Discuss symbolism and its effectiveness in the Iliad Essay Example for Free

Discuss symbolism and its effectiveness in the Iliad Essay Symbolism plays a crucial role in The Iliad. Take for instance when Achilles already knows why Apollo is angry, but decides the fact should be stated by someone other than himself. He knows that Agamemnon will become angry once the truth is revealed. I believe that in this instance he is trying to keep his rage in check by avoiding a direct confrontation with Agamemnon so although the symbolism of anger is present it is kept under wraps. Calchas also fears for his life because he also knows Agamemnons fury is unyielding at times. However, with a great deal of encouragement from Achilles, Calchas spoke out, bravely: Beware-The gods enraged because Agamemnon spurned his priest' (106). When the truth is exposed, Agamemnon becomes extremely angry and he and Achilles argue. The argument becomes so heated that Achilles is tempted to kill Agamemnon. Achilles questions himself, Should he draw the long sharp sword slung at his hip, thrust through the ranks and kill Agamemnon nowor check his rage and beat his fury down (108). Here, Hera has Athena intervene to keep Achilles from killing Agamemnon, which shows how the gods control Achilles destiny. The argument between Achilles and Agamemnon clearly shows that the two men have different opinions about the power of the gods, what is holy or unholy, and what is proper treatment of other men. These differences are one source of Achilles rages likewise the issues pertaining to power and gods are being symbolised. Achilles is also angry at having to fight another mans battle. The Trojan War is being fought because Paris stole Helen, Agamemnons sister-in-law. In his argument with Agamemnon, Achilles points out It wasnt Trojan spearmen who brought me here to fight. The Trojans never did me damage, not in the least (107). Achilles rage heightens in the argument and he declares No, you colossal, shamelesswe all followed you, to please you, to fight for you, to win your honor back from the TrojansMenelaus and you, you dog-face! (108). Achilles is also angry because even though he and many other soldiers are there risking their lives for Agamemnon and Menelaus, Agamemnon is sly enough to avoid personal injury. Achilles says to Agamemnon, Never once did you arm with the troops and go to battle or risk an ambush packed with Achaeas picked menyou lack the courage, you can see death coming (109). The Trojan War is being fought for personal reasons. Achilles rage at this point stems from the injustice that he is risking his life for someone elses cause and also for the fact that Agamemnon is a coward. The argument between Achilles and Agamemnon has deep-seeded roots of jealousy, another and symbol emotion that stirs anger. Agamemnon knows that Achilles has the respect of the soldiers and the gods; therefore, Agamemnon is always striving to prove his superiority and powerfulness to Achilles. Agamemnon agrees to give Chryseis back to the priest, but then takes Brisies from Achilles. Achilles allows Agamemnons men to take Brisies without a fight in order to maintain the respect of the gods; however, after Brisies is taken, Achilles becomes so enraged and heartbroken that he reaffirms his declaration not to fight anymore. Achilles declares that Agamemnon is to blame for the doom of the Achaean army if the day should come when the armies need me to save their ranks from ignominious, stark defeat (112). Jealousy, then, can be viewed as another source of Achilles rage. The issues being symbolised here are emotional and touching. Achilles is heartbroken and calls on his mother, the goddess Thetis. She is sorrowful when she hears Achilles prayers and weeping. Achilles knows that he is going live a short life and now feels that his life has no honor. He feels that the gods have forsaken him by allowing Agamemnon to humiliate