King Lear - Theme Of Blindness Essays - King Lear, British Films

King Lear - Theme of Blindness In Shakespearean terms, blinds means a whole different thing. Blindness can normally be defined as the inability of the eye to see, but according to Shakespeare, blindness is not a physical quality, but a mental flaw some people possess. Shakespeare's most dominant theme in his play King Lear is that of blindness. King Lear, Gloucester, and Albany are three prime examples Shakespeare incorporates this theme into. Each of these character's blindness was the primary cause of the bad decisions they made; decisions which all of them would eventually come to regret. The blindest bat of all was undoubtedly King Lear. Because of Lear's high position in society, he was supposed to be able to distinguish the good from the bad; unfortunately, his lack of sight prevented him to do so. Lear's first act of blindness came at the beginning of the play. First, he was easily deceived by his two eldest daughters' lies, then, he was unable to see the reality of Cordelia's true love for him, and as a result, banished her from his kingdom with the following words: ?..................................for we Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see That face of her again. Therefore be gone Without our grace, our love, our benison.? (Act I, Sc I, Ln 265-267) Lear's blindness also caused him to banish one of his loyal followers, Kent. Kent was able to see Cordelia's true love for her father, and tried to protect her from her blind father's irrationality. After Kent was banished, he created a disguise for himself and was eventually hired by Lear as a servant. Lear's inability to determine his servant's true identity proved once again how blind Lear actually was. As the play progressed, Lear's eyesight reached closer to 20/20 vision. He realized how wicked his two eldest daughters really were after they locked him out of the castle during a tremendous storm. More importantly, Lear saw through Cordelia's lack of flatterings and realized that her love for him was so great that she couldn't express it into words. Unfortunately, Lear's blindness ended up costing Cordelia her life and consequently the life of himself. Gloucester was another example of a character who suffered from an awful case of blindness. Gloucester's blindness denied him of the ability to see the goodness of Edgar and the evil of Edmund. Although Edgar was the good and loving son, Gloucester all but disowned him. He wanted to kill the son that would later save his life. Gloucester's blindness began when Edmund convinced him by the means of a forged letter that Edgar was plotting to kill him. Gloucester's lack of sight caused him to believe Edmund was the good son and prevented him from pondering the idea of Edmund being after his earldom. Near the end of the play, Gloucester finally regained his sight and realized that Edgar saved his life disguised as Poor Tom and loved him all along. He realized that Edmund planned to take over the earldom and that he was the evil son of the two. Gloucester's famous line: ?I stumbled when I saw? (Act IV, Sc I, Ln 20-21) was ironic. His inability to see the realities of his sons occurred when he had his physical sight but was mentally blind; but his ability to see the true nature of his sons occurred after having his eyes plucked out by the Duke of Cornwall. Fortunately, the consequences of Gloucester's blindness throughout the play was minimal, after all, he was the only one to die as a result of his tragic flaw. Albany was another character suffering from the classic case of blindness, but luckily for him, he survived his battle. Albany's case of blindness was purely a result of the love he had for Goneril. Although he disapproved of Goneril's actions, he would only mildly argue his case. When Goneril forced Lear to reduce his army so that he could stay in their castle, Albany protested: ? I cannot be so partial, Goneril, To the great love I bear You -? (Act I, Sc IV, Ln 309-310) Albany's deep devotion to Goneril blinded him from the evil she possessed. His inability to realize how greedy and mean Goneril was after she

The Equality of Women in Chaucers Wife of Bath essays

The Equality of Women in Chaucers Wife of Bath essays The Equality of Women in Chaucers Wife of Bath There have been many different interpretations of what Geoffrey Chaucer stood for, but one of the most argued is that of the equality of women. As seen in several of Chaucers works, this is especially exhibited in the Canterbury Tales. Although some scholars debate that he was only writing down what he saw in his present society, others insist that he was very much an advocate for the equality of women. With his character the Wife of Bath, Chaucer is able to show how Renaissance women lived under the submission of men before and during marriage, where they stood after marriage, and how that they dreamed for the equality of women. The women that lived during the Renaissance Period were principally submissive under men. According to Margaret Hallissy, Whatever her estate, woman needs rules. She needs them because she is fallen, fallen through Eve, whose punishment was to be subordinate to her husband, as are all her daughters to their husbands in their turn, to the end of time (9).This statement shows the attitude toward women during the Renaissance time period. Women were to do what they were told and if they did not then the man could punish them just as God punishes man. The Wife of Bath talks about this happening in her fifth marriage when she tears out pages from her husband's book. She said that he struck her so hard on the side of the head that she lost the hearing in that ear (Chaucer, 213). Chaucer also displayed the subjugation of women even before this when the Wife of Bath was talking about her first marriage which took place at the age of twelve years old. She did not have a choice in the matter of marriage. She was married at the age of twelve because that was what she was told to do by her father. She left home and became a wife. The only equality that women had in this time was in sexuality within the marria...

