Satyricon is a Latin novel, believed to have been written by Gaius Petronius, though the manuscript text of the Satyricon calls him Titus Petronius.
The surviving text, a mixture of prose and poetry, details the misadventures of the narrator, Encolpius, and his lover, a handsome sixteen year old boy named Giton. Throughout the novel, Encolpius has a hard time keeping his lover faithful to him as he is constantly being enticed away by others. Encolpius' friend Ascyltus (who seems to have previously been in a relationship with Encolpius) is another major character but he disappears from the narrative half way through the surviving text. It is a rare example of a Roman novel and extremely important evidence for the reconstruction of what everyday life must have been like for the lower classes during the early Roman Empire
The work is narrated by its central figure, Encolpius, who professes to narrate his adventures and describe all that he saw and heard, whilst allowing various other personages to exhibit their peculiarities and express their opinions dramatically. The surviving sections of the novel begin with Encolpius travelling with a companion named Ascyltos. Encolpius' lover, a boy named Giton, is apparently at Encolpius' lodging when the story begins. (Giton is constantly referred to as "brother" throughout the novel, thereby indicating that they were in a relationship.)
Chapters 1-26
In the first passage preserved, Encolpius is in a portico of a Greek town, in Campania. He delivers a lecture on the false taste in literature, which he blames on the prevailing system of declamatory education (1-2). This is replied to by a rival declaimer, Agamemnon, who shifts the blame from the teachers to the parents (3-5). Encolpius discovers that his companion Ascyltos has left him and escapes from Agamemnon when a group of students come by (6).
Encolpius locates Ascyltos (7-8) and then Giton (8), who claims that Ascyltos made a sexual attempt on him (9). After some conflict (9-11), the three go to the market, where they are involved in a dispute over stolen property (12-15). Returning to their lodgings, they are confronted by Quartilla, a devotee of Priapus, who condemns their attempts to pry into the cult's secrets (16-18). The companions are overpowered by Quartilla and her maids, who overpower and sexually torture them (19-21), then provide them with dinner and engage them in further sexual activity (21-26).
Chapters 26-78 (Trimalchio's dinner)
A day or two after the beginning of the extant story, Encolpius and companions are present with Agamemnon at a dinner given by a freedman of enormous wealth, Trimalchio, who entertains with ostentatious and grotesque extravagance a number of men of his own rank but less prosperous. After preliminaries in the baths and halls (26-30), including their first encounter with the host, they enter the dining room. Trimalchio makes a striking entrance, and various extravagant courses are served while Trimalchio flaunts his wealth and his pretence of learning (31-41). Trimalchio's departure to the toilet allows space for conversation among the freedmen guests (41-46). We listen to their ordinary talk about their neighbours, about the weather, about the hard times, about the public games, about the education of their children. We recognize in an extravagant form the same kind of vulgarity and pretension which the satirist of all times delights to expose in the illiterate and ostentatious millionaires of the age. After Trimalchio's return (47), the succession of courses is resumed, many of them disguised as other kinds of food. Stories are told about a werewolf (61-62) and witches (63). A stonemason called Habinnas arrives with his wife Scintilla (65), who compares jewellery with Trimalchio's wife Fortunata (67). Trimalchio describes his will and instructs Habinnas on the monument to be constructed after his death (71). Encolpius and his companions, by now wearied and disgusted, try to leave as the other guests proceed to the baths, but are prevented by a porter (72). They escape only after Trimalchio attempts to act out his funeral results and the vigiles, mistaking the sound of horns for a signal that a fire has broken out, burst into the residence (78).
Chapters 79-99
Encolpius returns with his companions to the inn but, having drunk too much wine, passes out while Ascyltos takes advantage of the situation and seduces Giton (79). On the next day, Encolpius wakes to find his lover and Ascyltos in bed together naked. Encolpius quarrels with Ascyltos and the two agree to part, but Encolpius is shocked when Giton decides to stay with Ascyltos (80). After two or three days spent in separate lodgings sulking and brooding on his revenge, Encolpius sets out with a sword to take his revenge, but is disarmed by a soldier he encounters in the street (81-82).
After entering a picture gallery, he meets with an old poet, Eumolpus. The two exchange complaints about their misfortunes (83-84), and Eumolpus tells how, when he pursued an affair with a boy in Pergamon while employed as his tutor, the youth got the better of him (85-87). After talking about the decay of art and the inferiority of the painters and writers of the age to the old masters (88), Eumolpus illustrates a picture of the capture of Troy by some verses on that theme (89). This ends in those who are walking in the adjoining colonnade driving Eumolpus out with stones (90). Encolpius invites Eumolpus to dinner. As he returns home, Encolpius encounters Giton who begs him to take him back as his lover. Encolpius finally forgives him (91). Eumolpus arrives from the baths and reveals that a man there (evidently Ascyltos) was looking for someone called Giton (92). Encolpius decides not to reveal Giton's identity, but he and the poet fall into rivalry over the boy (93-94). This leads to a fight between Eumolpus and the other residents of the insula (95-96), which is broken up by the manager Bargates. Then Ascyltos arrives with a municipal slave to search for Giton, who hides under a bed at Encolpius' request (97). Eumolpus threatens to reveal him but, for reasons unclear in the extant text, he ends up reconciled to Encolpius and Giton, with the three planning to leave by ship along with Eumolpus' hired servant, later named as Corax (98-99).
