How far do you agree that “The play of King Lear presents us with a bleak and cruel world and offers us no comfort at the end Much of Shakespeare’s King Lear follows themes such as betrayal on the part of the antagonists and the protagonist’s blindness of the events which have befallen them. For example in a rage with Kent Lear exclaims ‘Out of my sight! ’ with Kent’s retort simply being ‘See better Lear’ this motif of a characters blindness continues throughout the play.Some of the characters can be seen to be prolifically cruel throughout the play and while many of the these characters die by the end of the play their actions still have ramifications. Gonerill and Regan for example strip their father of his self awareness and leave him to scrabble for his sanity on an unwelcoming and bleak heath. Lear is not exempt from blame for his circumstances but the disastrous and tragic consequences seem to out balance the flaws in his fragile mind.This is a tragedy however so Lear’s downfall as the result his hamartia was expected for the katharsis of the Jacobean audiences to be achieved. The play has a sinister atmosphere but Shakespeare may have tried to include moments of comfort either for the tension of the drama or to give the audience a sense of hope. In Act 1 of King Lear Shakespeare seems to foreshadow the key themes of the play which often have sorrowful consequences for many of the characters.For example when Lear decides that he will test his daughter’s flattery in exchange for their share of the kingdom, ‘Which of you shall we say doth love us most, that we our largest bounty may extend’ the contest seems to be an empty gesture as Gloucester and Kent had already discussed that both dukes could already expect an equal share of England ‘for qualities are so weighed that curiosity in neither can make choice of either’s moiety’.The kings’ empty words are soon mirrored by his children’s as Gonerill remarks that ‘Sir, i love you more that word can wield the matter’ and ‘A love that makes breath poor, and speech unable’ her hyperbole contradicts her when she goes on to explain further. Regan too expresses her true feelings poorly by simply agreeing with her sister ‘I am made of that self-mettle as my sister’ this sounds as if it were just a shallow echo of Gonerill without out conviction of love Lear expected.However Lear does not recognise this as the audience might and so when Cordelia decides that she must ‘Love, and be silent’ and says ‘nothing my lord’ Lear indicates his own future ‘Nothing will come of nothing’ Because of Gonerill’s lack of seniority her expressions of love are devalued and mean nothing so that when Cordelia characterises her feelings towards Lear as loving him ‘According to my bond, no more nor less’ she reestablishes the verbal integrity. To a Jacobean audience the theme of nothing may be more prevalent just from Lear’s initial speech ‘Know, that we have divided in three our kingdom… To a christian audience this may have emulated Matthew 12. 25 ‘Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation’. Yet even when in the most dire circumstances compassion is shown by various characters. After he is thrown into a storm and in his words Lear’s ‘… wits begin to turn’ he still shows pity for the fool when he asks ‘Come on, my boy: how dost, my boy? art cold? ’ This is either one of few examples of Lear’s selflessness or his attempt to cling to his only symbol of reality. The injustice of many of the characters are obvious throughout the play.But there are some signs of pity and compassion and of loyalty too. This is usually due to a possible feelings of obligation to family or superiority which contrastingly in other examples become treachery. For example Gloucester’s ultimate punishment for his trust in Edmond is that Cornwall puts out the Earl’s eyes. A servant protests at the brutality of Gloucester’s treatment ‘… But better service have I never done you’ Along with Cordelia and Kent the servant pays the ultimate price for this and is killed.The King’s fool is mourned at the end of the play by Lear because of his selfless attitude towards helping Lear’s understanding ‘So out went the candle, and we were left darkling’. When Gonerill begins to undermine Lear’s sanity the