intangible line between confidence and arrogance. It's like trying to make a peanut butter sandwich: if you spread the peanut butter too thin, you have something not worth having, but if you spread it too thick, you know you will regret it. I value a lot of different things in life, and in my attempts at mastering them I have usually been successful. This success has produced a definite level of confidence in my own abilities, but too often I have suddenly felt the arrogance sticking to the roof of my mouth
Arrogance in Oedipus and Cocteau's Infernal Machine The myth of Oedipus dates back centuries. Overtime a myth changes in many ways as each author or orator presents their own version. The main plot usually remains intact, but authors add their own style to the tragic story. In the case of Sophocles' Oedipus the King and Jean Cocteau's Infernal Machine both authors focus on the arrogant nature of Oedipus. Since this quality ultimately has destructive powers, the relationships Oedipus has with
"Listen to me. You mock my blindness, do you?/ But I say that you, with both your eyes, are blind" (I, 195-196). With these memorable words, the sightless prophet Teiresias all but paints the entire tragic story of Sophocles' Oedipus the King, one of the most prominent pieces of Greek literary heritage. Greeks knew and loved the story of Oedipus from childhood, just as children today cherish the story of Cinderella. In his version of the beloved tale, Sophocles concentrates his attention on the events
The Arrogance of The Lie The Lie, written by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., is a story that stands as a mirror to reflect the ugly image of a condescending faction obsessed with grades and numbers, not actual learning. Even though it took place years ago, the sickening mind frames still exist in some of today’s people. They are namely the “elite group” or middle to upper class families. In the story, Doctor Remenzel is obsessed with Eli having a high standard of excellence, Eli getting special treatment
The Themes of Arrogance, Greed, and Materialism in The Bet In Anton Chekhov’s “The Bet” two men, one a banker and the other a lawyer, begin the story arguing about whether or not capital punishment is fair. The banker is in favor of capital punishment while the lawyer contends that if offered the chance he’d take life in prison. The banker bets the lawyer two million rubles that he couldn’t survive in prison for fifteen years. The lawyer agrees to remain in the banker’s “prison” for fifteen
and Arrogance in Gilgamesh and Genesis The issue of obedience figures prominently in both "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and the book of Genesis in the Bible. These works were produced by very different cultures and traditions (Middle Eastern and Hebraic, respectively) and the characters in each react to authority or advice with very different levels of obedience. Noah is found to be righteous by God and is rewarded with a means to escape the devastation of the flood. Gilgamesh, in his arrogance, thinks
Poetry is the oldest literary genre written in verse. It has the purpose of producing an illusion on the imagination of the reader, it uses different figures of speech and takes different poems forms. An epic is one of this poem forms and it is “an extended narrative poem recounting actions, travels, adventures, and heroic episodes where the action, often in battle, reveals the more-than-human strength of the heroes as they engage in acts of courage” and they embody the set of values of their
Lear's realization of his mistakes is more than a downfall. It is a tragedy. Lear is a tragic hero because he has those three qualities. His flaws are his arrogance, his ignorance, and his misjudgments, each contributing to the other. The first flaw in King Lear is his arrogance, which results in the loss of Cordelia and Kent. It is his arrogance in the first scene of the play that causes him to make bad decisions. He expects his favorite, youngest daughter to be the most worthy of his love. His pride
It is clear that Creon's tragic flaw was his pride, arrogance and beliefs of a leader that cause his downfall. His downfall began when he denied the burial of Polyneices and was firm when he condemned Antigone for her objection to his law. Creon represents the laws of the land and the divine ruler of society. He remains loyal in upholding his laws and trying to overpower the laws of the gods, until the end when he realizes that the divine laws are stronger than his own. His regards for the laws of
Karma The doctrine of Karma is a spiritual doctrine based on the theory of cause and effect. Although Karma does not exactly fit the definition of supernatural phenomenon it is a spiritual doctrine based on the philosophy that God is not responsible for the happiness or failure of an individual, rather, we as individuals are solely responsible for the consequences of our own behavior. The concept of Karma has two major interpretations; the most common approaches are to the idea of reincarnation
