Destiny of Oedipus the King :: essays research papers

Oedipus the King Sophocles demonstrates in the play Oedipus the King that a human being, not a God, ultimately determines destiny. That is, people get what they deserve. In this play, one poorly-made judgment results in tragic and inescapable density. Oedipus fights and kills Laius without knowing Laius is his father. Then, Oedipus's pitiless murdering causes several subsequent tragedies such as the incestuous marriage of Oedipus gets into the flight with Laius. However, Oedipus's characteristics after Laius's death imply that Oedipus could avoid the fight as well as the murder of his father, but did not. Ultimately, Oedipus gets what he deserves due to his own characteristics that lead him to murder Laius: impatience, delusion, and arrogance. One characteristic that leads Oedipus to flight his father is impatience. Oedipus?s impatience is obvious when Creon reports news from Apollo. After Creon says only two sentences, Oedipus cuts him off by saying, ?but what were the god?s words? There is no hope / and nothing to fear in fear in what you?ve said so far? (1302). Oedipus is too important to listen to even three sentences from Creon. Oedipus also shows his impatience during a conversation with Tiresias. Oedipus blames Tiresias, who is reluctant to tell Oedipus that Oedipus himself is the murderer. Looking at the impatience behavior it explains how Oedipus comes to flight Laius on the road out Corinth. Oedipus rushes into the flight without thinking whether it is necessary when Laius?s men ?shoulder [Oedipus] off the road.? It can be that Laius?s men think Oedipus as a common person, not royal because Oedipus is walking alone, or that the group is simply in a rush for some reason. However, Oedipus ?strike[s] [Laius?s man] in anger,? (1321) without thinking why Laius?s group acts against him. Oedipus acts like a modern day outlaw ? shoot first and ask questions later. In this way, Oedipus starts the fight without patience and as a result fulfills Apollo?s prophecy perfectly. Not only impatience but also delusion is a characteristic that leads Oedipus to fight his father. After listening to Laius?s assassin, Oedipus?s delusion is noticeable through his statement, ?Whoever killed the king might decide to kill me too, / with the same violent hand- by avenging Laius / I defend myself? (1304). Without any evidence to link Laius?s assassin to Oedipus, Oedipus believes the murderer who killed him. Another example of Oedipus?

Columbian Exchange Frq Essay

The Aztecs and Incas were extremely affluent with precious metals, and the Spanish were able to bring much of those riches back to Europe , boosting the economy by adding more wealth . Even the furs of the North American animals were extremely valuable back in Europe for fashion purposes, so the trading of furs became highly profitable . The economic system of mercantilism aided this influx of wealth; the newly prosperous nations gained maximum capital from their trading by establishing colonies. In mercantilism, the European nations exported much more than they imported to increase the wealth of the nation. The newfound wealth of the Americas affected the upper and middle classes, who benefited from the profits. Governments used the money to sponsor research in industry and to build up their militaries . The flourishing economy led to improved technology and militaries, thus causing a significant change in European society. Another major product of the Columbian Exchange was the introduction of new crops and animals from the Americas. The most important crop brought to Europe was the potato. The potato was a staple, since it provided key essential nutrients. Thus, it provided a reliable source of nutrients to sustain peasants during grain shortages, allowing for a population increase. The potato’s versatility led to its expansion, and it became a major food source for Ireland, Scotland, and Germany. It was more efficient to grow than the European wheat, yielding more crops per acre, meaning the potato would feed more people than wheat given a limited amount of land. The efficiency also contributed to a population increase. The potato became part of European food so much so that it eventually became known as the food of the poor. Other crops besides the potato also were integrated into the European diet, including maize, tomatoes, peppers, and chocolate, to a lesser extent. The North American turkeys also became part of the European diet . In addition, Columbian Exchange created the slave trade which heavily influenced Europe. In the New World, certain crops such as cotton, sugarcane, and tobacco were cultivated. However, these crops require a great deal of labor and attention in order to grow in mass quantity , since the harvesting a large amount of those crops required manual labor . The first Spanish conquistadors enslaved the native population or used an encomienda to meet those labor needs. However, the Spanish also sent missionaries to the New World to convert the natives to Catholicism, thus many of the natives converted; and since it was not acceptable to enslave a Catholic, the European nations looked to Africa to provide the need for labor. Slaves were sent from Africa to the New World and Europe. Eventually, many wealthy households in Europe had at least one slave. Owning a slave became a sign of money and power .

