Proving King Lear Is a Tragedy Essay

A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. A flaw in the character of the protagonist of a tragedy that brings the protagonist to ruin or sorrow. a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat: King Lear is a perfect example of a tragedy. In a typical tragedy, the main character, or tragic hero, is brought to suffer some extreme sorrow, because of a tragic flaw he possesses. King Lear, the tragic hero, carries the tragic flaw of vanity, which causes his downfall. His demise begins with him believing his two insincere older daughters, Goneril and Regan, tell him that they love him more than anything, and casts out his youngest daughter, Cordelia, who truthfully tells him, â€Å"I love your majesty according to my bond; nor more nor less† (Shakespeare 4). Lear is too arrogant to see that Cordelia is the daughter that truly loves him and throws out anyone close enough to tell him his mistake. As the plot progresses, Lear realizes Goneril and Regan have betrayed him and Cordelia did truly love him, but still refuses to return to Cordelia begging for forgiveness. At this point, Lear is mad, but Cordelia wants to nurse him back to health. Cordelia dies and later Lear dies of grief all because of his vanity.

Reflection Paper on Anthem (by Ayn Rand)

University of the Philippines Diliman Extension Program in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga Reflection Paper Anthem by: Ayn Rand Jemima Micah T. Sadsad 2012-20252 BS Business Management Submitted to: Sir Aoux Santos It’s a sin to not write this. For finishing this will allow me to acquire one fourth of my grade on the most-anticipated subject—A subject that is hard, yet easy; A subject able to be both loved and despised; A subject whose aim is to know thy self, yet, when thoroughly studied, you would end up losing what you think is yours.This subject I am babbling about is not just a subject; It is the subject: Philosophy. ~ Well, at first look, this is how I comprehended the novella â€Å"Anthem†. Simple message relayed through tough words, when really that’s not the point of it. Anthem is about a boy who was born with the curse of knowing things more superior than most of his society—a society that does not accept progress unle ss approved by everyone. This boy then meets a girl with qualities like her, and later falls in love with her. Even though their society forbids a love like theirs, they didn’t mind and kept it a secret.He tried to help their society through his discoveries, though ended up escaping it, and trying to create a new one of his own. It has a typical story line with a dystopian theme. Aside from that there’s nothing really more from it. Or is there? *** *** Having read the book again (while trying hard to read between the lines; picking up every lesson I could make use of), I have reflected on a few new things which I did not find during my first read. I have reflected on individuals present in the story and how they relate to me, the society howed in â€Å"Anthem† and how it could be reflected to my country, and my general motion and conclusion on what the story is all about. One very prominent element that I could reflect on are the main characters in the story. Th e main characters present in the story are Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000. Equality 7-2521 (also known as â€Å"The Unconquered† or â€Å"Prometheus†) – The main character is a brave, curious, strong, and intelligent street sweeper who thinks of himself as cursed. He knows that he is cursed, yet knows not how to resist it. He believes in individualism and rejects the collectivist society around him.Learning was too easy for him because of his quick head. He asks too many questions that his teachers forbade him from asking. â€Å"He only wishes to know. Equality 7-2521 represents the superiority of a singular intellect to the homogeneity of the masses, who cannot think for themselves—the society of shapeless people who are indistinguishable from one another. At first read, I thought to myself, he (Equality) is too self-centered, thinking that he is far superior than his society, and that his only flaw is the society’s disapproval of him.Also, I don’t like how he came up with his conclusion of his ego being the center of his universe (though, I’m not saying that the conclusion is wrong). It’s just so unthinkable how without knowing what the word â€Å"I† really means, he suddenly knows what it is and how to use it. On the other hand, I like how his curiosity always gets the better of him. I like how he is eager to know and discover things even though he knows that it is forbidden to do so. I love how Equality 7-2521 takes risks to justify his thirst of knowing more.These character traits of Equality 702521 made me reflect more on the adventures of learning, rather than the concept of individualism. I like how his quest full of myriad mischief turned out to be an amazing discovery of the light bulb (which for me symbolizes progress and/or change). I love how he soon realizes that his learning is not really for the society, but rather for him and him alone. One thing I also admire about Equality 7 -2521 is his love for Liberty 5-3000, that even though it is forbidden, they still chose to continue their love. Selfish indeed, but selfishness is not always a bad thing.Another main character on the book that I have reflected on is Liberty 5-3000 (also known as â€Å"The Golden One† or â€Å"Gaea†) – This character is a peasant that has eyes with no signs of fear in it, whom Equality 7-25521 falls in love with. She is Beautiful, proud, and strong like Equality 7-2521. She loves Equality 7-2521 because he is different from everyone around him. And Equality 7-2521 loves her back for the same reason. For me, Liberty 5-3000 is a little bit too submissive. Her mix of independent pride and devoted submission to Equality 7-2521 seems contradictory.Prometheus’ universe may have his own ego as its center, but for Liberty 5-3000? I don’t think so. Liberty 5-3000’s character is a perfect counter-example of Ayn Rand’s main thought of: â€Å"I is my god†. Gaea is more of a: â€Å"Equality 7-2521 is my god†. (Liberty 5300 to Equality 7-2521: â€Å"Your will be done†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Although I hate how she submits herself too much to Equality 7-2521, I like her for standing out of the crowd. I like how fierce she can be trying to put what she loves first before what others dictate her to. I also like her show of courage by following the one she loves even though it might place her in great danger.However, I think the author somehow