Shapeshifting has a prominent role in lore and dates back to the oldest of tales. The Epic of Gilgamesh features Humbaba, a demon who guards the Cedar Forest. Humbaba appears to have changed forms while fighting Gilgamesh and Enkidu—during the fight, Gilgamesh cried, “My Friend, Humbaba’s face keeps changing!” Shapeshifting is also common in Greek and Roman mythology. Zeus, in his pursuit of women, shifted into a variety of shapes ranging from a swan to a shower of gold. Ovid’s Metamorphoses is essentially a collection of case studies in shapeshifting. Even the God of Judeo-Christian tradition can be seen as a shapeshifter: the Old Testament has Him appearing as a burning bush to Moses and as an angel to Hagar; and the New Testament introduces the concept of the Trinity, with the Holy Spirit variously manifesting itself as tongues of fire and as a dove.
Shapeshifting is also featured in
…show more content…
Although I’ve never seen a pig turn into a tree, nature has its own version of shapeshifting: camouflage. In addition to color changes, as exemplified by the chameleon, there are many other traits that can be harnessed for their shapeshifting potential, such as changes in texture and bioluminescence. The golden tortoise beetle can change from a shiny gold to a dull red by altering the moisture levels of grooves in the shell; this changes the reflectivity of the outer shell, creating a surface that varies from shiny to dull. The mutable rain frog can change the texture of its skin from spiny to smooth in a matter of seconds; it does this so quickly that one researcher thought she had photographed the wrong specimen. While bioluminescence in itself is a pretty remarkable trait, some bioluminescent animals exhibit a variation called counter-illumination, where they produce light to match an illuminated background. An example would be the firefly squid, which has thousands of photophores, or organs that emit a deep blue
Heath, J. (1991). Diana's understanding of Ovid's Metamorphoses. Th classical Journal , 186 (3), 223-243.
It is also significant that he has intentionally broken away from the stereotypical austere images of the gods, and has set his gods at the opposite end of the scale to the Virgilian gods. BIBLIOGRAPHY: OVID METAMORPHOSES Translated by A.D.Melville VIRGIL THE AENEID Translated by R.Fitzgerald D.C.Feeny The Gods in Epic G.K.Galinsky Ovid's Metamorphoses R.O.A.M.Lyne Further Voices in Virgil's Aeneid Wilkinson Ovid Recalled C.H.Wilson Jupiter and the Fates in the Aeneid --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Virgil's Aeneid: book: 1.5 ff.
An example of bioluminescence is a firefly. The production of light in bioluminescent animals is caused by converting chemical energy to light energy (Bioluminescence, 1 of 1). In a firefly, oxygen, luciferin, luciferase (an enzyme), and ATP combine in the light organ in a chemical reaction that creates cold light (Johnson, 42). This bright, blinking light helps the male firefly attract female fireflies as a possible mate. Other examples of bioluminescent organisms are fungi, earthworms, jellyfish, fish, and other sea creatures (Berthold Technologies, 1 of 2).
The Metamorphosis of Gregor Metamorphosis - a change in form, structure, or appearance. The snare of the snare. Change is a major theme throughout Franz Kafka's novella. The Metamorphosis of the. There is a significant relationship between the title and the title.
Being the king of somewhere or half-god, does not give you the right to take other people's rights away. It doesn't make it okay to violate people against their will. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh takes his power of office a few steps too far. He does have specific and special rights, different from regular civilians, however he doesn't have rights that allow him to violate and harm other people. Gilgamesh has been accused of violating the morals of the young and abusing power of office. He has been rightfully accused on both charges and both charges are accurate.
"Metamorphosis, The." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. .
The main character in the book The Epic of Gilgamesh, is Gilgamesh himself. In the beginning of the book one realizes that Gilgamesh is an arrogant person. Gilgamesh is full of himself and abuses his rights as king. He has sexual intercourse with the virgins of his town and acts as though he is a god. Throughout the story, many things cause Gilgamesh to change. He gains a friend, he makes a name for himself by killing Humbaba, and he tries to become immortal because of the death of Enkidu. Through these main actions his personality changes and he becomes a better person.
Similarities in Different Stories When we examine stories that we read many things can be different within those stories, but it is hard to find what is similar about them. The stories that we have read in class, The History of the Hebrew Scriptures, Gilgamesh, and The Iliad, all have some similarities between each other. The similarities will be between the characters, behaviors, traits, and responsibilities. First thing that will be discussed is the character’s behaviors. In Gilgamesh, the main character was Gilgamesh and The Iliad, the main character was Achilleus.
A metamorphosis is an act of change or a transformation from one thing to another. Most associate a metamorphosis with the process in which a caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly. However, metamorphoses occur in humans as well. Cathedral is a story of man, the narrator, who experiences a life changing metamorphosis in an unexpected manner. The narrator is first introduced to the reader as an insensitive and ignorant man, and he reveals these characteristics in many ways throughout the majority of the story. However, interaction with a blind man not only exploits the narrator's character flaws, but is ultimately the catalyst for his metamorphosis.
In many literary works we see significant transitions in the hero's character as the story is developed. This is also true in the Epic of Gilgamesh with its hero, Gilgamesh. In this narrative poem, we get glimpses of who Gilgamesh is and what his purposes and goals are. We see Gilgamesh act in many different ways -- as an overbearing ruler resented by his people, a courageous and strong fighter, a deflated, depressed man, and finally as a man who seems content with what he's accomplished. Through all of these transitions, we see Gilgamesh's attitude toward life change. The goals he has for his own life alter dramatically, and it is in these goals that we see Gilgamesh's transition from being a shallow, ruthless ruler to being an introspective, content man.
Throughout time, people of all cultures have told stories of heroes and kings. The most ancient story we have on record is the tale of King Gilgamesh. This story is an account of the King's journeys and accomplishments. Although it was written over four thousand years ago, many comparisons can be made between the society in which the story was written and our own modern society. In this essay, differences and similarities between the two societies will be examined.
In Ovid's Metamorphoses, the concept of love seems to vary from character to character. In one case, a god in the form of a man desperately seeks a particular woman and refuses to relent until he has her. In another instance, a female goddess cares deeply for a man and goes to great lengths to protect him from danger. In yet another case, both who are arranged to be married seem indifferent about the matter.
Goldfarb, Sheldon. “Critical Essay on ‘The Metamorphosis’.” Short Stories for Students. Ed. Jennifer Smith. Vol. 12. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001.
Transformations from one shape or form into another are the central theme in Ovid's Metamorphoses. The popularity and timelessness of this work stems from the manner of story telling. Ovid takes stories relevant to his culture and time period, and weaves them together into one work with a connecting theme of transformation throughout. The thread of humor that runs through Metamorphoses is consistent with the satire and commentary of the work. The theme is presented in the opening lines of Metamorphoses, where the poet invokes the gods, who are responsible for the changes, to look favorably on his efforts to compose. The changes are of many kinds: from human to animal, animal to human, thing to human, human to thing. Some changes are reversed: human to animal to human. Sometimes the transformations are partial, and physical features and personal qualities of the earlier being are preserved in mutated form.
Life is a never-ending metamorphosis. It is always changing, always transforming. Sometimes a change is followed by positive results, but on the darker side, a metamorphosis can lead to damage or suffering. But of course, the concept of metamorphosis can also be related into the wonderful yet unrealistic world of magic and sorcery. Metamorphosis can mean a rapid transformation from one object to another or a distinct or even degenerative change in appearance, personality, condition, or function. The concept of metamorphosis is commonly used in pieces of literature to describe an extreme change in character or form.