Abstract The author states Oedipus is one of the most famous names in Greekmythology. He believes that Oedipus was not an unwitting victim but rather had a clear hand in his own demise. Although the author thinks that one might curse the stars, he finds that the sense of doom ultimately has its origination in the nature of the human character. In this paper the author also explains why he feels that the term 'Oedipus complex' is an inappropriate reading of the play.
From the Paper "The "back story" the play provides to the opening image is also indicative of Oedipus? arrogance as well. Oedipus? first dialogue with his brother-in-law reveals that the plague has its roots in the murder of the original King of Thebes, Laius. Oedipus reacts with horror to this news. But as the prophet Tiresias later says, "So, / you mock my blindness" Let me tell you this. / You with your previous eyes, you"re blind to the corruption of your life, / to the house you live in, those you live with"who are your parents? (Lines 468-470)."
Abstract This paper discusses the use of Greekmythology to explore and analyze many principles and activities conducted by individuals. The author of the paper draws upon his own life and chooses Oedipus as a relevant figure in the heroic myth to explore a few of his experiences. The paper is written in a reflective style and presents some general insights into the author's personal life.
From the Paper "Using Greek myth to explore analyze is not abstract nor is it necessarily erudite. In fact, many principles and activities conducted by individuals can be attached to Greek mythology; it's the ignorance of this connection that makes it unique when experiences are explicitly connected with Greek myth.
"My own experiences have been somewhat purposefully with only a few surprises in life, however to be reflective; I have recently found that having explored my personal activities and likened them to Greek mythology, I seem a little enlightened and demystified about some of the processes and activities of life. Nevertheless, this has come at a cost, since our society dictates that there is a certain decorum we should follow, and funnily enough, our thinking process is subject to this travesty. This has stifled creativity and a hunger for individualism; take for example the movies at the cinema, they all seem to tell the very same story, sometimes they don't even change the actors to tell the story."
Abstract This paper discusses the origins of Greekmythology. It first discusses how what is known of Mesopotamian history came from Greek and Roman historians' writings. The paper then discusses the influence on Greekmythology of history, migrations of peoples and the influences of the religions. It also discusses the influence of wars and more friendly mutual associations on Greekmythology.
From the Paper "The classical Greeks, as scholars came to know them through their writings, professed faith in their pantheon of gods and goddesses, whose characteristics are strikingly similar to the chief gods and goddesses of ancient Sumer, Akkad and Babylonia. Zeus is the son of Cronus, whose origin may have been in Bel, who created order out of chaos and peopled it with humans. Ishtar or Lama may have become Athena or Demeter or both, being the symbol of earth, yet a fighter with owls at her side. Enki the god of the seas in both cultures, became Poseidon to the Greeks. Given more time and space, one could expound more fully on other similarities among the Greek gods, Apollo, Zeus, Hephaestus, Ares, Poseidon, Hermes, Hestia, Hera, Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, and Athena, and the ancient gods of the Mesopotamian lands."
Abstract In this article, the writer first explains that Greekmythology is a collection of stories by ancient Greeks about their gods and heroes. The writer notes that these stories include myths of the origin of the world, an attempt to understand and interpret the universe and the origin of the world in human terms. Many of these stories have been passed down from ancient times and in more than one version. The writer discusses that ancient beliefs eventually mixed with legends from Greek kingdoms and city-states and myths from other tribes. Together, they evolved into this body of stories that were accepted by most Greeks. These myths were transmitted from generation to generation for hundreds of years in the form of spoken tales. It was not until the Classic Period that these stories were put down in written form. The writer looks at the Greek system of gods and goddesses and concludes that traditional literary mythology reflected an increasing dissociation from actual religious practice.
From the Paper "The leader was Zeus, the god of the sky, the weather, thunder, lightning, and the father of all mortals and immortals. His wife and sister was Hera. Poseidon, his brother, was god of the seas and shaker of the earth or earthquakes. Athena was the goddess of war, of crafts and of wisdom, the wisest of the gods and goddesses. Apollo was the god of light and order, of both plague and healing who foretold the will of Zeus, his father. His twin sister, Artemis, was goddess of childbirth and all wild animals. Aphrodite, a daughter of Uranus, was the goddess of erotic love. Hermes was the guide of souls in the underworld and the god of sleep and dreams. Demeter, the symbol of Gaia, was goddess of the earth and vegetation. His mother Persephone was a sister of Zeus. Dionysus was th god of madness, frenzy, of wine and the theater. Hephaestus was the god of fire and of the crafts. And Ares was the god of war and the only son of Zeus and Hera. Hades was not among the 12, but he was the ruler of the underworld."
Abstract This paper introduces, discuss and analyzes the topic of Greekmythology. Specifically, it contains an analysis of the role of women in Greek life as depicted in literature. It discusses how women underwent a tremendous change between the time of Homer and that of Aristophanes four hundred years later, as five different plays clearly illustrate. Early Greek women were one-dimensional and needy, while four hundred years later they were feminists complaining about their sex lives.
