Author Archives: m.hilbert

The word “doubt” originated in Latin and moved through Old French into Middle English. Doubt has grown two branches of meaning: uncertainty or mistrust and fear or suspicion. The latter branch is archaic and mostly obsolete but was common in … Continue reading →

All’s fair in Hell and Hades: Justice features prominently in Antigone and the Inferno. In the former, Olympus’ law justifies Antigone’s crime against the state; in the latter, Heaven’s law justifies the punishments within the nine circles of Hell. In … Continue reading →

Three forms of violence find punishment in the Seventh Circle of Hell. In the second ring are those violent to self: “suicides, self-robbers of your world, / or those who gamble all their wealth away / and weep up there … Continue reading →

(beginning on 566) [The vizier warned,] “If you don’t relent, I shall do to you what the merchant did to his wife.” [Shahrazad] said, “Such tales don’t deter me from my request. You ignore an alternate ending of the tale: … Continue reading →

Original: That detestable sight him much amazde, To see th’ unkindly Impes, of heaven accurst, Devoure their dam; on whom while so he gazd, Having all satisfide their bloudy thurst, Their bellies swolne he saw with fulnesse burst, And bowels … Continue reading →

In Antigone, mortal and immortal law clash. The laws in question surround traitors and burial, with human politics focusing on the dead’s traitorous actions and godly authority focusing on the importance of a proper burial. Kreon uses his power as … Continue reading →

I. Introduction: Stories are the ultimate form of memories, the crystallization of a liquid continuum. An epic takes this memory capture to the next level, documenting glory and gore that stand the test of time. Known for their drama and … Continue reading →

Topic: Memory Focus: The binary of memory vs forgetting with the guiding question “what is worth remembering?” Thesis: In the Odyssey, memories prove to be more curse than treasure; yet the present cannot compete with the augmented past, where certain … Continue reading →

Passage analyzed: Book 9, Lines 505-514 (p 437 in The Norton Anthology, 3rd ed.) In this passage, the Cyclops Polyphemus recalls the prophesying of Odysseus’ visit to his cave. His speech both exemplifies the binary of fate and free will … Continue reading →

Passage analyzed: Book 5, Lines 493-502 (p 396 in The Norton Anthology, 3rd ed.) Stanley Lombardo’s translation of the Odyssey uses italics to set off striking similes like the one in this passage. The visual and sonic arrangement of the … Continue reading →