Relationship Between Anna And The King example essay topic

What compels people to love? Given all the time and effort devoted to the subject, it would seem that the whole world is obsessed with it. Yet, love causes so much pain. Some of the oldest legends, literary masterpieces, and greatest motion pictures of all time have proven that love does not always bring happiness to those who choose to embrace it. James Baldwin described it best when he said, "Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does".

There are many reasons why people who are meant to be together do not always end up together, such as the influence of their parents, their different social or cultural backgrounds, or even the tragedy of death. A major problem that can put a strain on a couple's relationship are parents who do not approve of their feelings for each other. Such is the case in Shakespeare's most tragic lost story, Romeo and Juliet. This theatrical performance takes place in the fair city of Verona, Italy, which is home to two feuding families: the Montagues and the Capulets. On the night of the Capulet's grand banquet, Romeo sees Juliet for the first time. When their eyes meet, the two immediately fall in love.

But Romeo is a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet. They knew that their parents would never allow them to be together. So, with the help of Friar Lawrence, Romeo and Juliet secretly get married. Soon after the wedding, a brawl erupts on the streets, which results in the death of Romeo's friend, Mercurio, who is slain by Tybalt, Juliet's cousin.

Out of rage, Romeo kills Tybalt and is exiled to Mantua for his crime. Meanwhile, Juliet's parents arrange her marriage to Lord Paris. In order to avoid this, Juliet drinks a potion that would make it seem as if she is dead. Romeo, who is in Mantua at this time, receives news of Juliet's so-called death. He rushes back to Verona and finds her inside the Capulet's tomb. Out of grief, Romeo kills himself.

Juliet awakes a moment after. When she sees Romeo dead beside her, she takes his knife and stabs herself in the chest. The fact is, if the Montagues and the Capulets learned to put their differences aside for the sake of their children, Romeo and Juliet would not have had to go through such great lengths to be together. Different social or cultural backgrounds can present a challenge because the couple would have to adjust to each other's customs and traditions, which can prove to be difficult. A good example is the 1999 version of the classic tale, Anna and the King, staring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun Fat. The movie was set back in the colonial days of the British Empire, when other cultures were considered barbarians and savages.

Foster plays Anna Leon owens, a British schoolteacher who moves to Siam with her young son in order to teach the King's (Chow Yun Fat) fifty-eight children. Anna soon learns that bring a woman, much less, a British woman, holds little of no value in the king's male dominated world. A clash of cultures ensues, but that is not the King's only worry. The country itself is in the brink of war. The relationship between Anna and the King truly begins to develop as the King comes to understand and respect Anna. He becomes less unyielding and accepts, to some extent, her ways of doing things.

Their bond grows closer with each passing day, as Anna starts to see the King for what he really is: a kind and noble man who shoulders an enormous amount of responsibility for his people. Their love for one another is finally realized in a dramatic scene when Anna chose to stay in Siam, despite the oncoming invasion of the Burmese. She defiantly protested, "I lost one man to a war (her husband), I am not about to lose another!" Alas, even after the battle, Anna and the King could not be together, for Anna was just a British schoolteacher, and the King, ruler of all Siam. The movie ends as the two dance in the moonlight for one last time, while the voice of Prince Chulalongkorn, the king's eldest son, recalls how it was then that he realized it was possible to love only one woman. If the circumstances were different, Anna and her beloved King could have spent the rest of their lives together, but instead, the conflict between their two cultures, and the King's responsibility to his people, kept them apart. Death could be considered as the "great divide" because no matter how much people long to hold their loved ones again, there is no way to bring them back to life.

This is demonstrated through the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, which originated from Greece. Orpheus was a great musician who fell in love with a beautiful woman named Eurydice. But unfortunately for him, Eurydice became ill and died. Orpheus, who was determined to get her back, journeyed down to the Underworld.

On his way, he met up with Charon, who refused to let him pass because he was of the living. But Orpheus's ong so touched the ferryman of the dead that he finally relented. Then, Orpheus came upon Cerberus, a three-headed dog that stood guard of the gates to Hades' palace, where the Lord of the Underworld sat upon his throne to judge the souls of the dead. Once more, Orpheus's ong came to his aid by lulling the fearsome beast to sleep.

At last, Orpheus was granted an audience with Hades. He pleaded with him to let Eurydice go. Hades, who was impressed by all his efforts, agreed on one condition: Orpheus was not allowed to look back on their way out. But of course, Orpheus was worried that Eurydice was not behind him, and he glanced back to see if she was following. As soon as he tuned his head, Eurydice disappeared back into the Underworld.

Unable to live without her, Orpheus spent the rest of his days wandering in aimless sorrow. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice proves that the only way to deal with the death of a loved one is to let go because despite all his efforts to get her back, Orpheus still lost Eurydice in the end. Love is perhaps the greatest source of meaning in human existence, yet most of mankind's great love stories are tragedies. These tales have been told and retold many times over to remind us that sometimes, love is not enough to keep a relationship going.

There are many circumstances that can keep two people from being together. For example, the hatred between Romeo's parents and Juliet's parents forces them to keep their love a secret. In the movie, Anna and the King, the growing bond between a British schoolteacher and the King of Siam is afflicted by the conflict between their two cultures. The legend of Orpheus and Eurydice also introduced a man who overcame all odds to bring the woman he loved back from the dead, only to lose her again with a simple glance behind. Although it may seem heartbreaking to be alone when one knows things could be different, the truth is, a person does not die from a broken heart, but merely wished it were so. "Romeo and Juliet: Plot Overview" web Athena, A ilia.

"Orpheus and Eurydice" web "Anna and the King: (1999) (Jodie Foster, Chow Yun Fat) (PG-13) " December 2, 1999. web.