Sophocles’ play Antigone, and Martin Luther king Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail analyze the underlying truth concerning their moral situations tied in with the legal systems of their times. Antigone was faced with whether to follow her heart and go against her very own uncle, while King himself did not face any personal dilemmas but was providing the intended audience a choice, either to side with his methods or fall in to the power of their faulty legal system. In this paper, I will argue how both pieces face different moral and legal dilemmas in their own unique way which ultimately questions the jurisdictions set forth by those in power. Does law reflect morality? In this short play, Antigone is faced with the choice to either bury Polynecies
The idea of fate or free will is something that is often linked to human nature and is reflected in many pieces of writing. They poke and prod the reader of these two beliefs, and allow them to determine the reasoning behind each character’s actions. Examples would include the play Macbeth, Oedipus and the film The Adjustment Bureau, as the main characters make decisions based with or against the newfound knowledge. Overall, it is considered that fate often dictates the influential choices, while free will consists of everyday life activities.
“Road Not Taken” is a renowned poem by a famous American poet containing a message about life’s choices that is familiar to most people. Donald M. Murray uses the notoriety of the poem’s message to his advantage by alluding to it. In doing so, he emphasizes the similar message of his essay about how innocence causes blind decision making and the way in which people look back on those
The guards let the fight go on until is clear who is prevailing. Then they tell to stop and if the combatants do not do so, they shoot. So, no one wins in the end, except the guards who bet money on the surviving gladiator. The author quotes a prisoner who won 11 such fights saying that it was made very clear to them by the guards who bet on him that he must prevail or he would face dire consequences.
The speaker in the poem “Prelude to Jumping in the River” by Katia Grubisic, uses his observations of a man preparing to jump into a river as a metaphor for making important decisions. The speaker presents instances of metaphor in the moments before the jump, the unpredictable outcome of the jump, and in the possibility of missing the jump. When the speaker witnesses a man standing at the edge of a river preparing to jump he reflects on how “the mental preparation takes some time” (4-5). Comparably, careful thought and anticipation are also involved when approaching significant decisions. Certainly, the speaker’s observation addresses how responsibly handling a major decision is a lengthy process that requires careful consideration.
Combined, Romeo and Juliet risk getting killed, commit suicide, and Juliet even fakes her own death so that her and Romeo could be together. They truley prove and exemplify the argument that the heart overrules the head because they ultimately take their lives for one another. These arguments substantiate the theme of choosing what your heart desires over anything else in the world, even your own life. Nowadays, this can be paralleled to walkouts, peaceful protests and other forms of passion-driven expression. This can also be parallel to the everyday acts of courage, that pushes one person to stand up for another.
Power, and the way it is distributed, has changed over the years. The democratic system seen today in most 1st world countries which embodies the motif of the common man having power over his own destiny is a stark contrast to the despotisms, empires, and monarchies of the past. The greatest upheaval of this old system happened in the waning years of the 18th century, with the French peasantry throwing off their heavy yokes burdened upon them by their greedy and unqualified royal masters and becoming the masters of their own destiny (by appointing for themselves an emperor instead of a king). What happened in those years long past still echoes today as the model method for overthrowing oppression and taking ownership of one’s own destiny from the selfish clutches that they first had been stricken to.
Through Wolsey’s monologue, Shakespeare warns the reader not to succumb to his or her pride by carelessly climbing the ladder of greed higher and higher. Once one is at the top, the pain of falling down, as Wolsey exemplifies, can make one “never to hope
The Princess’s Choice Frank R. Stockton, the author of The Lady or The Tiger, wrote the story and left us questioning who might have been behind the door. The story is puzzling and mysterious all together. The story gives many evidences and hints to the princess’s decision. Some would say that the lady came out from behind the door, but there are several evidence that show that the princess chose the door with the tiger. First of all, if the princess chose the lady, she would be in so much pain to see her lover and the lady together.
Caesar Essay Fate and free will are the two aspects that seem to rule one’s life. They weave their hands into the choices that are made. The way one acts are based on these two important ideologies. Shakespeare approaches these ideas in a way that creates a dual mindset.
The overriding internal conflict of choosing between personal desire and what is morally correct becomes the central aspect of many human trials. William Shakespeare, the writer of many well known
MIP Rough Draft The play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare and the book, “The Handmaids Tale” by Margaret Atwood, both create a fall of power in society and this loss of leadership opens the door for corruption to take over. Both authors have created this instability in society and use the motifs: loss of power, religion, and relationships to explore characters’ innermost selves. This exploration of characters proves that one will submit to anything in order to obtain stability in a corrupt environment. Both Shakespeare and Margaret Atwood immediately pull the rug out beneath from the characters in their work, creating instability not only in the character’s mind but in the reader’s mind as well.
While the protagonist, Alex, may choose vicious acts, he chooses them with a clear ethical capacity. On the other hand, when being controlled by the government, he loses the part of him that makes him human. Individuals may not always make the best choice, but humanity comes from a human’s ability to choose between right and wrong. In this case, the destruction of Alex’s humanity proves that it is better to be bad by choice, than to be good by government coercion.
The Unbreakable Hold “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers” by Adrienne Rich has several similarities as well as a few differences. Throughout history, women have been expected to submit to their husbands in many ways. They were to do this without any objections. A woman, during the 19th century, secretly dreamed of becoming free of this unnecessary authority. These two stories have one main subject in common: a want for freedom from a husband’s hold in marriage.
Lady Vs. Tiger In the story “ The Lady , or the Tiger?” By Frank R. Stockson there is a semi-barbaric king who’s way of punishing a criminal was by giving him two options which in this case were two doors. He could open either door he pleased in which one of them had a tiger and the other the lady , if he opened the one with the tiger the tiger would immediately eat him but if he got the lady he would have to marry her and make a family.