Guess the Writer [quiz]

Folks who read our blog know that Lesley and I love reading, and that we read a lot. Moreover, we like to draw from time to time, as well as write about books and authors. Todays post is just about all of that.The idea behind this appeared quite suddenly. I finished reading Master and Margarita and started exploring Bulgakov’s biography. I wanted to know more about the author as well as find some cool facts about the novel, which I really liked. This is what I found on one of the sites (original illustration by Anton Glotov). I thought it was very stylish. Carefully crafted bits capture the essence and reading atmosphere of the novel. I sent it to a few of my friends and asked them to guess which book was behind the image (not all of them were bookworms, I must admit). Some guessed, while some did not. Others asked if there were any other similar images they could guess literary works from. I suddenly realized that I would happily challenge myself and guess, and guess, and gue ss again! Several hours of concentrated googling did not yield any results i couldnt find anything similar.If not me, then who? I put together a list of authors that had a big impact on me at the time I was reading them. I tried to visualize some of their most influential works in images.This is the result: (click to enlarge)Embed:Have you got friends who like to read? Try to see who can get most correct answers! And please, do share similar illustrations of books and authors’ biographies. We will gladly guess those too.Key:The Globe Theater, Hamlet, quote from As You Like It ShakespeareThe Little Prince watching the sunset, The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-ExuperyCollage based on Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways + authors portrait (check the wall on the left) Jules VerneCollage based on The Raven, The Masque of the Red Death, The Black Cat, The Pit and the Pendulum Edgar Allan PoeScene and a quote from And Then There Were None Agat ha ChristieBig Brother and the Ministry of Truth, Nineteen Eighty-Four George OrwellCorvin on his journey to Amber through shadows, The Chronicles of Amber Roger ZelaznyLouis restaurant scene, The Godfather Mario PuzoRoland Deschain in front of the Dark Tower, The Dark Tower Series Stephen KingShrike, Tree of Pain and pilgrims on their way to the Time Tombs, Hyperion Dan SimmonsCollage based on The Master and Margarita Mikhail BulgakovJohn Keats himself, writing To Autumn.Scene from In a Grove Ryunosuke AkutagawaMaya Angelous writing routine, as described in a 1983 interview with Claudia TateNon-existent page from Codex Seraphinianus Luigi Serafini

