Allusions in T. S.

Eliots The Waste Land

English 1102

Philomel (Philomela)song lover

In Greek mythology, sister of Procne; daughter of King Pandion of Athens and Zeuxippe Procnes husband, Tereus, king of Thrace, raped Philomela and then cut out her tongue so she could not speak. Wove her tale onto a tapestry and sent to sister, Procne

Philomels Revenge
Killed Itylus, the 5-year old son of Tereus and served the boy to the father at dinner During meal, Philomela threw Itylus head on the table Gods revenge:
Transformed Philomela into a nightingale Transformed Tereus into a hawk Transformed Procne into a swallow Transformed Itylus into a pheasant or sandpiper

Literary Connections
Ovids Metamorphoses (book 6) Chaucers Legend of Good Women narrates the myth Sir Philip Sidneys The Nightingale Edmund Spensers Virgils Gnat Shakespeares Titus Adronicus T. S. Eliots Sweeney among the Nightingales and The Waste Land

Tiersias
In mythology, Juno blinded Tiersiaswho had experienced sex as both a man and a woman for agreeing with Jupiter that women experienced greater pleasure from sex than men. In ancient times, intercourse was prescribed to alleviate sluggish behavior. Indolence could be traced, Aristotle, Plato and others said, to excess phlegm in the brain, and ejaculation, which resembled phlegm and was noted as a female capability as well, would drain the brain of the sticky humor and energize the person.

Tieresias in Sophocles Oedipus Rex

The blind prophet Tiresias is called upon to aid the search for the murder of the king, but, after his warning against following through with it, Oedipus names him as the murderer, even though he is blind and aged. In response, an angry Tiresias tells Oedipus that he is looking for himself, causing the king to become enraged in incredulity. He then accuses the prophet of conspiring with Creon, Jocasta's brother, to overthrow him. The theme can perhaps be summarized with a line spoken by Tiresias: "Wisdom is a dreadful thing when it bringeth no profit unto its possessor" (Sophocles).

Tieresias
The Odyssey, Book XI:
At the exact center of the poem, a fact that points to the book's central importance. Odysseus must make the ultimate Quest, to see and triumph over death. He must die and be reborn. Imagery of Mystery religion appears here. Odysseus in his ship probably goes to the west (where the sun sets), and then makes his sacrifice to the dead, which are, at least here, pictured as flitting, bloodless ghosts. Then Odysseus meets various characters that in some sense represent his past life -- again, this process is part of his regaining of identity, for by reliving your past you establish who you are. Then he meets Tiersias, who tells him all that is to happen -- again Homer is not interested in suspense. What is interesting is what Tiersia says will happen to Odysseus later, that he will make atonement to Poseidon by going inland to a people who know nothing of the sea and make a shrine to him. This is an old motif and much repeated. It follows a paradigm of Greek religion that those who are persecuted by the Gods are in some sense also linked to them, since even disfavor is a sign of attention. This is probably also part of the 'sailor at whom the sea is mad' folktale level.

Tieresias
The extent to which Homer is seen as a prophet himself is exemplified in the renaissance conflation of Homer with Tiresias. The much reprinted title page of Chapmans Odyssey depicts the figure of Homer in the storyline of Tiersias. The author becomes his character. Lamberton further examines the antecedents for this renaissance hybrid with references ranging from Plato to Dante. What remains is an image in which Homer is surrounded by a legion of poets paying him homage, while simultaneously depicting Tiresias surrounded by the ghosts of the underworld where he remains in possession of all knowledge: past, present and future. To quote Lamberton: The head, with blind eyes turned to heaven, illustrates a tradition Homers blindness [is] a metaphor for transcendent vision. (Lamberton 1989: 8)

Tieresias in Antigone
Tiersias informs Creon that the Gods are angry with him and with all of Thebes. In spite of this, Creon announces that he will not yield his verdict, and Antigone will remain entombed. It is not until the Choragos, representing the people of Thebes, begs Creon to set Antigone free that Creon actually admits he has wronged.

