Timothy Watts

Compare and contrast iconic representatives of several distinct cultures we have experienced in
our reading. How are qualities of values reflected in different ways? How do emphases of each
enlarge your understanding of the complexity of the human condition?

Different Cultures
Ancient Greece Odyssey
- Iconic Representatives
o The Gods and their relationship with humans, monsters, agriculture, boats as
transportation
- Values
o Bravery
Bravery is shown by going through with dangerous plans
Leaving his son behind to go to the war
Coming back to fight off suitors
Visiting the sorceress
Doing the Trojan horse
o Love
Love is shown through
His wife waiting for 20 years for odysseus to return
o Loyalty
Loyalty is shown through sticking with people that care for you.
His wife waiting
His son taking his side after never meeting him
The bad servant who took the side of the suitors
The other servants that stayed loyal to odysseus
His men throughout the story fall away and then come back to their leader
o Wisdom
Wisdom is shown through using brains and with reliance on the Gods
Odysseus uses his cunning in many situations
o Perseverance
He asks Poseidon why he wont let him home, and when Poseidon says he
must suffer he still tries
o Faith
Faith is shown through believing through proof
Odysseus has faith in Athena to help him once she appears to him
Once odysseus son knows its him then hes willing to help him but he
asks for a lot of proof.
- Enlarge my understanding of the complexity of the human condition
o These values and the way they are portrayed show me that people can see things
in different ways and I see how people can waver from their true desires
momentarily
Antigone rome
- Iconic Representatives
o The gods, war, kings and things.
- Values
o Familial honor
This is shown through wanting a proper burial for her brother
o Wisdom
Shown through listening to others that know more
Creon didnt listen to the preist who told him to let Antigone go
o Justice
Shown through lawmaking and what people bring upon themselves
Creon sends Antigone to jail.
He has to live with everybody he loves dead because he didnt listen so the
punishment was brought upon himself
o Love
Shown through willingness to do anything
Antigone was down to face the death penalty in order to give her brother a
proper burial
People committed suicide because they were so sad that they missed their
loved ones
o Loyalty
o
- Enlarge my understanding of the human condition
o The play Antigone shows the simplest of human emotions. Pride, jealousy, anger,
sadness, and fear. The feelings even children can understand. Most importantly is
pride, it can destroy lives and be impossible to overcome.
Denmark/England hamlet
- Iconic Representatives
o Castles, kings and princes,
- Values
o Honor (familial)
Honor is shown through wanting to defend the family name
o Justice
Hamlet wanting to get his uncle back for killing his mom
o Love
His mother didnt wait long after his fathers death indicating she didnt
love him. The waiting element is similar
o Loyalty
Againwith the wife not waiting
His friends had a little more loyalty towards his wayward parents than
hamlet
Loyalty in this culture rrevolves around treating those right that treated
you right
The jester
Hamlets friends were not loyal
Laertes is loyal to his father
o Wisdom
Wisdom is shown through thinking skills
Hamlet has some wisdom when it comes to no killing his uncle
He thinks thinks everything through a lot
- Human condition
o Hamlet is fantastic for studying humans. Hamlet is a complex man who thinks a
lot and changes his mind a lot. Many humans are like this.
Spain Don Quixote
- Iconic representative
o Windmills, horseback riding, lances and swords, prostitution.
- Values
o Bravery
Shown through him not being scared ofanything when its for a greater
cause
He fearlessly attacks giants
o Loyalty
Shown through a conscious decision to help somebody you like as
opposed to somebody that has done much for you
Sancho follows Don Quixote
o Love
Shown through the way don Quixote respects ladies and talks to them]
He thinks all ladies he runs across are princesses
He totally adores a lady he has never met
o Wisdom (or lack thereof)
The necessity of wisdom is shown through don quixotes silly exploits. It
needs to come from inside of you. Mind over matter.
He doesnt use common sense and see whats really around him
He frees the kings prisoners who need prison
He attacks sheep thinking it is a war