The Nature of Honour in Virgil and Homer - 1709 Words

In the epics of both Homer and Virgil, the meaning and politics of honour play a significant role in the decisions and actions of the characters. Honour involves arbitrary set of rules, so just what is is and why did people need to maintain these rules at all? In these poems, honour is linked to a hero’s possessions, identity, and deed. All three are important, but one’s deeds seem to matter the most and without performing great deeds, honour cannot be had the other two ways. Honour is often represented by possessions, and, in a way, the possessions are honour itself. Briseis, the girl that was taken from Achilleus, is honour because her movement from one possessor to another is always accompanied by and equal movement of honour.†¦show more content†¦Fighting is not the only thing he is good at, and it does not even seem to be his favorite thing. When he sits in his tent he â€Å"delights his heart in a lyre† (Homer, Iliad 9.186), and he tells his mother, â€Å"It was I first of all urged then [Apollo’s] appeasement† (1.386). He was the first man to recognize that Apollo sent the plaque, and appeasing the gods is a king’s job, so this suggests that he enjoys art and is good at leading the people. This fits with the prophecy that he would make a good king if he went home, but he would not be great or glorious because that is not what he is best at, and, especially, not what he is better than others at. Agamemnon is supposed to be the kingliest of the Achaians (Lattimore, Iliad 49), but he did not recognize the signs from Apollo and was not willing to make him happy, so he was not behaving according to his identity. Agamemnon is unwilling to give up his prize for the good of the army, so he is failing to fulfill his place as the kingliest. If they lose the war because of his selfishness, then he will be shamed for not doing his duty as king. Aeneas will also be a great king, but when he lives in Troy he is a warrior, so he must change and learn to be kingly. Fighting in the war will win him no honour. As Troy is being sacked, Hector visits him and says: ...You must save yourself from these flames.... You have given enough to yourShow MoreRelatedThe, The Righteous Politician, Mulan, By Robert D. San Souci1275 Words   |  6 Pagesparallel to Inferno’s style and concession. Inferno’s use of cultural motifs is especially familiar in the Disney fashion. Unlike Dante in appearance and caricature, Mulan by Robert D. San Souci bears tribulations attributed to Dante and works of his nature. Derived from the Poem the Ballad of Mulan written between 589 and 618 AD. Mulan honors and contests traditional aspects of belief by blending folktale and culture. While Dante, addresses aspects of Greek, Roman and Pagan ideals and critique FlorentineRead More Is Aeneas a Good Warrior? Essays2896 Words   |  12 PagesAeneas a Good Warrior? I sing of arms and of the man, fated to be an exile, begins Virgil, and it is on precisely the issue of this man of arms that critical debate in recent years has tended to centre. Scholars continue to disagree on whether or not Aeneas is presented as a good soldier, although the question itself is certainly far from black and white, complicated by the culturally relative nature of terms such as conflict and courage, as well as by the rather oblique definition thatRead More Popes An Essay on Criticism4464 Words   |  18 PagesCriticism makes an original and significant contribution to the history of critical theory (Morris 146). Pope divided the work into three parts. Part one is an extended theoretical defense of the very possibility of valid criticism which draws on Nature and the tradition of the ancients. The second part details the traits that could hinder fruitful criticism and lead to errors in critical judgment. The final section presents the intellectual and moral virtues which facilitate the critics craft.Read MoreAlexander Pope Essay6204 Words   |  25 Pagesrecovered from the English Civil Wars and the Glorious Revolution, and the regained sense of political stability led to a resurgence of support for the arts. For this reason, many compared the period to the reign of Augustus in Rome, under whom both Virgil and Horace had found support for their work. The prevailing taste of the day was neoclassical, and 18th-century English writers tended to value poetry that was learned and allusive, setting less value on originality than the Romantics would in theRead MoreElizabethan Era11072 Words   |  45 Pagesdesigned a long poem on the vicissitudes of great personages in English history who had reached violent ends. Sackville owed the main suggestion of his plan to Boccaccio, who had worked out a like scheme in Latin prose, while he drew from Dante and Virgil the machinery of a poets imaginary visit to the regions which the souls of dead heroes inhabited. A Myroure for Magistrates showed, as far as Sackvilles contributions to it went, a marked advance in poetic temper on any English poetry that had been

It Is Not the Power but Fear of Loosing Free Essays

