This paper discusses the meaning behind four great works of art: Felguerez's "Entre Dos Almas", "Fernwood Figures", "Sculpture of Vishnu", and Westall's "The Bard".
Abstract The first piece reported in this paper is an oil on canvas, painted by Mexican artist Manuel Felguerez and titled 'Entre Dos Almas', created in 1992. The next art piece is "Fernwood Figures". It originated from Vanuatu, Melanesia, in the late 19th century to early 20th century, and represents tribal ancestors.The author states that the "Sculpture of Vishnu" originates from India during the Pala period,12th century. The final piece is ?The Bard?, an oil on canvas, painted by a British artist Richard Westall (1765-1836). Illustrations.
Table of Contents
"Entre Dos Almas"
"Fernwood Figures"
"Sculpture of Vishnu"
"The Bard"
From the Paper "In Felguerez's paintings, it is very apparent that the he is quite fond of abstractionism. His work, on this media and beyond, is constantly exploring and playing with the primary geometrical shapes like the circle, square and triangle. Around the early seventies, the computer began to influence Manuel's work. The paintings produced by the artist around this time were almost mechanical looking in their composition. Color schemes usually contained a mechanical grayish background color, which was perceived to have derived from his interest in the growing world of computer-generated graphics. Also found in many of these earlier works was the design principle of rhythm and repetition while remaining unified."
Abstract This paper examines the evidence to prove the authenticity and the identity of the Greek poet, Homer. It analyzes how there is an enigma of his historical existence as well as his authorship of the works traditionally associated with his name. It evaluates literary, historical and archaeological evidence with an emphasis on his most famous piece of work "Odyssey" based on the "Iliad". It investigates whether the works attributed to Homer were in fact written by the hand of the poet (or dictated to a scribe if he was in fact blind, as the Greeks always believed), or were only committed to writing decades or centuries later after being kept alive in the living memory of illiterate bards.
From the Paper "The question of whether the works attributed to Homer were written by the hand of the poet (or dictated to a scribe if he was in fact blind, as the Greeks always believed), or were only committed to writing decades or centuries later after being kept alive in the living memory of illiterate bards is a relevant one to the subject of our investigation. Unfortunately, we do not know enough about the diffusion of the art of writing in the part of the Mediterranean where the epics were allegedly composed, although there is clear evidence from clay tablets and surviving pottery shards that the Greeks of this era had adopted the Phoenician alphabet."
Abstract This paper explains that, at the height of their domination in Europe, the Celtics, who were a warrior race in the 9th century B.C.E. that started on the island of Ireland, spread their religion across the British Isles to Turkey; however, they finally were conquered by the Romans and the Germanic tribes. The author points out that Druidism was passed down through an oral tradition typically kept by the bards and the ancient Druids; much of the Druids traditions are still kept because they were later recorded in medieval manuscripts and in oral tradition, folk lore and ritual. The paper concludes that, in the modern world, the Druids are still strong as a cultural fascination and several religious groups have been formed such as the British Druid Order and the Reformed Druids of North America.
Table of Contents
Celtic Paganism: A History
Celtic Traditions and Religions
Druidism and their Different Occupations
Influence of Christianity of the Druids
The Religious Beliefs of the Druids
Devices Used by the Druids
Druid Celebrations and Seasonal Celebrations
The Modern Druidic Movement
From the Paper "The Druids are known for having many celebrations and ceremonies throughout the year. Some of these celebrations are religious others commemorate special events within their history. The Druids celebrate a series of fire-festivals on the first of each of four months. These festivals would start at sunset and last for three days. When these ceremonies start, great bonfires are built on the hilltops and cattle would be driven between the two great bonfires to assure them fertility. Couples hoping to be married would jump over the bonfire and run between them to encourage fertility as well. These festivities all have special significance within the culture of the Druids. The first is the Samhain, which means the end of the warm season. It takes place on November 1st which marks the combined feast of the dead and the new years day celebration on the Celtic calendar. This is the time when the veil between our reality and the reality of the otherworld can be easily penetrated. Thus, communication with those who have past beyond the veil is possible and many ceremonies attempt to communicate with the dead during this festival. Later the Christians would adopt the fire festival as the All Soul's Eve, and later it would become the secular holiday Halloween."
