Oroonokos Love for Imoinda - 852 Words

â€Å"He had scarce arrived at his seventeenth year, when fighting by his side, the general was killed with an arrow in his eye, which the Prince Oroonoko (for so was this gallant Moor called) very narrowly avoided; nor had he, if the General, who saw the arrow shot, and perceiving it aimed at the Prince, had not bowed his head between, on purpose to receive it in his own body rather than it should touch that of the Prince, and so saved him (224).† In this passage, the General sacrifice his life for Oroonoko illustrate the criteria: belief in another’s goodness is proven by physical sacrifice. The writer’s detailed killing of the General is sensational, because not only did he die to prove his love for Oroonoko; but had to die in a shocking manner with an arrow in his eye. The General, purposefully receive the arrow shot rather than let it touch the prince to show his belief in Oroonoko’s goodness, because the ultimate sacrifice to show his love for the prince is physical sacrifice. The eye is a very delicate part of the body and any pain inflicted on it would create an emotional response to the reader. On the other hand, there is a greater chance of hitting the body mass with an arrow rather than the eye. However, an intelligent response is unlikely, because sensationalism elevates the emotional response above all others; effectively preventing an intellectual assessment. According to the passage, the General saw the arrow and to prove his belief in Oroonoko goodness; let itShow MoreRelatedEssay about Oroonoko, by Aphra Behn1336 Words   |  6 Pagesmore ge nerous fashion. Behn’s romantic tragedy comes full circle, from Oroonoko fighting a war, falling in love and being tricked into slavery, to Oroonoko in battle against his captors, to killing his love and dying in slavery. Imoinda’s character, like that of Oroonoko, is given English ideals of beauty and personality. Described as â€Å"the beautiful Black Venus to [Oroonoko’s] Mars† (9), Imoinda is given the Roman white goddess features and the virtues that English women can relate to. Her beauty,Read MoreOroonoko’s Honorable Downfall1433 Words   |  6 Pagesis also a naà ¯ve fool. Oroonoko was born into royalty and led a career as a valiant and just warrior. Reared for this life, Oroonoko has a character that is intrinsically honorable following his code of loyalty and honesty. His code of honor and love of truth is admirable, but it leads him being betrayed throughout the narrative. This all-or-nothing type of characteristic of Oroonoko is what led to his death because he could not bend. Oroonoko is presented to the reader from the beginning asRead MoreHamlet Vs Oronoko Essay1264 Words   |  6 PagesThe play Hamlet by William Shakespeare and Oroonoko by Aphra Behn both have a love story in their writings. Hamlet is drawn to Ophelia’s beauty, while Oroonoko is attracted to Imoinda. 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Oroonoko was the last of a royal family, but later wasRead MoreEssay on Aphra Behns Oroonoko – Slaughter of the Human Spirit1155 Words   |  5 Pagesas beautiful people who possess a pure, innocent love.   Behn does this in an effort to make her readers feel and question.   Her poetic description of their emotions magnify the horror of the final scene.   Behns romantic love story is brought to a trag ic end through brutality and death.   Why did she choose such an ending?   Her decision to have Oroonoko take the life of his wife and unborn child leaves her audience questioning.   Was what they had love?   If not, what was it?   What had killed their innocenceRead MoreAphra Behn s Oroonoko As A Tale Of An African Prince And Victorious General Essay1545 Words   |  7 PagesAphra Behn’s Oroonoko is a tale of an African prince and victorious general, Oroonoko, who loses his heart to the lovely Imoinda. First published in the year 1688 when African slavery through the barbaric trans-Atlantic slave business became established as an economic, transcontinental system. This tale draws on the popular literary themes of aristocratic romance, social censure and travel narrative. It indicates a few ways in which the British were starting to view cultural and racial differencesRead MoreOroonko Novel1880 Words   |  8 PagesBehn also shifts between a travel narrative of th e events taken place abroad the journey through the Middle Passage to Suriman, West Indies, and a biography of Oroonoko’s noble characteristics. In the early events, it is evident that Behn thinks highly of Oroonoko and they share a trusted companionship. Behn heavily emphasizes on how Oroonoko’s trust in honorable truth is constantly turned against him thus leading him into slavery. The novel begins with the author portraying the original natives asRead MoreAn Analysis Of Aphra Behn s Seventeenth Century Travel Narrative, Oroonoko, And Utopia1289 Words   |  6 Pagesthe monarchies of Oroonoko’s nation and Europe. Although Behn finds this practice barbaric, she praises the natives for their simple but heroic form of government. While Behn describes the simple leadership of the natives, she draws comparisons between the hereditary African and European governments. A monarchy leads the Africans in Oroonoko’s land of Coramantien, and Oroonoko’s grandfather uses his position as king to take Imoinda as his concubine despite knowing of her love for Oroonoko. AdditionallyRead MoreVirtue in Oroonoko (The Royal Slave) by Aphra Behn Essay591 Words   |  3 Pagestrue loyalty that proves his devotion and love to his lover and wife, Imoinda. After the King, Oroonoko’s grandfather, vigorously takes Imoinda for himself, Oroonoko faces the decision to either end his love affair or prove his loyalty to Imoinda. He chooses to go against the King and have Imoinda for one more night, even if his consequence is death: You may imagine how welcome this news was to Oroonoko, whose unseasonable transport and caress of Imoinda was blamed by all men that lovedRead MoreOronooko by Aprha Behn751 Words   |  3 PagesBy presenting Oronooko as a â€Å"European-style† hero, the narrator unwittingly makes him a hypocritical character, one that has been assimilated to the Europeans and shows the narrator’s own ambivalence towards slavery and race. The description of Oroonoko’s features is where it becomes evident that he is not similar to the rest of his people. The narrator says that he is â€Å"adorned with a native beauty, so transcending all those of his gloomy race†, and that his skin â€Å"was not of that brown rusty blackRead More Politics in Aphra Behns Oroonoko Essay2476 Words   |  10 Pagesstory, set in the New World, is told by a female narrator who recalls her acquaintance with a black African prince, Oroonoko. He was born in Coramantien (Coromantyn), fell in love with beautiful Imoinda, married her, and was divided from her by his grandfather, the king, who wanted her for himself and subsequently sold Imoinda into slavery. He loses his freedom because he naively accepts the invitation of an English sea captain - with whom Oroonoko has engaged in slave trading - to dine aboard ship