How does Homer portray war in the Iliad Essay Example

How does Homer portray war in the Iliad Paper Homer starts the Iliad by describing the result of Achilles anger; the anger of Peleus son Achilles and its devastation, which puts pains thousandfold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades. Homer is describing all the pain felt by the Achaians and the deaths, of thousands of men in the war. Homer appears to be portraying the war negatively (even if it is a result of Achilles anger), mentioning the pain and men going to the house of Hades in their thousands, which is all negative imagery. Homer then goes on to mention that these men gave their bodies to the delicate feasting of dogs, of all birds. This is a very negative portrayal of war, as Homer is saying in laymans terms, that when these men were killed, dogs and birds ate their corpses. This is not a glorious burial, which would usually be a more positive aspect of war (a glorious death and burial), and so paints a very morbid and perverse image of war. In book nine, we hear of the prizes Achilles will receive from Agamemnon should he return to fight for the Greeks. We will write a custom essay sample on How does Homer portray war in the Iliad specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on How does Homer portray war in the Iliad specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on How does Homer portray war in the Iliad specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Prizes seem to be described as one of the main motivations for the warriors fighting (behind glory, even though the prizes represent their glory). Agamemnon promises Achilles he can choose for himself twenty of the Trojan women, who are the loveliest of all, after Helen of Argos in book nine for example. Homer is describing war in a positive aspect here; in effect he is saying if you are successful in war, you will be rewarded (be it with women or other materialistic possessions). Homer mentions prizes throughout the Iliad, another example is when you kill a warrior you obtain his armour. Throughout the Iliad we see how the Gods influence the war: For example in book one, we hear Zeus agree to Thetiss request that the Greeks should suffer in the absence of Achilles. So the gods control the war, not the men, which, although Homer doesnt explicitly allude to, is a negative portrayal of the war, as the men are fighting, and the gods are just playing with the men like toys to get back at one another, as if the war was just a game. So the outcome of the war is at the discretion of the gods, whether men live or die. For example during the aristeia of Diomedes (book 5 of the Iliad), when Diomedes encounters Ares, Pallas Athene rides beside Diomedes on a chariot she seized from Sthenelos. Ares hurls his bronze spear towards Diomedes, but Athene interferes, catches the spear and pushes it away from the car. Then Diomedes, with the assistance of Athene drives his bronze spear deep into the belly of Ares, who is consequently saved by Zeus. In book six, Homer describes Hectors farewell to his wife Andromache and his child; Achilles later kills Hector. This shows the war to be negative as it brings a sense of reality back to the Iliad. It reminds you of the families these men being slaughtered are leaving behind; it is demonstrating the negative result of war upon everybody. In book two, Homer describes the backgrounds of many of the warriors, which aid Homer in making the war appear more real Some more examples of Homer describing the dark nature of war are: In book seven a truce is called so both sides can bury their dead. In book ten, Dolon, a Trojan spy is deceived by Odysseus and Diomedes and killed without mercy. Throughout the Iliad Homer mentions and describes these things to remind you of the brutalities of war, amongst all the glory you could receive. He explicitly describes the deaths of people; the bronze spearpoint fixed in his forehead and drove inward through the bone; and a mist of darkness clouded both his eyes and he fell. (as people die darkness clouds their vision-darkness being negative) and injuries of people (Ares, book five) to achieve the same affect. There are a lot of positive things that Homer alludes to, such as the glory of an aristeia (Diomedes and Agamemnons), defeating a prestigious opponent and the prizes for succeeding at war (be it at the discretion of the Gods). But interspersed into the glorified battle are reminders of the true horrors war brings upon people: bodies being eaten by dogs, leaving families behind when killed and the brutal nature in which people were killed. Overall I feel that Homer portrays war in both a positive and negative fashion, highlighting the glories of battle, but also presenting the morbidity of war.