fools says this to relay it to Lear. The loyalty of both the Fool and Kent to Lear can be seen as a comforting thought, suggesting that the king who had lost everything still maintained allies. The Fool used seemingly frivolous songs to try and guide Lear however unsuccessfully into a better situation.Kent too remained loyal, even after Lear had banished Kent he felt a need to serve his master faithfully. Unfortunately in the final act Lear states that ‘my poor fool is hanged’ and after Lear’s death Kent says ‘My master calls me i must not say no’ suggesting he must follow Lear into death. In this instance the folly of humans are overrun by the divine goodness of nature. However the play may also send another spiritual point, a more nihilistic one; if in fact there is such a thing of gods then they are not sympathetic to the tribulations of human society and are as cruel to them as any animal.This is perhaps inconceivable to Lear as he scorns Gonerill and Regan’s behavior as ‘unnatural’ and uses animal image and similes to describe them, her tongue is said to be ‘serpent like’ and whose gratitude is ‘sharper than a serpent’s tooth’. Both may be biblical references to the greed and wickedness of mankind. Edgar too describes himself as a ‘dog in madness’ and ‘wolf in greedines’ here we know that unlike Lear Edgar is not mad and so his word may be taken as a small parable of mankind’s fragility.At realising his two eldest daughters are betraying him Lear calls to the heavens to take his side and strike them with a storm ‘ ‘O heavens ! If you do love old men, if your sweet sway, show obedience, if you yourselves are old, make it you cause. Send down, and take my part! ’ The cruel dramatic irony being that it will be Lear who suffers a terrible storm on the heath and in his mind. As well as this the audience may see that Lear’s language hasn’t changed from the beginning of the play when he still held a position of power.Lears first words of the play is a command ‘ Attend the lords of France and Burgundy Gloucester’ This imperative sentence shows his authority which even when Gonerill and Regan reduce his only semblance of his kingship, his army to nothing he still clings to like a child, ‘Send down and take my part! ’. This may be the root of Lear’s downfall. At the time of King Lear’s first performance, England was in political and economic turmoil Elizabeth I’s still recent death and the Gunpowder plot scared Shakespeare’s time in history. King Lear then may be a partly a criticism of an inherently unfair society.To an Elizabethan audience Edmond’s self interest to not ‘stand in the plague of custom’ and not uphold his loyalty to the king and his father was of a growing trend. At the time then Edmond may not have been seen as a villain but perhaps a free thinking individual who was prepared to do whatever it took to be successful. The apparent lack of justice in King Lear is shown by King Lear himself ‘ I am a man, more sinned against than sinning’ Lear often reaches for some wider reason for his misfortunes but perhaps finds little comfort in the end when he realises his mistakes too late to change the play’s resolution.This aspect of the story follows the theories of tragedy from Aristotle and so Lear can be said to be a ‘tragic hero’. However if King Lear can be seen as a spiritual play then Lear’s ending is one of redemption and since both Gonerill and Regan die the kingdom can once again rise from the ashes. Cordelia too serves this metaphor embodying Christ’s noble crusade against evil with a french army and dying a martyr for her father but not without speaking with him and so restoring Lear’s jagged mind even if only partially.King Lear depicts the cruelty of humankind and the breakdown of a man’s mind, the social and family ties around him and his kingdom. The token examples of compassion, shown to the audience to some extent only amplify the Shakespeare’s ‘darker purpose’ of a savage loss of morals. What little justice thats offered at the end, Edgar prevailing over his brother for example can not compensate for the punishment that Lear and the other characters endure. The very notion of ‘nothing’ is so significant by the end of the play the most of the characters are literally reduced to nothing.
