Queen Herod was a controversial figure in the Bible, known for her ruthless actions and ambitious nature. She is most famous for ordering the execution of all male infants under the age of two in Bethlehem, in an attempt to eliminate the newborn King of the Jews, Jesus Christ. Despite her actions, she is often depicted as a complex and multi-faceted character in literature and art, with some portraying her as a tragic figure who was driven to desperation by her own insecurities and fears.
One poem that explores the themes of power, jealousy, and redemption in the story of Queen Herod is "Herodias," written by the English poet and playwright Oscar Wilde. In the poem, Wilde portrays Queen Herod as a woman torn between her desire for power and her guilt over the crimes she has committed. He writes:
"Herodias, the dark-browed Queen,
Sat at her palace gate;
Her face was like a battlefield,
Where envy and despair did meet.
The winds of heaven blew her hair
And shook the royal diadem;
Her heart was heavy as despair,
For all her kingly power and stem."
Through these lines, Wilde presents Queen Herod as a woman who is consumed by her own ambition and desire for control, but who is also plagued by self-doubt and regret. He suggests that her actions, while driven by a desire for power, are ultimately driven by a deeper sense of insecurity and fear.
Despite the negative actions attributed to her in the Bible, Wilde's portrayal of Queen Herod as a tragic figure allows for the possibility of redemption. In the final stanza of the poem, he writes:
"But when the morning came, and she
Looked on the faces of her slain,
Her heart was touched with agony,
And she repentant fell.
She cried, 'I am not fit to reign,
A Queen of Israel am I;
For I have slain the innocent,
And filled the land with misery.'"
Through these lines, Wilde suggests that Queen Herod is capable of acknowledging her own wrongdoing and seeking redemption for her actions. This portrayal of Queen Herod as a complex and multifaceted character allows for a more nuanced understanding of her role in the story of Jesus Christ, and encourages readers to consider the complexity of human nature and the potential for change and growth.
Overall, "Herodias" is a powerful and thought-provoking poem that explores the themes of power, jealousy, and redemption through the lens of the controversial figure of Queen Herod. It invites readers to consider the motivations and emotions of a much-maligned character, and to consider the complexities of human nature and the potential for redemption.
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In her instructions, it is obvious that she realizes each son has a mother, however she decides to remain ruthless. Duffy displays women as cunning and deceptive as they hold a quiet agenda against men, and uses the generalization against men to demonstrate the injustice of the original stories. Grace, said the tallest Queen. In this poem, the poet suggests that the girl is unhappy because of loss of her parent, she has no rights to question and put her views on social and political matter, and she is Equality In The Odyssey 1173 Words 5 Pages So when Dawn with her rose-red fingers took Orion, you gods in your everlasting ease were horrified till chaste Artemis throned in gold attacked them…. The terms are mostly negative, used to describe men who are unfaithful and disloyal. Grace , said the tallest Queen. The mother denouncing her commitment to her son for his act of Cowardice is a strong lesson.
In those lines it is found out that the violence and miserable condition of the girl is due to the torture done by her mother. As far as Queen Herod is concerned all males are suspect. Structure The poem comprises ten stanzas of varying length, the longest sixteen lines, but towards the end three 3-lined stanzas speed the pace as the story reaches its climax. The narrator is extremely protective, and turns into a fierce murderer when she realizes any threat to her child. They knew what they knew. Taking the term overbearing to new extremes, the mother is not content unless her hands are physically on her son.
The chattering stars shivered in a nervous sky. The surrounding atmosphere is described using personification - stars shivered and the sky is nervous. Much of literature through the ages and even today is patriarchal, presenting the world from a male perspective. The Boy Next Door. Sethe's Forgiveness In Beloved 796 Words 4 Pages She is convinced that her maternal filicide is motivated by altruism, but her endless loneliness made her do the right thing after eighteen years. Our culture our civilization! Aphrodite, Athena, Artemis, and Hestia are portrayed in the Homeric Hymns in contrast to ancient stereotypical roles of women being confined to the household; as a result this contrast emphasizes that women can showcase strength, intelligence, and power within society.
