Fate Critical Thinkings Samples For Students

According to Socrates and Plato, the debate on whether we are prisoners of fate or we can control our own destiny would be very interesting because it impinges on human rights and freewill. Socrates was Plato’s mentor and as such, he would have the upper hand in seeking the absolute truth and justice in the issue (Guthrie, 1975, Gill, 2006). Plato having attended the trial of his mentor, Socrates in 399BC got troubled on the destiny of humanity and, as such, he wanted to come up with an ideal society (Gill, 2002, Jowett, 1871). The following is a transcription ...

In today’s world, nothing elicits so much outrage than the subject of slavery. The bone of contention seems to be: why should one human being enslave another? Although people in the modern world may not fathom the rationale behind slavery, it is indeed true that slavery was an accepted institution in the ancient civilizations. It is even possible that slavery predates civilization. One of the reasons why slavery as a practice went on for so long was because enslavement of war prisoners and slavery as a punishment were accepted in the ancient civilizations. Nonetheless, such acts prompt the question of ...

Why do the myths, works of art and literature history and artwork concerning the Trojan war furnish such a great opportunity to engage all the major questions of life and society and of the humanities
The Trojan War which is a legendary conflict between the people of Troy and the Greeks is said to have been fought for about 10 years with great influence from the gods. The myths and the arts value the Trojan War because it shows that mortals are subject to the fate decided upon them by the gods. In this case, Zeus saw that the ...

In both of Ernest Hemingway’s short stories “The Killers” and ‘The Old Man at the Bridge,” a character faces the probability of death. In “The Killers,’ a former prizefighter learns that two assassins have been hired to kill him, while in “The Old Man at the Bridge,” an elderly man stays at the likely site of an impending wartime conflict. Each of them faces the prospect of death in a similar way, seemingly calmly accepting that their death is imminent. However, the reaction of the other characters in the two stories differs. The scout in “The Old Man at the Bridge” ...

The topic of free will versus fate in Homer’s, The Iliad, is the subject of this paper. In the Iliad, gods are portrayed as active in human affairs. Stories of the gods reflect the happenings in nature and human events. Homer suggests that the interaction between the humans and the gods may be a predictor of the fate of the humans. However, at times, characters like Achilles appear to have a free will. At other times, neither the humans nor the gods are portrayed as being in control of the fate of the humans.

Each character grapples with free will ...

“What are these/So wither’d and so wild in their attire,/That look not like the inhabitants o’ the earth,/And yet are on’t? Live you? or are you aught/That man may question?/You seem to understand me,/by each at once her chappy finger laying/Upon her skinny lips: you should be women,/And yet your beards forbid me to interpret/That you are so” (Shakespeare, Act I, scene III). Both in Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Achebe’s Things Fall Apart the main characters’ lives seem to be controlled by fate: both Macbeth and Okonkwo play out their lives in ...

Summary (Heracles)

Heracles is considered a half-god; of course he was the son of the gods (Zeus) and a human mother. He is equally portrayed as the strongest man who has ever lived. He showed his extraordinary force and strength with the desire to win during his early life, for instance, when he fought a snake which slithered right inside his baby cradle (Caruth, p. 1-12). However, the most saddening incident throughout his life comes after his marriage with Princes Megara with whom they got three children. Because she cannot forgive Zeus, her husband, Hera’s jealousy prompted her to make ...

‘Institutional Affiliation’

Candide / Voltaire
Candide, penned by Voltaire, is one of the most significant literary works of the past few decades, not so much for its witty and humorous plot, as much for the way in which the author narrates the social and political issues of the eighteenth century, in a philosophical perspective. It is an excellent satiric novel that questioned many of the popular beliefs of its time and created much debate and criticism wherever it was published. The novel was so scandalous, that it was banned both by the church and secular authorities. In fact it was classified ...

The image of Tragic Hero is well known from the ancient times. Such characters were mentioned in Greek, Roman, Indian legends, fairy tales as well as dramas, tragedies and other literature works. One of the most famous heroes, which possess all the features of the tragic character, is Oedipus the King mentioned in the Greek ancient drama written by prominent playwright Sophocles.

In times of ancient Greeks tragedy did not mean a play with unhappy or lethal ending. It only meant that the play would depict a hero, who must fight against his fate. The character should also possess features thanks ...

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Forrest Gump
‘Forrest Gump’ is a very deep and moving film. The story tells us about the main character Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a man with a low IQ, who, however, turns out to be smarter than most members of society and who we consider being "normal" people. The film tells us the story of his extraordinary life.
The events in the film begin at the bus stop where Forrest opens a box of chocolates. With his words about shoes and that ‘life is a box of chocolate’, the viewer embarks on a journey through the life ...

