a true life after death was useless. The gods meted out whatever punishments or rewards the people deserved in this life, with no need for delay. Yet this thinking eventually gave way to deeper convictions about afterlife, involving the principles of immortality and retributive punishment. The evolution of ancient Greek religion did not occur on its own; rather, it was prompted by drastic changes in the world itself. These shifting attitudes of the Greeks with respect to immortality and the afterlife were a direct result of the expanding economy and increased colonization that the civilization encountered around the 7th and 8th centuries BC."
Abstract This paper uses the first two strophes from Act III's aria, "Possente spirito", to demonstrate the brilliant fusion of musical organization with emotional expression in Claudio Monteverdi's 1607 opera "Orfeo". The author points out that the fierce turbulence in Monteverdi's personal life is reflected in the plot of the opera. The paper relates that the opening two strophes, of which the text is quoted in the paper, are accompanied by basso continuo with parts of the first strophe punctuated by two violins and similar punctuation in the second strophe performed by two cornets. The author states that other strophes end in a brief ritornello. The paper explains that, for the vocal style, Monteverdi employs stile rappresentativo, or "the representational style", to convey the passions behind Orpheo's impending request to be allowed into Hades.
From the Paper "The spirit of these dotted eighth--sixteenth notes also effectively predicate the final line in the second strophe as Orfeo forwards the argument that since having lost his wife, he has no heart and cannot be alive, and therefore his entrance into Hades would be legitimate. Posing this argument to the ferrymen, Monteverdi paints a picture of Orfeo as coy as he is courageous. The composer makes the conclusion of Orfeo's question also a facetious question, after the preceding phrases in the cornets. It is difficult to hear Orfeo's final line of the second strophe without imagining the demi-god trying to conceal a little grin."
