Beowulf: Themes and Motifs Beowulf is the most important work of Old English literature, and is well deserved of the distinction. Throughout the epic, the Anglo-Saxon storyteller uses many elements to build a certain depth to the characters. Just a few of the important character elements in Beowulf are Wealth & Honor, Biblical & Paganistic, and Man vs. Wild themes. Many of the characters in Beowulf are, like in most epics, defined by their status. But, in addition to status, the Anglo-Saxon
The Red Motif in The Handmaid's Tale In the dystopian novel "The Handmaid's Tale" written by Margaret Atwood, the recurrent appearance of the color red draws an interesting yet perverse parallel between femininity and violence. The dominant color of the novel, red is associated with all things female. However, red is also the color of blood; death and violence therefore are closely associated with women in this male-dominated ultraconservative government. We are first introduced to the color red
Literary Motif in Oedipus Rex M. H. Abrams defines a literary motif as a “conspicuous element, such as a type of incident, device, reference, or formula, which occurs frequently in works of literature” (169). It is the purpose of this essay to expose the main literary motif present in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Richard Lattimore in “Oedipus Tyrannus” makes the revelation concerning the most apparent motif in the tragedy: . . . the drama belongs to the general story pattern of the
Importance of the Flying Motif in Song of Solomon Throughout literature it has been common for authors to use allusions to complement recurrent motifs in their work. In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon, Milkman learns that his desire to fly has been passed down to him from his ancestor Solomon. As Milkman is figuring out the puzzle of his ancestry, he realizes that when Solomon tried to take his youngest son, Jake, flying with him, he dropped him and Jake never arrived with his father to their
The Synecdochic Motif in Winesburg, Ohio The sum of the parts of the vignettes of townsfolk of Winesburg, Ohio is greater than the whole novel. Winesburg, too, is only one town in all of Ohio, which is one of a host of states in the U.S. This magnification is at the heart of the novel, in which synecdoche is the main lens through which Sherwood Anderson allows us to regard the grotesques. This narrow aperture of perception does not compromise full characterization, but instead forces the
The Motif of Magic in Rip van Winkle The story of Rip van Winkle is a popular folktale of the United States. Its general motif is the magical passing of many years in what seems only a few days. Japan’s popular version of this story is Urashima Taro. In addition to the common motif, the personality of the main characters, Rip van Winkle and Urashima Taro, and plot structures are similar as well. The main characters, Rip van Winkle and Urashima Taro, in both stories are very similar. Both are simple
The Trap Motif in Hamlet Hamlet, William Shakespeare's greatest tragedy, is a story of murder and deceit. The "trap" is a major motif in Hamlet because it is set by various characters, it is motivated by a variety of reasons and the results are often ironic. The first trap is set by Hamlet for the king. Hamlet is enraged by his fathers murder and is seeking vengeance. Hamlet sets a trap by persuading the actors to re-enact his fathers murder on stage. * He sets this trap because he
PSYCHO MOTIFS Have you ever seen Psycho? I have, and in my opinion this movie is one of the best horror flicks ever. Part of the reason I think this because of the motifs Hitchcock added to the movie. Some of these motifs are the motion down, eyes, and circles. What is a motif? Better yet, what is the motif I’m about to tell you about? Well, let me start by giving you a definition of the word. Motif : A recurrent thematic element used in the development of an artistic or literary work. (In this case
The recurring animal motifs in A Passage To India suggest a harmonious life existing outside of the contrasting state of humanity. While tensions escalate among the English and Indians, peace presides in the animal kingdom. Perhaps the only characters outside of the animals who acknowledge this peace are Mrs. Moore and Professor Godbole who specifically identify with a wasp extending their voluntary cognizance to Indian culture and the understanding of unity among all living creatures on Earth. "Pretty
Mystical Motifs in Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway The scholarship surrounding Woolf’s mysticism by and large focuses on a psychoanalytical approach. While this paper will somewhat attempt to move away from a psychoanalytical methodology, it is valuable to examine the existing scholarship and the departures from this approach. Within this theoretical structure, the critical discussion further breaks down into two separate, though not incompatible, groups: those who see Woolf’s use of mysticism as a feminist