Comparison Of Faulkners Caddy and Fitzgeralds Daisy - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1609 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2019/03/26 Category Literature Essay Level High school Tags: The Great Gatsby Essay Did you like this example? In the Sound and the Fury and the Great Gatsby, William Faulkner and F. Scott Fitzgerald interweave the themes of community, family, past, and present, all of which shape the interactions of the men and women. Although the main roles in both of these novels are occupied by men, both Faulkner and Fitzgerald seem particularly interested in the provocations and drives of females. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Comparison Of Faulkners Caddy and Fitzgeralds Daisy" essay for you Create order Fitzgerald presents Daisy, wife to Tom Buchanan, a showoff from an aristocratic family who gives Daisy a wealthy lifestyle and who helps her maintain her image of properness. Caddy, Faulkner’s creation, on the other hand, is a young woman who recognizes the hypocrisy and phoniness of the society around her and chooses to reject it. Neither Daisy nor Caddy tell their own story; rather the reader perceives them through the eyes of others, notably the men. The two women, despite living in seemingly very different environments, share similarities and differences in their views on promiscuity, reputation and marital relationships. These women do drive the stories, but their attempt to exercise free will leads to their personal destruction. The presence of Caddy and Daisy are central, but they are trapped by their destructive connections to the men and the patriarchal society around them. Daisy, the romanticized fantasy woman for Gatsby and the conveniently beautiful and socially skilled wife of Tom Buchanan, personifies how Daisy’s sexuality stimulates desires in men and often leads to destruction. Daisy Fay captivated Gatsby when he was a soldier ready to leave for war. They met in Louisville where Daisy was debutante who was enchanted by a man in uniform. At the time, she was unaware that Gatsby was the son of poor farmers and that â€Å"his parents were shiftless and unsuccessful farm people – his imagination had never really accepted them as his parents at all†(64). Although they had come from from such vastly different backgrounds Daisy and Gatsby sleep together before he leave for war. On the last afternoon before he went abroad, he sat with Daisy in his arms for a long, silent time. It was a cold fall day, with fire in the room and her cheeks flushed. Now and then she moved and he changed his arm a little, and once he kissed her dark shining hair. The afternoon had made them tranquil for a while, as if to give them a deep memory for the long parting the next day promised. They had never been closer in their month of love, nor communicated more profoundly one with another, than when she brushed silent lips against his coat’s shoulder or when he touched the end of her fingers, gently, as though she were asleep.(150) That act to Gatsby, was the thing that seal the deal between the two. It is also an example of Daisy’s willingness to accept Gatsby’s physical attentions without understanding very much about who he was or what his expectations would lead to. This is also an example of Daisy showing that she is willing to be the object of desire, and is not as innocent as she appears. Although she promised Gatsby she would return to him, upon his return, he discovered Daisy had already married Tom Buchanan, a man from an affluent family. Daisy’s social status dictated this choice and it is understandable that she would not push back against her familys expectations. This loss was the most significant in Gatsby life and continued to feed his obsession for Daisy. From the very beginning he believed she was everything he had ever wanted. Though Daisy does does marry Tom after Gatsby leaves, there is evidence that she did have real feelings for him at one point, but it was her family which ultimately destroyed her fairy tale. Jordan reveals to Nick that â€Å"wild rumors were circulating about her – how her mother had found her packing her bag one winter night to go to New York and say goodbye to a soldier who was going overseas. She was effectually prevented, but she wasn’t on speaking terms with her family for several weeks. After that she didn’t play around with the soldiers anymore†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (75). Although she eventually succumbs to the expectation of what a woman is supposed to do and love, it is still an internal battle for her. â€Å"She groped around in a wastebasket she had with her on the bed and pulled out the string of pearls. â€Å"Take ’em down-stairs and give ’em back to whoever they belo ng to. Tell ’em all Daisy’s change’ her mine. Say: ‘Daisy’s change’ her mine!’