An analysis of the paradox of character and fate in Sophocles' "Oedipus the King", John Skot's "Everyman" and Calderon de la Barca's "Life is a Dream".
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 3 sources, 2005, $ 62.95
Abstract The paper examines three noteworthy plays and points out how fate and especially human character are often paradoxical entities. It focuses on Sophocles' "Oedipus the King", John Skot's "Everyman" and Calderon de la Barca's "Life is a Dream". The paper emphasizes how the noble qualities of King Oedipus' character, when taken to excess, lead him to ruin. It also reviews how it is the virtue of Good Deeds, a "companion" forsaken by every man throughout his life, which paradoxically allows every man to find his salvation."
Abstract This paper examines how the theological work of John Calvin revolutionized the approach to Protestant Christianity by thoroughly examining it in a questioning and unflaggingly rational paradigm. It looks at how Calvin spent his life analyzing the connection between Christ, the man of miraculous works, with the life of Christ the God, the crux of his understanding and connection of the two rests in the Three Offices of Christ. It also shows how Calvin systematized the man and his works with the three-fold positions of Christ, first, as a prophet, second as a priest and third as a king.
From the Paper "Calvin called the second office of Christ that of the Priest. Jesus Christ the Prophet was God's representative to the people; as the Priest, he was their representative to God. In all of his analyses of the doctrinal Christian faith, Calvin singled out Jesus as separate from the standard positions that he did fill, only with abundance, of the Old Testament societies. As Priest, he was different than those normal to the Levitical order by not offering an animal sacrifice to God in repent for sin; Calvin argued that Jesus, himself, was the sacrificial lamb. Calvin said that Christ, as a Priest, entered the Holy of Hollies, the heavenly place, to lead in the people before the presence of God. Calvin says that Christ, as a man and Priest, is able to do so as other priests did, but as God, was able to live there forever."
Abstract "The purpose of this research is to examine the portrayals of children in Shakespeare's Richard III, Coriolanus, and KingJohn. The plan of the research will be to set forth the pattern of ideas in each of the plays as they relate to role of children in the action and then to discuss internal evidence of the plays that suggests how Shakespeare feels about children and the narrative and thematic uses to which he puts them in order to make clear the motivations and behavior of the various adult characters.
From the Paper "The purpose of this research is to examine the portrayals of children in Shakespeare's Richard III, Coriolanus, and King John. The plan of the research will be to set forth the pattern of ideas in each of the plays as they relate to role of children in the action and then to discuss internal evidence of the plays that suggests how Shakespeare feels about children and the narrative and thematic uses to which he puts them in order to make clear the motivations and behavior of the various adult characters.
It is not difficult to identify Shakespeare's portrayals of children as symbols of innocence and trust, as well as of truths that either cannot be or deliberately are not articulated by the adults who surround them. This does not necessarily mean that they are wiser than adults or even aware that they are agents of ..."
This paper discusses in detail the clauses of the Magna Carta and provides background information about KingJohn and the origin of the Magna Carta of 1215.
Abstract This paper explains that Magna Carta (Great Charter) of 1215 was created as a reaction to royal privileges, which have gotten out of hand. It discuses how KingJohn recognized he must appease his barons, with whom he was haggling over grievances and demands, to keep order in the country. The author points out that each detailed clause clearly spelled out great changes in how England was to be governed, which, although meant to appease the barons, had a much more lasting effect on government and royal policy. The paper stresses that the final clause, which may be the most important of the entire document, includes the phrase "men in our kingdom shall have and keep all these liberties, rights and concessions, well and peaceably in their fullness and entirety for them and their heirs, ... in all things and all places for ever": This is the clause, which created a democracy in England and found its way across the Atlantic to America and beyond.
From the Paper "To understand the underlying principles and organization of the Charter, it is necessary to understand the feudal system in England in 1215, and especially the barony. King John came into power at a time when England was at odds with France. Eventually, the English lost title to lands they had conquered in France, and this led to the first problems between King John and his barons. One medieval historian notes, "Barons who resented both fighting and paying to keep their king's continental lands resented the loss of them only when they found to their surprise that it meant the loss of their own lands in France as well as the king's." After that, there was never confidence and trust between the king and his barons. It was common practice for the king to levy his barons for his expenses, including his failed campaigns in France that had lost lands and titles."
Abstract This paper discusses several ideas put forth by English philosopher, John Locke, in his "Two Treatises of Government" and "Two Treatises of Civil Government". It examines Locke's ideas on property, his theory of social contract and rebellion. The paper provides a critical opinion on these ideas.
