Hysteria leads the people of Salem to believe that those who were friends are executing witchery and associating themselves with the devil. The continuous accusations of witchery present the people of Salem with a chance to redeem long-term grudges. The abundant case of Abigail Williams uses the current situation to indict charges on Elizabeth Proctor, having her sent to jail. Not to be entirely blamed, Reverend Parries also pronounces his placement in society by accusing the people who question his authority. Hysteria can prosper from those who feed off of it.
The waging war between good and evil has continued on since the beginning of the creation of human beings. It perhaps is the essence of human nature to waver between good and evil. People eventually choose to be one over the other, and most commonly choose to be good. But, as a person, one cannot be perfectly good all the time, and this leads to the common struggle all humans face. It is wonderfully depicted and exemplified in Les Misèrables by Victor Hugo.
Arrogance is a vise that people deal with on a daily basis. It’s a normal weakness that people have. Creon shows us the dangers of this vice and proves the point that any normal weakness can lead to a person’s downfall. Antigone’s message is clear: It is important to set egos a side and listen to the council of others. Creon had so much power that his ego became so enormous that he truly
And in recent times, I have begun to appreciate the importance of a particular idea I find fascinating. I became curious about what it is in our lives that adds fuel to the fires of our everyday struggles, and the impacts that our conflicts have upon our individual morality. Do we indeed drive our personal battles because of an inherent selfishness, and, conversely, do our conflicts cause us to become totally concerned with our own personal, and often materialistic, desires? When writing the play, developing the character of John Proctor was relatively simple: he was to be a flawed hero. He was to be a hero who, when compared to the moral goodness of a Rebecca Nurse, was to be considered a more realistic character and possibly a more attainable example of humanity.
Odysseus is a strong warrior and a cunning trickster at the beginning of the epic, but he has many psychological flaws. He has a compulsive need to tell stories, often lying to others around him; his intense curiosity drives him to experience every possible danger; he possesses a crippling hubris and self-importance. Even his very name, “Odysseus,” means “trouble” in Greek—trouble follows him and his crew wherever they go, simply by virtue of his existence. And the gods manufacture this trouble as a result of Odysseus’s nature, desiring either to test his positive traits (Zeus) or humiliate and destroy him for negative ones (Poseidon). Whether or not he realizes, Odysseus’s ten-year voyage is a direct result of his own identity as “the man of twists and turns.” The series of trials within The Odyssey is therefore a divine evaluation, designed to demonstrate the superiority of destiny and the
Jamiel Pittman Professor Williams English 111 FE 30 October 2013 In this paper I will draw the parallels of good villains and bad villains. Often we characterize the “bad guys” as characters whom are not liked and not appreciated. However they are more likely to be more interesting than the heroes or “good guys”. I believe “bad guys” make stories more intriguing for a bunch of reasons. The idea of incorporating a fictitious character in a story that goes to great lengths to be “destructive” is always suspenseful.
Conflict has far reaching effects for ordinary people. As humans, conflict pervades every aspect of our lives; it is inevitable. However, conflict varies on a scale. With a minor conflict being an argument between two friends, which therefore has a minor outcome that soon becomes forgotten, or it can be a severe conflict, such as war, which results in a large life-changing result. The most tragic consequence of war is the impact on innocent parties.
Conflict is a consequence of our actions and our thoughts, and is inevitable due to the desire that is part of human nature. As Henry George quoted, “Human are the only animals whose desires increase as they are fed.” In both Hamlet and Gladiator, the conflict in the texts arises from the jealous drive and desire for power of the antagonists. Although the crime of regicide would have fulfilled his desires, Claudius begins to see the reality of the situation when his evil deed begins to put him in danger. The guilt Claudius feels for his actions, is highlighted in the line; “Oh! My crime is foul.
The conflict. From battles of love, to fighting for what you believe in, in every good story conflict is there. Whilst these conflicts may not always seem to be between sides that are obviously good and evil, once broken it is clear that all conflicts are based around these two sides. Not all conflicts seem to arise between sides that are simply good or evil, but if we break it down we can see that one side always posses more negative qualities than the other – therefore in the context of literature can be considered as ‘evil’. ‘The Tenth Circle’ – written by Jodi Picoult shows several examples of the different types of conflict, which often occur in literature.
Gillian MacDonald 21 March 2013 ENG 4U Mr. Chalmers The Ringleaders of the Salem Witch Trials In the book The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the theme of hysteria is dominantly present throughout the entire play. It is not hard to narrow down the cause of the widespread hysteria to three people that inevitably had their hand in the trials. The devious character, Abigail, shows her wicked mind and skill of manipulation in the play so she can get what she wants, John Proctor. The slave, Tituba, gave into the accusations and started the hysteria of the witch trials. The last character that contributed to an entire town’s belief in witches would be Danforth.