Literature of the Western World - Iliad - Essay Example

Literature of the Western World Iliad is an epic which deals with legendary events that were believed to have occurred centuries before it was written. The epic is set in the final year of the Trojan War forming the background of its central plot, the story of the wrath of the Greek hero Achilles. Achilles withdrew from the war against the Trojans because he felt that he has been insulted by the leader of the Greek forces. Homer, is the famous author of the equally famous epics Iliad and Odyssey. Both are said to be the two major epics of Greek antiquity. Nothing much is known about Homer as an individual for he is mostly known for Iliad and Odyssey as well as his writing style. When the Greeks became interested in biography, nothing was recorded about the man to whom they ascribed their literary treasures. It is only a romantic story that he was a blind minstrel. Homer wrote Iliad in an impersonal, elevated, formal verse, employing language that was never used for ordinary conversation; the metrical form used is dactylic hexameter, one form of Versification. In terms of style, there has been no real distinction made between the two works. This writing style of his intensifies the emotion and dramatic effect of the story, giving emphasis on the words that carries the “clue” bringing suspense and curiosity to the readers. However, since ancient times many readers believed that Iliad and Odyssey were written by different people. If Iliad deals with passion, insoluble dilemmas, having no real villains with an ultimately cruel and tragic universe, the Odyssey is its opposite. In Odyssey, the wicked are destroyed, right prevails and the family is reunited – with rational intellect. However, this is not so much of an issue because really good writers can write from whatever perspective they want to do the story and Homer is no ordinary writer. In a direct way, Homer was the “parent” of all Greek literature; drama; historiography and even philosophy all show the mark of the issues, comic and tragic, all raised in the epics and the techniques Homer used. Marcus Aurelius, whose full name is Marcus Aelius Aurelius Antoninus is a Roman emperor and a stoic philosopher. In his domestic policy, Marcus Aurelius was a champion of the poor, for whom he founded schools, orphanages and hospitals and alleviated the burden of taxes. He also tried to humanize criminal laws and the treatment of slaves by their masters. As a philosopher, he is remembered for his 12 books of moral precepts called Meditations. All was written in Greek while he was on his various campaigns. These books were like a result of all his views in life, all that he has witnessed in battles and in all his journeys. As an emperor, and a Roman at that, he seeks to hold the highest standard of ethical behavior, wanting to impart to his people all that he have learned - all that is good and beautiful - that a decent and moral life brings all that is positive. The beauty and happiness brought about by tranquility and the greater progress and development that a “brilliant” mind coupled by “high” moral and ethical standards. His reign is an ideal one which was only discarded and disregarded by Commodus, his successor, who is entirely his opposite. The work is an important formulation of the philosophy of stoicism and reveals his belief that the moral life leads to tranquility. It stresses the virtues of wisdom, justice, fortitude and moderation. I see Meditations as a notebook of jottings, covering a wide range of subjects like for instance, the concept of beauty, personal behavior and, particularly the themes of life and death, goodness, and wisdom. It demonstrates the varied nature of work ad the strong favor of stoicism, the predominant philosophy at that time. In an overview, Meditations is about how to live life – ethics. The book of Meditations is full of the ideals of how to live, stressing the importance of behavior (and of course attitude), morals and ethics giving it its strong stoicism influence. Meditations is indeed a book written as a result of the meditations of a great emperor as his lives his life while taking the entire Roman empire into greatness. St. Francis of Assisi was an Italian mystic preacher who founded the Fransiscans. He was born in Assisi in 1182 and was baptized as Giovanni Francesco Bernardone. Though born of a wealthy merchant father, he received little formal education. He led a worldly carefree life during his youth but when he changed to a charitable character, his father disinherited him. He then exchanged his rich garments for a bishop’s cloak and devoted the next three years to the care of outcasts and lepers in the woods of Mt. Subasio. In September 1224, after 40 days of fasting, St. Francis was praying in Monte Alverno when he felt pain mingled with joy, and the marks of the crucifixion of Christ, the stigmata, appeared on his body. He was carried back to Assisi where his remaining years were marked by physical pain and almost total blindness. Such could have been a dreadful experience to most of us but to him, this unfortunate and painful experience didn’t move him to waiver on his faith to the Almighty. His sufferings did not diminish his love to the Amighty Father. In fact, in 1225 he composed the Canticle of the Creatures in which the sun and the rest of the nature