Millers Tale - 1044 Words

Do you believe that Chaucer thinks courtly love provides a useful set of rules and behaviors to guide man and women in their relationship? By analyzing two of the major characters, Nicholas and Absalon, and their relative success in relationships, explain what you believe Chaucer is telling us about courtly love though this tale. The Millers tale story is about two characters that were pursuing the attention and affection of the beautiful Alison who was married to John the carpenter. These characters were Nicholas and Absalon. The character whose efforts proved triumphant in doing so was Nicholas. However, Absalon was the character that reminded faithful to the rules of courtly love and his attempts to wins over Alison accomplished†¦show more content†¦Absalon was also very ritualistic. He also brought to Alison gifts and token of his love he sent her sweet wine and mead and spicy ale, and wafers piping hot jars of honey. And as she lived in town, he offered her money (62). Absalon did everything thing imaginable in order to woo her this is truth is revealed in the millers tale, From day to day this jolly Absalon, wooing away, became quite a woe-begone( 62). To receive attention from her Allison he, started singing softly with grace. He did this because he was completely smitten by Alison and was, In the hope that his talent might engage (62) her. Absalon did not keep his for Alison. He announced to her if when john was present. In fact, when Nicholas serenaded Alison outside of her window John would say wife! Do you hear him? There goes Absalon chanting away under our chamber wall (62). Even though Absalon was not successful at winning over Alison, he certainly would have if he was given the opportunity. When he found out that John was absent he said I shall see Alison and tell her all my love-longing, and I can hardly miss some favour from her, at least a kiss.(65). This meant that with john out of the picture believed that he truly had a chance to be with Alison and finally entice her. Absalon followed this ideal idea. He tried to imitate it so that it would work to his advantage. He took it to heart and he highly regarded the idea of courtly live. AbsalonShow MoreRelatedThe Millers Tale501 Words   |  3 PagesThe link between the Miller and the tale he tells is quite a close one; the tale is really a reflection of the character that relates it. We will attempt to prove it by examining the stories genre, the way in which it is narrated, and its intended meaning. The Millers tale is a fabliau, a genre best defined as a dirty story told with wit and point; the tale itself is one of old age, youth, carpentry and cuckoldry.. A character telling such a story can immediately be classified as a memberRead More Comparing The Millers Tale and The Reves Tale Essays1188 Words   |  5 PagesSimilarities in The Millers Tale and The Reves Tale       The Millers Tale and The Reves Tale from The Canterbury Tales are very closely related. They both deal with the relationship between a jealous man, his wife, and a young scholar(s), and they both are immoral stories that contain sex and violence. This proves that the Miller and the Reeve are two very corrupt individuals. However, these tales also share some differences. For instance, the main character inRead MoreMillers Tale Essay1031 Words   |  5 Pagesto guide man and women in their relationship? By analyzing two of the major characters, Nicholas and Absalon, and their relative success in relationships, explain what you believe Chaucer is telling us about courtly love though this tale. The Millers tale story is about two characters that were pursuing the attention and affection of the beautiful Alison who was married to John the carpenter. These characters were Nicholas and Absalon. The character whose efforts proved triumphant in doingRead More Comparing Clothing in Knights Tale and the Millers Tale Essay2560 Words   |  11 Pagesthe Knyghts Tale and the Millers Tale (which is supposed to quit(e) the Knyghts Tale) is that of clothing (the former tale) and lack of clothing (in the latter). Upon an inspection of the General Prologues description of the Knyght, I found that clothing is a very signifcant part of the Knyghts Tale. Chaucers decription of him may forshadow (or, since Chaucer wrote the tales after they were told, color his perceptions of the Knyght) the importance of clothing in the Knyghts Tale. Special attentionRead MoreA Comaprison of the Millers Tale and Merchants Tale786 Words   |  4 Pages Comparing Millers Tale and Merchants Tale Alison in the Millers Tale and May of the Merchants Tale are similar in several ways. Both are young women who have married men much older than themselves. They both become involved with young, manipulative men. They also conspire to and do cuckold their husbands. This is not what marriage is about and it is demonstrated in both tales. What makes the Millers