just took a shot of presenting a true epitome of a perfect woman with great courage and confidence, but only with the weakness of her beloved. Unfortunately, Ayn Rand failed trying, for instead she just created a weak and submissive leading lady. Gaea apparently became just an object of Prometheus’ with no say on things at all. These two main characters made me reflect on how not all people are alike (which was the point of the whole story: Individualism). Not everyone is as s trong or as smart as Prometheus. Neither are they all of beauty and devotion as Liberty 5-3000.The story also made me reflect on the concept of solitude, and how not all people find happiness in solitude. In fact, even in the story itself, Equality 7-2521 is not alone, for he finds happiness in the presence of Liberty 5-3000. Absolute solitude is inconceivable. Different people have different purposes. They might find their purposes with others, or they might find their purposes of for themselves alone. And even if they find their purposes for themselves, still, it will influence their society, because one cannot live without another. No man is an island.As for me, I find happiness in having loved ones beside me; I’m not saying that I let them think for me though. I am currently a conformist and non-conformist. I am a conformist in that I conform to my God and with His teachings. A non-conformist in that, like Liberty, I submit myself to my beliefs and resist things of its op posite (although at times, they may overlap with each other). I conform to my God, and so try not to conform to the world. I conform to my government, yet reject on them trying to take over me. I succumb to, yet I resist. Also, I could consider myself to have hints of Equality 7-2521 in my personality.I love learning as much as I love taking risks. I remember the story of my 4 yr old self. My mom used to tell this story every time she remembers it and every single time we would laugh at it. So here’s how it goes: It was an ordinary day, we were travelling by a car. My mom was driving and her sister (my aunt) was in the front seat. I, my 2 sisters, and my cousin were at the back seat. I was the closest to the door handle, and that was when the inner curiosity of me sparked! â€Å"Now, what is this thing for? † and voila, I was playing with the car door handle and suddenly I found myself rolling on the ground of an uphill highway.While the action was happening, my mom an d aunt were also caught in an intense activity: Gossiping. Yup, they were there chit-chatting while I was outside, rip rolling. Since my two sisters and my cousin saw my fall, they panicked and then started shouting, â€Å"Ma! Si Ima, nahulog! †, but since my mom’s activity was more interesting than mine, they had to shut the kids up, â€Å"Kids, quiet! †. Then my sisters started crying. That’s when my mom and aunt started to notice my absence. And at last, they panicked too. They went chasing for me, trying to save me from the rushing cars. But wait!They forgot to turn on the brakes! Oh no, our car is sliding down the hill! What to do? Oh my— ~ Well, I’m here now so you know I was saved. It was a very long day, indeed. One day my mom would never ever forget. But hey, I learned. (I now know what that ‘thing’ is for! And I now know when to and when not to use those car locks, thank you. ) Anyway, I find myself having a little bit of Equality 7-2521 also because I often find pride in things I know I have done well in. Passing the UPCAT is one of the perfect examples. Having my family congratulate me, I find pride in myself.I know that I have done well, and I know that I could do more, and so the learning continues. Moving on from the main characters, another prominent concept in the novella was the society. The society presented on Anthem is so wrong. The people there are under so much fear and are dehumanized. Their society promotes absolute collectivism where they are all one and one is all. They accept few, if not none at all, changes. Everyone is of equal importance as everyone. Freedom of speech is cut off. Men can’t speak to women, they were not able to show their emotions to them, and they can’t even have houses of their own!Though it could be classified as a utopian society on other perspectives, description from Equality 7-2521 made it totally a dystopian society. â€Å"We are nothing . Mankind is all. By the grace of our brothers are we allowed our lives. We exist through, by, and for our brothers who are the state. Amen. † –Palace of the World Council Their society reminded me of how North Korea is today. Although I may not know what their actual situation is at the moment, description from the media around the world truly rings the bell. It brings fear deep down my bones.Society of no social stratification, no freedom of speech, everything and nothing is owned by everyone and no one. A society completely isolated from the rest of the world, North Korea could well focus on itself and not worry on how other countries are doing, and since they focus on themselves, no one would be left starving, everybody will be of equal rights with everyone. I think this is what North Korea claims itself to be though I’m pretty sure ‘country without social stratification’ is pretty far from what they are now. The government and society in Anthem also made me think of the government and the society of our own country.As for the Philippines, I don’t think the concept of Anthem’s society might be applicable because of the fact that freedom of speech is already presented and is of practice today in the Philippines. Also, the presence of a free and nationwide media in our country made it more liberal than that of Anthem’s. The fact that Philippines is a democracy, too, can be of great evidence that our country is not with the like of that of Anthem’s. Everyone of the right mind is free to vote and free to speak. Take this reflection paper for example; I have every right to say what I want to, though I know I would suffer the consequences of my actions.Everyone is allowed to think otherwise. Everyone has the right to choose for themselves what their â€Å"rights† and â€Å"wrongs† are. Men are allowed to merry another and have kids of their own. Families are able to build houses they can live in and start a new life. Filipinos, along with other people of other countries, could study whenever they want to and work whenever as long as time and money permits. They have the free will of choosing their school, acquiring their jobs, and retiring after they do. Everyone is allowed to choose their religion. Everyone is allowed to love without being asked why.Chickens could