Age Of Enlightenment Classicism Versus Romanticism English Literature Essay

Age Of Enlightenment Classicism Versus Romanticism English Literature Essay The age of enlightenment classicism which ran from 17th to 18th century had the following values: In classicism, both nature and human nature are governed by reason simply because reason is valued over mere imaginations. People are basically good and with freedom, they are capable of making a perfect society that not only guarantees freedom but also values social over individual or personal. Things are done in collection as a society and not at an individual basis. In terms of day to day life, everything is done in order, balance and harmony with a tradition consideration. Classicism actually influenced classical period in classical music. Talking of classicism, we have a period called romanticism. This period follows classicism and it is thought as a rebellious to socio-cultural and aesthetics mode of conduct that was being practiced by then. Idealization and rationality are highly rejected with valuing of emotions and intuition over reason. Things are done in emotions and prefer the senses over the intellect. Here, personal or individual is valued over the society. The beauty as well as mystery of nature is greatly appreciated. Therefore, the focus is on the human nature taking into considerations the personality, the moods, passions as well as inner struggles. This period influenced romantic period in classical music. Starting with aesthetic/theatrical issue, I will consider music. Music of the classical period was characterized by the following features. The music sounded light with clear textures to the ears and this was a major factor that kept people listening to the classical and neoclassical hymns. The music was composed of short melodies with clear cut pleasures. The rhymes and the structure of the music always kept attention to the balance, order and proportion as well as the importance of the structure. Sonata form development was also greatly adhered to. Examples in this context include: Mozarts Sonata No. 7 in C, K. 309 and Mozarts Concerto Nr. 17 in G major. Talking of music, music of the romantic period had the following features. The music emphasized on the powerful expression of emotions that not only involved love but also other types of emotions like death or hate. There is also rise of the virtuoso performer with larger orchestra, larger range of pitch as well as volume of the music. The music also entrenches rich harmonies as well as more use of chromaticism. Considering the music themes, the music gives interest in themes that relates to far off lands, nature, dreams and more so the supernatural or the mysterious. Examples of music of the romantic period include Beethovens Moonlight Sonata and Rachmaninovs Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18. Considering the social-cultural aspect, classicism culminated several years of western culture including politics and philosophy that were stated by Romans and Greeks that led to liberal western democracy. Socially, classicism considered men and women as socially equal with same right to life, liberty and to pursuit of happiness. Priority was given to the use of reason in solving social issues with universal ideas and principles put into consideration to create a common ground while still giving room for the individuals, religions and cultures. Talking of social-cultural organization, Romanticism reacted to the aspect practiced in classicism in a rebellious manner. The culture of reason and universal became obsolete since the war and social injustices were on a rising edge and many societies were still oppressed. Therefore, romanticism replaced universalism with individualism (uniqueness of every culture) and reason with passion and struggle. This was now the new approach and solution to problems that occurred during classicism. Political Analysis: Tartuffe Letter of a Contemporary Performance At the time I entered the theatre, all the seats were almost full. Audience from different political and social classes had already arrived and set for the play. Being a male middle class person working as a journalist, I had to find myself a seat in front in an area created for the general public to be able to focus on the event and at the same time gather some reports about the performance and other reactions. Of course the VIPs had their special arrangement set for them with a different price from the rest. In the theatre, present were audience from different social classes. I only managed to identify two classes being the high class and the general public. The high class individual had seats reserved for them in a separate compartment of the theatre from the general public. The mode of dressing could tell everything. As an audience, I went to have fun, laugh, enjoy the performance and learn some few lessons from the play. Before the event kicked off, the manager of the theatre we lcomed all the audience with specific emphasis on the powerful artists and politicians who were present. This is the time I realized that even the monarch was present at the event. As the performance kicked off, people could not tell exactly what the theme of the play was to be until some two performers came on stage to remind us that this was a play and not a real life situation. Normally, events that take place in a theatre represent real life situation and this was the expectation of most of the audience present. However, Moliere broke this convention to make the audiences believe that a theatre is merely an establishment and that whatever that was going on was a play and not a real life event. The aspect of the performance that made a great impact on me and also to the audience was the theme of the performance. Focusing on the theme of the performance which was this is a play and not real life, the audiences were often reminded that this was a play and not a real life. This idea gathered support from other things including the presence of two men who were wearing masks and actors performance dressed in black dresses and capes. They acted a role of separating the play scenes by sometimes hiding performers and also acting as a door to separate the performance. Personally, I think there presence on stage was to give support to the idea that this was a play and not a real life event. The idea was also supported by various gestures and mimes which sounded exaggerated. What I did not like about the play was actually the subject which was related to the present society. Despite being in its originality, it sounded ordinary and did not make me remember it and think of it after the play. However, there was totally no boredom among the audience and I could tell this from the sounds, cheering and the facial expression from the audience. This was because of the tempo which was kept constant and took the attention of the audience at all times me included. Other things that kept the audience away from bored were the lighting up system during the performance which kept on changing and the background music whose speed was directed as the acting went on. The dressing mode of the actors was also another appealing feature of the day. Generally, I enjoyed the performance, laughed a lot and from the facial expression, cheering and reaction of other spectators, I believe they also enjoyed the play. It was wonderful. Psychological Analysis: Character Subtext or Motivation for Passion