HOW IS THE U.S UNDERSTOOD AS GREAT CAPITALIST POWER Essay

HOW IS THE U.S UNDERSTOOD AS GREAT CAPITALIST POWER - Essay Example Capital accumulation, very competitive markets and wage labor feature capitalism. In such an economy, the transacting parties often and typically control market prices. The intensity of competition, the intervening role and scope at which the public owns various assets vary within various models of capitalism (Friedman 2009). Annalists have come up with diverse perspectives of capitalism; laissez-faire, welfare and state capitalism with each showing different level of dependency (Friedman 2009). It is this economic system that US thrives in and is thus regarded as a capitalist power. America is predominantly viewed as a capitalist economy. According to Karl Marx, it entails a situation in a minute group of people seize control of the economic points of prosperity in a nation and influence key economic decision (Friedman 2009). We see this America today. America after the world war emerged as the supper power together with Russia. However, it successfully reduced the dominance of Russia through the cold war and promoted its capitalist ideas in most part of the world (Phillips 2009). This is an evidence of a hungry nation fighting to be at the summit of controlling key economic decisions in the world her own gain. The history of America reveals the ideal trait of capitalism. As early as the 17th century, America had started importing slaves from Africa to work in their land (Phillips 2009). The American farmers and owners of industries hugely needed more labor to maximize their profits. Slaves were thus imported from Africa and were subjected to forced labor, meager or no wages at all and physical oppression at work so as to be productive (Phillips 2009). At the end, individual citizens who employed dearly the service of the slaves became rich and generated a lot of wealth while the slaves anguished in abject poverty and depression. Class

Cyberpunk and Science Fiction Essay Example for Free

Cyberpunk and Science Fiction Essay Cyberpunk and Science Fiction in the Information Age Cyberpunk science fiction is considered to be the â€Å"literary manifestation of postmodernism† (Elements149). According to McHale, as a sub-genre of science fiction, cyberpunk stands as the product of the convergence between â€Å"science fiction poetics and postmodernist poetics† (Elements 149). In Constructing Postmodernism, McHale states â€Å"cyberpunk†¦as science fiction derives certain of its elements from postmodern mainstream fiction which itself has†¦already been ‘science-fictionized’ to some greater or lesser degree† (229). The correlation of cyberpunk and postmodernism however is not limited to the existence of cyberpunk as a coagulation of the different factors within science fiction tales. Postmodernism, as a school of thought and as a movement in the different arts, may be characterized by its â€Å"incredulity toward metanarratives† (Lyotard xxiv). Metanarratives refer to the â€Å"‘grand narratives’ or stories that go to legitimize particular practices† (Warren and Warren 78). In the same manner that postmodernism debunks the idea of grand narratives, cyberpunk debunks such grand narratives by placing emphasis on the construction of a separate individual reality within the sphere of cyberspace. Works considered as a part of the sub-genre of cyberpunk are named as such due to their focus on â€Å"technological revolution and its social and psychological implications†¦on online publication† (Stierstorfer 109). The correlation between cyberpunk and postmodernism may thereby be traced to the existence of various worlds within cyberspace presented within cyberpunk texts. It is important to note that the importance of cyberspace is attributed to the space that it provides the individual user for the creation of fictional production. Cyberspace, within these works, stand as a space which is in continuous creation. The creation is determined by each individual and hence it provides the individual with both the freedom and the power to create and determine the worlds created by other individuals within the cyberspace. Within the aforementioned context, reality stands as an individual construction determined by a set of rules for how such a creation may occur. These rules however are not moral rules but merely substantive rules. In a sense, one may thereby state that ‘reality’ within these texts is in continuous flux since what is ‘real’ is determined by one’s point of view, one’s perspective of the world. The act of reading these texts are in a sense determined by the sequence in which these texts are presented however within the context of the assumptions of reality within the text it is possible to imagine a space wherein all acts do not merely interact or collide but occur at the same time since cyberspace is a boundless space and such is the world presented by the texts within the genre of cyberpunk fiction. In line with this, what follows is a discussion of William Gibson’s Neuromancer and Spook Country and Stanislaw Lem’s Imaginary Magnitudes. Online communication creates a space of social contact out of intertextual materials that may end up relying on the very conventional social narratives that many participants hope to escape. These hidden conventional structures within social interaction are the subject of the novel that gave us the term ‘cyberspace’ that being William Gibson’s Neuromancer. A discussion of Gibson’s novel not only provides a glimpse of the very different understanding of identity that results from this intertextuality but also suggests how best to negotiate these narratives. At the most general level Neuromancer is the story of Case’s quest to be re-integrated with cyberspace and the information that it possesses. The story opens with Case’s nervous system intentionally harmed in subtle ways by a past employer so that he is unable to access cyberspace and perform his past role as a ‘cowboy’ who infiltrates computer networks and steals information. Case is mysteriously offered surgery to repair his system if he participates in a complicated scheme to free an artificial intelligence named Wintermute from the limitations placed on it by its creator. Gibson describes Case’s experience of cyberspace in terms of the pleasure of reintegration. The experience is described in the following manner. Found the ridged face of the power stud. And in the bloodlit dark behind his eyes, silver phosphenes boiling in from the edge of space, hypnagogic images jerking past like film compiled from random frames. Symbols, figures, faces, a blurred, fragmented mandala of visual information. Please, he prayed, now†¦Expanding- And flowed, flowering for him, fluid neon origami trick, the unfolding of his distanceless home, his country, transparent 3D chessboard extending to infinity†¦And somewhere he was laughing, in a white-painted loft, distant fingers caressing the deck, tears of release streaking his face. (Neuromancer 52) In the aforementioned passage, Case’s movement into cyberspace is a kind of homecoming that brings him back into contact with a network of human information. Given the lyrical tone of this passage, it is not surprising that interpreters of Neuromancer have concluded that the connection to networks of human information that Case pursues is a uniformly positive thing. Cyberspace subculture frequently takes the disembodied integration into electronic information systems quite literally as a next stage in human evolution. Rather than asserting the value of social integration for its own sake, this story treats such connections as merely showing the protection and evolution of individuals. The links between individuals are similarly ambivalent in Neuromancer. Probably the novel’s clearest statement of the ambivalence of social connection comes late in the novel when Case reflects on his involvement with unseen ‘bosses’. Case has been hired by the mysterious Armitage, who turns out to work for Wintermute. As Case realizes the degree to which Armitage is a puppet or even a construction of Wintermute, he reflects on his involvement with larger political and social powers. It goes in the following manner, Case had always taken it for granted that the real bosses, the kingpins in a given industry, would be more and less than people†¦Hed always imagined it as a gradual and willing accommodation of the machine, the system, the parent organism. It was the root of street cool, too, the knowing posture that implied connection, invisible lines up to hidden levels of influence. (Neuromancer 203) Case’s reflections about the nature of social connection suggest both its positive and negative qualities from the perspective of the individual. Positively, these connections position the individual as a kind of parasite within the ‘parent organism’, sheltering the individual who may not share the goals of the larger system to which he or she belongs. Within this context, one might perceive individuals as pieces of a larger puzzle whose form is partially known but whose image is only available through the different vantage points available to different individuals. Such vantage points however are only accessible or can only be known to one individual unless it is penetrated and in a sense controlled by another one. Knowledge within this space is thereby continually in flux as a result of the power struggles of the entities within it. Imagining people as ‘assemblages’ whose subjectivity is constructed from sources of which they are rarely aware and whose elements do not necessarily cohere certainly seems unappealing at first glimpse since it works against traditional ideas of self-consciousness and personal coherence. However, Neuromancer also suggests that much more dangerous than this disunified subjectivity is the attempt to deny multiplicity and to hide behind some apparent unity. Precisely this tension between unity and incoherence is at issue. One might state that cyberdiscourse enables individuals to raise their consciousness about their own identity however it is also possible to state that it is nothing more than an intertextual concoction of mass media cliches and stereotypes. Gibson’s other novel Spook Country also raises these issues. Spook Country stands as a continuation of Pattern Recognition. As opposed to the futuristic setting of Neuromancer, the later novel is set within the current century. It presents the story of a former rock singer named Hollis Henry who turned into a freelancer researching about locative art for Node magazine. In the process of the research, Hollis discovers that locative art is an art form that combines virtual reality with GPRS technology. As a result of this combination, an individual is able to replicate the events occurring within a particular place thereby allowing the spectator of the artwork to participate within a different reality. This is evident in the following passage from Spook Country. As Hollis and Chombo discuss locative art, they specify the experience that one may achieve in it. They state We’re all doing VR, every time we look at a screen. We have been for decades now†¦VR was an even more specific way we had of telling us where we were going. Without scaring us too much, right? The locative, though, lots of us are already doing it. But you can’t just do the locative with your nervous system. One day, you will. We’ll have internalized the interface. It’ll have evolved to the point where we forget about it. Then you’ll just walk down the street†¦ (Spook 65). In the aforementioned excerpt, one sees the tension between unity and coherence not only in the definition and specification of reality as a result of technological innovations but also the tension that it creates in the process of determining individual identity. This tension is apparent if one considers that an individual’s conception of the ‘self’ is partially dependent upon his surrounding environment. Within the virtual space of locative art, one may thereby create and in a sense develop one’s own space separate but at the same time placed within the sphere of immediate reality. The tension brought about by the existence of the various possibilities of reality within these cyberpunk texts is also evident in Stanislaw Lem’s Imaginary Magnitude. Lem’s Imaginary Magnitude is composed of different introductions and prefaces to non-existent books. The various texts serve satirize the current trends and movements within literature and the other arts. An example of this is evident in the following passage. He states, In an extreme instance, in which there is a Propervirt of less than 0. 