Tale bawdy comedy and the Merchants tale bitter satire is in the characterization.Read More Canterbury Tales - Comparison of the Millers Tale and the Knights Tale1638 Words   |  7 PagesA Comparison of the Millers Tale and the Knights Tale  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   It is common when considering The Canterbury Tales to discuss how some tales seem designed to emphasise the themes of others. Two such tales are the Millers Tale2 and the Knights Tale3. At first glance these two tales seem an incongruous pairing. The Knights Tale is told by an eminent person, is an historical romance which barely escapes a tragic ending, and its themes are universal: the relationship of individuals to providenceRead MoreAn Analyis of the Conventions of Courtly Love Within the Millers Tale and Morte Darthur1849 Words   |  8 PagesAn Analyis of the Conventions of Courtly Love Within The Millers Tale and Morte Darthur While both â€Å"Morte Darthur† and â€Å"The Millers Tale† display some characteristics of a satirical approach in which human vices are attacked in a whimsical manner through irony, comedy, and folly, they are actually quite different in their literary genre and style. â€Å"Morte Darthur†, an adventurous tale with an imaginary setting that perfectly idealizes the chivalrous knight-hero and his noble deeds done for theRead More Summary and Analysis of The Millers Tale Essay1370 Words   |  6 PagesSummary and Analysis of The Millers Tale When the Knight had finished, everybody decided that he had told a noble story. The drunken Miller claims that he has a tale as noble as the one the Knight had told. The host tried to quiet the Miller, but he demanded to speak. He claims that he will tell the tale of a carpenter and his wife. His tale will be one of infidelity. The narrator attempts to apologize for the tale that will follow, admitting that the Miller is not well-bred and will thereforeRead MoreThe Millers Tale: Differentiation of Sex Essay examples1049 Words   |  5 Pages The Millers Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer is a mirror of medieval society particularly in the way it depicts the relationships between men and women as well as giving a realistic portrait of working class people during the middle ages. Alison, the main character illustrates how a woman was able to use her sex through her actions of deceit to many characters. Popular belief holds that courtly love was prevalent during the medieval period; however The Millers Tale provides a more realistic look intoRead MoreSimilarities Between The Millers Tale And The Wife Of Bath1507 Words   |  7 Pageswomen perceived in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales? The Miller’s Tale and The Wife of Bath’s Tale both portray women as having a great deal of sexual desire, which was considered taboo for its time. Alisoun, a character in The Miller’s Tale, and The Wife of Bath are portrayed as being promiscuous, however both of these women find empowerment in demonstrating their sexual agency, which was certainly a taboo perspective for the time in which The Canterbury Tales were written. While the male characters

The Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare - 1146 Words

How certain can one be that they will see tomorrow? How certain can one be that they will see the next second? In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, all of the characters face uncertainty at some point in the story. The character of Hamlet is, for lack of a better term, a laggard; he procrastinates like no other, making him an uncertain character in his entirety. His most famous line is â€Å"To be, or not to be? That is the question.† The entire scene is about Hamlet’s uncertainty about suicide and death. The ghost is masked in uncertainty. Who is it? Is it real? Why is it around? Ophelia is constantly uncertain of Hamlet and his feelings towards her. Is she a young lady or a little girl? Does she realize the sexual connotations Hamlet makes when he speaks to her? What about Queen Gertrude? Does she know the truth about King Hamlet’s death? Does she marry his brother because she loves him, or because Denmark needs a king? The multiple themes of Hamlet are very obvious: morality, revenge, and death. The all-encompassing theme of Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet is uncertainty. You can tell by the decisions made by characters, the way people speak to one another, and the characters backgrounds. First of all, when speaking of uncertainty, the play begins with the question â€Å"Who’s there?