cross the street without their motives being questioned. However, I may not completely forget the fact that, somehow, there might be some resemblances from Anthem’s society with the Philippines’. â€Å"The Home of the Useless†, â€Å"The Palace of Corrective Detention†, â€Å"The Palace of Mating†, â€Å"The Home of the Students†Ã¢â‚¬â€ All of which symbolizes branches of our system, though might be different in intensity than Anthem’s. Also, the home of the scholars could be of comparison with our senate system. We could be compared to them in terms of pr ogress and how slow our system could be.Although I know that we are still on the verge of growing and improving more, I have not lost my hopes for the Philippines. As for whether or not this society is possible on earth in the future, I don’t think so. I don’t think such absolute collectivism/communism is possible to be achieved. I believe that in achieving this society, first we’ll be in need of restarting; restarting everything from Adam and Eve. No one should know anything. Every book must be burned and every data on the internet must be erased. The whole world should go back to zero, or else absolute collectivism (like with the story Anthem) would be inconceivable. ———————————————— ————————————————- Anthem, in general, taught me how colle ctivism could be of destruction to a society. I reflected on few things about concepts such as collectivism, individualism, finding your true self, and finding your true purpose. I have made use of my new learnings about these things, and I know that would use them at one point in my life where I could be searching for answers on whether or not, why or why nots. These concepts could be of new references that I know I could consider whenever I am learning. ———————————————— ————————————————- I have a general feel of gloom and depression through-out the story. With how Equality 7-2521 dictates his society to us, I felt sorry for him and also for the society. In a nutshell, I liked the story. I enjoyed it and have reflected a lot of things from it. Although, what I d id not like about the book was not the story but the author’s philosophy itself. By the end of the novella, Equality 7-2521 and Liberty 5-3000 have run away from their society to discover their own truth and start a new society of their own.This truth leads to self-worshipping and calling themselves gods, and further stating that they have no obligation to other men. I have to strongly disagree with this idea. I am sorry to say Ayn Rand started with a great idea of individualism and ended in a train wreck of selfish isolation. *I would like to recommend this book to anyone who would want to reflect and re-evaluate their existences on certain aspects. This book presented a different outlook of the concept â€Å"I†, which you could reflect on greatly. Though, I’m not saying that this is the best book possible, it is still worth the read.

Fire Department Essay

Mission Statement: To prevent and minimize the loss of life and property threatened by the hazards of fire, medical, and rescue emergencies, hazardous materials incidents, and disaster situations within the community. History: Prior to the 1956 incorporation of Fremont, the area was comprised of five large unincorporated communities: Irvington, Mission San Jose, Centerville, Niles, and Warm Springs. Each of these communities had its own volunteer fire department and elected its own Chief Officers. Originally, the departments were just hose cart operations. When the City of Fremont incorporated in 1956 it had a population of 22,493 and it immediately implemented a Public Safety department. Two years later, the Public Safety department was disbanded, and the Fremont Fire Department was formed. At that time, the Warm Springs fire station was only staffed between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. When the sole firefighter on duty at the Warm Springs station went home, he would answer a â€Å"hot line† at his home for any emergencies, then respond to the fire station to activate the siren, summoning the other volunteers. When they arrived, they would respond together to the emergency. Slowly, throughout the 1960’s, all firehouses began staffing 24 hours a day. In 1969, volunteer firefighters were pushed out and full time paid firefighters staffed all stations. Individual stations history: 1. Station 1 at the corner of Mowry and Argonaut was built in 1963 and provided coverage for the central business district. 2. Once the home of the bustling movie company Essanay Studios, Niles became the home to the present Station 2, which was built on Second Street in 1952. 3. Station 3, in the Irvington District, was first built in 1939 on Washington Boulevard, then relocated in 1979 to its present site on Chapel Way. 4. The district of Mission San Jose housed Station 4, first located on Anza Way in 1954, then welcomed its relocation at Pine and Paseo-Padre Parkway with a grand opening on Saturday, June 23, 1990. 5. Warm Springs’ Station 5, first situated on Warm Springs Boulevard in 1946, was rebuilt in 1992 at the same location but turned on the property to now be assigned a Hackamore Lane address. 6. The Centerville Station 6, built in 1954, became the fire department headquarters when the City formed in 1956, and housed the dispatch center until 1963. After more than five decades of faithful service, Fire Station 6 was decommissioned in January 2009 and a new Fire Station 6 was welcomed into service on Central Avenue. 7. Station 7, built in 1964 at the corner of South Grimmer and Durham, provided coverage for Fremont’s industrial area. Today, it includes a classroom which is used by the Explorers for continued training. 8. To keep up with the building boom of the early ’70’s, Station 8 was constructed on Darwin Drive in 1971. Originally, the building was planned for just two years of use but stayed in service for an additional 35 years. The Darwin Drive firehouse was finally retired from service in 2008 and replaced by the new Station 8 on Fremont Blvd. 9. Station 9, located on Stevenson Place, was placed in service for the first time at 10:33 p.m. on April 27, 1992. Engine Company 9’s first incident occurred 20 minutes later when they responded to a request for medical aid at the Fremont Jail. 10. Dedicated on November 3, 1990, and followed by a grand opening on Saturday, January 19, 1991, Station 10 on Deep Creek Road complemented the existing coverage in north Fremont. 11. In 2010 Station 11 was completed. Located in the industrial area of Fremont on Gateway Blvd. This new multi-million dollar station is currently out of service do to understaffing.