are praised as brothers and sisters. This work of his is a revelation of the love of God and that His existence can be found everywhere – in nature, the animals, moon, sun and the elements. This hymn is a beautiful reminder that in the midst of hardship and suffering one should always remain faithful and steadfast on his love to God. No doubt, that the sun, moon, creatures and nature itself is a manifestation of God’s love and his existence, that God can also be seen in them but I cannot praise the sun, moon and the other elements as one of our brothers and sisters simply because they are not like us. They belong to a different category. However, they require the same respect as we afford ourselves and all other human beings. Whatever we see around us, living things or non-living things, should be treated with respect and should be taken cared well for we are all a product of God’s love. Love itself should be enough reason for us to be steadfast, to be kind and generous. Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian historian, statesman and political philosopher. His amoral but influential writings on statecraft have turned his name into a synonym for cunning and duplicity. Born in Florence in 1469, he entered government as a clerk and rose to prominence when FlorentineRepublic was proclaimed in 1498. He then became one of the most significant political thinkers of the renaissance. Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince is one of the most famous volumes of political philosophy ever written, exploring the ways in which a prince might gain and retain power. The book derived its thesis from his personal observations as well as his understanding of history. Machiavelli’s views are now regarded as an amoral treatise on despotism. Even the word ”machiavellian” is frequently used as a synonym for unscrupulous plotting and manipulation. The Prince illustrates what behavior a ruler might follow to achieve censure or praise in which this apparent cynicism is clearly evident. Machiavelli leaves behind the idealism of the medieval Christian king and looks instead to what he views as the realities of human nature. Machiavelli believes that a ruler is not bound by traditional ethical norms. In his view, a prince should only be concerned with power and be bound only by rules that would lead to success in political actions. Such belief is good but eventually it will turn the prince into a stone-hearted ruler concerned only by wealth and power which more reflects on his capability as a ruler. Ultimately, such attitude would brew greed, hatred and injustice. Instead of ruling for the good of his people, he will only rule for himself. As he does throughout the book, Machiavelli uses examples from classical Rome to support his points, which is good because it give more credibility to what he has written. Such examples make the book more relatable to the readers (especially Roman readers). This literary piece is significant in today’s study of literature for it gives a glimpse of yesterday’s political situation and as well as the advantages and disadvantages of running the government in such way. Michel de Montagne is a French writer who introduced the essay as a literary form. His essays are of a wide variety of topics, all characterized by discursive style, a lively conversational tone and the use of numerous quotations from classical writers. Montage’s introduction of essay as one literary style has contributed a lot to the richness of literature giving “potential” writers another area to write on. As a thinker, he is noted for his investigation of institutions, opinions and customs and for his opposition to all forms of dogmatism that have no rational basis. Montagne observed life with philosophical skepticism; he emphasized the contradictions and incoherencies inherent in human nature and behavior. His basic morality tended towards Epicureanism, however revealing the attitudes of a scholar and humanist who refused to be enslaved by passions and desires. Montagne’s view in most subjects, inclusing Cannibalism, is conservative. In literature and philosophy he admired the ancient writers, and in politics it seems the he preferred monarchy as the form of government most likely to ensure peace and order. As a French nobleman his philosophy was a skeptical one, in that he saw the sphere of reason as entirely separate. His work Of Cannibals is a comparison of Europe and how its romances the New World. It also showed that valor is the foremost trait of a good society but in whatever way his society had shown valor, Of Cannibalism is Montagne’s own culture from which he came from, which has already been his practice – using non-Europeans as basis of studying his own society and culture. His expeditions in discovering new lands led him to the western part of the hemisphere where he realized the great difference of how his people view and do things. His work has become a reflection of a new found respect to nature and the natural way of doing things. It is a way of saying that innovations are good for as long as it keeps man’s virtues and values intact. Barbaric and savage might the western ways be but it is better than that of Europe in many respects. Montagne’s work is a great reminder of how men should go about with innovation especially in today’s competitive and technologically-based world. Read More