...Although he believes that God is using him as an agent of fate, Dantes forms his own destiny by the decisions he makes throughout his life. A police commissioner who informed him, “Edmond Dantes, I arrest you in the name of the law”, arrested Edmond Dantes, being falsely accused by Danglars and Villefort through collaborating with the Bonapartists. With the betrothal feast going on, Edmond, did not expect anything terrible to happen to him because betrothal feasts are a time of celebration. This event was destined to happen to Dantes because of his enemies jealously if his accomplishments and his appointment of caption of The Pharooh. Being close to death, Abbe Farid tells Dantes, “You are the child of my captivity. My profession condemned...
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...to the death of Romeo and Juliet, but the most powerful contributing factors to there deaths are Friar Lawrence, Fate, and coincidence. These things were chosen, because they have the most influence on how Romeo and Juliet died. Is Friar Lawrence is to blame? He wanted to help the Capulet's, and Montague's back together and to end their feud together as a family. The Friar pushed too hard for Romeo and Juliet to get back together. He pushed them so far that they both killed themselves, Romeo with poison and Juliet stabbing herself. Friar Lawrence is blamed for their...
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...Night, another novel written by William Shakespeare, also explores the themes of love, but in a comical perspective. Viola and Sebastian who are twins are separated after a shipwreck, and each character has to go through their own mishaps as they begin their new life in the different country. In both novels, Shakespeare uses the theme of fate, chance and coincidence to create a deeper understanding of the love between two characters. In both novels, although the characters know that even though...
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...victimization which ultimately seals her fate. Mr. Kurtz in” Heart of Darkness” takes control over the weaker African natives to force them into submission. Both stories have this underlying theme of power and domination resulting in feelings of slavery and victims of fate. “Tess of the d’Urbervilles” is a tale of the tragic life of Tess that results when she accidentally kills Prince, the family horse. Tess’ parents use the guilt that she feels to exploit her and force her to work for the family. Therefore, she encounters Alec, who ultimately rapes and impregnates Tess. Instead of Alec being condemned for his actions, Tess is publically criticized and cast aside for this act, even though she was the victim. The cruel hand of fate hangs over all the characters and actions of the novel, as Tess’ story is defined by the bad things that happen to her. Thomas Hardy himself, as the author of the book, naturally causes the many unfair coincidences and plot twists that beset Tess, however as the person telling the story, he also manages to appear as her only champion against an unjust world. Tess's difficult situations are described as mere sport for the "President of the People who will never die," which is very different from the Christian idea of a God who has a kind plan for everyone, and connects with the notes of paganism throughout the novel. Hardy also points out and draws attention to the multiple unhappy coincidences that happen, for example when Tess overhearsAngel's...
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...How does Fate play a role in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet Change Slide: What is fate? Fate is the idea that the future is already planned even if people do not know what is going to happen to them. I’m going to talk about Romeo and Juliet, a play by William Shakespeare's, one of the greatest love stories of all time. This story has been known to be timeless even though it was written around 1595. This play is a story of forbidden love that is resolved in two tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet, who come from feuding families. Their ignorance of defy and falling in love is not accepted by their families. For the five short days they share love, many events take place. All of the events surround characters from both the Montague and Capulet families. The powers and affects of love and hate are also very evident between the two families throughout the play. In the end, Romeo and Juliet's love finds a tragic way to overcome the hate between their families. The story mainly revolves around Juliet while she grows up and falls in love, only to have fate keep her from complete happiness. Change Slide: Juliet is the beautiful, courageous young daughter of Capulet, a rich man in Verona. Shakespeare made her character a mere thirteen years old, but she acts very mature compared to her age. She appears to be practical, honest, and loyal to herself and her family. The play is about how she discovers and loses love. She appears to have thought very little about love and marriage...
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...Le Destin de Dantés An ongoing argument between critics and readers alike is whether Dantés’ imprisonment and revenge is fated or whether he fashions his own fate. In Alexandre’s captivating novel The Count of Monte Cristo, a juvenile French sailor spends (countless) years in prison due to the callous acts of jealous enemies who seem like his closest friends. Eventually, The Count manages a daring escape and begins plotting revenge on his enemies which changes him from the naive man he once was to a conniving spirit. Though fate certainly seems like a factor in these “coincidences,” The Count fabricates his own fate through trickery, deceit, and wit. Edmond Dantés returns a newly rich man and can easily gain the trust of his enemies because they do not recognize his new, metamorphisized character, thus he can pursue them without their knowledge of who he is. As his first alter ego, The Count becomes Abbe Busoni and he manipulates Caderousse for the information needed for connecting the dots after being in prison for so long. He states that “God may seem to forget sometimes; when his justice is inactive, but he always remembers sooner or later” (Dumas 110), whilst he begins plotting his revenge. Through gaining allies and information from his old...