The Presentation of Women in Othello Essay Example

The Presentation of Women in Othello Essay Example The Presentation of Women in Othello Paper The Presentation of Women in Othello Paper Shakespeares portrayal of Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca in Othello comes, generally, in two forms which reflect the prevailing opinion of women in Elizabethan times as mysterious and angelic or, whores, determined to cuckold their husbands. When Othello was written a patriarchal society was the norm. Women had clearly defined roles, as housewives and mothers; they were viewed as inferior, not only physically, but also emotionally. It was thought that they needed a male to protect them, if they were married this responsibility would fall to the husband and if the woman were single, it would be the duty of her father or another male relative. References to any of the three women, Desdemona, Emilia or Bianca, by the other characters, seems always either to praise them for their virtue and beauty, or else condemn them as whores that manipulate men to achieve their own ends. All three are rejected by their respective partners/husbands; they love them almost unconditionally, even when confronted with indifferent and callous behaviour. They are engaged in unbalanced partnerships: they feel more for their self-centred men than the men are capable of reciprocating. Bianca serves to represent the latter of the two opinions; she is a courtesan in Cyprus (Tis such another fitchew IV. i. 145). She is a contrast to Emilia and Desdemona as she is not a part of the domestic world in which they belong; this immediately casts her from the kind of femininity that Desdemona is said to possess. She has fallen in love with Cassio and pursues him quite wholeheartedly, however her affections are not returned (But that you do not love me. III. iv. 197), and she is eaten by jealously (O Cassio, whence came this? This is some token from a newer friend! III. iv. 180-1), Cassio and Iago dismiss this as her unruly nature and respond to her in a patronising manner (Go to, woman, / Throw your vile guesses in the devils teeth / From whence you have them! III. iv. 183-5). She is thought by the men to be a sexual being with a tempestuous nature, in need of control and unworthy of regard (What do you mean by his haunting of me? IV. i. 146). Bianca is held with disdain by men for her explicit sexuality, whereas Cassio, who is committing adultery (A fellow almost dammed in a fair wife I. . 20), receives none. This is a good example of the double standards that existed for women at this time, some of which can still be seen in the modern day, it being more socially acceptable for a man to be promiscuous than a female. Emilia is the representation of the dutiful wife, she is part of the domestic world in which Othello takes place, her marriage is neither happy nor successful, and yet she continues to try to please Iago (for example, by giving him the handkerchief). Iagos treatment of Emilia is very poor; he belittles her continuously throughout the play (Sir, would she give you so much of her lips / As of her tongue she oft bestows on me / Youd have enough II. i. 100-3), with little or no protest on her part. He also suspects her of having an affair with Othello (I hate the Moor / And it is thought abroad that twixt my sheets / Hes done my office. I. iii. 385-7), there is no proof in the text that for this, he does not ask her openly in the play about it and it seems to be a rumour that Iago is merely using for the justification of his actions. Emilia is all too aware that Iagos behaviour towards her is undeserved, she explains to Desdemona in Act 5 how women often suffer this treatment, and what happens as consequence (Then let them use us well: else let them know, / The ills we do, their ills instruct us so. V. 1. 101-2), this suggests to the audience that although women were legally and religiously bound to a subservient position, not all women behaved in a subservient way. In the final scene Emilia is quite prepared to reveal Iagos deceit, however, interestingly, she is fully aware that she is not, by social convention, supposed to, she actually apologises to those present when she disobeys him (Good gentlemen, let me have leave to speak. / Tis proper I obey him but not now. V. ii. 192-3). This disobedience does not pass without penalty, Iago stabs and kills Emilia, proving to the audience just how unbalanced their relationship was. Desdemona is spoken of by the other members of Othello as saintly, kind and virtuous, Cassio goes so far as to describe her as She is indeed perfection (II. ii. 25), and indeed, in Elizabethan times, if a women was not viewed as a whore, she was likely thought to be angelic (Queen Elizabeth I, for example). Shakespeare however was able to characterise women as real people, and take them from their pedestal. The character of Desdemona is often criticised as being weak and mono-dimensional, however in addition to being chaste, loving and virtuous, she is also articulate, stubborn, passionate, practical, and sexually aware. Many of these traits are shown in one of the few moments in the play we meet Desdemona without Othello, in Act II, scene I. She fully understands Iagos innuendos and is able to challenge him (Come on, assay. II. i. 120) in a witty and articulate manner. Desdemonas independence is portrayed explicitly by the fact that she married Othello without her fathers permission (Your daughter, if you have not given her leave, / I say again, hath made a gross revolt, I. i. 131). Women were viewed as a commodity, and marriage as more of a business transaction than union of lovers (Faith, he tonight hath boarded a land carrack: / If it prove lawful prize, hes made for ever. I. ii. 50-1). The opinion of women as the property of men is again illustrated when Iago calls to Brabantio that he has been robbed Look to your house, your daughter and your bags! (I. i. 79), that a person could be grouped alongside a house and money seems shocking in a modern western society, but was obviously the social norm in Shakespeares time as Brabantio takes no offence from that statement. Desdemona is aware of her duty to her father (To you I am bound for life and education: / you are the lord of duty I. iii. 183-5) and that now she is married, her obedience falls to her husband (I may profess / Due to the Moor my lord. I. iii. 188-9), the independence which Desdemona has shown is not seen as acceptable by her father who wishes to have control over her (and in his mind, so he should she is his property) Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters / minds / By what you see them act. I. i. 167-9) and later in the play, the extent of which she is submissive to Othello is stark contrast to these earlier actions, showing the multiple facets of Desdemonas personality, bound by traditional values yet independent minded and willing to support such non-conformist ideas (for the time) as racial equality. Iago is a misogynistic character, he is incapable of viewing women as anything other than worthless nymphomaniacs and when referring to them in Othello it is always with a debauched tone You rise to play, and go to bed to work (II. i. 115). He cannot believe that Desdemona could possibly love Othello and when talking of the couple does it in the most debasing manner (Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe! I. i. 7-8), always with sexual inferences and often with reference to animals, believing their love to be no more than lust whereof I take this, that you call / love, to be a sect or scion. (I. iii. 331-2). A good example of Iagos firm opinion of Desdemona can be seen in a conversation with Cassio who believes Desdemona to be saintly, Shes a most exquisite lady, And Ill warrant her full of game (II. iii. 17-18). Although Iago may have an extreme opinion of women, it was not too dissimilar from that of other men in the play. Men felt that there was something mysterious about women which they could not understand, they inhabited a different world, the domestic world of house and home, and a more physical world (eg. pregnancy, menstrual cycle) than men. It was felt that they were dangerous, temptresses who would lead them astray, needing to be controlled. The women of Othello do not always conform to the norms set by male opinion, but they are often constrained and held back because of them, and the mens fear that they will disobey sets the scene for much of the tension within the play, resulting in the many tragic deaths.