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1/13/2020 0 Comments Make the Mark Essay“Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting. †(Burke, Edmund) This is so true and proves that often my reading skills are like having stuffed cheeks after a good book. I have often found myself attracted to a book by the cover or the subject matter. Unfortunately as soon as I dive into the white pages my mind wanders and before I know it I have finished my grocery list but have no idea what my eyes have looked at. This is where marking your book comes into play and active reading helps to retain information. “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free. â€(Douglass, Frederick) Reading is something very few of us ever master, so many little words and often times the real meaning is up for interpretation. Even many of the readings that we experienced in this class were more involved than the words on paper. Reading is a passion, a quest to absorb information. To be active in your reading experience means to fully inhale every word. Taking notes in the margins ensures that the reader understands the information. Also when a reader actively regurgitates the information in the form of notes the information translates better into memory. “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read. â€(Marx, Groucho) I know that the quote may seem a little silly but it is true. Books are intimate experiences that we all share and often have different experiences with the same book. We can mark a book and the book will not get offended. Some people think that writing in a book is a form of vandalism. We learned that marking a book is not only important but gives a book character. “What is reading but silent conversation? â€(Landor, Walter Savage) Douglas teaches us in his reading that to mark a book is like having a conversation with the author. Sometimes the ability to read a piece and really feel what the author is trying to speak to us is such a great experience, the book feels as if it written for us. Marking a book is fun and honestly can give the owner a sense of contribution to the author. It is almost like being a pioneer discovering a new world for the first time and documenting what you have discovered for others to learn. Douglass talks about marking a book so that the reader can return to the writings and almost pick up where they left off. I, myself have mastered the doodling in the margins but not necessarily the note taking. I want to be a better reader and so many books are out there to help readers learn a better way, kind of silly when you think about it. Classes are taught for readers to improve their speeds or their ability to retain information. Even as I write this paper my mind wanders to other thoughts about my life or how many more words I have to write to meet the requirement. I enjoy writing and I could probably type about the blank screen in many different ways but if some one else were to type the same boring story I would lose interest. I know that makes me a sort of narcissist but I think most writers probably are. Where do you start when you read a book? Most people would suggest starting with the first page but I would probably argue that point. Most of us look at the back of the book to see if we are even interested. Some of us find out from friends and others just read books because it is fun and they like the author. Do we need to mark every book? Of course not. You do not have to mark a single book if you do not want to. Marking a book is only suggested in order for the reader to make the experience more personal and possibly help the reader retain the information. I have taken classes that teach readers not to hi-lite a book because the hand can get carried away and all you end up with is a bunch of yellow pages. I do agree that putting the information in your own words helps the reader to remember the information as if it is their own. When a person picks up a book in most cases it is because they are interested in the subject matter at hand. When you become an active reader and immerse yourself in the book the reader becomes even more involved and gains more knowledge from the book. I have read a few books in my life and believe that the importance of notes in the margin are extremely important. I repeat myself only to make the point in reading that my paper is trying to make, if you do not take notes you may not catch that the information is being repeated. “Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting. †(Burke, Edmund) This is so true and proves that often my reading skills are like having stuffed cheeks after a good book. I have often found myself attracted to a book by the cover or the subject matter. Unfortunately as soon as I dive into the white pages my mind wanders and before I know it I have finished my grocery list but have no idea what my eyes have looked at. This is where marking your book comes into play and active reading helps to retain information. “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free. â€(Douglass, Frederick) Reading is something very few of us ever master, so many little words and often times the real meaning is up for interpretation. Even many of the readings that we experienced in this class were more involved than the words on paper. Reading is a passion, a quest to absorb information. To be active in your reading experience means to fully inhale every word. Taking notes in the margins ensures that the reader understands the information. Also when a reader actively regurgitates the information in the form of notes the information translates better into memory. “Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read. â€(Marx, Groucho) I know that the quote may seem a little silly but it is true. Books are intimate experiences that we all share and often have different experiences with the same book. We can mark a book and the book will not get offended. Some people think that writing in a book is a form of vandalism. We learned that marking a book is not only important but gives a book character. “What is reading but silent conversation? â€(Landor, Walter Savage) Douglas teaches us in his reading that to mark a book is like having a conversation with the author. Sometimes the ability to read a piece and really feel what the author is trying to speak to us is such a great experience, the book feels as if it written for us. Marking a book is fun and honestly can give the owner a sense of contribution to the author. It is almost like being a pioneer discovering a new world for the first time and documenting what you have discovered for others to learn. Douglass talks about marking a book so that the reader can return to the writings and almost pick up where they left off. I, myself have mastered the doodling in the margins but not necessarily the note taking. I want to be a better reader and so many books are out there to help readers learn a better way, kind of silly when you think about it. Classes are taught for readers to improve their speeds or their ability to retain information. Even as I write this paper my mind wanders to other thoughts about my life or how many more words I have to write to meet the requirement. I enjoy writing and I could probably type about the blank screen in many different ways but if some one else were to type the same boring story I would lose interest. I know that makes me a sort of narcissist but I think most writers probably are. Where do you start when you read a book? Most people would suggest starting with the first page but I would probably argue that point. Most of us look at the back of the book to see if we are even interested. Some of us find out from friends and others just read books because it is fun and they like the author. Do we need to mark every book? Of course not. You do not have to mark a single book if you do not want to. Marking a book is only suggested in order for the reader to make the experience more personal and possibly help the reader retain the information. I have taken classes that teach readers not to hi-lite a book because the hand can get carried away and all you end up with is a bunch of yellow pages. I do agree that putting the information in your own words helps the reader to remember the information as if it is their own. When a person picks up a book in most cases it is because they are interested in the subject matter at hand. When you become an active reader and immerse yourself in the book the reader becomes even more involved and gains more knowledge from the book. I have read a few books in my life and believe that the importance of notes in the margin are extremely important. Works Cited “How to Mark a Book†by Adler, Mortimer (2902-2001) http://www. goodreads. com/quotes/tag/reading, internet.
