Voltaire s Candide And 17th Century - 1983 Words

Candide and 18th Century According to James Schmidt s article Civility, Enlightenment, and Society: Conceptual Confessions of Kantian Remedies, The Enlightenment is routinely characterized as embracing a conception of reason that is held to be insufficiently sensitive to its own limits (Schmidt 421). The term enlighten means to clarify or clear things up, the majority of the time a person would give a reason to enlighten a situation. The Enlightenment period focused majorly on reasoning and purpose, therefore it was also known as the Age of Reason. The name of the Enlightenment period is misleading, a person may think that it was times of happiness, joy, and understanding, conversely, it was a horrid time . Voltaire wrote one of his†¦show more content†¦Ordinarily, they even wanted to punish Candide for simply believing in what Pangloss said. This was very typical during the Enlightenment period. You would not find this type of behavior in the 21st century. A truly religious person would never sentence a human being to this kind of punishment, this is another reason why there is religious hypocrisy in the story. Along with religious hypocrisy, there was a lot of corruption in religion. When the Old Woman was telling her story she revealed that she was, in fact, the daughter of a pope. Therefore, this shows how corrupted the Catholic religion was. When Candide is homeless and looking for some food, he ran into an orator and this was their conversation, - Look here, friend, said the orator, do you think the Pope is Antichrist? -I haven t considered the matter, said Candide; but whether he is or not, I m in need of bread. -You don t deserve any said the other; away with you, you rascal, you rogue, never come near me as long as you live (Voltaire 104). passage above is a great example of how the religious characters in the story are hypocritical. The orator had just preached about charity and now he will not even give some bread to the needy, this is being a hypocrite. In the article Enlightenment as Religion William Rash states that Christ has banished from the civilized, worldly realm (Rasch 110). Even though they may seem to be a religious leader does not mean they live their life religiously.Show MoreRelatedThe Candide : An Era Of Enlightenment Philosopher Essay1355 Words   |  6 PagesFranà §ois-Marie Arouet, also known as Voltaire after his writings exiled him from france, was an Era of Enlightenment philosopher that focused on social oppression, Government corruption, and fanaticism; i.e, optimistic philosophy and religion. Voltaire s writing style was indignantly satirical to the late midd le ages system, but despite exile from France because of his writing, he became popular among the masses for his philosophy. Candide, one of Voltaire s more famous works, expresses lack ofRead MoreCandide : A Reflection Of The Enlightenment1325 Words   |  6 Pages Candide: A Reflection of the Enlightenment Francois-Marie Arouet, otherwise known as Voltaire was an 18th century French philosopher and writer during the Enlightenment period. Voltaire’s most famous work of literature; Candide follows a young man who grows up in a Baron’s castle (Castle Thunder-ten-tronckh), under the instruction of Dr. Pangloss, a tutor and philosopher who worships optimism even under extreme circumstances. Throughout Voltaire’s novel, Candide and his companions encounter aRead MoreThe And Philosophical Movement Of Voltaire s Candide1641 Words   |  7 PagesSpreading rapidly in the 17th century, the Age of Reason changed the way people understood and interpreted their thoughts. The Enlightenment advocated for truth, to free the human mind from superstition and religious authoritarianism. People began to reflect on themselves rather than relying on the church. Voltaire was a writer and philosopher, who played an important role by incorporating themes of The Enlightenment into one of his famous novels, â€Å"Candide† to spread ideas. Themes including religionRead MoreNegative Effects Of The Enlightenment1356 Words   |  6 PagesThe Enlightenment of the eighteenth century finalized the movement toward contemporaneousness that began with the writers and philosophers of the Renaissance age. The scholars and writers, or philosophes as they were called, of the Enlightenment Age seized these teachings and ideologies and used them to criticize and attack the medieval ruling establishment and to unseat the religious ruling class from their vaulted theological perch. This criticism of the theological sect loosened religions gripRead MoreLiterary Criticism : The Free Encyclopedia 7351 Words   |  30 Pagesand moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood (coming of age),[3] in which character change is extremely important.[4][5] Contents [hide] 1 Origin 2 Plot outline 3 Examples 3.1 Precursors 3.2 17th century 3.3 18th century 3.4 19th century 3.5 20th century 3.6 21st century 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 Bibliography 8 Further reading 9 External links Origin[edit] The term was coined in 1819 by philologist Karl Morgenstern in his university lectures, and later famously reprised

The Psychological Connection to Oedipus the King - 1387 Words