Evolutionary Theory Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evolutionary Theory - Case Study Example Numerous species have not been named and as such lumping of organisms together as belonging to the genus and species classes may be incorrect as the case in the repopulation program in the Islands of St. Kitts and the neighboring Island of Nevis. These two species of rodents appear to be identical in morphological features and that is the reason why they were taken to be of the same species. However, their morphological similarities have nothing to do their genetic makeups since the DNA (Deoxy-Ribonucleic acid) are quite distinct from each other. The differences in DNA can be explained through concepts of evolutionary theories of natural selection of stabilizing selection and diversifying selection    This is a type of natural selection that experiences genetic diversity decrease in a population that that is stabilizing. It has been argued that this is the most common way through which natural selection takes place. As such, the stabilization process employs negative selection which results in organisms with intermediate phenotypes being selected. In the case of the two islands, it is quite clear that the rodents from the St. Kitts Island underwent a stabilizing selection because their traits seem to be normal or not very much different from those of the rodents from the other island of Nevis. Probably, the two islands were connected and after a natural disaster like an earthquake, they became separated. It follows that those rodents that had intermediate phenotypes were selected over those that had extreme phenotypes hence the development of the new distinct species. Diversifying selection is used to refer to the exact opposite of stabilizing selection whereby the extreme phenotypes in organisms are naturally selected over the intermediate phenotypes. This can be explained by the studies done by Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Island with regards to the finch populations.

Ethics, Law and Health Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ethics, Law and Health Care - Assignment Example However, there is only a female doctor in the hospital at the time and therefore Omar finds himself in a dilemma in deciding what to do. This case raises the issue of ethics in health care. The main ethical issue in the case is on whether it is ethically correct to disclose the patient’s information to his mother and the doctor without going against the rights of the patient (Sullivan, 2009). Identifying Issues The main problem in this situation is that failure to disclosure the patient’s information may mean that he will not receive prompt medical attention. The other problem is to ensure that caregivers do not contravene the rights of the patient or the provisions of the Code of Ethics. Any action taken in this case should ensure that the involvement of the patient and his family (Curtin, 2004). Furthermore, the team of caregivers should also be involved in the action chosen. To address this dilemma, Omar should refer to the Code of Ethics that specifies all the ethic al standards that nurses should adhere. The Code of Ethics also serves an indicator to the community on the standards on human rights and ethical values expected from nurses (Fleming, 2007). The issues arising in this case are entrenched in an unwritten social contract between the public and healthcare givers. The family goes to the health care to receive treatment and care and health care givers are supposed to offer satisfactory care (Fleming, 2007). Evaluating the Issue The issues in the case of Omar and Tim touch on various areas discussed in the Code of Ethics (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008b). For one, the issue is based on the requirement to ensure that nurses offer quality care to all people. Particularly, the nurse should recognize that all patients are entitled to quality care (Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council, 2008b). According to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008), Value statement 1(2): â€Å"Nurses recognize that people are enti tled to quality nursing care and will strive to secure them the best available nursing care. In the pursuit of this aim, nurses are entitled to participate in decisions regarding a person’s nursing care and are obliged to question nursing care they regard as potentially unethical or illegal†. Consequently, the nurse should ensure that Tim receives holistic care but in making decisions, it must be able to meet the threshold of being ethical and legal. The Code of Ethics also requires that nurses ensure that patients receive quality care from colleagues and therefore Omar has a duty to ensure that Tim receives quality treatment from the doctor. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008), Value statement 1(3): â€Å"Nurses take steps to ensure that not only they, but also their colleagues, provide quality nursing care.† The other issue arising in this case discussed in the Code of Ethics is the importance of respect and kindness to self and others. Australian N ursing and Midwifery Council (2008), Value 2 (2): â€Å"Respect for people who are health consumers recognizes people who are health consumers recognize their capacity for active and informed participation in their own health. Nurses actively preserve dignity of the people through practiced kindness and recognizing the vulnerability and powerlessness of people in their care†. The way Tim is handled at the hospital can have implications on his dignity and