9%, the TEXT OF THE PRESENT PROSPECTUS may likewise undergo an ABRUPT change. If, while you are reading these sentences, the words begin to jump about, and the letters quiver and blur, please interrupt your reading for ten or twenty seconds to wipe your glasses, adjust your clothing, or the like, and then start reading AGAIN from the beginning, and NOT JUST from the place where your reading was interrupted, since such a TRANSFORMATION indicates that a correction of DEFICIENCIES is now taking place. (Lem 86) The aforementioned passage may be seen as alluding to a period in the future when it is possible for human beings to directly interact with their reading material. In another context, one might also see it as a parody of the impositions regarding the proper position and manner that individuals ought to read texts. Either way, the book in itself as well as its content of imaginary texts presents the reader with yet another conception of reality that allows the fluidity of experience. Within the aforementioned contexts, one considers how one is to understand the concept of reality, self, and knowledge within the context of cyberpunk science fiction. Within this genre, one sees reality, the self, and knowledge in itself as continuously in flux. Within a text which creates worlds determined by intertextuality, the process of reading the text becomes an act of recognizing the interrelation of its parts to the extent that one is willing to recognize that the events within it and in a sense the realities within it may all occur within the same time and space. Works Cited Gibson, William. Neuromancer. Np: Ace Books,1984. ___. Spook Country. Np: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2007. Lem, Stanislaw. Imaginary Magnitudes. Michigan: U of Michigan, 1984. Lyotard, Jean Francois. The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge. Minnesota: U of Minnesota P, 1984. McHale, Brian. Constructing Postmodernism. London: Routledge, 1992. ___. â€Å"Elements of a Poetics of Cyberpunk. † Critique 33. 3 (Spring 1992): 149-75. Warren, William and Bill Warren. Philosophical Dimensions of Personal Construct Psychology. London: Routledge, 1998. Stierstorfer, Klaus. Beyond Postmodernism: Reassessments in Literature, Theory, and Culture. Np: Walter de Gruvter, 2003.

Themes of Madness in Hamlet

Themes of Madness in Hamlet To be or not to be begins one of the most famous soliloquies of all time by an author that has stood the test of time, William Shakespeare in his play, Hamlet. There are several different themes that are relayed within Hamlets story. These themes include death, obsession, and betrayal, all of which contribute in some manner to encourage Hamlets madness. In every theme, the audience can relate on a universal level both back in the day and in contemporary times as death, obsession and betrayal are common entities, well known today and will continue to be known and understood until the end of time. There are many overlapping themes that all relate back to Hamlets madness, specifically including death, obsession, and betrayal. Nature of Hamlet The underlying theme of madness is represented quite often in the play. In the play, Hamlet exhibits a puzzling nature. Hamlet contradicts himself throughout out the play. He endorses both of the virtues of acting a role and being true to ones self. He further supports both of these conflicting endorsements with his actions. This ambiguity is demonstrated by his alleged madness, for he does behave madly, only to become perfectly calm and rational an instant later. These inconsistencies are related with the internal dilemmas he faces. He struggles with the issue of revenging his fathers death, vowing to kill Claudius and then backing out, several times. In the first act Hamlet appears to be very straightforward in his actions and inner state. When questioned by Gertrude about his melancholy appearance Hamlet says, Seems, madam? Nay it is. I know not seems (1.2.76). This is to say I am what I appear to be. Later he makes a clear statement about his state when he commits himself to revenge. In this statement the play makes an easy to follow shift. This shift consists of Hamlet giving up the role of a student and mourning son. Hamlet says,Ill wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain (1.5.99à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ103) Hamlet is declaring that he will be committed to nothing else but the revenge of his fathers death. Conviction When Hamlet appears again in act two, it seems that he has lost the conviction that was present earlier. He has yet to take up the part assigned to him by the ghost. He spends the act walking around, reading, talking with Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and the players. It is not until the very end of the act that he even mentions vengeance. If he had any of the conviction shown earlier he would be presently working on his vengeance. So instead of playing the part of vengeful son, or dropping the issue entirely, he hangs out in the middle, pretending to be mad. This is shown when he says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern I know notà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœlost all my mirth, foregone all custom of exercise (2.2.298à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ299). Later