The Sword of Damocles Source

The Sword of Damocles

Source- Greek Legend

·        Theme:

ð Nobody no happy  in the world until his life is over.

ð Everybody has his own problem and difficulties.

ð Higher Ranks has the higher responsibilities.

ð Power & position don't makes us happy every person has is own challenges.

·        Characters:

ð Dionysius- King of Sicily

ð Damocles- A Flatter

·        Literal Comprehension:

 This story is taken form the Greek legend. The sword of Damocles is popular as a proverb and as a moral story in Greece even nowadays.

            Dionysius a cruel king of Sicily he as famous for his cruel treatment over people. He had known that people like his cruelty and he also knew that people wouldn't follow his order if he didn't behave strictly. Some people like to kill the king but they couldn't many people used to flatter the king to get his favor. Among them Damocles used to flatter the king because he through king has the heavenly life. Damocles used to think that he king had power and property he didn't have any problem and he was living luxuries life. The king had known that Damocles was doing as he didn't know that the reality. So decided to teach him a moral lesson that he hadn't enjoy the life. Dionocious offered him his there for that to teach how many challenges the king had to face. Democles become happy and he sat on the throne people started to celebrate happiness. When he had to wear the crown his head started to ace with its weight. It didn't like to wear the heavy crown but he was compelled to wear as he was a king. When he liked up he was a hanging sword over his head. The naked sword could fall at any time over his head. Then Democles become restless forget the enjoyment to being a king. At last the time was over he quickly left the throne and realized to be king was not so easy.

·        Interpretation:

The story tells us nobody is happy in the world until his life is over. Everybody has his own problem and challenges. It also tells us that higher position has the higher responsibility people think power and property could make us happy but in reality it is not true. The king and the prince also have their own challenges. Here the weight to the crown is the symbol of responsibility. The hanging sword is the symbol of risk and challenges over the position of the king.

·        Critical Thinking :

This story tells us the power and property doesn't make us happy. But there many issues in this story which we can’t accept if power and property don't make us happy, what could the source of happiness? Is it possible give thrown for a day by the king just to teach? It is only possible in the story in real life. If the king was so cruel, he would punish Damocles, rather than to teach him lesson.

·        Assimilation:

I used to think my father very happy when I was a small child because he could by everything he liked. But now, I realize the reality that he had many problems and responsibilities towards family so, this story teaches me the lesson that higher position has higher risk. As, Bill Gates the richest person of the world is not happy because he couldn't sleep without taking sleeping tablets.