Part 2- Biblical Allusions: Exodus 1-4, 20

Exodus 1-4, 20  Biblical Allusion  Source: Exodus

• Pharaoh's daughter raises an abandoned child named Moses
• Moses knows that he is Hebrew and ends up killing an Egyptian who beats up an Israelite
• Begins a new life as a shephard
• God is concerned with the suffering of the Israelites and speaks to Moses
• Moses goes back to help the Israelites and goes to the Pharaoh and turns his staff into a snake
• God responds by inflicting ten plagues on Egypt
• God creates the ten commandments and Israelites renew commitment to God

Commentary: This allusion has to deal with trust and hope. Moses never gives up hope on God, and each task that God throws at him he comes back stronger. An example of this has to deal with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Katniss deals with every challenge that is thrown at her and she comes out stronger because her nation trusts her.

Part 2- Biblical Allusion: Abraham and Isaac

Abraham and Isaac   Biblical Allusion   Source: Genesis 22

• Abraham feared God and obeyed his commandments
• God told Abraham to take his son Isaac, and to journey to Mount Moriah
• There he built an altar and offer Isaac as the sacrifice
• A story of sacrifice and love

Commentary: This Allusion shares the same parallels as God himself. God himself sacrifices his own son, Jesus. Jesus dies and pays for the sins and his sins are washed away upon his death, this is similar to Abraham and Isaac.

Part 2- Biblical Allusions: Cain and Abel

Cain and Abel   Biblical Allusion   Source: Genesis 4-6

• Adam and Ever had two children; Cain and Abel
• Cain was a farmer
• Abel was a shephard
• Cain brought fruit from the ground as a sacrifice to God
• Abel brought the fat portions from some of their meat
• God favored Abel
• Cain got angry because God favored Abel more than him
• Cain ends up killing Abel

Commentary: This story has to deal with jealousy and the power jealousy has in consuming people. An example of this would have to be Macbeth. Macbeth becomes extremely jealous and lustful for power throughout the whole play when he realizes he could be a very powerful man.

Part 2- Biblical Allusions: "The Flood"

"The Flood"  Biblical Allusion  Source: The Old Testament- Genesis 6

• God declares 120 years for mans life span
• God saw wickedness in man's heart and reevaluated making man
• He decides to wipe everything from the earth, except for Noah
• Noah, a righteous man, had three sons; Shem, Ham, and Japeth
• God tells Noah that He is destroying everything that exists on earth at this point
• God tells Noah to build an ark
• God floods the earth and everything inside the ark survives

Commentary: The main concept of this allusion is rebirth. God is trying to create and recreate the earth after what all has happened. It is only coincidentally that the rebirth also has to do with water and flooding. This example can be found in the book The Shawshank Redemption. Andy Dufrane is welcomed by a rainstorm that cleanses him of all of his past sins in Shawshank prison.

Part 2- Biblical Allusions: "The Fall"

"The Fall"   Biblical Allusion   Source: The Old Testament- Genesis 3

• Known as the fall of man
• The serpent comes to Eve and tempts her to eat the forbidden fruit
• Eve eats it and gives some to Adam
• Adam and Eve, knowing they've sinned, hide in the Garden until God arrives
• God curses the serpent and promises a savior to crush the head of it
• Woman must now go through childbirth
• Man has to work to produce
• All people have to die
• God forces them out of the garden and clothes them

Commentary: The main concept of this is the loss of one's child like qualities and learning to grow up into a more mature adult. This example can be found in Romeo and Juliet. When Juliet chooses to make the move of marrying Romeo in defiance of her parents, this is a loss of innocence. She leaves her child like qualities behind and makes the choice of marrying the love of her life.

 

Part 2- Biblical Allusions: Story of Creation

Story of Creation    Biblical Allusion    Source: The Old Testament- Genesis 1

• Everything was dark and dismal before God
• God spent the first day creating light and separated the day and night
• On the second day, the sky was created by God
• On the third day, God created the ground and gathered the water into the oceans/seas and land/vegetation
• On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, stars and seasons, day, years
• On the fifth day, created winged birds and living sea animals and blessed them to reproduce
• On the sixth day, land animals and man/woman to rule over the earth and reproduce
• On the seventh day, God rested and made earth holy

Commentary: The concept of this story is creating this perfect world in which everything consists in harmony. This can be found in the book Utopia by Thomas More, he creates a perfect society in which everything is idealistic and nothing bad happens.

Part 2- Mythological Allusions: Theseus

Theseus   Mythological Allusion  Source: Edith Hamilton's Mythology

• Known as Athen's great hero
• Not only was he strong and courageous he was intelligent
• King Minos created the Minotaur and Theseus was going to kill the Minotaur because he didn't want more children to die
• Theseus made it his goal to kill the Minotaur
• Before killing the Minotaur, Princess Ariadne wrote a note to Theseus that gives him some tips
• Ariadne gave Theseus a sword and ball of string to find his way through the maze
• He tied the string to the door to find his way back and he slayed the Minotaur

Commentary: The concept of this myth is that intelligence and wit prevails through every challenge that comes along the way. An example of this concept comes from the book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Harry Potter had his name thrown into the Goblet of Fire during the Tricup Wizard Tournament even though he is not old enough. In the end though, despite him being younger, his wit and intelligence allows him to prevail.