Chapters 100-124
The next scene preserved takes place on board ship, where Encolpius belatedly discovers that the captain is an old enemy, Lichas of Tarentum. Also on board is a woman called Tryphaena, by whom Giton does not want to be discovered (100-101). Despite their attempt to disguise themselves as Eumolpus' slaves (103), Encolpius and Giton are identified (105). Encolpius speaks in their defence (107), but it is only after fighting breaks out (108) that peace is agreed (109). To maintain good feelings, Eumolpus tells the story of a widow of Ephesus. At first she planned to starve herself to death in her husband's tomb, but she was seduced by a soldier guarding crucified corpses, and when one of these was stolen she offered the corpse of her husband as a replacement (110-112).
The ship is wrecked in a storm (114). Encolpius, Giton and Eumolpus get to shore safely (as apparently does Corax), but Lichas is washed ashore drowned (115). The companions learn they are in the neighbourhood of Crotona, and that the inhabitants are notorious legacy-hunters (116). Eumolpus proposes taking advantage of this, and it is agreed that he will pose as a childless, sickly man of wealth, and the others as his slaves (117). As they travel to the city, Eumolpus lectures on the need for elevated content in poetry (118), which he illustrates with a poem of almost 300 lines (included in full in the text) on the Civil War between Julius Caesar and Pompey (119-124). When they arrive in Crotona, the legacy-hunters prove hospitable.
Chapters 125-141
When the text resumes, the companions have apparently been in Crotona for some time (125). A maid named Chrysis flirts with Encolpius and brings to him her beautiful mistress Circe, who asks him for sex. However, his attempts are prevented by impotence (126-128). Circe and Encolpius exchange letters, and he seeks a cure by sleeping without Giton (129-130). When he next meets Circe, she brings with her an elderly enchantress called Proselenos, who attempts a magical cure (131). Nonetheless, he apparently fails again to make love, as Circe has Chrysis and him flogged (132).
Encolpius is tempted to sever the offending organ, but prays to Priapus at his temple for healing (133). Proselenos and the priestess Oenothea arrive. Oenothea, who is also a sorceress, claims she can provide the cure desired by Encolpius and begins cooking (134-135). While the women are temporarily absent, Encolpius is attacked by the temple's sacred geese and kills one of them. Oenothea is horrified, but Encolpius pacifies her with an offer of money (136-137). The women apply various irritants to him, and after a break in the text he is fleeing from them. From now on, the text becomes very fragmentary, but in the following chapters, Chrysis herself is in love with Encolpius (138-139).
An aging legacy-huntress called Philomela places her son and daughter with Eumolpus, ostensibly for education. Eumolpus makes love to the daughter, although because of his pretence of ill health he requires the help of Corax. Encolpius is somehow cured of his impotence (140). He warns Eumolpus that, because the wealth he claims to have has not appeared, the patience of the legacy-hunters is running out. Eumolpus' will is read to the legacy-hunters, who apparently now believe he is dead, and they learn they can inherit only if they consume his body. In the final passage preserved, one of them expresses his willingness to do so, citing historical examples of cannibalism (141).
The self-fulfilling prophecy
What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a false prophetic statement — a prophecy declared as truth when it is not — which sufficiently influences people, either through fear or logical confusion, so that their reactions ultimately fulfill the false prophecy
Some examples of self-fulfilling prophecies in both ancient and modern times include:
The best-known example from Greek legend is that of Oedipus. Warned that his child would one day kill him, Laius abandoned his newborn son Oedipus to die, but Oedipus was found and raised by others, and thus in ignorance of his true origins. When he grew up, Oedipus was warned that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Believing his foster parents were his real parents, he left his home and traveled Greece, eventually reaching the city where his biological parents lived. There, he got into a fight with a stranger, his father, and killed him, and married his widow, Oedipus's mother.
Shakespeare's Macbeth is another classic example of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The three witches give Macbeth a prophecy that Macbeth will eventually become king, but the offspring of his best friend will rule instead of his afterwards. Macbeth tries to make the first half true while trying to keep his bloodline on the throne instead of his friend's. Spurred by the prophecy, he kills the king and his friend, something he never would've done before. In the end, the evil actions he committed to become begin and avoid his succession by another's bloodline get him killed in a revolution.
The plot of the 2005 movie Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was based around a self-fulfilling prophecy. The main character, Anakin Skywalker, has a premonitory dream about the death of his wife Padmé Amidala. He searches for a way to save her, and in desperation, allies himself with the evil Sith. However, it is Anakin’s turn to evil that ends up killing Padmé.
The movie The Matrix heavily incorporates the idea of self-fulfilling prophecies. One recognizable scene that directly references to it is when Morpheus takes Neo to see the Oracle. When Neo walks in to speak to the Oracle, she says, "I'd ask you to sit down, but you're not going to anyway. And don't worry about the vase." Neo answers "What vase?" and turns around to see what she could be talking about, but in so doing knocks over and breaks a vase that was sitting on a counter next to him. Neo apologizes and the Oracle tells him not to worry about it. Neo asks how she knew, to which the Oracle responds, "What's really going to bake your noodle later on is: would you still have broken it if I hadn't said anything?
