Like many of the works of literature that have been published so far, Shakespeare’s plays and poems have references to real-life monarchs, events in his life, works of art, or to classical and Greek mythologies. One example is The Third Part of Henry the Sixth, a history play that depicts the horrors left by the Wars of the Roses and the moral chaos in which England succumbed after the conflict.
In Act 3, Scene 3, the character of Gloucester mentions the powers of a mermaid and basilisk, which are a siren and a mythical reptile that belong to the classical mythology. Another reference that this play makes is the mentioning of Nestor and Ulysses, two of the most important male characters in Homer’s works The Iliad and The Odyssey, respectively. In addition, Nestor and Ulysses are part of the Greek mythology. The former is a “Greek leader who fought at Troy [and is known] for his wisdom and eloquence,” whereas the latter is a “king of Ithaca and hero of Homer’s Odyssey [who is] noted for …show more content…
This belief is based on the idea that God created a system, and He assigned a specific place and role for nature and humankind. If someone tried to alter this balance, he or she would greatly offend God. The ‘Great Chain of Being’ was very useful in the monarchy because the royals believed that their power came directly from God. For King James I, this was a very effective tool for two purposes: to control the masses and to safeguard his position. This divine right of kings shows the direct connection between God and the monarchy, so having “any opposition to the King was an attack on God himself, and therefore sacrilege, the most heinous of sins” (“Macbeth: Background” 1). The monarchy implanted this thought on the commoners, so they would not subvert the power of their kings or
In Act 3, Scene 3, the character of Gloucester mentions the powers of a mermaid and basilisk, which are a siren and a mythical reptile that belong to the classical mythology. Another reference that this play makes is the mentioning of Nestor and Ulysses, two of the most important male characters in Homer’s works The Iliad and The Odyssey, respectively. In addition, Nestor and Ulysses are part of the Greek mythology. The former is a “Greek leader who fought at Troy [and is known] for his wisdom and eloquence,” whereas the latter is a “king of Ithaca and hero of Homer’s Odyssey [who is] noted for …show more content…
This belief is based on the idea that God created a system, and He assigned a specific place and role for nature and humankind. If someone tried to alter this balance, he or she would greatly offend God. The ‘Great Chain of Being’ was very useful in the monarchy because the royals believed that their power came directly from God. For King James I, this was a very effective tool for two purposes: to control the masses and to safeguard his position. This divine right of kings shows the direct connection between God and the monarchy, so having “any opposition to the King was an attack on God himself, and therefore sacrilege, the most heinous of sins” (“Macbeth: Background” 1). The monarchy implanted this thought on the commoners, so they would not subvert the power of their kings or