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Imagery In Sophocles 'Invictus'

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“I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul” (Invictus 4). “Invictus”, a poem by William Ernest Henley, is an influential poem about tackling fate and controlling the events in life. Antigone, a play written by Sophocles, depicts a story of a girl following her morals and dealing with the consequences that follow. William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus” best represents the theme of there being honor in bravery in Sophocles’ Antigone through the use of a prideful tone and powerful imagery. The poem “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley demonstrates a powerful, indomitable tone, much like Sophocles’ tone in his play Antigone. Throughout Antigone, the main character, Antigone, keeps her invulnerable tone and stands her ground. The person …show more content…

In the beginning of his poem “Invictus”, William Ernest Henley sets the scene by describing the surroundings of the character in which this poem is written in the point of view of. Depicting the night, Henley writes, “Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul” (2-4). This stirring imagery creates a sense of it being difficult to see and, therefore, hard to be brave. Since it is difficult to be brave at this time for the individual communicating the story, there can be strength found in this person continuing to have an “unconquerable soul.” The strength and difficulty found in staying strong show how honorable the person is for being brave. In addition, the poem says, “My head is bloody, but unbowed” (8). This imagery does not only create an image in your mind but also creates a tone of defiance. They refuse to back down, as described previously in the poem. This effectively describes the same theme as one of the ones from Antigone, bravery is honorable, because Henley implements many examples, like this one, that exemplify how they will not be conquered, which is honorable even in death. In brief, the powerful imagery in William Ernest Henley’s “Invictus” excellently establishes the theme that coordinates with one of the themes shown in Sophocles’

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There are many commonalities that can be found in literature, and this can be seen in Ayn Rand’s Anthem (a Russian novella written in the 1930s) and William Henley’s “Invictus” (a poem written in the 19th century.) The novella, Anthem, takes place in an authoritarian society where individual rights and freedom have been terminated. Equality, a street sweeper, is the antithesis of the others in the society; he does not want to follow the city’s rules. He is given the name “The Unconquered One” by Liberty because no matter how much Equality has been through, he has never given in and only thinks on the bright side of things. The word “Invictus” is Latin for unconquered and in William Henley’s poem, the speaker describes the darkness in his life.

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A Champion Arms for Battle, from Book 19 of the Iliad by Homer, is flooded with figurative language and diction, which depict both the horrors and glories of war. The poem tells the tale of the mythical Greek hero, Achilles, as he and his fellow soldiers prepare to enter one of the last battles of the Trojan War. Homer communicates the enormous size of the Greek army with a simile comparing the men to a swirling snowstorm from Zeus above. Threatening diction is presented in this first sentence through the words “thick-and fast,” “frozen sharp,” and “blasts.” The word choice presents the theme of war.

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Similarities Between Anthem and Invictus Hardships are an inevitable part of living; however, our response to such hardships carries a greater significance. In Anthem by Ayn Rand and William Henley's “Invictus,” there is a portrayal of main characters that similarly challenge oppressive external factors. These works illustrate the strength of individuality and the importance of self-determination. Even though the works are represented in different ways, they deliver the same message: Characters are at a dark place in their lives, they determine not to give up, and they both convey the message of being unconquerable. Both works illustrate characters at a dark place in their lives.

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The sonnet "Invictus" and the narrative by Darius Monroe, "The Evolution of a Criminal", share a typical topic. The regular subject between the two, is that when life begins to overload on you, don 't fall into allurement, you might dependably locate the light in the murkiness. In the ballad, William Ernest Henley clarifies through profound and solid representations that regardless of how hard life got, he would dependably be the "ace of his destiny… ", and despite the fact that he may fall, he will dependably get move down to continue battling through life. Darius talks about how his family is stuck in destitution, and how he needed to take to accommodate them. In the long run, all the taking, every one of the untruths, prompts to him and two

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