Life is a dream Life is a dream is a Spanish age play set during the mythical version of the Polands kingdom. The play reveals the story of Basilio who decides to send his son, Segismundo to prison at birth with a reason that the astrological studies he has been undertaking has given him a fear that this son might grow up and become rebellious or be a tyrant to his authority. Calderon gives a first hand consideration to two forces of free will and determinism which appears to contrast each other in this fable as the forces responsible and required to shape human character as well as destiny. Considering the subplot, we find Rosaura who seeks to look for Astolfo for dishonoring her after the marriage promise. The problems examined by Calderon are mostly related to vengeance and honor. In this paper, I will narrow down to the psychology of one character in this play called Segismundo and his struggle for his passions. The issue I will be focusing on is his struggle to overturn his destiny and liberty. Segismundo being the son of the king of Poland, Basilio, lived a life of not even knowing his identity due to his fathers fear that he might turn his back on him following the astrological studies. At birth, he was imprisoned after his fathers charting with his horoscope which revealed to him that his son will grow up and be a treacherous son as well as a savage ruler. After some time, his father devised rules that eventually freed his son from prison and gave him the power of a king just for a day. But because of the brutality and the cruelness of his son, the father finally confirmed his fear and ordered him to be returned back to the prison. However, after his liberation from the tower for the second time, he struggles a lot and overcomes his brutality as well as his earlier predestined identity. This is what we call struggle for passion. The culture of the Hispania at that particular time lied in the horoscopes revealing. But we see Segismundo struggling to overturn his destiny and his predestined identity. According to how he describes himself and also how other people describes him, Segismundo is actually a beast or simply force of nature. He is normally clothed with things like animal skins and he is fond of contrasting himself with fish and other animals like snakes, streams as well as volcanoes. Just before he is taken to court, Clotaldo comes in and fills his mind to become an image of an eagle. Considering the meaning of his name, it stands contrary to the predatory imagery and the happenings that are surrounding him and signifies his triumph for his unchangeable fate that is written in the stars. His name Segism undo which means victory and protector according to the Germans justifies his ending when Rosaura comes in his picture and awakens new perception in him. Through her, Segismundo gets to understand the meaning of honor. Rosaura completely parallels Segismundos actions and serves as his guide eventually succeeding in converting him. Therefore, Segismundo eventually succeeds in fulfilling his struggle for passion and liberty with conversion into a loyal person unlike the Hispanias horoscope predetermined his destiny. Personally, I consider this as a fight and struggle for passion and overturn of nature. Video Report Script Coverage Title of the film: The New World Director: Terence Malick Screenwriter: Terence Malick Stars: Colin Farrell, Qorianka Kilcher and Christopher Plummer Log Line: a one or two line summary of the film A film or a drama featuring an explorer called John Smith and the 17th century clash that existed between English settlers and the Native Americans Plot Synopsis The 17th century explorer John Smith and some other few men goes up the river to engage in trade with the Indian counterparts where he falls in love on mere befriending of the princess Pocahontas. At this time he was in love, Smith was to still perform his roles and responsibilities as the present of the Jamestown as well as face the challenges that befall him on which path to choose between staying with the fallen apart colony or decide to move up the river in the world to love Pocahontas. With time, the Indians come to realize that the English does not mean to leave and therefore, they decide to launch some attacks against them. However, some of the English men at the fort decides to capture Pocahontas and makes her their hostage to protect them from being attacked by the Indians. The king of Jamestown orders immediate eviction of smith from the town and at the same town a wealth tobacco planter comes in to settle in the town. While living there, Pocahontas adopts the English cultu re and again falls in love with this tobacco planter called John Rolfe. Finally she finds herself falling apart in making a decision on who between the two to dedicated to. Discussion The major themes that were evident in the film were love and death. The theme of love becomes evident when Smith goes up the river to meet natives and carry out trade for their necessities like food. Instead, Smith survives alone out of the whole brigade and meets a beautiful lady called Pocahontas whom he falls in love with. But because the two are from different cultural backgrounds one being English and another being native American, their true love is hindered from being ideal. Although there are some scenes of intimacy between the two, sexuality is not emphasized but the acts of talking and staring at each other are given priority. Because the father of Pocahontas was the king of the Jamestown in which Smith had gone, he becomes so upset with his daughter for falling in love with an English man. Being capable (king) of doing anything to Smith, Pocahontas decides to risk her life and protect Smith from being killed. She does this until Smith is finally evicted out of the town saf ely. She risks her life to protect Smith and others from being attacked by the Asians by being their hostage. The issues that evolve in this film are about faith. Towards the end of the film, we find the long held traditions of the Indian never to be converted into Christianity are broken when Pocahontas decides to get baptized and be converted into a Christian. She is quoted praying to the lord to help her be humble. This is not normal as the Indian rejects Christianity and at no time will you find one of them being converted to a Christian. The point of connection that is evident in the film between historical culture, time period and theatrical tradition comes towards the end when all the traditional ties are broken and various cultures merged including change of religion. Pocahontas finally marries Rolfe who adopted the English culture. The audience that will find this movie interesting and appealing are the grown ups who are eighteen years and above. This is because they understand emotions, religion and love. Young people may find it not good due to some scenes of long kissing and others that suggest nudity. Personally, the themes were good and the characters demonstrated the themes in a perfect manner. The direction and visual story telling was of high quality and appealing and the general story was flowing. However, the only thing that I dint like about this film is the way Christianity was portrayed. The English were portrayed as cruel and uncivilized people while the Indians portrayed as humble, civilized and welcoming people. To me, Christianity is about declaration that everyone is a sinner by nature and needs to repent.