two tales, women desire sovereignty over their husbands, to be treated as masters over their love. Women wish to be given the ultimate say over whichever decisions might be brought into their household. They wish for their men to behave without arrogance and supremacy, to step to their every move in unison. We women simply ask that a man might think with his head and not with his ego, he should think about the impact his behavior has on us. I would agree to with this statement. However I think
LeCussan maintains that the author criticizes arrogance and egotism (116). George Levine, in his essay "The Endurance of Frankenstein," agrees; Frankenstein wants to flex his muscles, to create someone to "exercise his will and pay him homage" (111). Most critics concur that Frankenstein oversteps his bounds by presuming he's worthy of the creative act once reserved for God. Some critics associate Frankenstein's project with "Promethean arrogance...the ambition to create life without an order
Gretta who are invited every year to a family gathering by Gabriels two aunts on New Years eve. Gabriel, who is a university professor, does not want to be identified with Ireland. He wants to be identifies as a citizen of the world. His arrogance is revealed in his interaction with others. A primary example would be the way he treats his wife Gretta as an object. As Peter J. Rabinowitz informs one that in reader response criticism the "...activity of reading always alters
some of them common to all of them. Pride is especially prevalent. This characteristic seems to be the major tragic flaw or hamartia that eventually causes the downfall. Oedipus exhibits a vast amount of pride, which seems to border on sheer arrogance. This is demonstrated in the beginning of the play where he states, "I, Oedipus, whose name is known afar."(p. 25). This is reinforced by the priest's replies of, "Oedipus great and glorious,"(p.26) and, "O greatest of men."(p.26). Therefore
The Power of Myth "Why is Eurydice such a bitch?" was the comment asked of me during a lesson on the poem "Eurydice" by H.D. "Doesn't she realize that Orpheus loves her and is only trying to rescue her? Why is she so harsh to him?" It was during a unit on mythology that the students were reading H.D's poetryówe had recently completed the small "Orpheus and Eurydice" blurb in Edith Hamilton's Mythology when I came across H.D's effort and decided to introduce it to my students. We had previously
Coppola’s war epic Apocalypse Now. Although both films are quite different, both emphasize and reinforce the negative stereotypes associated with Americans (“What the World Thinks of America”). Arrogance is the first trait generally associated with Americans. In Apocalypse Now, American arrogance is personified by the character played by Robert Duvall. Duvall’s character is the commander of a group of helicopters in Vietnam. It is explained throughout the film that Duvall’s character is invincible
Shakespeare's Macbeth All humanity is tyrannical. Every person wants the world to conform to their wishes. A product of the ego, this desire culminates in tyranny among those that have the arrogance, opportunity, and instability to embrace and foster it. We find Macbeth with the opportunity, and his arrogance and instability are bred by ego and contranatural forces, such that he becomes a tyrant. Duncan's soft handed rule allows Macbeth the opportunity to plot against him while his proclamation
land on the island. Even though there are animals and plants on the island they disregard it and claim the island as their own. Now what would make man superior to nature, his ability to think? To alter his surroundings to make his life easier? Arrogance or how about that it is how it is always been? Man seems to try and force his views upon others, through different means. Jack for example uses fear and manipulation to control his tribe, while Ralph hung onto the values he was taught in society
discuss two theories of Planetary Motion. The theory that Galileo was advocating was considered by the Church to be heretical, and he was told several times that publishing the book would have dire consequences. His pride, his impulsive nature, his arrogance, and his love for science influenced Galileo's decision. Galileo was a scientific genius, but he was also a human. He was too proud to compromise his beliefs under any circumstances. Before we can analyze this decision, we must understand exactly
which drove his desire to do what it would take to become King. Across the entire span of the play, Macbeth’s actions are controlled by the emotions of ambition, arrogance, and fear. Ambition is an emotion well displayed by Macbeth, especially at the beginning of the play where he drives. An example of this shown