The purpose of all of these references is twofold. First it demonstrates the prevalence of self-fulfilling prophecies in literature and second to provide context for a suggested solution. In case you ever run into a prophet who tells you something bad is going to happen to you in your future, my advice would be to just accept it. My reasoning for this suggestion is if the foretold event is going to happen one way or the other then why stress about preventing it form happening. On the other hand if the prophecy itself is what causes the prediction to come true, then the only way to prevent it from happening is to not react as you normally would. The normal reaction is usually to try and change your circumstances in order to avoid the predicted outcome so the only way to avoid the outcome is to do nothing. Imagine if Anakin Skywalker had just accepted Padme's death as the will of the force or if Oedipus had accepted his fate as the will of the gods and had not run away from home. It's like when a grizzly bear attacks you and you are supposed to go against your instinct to run and lie still while the bear mauls you. It's counter-intuitive but it is your only way to avoid an unpleasant fate.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a false prophetic statement — a prophecy declared as truth when it is not — which sufficiently influences people, either through fear or logical confusion, so that their reactions ultimately fulfill the false prophecy
Some examples of self-fulfilling prophecies in both ancient and modern times include:
The best-known example from Greek legend is that of Oedipus. Warned that his child would one day kill him, Laius abandoned his newborn son Oedipus to die, but Oedipus was found and raised by others, and thus in ignorance of his true origins. When he grew up, Oedipus was warned that he would kill his father and marry his mother. Believing his foster parents were his real parents, he left his home and traveled Greece, eventually reaching the city where his biological parents lived. There, he got into a fight with a stranger, his father, and killed him, and married his widow, Oedipus's mother.
Shakespeare's Macbeth is another classic example of a self-fulfilling prophecy. The three witches give Macbeth a prophecy that Macbeth will eventually become king, but the offspring of his best friend will rule instead of his afterwards. Macbeth tries to make the first half true while trying to keep his bloodline on the throne instead of his friend's. Spurred by the prophecy, he kills the king and his friend, something he never would've done before. In the end, the evil actions he committed to become begin and avoid his succession by another's bloodline get him killed in a revolution.
The plot of the 2005 movie Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was based around a self-fulfilling prophecy. The main character, Anakin Skywalker, has a premonitory dream about the death of his wife Padmé Amidala. He searches for a way to save her, and in desperation, allies himself with the evil Sith. However, it is Anakin’s turn to evil that ends up killing Padmé.
The movie The Matrix heavily incorporates the idea of self-fulfilling prophecies. One recognizable scene that directly references to it is when Morpheus takes Neo to see the Oracle. When Neo walks in to speak to the Oracle, she says, "I'd ask you to sit down, but you're not going to anyway. And don't worry about the vase." Neo answers "What vase?" and turns around to see what she could be talking about, but in so doing knocks over and breaks a vase that was sitting on a counter next to him. Neo apologizes and the Oracle tells him not to worry about it. Neo asks how she knew, to which the Oracle responds, "What's really going to bake your noodle later on is: would you still have broken it if I hadn't said anything?
The purpose of all of these references is twofold. First it demonstrates the prevalence of self-fulfilling prophecies in literature and second to provide context for a suggested solution. In case you ever run into a prophet who tells you something bad is going to happen to you in your future, my advice would be to just accept it. My reasoning for this suggestion is if the foretold event is going to happen one way or the other then why stress about preventing it form happening. On the other hand if the prophecy itself is what causes the prediction to come true, then the only way to prevent it from happening is to not react as you normally would. The normal reaction is usually to try and change your circumstances in order to avoid the predicted outcome so the only way to avoid the outcome is to do nothing. Imagine if Anakin Skywalker had just accepted Padme's death as the will of the force or if Oedipus had accepted his fate as the will of the gods and had not run away from home. It's like when a grizzly bear attacks you and you are supposed to go against your instinct to run and lie still while the bear mauls you. It's counter-intuitive but it is your only way to avoid an unpleasant fate.
Anagnorisis
Last night I forwent sleep to complete a paper for my government class, at 4:00 am. I realized that the paper was due next week. The moment in which I realized my tragic circumstances I proceeded to break several things and shout several obscenities. That moment is known as anagnorisis and has been experienced by many characters in tragic literature.
Examples include when Oedipus killed his father and married his mother in ignorance, and later learned the truth, when Iphigeneia in Tauris realizes that the strangers she is to sacrifice are her brother and his friend in time to refrain from it, or when Agave realized she was holding the head of Pentheus her son.
The moment of anagnorisis is what has driven the plots of tragic literature. When the audience knows of the characters tragic circumstances before the characters know themselves, it gives more weight to the emotional moment when those characters realize the truth.
Examples include when Oedipus killed his father and married his mother in ignorance, and later learned the truth, when Iphigeneia in Tauris realizes that the strangers she is to sacrifice are her brother and his friend in time to refrain from it, or when Agave realized she was holding the head of Pentheus her son.
The moment of anagnorisis is what has driven the plots of tragic literature. When the audience knows of the characters tragic circumstances before the characters know themselves, it gives more weight to the emotional moment when those characters realize the truth.
Soulmates
We are all broken; the very nature of humanity is imperfect and incomplete. This is a widely accepted truth, so the concept of a soulmate is a natural extension of that truth. Most people find it comforting that there is someone else out there who is the perfect complement to us; someone who as Tom Cruise would say "completes me". After some research I have discovered that there are many different theories about the concept of a soulmate.