Letter to the Tommy Hilfiger Advertising Manager :: Advertising Marketing Business

Letter to the Tommy Hilfiger Advertising Manager Dear Tommy Hilfiger Advertising Manager, â€Å"Just be you!† I’m sure one experiences a bit of their own nostalgia at the sight of the following phrase; anything from making new friends in preschool to being on a difficult job interview, â€Å"just being yourself† has always been said to be the best way to approach any uncomfortable situation. This is why an ad of yours that I have recently come across has significantly astounded me. The ad that I speak of pictures a flock of sheep standing in front of an American flag (the obvious symbol for Tommy) and, displayed at the bottom, a slogan that reads â€Å"follow the flock†. I was perplexed that a company of your stature and prestige would want anyone to just â€Å"follow the flock†. So I asked myself: â€Å"Would wearing Tommy Hilfiger really make me fit in?† and â€Å"Would I rather wear Tommy Hilfiger and be ‘like the flock’ or would I rather be the individual I have been brought up to be.† If t he intention of the advertisement is to simply have everyone wearing your clothing line, then I suppose your slogan suits this purpose, but being one who was targeted with this ad, I feel that your company should have gone with more of an individualistic approach. Although your ad may be directed toward any number of age groups, it particularly had an effect on me. I have been wearing your clothing line for as far back as I can remember so I had to frown upon the thought that all these years I may have only been â€Å"following the flock† instead of being myself. Being an 18 year old who has recently embarked in my first year college, I have found it difficult enough to stand out among a student body of well over 35,000. With the modern day misconception that the media has for what every man or woman â€Å"should† look like, individualism is something that is not only hard to find, but also hard to keep. So as much as I have marveled over your clothing line for the past decade or so, I can honestly say that I will think twice before buying a pair of your jeans over another.

Changes That Have Occurred To The National Curriculum Education Essay

‘Since the debut of the National Curriculum in 1992, a figure of alterations have been made to its construction and execution. Identify and explicate these alterations and measure the part of the National Curriculum in the attempt to raise criterions in Education ‘ . By Keith Lyons This essay will depict, place and explicate the alterations that have occurred to the ‘National Curriculum ‘ ( NC ) since its construct in 1992. It will besides measure these alterations and measure the benefits and troubles that it has experienced since 1992. The ‘Education Reform Act ‘ ( ERA ) came into consequence in 1988, this enabled Kenneth Baker the Conservative Minister of Education to implement the roll-out of the National Curriculum in 1992 within primary / secondary instruction. However, prior to 1992 there had been no National Curriculum and antecedently instructors had worked out their ain strategies of work that they deemed appropriate for their students. As a consequence of this the criterion of instruction across the state varied well and the methods employed to learn were wide-ranging. With the execution of the National Curriculum in 1992, duty was shifted off from instructors to centralized authorities over what was to be taught. The National Curriculum established a ‘set-framework ‘ of larning to enable kids to travel freely between schools as they would be larning from the same model. The National Curriculum ensured that schools taught a certain scope of topics, this consisted of 10 topics. The topics were divided into two sub-categories ( nucleus and foundation ) . The three chief nucleus topics were English, Maths and Science, and together with seven other foundation topics ( Art, Home Economics. Music, History, a Modern Foreign Language ( merely compulsory in secondary schools ) , Geography and Physical Education created the foundation of the National Curriculum. Compulsory National trials ( SATS ) were introduced at 7, 11 and 14 on nucleus topics. The consequences are published yearly in conference tabular arraies ( along with GCSE/A degrees and hooky statistics ) . Changes occurred to the National Curriculum from its origin. Rather than being embraced the National Curriculum was met with ill will from some instructors and most of the larger instructors brotherhoods. One of the chief unfavorable judgments of the National Curriculum by instructors and learning brotherhoods was that at first glimpse that it contained far excessively many topics and was considered to be excessively stiff, compared to what was antecedently taught. This meant that it was hard to learn the topic good as the pupils had to larn so many topics, and they presumed that it would be really hard for pupils. The National Curriculum was besides criticized for being highly ‘Eurocentric ‘ , as it was chiefly focused around European civilization, giving those from cultural backgrounds really small chance to larn about their roots. Certain subdivisions of the populace besides argued that the authorities deliberately fashioned the National Curriculum to take topics which they as a political party are against for political grounds, such as sociology, political relations, and environmental scientific disciplines ( they were ne'er contained in the National Curriculum ) . However, a benefit to the National Curriculum was that instructors now had to educate pupils in a scope of topics. This gave kids / pupils a better start for the accomplishments they would necessitate for subsequently in life. It was besides disputed that the national Curriculum helped to cut down the division of misss and boys topics, as both sexes were taught the same topics. This helped to cut down the stereotyping of gender. In 1993, instructors decided to boycott the national course of study proving agreements ( SATS ) after kicking about the work load. The Secretary of State for Education, in a move in the right way asked Sir Ron Dearing, who was the current Chairman of the School Curriculum and Assessment AuthorityHYPERLINK â€Å" hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bookrags.com/tandf/school-curriculum-and-assessment-tf # p2000a9f68830215001 † ( SCAA ) , to reexamine the national course of study. Dearing made an Interim Report in 1993 and a Final Report in 1994 ( The Dearing Report ) after a period of audience with instructors and the instructors brotherhoods. In his study his recommended on slimming down the course of study, and bettering its disposal. He besides recommended that the slimmed down national course of study should non be altered for five old ages and that national trials should be simplified without giving cogency or dependability. The revised course of study was implemented from August 1995. The 1992, Ofsted ( The Office for Standards in Education ) formed as portion of the major inspection and repair and centralization of the school system begun by the Education Reform Act 1988, which introduced the National Curriculum, extended testing in schools and the publication of conference tabular arraies. Ofsted reviews were carried out on school every 6 old ages. This alteration was introduced as it was believed criterions needed to be raised in schools. Many people thought Ofsted reviews were a good thought, if schools were neglecting, it was noticed and steps were put in topographic point in order to better these schools. However, Ofsted were besides frequently seen to be excessively rigorous on schools, doing it hard for schools to go through review extremely. Besides, it was felt that many instructors and schools would