he tells them that he is just feigning madness when he says, I am but mad northà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœnorthà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœwest, when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw (2.2.380à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ381). Admitting so blatantly that he is only feigning madness would imply that he is comfortable with it. He also seems to be generally comfortable with acting. This is evidenced when he says, there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so (2.2.251à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ252). Hamlet is saying that behavior shapes reality. Hamlet is prompted to vengeance, again, by the moving speech that is given by one of the players. About this speech he says, Whats Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her? What would he do Had he motive and cue for passion, That I have? (2.2.561à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ564) In this praise of this players ability to act, Hamlet is saying that if he were such an actor he would have killed Claudius by now. This link between vengeance and acting that is present here is what Hamlet struggles with until very near the end. When Hamlet is advising the player on how his lines should be read he says, Suit the action to the word, the word to the action (3.2.17à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ18). If Hamlet would follow his own advice he would not have a conflict. This shows that he is not consistent within himself. Hamlet is saying one should not distinguish between word and actions, but he does maintain this separation. Yet when Hamlet speaks with Horatio he praises him for being objective, levelheaded, and for having a consistent character. He is praising Horatio for being true to himself, not being an actor. Hamlet says,Give me that man, That is not passions slave, and I will wear him, In my hearts core, ay, in my heart of heart, As I do thee. (3.2.69à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ72) Hamlet is saying this because he wants Horatio to watch the King at the play. He is unsure of his uncles guilt, and he wants proof. He wants it from someone who he thinks is honest throughout. It comes back to acting and vengeance or in this case he has failed in his vengeance and needs Horatio to agree with him. Hamlet says to Horatio, Observe mine uncle. If his occulted guilt, Do not itself unkernnel in one speech, It is a dammed ghost we have seen, (3.2.77à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ80) Proof, however, does not have any thing to do with the role Hamlet is supposed to play, but there is more to it than that. The interesting thing is that his uncle will be judged by how he acts during the play. If the King is a good actor, and does not show his guilt, he will most likely not be killed. However, the King is not a good actor and when he rises Hamlet responds with, What, frighten with false fire? (3.2.254). Its as if Hamlet is saying its only a play, its not real. He does say something to this e ffect a few lines before. Your majesty, and we that have free souls, it touches us not (3.2.229à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ230). This new proof drives Hamlet to use more words. He is again to talk of killing, and he says, Now I could drink hot blood (3.2.379). He again associates this with a role, that of Nero. The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom (3.2.383). Later Hamlet again talks himself out of character and does not kill the King. He puts it off until later and says, When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, At gaming, swearing, or about some act, That has no relish of salvation in it, Then trip him that his heels may kick at heaven, And that his soul may be dammed and black (3.3.89à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ94) Death Hamlet frequently thinks about suicide throughout the course of the play. Hamlets perspective on his life can be seen in his To be or not to be speech. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep- No more, and by a sleep to say we end The heartache and the thousand natural shocks is only the beginning of his verse (3.1.59-64). By mentioning the thoughts of suffering the slings and arrows that are naturally lifes tribulations, followed by the consideration of facing a sea of troubles by living, it is apparent that he desires to experience death. Hamlet hopes to avoid and not to be subjected to inevitable heartache that is simply part of life, and by wishing to not have to tolerate pain, exhibits his wish to die. At the end, Hamlet has apparently made the decision that he would rather die, but if, and only if he were not afraid of what would come after death . In a manner of speaking, this also reflected Hamlets depression in that he would constantly think about death. He was melancholy to say the least. The question remains as to whether or not this is madness. In truth, it is possible that because he contemplates suicide in a very real way, it could possibly be thought of as madness as it is not a thought that any normal person would ever have. Instead, a normal individual may see issues in life that need to be dealt with instead of run away from which may have been what Hamlet was doing. Madness surrounds this possibility of death because most individuals will never truly contemplate taking their own life in any normal circumstances. In any event, Hamlets uncertainty is also what drives Hamlets obsessions, which revolve around the betrayal leading to the death of his father. Obsession and Betrayal Hamlets obsession revolves around the betrayal his family has faced at the hands of his uncle. Despite the fact that Hamlet appears to have been given evidence that his uncle did, as a matter of fact, murder his father, it seems as though this so-called evidence is simply not enough for Hamlet to be absolutely