A look at how the sense of entrapment and danger, the sense of adventure, the sense of illicit love, the sense of enticing women, the sense of the power of the gods and the sense of questing all appear in Demodokos' song and are all major themes in the e
1,096 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 1 source, 1999, $ 38.95
From the Paper " Demodokos, the "blinded minstrel" (299) is a major figure in Book VIII of The Odyssey. As such, he can be potentially viewed as a special creation in which Homer, the "singer" of The Odyssey has inserted a character that might represent himself. Some of the themes of the song of "Ares dalliance with Aphrodite"(299), recapitulate in miniature the certain major themes of the longer epic. The sense of entrapment and danger, the sense of adventure, the sense of illicit love, the sense of enticing women, the sense of the power of the gods, the sense of questing all appear in the song and are all major themes in the epic itself. Most interesting of all, however, is the idea of the blind minstrel with incredible knowledge who pleases Odysseus with his tale. Demodokos is Homer's indirect tribute to himself, but Homer slyly plays with the reader's perceptions of Demodokos with the ensuing reaction to the song."
Abstract This paper shows God and the Devil to be driving forces in Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and gives examples from the text of the play.
From the Paper "God and the devil have a strong presence in "Macbeth". The characters look to heaven and hell as places they have to try and strive towards or steer away from. God and the devil seem to be the driving and obvious force behind the happenings of the tragedy. They mold the characters into what they are. Even when things do not end up in their favor.
The witches have an impact on the whole theme of the play. They are the ones who start to label Macbeth with titles, which he does not yet posses. The witches predict the future, which is to Macbeth's liking. ?All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Glamis. All hail Macbeth! Hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor. All hail Macbeth, that's shalt be king hereafter!?(1.3.46-48)"
Abstract This essay takes a look at how a Structuralist would view the main characters weaving through the plot of "King Lear". Structuralists believe that there is a structure (that can be located) in every piece of literature that makes the plot happen; without structure there would be no story. The first line of this paper is: ?The continuous reiteration of references, both explicit and implicit, to vision and blindness in King Lear renders its resultant symbolism an obviously necessary part of the play's construction.? The paper goes on to prove that if Lear hadn?t lost his physical eyesight and gained a spiritual kind of sight, there would be no story. That is the structure of the play.
From the Paper "The continuous reiteration of references, both explicit and implicit, to vision and blindness in King Lear renders its resultant symbolism an obviously necessary part of the play's construction. This language pattern plays a structural role in defining Lear's fall from self-assumed grace to what he belatedly recognizes as an enlightened perspective; he fails to "see" truth until he has lost his visions of grandeur along with his eyesight. Therefore, without King Lear's intellectual and spiritual blindness, there would be no meaning assigned to his eventual clarity concerning morality. His lack of vision in the beginning is what allocates meaning to his eventual clarity. Each recurring allusion to eyesight in the play is like a verbal organ that composes the framework for a whole body of paradoxical meanings relating to a larger picture of the human condition. "To have eyes, and to see not, is to be at the mercy of evil"? (Heilman 51)."
Abstract This paper discusses "Midsummer Night's Dream" as the author believes Shakespeare intended the play to be - as a delightful, fun frolic, and contrasts it to Moshinsky's film version which emphasizes the darker elements of the script and loses much of the comic elements of the story.
From the Paper "This sentence would be a perfect introduction to Elijah Moshinsky's film adaptation of Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream", since it is not delightful, but instead stresses the tragic elements of the play. Shakespeare's language, rich of colourful images, creates a flower-scent and magical atmosphere. ?The descriptions breathe a sweetness like odours thrown from beds of flowers.? Though Moshinsky adapts Shakespeare's original text, the language loses nevertheless a part of its imaginative power. He focuses rather on the tragic elements of the play and renders it thus more serious and less bland."
"?We do not come, as minding to content you, our true intent is. All for your delight, we are not here. That you should here repent you, the actors are at hand; and, by their show you shall know all, that you are like to know (p.57).?