better their instruction criterions while they were being inspected. Some schools would besides direct some of their worst behaved pupils on school trips for the reviews. This defeated the object of Ofsted reviews as it was n't the normal instruction criterions that were being tested. Recent reviews by Ofsted have revealed that although a good proportion of schools had improved since they were last checkered many were calming weakness. Figures released by Ofsted in 2009 show that 11 % of schools checked since last September were rated outstanding, while 9 % were non up to rub. [ Angela Harrison, BBC ] In the twelvemonth 2006-07, 14 % of those checked were outstanding and 6 % were â€Å" unequal † . [ Angela Harrison, BBC ] In 1997, the incoming ‘The New Labour Government ‘ came into power in the UK. They Introduced the National Literacy Strategy to all Primary Schools in England from September 1998 after puting marks for students at Key Stage 2 in English ( 80 % ) , Mathematics ( 75 ) , but non in Science. Previously a pilot undertaking had been tested during 1996, which involved schools in 14 Local Education Authorities. The scheme was planned for instructors to learn a day-to-day Literacy Hour, which followed a form of 30 proceedingss whole category instruction, so group work and reasoning with a plenary session. A figure of paperss have been published by the Department for Education and Employment ( DfEE ) to assist instructors raise criterions in literacy at the clip. The National Literacy Strategy model endeavoured to better criterions for all primary aged students. The scheme ‘s intent was to do certain that all students were having on a day-to-day footing dedicated one hr of literacy. The terminal consequence would give pupils the chance to develop accomplishments in reading, grammar, spelling, and unwritten work and assist raise criterions in instruction and acquisition. In the undermentioned twelvemonth of September 1999 The National Numeracy Strategy model was introduced and like the literacy scheme, aimed at raising criterions for all primary students. Similar to the National Literacy Strategy it prescribed a one hr day-to-day mathematics lesson for all students. The Five Year Review in 2000 set out the chief purposes and intents of the National Curriculum for the first clip. The four chief intents of the National Curriculum are: To set up an entitlement. To set up criterions. To advance continuity and coherency. To advance public apprehension. The National Curriculum has been put into topographic point in the hope that kids will accomplish and will hold an entitlement to larning irrespective of their background, be it race, gender, cultural or otherwise.A It besides makes outlooks for kids ‘s attainment explicit for all concerned and sets out national criterions for performance.A These criterions can so be used for mark scene, mensurating advancement and monitoring patterned advance. The Foundation Stage was introduced by the Labour authorities in 2000, to supply counsel for scenes which provide attention and instruction to pre-school kids ( aged 3 to 5 ) . It was named the Foundation Stage because â€Å" †¦ it lays the foundations for kids ‘s subsequently larning. † [ Neaum and Tallack, 2002 ] . It evolved from the Rumbold Report of 1990, which investigated the educational proviso for the under 5 ‘s, and found that there was a patchy, unplanned course of study which was unsatisfactory. In 2004 a reappraisal was carried out of Key Stage 4, from this reappraisal the debut of ‘Entitlement topics ‘ . The Curriculum Entitlement Framework provides students with entree to a wider scope of larning chances suited to their demands, aptitudes and involvements, irrespective of where they live or the school they attend. In 2007 the authorities abolished formal written Key Stage 1 SATS and replaced them with instructor recorded appraisals. The Key Stage 1 appraisals are really low key and completed by the student ‘s instructor over a period of a few hebdomads so they will be barely cognizant that an appraisal is taking topographic point. In 2008 a reappraisal of Secondary National Curriculum resulted in new Key Stage 3 and 4 Curriculum which was introduced in 2009. This updated portion of the course of study now offers Diplomas and other options to current GCSE and A-level scrutinies. In 2009 the so current Labour authorities announces that Key Stage 3 Sats scrutinies are to be abolished and that Sir Jim Rose will be carry oning a full reappraisal of the Primary National Curriculum. The findings of the study will be implemented from September 2011. In May 2010 a general election was held and ‘New Conservative ‘ / Liberal Democrat authorities came to power under David Cameron and Nick Clegg. The hereafter changes to the new primary national course of study which were put frontward by Sir Jim Rose to be implemented from September 2011 have been shelved, the authorities saying that it does non mean to continue with the new primary course of study. Alternatively they are committed to giving schools more freedom from unneeded prescription and bureaucratism. They have ever made clear their purpose to do alterations to the National Curriculum that will guarantee ‘a grim focal point on the rudimentss and give instructors more flexibleness than the proposed new primary course of study offered. The National Curriculum has undergone considerable alteration and development over the past 20 old ages and is still being altered and adjusted at the present twenty-four hours. Controversy still exists as to the attack instruction should follow for those over the age of 14 testing is thought to be to a great extent based on callback of cognition promoting a deficiency of accomplishment development activities. Many of the original topics that were compulsory no longer are, as it was felt the course of study was excessively full. In my sentiment, since the debut of the National Curriculum, I believe that it was the anchor to greatly bettering the criterions of instruction that kids receive in today ‘s society. This is because before the criterion of instruction pupils received was extremely based on category position and was typically biased towards the in-between / upper category households, another factor was your vicinity in the state. Teachers besides taught a scope of topics that they wished to learn as there were no set subjects so what you could be taught varied across the state. This led to many pupils go forthing school with limited cognition. With the debut of the Literacy and Numeracy hours Sats consequences have increased once more of the subsequent old ages but once more now have slowed to a arrest. As seen in the tabular array below. But on the impudent side holding felt that on the whole the National Curriculum is effectual it is besides slightly flawed. Children are ‘taught to the trial ‘ at a hurt to other topics, and so they are losing out on a wide and balanced course of study. Schools and learning staff will besides acknowledge that they are being forced to â€Å" learn to the trial † ; cutting out topics such as history, geographics and art to blow up their place on national conference tabular arraies or else expression as if they are neglecting. The national trials besides distort kids ‘s instruction as they are being offered a restricted timetable as instructors are forced to concentrate on the nucleus topics. In a figure of schools an accent on trials in English, Mathematics and Science limits the scope of work in these topics in peculiar twelvemonth groups, every bit good as more loosely across the course of study in some primary schools. Having said this, the positive points outweighed the negative greatly as it was the start towards the National Curriculum that we presently have today.