â€Å"It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it†. (Aung San Suu Kyi’s speech on Freedom from Fear) â€Å"Power has only one duty –to secure the social welfare of the people† Disraeli Benjamin. We will write a custom essay sample on It Is Not the Power but Fear of Loosing or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, the reality is somewhat different. History has led us to conclusions where those in power dominated over the weaker ones and used their supremacy to carry out immoral actions. Keeping such views under consideration, the norm that power, the authority to rule over and influence a group, tends to corrupt an individual as power brings an individual closer to his desires and grants him unquestionable authority. What is of more significance in corrupting a person is the fear of losing the power, the influence that one holds because fear takes away the ability to discriminate between right and wrong which results in immorality of actions. Humans act close to the theory of opportunism, and are motivated by self-interests without considering the values of their actions. Therefore, it is obvious that when one attains power, the person is attracted towards material necessities since being in power brings a person, closer to the fulfillment of his desires. The influence of being powerful allows people to manipulate the circumstances to suit their own needs. It is important to relate to William Jefferson in this scenario. W. Jefferson is a former American congressman who has been included in CREW’S report 2006 (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington  (CREW) is a  nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization  that describes itself as â€Å"dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to special interests) as being a corrupt politician. Jefferson has been accused for getting involved in attaining financial benefits through illegal means. For instance, Jefferson accepted bribes from multiple firms in exchange, introduced the firm to Congressmen and other business officials and used his influence as a member of congress to support those firms in their corporate goals. The bribe received was used to finance Jefferson family business. However, members of the congress as Jefferson may fear the time mandate since they are appointed for a definite period of time after which they might not remain in power. Such a fear makes an individual to think about would the person have enough with themselves once they do not hold power to live a good life. Thus, a person based on the concept of opportunism, would try to make as much wealth as possible within the time span, keeping in consideration that once out of power, the opportunity to accumulate wealth would no longer be available. The word â€Å"power† is often interpreted in terms of a person, having unquestionable authority. The person who holds power may not be answerable to anyone and therefore may enjoy supremacy. Such individual creates a cult of personality and thus earn themselves, honorable titles to further exaggerate their influence. Within this notion of supremacy and unquestionable authority, individuals tend to waiver towards the path of corruption in order to maintain their influence. There are countless examples where leaders such as Stalin have been criticized for killing thousands of innocent people and pursuing other actions that by no means justify themselves. Stalin ruled as a dictator, with absolute power. Was it the unquestionable authority acting behind the misdeeds of Stalin? What is important here to consider is the force acting behind Stalin, the force which historians titled as insecurity? People had started to question his authority and showed criticism towards his five years plan that was developed to enhance economic potential. Further, members from his own party started to criticize Stalin’s leadership. Considering the rising oppositions, Stalin passed a law which levied a death penalty on anyone who was found plotting against the government. This law was just the beginning of the great purges that Stalin later carried out to secure his position. The purges include the trial of sixteen, trial of seventeen and trial of twenty one and the common element of all these trials was the execution of all the members who were rising against Stalin. The intensity of the fears he had developed turned clear with the assassination of Sergei Kirov. Sergei Kirov used to be a close supporter of Stalin and Stalin treated Kirov as his son. However, when Kirov refused to conform to Stalin’s authority, he was eliminated just as all the others before him. Later, a constitution, which reinforced his political position, was passed that was to prevent uprisings in the future. Although this allowed Stalin to regain his political strength but that came at the expense of economic downfall, weakened army and loss of numerous lives. Thus, what seems to be the consequences of unquestionable authority in reality sneaks out of fear that developed in Stalin to counter his oppositions to reinforce his supremacy. To come under siege†¦. was the inevitable fate of power† Frank Herbert, Dune Messiah. However, when one fears of losing the authority and influence, such people are no more concerned of morality of their behavior, and all of their actions are directed towards securing the authoritative place. Fear is a very strong force which exists in nature of the living being. It can and does produce alternate behavioral p henomenon in not just the human kind but also across other kingdoms; certain kinds of female snake would eat their own eggs because of the fear of an attack. Lizards cut-off their own tails when a predator attacks to distract it while it escapes. These traits have been described by scientists as characteristics conferring an advantage and allowing them to survive. Man, nature’s most evolved product, obviously possesses a similar in-built survival instinct