practice quite well. In both of these epic poems, a plethora of characters grow in some regard or another. Agamemnon is the quintessential developing character in ancient Greek literature as seen through his change of character and evolution of leadership. Agamemnon’s shift from a failed leader whom few men would follow willingly to a charismatic leader of much improved ability is one of the strongest character developments in historic literature. This demonstrates Homer’s ability…
In our enormous world, powerful beings are sculpted by artists and authors of all sorts to express the exquisiteness that is heroism. In the epic poem The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus faces multiple trials consecutively, in an attempt to reach his homeland Ithaca. During these trials, he also demonstrates a very obvious and apparent heroic nature, which is seen throughout the epic. From an objective standpoint, there are several cases from the beginning to the end where he develops his…
This epic battle was the climax of his life with all his leadership and warrior abilities exerting at once. This is a point in life where all heroes become well known for their skill and ability.“Beowulf thinks that he must have offended God in some way to be attacked by the dragon. He decides to fight the beast. He orders that a special shield be made for him, one made…
Throughout the poem the reader realizes that Aeneas retains positive qualities that exemplify Roman values. Aeneas manifests three main qualities throughout The Aeneid, the first being his leadership skills. While the city begins crumbling around the Trojans, Aeneas stands against the Greeks by rallying troops. He cries, “Brave hearts-brave in vain if you are committed to follow me to follow me to the end-you see how we stand” (2.409-11). Aeneas…
political climate of the Great Depression. Foreground characters used in Homeric poetry are aristocrats, which means the “rule of the best,” which suggests that the Odyssey was created at the end of the Dark Age (c. 1200-750 BCE.) This explains why Odysseus is characterized shaped by Homeric conceptions of what is a heroic archetype such as being born into nobility, being wealthy, natural strength, skillfulness and courageous whilst striving for excellence (arête).…
the leader of the Nazi Party. Not only were the objectives of the Nazi Party horrendous, so were Hitler’s leadership skills. Yes, he did ignite passion in many of the German people, however he ignored the true problems of Germany and blamed problems on Jews, thus leading to concentration camps and mass executions. So what makes a valuable leader? According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, leadership is “the power or ability to lead other people” (“Definition of”). Unfortunately, society has it all…
Leadership Throughout the Years A point guard yelling and making plays to win. And a New York legislature leading the government. All of these examples of leadership show that one person is willing the take charge and lead a group/person the success. An example of leadership is when a student is falling behind in their school work and the teacher is pleased to stay after school and give the student extra help on their assignments. Another way leadership could be defined is that someone is…
Growing up in a questionable situation can be difficult for anyone. Telemachus has been raised without his father, a lost man whose location and status are unknown, and is now facing an assortment of struggles through uninvited guests and complicated circumstances that are testing him and his abilities. Through the first four books of Homer’s The Odyssey, Telemachus is able to set up the story for the rest of Homer’s tale. He experiences predicaments of his own as the journey begins. However,…
that men and women would avoid falling into a trap of luxury, and thus break one of the key Roman virtues of self-restraint. The repeal of the law served to reinforce masculine and feminine differences. In both cultures it had to be made clear that leadership was a manly activity, not one for the womenfolk. The Greek play Lysistrata features a female character playing the role of a man, namely leading a group of women to force men to end a war. In this rare instance where a woman may have…
Andres Resendez’s work A Land So Strange interprets Cabeza de Vaca’s journey across America as “an extreme tale of survival” in which he was able to bridge two different worlds in order to survive. Resendez’s central argument is that Cabeza de Vaca transformed over his journey across America from a conquistador with conquering intentions to a medicine man that advocated for diplomacy and alliance with the Indians. Resendez’s interpretation of Cabeza de Vaca’s transformation and commitment to a…