Thursday, January 30, 2020

Someone Will Always Suffer Because of Conflict Essay Example for Free

Someone Will Always Suffer Because of Conflict Essay Someone Will Always Suffer Because of Conflict: Expository Practice SAC Conflict is inevitable, and constantly present in life. Whether it’s obvious and right in front of your face or hidden beneath a pile of lies someone will always suffer because of it. Although that being said, without it- would we truly understand the importance of peace? There are some out there who believe that some of the greatest triumphs and acts of the human spirit were during times of great conflict such as wars and repression’s. But I believe that these events have caused the most horrific demonstrations of human nature in the act of killing the innocent. In Arthur Miller’s tale of Witch hunts conducted in Salem during the 16th century in â€Å"The Crucible† he uses it as an allegory to show that sometimes the people who suffer the most during conflict actually are the most innocent. The story relates to a 1950’s America as Senator Joseph McCarthy would Blacklist innocent people for being â€Å"communists† due to little to no evidence and the person having a few opposing traits to him like being Liberal, Chinese, or speaking out against him. The public were okay with this of course, seeing how there was that much fear being spread and rumours of Russian communists taking over the country forced people to do whatever they could to save their â€Å"freedom†-even if they had spoken out against McCarthy for what he was doing, they probably would have been blacklisted themselves. This suffering relates back to the innocent people in Salem who refused to confess that they were Witches and were therefore jailed and some executed. The people who remained as not charged of being a witch still refused to speak out as they would be charged and persecuted also. More than one person suffered when it came to these conflicts, and it is sad to see how regard less that these two events in history were close to 400 years apart- human kind hadn’t changed, but instead repeated itself. If you were to look at any event in history where conflict was present you would definitely see suffering. During the holocaust the sufferers weren’t just the allies or Axis who lost their lives fighting- there were also the 6 million Jewish men, woman and even children who were slayed down as if they were sheep and gassed for being nothing more than them- selves. This wasn’t just suffering this was cruelty and an inhuman part of another greater conflict at the time. Also the suffering wasn’t over when the war finished either. It was at this time  after the war when Joseph McCarthy was placed as Senator and another whole decade of innocent people’s suffering began. Also prior to WWII when the conflict seemed to be â€Å"resolved† after World War I the great depression hit and even more people suffered due to it. The USA basically went into repression where and Americans found it ridiculously difficult to find work and make an income. In all these events in the 20th Century alone there were so many innocent sufferers because of a conflict that was greater than them, how can it be that there can be conflict without suffering? In the ongoing conflict of terrorism, one event stands out from the rest when it comes to the media, purely because of the severity and how big the statement of the crime committed was. In total, almost 3000 innocent people were killed in the September 11 attacks when two planes hit the World Stock Exchange in New York. These people were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and due to a greater conflict between their government and the terrorist group Al Qaeda they were the victims. There were many wars and other conflicts that spread from this event which have led to the deaths of thousands of other innocent people-the question shouldn’t be â€Å"Will someone always suffer because of conflict† it should be â€Å"When will we stop suffering because of conflict†. Ultimately, it is clear that someone will always suffer because of conflict. Whether the conflict’s a war, a fight with your best friend or even your favourite team losing the grand final someone will always suffer because of it. But this does not matter. Because of suffering people will always try to overcome conflict and one day this world can have as minimal, unnecessary conflict as possible and people can work together to live in peace with one another.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Shakespeares Hamlet †The Character Laertes :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet – the Character Laertes      Ã‚  Ã‚   In â€Å"The World of Hamlet† Maynard Mack describes the interference of a possessive Polonius in the life of his son, Laertes:    â€Å"The apparel of proclaims the man,† Polonius assures Laertes, cataloging maxims in the young man’s ear as he is about to leave for Paris. Oft, but not always. And so he sends his man Reynaldo to look into Laertes’ life there – even, if need be, to put a false dress of accusation upon his son (â€Å"What forgeries you please†), the better by indirections to find directions out (250).    Mack describes one of the lesser problems in life which Laertes must deal with. The son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia, Shakespeare’s Laertes must suffer the demise of both father and sister during the course of Hamlet. Helen Gardner, by way of overview, compares Laertes to Hamlet and King Claudius in â€Å"Hamlet and the Tragedy of Revenge†:    Hamlet’s agony of mind and indecision are precisely the things which differentiate him from the smooth, swift plotter Claudius, and from the coarse, unthinking Laertes, ready to â€Å"dare damnation† and cut his enemy’s throat in a churchyard. (222)    Laertes makes his appearance in the drama after Marcellus, Barnardo and Horatio have already seen the Ghost and have trifled with it in an effort to prompt it to communicate with them. Horatio and Marcellus exit the ramparts of Elsinore intending to enlist the aid of Hamlet, who is dejected by the â€Å"o’erhasty marriage† to Hamlet I’s wife less than two month’s after the funeral of Hamlet’s father (Gordon 128). After this scene, Laertes is one of many in attendance at a post-coronation social gathering of the court at Elsinore. Laertes, like Fortinbras a rival of Hamlet (Kermode 1138), comes with his father, Polonius, who manipulates both him and his sister (Boklund 122).G. Wilson Knight says, â€Å"Instinctively the creatures of earth—Laertes, Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, league themselves with Claudius: they are of his kind† (N. pag.). Claudius insincerely pays tribute to the memory of his own deceased brother, the former king, and then conducts some items of business, for example dispatching Cornelius and Voltemand to Norway to settle the Fortinbras affair. Laertes has meanwhile approached the king, who asks, â€Å"And now, Laertes, what's the news with you? / You told us of some suit; what is't, Laertes?† Laertes responds:

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

? Explain the Continued Fascination with Katherina in ‘the Taming of the Shrew’

?explain the continued fascination with Katherina in ‘The Taming of the Shrew' Audiences continue to be fascinated and relate with Katherina because of the struggles she faces with not fitting into a very concise, social mould. There's no denying that The Taming of the Shrew is patriarchy at its worst. Shakespeare presents to the audience Katherina – an intelligent, highly stubborn woman who is willing to challenge the sexist patriarchal ideologies of the 16th century. She is subjected to many things like verbal abuse, injustice and double standards, which all resonate with the audience.Katherina doesn't fit into the social convention because she challenges the ‘proper' gender roles of the 16th century. We see Katherina challenging gender conventions when she protests against being treated like a commodity in terms of marriage which at the time was like a business or financial transaction supposed to benefit the families involved. Katherina makes it clear at the be ginning of the play that she does not wish to be married to someone merely because of her dowry, much to Bianca's despair.In Act 2 Scene 1 Baptista agrees for Petruchio to marry her. Katherina is very against the idea, twisting his words, insulting and even striking Petruchio. She is finally shocked to silence when even despite her best efforts to protest, Petruchio deceives Baptista in claiming that Katherina wants to be married to him and she â€Å"hung about my neck, and kiss on kiss She vied so fast†. Katherina also challenges gender roles in that she will willingly stand up for herself, which was very unlike any woman of the time.This did not help her case in being a ‘shrew' with a loud, ill-tempered personality and a â€Å"razor-sharp tongue†. We see this in Act 1 Scene 1 when Katherina is being openly insulted and abused by Bianca's suitors and refuses to step down and accept the fact she is being called a â€Å"devil† and a â€Å"wench†. She retaliates with speech that is witty and shreds the suitor's comments, however it was extremely out of the social practice for women. We find her challenging the roles of men and women relatable merely because of the age old contest of men verses women.Because of the very limited roles women held in this era we find that we begin to appreciate her actions in that she will stand up for what she believes is fair and right, even if it has her portrayed as an outcast. Katherina finds herself ill-equipped for the social mould of the era as she begins to make a mockery of the power struggles not only within marital relationships, but also within society. Once married, women essentially lost all legal rights and their own identity.This is why Petruchio refers to Katherina as his â€Å"goods† and his â€Å"chattels† after their marriage ceremony (Act 3 Scene 2). Katherina hates the idea of not even being able to speak her mind because of her limited power in her marriage. She says in Act 4 Scene 3 that her heart â€Å"will break† if she is silenced and unable to express her frustration about her lack of power and control over even her own wardrobe. The play forces the audience to question their assumptions and attitudes about the power dynamics particularly in romantic couples, but also with friends and relatives.We can relate to Katherina not wanting to be treated like a commodity or be stripped of her own identity and values because every one of us have felt pressure to conform to somebody else's values. Whether it be at school, home or in a romantic relationship, phrases such as â€Å"be a good girl† or â€Å"be a man† reverberates with us all and this is what Katherina attempts to overthrow in her relationship with Petruchio. Katherina is forced to deal with injustice, when she is judged and treated with unfairness, as a result of her inability to conform to social and gender conventions.The main object of Petruchio marrying Kat herina was so that he could have the challenge of ‘taming' her. This to the modern audience seems manipulative – as if Katherina is more like an animal needing to be tamed. As a modern audience we have become far more sensitive to social injustices, and so as we witness the abusive behaviour and misogynistic attitudes towards Katherina we begin to feel almost sympathetic for her misunderstood actions and feelings. It is unfair that the only way Katherina could achieve domestic tranquillity was to conform to how Petruchio wanted her to be.She is never given any choice, pretending that the sun is really the â€Å"moon† and moreover that an old man is really a â€Å"budding virgin† just to make Petruchio happy (Act 4 Scene 5). It is clear that as soon as we meet the Minola family that Baptista is clearly more favourable towards Bianca. In Act 1 Scene 1, Baptista asks Bianca to go inside with him and practice her music and books, he disregards Katherina saying â€Å"Katherina, you may stay. For I have more to commune with Bianca†. It is also in this scene that even though Katherina speaks just three times, we hear more about her than from her .This speaks of the judgemental and misunderstood nature that she is subjected to. This fascinates us because as she struggles to overcome this treatment, it becomes very relatable to the audience. The concept of fairness has become, to nearly all of us, a given right. For the characters in The Taming of the Shrew to willingly let fairness be blatantly ignored, becomes a fascinating idea to the modern day audience. Even though fairness has become a right, we have all been put into situations where fairness hasn't always been practised, and so Katherina's plight becomes relatable.Audiences continue to be fascinated with Katherina's character because of the struggles that she faces with not fitting into a very concise, social mould. The Taming of the Shrew's audience in the 16th century was one that was heavily concerned with the concepts of marriage, and so it is only natural that Shakespeare creates a character that challenges all the concepts tied to marriage entirely. Katherina takes things head on when she not only tests the boundaries of the limited roles and expectations of a female, but also won't accept the distinct power roles of a man and woman in a relationship.The play celebrates the quick-wit and strong mind of Katherina, even whilst revelling in her humiliation and unfair treatment. Whilst the social conventions have changed since the 16th century, they are still very apparent in our society, and there will always be those who test and rebuke those widely held standards. One point that is worth considering is whether or not our conventions are shaping our society for advancement, or worse for regression.

