Essay on Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible -- comparison compare

Role of Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible Much is known of men in ancient civilizations, from the famous philosophers and mathematicians of Greece to the patriarchs and subsequent kings of the nation of Israel. It would seem, however, that history has forgotten the women of these times. What of the famous female thinkers of Ancient Greece, the distinguished stateswomen of Rome? What power did they hold? What was their position in societies of the distant past? A glimpse into the roles and influence of women in antiquity can be discovered in such ancient masterpieces as the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Hebrew Bible. In the Iliad, women are barely mentioned, and then only as spoils of war or treacherous creatures not worthy of a man's trust. The two main Argive heroes, Achilles and Agamemnon, the brightest and best of the Greeks, enslave captured women to keep as personal prostitutes, passing them around and dividing them among each other as if the women were no different from the rest of the booty they have won in battle. Agamemnon says of Chryseis, the girl he has claimed for himself, "[. . .] The girl-I won't give up the girl. Long before that, / old age will overtake her in my house, in Argos, / far from her fatherland, slaving back and forth / at the loom, forced to share my bed!"(Homer , book 2, 33-36). Indeed, these two paragons of Greek virtue talk and act as if these women are not truly people; Achilles may have a fit when Agamemnon tries to lay claim to his prize, Briseis, but more from a sense of being cheated out of his share in the loot that any real compassion for the girl or her si tuation. Helen, a prominent figure in the fable of the Trojan War, has barely a cameo in this version of the Iliad, and he... ... sons and to be obedient, but occasionally, some women were not content with this one purpose in life. Throughout history, we have a few examples of extraordinary women who held power and influence, such as Hetshepsut, the first female pharaoh of Egypt, and Cleopatra, who managed to snag two notable Roman generals. A sense of women's resorting to indirect means to obtain power can be seen in these works of the ancient world, of women's exerting influence perhaps through the men they marry or the positions they hold, if not outwardly of power, then at least with some chance of gaining it. Works Cited Homer. Iliad. Mack 1: 98-208. -----. Odyssey. Mack 1: 208-540. The Inspirational Study Bible. Ed. Max Lucado. Dallas: World Publishing, 1995. Mack, Maynard, et al. eds. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. 6th ed. 2 Vols. New   York: Norton, 1992. Essay on Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible -- comparison compare Role of Women in Iliad, Odyssey, and the Bible Much is known of men in ancient civilizations, from the famous philosophers and mathematicians of Greece to the patriarchs and subsequent kings of the nation of Israel. It would seem, however, that history has forgotten the women of these times. What of the famous female thinkers of Ancient Greece, the distinguished stateswomen of Rome? What power did they hold? What was their position in societies of the distant past? A glimpse into the roles and influence of women in antiquity can be discovered in such ancient masterpieces as the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Hebrew Bible. In the Iliad, women are barely mentioned, and then only as spoils of war or treacherous creatures not worthy of a man's trust. The two main Argive heroes, Achilles and Agamemnon, the brightest and best of the Greeks, enslave captured women to keep as personal prostitutes, passing them around and dividing them among each other as if the women were no different from the rest of the booty they have won in battle. Agamemnon says of Chryseis, the girl he has claimed for himself, "[. . .] The girl-I won't give up the girl. Long before that, / old age will overtake her in my house, in Argos, / far from her fatherland, slaving back and forth / at the loom, forced to share my bed!"(Homer , book 2, 33-36). Indeed, these two paragons of Greek virtue talk and act as if these women are not truly people; Achilles may have a fit when Agamemnon tries to lay claim to his prize, Briseis, but more from a sense of being cheated out of his share in the loot that any real compassion for the girl or her si tuation. Helen, a prominent figure in the fable of the Trojan War, has barely a cameo in this version of the Iliad, and he... ... sons and to be obedient, but occasionally, some women were not content with this one purpose in life. Throughout history, we have a few examples of extraordinary women who held power and influence, such as Hetshepsut, the first female pharaoh of Egypt, and Cleopatra, who managed to snag two notable Roman generals. A sense of women's resorting to indirect means to obtain power can be seen in these works of the ancient world, of women's exerting influence perhaps through the men they marry or the positions they hold, if not outwardly of power, then at least with some chance of gaining it. Works Cited Homer. Iliad. Mack 1: 98-208. -----. Odyssey. Mack 1: 208-540. The Inspirational Study Bible. Ed. Max Lucado. Dallas: World Publishing, 1995. Mack, Maynard, et al. eds. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. 6th ed. 2 Vols. New   York: Norton, 1992.

