Sarcophagus Depicting a Battle between Soldiers and Amazons Essay

Sarcophagus Depicting a Battle between Soldiers and Amazons - Essay Example As described in one of the pages the official website of the Museum of Fine Arts entitled 100 Highlights of the MFAH, the military soldiers wear helmet, short tunics, and body army; and are equipped with swords and round shields. The Amazons, on the other hand, ride in horses with their companions lying dead on the ground. The outcome of the battle is depicted in the four corners of the sarcophagus—with the military soldiers waving the Amazon’s weapons like claimed trophies and the Amazons kneeling with their hands bound behind their backs. On the other hand, the lid of the sarcophagus is designed in the shape of a Roman temple, with fine rows of vertical tiles that end in the heads of the lion. Its edges are ornamented with round shields. It is important to note, therefore, that the artwork in the sarcophagus highlights the triumph of military soldiers against the Amazons. At this point, I wish to divide this paper into two parts. The first part will focus on the essen tial elements that constitute the artwork. Thus, I intend to investigate how the different artistic elements collaborate in creating a unified message of the painting. For the next part, I will use the assessments made in the first part to come up with a firmer analysis of the sarcophagus. In this light, I aim to explore the main theme of the artwork by appealing to both its superficial and its subliminal messaging. Assessment of Artistic Elements In examining the artistic elements of the sarcophagus, I have to first present the core idea of the artwork. It is apparent that the Romans wanted to underscore the triumph of the military soldiers in the battle. Since the sarcophagus was intended to serve as the final resting place for the Roman military commander, the artwork essentially immortalized the great vigor, courage, and aggressiveness not only of the Roman soldiers but more importantly of the Roman commander. By examining the sarcophagus part by part, I wish to reinforce my cla im on the core idea of the artwork. First, I like to focus on its overall form. The exterior design of the sarcophagus is a Roman temple, as observed in its lid and body. For the lid, it is apparent that it follows the intricate and carefully adorned roof of a Roman temple. The sophistication of the roof’s design is evidenced by the round shields that are placed on its edges; the heads of the lions that are situated on the roof panels; and the wavy-shaped ornaments that are positioned at the center of the roof. For the body, the warrior figures serve as its primary design. The various battle situations depicted in the sarcophagus further add to its dramatic feel. Taking the discussion from a visual to a perceptual point-of-view, it is obvious that the artwork, through the use of various artistic elements like movement and texture as delivered by the wavy lines and round-shaped ornaments, is able to successfully capture: firstly, the liveliness and the brutality of the battle; secondly, the triumph of the Roman warriors against the Amazons; and lastly, the greatness of the Roman race in general. It is important to take these three interrelated concepts to better understand the main theme of the artwork. Assessing the Main Theme In assessing the main theme of the artwork, it is necessary to go beyond its form by focusing on its substance. For this matter, I wish to include a socio-political perspective to enrich my qualitative examination of the artwork. While the triumph of t

Comparison of the novel Wuthering Heights with one of its Film Essay

Comparison of the novel Wuthering Heights with one of its Film Adaptations - Essay Example Judging from the popularity, the novel has been transformed into a movie numerous times. The story is narrated by two characters: Nelly Dean and Lockwood. But each movie has some differences especially when it comes to the narration or the perspective shown in each movie. For instance, in some of the movies Catherine’s ghost does not appear, which is a rather drastic change. Other than the settings, the nature of characters has also been changed. Catherine is not that selfish and spiteful in the movie as she is in the novel. In the movie, it seems as if she is a pitiful and passive character. However, it is actually because of her nasty and selfish nature that she takes such a drastic decision of marrying Edgar Linton. In the movie it seems that she is a vulnerable victim of nature and the society. In the book Heathcliff listens to Catherine saying that marrying him would degrade her and her family. Heathcliff is wounded by this admission and so he goes away. In the movie Heathcliff just goes away without even hearing anything. So instead of recklessness, which is significant in both the characters in the book, it seems more of a childish attitude in the movie. Childish, they never are. They are arrogant, passionate and reckless. Hence, the very depiction of characters has been deviated from, thus, sucking the life out of them. So when they try to act silly, they look awkward and this extinguishes the flame of passion and desire. Considering the age of the characters in the movie it creates more of a funny situation in the viewer’s eyes. However after reading the novel one feels angry and livid at the turn of events and the tragic incidents. Another major difference in the novel and the movie is the death scene. In the novel Heathcliff never gets to see Catherine’ s body. But in the movie, Heathcliff digs up the grave and hugs the body. This gives a totally unreal quality to the storyline. Moreover, in the novel when Heathcliff is not able to see Catherine’s body, it adds to the tragic element and the readers also feel bad about it. But the