† The very beginning of this tragedy is a soldier being uncertain of who is nearing him at his post. The fact that the first line is a question of who is around the current characterShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1427 Words   |  6 PagesWhy has Hamlet’s rage led him to a death that was destined to happen? Simple, his absolute motive was to seek revenge for the death of his father, who was once the King of Denmark. In this tragedy, Hamlet wanted to put on this image of an insane man. This would mislead the people around him from his intentions of killing King Claudius, who is strangely his uncle and â€Å"father† simultaneously. Claudius takes the throne for Denmark after pouring poison down King Hamlet’s ear without leaving any evidenceRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1483 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam S hakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet is a misfortunate play that exhibits Prince Hamlet’s internal and external conflicts which show the ultimate purpose of the story. Revenge is perhaps the greatest theme in Hamlet, and is shown by the conflicts Prince Hamlet has with his family, friends, and a girlfriend as well as within his self. The anguish Hamlet feels towards his new father and his mother is magnified by the discovery that they were both involved in his father, the king’s, murder. ThisRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1131 Words   |  5 PagesTragedy, according to American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, is a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, tragedy is no short supply. Shak espeare takes the reader on a journey of epic proportions through the struggles and conflicts, internal andRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1543 Words   |  7 Pagesplay, The Tragedy of Hamlet, seems to have a domino effect. As Hamlet tries to get his revenge, he brings ruin upon the kingdom. Hamlet is self-doubtful; he doubts himself to a point where he does not know what is true in his life. He constantly contradicts himself, causing many people, whose death was unintended, to die. In Williams Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, in order to portray Hamlet’s tragedy, Shakespeare uses soliloquies, metaphors, symbolism, and anti-thesis. Shakespeare utilizesRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare Essay822 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1604, William Shakespeare finished one of the most famous plays of revenge in English history. This play has left a plethora of questions, most left unanswered even after the hundreds of scholars who have analyzed it. The complexity and multiple facades of the characters, the use of many themes, and the symbols in this play have been construed into a delicate tale; Shakespeare purposely left out many details in order to shroud this piece in mystery. In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare s vagueRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare2594 Words   |  11 PagesJulian A tragedy is a dramatic work that is about a character whose tragic flaw leads to his downfall and to the demise of many of the other characters. William Shakespeare was a playwright during the Elizabethan Era who was made famous for his literary works of tragedies, comedies and sonnets. One of Shakespeare?s most renowned tragedies is Hamlet. In this classic tragedy the protagonist, Hamlet, pursues revenge and seeks justice against the antagonist, Claudius, for the murder of King Hamlet. As aRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare Essay1334 Words   |  6 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Hamlet, each character stands out in unique ways. Madness is one of the crucial themes as Shakespeare depicts the chaotic turbulence in the Hamlet family and the court of Denmark. Though she is generally read as a minor character, Ophelia’s madness reveals the struggle of the female character that attempts to have a voice of her own. Ophelia’s life ce rtainly seems tragic based on Aristotle s definition of tragedy, which says that â€Å"A tragedy is the imitationRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare Essay1829 Words   |  8 PagesThe tragedy of Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare is one of the best tragedies ever written. The term hamartia, coined by the philosopher Aristotle in his writing Poetics, can be defined as â€Å"tragic flow,† to miss the mark â€Å"leading to a mistake† (American Heritage Dictionary). Aristotle points out that: tragedy is an imitation not only of a complete action, but of events inspiring fear or pity as well as the tragic hero must not be an utter villain or a perfect man, but he must be, then: theRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1931 Words   |  8 Pages William Shakespeare is an English Poet known for his famous dramatized writings. Shakespeare was born in the United Kingdom in April. Here are some of his legendary texts: â€Å"Macbeth†, â€Å"Julius Caesar†, and â€Å"Hamlet†. â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet† was written during the sixteenth century and was performed in 1609. Shakespeare writes this tragedy to reveal the roles of women during the Middle Ages. Back then females were referred as noblewomen and were expected to do the following: run households, take careRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1142 Words   |  5 PagesThe tragedy of Hamlet was an inordinately fascinating play with many profoundly intriguing characters that did a great many heroic and disappointing things despite the intricacy and arduousness to understand the true personality William Shakespeare intended for each. At the beginning of the play, as Hamlet has decided to pretend madness, he pretends he does not love Ophelia anymore, he even rejects her and insults her (Act 3, scene 1). This, of course, means that he has been in love with her before