Russian Czar Peter the Great essays

Russian Czar Peter the Great essays Peter The Great's Cruelty and It's Effect on His Power Peter the Great's reign over Russia paved the way for Russia's future as a world power. His many reforms and westernization of the country influenced millions and left a lasting legacy. The complexity of Peter is astonishing, his intellectual curiosity, combined with his hasty temper and cruelty caused a tumultuous but successful reign as Tsar. His brilliance as a ruler profoundly effected Russian society but his cruel decisions left an indelible mark on his legacy. He established his absolute power by fiercely putting down rebellions and even in personal relations with his wife and children. His cruelty and anger shown in his decisions gave him the power that allowed him to push Russia forward and allowed him to become the influential leader that he is known as today. Peter's influence on Russian society was remarkable. He inherited the position of Tsar in 1682 at the age of 10 but did not come to rule until 1689 when he overturned his sister Sophia's regency and took control over the country with his half-brother Ivan. He took absolute control over the country six years later when Ivan died (Duffy and Ricci 190). His countless reforms and westernization of Russia left it a much stronger power in European society upon his Death in 1725. His expansion of the military helped Russia strengthen their position in Europe and led to Russia's acquisition of several key pieces of land. He used reforms to create a stronger, more capable military than Russia had ever possessed. Peter used his army frequently during his reign, only one of the 36 years was peaceful. Peter's cruelty influenced many of his decisions concerning the Russian Military. He was quick to suppress any revolts and his punishments were almost always harsh to show that he was not to be betrayed. His sentences for those who betrayed him in the Streltsy Rebellion were brutal. Peter condemned ...

Illegal Immigration and the Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Illegal Immigration and the Family - Essay Example The separation of family members results in negatively impacting the overall family and especially children. Therefore, illegal immigration has even negatively impacted the family aspect of bringing up and rearing children. Illegal immigration separates children from their parents and as a result of this children experience difficulty in the psychological as well as social development. Many of the illegal immigrant children who have been separated from their family are brought up in foster families. According to Wessler, during the period of 2011 more than 5100 children had to be adopted by foster parents as their blood related parents were deported back to their home nation. Due to this, children experience issues in adjusting to the values, norms and culture of their foster family. Furthermore, some children are not even able to ever gain proper family environment that is necessary for their development. Deportation of illegal immigrants even causes another family related issue whi ch is single parent households. These households are those where either the father or the mother of a child is present and looks after the child. According to Landale et al. more than 22% of Hispanic children were living with a single parent during the period of 2011 (Landale et al.,

Proposal Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Proposal Argument - Essay Example Indeed, such a twist of events has already been witnessed in Ohio in 2011 when a boy weighing two hundred pounds was taken away from his parental care and put in a rehabilitation home. Cleveland Weight authorities claimed the mother of the boy was putting the health of the boy at risk. The crucial question is whether parents should be held responsible for obese children. It is indisputable that the debate underlying the topic pertains to the question of nurture versus nature. Thus, in deciding whether parents should be held responsible for obese children, one should give considerations to the causes of obesity, questioning how large is the role of parents in making children obese. It is worth acknowledging that obesity is largely caused by dieting, among other factors that are informed by poor parental choices such as limited instillation for physical exercises in children lifestyles. Arguably, diet and lack of exercises are the major causes of obesity among children. Of all the abov e-mentioned factors, non-healthy eating is cited as the main cause of obesity, this is accounted for by the following reasons. According to Hellmich (56), people consume food without giving consideration to the number of calories in it. MacDonald’s meals comprise high amounts of calories that could, no doubt, result to obesity. For instance, Big Mac contains as significant as 500 calories, as well as 33 grams fat (Munger 1456). Even intriguing is the fact a large population of people are now consuming these kinds of foodstuffs. According to Hellmich (60), as significant as 80 percent of youths are overlooking the impact calories can have on their health by underestimating the amount of calories in their meals. This trend is attributable to the fact that many people prefer foodstuff with much sugar, fat and salt (Peta 34). During free times, many people would still opt to taking cookies and snacks. Besides that, most people watch television while eating these snacks. This crea tes a worrying situation since watching television fosters overeating. However, those opposed to the fact that parents should be held responsible for obesity of their children have asserted that there are various factors that cause obesity and which parents have no control over. This is particularly in reference to genetics. Indeed, according to Green and Hayakawa (503) genetic characteristics are considered to play an important role in triggering obesity incidences. Characteristics, such as high human appetite and slow rate at which a body carries out metabolic activities, are all determined by genes and as well as can be inherited. Under condition of food sufficiency, these two would work together and result in perfect obese conditions. Individuals found to consist of a gene associated with fat mass are considered more susceptible to obesity risks than those without the gene. Furthermore, obesity is associated with various syndromes, which are linked to genetic variations. These s yndromes include Prader Willi syndrome, Cohen Syndrome, Bardiet-Biedl Syndrome and MOMO syndromes. Of the People who experience obesity in their early ages, especially below ten, about seven percent contained one point of mutations in DNA. Studies have also pointed out that over eighty percent of children born to obese parents risked obesity by about 80 percent (Allison and Hayakawa, 506). Moreover, the hypothesis of the thrifty gene presupposes that