Human Nature in Shakespear’s Plays

Topic- in Shakespeare’s plays how is his unusual detailed knowledge of nature as well as of human beings shown? Shakespeare was a man who deeply loved nature and the beauty of it. He was not just an author who experienced and enjoyed nature but also as someone who studied, understood and knew nature intimately. In this essay there will be discussions about how Shakespeare would often use examples from nature to describe the nature of human beings in his plays and how did he show a deep understanding and knowledge of human nature which he would put that deep knowledge in his plays and poems.Shakespeare’s greatest influences were the works of other great writers as well as from variety of books, and plays which he used as subject materials for his own plays. He got most of his ideas from existing written literature. All of his plays were based on British history, adjusted to suit the occasion. He also drew ideas from many things that he grew up with, like his love for nat ure gave him several ideas how to write some of his plays and poetry. Besides this, he got many ideas from his childhood as his father is known to have often told him ‘bedtime stories’.Shakespeare may have got inspirations from nature and some ideas of characterizations from real life experiences but his plots where never made from events that happened in his life. Two of his favorite writers were Geoffery Chaucer (1340- 1400) and Plutarch (46-120). Chaucer, who was the first poet ever to be buried at the â€Å"poet’s corner† in Westminster Abby was from a wealthy family where his father was as a deputy to King Edward the third’s butler. Chaucer’s poetry was in Middle English and he was known to be one of the finest poets in England. Shakespeare admired him and many of the sources of his plays came from Chaucer’s poems.Plutarch studied philosophy and he taught it as a teacher in Rome where he earned the admiration of the emperors Traja n and Hadrian. Plutarch’s work was translated by Sir Thomas North which had become very popular in Renaissance England. His translations were then used by Shakespeare himself as sources for many of his plays like Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, Coriolanus, Timon of Athens, etc. The way Shakespeare examined and admired nature was quite different from regular viewers. His way of seeing nature was deep and he would use it in many other forms as well.He would usually find ideas for his poems by what he saw and nature was the biggest part that inspired him how to write his poems and plays. For example in one of his plays named King Lear, the concept of nature is considered to be the groundwork of the whole play. From Kingship through to personal human relations, to the views of the empire, from the representation of human nature to the animal imagery, there was nature filling every line of King Lear. Nature is a socially constructed concept which is made in order to legitimize the exist ing social order.By drawing a brief sketch of the political and social beliefs of the Elizabethan and Jacobean ages, it will be at the same time outlining the arguments for believing that nature truly is the socially constructed concept. The Elizabethan and Jacobean age was a time of change and disorder. They were not known for their unity. Elizabeth had her subjects worry about who would succeed her as she was not married, therefore there was no heir to carry on with the throne. ‘Kings are justly called Gods for that they exercise a manner or resemblance of divine power on the earth. This quote was taken from the speech of James I where he describes the divine rights of Kings. James I had succeeded Elizabeth I to be the first Stuart King. Although he had the Kingship, he still was not able to overcome the political and financial problems of the state. In order for the continuation of his reign, the unity and harmony of the state and nature was of great importance. He legitimi zed his power by naturalization. Therefore by ‘nature’ everyone has its place, and knows the duties and obligations to that place, and those who have power cannot be questioned which are the divine rights of Kings.The belief in the social order restricting from the natural order is an important concept to hold when probing the idea of nature being utilized to maintain the status quo. The interdependence of man and nature as a theme is explored in King Lear. Men are always represented in the relation to the divine hierarchy which is the physical world and the world of animals but they are never represented in isolation. It becomes easier to understand the actions of Lear with the almost constant references to nature, once the concept of correspondence between man’s nature and the natural world is understood in terms of legitimizing the social order.In King Lear, the tragedy shown in the play is when Lear tries attempting to overthrow the ‘natural’ soc ial order by handing over his crown to his daughters. Once disorder is initiated by Lear’s revocation of his powers and rights as King, disaster in corresponding hierarchies follow. Lear’s abandonment of his power is in direct opposition to the concept of the Divine Right of Kings. According to the laws of nature, it was impossible for Lear to stop being a king, because that was his rightful position by divine ordination and in fact throughout the play he is still referred to as the King, even though he has divided his crown.Also Lear is unable to stop seeing himself as the King, which can be seen from his banishment of Kent, soon after he has relinquished his powers: Hear me, recreant, on thine allegiance, hear me: That thou hast sought to make us break our vows, Which we durst never yet, and with strained pride To come betwixt our sentence and our power, Which nor our nature, nor our place can bear, Our potency made good take thy reward. King Lear (1. 