The Lost Symbol Chapter 129-131 Free Essays

CHAPTER 129 Robert Langdon stood mesmerized at the glass portal, absorbing the power of the landscape below him. Having ascended unknowingly hundreds of feet into the air, he was now admiring one of the most spectacular vistas he had ever seen. The shining dome of the U. We will write a custom essay sample on The Lost Symbol Chapter 129-131 or any similar topic only for you Order Now S. Capitol rose like a mountain at the east end of the National Mall. On either side of the building, two parallel lines of light stretched toward him . . . the illuminated facades of the Smithsonian museums . . . beacons of art, history, science, culture. Langdon now realized to his astonishment that much of what Peter had declared to be true . . . was in fact true. There is indeed a winding staircase . . . descending hundreds of feet beneath a massive stone. The huge capstone of this obelisk sat directly over his head, and Langdon now recalled a forgotten bit of trivia that seemed to have eerie relevance: the capstone of the Washington Monument weighed precisely thirty-three hundred pounds. Again, the number 33. More startling, however, was the knowledge that this capstone’s ultimate peak, the zenith of this obelisk, was crowned by a tiny, polished tip of aluminum–a metal as precious as gold in its day. The shining apex of the Washington Monument was only about a foot tall, the same size as the Masonic Pyramid. Incredibly, this small metal pyramid bore a famous engraving–Laus Deo– and Langdon suddenly understood. This is the true message of the base of the stone pyramid. The seven symbols are a transliteration! The simplest of ciphers. The symbols are letters. The stonemason’s square–L The element gold–AU The Greek Sigma–S The Greek Delta–D Alchemical mercury–E The Ouroboros–O â€Å"Laus Deo,† Langdon whispered. The well-known Latin phrase–meaning â€Å"praise God†Ã¢â‚¬â€œwas inscribed on the tip of the Washington Monument in script letters only one inch tall. On full display . . . and yet invisible to all. Laus Deo. â€Å"Praise God,† Peter said behind him, flipping on the soft lighting in the chamber. â€Å"The Masonic Pyramid’s final code.† Langdon turned. His friend was grinning broadly, and Langdon recalled that Peter had actually spoken the words â€Å"praise God† earlier inside the Masonic library. And I still missed it. Langdon felt a chill to realize how apt it was that the legendary Masonic Pyramid had guided him here . . . to America’s great obelisk–the symbol of ancient mystical wisdom–rising toward the heavens at the heart of a nation. In a state of wonder, Langdon began moving counterclockwise around the perimeter of the tiny square room, arriving now at another viewing window. North. Through this northward-facing window, Langdon gazed down at the familiar silhouette of the White House directly in front of him. He raised his eyes to the horizon, where the straight line of Sixteenth Street ran due north toward the House of the Temple. I am due south of Heredom. He continued around the perimeter to the next window. Looking west, Langdon’s eyes traced the long rectangle of the reflecting pool to the Lincoln Memorial, its classical Greek architecture inspired by the Parthenon in Athens, Temple to Athena–goddess of heroic undertakings. Annuit coeptis, Langdon thought. God favors our undertaking. Continuing to the final window, Langdon gazed southward across the dark waters of the Tidal Basin, where the Jefferson Memorial shone brightly in the night. The gently sloping cupola, Langdon knew, was modeled after the Pantheon, the original home to the great Roman gods of mythology. Having looked in all four directions, Langdon now thought about the aerial photos he had seen of the National Mall–her four arms outstretched from the Washington Monument toward the cardinal points of the compass. I am standing at the crossroads of America. Langdon continued back around to where Peter was standing. His mentor was beaming. â€Å"Well, Robert, this is it. The Lost Word. This is where it’s buried. The Masonic Pyramid led us here.