which has enabled it to dominate nature’s landscape since it came into existence especially with its enhanced and complex social ability. Imagine a situation in which a group of people is under attack. Would they hurt or kill the intruders or would they be nice to them? NO. They would definitely attack the intruders to protect their power and authority even at the expense of immorality found in their actions. This is genuinely supported by the incidents that occurred in Musharraf’s regime. The early years of his rule witnessed calmness in terms of law and order of the country. However, what became the turning point of his regime was the fear, he developed when the circumstances turned against him and his presidency came under threat after the Lal Mosque incident. His actions were no more bounded by constitutional laws and what mattered to him was the maintenance of power. The illegal deposition of chief justice of Pakistan and attacks on judiciary in which several protestors were tortured, contest for presidency while still holding the status of army chief in 2007 and attack on a channel’s headoffice are examples of incidents where, to maintain power, a leader as Musharraf did not remain concern whether his actions were justified or not. Apart from this, fear can result in alternate behavioral phenomenon as mentioned earlier in the text. This might result in a complete different response to a situation by an individual under certain circumstances. The historical event that took place in Egypt just before the birth of Moses is a demonstration of the same phenomenon. The pharaoh of Egypt feared losing his power at the hands of the growing number of Israelites. His fears aggravated when a group of astronomers informed the pharaoh that a male Israelite child would bear who would throw the pharaoh’s kingdom. Keeping in consideration the patriarchal societies that have persisted for long, pharaoh ordered all the new born male children to be murdered. This was certainly not normal. In societies such as Egypt, where male dominated every sphere of life and where they were ranked far above women, it was the fear of losing his power that caused the pharaoh to act even against the conventions of the Egyptian society. In relation to the text, it is evident that corruption does not branch out of power itself. Rather it is the fear, the thought of losing the superiority and charisma that one has developed over time, which leads a person towards unjustifiable means to protect and maintain his authority. The struggle to maintain power out of the fear of losing it has led to disastrous consequences for the humanity over the years. What influential people need to consider now is that though a lot of damage has been done, it is time to consolidate. Accepting the temporary nature of power and carrying out the assigned responsibilities that the authoritative position endorse one with would allow the humanity to be protected against ill consequences. Work Cited â€Å"Benjamin Disraeli and the Two Nation Divide. †Ã‚  The Victorian Web: An Overview. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. http://www. victorianweb. org/authors/disraeli/diniejko3. tml Pakistan Weekly. â€Å"Musharraf Trial. †Ã‚  Project. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. http://musharraftrial. net/ Ariela Pelaia. â€Å"The Passover (Pesach)A  Story. †Ã‚  About. com Judaism. Web. 9 Mar. 2012. http://judaism. about. com/od/holidays/a/The-Passover-Pesach-Story. htm â€Å"Stalin’s Russia. †Ã‚  ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. http://library. thinkquest. org/C0112205/stalinsrussia. html. John Simkin†The Great Purge. †Ã‚  Spartacus Educational. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/RUSpurge. htm. Dr. Lawrence Britt†A  Fourteen Defining Characteristics Of Fascism.   A  Fourteen Defining Characteristics Of Fascism. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. ;http://www. rense. com/general37/char. htm;. â€Å"Hitler, Stalin and Macbeth. †Ã‚  Angelfire. com. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. ;http://www. angelfire. com/ma/totalitarianism/essay1. html;. Crew Org. â€Å"Beyond Delay. †Ã‚  Citizenforethics. org. Web. 13 Mar. 2012. ;http://www. citizensforethics. org/page/-/PDFs/Reports/Most%20;. Doug,†The Trouble WithA  Power. †Ã‚  Japan and Korea: Life, Language and Religion. Web. 14 Mar. 2012. ;http://japanlifeandreligion. com/2010/11/07/the-trouble-with-power/;. How to cite It Is Not the Power but Fear of Loosing, Essay examples

Creating Work Plan for Construction Project

Question: Discuss about theCreating Work Plan for Construction Project. Answer: Introduction: Purpose: The project is inclined towards the goal of setting up a resort and spa by the Salamander International Group. The key for achieving the purpose is vested in the expansion of the organization in the domain of hospitality (Arar et al., 2015). Timeline: The project has to be completed within a time span of four years. The timeline for the project has been categorized into distinct phases of planning, construction, interior and exterior designing and finishing. Highlights: The project is pertaining to establishment of Salamander resorts and spa as an extension of the share of Salamander International Group in the domain of hospitality. The resort is intended to provide the apt vacation destination to individuals all around the world with an artistic and extravagant perspective to holidays. The design of interiors and aesthetics in the resort would be