Social Sciences And Race Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Social Sciences And Race - Essay Example Race was invented in the eighteenth century by anthropologists who were then referred to as â€Å"radiologists† to claim the superiority or inferiority of different races. Races are usually identified by skin color, hair texture; among other physical features possessed by different people (Reich, 1972). It is insufficient to use just one characteristic to explain race. It is usually a combination of two or three of these characteristics. Conventionally, there are five human races, including mongoloid- the Asian and American Indian, Caucasoid- European, Negroid- East African black, Australoid-Australian and Oceanic and Capoid- South African black. A mixture or races are referred to as â€Å"mongrels†. This theory has been rejected over time since there is almost a hundred percent similarity in genetic composition among all the races. This classification has, however, been accepted as a standard over time. The above theory of race has been used to promote racial profile and racism. The Caucasoid race is predominantly from Northern Europe and is characterized as tall, light skin(white), light colored eyes, thin lips and narrow noses. Their hair is straight or wavy and is usually blond. Mongoloids are said to have straight black hair, yellow skin, thin lips and almond eyes. Their faces are broad and flat. Negroid`s skin color varies from brown to black. They have kinky hair, brown or black eyes, broad noses, thick lips and they are mostly the Africans. Australoids are similar to Negroids, but their hair is a little different.

Experiential Focusing Techniques in Counselling

Experiential Focusing Techniques in Counselling Katrina Quaye (kate) What wants my attention now?   Focusing is a unique skill discovered by Gene Gendlin. Working with  Carl Rogers back in the 1960’s, research was done as to why some people have success in therapy and others do not. A very interesting result emerged; those who progressed and benefitted most from therapy were the ones who took some time to reflect, when asked a question they seemed to sense something within themselves and an answer would begin to emerge. Over time Gendlin discovered what became know as the ‘felt sense’. This is a sense that we all have but often it is operating unbeknown to us. This sense, sometimes called a bodily sense, can teach us much about ourselves and also our relationship with others and the world around us. It is a way of listening to our bodies with compassion, without judgement, and something that moved me most of all â€Å"gentleness’. Enhancement of knowledge There are six basic steps to learn in focusing. To begin with we are taught to go through the process, step by step, learning these steps well, by sitting down and quietly going ‘inside’ our body. Once these steps are learnt thoroughly the process can flow with greater ease, quickly accessing our felt sense and going with it. This can be done taking a walk, doing the dishes, driving to work, with continuous practice our body will always be there guiding us. Clearing the space, if someone is not quite in the moment, different thoughts, things to do list going through their mind, it is best to take a moment to clear a space inside. This can be done quite well in a short amount of time by asking the client in their mind to wrap up each concern on the list and placing it in an imaginary basket, not forcing each concern but in a clear friendly manner. This can also be done with a background feeling of being tense, anxious, whatever the feeling maybe to set it aside for the time being. Not forcing, but inviting it to stand aside for some time. Gendlin would often take half an hour for this process with clients. Although it may be done in a much shorter amount of time, five to ten minutes. This would allow for a longer session with the felt sense. One then checks back with the self, that you are feeling clearer to start. So now we can choose something to work on. One may already have an issue they want to work on, in which case one can check with the body if this is okay to work with. Alternatively one may see if there is something that needs their attention now. Often the sense is felt in the throat, chest or abdomen area. One of the key words in focusing is gently, gently say hello to the sense, checking if it is okay to be with it. Gendlin said ‘it is best to be next to the sense, like a friend sitting on a park bench wanting to have a conversation’. We don’t need to become immersed in the sense, just to be next to it. Like a sensitive baby animal we need to be gentle with the sense. Cornell (A. W. Cornell. pg.18) mentions, ‘Focusing is like being a friend to your own inner experience’. You may bring such qualities of friendship as curiosity, respect, empathy, warmth, compassion, letting it know that you are there to listen and listening with these qualities. Now we have said hello and acknowledged it is there, we can begin to describe the felt sense, it may start with a feeling of tightness in the chest, we acknowledge this, then we can ask ’how does this tightness feel’ we are checking back with this word to see that it captures it well. We are now resonating back and forth with the word or image, we don’t need to rush this process. Like a friend who wants to share something that is important to them, they don’t like to feel rushed. We are sitting next to this felt sense, as Genlin (Gendlin pg 57-58) explains, ‘ the felt sense is more than an emotion, with an emotion we know what it is, angry, sad, joyful, but with the felt sense we say I can feel it right there, but i don’t know what it is’. A felt sense contains a maze of meanings, we need to allow the sense time to form. That tightness may develop as anger, but within that anger can come a sense of the whole situation, what led up to that anger, how one is involved, it may for example show you scenes from childhood where you felt angry towards your parent for not understanding or listening to you. The felt sense can give a very complete form of understanding that will be