Jaysa May M.

Limbaga

Optometry 62-A

THE ILIAD

The Iliad is an epic poem and part of the ancient Greek oral tradition. The Iliad

sometimes referred to as The Song of Ilion or Song of Ilium. The epic poem was

written by the ancient Greek poet Homer. Homer wrote two epic poems which are The

Iliad and The Odyssey. These poems are the earliest works of Greek literature which

have survived to the present day, and are among the greatest treasure of the ancient

world. The Iliad recounts some of the significant events of the Trojan War and the

Greek Siege of the city of Troy.

This story talks about how someone could be so callous, selfish enough to think

of just himself not minding the people around him. Because of the love of his life that he

had to give up for the sake of the priests daughter and by that he loses interest to battle

against their opponent. He let his troop battle their enemies without his guidance.

In the continuous defeat of the Achaians, a friend closest to Achilleus, Patroklos

volunteered his self to lead the troop which caused him to death. And this occurred

Achilleus to seek revenge for his dearest friend. He got a new suit from Hephaistos, a

fire-god with the help of his mother, Thetis

He led his troop back again in the battle and killed many Trojans including

Hektor, who killed his Patroklos his dearest friend. Killing Hector did not satisfy Achilleus

and so he abused the dead body of Hector. But the Gods did not like what Achilleus was

doing and told him to stop abusing the dead body of Hector. King Priam, the father of

Hector went unarmed to settle down things with Achilleus regarding his sons dead

body, Hector. They ate together peacefully and Achilleus finally gave the dead body to

the Trojans and King Priam settled a proper funeral to be graced by the Trojans.

This story taught me a lot of things. First, sacrificing a thing for something good is

not worth regretting. Second, if something has taken away from you or you have lost

someone and something important but dont let this things overcome you because you
may not know there are people that rely on you. Dont let problems overcome you but

instead take this as a challenge. Because life is not always on the brighter side,

sometimes what makes you strong are the difficulties you in counter, for you to strive

hard for the things you want to achieve and for you to grow as a grown individual. Third

is, do not let anger defines you. Because sometimes our anger makes us say or do

things that we do not tend to say or do. Anger leads us to do evil things.
LITERATURE 2
Literatures of the World

Submitted by

Nadja Sansarona

Submitted to:

Sir Jose Danny Bruno

 Table of Contents

Title Page
Introduction 1

Criticisms/Analyses

Once upon a time 2

Analects 3

Rig Veda 4

To The Unknown God 5

The Arabian Nights 6

Schindlers List 7

The Iliad 8

Summary 9

Introduction
 The Literatures of the World allow the learners to combine their interests in

regional literatures or national literatures such as Chinese, French, Russian, Filipino,

German, Italian with more topical studies such as genre, period, gender, ethnic

literature, literature and the visual arts, cultural studies, writing, and Third World

studies. World literature introduces famous literary works from different countries which

gives the learners knowledge and informations from the different places of the world.

The World Literature subject provides students with solid expertise in a single

regional or national culture, while allowing them to explore beyond it comparatively and

critically. In a rapidly globalizing world where we are increasingly crossing national,

cultural and linguistic boundaries.

Name: Nadja Sansarona Optometry 62-A

 The Iliad

Greek mythology is a stories focused on the gods and godesses, heroes, and

rituals of the ancient Greeks. It is the body of myths and teachings that belong to

the ancient Greeks. Greek mythology had extensive influence on the

arts and literature of the world.

Homer is known as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Greeks

regarded the great epics as something more than works of literature; Greeks knew

much of these literary works by heart, and they value them not only as a symbol of

Hellenic unity and heroism but also as an ancient source of moral and even practical

instruction.

Iliad is known to be one of Homers literary work. It consists of twenty-four scrolls,

containing 15,693 lines of dactylic hexameter verse. The immortal gods and goddesses

are the characters in The Iliad, which displays individuality and will in their actions.

War and peace is the main theme of the poem and essentially the entire poem is

a description of war and fighting. There is a hint of horror and futility built into Homer's

chronicle, and yet, posed against the viciousness, there is a sense of heroism and glory

that adds a glamour to the fighting: Homer appears both to abhor war and to glorify it.

Frequent similes tell of the peacetime efforts back home in Greece, and serve as

contrasts to the war, reminding us of the human values that are destroyed by fighting,

as well as what is worth fighting for.

The act of heroism is also one of the major concept through the poem. Achilles

represents the heroism and his struggle revolves around his belief in an honour system,

as opposed to Agamemnon's reliance on royal privilege. But, as fighter after heroic

fighter enters the fray in search of honour and is slain before our eyes, the question

always remains as to whether their struggle, heroic or not, is really worth the sacrifice.
 Menin or menis which means anger or wrath is the word that opens The

Iliad, and one of the major themes of the poem is Achilles coming to terms with his

anger and taking responsibility for his actions and emotions.