London by William Blake and Composed upon Westminster Bridge bt William Wordsworth Essay

The Revolution in France coincided with the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution of England. During this period the rich became richer, the poor became even poorer, and major towns or cities became over crowded. The thoughts and feelings of the people living throughout the country at this time, often were expressed in poetic form. Two such poems set around the same time and both set in London are â€Å"London†, by William Blake and William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge.† â€Å"London† is written nine years before â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge†, and tells of the suffering of the people of London. A uniform and exact feeling is sensed in the opening two lines of the poem, as both streets and the Thames are described as being â€Å"chartered† and something which is chartered is very exact and has a definite and set outline. The next two lines ending the first stanza tell of weakness and woe in every face Blake meets, meaning there is sadness and regret along with vulnerability sensed by him as he passes people along his journey. The first two lines of the second stanza read of the cry of both men and infants. The reason why infants cry is because they cannot say what is hurting or annoying them. Therefore we are led to realise that the suffering felt by the adults of London or of ‘Man’ as it were, is so intense that even they cannot verbalise it and so they cry out. Ending the second stanza we read that the poet hears â€Å"mind-forg’d manacles†. These are forms of fears, enforced into the minds of people, holding them back from doing or saying certain things. We are told these fears are found â€Å"in every person’s voice, in every ban†, meaning that these common fears are sensed by the poet, in every person he encounters. The opening lines of the third stanza again tells of crying and also now of admonition. In this case the chimney-sweeper’s cry is heard. In those days chimney-sweepers were young children forced to go out to work by their families. They did very difficult and pain staking work for very little money – it shows their pain and suffering in doing so. Condemnation comes from the church. The religious leaders are appalled at the fact of this, yet the poet describes the church as â€Å"blackening†, giving us the impression of an unpleasant ‘refuge’ which turns a blind eye on the suffering of the sweeps. The closing two lines of the third stanza reads of a â€Å"hapless soldier’s sigh run in blood down the Palace walls.† This conveys to us that the hopelessness felt by soldiers is stemming from the fact that their welfare is not considered by those in charge. The soldier is sent to war by a ruler who cares little for him. The first three lines of the final stanza tells us that the majority of noise heard comes from â€Å"youthful Harlot’s curses/ [which] blasts the new born Infant’s tear†. This means that a lot of the noise heard during the night comes from young prostitutes shouting at young babies to be quiet because they are crying. An uncomfortable and unsettling mix is created through the contrast of these young women who sell their bodies for sex, yelling at young, fearful and unadulterated infants. The final line is an ominous one containing the statement â€Å"And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse†. The fact that we are told of how the prostitutes are â€Å"blighting† with â€Å"plagues† the â€Å"Marriage hearse† is significant – Marriage usually means a life just starting out with someone else, this contrasts with a hearse which carries coffins and so is usually linked with death and hence symbolises the end of a life. The curse and words associated with disease give us a sense that sexually transmitted diseases are quickly spreading and they are readily killing all of society. Overall Blake takes a negative and strict viewing point of London which echoes the great suffering of the day. Another poem, set in London and written just nine years after â€Å"London† offers a contrasting tone to Blake’s. It is William Wordsworth’s â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge†. â€Å"Composed Upon Westminster Bridge† is a similar poem to â€Å"London† as the poet is the one travelling through the London it describes, yet the poems contrast greatly. Wordsworth opens with an emphatic statement, praising London as he says it surpasses anything on the earth. In the second and third line Wordsworth