certain. Where wilt though lead me? Speak; Ill go no further Hamlet begins in Scene V (Shakespeare) Although this statement may be perceived as Hamlet attempting to stand his ground in search for answers as to what is happening, the other side of this could also be that he is somewhat afraid of the specter that is standing in front of him. During Shakespeares time period, fear of ghosts was not unusual because it was believed that ghosts did indeed exist as a way of explaining sometimes what seemed to be supernatural things. The ghost of Shakespeares Hamlet first appears in Act I and reveals truths to Hamlet, one of which is admitting that he is Hamlets murdered father. A conve rsation takes place between Hamlet and the ghost of his dead father where the ghost openly accuses Claudius, Hamlets uncle, of having been the murderer by stating that The serpent that did sting thy fathers life Now wears his crown (1.5.39-40). If the ghost is indeed Hamlets father and is to be believed, theoretically, the ghosts accusation should be all of the proof that Hamlet needs, yet he continually searches for proof, all the while replacing normal joys with his obsession to know the absolute truth behind the betrayal the resulted in the death of his beloved father. Eventually, his obsession with his fathers death gets reinforced by an increase in separation from his family as well as his loved ones. Simply seeing a ghost raises questions of madness because reality says that there are no such things as ghosts, but yet, people still claim to see ghosts. In this particular case, it can be thought that Hamlet descended into madness even further as he attempted to come to terms with several factors that surrounded this particular event in the play. The first factor that really stands out is the fact that Hamlet sees a ghost period. Not too many people will see such things unless they are perhaps clinically and mentally disturbed. That is the first implication that signals Hamlets madness. It continues even as others see what Hamlet sees. Even Hamlets friends, Horatio and Marcellus, see him after Hamlet has seen his fathers ghost. Hamlet truly wants closure for the loss of his father and as such, urgently wants assurances as to what has been witnessed from his friends perspectives. While his friends fear the ghost, Hamlet feels as though he must go in order for the ghost to talk to hi m. Is it madness that drives him to go forth and attempt to communicate with the ghost? Honestly, it can be looked at from either perspective. Simply believing that an individual can even talk to a ghost is somewhat disturbing. There would have to be some sort of mental illness or blockage there to believe that he truly was talking to his fathers ghost. At the same time, maybe it was not madness as it could have been because there are many different ways that an individual learns to cope with what they are dealing with. In this case, Hamlet must learn to deal with the loss of his father and perhaps seeing something like a specter is in fact his coping mechanism. That cannot possibly be healthy, but for lack of better explanation, at least it is a way to cope. On the other hand, it can even be questioned as to whether or not he may instead be experiencing a true mental illness like schizophrenia. The only reason that can be tossed out the window as an option is because his friends al so see the ghost even if they are unaware as to who or what it is supposed to stand for. Also considering the fact that the only person that the ghost talks to is Hamlet, it would seem that perhaps this was also because Hamlet was the only one willing to see and talk to the ghost. Perhaps that is also a sign of madness as he allowed himself to communicate with someone that really should not exist in any real scientific manner. Since Hamlet seemed to be far past the idea true sanity, it would further seem that his talking to a ghost would simply add to the madness that is Hamlet. As the play progresses, Hamlet has become separate emotionally from his family and the woman he once proclaimed to love, Ophelia. He would rather push Ophelia away and encourage her to go to a nunnery because of the way he has come to view women in general. He goes on to tell her that he loved her once, only to say that Ophelia should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not (3.1.119-121). How hurtful that was to the fair Ophelia and did nothing but make her wish for the Hamlet she once knew. Clinical depression exhibits withdrawal from loved ones, as Hamlet has done here with Ophelia. Hamlet even finds it necessary to be vulgar towards Ophelia as it would have been impossible for him to continue to love her while simultaneously attempting to avenge Hamlet pulled away from the woman he had once proclaimed to love and still continued to contemplate his fathers death as well as his own. The death of Hamlets father is also reflective of the types of plays that were written of the time which were morality plays. The play contains many elements that are reminiscent of the Dark Ages such as the idea of the nation being diseased like a physical being which reminds the audience of the plague that had run rampant during medieval times. It is interesting that the health of the country and the well-being of the family are so closely related in such a manner that the country actually reflects the family. This brings forth the dark ages to the audience because the people held the royal family largely responsible for the plague and felt as though the royal family could have done more for the people as opposed to simply getting away. Denmark is constantly described as a physical person that has been made ill by the moral corruption within the family. In writing Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote what was common for that time which was a morality play. Clearly, morality played a significa nt part in the entire piece as Hamlet struggled with the idea of death. After the kings death, Hamlet