How I would interpret and stage the supernatural in ‘Macbeth’ Essay

Macbeth is a thrilling, tragic play written by William Shakespeare. Macbeth was written in the early sixteen hundreds, however the play is set in the early 11th century. The play was written in the Jacobean times, during this time King James the first wrote a book called ‘Demonology’. This book was based on witchcraft, which was contemporary at the time. This could of inspired Shakespeare to incorporate the supernatural into Macbeth. The opening of Macbeth is very dramatic and theatrical. It opens with thunder and lightening this is visually arresting. In those days they would have used torches or candles to create the lightening and probably a sheet of metal, which they would shake to generate the illusion of thunder. However compared to the effects of today this is all very basic. In today’s world lasers are used to produce the false impression of lightening. These modern methods of creating illusions are visually stimulating, but as the language in the sixteen hundreds is much more complex as it uses a lot of imagery; this can be mentally stimulating as it creates images in your mind you, which can be just as effective as new technology. You can see this when Lady Macbeth says. â€Å"Come you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty;† (Lady Macbeth Act 1, Scene V. Lines 38-41) During the thunder and lightening three witches enter, they only appear in three scenes of the play but their effect is all persuasive. Every time the witches speak it is very important what they have to say. Even though the witches are cackling they have to be clear enough as the audience needs to know what is said. When the witches speak they have a chanting sound. This is created by rhyming couplets â€Å"again† and â€Å"rain† this is followed by a tipple rhyme â€Å"done† â€Å"won† â€Å"sun†. In this opening scene the witches say two important things. The first is that they are going to meet with Macbeth. â€Å"There to meet with Macbeth.† (Third Witch Act 1 Scene 1 Line 8) The second is, â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;† (All Witches Act1 Scene1 Lines 11-12) This is saying that what is good and innocent on the outside, maybe bad and corrupt on the inside. This is referring to Macbeth. These quotes raise questions amongst the audience – Why? Why Macbeth? However the answers lie in the audiences understanding of witchcraft and how it creates mischief and evil. These ideas are contemporary to Shakespeare even though the play is set 500 years earlier. Macbeth is the instrument of witches because the witches know that there is something in him which is bad and corrupt hence â€Å"Fair is Foul, and foul is fair† saying. This scene echoes a major theme of the play which is, â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;† (All Witches Act1 Scene1 Lines 11-12). This saying could affect how you would make the witches appear. I think if I was directing Macbeth, I would make at least one of the witches look attractive and young to show innocence, because this would prove that â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair;† However in Shakespeare makes the witches look old and withered, you know this when the witches meet with Macbeth and Banquo, and Banquo describes them when he says. â€Å"What are these, So withered, and so wild in their attrie, That look not like th’ inhabitants o’ th’ earth,† (Banquo Act1 Scene3 lines 39-41) This is traditional interpretation on how the witches look like. The witches cannot kill people personally so they use people or the weather as instruments to do it for them. At the beginning of Act 1 scene 3 we learn how limited the witches powers are. They tell us a story about a sailor’s wife and how they keep her husband out to sea by manipulating the weather. â€Å"I’ll drain him dry as hay;† (First Witch Act1 Scene3 line 19) Some people argue weather that this part with the witches should not be in the play as they say it slows down the excitement of the play, and this would be the time during the play when the audience would get up for some refreshments. Nevertheless I think that this is a vital part of the play as it may explain why the witches have involved Macbeth into their wicked ways to cause pandemonium and evil. In Act 1 Scene 3 Macbeth says his first words in the play these are: â€Å"So foul and fair a day I have not seen.† (Act1 Scene3 line38) These words echo what the witches said at the end of Act1 Scene1, and this links Macbeth with the witches straight away. If I were directing the play I would have Macbeth and Banquo at the back of the stage and the witches in front of them, to emphasize there evil I would have a red spotlight shone on the witches and a smoke machine to create an eerie atmosphere. Macbeth and Banquo then see the witches and they greet each other. Each of the witches greet Macbeth personally the first witch says â€Å"All hail Macbeth , hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!† (Act1 Scene 3 Line 46) â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!† (Act1 Scene 3 Line 47,48) â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, that shalt be King here after!† (Line 49,50) As you can see each comment becomes higher in rank, to King. Banquo response is. â€Å"Are ye fantastical† (Act 1 Scene 3 Line 53) Then Banquo asks the witches to tell him his own future. The witches reply and say: â€Å"Lesser than Macbeth, and greater.† â€Å"Thou shalt get kings, though thou be none. So all hail Macbeth and Banquo!