Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Shakespeares use of the Renaissance Idea of Fatalism and...

Shakespeares use of the Renaissance Idea of Fatalism and Imagery in King Lear In a play about individual tragedies, fatalism plays an important part. Shakespeare effectively uses cosmic imagery to define his characters and to explore the idea of journeys linked to self-discovery by relating it to the imagery of rotating circles. Shakespeare uses Renaissance theology to explain character motivation. In the 16th century there was a great belief in astronomy. People believed in the harmony of the spheres and they were ruled by this idea of thhe natural alignment of the nine planets in their orbits. Shakespeare incorporates this into King Lear in highlighting Edgar and Gloucesters superstitious†¦show more content†¦Edmund turns away from the belief of the alignment of planets and harmonies and towards nature as that is all he can be really sure of. The fact that Edmund doesnt believe in spherical predominance proves that he is different to the society around him. Shakespeare takes every opportunity to emphasise this to distinguish evil from good in the play putting Edmund forward as a character who is out of harmony. When Gloucester predicts that eclipses in the sun and moon suggesting a bad omen, Edmund casts aspersions on this idea, accusing the world of foppery, describing it as excellent because he sees it as a weakness that he can exploit from his anti-human point of view. Edmund is also stating that people are fops or fools because they blame their evil and wrong doings, which is really part of their character our own behaviour, on the cosmos. Even though Edmund does rightly say that that when we are sick in fortune-often surfeits of our own behaviour-we make guilty of our disasters, the sun, the moon and the stars, as if we were villains on necessity, fools by heavenly compulsion (Act I.2.117-26) He declares that men are fools if they evade responsibility for their actions by blaming the stars He ultimately decides that man is what he is by choice, not by the stars and that he is evil. He appreciates no fate, only free will. He says that all cosmic followers

Friday, May 15, 2020

Review of Sylvia Plaths Novel The Bell Jar

Written in the early 1960s, and Sylvia Plaths only full-length prose work, The Bell Jar is an autobiographical novel that relates the childhood longings and descent into madness of Plaths alter-ego, Esther Greenwood. Plath was so concerned about the closeness of her novel to her life that she published it under a pseudonym, Victoria Lucas (just as in the novel Esther plans to publish a novel of her life under a different name). It only appeared under Plaths real name in 1966, three years after she committed suicide. Plot The story relates a year in the life of Esther Greenwood, who seems to have a rosy future in front of her. Having won a competition to guest edit a magazine, she travels to New York. She worries about the fact that she is still a virgin and her encounters with men in New York go badly awry. Esthers time in the city heralds the start of a mental breakdown as she slowly loses interest in all the hopes and dreams. Dropping out of college and staying listlessly at home, her parents decide that something is wrong and take her to a psychiatrist, who refers her to a unit that specializes in shock therapy. Esthers condition spirals even further downwards due to inhumane treatment in the hospital. She finally decides to commit suicide. Her attempt fails, and a rich older lady who was a fan of Esthers writing agrees to pay for treatment in a center that does not believe in shock therapy as a method for treating the ill. Esther slowly starts her road to recovery, but a friend she has made at the hospital isnt so lucky. Joan, a lesbian who had, unbeknownst to Esther, fallen in love with her, commits suicide after her release from the hospital. Esther decides to take control of her life and is once more determined to go to college. However, she knows that the dangerous illness that put her life at risk could strike again at any time. Themes Perhaps the single greatest achievement of Plaths novel is its outright commitment to truthfulness. Despite the fact that the novel has all the power and control of Plaths best poetry, it does not skew or transform her experiences in order to make her illness more or less dramatic. The Bell Jar takes the reader inside the experience of severe mental illness like very few books before or since. When Esther considers suicide, she looks into the mirror and manages to see herself as a completely separate person. She feels disconnected from the world and from herself. Plath refers to these feelings as being trapped inside the bell jar as a symbol for her feelings of alienation. The feeling becomes so strong at one point that she stops functioning, at one point she even refuses to bathe. The bell jar also steals away her happiness. Plath is very careful not to see her illness as the manifestation of outside events. If anything, her dissatisfaction with her life is a manifestation of her illness. Equally, the end of the novel does not pose any easy answers. Esther understands that she is not cured. In fact, she realizes that she might never be cured  and that she must always be vigilant against the danger that lies within her own mind. This danger befell Sylvia Plath, not very long after The Bell Jar was published. Plath committed suicide in her home in England. A Critical Study The prose which Plath uses in  The Bell Jar does not quite reach the poetic heights of her poetry, particularly her supreme collection Ariel, in which she investigates similar themes. However, this does not mean the novel is not without its own merits. Plath managed to instill a sense of powerful honesty and brevity of expression which anchors the novel to real life. When she chooses literary images to express her themes she cements these images in everyday life. For example, the book opens with an image of the Rosenbergs who were executed by electrocution, an image that is repeated when Esther receives electro-shock treatment. Really, The Bell Jar is a  stunning portrayal of a particular time in a persons life and a brave attempt by Sylvia Plath to face her own demons. The novel will be read for generations to come.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Great Depression Roosevelt s New Deal, Federal Loan...

