Determinism In Oedipus - 1163 Words

Destiny has made her appearances in countless stories throughout the years. Stories that follow the â€Å"chosen one† who must overcome certain challenges to accept their fate of defeating the evil villain, or following prophecies to become the king they were destined to be. We seem to love these stories and if you’re like me, hope that we are that â€Å"chosen one† in our own story. One popular story about fatalism in the philosophical world is that of Oedipus who was prophesied to kill his father and marry his mother. Upon hearing this prophecy, Oedipus’s father, Theban King Laius stabs a spike through Oedipus’s ankles and leaves his son in the woods in die. Well, Oedipus was found and adopted by King Polybus and his wife, and later in his life,†¦show more content†¦One of the ways determinism threatens free will is taking away our responsibility. A classic lesson from our father’s talks is to be responsible for our choices and act ions. With hard determinist’s view on predeterminism, there is no way for us to be responsible for our actions since we never freely made the choice to commit the action. For an example, let’s go back to the story of Oedipus. From a deterministic view, Oedipus killed his father and married his mother based on a prophecy that predetermined his actions. Therefore, his actions were not his choice and the consequence should be lifted from him and placed on the maker of the prophecy. Even his choice to run away wasn’t his choice at all, but a predetermined choice to fulfill the prophecy. The world needs personal responsibility or it will diminish into chaos, unless, that’s already predetermined. The second way determinism threatens free will is by taking away the personal agency that makes us free. Although the argument that we are free because we feel that we need to be free is unsubstantial, there is some truth to it. Our actions come from our ideas, and our ideas are random and sometimes completely out of the ordinary. It’s what makes us human. Different thoughts allow us to have different personalities that make us who we are. Determinism destroys this humanShow MoreRelatedFree will and Determinism in Oedipus the King by Sophocles Essay924 Words   |  4 PagesDeterminism is based off this notion that all events are pre-determined, without influence by human actions. If this is true, we can imply that people do not have free will and thus are not responsible for their actions. In Oedipus the King we see that the dichotomy of fate and free will is hazed by the hyperbole of events, which can make it difficult, but possible, to determine if humans even have free wil l. Through Oedipus’s flaws and decisions and Sophocles use of the imagery of a crossroad itRead MoreA Comparative Tragedy Study of Fatalism and Determinism: Oedipus Rex and Thunderstorm2489 Words   |  10 Pagesï » ¿A Comparative Tragedy Study of Fatalism and Determinism: Oedipus Rex and The Thunderstorm 1. INTRODUTION The Thunderstorm and Oedipus Rex, the representatives of Chinese and Greek play, both tell tragic stories about incest and unexpected destiny. The two masterpieces reveal much about the literature patterns and philosophical implications of the different cultures. The exploration of the two plays could help further understand the oneness of world literature and the tragedy of unlike cultureRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King1387 Words   |  6 Pagesstated in a previous essay, Oedipus The King is a play by Sophocles which belongs to the genre of tragedy and focuses on a man named Oedipus, king of a place called Thebes, and his efforts to put an end to a plague that has devastated the city. He believes that in order to put an end to the plague, he must find the man that murdered the previous king of Thebes; a man by the name of Laius (Sophocles pg.8-10). Prophecy plays an important role in this play and as Oedipus’ investigation progresses, heRead MoreAnalysis Of Freewill In O edipus The King933 Words   |  4 PagesFreewill in Oedipus the King   Ã‚  Ã‚   