Classical Definition
"Plato wrote in his Symposium that humans have been looking for their soul mate ever since Zeus cut them in half. In his mythic story, Plato describes a world where there were men, women and people who were both men and women. Apparently, humans began discussing how they could climb up to heaven and replace the gods. The gods were upset by this and discussed what should be done. The simplest solution would be to destroy mankind, but Zeus came up with a better idea. He suggested cutting all human beings in half. This would serve two purposes. First, it would immediately double the number of people making offerings to the gods. Second, it would weaken the humans, so they would not be able to carry out their plan. Zeus' idea was accepted, and the humans were all divided into two. Naturally, the humans were upset at this, and Zeus decided to enable each half to have intercourse with their opposite , symbolically creating a whole. Consequently, the males sought other males, the females other females, and the people who had been both male and female sought their other half, allowing population to reproduce."1 This concept is outlined in the modern musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch
New Age concept of soulmate
There is a prevalent concept in some segments of the New Age movement that some souls are literally made and/or fated to be the mates of each other, or to play certain other important roles in each others' lives. These souls are thought to have created something in a past life and they have chosen this lifetime to help each other "heal." Following this concept, one can have many soulmates. For example: One could see another person they have never met in this lifetime and instantly hate or love them because of previous interaction(s) with the other in one or more previous lifetimes. The most popular use of this concept is in applying it to those who were loved intimately in other lifetimes which were then found in this one.
Also, being conscious of the "soul mate connection" is not necessary, according to this idea.
Soulmate Emotional Theory
Ultimately the consequence of this notion is the unfortunate reality that soulmates often possess the ability to inflict serious emotional injury unto their twin flame, greater than any other being could. This often results in the separation of idealized love, due to the severe emotional impact. Many soulmates are destined for an eternal search, not for lack of meeting, but rather lack of acceptance. The encounter is often analogous to the collision of matter and antimatter, a violent explosive reaction will occur, but if held through to completion only pure energy, and thus harmony, will result. A Soulmate can also be a person who is not of the gender they are naturally attracted to or compatible with as a conventional romantic couple. This can cause a lifetime of profound sadness and depression as there is no possibility of resolution. By definition, a soulmate is the one person on this earth that completes you, complements you, and is your "better half." Most people will, unfortunately, never meet his or her soulmate. It is that one person that you become one with; emotionally, spiritualy and physically. You connect with that one person on a whole different level, and all else become insignificant. You are yin, they are the yang. One balances and steadies the other
The Power of Imagination.
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge -- myth is more potent than history" - Robert Fulghum
I think that myth is in fact more powerful than history because imagination is more potent than knowledge. When violence took place, of stage, in Greek tragedy it was always more potent than some staged violence that might have been preformed on stage because when a messenger described the violence it left the gory details to the viewer’s imagination. People would rather listen to a story of an historical event (say the Trojan war) despite its possible historical inaccuracies rather than read through the reports of the archeology excavations of the city of Troy. Myth is always more palatable to people than fact because myth engages the readers imagination far more effectively than fact. When our goal is to inspire or entertain we should never let the facts interfere with a good story.
I think that myth is in fact more powerful than history because imagination is more potent than knowledge. When violence took place, of stage, in Greek tragedy it was always more potent than some staged violence that might have been preformed on stage because when a messenger described the violence it left the gory details to the viewer’s imagination. People would rather listen to a story of an historical event (say the Trojan war) despite its possible historical inaccuracies rather than read through the reports of the archeology excavations of the city of Troy. Myth is always more palatable to people than fact because myth engages the readers imagination far more effectively than fact. When our goal is to inspire or entertain we should never let the facts interfere with a good story.
Sparagmos
Although I prefer the figurative use of the word to describe an event that causes extreme pain and suffering, I thought I would compile a list of literal examples both real and fictitious.
As any classical literature scholar knows sparagmos refers to an ancient Dionysian ritual in which a living animal--or sometimes even a human being--would be sacrificed by being dismembered, by the tearing apart of limbs from ones body. Sparagmos was frequently followed by omophagia (the eating of the raw flesh of the one dismembered)
Examples:
Pentheus was lured into the forest by the god Dionysus after he banned worship of Dionysus. He is attacked by Maenads, followers of Dionysus, as well as by his own mother. The reference of his mother tearing apart his limbs is sparagmos.
Ovid recounts that the Thracian Maenads, Dionysus' followers, angry for having been spurned by Orpheus and retaliated by throwing sticks and stones at him as he played, but his music was so beautiful even the rocks and branches refused to hit him. Enraged, the Maenads tore him to pieces during the frenzy of their Bacchic orgies.
Dozens of other stories in the Metamorphoses of Ovid, including the story of Marsyas who was flayed alive by Apollo after beating him in a music contest.
Lethe and Mnemosyne
In Greek Mythology Lethe and Mnemosyne meaning forgettfullness and Memory were two concepts that were personified in different forms.
Mnemosyne was the personification of memory in Greek mythology. This titaness was the daughter of Gaia and Uranus and the mother of the Muses by Zeus.
In Hesiod's Theogony, kings and poets receive their powers of authoritative speech from their possession of Mnemosyne and their special relationship with the Muses.
Zeus and Mnemosyne slept together for nine consecutive nights and thereby created the nine muses.
Mnemosyne was also the name for a river in Hades, counterpart to the river Lethe, according to a series of 4th century BC Greek funerary inscriptions in dactylic hexameter. Dead souls drank from Lethe so they would not remember their past lives when reincarnated. Those who drank from the Mnemosyne would remember everything and attain omniscience. Initiates in the Orphic and Eleusinian Mysteries were taught that they would receive a choice of rivers to drink from after death, and to drink from Mnemosyne instead of Lethe. These two rivers are attested in several verse inscriptions on gold plates dating to the 4th century BC and onward, found at Thurii in Southern Italy and elsewhere throughout the Greek world. Those plates gave instructions to the dead. When he comes to Hades, he must take care not to drink of Lethe ("Forgetfulness"), but of the pool of Mnemosyne ("Memory"), and he must say to the guards:
"I am the son of Earth and Starry Heaven. I am thirsty, please give me something to drink from the fountain of Mnemosyne."