†( 76). In this passage Daisy has to suppress her true emotions, and reject her impulse for independence, in order to do what is expected of her. Daisy can only demonstrate her rebellion by throwing away a string of pearls. Unlike Daisy, Caddy is a life force, who refuses to curb her high spirits and spontaneity. Caddy refuses to suppress her sexuality even though in Faulkner’s Southern white world, women of Caddy’s station in life are not expected to have personal desires and passions. The reader struggles to understand her because she can only be viewed through the eyes of the male characters, and is allowed not even one small section of her own in the novel. This does not mean Caddy is unimportant to the novel. In fact Caddy is the central point in the Benjy and Quentin section, and in the Jason section her daughter is the main focus which inadvertently is her basically. Caddy Compson is not the typical Southern belle. She is full of desire and hopeful freedom. From the beginning, it is evident that Caddy is not not one to follow the rules. Even as a child, she had a sense of curiosity and daring, which is shown as she recklessly climbs a tree on their property. Caddy’s desire to climb the tree and actually doing so, is an example of how she refuses to accept the societal norms in this place and time. To her brothers, her devilish behavior is an example of her wickedness. Her brothers yell, â€Å"you, Satan†(29) to try to get her to come down. Versh warns Caddy that her Mother will get angry if her dress is wet, â€Å"Your mommer going to whip you for getting your dress wet.† (2) However, Caddy is headstrong and does not listen to what Versh or her mother think or say. She declares her mother is not â€Å" going to do any such thing. This scene takes place when Caddy is still very young, but it foreshadows the adolescent and wom anly attitude that she will gradually develop. She refuses to be manipulated or corralled by anyone including her mother or the patriarchal structure that tries to close in on her. Caddy is the main focus of all three sections of the book, and she is the only person in the book that really displays any true morals or compassion. The family focuses on what they view as her indecent behavior, but the way that she treats Benji, for example, stooping to his level to talk to him, reflects her human decency and actually sets her apart from the others. â€Å" With Benji, Caddy is constantly gentel, loving, and teaching.†( Language and Act: Caddy Compson, pg. 50) Similarly, telling her mother that Benji’s name does matter proves that she is, in fact, a good person. For Benji, she is really the most important person in his life, most likely the only one that cares for him other than Disley. She is constantly trying to make her brother happy, while her brother Quenten does not exactly hurt Benji, he really does not do anything specifically nice either. As for Jason he really does nothing good for Benji at all, in fact Jason teases him. Although its is evident that Caddy has all these admirable qualities, all of that goodness is masked by her overwhemiling association with sextuality and that she does not follow the social norms of the South. In the novel, Faulkner tries to suggest that the social code of the South at fault for Caddy’s behavior. The question though of responsibility does arise when thinking about Caddy because though the eyes of her brothers she can be seen as irresponsible when it comes to herself and her body, since she sleeps around . On the other hand, when she finds out that she is pregnant, she makes the decision to marry Herbert, even though she knows that he is not the father. She doesnt care about ensuring pure blood lines. However when it comes to her child, she doesnt want her daughter to be stigmatised. This is an instance in which Caddy does not put her personal wishes ahead of the wellbeing of someone that she loves. Caddy’s promiscuity is a response to the hypocrisy of t he Compson family pride and her assertion for independence. Nevertheless, she was willing to sacrifice her own values for the sake of her daughter, once again demonstrating that her capacity for love is greater than any of the other Compson’s. Both Daisy and Caddy are a product of their time. Both women are alluring to men, and discover that their sexuality is their only currency. Therefore, they use it in order to maintain their sense of self. In the end, Daisy succumbs to her desire to maintain her status and privilege at all costs. Caddy, on the other hand, rejects what is expected of her and runs away even though it means abandoning her daughter and giving up any semblance of decorum. In the last analysis, the patriarchy wins in both worlds.