Introduction
The past always seems frightening and mysterious, and sometimes it is rather unpleasant to stir up past events because they make people remember. These memories may not always be pleasant, but that does not mean that the past is necessarily bad. Forgetting the path that led a people to where they are today is wrong because it negates all of their accomplishments. Antonio’s dictum “past is prologue” is as fitting as it points to the value of lived experience. Everything that has happened has led humanity to what it is now: for some, it is the secret marriage of their parents; for others, it is an unexpected move. The fantastic world of the past is invariably connected to the future, and finding that connection is the task of every person who wishes to discover the value of time.
Myths: Heroism through the Prism of Time
At least once, everyone has wondered why myths continue to be valuable in the present. The interest in tales, in the way they are told, and in the development of the heroes’ personalities is justified by the natural curiosity of man, who cannot resist the mystery of the past. Mythological imagery is close to society because it also substantiates the connections between the past, the present, and the future.
Among the mythological tales of the close connection between the past and the present, the myth of Prometheus stands out. Zeus distributed goods to people, but he was greedy, and people did not have enough. Prometheus took the heavy burden of ruling the world on his shoulders. He carried fire to the people, which allowed them to develop a civilization and change the world. Aeschylus’ tragedy is about Prometheus’ moral obligation, which led to his imprisonment and torment, but his conscience remained clear. Prometheus experiences two stages of the typical hero crisis: in the first, his ordinary world is shaken because Zeus has so turned away from men. He loved and pitied humans, so the second stage came smoothly – when the Titan could not tolerate Zeus’ outrages and gave fire to humans (The Myth of Prometheus 1). Enraged, Zeus chose a painful punishment for him, obliging Prometheus to suffer for many years.
Prometheus’ entire life before his imprisonment was just that; Zeus could not tolerate his humanity. The Titan tried to understand people’s problems, he respected their efforts to build civilization, and he was not afraid to go hand in hand with them (The Myth of Prometheus 1). He supported them, expressed sympathy, and dealt with earthly problems in a human way. Prometheus’ fate is such that he is forced to suffer for his heroic deeds because there is a classic epic evil that denies him the chance for another outcome. “Past is prologue” for Prometheus is the series of moments that confronted him with the wrath of God’s father.
Why People Say Great Things
Many people are searching for themselves because questions of identity are relevant in the 21st century. The past events can invariably turn the river of people’s lives. George Washington would not have become president if he had not seen with his own eyes the battles for independence, nor would Martin Luther King have given his famous speech if he had not faced social injustice himself. All past events affect the present circumstances of life, and it is a duty to remember them.
Hillary Clinton is a strong political figure who has many followers who are close to her ideas. First and foremost, Clinton is interested in achieving equality in social, health and economic services. She was First Lady for a long time, and during that time, she visited many countries, spreading her idea of human rights. In 1995, she gave a speech on women’s rights, which cannot be separated from general civil and political rights (Clinton 1). Clinton first carried her idea with the election of Bill Clinton as president of the United States. It was not until 1993 that her second stage came, a quest to transform an ordinary world where injustices abounded.
Clinton’s speech is new for the times, calling for things that now seem perfectly ordinary. Clinton drew attention to what women are like and why they still lack rights. Perhaps the critical point of her speech is the phrase, “Wasn’t it after the women’s conference in Nairobi ten years ago that the world first turned its attention to the crisis of domestic violence?” (Clinton 2). There is silence in the room because Clinton has managed to bring a grain of sanity to the minds of men unable to recognize women’s issues. She said “…I speak for them, just as each of us speaks for women around the world who are denied the opportunity to…, simply because they are women” (Clinton 4). This phrase is her “Past is prologue” moment because she personifies herself with all women who have no rights.
The Wisdom of the Ancestors
Sooner or later, everyone has a desire to learn more about their ancestors and analyze their family history. The mother’s or father’s side of the story will be different, and people are interested in digging through the archives of databases and looking for information about their ancestors. Celebrities are often concerned about this, including Jim Parson, who wanted to pay tribute to his father and trace his ancestors from his side.
Jim Parson deeply appreciates and loves his father because he taught him to treat family and friends with kindness. He embarks on his journey from NYC, wherein a dialogue with his mother, he discovers that his father’s ancestors lived in New Orleans. There he meets genealogy experts, who give him brand-new knowledge – his ancestor Dr Hacker was one of those who caught yellow fever in 1953 (TLC 01:54-02:10). His first critical moment changed Jim’s thoughts about his family. He travelled to France, where Dr Hacker’s ancestors were found, and confirmed records of the royal architect Alexandre Louie. Perhaps this is the second stage of Jim’s awareness of the value of historical events and their connection to the timeline.
As Jim explores his history, he visits places that make him rethink his view of his family. His “past is prologue” moment becomes the realization that he is standing in a church in Versailles that his ancestor built (TLC 05:11-05:20). He realizes that his 6-times-grandfather was a great architect whom King Louis the 15th honored with a special badge of honor. At the end of the story, Jim says, “that is what is behind me for generations”: it encapsulates his relationship with his family (TLC 05:40-05:46). Jim’s story explores his ancestors, whose experiences have led him to the kind of man he has become.
Conclusion
The value of time is learned in journey to know about the world around them and compare it to the past. Finding the past and making sense of it is an adventure people embark on to realize themselves as part of history. Prometheus gave people to fire, for which he was punished, but he kept his conscience pure because he did the right thing at a particular time. Hillary Clinton, in her speech, relives the experience of every woman suffering from patriarchy because no one but women can appreciate their role in history. Jim Parson stood in a church built by his ancestor and felt the generational connection. The value of a historical moment may not be immediately realized, but ancestors will remember every experience they have had in the future.
Works Cited
“Jim Parsons Gets Enlightened About His Ancestors | Who Do You Think You Are?” YouTube, uploaded by TLC, 2014.
Clinton, Hillary. “Remarks to the U.N. 4th world conference on women plenary session”. The United Nations 4th World Congress on Women, 1995.