There have been numerous stories throughout the centuries of heroes who have struggled with inner and external conflicts and who have used different mediums to share their tales. Their journeys are different in many respects, but they all share the same qualities that define the role of a hero in any literature piece. Heroes continue to maintain their presences and their role in the stories that are told every day. The hero plays an interesting role in any piece of literatures and pulls the readers towards the plot. Gilgamesh is the typical hero who he survives the difficult journey. ...

Randall Kenan’s A Visitation of Spirits tells the story of Horace Cross, who is aged sixteen. Cross is plagued by problems that nag his impressionable spirit and sit in his mind in the form of loathsome demons. In one night, this climaxes into a horrible and tragic transformation. Reflecting on the fate of Horace, Reverend James Green (known as ‘Jimmy’) questions the values of the community in which they live and may have caused- even if by mere neglect- Horace’s fate. Jimmy focuses on the vicious cycle of poverty a community that hopes for the better, but ...

(Student’s Full Name)

“A man said to the universe: ‘Sir, I exist!’ ‘However,’ replied the universe, ‘The fact has not created in me a sense of obligation.’”—Stephen Crane
The above quote made by Stephen Crane highlights the personal philosophy which Crane had concerning nature or “the universe,” which may appear at have a certain detachment concerning its relationship with humans. This point is further emphasized by Harold Bloom's introduction in the critical work entitled, Stephen Crane in the following: “[Stephen Crane's] mode wasrenderedwith a meticulous nihilism, a deep sense of the meaninglessness of life except for what could be converted ...

‘Instructor’s Name’

‘Subject’
Thinking Critically with Drama- Antigone
Antigone is a tragic play written by Sophocles in or before 441 BCE. Although it is the last of the Oedipus trilogy, Antigone was written first and bagged the first prize at the Dionysia festival. The play deals with a female protagonist who acts against the order of the king, and in the process meets her untimely death. The conflicts between the two main characters Creon and Antigone, is a powerful human struggle, which is still relevant as it was during that day. It is a struggle of an individual against the establishment. Antigone by ...

Classic English literature

Once Percy Bysshe Shelley said that human history is like a poem written by time upon the memories of man. But sometimes history gets a form of a novel, and hearing about historical events from a novelist may become much more exciting and entertaining than getting facts from a historian. Reading a historical novel allows the reader to avoid prejudice and form own opinion about events and historical figures; understand real causes and backgrounds of what was happening.
It is interesting that Sir Walter Scott was a collector of antiquities. He admired this captured history that once had been put into the object by its ...

In the context of this film, a surrealistic body horror is displayed which was directed and written by David Lynch, an American filmmaker. The story portrayed in this movie is all about Henry Spencer who was left taking care of his own grossly deformed child in a landscape which was desolate. Spencer is shown experiencing hallucinations and dream of his lady and child in the radiator. The surrealistic imagery as well as sexual undercurrents is clearly portrayed in this film making them the main styles used in elaboration of the intended message. The main themes and purpose of the film therefore ...

Oedipus the Rex is one of the most famous Athenian tragedies written by Sophocles in the 5th century BC. It is interesting to note that besides fascinating plot one may find here a reflection of historical and social backgrounds that influenced the play. One of such was an old conflict between the city of Athens and the city of Thebes.
It comes quite clear from the text of the play that all gods supported the rightfulness of punishment to which Thebes were subjected by gods. When the chorus appears in the play for the first time, it is praying ...

Noah’s story in Genesis approaches the nature of what it means to live in a rather different perspective from the other two. Noah according to King James Version of the Bible was a man of diligence and respect and walked in the ways of God. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis. 6: 8)”. Noah lived on earth in a time when men were evil and walked in their own knowledge. They cared less about morality or any code of ethics in which they were to live with. They showed no respect to God, who had created ...

Answers: I

3. How is the setting in the stories listed below essential to our understanding of the events in these works?
The setting of the story, The Lottery, stirs the readers to the very core as it helps in setting up the ambiance that leads to the climactic sequence in the course of the narrative. The description of the beautiful day and the open space in stark juxtaposition to the final barbaric act in the course of the story makes one understand the dichotomy between the societal norms and logical outlook. Right up to the very end, one is unable ...

Introduction

Socrates is considered one of the greatest philosophers in the history of Western Europe. Virtually every person that goes through the education system must come across his name, his works, or his demise story. Greek official had previously put Socrates in jail for the charges of ‘corrupting the mind' of the Athens' youth. In the eyes of the wealthy and the influential, Socrates was making a fool of them by empowering the young people with new information about the society and its leadership among other things. When put to jail, he was scheduled for death in a few days, ...

Argument with Evaluation

There are some talented authors who managed to portray life as they saw it with all the white and dark strips. One of such gifted natures is surely an Irish dramatist Lady Gregory. She was not interested in things and abstract ideas but preferred to depict the complicated inner life of people’s feelings and emotions. The Rising of the Moon is her remarkable one-act little play that was widely praised for its consummate dramatic technique. It was written in 1904 and proved that harmony and loyalty could be found in the most intense situations ever. Thomas Hogan named ...

