How Literature Mirrors the Era Essay examples - 513 Words

How Literature Mirrors the Era Beowulf, Macbeth, Eaters of the Dead, The Canterbury Tales, The Merchant of Venice, and Paradise Lost all reflect the time eras in which each was written. Each of which era reflects a totally different outlook on life. The Anglo-Saxon era was focused on blood, war, tragedy, heroism, and evilness. William the Conquerer was making his invasions around the world; this set the world to attention, making war and violence a common spectacle. Beowulf is one of the oldest known literary records of the beginnings of the English language. Beowulf is about a warrior who engages in a quest to help King Rothgar defeat a monster named Grendel. Throughout the whole story Beowulf is on a mission to destroy†¦show more content†¦Macbeth’s conscience thoughout the play is trying to cope with the horrendous deeds he has done. The play ends with a war between Macbeth and Macduff. Macbeth is a mirror of the Anglo-Saxon era because of all the murders in the play, Macbeth murders people when they get in his way of earning what he thinks he deserves, such as the King and Banquo. The war at the end of the play shows how if someone in the Anglo-Saxon time period won a battle they were looked upon a god-like and very heroic. Michael Crichton’s Eaters of the Dead, is about Viking adventures and invasions. The Vikings were almost barbaric in their ways, they set out to destroy towns and crush life. They killed anyone who gave them any trouble and they were always engaged in war. This story reflects Anglo-Saxon times in that there was always war, and many invasions during that time. Everyone at that time was very violent especially the men, Eaters of the Dead is a very good example of what the Anlgo-Saxon times might have been like. The Middle Ages was a time when people focused their life on the church, and the revival of their spirit. It was also a time when the church had very corrupt ways. Geoffery Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, pokes fun of the corrupt churches. In the prologue of the Canterbury Tales Chaucer describes each character in his story. When it comes to the church associated characters ChaucerShow MoreRelatedThe Lady Of Shalott By Tennyson And Goblin Market1464 Words   |  6 PagesThe Victorian age is a challenging era to outline. There was a handful of reasons on why it was such a challenging time. One of the main problematic topics was gender roles being very controversial. Men were looked at being intelligent and the leader of the family while women were the ones to care for the children and keep up on the domestic duties. While there were many women that accepted the typical gender roles, there were many women that were not accepting. In both poem, â€Å"The Lady of Shalott† Read MoreSymbolism Of Rain In Ernest Hemingways A Farewell To Arms1246 Words   |  5 Pageschange of weather and physical setting play an important role in the emotional changing of the book itself. Due to the time period in which A Farewell to Arms was written and the themes used, Hemingway is known to be a writer of the modernism literary era, which was characterized by the frailty, disbelief, and eventual brokenness felt following World War 1. When Frederic Henry physically changes location, there is a shift in the book as well, in terms of the tone and mood, typically to one of increasedRead MoreInfluences of the Romantic Period1575 Words   |  7 Pagesindividual heroism. This style contrasted the then prevalent classical forms of literature such as the French Neoclassical Tragedy. But this new emotional literary expression would be a key part of literature during the Romantic Era (Britannica). 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Especially, Greek tragedy literature was a popular and influential form of drama performed in theatres across ancient Greece from the late 6th century BCE, and formed the foundation upon which all modern theatre is based (Cartwright). I will look for not only the reasons why Greek writers composed such tragedy, but also focus on what made the audienceRead More To what extent is Frankenstein typical of gothic literature?1272 Words   |  6 PagesTo what extent is Frankenstein typical of gothic literature? In you answer make close references to its context and Mary Shellys use of language. This essay will assess how typical of the gothic genre writings is Mary Shellys Frankenstein. The novel was written at a time when electricity was first discovered and Galvanism was being explored, mainly for medical reasons. People at this time were ignorant and sceptical of medicine and so most people would have been disgusted by these studies