In Dante’s Inferno, Hell is described in vivid detail in the eyes of Dante, the main character and author. Sinners are eternally punished with tortures that fit their sins. This idea of retributive justice and the role of human reason in the form of Virgil are the two main themes in the poem. Canto VIII contains Dis, the capital of Hell and is most representative of these themes.

The sinners caught in the 5th circle, Styx, are the Wrathful, ones that purposely harm others physically or emotionally. There are tortured by attacking each other with foul slime and tearing at each other’s flesh. Just as they had attacked others in life, they are forever being attacked in Hell. In almost every Canto, a new class of sinners and their punishments are introduced. This retributive justice is the most obvious theme of the poem.

During his journey, Dante is guided by Virgil, the symbol of human reason. When they approach the boatman Phlegyas, he becomes enraged that they are not sinners, but Virgil’s word convinces Phlegyas to take them across, symbolic that human reason can shine through obstacles. However, Dante address the idea of Hell to be too much for the simple human mind to understand, so an angel must open the doors of Dis for them to pass through.

In the story of “The wife of his youth” by Charles W. Chesnutt goes into detail about how the blacks were having problems with the society of the whites. This story was written after civil war. Where were a group of blacks who started this society called “The blue vein society”. The group of people would get to together talk about how the whites could except them and for the blacks to except them would be a step back for them. The main character of the story is Mr. Ryder. He was in charge of the blue vein society, and everybody in the society look up the him. In this paper I will show how the people of the blue vein society had problems with their identities.

Laertes and Hamlet both display impulsive reactions when angered. Once Laertes discovers his father has been murdered Laertes immediately assumes the slayer is Claudius. As a result of Laertes’s speculation he instinctively moves to avenge Polonius’s death. “To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil! Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation: to this point I stand, that both worlds I give to negligence, let come what comes; only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father.” Act 4 Scene 5 lines 128-134 provide insight into Laertes’s mind displaying his desire for revenge at any cost. In contrast to Laertes speculation of his father’s killer, Hamlet presumes the individual spying on his conversation with Gertrude is Claudius(”Nay, I know not: is it the King?” Act 3, Scene 4 line 28). Consequently, Hamlet consumed with rage automatically thrusts out attempting to kill Claudius, but instead strikes Polonius. Hamlet’s and Laertes’s imprudent actions are incited by fury and frustration. Sudden anger prompts both Hamlet and Laertes to act spontaneously, giving little thought to the consequences of their actions.

Do the ends justify the means? What is the price people are willing to pay to achieve civil order? Anthony Burgess gives the reader a shocking look at a world where the government is willing to destroy a person’s humanity to find the order they desire in A Clockwork Orange. This stunning novel provides a view of a society’s open acceptance to a totalitarian regime, and the evil that exists inside every human being. The book presents it’s ideas through a strong cohesive storyline and plot, a unique system of organization that shows the cause and effect of the government’s actions, and finally a clearly stated idea about the need for free choice. A Clockwork Orange presents a dismal world to show that good is only truly achieved through free choice, not through social control.

One’s value in life is often judged by many artificial factors. These are often the values that society decides are important. Far too many people simply choose to follow this path and live a life devoid of true meaning. The movie, “Fight Club,” and Albert Camus’ The Stranger try to show the effects that this mindset can have on a person. Both works demonstrate a man’s attempt to become an existentialist against the pressure of society. Both men start by simply living an existentialist’s life, their great sacrifice and great personal pain grants them enlightenment, but they ultimately gain their authentic existence through one ultimate sacrifice.

A poor decision can haunt someone for the rest of their life, if they chose to do nothing to make up for the wrongs that they’ve done. The Kite Runner is a tale of redemption that realistically explores human life in the darkest of circumstances. The narrator weaves a tale that describes how a single decision can haunt a person for the rest of their life. The story shows that human struggles exist everywhere. I had mixed feelings for the book though. I liked The Kite Runner for the detailed, living backdrops to which the story was set, the complex father-son relationship that it accurately showed, and the touching story of redemption. My only complaint would be about the book’s ending due to its disappointingly simple nature.

How can one best show a man’s rise and fall? Authors have chosen a variety of ways to best display this tragic fall. Arthur Miller mixed flashbacks into his general storyline that allowed the reader to infer what set his main character on his path to destruction. William Shakespeare chose to catalog the meteoric rise and fall of Macbeth by using the traditional tragic Greek structure. This setup allows him to provide the reader with a clear theme that grants a strong catharsis. Shakespeare uses the traditional Greek tragic structure to effectively warn the audience of the damage that can be caused by one man’s blind ambition.

The prologos shows the audience that Macbeth was not an evil man until he chose to follow his wild ambitions. In the beginning, Macbeth was a noble, brave, honest, and loyal follower of King Duncan. He is happy as the Thane of Glamis, and he enjoys supporting the current king. It is reported by a captain in the army that, “Brave Macbeth-well he deserves that name- disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel which smoked with bloody execution, like valor’s minion carved out his passage” (6). Macbeth risked his life to end this rebellion and by “disdaining fortune” he showed that he placed no value in his own fate. He is a soldier and it is his duty to honorably protect the king. Macbeth begins the tale as a good man.

Human beings are capable of committing cruel and unusual acts out of an inner need for revenge. Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “The Cask of Amontillado,” shows how humans can be corrupted by an obsession and driven to commit the unthinkable. His cunning use of the first person point of view presents a unique view of a mind that is occupied with a desire for hate and revenge. The first person perspective allows the reader to better understand Montresor’s outward appearance, to easily understand his inner mindset, and combine this information to understand the dark side of human nature. All of these ideas support Poe’s ultimate belief that society’s darkest qualities are caused by the corruption brought about by obsession and privilege.

The Salem witch trials were one of the worst examples of persecution and injustice in early America. In “The Crucible”, by Arthur Miller, the Salem witch trials are acted out from the first accusation to the many hangings that would follow. There are several reasons for the witch trials. The tedium of the highly religious Puritan society caused many people to have a strong need for a form of excitement. The Puritan Church took advantage of this to punish the people who deviated from the teachings of the Church. This provided a source of excitement for the common people and helped the Church punish those that had different beliefs than what their theocracy demanded. The courts were put into a bad position by the trial. Once the Church made its verdict, they had to support it in order to validate the Church’s authority. But all of these factors are just part of a larger cause. The theocracy of Puritan Massachusetts needed to create scapegoats in order to save their society. These scapegoats were needed to entertain the bored masses, destroy new ideas that threatened their society, and to solidify the authority of the Church.

The Governess in “Turn of the Screw”, by Henry James, was a very insecure person who needed constant stimulation to be happy. Shortly after she arrives at Bly, the Governess begins to see two ghostly figures lurking around the house. The story is based around her struggles with these apparitions and their attempts to “take” the children. In reality, she simply created the ghosts in order to make herself happier. The ghosts allowed her to scare the residents of Bly into complete submission and take total control of the house. They also caused her to be the center of attention and receive a lot of sympathy from the maid, Mrs. Grose. Finally, they allowed the Governess to entertain herself by providing her with a much needed adventure. These ghosts were simply created by the Governess so that she could have a better stay at Bly, and she wrote this story to try to make them seem more real.