The Great Depression was the longest and deepest depression in American history. It started in 1929 and ended in 1939 (Szostak). The reasoning for this would be: Stock market crash, bank failures, reduction in purchasing across the board, American economic policy with Europe, and lastly drought conditions. All were Jurassic conditions that led America into this horrid depression (Kelly). The government however came up with certain acts and programs to help get us out of this depression. The government programs that helped Americans during the Great Depression were Roosevelt’s New Deal, Federal Loan Act, and the Agricultural Marketing Act. Roosevelt’s New Deal was a major part in helping end this depression. It was a multitude of acts that were passed, such as: Securities and Exchange Commission, Civil Conversation Crops, Works Progress Administration, National Recovery Administration, Federal Emergency Relief Agency, Agricultural Adjustment Act, Homeowners Loan Corporat ion, Tennessee Valley Authority, National Labor Relations Act, Social Security Administration, Soil Conversation Act, Fair Labor Standard Act (Great D., New Deal). Although there is a lot of acts that were passed, there are some that were more important than others. One being the Civil Conservation Crops Vass 8 (CCC) which gave those who did have a job, work. By building bridges, cleaning up campsites, making fire trails, and to construct dams. Putting over 2 million men to work (WPA). The Federal EmergencyShow MoreRelatedGreat Depression and Its Causes1256 Words   |  6 PagesThe causes of the Great Depression of the 1920s and 1930s has been argued about for generations. Most people agree on several key topics and that it was the severity and length of time the Depression lasted that was actually the most remarkable. Hoover made many noteworthy attempts to try and solve this crisis, yet in the end it was President Roosevelt and his New Deal, that brought many Americans hope for the future. The first factor in the start of the Depression was the lack of diversityRead MoreHoover And Roosevelt s Actions During The Aftermath Of The Crash Of 1929792 Words   |  4 Pagesadministrations attempt to deal with the economic stagnation, social hardship and psychological impact of the depression? What needed to be fixed and which approach proved more successful? In your essay you should address not only the underlying economic and social problems that both administrations had to deal with and the various corrective measures they adopted, but also the underlying philosophical approaches of Hoover and Roosevelt and their supporters. The Great Crash also known as Stock marketRead MoreEssay about Roosevelt Vs. Hoover and the Great Depression1658 Words   |  7 PagesRoosevelt and Hoover The Great Depression drastically changed Americas definition of Liberalism. Prior to the onset of the depression, in the roaring twenties, policies of laissez-faire were considered liberal, radical, revolutionary, and even democratic. This was due to the fact that revolution was a horrifying notion and not until after the laissez-faire and the system of free market fails in the 1920s do people begin to look about for alternatives. The time when people starting to seek alternativesRead More Causes of The Great Depression Essay1592 Words   |  7 PagesThe Great Depression It is said that the cause of the catastrophic stock market crash known as the great depression was due mostly to uncontrolled political and industrial systems otherwise known as capitalism. However, the timeline leading up to the Great Depression proves that many other factors played a role in the stock market crash that occurred in the decade of the 1930s. So lets take a look at rather four, factors contributing to the great depression that we will further discuss inRead MoreEssay about The Great Depression in America1866 Words   |  8 PagesThe 1920’s in America The 1920’s was a very prosperous period for many Americans. Food production increased 64 percent, worker productivity increased by 40 percent, electricity sales doubled, fuel consumption more than doubled, and pay was increased for many industrial workers (Davidson, 2008). With the soaring economy and new items hitting the shelves all the time, American consumers were living the high life. Even if you wanted something and did not have the money you could simply get it on creditRead More Agricultural Subsidies: Their Original Purpose and Impact Today1921 Words   |  8 PagesAgricultural Subsidies: Their Original Purpose and Impact Today Contents Introduction: What are Farm Subsidies? 3 Government Intervention in Agribusiness 7 The Reality 9 Works Cited 12 â€Æ' Introduction: What are Farm Subsidies? The Agriculture sector has changed monumentally over the past century in response to vast economic change and technological advancements. Farm subsidies are various forms of payments from the federal government put in place in an effort to stabilize pricesRead MoreEssay about Main Features of The New Deal4123 Words   |  17 PagesMain Features of The New Deal In 1929, the stock market collapsed causing a worldwide economic depression, destroying America’s economy with many people losing their life savings therefore thrusting them into unemployment and poverty. Unemployment reached highs of over 13 million whilst the GNP for the country reached as low as $58 billion, compared to the $100 billion+ pre depression figures, because demand and production fell so dramatically. People were forced outRead MoreThe Depression, Recession, and Business Cycle Essay example2039 Words   |  9 Pagesthe millions is a great example of history repeating itself. How did it happen, did we know it was going to happen, and was there anything that could have been done to prevent it? There are a multitude of questions that could be asked, with the most important of them all, will it happen again? In just the past two hundred years, the United States has seen â€Å"Black Friday† in 1869, â€Å"The Great Depression† in 1929, and the most current recession of 2009. Recessions, depressions, inflation, economicRead MoreMidterm Review Essay9272 Words   |  38 Pagescontributed to explosive economic growth during the Gilded Age EXCEPT: Question options: | a) | availability of capital for investment. | | b) | a growing supply of labor. | | c) | abundant natural resources. | | d) | low tariffs. | | e) | federal land grants to railroads. | | | 1 / 1 point | 2.) By 1890, the majority of Americans: Question options: | a) | worked as farmers. | | b) | worked as independent craftsmen. | | c) | worked in the mining industry. | | d) | wereRead MoreMixed Economy7299 Words   |  30 Pagesof violence force. The results have been exactly what one would predict: starvation, poverty, and the slaughter of millions. | A mixed-economy is always in flux. The regulations never produce positive results, because they always force people to act against their own interests. When a particular policy fails, it is propped up by other regulations in the hopes that more control will produce better results. Sometimes the results are so destructive they must either be removed, or the people must be

