Art History Comparcomparisons Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Art History Comparcomparisons - Assignment Example To achieve this inspiring effect, each building makes heavy use of stairs to gain entry and tall columns representing the measurements of the Golden Rule to express both their impressive size and their perfection of form. Despite the fact that the Altar of Zeus was built with the Parthenon in mind, builders opted to use Ionic columns that were considered more modern than the Doric style used in the earlier building. In addition to the actual construction, both structures use life-sized or taller statues to celebrate the greatness of the civilization that constructed it while also telling the story of the gods as a means of honoring the power and wisdom of the ruler of the day. The Parthenon’s friezes depicted scenes of battles between the gods and mythological races such as the giants and the centaurs, as well as the defeat of the Amazons and what is believed to be the citizens of Troy, images that are repeated by obvious Parthenon inspiration in the Altar of Zeus. However, the Altar of Zeus concentrates on depicting scenes from battles between the gods and the giants, rather than illustrating scenes with the other races. The buildings might have been used in different ways as well. While the use of the Parthenon is in some debate, definitely used as a treasury and possibly also as a temple, the Altar to Zeus was built specifically to be a temple. Comparing these two images, there are several immediately obvious similarities, most prominent being the large domes of each, the vertical columns and the predominantly square base structure. There remain some significant differences as well. Even though the dome of the Church of Hagia Sophia seems to be larger, thanks to the emphasis it receives by the vertically reinforcing influence of the tall windows along its sides, the dome of the Pantheon is actually somewhat larger, having been considered the largest dome in architecture.  Ã‚  

Early Ages Essay Example for Free

Early Ages Essay The Middle Ages is a catchall phrase often used by historians alluding to the thousands of years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the period of discovery and reawakening. The term Middle Ages was coined during the period that followed it, which was the Renaissance (Roseinwein, 2008). Since people from the Renaissance period thought of themselves as â€Å"advanced and civilized,† they deemed the time between them and the earlier world as the â€Å"Middle Age† (2008). The term derived from the Latin medium, which means middle and aevium, referring to age (2008). The Early Middle Ages, which occurred from 5th – 8th centuries, was dominated by Christianity which eventually became the rationale for uniting Europe culturally and linguistically (Herrin, 2002, p. 609). It was also a period marked by distinctions of social classes- the noble, the peasants and the clergy, with peasants populating more (Kamien, 1998, p. 62). This was the reason by medieval society was often described as a period with lack of food supply, poor agriculture, and poor economic conditions (p. 612). As aforementioned, the Early Middle Ages brought forth the importance of religion, specifically that of the Roman Catholic Church. It was during this time when the Holy Roman Empire was established. . One outstanding work from this period and perhaps had the earliest record was medieval music, particularly the Gregorian chant. The Gregorian chant was the official music of the Roman Catholic Church (Kamien, 1998, p. 65). Although the Gregorian chant was named in honor of Pope Gregory I, it was said that the pope was in fact not its creator (p. 65). Historians accounted the existence of Gregorian account or what they believed was its evolution to psalm singing in Jewish synagogues in the first centuries after Christ (p. 65). However the case may be, Pope Gregory could still be held responsible for the popularity of the Gregorian chant. The Gregorian chant is actually a body of unaccompanied vocal music. It was meant to set the mood for certain religious services (Kamien, 1998, p. 65). Set in Latin, Gregorian chants swept the music of the Early Middle Ages. Gregorian chant is like no other music for has no meter nor regular rhythms (p. 65). However, it is this distinct characteristic that makes the Gregorian chant a somewhat free-flowing disposition. Listening to a Gregorian melody invokes serenity, as if disengaging the listener from any anxieties. It is considered monophonic since it is music for one line and is sung in unison. It is said that there are only few names of Gregorian chant composers. This is because composers did not think of themselves as composers but as conduits of the voice of God. One of the most known contributors of the Gregorian chant was Hildegard (p. 68). A nun, Hildegard composed O Successores (You Successors), a chant intended to give praise to the â€Å"holy confessors who are successors of Christ† (p. 68). In the period that followed the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the predominant sound continued to be unaccompanied vocal music. However, the dawn of the Baroque period saw the musical style embracing the use of musical instruments like the harpsichord, violin and viola (Kamien, 1998, p. 104). Likewise, the melody has become wider instead of the narrow range that accompanied the Gregorian chant. While the Renaissance period still had Mass music, the Baroque period ushered in opera, sonata and concertos (pp. 100-115). Church music, especially the Lutheran service, was called a church cantata (p. 129). Whereas the Middle Ages was limited to the culture of the Church, the succeeding periods created new attitudes- that of showing that people have the capacity to create and shape their world instead of merely serving as conduits. The Gregorian chants, which was passed on by oral traditions, ebbed away slowly until a 1994 release of ‘Chant† by the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. This made Gregorian chant popular again due its similarity with New Age Music- smooth, uniform and non confrontational. The Early Middle Ages may have focused on sublime spirituality but the beauty of it has emanated throughout the centuries. Listen to a church hymn and feel how it has evolved from a simple, monophonic music to the finely crafted yet polyphonic texture of today. References Herrin, J. E. (2002). Early Middle Ages. In The new encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 16, pp. 609-612) USA: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Kamien, R. (1998). Music an appreciation 3rd ed. USA: McGraw-Hill. Rosenwein, B. (2008). Middle Ages. Retrieved February 5, 2009, from Microsoft Encarta Web site: http://encarta. msn. com/text_761578474___0/Middle_Ages. html