This sentence would be a perfect introduction to Elijah Moshinsky's film adaptation of Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream", since it is not delightful, but instead stresses the tragic elements of the play.
Shakespeare's language, rich of colourful images, creates a flower-scent and magical atmosphere. ?The descriptions breathe a sweetness like odours thrown from beds of flowers.? Though Moshinsky adapts Shakespeare's original text, the language loses nevertheless a part of its imaginative power. He focuses rather on the tragic elements of the play and renders it thus more serious and less bland."
Abstract This paper is a look at how various animal images in the play "Macbeth" such as the owl, serpent, falcon, raven, rhinoceros, etc. contribute to the powerful impression the Bard leaves on his audiences. The author uses quotes from the play to back-up the explanations.
From the Paper " In William Shakespeare's play MacBeth, Shakespeare uses imagery to help convey the words his characters speak in their dialogs. Throughout this play, animals are used to describe situations for characters. These characters include Lady MacBeth, MacBeth, Lady MacDuff, Ross, and an old man speaking with Ross. Animal imagery is used to illustrate evil, deceit and fearlessness made by characters who are indeed fearful, and paranoid with unnatural events occurring throughout the course of the play."
Abstract The following paper discusses the role of the poet in reference to William Blake's famous set of 54 poems. The author feels that the function of the poet is the feelings he is able to invoke, the tensions between forces/themes that he is able to create and the message that he is able to portray.
From the paper:
?By the time we tumble into the second cycle of songs, those of experience, we are almost eager to do so. The poet no longer hears the voice of the child "piping"; he announces: ?Hear the voice of the Bard!/Who Present, Past & Future sees.? This poet sees ?in evey face I meet/Marks of weaknes, marks of woe.? (London). Many of the poems are paired with poems of the first cycle. For Blake, man is torn between the forces of experience and innocence, two states of the soul. Now, in experience, we see "In a rich and fruitful land,/Babes reduced to misery" (Holy Thursday)?.
Abstract The paper discusses "The Illiad" written by the Greek bard Homer who tells the fateful tale of the battle of Troy and of Helen and Paris as the Greeks battled the Trojans for the return of Helen to her husband. It is within this tale a set format was illustrated. The paper shows that this is also seen in the ancient Mesopotamian stories of Gilgamesh. Within these stories the aspects of political authority, warfare and ethics are inter-meshed with heroic deeds, tales of gods and goddesses and historical documentation. This paper discusses the political authority, warfare and ethics of Gilgamesh and "The Illiad" and then compares the two stories to each other with a regard to the cultural and historical differences.
From the Paper "Warfare in Mesopotamia during the time of Gilgamesh would have been limited to tribal skirmishes, it was not until much later that we see the invasion of Mesopotamia/ Sumeria by other nations and a final collapse of the system. The notion that Sumeria did not have a fully fledged army is clearly seen in the role of the Lugal and later the King, the role of the Lugal as noted above was as a warlord during emergencies, this then would illustrate that unless there was a permanent state of emergency Mesopotamia was a peaceful or semi peaceful region. It is also clear that Gilgamesh uses the strength of warfare to abuse his people."
Abstract "Othello" is one of the four great tragedies written during Shakespeare's period of despair when the bard seemed to be concerned with the struggle of good over evil. The paper shows that Iago, the villain in "Othello", is perhaps the most sadistic and consummately evil character in all English literature and his eventual downfall illustrates the triumph of love over hate, a key theme in many of Shakespeare's plays. The paper traces the play act by act in order to analyze the character of Iago.
From the Paper "In Act Two, Iago's villainous nature is increased when Cassio, Othello's chief of staff, is seen by Iago holding the hand of Desdemona which sets into motion another scheme highlighted by the line "With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio" (2.1.163). Like Roderigo, Cassio submits to Iago's every whim while under the assumption that Iago is only attempting to assist him; but in reality, it is Cassio's downfall that attracts Iago. In addition, since Iago is a very intelligent man, he quickly realizes the advantages that come with trust which he considers as a means to further his goals. As a symbol of his true arrogance, Iago says of himself "I am an honest man" (2.3.245) which is quickly deemed to be a false statement when he has Cassio terminated as Othello's chief of staff."