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The Story of Noahs Ark Essay Example For Students

The Story of Noahs Ark Essay In Judeo-Christian mythology, one of the best recognized stories from the Old Testament is the story of Noah and the Ark, and how they survived Gods great flood. This story is a common one throughout many mid-east cultures, both past and present. The most notable of these is in the ancient Mesopotamian mythology, with the story of Utnapishtim and his story of survival of the gods wrath. Though both are telling what is assumed to be a tale of the same event, there are many similarities as well as differences in certain details of the story. Although some of these differing aspects are for the most part, fairly trivial, some of them are quite drastic from one version to the other. The source of the myth in the two cultures is quite different, as well as the way the story narrated. In the case of the ancient Mesopotamian version of the myth, it is found in The Epic of Gilgamesh. It is told to Gilgamesh by Utnapishtim when Gilgamesh encounters him while on his quest for the plant of ever lasting life. Here we have a first hand account of the flood, by one of the sole survivors of the flood, the tale itself is found in an epic of a great king, which wasnt exactly revered as a sacred book in the Mesopotamian culture, but was still treated with a great deal of respect. This is quite from the ancient Hebrew account of the flood. In the Old Testament, it is presumably Moses who is telling the story of Noah in the book of Genesis. In this case, we have a second hand account of the story, found in what is considered to be a sacred piece of scripture, as written by one of the most important figures of the religion. The reason that man was to be exterminated from the face of the earth is also different in both myths. In the Mesopotamian version of the story, man was becoming an inconvenience for the gods he was so loud due to his numbers that he was keeping the gods up at night. Because man was causing this disruption, Enlil approaches the other gods and they agree to get ri d of man by way of a great flood, so that they may sleep at night once again. Utnapishtim is warned by Ea through a dream, and is instructed with a rough guide to the dimensions, to build a great barque for himself and his family, animals, craftsmen, and all of Utnapishtims belongings. This is an extreme contrast to what is found in the Hebrew version. In that account, man was becoming too evil for God to bear, and so it was decided by God that due to his wickedness, he should be wiped off the earth. In this case, man was not an inconvenience, he was just not in favour with God. Noah was the only one out of all of man who was still in Gods favour. So God came to Noah and told him to also build a barque, also with the exact dimensions given, and instructed Noah to bring on board his family, their families, and two, a male and female, of all the animals of the world. However, there is no mention of this news of a flood coming to Noah in a dream, nor of him being permitted to bring wit h him any other humans besides his immediate family, and their wives. Also, the amount of detail regarding the dimensions of the barque is quite different. In the Biblical story, the dimensions are very explicit, with length, width, and height given. However, in the Mesopotamian story, the dimensions are not as precise, giving only a rough guide as to what the boat should look like. The final warning before the flood is different in each version also. In the Hebrew account of the flood, once Noah has completed the construction of the Ark, God tells him to go out and collect a male and its mate from every type of animal and bird, and that in seven days, he shall bring forth the floodwaters and destroy man. In the Mesopotamian version of this aspect, there is not as much of an advanced warning given. Shamash comes to Utnapishtim and says that when the Rider of the Storm arrives that evening, to enter the barque and batten it down. Though in both stories, the hero is given some advance d warning as to when the flood will begin, in the Mesopotamian version Utnapishtim is not given as great of a length of time as Noah was able to enjoy to get everything loaded aboard. The duration of the flood is different between the two versions also. In the Mesopotamian account, the flood is said to have began in the morning after the arrival of the Rider of the Storm, and lasted for six days and six nights. It also states that the assistance of the gods of the Underworld was enlisted to help bring down the dykes and release the waters of the flood.Utnapishtim says to Gilgamesh that the flood was so dreadful that even the gods of the heavens were in fear of what the gods of the Underworld were doing, and that they retreated to the highest level of the heavens, that occupied by Anu. In the Hebrew description of the actual flood itself, it was said that it lasted forty days and forty nights, not the single week as was