A myth is a traditional or legendary story, usually regarding a hero or event. IN some cases, Myths are very alike as their subjects or morals are of similar content, for example Prometheus and the Story of Buddha. Prometheus is the story of one of Zeus’s sons that would always think of the future and what was to come. The Story of Buddha is a story about a prince born in Northern India that was on the quest for happiness. Prometheus and Buddha have many character traits that contribute to how these myths are portrayed yet they take one different actions for different reasons. As a result of these actions, Prometheus and Buddha find themselves face to face with a conflict that could bring them down or up. Overall in both of these myths a theme is present, in both stories the theme or moral revolves around selflessness and helping others. Prometheus and The Story of Buddha are two myths that can easily be compared and contrasted when looking at character traits, the conflicts that the characters face, and the themes or moral of the myth. Prometheus was always thinking of the future and never really living for the moment. He was very empathetic and selfless as he only thought for others, rather than for himself. He was also very brave and determined because even though Zeus refused to provide fire to men that were of lower standards then themselves, Prometheus still betrayed his father to help the needy men. On the other hand, Buddha was a kind and clever man that was loved by many. He was just as curious and determined as Prometheus was but he had his heart set on finding happiness for him and his family. Even though Buddha was searching for happiness for his family as well, this act was much rather selfish when compared to Prom... ... middle of paper ... ... that are kind to people yet, Prometheus is of a more noble nature. These two characters are faced with conflicts that are results of their actions, as Prometheus is punished for stealing Buddha is attacked by evil while trying to find his own happiness. In the end both stories teach us about fighting for our beliefs and believing in what we can do with our own skills and benefits. Personally I believe Prometheus is a better myth as it represents a better moral to readers. It teaches a skill of confidence and encourages them to fight for what they consider is right. It is also a small history lesson that represents a religion in how some people believe fire was given to humans. After reading these two myths, I have compared and contrasted them while looking at character traits, the conflicts that the characters face, and the theme or moral presented in the myth.
To begin, Frankenstein is comparable to Prometheus because of his initial creation of a living being. Victor pursues his interests in the sciences by taking it a step further trying to discover the secret of life. He decides to try and create something that can live. Once brought to life though, he is immediately repulsed by its appearance and flees, allowing the monster to escape, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart,” (Pg 42) Prometheus on the other hand was a Titan whose job was to mold mankind out of clay. After this though, he grew fonder of his new creations than the actual gods like him. Prometheus then decided to trick the g...
From before the dawn of civilization as we know it, humanity has formed myths and legends to explain the natural world around them. Whether it is of Zeus and Hera or Izanami-no-Mikoto and Izanagi-no-mikoto, every civilization and culture upon this world has its own mythos. However, the age of myth is waning as it is overshadowed in this modern era by fundamental religion and empirical science. The word myth has come to connote blatant falsehood; however, it was not always so. Our myths have reflected both the society and values of the culture they are from. We have also reflected our inner psyche, conscious and unconscious, unto the fabric of our myths. This reflection allows us to understand ourselves and other cultures better. Throughout the eons of humanity’s existence, the myths explain natural phenomena and the cultural legends of the epic hero have reflected the foundations and the inner turmoil of the human psyche.
A myth is a traditional story that considers the history of people explaining some type of event that typically involves mystical beings or events. In "A Long Way Gone” the author provided many myths and legends such as “wild pigs”, “bra spider”, omen of the crow, the name ceremonies and so many more. Each story has it's only purpose, but in all I believe the purpose of each myth or legend is to teach a lesson, or to tell a story of things good or bad.
The creation myths that I have studied are similar in many ways. They also have differences that show an inherently different way of thinking about the world. All have creators-gods that make the world into what is now. There are conflicts within their world, and these conflicts change the face world. God to god or human to god maybe be involved in these conflicts. Their bloody struggles prove who is more powerful, causing change in the control of the world. Some gods are beneficial to man and others are self-serving, using man only as a tool.
In her poem "Myth," Natasha Trethewey uses mythology, a unique structure, rhyme pattern, and punctuation to make form and content inseparable. Each of these elements serves to share the stages of grief one goes through one feels at the death of a loved one as well as the feelings of deep loss and longing.