Sweden and Canada Immigration Comparison Essay Example for Free

Sweden and Canada Immigration Comparison Essay This paper describes the context of Canadian immigration and immigrants` labour market outcomes, and explores trends in both over time. Fortunately, there is a wealth of research regarding the question of why earnings have declined among immigrants to Canada. Employment outcomes of immigrants to Canada have been much less studied. In this latter case we are restricted to providing basic facts, and hypotheses regarding the causes of the SwedishCanadian differences mentioned above. This paper outlines potential causes of the observed gap in outcomes, to the extent that they are known, and asks what the implications might be for the Swedish experience. Of course, Canadian outcomes are in part a function of the institutional setting. As will be seen, it is likely that much of the difference in economic outcomes between the two countries is related to differences in immigration programs and policies. The paper ends with a discussion and summary of the range of possible drivers of Sweden`s current immigration outcomes. Institutional Background Canada’s immigration system is quite complex, and is becoming increasingly so. With a federal governance structure – a federal government and provinces there is substantial heterogeneity in the opinions and goals of the various actors involved in national discussions. This implies that the nation’s aggregate set of policies and programs are not always internally consistent. Indeed, there are many stresses between the sometimes complementary, but frequently competing, humanitarian, social, cultural, and economic goals of immigration policy. And there is frequently a lack of coordination, and sometimes disagreement, across levels of government and various actors within civil society regarding such issues as settlement services. With respect to highly skilled immigrants, for example, the federal government is responsible for the admission of health professionals, but provincial governments operate the healthcare systems and are responsible for the certification of those same professionals. Potentially useful for Sweden is a comparison of the alternative routes taken by Canada and the United States. Of particular interest are the differences in immigration levels, and the associated need to manage the immigration system, along with the active measures that may be beneficial for a smaller nation seeking economic benefit from immigration. Modern immigration policies 1 and practices in North America date from the 1960s. Both Canada and the U. S. moved away from selection based mainly on source region, with most immigrants coming from Europe, to a more modern approach that resulted in large scale immigration from the developing world. But Canada took a very different path than the United States. As seen in figure 1, it consciously chose a significantly higher immigration rate, and it also developed a much more highly managed system. The U. S. receives a greater number of immigrants because it is a much larger nation, but on a per-capita basis, immigration is much higher in Canada. We believe these two features almost always go together in developed economies: the higher the rate of immigration, the greater is the need for structured government management.

Frank Sinatra Essay examples -- Essays Papers

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra born on December 12, 1915, in Hoboken, New Jersey later became known as Frank Sinatra and one of the greatest entertainers of his generation. American singers - Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday, influenced Frank Sinatra. Sinatra then developed a signature vocal phrasing in his music that influenced generations of popular vocalists. Sinatra anticipated the decline of big-band instrumental jazz music, and helped establish an enthusiastic climate for popular singers. One of the songs Frank Sinatra is most known for singing is the hit My Way. Frank Sinatra’s career began after he signed his first performing contract, when he was 24. He got his start singing with Tommy Dorsey’s band in the 1930’s. He then scored his first number one song a little more than a year later, â€Å"I’ll Never Smile Again†. Sinatra’s popularity began to rise through airtime as a radio singer during World War II. He soon left Dorsey’s band for a solo career that lead him to several hits and great success in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Young At Heart, All the Way, Witchcraft, Strangers in the Night, and that’s Life were some of his hit songs. In the 1940s Sinatra embarked on a solo career and became the idol of the â€Å"bobby-soxers†. They were teenage girls who swooned over his crooning, soft-voiced singing. During this time period he also appeared in many film musicals such as, Anchors Aweigh (1945), Till the Clouds Roll By (1947), and On the Town...