1. 169-173)In t his speech Lear not only uses the power of the King which he no longer holds to banish Kent, but he also, unknown to himself, explains why he cannot or should not divide his kingdom, for it goes against both his ‘nature’ and his ‘place’ to divide his ‘power’ from his ‘sentence,’ which is exactly what he does, thereby attempting to deny his nature and position. Aside from the natural position of Kings the natural social order can also be seen in terms of power relations between characters: King over subjects, fathers over daughters, husbands over wives. This naturalization can be seen as being represented by the character of Lear.He possesses his daughters, because he controls over them, therefore it is only ‘natural’ that they should proclaim their love for him. Cordelia’s refuses this which is therefore shocking to Lear and he calls her ‘a wretch whom nature is ashamed’. (1. 1. 213-214) The animal imagery that is shown in King Lear indicates the unnaturalness of a character‘s behavior in comparison to how they should behave if they observed the natural social order. This contradiction again underlines the distinction between nature and the ‘natural social order’. Shakespeare was good in phycology and describing the human character.He did not state many new ideas of human nature in his place as much as he did on the personalities and behaviors that all human beings have. There still are experts that claim that Shakespeare was the ‘inventor of human nature. However, these were Shakespearean experts and not the experts in psychology or human personality. It was not that Shakespeare new more things around him than other people but it was how he saw and examined things and people around him. In many of his plays and poems he showed deep knowledge of human nature. The way in which we experience fear, love, hatred, jealousy, despair, or anything else one can name.The way he wrote it and staged it would leave many artists in the dust and that the meaning of his work would stay with readers and viewers while everything around them changed. Shakespeare managed to grasp what it took to shape the essence of human nature in many of its aspects and drop it into text and drama in a way that would draw our ears, our eyes and our hearts. Unlike psychology, Shakespeare tries attempting to understand why people do what they do. He simply outshone most others, in many times and many places, at drawing portraits of the mystery of human behavior.Shakespeare used to combine nature and human nature together in many of his plays and poems. He used to describe human behavior by relating them with nature. In one of his plays known as Troilus and Cressida, he quotes the following: Let not virtue seek Remuneration for the thing it was; For beauty, wit, High birth, vigor of bone, desert in service, Love, friendship, charity are subjects all To envious and ca lumniating time One touch of nature makes the whole world kin, That all with one consent praise new-born gawds, Though they are made and moulded of things past, And give to dust that is a little giltMore laud than gilt o'erdusted. (3. 3. 169–179) This quote was spoken by the character known as Ulysses where he says this to the great Greek warrior Achilles who did not participate in the Trojan War because he contained a broken pride and was in love with a Trojan. He did not understand why he was not liked by the other Greeks and Ulysses tried to get Achilles mind back into action by giving him an uncomplimentary lecture on human nature. In the seventh line of Ulysses’ quote, he speaks about the ‘touch of nature’ which means ‘natural traits’. These are vital characteristics that make us all in this world kin.The phrases nowadays used for our ‘touch of nature’ as warmth or generosity or any other romantic ideal is different from how Ulysses describes it. He sees unanimity in our gaudy originalities as our ‘touch of nature’ is a short memory. The past deeds of Achilles, like beauty, wit, love, and so on, are subject to the ravages of time. In other words, it is our nature to forget these types of faded glories because they do not seem important anymore as there are bigger things that should be remembered instead of wasting it on these small glories that will be slowly forgotten in the future.Shakespeare’s unusual yet deep ways of describing human nature through his characters in his plays were unique. From the way he wrote his plays and poems, it would almost feel like to the reader and viewer that he lived in another type of world and that he saw everything around him very differently from normal people. He was very good in describing what he felt through what he saw as well. In one of his well-known plays called Hamlet, one of Hamlet’s quotes he says as following: What a piece of wor k is a man, how noble in reason, how nfinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals—and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me— nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so. (2. 2. 303–312). This passage exemplifies how Hamlet says that man is like an angel or god in apprehension. The ‘quintessence of dust’ states that from all God’s work, Man is one of the noblest. Despite all this nobility, Hamlet is not delighted by all this grace or beauty of man.This is one of the moments where his sincerity is genuinely in question as he explains this to two of the king’s followers or ‘parasites’ as he seems them as, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He feels like there is nothing in Denmark for him and that it feels like a prison to him where he is stuck in followin g his uncle’s orders and wished that there was another choice for him to follow instead. Even though Man is described as the beauty of God’s works, from what he sees man as in his life gives him another image of human nature.