Metempsychosis
Metempsychosis is a philosophical term in the Greek language referring to the belief of transmigration of the soul, especially its reincarnation after death.
The Orphic religion, which held it, first appeared in Thrace upon the semi-barbarous north-eastern frontier. Orpheus, its legendary founder, is said to have taught that soul and body are united by a compact unequally binding on either; the soul is divine, immortal and aspires to freedom, while the body holds it in fetters as a prisoner. Death dissolves this compact, but only to re-imprison the liberated soul after a short time: for the wheel of birth revolves inexorably. Thus the soul continues its journey, alternating between a separate unrestrained existence and fresh reincarnation, round the wide circle of necessity, as the companion of many bodies of men and animals." To these unfortunate prisoners Orpheus proclaims the message of liberation, that they stand in need of the grace of redeeming gods and of Dionysus in particular, and calls them to turn to God by ascetic piety of life and self-purification: the purer their lives the higher will be their next reincarnation, until the soul has completed the spiral ascent of destiny to live for ever as God from whom it comes. Such was the teaching of Orphism which appeared in Greece about the 6th century BC, organized itself into private and public mysteries at Eleusis and elsewhere, and produced a copious literature.
The real weight and importance of metempsychosis in Western tradition is due to its adoption by Plato. Had he not embodied it in some of his greatest works it would be merely a matter of curious investigation for the Western anthropologist and student of folk-lore. In the eschatological myth which closes the Republic he tells the story how Er, the son of Armenius, miraculously returned to life on the twelfth day after death and recounted the secrets of the other world. After death, he said, he went with others to the place of Judgment and saw the souls returning from heaven and from purgatory, and proceeded with them to a place where they chose new lives, human and animal. He saw the soul of Orpheus changing into a swan, Thamyras becoming a nightingale, musical birds choosing to be men, the soul of Atalanta choosing the honours of an athlete. Men were seen passing into animals and wild and tame animals changing into each other. After their choice the souls drank of Lethe and then shot away like stars to their birth. In Plato's view the number of souls was fixed; birth therefore is never the creation of a soul, but only a transmigration from one body to another. Plato's acceptance of the doctrine is characteristic of his sympathy with popular beliefs and desire to incorporate them in a purified form into his system.
Metempsychosis also appears in Molly Bloom's question to her husband, Leopold, in James Joyce's seminal novel Ulysses. In this multi-layered novel, at one level, Leopold's matter-of-fact and accurate response indicates that the ancient Greek hero's spirit resides in this most typical of modern men, a bumbling, cuckolded, seller of advertising copy
Agon at the Movies
After looking over the American Film Institute’s 100 Years... 100 Movies list, which includes award-winning movies created between 1915 and 1996, I realized that every movie on the list at least partially contains at least one of the five conflicts (AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies). Based on this I decided to focus on five of the movies on the list that perfectly embody each of the five conflicts. The movies I chose and the conflicts they embody are as follows:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves = Old vs. Young
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark = Men vs. The Gods
Frankenstein = Living vs. The Dead
My Fair Lady = Men vs. Women
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest = Individual vs. Society
So next time you go to the movies remember to look for the conflicts that drive their plots.
A New Angle on Sorrow
I found the following description of the term penthus as it related to Greek mythology on Wikipedia. I thought it was an interesting contrast with Pentheus, the king of Thebes in the Bacchae, whose name means sorrow.
The description from wikipedia is as follows: In Greek mythology, Penthus was the personification of grief. When Zeus began passing out domains to the various gods, Penthus was not there. As such, he received the one domain no one wanted: grief and sadness. It is believed that he likes to torment the same individuals; he favors those who weep for the dead. Therefore, the best way to keep him away is to grieve quickly and quietly.
The description from wikipedia is as follows: In Greek mythology, Penthus was the personification of grief. When Zeus began passing out domains to the various gods, Penthus was not there. As such, he received the one domain no one wanted: grief and sadness. It is believed that he likes to torment the same individuals; he favors those who weep for the dead. Therefore, the best way to keep him away is to grieve quickly and quietly.
Who Ever Heard of Cinncanatus?
Have you ever heard of the Roman citizen Cincinnatus?
Probably not, he was an ordinary Roman citizen who lived in the forth century B.C.E, and is regarded as the model of virtue and honor. Cincinnatus' first term as dictator began when the Aequi tribe from the east and the Volscians from the southeast began to menace Rome. The Roman Senate pleaded with Cincinnatus to assume the mantle of dictator to save the city.
According to Roman annalists, Cincinnatus had settled into a life of farming and knew that his departure might mean starvation for his family if the crops went unsown in his absence. He assented to the request anyway and within sixteen days had defeated the Aequi and the Volscians. His immediate resignation of his absolute authority with the end of the crisis has often been cited as an example of good leadership, service to the public good, civic virtue, and the virtue of modesty.
My point is that while most people have never heard of Cincinnatus, everybody has heard of Hitler, Stalin, and Nero. How fair is that. If the goal of humans is to achieve some type of immortality, than those who behave in an evil or immoral fashion (Hitler, Stalin, Nero) have achieved a type of immortality (if an infamous type) while those who live their lives in an honorable and modest fashion (of whom Cincinnatus was the most well known) are forgotten in the fog of the past.
