Literature

Hermione is defending herself. She has been accused of sleeping around with other men in King Leontes absence. Hermione insists that Leontes jealousy will be his undoing and though there are women who are unfaithful to their husbands, she is not among them more so now that Leontes raped her. Hermione is asking that Leontes stops using his suspicions of her infidelity to solicit mistresses. The persona says it is wrong for the King to use something that is untrue in the first place as an excuse to be unfaithful and to punish her. She says all that evil will catch up with him eventually (Silverbush  Plotkin, 2002).

Hermione uses the word play to indicate that she pretends to be okay while she is not. The other meaning of the same word play refers to the King Leontes in-discretionary behavior and the last meaning is asking Hermiones son not to worry despite being in exile since all is well.

According to (Silverbush  Plotkin, 2002) the poem creates an image of a woman who has self pride despite being disgraced by being raped and accused of sleeping around with other men. Leontes is a possessive man and this is a society where sexual immorality is rampant. Men have intercourse with their friends wives and married women also are unfaithful to their husbands. The word sluiced means snatching or a man taking anothers wife and bedding her. The word brings about the effect of speed whereby one is ready to take a chance as the window of opportunity is very limited  husbands absence period is not certain - and it creates the image of misbehaving. Also, women are aggressive and go after men and though Hermione says she is changing tact, she is unlike what Leontes thinks of her. Hermione says she is tired of the mistreatment and will do something about it. The words used create several images and develop the gist of the poem.

What does Knowledge, or Insight mean in Platos, Allegory of the Cave

         Knowledge is defined as The fact or condition, of knowing something with familiarity, gained through experience or association (knowledge, Merriam Webster Online Dictionary).
In Allegory of the Cave, Plato describes a conversation between Socrates (his teacher) and his brother, Glaucon, discussing concepts supporting his Theory of Forms.    The Theory of Forms suggests that humans live in two worlds, one that is basically real in regards to our senses, and a world that we perceive to be real, but isnt.  Therefore, there is a world that is permanent and stable, vs. a world that is not permanent.

     In Allegory of the Cave, Socrates gives an example of chained prisoners that cannot move their legs, arms and most importantly, their head.  They are forced to face a wall, and watch shadows move, from one end to the other.  The prisoners, (have been there a long time since they were young), believe that these shadows are real. That is, real animals, real people, whatever the puppeteers happen to be casting a shadow off of.  But the prisoners do not see the puppeteers, or the objects they are carrying, they are only seeing the shadows on the wall.   This gives us insight on how the prisoners knowledge, was formed.  The prisoners know no other knowledge, other than the knowledge portrayed to them by the puppeteers.  This knowledge was created for them, not through experience of their senses, but by perception. 

     Socrates then goes on to discuss the possibility of a prisoner being let free.  He describes the new knowledge this ex-prisoner experiences, as he descends from the cave into the sunlight.  The prisoners mind, body and emotions, are all affected by all the new senses of this new world.  He then learns that the knowledge he had as a prisoner was only perceived, and this new knowledge experienced by his senses, is real knowledge.   

     Socrates also goes on to state that if the released prisoner should ever return to the cave, would the prisoners accept his testimony as real  There is likelihood that they would not, because they have not experienced what the freed prisoner has experienced through his senses.  In other words, they would have to see it, to believe it.

     Socrates theory of living in a dual world reality, is not exclusive to the time in which he lived.   Are we trapped in a world of impermanence and partiality.  If we are shown a news brief on crop circles, and we are told they were created by aliens, a majority of people would believe that aliens created the crop circles.  But in reality, it was two farmers that have been creating crop circles for 20 years.  However, most people will not be able to travel to the crop circle location, to validate this knowledge through their senses.  They have to rely on perception to form their knowledge, because they lack the opportunity to validate the facts with their senses.   

What does knowledge mean in Genesis 
     The story of Genesis, largely involves the creation of Earth and man, by God.  As we try to find the meaning of knowledge in Genesis, than we should look at the story of Adam and Eve, and their activities in the Garden of Eden.  Adam and Eve were given basic instructions by God, to eat of the Tree of Life, and to avoid the Tree of Knowledge, or they shall perish.  God didnt tell them what would happen if they ate of the Tree of Knowledge, but to only avoid it.    It wasnt until the serpent spoke to Eve, that the Tree of Knowledge was elaborated on.  The serpent questioned Eve as to why she should not eat of it, and convinced her that if she ate from it, her eyes would be opened.  

