• Dr Meena Kumari

Nathalia Wright provides the fullest examination of prophetic quality in Melvill's works. Bible is the major source to provide prophetic characters. Had he been less saturated with the tradition of the Bible he might have associated the insanity which he occasionally bestowed on his prophets with Greek rather than hebrew though . Unlike the prophets of Christianity the oracles of Olympian gods were often as enigmatical to themselves as to their hearers. Between the priests of Delfi and Melville's cracked Elizah and Gabriel there is no connection. Melville uses Bible for forming an idea about prophecy but he quickly adds details and characteristics from other literacy sources . The second major source comes from Greek history , epic and drama . In 1849 , Melville ordered his publisher Harpers a thirty seven volume classical library set including Herodotus Homer , Sophocles , Aeschylus and Euripides.”2 His first three books all contain some classical references . Gilman has demonstrated that Melville probably read ancient history at the Albany Academy . After Mardi Melville described prophets as oracles or seers . By white Jacket Melville depicts Jack Chase as an oracle . Both Moby Dick and Pierre continue to describe prophecy . Ahab re-enacts the Oedipus story and Pierre becomes the nineteenth century Crestes . Ahab like Oedipus disdains prophecy and attempts to outwit predictions . Pierre on the other receives conflicting advice from oracles , understands neither and finally acts from human motivation leaving divinity aside .

Element of prophecy in Melville’s Moby Dick

"Element of prophecy in Melville’s Moby Dick", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 3, page no.1113-1117, March-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1903K60.pdf

"Element of prophecy in Melville’s Moby Dick", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 3, page no. pp1113-1117, March-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1903K60.pdf