The only justification I can offer is that perhaps those who live righteously and do good deeds live on through those good deeds and achieve a different type of immortality.
The Art of Scapegoating
After having studied the use of scapegoating throughout history I have come to the conclusion that there are five basic rules to selecting the perfect scapegoat.
1. Select a person or group of people whose suffering will evoke the least amount of suffering from the population at large. Witches are always a good choice.
2. Select a person who might be inclined to volunteer to fall on the proverbial grenade. Willing scapegoats are always better than willing ones.
3. Select a person who would be easy to position as opposed to the values of the majority.
4. Select a person you don't like, makes it much easier to not miss them when their gone.
5. Select a person who can't mount an adequate defense against your accusations.
The Art of Seduction
At the beginning of this semester I was tasked by Dr. Sexson, to grab an attractive girl in the Strand Union Building and recite Shakespeare's sonnet 18 to her. I took my assignment to heart and proceeded to the SUB. I managed to locate an attractive girl and with a little convincing managed to get her to listen to the 14 lines of Shakespeare's sonet 18.
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
Now to be honest, I expected a phone number or at least a good explanation as to why she was not going to give me her number (I mean I did recite one of Shakespeare's most famous love poems). But instead she thanked me and went upon her way. I decided to treat this as a learning experience and an oppertunity to delve into the history of seduction.
After some extensive but not unpleasant research on the subject, I learned that Seduction is a popular motif in both legend and literature. Female seductresses have included: Eve, who enticed Adam to eat the forbidden fruit; the Sirens of Greek myth lured sailors to their death, and Cleopatra who beguiled both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony.
Being a man this research was interesting but not very useful, so I decided to focus more on famous male seducers both real and fictitious. Giacomo Casanova was a famous Venetian adventurer, writer, and womanizer. His charm, intelligence, and looks to ensorcelled scores of women all across Europe. Don Juan is a fictional womanizer whose mythos has inspired artists such as Molière, Lord Byron, and Alexandre Dumas recount his notorious story. That mythos, as stated by Wikipeia, is as follows:
"The legend says that Don Juan either raped or seduced a young girl of noble family, and killed her father. Later, he came across a statue of the father in a cemetery and impiously invited it home to dine with him, an invitation which the statue gladly accepted. The ghost of the father arrived for dinner as the harbinger of Don Juan's death. The Statue asked to shake Don Juan's hand, and when he extended his arm, he was dragged away to Hell.
In Hell, Don Juan was met by the Devil. The Devil informs him that everyone in Hell was cast in a role. The Devil then presents him with a Jester's suit -- "You'll make an excellent fool", he is told. Don Juan is insulted by this, protesting that no other man was his equal, "I am the man who made a thousand conquests!" Intrigued by the claim, the Devil tells him that if he can correctly name one of his conquests, he would not have to wear the suit. Thus the parade of women began, and not once could he name one correctly. Finally, one woman stands before him, tears on her face. Yes," the Devil says, "this is the one woman who truly loved you." Don Juan looks into her eyes helplessly, then turns to the Devil and says, "Give me the suit."
After concluding my investigations I came to the conclusion that seduction requires one thing above all else, deception. Perhaps my approach in the SUB was a little too straightforward. If Casanova had been in my place he probably would have broken down and started to cry in the middle of the sonnet or faked a phone call from a desperately ill relative. Sadly I have a useless poker face and a very unforgiving conscience when it comes to lying about sick relatives. So I guess I'll have to stick to the hopeless romantic angle and a healthy supply of Shakespearian sonnets.
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
Now to be honest, I expected a phone number or at least a good explanation as to why she was not going to give me her number (I mean I did recite one of Shakespeare's most famous love poems). But instead she thanked me and went upon her way. I decided to treat this as a learning experience and an oppertunity to delve into the history of seduction.
After some extensive but not unpleasant research on the subject, I learned that Seduction is a popular motif in both legend and literature. Female seductresses have included: Eve, who enticed Adam to eat the forbidden fruit; the Sirens of Greek myth lured sailors to their death, and Cleopatra who beguiled both Julius Caesar and Marc Antony.
Being a man this research was interesting but not very useful, so I decided to focus more on famous male seducers both real and fictitious. Giacomo Casanova was a famous Venetian adventurer, writer, and womanizer. His charm, intelligence, and looks to ensorcelled scores of women all across Europe. Don Juan is a fictional womanizer whose mythos has inspired artists such as Molière, Lord Byron, and Alexandre Dumas recount his notorious story. That mythos, as stated by Wikipeia, is as follows:
"The legend says that Don Juan either raped or seduced a young girl of noble family, and killed her father. Later, he came across a statue of the father in a cemetery and impiously invited it home to dine with him, an invitation which the statue gladly accepted. The ghost of the father arrived for dinner as the harbinger of Don Juan's death. The Statue asked to shake Don Juan's hand, and when he extended his arm, he was dragged away to Hell.
In Hell, Don Juan was met by the Devil. The Devil informs him that everyone in Hell was cast in a role. The Devil then presents him with a Jester's suit -- "You'll make an excellent fool", he is told. Don Juan is insulted by this, protesting that no other man was his equal, "I am the man who made a thousand conquests!" Intrigued by the claim, the Devil tells him that if he can correctly name one of his conquests, he would not have to wear the suit. Thus the parade of women began, and not once could he name one correctly. Finally, one woman stands before him, tears on her face. Yes," the Devil says, "this is the one woman who truly loved you." Don Juan looks into her eyes helplessly, then turns to the Devil and says, "Give me the suit."
