The foundation of Ovid's creation narrative
The foundation of Ovid's creation narrative is not the same as that of Genesis, which is based on the creation of one man; God, but on the representation of scientific nature as the center of its existence. This is because other gods are involved in the creation process in Ovid's case, which differs from the case in Genesis, implying that Ovid does not accept religious reasoning. God punishes the world with floods in Genesis, but instructs Noah to build an ark before the waters arrive. Yet, in Ovid, Jupiter punishes humanity with floods, but there is no ark involved. In Genesis, God separates water from the sky whereas, in Ovid, god separates earth from the sky.
Discussion 4 Question 2
Since we started reading about the ancient heroes in our class sessions, my opinion regarding heroism has greatly shifted. Before we undertook the studies, I used to have the perception that ancient heroes shared a special connection to God. I have since learned that some of them were used as bedtime stories for children in old times. Also, there are instances in which they were merely used to inculcate proper manner and behavior in children so that they would do good and be celebrated as the heroes did. The ancient heroes are honored for the times they stepped in and assisted their communities in times of need which is an honorable thing to do especially when one is in a better time to do so. In most cases involving ancient heroes, they are seen to have been great at their times only to have fatal ends.
Achilles and Batman
In the case of Achilles, the story of his life and how he came into being is known whereas that of Batman remains unknown to the people up to date. However, the fact that people do not know where their heroes are from does not seem to be an issue in the current century. All that people care about is their favorite hero being there when the need for them to be present arises. Achilles met his fatal end in the hands of Paris the Trojan King whereas Batman has been wounded several times in is battles but has never ceased to live.
Discussion 3 Question 3
According to Greek Mythology, Medea was an enchantress ho went out of her way to assist Jason in his quest to acquire the Golden Fleece which was in possession of his father. While Jason was the leader of the Argonauts, Medea was a prophetess who was known to have divine descent. Generally, the acts that Medea was involved in whether with or without the help of Jason just add up to the fact that she was not in her right mind. In the act where Aeetes was in pursuit of both Jason and Medea, she came up with the thought of dismembering her brother by cutting him to pieces and tossing them into the sea. This was done to delay the pursuit, but then it was the most inhuman thing to do at that particular instant even though there was nothing else that could be done.
In the cast, there is an act in which Medea is thought to have fled in the dragon chariot. However, the real sense of the matter is that she was in the house after taking the lives of her children; Creosa and Creon. Jason had rushed home with the sole intent of retaliating by taking killing Medea. When she was asked if she had killed them, she boldly denied then sent servants to fetch the lifeless bodies. These only prove that she was not in her right mind which just shows she was not guilty by reason of insanity.
Discussion Unit 5
In studying this unit, I learned a lot about both Christianity and Islam. By keenly examining the two they are almost the same in numerous aspects. However, the variation lies in the pronunciation of the books of the Bible and the Quran, but the stories are equal. Another different constraint lies in the direction of reading; while the Bible is read from left to right, the Quran is recited from right to left. The stories are a replica of one another save for a few concepts that may be different. The conflict between the two is due to the battle for supremacy in which members of either religion strive to prove that theirs is better than the other. In so doing, enmity is fueled on the basis that the other is associated with specific vices.
Discussion 2 Question 2
A hero is an individual is admired for the instances in which they proved to be courageous when their assistance was needed the most. In most cases, their actions come in handy in salvaging a situation that was critical, and most people did not know what to do to help. Babylonian heroic ideals substantially differ from those of the modern American concept. This is because Babylonian heroic acts are based on the might that is bestowed on heroes by unforeseen forces that are believed to be behind all the actions they undertake. However, in the case of modern American concept, the heroes are recognized for their contribution to the society, and people often anticipate their presence when calamity strikes.
In Babylonian context, the heroes are recognized as they grow and told stories of the greatness that is expected of them when they become of age. In so doing, people are aware of the heroic acts to expect from such individuals. In the case of modern American context, the noble activities that are committed by the broadly acclimated heroes occur as a surprise to the people as they often do not know what to expect from their heroes.
Discussion 6 Question 1
The placement of the punishment that the sinners in Dante's Inferno are subjected to is clearly justified. This is because they all had a part to play in making their previous world a harsh place to live. There is a stratification of circles that have the type of offense that the sinners had committed in their stay on earth, and beside it, there is the punishment that each one of them is meant to undergo. There is the group of people that were gluttons in their lives. In Dante's Inferno, they are punished for their evil deed by being made to lie in vile made of freezing slush. This is the wrath they face and are guarded by Cerberus to ensure they stay there.