makes the statement: â€Å"Dull would he be of soul who could pass by/A sight so touching in its majesty:† which means one would have to be ‘dead inside’ if he/she couldn’t appreciate such beauty. The fact that Wordsworth uses the word â€Å"majesty† offers a regal sense, a regal beauty – giving us the idea of just how grand and magnificent this city actually is. This contrasts well with the disease ridden city described by Blake, using such words as plague and blight, giving the city an altogether unsettling atmosphere. In the fourth line Wordsworth starts out by giving the word â€Å"City† a capital letter, which stresses just how important the city actually is. Wordsworth then goes on to tell us how â€Å"like a garment [it] wears/The beauty of the morning†. Like a garment is a simile, and in this case Wordsworth uses clothing imagery to convey to us his point. The fact that he links this with the beauty of the morning suggests to us that this beauty â€Å"fits well† with the city. The ending of the fifth line flows into the sixth line and tells of a silent beauty of all of the man made things found in a city. A complete contrast to this, are the two references made by Blake of â€Å"Man’s† creations telling us of â€Å"black’ning† churches and blood-stained Palaces. A disturbing and unpleasant contrast to the silent beauty implied by Wordsworth. The next line tells of how these buildings merge seamlessly with nature; â€Å"Open unto the fields, and to the sky;† As this links directly with the previous line of the silent beauty of the city’s buildings, Wordsworth is connecting man and Nature; the city is at one with Nature’s wanders, at one with God. Blake makes no reference linking both man and Nature, in fact we are given but one reference to nature and that is of the â€Å"chartered Thames†, due to the fact of this we can only infer that Blake is trying communicate to us in fact the great over industrialised ‘hell’ London really is, and just how much Nature has been destroyed in order to create this city. Wordsworth ends this section by telling us in line eight of the scene as â€Å"All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.† conveying to us Wordsworth’s thoughts that London is very clean, very sparkling, beautiful and new. . In lines nine and ten Wordsworth makes another emphatic statement, literally exclaiming that at no other time has the sun, not even since creation, made the landscape more beautiful than currently in London. â€Å"Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!† shows of Wordsworth’s great surprise of just how beautiful London is. He cannot believe what he’s seeing and so is very moved. This again differentiates with Blake’s views on London. He tells of a common fear sensed within all people he met, that they are ill at ease and afraid to go freely around this ‘great’ city. Which can only mean that London may not have been this great and calm city described by Wordsworth. The last lines in the poem are descriptive of the landscape and line twelve sees Wordsworth expressing the freedom felt by Nature: â€Å"The river glideth at his own sweet will†. This contrasts greatly with the limits and restraints conveyed to us through the description of the Thames as being â€Å"chartered†. Suggesting to us the restraints put upon Nature, immobilising it from flourishing due to man’s greed for industry and money. Wordsworth ends his poem exclaiming that it is so quiet and tranquil that even the houses â€Å"seem asleep†. The last line of the poem sets up London as being the ‘heart’ of Great Britain, London is the thing which enables Great Britain to work correctly: â€Å"And all that mighty heart is lying still.† We really sense Wordsworth’s surprise at finding this essential life force so still and at rest. This is the complete opposite to Blake’s bustling, overcrowded and disease ridden city. The nights are filled with young â€Å"harlot’s† swearing at screaming babies, while they’re out trying to earn a bit of money from sell in themselves for sex while. And all the time aiding to the destruction of society due to the spreading of disease. On the whole, undoubtedly my favourite poem is William Blake’s â€Å"London†. I feel Blake’s poem far surpasses Wordsworth’s as Blake offers to us a more realistic and altogether poignant atmosphere to Wordsworth’s happy and â€Å"perfect† city. I feel that his use of language and style of writing expresses well the perception of London during the course of industrialisation as being an overpopulated and disease ridden â€Å"hell†.