From the Paper "Women in Greek life are portrayed in a wide variety of ways, and they did indeed change between Homer's type and Aristophanes' time. Homer often portrays women as scheming to keep men from performing their duty, such as how Calypso holds Ulysses on her island in "The Odyssey," attempting to keep her with him rather than allow him to return to his home and family. "This daughter of Atlas has got hold of poor unhappy Ulysses, and keeps trying by every kind of blandishment to make him forget his home, so that he is tired of life, and thinks of nothing but how he may once more see the smoke of his own chimneys" (Odyssey, Book I). In the Iliad, Homer continues to portray women as one-dimensional beings without feelings when he has Chryseis, the daughter of Chryses given as a war prize to Agamemnon as his share of the looting and subsequently ransomed by her father."
Abstract This paper explores how Sophocles portrays a powerful king with mortal human weakness that betrays him as they do to all human beings. This paper describes in detail the tragic Greek play "Oedipus Tyrannous".
From the Paper "Although acknowledging the importance of destiny, Greek general thought placed little emphasis on determinism and preferred to portray mankind as possessing free will. In Oedipus Tyrannus, Sophocles addresses both sides of the coin by, on the one hand, stressing the infallibility of the oracle of Apollo, yet also endowing Oedipus with ultimate control over his own actions. It is within this context that the story of Oedipus portrays the tragic plunge of a powerful and wealthy man into the depths of ruin and dishonor. "
This paper discusses the meaning of life and death, using the Bible and Greekmythology to explain and support the argument that there is life after death.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 3 sources, 2002, $ 69.95
Abstract This paper discusses the meaning of life and death, using the Bible and Greekmythology to explain and support the argument that there is life after death. The author examines the meaning of God, and spirituality, and how God has put us on earth for a purpose, and that purpose does not just end when we die.
From the paper:
"Another reason that I believe that we are supposed to end up in union with God is all the instances in literature that say the same thing. For instance, in Genesis, man is originally depicted as living in union with God while living in the Garden of Eden, and eventually man would be transformed into an even more unified being with God. However, this original union is broken by Eve's eating of the apple and Adam doing the same. This resulted in mankind being banished from the Garden, and having to live a life of struggle and pain. However, the possibility remains that man can once again be reunited with God in Heaven."
Abstract This paper examines how the timing and place both play a part in the emotions and actions of the characters in Sophocles' "Oedipus the King". It discusses how the story takes place in the Palace of Oedipus and nowhere else and how the whole story also unfolds in just a
few short hours.
From the Paper "Oedipus spent his whole life believing that he was the son of Polybus and Merope. In only a couple of hours he feels ashamed and shocked when he found out that Polybus and Merope were not his real parents. He then found out that his real father was murdered by none other than Oedipus himself. He then probes more and realized that he was married and was having incestuous relations with his mother. His life story, unfolded, in a matter of hours."
Tags:greek, king, mythology, oedipus, place, plays, sophocles, themes, time
Abstract This paper tries to find links between the myth of "Oedipus Rex" and the recent film "Memento." It explores human nature, mythology, philosophy and other films like "Fight Club." Continuing in the tradition of the myth film, the author finds that "Memento" (2001) is one with archetypal themes of a hero played out but modernized to make it applicable to a culture whose awareness of psychology, philosophy, extreme introversion and consciousness are second nature. The author explains how Lenny, the film's main character, does not conform to this particularly important aspect of being a mythological hero, but rather is the true modern myth hero who.
From the Paper "In modern society the transmission of myths is no longer through words on a page but light on a screen, a somewhat removed and technically advanced form of storytelling. Failure to acknowledge the value of films as myths is a great injustice. Continuing in the tradition of the myth film, Memento (2001) is one where the archetypical themes of a hero (i.e. His separation from society, his maintaining of companions who will betray him and his eventual freedom to live in his two worlds with a skewed sense of mastery) are played out but modernized to make it applicable to a culture whose awareness of psychology, philosophy, extreme introversion and consciousness are second nature. Strangely humans always seem to be incongruous when dealing with their nature and this film brings together ties from antiquity to French enlightenment to modernity, from ideals of fate to reality, but all giving a glimpse into human nature."
Tags: club, descartes, fight, memento, mythology, oedipus, philosophy, Oedipus, Rex
Abstract This paper discusses the Sophocles' play "Oedipus the King" focusing on three main points-- the relation of humans to the gods, human attitudes toward the predictions of oracles and the degree of control that the gods have over the lives of mortals. It also discusses the relationships the characters have to the gods.
From the Paper "In conclusion, the influence of the gods on human lives relies on the relation of the gods to humans, the characters? attitudes toward the predictions of the oracle and the gods? control over the lives of humans. The mortals? belief in the power of the gods, the fact that the gods have ultimate power and the fact that the characters believe that they have free will even thought they don?t all affect the roles of the gods in Oedipus the King. The gods reveal things when they are ready and, as the chorus says to Oedipus, "time like the sun sees all things and it sees you. You cannot hide from that light" (79)."