him. Achilles wants his mother to collect on an old debt from Zeus. Thetis is saddened by Achilles heartbreak and confirms his destiny, Doomed to a short life, you have so little time. And not only short, now, but filled with heartbreak too' (114). She leaves Achilles to go ask Zeus to let the Trojan army win as long as Achilles is not fighting. Achilles is left alone, his heart inflamed for the sashed and lovely girl theyd wrenched from him against his will (115). Achilles lost love and broken heart are another source of his rage. The effect is symbolism is tangible. Rage is being symbolised through love and the impact leads to a broken heart. Achilles heart remains rigid against Agamemnon even when three of his dearest friends come and ask him to fight again. Phoenix, Ajax, and Odysseus plead with Achilles to join the battle again, but he refuses. The three make the argument that even if Achilles is angry with Agamemnon, he should still come back to the fighting to help his friends whose lives will be lost if he does not. Achilles dearest friend, Patroclus, decides to take Achilles armor and join the fighting. Patroclus is wounded in battle and then is killed when Hector waiting, watching the great-hearted Patroclus trying to stagger free, came rushing into him right across the lines and rammed his spearshaft home. (159). It is Patroclus death that brings Achilles back to the war. Now his rage is aroused by his desire to obtain revenge against the Trojan army and, more specifically, Hector. Achilles armor is lost because Hector and the Trojans take it from Patroclus dead body. This action inspires Achilles to seek Thetis help again. She has Hephaestus make new armor for Achilles. The new armor is magnificent. It is a great and massive shield, blazoning well-wrought emblems all across its surface (173). Thetis and other gods encourage Achilles to fight now. Apollo taunts Achilles while Hector holds fast outside the city gates. It is King Priam who first sees Achilles coming and is filled with fear for Hector. Achilles appears blazing like the star that rears at harvest, flaming up in its brilliance far outshining the countless stars in the night sky (177). Hector is filled with fear as Achilles approaches the city. Achilles then chases Hector around the city three times. It is divine intervention by Athena that causes Hector to finally stop and face Achilles. Zeus decides who will die in the fight as he held out his sacred golden scales: in them he placed two fates of death that lays men low (181). The scales are tipped in Achilles favor and Hector looses his life. It is very clear that the gods control Achilles destiny and influence the factors that create his rage. Why is Achilles enraged? His rage is a personal choice. He decides to confront Agamemnon. He decides to withdraw from the war. He decides to join the war after Patroclus death. However, the gods do their parts in making sure that his destiny is carried out. Thetis has new armor made for him and encourages him to fight. Apollo taunts him. Athena intervenes, first to make sure he does not kill Agamemnon and then later to make sure that he does kill Hector. Zeus weighs his fate. Rage is the spawn of many emotions. Injustice, jealousy, un-holiness, revenge, and heartbreak are emotions that sparked Achilles rage. Homers tale, the Iliad, shows how Achilles rage is his destiny. Symbolism is very effective throughout the novel. It is linked to emotions, love and rage. Works Cited Homer. The Iliad. The Norton Anthology World Masterpieces. Ed. Sarah Lawall. 7th ed. Vol. 1. W. W. Norton Company. New York, London, 1999. 104-209. Spark Notes the Iliad by Homer Spark Notes edition January 10, 2002 The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, Volume 1 by Sarah Lawall Norton; 8 edition August 15, 2005 Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers by John Schilb Bedford/St. Martin; 3 edition October 25, 2005.

