Saturday, August 31, 2019

Cuban Missile Crisis

As I woke up this morning, President of the United States, I felt proud and brave. The day is October 14, 1962. One of our U2 spy planes pick up something strange. The Spy Plane sent us pictures of Cuban missiles. On October 23 we form a secret meeting that includes all of my closet Generals and my best men. During the meeting another U2 plane sends us pictures of Soviet ships sending missiles to Cuba. We then decide of some plans to stop or prevent this from preceeding to be very dangerous. We have finally decided to block off the incoming Soviet ships by forming a blockade. Our ships are sailing nicely and we are approaching Cuba. After about three hours we reach the designated spot and form the blockade. I get scared and remember many important invents such as my marriage to Jaequeline Bouvier in 1953, my childhood, family and friends. We reach contact with the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushcev. We make many comprimises and pitch many ideas back and forth. While we talk one of our U2 Planes is flying right over Cuba and he is confirming that all MRBM sites are operational. Another U2 Plane is flying over Cuba and gets shot down. Well Khrushcev and I reached an agreement that he would take down all MRBM missiles if we removed our missiles in Turkey. This ended the Cuban Missile Crisis on Oct 28 1962. I was so relieved to go home and see my wife and kids. Cuban Missile Crisis Explain why relations changed between the USA and the USSR as a result of events in Cuba between 1959 and 1962 and how the Cuban missile Crisis affected relations between the USA and the USSR. The USA and the USSR never really got on after WW2 ended, it was always a competition to see who the greatest superpower was. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the nearest that both sides came to an actual nuclear war. The tensions were intense for both sides, for both USA and USSR could have started a war if they wanted to because of their opponents.And in this essay I am going to explain why their relations changed and how the Cuban Missile Crisis affected relations between 1959 and 1962. One of the first reasons why relations between the USA and the USSR changed is because of Cuba, Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and it is situated only 90 miles from Florida, in Southern USA. Also the Americans owned most of the businesses, banks, sugar and tobacco plantations, as well as a large nava l base. The Monroe Doctrine was a key part of USA’s foreign policy.This said that further efforts by European governments to colonise land or interfere with sates in the USA would be viewed by the USA as an act of aggression, requiring US intervention. The USA regarded the American continent as its sphere of influence and would not tolerate a communist government in power inside their sphere of influence. The overthrowing of the pro-American dictator, General Batista in 1959 also led to deterioration in US revelations with Cuba. The new leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro, nationalised industries and banks, and introduced land reforms.This hurt US banking interests, as it was their land and their businesses that were being taken over. In 1960 ended an argument to buy Cuba’s sugar exports, in 1961 the USA broke off diplomatic relations and cut off all trade links with Cuba. This caused relations to change because a lot of their trade was with USA and they would have lost a goo d sum of money. Also Cuba was economically dependent on the USA, so Castro turned to the USSR. By 1962 over 80% of Cuba’s trade was with the USSR.Cuba exported sugar, fruit and tobacco and they also exported oil and machinery. And in 1961 Castro announced that Cuba was a communist country. Of course this sent alarm bells going in USA. President Kennedy wasn’t prepared for a Russian satellite that was so close. And in April 1961 the CIA and 1400 Cuban exiles organised an invasion to overthrow Cuba’s communist leader. USA provided transport, weapons, military advisors. The Bay of Pigs invasion was a huge failure, and made Americans and especially Kennedy look foolish.Some of the Americans landing craft were wrecked by coral reefs which were mistaken for seaweed in photographs, and few people joined the uprising which was quickly crushed. So this is how Cuba’s relations changed with the USA between 1959 – October 1962. Cuba’s relation with the USSR is another reason for the relation changes between USA and the USSR. Well after USA cut diplomatic relations with Cuba, Castro edged closer to the USSR. In May 1962 the USSR agreed to supply Castro weapons to protect Cuba from future US invasions.Not only did they supply them with thousands of guns but also, patrol boats, tanks and jet fighters, all this made the Cuban army better equipped. There were also 42,000 USSR soldiers that were sent to Cuba, the Americans thought there were only 16,000 at most. In 1962, USSR was increasingly concerned at the ‘missile gap’ resulting from USA’s superiority in long – range nuclear weapons. Khrushchev was also concerned about American/NATO missiles which were in Turkey, close to the USSR. Russian influence in Cuba offered Khrushchev an opportunity to balance the threat.USSR sent technicians to secretly build silos, missile erectors