European Literature Essays and Term Papers

the most renowned philosophers. It may be advantageous to look at human nature through the eyes of such great thinkers as Hobbes, Lock, and Aristotle. These men have postulated three separate, yet valid approaches to the question that has riddled…

the servants of the feuding noble families of Capulet and Montague. Benvolio, a Montague, tries to stop the fighting, but is himself embroiled when the rash Capulet, Tybalt, arrives on the scene. After citizens outraged by the constant violence…

theme of civilization versus savagery comes into play. Marlow's aunt believes he is an emissary of light, being sent into the darkness. Marlow sees this darkness through the placing of heads on poles, for a man named Kurtz. All of this makes Marlow…

factors that taint our feeble minds. A perfect example of this is out inner fears of the unknown and it is cleverly portrayed in the words of William Golding, the author of Lord of the Flies. One section of the novel stuck out like a sore thumb when…

up to the fall or death of the protagonist, who starts out on top and takes a tragic downfall. Therefore Shakespeare's Macbeth is a tragedy because it traces through many events, the fall of Macbeth, who starts out from a high position. Macbeth…

a true idol? To determine whether or not something is an idol, one must do two things. First, you must look at the definition of an idol. Then, you have to decide if the proposed idol fits three main criteria of an idol. The definition is fairly…

of Darkness Heart of Darkness by Josef Conrad and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe are two novels that are written to make a statement. Both are meant to stir the emotions of the reader, whether those emotions be anger, hope, frustration, joy, despai…

the conveyed theme is to never judge a book by it's cover, or rather a person by their appearance. This theme is demonstrated through relationships. Shakespeare first shows the relationship between Bianca and Katherine, next the relationship…

writes a sarcastic theme about the struggle between good and evil and how he hopes good will prevail, but in reality he knows evil will. To "two angels" on his shoulder, as the poem at first glance conveys, could possibly be metaphors for his…

into the themes of freewill and fate throughout its entirety. This is the story of a man and his struggles against his own destiny and his fight for the future that he desires. Oedipus wanted to deny his own predestination and make his own life. …