How to Get Reviews †Without Cheating

How to Get Reviews – Without Cheating Writing a novel is hard work, but selling it can be even harder. A plethora of tremendous novels sit out there with meager sales and paltry reviews. Dont let yours get lost in the crowd. Follow these four tips to start garnering honest, real reviews thatll help your book stand out among the rest. Before we get started, lets discuss (cheating) paying for reviews. Please dont do this. Not just because its morally questionable, but also because youll be wasting your money. Sites like Amazon rely on their review system, and they abhor fake reviews. You dont want to be associated with such practices. With that out of the way, lets talk about how to nail real reviews. Step One: Ask For Them! This one might seem obvious, but chances are you already missed the opportunity. Did you include a call to action in your book? Most authors dont, and its a big mistake. Add an authors note to the end your book. In it, let the readers know how important reviews are, and that if they enjoyed your book, theres no better way to help out than to write a review. Youll be surprised how many reviews this garners. Step Two: Engage Readers Accept you must become an online social butterfly, whether you like it or not. Far too many writers ignore the art of social media, or they treat it as an advertising platform instead of an opportunity to communicate directly with their fans. No one wants to add a Twitter friend who incessantly plugs their own books. Dont be that type of author. Instead, learn to enjoy interacting with your fans via social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Create these accounts, and add links to them in the authors note at the end of your novel. Readers are far more likely to post reviews of authors with whom they have direct contact. Step Three: Advertise a Sale This is where youll need to take out your wallet and spend some cash. If you want get an impressive number of reviews, then youre going to need to advertise. Pick a few days in the near future when youll put your book on sale, either for $0.99 or free, and then advertise the sale on some of the better ebook sites. Do not simply put your book on sale and sit back in the hopes that the world will take notice. Chances are, it wont. You need to light the fire Check out my article, Advertise Smarter (in next weeks issue of FundsforWriters), for tips on which sites I use to get the most bang for my buck. Step Four: Run a Contest Once you start getting some followers on social media, reward the ones who take the time to help you out. Run a contest offering to send a free, signed copy of your book to one lucky winner (in my early days, before I started printing books, I would offer signed covers. I would print covers of my book, cut them out, and sign them. Readers loved them!) All your fans have to do is write a review, and then send you an email letting you know. Stretch the contest out over a month to allow readers the chance to finish the book, and you might be pleasantly surprised how many people do it. Just dont think the contest will run itself. Market it like you would your book or your appearances! Follow these four steps and youll be well on your way to amassing an impressive number of honest reviews from readers. Good luck, and keep writing! (**see the follow-up piece to his one, Advertise Smarter, at this link)

