Historical Figure Essays

  • Cleopatra as a Historical Figure

    2536 Words  | 6 Pages

    Cleopatra as a Historical Figure In hieroglyphs, the name reads “Kleopadra”. It is a name which in Greek means “Glory of Her Race” (Weigall, 44). It is a name belonging to a woman who has transcended the boundaries of time so that we may know her story. What better way to describe Cleopatra, the last Queen of Egypt, Ruler of the Nile, sent from the Gods themselves to lead her people, than “Glory of Her Race”? Cleopatra, the last ruling descendant of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, has arguably unparalleled

  • Contrasting Shakespeare's Richard with the Historical Figure

    1400 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are two Richards: the Machiavellian monster created by Shakespeare and the historical figure who many historians claim is a much-maligned innocent man. So is Richard the sinner or the one sinned against? How can we decide? Is a decision even possible? In Shakespeare's play Richard III, Richard describes himself as a deformed malcontent in the opening soliloquy. (Shakespeare often uses physical deformity to mirror an evil mind.) I, that am curtail'd of this fair proportion, Cheated

  • Cleopatra the Character, Historical Figure, and Myth

    1722 Words  | 4 Pages

    Cleopatra the Character, Historical Figure, and Myth Cleopatra is a character in a Shakespeare play. Cleopatra is a historical figure. Cleopatra is a myth of our culture. Although each of these statements may be true, neither they, nor any other such statements can hope to adequately describe Cleopatra. Cleopatra is an emergent feature of a complex system; Cleopatra is greater than the sum of her parts. Emergent features are properties associated with complex systems that cannot be deduced

  • Queen Nefertiti as a Significant Historical Figure in the Coloring Book

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    Queen Nefertiti as a Significant Historical Figure in the Coloring Book The influence and admiration of Ancient Egypt's Queen Nefertiti in the modern world is quite apparent, particularly in children's literature. "A Coloring Book of Queen Nefertiti" is a prime example. This 18-page coloring book includes black-outline illustrations of various aspects of ancient Egyptian history pertaining to Queen Nefertiti. Also incorporated are brief anecdotes pertaining to the pictures, written in simple

  • Macbeth

    609 Words  | 2 Pages

    plays. Although many people have read Macbeth, not many people know that King Macbeth of Scotland actually existed and what influenced Shakespeare to write about him. English culture and society as well as the historical figure Macbeth impacted Shakespeare’s infamous play. The historical King Macbeth reigned in Scotland for 17 years from 1040-1057. He had a wife named Coruoch and a stepson named Luloch. Although Macbeth did kill Duncan, he was not the gentle king as described in Macbeth. Killing

  • Julius Caesar - Tragic Hero

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    Julius Caesar As A Tragic Hero 	In Julius Caesar William Shakespeare illustrated Caesar as a tragic hero by showing that he was a noble man of high rank, by showing that he was a historical figure with a tragic flaw which lead to his downfall, and by showing that Caesar accepted his fate of death & achieved honor and respect in his death. There is a contradiction between who the main tragic hero of Julius Caesar is. Can there possibly be 2 main tragic heroes in one book? If Julius Caesar

  • Disney’s Pocahontas: Selling Lies as the Truth

    3001 Words  | 7 Pages

    many of its criticisms and appease angry minorities, Disney produced a sequel. Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998) picks up on Pocahontas’ life in Jamestown and transports her to London. Here Disney hoped to give more accuracy to the historical figure’s life and continue to teach society the lessons of tolerance and good triumphing over evil. However, this second film does little but add even more criticisms to an already long list of complaints from interest groups. History continues

  • Mystical Motifs in Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway

    1367 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

  • Euclid

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    tribute to his mathematical genius, however very little of him is known. Three theories abound as to the true nature of this historical figure. Not all historians agree that Euclid was in fact a historical figure, some argue that the school in Alexandria took up the name Euclid to publish their works. But the more accepted theories are that Euclid was in fact a real historical figure who may have been the leader of a team of mathematicians. In Euclid’s first postulate he states that it is possible to draw

  • The Battle of the Sexes Continue in The Revolt Of Mother

    1556 Words  | 4 Pages

    independent and rebellious spirit of the main character, Sarah Penn. Because Sarah Penn's behavior is unorthodox for a woman of the nineteenth century, the author constantly compared her to similar historical figures. When Mrs. Penn is baking her husband's favorite mince pies, we become aware of the first historical relationship. The author described her face as "full of meek vigor which might have characterized one of the New Testament saints." The author continues to express that "however deep a resentment