Introduction

The Bhagavad Gita is a set of sermons given by Lord Krishna to his nephew Arjuna who was caught in a mental dilemma where he was unable to decide between lifting arms and annihilating his own relatives who were against him and his brothers (Pavulraj, 2014). The sole purpose of the entire scripture was to demystify the connection between the humans and the God. Lord Krishna holds the religious value of being an incarnation of lord Vishnu who is among the three main deities in the Hinduism. Thus, although literally, the message of Bhagavad Gita was to inculcate the ...

Freezing eggs at a young age is a growing trend in the Western world. The procedure is costly, but women feel it gives them control over their fertility. According to Sarah Richards, women should feel empowered because of this ease (Knight, 2013). Women who are unsure about having families early in life should opt for this method of egg freezing. It is understandable that the costs of this procedure may not be affordable by many; therefore, a woman’s parents should bear some portion of this cost. They must view this as an investment to secure their daughters future. According to sources, ...

The Great Divorce a great work of Lewis that attempts to challenge the assumption that humanity will be saved in the end. Lewis revisits the controversial subject of Hell and Heaven and the humanity’s desire of leading a happy life. The book develops a story that explains the people’s course from Hell to Heaven through which the narrator understands that human beings are presented with the opportunity of staying in the heaven, but fail to explore this chance because they prefer to stay in Hell. Lewis develops this concept by creating a scenario where he allows the cursed spirits to have a “ ...

Sexual consent is a concept shrouded in mystery in modern times. It has become increasingly difficult to identify sexual acts guided by mutual consent by the partners’ involved, implied consent, and outright rape. Kate Harding in her article ‘How Rape in Pop Culture Became a Matter of Opinion’ holds the opinion that the notion of rape in pop culture depiction is diluted to the opinion of the individual. Cases of portrayed rape are left to the discretion of individual interpretation, thus, according to Harding, subjecting female victims of sexual assault to normalized abuse, in the face of popular opinion.
James ...

Assisted suicide

Recently in the newspapers there was a man who killed his wife who was suffering from stage four cancer. In his defense, he said that the wife had asked him to kill her in order for her to stop feeling pain. The wife was no longer responding to pain medication and was in agony for several weeks. This act of mercy killing is called euthanasia.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is defined as the intentional killing of people in order to relieve them from pain and suffering. Euthanasia is a hotly debated topic. Critics believe that mercy killing is unethical. They believe that the choice ...

Many different psychologists have theorized about the human mind and how unconsciousness plays a part in how we react to these thoughts or behaviors. Personally I feel that the theories put forth by Jung present the most complete picture and reflects how I view unconsciousness affects the thought process. The theories of Jung represent an innovative approach to therapy and how we understand human nature. Jung proposes that our mind is more complex than we may have previously thought.
Most humans experiences these theories in some way nearly every day. Individuals are constantly working to categorize and analyze the ...

A music video or the song video refers to a short film assimilating a song and imagery. In most cases, these kinds of songs are produced for promotional or artistic songs. Current song videos are primarily developed as marketing tools aimed at promoting the sale of music recordings. This form of music technology came into eminence in 1980s, when MTV embraced the technology around their medium. Music videos involve styles like animation, documentaries, non- narrative approaches, as well as live action filming. Some song videos interpret scenes and images from the song’s lyrics as others take an approach defined by ...

Macbeth and Oedipus are tragic heroes from two completely different periods of time. However, they have many similarities that join them together. As a first similarity, we can distinguish that they were both kings, driven by a force that lead them unconsciously to death. Even though Oedipus was in his youth and running away from his fate, he ended just like Macbeth. Both of these two tragic heroes had prophesies that needed to be fulfilled. They are on an unconscious search for their own fall and destruction. Macbeth is lead by the lust of powers that eventually lead him to destruction, ...

The “New Negro Movement” came about as a result of a need to establish new identity for African-Americans after their freedom in the Civil War. There was still a great deal of racism present throughout the country, even in the comparatively enlightened cities of New York and Chicago, among others. The primary battlefield of this cultural movement was Harlem, New York, considered the “cultural capital of black America.” A great number of blacks had moved to New York in order to become part of this burgeoning musical and art culture, as well as financial and job opportunities. This soon-to-be “mecca for black ...

Abstract

This paper gives a brief account of the contents of the movie Gattaca. The paper represents a critical analysis of eugenics and genetic engineering as related to the movie. However, the main issue comprehensively discussed is the dangers of such technologies if they were not restricted

Introduction

Gattaca is a world that represent a time when eugenics and genetic engineering has turn out to be the standard advancement to reproduction. The society entails a tradition of self-advancement via the means of genetic determinations, a caste scheme of valid and in-valids in addition to societal prejudice rooted in genetics. This sterilized and cold civilization of superior associations ...