Michael Anthony is the writer of Enchanted Alley and Drunkard of the ri

Michael Anthony is the writer of Enchanted Alley and Drunkard of the river Michael Anthony is the writer of 'Enchanted Alley' and 'Drunkard of the river'. He was born in Mayaro in 1932, in Trinidad. He claims, ' My desire was to write about something I knew and experienced'. The Short story 'The Drunkard of the river' is based on the lives of a family that he knew though the tragic ending is made up. 'Enchanted Alley' is one of two stories set in San Fernando by Michael Anthony, it is based on a young boy and the people he encounters during the early hours of the morning on his way to school. Michael Anthony spent a childhood year and many of his adolescent years in San Fernando. There are rational differences in, 'The Drunkard of the River' and 'Enchanted Alley'. 'The Drunkard of the river' has a depressing atmosphere and feel. The main character is insulted and not taken into consideration; eventually it makes him feel insignificant and ends up murdering his father. Characters in the story are referred to animal characteristics; "The lion in him had changed into ...

Lets Be Lefties For The Day Essay

Today I participated in an assignment designed to help the student to â€Å"accept that discrimination exists â€Å" (DeVry College, 2014, week one lecture, p.3). In our society the majority of people are right handed therefore everything is constructed to accommodate that, versus the small minority of people whom happen to be left-handed. Spending the day as a left-handed person was a challenge and lead to a lot of frustration and unaccomplished tasks. I was forced to think about different ways to do things, and also acknowledge how other people may perceive my capabilities and me. Loosing the use of my right hand was debilitating to me. I could not write down anything that was legible, my hand writing resembled that of a child. Trying to eat my lunch was interesting, it comes natural to cut your food with the knife in your right hand, but it’s quite awkward when you use your left hand. Just has an experiment, the whole experience been quite comical to watch myself struggle with the simplest of things. However I did reflect on how other people would see me and how it would affect my performance at work. How would my boss react if she saw me struggling with different tasks? How would she handle it? How would I want it handled? Would I be discriminated against because I was in a minority group? â€Å"Discrimination is the result of longstanding practices and/or behaviors that have a negative impact on members of subordinate groups† (DeVry College, 2014, week one lecture, p.2). We all know that people can adapt and learn different ways. it is crucial to be aware of diversity in a work place. Diversity is in every aspect of our life’s the workplace. America is made up of hundreds of different ethnicities and definitions of self. It is important that managers and professionals relate and understand the cultures, ethnic and gender differences. But Affirmative Action and the Department of Labor have made it more difficult for employers and companies to discriminate against a  person on the grounds of cultural, ethnic and gender differences. The American workplace has no choice but to adapt and embrace diversity. The U.S Department of the Interior mandates that all managers and supervisors have a minimum of 8 hours annually of equal employment opportunity and diversity training. Diversity is a non-stop processes, no two people are exactly the same and each person brings with them different experiences and new ideas (Kirkman &Shapito, 2001). By providing education and training to the managers it helps foster more cultural sensitivity and the avoidance of stereotypes. As a supervisor or manager it is important to encourage people to be themselves, because everyone works better when they feel appreciated and accepted. Productivity is important to every company and performance will improve if people feel supported in their workplace. (Kirkman & Shapito, 2001). References Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2014). SOCS350 Cultural diversity in the professions: Week 1 lecture. Online Publication.f Nursing (2014) Individual discrimination vs Institutional discrimination Lecture Week 1. http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/national-origin.html Kirkman, B., & Shapiro, D. (n.d.). The Impact of Cultural Values on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Self-Managing Work Teams: The Mediating Role of Employee Resistance. Academy of Managment Journal, 3(44), 557-569.

Spoon River Anthology Essay - 534 Words

Spoon River Anthology The Spoon River Anthology, written by Edgar Lee Masters in 1915, was a unique piece of work in both style and structure. There are over two hundred â€Å"stories† told by the dead people who once lived in the town of Spoon River. The lives and dreams of these people are written as poems. The poetry itself is an excellent example of early modernist style. Since there are many people from many different backgrounds, and even different generations, (There are examples of Old English spellings and hints of people being from different decades), there are varied stories and themes present throughout the Anthology. A lot of the book revolves around the concept of the American dream and ethic, as well as the puritan†¦show more content†¦Some died happy, but a lot of the poems are bitter. The ghost of Lucinda Matlock presents one of the overall themes. The woman tells the story of her hard but full life. Then she expresses her anger toward the living generations’ petty woes. She states that â€Å"Life is too strong for you— it takes life to love life.† Lucinda’s character is based on Edgar Lee Master’s grandmother of the same name, who is buried in the cemetery that inspired the author. Another thematic poem is that of Yee Bow. Yee Bow was an Asian man who worshipped Confucius. The people of Spoon River tried to convert him, but he was faithful. One day, without warning, the clergyman’s son hit and killed Yee Bow. Yee was grief-stricken, knowing that his progeny could not worship him while he lie in Spoon River. Cooney Potter is my favorite character. He tells how he acquired a small piece of land from his father, and through hard work, he became quite prominent, but never satisfied. â€Å"Wishing to own two thousand acres, I bustled through the years with axe and plow, Toiling, denying myself, my wife, my sons, my daughters†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He says that his hard work killed him before he reached the age of sixty. He had achieved the American dream in the physical sense—but he had never taken the time to enjoy it. The prologue and epilogue are different, in the way that they are omniscient and haunting. The prologue sets the tone for the rest of the book. The poem is called TheShow MoreRelatedEssay on Love and Spoon River Anthology779 Words   |  4 Pages It is also said that it is rare to find a happy relationship. Edgar Lee Masters seemed to believe the same about the romantic relationships of his time, as well. Masters conveys theses feelings through some of the characters of his work, Spoon River Anthology. 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