http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/mythology Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:22:37 -0400 Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:22:37 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1949/the-past-is-female-exploring-the-socio-sexual-liberation-of-historical-women-in-carol-ann-duffys-the-worlds-wife By Nandini Sood - British Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy’s The World’s Wife presents a fresh outlook on myths and fairy tales, by retelling them through sociosexually liberated women. The poems feature many themes such as murder, sexuality and childhood that are presented in a dark light and have been individually studied by previous researchers. Other studies have also investigated the feministic political purposes of Duffy’s poetry, but have disregarded the present liberated perspective of women shown. Consequently, this research focuses on Duffy’s manipulation of well-known texts to induce... Fri, 15 Apr 2022 12:19 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1949/the-past-is-female-exploring-the-socio-sexual-liberation-of-historical-women-in-carol-ann-duffys-the-worlds-wife http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1545/a-16th-century-ovid-the-influence-of-classical-mythology-on-the-understanding-of-shakespeares-plays By Emily Gray - Commonly believed to be the single greatest writer and poet of the English language, as well as one of the most distinguished and esteemed dramatists in the entire world, William Shakespeare is credited with authoring approximately 38 works of theatre, 154 sonnets, two lengthy narrative poems, and several additional pieces of verse. While there exists some question concerning the authenticity of authorship of several of these dramatic works, scholars have determined that 32 of the 38 plays can unquestionably be attributed to Shakespeare (Root 119-132). With the majority of the writing of his known... Mon, 27 Feb 2017 05:47 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1545/a-16th-century-ovid-the-influence-of-classical-mythology-on-the-understanding-of-shakespeares-plays http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1433/comparing-godly-and-satanic-happiness-in-john-miltons-paradise-lost By Alison L. Bare - Two conflicting modes of living—happiness pursued obediently (Godly) versus happiness pursued disobediently (Satanic)—produce persistent problems with conceptions of free will in John Milton’s Paradise Lost. The Godly mode of happiness recognises that one is free to choose their path to human happiness, but only within God’s bounds; the Satanic mode of happiness recognises that one is entitled to human happiness, but not limited by God’s bounds. It is the relationship between these two modes of living that reveals a Miltonic paradox—free to choose human happiness... Sun, 21 Aug 2016 03:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1433/comparing-godly-and-satanic-happiness-in-john-miltons-paradise-lost http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1015/the-many-faces-of-odysseus-in-classical-literature By Hayley E. Tartell - Throughout classical literature, the different depictions of Odysseus range widely: he is variably portrayed as a hero in Homer’s The Odyssey, a villain in Sophocles’ Philoctetes, a self-serving opportunist in Sophocles’ Ajax, a deceitful figure in Virgil’s Aeneid, and a scoundrel in Euripedes’ Hecuba. In The Odyssey, though stubborn and boastful, Odysseus otherwise exhibits courage, cunning, sharp intellect and concern for his men -– all traits that characterize the archetypal hero. In Philoctetes, Odysseus is deceitful and conniving, as he abandons morality... Wed, 18 Mar 2015 04:11 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1015/the-many-faces-of-odysseus-in-classical-literature http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/841/mythology-and-astronomy-as-manifestations-of-ancient-greek-culture By Paul Hay - However, it is imperative to remember the human element in both of these pursuits. Stories do not exist without storytellers, and astronomy cannot be studied without astronomers to do it. No matter how much evidence exists showing that the Trojan War really happened, still it is Homer who made the myth what it is today. Similarly, even if a cluster of stars looks exactly like a horse, it takes an astronomer to give it the name Pegasus. Both mythology and astronomy are thus profoundly affected by the cultures of which the mythmakers and the astronomers were a part. The Greek hero Perseus provides... Thu, 19 Dec 2013 04:54 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/841/mythology-and-astronomy-as-manifestations-of-ancient-greek-culture http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/105/ovids-metamorphoses-and-the-plays-of-shakespeare By Katherine Blakeney - Publius Ovidius Naso (43 B.C – 17 A.D.), a Roman aristocrat and poet, wrote a collection of poems based on Greek and Roman mythology. Ovid called it “Metamorphoses” as he selected myths that dealt with the transformation of people, gods, and heroes into forces or features of nature. Metamorphoses became one of the most popular and influential literary works in the history of European civilization. Shakespeare must have read Ovid in Latin, as Metamorphoses was part of his school program. There is also a Latin copy of Metamorphoses with Shakespeare’s signature on it, but... Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:35 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/105/ovids-metamorphoses-and-the-plays-of-shakespeare http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/103/hell-hath-no-fury-the-relationship-between-greeces-medusa-and-egypts-wadjet By Elizabeth R. Casto - Two seemingly unconnected goddesses have more in common than most know. The earth is a small place and  mythologies from one country overlap and even overtake myths from another country. Serpents in myth have an amazing connection, especially between Wadjet of Egpyt and Medusa of Greece. These goddesses were fierce and not to be trifled with and they also had an uncanny ability for wisdom. They were the strength that women, as a race, needed at the time when they were being oppressed by man. No man wanted to be turned into stone by Medusa and Wadjet would not stand for anything other than... Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:43 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/103/hell-hath-no-fury-the-relationship-between-greeces-medusa-and-egypts-wadjet http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/69/examining-mythology-in-the-chronicles-of-narnia-by-cs-lewis By Alicia D. Costello - The wonder of opening a book feels very similar to the experience of opening a wardrobe door and finding oneself in another world.  Stories told to children as they prepare for bed act also as vehicles for transportation of imagination, and when the book opens, a journey begins.  When C.S. Lewis wrote his seven-part series for children, The Chronicles of Narnia, he realized that not only the children in on Earth going to read the stories, but children in future generations of Narnia will also enjoy the stories as they pass down.  Therefore, for both group’s enjoyment, Lewis... Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:37 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/69/examining-mythology-in-the-chronicles-of-narnia-by-cs-lewis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/48/child-murders-in-medea-parallel-past-and-present-use-of-child-soldiers By Lindsay D. Clark - That wars are fought by the young for the old is a universally known truth. It is an ancient argument, a tired anti-war theme. Tired not in that it is hackneyed or obsolete, but in that its hollering admonitions have for all of time fallen on ears consistently deafened by bugles. The god of war does not discriminate among whose children his brutality destroys, though we ourselves usually tend to think of a “child soldier” as a twelve-year-old African boy hopped up on meth and indoctrinated in violence, or a teenaged Muslim boy strapping on a bomb and muttering prayers. After all, we... Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:14 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/48/child-murders-in-medea-parallel-past-and-present-use-of-child-soldiers