† These comments that the witches say have now set the events in motion by motivating Macbeth, this has also sealed Banquo fate as Macbeth would need to kill him so that he cant be farther consequently Macbeth’s family is on the throne longer. Banquo is right to mistrust them and he warns Macbeth when he says: â€Å"And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us honest trifles, to betray’s In deepest consequence† (Banquo Act 1 Scene 3 Line 124-127) This sums up exactly how the witches work they use people as instruments to manipulate them. Macbeth wants to know more about these preposterous comments made by the Witches, but all of a sudden they vanish. In Shakespearian times they would of used a trap door to create the effect of a disappearance. However today a trap door is still used. When the witches tell Macbeth about the future, it could have awoken or planted the seeds of evil within his soul. The word â€Å"murder† comes into his mind and â€Å"Horrible imaginings†. However the witches cant guide him all the way to evil it will be up to himself and his wife. But he could still hope to be crowed he says, â€Å"Chance they crown me†. As of Scottish succession, which could make him king because if all the royals who are in battle die in Scotland’s war against Norway, he could be the last man standing this makes his crime double heinous. By the time we see the witches again. Macbeth has murdered Duncan, his best friend Banquo and has become a tyrant. However before this there are two instances of the supernatural. The first is when Macbeth is about to execute the kill on King Duncan. He sees a dagger, he goes for it and Macbeth’s hand goes right through it. â€Å"A dagger of the mind, a false creation, Proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain?† (Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 Lines 38-39) This could have been sent by the witches to give him a push but it is unnecessary as he is already going in that direction, consequently the witches influence no longer matters because he has already taken control. He then draws his own dagger, but all of a sudden the vision changes to a bloody dagger. â€Å"And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, Which was not so before.† (Macbeth Act 2 Scene 1 lines 46-47) Then Macbeth starts to talk about which craft Pale Hecate and murder. In them days the stories about Pale Hecate are relevant so Shakespeare puts them in so that the audience can create there own supernatural images. However today you would not include it because of the technology available to create holograms and illusions with lasers. You can see this in Polanski’s version of the play he uses lasers to create the dagger. The other instance of the supernatural is when Macbeth sees Banquo’s ghost in Act 3 Scene 4. You could stage this in 2 ways. You could have the actor that played Banquo made to look like a ghost, or you could have nothing there so that you would see Macbeth talking to a stool. I would have him talking to a stool because if you had a ghost the audience will see that he is actually seeing one, but if I don’t, and you have Macbeth talking to a stool the audience will believe that he had gone insane. Shakespeare keeps the throne where Macbeth sits empty because this will be the place where the ghost appears, so he has Macbeth socializing with his friends. â€Å"Ourself will mingle with society,† (Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4 line 2) Then Macbeth sees that the tables full because Banquo is sitting in his place. Only Macbeth can see the ghost and that’s why Lennox says â€Å"Here is a place reserved, sir.† (Lennox Act 3 Scene 4 line 45) Macbeth recognises the ghost of Banquo is sat in his place at the table; he believes this is a joke by someone who may know he called for Banquo’s murder. ‘Which of you have done this?’ (Macbeth Act 3 Scene 4 line 48) In Act 4 Scene 1 Macbeth goes to consult the witches, this own decision to do this. Therefore the witches have captivated Macbeth. The opening of this scene is really about giving the audience a thrill. The witches are conducting an evil spell they use horrible ingredients for it like, â€Å"Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,† (Second witch Act 4 Scene 1 line14) In them days this would of pleased the groundlings. If I were to stage this scene I would have a big cauldron in the middle of the stage with all the witches gathered around, I would have a red spot light shone on them all and a smoke machine so it would look like the cauldron is giving off smoke, this would create an hazy atmosphere. For the ingredients I would have them as nasty and as uninviting as possible this would make the witches even more repulsive to the audience, therefore entertaining the audience. Once they have finished the spell Macbeth knocks at the door of the witches home, then ironically a witch says, â€Å"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:† (Second witch Act 4 Scene1line 45) Macbeth enters the witch’s home a he is determined to know the future, no matter what the cost. â€Å"I conjure you, by that which you profess, however you come to know it, answer me.† (Macbeth Act 4 Scene 1 line 50-51) The witches oblige him with three apparitions. The 1st apparition is an armed head this could be interpreted as Macduff, or Macbeth’s head or ‘the head of rebellion’. The 2nd apparition is a bloody child. This is referring to Macbeth being ripped from his mother’s womb untimely. This could imply that he was born via cesarean section which in them days was not normal this could explain why Macbeth has turned wicked. The last apparition is a child crowned with a tree in his hand; this could be interpreted as Malcolm or James 1st. They all assume that Malcolm is intended in that he gives the order to hew down branches, although it could be about James 1st. It was known that James 1st was crowned in the cradle, so the tree could be a family tree. Shakespeare would of stages these apparitions using just actors and props, for the armed head they could of used a fake head with armor on it, and for the other two apparitions they could of just used a real child and used make up to create the illusion of blood. However in the 21st century the effects you can create for this scene are overwhelming for the armed head its possible to have a real head floating in mid-air, this can be done using holograms. The same techniques could be used to create illusions for the rest of the apparitions. If I were to stage ‘Macbeth’ today I would make a film rather than a play doing this would enable me to input more special effects. I would go along the same route as Pulaski’s version because I liked how he made one of the witches young and beautiful to echo the â€Å"Fair is foul† saying. After reading the play, I’m bewildered, how could a potential hero be so taken in, unless he wanted to be? I think from birth Macbeth had something evil in him that needed someone or something to trigger the evilness off, so I believe that the witches were the ones that pulled the trigger that resulted in the total destruction of Macbeth.