Discussion board 5 - international law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discussion board 5 - international law - Essay Example There is evidence, however, that the KP has done very little in solving the world’s climate problems. Even though the treaty was negotiated in 1997, energy-related emissions had grown 24%, and that only limited financial resources had been provided by developing countries to assist them in reducing their emissions. Another criticism of the KP is based upon what Liverman (2008) calls â€Å"climate justice† (n.p.). The emissions created by developing countries make up the bulk of the total number of emissions and are more vulnerable in these countries compared to the high emissions in the developed world, especially by the U.S. and by major multinational corporations. Critics of the KP have stated that it unfairly puts the burden on the west to financially rectify global warming, when developing countries are often more to blame. Therefore, the argument that the KP would have been more effective if the U.S. and China would have signed it is weak because even if they had r atified it, there is no evidence that global emissions would have been significantly reduced. Perhaps other protocols should be used, ones that do not penalize the west so heavily and that are more effective in what they seek to accomplish. 2. Laws of war Regardless of one’s opinion regarding the Bush administration’s compliance (or lack of compliance) with the international provisions governing the use of force with respect to retaliation, the use of certain weapons, the treatment of POWs and civilians, and the use of torture, any state that has signed agreements and treaties prohibiting them should adhere to them. If the United States or any other country that is a member of the UN that has signed these treaties violate them in any way, they should be held responsible. Of course, the controversy is if the Bush administration actually did that. Members of the U.S. government, especially in the Bush years, insist that they did not. That is beyond the purview of this as signment. It depends upon one’s perspective and political viewpoints, and it depends on who you ask. The U.S. Supreme Court, in its 2006 Hamdan vs. Rumsfeld ruling, declared that military commissions for trying terrorist suspects violated both U.S. military law and the Geneva Convention (Brooks, 2006). The Bush administration held that Common Article 3 of the Geneva Convention did not apply to Al Qaeda combatants because its protections applied only to conflicts between states. They reasoned that since Al Qaeda was not a state, the Geneva Convention did not apply to them. The Supreme Court disagreed, which potentially made high-ranking Bush administration officials subject to prosecution under the federal War Crimes Act, something that did not materialize. 3. International Convention on the Prevention of the Sea by Oil This convention, also called OILPOL (http://www.internationallawhelp.com/convention_prevention_pollution_sea_oil.htm) and ratified in 1954, was the first of it s kind to prevent the pollution of the sea by oil by tankers. It prohibited the discharge of oil or oil mixture by tankers within prohibited zones. In 1969, amendments were made to OILPOL that created even more stringent requirements for operational discharges. This was done because the design of oil tankers had changed since 1954 to a â€Å"load-on-top system† (Global instruments, n.d.) OILPOL was further amended in 1971 that imposed new standards on the construction of oil tankers. It was superseded by the 1973/78 MARPOL

Judaism & Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Judaism & Christianity - Essay Example Sacrifices were in terms of livestock or agrarian products which are now simply replaced by money. There is no need to slaughter farm animals and burn them as offerings. The rituals has ceased when the New Testament was written. The Old Testament was about the law while the New Testament is about grace that supersedes the Law through Christ. From a Christian viewpoint, Christ was offered in repatriation for the sins of this world so there is no need to perform ritual sacrifices. Even the food that were considered unclean ( fish without scales, pork, etc) during the Old Testament is not an issue anymore in the New Testament as Mark 7:19 (NIV) states â€Å"For it doesnt go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body†, thereby Jesus declared that any type of food is clean. The second reason why the Torah is not significant anymore is because there was a change of covenant between man and God. In the Old Testament, the covenant was directly between God and Moses. However, the coming of Jesus Christ changed that covenant since He became the offering. The rules were changed since faith is needed not obedience to laws for one to be saved. Nevertheless, the Torah remains a basis for moral laws by Christians today. The website spiritus.temporis.com clarifies the importance of Torah among modern day Christians through the following statement: One common approach is found in the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) which divides the Mosaic laws into three categories: moral, civil, and ceremonial. In the view of the Westminster divines, only the moral law such as most of the Ten Commandments directly applies to Christians today. ( â€Å" Torah†, 2005) I agree with this because modern day Christians need not practice rituals anymore. The Ten Commandments gives Christians clear guidelines on what should be the basis of their moral actions. It would be unthinkable to hold a certain

