TU || Flax Golden Tales || Four Levels of Interpretation || Lesson 8

Flax Golden Tales, To know fly

Level: BA/ BBS 1ST || Subject: Flax Golden Tales || Lesson:  8 The Sword of Damocles (Source: Greek Legend)

Words Meaning

Sword = Big knife

Harsh = Difficult

Subject = Common people

Meted = Punished

Unfortunate = Unlucky

Terror = Fear

Brilliant = Excellent

Flatterers = Adulators

Adulation = Flatteing

Marvellous = Wonderful

Admirable = Praise worthy

Throne = Seat of the ruler

Fulsomely = Extremely

Abject = Miserable

Fawn = To please with flattering

Banquet = Feast

Vassals = Servants of the king

Resign = Give up the post

Bestow = Give

Occupy = Cover

Permitting = Allowing

Ascend = To be in crown

Render = Make

Robes = Ornaments

Servile = Mean

Bade = Greeted

Slender = Thin

Discomfituate = Frustration

Circumstance = Situation

Coward = Panic

Wretched = Unhappy

Pongs = Agony

Temporaty = Changeable

Naught = Worthless

Humbler = Modest

Securing = Protection

Boundless = Tried less

Summary

Dionysius was a powerful king of Sicily. There were many intellectuals as well as haters. Among them Damocles used to please the king flattering. Damocles used to say that to become a king is a divine gift. He used to tell there is no greater happiness than to sit on the throne. The king irritated with Damocles flattery and wanted to teach a lesson.

Dionysius organized a banquet and asked Damocles to sit on the throne. Damocles felt difficulty with heavy crown. When he saw a sword hanging just over him by a single hair, he frightened. He wanted to leave the throne but the king compelled him to sit on the throne. He didn’t enjoy feast but he escaped from the throne. He learnt that the king’s live on honored life among material prosperity, but they also live in danger of death. To become a king and rule over country isn’t as essay as common people think.

Four Levels of interpretation

  1. Literal Comprehension:

This text was taken from a Greek legend. This is the story the king Dionysius and his flatters- Damocles. Dionysius was powerful king Dionysius was a powerful king of Sicily. There were many intellectuals as well as haters. Among them Damocles used to please the king flattering. Damocles used to say that to become a king is a divine gift. He used to tell there is no greater happiness than to sit on the throne. The king irritated with Damocles flattery and wanted to teach a lesson.

  1. Interpretation:

We see kings and queens spending their life in pleasure and comfort. We think they have property and pleasure but they have also burden. Their life is also in danger. Though they live an honored life among material prosperity. At every moment of their life they live in threat under the shadow of death. To become a ruler isn’t as easy as common people think. Similarly, wealth or material property doesn’t bring happiness as Damocles thought. When he saw or observed the reality, he learnt the great lesson.

  1. Critical Thinking:

I completely agree that ruling is not easy as we think. We see royal family members spending their life in comforts but in reality they also live in danger of death. There is always burden on their head. Next thing wealth doesn’t necessarily bring happiness. We should get satisfaction whatever we have. But there is exaggeration in the story. There is a description of a hanging sword. The sword is hanging by a single hair. It is not possible because the sword is heavy. A single hair can’t hold a sword. Similarly, the king provides his throne to Damocles but in reality, no king has provided throne to common people.

  1. Assimilation:

By reading this story, I learnt that wealth doesn’t necessarily bring happiness and satisfaction. To spend a happy life, it is necessary to be an ordinary person. The kings and queens have honored life though there is also fear of death to them.

Possible Questions

  1. Discuss the background, plot and interpretation of “The Sword of Damocles”.
  2. How does the ancient tale “The Sword of Damocles” tell us that to secure higher post needs strong heart?

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