Determinists believe that every event of our life is strictly determined by a preceding event. This order follows until the sequence of events dates back before our birth, thus, beyond the notion of oneself as an individual. From this theory, one could argue that there could never be an attribution of responsibility to individuals since they cannot be held responsible for events dating before their birth. At the end of Oedipus the King written by Sophocles, Oedipus attributesRead MoreA POSITION PAPER ON SOPHOCLES’ OEDIPUS REX2713 Words   |  11 PagesTHE KING WEARS A SHADES AS THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT WHICH MAKES HIS DAYS DARKER AND DARKER EVERY SINGLE DAY (with some relations to the Philippine Government and setting as a whole) A POSITION PAPER ON SOPHOCLES’ OEDIPUS REX REGULANO, Jean Paula Bermudez 2011-05787 HUM 1 X Oedipus Rex’ knowledge, which served as his gut against the others to be the King of Thebes, is only limited to the information on his people and his environment, excluding the information about himself due to his blindness andRead MoreI Shall Use Blackburn s `` Think ``1578 Words   |  7 Pagesquestion and initial answer. In Think, Blackburn has a chapter dedicated to discussing the presence of free will and both arguments for and against its presence. Objection 1: In the beginning of chapter 4 of Think, Blackburn brings up the idea of determinism, or the idea that â€Å"every event is the upshot of previous antecedent causes.† His argument goes â€Å"The past controls the present and the future. You can’t control the past. Also, you can’t control the way that the past controls the future. So, youRead MoreOedipus The King By Sophocles950 Words   |  4 PagesThe people throughout Oedipus’ life trues very hard to allow him to escape his fate of killing his father and then marrying his mother. In the epic poem Oedipus the King, Sophocles tells the story of the tragic downfall of Oedipus. Although many people see the role of free will that brought upon Oedipus’ doom, no matter what choices were made throughout his life, his ultimate fate would always return. The choices made at the beginning of Oedipus’ life set him up to fulfill his prophecy. His parentsRead More A Rebuttal to E. R. Dodds On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex2978 Words   |  12 PagesA Rebuttal to E. R. Dodds On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex In On Misunderstanding the Oedipus Rex, E. R. Dodds takes issue with three different opinions on Oedipus Rex. I consider the first two opinions, which Dodds gleaned from student papers, to be defensible from a close reading of the text. The first of these opinions is that Oedipus was a bad man, and was therefore punished by the gods; Dodds counters that Sophocles intended for us to regard him as good, noble, and selfless. ButRead MoreDeterminism And The Part It Plays With Free Will1312 Words   |  6 PagesDeterminism is an idea that states that everything can be explained because it has an adequate reason for being the way it is rather than a different way, meaning that the world has natural laws and everything happens for a reason. This is important as many philosophers have argued between the extent of determinism and the part it plays with free will, taking the claim that if our behavior is governed by natural causes, we are not morally free. Everything will happen due to reason s that have builtRead MoreQuestions On The Guilt Of Oedipus 1574 Words   |  7 Pagesbelieve that Oedipus’s fall is due to his Free will and the decisions he makes. Those who hold this belief hold that Oedipus made his own decisions, which is what led to his fall and that he was not compelled by some external source. P. H. Vellacott is a strong supporter of this theory. As such, in his famous essay, â€Å"The Guilt of Oedipus,† Vellacott argues that, factually speaking, Oedipus must have at one point thought to himself, â€Å"If the man I killed was my father, and if I overcome the Sphinx and marry

Compare and contrast how three poets (in four poems)...

