Pechorin represents the Byronic Hero. Identity in ‘A Hero of Our Time’ In Lermontov’s novel ‘A hero of our time’, the character of Pechorin in many respects is the embodiment of the Byronic hero and is often represented as the prototype of a superfluous man. He is possessed of extreme arrogance, yet has a deep insight into his own character and epitomizes the melancholy of the romantic hero who broods on the futility of existence and the inevitability of death. Although his existence throughout the novel tends to be interpreted as superfluity much of his actions reflect self-destructive intentions and therefore would show him to be more of a Byronic figure than a superfluous man. Throughout the narrative it becomes apparent that Lermontov’s depiction of Heroism is demonstrated more through Pechorin’s physical actions rather than heroism in an altruistic sense.
This plot device in which an expectation is expressed, only to be dashed a moment later by a seemingly chance occurrence is a common one in the novel. It serves at least two narrative purposes. On the one hand, it fills the reader with alternating currents of hope and despair: while we long for Frankenstein to save himself, we realize that his ruin is inevitable. This inevitability is both narratives, in that the beginning of the book makes it clear that Frankenstein's destruction has already occurred and we see how the elements of Victor's personality can lead only to his own downfall. The plot device of dashed expectation also serves to suggest that the course of destiny is unalterable.
An exploration of the presentation of the tragic hero in Dr Faustus using Othello As a comparative piece A tragic hero is defined as a literary character that makes an error of judgement or has a fatal flaw. Greek philosopher Aristotle once claimed that ‘a man cannot become a hero until he sees the roots of his own downfall’. In the play ‘Dr Faustus’ written by Christopher Marlowe, the lead character displays these characteristics in his quest to satisfy his craving of Godly knowledge. Encountering great power and evil along the way it is in the indecisiveness and subsequent determination of Faustus that one can see his devastating downfall. This recurring theme of the battle between good and evil is not dissimilar to that seen in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, although this Elizabethan drama highlights the deceptive evil that is common in human nature, even under the persona of those considered allies.
At the end, Dante comes to the final circle of hell to see Satan’s three heads perpetually chewing on Brutus, Cassius, and Judas, the three great traitors. The relevance of Dante’s Inferno to society can be seen in the first Canto. “Midway in our life’s journey, I went astray from the straight road and woke to find myself alone in a dark wood” (Alighieri, 194). This represents those who go astray in life, who have fallen into temptation, committed sin, and cannot seem to bring them self back to God. Dante describes the dark wood: “Its very memory gives a shape to fear” (Alighieri, 194).
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible is a timeless tragedy, depicting historical figures but concerning the modern world as well. John Proctor, the protagonist, though fitting several of the characteristics of the Aristotelian tragic hero, is actually a much more complex tragic hero. The primary differences between John Proctor and the classic tragic hero are obvious, such as the lack of noble birth, his not being in a position of leadership, and the inevitability of his fate. These differences are necessary, as Arthur Miller attempts to convince his audience that his protagonist is an everyman and is worth sympathizing for. In Arthur Miller’s more complex world, a more complex tragic hero is needed.
To what extent is ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ about nostalgia? Nostalgia is one of the pivotal issues and key themes within the Moshin Hamid novel ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’. Nostalgia within the novel encompasses and engrosses everyone and everything from characters to countries. Hamid shows how crippling and dangerous nostalgia can be, how it can render us to live in a time-warp and distort both our sensibilities and views of the world. Hamid also addresses the idea of nostalgia breeding superiority, nostalgia for a time when Pakistan and not America dominated the world, has led Changez to feel resentment for the new power and to maintain a view of cultural superiority.
When Hamlet explains,“ this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul…”, the “why” adds a tone of confusion, hinting that not even Hamlet can explain as to why he feels this way about the air. The sentences that follow continue the pattern of being an antithesis, with Hamlet describing man with great admiration, but then contradicts what he just said with, “Man delights not me”. Hamlet’s usage of antithesis reflects how he repeatedly contradicts his own thoughts throughout the play. Because of his father’s recent death, Hamlet’s mentality is confused, uncertain, and pessimistic. His disinterest in the world he knows is beautiful confirms the depressed state he is in.
Dystopia refers to a fictional society whereby the conditions of living are exceedingly low, in many cases due to oppression, greed and prejudice. Over time, dystopian writers have evolved significantly from a futuristic world to a world that question upon present-day references to serve as critiques on contemporary societies and governments. This provides us greater insight upon the unsettling reflections on our desire to retain our identity in a world depleted from individuality and the world’s amoral desire for power and control. Such concerns upon dystopia are thoroughly explored in Alfonso Cuarón’s 2006 film ‘Children of Men’. The film takes place in Britain in the year 2027, describing the devastation of the world due to nuclear and environment destruction, whereby women have become infertile.
He took some risks in the way he configured the holy tale, in that he presented it as epic poem, with Satan taking on the role of a quasi-tragic hero. This, although a somewhat controversial move, is one of the factors in the longevity and long-standing relevance of "Paradise Lost." Walter Raleigh famously reported Milton's work as "a monument to dead ideas." Raleigh could have meant that faith in god has dissipated in the wake of technological advances, or he could have meant that man's "inevitable fall" is no longer a threat. Although Milton's story was essentially a stylized re-telling of the creation and demise of man, the ideas proposed in "Paradise Lost" live on through history, the reality of modern religion, and the modern cultural and physical environment.
The often unseen serious and impactful nature of comedy stems from certain facets of comedy: festivity, misrule and subversion. Northrop Frye theorised that Shakespearean comedies were written in harmony with the four seasons, which could also then be said to correspond to the four periods of life: youth, maturity, age and death; at once we see an unrecognised depth and seriousness to comedy. The period of youth is represented by ‘thence from Athens turn away our eyes’ – Hermia and Lysander’s elopement into the woods and Helena’s unrequited love for Demetrius, ‘and I am sick when I do not look on thee’. Maturity is shown ‘for in the temple, by and by with us/these couples shall eternally be knit’ when Theseus proclaims the couples to be wed along his side, which is also quite subversive in a way for two couples of a lesser social standing to be able to be married alongside what at the time was considered to be royalty of sorts. Age is illustrated by Puck’s boredom and want to cause havoc, ‘I’ll be an auditor, an actor too perhaps, if I see cause’.