Frankenstein and Prometheus were similar in many ways. Their goal was set on good intentions but the means resulted in an undesirable conclusion. Frankenstein believed that his new species would bless him as their creator and source. Prometheus
Myths and religious doctrine are generally recognized as two entirely different things. Myths are usually referred to as a fictitious story or a half-truth; often they are stories shared between groups of people that are part of a cultural society. Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, and purpose of the universe, and often containing an ethical code dictating appropriate human conduct. Although they differ in certain aspects, they still hold similarities. Comparable to parables within the Bible, myths have different versions which are both motivating, as well as entertaining. There are not only parallels to the idea of the stories but specific tales hold similar morals and equivalent characters.
Equality invented something that no ones ever seen before. He built something to make a difference in society and to brighten the world, light. Light is what he invented and it was a miracle when it worked. Another similarity between Equality and Prometheus was their sacrifices for their values. No matter what circumstances they both went through, they stuck with it and did not give up because they believed that they could make a difference in society. They did not want to give up because it was something that they believed they could do to make the world a better place for themselves and others. All though Prometheus was punished by Zeus for all time. Equality knew that if he was discovered he would be punished for what he invented but he didn’t care if he got punished or not. When Equality brought his invention to the C...
Prometheus, a Greek god, is the son of Iapetus and Themis. He was a guardian and protector of humanity, and he is greatly known for his superior intelligence. He stole fire from the Greek god Zeus and gave it to the mortals. This mistake caused the heroine Prometheus to suffer greatly. Zeus punished him for his offense and bound Prometheus to a rock, and each day an eagle came and ate out his liver. Prometheus is both credited with and blamed for playing a gigantic role in the early makings of human kind. Prometheus stole the fire from Zeus in order to help the mortals because he had befriended them and took pity upon them. At that time, the humans were in desperate need of help and Prometheus wanted to see them reach their full potential instead of dying off. Prometheus stole the fire and showed the humans how to use it because he was a very compassionate man and wanted to help. Prometheus is seen as a gentle titan whereas Zeus is seen as a dark god. Prometheus was acting on what the future held because he had the gift of foresight. He knew that humans would need help in order to survive, and he was the titan that brought help in the form of fire. Prometheus represented a man “playing God,” as did Victor Frankenstein. Both u...
Myths have been a great example of the hero’s journey. Many heroes have journeys and trials to face throughout their life. Most of their journeys start out with their origin and end with the return. However, the hero’s role remains identical to every other hero. Most heroes like Gilgamesh has heroic traits because of the stages in the hero's journey. Gilgamesh is a man who can turn into a hero by changing himself, even when he has unusual circumstances surrounding his birth. Gilgamesh is viewed as a hero due to the stages of the hero's journey.
According to Joseph Campbell’s The Power of Myth, one archetypal mythic hero appears in diverse cultures in different forms. Two protagonists in Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist and Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki share similar heroic characteristics despite their different backgrounds and cultures.
... and actions are less noble than that of Prometheus, but perhaps that only puts more emphasis on him as the modern version. He personifies that self-glorification so often found and desired in today's society, and undoubtedly in Shelley's.
“A myth is a way of making sense in a senseless world. Myths are narrative patterns that give significance to our existence.” ― Rollo May
Thinking back to our childhood, we all remember hearing many kinds of fairy tales. Some of them inspired us others confused us, and most of them taught us valuable lessons. Through out centuries tales and stories have been used as a valuable tool to pass on our culture to new generations. There is a strong belief that these fairy tales mirror and influence society. All cultures interpret tales in their own unique way. They add and subtract various aspects of the tale to fit the needs of their particular society. The same tale in the United States is different from the tale told in Asia. A good example of tale evolution can be seen in one of the most famous tales ever told which is “Cinderella”. As a professor of women’s history Karol Kelley points out in her essay Pretty Woman: A Modern Cinderella “There are some 700 versions of Cinderella”.This fairy tale as many others has been changing for many years, and in recent years Cinderella has come under some criticism for its depiction of women’s roles in society.
...ely different compared to Buddha because Buddha would the person that Socrates would choose to question and discuss with due to Buddha’s perceptible knowledge and enlightenment. However, regardless of their differences, Socrates and Siddhartha Gautama will be remembered as the prominent teachers to some of us.