is obsessed with death and looks at death from several different points of view. Then again, death was a common component of life during the dark ages what with the plague having run its course through Europe. With all of the surrounding destruction, contemplating death was normal, but for Hamlet, it took a slightly different twist. Real Madness or Not? Some might argue that Hamlets madness was real or not, but in truth, it was a truly disastrous time in Hamlets life. His father had passed away and his uncle had just married his widowed mother. This was then followed by the appearance of the ghost of his dead father with instructions for revenge, and then as if that were not enough, Ophelias father had made it impossible for Hamlet to see her. It is no wonder that Hamlet had episodes of madness throughout the play and appeared to lose touch with reality a number of times. In all reality, Hamlet never fully lost touch with reality and as such did eventually stop exhibiting his insanity after his argument with Laertes in the graveyard. Even in considering the revenge that was plotted against Claudius required some sort of reality hold in order to plan something effectively for it to really work. Once Hamlet saw his ghost of a father, his sole purpose in life was to uncover the truth about the matter and avenge his father should it be deemed necessary. From that perspective, madness seemed to be the perfect vessel to manipulate the way that the people worked around him. In fact, madness allowed him to confuse Polonius into believing that Ophelia was the root of his madness so much in fact that Polonius went to the king and queen who also seem inclined to believe that Ophelia could in fact be the cause of Hamlets madness. For Hamlet to carry this on effectively, he would have had to retain some sort of connection to reality in order to manipulate those that would otherwise doubt whether or not he actually knew what he was talking about. Hamlet was a brilliant man indeed! Final Thoughts It would seem that being a good actor is paramount to survival in this play. Polonius could not stick to the role of adviser and was trying to convince the King that Hamlet was in love with his daughter. This leads him to spy on Hamlet, and because he could not do that right either, is killed. Ophelia could not handle the role of mourning for her father, goes mad and dies as a result. The King could not cover up his guilt, so Hamlet has the proof he needs to spur him on. Overall, Hamlet, who if he would have acted as the ghost instructed him to in the first place, instead of flip flopping around, would have killed Claudius outright. Had Hamlet been truly comfortable with acting, Claudius would have been the only causality. Depending on how Hamlet is examined, it would appear that there are both real and not quite so real bouts of madness. Given the time in his life, it would be more likely that Hamlet would in fact be a victim of madness while still retaining some of his ability to keep in touch with reality to some extent. This attachment is what kept Hamlet from going entirely over the edge, but ultimately, his madness is what caused the story to take the path that it did because his madness led to his obsession which bled over into several different other themes within the play.

Philosophy of Education Essay -- Philosophy of Teaching Statement

Philosophy of Education One of the most privileged professions in the world today is teaching. Teachers can influence the youth of a culture in a way no one else can. Teachers have the honorable responsibility of education. Students develop mentally, socially, and ethically within the realm of academic education. While in this critical stage of development, students are given the laboratory of the classroom to test themselves in ways that are more risky after graduation. Teachers play a crucial role in this laboratory. I believe that the most important way I can serve my students while fulfilling this role is to have positive expectations, to continually reflect on my teaching habits and performance, and to use literature as a way to empower my students to be successful personally and professionally. I believe each student should be treated as an individual, and positive expectations should guide my interaction with each individual. Students have the potential and capability to achieve the highest success, and I will treat each of them with this in mind. Students should always believe this about themselves, and they are not going to unless others believe it with them. The development of a student’s self worth is very important during the middle and high school years. I believe many students fail academically because they don’t believe they are able to succeed, or they don’t value their success academically. These students need positive reinforcement and high expectations. Some students are set up to fail before they even enter the school building; a poor home environment can have negative effects on a student’s self worth and ability to study. These students need understanding, accommodations, and positive encourage... ...o help them make their own responsible decisions. After all, in a few years, they will be completely independent and should have practiced making their own decisions. I want to encourage my students to form their opinions about the choices they want to make through sound experiences and information before they get in the specific situations, thus making more informed and thoughtful decisions "in the moment." While entertaining the issues of culture itself, I would like to equip my students with the tools needed to read, write, comprehend, and verbally articulate their well-formulated ideas. By embedding the grammar, writing, reading, and critical thinking skills within the teaching of a a relative text, I hope to stretch the minds of my students more than just academically, but even in their development as a person. Literature can reach students in ways that I cannot.