Lysistrata: A Comedy of Stereotypes Essays -- essays research papers

LYSISTRATA, a comedy of stereotypes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The playwright Aristophanes wrote about an ancient Greece, Athens in particular, during a time of constant warfare. His play â€Å"Lysistrata† is an attempt to amuse while putting across an anti-war message. In fact even the naming of the play is an anti-war message of sorts. The word â€Å"lysistrata† means, â€Å"disband the army† (Jacobus 162). Aristophanes was a crafty writer; he creates a work of art that causes his audience to think about the current state of affairs in their city. He points out that there is a major threat to Athens when all the good, young fighters are sent off to war. Aristophanes acheives this aim by using stereotypical characterizations of women to show how utterly defenseless Athens is without their young men at home. His message is a bit subliminal in nature but still a heady one. Aristophanes realized that audiences don’t come to plays to be preached at but to be entertained. To this end, he uses comedy an d comical characterizations to delight the spectators/readers. The principal form of comical characterization he depended on was stereotyping. As the main theme of the play, the female stereotype of woman’s only power base being sex was strongly employed. The main character Lysistrata and all the women in Greece band together to essentially take over the city states to end the Peloponnesian war. They do this by exploiting their stereotypical power source, sexuality. This â€Å"power source† would...

Evaluation/Analysis on Alice Walker: Everyday Use Essay

Alice Walker, an African American author and activist born in Eatonton, Georgia in 1944 (p. 69). Walker was like most African Americans in her time raised by hard-working underpaid parents, this is reflected in her writing. Alice Walker and her now removed husband were the first interracial couple in Mississippi. Once a poet, Walker worked with other influential authors including Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Everyday Use tells the reader about the life experiences and struggles of heritage and acceptance through the eyes of African Americans. Sociology books do not explore the relationship of Americanized African American heritage vs. that of those that never left the motherland. Kate Chopin was apart of the revolutionary African American era, which is not prevalent today. This cultural aspect is reflected in her story Everyday Use when her character fails to see the family heritage symbolized in varies items in her house. You can relate to the story no matter what your nationality because everyone has culture and heritage of some sort. This story is very engaging, and the reader is able to see many points of view. Summary Everyday Use is centered on the homecoming of Dee. Anticipating her arrival, mother and her youngest daughter Maggie â€Å"wait for her in the front yard† which for them is an extension of the living room (p.69, 1). Maggie is intimidated by her sister and is very nervous about the home coming of her more assertive sister. While the mother is waiting she has a vision of her and Dee being reunited in the same way that â€Å"a child who has made it is confronted, as a surprise by her mother and father who are backstage† (p.70, 3). She is knocked back to reality when she realized that she could never, unlike her daughter â€Å"look a white man in the eye† (p.70, 6). Maggie is nervous about the whole ordeal and when Dee finally arrives she â€Å"attempts to make a dash for the house,† but her mother held her by her side (p.72,  19). When Dee and her boyfriend get out of the car, they greet Mother and Maggie in Arabic â€Å"Asalamalakin† meaning peace be with you (pg.72, 22). Dee advised her mother and sister of her name change, which symbolizes the death her â€Å"slave name† and the rebirth of a more culturally aware woman (p.70, 4). Dee takes pictures of her surroundings, and begins to see the items of â€Å"everyday use† as cultural decoration for her house. Eventually she asked her mother if she could have the old quilts (p. 75, 55). She told her mother that she wanted to hang them, but her mother has already promised the quilts to Maggie when she got married. Dee did not get the quilts that she felt Maggie would not appreciate. She left the house advising her loved ones to explore their heritage, and to Maggie â€Å"make something of [herself]† (p. 76. 