Charites: The Kharites Or Graces

Ever since visiting Egypt, I have had a huge interest in knowing more about the country. It is the first of the great territorial states that arose from ashes of chaos. Like many other countries drought brought catastrophe to their growing society. What interest me the most about the Hyksos in the New Kingdom Egypt, is how they figured out how to master the art of making horse chariots. They thundered into battle with their war chariots with superior bronze axes and composite bows. They were able to easily defeat other lands and the pharaoh’s soldiers. I found that they were able to conquer most others by having the chariots. It was some kind of power through a horse driven machine. They did not want to destroy their new founded lands, but

In Homer’s, The Odyssey, the motif, beauty can be deceptive, is used throughout the first twelve books. This reoccurring motif is used in the cases of Helen of Troy, Calypso, Circe, and the Sirens. In Helen’s case, she was so beautiful and innocent, instilling the want in Paris to take her to Troy in the first place, further amplifying the reasons for war. Calypso fits this motif due to her bewitching powers of entrapping heroes for eternity through acts of seduction. In the scene where the men arrive in the halls of Circe, she enchants them with her locks of hair and mesmerizing voice. Once she captures the attention of the men, she is then able to cast spells upon them, turning them to swine. As the journey continues, they reach the Sirens of the sea. Their immense beauty and captivating voices are enough to distract the men from their mission and lure them to their

The gracs were three: Aglaia (splendour), Euphrosyne(Mirth) and Thalia (Good Cheer). They were the daughters of Zeus and Eurynome.

-Aphrodite was characterized as a mesmerizing beauty. She symbolized love and the union of marriage and she was extremely powerful. She was conceived in many different ways, she was the goddess that presided over marriage, but also prostitution.

The first Homeric Hymn of Aphrodite tells the story of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, desire, and beauty. She is the daughter of Zeus and highly regarded among both immortals and mortal men. The story recounts the power that Aphrodite possesses as well as the limitations of her power. One limitation this hymn primarily focuses on is a situation in which Aphrodite is humiliated. This myth utilizes strategies such as story structure and word choice in order to describe how Aphrodite is humiliated.

      Some of the more impressive and intriguing women in the book are Nausicaa, Arete, Circe, Calypso, Penelope, Helen and Athena. 

As referenced in the previous paragraph, Arcite even fell victim to the “lover’s sickness of Eros.” (Chaucer 5) The author takes the extra step to describe its symptoms to the readers, in such detail that Arcite could almost be seen in his weakened state. Those included an unhealthy, gaunt appearance, sunken eyes, and extreme paleness. Another example can be seen in the layout of the amphitheater, which was created by King Theseus to make a spectacle out of the last battle. It is interesting to note that a man would go to such great lengths to create the most out of a seemingly meaningless series of events. Regardless, the amphitheater was very extravagant. Near the gate, stood three temples devoted to the gods, each of which were finely decorated with high-quality materials. First there was Venus, the goddess of love, then there was Mars, the god of war, and lastly there was Diana, the goddess of chastity. The third and final example of imagery that can be seen within the tale is the emphasis on Arcite and Palamon, specifically their individual styles of fighting. Both men were compared to animals in this sense. According to the text “you might judge that Palamon in his fighting were a mad lion and Arcite a cruel tiger.” (Chaucer 7) Later on, King

Another important Greek value is beauty. The Greeks strived for the idealistic form in everything they did: art, literature, beauty, and even in the sciences. The Odyssey portrays Penelope to be an older woman, but a beautiful older woman, having a hall full of suitors wanting to marry her. Another example is when Athena changes Odysseus’ appearance in certain situations, usually making Odysseus look young and less hardened by all his traveling. A more detailed description of this is when Odysseus

In Greek mythology, each god or goddess has a unique affinity. For example, Athena is the Goddess of war, Poseidon is the God of the sea, and Aphrodite is a famous goddess known for representing beauty, love, and fertility. Aphrodite is quite popular in our world as she is the symbol of the infinitely desirable female.

In ancient Greece festivals were mainly held at the Great Dionysia. This was the oldest theatre in Greece and many plays were performed here for example the first performance of Antigone. The patron of the theatre was the God

The history of Greek mythology is an extravagant chronicle of tales of heroism, tragedy, and tradition. The Greeks had an extreme talent with fine arts, and these abilities are strongly reflected in their

In Greek Mythology, perhaps one of the most rudimental yet one of the most important elements are the Greek Gods and Goddesses. The ancient Greeks created the stories about the lives and journeys of the Greek Gods, known as myths, simply as an endeavor to elucidate nature and all phenomena which were difficult to explain using modern science and logic. These myths about the Gods were spread around the world by explorers and storytellers, and later merged with Greek religion. To this day, numerous myths survived through many writings and through much art. Each of these myths is very unique, and moreover, tells us much about the Greek Gods. The Greek myths in particular convey to us that Greek Gods and Goddesses looked and acted like humans,

Nymphs were a minor Greek deity that was known for their sensuality and great beauty. These strikingly beautiful ladies were often associated with specific landmarks. These insatiable young maidens were known for being sexually adventurous and loved to dance and sing. Their willingness to explore more sexual options in comparison to the chaste and moral wives, who would not participate in such debauchery. Known for their inability to age or die of illness, nymphs were only able to be destroyed in certain circumstances. However, this knowledge was not given to the humans by the gods. These eternally beautiful girls were thought to be known to particular lakes, rivers, mountains, and forests.The legends were said that these divine creatures could lay with the Gods and give birth to demi-gods. In some stories, the nymphs were daughters of Aphrodite and human males. But all these different stories have common factors, beautiful, young and ravenous sexual appetites. The nymph also appeared as a goddess in the Roman myths under the name, Lymphade. She has known as a water goddess and the site of her caused sheer madness. Nymphs in all forms could create the obsession, insanity and other forms of mental struggle to their suitors, making all who came into contact even visually with any of these ladies. In fact, a

and beauty. She is also said to have a magic girdle that makes anyone she

Supernatural and temporal elements are popular devices used in romantic literature. Supernatural elements are things that go beyond the natural realm such as spirits and demons, and temporal elements are a part of the physical world such as nature and flaws in humanity. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, a romantic novel, consists of mystic and secular facets that enhance the plot and tone of the novel as well as creating conflicts. Supernatural elements provide contrast between Puritan beliefs and witchcraft, and temporal elements provide contrast between the sins and flaws of society and the purity of nature. The devil is a supernatural being that imposes itself into the character, Roger Chillingworth. The temporal fault of hypocrisy shows in Dimmesdale’s character and the judgmental nature of the townspeople. The role of the forest is both a supernatural and temporal element because it is a very spiritual place and provides an escape from the secular world.