Bill Gates: a Man of Magnitude

Bill Gates: Man of Magnitude A man of magnitude is someone who has made an impact on society and has done something or created something for the greater good of the country or world. I think what best describes a great man, or woman is a quote from Bob Marley, â€Å"â€Å"The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively. † This quote is close me because of the work my grandfather did with his business and providing work for those who would most likely not be hired.A great person is someone who does what they feel is right no matter what is thought of them. Bill Gates is what I would consider a â€Å"Man of Magnitude. † I chose Bill Gates as my man of magnitude because of all the things he has done for education, global healthcare, and extreme poverty stricken countries. What I relate to with Bill Gates is that technology has become so relevant in education. In schools that cannot ke ep up with the ever evolving technology, the students will fall behind and not have all the same opportunities that students in more affluent areas may have.Bill and his wife, Melinda, are the founders of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which gives many grants including the expansion for immunization for children, Improvements in seed and soil for African farmers, and multiple libraries. Greatness: The quality of being great, distinguished, or eminent. According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website Fact Page, as of September 2012 there are 19 Grant Commitments throughout the world that total up to more than five billion dollars.Someone who grants that amount of money to people in need is my definition of greatness. Someone who uses their power and wealth is something that I find remarkably great. â€Å"Guided by the belief that every life has equal value† is a quote that is posted on every page of the Gates Foundation website. Only a person with the consider ation for others would commit their money to charity and to help end the extreme poverty. Bill Gates has contributed to the greater good by globally enhancing healthcare by providing more opportunities for immunization children, to educe extreme poverty in African countries, and to expand educational opportunities and access to technology. Bill Gates has also received numerous awards for philanthropic work. (â€Å"Bill Gates†). There have been many inventive entrepreneurs throughout history, but not many of them have applied their wealth to meet the needs of the less fortunate. Bill Gates and his wife Melinda have endowed a foundation with $28. 8 Billion. Through this foundation the Gates couple is able to funnel the enormous profits from Microsoft and other Gates' ventures to help attack global heath and education problems.Bill Gates has targeted AIDS in Africa as one of his major health causes. He is also known for providing large amounts of computer equipment to schools in low income communities to help bring children of impoverished families into the world of technical advance. Bill Gates is a man of magnitude who has contributed to the greater good because he has touched the lives of millions of people through his philanthropic initiatives. Men or Women of magnitude are people of honor, faith, substance. People who will do whatever they can to help those around them.Great people who also have the fortune to be very wealth are people who have even more power and opportunity to do great things for their country, and even many other countries. Great people are noble and kind, and they have compassion for those in need. Great people give their change to the homeless, or buy a candy bar for the Boys Club. Great people are visionaries, that believe in a brighter future. Bill Gates is among those great people. Works Cited â€Å"About the Foundation. † Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. N. p. , 1999. Web. 12 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Bill Gates. † 201 3. The Biography Channel. March 2011. Web. Feb 12 2013.

How Much Has America Changed Since 1900

Since 1900, America and Americans have experienced tremendous changes in both the makeup of the population and in how people live their lives, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 1900, most people living in the United States were male, under 23 years old, lived in the country and rented their homes. Almost half of all the people in the U.S. lived in households with five or more other people. Today, most people in the U.S. are female, 35 years old or older, live in metropolitan areas and own their own home. Most people in the U.S. now either live alone or in households with no more than one or two other people. These are just the top-level changes reported by the Census Bureau in their 2000 report titled Demographic Trends in the 20th Century. Released during the bureaus 100th anniversary year, the report tracks trends in population, housing and household data for the nation, regions and states. Our goal was to produce a publication that appeals to people interested in the demographic changes that shaped our nation in the 20th century and to those interested in the numbers underlying those trends, said Frank Hobbs, who co-authored the report with Nicole Stoops. We hope it will serve as a valuable reference work for years to come. Some highlights of the report include: Population Size and Geographic Distribution The U.S. population grew by more than 205 million people during the century, more than tripling from 76 million in 1900 to 281 million in 2000.As the population grew, the geographical population center shifted 324 miles west and 101 miles south, from Bartholomew County, Indiana, in 1900 to its current location in Phelps County, Missouri.In every decade of the century, the population of the Western states grew faster than the populations of the other three regions.Floridas population rank rose more than that of any other state, catapulting it from 33rd to 4th place in state rankings. Iowas population ranking dropped the furthest, from 10th in the nation in 1900 to 30th in 2000. Age and Sex Children under 5 years old represented the largest five-year age group in 1900 and again in 1950; but in 2000 the largest groups were 35 to 39 and 40 to 44.The percentage of the U.S. population age 65 and over increased in every census from 1900 (4.1 percent) to 1990 (12.6 percent), then declined for the first time in Census 2000 to 12.4 percent.From 1900 to 1960, the South had the highest proportion of children under 15 and the lowest proportion of people 65 and over, making it the countrys youngest region. The West grabbed that title in the latter part of the century. Race and Hispanic Origin At the beginning of the century, only 1-in-8 U.S. residents were of a race other than white; by the end of the century, the ratio was 1-in-4.The black population remained concentrated in the South, and the Asian and Pacific Islander population in the West through the century, but these regional concentrations declined sharply by 2000.Among racial groups, the American Indian and Alaska Native population had the highest percentage under age 15 for most of the 20th century.From 1980 to 2000, the Hispanic-origin population, which may be of any race, more than doubled.The total minority population people of Hispanic origin or of races other than white increased by 88 percent between 1980 and 2000 while the non-Hispanic white population grew by only 7.9 percent. Housing and Household Size In 1950, for the first time, more than half of all occupied housing units were owned instead of rented. The homeownership rate increased until 1980, decreased slightly in the 1980s and then rose again to its highest level of the century in 2000 reaching 66 percent.The 1930s was the only decade when the proportion of owner-occupied housing units declined in every region. The largest increase in homeownership rates for each region then occurred in the next decade when the economy recovered from the Depression and experienced post-World War II prosperity.Between 1950 and 2000, married-couple households declined from more than three-fourths of all households to just over one-half.The proportional share of one-person households increased more than households of any other size. In 1950, one-person households represented 1-in-10 households; by 2000, they comprised 1-in-4.