more than just the anger. We now have words and or images we can work with that through checking would fit with the sense. We now come to sense from â€Å"its† view, what it wants us to know. I am letting ‘it’ know, I hear it, or sense it, welcoming it, it knows where it wants to or needs to go, we are listening not forcing or trying to work out whats happening, but allowing the process to unfold. Ending. It is important to ask if there is more that needs to come or shall we end here. It is important to thank the felt sense, to re-assure it that if need be I will be back. If we can develop a trusting relationship that when we say we will return, that we do so, the felt sense will be re-assured. The more we do this the more it will work with us. I will write a brief summary of my own personal experience using Focusing over a number of weeks. Having a quiet place I went inside of myself and sensed a feeling around my heart area. Gradually words like unappreciated, unloved emerged, I was listening to these words seeing if they were the ones. Yes they were. An image of a heart with a wooden dagger stabbed through it emerged, thick deep red blood was slowly oozing out. I was able to sit with this image for sometime, it was very strong, after sometime I needed to finish. Afterward I felt extremely heavy, it was hard to even continue with my daily tasks. The next day I came back to Focusing, realizing that I hadn’t finished off the process properly, mainly because after some time it seemed too much for me. I went back inside and the image was still there, I sat with it and came to understand the experiences I had been through that brought about this image. I needed to be more caring of myself. I asked it the question of how would it feel like if the difficulty wasn’t there. This brought forth an abundant response of joy and happiness, something like fire works were going off in celebration. I felt very light as if a big shift had taken place. Over the next two weeks I went back in to see what was there. I had an image of myself as a young four year old, the feelings of being unheard came up, need to do things perfectly, as mentioned above it takes in a blend of the situation not just an emotional feeling, but a deeper sense of what it was like to be that young child. I was being shown what it was like and by my acknowledging this allowing the whole of it to come out. There was a shift where those strong feelings seemed to melt away. Enhancement of Understanding Greater understanding of myself has come about through Focusing. Other peers and companions have said the same of their experiences when focusing; if one is to gain continuing benefits it is important to keep with the practice. There are certain attitudes that can help the process. Focusing is a very gentle process, approaching it with the wisdom of not knowing is very beneficial, as Cornell (pg21) says, ‘Why would you listen to someone if you think you already know what they have to say.’ The feeling of respect and wanting to know what the sense has to say is of the utmost importance. We need to ‘let go of what we know, to bring an attitude of open, friendly, interested, non judgmental curiosity to our experience†. (Silverston, pg. 2). We need to come to trust the felt sense that it will led us where we need to go. Sometimes along the way it may seem to be taking many detours. Sometimes it is trying to give us a broader understanding, showing various images or certain words. In some ways it is like being an investigator being excited or curious to find out what lies within. We are not taking sides, leaving one part shut out, not wanting something to be heard or acknowledged, we are not excluding any part of ourselves. We are listening to each part and gradually integrating each part of the self. â€Å"When we listen to a place inside that hurts, for instance, the quality of our presence is not the usual one of fixing or trying to make it feel better. Rather, we are willing to let it be exactly as it is†. (Wilson Van der Kooy, pg 1.) This attitude can be a huge relief for many, its okay to be as you are, allowing whatever is there to come up, to recognize and acknowledge it. As Gendlin (year?) said, â€Å"Every ‘bad’ feeling is potential energy toward a more right way of being, if you give it the space to move toward its rightness.† Enhancement of Self Awareness All of the above leads to greater self awareness. Coming to know what is going on inside of oneself. As many decisions need to be made in ones life, the building up of this awareness which can bring about greater confidence, is of huge benefit. I find in my own life if there is a lot happening around me I connect to that inner part which seems stable and able to help me keep centered. For those I have worked with there has been similar feed back, they are connecting to that inner part and making clearer judgements. This is an invaluable skill that can be used for myself in every day life, a skill that can be passed onto my clients, something that the therapist doesn’t control, people can learn this and then use it for the rest of their lives without having to go to the therapist all the time. Bibliography Cornell, Ann Weiser. Focusing In Safety And Trust. The Power of Focusing: A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-healing. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 1996. 18. Print.Cornell, Ann Weiser. What Is Focusing? The Power of Focusing: A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-healing. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 1996. 6. Print. Gendlin, Eugene T. The Crucial Bodily Attention. Focusing-oriented Psychotherapy: A Manual of the Experiential Method. New York: Guilford, 1996. 57 58. Print. Cornell, Ann Weiser. Focusing in Safety and Trust. The Power of Focusing: A Practical Guide to Emotional Self-healing. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publications, 1996. 21. Print. Focusing as a doorway for spiritual growth. Wilson Van der Kooy, pg 1. Steve Silverton Page 2. How to think like a poet and make better decisions Question or Assessment Task: COP116 3000 Word Essay

