Invocation to the Muses - Assignment Example

Question Multiple Choice a). Invocation to the Muses b). in medias res c). A literary epic derives from oral tradition d). The Greek Muse of epic poetry is Calliope e). The above quotation is an example of epic epithet Question # 2 a. Turnus Turnus is the chief antagonist of the hero Aenneas in Virgil's Aeneid. He was the potential suitor of Lavinia, daughter of the King of the Latin people. However, when Aeneas arrived Italy from Troy, King Latinus offered him the hand of Lavinia. Thus a great rivalry and jealousy ensued between Turnus and Aenneas which resulted in war between Latins and Trojans people. In this war, Turnus fought bravely and killed the son of Evander and took his sword belt (Book X). Aeneas was extremely enraged on this and sought kill Turnus. In Book XII, Virgil describes the duel between Turnus and Aeneas. During the fight Aeneas got an upper hand finally and was going to kill Turnus. Sensing the immediate death, Turnus begged Aeneas either to spare him or give his body to his people. Aenneas considered for a moment to spare him, but decided to kill Turnus in order to avenge Pallas's death. The importance of Turnus in Aeneid is that he is at the same level of strength, power, influence, and ambitions like that of the hero of this epic. Through him, Virgil embodied the character of a perfect villain who is capable of upsetting the hero and give him a tough time. b. Hrothgar The character of Hrothgr is represented in the epic poem of "Beowulf". This epic is related to the Anglo-Saxon times and the main characters in this epic are Hrothgar and Beowulf. This epic narrates the heroic deeds of Beowulf when he sets forth to kill Grendel and his mother. As an aging king, Hrothgar is worried about the devastations brought by Grendel and his mother and practically beseeches Beowulf to kill the monster. Though he has lost his youth courage and might, the salient characteristics he possesses are his wisdom, high standard of Christian codes and his keen desire to save his subjects. Though, in the beginning, we feel that the king is the prey of vanity when we find him building the huge hall, Herot. However, in the later stage, we realise that the king is after all a human being and his sincerity to serve his subjects and his wisdom and justice are more important to consider than the only flaw of vanity in his character. This is the main reason that t the people of Danish land love and respect him above everything. Another positive factor in his personality is that he does not hesitate to acknowledge the strength and bravery of Beowulf without any feeling of jealousy. Thus, when Beowulf succeeds in killing Grendel, he rewards Beowulf with every worldly reward conceivable. Thus, the character of Hrothgar in the epic poem "Beowulf" is a symbol of wisdom, sanity, and sincerity. He regards the welfare of his subjects very highly and when he finds them in danger, he calls for Beowulf to kill the monster. c. Briseis The character significance of Briseis lies in the fact that she proves to be the sole reason for Achilles to desert the Greek cause when they needed his support in the war against Trojans. It is the love of Briseis that forces Achilles not to take part in the war. Thus, the absence of Achilles from the battlefield brings ruinous effects for the Greeks and ultimately they are at the verge of total defeat. Thus, we see in the epic "Iliad" that even a minor character like Briseis can significantly impact the whole setting of the stage and thousands of people would be killed. The significance of Briseis in this poem thus can be viewed from the refusal of Achilles to take part in the war against Trojans and the consequent devastation of Greeks. The love of Achilles for Briseis is one of the most significant event that changed the course of war between Trojans and Greeks. d. Dido The character of Dido is brought to the reader in Book IV of "Iliad" by Virgil. Dido is the ruler of Carthage and a widow of Sychaeus. She has a resolution not to marry again, but when Aeneas arrives at Carthage, she passionately falls in love with him and persuades him to indulge in love-affair. But, at the warning of Mercury, Aeneas flees hastily from Carthage. The unsatisfied emotions of Dido overcome her sense and she curse Achilles and order an attack on him. After loosing the love of Achiles, she kills herself with her sword. The most remarkable characteristic of her personality is her passion and volatility and these traits of her personality determine her fate in the epic. e. Helen In Book III of "Iliad", the role of Helen is actually introduced. She was the wife of Menelaos, the king of Sparta. Paris seduced her and took her to his homeland where she indulges in sexual relationship with Paris under the influence of Aphrodite. These sexual relationships last until the death of Paris and she reconciles with Menelaos after the Troy was captured. Her character is indeed very complicated and she is easily tempted for sexual relations. That is why in the beginning we find that she enjoys relationship with Paris even though she was taken by him forcefully. However, when she realizes there were so many deaths on her account, she repents. she is the main cause of the war of Troy. QUESTION 3 SHORT ESSAY The characters of Achilles and Beowulf are similar in some aspects while differ in many others. The main likeness between these two characters is their desire for glory and fame. On the other hand, their background, time period, geographical settings, all differ to a great extent. Beowulf comes to aid Hrotghar in Danish lands while the setting of Achilles is that of Greeks. The story of Beowulf revolves around heroic deeds performed by Beowulf during his adventurous killing of the monster Grendel. On the other hand, the story of Achilles revolves around his love for Briseis and when Agamemnon takes Briseis from Achilles, he feels insulted and refuses to take part in the war against Trojans. If Beowulf proves his bravery in killing of Grendel, Achilles proves his vigour in war against Trojans. However, there is some differences as well, that is, Hrothgar rewards Beowulf after the killing of Grendel, while Achilles was deprived of his beloved one Briseis who was captivated by Agamemnon. This very difference, results in the defeat of Greeks at the hands of Trojans. Thus, both these characters can be compared with regard to their bravery, vigour and physical strength and their desire for glory and fame. When we contrast both these characters, we find th character of Beowulf much better represented because he comes to rescue to the Danish people when Harothgar calls him for. On the other hand, Achilles deserts his people only due to his personal offence and leave them at the disposal of fierce enemy who nearly defeat them. Thus, the difference between both these characters is that of personal motif and desire for personal vengeance. QUESTION 4 PLAGIARISM a. True b. True c. False d. The correct MLA format is: Ddbelles. Aeneas Odysseus & Aeneid Iliad Odyssey. 27 April 2008 Lawal, Sarah, ed. The Norton Anthology of Western Litrature. Vol. 1. New York: Norton, n.d. Read More