After concluding my investigations I came to the conclusion that seduction requires one thing above all else, deception. Perhaps my approach in the SUB was a little too straightforward. If Casanova had been in my place he probably would have broken down and started to cry in the middle of the sonnet or faked a phone call from a desperately ill relative. Sadly I have a useless poker face and a very unforgiving conscience when it comes to lying about sick relatives. So I guess I'll have to stick to the hopeless romantic angle and a healthy supply of Shakespearian sonnets.
Eros and Psyche
I chose this image for one reason and one reason only. It depicts an equality between Eros and Psyche, both standing and holding each other. This equality between love and the soul is, I believe, the best way to depict the story of Eros and Psyche.
A Star Wars Epiphany
Over the weekend I had some extra time (which was gained by stopping in my reading of the Golden Ass just after the story of Eros and Psyche) so I decided to view the original Star Wars trilogy (4,5,6) in one sitting. Somewhere between Luke Skywalker learning to levitate rocks and Princess Leia feeding what appeared to be a power bar to an Ewok, I had a minor epiphany on the basic yet pervasive structure underlying the most captivating stories in history.
To illustrate my point I will use two of the most captivating stories ever told in my analysis, Star Wars and the story of Cupid and Psyche. There is, in my humble opinion, three essential components to any captivating story. They are: Initiation, Separation, and Return (these terms are taken from a discussion with another story telling enthusiast who shall remain unnamed).
Initiation
In this stage the protagonist is introduced as a young, sheltered, and naive character (obviously both Psyche and Luke Skywalker qualify). During this stage the protagonist endures difficult events (Luke's aunt and uncle being killed or Psyche being abandoned on a mountain) which leads to a new an exciting adventure or experience (Luke going with Obi-Wan to rescue Princess Leia or Psyche being whisked away to live in splendor with her invisible husband). This stage involving a tragic or frightening experience followed by a new and exciting adventure or experience is what I call initiation.
Separation
This is the stage in which the main character abandons or upsets the idyllic environment of the initiation stage by acting impulsively or against their better judgment (Luke abandons his training with Yoda, despite Yoda and Obi-Wan's warning, to go save his friends in Cloud City or when Psyche heeds the advice of her evil sisters and, ignoring the words of Eros, looks upon her husband while he sleeps). This action leads the protagonist to discover the ironic truth of their situation ("Luke I am your father" or Psyche discovering her husbands true identity) which results in tragic circumstances for the protagonist which separate and isolate them from the rest of society (Luke's depression over being lied to about his father's true identity or Psyche's depression at having lost the love of her life because of her own foolishness).
Return
In the final stage, the protagonist seeks the counsel of those wiser than themselves about what they should do next (Luke speaking to Yoda and the ghost of Obi-wan or Psyche speaking to Pan, Demeter, and Hera) the Protagonist comes to terms with the tragic reality of their situation and attempt to confront the problem and rectify the situation (Luke deciding to face Darth Vader and the Emperor or Psyche deciding to confront Aphrodite). The protagonist then struggles and suffers as a result of their confrontation (Luke dueling Vader and being tortured by the Emperor or Psyche attempting to completing Aphrodite's impossible tasks). It is during this struggle that the secondary character, who has some type of bond or connection to the protagonist takes pity on the protagonist and aids them in their struggle (Vader killing the emperor to save Luke or Eros rescuing Psyche). It is through this action that the protagonist is restored or returned to their rightful place- regaining the innocence of their initiation while retaining the wisdom gained through their separation (Luke becoming a Jedi knight and helping to redeem his father or Psyche gaining Eros's forgiveness and becoming immortal).
These are the essential stages that embody the most captivating stories in our history.
To illustrate my point I will use two of the most captivating stories ever told in my analysis, Star Wars and the story of Cupid and Psyche. There is, in my humble opinion, three essential components to any captivating story. They are: Initiation, Separation, and Return (these terms are taken from a discussion with another story telling enthusiast who shall remain unnamed).
Initiation
In this stage the protagonist is introduced as a young, sheltered, and naive character (obviously both Psyche and Luke Skywalker qualify). During this stage the protagonist endures difficult events (Luke's aunt and uncle being killed or Psyche being abandoned on a mountain) which leads to a new an exciting adventure or experience (Luke going with Obi-Wan to rescue Princess Leia or Psyche being whisked away to live in splendor with her invisible husband). This stage involving a tragic or frightening experience followed by a new and exciting adventure or experience is what I call initiation.
Separation
This is the stage in which the main character abandons or upsets the idyllic environment of the initiation stage by acting impulsively or against their better judgment (Luke abandons his training with Yoda, despite Yoda and Obi-Wan's warning, to go save his friends in Cloud City or when Psyche heeds the advice of her evil sisters and, ignoring the words of Eros, looks upon her husband while he sleeps). This action leads the protagonist to discover the ironic truth of their situation ("Luke I am your father" or Psyche discovering her husbands true identity) which results in tragic circumstances for the protagonist which separate and isolate them from the rest of society (Luke's depression over being lied to about his father's true identity or Psyche's depression at having lost the love of her life because of her own foolishness).