Desriptive Essay On Wrestling :: essays research papers

Descriptive   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When a person walks into a building to see a live wrestling event they do not know what to expect. They wonder who will be wrestling. They wonder where their seats are. All of the suspense gets them ready for the show. The suspense gets them pumped and ready to for the show to start.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the lobby they see many people standing around or buying T-shirts, hats, and other paraphanaliea of their favorite wrestling superstar. There is a smell of popcorn and other snacks in the air. It is very noisy from people talking about who they hope is there.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the people try to find their seats it can be frustrating because it is dark and they do not know the layout of the arena. Once they end up finding their seats there are normally people sitting in them or they are in the wrong one and have to move.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When they see the wrestlers they are so much bigger than they thought. The wrestlers have big and powerful wrestlers. They are always in top condition. The smaller wrestlers still have muscles but they are not as powerful as the bigger ones. The smaller wrestlers rely on their speed to win their matches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the event there is a smell of smoke in the air from the fireworks that had gone off. There is a general noise throughout the building that gets louder as the wrestlers do a special move or look to the crowd. When a wrestler enters the ring the only thing that you can hear is the first part of their theme song because as soon as the crowd knows who it is they either cheer or boo. The sound of the wrestlers being slammed against the mat is very loud. When a wrestler does his final move you can hear the crowd burst into pandemonium as they all stand and cheer or boo, it all depends on who the wrestler is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main event is the best. That is where you get to see your favorite most of the time.

Food Inc Essay

The movie makes some really good points. The best point is that subsidized corn artificially lowers the cost of animal feed and high-fructose corn syrup. This creates a tax-subsidized economic incentive for people to choose fast food over nutritious options. Scrapping farm subsidies including corn would be a great idea (that the movie doesn’t propose). It has a good segment about how Monsanto is using intellectual property law to unfairly create a US soybean monopoly, suing farmers who never bought Monsanto seed and forcing them to capitulate because of the sheer weight of legal bills. But the movie descends into sensationalism. For example, it takes a sad case of a kid named Kevin who died of E Coli poisoning after eating a hamburger. It traces the industry’s response — which is to use ammonia to make sure that almost no E Coli survives — and criticizes its solution while playing ominous music in the background along with unanswered cries of anguish from Kevin’s mother. It fails to mention that (1) all E Coli dies when meat is cooked properly (2) using ammonia to kill E Coli is an ingenious idea that’s very effective (3) the food with the greatest risk of E Coli poisoning is organic spinach. It doesn’t mention how the fast food industry eliminated the use of hydrogenated vegetable oil, almost completely eliminating trans fat from fast food. It has a scene comparing the resources used by a free range cow farmer who has about 20 cows versus an industrial slaughterhouse that processes thousands — failing to mention that if the free range farmer produced cows on the same scale he would use 4x to 10x the resources for the same output. The movie takes an ill-advised stance against genetically modified food (google Norman Borlaugh). It makes several self-defeating arguments (like arguing that our industrially-produced food is infected and resource-intensive and that we should pay more to eat organic — which is actually much more resource intensive and more likely to be contaminated by bacteria because of the use of poop as fertilizer instead of nitrates). The movie makes some interesting points. But the whole â€Å"big business bad† thing is a completely useless attitude that is a constant source of irritation to me personally. People and businesses have, do, will, and should act in their own best interests. The question is which policies should be created to incentivize wise outcomes? Regarding Monsanto, the problem isn’t evil big business, it’s that the US should reform its legal system to act like the UK’s where if you sue someone and lose then you have to pay their legal fees. That would prevent Monsanto’s abuses of IP law (and would accomplish tort reform in medical malpractice).

