Going to hell has been one of the most culturally exciting and fascinating subjects to humanity, spanning the globe with different descriptions for each region and time period. This essay will focus on comparing the Greek and Roman views of hell to Dante's medieval version. As will be discussed later in more detail, the makeup of hell, or the underworld, is mostly rooted in religious beliefs and cultural tradition; Christian doctrines about God's punishments for specific sins, as opposed to Greek and Roman ideas for the soul's eternal fate.
Interestingly, although the Greek underworld and the Roman underworld share many parallels, there are some differences, probably due to discrepancies in the role of the individual and the state. An example of this would be the dominate characteristic of Odysseus, easily described as independent heroism; while Odysseus was a victorious hero in the battle against Troy, he made many detours in his journey home for leisure and luxury. The whole theme of The Odyssey celebrates the abilities of the individual, which contradicts the theme of The Aeneid, holding truth to being "duty bound" to the state.
In The Odyssey: XI A GATHERING OF SHADES, Odysseus's mother, dead in the underworld speaks this: "All mortals meet this judgment when they die" meaning that all people go there when they die, a contrast to the idea of heaven and hell. Persephone, the daughter of Zeus rules the happenings of this underworld, where black blood streams and the souls of the dead are described as impalpable shadows. There is a parade of souls of beautiful women who tell of their name and fate, then Odysseus sees some souls in torment, including Tityos, Tantalos, and Sisyphos, all tortured by different means.
Hades, or the Roman underworld, where Aeneas ventured into is much more frightening to read about than the Greek description. In the courtyard, there is an old, shadowy elm tree, and about the doorway are many different monsters and evil creatures.
The Grollier Universal Encyclopedia (1971, Vol. 9,p.205) under "Hell" says: "Hindus and Buddhists regard hell as a place of spiritual cleansing and final restoration. ... Is hell itself to be tormented? ... "Hell" is to be destroyed! ... Are the dead conscious or suffering in hell, or Hades? ... --Compare Heb.2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:26; Psalm 37:38. ...
Reports are being made about a "Heller Cult". ... He compares the commanding officers to Incompetent businessmen. ... Heller also demonstrates the effect war has on one's mind. ... To drive home his ideas, Heller employs satire. ... How the hell else are you ever going to slow down?" ...
Now with a list this long, one might begin to compare them to another group of people. ... Very similar was the case brought against one of Canada's Hell's Angels leaders. ... Much as it is with the Hell's Angels, especially in Canada. The Hell's Angels are reported to be the biggest group of organized crime in Canada. ... In other words, I don't think we"re ever going to end the Hell's Angels in Canada. ...
The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions "The road to hell is paved with good intentions- has taken on many variations throughout the centuries, and is claimed by many authors as their own, but the essence of this English proverb reaches across generations, and yet retains its meaning, to parallel the lives and situations of all who use it today. ... Although this saying has been coined as an English proverb, history traces another version to old Portugal that says, "hell is paved with good intentions, and roofed with lost opportunities."" ... Theological implications aside, t...
Yossarian informs, "They're after everybody"(Heller 90). ... Heller tries to show that no matter how it is looked at, war is murder. ... Through Dunbar, Heller shows the society's emphasis on life over meaning. ... In bureaucracy, as Heller shows, individuality does not matter. ... He compared humans to animals and numbers to show that people are living like animals and are dehumanized. ...
Yossarian informs, "They're after everybody"(Heller 90). ... Heller tries to show that no matter how it is looked at, war is murder. ... Through Dunbar, Heller shows the society's emphasis on life over meaning. ... In bureaucracy, as Heller shows, individuality does not matter. ... He compared humans to animals and numbers to show that people are living like animals and are dehumanized. ...
Thompson, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and Joseph Heller - used their art form as a weapon against society and the force that governed it. ... Joseph Heller is an author often compared to Vonnegut in the hall of 20th century American literati. In Closing Time, Heller returns armed with the surviving cast of Catch-22 to highlight again the problems with the USA today. ... Although chaotic at heart, Closing Time communicates the same themes through Heller's trademark dialogue. ... Heller too plays with the idea of chaos in the dialogue of Closing Time. ...
Thornton breaks his analysis into groups – character of the social science and social education position analyzing in detail their principles and problems, then comparing two eras 1920 – mid 1940s and late 1950s – early 1970s (Levstik 51). ... Jenkins, another can American educational researcher, compared the intelligence among Whites and Blacks and discovered that were no "superior cases" found in the latter group, not did it mean that African Americans were lacking in the ability to participate in the culture at the highest level (Heller, et. al 587). Unfortuna...
Thornton breaks his analysis into groups – character of the social science and social education position analyzing in detail their principles and problems, then comparing two eras 1920 – mid 1940s and late 1950s – early 1970s (Levstik 51). ... Jenkins, another can American educational researcher, compared the intelligence among Whites and Blacks and discovered that were no "superior cases" found in the latter group, not did it mean that African Americans were lacking in the ability to participate in the culture at the highest level (Heller, et. al 587). Unfortuna...