Compare and contrast how three poets (in four poems) explore love and its consequences. In this essay, I will be looking at the poems First Love (John Clare), My Last Duchess (Robert Browning), Porphyrias Lover (Robert Browning) and To His Coy Mistress (Andrew Marvell). I will refer to these poems as FL, MLD, PL, and HCM respectively. I will first be looking at what love can do to ones emotions, and then at what people can be capable of doing. Clare has managed to convey what love can do if it is not recognised in his poem, FL. In the last stanza of this poem, he asks the rhetorical questions of whether loves bed is always snow and if flowers are winters choice. By this I think he is questioning the reader if that†¦show more content†¦In MLD, for instance, the duke had his last duchess killed, because he believes she is, to put it in modern day terms, a flirt. We can see that he believes this is the case and that it is otherwise when the duke states that it was not only him that brought a spot of joy to her cheek. He believed this was because she was being, excited, by another man, but he misinterpreted this totally in that, in fact, she was only blushing, perhaps of slight embarrassment or out of shyness. Because of what he believes, he makes sure that all smiles stopped together, indicating that he had her killed or there is the slight possibility that she just died, although this is unlikely, judging by the ton e of the poem. Confirming my theory of her being murdered, he begins the poem by telling the audience that she is painted on the wall, and that she is only looking as if she were alive. Again, toward the end of the poem, she stands only as if alive. In his other poem, PL, he shows how the lover killed Porphyria, and also hints at why. I think he killed her because he didnt want her to change. We get an idea of why he didnt want her to change from the text. For example, Porphyria glides in, which seems to be a sexual term in this sense, indicating that she is seductive. It is shortly after this part in the text that we find out that the lover could be a psychopath. I notice this when Porphyria had toShow MoreRelated Attitude Towards Love in Valentine and The Flea Essay1660 Words   |  7 Pagesand Theme, Compare and Contrast the Poets Attitude Towards Love in Valentine and The Flea. The two poems Valentine and The Flea are about the two different ways in which the poets portray their views about love, however the poems are still linked in a few ways. The Flea was published in the seventeenth century and was written by John Donne. Valentine was published in 1983 and was written by Carol Ann Duffy. Both poems are addressed to an unknown lover. The poem ValentineRead MoreELLA 4 ... A LEVEL ENGLISH LANG AND LIT2674 Words   |  11 Pagesï » ¿Compare and Contrast the ways in which Heaney and Blake write about innocence and experience in their poetry Both Seamus Heaney and William Blake explore the themes of innocence and experience in their poems. Heaney’s poetry develops powerful ideas of sacrifice in which childhood’s innocence is surrendered to a more experienced and developed life. Similarly, Blake explores innocence and experience through his religious awareness of sacrifice where innocence is repeatedly presented through childhood’sRead MoreTwentieth Century Aesop’s Fables: How Ted Hughes Presents Modern Man through the Non-Human.1400 Words   |  6 PagesTwentieth Century Aesop’s Fables: How Ted Hughes Presents Modern Man through the Non-Human. Ted Hughes’ poems mostly explore the world of nature. He uses ordinary animals like crow, pike, and skylark, but adding mythical quality to them. Animals in his world are superior to human and he seems to adore their brutality and instinct. He does not rationalize animal, which is unlike D.H Lawrence. Some criticize him for praising animals’ brutality and putting them on a pedestal, saying that animals areRead MoreMidsummer Night’s Dream: The Power of Love1260 Words   |  6 Pages Love is a powerful emotion, capable of turning reasonable people into fools. Out of love, ridiculous emotions arise, like jealousy and desperation. Love can shield us from the truth, narrowing a perspective to solely what the lover wants to see. Though beautiful and inspiring when requited, a love unreturned can be devastating and maddening. In his play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare comically explores the flaws and suffering of lovers. Four yo ung Athenians: DemetriusRead MoreShakespeare s Sonnet 116, La Belle Dame Sans Merci, My Last Duchess And Three Others?2245 Words   |  9 PagesHow is love presented/explored in the poems Sonnet 116, La Belle Dame Sans Merci, My Last Duchess and three others? (Intro) Love is a constant theme explored in English Literature and can be presented through a variety of connotations, such as romantic, sexual and possessive. The poems Sonnet 116, La Belle Dame Sans Merci and My Last Duchess all portray these notions. Sonnet 116 presents a real, romantic and everlasting love, as the poem explores the meaning of love in its most ideal form. This isRead More