† Langdon did a double take. He had all but forgotten about the Lost Word. â€Å"Robert, I know of nobody more trustworthy than you. And after a night like tonight, I believe you deserve to know what this is all about. As promised in legend, the Lost Word is indeed buried at the bottom of a winding staircase.† He motioned to the mouth of the monument’s long stairwell. Langdon had finally started to get his feet back under him, but now he was puzzled. Peter quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small object. â€Å"Do you remember this?† Langdon took the cube-shaped box that Peter had entrusted to him long ago. â€Å"Yes . . . but I’m afraid I didn’t do a very good job of protecting it.† Solomon chuckled. â€Å"Perhaps the time had come for it to see the light of day.† Langdon eyed the stone cube, wondering why Peter had just handed it to him. â€Å"What does this look like to you?† Peter asked. Langdon eyed the 1514 and recalled his first impression when Katherine had unwrapped the package. â€Å"A cornerstone.† â€Å"Exactly,† Peter replied. â€Å"Now, there are a few things you might not know about cornerstones. First, the concept of laying a cornerstone comes from the Old Testament.† Langdon nodded. â€Å"The Book of Psalms.† â€Å"Correct. And a true cornerstone is always buried beneath the ground–symbolizing the building’s initial step upward out of the earth toward the heavenly light.† Langdon glanced out at the Capitol, recalling that its cornerstone was buried so deep in the foundation that, to this day, excavations had been unable to find it. â€Å"And finally,† Solomon said, â€Å"like the stone box in your hand, many cornerstones are little vaults . . . and have hollow cavities so that they can hold buried treasures . . . talismans, if you will– symbols of hope for the future of the building about to be erected.† Langdon was well aware of this tradition, too. Even today, Masons laid cornerstones in which they sealed meaningful objects–time capsules, photos, proclamations, even the ashes of important people. â€Å"My purpose in telling you this,† Solomon said, glancing over at the stairwell, â€Å"should be clear.† â€Å"You think the Lost Word is buried in the cornerstone of the Washington Monument?† â€Å"I don’t think, Robert. I know. The Lost Word was buried in the cornerstone of this monument on July 4, 1848, in a full Masonic ritual.† Langdon stared at him. â€Å"Our Masonic forefathers buried a word?!† Peter nodded. â€Å"They did indeed. They understood the true power of what they were burying.† All night, Langdon had been trying to wrap his mind around sprawling, ethereal concepts . . . the Ancient Mysteries, the Lost Word, the Secrets of the Ages. He wanted something solid, and despite Peter’s claims that the key to it all was buried in a cornerstone 555 feet beneath him, Langdon was having a hard time accepting it. People study the mysteries for entire lifetimes and are still unable to access the power allegedly hidden there. Langdon flashed on Durer’s Melencolia I–the image of the dejected Adept, surrounded by the tools of his failed efforts to unveil the mystical secrets of alchemy. If the secrets can actually be unlocked, they will not be found in one place! Any answer, Langdon had always believed, was spread across the world in thousands of volumes . . . encoded into writings of Pythagoras, Hermes, Heraclitus, Paracelsus, and hundreds of others. The answer was found in dusty, forgotten tomes on alchemy, mysticism, magic, and philosophy. The answer was hidden in the ancient library of Alexandria, the clay tablets of Sumer, and the hieroglyphs of Egypt. â€Å"Peter, I’m sorry,† Langdon said quietly, shaking his head. â€Å"To understand the Ancient Mysteries is a lifelong process. I can’t imagine how the key could possibly rest within a single word.† Peter placed a hand on Langdon’s shoulder. â€Å"Robert, the Lost Word is not a `word.'† He gave a sage smile. â€Å"We only call it the `Word’ because that’s what the ancients called it . . . in the beginning.† CHAPTER 130 In the beginning was the Word. Dean Galloway knelt at the Great Crossing of the National Cathedral and prayed for America. He prayed that his beloved country would soon come to grasp the true power of the Word–the recorded collection of the written wisdom of all the ancient masters–the spiritual truths taught by the great sages. History had blessed mankind with the wisest of teachers, profoundly enlightened souls whose understanding of the spiritual and mental mysteries exceeded all understanding. The precious words of these Adepts–Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, Zoroaster, and countless others–had been transmitted through history in the oldest and most precious of vessels. Books. Every culture on earth had its own sacred book–its own Word–each one different and yet each one the same. For Christians, the Word was the Bible, for Muslims the Koran, for Jews the Torah, for Hindus the Vedas, and on and on it went. The Word shall light the way. For America’s Masonic forefathers, the Word had been the Bible. And yet few people