The Epic of Sundiata Essays - 619 Words

The epic of Sundiata pertains to the ancient kingdom of Mali in Africa. The king there has two sons and multiple wives. Sundiata was set to have taken the throne being the first born son but suffered from an severely impairing illness that would prevent him to walk yet rule a kingdom. When their father, the king, died his second son took over the kingdom as king. He turned out to be an awful leader and treated his people and Sundiata terribly. Sundiata struggled immensely but was able to eventually beat his illness which was preventing him to walk. When the current king observed this, he felt very threatened and in retaliation stated that Sundiata and his mother were to be banished from the kingdom. Shortly after leaving they were accepted†¦show more content†¦As stated by the griot, Everywhere I was able to see and understand what my masters were teaching me, but between their hands I took an oath to teach only what is to be taught and to conceal what is to be kept conceale d†. The Prince is essentially a guide book on how to acquire and maintain political power. We can think of it as a collection of rules and methods to achieve a level of superior authority. Its main focus is that the ends—no matter how immoral—justify the means for preserving political authority. While some may agree with this mindset of thinking many today dismiss Machiavelli as a cynic. The book shows rulers how it is that they should act to survive in the real world to maintain authority. While Niccolo Machiavelli’s ideas can be radical, they helped to spark a revolution in political philosophy. Although his ideas might have not been completely original, they were very different and unheard of at the time, The Prince, was published. Machiavelli uses many methods to convey his messages including biblical comparisons and of course metaphors. This character can be viewed in several manners. He is almighty and powerful, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals or have his ways. While this quality does qualify him to be a might leader it also raises the question of immorality. How far will one go to maintain order? Would you stop at nothing to achieve this task? Machiavelli shows this by saying, â€Å"it isShow MoreRelatedsundiata an epic of old mali816 Words   |  4 Pagesmany other things, the epic is implicitly an exploration of what qualities define Sundiata as a hero, and by extension, what virtues are heroic. The most glaring is his strength. Even when he is crippled as a child and cannot walk, the boy has strong arms. But when he finally stands, he surprises everyone, bending an enormous rod to a bow and pulling a tree up by its roots. Another quality is his bravery, most clearly illuminated by his skill and grit in battle. But Sundiata has more than animal strengthRead MoreAnalysis and Commentary on The Epic of Sundiata685 Words   |  3 Pages The Epic of Sundiata The Epic of Sundiata is a tale about the ancient kingdom of Mali in Africa and the legendary king and founder of the Mali Empire told by Djeli Mamadou Kouyate a griot, which is equivalent to storyteller. Before the griot begins the story he introduces himself as a â€Å"master in the art of eloquence.† He explains how his family had played an important role in preserving the history of the Mali Empire. By serving the princes of the Mali Empire. He says a griots job is to protectRead More Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali Essay1013 Words   |  5 PagesAfrican history, Sundiata, in D.T. Nianes book Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali. This book has become an entertaining, yet scrutinized, source about the history of Mali and its surrounding areas. Much scrutiny of this tale comes from those who question the validity of the griots, though Mamadou Kouyate is quick to point out that [His] word is pure and free of all untruth; it is the word of [his] father...griots do not know what lyi ng is (Niane 1). If the context of the epic is true, then thereRead MoreSundiata: an Epic of Old Mali Essay858 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali†: A Character Analysis of Sundiata. Sundiata is an oral epic passed from griot to griot. D.T. Niane’s Sundiata contains many powerful characters. Throughout the story Niane uses the strength and weaknesses of his characters to show the importance of destiny and fate. The character that holds his name to the story, Sundiata, is the son of King Maghan Kon Katta and the â€Å"buffalo† woman. Sundiata was prophesized to be a great leader and to save the people of Mali. SundiataRead MoreSundiata: An Epic of Old Mali Vs. The Odyssey971 Words   |  4 PagesSundiata: An Epic of Old Mali Vs. The Odyssey The definition of an epic hero can be defined as one who is triumphant in some manner that reflects the idea of his/her culture. â€Å"Heroes have always dominated mythology, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, history, and literature. No culture seems to lack tales of human, superhuman, or god-like heroes who save the innocent from the wicked, conquer evil, and deliver the threatened and oppressed† (Shunnaq). Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali and The Odyssey can beRead More Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali by Mamadou Kouyatà © 1068 Words   |  4 PagesSo in this book we are presented with an epic about a great King named Sundiata. We see that in those times griots were for the kings and for them to now were their ancestors came form so they know what it means to continue being a king. This book was brought from the words of a griot, so even in today’s society in Africa there are still griots around telling us stories and the epic such as the one we read in class this past week. Almost right into the book we see that a griot helps a king make discussionsRead MoreEssay about Sassouma Berete and Sogolon Kedjou in The Epic of Sundiata835 Words   |  4 PagesKedjou and Sassouma Bà ©rà ©tà © both had an impact on there sons life, their character traits were at different ends of the maternal spectrum. Despite minuscule similarities Sogolon Kedjou and Sassouma Bà ©rà ©tà © were depicted in direct contrast in the epic Sundiata. When comparing the two Sogolon Kedjou and Sassouma Berete both did what they thought would help to get their sons to become king. Sogolon knew everything that Sassouma was capable of doing to hurt her family, so she came up with the ideaRead MoreAnalysis Of The Epic Of Old Mali972 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis An Epic of Old Mali Sundiata: an Epic of Old Mali was written by D.T. Niane and translated by G.C. Pickett. D.T. Niane was a historian who received this version of Sundiata’s epic from Djeli Mamoudou Kouyatà ©, a griot. In fact, there is not a true author for this epic due to the fact that it has been transmitted orally for many years. This epic justly showed the type of culture Africa had at the time taken place and has defined the type of people who use to reside there. Sundiata: an Epic of OldRead MoreSundiata Essay971 Words   |  4 Pages Epics Sundiata was written in Africa. Gilgamesh was the oldest one written. Other works include the Iliad and the Odyssey, which were written by the blind prophet Homer. What do all these works of literature have in common with each other? The similarity that all these works of literature have is that they are all epics. What does this mean? What is an epic? The definition of an epic is that an epic is a long, narrative poem with a hero that goes on a quest. What is the hero? Well, the characteristicsRead MoreThe Odyssey And Sundiat An Epic Of Old Mali1328 Words   |  6 Pagesinevitable or irresistible, course of events. (Google). Finally A journey is defined as an act of traveling from one place to another. (Google). While analyzing these two great epics I came across many similarities between the two main characters. In both epics The Odyssey and Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali Odysseus and Sundiata embark on destined heroic conquest to fulfill their destiny. All throughout the two main characters quest, they encounter obstacles, and foes they must overcome in order to