An Analysis Of The Indomitable Spirit Of Man In Henry Wadsworth Longfellow1686 Words   |  7 Pagesto overcome these seemingly indomitable obstacles has earned recognition from numerous classical writers and poets, including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. â€Å"One of the real American Poets of yesterday† (Montiero, Preface), Longfellow elaborates on man’s perpetual struggle with life and nature in his poetry. In â€Å"A Psalm of Life,† â€Å"The Village Blacksmith,† and â€Å"The Rainy Day,† Longfellow explores many facets of man’s unyielding will. Born into a prominent family on February 27, 1807, Henry Wadsworth LongfellowRead More Aspects of a Sonnet Essay2511 Words   |  11 PagesAspects of a Sonnet Explore aspects of the sonnet tradition through reference to a range of material you have studied? A sonnet is a 14-line poem with each line having 10 syllables. It originated in the 13th century and was introduced into England in the 16th century by Sir Thomas Wyatt. The Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet characteristically consists of an eight-line octave, rhyming abbaabba, that states a problem, asks a question, or expresses an emotional tension, followed by a six-line Read MoreMid-Term Break Analysis5263 Words   |  22 Pageshttp://writinghood.com/online-writing/analysis-of-mid-term-break-poem-by-seamus-heaney/ Analysis of Mid-Term Break Poem by Seamus Heaney. There are stories in the poem and story in the poem â€Å"Mid- Term Break† by Seamus Heaney is about a young boy who just come back from boarding school had loss his brother in an accident. The death of the brother had give difference emotional respond by the family member about the death . Literary device make poem better and make it interesting to read .Furthermore, thereRead MoreSummary Of Why Literature By Ruben Dario s A Roosevelt Essay2024 Words   |  9 Pagesleaders define and proclaim. As such, Rubà ©n Darà ­o’s A Roosevelt is a poem worth studying, as with its multiple historical reference and its direct attack against the former president and the United States of America, one would truly be hard pressed to find a better example of Llosa’s exclamations and the subversive nature of literature. To understand literature, one must first understand the form. Darà ­o’s A Roosevelt is a poem that is composed of fifty-one line arranged in five irregular stanzasRead MoreSummary of She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways11655 Words   |  47 PagesThe Lucy poems William Shuter, Portrait of William Wordsworth, 1798. Earliest known portrait of Wordsworth, painted in the year he wrote the first drafts of The Lucy poems[1] The Lucy poems are a series of five poems composed by the English Romantic poet William Wordsworth (1770–1850) between 1798 and 1801. All but one were first published during 1800 in the second edition of Lyrical Ballads, a collaboration between Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge that was both Wordsworths first major

Lendy Alderson Essay Example For Students

Lendy Alderson Essay Business 250-final paperDecember 13, 1998BankruptcyBankruptcy law provides for the development of a plan that allows a debtor, who is unable to pay his creditors, to resolve his debts through the division of his assets among his creditors. Certain bankruptcy proceedings allow a debtor to stay in business using revenue that continues to be generated to solve his debts. The bankruptcy law also allows debtors to free themselves of the financial obligations they have accumulated, after their assets have been distributed, even if they have not been paid in full. The bankruptcy code that became effective on October 1, 1979 consists of eight odd-numbered chapters and one even chapter. In the following paragraphs, I am going to describe in detail some of the different chapters of the bankruptcy code. Chapter One of the codes is titled General Provisions.This chapter covers the basic rules and definitions of bankruptcy.It states that a claim against a debtor is a claim against the property of the debtor. Only a person that resides in the United States has a place of business or property in the United States, or a municipality may be a debtor under this provision. This chapter also states that you can only file bankruptcy once every six years. Chapter Three deals with Case Administration. It describes the commencement of a case in bankruptcy, the meetings of the creditors, the officers who administer the case, and the administrative powers of those officers. The jurisdiction of the bankruptcy court and the operation of the bankruptcy laws determine whether the filings will either be voluntary or involuntary. A voluntary case under a chapter of this title is begun with the filing in the bankruptcy court with a petition under such chapter by an entity that may Be a debtor. The commencement of a voluntary case constitutes an order of relief. An order of relief must include all of the property owned by the debtor, a list of all the creditors, a list of the property claimed to be exempt, and a statement of the debtors affairs. Once