Abstract
This paper discusses how throughout Greek history the relationship between human beings and divine figures is a noticeable and predominant one, evident in myth, and especially literature. The author examines such literature of the time, in particular, Homer's Iliad and Herodotus' Histories, to better understand this unique and extraordinary relationship between humans and divine powers in the ancient Greek world.

From the Paper
"Throughout Greek history the relationship between human beings and divine figures is a noticeable and predominant one. Evidence of this relationship exists in many forms, such as architecture, art, myth, and especially literature. By examining the literature of the time, we as historians, philosophers and archaeologists, among others, can better understand this unique and extraordinary relationship between humans and divine powers in the ancient Greek world. The "Iliad" of Homer demonstrates many principles of this relationship through the story of the Trojan War. The characters, their actions and the events that take place demonstrate the interaction of humans and gods, the individual relationships, the authority of divine power, and the helplessness of humans. We also see the treachery and deceit of the gods towards humans. We can look at other later literary works such as Herodotus' Histories to examine the human and divine relationship as well."

Tags:antiquity, divinity, gods, heroes, religion, roman, trojan, war, achilleus, zeus, patroklos, croesus, apollo, athene, hektor

Abstract
This paper explains that, whereas Shakespeare sought to depict power struggles in terms of personal conflicts and the differing methodologies of self-interested individuals who held conflicting principles, Bacon saw man as a perfectible creature that was capable of shedding dogmatic hindrances and becoming the progenitor of a utopian community. The author points out that Milton dealt not with men at all, but portrayed divine characters in a human manner that illustrated a political context for the power struggle that was, in his time, internalized by many Christians. The paper stresses the one thing that all these writers share is that they were seldom out of favor with the political apparatus of Britain; Shakespeare and Bacon were often apologists for the monarchy, and Milton was a favorite of Cromwell's Puritan regime.

From the Paper
"Here Shakespeare illustrates a contradiction between well-meaning, honest people and manipulative, power-hungry people. One of the themes of King Lear is that honest people, who we might desire as leaders, behave in a way that is limited by the parameters of their integrity. As with the case of Cordelia, this leads them to say some things that are met with reproach. On the other hand, the actions of power-hungry people are not limited, but rather they are structured in a way so as to achieve an optimal outcome, and to get power at any cost."

Tags:personal, conflict, utopian, divine, political

Abstract
In this article, the writer focuses on a phrase from Dante Alighieri's 'The Divine Comedy' from Canto XX of Hell, "piety lives when pity is dead." The analysis maintains that this line is meant to show God's disdain for those who would portend to have the power to see into the deeper mysteries of the Divine, such as seers, diviners, augurs and other prophesiers.

From the Paper
"Though magic prophecy and divination were practiced and capable of inspiring fear and wonder in many individuals during the era in which Dante Alighieri lived, in Canto XX of The Divine Comedy we see Virgil is angry at the residents of this seventh circle of Hell. Those dwelling here are those who attempted to see or divine the future from Tiresias a famous seer from Thebes in Ancient Greece to Asdente a contemporary of Alighieri's who worked as a soothsayer. When Dante cries over ..."

Tags:future, pious, sin, redemption, insight, vision, knowledge

Abstract
This paper describes some of the practices and philosophical beliefs of Sufism for attaining Divine Unity. The paper discusses how the evolution of a mystical order of Islamic practitioners had evolved in Iran after Muhammad came to power in the 7th century A.D. The paper explains that this tradition beholds that a Divine Unity is the highest understanding of Allah, which can be attributed to losing one's self by not separating the material self from the immaterial self.

Tags:sufism, religion, order

Abstract
The paper offers an examination of a king's divine right through two works of literature: Shakespeare's drama "Macbeth" and Machiavelli's "The Prince." The paper discusses the nature of kingship and how both works express the sentiment that a ruler must do whatever is necessary to remain in power and maintain order."

From the Paper
"The essential argument for the simplification of the king's status as a special subject informs - and no doubt is informed by - Renaissance drama's exploration of the nature of kingship. One obvious example would of course be Macbeth, but we can also see echoes of the argument in Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince.""

Tags:machiavelli, macbeth, kingship

Abstract
In William Shakespeare's time, society adhered to the sacred view that it was God's Divine Will which selected the ruling monarch of the British nation. The playwright of "Richard II" and "Henry IV Part I", however, illustrates in these two history plays, a rather modernized concept of leadership that supports the Machiavellian view of power politics. The paper explains that Machiavelli's central argument in "The Prince" is that great politics are created and maintained by cunning men of high enterprise, who possess both virtue and prowess. The paper shows that despite their illegitimate claim and unconventional incarceration of the crown, the lead characters in Shakespeare's two plays, Henry Bolingbroke and his son Harry, showcase qualities that make them effective Machiavellian rulers who prove their worth as kings through their astute thoughts and actions.

