In the fairy tale “Godfather Death” contained in the book Grimm’s Tale for Young and Old: The Complete Stories as translated by Ralph Manheim, the central theme is betrayal. The apparent betrayals take place seven times in the course of a man’s life, mainly for personal gain. Each person doing the deceiving, whether for the good of the family or kingdom, truthfully ends up lying to others in order to gain something of significant value. In the end, a father deceives his son twice, the son deceives his royal family and his own godfather twice and the godfather deceives his godson once. The tale begins with a poor man and his twelve children. The poor man is already so stressed about his finances that when a thirteenth child is born, the man resolves to ask the first man he encounters on the road to stand as the child’s godfather (Grimm 152). The man comes across God, the Devil and Death. In favor of a man who treats everyone equally, the poor man gives his son to be raised by Death. Once the child is grown, Death makes the man a famous physician. Death tells the man, when visiting patients, if Death stands at their head, they may consume a special herb from the physician that will heal them; however if Death stands at their feet, they will belong to Death. Death also warns the physician not to use the herb against Death’s will (Grimm 153). Upon meeting the King on his death bed, the physician decides to outwit Death by turning the King around so that Death was standing the King’s head instead of his feet and giving the King the special herb. While upset, Death warns the physician that he forgives him because the man is Death’s godson. Unfortunately, soon the King’s daughter falls upon her own death bed, the physician again se... ... middle of paper ... ...f the special herb Death gave the man at the beginning his employment (153-4). Death becomes furious about the first deception, but promises to forgive the man that one time because he is Death’s godson. Recklessly, the physician takes little heed of his godfather’s words and gestures, and decides that the effortless chance to become king and marry the princess is worth risking Death’s word. Finally, appearing in anger at the deception, Death drags his godson to an underground cave that is full of thousands of candles bringing in endless rows. After hearing the explanation of the candles and gazing on his own dying candle, the doctor pleads with his godfather for a longer life (Grimm 154). Seeing the perfect opportunity to extract his revenge, Death acts as though he is going to increase the length of his godson’s life, but actually ends his life (Grimm 155).
death when his mother and the king enter the room and question him on his
...t sane and powerful but ends up a helpless vegetable, having sacrificed himself for the benefit of all the patients.
Hamlet as a Living Death in the Midst of Life in Hamlet by Wlliam Shakespeare
Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1603) is one of the most popular dramas in world literature, as it examines the intensely passionate, but poisonous ambitions of King Claudius. He murders his own brother, King Hamlet, because he desires his throne, power, and wife. As a result of King Claudius’ fratricide, he inherits the “primal eldest curse” of the biblical Cain and Abel, and the dispersion of poison lethally ends his relationship with several major characters. This includes, of course, Prince Hamlet, who falls into a suicidal depression over the death of his father whose ghost visits him. This essay will analyze Shakespeare’s trope of poison, embodied by King Claudius.
Nonetheless, there was one more death in the family to come in the following years, this time one that actually benefitted the young man. His grandfather in Ireland died an...
Although the story does not pictures him quite evil, he believes the treatment is helping her and ignores his wife’s opinion that causes her to hide her feelings. He restricts her actions as part of her “rest cure”, and does not understand his wife any further than superficially by not seeing the pain she is inside. He is ignorant of her truly needs and the unbalanced relationship between them builds up as a wall keeping him from understanding her. He cares for her however his treatment destroys her and he faints in shock of seeing her creeping in the
Friar laurence gives Juliet a drink that will make her act like she is dead but she is not really dead. Friar did this because Juliet didn't
Death is not a lover.” (57). As it is shown the woman feels hopeless so she kills herself. Although she is not the only one who wishes to die. The little boy admits to his father that he no longer wants to live in such a cruel world. “After a while he said: You mean you wish that you were
Betrayal is the result of many situations, in which there are different types of betrayal, but all these different types of betrayal are usually caused by some sort of motivation. In the three different stories The Lamb to the Slaughter, The Tragedy of Macbeth, and The Frog and the Mouse, Roald Dahl, William Shakespeare, and Aesop’s Fables all express different types of betrayal against a family member, friends, or even their own country. Amongst all these stories there is some form of betrayal as a result of a strong motivation. In Lamb to the Slaughter, Macbeth, and The Frog and the Mouse Dahl, Poh, and Fables all use betrayal to reveal evil motivations.
To sum up, in “Godfather Death 1812” by Jakob and Wilhmen Grimm, the doctor was giving a chance, but he did not take it and made the same mistake again. Therefore, the story is mostly about if you do not obey the rules, there will be consequences. However, using the 6 C’s the “Godfather Death 1812” became more understandable and made a lot of sense on what is the story is
Godfather Death tells a tale of a man who wishes to find a godfather to his 13th child. The fact that this is his 13th child foreshadows that this child will be very unlucky because it is a common tale since the last supper only had 13 members it was classified as an unlucky number. The father of the boy goes to the street to find a godfather for his child. The first person he meets is God but the dad said that he was unfair to the rich and the poor. The second person the man meets is the devil but he thinks that the devil is not a good fit because he is a trickster. The third and final person the father meets is death himself because he thinks that death is fair because he does not discriminate between the rich and the poor and picks death
Does family matter? Yes- family always matters. It is necessary to have some sort of family structure in order to have a stable foundation. This need for stability and structure is how the family survives and the children find safety. In the movies The Godfather and Scarface we will discover how the two differ when it comes to family and family business. These two patriarchs have different views on family and how the family is involved in the business. In this discovery one struggles to gain and maintain power- but looses everything in the process. While the other maintains the family through peace negotiations and understanding business and revenge can not always go hand and hand in order for the family to survive.
We are taken through a journey as we learn of an Old man who sits at a cafe alone at night. The Old man is deaf, and had recently tried to commit suicide although he is a pleasant customer; the two waiters must watch him to ensure that he doesn't get too drunk, because he will leave without paying. As the two waiters in the cafe play close attention to the Old man the Younger waiter is clearly upset because the Old man will most likely be staying all night, and he is anxious to go home and see his wife. The Younger waiter wonders why it is that the Old man tried to kill himself and says to the deaf Old man that he should have killed himself last week, but the Old man simply asks for more brandy. After going back to the table where the two waiters had been sitting together, he asks the Older waiter why the Old man tried to kill himself. However, the Older waiter was not certain and replied by stating that it was because of despair and that he tried to hang himself and was found and cut down by his niece.
...y this made the young doctor almost a god, he could dispense health or death and just about as he wished but with consequences if he disobeyed Death wishes. The lesson here is seen by the folly of his actions, the doctor believes that he is above all earthly constraints and believes that he is indeed a god. The young doctor is placed in this situation on purpose. He is told that he can cure anyone as long as Death allows it but he is also given the choice to do as he pleases albeit with consequences. The young doctor ignores all warnings and ultimately has to pay for his folly with his own life. What the story does is to show us that we are all human. That we can not play with death or life and that ultimately death will come after us be us rich or poor. I specially loved the symbolism of the candles of light, makes me wonder if indeed there could be such a place.
The three guards come to hamlet and spoke to him about seeing his fathers ghost walking the halls at night. Hamlet had to see this ghost for himself. Hamelt and guards waited for the ghost to re appear. Once he re appeard hamlet calls out to the ghost to speak, “ I call thee “ Hamlet,” “ King,” “