Menelaus

Throughout the ages, Greek myths have become a popular subject and have been reimagined numerous times through various medias including art and literature. Each generation brings forth a new perspective on these ancient tales, providing a new glimpse into the bygone civilization. During the 1920s, both William Butler Yeats and H.D (Hilda Doolittle) wrote poems about women in Greek mythology, each choosing a notable figure who contributed to the fall of Troy. In “Leda and the Swan,” Yeats…

In the world of Homer, the successful role of the family is crucial in how father and son relationships develop. In The Odyssey and The Iliad, the bond between father and son is important for the development of the family role in honor and pride, along with the expectation of loyalty from the son to the father and vice versa. In The Iliad, Hector is loyal to his father, Priam, when Hector himself heads back to the war without a second thought. Meanwhile, in The Odyssey, Orestes is loyal to his…

The Odyssey “I see destruction for ship and crew. Thought you survive alone(780/645-646).” This is one of the main plots in the Odyssey, by Homer. The Odyssey is about an epic hero named Odysseus, king of Ithaca, tries to get back home after the Trojan war, but it takes twenty years to get back to his palace because of Poseidon, the sea god. Poseidon is mad at Odysseus for not giving thanks for shutting up a suitor. In the story, Odysseus uses his cunningness, smartness, Intelligence…

In Greek Mythology, Pandora was a beautiful woman made by the gods themselves sent down to earth as a punishment for Promethean's theft of fire. Pandora was a cunning, beautiful women, who was as clever as a fox, she was an inspiration for many other characters and left a big mark of Greek culture and even in modern day, Pandora shows up in society and our culture. Pandora was created by Zeus and the other gods to be sent down to earth and marry Prometheus's brother as punishment for…

"All men naturally seek heroes (Scheske 1)." Until the end of time there will be heroes, they naturally occur whether they are true or false heroes. People look to complete themselves through another person. Humanity wants to be able to look up to someone and aspire to be like them. Everyone has either an idol or a hero that they admire. Long ago a hero had a completely different definition. Heroes used to be great warriors who killed people and creatures and who took territories. A hero would…

The death of ruler, especially during a war, often signifies the death and utter destruction of a community. Priam’s death as portrayed in both Virgil’s The Aeneid and Seneca’s Trojan Women shows the merciless slaughter of the king on an altar symbolizing the complete ruin of Troy. However, Virgil and Seneca portray Priam in a different light. In The Aeneid Priam is shown to be fighting to his death even though he is frail and old, whereas Seneca focuses on Priam’s death as just one of the many…

Hera is known for her many revengeful plots against Zeus’s many girlfriends. In the past, Hera is involved in the Trojan War, she sought to bring down the city of Troy because Prince Paris chose Aphrodite over her. A temple and many statues are dedicated to Hera for her importance in her cult following. Hera is the Greek goddess of childbirth, marriage and women. She is married to Zeus and has three kids: Ares, Hephaestus and Eileithyia. Her family includes her siblings Zeus, Poseidon, Hades,…

Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, Homer’s The Iliad, Karl Marlantes’s What it is Like to Go to War provide a more personal, intimate perspective in the lives and mentality of soldiers - in these three works, the soldiers are not necessarily portrayed as the stereotypical invincible and fearless warriors, but more as humans as the authors expose their mistakes, weaknesses, and emotions. However, one of the key factors that helps enhance the readers’ emotional connection to the soldiers in…

Systems that describe general rules in which good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds are punished are the foundation of a culture’s moral code. Within this code are predetermined ideas of what is right and wrong. Due to the negativity bias, the focus on the bad and how it can be punished tends have a greater effect on one’s psychological state than how kindliness is rewarded. While the two are equal counterparts, the redress of wrongs take precedence over the enforcement of rights. Retribution…

In the Greek myth "Athene", Athene challenges a young girl, Arachne, to a weaving contest. Athene knows she will lose and perish, "Poor child. You are being destroyed by your own worth. Your talent has poisoned you with pride like the sting of a scorpion. So that which makes beauty brings death" (Evslin 11). This simile represents how full of her own pride Arachne is in Athene's perspective, how she is wasting her talent on a contest which she will lose to a goddess and be forced to death.…