Tantalus

The house of Atreus is a Greek myth known during what is known as the Heroic Age. It is known that Tantalus went against the gods, and his descendants were cursed for their whole lives. This story is an example of how Greeks believed that you could inherent guilt, and someone’s misfortunes could have to do with the crimes of an ancestor. In ancient societies, the wellbeing of an individual wasn’t as cherished as the wellbeing of the family unit, what belonged to one person belonged to the…

overwhelming need for power. In the history of Agamemnon, he has gained power by invading each city in Greece, with the exception of Troy. Agamemnon had also gained power by becoming king. To become king, he murdered Clytemnestra’s husband, King Tantalus, and then married Clytemnestra. Agamemnon is unemotional and arrogant in the sacrifices he has made and towards the people is…

legitimacy of Antigone’s unwavering honor. Even after Antigone’s condemnation to death, she had dignity—even though “no wedding-song...has crowned [Antigone’s] marriage—[she] [goes] to wed the lord of the dark waters;” she likened herself to “Niobe...Tantalus’ daughter...queen from the east...think of what a living death she died...growing stone...slowly walled her round...under her brows she tears...wasting away...a rocky death like hers puts [Antigone] to sleep” (907-908, 915-919, 922, 924). …

The Comparison To The Underworld Many pieces of literature contain many similar characteristics to Greek and Roman mythology as these references illustrate a certain idea or image for the reader. Many authors in the past would draw these comparisons to invoke a deeper meaning to their writing. The Underworld of Roman mythology is the kingdom of Pluto and is where Romans believed the dead went to in afterlife. For one, the house of Trimalchio as well as the contents in it, are directly related to…

plays a song on his lyre to try and convince Hades to let her go with him. The song is so sad and emotional that all of the bloodless spirits wept as he sang his song. According to the story, the spirits stopped what they were doing, for example, Tantalus did not reach for the ever retreating water and Sisyphus stopped pushing his rock. This gives emphasis to how powerful the song was and how desperate Orpheus was. This is supported by the quote “the bloodless spirits wept as he spoke,…

version of Greek mythological elements. Titanium was named after the Titans who were locked underground hence representing the strenuous affair of extracting titanium from its ore. The chemical elements niobium and tantalum have been named after King Tantalus of Sipylos and the daughter Niobe (Emsley 355). In psychology, the psychoanalytical theory developed by Sigmund Freud uses the Oedipus character from the Greek mythology to develop the Oedipus complex that attempts to explain the emotional…

The Conqueror Worm composed by Edgar Allan Poe evaluates the concept of death in society and how it can master its victims ‘Man’. In the poem angels gather together to watch a play that embraces this theme. This poem was published in the year of 1845 and was incorporated into Poe’s short story called “Ligeia”. Throughout the poem various poetic devices have been utilised to convey several meanings mainly related to the theme of death in regard to mankind due to the presence of sin. Context can…

While it is difficult to precisely date “The Adventures of Setna and Si-Osire (Setna II),” this copy appears to have been produced in the mid First Century CE, during the reign of the Emperor Claudius. This historical context provides a deeper layer of meaning and a degree of explanation as to some aspects of the narrative. Though this text was likely written in the first Century AD, shortly after the Roman annexation of Egypt (470), the narrative takes place over 1,200 years earlier, during the…

All over the world, many different races have experience persecution and discrimination, but the racism felt by African-American throughout the history of the United States has been a topic of close discussion, debate, and study. In the novel, The Color Purple, Alice Walker discusses the connection between religion and the African-American experience in the 1930s, also the topic of the poem “Yet Do I Marvel” by Countee Cullen. While Cullen seems to put aside the questions his experiences raised,…

The Distinguishing Characteristics of The Harlem Renaissance in the works of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude McKay The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual movement occurring predominantly throughout the 1920’s. A significant defining factor of the Harlem Renaissance is that it was the first artificially created movement specifically engineered to display the works of African Americans at the time. The Harlem Renaissance is unusual among literary and artistic movements for its…