Aeneas (praiseworthy)Greek & Roman

Trojan hero appearing in Virgils Aenid Son of Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite, the brother of Lyrus Born on the mountains of Ida and brought up until his 5th year by his brother-in-law Alcathous or, according to a variant myth, by the nymphs of Ida Highly esteemed for his piety, prudence, and valor Often the gods came to his assistance
Aphrodite and Apollo shielded him when his life was threatened by Diomed Poseidon snatched him out of combat with Achilles

The founder of the Roman Empire according to myth

DidoRoman mythology
Queen of Carthage Aka Elissa Belus Mistress of the Trojan hero, Aeneas Didos husband, Acherbas, Acerbas, or Sychaeus, was murdered by his brother Pygmalio Fled to North Africa and founded Carthage Killed herself when Aeneas deserted her

Henry Purcells Dido and Aeneasopera

Aeneas reaches Carthage Courts Dido but she relents He leaves to fulfill his destiny in Italy Heartbroken, Dido dies

Buddhas Fire Sermon

Translation at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nanamoli/wheel017.html#s3 Clearly lays out the case for detachment, but it also introduces the six roots, twelve fields, and eighteen elements, and the three poisons, which will appear again and again in other Buddhist teachings. Together they compromise the fundamental sources of worldly suffering in Buddhism. Looking at them from a scientific angle, we can see why the six roots and the three poisons are not conducive to happiness. The six roots are the products of biological necessity; they developed to assist survival not happiness. The three poisons are the biological imperatives which demand that we use our minds and bodies to seek food, avoid danger and ignore anything that does not pertain to survival and the perpetuation of the species. One could say that trying to find happiness or blissful repose through the six roots and the three poisons is like trying to cool off on a hot day by swimming in a bonfire. In some ways, Buddhist liberation is an attempt to free humanity from mere biological necessity.

Prajapati (lord of creatures)

Hindu creators In the beginning, there was water everywhere. There was nothing to eat and nowhere to live. Prajapati, the divine patriarch, father of the gods and demons saw the plight of his children and invoked Devi. The goddess whispered into his ear, The earth lies trapped under the water. Raise it up. Prajapati took the form of a mighty boar called Emusha, plunged into the sea and found the earth-goddess Bhoodevi on the ocean floor. Placing her on his snout, he gently raised her to the surface. Prajapati then turned into Akupara, a giant turtle and offered Bhoodevi a seat on his back.

UpanishadsHindu scripture
A collection of philosophical writings composed over a period of time, the most important being from about 500 B.C.E. Generally in prose but some in verse At least 150 of them Discuss the origin of the universe, the nature of the deity, the nature of the soul, and the relationship between mind and matter German philosopher Schopenhauer: They are the products of the highest wisdom. They are destined sooner or later to become the faith of the people.

Hieronymo from Thomas Kyd's Spanish Tragedy

Elizabethan revenge drama featuring a certain Hieronymo who, like Hamlet, feigns madness in a ruse to discover the murderer of his son. Bel-Imperia, niece of Spains king, is loved both by Horatio, a war hero, and by the captured Portuguese prince, Balthazar. Her brother Lorenzo aids Balthazar and together they murder Horatio. The murdered mans father Hieronymo seeks revenge; he must first identify the murderers, then use guile to trap them. Distracted by grief, Hieronymo pretends madness to hide his bloody intent. Finally Hieronymo arranges a play to entertain the visiting Portuguese king; it is a short tragedy in which the actors are his enemies and the murders are not pretended but are real. As their fathers watch and applaud, Lorenzo and Balthazar are killed and Bel-Imperia kills herself; Hieronymo then gloats over his revenge before biting out his tongue and stabbing himself. Kyds highly popular play established on the Elizabethan stage the revenge tragedy, a genre which included William Shakespeares HAMLET. Kyd introduced many of the stock features of the type: classical quotations and allusions, allegorical characters and ghosts, rhetorical verse style, play-within-the-play, dumb show, real and feigned madness, and a bloody ending.

Resources
An Interpretation: http://www.tqnyc.org/2004/NYC040522//Poetryi ndexbyjosefina/wastelandindex.htm Study Questions: http://www.ajdrake.com/e336_fall_03/materials/ authors/eliot_ts_sq.htm Interactive powerpoint: http://www.mdc.edu/wolfson/Academic/ArtsLett ers/art_philosophy/Humanities/PowerPoints/Th e%20Waste%20Land.ppt#276,24,The%20For m%20of%20The%20Waste%20Land

Credits
World Mythology and Legend, Second Edition by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow Homers Odyssey: http://www.chss.montclair.edu/classics/ODYNOTES9TO12.HTML Joshua Sofaer: http://www.joshuasofaer.com/texts/write_tcb.html Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_the_King University of Calgary: http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:NI0ZkpB8__AJ:gauntlet.ucal gary.ca/~gauntlet/eg/eg2/20061019/20061019.pdf+myth+Tiersias& hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us http://www.penguinclassics.co.uk/nf/shared/WebDisplay/0,,49012_ 1_10,00.html