Michel de Montaigne’s essay, “We reach the same end by discrepant means” uses a variety of techniques to convince the reader that the title of the essay is in fact true – not only within the context of his essay, but also the wider context of all of society & civilisation. Montaigne discusses war and history – subjects which would be appropriate to a nobleman, and through the use of a variety of examples of men “reaching the same end by discrepant means” – from various cultures and backgrounds; giving the reader the impression that this statement is indeed a universal truth and not subject to the context of the men. Such can be shown by contrasting: “Edward, Prince of Wales – the one who long governed our Guyenne and whose qualities and fortune showed many noteworthy characteristics of greatness… .” with ” The highlighting of the personal qualities and status of the men referred to in Montaigne’s essay gives the reader an even greater impression that despite wealth, power, personal qualities or mentality – we all reach the same end. Vivid recounts of history, along with relatively deep insight into the thoughts behind the actions of the men involved, reinforce the title of Montaigne’s essay further – such as “Alexander, the staunchest of men and the most generous towards the vanquished, stormed, after great hardship, the town of Gaza and came across Betis who commanded it… .” – the emphasis on personal qualities, “staunchest of men” and “most generous towards the vanquished” relates back to the diversity and difference between, “us (we) all.” Similarly; the addition of personal reflection by Montaigne on what he has recounted, coalesces the examples mentioned with his thoughts – resulting in what Montaigne brings out from reflection, appearing to be true far outside the narrow confines of his essay.
The Essay on Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Personal Qualities
1. Characterization: What do you learn about the attitudes, beliefs, and personal qualities of the duke and the king from their words and actions? In what way is the characterization of the duke and the king satiric? Consider their claims about their lineage, their acting, and the faulty historical and literary allusions they make. What is Twain suggesting by having the king and the duke pull ...
Such can be seen directly from “And, directly against my first examples… .” – this seemingly argumentative statement actually offers the reader a one-minded argument – with the reader absorbing what Montaigne thinks. Subtle symbols – which relate to the context of the essay also reinforce the title and allow the reader to only extract meaning which relates to what Montaigne is saying. For example, the last paragraph of Montaigne’s essay highlights Alexander’s actions – and thus the reader can take this as being symbolically significant – highlighting the unpredictable and diverse nature of man. To conclude; through the use of facts, insight, discussion, personal reflection, one-minded argument and symbolism – Montaigne persuades the reader that the title of his essay, “We reach the same end by discrepant means” – holds true universally, throughout a variety of contexts..