Expression of mother The last lines of the poem depict the violation inflicted upon the girl. I watched each turbaned Queen rise like a god on the back of her beast. The use of the goddesses powers challenge these societal rules and ideas about women. In this poem, the author alludes the three wise men to women, and Queen Herod ordered the massacre instead of the King. Three Queens at the Palace gates, dressed in furs, accented; their several sweating, panting beasts laden for a long hard trek, following the guide and boy to the stables; courteous, confident; oh, and with gifts for the King and Queen of here—Herod, me— in exchange for sunken baths, curtained beds, fruit, the best of meat and wine, dancers, music, talk— as it turned out to be, with everyone fast asleep, save me, those vivid three— till bitter dawn.
Three Queens at the Palace gates, dressed in furs, accented ; their several sweating, panting beasts laden for a long hard trek, following the guide and boy to the stables ; courteous, confident; oh, and with gifts for the King and Queen of here — Herod, me — in exchange for sunken baths, curtained beds, fruit, the best of meat and wine, dancers, music, talk — as it turned out to be, with everyone fast asleep, save me, those vivid three — till bitter dawn. Calypso was arguing the clear double-standards the gods placed on something as trivial as relationships represented to audiences the idea that she had begun to demand equality from the men of the world. The three Queens continues to describe the newborn male with roles. There is no regular rhyme scheme, but Duffy uses rhyme, including Language and Imagery Given that this is a Queen speaking, Duffy uses appropriate, articulate language to reflect her status, and only a few of the colloquialisms that appear in much of the collection. This is also an excuse for her decision. No man, I swore, will make her shed one tear. As a whole, this poem sets forth the idea that female gender is fluid, and asks its readers to questions what it means to be a woman in a male dominant Summary Of The Warriors Ethos 718 Words 3 Pages chapter-1 pg-1.
Therefore: The midnight hour, the chattering stars Shivered in a nervous sky. So, this emotional connection can see the tone reflects the speaker 's unconditional love for the woman. Cassiopeia boasted that her beauty exceeded Hera 's resulting in Poseidon turning her into a constellation. The poem 's form, diction, imagery, and tone relay the speaker 's attitude toward the woman. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. Many young people grow up with fairy tales and the idea of unconditional love, regardless of our flaws.
After Mary and Joseph travelled to Egypt before King Herod can carry out his plan, King Herod is furious and ordered that all male babies of appropriate age should be killed. We have daggers for eyes. Different principals of the Feminist Theory. The main theories that will be discussed in this poem will be described while analyzing the poem and this will make the poem and the theories clear to the reader. An instinct so powerful and caring, it does not allow for any interference or hindrance. In order to protect her daughter, Queen Herod ordered all the new born males to be slaughtered. In the history, it was King Herod who intends to murder the baby as he realizes the baby might be a potential threat to his throne.
They knew what they knew. After a brief introduction to the collection as a whole, the course continue with a read-through and analysis of each of the thirty poems in the collection, one by one. On the other hand, the scream of the peacock acts as a protest from the males. Perhaps the author is suggesting that these roles are somehow linked and similar, for example they all possess male qualities. Women in antiquity were expected to follow and uphold certain societal rules, most of these rules emphasized the gender stereotypes that women were perceived as being. Aside from the very obvious strong female angle, the quote spoke to me on a personal level. Smith Talks to Gregory Pardlo Literary Hub".
Lecturer John McRae is Special Professor of Language in Literature Studies and Teaching Associate in the School of English at Nottingham University, and holds Visiting Professorships in China, Malaysia, Spain and the USA. Strength , said the Queen with the hennaed hands. This mother is persistent in taking her son away from his surroundings and reeling him in to her—keeping an eye on him is simply not enough. The author seems to be reversing the gender roles and attitudes of churches through the rise power of Queen Herod. Duffy draws on the imagery of the birth of Christ — three Queens, a mother breast-feeding, a star in the sky and the luxury of the Palace. The luxurious lifestyle in the palace is shown through the listing of what was provided to the three Queens after they arrived.