a bankruptcy proceeding has been filed, creditors may not seek to collect debts outside of the proceeding. More than ninety-nine percent of all bankruptcy petitions are voluntary.Involuntary cases ma y be filed only under Chapter Seven or Chapter Eleven of this title, and only against a person (except a farmer, family farmer, or a corporation that is moneyed, business, or commercial corporation) that may be a debtor under this chapter. Petitions may be filed when three or more entities have claims of unsecured debts of at least ten thousand dollars or more. If there are fewer than twelve creditors, one or more of the holders must have at least ten thousand dollars or more. After filing a petition under this section but before the case is dismissed, a creditor holding an unsecured claim that is not contingent may join in the petition as if the creditor were a petitioning creditor under this subsection. If the debtor refuses the involuntary petition, then the court may enter an order of relief only if the debtor is not paying his bills or within one hundred and twenty days a receiver took the debtors possessions to enforce a lien against that property. When you file a petition it acts as an automatic stay. This restrains all of the creditors beginning or continuing to recover claims or establishing a lien with the debtor. An automatic stay ends when the case is closed or when the debtor is discharged of all his debts. Chapter Five of the bankruptcy code deals with the creditors the debtors and the estate. A creditor who wishes to participate in the distribution of the debtors property may file a proof of claim against the debtor. The priority of the claims comes with the distributing of assets first to the secured debtors and then to the unsecured debtors. Even in the unsecured claims bracket there is a rank of priority. Those who hold the higher rank are paid in full before the lesser rank is paid. The debtor is allowed a few exemptions. They are allowed fifteen thousand in equity in property used as a burial plot or residence. They are allowed two thousand four hundred in equity of one motor vehicle. Up to one thousand dollars in jewelry is allowed for the debtor. They are given up to eight hundred dollars in property plus seventy five hundred of any unused amount in the first exemption. Professional books, tools and implements are given an allowance of up to fifteen hundred dollars.Any unmatured life insurance or professionally prescribed health-aids are exempt from the bankruptcy proceedings. Chapter Seven of the bankruptcy code deals with liquidation. After the order of relief the United States Trustee shall appoint one disinterested person that is a member of the panel of private trustees to serve as an interim trustee in the case. If none of the members are willing to serve as the interim trustee then the United States Trustee may serve as the interim trustee.The trustee shall collect and reduce the money to the estate for which the trustee serves, be accountable for all property received, ensure the debtor shall perform his intentions, investigate the financial affairs of the debtor, examine proofs of claims, oppose the dischar ge of the debtor, furnish information about the debtor to a party of such interest, make a final report and file an account of the administration of the estate with the court and with the United States Trustee. This chapter of bankruptcy applies to all debtors except railroads, insurance companies, banks, savings and loan associations, homestead associations, and credit unions. It may also be either voluntary or involuntary. The dismissal of Chapter Seven can only come after the a notice and hearing and only for a cause including the following: an unreasonable delay by the debtor that is prejudicial to creditors, nonpayment of any fees or charges required, and failure of the debtor in a voluntary case to file the information required.Chapter Seven is the most common chapter ofbankruptcy. In a recent survey by the American Bankruptcy Institute ninety-seven percent of debtors filing Chapter Seven bankruptcy cannot afford to pay their debts. Many studies have shown that some debtors wh o were able to pay even some of their debts filed bankruptcy under Chapter Seven instead of Chapter Thirteen to avoid losing their future income. Chapter Eleven covers reorganization. It can be either voluntary or involuntary. The main objective for Chapter Eleven is to develop and carry out a reasonable plan of reorganization. This is made available to anyone who may be a debtor under Chapter Seven (except stockbrokers and commodity brokers). The court will order an appointment of a trustee only for instances such as fraud, incompetence, etc. The duties of a trustee will be the following: to be accountable for all property, to examine proof of goods, to furnish information of interest to all parties, to make a final report and account of the administration of the estate, to investigate the financial condition of the debtor, and to file a plan or to not file a plan and report the case to Chapter Seven.Chapter Twelve was added in nineteen eighty-six and it provides for the adjustment s of debts for family farmers with regular annual income. Their debts must not exceed one point five million and fifty percent of their debts must arise from farming.Chapter Twelve is a special chapter in the fact that it is a sunset account. This means that unless congress reenacts it in nineteen ninety-eight, then it will expire. It is a voluntary type of petition and the trustee is appointed. .