As I studied more about the Iliad by Homer, I came up with the four timeless

lessons from Homers Iliad. First is that Good leaders must be servants, I guess, this

represents power and ambition. People who seek power have a good amount of

personal ambition and desire for greatness. However, this desire must not run below the

belt where the leader uses his position for his personal gain or benefit at the expense of

the rest.

Agamemnon is an example of a poor, or at the very least mediocre, leader. While

he is often seen rallying his troops, he is just as often accused, most famously by
Achilles, of skulking shamelessly in the back, watching others doing the fighting for him,
all the while taking the lions share of the spoils, revealing in no uncertain terms the
purpose of the expedition: his own gain.

What emerges is the portrait of a greedy, selfish human being who, though he may care

for the men around him, is at Troy first and foremost for his personal gain.

Second is the The Socially Destructive Nature of Narcissism, anger and the desire for

revenge consumed Achilles that he didnt think of anything else anymore but to seek

revenge for the death of patroclus.

it is this realization that is to set the stage for ending the Iliad on such a sad note,
leaving the reader with a sense of hopeless despair. Hector is dead and Achilles is soon
to die. What good resulted from Achilles overweening pride? As our own societal
narcissism grows, and as we continue to get unhappier at the same time, the ending of
the Iliad is perhaps the most poetic reminder of the consequences of a narcissistic,
solipsistic worldview, and the fate of a society that celebrates it and disincentivizes
ethical behavior.

Third is that evil often happens to those least deserving,

Although isnt a saint Hector is by far the noblest warrior on the field at Troy.
Unlike Achilles and Agamemnon, he is not partaking in combat to advance his own
aims. He is instead fighting for his family and his homeland.

He uses his position as the Trojan field commander first and foremost in the
service of the cause. Though like his aristocratic peers on both sides, he is not above
looting to accumulate wealth or attempting to make a name for himself, his chief aim
and guiding motivations are to save Troy, and he is willing to sacrifice his personal
interests (and his life) in this duty. H
is rewards for his efforts are to be brutally killed, have his corpse disrespected and
nearly defiled (were it not for divine intervention, something that is not so forthcoming to
most), and to have his labor and his death count for nothing.

And lastly, Force Is Mans Master

Force Those that ignore that force is master of men and nations, who naively think
otherwise, will be sorely disappointed at some point. And at that point, their doom is
assured, for there are no oaths between men and lions.

The Iliad and the story of Troy are stark reminders that for all our civilized pretensions,

for all our warmest fantasies of kindness and altruism, we are still at the mercy of force

and those that can wield it. It is, in the end, force, if masked by civilized rules and

procedures, that keeps those that want to do us harm at bay.

And ultimately, those without power will forever be at the mercy of those that have it. A

civilization, people, or nation that is either unwilling or unable to use power to defend

itself is not one that can long survive. As always, the strong do what they can, and the

weak suffer what they must.

This is something we would do well to remember, as the Long Peace after the Second

World War in which we live has no doubt diluted this sense of urgency. As Western

civilizations future elites are increasingly brainwashed by their university

educations into believing that the weak passivity of thou shalt not offend (except for

their own people and culture, thats fair game and encouraged) and a nothing-matters

narcissism are societys raisons detre, all the while its present leaders willingly and

continuously weaken its military and borders under an irrational, religious zeal devoted

to abstract and foolish notions of equality, Homer echoes more loudly now than perhaps

in quite some time.

When the societal zeitgeist collapses, it does so very rapidly. Troy was the dominant city

in Homers Asia Minor. It was proud, rich, and full of hope. Its world was shattered by

the arrival of a vast Achaean horde from across the sea which came to annihilate it from

the face of the Earth.

Reference: http://www.returnofkings.com/62626/

Summary

Several famous literary works from different countries were discussed with our World

Literature subject. These are the following:

First, the Once upon a time by Gabriel Okara, a poem from the Nigerian Literature in

which the author laments the lost innocence of youth. In it he condemns the hypocrisy of adults

hemmed in and constrained by rules and conventions adopting masks for different

occasions: for lying, cheating and betraying whereas childhood is portrayed as a time of

honest laughter, and spontaneity, This poem encourages the youth to value childhood

because it seems that its the only time of a lifetime where everything seems real.

Second is the Analects from the literature of China, a collection of sayings and

teachings by Confucucius which will teach you life and moral lessons, and how one

should serve his parents and treat elders. Third is the Rig Veda which has a concept of

questionning the origin of all the creations, this literary work will test your faith for it will

give you a reason to doubt your beliefs. Fourth is To the unknown God which has the

same concept with the Rig Veda, however, God is the one being talked in here and not

the existence of the creations, this literary piece will give you reasons to question your

faith but if you are faithful enough then one must just be open minded in reading this

literary work.