Abortion Legal Or Illegal - 2675 Words

Michael Paladino English â€Å"Abortion: Legal or Illegal?† Prior to the famous Roe vs. Wade case in 1973, abortion was legal in 20 states and illegal in the remaining 30. After the case, the Supreme Court decided to legalize abortion. By definition, abortion is â€Å"the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus.† Other terminology, such as pro-life, is defined as â€Å"opposed to abortion,† while pro-choice is â€Å"believing that pregnant women should have the right to choose to have an abortion.† Abortion is an extremely controversial topic with such extreme opposing views that it can never reach a satisfying consensus for all citizens. Whether abortion should be legal or not because it mostly comes down to one’s opinion and morals, which vary from person to person. The two opposing views have a lot of support for their reasoning behind their opinions, but the main gist of it is that pro- choice believers think that making abortion illegal is unfair and unjust because that takes away a woman’s freedom to make her own choices. On the other hand, pro-life believers think that an abortion is equivalent to murder and that since the mother is able to make a decision to kill her baby, the law should be the baby’s voice and decide to stay alive. With thorough research, I dove deeper into this topic and tried to come to a conclusion as to whether or not abortion should be legal or illegal. To begin my research,Show MoreRelatedAbortion : Legal Or Illegal?953 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion: Legal or Illegal? To this day, the debate on whether or not abortion should be legal continues to divide Americans. The name of this article is, â€Å"Should Abortion be Legal?† written by ProCon.org. Pro-choice and pro-life are the two opposing sides. Pro-choice is the pro-abortion group, and pro-life is the anti-abortion group. The two sides disagree about whether the rights of the woman or the fetus are more important, and they also disagree about the impacts on women’s health and on societyRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal Or Illegal?875 Words   |  4 Pages The question is should abortion be legal or illegal? I am against the thought abortion and the action of it being done. Abortion has been around for multiple decades and it is one of many debated topics around the US. Abortion is defined as â€Å"the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus (Marian Webster) No one has ever questioned a woman on why she wants this procedure done. At some point of time people began to thinkRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal Or Illegal?939 Words   |  4 Pagesissues is abortion. Abortion has been around at almost every point in American history. Consequently, since the Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade there have been approximately 57,762,169 abortions in America (â€Å"Are You†). This raises the question of should abortion be legal or illegal, and is this immoral or moral to do? The decision to have an abortion can be a difficult time in a woman’s life, but is not a moral way to end a pregnancy. Abortion in the United States should be illegal because ofRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal Or Illegal? Essay1885 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction Abortion is a debatable question that has been argued over a long period of time. The controversy of abortion has caused or may cause deaths and several violent conflicts between, should abortion be legal or illegal. Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures performed worldwide also known as elective termination of pregnancy (History,2016). Abortion is the destruction of the fetus or unborn child while the child is still in the mother’s womb. This procedure can be doneRead MoreAbortion Should Be Legal Or Illegal1859 Words   |  8 PagesAbortions are not an easy topic to discuss, ,many think it is competley unethical while others agree that it should be the mother’s choice on what she wants to do. However, these were thoughts on the early pregnancy stage. Doctors now have been giving abortions in the late pregnancy stages as well as the early stages. â€Å"Late-term abortion refers to the termination of a pregnancy during its more advanced stages† (Bellaro). If only the debate on whether abortion should be legal or illegal was as easilyRead MoreAbortion Should Be Legal Or Illegal1848 Words   |  8 PagesAbortions are not an easy topic to discuss, many think it is completely unethical while others agree that it should be the mother’s choice on what she wants to do. However, these were thoughts on the early pregnancy stage. Doctors now have been giving abortions in the late pregnancy stages as well as the early stages. â€Å"Late-term abortion refers to the termination of a pregnancy during its more advanced stages† (Ballaro). If only the debate on whether abortion should be legal or illegal was as easilyRead MoreShould Abortion Be Legal Or Illegal?1940 Words   |  8 PagesIn America, the argument about whether abortion should be legal or illegal has last for more a century. Abortion was illegal since late 1800s. However, after U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion be came legal in America (Shaw Lee, 2015). Sadly, the controversy about whether abortion should be allowed wasn’t eliminated but intensified at some degree since 1973. For example, strong oppositions against abortion still remain after Supreme Court’s decision. Many statesRead MoreAbortion Should Not Be Legal Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pages Abortions have been performed on women for thousands of years. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. Most often it is performed during the first 20 weeks of being pregnant. The controversy over whether or not abortion should be legal continues to divide Americans till this day. An important landmark case was the Roe v. Wade case, where the Court argued that the zone of privacy was broad enough to encompass a woman s decision whether or not to terminateRead MoreThe History of Abortion764 Words   |  4 PagesAbortion is a medical practice to terminate a womans pregnancy in the first 3 months. The history of abortion starts father before the pinnacle case of Roe v Wade in 1973. The supreme court made it legal to get an abortion and this is seen as an important turning point for the american health care policies for women. Before this court case to render it legal it had been performed for thousands of years and in every society known. It was le gal when settlers first came to the united states beforeRead MoreAbortion Should Remain Legal Essay671 Words   |  3 Pagesan illegal abortion by an untrained surgeon. Many have said that abortion is a crime against humanity, taking away the innocent lives of unborn children. Though, the real crime would be to rob women of their rights and well-being. Abortions should stay legal because the absence of legal abortions will mean rise in dangerous illegal abortions, abortions are a woman’s right, and motherhood has a negative effect on women who aren’t ready. If abortions are banned, it will only provoke illegal abortions