From the Paper "Even with a theoretical ability to rebel against the government, a social contract that is not explicitly accepted by citizens is little more than coercion with an elaborate philosophical justification. The relationship between a government and a citizen by birth who has not explicitly accepted a social contract is a state of war; the government is attempting to assert absolute power over him without his consent. (II S. 17) Having the consent, or at least passive acceptance of a majority of citizens, the government is free to make war upon the remaining citizens at will."
Tags: violence, civil, disobedience, King, Charles
Abstract This paper examines two of Shakespeare's historical kings: Richard II and King Henry IV. The paper argues that Richard II was a king by divine right, whereas Henry IV was a Machiavellian king. The paper first assesses Richard's rule: he was not loved by his people or by those who served him; he did not earn his kingship, did not respect it and did not do anything in order to keep it. The paper contrasts this to King Henry IV, who was completely aware of his kingship and what he had to do to keep it; he acted aggressive, decisive and proactive. The paper then demonstrates how the characterization of these two kings demonstrates Shakespeare's unique ability to capture the diversity of humanity and create believable characters. The paper concludes that Shakespeare proves that kings are just like the rest of us--some of them capable and some of them negligent beyond belief. The paper quotes from both plays in order to supports its theses.
From the Paper "Richard II was a king by the divine right of kings and we only need to look at his actions to determine this fact. He would have never earned his kingship had it not been something that was given to him by right of his birth. In short, Richard is a bad king with no real vision. He never takes time to learn what it means to be king and, as a result, does not care about the responsibilities that come along with the title of being king. To make matters worse, he breaks laws and traditions that are essential to his own kingship and his bad behavior forces those under him to feel helpless, hopeless, and without direction. He does not care for the people and while he may have been an intelligent man, he was not strong in the way that a king needs to be strong. Undoubtedly, King Richard's strongest and best characteristic was his eloquence."
Abstract This paper compares the leadership styles and abilities of King Saul and King David and explains how they were different as well as why it is King David's reign that is considered the golden era of the Kingdom of Israel.
From the Paper "It is almost as if, and maybe there is some reality in it, that Saul had a dual personality. One which could love God with all his heart, but then another that was fanatical enough to kill others for no real reason, or disobey God so radically. One moment he could be proud of David, the next he would be jealous enough to kill him. Today he would be called pathological since he was abnormally defensive and over-reactive. He had the potential to be a great leader one that Israel and Heaven could be perpetually proud but instead he became a terrible figure who died a rejected man at his own hand, a victim of his own self-will."
Tags: god, commander, philistines, kingly, prophetic, supreme, prophets, kish, benjamin
Abstract The following paper discusses the life of Louis XIV, the Sun King. He was a great monarch who helped in the revival of arts and theatre in the country, some of his major military excursions were also very successful and they came in the first twenty years of his rule.
From the paper:
?Louis XIV was born in a royal palace in 1638 and was made king at the very young age of five as his father Louis XIII had died. But since the new king was very young to look after the Empire, numerous uprisings were see in the country, the nobles and elites of France tried to create problems and so did the general public. This was period of intense rebellion against the monarchs, and is known in the French history as Fronde beginning in 1648 and ending in 1653.The king who was at a very impressionable age, was disturbed by the insurgencies and this was one thing he never forgot and the threat that the people of Paris had posed was also taken very seriously.?
Tags:king, rule, achievements, financial, administrative, centers, royal, Empire, France
Abstract The paper examines how the Old Testament's works of Kings and Chronicles included the story of King Josiah's reformation in their texts. The paper continues that each told the story with emphasis on different aspects in order to teach different lessons.
From the Paper "Transformations of the Story of King Josiah: A historian named Matt Clarcq once said that the art in history is how you tell it. Kings and Chronicles tell different transformations of the story of King Josiah, the great reformer, before the first destruction of the Temple. The differences in the story show how the writers of these Hebrew texts wanted to influence the people of their time. Kings was compiled by Deuteronomic editors. The purpose was to assemble the oral and written traditions into a continuous story."
Abstract This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech as presented in Mary Louise Pratt's essay "Arts of the Contact Zone." The paper gives a brief description of King's life and the impact his speech had on the civil rights movement. The reviewer defines Pratt's term "autoethnographic text" which was used in the essay to describe the speech. The paper then outlines and analyzes King's speech, using quotations. The paper concludes by stating that King felt black and white Americans had far more commonalities than differences.