American Government And Rights

The individual freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment are widely regarded as essential to the maintenance of a democratic system. Specifically, the First Amendment states the â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. The First Amendment freedoms protect the legitimacy of philosophical, political, and ethical pluralism.The concept of pluralism entails tolerance of diversity in social, political, and religious points of view, that is, acknowledgement that different judgments on these subjects all have a right to be held and advocated. Karen O’Connor, author of the book American Government: Continuity and Change states that students must be able to understand how the American government was able to develop so that they can understand how the Am erican government evolved over the years (O’Connor & Sabato, 2009).This paper looks at the different issues in the area of civil liberties encompassing women’s rights, affirmative action, and suffrage, at the same time, maintaining that these constitute vested rights of a higher order than economic or social values because civil liberties constitute the essence of the democratic political process itself. Constraints of Congress over bureaucracy The power relationships between Congress, interest groups, judiciary and bureaucracy were discussed in Chapter 12 of Politics in America by Thomas Dye, Tucker Gibson and Clay Robison.He outlined several checks employed by Congress in terms of the bureaucracy that include its function in confirming appointments, conducting committee hearings on programs in the implementation and formulation phases, oversight functions which come in the form of congressional inquiries on the operations of the civil services and more importantly Co ngress use of the power of the purse or its discretion on the allocation of appropriations in checking the bureaucracy.Other constraints of Congress over the bureaucracy is manifested in statutes that include â€Å"The Administrative Procedures Act of 1946† (APA) which mandates government instrumentalities to place proposed rules in the Federal Register, solicit comments, and hold hearings. In addition, the Freedom of Information Act of 1966 (FOIA) provides citizens a formal route for compelling agencies to give out information, with some broad exceptions. Interest groups serve as lobbying agents of bureaucracy and act as watchdogs of society for erring bureaucrats.Interest groups are called upon for their policy recommendations in congress and bureaucracy. The judiciary deliberates on cases dealing with alleged overstepping of authority and they can issue injunctions on programs of a particular government agency. Under the system, several safety nets were instituted to mitig ate potential abuses by the bureaucracy as stated in the Constitution. Reforms in the bureaucracy will succeed when it is implemented in a sustainable manner and with a good dose of political will. The latter is based on prioritizing the needs of the majority and that which is geared towards the common good.It is imperative that government officials regard themselves as public servants and not politicians; in this context they are transcending a myopic perception of their responsibility because they are primarily considering their constituents’ interest above anyone and anything else. The U. S. Constitution The U. S. Constitution has adopted an expanded meaning of the U. S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment to incorporate progressively more of the guarantees in the federal Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights limits the national government’s criminal law and trial procedures only in federal courts.Most crimes, however, are violations of state law, and most crimi nal trials are resolved at that level. It is only through the ambiguous phrase of the Fourteenth Amendment that â€Å"no State shall deny any person life, liberty or property without due process of law†¦Ã¢â‚¬  that the U. S. Constitution imposes any restriction on state criminal procedures. The Constitution creates factions among the three branches though the separation of powers. A faction running Congress may face a rival in control of the presidency and the executive branch. Controlling both might face a truculent judicial branch of holdovers from an earlier regime.The separation of powers and checks and balances assure that no one group will be able to dominate the national government. Conflicts or possible corroboration for dominance comes with the encroachment by one branch to another or with duplication of functions. The Constitution established a structure that the mutual relation by all the branches would keep them in their proper places. (Madison, The Federalist 51, Cigler, 1998 ). The creation of three different branches chosen in different ways at different times ensures that policy will be made through bargaining and compromise.Regardless of the separation embodied in the Constitution, the different branches will actually share powers. The checks and balances set up very little dependence between the branches. The permanent tenure of appointments in the Judiciary reinforces its independence from the other branches. The Constitution provides the deviation in the principle of equality to fortify the judiciary. It also admitted the weaker one posing threats or committing encroachments to other branches among the three. The lifetime term of magistrates destroys any possible dependence to the conferring authority.(Madison, The Federalist 51, Cigler 1998). The division into different departments of the legislature chosen in different ways and with different principles of action ensures a level playing field with the executive. Conflicts were expe cted to occur from time to time between the legislative and the executive. The division in the legislature is to balance the weight of its authority and fortify the executive’s (Madison, The Federalist 51, Cigler 1998). The separation of powers impedes the influence of those who have less by ensuring that if this group gains access to one branch, that branch will be checked by another branch.The Constitution provides that â€Å"influence to government should be proportionate to property (Hofstadter, The Founding Fathers: an Age of Realism, Cigler 1998). † If small landowners succeed in getting support from one branch, the other branch could demand for other checks and balances, a sufficient evidence of property ownership. Election policy The Constitution’s election policy ensures that the working class and others who have less, uniting as a majority, could not gain influence in the government.The Philadelphia Enterprise had no intention of extending liberties to those without properties (Hofstadter, The Founding Fathers: an Age of Realism, Cigler 1998). Only white males â€Å"with property and principle† were allowed to vote. The Constitution staggers elections to bring into the national government new issues as they arise over time. The necessary actions that often include bargaining and compromise have been addressed prior to elective officials seeking of new mandate. The staggering