An Interesting Coming of Age Ritual in Germany

This weekend my soon to be 14-year-old son took part in a ceremony that I had known only from my knowledge about the German Democratic Republic (GDR), the Jugendfeier also known as Jugendweihe.   A quick history of this coming of age ritual It marks the coming of age of the participants with a memorable celebration and it thought as an alternative to religious initiations like the Kommunion and Firmung (Catholic Church) or Konfirmation (Protestant Church) where children declare that they choose to be self-declared members of these churches. While the concept is from 1852, the Jugendweihe was adopted in 1954 by the socialist GDR and turned into a ritual where the young had to make an oath (scroll to the end of this article to find the oath with translation into English) in favor of the socialist state. The Jugendfeier nowadays does not require the participants to make any vow or swear an oath. The only tradition that has survived the GDR is that they all get a rose and a book with thought provoking texts about becoming an adult.  You can read a bit more about this event that still is popular among former inhabitants of the GDR or their descendants here on Wikipedia. From a fathers experience We took part in this event due to the fact that my son Simon goes to a school in the Eastern part of Berlin with many parents that still seem to feel some (N)Ostalgy  and brought this topic up in class. As 20 out of 28 classmates of Simon wanted to participate in it, we didn’t want him to stand out and asked him whether he’d like to participate or not. At that age it is important for him to be part of the group and so he decided for it.   As I was born in Western Germany and had gone through a rather Catholic education and initiation I didn’t have any idea what to expect but neither had I any rejection of that idea nor was I much excited about it. I took Simon to parachute jumping last year which we inofficially declared to mark his transition into an adolescent. His mother, originating from Poland, another formerly socialist country, didn’t really know the Jugendweihe either but we were on the same track regarding our participation. Its seems still pretty popular The fact that we had to register for the event in 2013, almost 18 months ahead of time, shows how popular it still is. There were also several seminars planned that would cover certain topics of adolescence and start a thought process in the children about who they wanted to be and become. Many of those seminars where also thought to be lead or at least organized by the parents. But this task seemed to be more difficult than many had hoped. In those months until the Jugendweihe, Simon took part probably in two events and I didn’t really get the impression that he took much from it. In socialist times, those preparations would have been organized by the state and would have included quite some propaganda.   Its not the ritual, its what you make of it I’m not blaming others. I understand that our lack of deeper interest and conviction in the sense of such an initiation also had a huge influence on everything. Another parent with more enthusiasm would have described this experience probably quite differently.   When the great day came, we were invited with approximately 2000 other people to meet at the Friedrichstadtpalast, a revue theater in the evening. There the Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands (HVD, Humanistic Organisation of Germany) had organized quite a show with professional dancers and singers and has managed to get some popular entertainers like e.g. Joko Winterscheidt or actress Anna Loos to leave a few encouraging words to the children. My interim conclusion Parts of it I personally found a bit over the top and it all was a bit surprising as neither of us really knew what to expect of that day. On the other hand it was mainly entertaining and short enough to enjoy it and the message for the young participants was to trust in themselves, to question authority and to understand that with growing up they will be confronted with new rights and obligations in their life. I can’t really object to that, can you? The rest of the day As everything started at 8.30h on Saturday morning, we were home by noon and both families (my son’s mother remarried a while ago and has two little adorable daughters today) had a nice brunch  in a cafà © next door and then just enjoyed the rest of the day with my half of the family. A unique experience I am very thankful to have been able to witness this event. In a way it was inpiring, though I would have also enjoyed a more humble approach to it all. Coming of age is a challenge for all members of the family and I