     In the story of Adam and Eve, the Tree of Knowledge, represents knowledge of good and evil.  By disobedience, Adam and Eve came to a personal and experimental knowledge of each, by eating of the Tree of Knowledge.  After eating of the Tree of Knowledge, Adam and Eve can now differentiate happiness, from sorrow, and hatred from love.  Had they not ate from the Tree of Knowledge, perhaps their only knowledge would have been of happiness, and love  Also, if they did not eat of the Tree of Knowledge, would their current knowledge of happiness be perceived, or real  

     The observation we can make about Genesis, is that Adam and Eves newfound knowledge was more damning, than blissful.   Was being blissfully ignorant a higher level of enlightenment for them, then after they ate of the Tree of Life  Or were they more enlightened after If being enlightened means knowledgeable enough to be just, compassionate and resourceful, then they were better off before their deed.  But now, they have a reality that is perceived and real, because they can perceive their new knowledge, as well as feel it.  So the question here is not whether Adam and Eve lived in a perception rather than reality, as in the Allegory of the Cave, because they were not forced to believe an illusion.  The question is, is it more important for a person to have the freedom to be able to live in a perceived reality, than a real one (httpwww.philosophypages.comhy2h.htm)  By exploring the Allegory of the Cave and Genesis, we can draw the conclusion that it is more important to have the  choice of how much knowledge we want to posses, rather than having someone else make that decision for us.

The character of Hamlet is one of William Shakespeares most interesting characters with regard to his complex personality and revenge-driven motivations. As a young man who just lost his father, King Hamlet, it is apparent that he is yet to adjust to the new life he is left to live which the sudden marriage of his mother, Gertrude to his Uncle Claudius. This situation is most possibly the very reason for his hatred towards Claudius which made it easy for him to believe the supposedly ghostly apparition of his father. As the ghost claims that Claudius was the one responsible for his death, Hamlet was quick to believe the ghost without further investigation due to his initial dislike of Claudius suddenly transitioning as his uncle to stepfather.

Hamlet has obviously disapproved of his uncle Claudius even before he saw the ghost of his father claiming that the one who murdered him was Claudius and that he needed his son to avenge him. His seething hatred for Claudius was rooted upon his hasty marriage to his mother, Gertrude. He mentioned in one of his soliloquies that it has only been two months since the late King Hamlets death and his mother has already remarriednot to mention married to her late husbands brother O, God a beast that wants discourse of reason,  Would have mournd longer,married with mine uncle,  My fathers brother but no more like my father  Than I to Hercules within a month (1.2.150-153).

    It is also important to note that Hamlets actions triggered his lover, Ophelias madness and pushed her to commit suicide. One of the notable scenes suggesting Hamlets manipulation of Ophelia is the nunnery scene where Hamlet tells Ophelia that, I did love you once whereas Ophelia replies with Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so. Hamlet then tells her You should not have believed me and Ophelia responds with I was the more deceived then comes the famous cruel line of Hamlet, Get thee to a nunnery, why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners (3.1.114-121). Clearly, it is not confirmed whether Hamlet is sincere with his words as he is simply pretending to be mad to avoid being caught guilty of planning to kill Claudius. This scene extremely signifies Hamlets impact to the emotions of Ophelia. She is choked by her experience of patriarchal ascendancy which is present in her relationship with Hamlet. He calls her names and tells her harsh words. It is ironic though he actually loves her dearly yet he is one of the reasons for her suffocation.

     The character of Hamlet is as complex as the storys plot which actually makes the play more interesting. His previous actions are ultimately the reasons why conflicts arose in his life and in the lives of the supporting characters as well. He was a vengeful character who could have smoothed things out without resorting to violence but since he was blinded by his rage and the fast-paced transitions in his life, he was forced to think and act impulsively.

