Introduction In my opinion, it is no exaggeration to say that Greek myths have exerted no small influence upon western culture. Especially those whose mother tongue is English familiar with the contents and stories of Greek mythology have been imperceptibly influenced by what they constantly read, see and hear about since they are very young. Hence allusive idioms from Greek myths have exerted great impact on the English language and literature. It is fairly important to make a full understanding
A Gender Bias Approach to Antigone Just as one stone removed can break a bridge, one flaw can bring a man to ruins. The flaw of one man cannot bring down an entire kingdom, but rather one outlook of the king can lead to the demise of the whole. In Sophocles' epic tragedy, Antigone, a strong gender bias is present throughout the tragedy, and is partially responsible for the downfall of the king. To Sophocles the king is not always representative of the people, but acts on his own personal desires
Odysseus ' plan worked; however, he later discovers a prophecy indicating that Troy 's walls would never fall without the help of Philoctetes 's magical bow – a weapon that once belonged to Hercules. As the play opens, Odysseus has therefore returned to the island – along with Neoptolemus – in order to retrieve the bow. This plan would allow Odysseus to leave Philoctetes in his exile while still getting what he wanted. However, Neoptolemus views Odysseus ' plan as simple treachery and reveals all
million victims of wars and genocides. Therefore, having been drawn to the genre of War Poetry going back in historical time to Homer’s The Iliad was prevailing phenomenon among many contemporary poets. In ‘Ceasefire’, Longley makes an inter-textual allusion to King Priam’s request to Achillles for the release of the dead body of his son Hector killed in battle during the Trojan Wars. This sonnet was published in 1994, the year which saw important Republican and Loyalist para-military ceasefires in the
Greek Mythology I INTRODUCTION Temple of Apollo at Didyma The Greeks built the Temple of Apollo at Didyma, Turkey (about 300 bc). The temple supposedly housed an oracle who foretold the future to those seeking knowledge. The predictions of the oracles, delivered in the form of riddles, often brought unexpected results to the seeker. With Ionic columns reaching 19.5 m (64 ft) high, these ruins suggest the former grandeur of the ancient temple. Bernard Cox/Bridgeman Art Library, London/New York