Introduction
Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Dante’s Inferno, the Malinka epic of Sundiata, and the Oedipus of Sophocles are all representatives of certain ideas, ideals, and values in the human age and history. They all stood for certain symbols during their respective eras in history. Sophocles, the king, was a respected man in the land of Greece. He used a story of Oedipus the king to present his ideas.
On the hand, Dante’s Inferno is a poem that Dante used to narrate his journey to the nine circles of hell. Sundiata Keita was among the founders of the Mali Empire. He uses the epic of Malinka to present his ideas to the people of Mali.
Macbeth is a play used by Shakespeare to convey a given set of ideas and ideas to society. This paper analyses the various ideas, ideals, and virtues that Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Dante’s Inferno, Sundiata’s Malinka epic, and Sophocles’ Oedipus stood for in their respective eras in history.
Shakespeare’s Macbeth
Power
According to Shakespeare’s Macbeth, people should not give excuses for any action they perform. The comedy states that people love giving excuses for the wrongdoings they have committed. Therefore, in his play, the Macbeth, Shakespeare explains the demerits of giving excuses and states the importance of facing reality. Additionally, Shakespeare uses his play to explain the importance of divine power and kingship in society.
Through Macbeth, he asserts that true leaders are from God, and the society’s role is to abide by the will of the Almighty. According to Shakespeare, individuals do not confer leadership on themselves. It is God who chooses the right leaders. He further explains that unless God gives leaders the power to lead, their rule will have absolute and dire consequences on the subjects.
Gender
Shakespeare uses Macbeth to elucidate the fact that women and men can perform similar roles in society. The play presents women as dangerous and skeptical creatures who can engage in criminal activities just like men. Shakespeare brings to the fore the idea that men and women have some kind of equality. Thus, he uses the play to enlighten society on gender equality issues.
In the play, Shakespeare presents ideas of good morality that all members of society should embrace. According to him, good moral values and virtues are very fundamental to the success and good life of individuals in any society. He uses themes such as ambition, power, gender, supernatural, and violence to demonstrate the advantages of ideas, ideals, and ethics of the society.
Dante’s Inferno
Truth and Language
Through his poem, the inferno, Dante highlights the benefits of good behaviors and morals in society. He explains that high ideals do not go against the rule of nature as dictated by God. According to Dante’s poem, sodomy, corruption, and other inhumane acts are heresies and criminal activities.
To assert the merits of good ideas, Dante’s inferno underscores the fact that fraud is a form of heresy since it denies people the right to know the truth about a given societal issue. He states that individuals should employ language in a manner that enhances cooperation and promotes unity and oneness in the society.
The poem “Inferno” shows that societies and people must shun fraud, as it is among the vices that destroy societies. In his opinion, fraud can mislead an entire community.
Respect and Good Reputation
Dante asserts the importance of respect and good reputation in the life of a person. In the poem, he explains that it is important for people to embrace and practice high ideals in society. According to Dante’s Inferno, respecting the rights and values of others is essential in the promotion of unity and cooperation in the community. Through the poem, Dante demonstrates the fact that if people do not practice high ideals, God will punish them.
Therefore, individuals should embrace and use high ideals and moral values in their actions. The poem also elaborates the importance of fairness and justice for all people in society. From the poem, Dante explains the fact that God is a fair and just ruler who imposes justice on wrongdoers. He further asserts that although God is faithful and just, he disciplines those who go against his will.
Sundiata’s Malinka Epic
Destiny and Fate
Sundiata, a Mali Griot, employs the Malinka epic to ensure that people embrace high ideals in society. In his epic of the Malinka, the Griot demonstrates a high level of human idealism and good moral values. Through his epic, he asserts that high ideals should be embraced by all people. According to Sundiata, one cannot determine his or her destiny. He believes that God determines the destiny of a person because he knows it even before the person is born.
Furthermore, the Griot states that God is the only one who has power over a person’s fate. From the perspective of Sundiata, no one can stop the destiny of a person. Thus, he underscores the fact that people should live up to their destinies.
Religion and Loyalty
The Griot also shows the need for the society to abide by religion to be protected from the evil spirits, which he calls Jinns. According to the Griot, the spirits are there to prevent people from achieving their destinies or derail them away from the right path. Sundiata also highlights the vitality of loyalty in human nature and states that individuals should be loyal to those in authority.
He states that men have always tried to do things against the will of the supreme. It is the lack of loyalty and good behavior that lands an individual or a society in a state of disdain. The result is an increased vulnerability to the power of evil spirits and wrath from the supreme ruler.
These are some among the themes discussed by the epic of Malinka. These are the ideas, ideals, and values imposed on individuals and the society as described by the Sundiata in the Malinka epic.
Sophocles’ Oedipus the King
Wisdom, Knowledge, and Determination
According to Sophocles, knowledge, and wisdom are some of the important ideas and virtues that any society or individual should practice in his or her daily life. Through the story of Oedipus, the King, Sophocles explains that it is vital for an individual to seek and uncover the truth before taking action. He asserts that knowledge and truth are fundamental virtues of any community.
Although Sophocles believes in the vitality of truth and knowledge, he uses Oedipus the king to demonstrate that some truths are better when they remain unknown to others. Sophocles argues that it is better for some truths to remain uncovered as opposed to being known by those who pursue them.
From the story, Sophocles underscores the importance of determination in achieving success in one’s life. He uses the story to emphasize the importance of social virtues and ideals. Furthermore, Sophocles explains how the determination is a practical and instrumental way of achieving one’s goals and objectives in life.
History and Power
From the story of Oedipus, the King, Sophocles shows the need to appreciate past events that have shaped the destiny of a given society. He uses the story to explain the importance of history and heritage in society. According to Sophocles, past events determine the destiny of an individual and a community as a whole. Furthermore, Sophocles believes in the fact that people should freely pursue their desires.
He argues that, in essence, a person should follow his or her instincts to make informed choices. Additionally, he elaborates that uncontrolled power is destructive to individuals and society. He explains that human beings desire power and authority, but they should ensure that their desires do not override the rights of others.
Conclusion
Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Dante’s Inferno, Sundiata’s Malinka epic, and Sophocles’ Oedipus, the king are all very instrumental in presenting the ideas, ideas, and values that Shakespeare, Dante, Sundiata, and Sophocles represented during their times.
According to the poem, the play, the epic story, and the story Shakespeare, Dante, Sundiata, and Sophocles authored, the authors had some views and beliefs that they wanted people to embrace and practice in their daily lives. They used the poems, epics, stories, and plays to demonstrate the need to have good ideas, ideals, and values in the community.
This paper discussed the values, ideas, ideals held by Shakespeare, Dante, Sundiata, and Sophocles as well as how they presented the opinions, ideas, and values to the society at the time. Notably, the ideas, ideals, and virtues that they conveyed not only applied to the people of their time but they are also relevant in the modern day society.