In Montaigne’s Essays, Montaigne describes a variety of fears by narrating different stories. Fear is a surrendering emotion that can make people not only acting frantic but also fettering from moving. However, by comparing it to other emotion, it is the most powerful one. When fear throws us into despair, where we have nothing to lose, it makes us strong again. If we’re not afraid of fear, overcoming fear, then we could calmly deal with everything.
Author: NING XIANG
How does Pizan respond to male authors’ depiction of women in her work?
The Book of the City of Ladies is a revolutionary book that exemplifies a woman’s perspectives on the lives of women during the Middle Age. Before Pizan’s book, several books had been written by male authors about women, but none had been written by a woman to illustrate their plight. In her book, Pizan gives a comprehensive outline of the actual roles of women as opposed to the expectations of the patriarchal society. She presents the stories of various intelligent and innovative women who contributed greatly to the world. Through her book, Pizan gives the readers an outlook of various heroines who had positive reputations and encourages them to consider their personal experiences when judging the virtue of both men and women in society.
Consider Socrates’s use of seed and other tree-growing images in his discussion of rhetoric.
Phaedrus is a philosophical dialogue that answers multiple questions about man’s reality. In the rhetoric that Plato uses in the text, seed and tree metaphors are especially significant. He compares a human to a heavenly plant, both of which are considered superior to an earthly tree, which has its seed grounded at the bottom in the soil. Plato’s central concept is that although human consciousness originates in the mind, it has the ability to conceive ideas that relate to the entire universe. Such an ability is most significant for Plato to consider humans as the most intelligent living form.
How does Aeschylus depict memorable characters/personalities in The Oresteia? What makes them unique and/or memorable?
In the renowned trilogy, The Oresteia, Aeschylus depicts a unique and memorable character: Clytaemnestra. Unlike other women in Ancient Greek, Clytaemnestra is decisive and aggressive. She avenges the sacrifice of her daughter, Iphigenia, by murdering her husband, Agamemnon, without any guilty. Her strong will make the revenge must happen. In addition, Clytaemnestra is also a smart and calculating woman because she has been planning her revenge for years. Upon Agamemnon’s return, Clytaemnestra acts as a perfect wife in order to gain his trust and kill him easily.