Benefit of Computer

Name: Vu Hoang Thanh Tam ID: 0239761 ESL 099 class Essay about Computer Nowadays, computers are very popular and became an important part in our daily life. People have a lot of option to choose new technology products. Some people prefer to use smart phone or Ipad because it look small , beautiful and portable while others claim that they want to use their old computer. In my opinion, i prefer to use my own computer for a number of different reasons.Firstly, computers connect all people all around the world, everybody can make new friend or keep in contact with their old friend who is studying same class in high school or living far away. For example, they can use social website such as Facebook or Skype to video chat or playing same game together. i really enjoy it, I can have may friends from different countries and share many experiences that I never know before I am using computer. Secondly, computers have benefit of the development of fundamental skills.There are many education software that help children and students practice and develop their own skills. For example, computing science students can find plenty of information for their major program like C# or C++ easily and children can come to libraries to access the computer doing their homework and help them to learn many new things such as numbers, colors, and shapes by playing easy game. In fact, many students become depending too much on computer, so it is very important for education purpose. Thirdly, computer help people reduce stress after long hours working and studying every day.They can use a lot of function in Internet to entertain themselves. For example, the can play game online or chatting with their friend. Moreover, they can listen to music, read news or watch their favorite television movies by Netflix website on the internet. In short, computers bring home entertainment to everyone. However, using too much internet everyday can bring negative effect. For instance, students playing gam e instead of going homework or they concentrate too much on fake life, so they not care about real life that they are living.In summary, if we can balance between studying and relaxing, so we will achieve best result In conclusion, computers should being used in daily life because of many positive effect influents on people. It is not only helping people’s life easy but also bringing convenient. It is also help people to communicate easier. However, abusing too much on internet can cause a lot of bad consequent especially on education . We can get full benefit of computer by using it right. It is an amazing gift of the development of technology. Benefit of Computer Have you ever considered getting the internet before? If so, there are many benefits which come along with getting acomputer and internet service. Here, through this informative article, we will take a much closer look at some of the main reasons that you may want to consider getting  a pc and the internet  for yourself. Read on to learn more about some of the reasons why having internet to access from your computer is very useful. One of the main reasons why you might want to consider getting a  computer and the internet  for your household is the fact that they are so educational.The internet is a great tool for people who are looking to learn anything on the World Wide Web. Whether you want to learn about the latest local place to dine, read the news, or get information for schoolwork, you will find that your own  computer with internet access  will come in handy. Using the internet is definitely a great way for you to experience all of these things. If you do not have the internet on your computer yet, it is definitely something which you should be sure to take into consideration. Computers, and the internet especially,  are very effective for educational purposes.Computers and internet  are also very suitable for anyone who is interested in keeping in touch with their friends and family members. In fact, when you have  a computer with the internet, chances are that you may never even call your friends again! With so many great ways for you to keep in touch with them, like email and instant messaging services like Yahoo, MSN and AOL, keeping in touch over the internet is a breeze! Last, but certainly not least, one of the main reasons that you may want to consider getting a  computer and the internetin your household is to make some extra money, or to spend some extra money!Through eBay Australia, example, you can decide to post your own items and sell them, in order to make money. If you have your own website, you can also run your at h ome business through the internet. Whether or not you have a professional website that you visit all of the time for business reasons, chances are that having the internet can help you. Of course, you can also use your computer to access the internet and do some online shopping. The internet has so many great stores available for you to choose from.The only thing that you have to keep in mind is limiting yourself, because you might find online shopping to be so addictive! However, this is great if you are looking for a good price on something, as there are so many different retailers available for you to choose from on the internet. As you can see, there are a number of different reasons why you may want to get a computer with the access to the internet. Whether you are looking to use it for educational purposes, to keep in touch with friends or to sell and shop for items — there are many reasons why having the internet is beneficial.