would have integrated the parents and siblings way more into the preparation. But as I don’t expect others to take care of my responsibilities, my overall experience was a positive one. I hope you enjoyed this little insight into the German culture and I would like to know what you do in your culture to mark the coming of age of your children. If you are religious: do you consider the existing religious rituals to also cover the coming of age or is it rather focussing on being a more responsible member of your church/religion? Das à ¶ffentliche Gelà ¶bnis   The public oath of the GDR Jugendweihe (not in use nowadays) (as found first on this page  which also contains many more information on the topic of GDR but unfortunately only in German language.)  My translation is at times very literally so that you can also learn something about the German sentence structure and grammar here. Where a literal translation would be difficult or impossible to understand, I have put a more comprehensible version into parenthesis. Liebe junge Freunde!Dear young friends. Seid ihr bereit, als junge Bà ¼rger unserer Deutschen Demokratischen Republikare you ready as young citizens of-our German Democratic Republic mit uns gemeinsam, getreu der Verfassung,  with us together, according the constitution fà ¼r die große und edle Sache des Sozialismus zu arbeiten und zu kà ¤mpfenfor the big(ger) and noble cause of-the Socialism to work and to fight und das revolutionà ¤re Erbe des Volkes in Ehren zu halten, so antwortet:and (to keep) the revolutionary heritage of-the Nation in honor to keep, so answer: Ja, das geloben wir!Yes, this-is-what we pledge! Seid ihr bereit, als treue Sà ¶hne und Tà ¶chter  Are you prepared, as faithful sons and daughters unseres Arbeiter-und-Bauern-Staates nach hoher Bildungof-our workers- and peasant nation (to strive) for higher education und Kultur zu streben, Meister eures Fachs zu werden,  and culture (to strive), (to become) Master of-your (professional) discipline, unentwegt zu lernen und all euer Wissen und Kà ¶nnen fà ¼r die Verwirklichung  incessantly to learn and all (to utilise) your knowledge and skill for the realization   unserer großen humanistischen Ideale einzusetzen, so antwortet:  of-our grand humanistic ideals (to utilise), so answer: Ja, das geloben wir!Yes, this-is-what we pledge! Seid ihr bereit, als wà ¼rdige Mitglieder der sozialistischen Gemeinschaft  Are you ready, as worthy members of-the socialist community stets in kameradschaftlicher Zusammenarbeit, gegenseitiger Achtung  always (act) in companionate cooperation, mutual respect und Hilfe zu handeln und euren Weg zum persà ¶nlichen Glà ¼ckand help (to act) and (to always unite) your path to personal fulfillment immer mit dem Kampf fà ¼r das Glà ¼ck des Volkes zu vereinen, so antwortet:  (always) with the struggle for happiness of the nation (lit.: the people), so answer: Ja, das geloben wir!Yes, this-is-what we pledge! Seid ihr bereit, als wahre Patrioten die feste Freundschaft mit der Sowjetunion  Are you prepared as true patriots, the steadfast friendship with the Sovjet Union weiter zu vertiefen, den Bruderbund mit den sozialistischen Là ¤ndern zu stà ¤rken,  further to deepen, the brotherly association with the socialist countries to strengthen, im Geiste des proletarischen Internationalismus zu kà ¤mpfen,  in-the spirit of-the proletarian internationalism to fight, den Frieden zu schà ¼tzen und den Sozialismus gegen jeden imperialistischen Angriffthe peace to protect and the socialism against every imperialistic attack zu verteidigen, so antwortet:  to defend, so answer: Ja, das geloben wir!Yes, this-is-what we pledge! Wir haben euer Gelà ¶bnis vernommen.  We have heard (lit.: perceived) your pledge. Ihr habt euch ein hohes und edles Ziel gesetzt.  You have (set) yourselves a high and noble goal (set). Feierlich nehmen wir euch auf in die große Gemeinschaft  Solemnly take we you in, into the grand collective des werktà ¤tigen Volkes, das unter Fà ¼hrung der Arbeiterklasse  of-the working nation, that under the leadership of the working class und ihrer revolutionà ¤ren Partei, einig im Willen und im Handeln,  and her revolutionary party, united in will (intention) and acting die entwickelte sozialistische Gesellschaft  (errects) the developed socialist community in der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik errichtet.in the German Democratic Republic (errects). Wir à ¼bertragen euch eine hohe Verantwortung.  We transfer to-you a huge responsibility. Jederzeit werden wir euch mit Rat und Tat helfen,  At-any-time will we (help) you with advice and deed (help), die sozialistische Zukunft schà ¶pferisch zu gestalten.(to design) the socialist future creatively (to design).