Arts + Entertainment
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Homeric Heroism
To what extent did Homer view Odysseus as a heroic figure? Throughout the Odyssey, Homer emphasises Odysseus’s heroism whilst subtlety insisting on his self-sabotage. Odysseus’ heroism is shown by his being King of Ithaca and leader of his crew, alongside his divine status as champion of the gods, in his case Athene; echoing more ancient heroes like Hercules and Perseus. Yet if it was indeed Homer’s intention to present Odysseus as a hero, he is presented most peculiarly. To begin with, there is the problem of his lack of personal vigour. Unlike Achilles or Hercules, whose heroism stems from his outstanding abilities in battle, Odysseus’ heroism is based on stratagems, as seen on every occasion including his defeats. From Troy to Polyphemus’ Cave and to Ithaca, Odysseus wins by undermining the position of his enemies rather than a personal heroic confrontation, showing thus his great intelligence and cunning. Whilst at the same time alarming us with his slyness and his apparent willingness to sacrifice his men. Homer gives us many examples of Odysseus’ wiles on many occasions, such as in Book IX with the Ci-cones and in Book XII with Scylla and Charybdis. In the same way a Spartan would conceive of a bow and arrow as unmanly (which of course were the very symbolic instruments which Odysseus used to prove his worth), Odysseus’ cunning and his wit, so unique to him, is both the foundation and the main undermining quality of his heroism.
By Louis Nicholas7 years ago in Poets
Batman Could Hang Up the Cowl After 'Justice League'
When Ben Affleck signed on to be a part of the DC Extended Universe, he became a pivotal cog in the entire production of the cinematic universe, not only as the next iteration of the Dark Knight himself. With a massive role in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice the once-penned-sequel to Man of Steel, along with major production roles behind the camera as producer to Justice League and writer/director/star in his own solo film, Affleck seemed as though he was ascending into the upper echelon of Hollywood elites.
By Matthew Bailey7 years ago in Geeks
Things I Learned From the Harry Potter Series
I was the perfect age for Harry Potter - I learned to read on the books and the first film came out when I was 6. From the word 'go' I was absolutely enamoured, and my enthusiasm has only grown as I've matured into an adult. It's played such a tremendous part in my whole life, and I reckon JKR teaches us some valuable lessons. Here are some things the Harry Potter series taught me:
By Briony Fraser7 years ago in Geeks
How The Music Of 'Final Fantasy' Inspires Me When I'm Feeling Down
The Grammys are upon us, so the team here at Creators Media have challenged us to write about music (which is quite funny as my last article was about music too!). We've been challenged to write about a particular song that resonates with a seminal moment in our lives. However, I'm not the most exciting of people, nor am I a big music guy, so when I thought about a particular song and a certain moment, it didn't go so well.
By Alex Hodgson7 years ago in Gamers
Remembering LV-426: Where Are The Cast Of 'Aliens' Now?
"Stay away from her you bitch"...erm actually, it is "Get away from her you bitch"! Can you really believe it has been 30 years since James Cameron's Aliens chest-burst into cinemas and gave us one giant face hug? Where as Ridley Scott's seminal horror Alien monopolised "In space no one can hear you scream", 1986 sequel Aliens took the series loudly roaring into the '80s. Quiet suspense and lonesome corridors were swapped with Bill Paxton's hollering, grenade launchers and the introduction of Lance Henricksen's Bishop. Loud, brash, and a curveball of a film, the jury is still out on whether Aliens surpasses its predecessor. News of Neill Blomkamp's proposed fifth Alien film intends on doing away with a messed up timeline and could actually be the sequel to Aliens that we have always hoped for. Whilst we will leave you to chew on that, let's look at what has happened to the cast since they departed LV-426 three decades ago.
By Tom Chapman7 years ago in Geeks