Describe at least five important aspects of Arabic language. Be specific - Essay Example One of the complex and interesting aspects on Arabic language centers on the fact that spoken forms of the language vary in terms of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. The two forms of the language manifest side by side in which one is strictly a spoken form and the other is strictly a literary form. Standard Arabic is the well-defined entity and is uniform across the Arabic speaking world with only minimal variations in vocabulary (Wahba, Taha, and England 225). The grammar, syntax, and vocabulary have changed minimal since the Qur’an (in the 7th century). Arabic languages are fundamental Semitic languages most closely linked to Hebrew, Aramaic, and Phoenician. Semitic languages may be characterized by a limited and a rich consonant system. Semitic languages also typified by a rich inventory of guttural consonants that encompass laryngeals, pharyngeal, and the uvular fricatives. In the same way as other Semitic languages, Arabic language has intricate and unusual morphology. Arabic language possesses nonconcatenative “root and pattern†morphology (Wahba, Taha, and England 225). The standardized written Arabic is unique from and more conservative compared to all of the spoken varieties. Arabic language is a synthetic language, rather than an analytical one meaning that endings may be awarded to words to highlight the function of the words within a sentence. In English, word order mainly determines this function, while in Arabic; the ending of a word determines the function of the word. There are 28 letters within the Arabic alphabet comprising of consonants, symbols, and vowels. The characters employed within their words may be frequently connected; therefore, excluding some which may be linked to their predecessors. The pronunciation of vowels varies from one speaker to another and appears to mimic the pronunciation of the matching colloquial variety, whereby vowels and consonants can be either
Theories of Crime Comparison Essay
While the theory of biological imperatives as the predictor of criminal tendencies or behavior have been mainly relegated to the trash heap of unscientific thought, there is a growing body of research, done in an approved scientific method and backed by years of study that indicates that biology may have a larger role in determining criminal behavior than had been thought. Biological Theory These theories are not to be confused with or equated to Lombroso’s work that pointed to specific physical characteristics that would indicate a predisposition toward criminal behavior. Those theories have rightfully been disposed of and the current theories of biological tendencies toward criminal behavior are relying on the “hard sciences†of genetics, biochemistry, endocrinology, neuroscience, immunology, and psychophysiology (Fishbein, 2005). The debate between nature and nurture, free will or determinationism, and the adherents to those theories has provided a great deal of material for studies over the years and even with advancing theoretical methodologies, those debates will continue. One of the most interesting biological theories falls into the realm of genetics and whether a predisposition to criminal behavior can be passed from generation to generation through DNA (Fishbein, 2005). Studies have been done, following designated families who seem to show a tendency to fall into lives of crime, tending to prove that genetics may have a major role in determining whether a person will take up criminal behavior. Even observation by the layperson seems to give this theory a greater degree of probability than has been accorded to it in the past. When it is possible to observe directly and from accecdotal evidence that certain families and within those families, certain members are drawn to varying degrees of lawlessness, the theory of biological imperatives can gain a good deal of support (Marsh, 2009). Scientists have found anomalies in the endocrine systems of those with criminal tendencies which are not present in the systems of those who have not engaged in criminal activity, which leads to the supposition that there is a biological reason for criminal activity. However, this tendency toward criminal activity is hidden from casual view and is not to be seen by observing physical characteristics, as was supposed and posited by Lombroso (Marsh, 2009). Lombroso’s theories of biological characteristics such as low brows, curly hair, skin hue, shape of the nose, mouth, and ears have been thoroughly discredited, but the newer science