Poet and Scholar Robert Graves wrote in 1995, â€Å"Myth has two main functions. The first is to answer the sort of awkward questions that children ask, such as ‘Who made the world? How will it end? Who was the first man? Where do souls go after death?’†¦The second function of myth is to justify an existing social system and account for traditional rites and customs.† Oedipus the King written by Sophocles in 430 B.C. focuses around the second function that Graves noted. The play has been around for centuries, has evoked psychological theories, and will remain a classic. Sophocles has managed to touch on social, ethical, psychology, and more importantly philosophical issues in one play. Perhaps one of the most popularly known psychologist,†¦show more content†¦It is a feeling of helplessness which many people can relate to. The other side of the story being, Oedipus chose to pursue the details of the prophecy and finding answers despite his many warni ngs. Clinical psychologist and author Suzie Naiburg writes, Classical tragedy problematizes human agency by maintaining a dialectical tension between fate and character(28). Regardless of which end you agree with, there are direct ties to everyday human emotions. And then the story becomes more person, a question of what if it were me? And that is where the reader starts psychoanalyzing the characters and scenarios. Sophocles was able to turn the piece into a psychological drama. Anders Zachrisson analyzes it further writing, The story of Oedipus is part of ancient Greek mythology. Freud chose Oedipus as a metaphor for the passionate relationships in the family because he could observe cognate dynamics in his patients - and his own - dreams and in the myth. The myth, in Freuds view, expresses a kind of proto-knowledge over family dynamics. He wrote:... the legend of Oedipus sprang from the same primaeval dream-material which had as its content the distressing disturbance of a childs relation to his parents owing to the first stirrings of sexuality. Despite societys progression, there is still a small presence of taboo when it comes to the topic of sex. And even greater taboo, one that evokes shame and disgust is incest. Sophocles makes all of these emotions presentShow MoreRelatedThe Mythology Of The Greek Mythology1438 Words   |  6 Pagesand also a theory which explains human behavior. In his studies he proposed that the psychological development of children occurs in five stages. One of those stages being the Phallic Stage, which is when â€Å"preschoolers take pleasure in their genitals and, according to Freud, begin to struggle with sexual desires toward the opposite sex parent (boys to mothers and girls to fathers). For boys, this is called the Oedipus complex, involving a boy s desire for his mother and his urge to replace his fatherRead MoreTragic Hero1598 Words   |  7 Pagesplots arise when his downfall is the inevitable consequence of some def ect in character (or tragic flaw).The spectacle of a good man dragged to destruction by a single error arouses in the audience both pity and fear, leading to the catharsis, a psychological state through which those emotions are purged; the audience leaves the theater relieved, or even exalted, rather than depressed. Characteristics An Aristotelian tragic hero must have four characteristics: 1. Nobleness (of a noble birth)Read MoreWhy Are Things Are The Way They Are By Daniel Quinn1482 Words   |  6 Pagesblind to the truth in Sophocles play The Oedipus cycle. Oedipus and his wife/mother were blind to their fate, both tried to change their fate because of the prophecies they were told. Oedipus left his parents, Jocasta and king Laius sent their son to get killed but it all turned back on them, all the prophecies came true. Oedipus’ and Jocasta’s own ignorance did not let them see the truth about their life, leading them to their own destruction. Like Oedipus, the taker culture are leading themselvesRead MoreThe Theme Of Light And Darkness In Oedipus1293 Words   |  6 PagesMy new question is, was Oedipus blind before he saw the truth or after? When finally accepting the truth the blind prophet mentioned, Oedipus blinds himself because the truth is darkness. When he had his sight, he was blinded by ignorance, and to see the truth was to see the horro rs he had committed that caused himself to be blinded both before he saw the truth and after. I suppose in this way, Oedipus is blind throughout the entirety of the play. The theme of light and darkness is relevant beyondRead MoreMyths And Myths Of The Greek World973 Words   |  4 Pagesare many psychological reasons as to why myths were told; myths were thought to be a reflection of what humans thought, a collective conscious and even psychical manifestations of the human being (Vandiver. E, 2000). Sigmund Freud is famous for his interpretation of Sophocles’ treatment of Oedipus King. Many critics thought that this myth is composed as it has a direct connection with fate and free will (Vandiver. E, 2000). Freud, however, disagreed and developed the theory of the Oedipus ComplexRead MoreThe Superego and Hamlet Essays1435 Words   |  6 PagesAlternatives: Eros and Superego Revenge in Hamlet, the author, Joanna Montgomery Byles, focuses on the psychological origins of revenge in Hamlet. Also the concept of the superego, both individual and cultural are