conceived in accordance to global standards so that a multifaceted customer base can be satisfied (Fabricant, Miller Stark, 2013). The project plan is intended to convey the primary responsibilities assigned to each department, the illustration of the construction projects milestones and the resources required for completing the project (Healy, 2014). The major constraints observed in the project are primarily indicative of the time and financial resources which can be utilized to frame certain changes in the project plan. Objectives: The construction project is characterized by the presence of three major milestones. Apart from the planning phase, the key objectives of the project are realized in the foundation, structural and finishing phases. These three phases can be considered as individual milestones for the project. The foundation of the resort is estimated to be 36 inches below slab on grade and it would consist of concrete spread footings (Nielsen et al., 2013). The next milestone is achieved in the structural building of the resort i.e. steel framing and concrete framing for distinct sectors of the resort. Finally the finishing is the last milestone which is primarily concerned with integration of additional features such as furniture and custom designed fixtures which can demand considerable amount of time (Johnson, 2015). Project Phase Major Tasks Timeline Responsibilities Requirement of resources The key concerns addressed for catering the goals of the project include references to resource planning, estimation of project requirements, additional costs. The milestones of the project are realized beyond the scope of planning. Therefore the planning acquires the first place as a milestone for the project. This stage involves collection of information from stakeholders including investors and partners of Salamander International Group. The prime activities which need to be executed in relation to each project milestone can be illustrated through identification of gaps in present operations. The floating period available to each department owing to the lack of resources or any other influencing conditions has to be supervised by the senior management personnel. The project must be inclined towards developing a financial estimate which can provide a lucid interpretation of the feasibility of the project. Stakeholder survey is a productive resource to acquire information about the prospects of benefits for each individual involved in the project including the contractor, the construction agency, the planning department and the Salamander International Group. The project can also assume resources from the internet for the project which can assist in expediting the process. The individual milestones identified for the project are foundation, structural construction and finishing. Therefore the construction agency has to divide the milestones into specific timeframes which would enable the easy monitoring of project milestones. The foundation part of the project is estimated at one year owing to the magnitude of the resort and the availability of excavation holes which were of the appropriate footing size. The structural construction of the resort was also estimated at one year which was characterized by the distinct framework design for basement and the first floor. The use of concrete and steel framings distinctly would serve as an appealing addition to the resort. Finally, the finishing is estimated at two years which involves integration of new changes in the exterior and interior designs of the resort. The responsibilities are characterized in a hierarchical order and illustrate the roles of different elements of concerned agency in the project. The general contractor of the agency Astro constructions holds the authority in the construction project after the planning phase. The planning phase involves civil engineers, architects and structural engineers. The general contractor supervises other contractors such as Electrical contractor, concrete contractor and HVAC contractor. The resources required for the project include financial resources, time resources and human resources. The estimated budget for the project which was presented by the parent organization is $40 million and the human resources are required in the form of different contractors and supervisors of individual groups of construction workers. References Arar, M., Behm, M., Boni, O., Gal, R., Goldin, A., Ilyaev, M., Kermany, E., Reysa, J., Saleh, B., Schubert, K.D. and Shurek, G., 2015, November. The Verification CockpitCreating the Dream Playground for Data Analytics over the Verification Process. InHaifa Verification Conference(pp. 51-66). Springer International Publishing. Cease-Cook, J., Fowler, C. and Test, D.W., 2015. Strategies for creating work-based learning experiences in schools for secondary students with disabilities.Teaching Exceptional Children,47(6), p.352. Fabricant, F., Miller, J. and Stark, D., 2013.Creating Career Success: A Flexible Plan for the World of Work. Cengage Learning. Healy, K., 2014.Social work theories in context: Creating frameworks for practice. Palgrave Macmillan. Johnson, J., 2015. Creating Digital Cultural Heritage Collections in an Urban Academic Library Setting. Nielsen, K., Stage, M., Abildgaard, J.S. and Brauer, C.V., 2013. Participatory intervention from an organizational perspective: employees as active agents in creating a healthy work environment. InSalutogenic organizations and change(pp. 327-350). Springer Netherlands.