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...Save as Many as You Ruin Every once in a while, people makes(-s) mistakes that changes(-s) their lives; these mistakes can seem absolutely fatal, but sometime(+s) and in some cases a thing called fate might reach out and give you another chance. In some of these cases, the involved can get an opportunity, to help or save what they might previously have ruined. In the story ”Save as Many as You Ruin”, we get introduced to Gerard who is a handsome man from New York, and is(fjernet is eller brugt who is) approximately 40 years old. There is a turning point in this story, and that is when Gerard meets Laurel by a coincidence after he sees her through a shop window. Gerard and Laurel have history, they are former partners, but their relationship ends in a dramatic way. Gerard had to confess that he had made another woman pregnant, while they still were together. The other woman is called Issy and they got(brug had) Lucy together, but after a short period of time Issy decides to move to Hollywood to fulfill her dreams of being an actress. The fact that Issy makes that decision,(ikke noget komma her aldrig komma mellem subjek og verballed) forces Gerard to take the responsibility of raising Lucy on his own. Four years later, Gerard receives some tragic news; Issy was found dead in a pool, the cause of death was probably suicide. Issy wrote Gerard as her next of kin. If you think about how of(skal slet ikke være der) Gerard lives his life, it can seem like he lives a dull and a regrettable...
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...Save as many as you ruin The text “Save as many as you ruin”, is written by Simon Van Booy. The main character of this short story is called Gerard, and he is about 40 years old. In my analysis of this story I will in some parts go through some parts of the story to find the red line. I am also going to comment on some of the themes, how the language is used, and how the mood is. In the beginning of the short story, we are told that Gerard is on his way home from his work. As he walks home, his surroundings are described. It getting darker outside, which makes the streetlights turn on. It is winter and there is snow in the streets, which he mentions as he is walking. Through “Save as many as you ruin” the surroundings are described a lot, mostly the nature, which seems like telling us about his emotions, which we see as well in the following quote: “Gerard thinks of everyone’s footprints in the show. Manhattan was once a forest. He imagines the footprints of an Indian slipping home, on his shoulders a warm carcass with clumps of snow stuck to its fur”. The story’s narrator works a bit like a limited pointed narrator, but as well the narrator is omniscient. Back to the footprints; Gerard thinks of if there is anything special or good to remember him of, or if he is just like the footprints, which are just disappearing and being forgotten. The first part we see a pretty depressing mode from Gerard, but this is before he meets Laurel, when he walks alone in the snow. In this...
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...was “meant to be”? If you answered yes to at least one of the questions then you indeed have experienced a little piece of fate. Connecting certain scenarios & consequences together have boggled the minds of scientists and people to believe that all the small things that happen in someone’s life are a part of a larger plan moved by an unexplained, supernatural force. For example: Luke didn’t tie his shoes therefore he tripped & scraped his knee which made him go back home for a band-aid and he missed his bus. This might just sound like mere coincidence but many people think it’s a natural force. Some identify this force as ‘Fate’ or in religious terms, ‘God’s will’. In the play Oedipus the King, Sophocles gives a very powerful message about fate. He believes that no matter how hard one tries to escape their fate or destiny, it is just impossible. Oedipus’ fate is made when he receives a prophecy that claims he will kill his father and sleep with his mother. This fate takes course when Oedipus is already out of the way of it which proves Sophocles’ theory of being unable to escape fate. The myth which inspired Sigmund Freud, The story of Oedipus, suggests that neither the parents nor the growing child can avoid their fate (Jacobs). It is pretty vague to state that absolutely no one can escape their fate because everyone is fated to die. The fate of death supports the fact that there is something planned for the individual human being. Something no one has control over...
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...Decision Vs. Fate Throughout my 19 years of existence, Decision Vs. Fate has been one of the leading questions that has juggled around in my mind. Have all my outcomes been the result of making a decision to take a definitive course of action or an almost un hypothetical reason of thought that so many live their lives by. Personally my motive behind my decisions is simply to make the best choice for the right reasons. With that being said my choice of Decision Vs. Fate would have to be a mix of the two. My personal experience’s have led myself to believe there may be something behind fate. I have had one to many coincidence where what I believe to be “fate” has led to me to a positive outcome of something. Who’s to say these situations are just due to normal circumstances or more. Though positive outcomes aren’t always going to be the case with fate, I like to think fate works in mysterious ways such as always guiding to us to our least and most inner thoughts. Relying on fate for every decision has the potential to backfire for the worst. Rather than understanding your decision to take a definite course of action, your simply gambling when you trust fate. Every decision made is a leading example of the thought process which truly amplifies how much stronger a decision is with that backing it. Ultimately this course of action gives the most positive and real feeling of an outcome that a person can harness. With the differences behind Decision...