Italian Women of the Renaissance Essays -- Arts, Gentileschi, Anguisso

Across Europe, between 1400 and 1650, there were women present in all major styles of time. They worked along side of great artists and were developing new techniques and styles. Women also played a very important role in the Renaissance. Although not as well documented as their male counterparts, women worked along with the other great masters, were just as innovating, and were key in developing new techniques. Artemisia Gentileschi (1593 – 1652), daughter of a well-known Roman artist, was one of the first women to become recognized in her time for her work.. She was noted for being a genius in the world of art. But because she was displaying a talent thought to be exclusively for men, she was frowned upon. However by the time she turned seventeen she had created one of her best works. One of her more famous paintings was her stunning interpretation of Susanna and the Elders. This was all because of her father. He was an artist himself and he had trained her and introduced her to working artists of Rome, including Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. 1. In an era when women artists were limited to painting portraits, she was the first to paint major historical and religious scenes. After her death, people seemed to forget about her. Her works of art were often mistaken for those of her fathers. An art historian on Artemisia, Mary D. Garrard notes that Artemisia â€Å"has suffered a s cholarly neglect that is unthinkable for an artist of her caliber.† Renewed and long overdue interest in Artemisia recently has helped to recognize her as a talented renaissance painter and one of the world’s greatest female artists. She played a very important role in the renaissance. (http://www.artemisia-gentileschi.com/index.shtml) Another... ...n for her spontaneity which came from her passionate and stubborn temperament. In her Rime, she writes poems relating to her love of a man named Collaltino. Her poems are filled with ecstasy and sorrow, with the remembering of happy moments but also with jealousy and anxiety between the two. In 1553, her health took a turn for the worse. She caught a high fever which killed her in a few days. The same year, her sister had her Rime published. It was not very successful in her century. It had to wait two centuries before being published again. She is now hailed as one of the greatest Italian poets. Stampa’s Rime is one of the largest collection of Canzonieri in the Italian literature. There are 311 poems in all, arranged in chronological order. Gaspara freed herself from her obsessive love by transferring her pain into some of the greatest poetry in Italian history.

Primate Intelligence versus Human Intelligence Essay

Monkeys are noted to be the closest depiction of the creation of humans. Undeniably, the existence and the life- activities of the said creatures are closely related to that of the human activities as well. Through studies including both scientific and psychological studies, the said creatures portray the closest relation to the human life and behavior. How they think and how they do things had been noted to be a direct depiction of how humans react to life and are thus affected by the different events that are connected with the said existence. This issue on the relationship of monkey-behaviors with that of the humans had been subjected to several questions and assumptions that relate the situation as to how their intelligence relate to that of the human intelligence. The intelligence of monkeys is noted through studies as ‘Primate’; meaning, monkeys follow an instinct that dictates to them what should be done. As for example, when they are in need of food, they notice this because of feeling hungry thus they are motivated to do something about it. As their food is found simply around their environment, they begin to forge. However, more than simply being dictated by the situation through instinct, primate intelligence shows how a situation is dealt with by an individual creature through immediate solution to arising problems that needs to be given attention at once. Through the utilization of primate intelligence, an individual is able to account something that is needed to solve an abrupt situation that he is facing. Upon studies, it has been shown how chimpanzees in particular react to several occurrences in their environment in an immediate response. The idea is that they are able to fix the problems easily through deciding abruptly during the actual situation. Through this, the social and the personal behavior of the said creatures are then outlined to respond immediately to several situations that they may face. Humans too are faced with these particular dilemmas in life. Just the same, they are bale to come up with the necessary decisions that they need to posses to be able to solve the situations or problems that they are particularly dealing with. Undoubtedly though, the decision making procedures of humans are naturally more complex than that of the chimpanzees or the monkeys as a whole. The idea is that when a human decides, he carries on several considerations that are involved in the issue. Most likely, the situation becomes much harder to deal with, but the results are more effective and beneficial for the issue that is being solved. True, both humans and other creatures were given the ability to think and decide from themselves. However, the reason why humans were separated from all the others is that they have the capability to reason out with their own thinking. Unlike other creatures, although they do have the capability to decide more than just being dictated, humans are able to set the different pros and cons of the decision before they are able to actually release the decision for further application. Constant understanding of the major elements of intelligence shall show that humans are of different understanding compared to that of the other creatures. Most likely this is primarily because of the fact that humans have the capability to logically identify their decisions and the reasoning that comes along with it. References: Marc D. Hauser. (1998). Games Primates Play. Research Library.