The Sun Motif in The Stranger Many artists, authors, and composers have put the beauty and warmth of the sun in their work. The Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh created landscapes that expressed his joy with bright sunshine. The American poet Emily Dickinson wrote a poem called "The Sun," in which she described the rising and setting of the sun. The Russian composer Nicholas Rimsky-Korsakov included a beautiful song, "Hymn to the Sun," in his opera The Golden Cockerel. Uniquely, Camus' usage of
Vendetta and the Ritualized Revenge Motif in Popular Italian Film Italian cinema is conventionally associated with neorealist films and their contribution to the international art film movement. However, while these films tend to draw on the ideas and artistic creativity of individual directors such as Fellini, Antonioni, and De Sica; there is also a strong tradition of genre cinema evident in more popularized examples of Italian film. Emerging in the post-war era, these filone, or formula films
great American themes and motifs. Many American novels, books and movies also contain these themes and motifs, making it very easy to compare Huckleberry Finn to Pleasantville. Although the plot of each story is very different, Huckleberry Finn and Pleasantville have the same motifs. Both the movie and the book have the motifs of going west, rebel vs. the establishment and Jim Crow/Shaman. This essay will compare these common American motifs. The "go west" motif is about the characters running
these techniques is the use of motifs. A motif is a recurring theme that is used throughout the work. In The Odyssey, Homer makes use of many motifs including eating/drinking, Odysseus's anger, bathing, and disguise, just to name a few. However, perhaps the most important of Homer's motifs is the symbolic death and rebirth theme. This motif is used throughout The Odyssey to emphasize the growth and enlightenment of the characters. The first example of this motif occurs with Telemachos early
Motifs in King Lear Shakespeare uses many motifs to expand on the themes of the story. His most-used motif revolves around filial responsibility. Each of the two plots contains characters who betray their fathers. Goneril and Regan flatter their father, King Lear, and then betray him. The drastic change that occurred in their attidtude towards their father is clearly evident through Goneril's speech before: "Sir, I love you more than words can wield the matter; Dearer than eye-sight,
Structure, Themes, and Motifs in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman At first glance, Arthur Miller's play, Death of a Salesman appears to be a simple story of the tragic life of an ordinary man. Through a few flashbacks, it would seem that his whole dreary life is told and that is about it. However, this can not be the case, as we know that Arthur Miller is one of the greatest playwrights alive. After reading the play for the fourth or maybe fifth time, I became fully aware of the intricate
The Motif of Play in A & P In the short story "A & P" the author, John Updike, uses the motif of play as one of the main means by which he develops the character of Sammy, the nineteen-year-old narrator and protagonist of the story. In his many and varied references to play, Sammy reveals, along with his obvious immaturity, his rich imagination and potential for possible growth. The story takes place in the summertime of 1960 on a Thursday afternoon. Sammy is employed at the A & P grocery
J. S. Bach was the first known composer to use a literal representation of his name in his music. He used the chromatic motive B-A-C-H , that is, B-flat, A, C, B-natural in American theoretical language in Contrapunctuas XIV from the Art of Fugue. Although Bach left this fugue unfinished, the third and last subject of the fugue was the B-A-C-H motive that composers after Bach have used to pay tribute to the great composer. There are a number of composers; including: Schumann, Liszt, Reger, Busoni
The Motifs of Blood and Water in Macbeth In his masterpiece Macbeth, William Shakespeare employs many motifs, but none more often than blood and water. The play includes many images of blood and water to show the characters' attitudes toward their own development of guilt. Both motifs mature and change in their meaning along with the setting and mood of the play. “Without an understanding of the blood and water symbolism, the play cannot be completely understood”(Scott 14). Blood symbolizes
The Doubles Motif in Flannery O’Connor's The Violent Bear It Away In The Violent Bear It Away, Flannery O’Connor makes use of the doubles motif. The doubles motif occurs when one character looks at another character and sees or senses yet another character’s presence. In this novel, Francis and Rayber not only serve as doubles for each other but also as a double for Mason. Francis makes Mason Tarwater’s presence felt by the way he talks and the fact that he, like Mason, never removes his