Return
In the final stage, the protagonist seeks the counsel of those wiser than themselves about what they should do next (Luke speaking to Yoda and the ghost of Obi-wan or Psyche speaking to Pan, Demeter, and Hera) the Protagonist comes to terms with the tragic reality of their situation and attempt to confront the problem and rectify the situation (Luke deciding to face Darth Vader and the Emperor or Psyche deciding to confront Aphrodite). The protagonist then struggles and suffers as a result of their confrontation (Luke dueling Vader and being tortured by the Emperor or Psyche attempting to completing Aphrodite's impossible tasks). It is during this struggle that the secondary character, who has some type of bond or connection to the protagonist takes pity on the protagonist and aids them in their struggle (Vader killing the emperor to save Luke or Eros rescuing Psyche). It is through this action that the protagonist is restored or returned to their rightful place- regaining the innocence of their initiation while retaining the wisdom gained through their separation (Luke becoming a Jedi knight and helping to redeem his father or Psyche gaining Eros's forgiveness and becoming immortal).
These are the essential stages that embody the most captivating stories in our history.
The Male Perspective on Conversation- We Really are Sorry
After having read and reread several blog entries on examples of conversations between men and women and being unable to think of an example myself, I instead offer the following reflection on the aforementioned topic.
Now I'm not seeking to speak for every man on the planet, but it seems to me that the female perspective on the nature of conversation between men and women makes one accusation that I think unfair. Many women charge that men don't listen to them, don't understand them, and patronize them when they say sorry.
Now the first two charges are sometimes true (and depending on the particular man might be habitually true) but this much I can tell you from my personal experience, on average, men really are sorry. When it comes to conversations with women, the average man just doesn't have a complete understanding of what's going on. It's not that we're trying to convey malicious intent or ill will when we respond with the torpor of a "sorry" or a "ahuh", it's just that we don't know what to say that won't get us in more trouble.
I have written this blog in the hopes of making progress towards bridging the conversational gaps that prevent men and women from truly communicating.
Now I'm not seeking to speak for every man on the planet, but it seems to me that the female perspective on the nature of conversation between men and women makes one accusation that I think unfair. Many women charge that men don't listen to them, don't understand them, and patronize them when they say sorry.
Now the first two charges are sometimes true (and depending on the particular man might be habitually true) but this much I can tell you from my personal experience, on average, men really are sorry. When it comes to conversations with women, the average man just doesn't have a complete understanding of what's going on. It's not that we're trying to convey malicious intent or ill will when we respond with the torpor of a "sorry" or a "ahuh", it's just that we don't know what to say that won't get us in more trouble.
I have written this blog in the hopes of making progress towards bridging the conversational gaps that prevent men and women from truly communicating.
My Epiphany- The Nature of Tragedy and Comedy
After watching the movie Groundhogs Day on February 2 and then watching it again once each day for the five days following February 2 (as is my groundhogs day tradition), I had an epiphany. In the movie, Bill Murphy learns to find the extraordinary within the ordinary when he is forced to relive groundhogs day over and over. The lesson of the movie was that every day is extraordinary when you approach it with the right mindset. Thinking about the aforementioned lesson and about Dr. Sexson's recent discussions on the nature of comedy and tragedy, I had an epiphany.
Are you ready to hear it? Here it comes; tragedy and comedy are the same thing.
Every day presents the possibility of comedy or tragedy depending on how we react to the events that are outside our control.
Are you ready to hear it? Here it comes; tragedy and comedy are the same thing.
Every day presents the possibility of comedy or tragedy depending on how we react to the events that are outside our control.
For Those Seeking To Invoke Their Muse
"The muses are typically invoked at or near the beginning of an epic poem or classical Greek hymn. They have served as aids to an author of prose, too, sometimes represented as the true speaker, for whom an author is only a mouthpiece. Originally, the invocation of the Muse was an indication that the speaker was working inside the poetic tradition, according to the established formulas.
Here are five classic examples :
Homer in Book I of The Odyssey:
"Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy." (Robert Fagles translation, 1996)
Virgil, in Book I of the Aeneid:
O Muse! the causes and the crimes relate;
What goddess was provok'd, and whence her hate;
For what offense the Queen of Heav'n began
To persecute so brave, so just a man; [...]
(John Dryden translation, 1995)
Dante Alighieri, in Canto II of The Inferno:
O Muses, o high genius, aid me now!
O memory that engraved the things I saw,
Here shall your worth be manifest to all! (Anthony Esolen translation, 2002)
John Milton, opening of Book 1 of Paradise Lost:
Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the World, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat,
Sing, Heavenly Muse, [...]
William Shakespeare, Act 1, Prologue of Henry V:
Chorus: O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!"
Source: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muse>
Here are five classic examples :
Homer in Book I of The Odyssey:
"Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns
driven time and again off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights of Troy." (Robert Fagles translation, 1996)
Virgil, in Book I of the Aeneid:
O Muse! the causes and the crimes relate;
What goddess was provok'd, and whence her hate;
For what offense the Queen of Heav'n began
To persecute so brave, so just a man; [...]
(John Dryden translation, 1995)
Dante Alighieri, in Canto II of The Inferno:
O Muses, o high genius, aid me now!
O memory that engraved the things I saw,
Here shall your worth be manifest to all! (Anthony Esolen translation, 2002)
John Milton, opening of Book 1 of Paradise Lost:
Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste
Brought death into the World, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat,
Sing, Heavenly Muse, [...]
William Shakespeare, Act 1, Prologue of Henry V:
Chorus: O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention,
A kingdom for a stage, princes to act
And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!"
Source: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muse>
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