Obsession and Identity: Understanding Ishmael and Ahab in Moby Dick

The video explores the influence of Shakespearean tragedies on Herman Melville's 'Moby Dick', highlighting thematic elements like revenge and soliloquies. It also delves into the religious themes present in the novel, drawing parallels between characters and biblical figures, such as Ishmael and Ahab, and their symbolic roles. The narrative underscores the significance of the King James Bible in shaping 19th-century American literature and how 'Moby Dick' reflects these religious motifs.

Which Shakespearean tragedies are mentioned as having thematic similarities with Moby Dick?

• Hamlet and Othello

• Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra

• King Lear and Macbeth

• Romeo and Juliet

What is the primary religious text that influenced Moby Dick?

• The Quran

• The Torah

• The King James Bible

• The Bhagavad Gita

What is the significance of the name Ishmael in Moby Dick?

• He is a prophet who foretold the future.

• He is a king who led his people to victory.

• He is a wanderer and outcast, similar to the biblical Ishmael.

• He is a sailor who discovered new lands.

What role does the ship Rachel play in the narrative of Moby Dick?

• It is the ship that sinks in the storm.

• It rescues Ishmael and symbolizes a return to the true path.

• It is the ship that Ahab commands.

• It is the ship that first spots the white whale.

How do the religious allusions in Moby Dick begin and end?

• They start with the Book of Genesis and end with the Book of Revelation.

• They start with Call Me Ishmael and end with the Book of Job references.

• They start with the Psalms and end with the Proverbs.

• They start with the Ten Commandments and end with the Sermon on the Mount.