Fifth is the Arabian Nights from Arabian Literature, this literary work shows how

one should always trust God in times of troble, miseries, catastrophes and a like, one

shouldnt just give up easily. We just have to keep our faith. We should never forget that

God is always with us but also, we should not just remember him in times of trouble and

forget him during heydays. Sixth is the Schindelrlist, this is not a written literary work

but a film related to our discussion about Roman Literature, as I watched this film, it

made me feel a lot of emotions and gave me realizations, moral teachings and life

lessons. The Nazi camp commander showed us how a soul can be so destroyed by
evil. The greedier one becomes, the more they lost the sense of compassion or

decency.

Sometimes, our personal intentions and greed consumes us that we almost think just

for ourselves. However, just like the seasons, one really changes and perhaps, thats

really significant part of life, when one changes for the better; and I guess, that is one of

the roles of God with our lives, to make us realize what is just and what we should do

within the path we are into, even if it means committing another sin (betrayal to the

Nazis, when they trusted him) Even if you cannot stop a great wrong, you can do

something that will be very meaningful but for the sake of good humanity, for the sake

of saving lives of the innocents and as long as you believe it is the right thing to do, then

dont let anything or anyone stop you from doing it. Because in the end, God is the only

one who will judge you for doing such acts. After all, even if you think youve done so

little for your fellowmen, you dont have the idea how big it is for them. "Whoever saves

one life saves the world entire. Seventh and the last one is the Iliad by Homer from the

greek mythology in this poem I learnt As I studied more about the Iliad by Homer, I

came up with the four timeless lessons from Homers Iliad. First is that Good leaders

must be servants, I guess, this represents power and ambition. People who seek power

have a good amount of personal ambition and desire for greatness. However, this

desire must not run below the belt where the leader uses his position for his personal

gain or benefit at the expense of the rest.

Agamemnon is an example of a poor, or at the very least mediocre, leader. While

he is often seen rallying his troops, he is just as often accused, most famously by
Achilles, of skulking shamelessly in the back, watching others doing the fighting for him,
all the while taking the lions share of the spoils, revealing in no uncertain terms the
purpose of the expedition: his own gain.

What emerges is the portrait of a greedy, selfish human being who, though he may care

for the men around him, is at Troy first and foremost for his personal gain.

Second is the The Socially Destructive Nature of Narcissism, anger and the desire for

revenge consumed Achilles that he didnt think of anything else anymore but to seek

revenge for the death of patroclus.

it is this realization that is to set the stage for ending the Iliad on such a sad note,
leaving the reader with a sense of hopeless despair. Hector is dead and Achilles is soon
to die. What good resulted from Achilles overweening pride? As our own societal
narcissism grows, and as we continue to get unhappier at the same time, the ending of
the Iliad is perhaps the most poetic reminder of the consequences of a narcissistic,
solipsistic worldview, and the fate of a society that celebrates it and disincentivizes
ethical behavior.

Third is that evil often happens to those least deserving,

Although isnt a saint Hector is by far the noblest warrior on the field at Troy.
Unlike Achilles and Agamemnon, he is not partaking in combat to advance his own
aims. He is instead fighting for his family and his homeland.

He uses his position as the Trojan field commander first and foremost in the
service of the cause. Though like his aristocratic peers on both sides, he is not above
looting to accumulate wealth or attempting to make a name for himself, his chief aim
and guiding motivations are to save Troy, and he is willing to sacrifice his personal
interests (and his life) in this duty. H

is rewards for his efforts are to be brutally killed, have his corpse disrespected and
nearly defiled (were it not for divine intervention, something that is not so forthcoming to
most), and to have his labor and his death count for nothing.

And lastly, Force Is Mans Master

Force Those that ignore that force is master of men and nations, who naively think
otherwise, will be sorely disappointed at some point. And at that point, their doom is
assured, for there are no oaths between men and lions.

The Iliad and the story of Troy are stark reminders that for all our civilized pretensions,

for all our warmest fantasies of kindness and altruism, we are still at the mercy of force

and those that can wield it. It is, in the end, force, if masked by civilized rules and

procedures, that keeps those that want to do us harm at bay.

And ultimately, those without power will forever be at the mercy of those that have it. A

civilization, people, or nation that is either unwilling or unable to use power to defend

itself is not one that can long survive. As always, the strong do what they can, and the

weak suffer what they must.

This is something we would do well to remember, as the Long Peace after the Second

World War in which we live has no doubt diluted this sense of urgency. As Western

civilizations future elites are increasingly brainwashed by their university

educations into believing that the weak passivity of thou shalt not offend (except for

their own people and culture, thats fair game and encouraged) and a nothing-matters

narcissism are societys raisons detre, all the while its present leaders willingly and

continuously weaken its military and borders under an irrational, religious zeal devoted
to abstract and foolish notions of equality, Homer echoes more loudly now than perhaps

in quite some time.

