As social media and sound bites become ever more pervasive I began to wonder how to combat the mind numbing, attention span shortening, and time wasting distractions that are abundantly available. I grew tired of pundits telling me how to think and feel. I don’t want presidential debates where the most substantive back and forth revolves around the strength of the candidates golf game. In short I want more substance and less fluff.
I began to wonder about classical literature. Was it mere chance that some stories have lasted for centuries or millennia? Are there lessons to be learned from ancient literature? Do the stories told 2,500 years ago still have relevance today? Against that backdrop I decided to read some works that have been around since antiquity. The first selection I made was Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus.
Two weeks ago I could not have told you who Aeschylus was. Now I know he has been labeled as the father of tragedy based on his writings. He has been credited with writing at least 70 plays, but only a handful of them survive today. I wonder if these surviving plays are his seminal works. Why did they survive while others did not? Perhaps it was just random chance or perhaps there was something that set these plays apart. Prometheus Bound would be my first exposure to Aeschylus.
It is a fairly short read. There is a free version on the Project Gutenberg website. Since this is an ancient text the version you read might have a different translation than the version I read.
Prometheus Bound shows the danger of acting against a tyrant. Against Zeus’s wishes Prometheus gave man fire. Even though Prometheus had helped Zeus in the past to secure his throne Zeus had Prometheus punished. For a good deed Prometheus suffered unjustly. Overall I think there is a lesson to be learned from this play. It took longer to read than a work of fiction written today but I feel like there is value in reading it.
Great literature should do more than entertain us. It should provide a roadmap to improving our lives.
In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens introduced readers to Sydney Carton, one of literature's most compelling and deeply flawed characters. Dickens also gives him an unusual title: the Jackal.
His struggles raise questions that remain relevant today.
Are we defined by our past mistakes? Can we overcome our weaknesses? What separates the people we are from the people we could become?
Lessons From the Jackal is a 25-day character study exploring these questions through Sydney Carton’s life, decisions, relationships, and personal development.
This is not a traditional course on A Tale of Two Cities. Our reading assignments will focus specifically on Carton, with sufficient background provided to understand his story. No previous knowledge of the novel is necessary.
Each day will feature selected readings, historical comparisons, reflection questions, discussions, and practical challenges ...
Sydney Carton is intelligent, capable, compassionate, self-destructive, and deeply dissatisfied with his life.
His potential is evident, but his accomplishments are limited. His habits are troubling, but his character contains admirable qualities. His reputation is unfavorable, but Lucie recognizes something in him that others have overlooked.
Perhaps the greatest mistake we can make when judging another person is to assume that who they are today represents everything they are capable of becoming. Yet there is an equally dangerous mistake: assuming that possessing the potential for greatness is equivalent to achieving it. Potential without action remains unrealized. Character without conviction may fail when tested. Reputation without substance is little more than appearance.
The challenge is not simply to possess admirable qualities or to be regarded favorably by others. It is to develop the discipline, courage, and integrity necessary to become the person we are capable of being. When ...
