Learning from Ancient and Modern Themes and Customs It has been said that there are under thirty plots in the world, and that all stories, in all languages, all over the world and throughout history, are simply variations on these. Parallels can be drawn between all literature; however, classical mythology has had particularly far-reaching effects on our present civilization. Modern society holds a fascination with Greek and Roman society, and classical literature and mythology are certainly no exceptions. Regardless of location, language and time period, humankind has always followed relatively similar thought patterns. Therefore, it follows that all stories created by humans would have certain parallels and would contain certain universal themes, details and values. One of these is the idea of the wrongdoings of mortals being punished. The idea of punishment for sinners is a ubiquitous one, found in cultures all over the world. For instance, in the Bible, as well as there being a hell in which sinners are imprisoned, there is also Tartarus (a compartment in the underworld of hell), which was created by God for those fallen angels who left their first estate. In almost all cultures, some form of this idea has evolved. The concept of sinners eventual penalization is a comforting one for those who have been wronged. This philosophy, of course, retains a place in the current day, with the idea of hell, present in most religions in some form. In addition, it is unequivocal that in most contemporary films and books, the villain is inevitably punished in the end. Many cultures have also adopted some form of an apocalyptic end of the human race. The image of Noah and the Great Flood is one of the most familiar in the Bible. Other cultures, too, have made some form of assumption that the world, or at least the human race, will eventually be utterly destroyed. Even Buddhism, a religion which views the world as running in a circular pattern wi...