One book that has affected me in a way that it has stayed in my mind and left me thinking long after I have finished reading it is Thomas Hardys novel, Jude the Obscure. It is a depressing story. Jude Fawley is a poor boy from a small village who dreams of being a scholar at Christminster when he grows up. In the meantime, he studies by himself, marries a country girl, separates with her, lives together with a cousin and bears children with her, and finds livelihood as a mason. All through these dramas and detours in his life, he holds on to his dream. In the end, his eldest child kills his siblings because he could not bear the poverty-stricken life anymore, his wife leaves him, and he gets sick until he dies.

    I have never read a book more depressing than Jude the Obscure. There is no redemption for Jude all throughout his life, not even a hopeful note in the tone of Hardys writings. Instead, certain events highlight Judes hopelessness and the impossibility of his dream as in the scene that shows him watching a parade of scholars passing by him, a sort of metaphor of how his sole dream of ever being a student in the academy is passing him by as he struggles with harsh everyday living. In the end, Jude simply diesthe ultimate escape to all hard lives in the world but it is an end that is not consoling to the reader.

    The story is unsettling because of this effect of telling the reader to face reality life will not realize your deepest dreams so do not expect too much from it. One either has to simply be content with and make the best out of what the present brings, or prepare to be defeated. On the other hand, the story also made me appreciate the value of the struggle that humans do on earth everyday. Humans are resilient beings. Like Jude, they are always fighting against fate until the very end of their lives. Somehow, it is never the realization of dreams that will matter, but the fact that one dared to dream, struggle, lost, but not ever give up and instead accomplish that test of endurance called living.

Humans have many ways to express themselves. They have created various ways to share to the world how they feel regarding events, things, and people. Thoughts and emotions are best described by humans through art. Music for example has been used by humans to express emotions. On the other hand, through literature, they have also shared their ideas and thoughts.

Thus, this essay seeks to prove that there is indeed a relationship between literature and music. It lies on the fact that both serve as the expression of human emotions in the most creative manner. It also aims to discuss several course readings. These lessons will be used to discuss the relationship of music and literature.

    The following selections are proof of how artists share their thoughts and emotions in terms of how they create their art pieces. It can be noticed that several of the works indicated here show how the artists are influenced by the events in their lives and how these events inspired them to create great works of art. Whether it is literature or music, the way that artists create their works is shown on how they want to express themselves and the influence of the events in their lives and the society.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart s Don Giovanni
    Also known as Il dissoluto punito, ossia il Don Giovanni, or  The Rake Punishd, or Don Giovanni,  is an opera with two acts that has the music of Mozart. It was first staged at Estates Theater in Prague on October 29, 1787. It is a mix of both serious and comic action. While it is known as a comic, it is a rich blend of melodrama and supernatural elements. The opera is about the story of a young nobleman that meets his defeat three times after having victories in the past. This includes Donna Elvira whom he left but still follows him. Don Giovanni s marriage with Donna Anna was postponed after he tried to rape her and also tried to kill her father. The third incident is about Zerlina where he tried to lure her away from her fianc, Masetto. Many promised vengeance on Don Giovanni. The whole opera is composed of arias and ensembles, one of which is L ci darem la mano or  There We Will Entwine Our Hands.  This was sung by Don Giovanni and Zerlina in Act I, Scene IX.

Alexander Pushkins The Stone Guest from The Little Tragedies and Some Selections of Mozarts Requiem
    The Stone Guest by Alexander Pushkin is a poetic drama based on the Spanish legend of Don Juan. It is a part of the four-part plays that are known as The Little Tragedies. It is based on the farcical and comedic Don Juan. The poetic drama is a romantic tragedy. Most scholars agree that it was never meant to be a theatrical piece. It was written in 1830 after its author saw the Russian version of Mozart s Don Giovanni. Alexander Pushkin borrowed some of the elements of da Ponte, but he made a storyline of his own. He focused the entire story on the romantic factors.

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart s Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626) was composed and written in 1791 in Vienna, Austria. In addition, this was written during the last years of the composer s life. It is also known that the Requiem is one of the most popular of his works. The Requiem is composed and scored on the following dynamics 2 bassoons, 2 basset-horns in F, 3 trombones, violins, viola and basso continuo, 2 trumpets in D, timpani (2 drums). The vocal forces include a soprano, alto, tenor, and bass soloists, and a mixed choir.