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 , .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 .postImageUrl , .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 , .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097:hover , .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097:visited , .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097:active { border:0!important; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097:active , .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097 .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7c651e09fe680350af1119cabd0b4097:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A Lesson Before Dying EssayChapter Thirteen also deals with an adjustment. It is used for individuals with a regular income. The trustee is appointed and a voluntary petition is required.The debtor must have secured debts of less than seven hundred and fifty thousand and unsecured debts of less than two hundred and fifty thousand.When the debtor files for his plan it must meet the following requirements: the debtor must submit all or some of her future earnings to the supervision of their trustee, full payment on a deferred basis of all claims entitled to a priority, and if the plan classifies claims, it must provide the same treatment for each claim. In summary there are basically two types of bankruptcy proceedings. A filing under Chapter Seven is called liquidation. This is where a trustee sells the debtors property and pays off the creditors. Under Chapter Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen, it allows the debtor to use his future earnings to pay off his creditors. Chapter Seven is the most commonly used and only three- percent of the debtors can actually afford to pay off their debts.

War And Peace Essays (490 words) - Literature, War And Peace

War and Peace The book ?War and Peace? by Leo Tolstoy is a story about the lives of the Russian royal family from 1805 to 1815. This book describes things and events that happened during the war. The story begins at a cocktail party being held at the home of Anna Pavolvna in St. Petersburg. Most of the action, however takes place in Moscow, at the home of the Rostov family, and the battle front in the war with Napoleon. Their are the good people and the bad people. The good people being Natasha Rostov, a teenage girl who grows and matures throughout the book and Pierre Bezuhov, the son of Kirill Vladmirovitch Bezuhov, who speaks much of the novel expressing his purpose on earth. Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, the leader of the Bolkonsky family and a great war hero. The ?bad? people are: the protagonists themselves, as they torment themselves and Napoleon Bonaparte, (who, by some, is believed to be an impostor) the emperor and military leader of France. Bent on world domination. Secondary characters are the families of Bolkonsky and Kuragin, Anna Pavolvna, a famous St. Petersburg socialite and Kutuzof, the military leader of the Russian forces. The basic conflict is the effects of t he changes to the protagonists through the Napoleonic wars. One important event occurs when Prince Andrei is wounded during the battle of Austerlitz, and he is given a chance to recollect on his wartime experiences. Another important event occurs when Pierre is take prisoner by the French, (this is where he has the chance to look into his feelings and come to a peace with himself.) The climax of Pierre's story occurs when he is held before a firing squad by the French. This is his climax because he is convinced that he is going to die, and after he is spared he becomes more caring and it is obvious that he will continue on this course until the end. The climax of Natasha's life occurs when Andrei dies. It makes her reconsider the way she has lived her life, maturing her further from her state of mind as a seventeen year-old. The climax for Andrei occurs when he is mortally wounded while attempting to protect Moscow from Napoleon's forces. This is his climax because his outlook on li fe becomes so negative and morbid that he can only wait to die. It is obvious that he won't have it any other way. The story ends with the defeat and exile of Napoleon and the emergence of Russia as a world power, and the meeting of Natasha and Pierre after several years of absence. ?War and peace ? is the best known of Leo Tolstoy's books. The characters are very realistic and he can change from one topic to the next without changing anything. Most of all he can write to keep your attention (unlike I found with some other books *cough*Old Man and the Sea*cough*).