How do Prospero and two Other Characters of Your Choice Change in the Course of the Play? Essay

How do Prospero and two Other Characters of Your Choice Change in the Course of the Play? The Tempest is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s last plays written. It explores the concept of change and forgiveness along with power. In this essay I am going to explain how three characters, Prospero, Miranda and King Alonso’s attitude and behaviour change throughout the play. I will explore how Prospero goes from surviving off his magic and perhaps being a little over-protective towards his daughter, to realising that he needs to learn to let go and that there is more out there than just power. I will also say how Miranda goes from being quite shy and unaware of anything that isn’t related to the island, to discovering love; and also finally how King Alonso repents his sins after all this time. Firstly, I will discuss how Prospero’s attitude changes as the play unfolds. Prospero is the over-thrown Duke of Milan. He has a daughter called Miranda and an evil brother, Antonio. King Alonso, along with Antonio, helps over-throw Prospero but a loyal councillor, Gonzalo, saves him and Miranda by giving them food and water, and also Prospero’s magic books, which he prizes dearly. When Prospero first reaches the island he comes across a creature called Caliban, who, at first, he treats and cares for. This relationship continues until Caliban tries to disrespect his daughter. From then on he is Prospero’s slave. Caliban’s mother, Sycorax, has a spirit imprisoned, which Prospero rescues from a ‘clover pine’. Ariel, the spirit, now helps Prospero in his life. We first meet Prospero in Act 1 Scene 2, just as he is explaining to Miranda that the shipwreck he caused has hurt no one, ‘Tell your piteous heart there’s no harm done’. This shows that although he wants to cause these people complications, he is not a murderer. He then goes on to tell Miranda the truth about how they came to be on this island, ‘Tis time I should inform thee farther.’ The fact that Prospero is willing to let Miranda know more about her life shows that he is aware that Miranda is growing up and that he must let her know more about her past. As the play progresses we see that as well as Miranda being a big part in Prospero’s life, his magic also plays a very big part in it. He prizes this skill amongst all others, ‘above my dukedom.’ In this sentence we can see that maybe Prospero may have concentrated more on his magic than his ‘job’. This could have been one of the reasons why his brother wanted to over-throw him. Magic was not thought highly upon in the time the play was written. We also see throughout the play how Prospero’s relationship with Caliban and Ariel differ. Although Caliban and Ariel are both Prospero’s slaves, he treats Ariel with respect and trusts her. ‘Thy charge exactly is performed.’ Prospero’s praise shows that he is a kind person at heart as long as you can please him and stay on the right side of him. It also shows that perhaps he has more respect for creatures with magical talents. Prospero treats Caliban with no respect whatsoever and also sends him to do all the ‘dirty’ jobs. Prospero is like this obviously because Caliban tried to rape Miranda, he must now be punished. Further on in the play, when Ferdinand arrives, we see Prospero give a fine example of his protectiveness for Miranda. He calls Ferdinand a ‘spy’ and tells Miranda not to associate herself with him, ‘Speak not you for him: he’s a traitor.’ This now shows that although Prospero is starting to accept the fact that Miranda is growing up, by telling her about their past, he still cannot yet accept that she will find love and one day part from his company. It also shows that Prospero may feel threatened that Ferdinand may take Miranda away from him. Although Prospero seems to despise Ferdinand and Miranda being together, we see later on that they do in fact, play quite an important role in Prospero’s ‘plan’. At this point in the play he is still relying heavily on his magic. Finally, towards the end of the play we see Prospero giving in to the things he holds dear to him. He accepts that Miranda has fallen madly in love with Ferdinand and that he cannot stop her growing up, even with all his power. He finds that magic is not the answer to everything, ‘I have given you hear a third of mine own life†¦now my charms are all o’erthrown and what strengths I have’s my own.’ Prospero also recognises that forgiveness is greater than vengeance. ‘Sir, I invite your highness and your train to my poor cell.’ All of these things show that Prospero in being in this island has learnt some key things in life and about himself. It also shows that being marooned there for all those years helped him grow into a better person. I will now explore how Miranda’s character opens up throughout the play. Miranda is the son of Prospero and arrived on the island aged about three. She doesn’t remember much about her previous life in Milan. At first, Miranda appears almost in Prospero’s command, ‘O my heart bleeds to think o’th’teen that I have turned you to.’ As she knows nothing about her previous life and he is the only man she knows of, she looks up to him like a servant would to his master. It is clear that Miranda has utmost respect him. She is aware that he does not conceal to her about her past life in Milan, ‘You have often begun to tell me what I am, but stopped,’ but now she is ready to know more; she is more mature than Prospero takes her for. Prospero holds Miranda back. As the play moves forward, very slowly, Miranda starts to grow into an adult. She starts to challenge Prospero, ‘O dear father, make not to rash a trial of him,’ Miranda is now gaining confidence in herself instead of ‘just standing in the shadows’. She also finds love in the form of the King’s son, Ferdinand. She can never remember seeing a man other than Prospero before, so as she looks upon him, she thinks that he must be a spirit. Finally, by the end of the play Miranda has developed into a woman. There is still one thing that suggests Miranda still has a lot more to learn about real life; when she looks at the villains she still mistakes them from people of a ‘brave new world’. Apart from this she seems to be a ‘new person’: she is to marry Ferdinand and she can now speak out for herself as she wishes or sees fit, ‘If you’ll sit down.’ In saying this she indicates that she is very much more in command of her own life and what she says now. Finally, I will explore how King Alonso’s attitude and behaviour changes throughout the play. Alonso is the King of Naples who has a brother, Sebastian and a son, Ferdinand. He plays a part in helping Antonio over-throw Prospero. He is on his way back from his daughters weeding when we first encounter him and at once we get the feeling of great power, ‘Good Boatswain, have care where’s the master†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ ordering one of the crew members about when it’s not his ship to control shows that he wants to/needs to know what is going on all the time. We do not meet him again properly until half way through the play, where he is roaming the island, having been separated from his son. At this point, although he does not know it yet, he is already part of Prospero’s ‘plan’. Gonzalo is trying to comfort the King but Alonso receives comfort like ‘cold porridge’. ‘Prithee, peace†¦I prithee, spare.’ By saying this he is showing that he does not like to be told what to do or what to feel, he does what he wants and doesn’t like anyone else interfering. He also assumes that his son is dead very quickly, ‘No, no, he’s gone.’ This shows that either King Alonso is very strong mentally and can accept the truth quickly or conceals his emotions very well. We Meet Alonso again at the end of the play where everyone is brought together, the King, assuming his son is dead all this time is over-whelmed with joy to see Ferdinand playing chess with Miranda In Prospero’s cave. ‘Now all the blessings of a good father compass thee about,’ even thought he assumed and accepted that his son had died very quickly we now see that he does care and love his son very much, as much as Prospero loves his magic and daughter. In the end King Alonso repents all his sins, ‘Thou pardon me my wrongs,’ by repenting his sins Alonso is showing us that he is a very mindful character and can accept that he has done wrong and is aware that he needs to take responsibility for his own actions. Throughout the whole play there is a great amount of change going on, whether it be Prospero giving up his magic or Caliban repenting his sins. I believe that this play is built with a moral behind it. At the end of The Tempest everybody is bought together and we find out how different everyone is as well as how they feel about each other truthfully. Although Prospero has been on the receiving end of so many wrong doings, he can still forgive them all, including his unrepentant brother, Antonio. Some of the characters: Gonzalo, Caliban and King Alonso ask for his forgiveness and repent their sins. Others: Sebastian and Antonio do not and still believe that he got all he deserved. This shows that they are in some ways ignorant and not as ‘big’ as those who asked for forgiveness, it takes a bigger man to own up to what he has done.

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