Alexander Pushkins Mozart and Salieri and Feast during the Plague
from The Little Tragedies
    One of the greatest literary legacies that Alexander Pushkin left is his poetic short drama entitled Mozart and Salieri. His inspiration for this piece is from Amadeus by Peter Shaffer. Amadeus is a stage play that is based on the lives of Mozart and Salieri. On the other hand, Feast during the Plague, also known as Feast in Time of Plague and Feast in the Time of the Plague, is an opera with one act by Cesar Cui in 1990. Cui was influenced by one of the four tragedies of Alexander Pushkin s Little Tragedies. 

Leo Tolstoys The Kreutzer Sonata and Ludwig van Beethovens Violin Sonata no. 9
    A novella by Leo Tolstoy, The Kreutzer Sonata (1889) talks about the ideal sexual abstinence and the description of a jealous rage. Pozdnyshev (main character) is the point of view of the story. He leads the readers towards the killing of his own wife. In the novella, he says that the root cause of the crime is the  swinish connection  and  animal excesses  of the sexes.

    On the other hand, Ludwig van Beethoven s Violin Sonata no. 9, also known as The Kreutzer Sonata, was published in the Opus 47. It is known for the demanding parts of the violin. It lasts for about 40 minutes. It is also known for the emotional coverage. The first part is furious, the second part meditative, and the last parts joyous.

Richard Wagner s Tristan and Isolde and Mikhail Kuzmin s Wings
    Richard Wagner s Tristan and Isolde (1856-1859) is an opera that is composed of three acts, and it was influenced by Gottfried von Straburg. It premiered on June 10, 1865 in Munich, Germany. It was also inspired by the affair of Wagner with Mathilde Wesendonk. Likewise, it was also inspired by the philosophies of Arthur Schopenhauer. Harmonic suspension, orchestral color, chromaticism, and tonality was also used in the opera by Wagner. Gustav Mahler, Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg, Richard Strauss, and Karol Szymanowski were among the famous figures that were influenced by the opera. The opera marks the new use of tonality and harmony that moves away from the conventional use of such.

    Mikhail Kuzmin s Wings is the very first Russian novel to talk about homosexuality. Printed in 1906, it was released at a time when conservatism in literature widely prevailed. Hence, although the entire novel is beautiful, it has many controversies. The story revolves around the story of Vanya Smurov, a teenager and his attachment to his older mentor, Larion Stroop. Stroop was responsible for the introduction of Smurov to Renaissance, Classical, and Romantic art. Around the ending of the first part, Smurov is surprised to discover that his admired mentor visits homosexual bathhouses. In order to assess what he feels, he goes to the Volga in the countryside. However, he encounters a sickening experience with the rural women. Then he accepts the invitation of his mentor to come with him in Italy. The two enjoy the ambiance of the country as well as the artworks of Rome and Florence. Hence, the theme that embraces sensuality has been compared with the works of Andre Gide and Oscar Wilde, whose novels also have the same theme.  

Yevgeny Zamyatin s We
    This is a dystopian novel written and completed in 1921. We chronicles the author s personal experiences in the Russian revolution of 1905 and 1917, his experiences in Newcastle, and his work at Tyne in the First World War. Set in the 26th century, the protagonist D-503 tells his story as a constructor and mathematician of the Integral. He also tells his own misadventures with the rebel group called the Mephi or obviously Mephistopheles an allusion in the story.

Igor Stravinsky s The Rite of Spring and Mikhail Bulgakov s The Master and Margarita
     The Rite of Spring is a ballet originally composed by Igor Stravinsky. It greatly influenced 20th century compositions of music. The whole ballet is divided into two parts the first part is called A Kiss of the Earth and the second part is The Exalted Sacrifice. Stravinskys music in this ballet is very innovative and presents rhythmic structures. For the purpose of musical energy and color, Stravinsky used dissonance and timbres in the entirety of the ballet. In terms of the rhythm, it is also highly adventurous. It has varying time signatures in many parts of the ballet.

    The Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov. It tells of the visit of the devil to the Soviet Union. It was hidden for more than twenty years before it was published. Most critics regard the novel as one of the best novels of the 20th century. In fact, it has been said that the interplay of modern day social values and history, religion, art, realism, and satire is so obvious in the novel.

