Creation of Men & The Flood Myths Essay Example for Free

Creation of Men The Flood Myths Essay The three well-known stories about the Creation of Men The Flood are the Epic of Gilgamesh, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and the story of creation in the bible’s book of Genesis. Among the three, I believe the story that best describes the story of creation and the flood is the Epic of Gilgamesh. Although all three stories were well-constructed, the Epic of Gilgamesh stands out because it has a more human side to it and it is more dynamic than the other two. The problem with Ovid’s Metamorphoses is that it jumps from one tale to another. Moreover, the Metamorphoses mainly focused on Greek myths and not on other parts of the world. The story of creation in the bible’s genesis, on the other hand, is too dogmatic and its plot is too linear. I believe that the Epic of Gilgamesh is better than the two because it tells a story from a human perspective. In the story, it was depicted that Gilgamesh was one-third man and two-thirds God. Being part human, Gilgamesh is also vulnerable to a lot of things that most humans are prone to such as sin. He also possesses certain weaknesses like humans such as having the capability to grieve and mourn death as shown in his immense sadness when his friend, Enkidu died. It also illustrated a brief and interesting account of the flood when Utnapishtim, the immortal, shared with Gilgamesh how he survived the floods brought about by the gods through building massive boat and brining with him the offspring and seed of all the living creatures. The story also gave an interesting lesson in immortality when Gilgamesh failed to obtain the secret of eternal life from Utnapishtim and lost the magical plant that would restore his youth. However, he believed he achieved the closest thing to immortality when he said in the end: Go up, Urshanabi, onto the wall of Uruk and walk around. Examine its foundation, inspect its brickwork thoroughly is not (even the core of) the brick structure of kiln-fired brick, and did not the Seven Sages themselves lay out its plan! † (Ancienttexts. org) His words at the end of the story meant that even though he could not attain immortality, his legacy would live on forever through his kingdom of Uruk, which for him was his best achievement that would endure the test of time. Works Cited Ancienttexts. org. The Epic of Gilgamesh. † 2008. 3 October 2008 http://www. ancienttexts. org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/.

Feudalism :: Economy, History, Medieval Europe

Feudalism was created in the 9th century to eliminate social chaos and put social classes into order. Kings would also use it to expand their land. In return they would get protection, money, crops, and court duties. It also used in war times so that the Knights were obligated to fight. They centralized government to organize power and land. Feudalism was used to give out land by the king, organize social standing and in return get military services and protection. Feudalism was a set of political and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries (â€Å"Feudalism†). â€Å"The feudal system was not planned but, rather grew and developed in response to the social chaos that followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It provided order where there no longer was any, and it created new chains of command to replace those that were gone† ( James 58). Feudalism was introduced by King William I to England; this system organized power, land, and divided people into classes. The king, who owned all the land, gave some land to the church and to the barons in return for large blocks of land, the barons promised to fight for the king. Lent land to the knights and also common people (Susie 5). Feudalism test was also to defend against invaders (John 32). In the absence of centralized government authority, people look to personal relationships to bind society together. An individual with military pow er to offer gave his services to a feudal lord (Hay 170). Feudalism was created to put society, land, and power into order. In the economic system, landlords would force laborers to work on the lord’s manor to the lord’s profit (Medieval 65). Feudalism cultured many aspects of Europe that remained in place (Hay 39). â€Å"The feudal system was invented by 16th and 17th century lawyers and legal historians who were investigating the origins of the most common form of noble landholding in their own time (The Brown Reference Group 64). The feudal system was used in many aspects to making society and country simpler. Before the king would give out his land to the Barons, the barons would have to take an Oath of Fidelity. Nobel property was subdivided among a multitude of co sharers. The feudal system was founded upon a more and less complicated hierarchy of barons and vassals, united by ties of homage and fidelity by a sworn oath and by certain obligations which were defined in the contract.

Esperanza Rising Essay

From being born with a silver spoon your mouth and having your world revolve around you to having nothing, can be a life changing experience. In the historical fiction story Esperanza Rising, by Pam Munoz Ryan this exact thing happens to a 12 year old girl named Esperanza. Esperanza’s world is turned upside down when her father is murdered and she and her mom are forced to move to Las Angels. We watch as Esperanza changes from a self important unrespectful child into a mature greatful unpredjidus young adult. When Esperanza’s father, Sixto, dies everything ends up going down hill. When her father was murdered his brothers Tio Luis and Tio Miguel were part of the will, so that meant that they got part of the land. But when Tio Luis asked for Ramona’s hand in marriage they were forced to move to Las Angels. While Esperanza still thinks she’s a princess, she winds up being a pretous stuck up and predjidus to others. When she left she left with one thing and that was the doll she had gotten from her father for her 13th birthday. When Esperanza and her family arrived in Las Angels they started to look for work. When they found work it was for farming and they got a job and started working. When Esperanza tried working she couldn’t because she didn’t know how to do anything on her own. At the end we see Esperanza change because she has been able to feel the earths heartbeat and gave the doll to Isabela.