Monday, January 6, 2020

Important Data About Electoral College - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 811 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2019/05/28 Category Politics Essay Level High school Tags: Electoral College Essay Did you like this example? The Electoral College Introduction The US Electoral College is an electoral system, which in line with the American people elects the President and the Vice President. The system has existed since the drafting of the constitution during the 18th century. There are 538 members in the Electoral College, and cast their votes after every four years. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Important Data About Electoral College" essay for you Create order This electoral system is multi-stage where the presidential winner must secure majority of the electoral vote and more than 50 percent of the popular vote (BBC). Membership to the electoral vote guarantees one power to appoint a presidential candidate. The primary aim of the Electoral College is to represent the majorityrs votes on the best candidate for White House. The Electoral College State members of democrat and Republican parties are responsible for electing the college members after every four years. According to Harper (2), the population size of each state will determine the number of members. Therefore, states like California, Florida, and Texas have more electoral members than others states. Washington DC is not a state and as such, three members represent Washington as a state in the Electoral College to make it more transparent (Belenky 6). On the other hand, 55 electoral members represent California because they are the most populous. Unlike the Congress, the Electoral College ensures that a state has more say similar to its population size. Their staters party members select electoral members. If a state has more Republicans, then most of their popular votes will be republican and a similar case for the Democrats (Neale 8). This has been one of the target areas for most American presidents; they target the most popular states, for them to win both the popular and electoral votes. Presidency is awarded to the candidate with more than half of the electoral votes. A good example is President Obama who had sixty-one percent of the electoral votes. President Trump achieved more than half of the votes but had less popular votes than his counterpart. The electoral vote is more dominant than the popular vote, which explains its criticism. However, some people have criticized the system since it has no accurate representation of the American population (Belenky 6). Technically, the Electoral College voids the link between the popular vote and the presidency. Drafting the Electoral System The founding fathers drafted the Electoral College for two main reasons; first was to prevent the public from directly electing the president. The second was to create a system that allowed more power for less popular states (Neale 8). The original drafters of the Electoral College feared that the tyrant candidates to secure their way into power through public manipulation. The Electoral College ensured that the presidential seat is in the hands of intellect Americans who understand the constitution and the presidency. The less popular states would have less impact on the election process. It allowed the less popular votes to have a significant effect on electing the president (BBC). Notably, less popular states had little consideration as important regions in the electoral process. Today, a presidential candidate must conduct rigorous campaigns in most states to secure his seat in the Oval Office. The popular vote would give power to people oriented towards specific regions. This would create unfairness, and some states could be disadvantaged (Neale 9). The founding fathers drafted the Electoral College to fix the errors in the electoral process. Mechanism The Electoral College was a positive impact on the American people. The system might have flaws, but the effect it has on electing the right candidate is significant. The Electoral College brings a fair representation of the majority population (BBC). As mentioned earlier, the system helps to eliminate the manipulation of the public by tyrant candidates. Notably, the electors are select groups who understand the election process and can evaluate whether a candidate viable for the Whitehouse (Belenky 15). The less populous States have a significant impact in the electoral process, if it was not there, the most populous would have a tremendous impact on the election compared to states. With the Electoral College, the US election can focus on two primary candidates and eliminate the multiparty system (McGee 18). Additionally, there is little chance the US can go for a runoff election. The US electoral process is unique and has proved its effectiveness over the past years. Conclusion Years ago, a group of liberal minds came up had a similar idea of drafting the Electoral College and minimize control of the popular vote. The system has proved itself over the years and Americans have always elected the right candidate after the election. Today, the system may seem useless and against democracy but in the real sense, it is not an enemy. An absolute public vote could make the presidency more vulnerable and make the road to presidency much easier. Unless someone proposes a better electoral system, the current system will remain the best for the American people.