Cecilia Saba Essays - Operas, Vocal Music, Music, Sir Orfeo, LOrfeo

Cecilia Saba 14738211 ENG20410 Reading Medieval Literature: Mid-Term Assignment " The concept of kingship in Sir Orfeo" This essay will examine the representation of kingship in Sir Orfeo, taking Orfeo and the Fairy King as the main examples. Specifically, it will focus on how both of them represented a royal figure in different ways. It will compare and contrast the two kings and it will also deeply analyse various kingship elements in the text in order to provide a comprehensive viewpoint on the subject matter. Finally, it will analyse the text and the way the theme of kingship and the loss of it was addressed through the key quotes of the critics who wrote about the topic, while interpreting them as well as challenging some of them in order to obtain a more personal outlook on the topic discussed. Sir Orfeo reworks the classical myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Where the Fairy King is depicted as the monarch of a colourful and extravagant otherworld, the original version features Hades as the king of a dark and subterranean place guarded by a three headed dog named Cerberus. While the Greek otherworld is a lot harder to access, Sir Orfeo seems to luckily stumble on it by simply following the fairies when he finally sees Heurodis amongst them. In this case the beauty of the Celtic world is contrasted with the classical nasty place that the otherworld was always described as. Instead, Orfeo is amazed by the Fairy King's reign, which makes it very different from Hades' one, which is anything but enviable. However, while Orfeo main concern is to get his wife back. Firstly, Hades did not take Eurydice away from Orfeo, she simply died because of a venomous snake's bite, whereas the Fairy King actually kidnapped Heurodis. While the Fairy's king actions were not respectful of the code of honour and therefore it could have caused a feud, his otherworldliness makes him basically untouchable. Similarly, although Hades might have purposely placed the snake near the venue of Orfeo and Eurydice's wedding, the young man does not try to get his wife back by appealing to his status. Instead, he manages to reach the underworld, which is nearly impossible for humans, and just like Sir Orfeo he moves the king through his music. Classical myths were often retold during the Middle Ages and some details were often changed and adapted to better suit the time. However, while Orfeo was often described as a hero who took part to the Argonauts expedition, and a talented poet, he was never a king in the earlier versions, although in some versions he did have divine origins, like in the medieval poem. Some believed he was the son of Apollo's, others mention that he was the result of the love of Oeagrus, king of Thrace, and one of the muses. The medieval poem clearly specifies Orfeo's status from the very beginning: "Orfeo was a kynge" (Bliss, 39). The lines from 39 to 46 provide a portrait of Orfeo's divine genealogy as well as the fact that he is a king, while the lines from 47 to 50 describe Thrace. This first section, from line 1 to 47 can be understood as the poem's prologue (Schwieterman, 46). It was essential to lay down Orfeo's importance to his people to put his duty in relation to his breakdown after Heurodi s went missing. The wilderness of the forest where Orfeo loses his sanity and the use of the word "Fairy" create elements of folklore. It is important to stress the fact that some details were adjusted to suit the British taste and to create familiarity with the story by putting it into a British contest (Hofstee, 2). Of course any supernatural elements are included, but the Orfeo's experiences and feelings are associated with the worldly sphere. Orfeo's life is disrupted by Heurodis' absence, and he experiences self-exile, return to his reign in disguise and a final revelation to conclude the story with. However, it would be wrong to assume that Orfeo was just a madman, he was a man whose world was stolen away to the otherworld (Knapp, 267). One of the main themes is in fact the precariousness of happiness and how it

Hitler Essays (380 words) - Hitler Family, Adolf Hitler, Hitler

Hitler Essays (380 words) - Hitler Family, Adolf Hitler, Hitler Hitler He stands motionless with crossed arms and resting eyes focused straight ahead. He is completely immobile, expressionless, and says absolutely nothing. Surrounded by some fifteen thousand audience members filing into the great auditorium to hear this man speak, the presence he commands brings order to the environment almost immediately. There is little doubt that Adolf Hitler projected a commanding presence. The aforementioned was merely a description of events which took place prior to one of his famous speeches during the pre-war Nazi years, when his party was only coming into power and Adolf Hitler, as a personality, was making his presence known on the scene. This historical backdrop of Germany in the 1930's reveals a country knee-deep in economic depression, and as would well be expected, the climate was ripe for a new leader. Adolf Hitler made his presence known in the form of a Messiah rather than a political leader, offering his countrymen not only economic but political salv ation as well as the kind of cultural magnificence which he truly believed in, i.e. the Aryan race. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn, the son of Alois, a customs official, and Klara Hitler. He was not a successful student, and his earlier years are said to have been characterized by melancholy, aimlessness and racial hatred. It was in Vienna where he developed what is considered to be a life-long obsession with the danger that the world Jewery posed to the Aryan race. It was after Hitler relocated to Munich in 1913 and served in the Bavarian 16th Regiment that he distinguished himself for bravery and was awarded the Iron Cross First Class. It was during this time that Hitler had found a home and glorified the raw majesty of life under fire, the beauty of comradeship and the nobility of the warrior. His soldierly dreams of victory and fulfillment were shattered, however, by Germany's defeat. He became convinced that Germany had been stabb ed in the back by Jews and Marxists.1 Oratory and the printed word were much a part of Adolf Hitler's rise to save the fatherland. It is my personal view that Hitler acquired his oratory skills and acuity through his earlier experiences.

Use two or three literary terms to analysis the story, which is Flight Essay

Use two or three literary terms to analysis the story, which is Flight Patterns by sherman alexie - Essay Example Despite his love for his family, William is drawn to his business. There are times that he feels like staying with his family, but the weight and attention for his business messes everything. The society he serves expects more from him; on the other hand, his family needs his presence. Sometimes his family, the wife and daughter understands his obligations to the business, but at times feel the need of him being around them. In an occasion, when he is about to leave for business, his wife urges his to stay and wraps around his legs, but when he tells her that he is not strong enough to do ‘this’, Marie, his wife replies â€Å"Willy Loman†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.pay attention to me† (Alexie 51). This portrays his family’s need for him and the conflict that he faces in his 21st century American life. His Family loves him, and his society has expectations for him bringing about the sense of two conflicts between man and man, man and family, and man and society. This is also an indication that William is a loving man torn between conflicts. His conversation with Fekadu induces a chain of action that makes his abandon his luggage at the airport, not worrying about the actions the airport authorities could take. When he notices how Fekadu was forced to choose between his values and family, he take the move, abandons everything, finds a phone and calls his wife just to tell her that he is there. This confirms the caring character of William. Leaving his luggage on the road was symbolic. It meant that William was abandoning the social expectations and constraints and the bags on the road meant that he had put the conflict between self and the society on the road to resolution at the cost of solving the conflict between him and his family. Choosing to abandon the social constraints and the demands of the society in order to meet the demands of his family also symbolized that