brought up; and the importance of understanding the dynamics of aggressive destruction in Shakespeare’s tragedies involving revenge. The Freudian superego is usually thought of as heir to the Oedipus complex. In Hamlet himself, hate and destructiveness are consuming passions; the deep movementRead MoreGreek Myths : More Than Just Shock And Entertain983 Words   |  4 Pagesare many psychological reasons as to why myths were told; myths were thought to be a reflection of what humans thought, a collective conscious and even psychical manifestations of the human being (Vandiver. E, 2000). Sigmund Freud is famous for his interpretation of Sophocles’ treatment of Oedipus King. Many critics thought that this myth is composed as it has a direct connection with fate and free will (Vandiver. E, 2000). Freud, however, disagreed and developed the theory of the Oedipus ComplexRead MoreA Practical And Solution Focused Therapy987 Words   |  4 Pagespeople become aware of when they make negative interpretations, and of behavioral patterns which reinforce the distorted thinking. Cognitive therapy helps people to develop alternative ways of thinking and behaving which aims to reduce their psychological distress. Psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy draws on theories and practices of analytical psychology and psychoanalysis. It is a therapeutic process which helps patients understand and resolve their problems by increasing awarenessRead Moreâ€Å"Aristotle’s Definition of the Tragic Hero and Irony in Tragedy† Oedipus Rex, Othello, and Death of a Salesman3217 Words   |  13 Pagesnot. Oedipus Rex, Othello, and Death of a Salesman are three tragic and relatively prominent plays, all written in different time periods, which can be examined comparatively with Aristotle’s philosophy of the tragic hero and may draw certain parallel to one another by means of dramatic irony. Oedipus Rex, written in approx. 428 B.C., quite literally is the embodiment of Aristotle’s explanation of the tragic hero. It is also to be noted that Aristotle himself often exemplified Oedipus in hisRead MoreGreek vs. Roman Theatre Essay3174 Words   |  13 Pagestheir predecessors or based off mythological events. Unfortunately, this had lead to many speculative accusations and criticisms, as is the case with Senecan tragedies versus their Greek counterparts. Senecan and Greek interpretations of the plays Oedipus, Agamemnon, and Medea bear similar themes, being the inescapability of fate and dikà ª, and the lack of clarity between right and wrong. Nevertheless, they differ culturally, politically, and philosophically due to the differences in society as well

Themes of Romeo and Juliet Free Essays

Themes of â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† Love as a Cause of Violence The themes of death and violence permeate Romeo and Juliet, and they are always connected to passion, whether that passion is love or hate. The connection between hate, violence, and death seems obvious. But the connection between love and violence requires further investigation. We will write a custom essay sample on Themes of Romeo and Juliet or any similar topic only for you Order Now Love, in Romeo and Juliet, is a grand passion, and as such it is blinding; it can overwhelm a person as powerfully and completely as hate can. The passionate love between Romeo and Juliet is linked from the moment f its inception with death: Tybalt notices that Romeo has crashed the feast and determines to kill him Just as Romeo catches sight of Juliet and falls instantly in love with her. From that point on, love seems to push the lovers closer to love and violence, not farther from it. Romeo and Juliet are plagued with thoughts of suicide, and a willingness to experience it: in Act 3, scene 3, Romeo brandishes a knife in Friar Lawrence’s cell and threatens to kill himself after he has been banished from Verona and his love. Juliet also pulls a knife in order to take her own life in Friar Lawrence’s resence Just three scenes later. After Capulet decides that Juliet will marry Paris, Juliet says, â€Å"If all else fail, myself have power to die† This theme continues until its inevitable conclusion: double suicide. This tragic choice is the highest, most potent expression of love that Romeo and Juliet can make. It is only through death that they can preserve their love, and their love is so profound that they are willing to end their lives in its defence. In the play, love emerges as an amoral thing, leading as much to destruction as to happiness. But in its extreme passion, the love that Romeo and Juliet experience also appears so exquisitely beautiful that few would want, or be able, to resist its power. Fate From the beginning, we know that the story of Romeo and Juliet will end in tragedy. We also know that their tragic ends will not result from their own personal defects but from fate, which has marked them for sorrow. Emphasizing fate’s control over their destinies, the Prologue tells us these â€Å"star-crossed lovers'† relationship is deathmarked. In Act l, Scene it, as Lord Capulet’s servant is searching for someone ho can read the guest list to him, Benvolio and Romeo enters Completely by chance, Capulet’s servant meets Romeo and Benvolio, wondering if they know how to read. This accidental