Influences of the Greek Mythology on British and American Literature

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Influences of the Greek Mythology on British and American Literature

Mu Zhenghong

(Affiliated Middle School of China Academy of Art,HangzhouZhejiang310000)

Ⅰ.Literature characteristics of greek mythology

1.Unique artistic technique of expression

The Greek mythology emphasizes storytelling and the presence of romantic performance elements.It used the method of strong contrast to reflect the difference and commonality between people in the society at that time. So in general, this kind of special artistic technique of expression such as exaggeration and romance are most commonly used in the characterization of the gods in Greek mythology; hence, people can see the Zeus who is wide spreading and licentious, Hera who is beautiful and elegant but with strong jealousy, Prometheus who is against the tyranny and brave, Agamemnon who is brave but opinionated, and Athena who has beauty and wisdom. These classic images of Greek mythology have a very strong connotation of reflecting human nature; however, they are not human, but are a bridge set up by the author between secularization and beliefs. People use these illusory but seemingly true to life and humane mythological images with strong secularism to reflect all aspects of the world as well as its coldness and warmth. In addition, some gods represent the prominent aristocrats in Greek’s superior class, who spend their waking hours of pleasure, contend for power and profit, and are with strong jealousy and vanity. Therefore, from a certain level, blending Greek mythological images in literature is more like a kind of satire and criticism of the society.

2.Characteristics of harmonious aesthetic performance

The ancient Greeks loved beauty, and their ideas and values of focusing on beauty has even been rooted in everyone's heart. Therefore, people can clearly feel their longing and love for life as well as relentless pursuit of beauty in Greek mythology literature. It should be mentioned that the literary creation of Greek mythology has both the spirit and material, and it also has secular and sacred aspects as well as reality and illusion, which symbolizes the unification between the divine mythical world and the civilians’ secular world. In Greek mythology, the evil, violence, fear and chaos of the gods have been unfolded separately, while the majesty and beauty of nature are also presented incisively and vividly, which also reflects the Greeks’ advocating for democracy and freedom. It can be said that Greek mythology has given full play to the emphasis of worship and belief of beauty, and has even formed a unique aesthetic realm. This is why so many writers in later generations look for creative inspiration from the Greek mythology, and this is where the literature characteristic charm is reflected. It should be a culture literary heritage that is always cherished by human.〔1〕

Ⅱ.The influence of greek mythology on Western, British and American literature

1.Influence on the British and American literature in West

The rise of the Greek mythology is to hope that people can be “people-oriented”, and it also hopes that people can be liberated from medieval feudal bondage as well as desire for freedom and the release of the personality. On the other hand, Greek mythology has reflected the equal relationship between people in the society on the contrary. It satirizes the forces of the gods who represent the high ranking officials and the nobles in the Greek mythology, and opposes the existing human classes and racial discrimination, and hopes that the status of women and the poor can be improved. All the theoretical perspectives of spirits have reflected the humanistic spirit in Greek mythology, which was widely spread during the medieval European Renaissance and allowed British and American literature in this period in full bloom.

Greek mythology has provided inexhaustible and precious materials for the British and American literature in later generations. For instance, Dante’s work The Divine Comedy· Volume I Hell has described the life story of Ulysses, the hero of hope; while the Trojan War is well interpreted in Shakespeare’s Troilus and Criseyde, it also blended in the Shakespeare's original adaptation plots, and used the graceful rhyme of poetry to interpret the cruel Trojan war, thus formed a larger literary emotion contrast. In Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound, he shaped a persevering and tenacious fighter image, and the drama verses are all in an exciting, high-spirited and bright color mood. It embodies Shelley’s yearning for revolution and a new life, and is with the strong spirit of the times. In the 20th century, the rise of industrial civilization aggravated the social contradictions day by day, and people in this period obviously felt the corruption of the society, the disintegration of beliefs and the collapse of the ideals. Therefore, people started to look for new living and spiritual civilizations that are more meaningful to them, and they hoped to awaken those who lost their way of love life and strength in the industrial civilization with the help of Greek mythology. In this crisis, a lot of talents appeared in British and American literature including Elliott, Joyce, and so on. They made brilliant achievements for mankind from two different fields: poetry and fiction, and have created great and glorious modern myths. The Waste Land written by Elliott as the modern version of the Holy Grail myth, presented the European and American intellectuals’ low mood of depression and despairs in the industrial era, and also reflected the general state of people's life and mood in the industrial age. Joyce's Ulysses ingeniously used the story in Homer's epic work Odysseus, and he compared the protagonist Bloom with Ulysses. In the novel, Bloom’s wandering experiences in one night in Dublin echoes Ulysses’s ten years of wandering. Such ingenious time-to-space conversion from “one night to 10 years” exposed the decay and decline of the western society at that time as well as the loneliness and despair of modern poets. This literary expression that compares the ancient with modern time had brought inspiration and ideas to a number of the then litterateurs, including Forster, O’Neal, Updike, etc. who carried out literary creation on the basis of Greek mythology.

