Ideas of the Afterlife

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In the illustration, Death’s Door, published first in 1805 as part of The Grave, William Blake is depicting the transition from this life into the afterlife. (Blake, 2008) Blake represents this transition as going through the door old, sick and feeble and coming out the other side as he was at his prime, a young muscular vibrant man. The illustration is a strong reflection of the Christian idea of life after death or. Blake depicts the move from this life to the next as one which will bring happiness and pleasure to those who pass through it. This illustration depicts death, as something to be welcomed, rather than feared when the time comes. The image represents a positive image of what death can be like and what one can have to look forward to in the afterlife. In this paper I will use Death’s Door as one way to answer the question, should we have hope for an afterlife after death in this world? I will discuss how the artwork supports the idea of life after death in a positive way. I will then look at some potential problems with this view of life after death. Finally, I will look at whether this illustration supports the idea of life after death and is well supported or the arguments against it are better to be believed. The illustration shows an answer to the philosophical question, is there life after death? Death, as portrayed in this art reflects death as the end of existence in this life, but shows it continuing in another. When man dies in this world, he proceeds to another world. The representation of death and moving through a door to the afterlife is a strongly influenced by the Christian idea of what one can expect in the afterlife, if they have lived a good life. To be rejuvenated in a more youthful fo... ... middle of paper ... ...ife would not be able to bask in the glory of God’s light as displayed by the rays of light surrounding the glorified figure. Works Cited Blake, W. (2008, February 25). ebooks@adelaide. Retrieved from Illustrations to The Grave (1805): http://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/b/blake/william/grave/ Davis, S. .. (2010). Traditional Christian Belief in the Resurrection of the Body. In S. Brennan, & R. J. Stainton, Philosophy and Death Introductory Readings (pp. 77-98). Canada: Broadview Press. Edwards, P. (2010). Existentialism and Death: A Survey of Some Confusions and Absurdities. In S. Brennan, & R. J. Stainton, Philosophy and Death Introductory Readings (pp. 3-37). Canada: Broadview Press. Epicurus. (2010). Letter to Menoeceus and The Principle Dotrines. In S. Brennan, & R. J. Stainton, Philosophy of Death Introductory Readings (pp. 163-171). Canada: Broadview Press.

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