in history have understood its true message. Tonight, as Galloway knelt alone within the great cathedral, he placed his hands upon the Word–a well-worn copy of his own Masonic Bible. This treasured book, like all Masonic Bibles, contained the Old Testament, the New Testament, and a treasure trove of Masonic philosophical writings. Although Galloway’s eyes could no longer read the text, he knew the preface by heart. Its glorious message had been read by millions of his brethren in countless languages around the world. The text read: TIME IS A RIVER . . . AND BOOKS ARE BOATS. MANY VOLUMES START DOWN THAT STREAM, ONLY TO BE WRECKED AND LOST BEYOND RECALL IN ITS SANDS. ONLY A FEW, A VERY FEW, ENDURE THE TESTINGS OF TIME AND LIVE TO BLESS THE AGES FOLLOWING. There is a reason these volumes survived, while others vanished. As a scholar of faith, Dean Galloway had always found it astonishing that the ancient spiritual texts–the most studied books on earth–were, in fact, the least understood. Concealed within those pages, there hides a wondrous secret. One day soon the light would dawn, and mankind would finally begin to grasp the simple, transformative truth of the ancient teachings . . . and take a quantum leap forward in understanding his own magnificent nature. CHAPTER 131 The winding staircase that descends the spine of the Washington Monument consists of 896 stone steps that spiral around an open elevator shaft. Langdon and Solomon were making their way down, Langdon still grappling with the startling fact that Peter had shared with him only moments ago: Robert, buried within the hollow cornerstone of this monument, our forefathers placed a single copy of the Word–the Bible–which waits in darkness at the foot of this staircase. As they descended, Peter suddenly stopped on a landing and swung his flashlight beam to illuminate a large stone medallion embedded in the wall. What in the world?! Langdon jumped when he saw the carving. The medallion depicted a frightening cloaked figure holding a scythe and kneeling beside an hourglass. The figure’s arm was raised, and his index finger was extended, pointing directly at a large open Bible, as if to say: â€Å"The answer is in there!† Langdon stared at the carving and then turned to Peter. His mentor’s eyes shone with mystery. â€Å"I’d like you to consider something, Robert.† His voice echoed down the empty stairwell. â€Å"Why do you think the Bible has survived thousands of years of tumultuous history? Why is it still here? Is it because its stories are such compelling reading? Of course not . . . but there is a reason. There is a reason Christian monks spend lifetimes attempting to decipher the Bible. There is a reason that Jewish mystics and Kabbalists pore over the Old Testament. And that reason, Robert, is that there exist powerful secrets hidden in the pages of this ancient book . . . a vast collection of untapped wisdom waiting to be unveiled.† Langdon was no stranger to the theory that the Scriptures contained a hidden layer of meaning, a concealed message that was veiled in allegory, symbolism, and parable. â€Å"The prophets warn us,† Peter continued, â€Å"that the language used to share their secret mysteries is a cryptic one. The Gospel of Mark tells us, `Unto you is given to know the mystery . . . but it will be told in parable.’ Proverbs cautions that the sayings of the wise are `riddles,’ while Corinthians talks of `hidden wisdom.’ The Gospel of John forewarns: `I will speak to you in parable . . . and use dark sayings.’ â€Å" Dark sayings, Langdon mused, knowing this strange phrase made numerous odd appearances in Proverbs as well as in Psalm 78. I will open my mouth in a parable and utter dark sayings of old. The concept of a â€Å"dark saying,† Langdon had learned, did not mean that the saying was â€Å"evil† but rather that its true meaning was shadowed or obscured from the light. â€Å"And if you have any doubts,† Peter added, â€Å"Corinthians overtly tells us that the parables have two layers of meaning: `milk for babes and meat for men’–where the milk is a watered-down reading for infantile minds, and the meat is the true message, accessible only to mature minds.† Peter raised the flashlight, again illuminating the carving of the cloaked figure pointing intently at the Bible. â€Å"I know you are a skeptic, Robert, but consider this. If the Bible does not contain hidden meaning, then why have so many of history’s finest minds–including brilliant scientists at the Royal Society–become so obsessed with studying it? Sir Isaac Newton wrote more than a million words attempting to decipher the true meaning of the Scripture, including a 1704 manuscript that claimed he had extracted hidden scientific information from the Bible!† Langdon knew this was true. â€Å"And Sir Francis Bacon,† Peter continued, â€Å"the luminary hired by King James to literally create the authorized King James Bible, became so utterly convinced that the Bible contained cryptic meaning that he wrote in his own codes, which are still studied today! Of course, as you know, Bacon was a Rosicrucian and penned The Wisdom of the Ancients.