stated in the Mesopotamian account. It was also Gods wrath that man was suffering, and the creatures of the Underworld were in no way involved in this destruction of man, as man had brought this upon himself with his own wickedness. In the Mesopotamian myth, on the seventh day of the flood, the rain stopped and the water grew calm. Utnapishtim looked around for land, and saw the summit of the Mountain of Nisir. Utnapishtim then set the boat aground on the top of the mountain and there it sat for a week before Utnapishtim began to see if the earth had dried off yet. First he let a dove loose to see if the water had receded yet, but it returned when it had nowhere to land. Utnapishtim then let a swallow loose, but to no avail, as it too returned. He then let a raven loose. The raven saw that the water had since retreated, found something to eat, flew around, cawed, and then did not return. In the Hebrew story, Noah first set out a raven, which flew around until the waters had dried up. Noah then let a dove loose, but it returned because it had now here to land. Noah then waited seven days to release the dove again. This time it came back with an olive leaf. Noah waited seven more days, and released the dove a third time. This time it did not return, for it had found somewhere to go as the water had since dried up. The only noticeable difference between these two aspects of the story, would be the birds used and the length of time required for the waters of the flood to recede to a point at which man is able to again walk on dry land.The last point regarding the two stories is that of the sacrifice to God or the gods after the floodwaters had retreated to a point that man was able to return to the land. In the Mesopotamian account of the myth, Utnapishtim made a sacrifice to the gods on top of the Mountain of Nisir, after he let the animals and others free from the barque. All the gods were able to smell the sacrifice, and came to it. Ishtar was also able to smell the sacrifice and came to it. She then says that she will not f orget these days of the flood, and instructed the other gods to remember it also.She then told all the gods except Enlil to gather around it. Enlil was excluded from the sacrifice by Ishtar because he brought about the flood and destroyed man. Enlil, however, came and saw the sacrifice, and was filled with anger that man had survived. Ea then stands up to Enlil on behalf of Utnapishtim, and asks how Enlil could have brought about such destruction on to man. Ea then leaves Utnapishtim to the mercy of Enlil. Enlil takes Utnapishtim and his wife, blesses them, giving them longevity and places them at the mouth of the rivers to live. In the Hebrew version of this last aspect of the story of the flood, Noah lets all the animals off of the Ark, and then he makes a sacrifice to God, just as Utnapishtim did. God smelled this sacrifice and came to it. God blessed Noah, his family, and all the animals and birds, and told them to be fruitful and multiply in number. God then established a coven ant with Noah, saying that he shall never again curse the earth again with such a flood. As a sign of his intentions, God set a rainbow in the clouds, and said to Noah that when ever he brings clouds over the earth again, he will see the rainbow and remember his covenant with Noah. This is not much different from the Mesopotamian myth. In both cases the gods or God said that they would remember the flood, and Utnapishtim or Noah, which ever the case may be was blessed. In the Mesopotamian myth however, there is no mention of a covenant with the land or Utnapishtim to never curse the earth in such a manner again.Though both of these stories are telling a tale of what was no doubt, the same event, there are many discrepancies between the two. From details surrounding the structure of the barque, to the actual length of the flood itself, there are many differences between the two accounts. At the same time however, there are many similarities between the myths. The fact that both said that a bird was the way which the respective hero was able to tell whether or not the waters had receded, and the fact that both tales say that the gods or God would remember the flood are examples of this. The truth of the matter is that, regardless of whether or not there are discrepancies between the two tales, the fact that both are describing the same occurance is truly remarkable and definitely says something about the cataclysmic impact which this event must have had on the ancient world. .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .postImageUrl , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:hover , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:visited , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:active { border:0!important; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:active , .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6220fa543effb3c9e87c33c6ef7e7b2d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Cultural Diversity Essay