80). . Analysis In the short story â€Å"Everyday Use† the main conflict is over which daughter will get the quilt. This is not just an ordinary quilt; it has been in the family for years. The quilt was made from â€Å"pieces of dresses Grandma used to wear, and â€Å"she did all the stitching by hand† (p.75, 60). Dee wanted the quilts so that she could hang them up, but her mother had already promised the quilts to her younger sister Maggie. The quilt is a symbol of the mother’s love and acceptance of her child and the value that is placed on the relationship. In the story there are two daughters, Dee is very intelligent, and went off to college and has become successful. Her mother is proud of her and often brags on her accomplishments. Maggie on the other hand was shy and simple. She was burned as a child and has scars on her arms and legs. She lives with her mother, and is very nervous about Dee coming home. The quilt is a symbol of the families’ heritage in Dee’s eyes, but most importantly it is a symbol of materialism. The use of the phrase â€Å"everyday use calls attention to the two daughter’s different views of the quilt and other family heirlooms. Dee wanted the quilt to take home and protect it, where as Maggie would, â€Å"put them on the bed and in five years they’d be rags (p. 75, 66). Dee acts superior to her family, she believes that her education has been eye opening and she is living and seeing life through open eyes. She pities her mother an sister for â€Å"choosing† to live the simple life. What Dee has failed to realize it that her mother and  sister have a deeper connection to heritage because they understand their own personal heritage and not just the overall heritage of a group of people.

Causes and Prevention of Poor Health Essay

In many countries, especially the United States, behaviors leading to poor health start early in life. The three â€Å"leading causes of preventable death in the United States are smoking, obesity, and alcohol abuse† (Science Daily, 2006). Along with these problems, â€Å"a lack of exercise, drug abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases were prominent in young adults† (Science Daily, 2006). Some reasons for these problems are children and young adults spending more time inside playing video games and watching television instead of going outside to play or to participate in a sport. Often young adults are left to take care of themselves after school and during the summer vacation, and their diets tend to suffer. Smoking, alcohol use, and drug use are all glorified in movies and on television, and some young people feel that they need to copy those actions to make themselves â€Å"cool† in the eyes of others. Insufficient sexual education at home and at school contributes to disease and unwanted pregnancy. To change these behaviors, more must be done to teach children to take care of their bodies. Even a small child can be taught to enjoy good foods, at the very least in school lunches, and can be taught that playing is more fun than watching television. Because some children live in areas where outside play is limited, schools and non profit organizations should step in and offer plenty of physical education and after school activities. After school activities and school vacation programs can also help with the drug, alcohol, and smoking problems. Having good role models demonstrate clean lifestyles and teach the dangers of harmful activities may cause some children to never start them. Finally, sex education must be provided in some form before children feel the urges to become sexually active. Programs that teach young people how difficult it is to care for a child and how devastating a sexually transmitted disease can be, and in some cases how deadly they can be, need to start early and be carried through all the years of schooling. Children must be made aware of how special their bodies are, and how they can carefully tend to them to make them strong, healthy, and last for a long time. The earlier they can be taught this, the less poor health there will be in the United States.