of elections makes it impossible for the masses to quickly and easily influence the government.The right to vote was not provided by the Constitution. The Convention was not interested to extend liberty to the ‘men without property in principle’ back home. The people they meant were in â€Å"consent of the people† (Hofstadter, The Founding Fathers: an Age of Realism, Cigler 1998) as the foundation of the government were actually the small landowners – men with small properties who were categorized as stakeholders proportionat e to their assets. The hard truth is, not just suffrage but all other rights were not mentioned and defined in the Constitution.According to statistics, only 54%, an alarmingly low number, of eligible voters cast their ballots in the last four decades of presidential election (Carleton, n. d. ). Apparent civilian apathy is happening especially among those from the low-income bracket and those belonging within the age bracket of 18-25 years old. Why don’t these people vote? The numbers of reasons cited are: â€Å"They feel ignored by politicians; they feel their vote doesn’t really count; and they say that they don’t get the kind of information they need to make an informed decision (Clinton, 2000).I will state three reasons why the people of America should vote: it is our privilege; it is our right; and it is a hallmark of our culture of representative democracy. Voting is a privilege because it is not everybody’s birthright to participate in the selecti on of a country’s leaders. Suffrage is being mandated by the laws of the land and conferred among its people; it can be constrained to some areas or to some part of the population. In fact in our history, this right is used to be reserved to the wealthy, white males of society. Thus, let us not forget that Martin Luther King Jr.marched from Selma to Montgomery Alabama, magnifying the voting issues, which led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. There were also the women suffrage fighters who suffered persecution and loathe until the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution has been ratified. In come countries, like Afghanistan, electorates will walk for days before reaching their precinct, some would even line up for hours in order to cast their votes. More than two centuries ago, our founding fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence setting us free from the British rule.â€Å"Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just power from the consent of the governmen t. † These are the words written and immortalized by the Thomas Jefferson, a former president and one of the founding fathers. The phrase â€Å"consent of the governed† marked the cornerstone of our democracy. When we vote, we acknowledgement the principles by which our sovereign state adheres to – we are demonstrating to the world that we live in a free nation and are proud of it. Women’s right movement In the aftermath of suffrage, white women’s racial attitudes ranged from intolerance to neglect to engagement.At one extreme, the resurgent Ku Klux Klan established a Women’s KKK, which in 1924 claimed a membership of a quarter million. More typical was the dismissal of race by younger radicals such as Alice Paul, the charismatic leader of the self-identified feminists, who had helped revive the U. S. suffrage movement. Borrowing the militant tactics of the British suffragettes, they had chained themselves to the White House fence and survive d hunger strikes in jail. This refusal to acknowledge racism recurred in the anti-Semitism of the women’s movement.Like African Americans, Jewish women had formed their own clubs in response to exclusion from white Christian organizations. Although Jewish women supported suffrage more often than other groups, the suffrage movement had ignored their cultural life when it scheduled conventions and parades on the Jewish Sabbath. Voting is an obligation because it is a direct participation to determine the welfare of the nation. During Elections, every voter is a statesman, carrying a personal responsibility of choosing the best persons to run the country. â€Å"It is the most powerful tool that we have . . . vote does everything . . . It wins wars. It loses wars.† say country artist Ronnie Dunn (Barbieri, n. d. ). The women’s right movement during the Progressive Era was concerned with women suffrage. In the 1800s women were becoming more educated, their roles were slowly shifting as society gradually adjusted to intellectual women who knew politics and other concerns previously under the male’s domain. This awakening period made most of these educated women question the norms, especially their lack of stand during elections. The movement at this time was focused on the right to vote, as the fighters believe that winning suffrage will just be the beginning of other women’s right in the society.It was also a struggle to prove that women can be just as good as men. In the 1960s, however, women’s right movements cover a broader scope. It was also called the liberation movement. Liberation in a sense that women were deemed as caged by the rules set by society. Gaining suffrage is not enough when a woman’s full potential as an individual is not met. Before the 1960s, women could not pursue a career, nor venture into affairs that were considered unfashionable for a lady, such as politics and business.Her main concern is the home, taking care of the family and always exuding that feminine grace and aura. The leaders of the movements rebelled against this painted picture of the woman, insisting that they have far greater substance to be considered as mere â€Å"beauty objects† and â€Å"sex objects† (Sawhney). At this time, the enlightened woman welcomed the arrival of the contraceptive pill, legalization of abortion and career life without the feeling of guilt. Male chauvinism was also deeply criticized. Affirmative Action There is perhaps a need to establish goals in affirmative action plans on that basis.It would be good to note that our organization undertakes recruitment efforts to ensure that underutilized minorities and women are represented in the applicant pool. The proper equal employment opportunity is the core concept that harmonizes the diversity and Affirmative Action efforts. It is a fact that management acknowledges that everyone must have that equal access to employment opportunities. It has been our long standing goal to prohibit discrimination based on different characteristics. If there are Affirmative Action policies, then the company can have clear guidelines on how this would best be implemented.We need to take concrete steps that are taken not only to eliminate employment discrimination but also to attempt to redress the effects of past discrimination. Indeed, the underlying motive for affirmative action is the principle of equal opportunity, which holds that all persons with equal abilities should have equal opportunities. Affirmative action programs differ widely to the extent to which they attempt to overturn discrimination (Encyclopedia of Small Business, p. 1). Some programs might simply institute reviews of the hiring process for