Argument Against The Death Penalty - 1247 Words

In the wise words of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, â€Å"a society that is not willing to demand a life of somebody who has taken somebody else’s life is simply immoral.† When considering the issue of capital punishment, many arguments are made in favor of proponents and abolitionists. There are utilitarian arguments, retributive arguments, and egalitarian arguments. Utilitarian arguments argue against the death penalty, for they look to punish criminals for the benefit and the â€Å"lesson learned† from the punishment. They believe that this is the most effective form of deterrence, because the criminal will learn their lesson and the public will benefit from safety from having the offender incapacitated. In conclusion, utilitarian arguments consider the costs and benefits of different forms of punishment. From the retributivist perspective, the future benefit that might be gained from punishment is irrelevant; all that matters is that the offender is given what he deserves. In this case, kindness begets kindness, and crime begets an appropriate punishment. The ultimate aim of retributivists is to do the right thing regardless of the consequences. And finally, the egalitarian arguments are based on the principle that people should be treated how they treat others. This is correct in the logic that people do in fact deserve to be treated fairly, but in the context of death penalty, the egalitarian arguments differ greatly from retributive arguments in the sense that it isn’tShow MoreRelatedA Argument Against The Death Penalty1647 Words   |  7 Pagespunishable by death or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole when specific â€Å"Special Circumstances† of the crime have been charged or been proven in court. It is possible though to be released by the parole board after a minimum of 25 years if they feel you are worthy. The death penalty is a topic that the United States is divided on. Currently there are 31 states with the death penalty and California is on that list. In 2012 a ballot was proposed that would appeal the death penalty as theRead MoreArgument For And Against The Death Penalty1051 W ords   |  5 Pages When arguing for or against a topic, the goal is to convince others to accept you opinion, take your opinion seriously, and you must seek common ground in order to establish some form of compromise. A good communicator must be specific, contestable, significant and reasonable. For this assignment, I will be arguing for and against The Death Penalty. When it comes to a topic such as The Death Penalty, many individuals cannot fathom the idea of putting another human to death because it is not permanentlyRead MoreArguments Against The Death Penalty Essay1482 Words   |  6 Pagesthere are thirty-one states with the death penalty and nineteen without. There are many reasons why the death penalty should be abolished, it violates the offender’s rights to life and the offense of human dignity. Yet many individuals still insist on the death penalty. Bedau argues against capital punishment through his argument â€Å"The Minimal Invasion Argument Against the Death Penalty’. His argument strongly encourages life imprisonment over the death penalty for various reasons. Below I will provideRead More Argument Against the Death Penalty Essay3418 Words   |  14 PagesArgument Against the Death Penalty Life is sacred. This is an ideal that the majority of people can agree upon to a certain extent. For this reason taking the life of another has always been considered the most deplorable of crimes, one worthy of the harshest available punishment. Thus arises one of the great moral dilemmas of our time. Should taking the life of one who has taken the life of others be considered an available punishment? Is a murderers life any less sacred than the victimsRead MoreArgument Against The Death Penalty Essay1181 Words   |  5 PagesIn 1992, 17 year old Johnny Frank Garrett was put to death for confessing to raping and murdering a 72-year old nun. A crime as heinous as this certainly deserves the death penalty as a punishment right? The only problem is that Garrett didnt do it. Garrett was in fact, a mentally ill man who suffered severe childhood trauma, significant brain damage and multiple personality disorder. His mental instability and repeated police interrogation are only things tha t caused him to confess to killing theRead MoreArguments For and Against the Reintroduction of the Death Penalty for Murder1276 Words   |  6 PagesArguments For and Against the Reintroduction of the Death Penalty for Murder The death penalty was abolished in the United Kingdom in 1965. (Blackwell 1968.) The abolishment of the death penalty was not a simple case. Since 1957 the issue had been before the House of Commons more than 19 times. However the death penalty is still used today in many countries across the world. During the year 2000 at least 3,058 people were sentenced to death in 65 differentRead MoreSocrates s Argument Against The Death Penalty1189 Words   |  5 Pagesinstead of facing banishment, however, the court decided to give him the death penalty. There he slept in prison when Criton approached and attempted to persuade him to escape. He declined as it would go against his logic and reasoning he taught his whole life. Was it â€Å"just† of him to accept the death penalty that was catalyzed by absurd accusations? This paper will argue that it was Socrates â€Å"right† to accept the death penalty due to the consent he made with the society he resided in. When CritoRead MoreDiscuss the arguments for and against the re-introduction of the death penalty in the UK for crimes of murder.1778 Words   |  8 Pagesï » ¿Discuss the arguments for and against the re-introduction of the death penalty in the UK for crimes of murder. Capital punishment is the act of executing somebody as a punishment for a crime that they have committed. Despite being around since the eighteenth century B.C, the death penalty was abolished in 1965 in the United Kingdom. Since then there has been a large amount of controversy and debate surrounding the matter, with some people wishing for capital punishment to be reintroduced forRead MoreThe Death Penalty Is A Controversial Issue1171 Words   |  5 PagesThe death penalty is a very controversial topic worldwide. People are either for the death penalty, or against it, and there is usually no changing their mind by introducing arguments that are contrary to their opinion. The death penalty debate is not a new one, â€Å"capital punishment [has been] practiced since colonial times despite persistent debates† (Jost). However, it was around the 1960s when countries began to abolish, or strictly restrain the death penalty (Jost). The death penalty has existedRead MoreThe Debate Over Capital Punishment936 Words   |  4 Pagescapital punishment is in regards to whether the death penalty contradicts the Eighth Amendment. If the death penalty does contradict the Eight Amendment, then the State should not have the power to sentence criminals to death for capital crimes. However, if capital punishment is not against the Eighth Amendment, then the State has the right to sentence criminals to death. In this essay I will first summarize Justice Brennan’s argument on why the death penalty is beyond the power of the State to inflict