Literature and Nursing

Title: Literature Modules (4, 5, 7, &8)

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Module 4

Part 1 – Achilles and imperishable glory

As Achilles prepares to go to war, he is faced with a scary dilemma – lead his men to the battlefield against troy, and face a certain death, or stay at home, and save his life. The awaiting death at war is the great risk that he surely will meet. However, it will be worth the pain. This is because he will achieve something even greater than a meaningless existence on earth – imperishable glory, otherwise referred to as a “…thing that is fine.” 

In the culture of Achilles’ people, there are a few ways through which one can achieve imperishable glory, the most desirable all attainments. In the case of Achilles, there is only one route – glory on the battleground, no matter the certain outcome. As a result, this fear of losing his life never really informs his decision to fight or not. Instead, he is more concerned about personal honor, and certainly, the promise of imperishable glory. 

Module 5

Part I – Theodicy

In the first part of the Iliad, Homer narrates,

“Upon the mountain-side its parent stem,

Nor blossom more; since al around the axe

Hath lopped both leaf and bark, and now ‘tis borne

Emblem of justice, by the sons of Greece,

Who guard the sacred ministry of law

Before the face of Jove! A mighty oath!

The time shall come, when all the sons of Greece 

Shall mourn Achilles’ loss; and thou the while…”

This passage, in the context of divine justice, implies that though Achilles will go, there will be mourning in his wake, by the Greeks for whom he gave his life. Achilles’ life was all about a date with destiny, in which he would lead a short, yet glorious life. At the center of this imperishable glory is Greece. Achilles will suffer, be tormented, and have to make difficult life-defining decisions, mostly for Greece. On some occasions, he also has himself to look after, and his glory. A good example is his refusal to fight after Agamemnon aggrieves him. 

For his troubles and tribulations, the gods will that the sons of Greece will grieve in his memory. These troubles and his exploits in battle will also mean that he will achieve imperishable glory. These are his wages, and can rightly be seen as a form of divine justice, which could not be handed down by manmade law. 

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Part II – relationship between man and the gods in the Iliad and the Oresteia trilogy

The In both the Iliad and the Oresteia trilogy, man and the gods can be seen interacting in very close quarters. The two parties are allies, on the opposing sides, and in other similar engagements. In the Iliad, a good illustration of this relationship is in the way Achilles interacts with the gods. His mother, Thetis, is a minor goddess. In this capacity, she is able to intercede for her son with other gods so that they can change the course of events. She coordinates with Jove during the war with troy, ensuring that Agamemnon will not taste glory. In another instance, the gods are depicted as being powerless to deal with man. Achilles’ fury even has Zeus concerned, such that he appeals to others to rein him in, rather than just dealing with Achilles, who was, after all, is a mortal. In the Oresteia trilogy, the gods are also not as powerful, sometimes just being spectators, with the occasional ability to influence matters. Apollo is well aware of Clytemnestra’s plot against Agamemnon and Cassandra, and can do little, apart from cursing Clytemnestra.

Module 7

Part 1

As the women argue about whether women can even make good speeches, with women’s brains, Praxagora retorts that they can make better speeches than any man can. Praxagora assuages the women’s doubts about themselves, decrying their lack of faith in their skills. They have come so far, with unshaven armpits and tanned skin, to worry about experience. In any case, their lack of experience can quickly be rectified by preparation. 

Asks for a drink, believing that in the real parliament, men also have to drink as they talk, the “strong, unadulterated stuff”. When Praxagora pushes her on why she needs to drink, the First Woman condemns the laws made by the real parliament, believing that such laws can only be made by drunks. 

Losing faith in the women’s ability to behave like the real parliament, Praxagora takes the garland. In her diatribe, she forcefully criticizes the quality of leadership that men have elected to lead them. The men are electing clueless leaders, one after the other. The only problem can be with the voters; since there was a time, they were able to elect better leaders. 

After returning home, Praxagora is informed by her husband that parliament has decided to hand over the city to women. Praxagora launches another diatribe, this time showing the listeners just how poor the running of the city was, and how she will make it better. There will be order, harmony, and good laws to take care of everyone. 

 Part 2 – discussion forum

The use of diatribe by Praxagora and other women in the Assemblywomen serves to show the level of mismanagement and complacency by the all-men parliament, and the government they have put in place. At the same time however, even the men have something to say about the sorry state of the city’s affairs. According to Blephyrus, men also happen to be the biggest thieves around, and are making laws which will only benefit individuals. As Praxagora and Blephyrus discuss this, Praxagora comes up with even more radical changes, which are not only aimed at governance, but social order and structure. This threatens to drive the diatribe off the rails, but it also suggests to the audience that with the right people in place, it will be possible to have a country that is not only lawful, but also orderly, and prosperous. 

Module 8

Part 1

As Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, they reach Mt Sinai, where “As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him (Exodus 19:19)”. In this episode, Moses is slowly acknowledging that he able to see divine manifestations, and describe them as the presence of God. He is able to eloquently speak to God, asking for instructions, and even engaging him in conversation, something he was unable to do before. 

As Moses continues his journey with the Israelites, God calls him up to the mountain, where he is handed the two tablets containing the Ten Commandments. He is a much-transformed man, with Exodus 34:29 describing him “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.” He has grown in his ability to speak with God, and gained enormously in his confidence. He now sees himself as his people’s prophet, who has been sent to them by God to guide them, and enable them become a nation once again. 

Part 2: confidence

In the modern confidence definition, it is a conviction or the certainty that a person has in their abilities, and the capacity to act accordingly. The article in review states that it is not an inborn trait, but one that can be acquired over time. It is not all encompassing, and a person can have confidence in some sectors, and none in other areas. By being confident, it is possible to inspire others. 

The biblical definition is slightly different. Moses was able to become more confident in his speech and calling over time, and his confidence was all-encompassing. It was not only limited to speech. It was in his ability to lead, and ability to set the rules for the Israelites. At the start of the journey, Moses was not confident, yet he was able to inspire his people out of Egypt through the wilderness. The two forms of confidence are however, the same, when considering the issue of Moses breaking the commandments, which can be termed as overconfidence, as disastrous then as it would be today.