From the Paper
"Like a superior Machiavellian leader, Harry clearly shows the intelligence and aptitude for the psychological machinations required of capable kings. By his cleverly devised plan of action, Harry is able to manipulate and deceive people into believing whatever his portrayals or intentions are required from them. He does not show his full potential and aspirations to be a great leader right away, as Harry is fully aware, there are certain rules involved in getting and keeping power. A regal king is often imprisoned within the masks he must wear successfully to retain his power and be able to change his character donning different ones to keep up with his fickle fortune. Harry illustrates that if circumstance calls for heroic and daring behaviour, such as when he battles Hotspur to protect his father's throne, he becomes the lion."

Tags:Lord, Berkeley, Hotspur

Abstract
This paper examines the scholars and the de-contextualization of Dante's "Inferno" - with special emphasis upon canto III. The paper summarizes the scene when a fearful Dante first enters Hell and discusses its significance in terms of understanding Dante and his world. The paper also looks at how intellectuals view Dante's "Inferno". The writer believes that the work stands out as a classic example of the medieval allegory play taken to new rhetorical heights. The writer concludes that it is also an example of how even the simplest works, if powerfully wrought, can spark wide discussion among academics who seek out meanings unimagined by the author.

From the Paper
"Ultimately, the canto, like the rest of the cantica, is a potential mirror into the world in which Dante Alighieri lived as well as a mirror into his own inner turmoil as a devout Christian seeking a purpose to his life as well as answers to questions that presumably many devout Christians were asking in the fourteenth century. To start with, the canto (in the original Italian, anyway) was written in the demanding terza rima rhyme pattern (Scott para.2) and, even in English translations, the text can be difficult to follow as Dante tries to bend the language into shapes and forms to which it does not adhere willingly."

Tags:Christian, medieval, allegory, Italian, hell, bible, devout

From the Paper
" The powerful potential of the written word occupies a prominent place in Dante's Divina Commedia. Francesca da Rimini and her brother-in-law, Paolo Malatesta, were seduced into beginning their adulterous affair, which earned them their place in Hell, by their reading of a French romance. In Dante's carefully organized presentation of the fates of the souls of the dead, Francesca is the first condemned soul with whom the narrator speaks. The selection of Francesca for this position deliberately raises the question of the power of literature, specifically vernacular literature, and has implications for Dante's use of the vernacular. Francesca's story provides a clear example of the possible bad effects that follow from the misuse of such writing. But the reader's interest and pity are deeply stirred as Francesca, in words that echo the style of the..."

Abstract
The paper discusses how "Angels in America" and "Oedipus Rex" both present a reflection of the troublesome relationship between human and deity in the form of drama. The paper shows how the human characters attempt to gain control over their lives through fighting with forces that could not be controlled. The paper looks at the Tao Te Ching, the principles of Chinese philosophy and uses these principles to explain how it would have been possible for the characters in these stories to gain power over what controlled them.

From the Paper
"The Tao Te Ching is a document that describes many of the core principles of Chinese philosophy. It presents a pathway that the reader can follow, and through doing so the reader can begin to reconcile himself with many of the unique problems of life. Foremost among these is the nature of contradiction, wherein concepts that should not be able to function simultaneously are nevertheless quite abundant. Of note are the concepts of being, where the Tao Te Ching emphasizes the qualities of nothingness and non-existence and the nature of being and existence as two parts of the whole; things both exist and do not exist at the same time, and while it is not in the capacity of the human observer to affect these, it is within the capacity of the human observer to change these."

Tags:Tao, Te, Ching, Chinese, philosophy, forces, control, human, nature, fate

Abstract
A superficial read of William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" allows the story's first-person point of view - the voice of the townspeople of Jefferson - to overshadow the power of its heroine, Emily Grierson. The paper argues that rather than accept the narrow, exclusive evaluations such a viewpoint offers about the character of Emily, from physical descriptions of her to assumptions about her love life, readers should explore not only what the townspeople's narrative says, but also what it does not say. The paper shows that by avoiding Faulkner's intentional narrative limitations, we discover the depth of Emily's liberation; quite simply, she lives in accordance with her desires, thereby refusing to answer to others. Amid the gossip, judgments, and overt intrusions of small minds in a small southern town, Emily lives by her own rules, disregarding others as she pursues what she wants in life. The paper shows that, ultimately, Emily's alienation from society is self-imposed; therefore her isolation proves to be a triumph of womanhood and spirit.

From the Paper
"Emily's lifestyle and social status in Jefferson further exemplify the free-spirited, unrestrained way she addresses the world. She is brusque with visitors who call on her with at least partially good intentions. (More important than offering Emily comfort or companionship are the townspeople's desires for glimpses of the mysterious house that nobody ever enters except for the servant Tobe.) For instance, Emily refuses to receive ladies who offer their condolences after her father's death and Homer's disappearance. She just as coolly dismisses the Board of Aldermen about her taxes, and she alone rebuffs the town ' s offer to put a mailbox and house numbers above her door when they receive free postal delivery. Without the benefit of an objective narrator, without knowledge of the internal processes of Emily's mind, we still feel the reach of her self -sufficiency."

Tags:Homer, Barron, Board, of, Aldermen