From the Paper "Martin Luther King gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963, during a massive march calling for black civil rights. King was a Baptist minister who worked tirelessly for civil rights until his assassination in 1968. King's speech helped mobilize the black community to work for civil rights and helped show the white community just what blacks faced in terms of segregation, bigotry, and prejudice. It also is an excellent example of the art of the contact zone - specifically how different groups can view the same experience with very different eyes."
Tags: Martin, Luther, King, Mary, Louise, Pratt, I, Have, a, Dream, Arts, of, the, Contact, Zone
Abstract This paper takes a look at this play which is set in post World War Two Nigeria and of the customs of burying a King. The play is based on a ritual that was practiced by the Yoruba tribe. If a king died, his horseman, horse and dog had to follow the king into the afterlife. These customs and rituals are analyzed for their symbolism throughout the play.
From the Paper "In ?Death and the King's Horseman,? Soyinka describes the circumstances surrounding and leading up to the ritual suicide of Elesin Oba, the King's chief horseman. On the day of the burial of the king?the day of Elesin's suicide, the horseman is celebrated and praised. The Praise-Singer celebrates the life of Elesin. The village women glorify his exploits and the supreme sacrifice he is about to make. There is singing and dancing as part of the celebration. Elesin is arrayed in the richest and most colorful finery. A prominent woman Iyaloja acquiesces to Elesin's request to marry and consummate relationships, if only for one night, with a young beautiful woman who is betrothed to her own son. Such is the willingness of the village to glorify Elesin. After the marriage, the procession winds to the village and the place of the suicide ritual. Soyinka vividly and lyrically describes how the Praise-Singer plays devils advocate asking whether Elesin is ready to go through with it. Elesin is ready; he enters a trance that transcends the boundaries of physical feeling."
Abstract This paper analyzes how in his "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court", Mark Twain seeks to satirize many of the "romantic? notions about the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It looks at how his depiction of 6th century England reveals a time and a country that is rife with political, economic and social problems where many people are subjugated by fear of the supernatural and forced to lead oppressed lives. It discusses how Twain's novel seeks to tell us as much about the failings of 19th century post-Enlightenment American ideology as it does to criticize the romantic vision of King Arthur.
From the Paper "In his zeal to develop 6th century England into a technologically-advanced republic based on democratic principles, the Yankee unleashes all of the horrors of modern warfare upon the knights that try to stop him. In this final battle, we see the ways in which Twain's satire has increasingly come to question the values of America in the 19th century, and that this critique is just as profound and deep-seated as his earlier attacks on the romanticism of Arthurian England. The Yankee's idea is that it is only the Church and the aristocracy that are opposed to a republic, because a democratic government would not benefit them since they already possess a higher role in the social order under the monarchy. Hank argues that if he and his supporters can just get rid of the upper echelon of British society, then they will have control of the country and can set up a new government."
Abstract This paper examines the biographical background to the life of Stephen King, which reflects the supernatural psychological premise of his novel "The Shining". The paper looks at how King's own workaholic issues reflect how he sees issues in the modern American family, especially through the Torrance family. In this manner, King depicts his own views of how families relate to each other within the supernatural fiction he represents.
From the Paper In this literary study, the life and literary works of Stephen King will be analyzed in relation to his best selling novel: "The Shining". By understanding the major influences of horror literature that compelled King to write this novel, one can realize his affection for the mysterious, the psychological, and arcane. In realizing the life experiences of King and his literary approach to the telepathic and supernatural, The Shining is a clear example of the philosophy of horror and the psychological problems of the American family."
Abstract This study examines the nature of civil disobedience within the religious anti-racism platform of Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. This paper compares the work of Martin Luther King to the secular doctrines of civil disobedience in the writings of Henry David Thoreau, a secular society application of non-violence that need not be separated from religion. King was a highly religious man, and he used religion to inspire strength in his community by adhering to Biblical principles.
Abstract This paper provides a brief summary of "Oedipus at Colonus" and "King Lear", looking at the characters and their actions. It compares and contrasts these two works - looking at the role of the King in the plays and how the supernatural agents become involved in their life decisions. The writer shows how each central figure becomes capable of seeing the truth of his world only after he is blinded or driven mad.
From the Paper "Shakespeare s play is a much darker one, for while Lear may have been granted a sort of purity of inner sight through his madness, in the end this clarity of vision brings him no surcease from torment. This difference reflects not only the different requirements of these two specific plots and differences in the playwrights own temperaments but also differences that arise between the polytheistic and in at least some ways animistic world in which Sophocles lived and the monotheistic and Christian world of the English Renaissance."