Mephistos Hllenrufe by Johann Strauss
    Composed in 1851, Mephistos Hllenrufe was first performed at the Vienna Volksgarten. It is a part of the festivity before Strauss tours in Germany. The title came from the quotation from the bible which reads,  And the devil (Mephistopheles) was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever  (Revelations, 2010). Many critics say that this waltz is a manifestation of Strauss  talent that he can actually create brilliant and effective melodies and instrumentations.

Synthesis
The composers and the authors of the said pieces were influenced by the context of their societies and other artists. It is also interesting to note that the way that they created their compositions are based on how they perceive their societies. The call of social issues was on the side of the literary writers. The composers created their musical pieces because they were needed for special occasions. They were also inspired by what they feel in themselves.

    It is said that humans make sense of the world based on the experiences that they encounter. Delia, O Keefe, and O Keefe (1982) call this Constructivism. She explains that the experiences that humans encounter tend to create meanings in their lives (Delia et al., 1982). These experiences include small happenings in the lives of the artists to the big ones. They may even be inspired by just reading the texts such as in the case of Strauss. Listening to compositions of other artists may have inspired them. The Stone Guest by Alexander Pushkin is one of the best examples for this. Note that this piece was just inspired by another story, Don Juan. The author made his own story. This goes to show that the inspiration that these artists have is from the fact that they are inspired by other artists.

    There are those artists that are inspired by the happenings in the society. They are also driven to make some of the most unconventional forms of literature and music. This may be because of the restrictions of the society. This suggests that if a society suppresses the creative minds of the artists, then they will be more driven to question the society that limits their capabilities as artists. This is very true in the case of Mikhail Kuzmin s Wings. As he very first Russian novel on homosexuality, it was scorned by many members of the society who rejected the idea of homosexuality.

    Many artists actually explore their artistic field and tend to go beyond the restricting walls of the rules. For example, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart s Don Giovanni is  collection of comic and serious actions. This implies that composers like Mozart will experiment on their own pieces to feed their own thirst for creativity. They feel that they can give more to the piece so that other people may appreciate it more. Others are somewhat prophetic in their works. They want to express what will happen in the future. Yevgeny Zamyatin s We best pictures this.

    Therefore, artists and people in general will share their experiences and observations in the medium that they are used to. The artists will usually write stories, paint, compose music, or create films because they want to connect themselves to the world. They share this to other people. The creations of these great men and women share common elements that include theme and subjects. The way of executions may differ.

    The issues of their time also call for a response in literature and music. The artists tend to create these works of arts in response to the calls of the time. Thus, artists tend to create pieces of art because they are affected by the society and history. Their expression is the collection and reflection of how they feel about the world that they move in. The meanings that they have made out of the world and the transactions with fellow humans are also expressions of how they feel. They will make the world based on their personal constructs. In the end, these personal constructs will create the drive for them to create wonderful works of arts.

    Literature and music are both forms of art. They serve as a connection of humans to fellow humans. It allows humans to share their emotions and thoughts towards a particular element. It is also for these reasons that when ordinary persons fail to express themselves, artists are able to capture this in the most creative way. Literature and music are often created independent of each other. However, when they are joined together, they produce beauty that is appreciated by humans in all walks of life. This is based on the fact that both serve as the medium in which the emotions of  artists are shared with the people. It is interesting to see that it is in this sharing of emotions that great artists are inspired. The relationship of both disciplines only shows how humans create ways on how they can communicate with other people in the best way possible. Humans are connected through these art forms and will be forever inspired by the works of one another. Humans will always turn to the use of literature and music. No matter what the circumstances are, whether it is a social issue or just the creativity of the artist, the reason why humans create literature and music is because they want their fellow humans to know how they feel. Thus, it can be said that the relationship of literature and music is the expression of thoughts and emotions.

The Iliad is a Greek epic poem attributed to Homer. Paris, son of King Priam of Troy carries off Helen, wife of Menelaus. The epic describes the war waged by Achaean prince against Troy with an intention to recover Helen. Specifically, it deals with the anger of Achilles, the special hero of the poem at the slight put upon him by Agamemnon, leader of the host, and his final return to the field and slaying of Hector MARGARET and JENNY, Para 1.