In general, from the neoclassical period in middle 17th century to the industrial era in 18th century, Greek mythology had been affecting the generation after generation of people in the British and American continent as well as their literature. From the emphasis on rationality to the sensibility, they gradually eliminated all people’s desire impulse and sensory stimulation that were brought by the material comforts by creating their contents on the basis of social recognition of values and morality. They allow the British and American literature to add infinite charm for people's life in later generations as well as profound practical implications.

2.Influences on the language expression and characterization of British and American literature

British and American literature has borrowed a lot of allusions and words from Greek mythology, which is proved by later generations. For example, the word “sword of damocles” is from the ancient Greek mythology, which is similar to the meaning of Chinese “千鈞一發(fā)” (an imminent peril) that describes a very critical moment. While “burn one’s bridges” represents the meaning of “破釜沉舟” (break the caldrons and sink the boats (after crossing)). Other allusions and words such as “Achilles heel”, “Pandora’s box”, etc. are also merged into British and American literature works, which has optimized the expressiveness of these works with concise and implicitness, and vested a strong vitality to these works.

3.Influences on the way of thinking and creative inspiration of British and American literature

Most part of the Greek mythology praises gods and nature, but in fact, the Greek mythology characters are not omnipotent saviors but are deified human beings that have the unique personality, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of a human being. People will find that the behavior and thinking of every god contains certain philosophical connotation when reading the Greek mythology. For example, Julius attacked the Trojan army barracks and assassinated the King Rhesus to the relationship between Achilles and Agamemnon, and all these behaviors have embodied the unique and distinctive written style of Greek mythology. These behaviors of gods are just what modern people are doing. Therefore, the description of characters and advocating of humanism thought in modern British and American literature all echo the Greek mythology. Especially, they give full play to the thought of focusing on human rights in the Greek mythology. Modern British and American literature have inherited the way of spiritual thinking of the Greek myth, and transferred the thinking mode of human and gods in the Greek mythology into the creative thinking in modern British and American literature; in addition, they extensively reflect this without reservation.

Moreover, modern British and American literature also pays much attention to the thinking about human beings themselves advocated by the Greek mythology. For example, it uses advanced thoughts to praise love, encourage justice, criticize the evil, and sympathize for the weak. They attract readers and promote positive thoughts by shaping a great hero image. The basic thinking in the Greek mythology has become the creation inspiration of British and American literature at present. For example, the Nightingale also sets off the story of Philo Mira in Greek mythology. The young Philo Mira was raped and imprisoned by her sister’s husband, her sister saved her after knowing this and started revenge. She killed her child with Terras and was then chased by Terras. During the escape of the two sisters, they begged God to turn them into a swallow and a nightingale, and Terras became a hoopoe. Later on, the old Athens King Pandey wept “three drop of tears”: one for his innocent grandson, one for his younger daughter, and the other for the cruelhearted elder daughter. The story though ended with a tragedy, people can see that though swallow and nightingale are birds and can neither speak human language nor understand human feelings, the Greek mythology gave them human nature for them to have pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy that are exclusive for man. When people in later generations look up at the nightingales flying in the sky and hear their loud tweet, they cannot help remembering the two suffering sisters in the Greek mythology; they will then be inspired to write and write good works.

4.Influences on the view of life and values in British and American literature

The British and American literatures have utilized the self-realization of the outlook on life and values in Greek mythology, because in a myth, both gods and heroes have special experiences and the persistent pursuit of life and value. American writer Mark Twain described a story of Huckleberry, a brave, intelligent, and kind white teen that escaped along the Mississippi for the pursuit of free life, and met a negro slave Jim who is honest and tolerant, kind and enthusiastic. The two went through?fun?adventures and came across various encounters and achieved common goals in life. The work praises the great outlook on life and values, while at the same time, deeply condemned the hypocrisy of society and the ignorance of religious believers. Although the work is controversial, its excellence and great humanity cannot be covered, just as commented by Hemingway “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn… American writing comes from that. There was nothing before. There has been nothing as good since.〔2〕”

Ⅲ.Conclusion

In conclusion, Greek mythology has generated extremely profound influences on the content, character images, language, creative inspiration and so on of modern British and American literature. So to speak, the modern British and American literature have been completely integrated into the main idea connotation of the Greek mythology, which has greatly enriched the writing techniques of British and American literature and has offered context for the long-tern continuation of the Greek mythology. The two are complementary to each other.

References:

〔1〕王永娟：《希臘神話對(duì)英美文學(xué)的主要影響分析》，《中國(guó)科教創(chuàng)新導(dǎo)刊》2012年第20期，第114頁。

〔2〕高黎明：《從語源學(xué)的角度看希臘羅馬神話對(duì)英美文化的影響》，《山東大學(xué)》2008年，第43-57頁。

The paper starts with an introduction to Greek mythology, and then deeply explores the influence of Greek mythology on western culture and its roles in the development of British and American classical literature in the west. At last, the author analyzes the profound influences of Greek mythology on British and American literature from vocabulary, character role, creative inspiration, way of thinking, the outlook on life, values, and other aspects.

greek mythology;British and American literature;mass culture;values

About the author：Mu Zhenghong,English teacher at the Affiliated Middle School of China Academy of Art.