Man's Tendency Towards Self - Destruction Comparison essay between By the Waters of Babylon, written by Stephen Vincent Benet, and Planet of the Apes, directed by Franklin Schaffner

Essay by sailing_queenHigh School, 12th grade April 2004

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The Inherent Nature of Man and Evidence of His Own Self - Destruction:

For thousands of years, man has been on a quest for knowledge, and this knowledge has been subsequent in their attempts to act as God themselves, therefore resulting in their self - destruction. There is evidence of man's thirst for knowledge and consequences of that knowledge in both By the Waters of Babylon written by Stephen Vincent Benet and "Planet of the Apes", directed by Franklin J Schaffner. These two works share many common characteristics throughout their storylines, primarily because the genre for this type of writing is apocalyptic. The world of humans is ruled by chaos: laws of coincidence; individually, socially, historically - chaotical movements, processes, or appearances that cover and define most anything in this world. These stories are both futuristic, showing the effects of the evil side of man and the chaos and mass destruction that they are capable of accomplishing.

The plot reveals the post apocalyptic society in which man lives following their self - destruction. The setting in both works is exacting in every detail to characteristics of "dead places". Most importantly, the characterisation in both works is clearly developed and shows through their actions that knowledge can be destructive. The most unequivocal elucidation of man's tendency towards his own self - destruction is clearly defined in the plot, setting, and characters that are portrayed in these works.

The plots in By the Waters of Babylon and "Planet of the Apes" are almost analogous. Both of the stories are centralised around societies that have been ejected back to its most primitive state of existence, from life as it is known today. Both of the main characters are on a quest for knowledge and in search of the truth that remains hidden from...