meeting emphasizes the importance of fate in the play. Romeo claims it is his â€Å"fortune† to read † indeed, â€Å"fortune† or chance has led Capulet’s servant to him † and this scene prepares us for the tragic inevitability of the play. The lovers will be punished not because of flaws within their personalities but because fate is against them. Ironically, the servant invites Romeo to the Capulet’s house, as long as e is not a Montague, to â€Å"crush a cup of wine. † Only fate could manufacture this unlikely meeting with Capulet’s illiterate servant, as only fate will allow Romeo to trespass into the Capulet’s domain and meet Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet, death is everywhere. Even before the play shifts in tone after Mercutio’s death, Shakespeare makes several references to death being Juliet’s bridegroom. The threat of violence that pervades the first acts manifests itself in the latter half of the play, when key characters die and the titular lovers approach their terrible end. There are several ways in which the characters in Romeo and Juliet consider death. Romeo attempts suicide in Act Ill as an act of cowardice, but when he seeks out the Apothecary in Act V, it is a sign of strength and solidarity. The Chorus establishes the story’s tragic end at the beginning of the play, which colours the audience’s experience from the start – we know that this youthful, innocent love will end in tragedy. The structure of the play as a tragedy from the beginning makes Romeo and Juliet’s love even more heart breaking because the audience is aware of heir impending deaths. The Journey of the play is the cycle from love to death – and that is what makes Romeo and Julie so lasting and powerful. Age Throughout Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare establishes the ideological divide that often separates youths from adults. The characters in the play can all be categorized as either young, passionate characters or older, more functional characters. The youthful characters are almost exclusively defined by their energy and impulsiveness – like Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, and Tybalt. Meanwhile, the older characters all view the orld in terms of politics and expediency. The Capulet and Montague patriarchs are certainly feisty competitors, but think in terms of victory as a concept, ignoring the potential emotional toll of their feud. Friar Laurence, who ostensibly represents Romeo and Juliet’s interests, sees their union in terms of its political outcome, while the young lovers are only concerned with satisfying their rapidly beating hearts. While Shakespeare does not posit a moral to the divide between young and old, it appears throughout the play, suggesting that the cynicism that comes with age is one f the many reasons that humans inevitably breed strife amongst themselves. It also implicitly provides a reason for young lovers to seek to separate themselves from an ‘adult’ world of political violence and bartering. Revenge Romeo and Juliet suggests that the desire for revenge is both a natural and a devastating human quality. From the moment that the play spirals towards disaster in Act Ill, most of the terrible events are initiated by revenge. Tybalt seeks out Romeo and kills Mercutio from a half-cooked desire for revenge over Romeo’s attendance at he masquerade ball, and Romeo kills Tybalt to avenge Mercutio. Romeo’s desire for revenge is so overpowering that he does not pause to think about how his attack on Tybalt will compromise his recent marriage to Juliet. Of course, the basic set-up of the play is contingent on a long-standing feud between the Montagues and Capulets, the cause of which no longer matters. All that matters is that these families have continued to avenge forgotten slights for generations. Though Shakespare rarely, if ever, moralizes, Romeo and Juliet certainly presents revenge as a senseless action How to cite Themes of Romeo and Juliet, Papers

Ragtime and Blues Influence on Jazz free essay sample

Ragtime and Blues are similar in that they both were forerunner of Jazz in closely overlapping time period, but those two music styles were different in many ways: the origin of the music, whether Instrumental or vocal, and which musical technician each music genre focused on. Thus both ragtime and blues were critical in Jazz development, but they influenced Jazz in different ways. Again. Most Important similarity between ragtime and blues Is that they both were essential to development of Jazz, and both were the music style of the late sasss.According to Ted Tioga in his book The History of Jazz, Ragtime music rivals the blues In Importance and perhaps surpasses It In Influence- as a predecessor to early jazz (up. 20). On the other hand, Leroy Johns and Miami Bark claim in Blues People: Negro Music in White America, Blues is the parent of all legitimate Jazz(up. 17). People may have different opinions about whether one music style Is more important than the other, but it is undeniable that both ragtime and blues were essential in development of Jazz. It is also true that, even though the types of Influence and the amount may differ. Tooth ragtime and blues had some African influence. Thus the similarity between ragtime and blues is significant but there