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...Save as Many as You Ruin The story, “Save as Many as You Ruin” takes place in Manhattan and tells the story about Gerard who is approximately 40 years old. The story takes a turn when Gerard meets Laurel by coincidence after he sees her through a shop window. Gerard and Laurel used to date, but the relationship ended when Gerard admitted to have made another woman pregnant. The woman Gerard made pregnant was Issy and the child they got was named Lucy. Issy decides to move to Los Angeles to fulfill her dreams about becoming a Hollywood actress, Gerard takes the responsibility of raising Lucy on his own. Four years after Issy went to Los Angeles, she was found dead in a pool, likely after committing suicide as she had taken her time to write Gerard’s name as her next of kin. Gerard is not the type of person who wants to impress anyone or leave a permanent change for anyone, maybe except for Lucy. As the story begins, the reader follows Gerard as he is walking home. “Gerard thinks of his own footprints and how soon they will disappear. He exhales onto the world and his breath disappears.” Gerard is walking alone in the streets and wondering how soon his footprints will disappear, also questioning how insignificant his existence is. These thoughts are very depressing and the fact that he is having these thoughts, gives the reader an idea of how he feels about life and with this quote, one can conclude that Gerard doesn’t find his own life important. In the part of the story...
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...John Irving utilizes the character Owen Meany to demonstrate how Owen is God’s instrument throughout the novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany. Owen’s engagements demonstrate just how strangely spectacular he is, and how fate seems to always play a part in his actions and mind. The first incident involving Owen occurs when he and Johnny are playing football with Sagamore, Mr. Fish’s dog. It starts out just like any other regular game of catch until Owen kicks the ball clear out towards Front Street. Not only was the direction of the ball irregular, but Mr. Fish was shocked by Owen Meany’s strength, and “was impressed by the unusual power of Owen Meany’s kick…” (179). Owen doesn’t believe in coincidence, and it’s the first impression of fate that is revealed through him. This is a display of God’s control over Owen, even though Owen doesn’t state that it is. In the beginning of the novel, Owen states he believes he is God’s instrument, but he doesn’t actually come to this realization until later in his life. Because this event was relatively early in Owen’s life, Owen doesn’t disclose that this is a message from God, possibly because he isn’t aware of his purpose yet. This...
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...How Does Fate Play A Part In Romeo and Juliet'? Romeo and Juliet' was written during a period when Shakespeare had found the strength of his writing, it is believed that it was written around 1595 and he would have been about 26 years old when he wrote it. The play is a widely known tragedy concerning the fate of two young "star-cross'd lovers". It is one of the most famous of Shakespeare's plays and one of his earliest theatrical triumphs. In Romeo and Juliet', fate plays an extremely powerful role throughout the story. Romeo and Juliet are "star-crossed lovers," as the prologue at the start of the play indicated, they had fate against them. In that time, people were very wary of what the stars said. If two people's stars were crossed in the sky, they would never remain together. Obviously, Romeo and Juliet did not live happily ever after, as they both died at the end of the play. The prologue also shows fate was against Romeo and Juliet through the negative language and the foregrounds of their deaths: "The fearful passage of their death-mark'd love, And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children's end, nought could remove" This insight into the plot provides the audience with the anticipation of the finale and causes them to think negatively throughout the play. It also allows Shakespeare to make use of dramatic irony, as the audience knows something that the characters do not. This increases dramatic tension for the audience, which in turn...
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...Hill and Walton state that the purpose of the book of Esther is to show that God can accomplish his purposes just as easily through "coincidences" as he can through grand miracles of deliverance. Though he works behind the curtain, he is just as much in control. Events that others see as chance or fate, can be seen by believers as signs of God's sovereignty (Hill and Walton 2009, p. 347). Although God was not visible in the book of Esther, Israel knew He was at work. They knew that what was happening was not just a coincidence and that it was really the Lord. When reading a book in the Bible, whether or not it is written as a story is not the most important thing. As Hill and Walton mention, "historical fiction often thrives on authentication details (Hill and Walton 2009, p. 350)." Since the writer used court records when writing the book of Esther, that shows that the writer wanted to show verification and had the intent of being historically rooted. The accuracy of the book of Esther cannot be outweighed because the contemporary sources cannot identify most of the principle players. Esther is a book that is like no other book in the bible. The way that it is written shows that it was not written to have chronicle history. It does have many of the characteristics that a modern short story would have. But having such a blend of literacy features and historical setting puts the book of Esther into a category of its own. The purpose and the message of the book of Esther is clear...
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... Like many other themes, magic and supernatural elements play a large role in many of Shakespeare’s works. The use of magic interests the audience, plays to the imagination, and adds dramatic intrigue to the story, even when the rest of the plot is comprised of believable events. These themes are most prominent in The Tempest, Hamlet, and Macbeth. In each of these plays, magic and supernatural occurrences not only play a large role in the plot, but also help to communicate various messages and literary value. Shakespeare utilizes magic and supernatural happenings in both positive and negative lights, depending on the purpose it serves in each of the mentioned plays. It is seen as a decision maker, nature, a prophet, a symbol of fate, and an equalizer. Regardless of its specific role in each play and its positive or negative depiction, it serves to move the plot forward through a force which acts beyond the capabilities and power of man, even man himself did conjure it. In The Tempest, we see an example of supernatural power conjured or exercised by man. Prospero, the wielder of this magic, uses magic as a means to set right that which was, in his opinion, wrong in his life and in the universe. In this play, we see magic used as an equalizer. Prospero uses his learned sorcery to reverse all of the supposedly false or unlawful happenings in his life, apparently feeling that these things were not meant to be. Whether his intention was to get revenge or to simply...
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