The Iliad is one of the most prominent among the ancient masterpieces in literature. It is about two countries that bitterly war over a single woman, Helen, the wife of Menelaus. The rivalry takes place for about ten years before the Argive armies (the Greeks) finally win out over the Trojans. Today, The Iliad is available to a contemporary audience in several different forms. It may be read, listened to, or viewed even by illiterates. The storys author, Homer, has typically overcome the challenge of how to tell the story to the masses. He achieved it by singing the entire poem or perhaps several books at a time to them. Homer has employed the so called oral tradition of communication to reach the masses. In the epic, Homer has used certain terms which an average person in Ancient Greece could understand. These similes can be divided into several different categories the descriptions of battles, people, and gods. In all cases, these similes are used to aid understanding in Greek oral tradition Radman, Para 1.

The story suggests a battle between Troy and Greece in large scale. Since most of the listeners would never have seen such large wars, Homer has made an effort to link between what those people would understand and the actual events of the combat. The similes that Homer used to describe the various fighting scenes have nature as its basis to depict the actions of the warriors, or of entire ranks of men. If an average person who listens to the epic had never seen a war, heshe will never be able to visualize the actions being dictated. Therefore, Homer has used creative and elaborate descriptions of something common in an ordinary persons lives, juxtaposed with the unfamiliar and it has allowed the listener to understand what the singer of the tale is trying to convey. The similes related to fighting are divided into two different categories the type depicting animals in nature, and of the happenings of the natural world itself.

When one goes through the text, heshe could notice similes on a single page of fighting, describing one or several people through animal behavior. This could be observed when the Trojans are fighting for the body of Patroclus. There the simile used links their armies to an angered hive of wasps. When the Trojans charge it, the simile goes like  they swarmed forth like wasps from a roadside nest when boys have made it their sport to set them seething, day after day tormenting them round their wayside hiveidiot boys They make a menace for every man in sight. Any innocent traveler passing them on that road can stir them accidentallyup in arms in a flash, all in a swarm come pouring, each one raging down to fight for home and children Radman, Para 4

The movements of entire armies in a seething battle portray the images found in a typical life of an Ancient Greek. The other two frequently used references to the mass movements of troops are that of land and water. These references utilize the commonality of the elements so that Homer can describe some scenarios to the listeners who find it difficult to understand such scenes. Another simile that is used frequently in battles is when one person was singled out for a description of their fighting prowess. These similes call upon the graphic details of wolves in attack, or the ravaging of a lion. Menelaus is one of the Argive warriors and when he is fighting rigorously in the battle, the other would-be attackers are frightened-off by the intense ferocity of his initial attack. Homer describes this scenario as follows as a fierce mountain lion sure of his power, seizing the choicest head from a good grazing herd. First he cracks its neck, clamped in his huge jaws, mauling the kill then down in gulps he bolts it, blood and guts, and around him dogs and shepherds raise a fierce din but they keep their distance, lacking nerve to go in and take the lion on Radman, Para 7

There are several observations that can be made by looking at the similes of warriors in battle. The first is that the type of animal used to describe Menelaus and his actions represents his ferocious nature. In other instances, the lion is used to describe several fighters like Argives and Trojans. The second major use of simile is to describe people in combative and non-combative situations. Generally, these can be seen as a type of title for the person described. Only the major characters of the epic are named with such titles. The types of titles given in the story fall in to two categories titles of mortal men and women, and those of the gods. Even mortals are given due importance in some scenes. As far as fighting is concerned, most of the similes are linked with the characters of Achilles, Agamemnon, Hector, and Ajax, along with other men who were often referred to in battle as having the characteristics of a lion. It reflects their skill, strength, and overall mighty presence. Other types of creatures that have nothing to with battle are used to describe some of the fighters. For instance, Achilles is once addressed as a dolphin while slaughtering Trojans in the Xanthus River. Trojans try hard to save their life from Achilles. Here is the text from the epic that describes the scenario
Like shoals of fish darting before some big-bellied dolphin, escaping, cramming the coves of a good deepwater harbor, terrified for their lives- he devours all he catches- so the Trojans down that terrible rivers onrush cowered under its bluffs Radman, Para 12.