† Peter smiled. â€Å"Even the iconoclastic poet William Blake hinted that we should read between the lines.† Langdon was familiar with the verse: BOTH READ THE BIBLE DAY AND NIGHT, BUT THOU READ BLACK WHERE I READ WHITE. â€Å"And it wasn’t just the European luminaries,† Peter continued, descending faster now. â€Å"It was here, Robert, at the very core of this young American nation, that our brightest forefathers–John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Paine–all warned of the profound dangers of interpreting the Bible literally. In fact, Thomas Jefferson was so convinced the Bible’s true message was hidden that he literally cut up the pages and reedited the book, attempting, in his words, `to do away with the artificial scaffolding and restore the genuine doctrines.’ â€Å" Langdon was well aware of this strange fact. The Jeffersonian Bible was still in print today and included many of his controversial revisions, among them the removal of the virgin birth and the resurrection. Incredibly, the Jeffersonian Bible had been presented to every incoming member of Congress during the first half of the nineteenth century. â€Å"Peter, you know I find this topic fascinating, and I can understand that it might be tempting for bright minds to imagine the Scriptures contain hidden meaning, but it makes no logical sense to me. Any skilled professor will tell you that teaching is never done in code.† â€Å"I’m sorry?† â€Å"Teachers teach, Peter. We speak openly. Why would the prophets–the greatest teachers in history–obscure their language? If they hoped to change the world, why would they speak in code? Why not speak plainly so the world could understand?† Peter glanced back over his shoulder as he descended, looking surprised by the question. â€Å"Robert, the Bible does not talk openly for the same reason the Ancient Mystery Schools were kept hidden . . . for the same reason the neophytes had to be initiated before learning the secret teachings of the ages . . . for the same reason the scientists in the Invisible College refused to share their knowledge with others. This information is powerful, Robert. The Ancient Mysteries cannot be shouted from the rooftops. The mysteries are a flaming torch, which, in the hands of a master, can light the way, but which, in the hands of a madman, can scorch the earth.† Langdon stopped short. What is he saying? â€Å"Peter, I’m talking about the Bible. Why are you talking about the Ancient Mysteries?† Peter turned. â€Å"Robert, don’t you see? The Ancient Mysteries and the Bible are the same thing.† Langdon stared in bewilderment. Peter was silent for several seconds, waiting for the concept to soak in. â€Å"The Bible is one of the books through which the mysteries have been passed down through history. Its pages are desperately trying to tell us the secret. Don’t you understand? The `dark sayings’ in the Bible are the whispers of the ancients, quietly sharing with us all of their secret wisdom.† Langdon said nothing. The Ancient Mysteries, as he understood them, were a kind of instruction manual for harnessing the latent power of the human mind . . . a recipe for personal apotheosis. He had never been able to accept the power of the mysteries, and certainly the notion that the Bible was somehow hiding a key to these mysteries was an impossible stretch. â€Å"Peter, the Bible and the Ancient Mysteries are total opposites. The mysteries are all about the god within you . . . man as god. The Bible is all about the God above you . . . and man as a powerless sinner.† â€Å"Yes! Exactly! You’ve put your finger on the precise problem! The moment mankind separated himself from God, the true meaning of the Word was lost. The voices of the ancient masters have now been drowned out, lost in the chaotic din of self-proclaimed practitioners shouting that they alone understand the Word . . . that the Word is written in their language and none other.† Peter continued down the stairs. â€Å"Robert, you and I both know that the ancients would be horrified if they saw how their teachings have been perverted . . . how religion has established itself as a tollbooth to heaven . . . how warriors march into battle believing God favors their cause. We’ve lost the Word, and yet its true meaning is still within reach, right before our eyes. It exists in all the enduring texts, from the Bible to the Bhagavad Gita to the Koran and beyond. All of these texts are revered upon the altars of Freemasonry because Masons understand what the world seems to have forgotten . . . that each of these texts, in its own way, is quietly whispering the exact same message.† Peter’s voice welled with emotion. † `Know ye not that ye are gods?'