When the societal zeitgeist collapses, it does so very rapidly. Troy was the dominant city

in Homers Asia Minor. It was proud, rich, and full of hope. Its world was shattered by

the arrival of a vast Achaean horde from across the sea which came to annihilate it from

the face of the Earth.

Name: Nadja Sansarona Optometry 62-A

Schindlers List

In regards to the discussion of Roman Literature, we were asked to watch the

film, Schindlers List which gave us life lessons and moral teachings.

The film is about Oskar Schindler an ethnic German who travels to Poland at the

onset of World War II with the hope of building a fortune as a military contractor, making

pots and pans for the troops. To acquire a factory to produce enamelware, he builds a

rapport with high-ranking Nazi officers by treating them to lavish parties.

Schindler seeks out wealthy Jewish investors since he is in need of money to

build his factory. Jews were barred by the Nazis from owning businesses and money

will do them little good in the Ghetto, where the authorities have forcibly relocated them,

Schindler proposes to repay his investors in the factory's enamelware, which can be

sold on the black market. Having secured the funds, Schindler sets up the German

Enamelware Factory with the help of Jewish accountant Stern, he then proposes to

Schindler that they hire Jewish workers as a way of saving money, this means that the

slaves of the Nazis will be Schindler's factory workers.

Thereafter, Nazi officials started dividing Jewish prisoners into workers essential to the

war and non-essential workers. These essential workers are allowed to stay in the

ghetto while the non-essential workers are sent away to their designated camps. Since

Stern is in charge of running the factory,he used his position to offer factory jobs to

other non-essential workers, thus transforming them into essential ones.

Nazi officials started dissolving the Ghetto, they murdered Jews by the hundreds.

Survivors who are capable to work are sent to Paszw camp for forced labor, while the

rest are sent to the Auschwitz camp. Schindler witnessed the torment of the Ghetto.

Goeth, The camps commander, overwhelms himself in murdering his prisoners which

made the survivors sent to Paszw found themselves in an even worse situation.

Believing that his treatment to his workers negatively affect his business, Schindler

created a sub-camp and ends up housing his workers at his factory. By then, Schindler

had his doubts in saving workers for his concern to his factorys bottom line and for the

personal risk. However, Schindler bribed a worker into sending him two older prisoners

whose daughter has pleaded with him to save them. With the Paszw camp facing a

final shutdown, many survivors from the Paszw are taken away by the Nazis. By then,

Schindler made a plan to open his own camp in his native Czechoslovakia, to where he

can move his workers.

Schindler continued to maintain his good relationship with the Nazi officers and

pretended that his only intention in protecting his workers are purely for business and

financial purposes. He banned guards from the factory floor in Czechoslovakia, arguing

that harsh treatment and executions are threat to productivity. "If you shoot without

thinking," said Schindler, "you go to prison. I get paid. There will be no summary

executions here." Schindler's endeavors in saving his workers went beyond his

personal cost. By the end of the war. Schindler has spent most of his wealth on

constructing camps, providing food for his workers, and offering inducements to Nazi

officials.

As Germany surrendered to the Allied forces, Schindler, who is still a member of the

Nazi Party was forced to flee his factory. Before he leaves, his workers presented him a

letter expressing their gratitude and explaining what he has done signed by every

worker of his factory. They also gave him present, a golden ring with the Talmudic

inscription: "Whoever saves one life saves the world entire." Schindler breaks down

crying, lamenting all of the Jews who could have been saved if he had been willing to let

go of more of his wealth.

By the next morning, Jewish workers are declared that they have been liberated by the

Soviet Army. The Israeli government award Schindler the title of one of the Righteous

among the Nationsan honor for non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during

the Holocaust, by the aftermath of the war. He is buried in Jerusalem on Mount Zion.

As I watched this film, it made me feel a lot of emotions and gave me realizations, moral

teachings and life lessons. The Nazi camp commander showed us how a soul can be

so destroyed by evil. The greedier one becomes, the more they lost the sense of

compassion or decency.

Sometimes, our personal intentions and greed consumes us that we almost think just

for ourselves. However, just like the seasons, one really changes and perhaps, thats

really significant part of life, when one changes for the better; and I guess, that is one of

the roles of God with our lives, to make us realize what is just and what we should do

within the path we are into, even if it means committing another sin (betrayal to the

Nazis, when they trusted him) Even if you cannot stop a great wrong, you can do

something that will be very meaningful but for the sake of good humanity, for the sake

of saving lives of the innocents and as long as you believe it is the right thing to do, then

dont let anything or anyone stop you from doing it. Because in the end, God is the only

one who will judge you for doing such acts. After all, even if you think youve done so

little for your fellowmen, you dont have the idea how big it is for them. "Whoever saves

one life saves the world entire."