women, minorities, and other affected groups.Other affirmative action programs might explicitly prefer members of affected groups. In such programs, minimum job requirements are used to create a pool of quali fied applicants from which members of affected groups are given preference. Affirmative action affects small businesses in two main ways. First, it prevents businesses with 15 or more employees from discriminating on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, and physical capability in practices relating to hiring, compensating, promoting, training, and firing employees.Second, it allows the state and federal governments to favor women-owned and minority-owned businesses when awarding contracts, and to reject bids from businesses that do not make good faith efforts to include minority-owned businesses among their subcontractors (para 2). The interpretation and implementation of affirmative action has been contested since its origins in the 1960s. A central issue of contention was the definition of discriminatory employment practices. The discriminatory employment practices as listed by the Department of Administration and Equal Opportunity (p.1) include: gender identi ty, sexual orientation, race discrimination, sex discrimination, sexual harassment, religious discrimination, national origin discrimination, disability discrimination, and retaliation. As the interpretation of positive discrimination evolved, employment practices that were not intentionally discriminatory but that nevertheless had a â€Å"disparate impact† on affected groups were considered a violation of affirmative action regulations (Encyclopedia of Small Business, section 2).Another central issue was whether members of affected groups could receive preferential treatment and, if so, the means by which they could be preferred. This issue is sometimes referred to as the debate over quotas. Nevertheless, even if people say that minorities now use Affirmative Action as a means to get promotions that they do not deserve, still, management can be more meticulous in taking all aspects into consideration. Everything being equal, people must not be rewarded because they fall into a certain class of people. That is not the original purpose of Affirmative Action.Conclusion Currently, the United States is the most powerful nation on earth. It wields great influence in the international scene as no other country can and this emerges because of the country’s wealth as well as its strategic global alliances. The government projects an image of international sentinel against the â€Å"bad boys,† the terrorist and the extremists. It also assumes within its control the task of defending the underdog against the supposed bullies, which are the nations ruled by tyrants or those that coddles communists and terrorists.One hundred years ago, the United States was just an emerging super power, while enjoying the growing wealth from its industrialist economy. As expected, there is a huge difference between the United States’ international standing in 1906 and today. As the US gains more wealth, it also earns more voice and authority in international af fairs. References Affirmative Action. Encyclopedia of Small Business. Retrieved Feb. 2, 2009 at:

Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Business Environment - Essay Example That is on a rough estimate from 2.1 to 3.1 million tones. At the same time world production of green tea is expected to grow at a faster rate of around 4.5 percent on an annual basis for the next ten years. During this time FAO expects that tea production would outstrip the consumption part (Agritrade, 2009). Tea is basically grown in thirty six tropical and semitropical nations. Twenty one of these are from the ACP region. The first six biggest producer countries include; China, India, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and turkey in that respect. This group accounts for eighty percent of the global output. However, it is only less than half of the production which is exported. This is because China and India are major consumers of their own productions. Since the period of 1993-95, global tea production has grown by around two percent. At the same time, consumption in Western states has less than matched this growth by only increasing by a one percentage upward move. In the year 2007, the world tea consumption was on a virtual stagnation point. The increase was quite minimal rising from 3.649 to 3.668 million tones on the basis of the year before. However, in a number of developing countries, the production pace has matched the consumption rate or in other states. In other cases it has fallen short of consumption demands. In this period, China’s consumption overtook that of India as a result of a thirteen point six percentage increase. It is also worthy mentioning that the United Kingdom purchases roughly half of the consumption of the European segment (Agritrade, 2009). The global production of tea witnessed a 2.3 percent growth rate in the year 2007 which saw production levels hit the 3.7 million tones level. It is the Chinese production that accounted for thirty point six percent of the total production, closely followed

Analysis of the main forces driving the market for Essay

Analysis of the main forces driving the market for - Essay Example The first spike in the price of oil occurred in 1974, when the price of oil shot up to more than $10 a barrel as a result of the Arab embargo on oil owing to the Arab-Israeli war in September 1973. This was a significant event in the history of oil, as it demonstrated the power of oil in its impact on world economics and politics. (Williams, L.J. Oil Price History and Analysis). The period from 1974 to 1978 world oil prices remained more or less stable and turbulence free. Prices remained in the $12 to $14 a barrel range. (Williams, L.J. Oil Price History and Analysis). However two political incidents were soon to disturb this period of calmness. The Shah of Iran was deposed in 1979 and a theocratic government with a strong anti-American stance emerged from this revolution in Iran. This was enough to trigger a sharp rise in the price of oil around the world and was compounded by the Iraqi invasion of Iran in 1980 and as a result oil prices jumped to $40 a barrel. (Sjuggerud, S. Dr. History of Oil: The Single Greatest Prize in All History). This spurt in oil prices was to have two reactions. Exploration for oil in countries outside the OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) became more frenetic on one side and the OPEC countries increased production to stabilize prices leading to a drop in prices and by mid 1986 prices of oil dipped to as low as $10 a barrel with the increased production of oil outside the OPEC countries and within the OPEC countries. (Williams, L.J. Oil Price History and Analysis). In an effort to raise the low prices of oil, OPEC brought in a quota of production for the member countries and fixed a price objective of $18 a barrel in December 1986. This self enforced discipline by OPEC showed signs of failing even by early 1987, with member countries overshooting the production quotas