† Langdon was struck by the way this famous ancient saying kept surfacing tonight. He had reflected on it while talking to Galloway and also at the Capitol Building while trying to explain The Apotheosis of Washington. Peter lowered his voice to a whisper. â€Å"The Buddha said, `You are God yourself.’ Jesus taught that `the kingdom of God is within you’ and even promised us, `The works I do, you can do . . . and greater.’ Even the first antipope–Hippolytus of Rome–quoted the same message, first uttered by the gnostic teacher Monoimus: `Abandon the search for God . . . instead, take yourself as the starting place.’ † Langdon flashed on the House of the Temple, where the Masonic Tyler’s chair bore two words of guidance carved across its back: KNOW THYSELF. â€Å"A wise man once told me,† Peter said, his voice faint now, â€Å"the only difference between you and God is that you have forgotten you are divine.† â€Å"Peter, I hear you–I do. And I’d love to believe we are gods, but I see no gods walking our earth. I see no superhumans.You can point to the alleged miracles of the Bible, or any other religious text, but they are nothing but old stories fabricated by man and then exaggerated over time.† â€Å"Perhaps,† Peter said. â€Å"Or perhaps we simply need our science to catch up with the wisdom of the ancients.† He paused. â€Å"Funny thing is . . . I believe Katherine’s research may be poised to do just that.† Langdon suddenly remembered that Katherine had dashed off from the House of the Temple earlier. â€Å"Hey, where did she go, anyway?† â€Å"She’ll be here shortly,† Peter said, grinning. â€Å"She went to confirm a wonderful bit of good fortune.† Outside, at the base of the monument, Peter Solomon felt invigorated as he inhaled the cold night air. He watched in amusement as Langdon stared intently at the ground, scratching his head and looking around at the foot of the obelisk. â€Å"Professor,† Peter joked, â€Å"the cornerstone that contains the Bible is underground. You can’t actually access the book, but I assure you it’s there.† â€Å"I believe you,† Langdon said, appearing lost in thought. â€Å"It’s just . . . I noticed something.† Langdon stepped back now and surveyed the giant plaza on which the Washington Monument stood. The circular concourse was made entirely of white stone . . . except for two decorative courses of dark stone, which formed two concentric circles around the monument. â€Å"A circle within a circle,† Langdon said. â€Å"I never realized the Washington Monument stands at the center of a circle within a circle.† Peter had to laugh. He misses nothing. â€Å"Yes, the great circumpunct . . . the universal symbol for God . . . at the crossroads of America.† He gave a coy shrug. â€Å"I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.† Langdon seemed far off, gazing skyward now, his eyes ascending the illuminated spire, which shone stark white against the black winter sky. Peter sensed Langdon was beginning to see this creation for what it truly was . . . a silent reminder of ancient wisdom . . . an icon of enlightened man at the heart of a great nation. Even though Peter could not see the tiny aluminum tip at the top, he knew it was there, man’s enlightened mind straining toward heaven. Laus Deo. â€Å"Peter?† Langdon approached, looking like a man who’d endured some kind of mystical initiation. â€Å"I almost forgot,† he said, reaching into his pocket and producing Peter’s gold Masonic ring. â€Å"I’ve been wanting to return this to you all night.† â€Å"Thank you, Robert.† Peter held out his left hand and took the ring, admiring it. â€Å"You know, all the secrecy and mystery surrounding this ring and the Masonic Pyramid . . . it had an enormous effect on my life. When I was a young man, the pyramid was given to me with the promise that it hid mystical secrets. Its mere existence made me believe there were great mysteries in the world. It piqued my curiosity, fueled my sense of wonder, and inspired me to open my mind to the Ancient Mysteries.† He smiled quietly and slipped the ring into his pocket. â€Å"I now realize that the Masonic Pyramid’s true purpose was not to reveal the answers, but rather to inspire a fascination with them.† The two men stood in silence for a long while at the foot of the monument. When Langdon finally spoke, his tone was serious. â€Å"I need to ask you a favor, Peter . . . as a friend.† â€Å"Of course. Anything.† Langdon made his request . . . firmly. Solomon nodded, knowing he was right. â€Å"I will.† â€Å"Right away,† Langdon added, motioning to the waiting Escalade. â€Å"Okay . . . but one caveat.† Langdon rolled his eyes, chuckling. â€Å"Somehow you always get the last word.† â€Å"Yes, and there is one final thing I want you and Katherine to see.† â€Å"At this hour?† Langdon checked his watch. Solomon smiled warmly at his old friend. â€Å"It is Washington’s most spectacular treasure . . . and something very, very few people have ever seen.† How to cite The Lost Symbol Chapter 129-131, Essay examples