In the epic, a mortal is often compared to a deity. In many scenes, a mans fighting skill is mentioned as divine. Generally, this is just an elaborate way to say that a person has done something really well. Everyone knows that the God Hephaestus, the famous crippled Smith, was the god of fire Radman, Para 14. As Patroclus makes a fire that is worthy of a God, it is surely a mighty blaze which Patroclus has created. The listeners of ancient Greece wondered at these great skills. Many of these similes aimed at embellishing a persons qualities to make them all the more impressive. While describing Gods, similes are slightly more difficult to come by. As it will sound bad to compare a god to a mortal, Homer describes them by their specific abilities. In essence, he moves laterally instead of vertically.

The entire epic is filled with many different types of similes used in the graphic depiction of battles, people, places, and gods. Hats off to Homer who has used the similes in such a creative way that even an illiterate can understand what Homer means to say in his poem. The similes not only assist a reader in trying to imagine what is being read, but also allow himher to understand how relations are described to people who are less advanced than a modern culture. The epic serves a multi-functional purpose today. It is used as a tool to learn about a culture which has faded from the face of the planet into the obscurity of ancient tales and legends Radman, Para 16. Apart from teaching about the wars fought, the types of armor, weapons, and the strategies used in conquests of other countries in that time period, the epic also stresses on the most important usage of and gives an insight in to the social standards of the time, how that culture behaved, what they believed, and how they lived. People will learn from this classical epic for generations to come. An epic is considered to have gained a great success when it reaches even the masses and stays in peoples mind forever. And it has become true with The Iliad.

Conflicts experienced by medical practitioners, in relation to the maintenance of their professionalism, typically take the form of conflicts between altruism and self-interest. Instances of self-interest lead to problems in the medical profession as those who train and practice medicine are faced with situations that lead them to question the greater utility of the situation in reference to their selves as opposed to their patients. These instances were particularly evident during the initial period of the 20th century as membership in the medical profession was not placed under stringent standards. As Kevin Weiss states, the medical profession during the 1900s lacked established standards that ensured the patients well-being in the hands of medical practitioners (867-868). He states, Reflecting back to the early 1900smedical training to a large extent was that of a trade. With some type of apprenticeship after medical school, anyone could self-declare themselves a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation (Weiss 867). Conditions nowadays however have changed as a result of the implementation of various guidelines of professionalism that aims to instill on a medical practitioner the value of his practice as well as his role in the maintenance of the public good.

    Despite the creation and implementation of these standards, there has been a continuous conception of the lack of professionalism within the field of medicine. Walther Mook et. al. point out that this may be attributed to the lack of focus on professionalism in the education of medical students. In Training and Learning Professionalism in the Medical School Curriculum, they point out that medical students are not sufficiently aware of the implications of the concept (para. 9). He states, Most medical students have no fundamental understanding of what it means to be a physician and what constitutes the core professional values (Mook et. al. para.9). As a remedy to this problem, Mook et. al. argue for the necessity of enhancing the medical students awareness and knowledge of professionalism through its incorporation in the various parts of the medical curriculum (para. 9). One of the means of doing this is through the introduction of the various manifestations of professionalism in medicine in literary works.

    Different literary works provide a positive viewpoint on the development of professionalism in the medical profession. These works include Gabriel Garcia Marquezs Love in the Time of the Cholera, Awul Gawandes Complications, B. Pyms A Few Green Leaves, Samuel Shems The House of God, and Susan Sontags Illness as Metaphor and AIDs and Its Metaphors. Although these works provide different accounts of the medical profession, their primary similarity may be traced to their conception of the medical practice as a profession that enhances the public good.

    Before proceeding with the discussion, it is of primary importance to specify the different components of medical professionalism. Such is the case since specifying these components will enable a clearer demarcation of the means through which the abovementioned literary works are able to present a redeeming view of the medical profession. Professionalism, as it is defined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), refers to the manifestedcommitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population (2). According to ACGME, the practice of professionalism requires the resident to demonstrate the following
(1) Respect, compassion, and integrity a responsiveness to the needs of patients and society, and the profession and a commitment to excellence and on-going professional development. (2) A commitment to ethical principles pertaining to provision or withholding of clinical care, confidentiality of patient information, informed consent, and business practices. (3) Sensitivity and responsiveness to patients culture, age, gender, and disabilities. (2)