Abstract The characters of Sophocles' "Oedipus" and William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" present two of the most enduring examples of the tragic hero. The paper shows that both characters are victims of fate and both characters are in control of their destinies, yet each character, turning different ways, end up with very different lives. The paper shows that Oedipus was lead by what he believed to be the truth and Hamlet, knowing the truth, is paralyzed by it. In exploring the similarities and differences between these two characters, the paper shows how we are able to understand fate and destiny and how they relate to the truth.
From the Paper "Hamlet and Oedipus conform to the same classic formula. Hamlet is a member of a royal family and next in line to sit at the throne. Claudias has determined that Hamlet will inherit the throne. This makes Hamlet the second most popular man in Denmark and to anger him is to invoke a king's anger in the years to come. Oedipus is already a king and he clearly asserts his position by announcing that he is king, the world-famous Oedipus. It is safe to assume that Oedipus is already in high standing in both the political and social hierarchy of the times because he is a king and he is world famous. To follow the model of the classic tragic formula, the story not only needs a hero who is in a position of status, but it also needs a hero to also fall from that position."
Abstract William Shakespeare was born in 1564 and spent most of his childhood in Stratford, Great Britain. It wasn't until the age of 28 that Shakespeare began to gain prominence as a playwright. This paper shows that little is known about the private life of the man who would later be recognized as "the greatest and most famous of English writers". The paper shows that by skillfully creating realistic characters and situations is his plays, Shakespeares is still considered a major influence on writers across the world. Even in poetry, Shakespeare was able to transcend the boundaries of poetry and engage the reader in such a way in which all poets seek to imitate.
From the Paper "Up until 1594 his plays appear to be influenced from Roman and medieval dramas. From 1594-1600, Shakespeare began to develop a distinctive style. The histories of this period are Shakespeare's best, portraying the lives of kings and royalty in most human terms. He also begins the interweaving, in these histories, of comedy and tragedy that would become one of his stylistic signatures. His comedies mature in this period as well, portraying more characterization in their subjects than previously. Between 1600-1608, Shakespeare wrote his tragedies, which would be the play that brought him infamy for centuries to come. Clearly, Shakespeare was at his best when he was writing these tragedies. The writing of Shakespeare until 1608, brings into focus the romantic tragicomedy. Many claim that Shakespeare seemed to be concerned with redemption at this time because the writing is more serious. These plays were also more lyrical and demonstrate how Shakespeare successfully mastered the technique of symbolism."
Tags: Elizabethan, Henry, IV, War, of, the, Roses, Sonnets
Abstract This six-page paper looks at the aspects of Antigone and Medea and how their lives have changed through interactions of certain characters. The paper also looks at the human traits that are discussed by the bards that affect all mankind such as hatred, murder, love and depression.
Abstract This paper looks at the Globe Theater, where most of William Shakespeare's major works, ,including his famous four tragedies, were first staged. It shows how, although the original building was destroyed in the mid-17th century, a new "Globe Theater" has been built near the site of the old theater in London and replicates many of the original features of the original theater and still stages some of the bard's plays. It traces the history of the Globe Theater, describes the original building's main features, and covers the recent rebuilding of the new Globe.
Outline
Origins
Main Features
A "Microcosm" of the Times
Destruction
The "New" Globe
Conclusion
From the Paper "The stage of the Globe was a five feet high level platform of about 43 X 28 feet size. The stage was fitted with mechanisms such as trap doors in its floor that were creatively utilized by Shakespeare in his plays. It was surrounded on three sides by the "pit" in which the general audience (known as "groundlings" or the "one penny" audience) stood to watch the performances. The fourth side of the stage had a room for the actors where costumes changes were made. Around the pit were three galleries (balconies) one above the other that had seating for "two-penny" theatergoers. The topmost gallery was roofed with thatch and had a small turret structure, from which a trumpeter announced the day's performances. Since no artificial lighting was available, plays were usually scheduled for the afternoons."