are numerous differences between the two music styles. First, their origin was different. Even though they both had African influence as mentioned, ragtime was more strongly influenced by European music style, and blues was heavily African music style. According to Dark Sutra In his book Jazz for Dummies, Ragtime was European- influenced, in the sense that it was composed, not improvised, and featured carefully crafted melodies and harmonies Ragtime could sound concisely European (chi. 5).Although European-influenced, there Is some African Influence such as rhythm and African banjo music as mentioned during the lecture. Ragtime rhythm was the withys of the black dancers who used their heels to make drum sounds, or to that that a white Christian could not even recognize it(Trio, up. 37). On the other hand, Blues were basically from work songs of African Americans slaves at the time. It is a native American music, the product of the black man in this country, or, to put it more exactly the way I have come to think about it, blues could not exist if the African captives had not become American captives(up. 7), said Jones and Bark. In Jazz A History, Frank Trio wisely analyzes and explains the relationship between the unique aground and the characteristic of blues. He states, Innuendo and double meanings are important aspects of blues lyrics. This practice may be traced to the pre-abolition period, when slaves needed a system of secret communication while they were still within earshot of their masters. This custom of double-entendre, intentional ambiguity through the use of words with two meanings, which was strong in the African literary tradition as well, was incorporated naturally and smoothly into the lyrics of the blues (up. 8). Thus it is clear that blues is much more of African American music compared to ragtime. Other differences between ragtime and blues seem reasonable knowing their background influences. Ragtime was mostly piano-dominated genre, and many musicians who were trained in European classical music played ragtime. Citing James Haskins in Black Music In America, syncopated kind of piano playing came to be known as ragtime (up. 38), and this was a form that excited Scott Joplin which he also excelled (up. 38). Scott Joplin was one of the most important ragtime composers, and he was also most popular. In 1899, his Maple Leaf Rag was published(up. 39) which is also piano-played music. Thus ragtime was piano dominated, but blues was different. Because blues developed from African American work songs, blues was mainly vocal. Blues people usually sang about unjust, frustrations, and sufferings. Personal feelings are verbalized and serve to call community attention to ones predicament and misfortune (Trio, up. 48). Blues represented voices of people who felt hopeless, and this is also why blues is often sung in lively rhythm; in order to hide the sadness by laughter. One of the most important blues musicians was William Christopher Handy. As a child, he would sneak away to hear the black laborers singing as they worked loading and unloading cargo along the Tennessee River (Haskins, up. 42). W. C. Handy played Georgia Camp which he included some of the black work songs, and it was very successful. Also, He devised a method for notating the way black folk singers slurred, or broke, the third and seventh tones of the musical scale(Haskins, up. 45). These tones W. C. Handy was able to notate were the tones that characterized blues music.The musical style which ragtime and blues contributed to Jazz are also different. The most prominent ragtime influence on Jazz seems to be the syncopation music style. Syncopation was the defining characteristic of the ragtime, and also is essential element of Jazz. In Duke Elongating, Jazz Composer, Ken Rattlebrain states that Ragtimes unique syncopation has developed far beyond mere piano solos, and its range extends vividly and spectacularly from county blues to Jazz(up. 55). Blues also had some syncopation, but more importantly, there was improvisation. Improvisation is a significant element of Jazz.In blues, Stretching syllables improvisational for unpredictable(Trio, up. 4). And although both ragtime and blues had syncopation, Frank Trio mentions that even syncopation was different. Syncopation in blues were improvised(up. 54). Thus it is reasonable to suppose that ragtime influenced Jazz with syncopation, and blues influenced Jazz with improvisation most greatly. Not only with syncopation and improvisation, but ragtime and blues probably helped development of Jazz by taking a first and important step to incorporate African music to European-influenced American music in general.Jazz is a blend of ragtime and blues, European and African American style of music. We can see ragtime and blues as the parents of Jazz. Just as both parents are needed to born a child, ragtime and blues were essential in development of Jazz. Ragtime and Blues are equally important in development of Jazz, but Just like a child learns different things from mother and father, ragtime and blues made different influences to Jazz development. And what is important to remember is that, even though a child learns and receives many characteristics from parents, a child is not simply a mixed combination of parents.