Gangs, Belonging, and Acceptance Essay -- Gangs Family Lifestyle Essay

Gangs, Belonging, and Acceptance A 12-year-old boy comes home from school. He enters his home through the front door and notices his mother sobbing. There is blood on the tissue she's holding. The boy starts to ask his mother why she is crying when he realizes what has happened. She answers his silent inquiry about why, by quietly saying, "your dad . . . he's on the back porch . . . he's had a bad day." Feeling helpless he goes to his room. From his window he can see his dad taking in the last swallow of beer and yelling, loud enough for the neighbors to hear, "Hey, bring me another beer. And where is that worthless son of yours? He was supposed to mow the lawn yesterday." The boy, having seen this too many times before, leaves the house the way he came in. Two blocks down the street he is approached by a gang member; and unceremoniously another child on the block has decided that gangs have something he wants; a since of belonging, acceptance. The gang becomes his family. This story is fiction, but fits the dynamic s of a family system that supplies the gangs with its members. Gang-member families differ from non-gang-member families in terms of quality of family interaction, supervision and discipline, family affection patterns, and maternal attitudes toward males. Non-gang member's families are more likely to go out together, are more likely to be consistent in their discipline, and are more likely to display their feelings openly in the family. The mothers of gang members described their husbands as rarely involved in the family's activities. They also had more negative attitudes toward their husbands (Adler,Ovando, & Hocevar, 1984). The gang member is not the only one effected when he starts his life in a gang. He p... ...e? What can the church and the community do to help? If we can't save the gang member, what can we do to protect the innocent family member and by-stander? It's easy to do nothing when asked, "What can we do?" Maybe the question should be, "What can I do?" Works Cited Adler, P.,Ovando, C. & Hocevar, D. (1984). Familiar correlates of gang membership: An exploratory study of Mexican-American youth. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 6, 65-76. Morales, A.T. (1992). Latino youth gangs: Causes and clinical intervention. In L. S. Vargus & J. Koss-Chiono (Eds.). Working with culture: Psychotherapeutic intervention with ethnic minority children and adolescents (pp. 129-154). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Smith, Commander Bryan. Corpus Christi Police Department. (2-10-97) interview over phone. Subject: Psychological effects on gang members and their families.

Job Analysis and Selection Methods Essay

For this method to be effective the interviewer is required to ensure the interviee fully understands the reasons for the interview to avoid such interviews to be viewed as efficiency evaluation which may hinder them to describe their job accurately. The method can be utilized efficiently for top management job analysis for example the position of the managing director of a company. This would enable acquisition of vital information such as general purpose of the job, responsibilities, duties, education, experience and skills required. (Henderson, 1985) Advantages * It’s simple and quick hence it’s the most used method in the world. * It can reveal important information that might not appear in written form and information on activities that does not occur occasionally. It provides a chance for the interviewer to explain the importance, need and functions of the job analysis. * Can be used to generate qualitative data. * Suitable for jobs with long job cycles. (office of human resources, 2008) Disadvantages * Employees may distort information by exaggerating certain responsibilities and minimizing others. * Sometimes to obtain valid information can be a very slow slow and time consuming * Experienced interviewers and properly designed questions are required. Data gathered by the process is subjective and requires to be verified. * Combining data from discreet interviews is sometimes difficult. (office of human resources, 2008) STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE METHOD This method involves designing questionnaire and having employees fill them to describe their job related duties and responsibilities and rate them. Questions can be structured and employees given a list of specific duties and asked to indicate whether or not they perform them. Questions could also be open ended. The method can be used efficiently for job analysis involving low level management posts and junior employees for instance office assistants and semi skilled employees. This could offer a quick way to gather information from such large group of employees. (Henderson, 1985) Advantages * It’s a cheap way to gather information from a large numbers of workers than interview for instance. * Its quick and efficient method. * It does not require a trained interviewer. * Data collected is standardized. Disadvantages * Questionnaire development and testing is both expensive and time consuming. This provides quality and instant feedback on descriptive information of a candidate such as their strengths and weaknesses. Applicants are also given work sample which is a replica of the job and are required to demonstrate that possess the necessary skills and talents by doing the actual job. This offers a good evaluation of applicant’s abilities in actual job activities and thus helps to reduce discrimination. (Patrick Hauenstein, 2005) Weaknesses To develop good and accurate work samples for each job is difficult and time consuming. Work samples are also difficult to apply in managerial posts where it’s not possible to develop a work sample that can cover all activities. The process also requires highly qualified and assessors which are expensive to maintain. (Patrick Hauenstein, 2005) Validity Employment tests has been extensively used and shown to be an accurate method to predict a candidate success. The method is also very relevant to the job at hand and therefore widely accepted as compared to other methods. (Patrick Hauenstein, 2005) Reliability Employment tests are a reliable way of obtaining vital information about applicant’s abilities, and skills in actual job environment. They therefore tend to be accurate predictors of applicant later performance (Patrick Hauenstein, 2005) * REFERENCES Henderson, R. J. (1985). Compensation Management: Rewarding Performance. Upper Saddle River, N. J. : Prentice Hall. office of human resources. (2008). Compensation & Classification. South 2nd Street, Minneapolis: The University of Minnesota. Patrick Hauenstein. (2005). Employee Selection: Part 2 – Interviews and Simulations. Navient Corporation.