of biological markers for criminal activities relies on much more sophisticated tests of the inner man or woman, not on the exterior. Such things as tattoos are no longer considered signs of a criminal nature, but are judged on what the tattoo actually depicts and where it was obtained. Certain distinctive markings are definitely gang or jail related, but the majority of those bearing tattoos in today’s society are decorating themselves or commemorating a loved one or important event in their lives (Fishbein, 2005). Sociobiological Theory Sociobiological theory studies the biological basis for social behavior in species. This includes all species, not just the human one, but the findings and observational methods used to observe each species vary only in the physical necessities for observing the species being studied. It would not work well to use the same methodologies to study humans as it would to study elephants, though there is considerable question as to which species is the more civilized (Gottesman, Ronald, nd). The basis for Sociobiological Theory rests in the Positivist and Individual Trait theories propounded by Lombroso, Mednick, Caspi, and Moffitt, but do not limit themselves to the thoughts and findings of those philosophers (Cullen Agnew, 2002). Psychological Theory Psychological theories of criminal behavior and causation concentrate on the mental development or lack thereof in the individual criminal. They first focus on failures in psychological development, such as a weak conscience, insufficient moral development or maternal deprivation. The next focus is on investigating the ways aggression and violence are the result of learned behaviors, then investigating the personality characteristics of criminals, with the results showing that criminals do tend to be more impulsive, intolerant, and irresponsible than non-criminals. The fourth and final leg upon which psychological theories of crime rests is the relation of criminality to such mental disorders as psychosis and psychopathy (Byrne, 2010). Psychological theory is based on theories with their basis in the Anomie and General Strain theories, developed and expanded upon by Merton, Cohen and Agnew (Cullen Agnew, 2002). It is evolving, as are other theories, with the resulting changes in public “thought†as well as scientific thought as new aspects to what had been widely believed are discovered and disseminated with in the scientific community as well as by the media to the public. Many philosophers and scientists in the social fields are finding that there is no clear delineation between one theory and another. The research is showing that there is not one particular aspect of any theory that is completely and totally right to the exclusion of all others. Each theory has its strong points and its weak points and the more criminals and criminal activity are studied, the more those doing the studies are finding that there is an overlap between theories. Theories of Biological reasons for criminal activity seem to slide into the Sociobiological field and the Psychological theory seems to fit aspects of both the others, as well as present some thoughts and theories that are exclusively its own, as is true in the two others (Byrne, 2010). Conclusion There is no “one true answer†to the causes for criminal activity, though the studies to determine what causes it will undoubtedly continue with more findings as more studies are done. It is even possible that there will be a discovery of a genetic reason for some people’s easy slide into criminality, some strange combination of DNA or RNA that predisposes a person for a life of crime. It is assuredly a field that is wide open for new and fascinating discoveries. References Byrne, James, 2010. An Overview of Physiological theories of Crime Causation. Retrieved from http://faculty.uml.edu/jbyrne/44.521/documents/AnOverviewofPsychologicalTheoriesofCrimeCausation.pdf Cullen Agnew, 2002.Criminological Theory Summaries. Retrieved from www.uwec.edu/patchinj/crmj301/theorysummaries.pdf‎ Fishbein, Diana, 2005. Biological Perspectives in Criminology. University of Baltimore. Retrieved from http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/fishbein90.htm Gottesman, Ronald, nd. Violence in America; An Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.haverford.edu/library/reference/mschaus/ICPR281/walsh_sociobiology_acs.pdf Marsh, I., 2009.Theories of the Causes of Crimes. Strategic Policy Briefs. Department of Justice. Retrieved from http://www.justice.govt.nz/justice-sector/drivers-of-crime/documents/spb-theories-on-the-causes-of-crime |