Eudora Welty Research Paper

She was the oldest of three children and the only girl of a very close-knit family. Her father, Christian Webb Welt, was an Ohio native who worked for an Insurance company. Her mother, Mary Chastens Welt, had been a schoolteacher In West Flagella. Welt's mother, being a schoolteacher, loved to read and Influenced Welt to read at a young age. In her biography, Welt tells about her earliest memories of her parents reading to her and to each other at night.She was always surrounded by books and was always reading. Her love of reading led her to graduate high school and further her education, which most girls during this time did not do. Welt had potential that did not go to waste. Eduardo Welt became a well-known, skilled writer who used her own background and experiences to help shape her stories into something captivating, stressing the importance of place in each and every story (Kerosene). She began her studies at the Mississippi State College for Women. Here, she helped start a lit erary magazine.Two years later, she began studying at the university of Wisconsin and earned her bachelor's degree there. After Informing her arenas that she wanted to become a writer, her father suggested she have something else to fall back on. Upon his advice, she decided to study advertising at the Columbia university School of Business. The job industry was tough when she graduated, so Welt decided to move back to Jackson (Machismo). After moving back home to Jackson, she began working for a local radio station and wrote about the society of Jackson for the Commercial Appeal in Memphis.Five years after taking this job, she began working for the Works Progress Administration, which was a government program established during the Depression, as a publicity gent. Welt thoroughly enjoyed this Job, which enabled her to travel all over Mississippi and see things she had never seen before. The people she saw amazed her and worried her at the same time. She used a cheap camera to captu re pictures of everything she saw and documented It for the WAP. She wished for these pictures to be published, but they only went so far as to be exalted In New York.She also interviewed various people, each one intriguing her more and more (Prose). Through her experiences working with the Works Progress Administration, she got a huge feel of Southern life outside of Jackson. This was the starting point for her future in writing her stories. Location was of great importance in Welt's stories. She believed that place was what made stories seem real and complete. One of Welt's famous quotes is, â€Å"A place that ever was lived in is like a fire that never goes out. Jackson was her home all of her life, and it was what she knew best. She Incorporated this familiarity and Intimacy so flawlessly into her work and It is this that draws the reader in. It is so apparent that heart Is put Into her writings. Although most of her stories are set In the deep south, most critics Greer that he r work Is all-inclusive and not narrowed Just to southern living, language, and customs (Moloch). She Is able to detach from what she knows best and observe other aspects of the world.Neither of her parents were originally from Living in New York for a few years also broadened her horizons. She said it best when she said, â€Å"Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it. † With all of her experiences tied together piece by piece, story by story, Eduardo Welt became a well-known, award winning writer (Discussions). Eduardo Welt explained in her autobiographical work, One Writer's Beginnings, how her fiction stories grew from this â€Å"sheltered life† that she lived.This book was published later, in 1984, and consisted of three different lectures that she gave at Harvard University, with the sections being titled: â€Å"Listening†, â€Å"Learning to See†, and â€Å"Finding a Voice†. She used this book to give an explanation of what makes a writer become a writer and to show her natural roots. She explains how she converted this part of her life into a new and different perception, and from this, she wrote her fiction. Using a series of expressive memories, she described in detail her life as she was growing up.She used memories that she felt were â€Å"significant†, which kept the reader wanting to read more, instead of growing bored. She says it best herself in only a few sentences: â€Å"Long before I wrote stories, I listened for stories. Listening for them is something more acute than listening to them. I suppose it's an early form of participation in what goes on. Listening children know stories are there. When their elders sit and begin, children are Just waiting and hoping for one to come out, like a mouse from its hole. (Welt) Welt's first published short story of her career was written in 1936 called â€Å"De ath of a Traveling Salesman†.She sent this story, along with a letter, to the editors of a magazine called Manuscript. The magazine published her story and her letter in their June issue. The story was very well written for it to be her first, and showed that she knew what she was doing. Two admired publications, the Atlantic and the Southern Review, allowed Welt's work to appear their magazines within Just two years Cones). Her talent in her first story was recognized by the author Katherine Anne Porter. Porter went on to write a complimentary preface for Welt's first book, A Curtain of Green, full of Welt's short stories.This introduction boosted the American awareness of Welt's work. Welt's first novel, Delta Wedding, was published in 1946 (Discussions). A few decades after Welt's career launched, around 1956, she began having troubles at home. Her brother's arthritis became more severe, disabling him and also causing heart problems. Just as this problem occurred, Welt's mo ther had a series of strokes. The strokes took a huge toll on Welt's mother, and it left her all but blind. More problems followed these already troubled times. Her other brother fell into a depression, and it wasn't his first.He was also afflicted with the same arthritis that had taken over their brother (Mars). For almost ten years, Welt fought through many battles, seeing family members and friends close to her suffer through illnesses, some less fortunate in their struggle than others. Theses hardships limited her writing, but in the long run, they only made her and her work stronger. She was finally able to finish her novel, Losing Battles, in 1970 (Vandalized). This was the one piece of work that took Welt the longest to make. In reviewing the book for the