Abstract The paper explores how mythology of the ancient Greeks expressed their views of themselves and of the world around them on a number of levels. The paper explains that mythology served as a quasi-historical background to each separate city-state and reinforced their sense of pride and of identity. The paper adds that it also expressed the national character and imparted heroic qualities to their perseverance, courage and enterprise. The paper describes how mythology offered opportunities for them to further their love of beauty and their desire for philosophical inquiry.
From the Paper "In exploring the myths of the Greek civilization, one can apprehend the interconnectedness of the Greek character and culture with their stories of the fabulous past. On one level, myths attempt to preserve the history of a people, and tend to reflect historical events, albeit in a rather stylized and fictionalized format. On another level, myths express the views and self-image of a people, by personifying elements of the national character at a heroic level. On yet another level, myths offer a divine explanation for natural, but puzzling, occurrences, as a particular nation chooses to understand them. The early Greeks were composed of small, family-centered tribes living in hamlets. Pirates from land and especially from sea were a constant danger."
Abstract This paper identifies the "Moment of Revelation" or the "Reversal and Recognition" in each of these plays and discusses what they imply about the relationship between fate and free will in the Greek mind. This paper provides a summary of the Greek plays, "Oedipus Rex" and "Prometheus Bound" to identify these specific moments, followed by a discussion of what they imply about the relationship between fate and free will in the Greek mind. A summary of the research is provided in the concluding paragraph.
From the Paper "The debate over whether mankind is possessed of free will that allows for individual decisions in the "Great Scheme of Things," or the view that humanity is merely "puppets on a god-string" has been the source of much controversy over the millennia. The ancient Greeks explored some serious thoughts about the concept of humanity's free will in the face of what must be considered destiny, and the tragic moral dilemmas that resulted in their plays concerning mankind's encounters with a preordained divine wall provided them with both a source of entertainment as well as some perplexing moral questions that provide some insights into how people have come to view these issues today."
Abstract This paper defines Homeric hymns as works of literature and poetry which tend to be based on human heroic myths, similar to the writings of Homer in such works as "The Iliad" and "Odyssey." This paper delves into various Homeric hymns which revolve around Greek history, mythology and Gods including Apollo and Hermes. The writer contends that the works of writing discussed in this paper not only focus on the characteristics of the figures mentioned but also on their shared themes of heroism, trickery and strength. This paper also presents the views and opinions of several experts in the field of Greekmythology and literature which are relevant to this particular topic.
From the Paper "Robin Mitchell Boyask, however, stresses that Homeric hymns tend to be patterned on human hero myths such as the Homeric "Iliad" and "Odyssey." The Hesiod use of divine myths helped prepare the original auditors for what to look for in a hero, both when apprehending the greatest Greek author of all, that of Homer, who authored the primary texts of every ancient Greek boy's education, as well as how to be heroic in one's own life. To be heroic, one could not be pure like Apollo alone--one had to be strong like the god of the sun, but also be aware of trickery, and use trickery like Hermes. If Apollo was unaware of trickery and unable to do battle with it, he would have lost his cattle and his superior power to his younger brother."
Tags: literature, greek, gods, hermes, apollo, mythology, poetry, history
Abstract This paper discusses the classic traits of a tragic hero in the character Oedipus in Sophocles' "Oedipus the King". The author provides a brief synopsis of the Greek play, and specifically looks at the main character's tragic flaw: pride, also known as hubris.
From the Paper "While Oedipus made the very grave mistake of aspiring to circumvent the Fates that had fallen upon him, and while he made the additional mistake of inviting further wrath due to rather horrifying displays of hubris, it was, in the end, his character traits of justice, honesty and loyalty to his oaths that caused him to bring about his own self-destruction. His act of self-destruction was very telling about his inner convictions. He was a King who demanded justice, even if it meant bringing it about upon himself."
Abstract The writer of this paper contends and explains why few heroines of Greekmythology have been as mistreated as Cassandra. This writer discusses the many websites devoted to characters from Greekmythology that view Cassandra in generally negative terms. One site quotes a number of contemporary mythologists, calling Cassandra "very beautiful, but quite unbalanced," not only in terms of the way she was perceived in the eyes of others, but also in terms of her priorities as a priestess and a woman. This paper briefly examines the life of Cassandra, daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, recipient of the gift of prophecy. This paper focuses on the turbulent relationship between Cassandra and Apollo. This paper also discusses Cassandra's involvement in the Trojan War, which brought about her demise.
From the Paper "Such a misogynist view reflects the modern association of chastity or sexual continence with repression, forgetting that chastity in the Greek world was often a contingent quality and status for remaining a priestesses. The oracle at Delphi was chaste, as were the follower of Artemis, goddess of the moon-thus by asking her to give up her chastity, Apollo was essentially asking Cassandra to give up her holy status as a religious priestess and oracular voice, by sacrificing her continence to him. Granted, Apollo was the source of Cassandra' gift. But remember that Apollo's sister, Artemis was chaste, as was the goddess of wisdom Athena. Chastity enabled a woman to be free of the burdens of childbearing and keeping a home for a husband, thus Cassandra's desire to remain chaste was only understandable, for an intelligent and articulate woman possessing an extraordinary religious gift of insight and interpretation."
Tags: history, greek, mythology, trojan, war, perception