  • The Real Rochester in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    1227 Words  | 3 Pages

    familiar with this historical figure. Bronte modeled her character of Edward Rochester on Wilmot. There are many instances in the novel Jane Eyre that link the two figures. In his essay "John Wilmot and Mr. Rochester" Murray Pittock establishes the link between Rochester and Wilmot. Pittock does such a thorough job of supporting the claim that Rochester and Wilmot are related. However Pittock fails to explain why Charlotte Bronte chose to compare her Rochester to the historical Rochester. The key

  • Self-Inflicted Pain in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

    562 Words  | 2 Pages

    Self-Inflicted Pain in The Crucible There is an old saying that goes: "we are our own worst enemies." In relation to The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, it corresponds to the characters in the play perfectly. John Proctor, a historical figure in the play, is "his own worst enemy" in every aspect. Proctor's extreme honesty and exuberant dignity comes back at the end of the play to haunt him, which directly leads to his tragic death. Proctor's honesty ironically is one of the

  • Captain John Smith

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    source was helpful to learn more about this historical figure. Philip L. Barbour, in The Three Worlds of Captain John Smith, focuses on the major roles Captain Smith filled during his lifetime: adventurer, colonist, and promoter. Because the book was divided into three main categories, it was helpful to use this secondary source in order to gain a greater understanding of John Smith’s role in the New World. The Norton Anthology introduces each historical figure with a brief summary. Both sources explain

  • Characterization in The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea and Wonderful Fool

    1546 Words  | 4 Pages

    that speaks volumes about the character and requires no more than a single word - the character's personal name. In many cases, a personal name describes the character by associating him with a certain type of people or with a well known historical figure. Therefore, since the reader learns the character's name first, a personal name is a primary method of characterization; it creates an image in the reader's mind that corresponds with the name of the character. Once this image has been created

  • Quetzalcoatl: Man Or Myth?

    7188 Words  | 15 Pages

    From the beginning of the Toltec reign in Central Mexico, the deity Quetzalcoatl has been a central figure in the religion and culture of Mexico. This is undisputed. What can be disputed, however, is Quetzalcoatl’s legitimacy as an historical figure. The deity Quetzalcoatl, or the “plumed serpent” is inseparable from the man Ce Acatl Topitlzin Quetzalcoatl, known to be a famous leader in pre-historical Mexican myth. The dissection becomes more difficult still as the Spanish friars introduced Christianity

  • Hippocrates

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hippocrates, the central historical figure in Greek medicine, was born in Kos between 470-460 B.C. He was born of an ancestor of Aselepios, the son of Apollo, named Heraklides. He greatened his education by traveling. He traveled often and widely before he settled in Kos to practice and teach medicine. Hippocrates taught in Athens and worked on squaring the circle and also worked on duplicating the cube. He grew far in these areas and although his work is not lost, it must have contained much of

  • Augustine

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Luther, Aquinas, Augustine, Decartes, and Kierkeguard hold about the relationship between faith and reason? All of these great philosophers had varying views on the relationship between faith and reason. Martin Luther was a key historical figure and a key historical figure of his time. He rose to fame for his 95 thesis and is credited with bringing about the Protestant Reformation. Luther was a feidest- everything opens to faith with no regard to reason. He believed people were saved “by faith alone”

  • Socrates

    2060 Words  | 5 Pages

    SOCRATES THE PHILOSOPHER Socrates is a noteworthy and important historical figure as a philosopher, because of his and his pupils’ influence on the development of the philosophical world. His teachings, famous arguments, and ideas began the outgrowth of all later western philosophies. Born in 469 BC just outside of Athens, Socrates was brought up properly, and thoroughly educated. He was raised as most Athenians; developing both physical and mental strengths. Socrates then went on to learn from Archelaus

  • Augustus Ceasar

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    Caesar Augustus, Rome's first true great emperor. He is known to modern historians as the historical figure that had the greatest impact on the ancient world. Augustus became Caesar after the assassination of Julius Caesar and united the split roman empire after over 100 years of civil war. He is the single most important person in roman history, and he conquered more territories than anyone other roman ruler. This is why Augustus Caesar had such a long and brilliant career. Augustus was born

  • The Significance of Sacrifice in Buddhist Practice

    5234 Words  | 11 Pages

    death. Basics of Buddhism When exploring the specific function of sacrifice within Buddhism, it will be necessary to understand some of the fundamental beliefs that lay the groundwork for the religion as a whole. The Buddha was an actual historical figure who lived around 350 BCE in northern India. After his own spiritual awakening, he taught four basic lessons about the nature of life. The Four Noble Truths state 1) that life is qualified by suffering 2) that suffering has a cause 3) that