and install 43 short and medium range missiles, which meant that USA were now in r ange of the missiles. The 13 day crisis was most likely the closest event that both sides have been to a nuclear war. On October 14th, a U2 plane got photographs of the missile sites. These photographs proved that the Russian missiles were well advanced and that most of the USA was in short and medium range of the missiles in Cuba. On October 16th President Kennedy sets up EXCOMM to deal with the crisis.On October 17th Khrushchev assures Kennedy that he will not put missiles in Cuba. On October 20th Kennedy decides that he is going to put a naval blockade around Cuba. On October 22nd President Kennedy goes on television to tell the American people about the crisis. The news shocks the world as everyone knows a nuclear war would be fatal. On October 23rd the US navy set up the blockade around Cuba. On October 24th 18 Russian ships, many carrying parts for nuclear missiles, turned back, but there were still missiles in Cuba.On October 26th Khrushchev sent the first letter to Kennedy, in it he promised to remove the missiles from Cuba if Kennedy promised not to invade Cuba. On October 27th Khrushchev sent a second letter which demanded that the US remove the missiles from Turkey as well. News had come in that a U2 plane had been shot down over Cuba and the pilot killed. The tensions were high at this point, Kennedy could have declared war on them, military chiefs advised an air strike followed by an invasion. Kennedy replied to the first letter and ignored the second letter accepting Khrushchev’s offer.He also promised to remove he missiles in Turkey but insisted this promise was to be kept a secret. And finally on October 28th Khrushchev accepted the offer and the crisis is over. The 13 day crisis was one of the biggest reasons why relations between USA and the USSR changed. The effects of the Cuban missile crisis were; Kennedy’s reputation was enhanced as he stood up to Khrushchev and held his ground. Kennedy played down any show of triumph and pr aised Khrushchev for compromising, as Kennedy knew if he started boasting, that it could have the potential to get Khrushchev angry and maybe even start a war.Khrushchev was criticised by the Chinese for taking the missiles out of Cuba. However, Khrushchev viewed his actions as a success as he got the missiles removed from Turkey. USA agreed that Castro could remain a communist leader. Both leaders realised how close they had actually come to a nuclear war, so a ‘hot line’ to both The White House and The Kremlin was set up in 1963. The Cuban missile crisis also showed how the need for nuclear arms control, so they brought in the ‘Test Treaty Ban’ which banned all nuclear tests except underground tests.In 1969 both signed a treaty on ‘Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons’ which paved the way for a period of detente between the superpowers in the 1970’s. These are the effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis on the superpower relations. The rel ations changed for sure between the USA and the USSR. The events in Cuba changed their relation between them especially when Cuba turned to the USSR for help when USA cut off all trades. But the Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest they were to a nuclear war and that would have been devastating. This was the biggest part of their change of relations. Cuban Missile Crisis Explain why relations changed between the USA and the USSR as a result of events in Cuba between 1959 and 1962 and how the Cuban missile Crisis affected relations between the USA and the USSR. The USA and the USSR never really got on after WW2 ended, it was always a competition to see who the greatest superpower was. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the nearest that both sides came to an actual nuclear war. The tensions were intense for both sides, for both USA and USSR could have started a war if they wanted to because of their opponents.And in this essay I am going to explain why their relations changed and how the Cuban Missile Crisis affected relations between 1959 and 1962. One of the first reasons why relations between the USA and the USSR changed is because of Cuba, Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and it is situated only 90 miles from Florida, in Southern USA. Also the Americans owned most of the businesses, banks, sugar and tobacco plantations, as well as a large nava l base. The Monroe Doctrine was a key part of USA’s foreign policy.This said that further efforts by European governments to colonise land or interfere with sates in the USA would be viewed by the USA as an act of aggression, requiring US intervention. The USA regarded the American continent as its sphere of influence and would not tolerate a communist government in power inside their sphere of influence. The overthrowing of the pro-American dictator, General Batista in 1959 also led to deterioration in US revelations with Cuba. The new leader of Cuba, Fidel Castro, nationalised industries and banks, and introduced land reforms.This hurt US banking interests, as it was their land and their businesses that were being taken over. In 1960 ended an argument to buy Cuba’s sugar exports, in 1961 the USA broke off diplomatic relations and cut off all trade links with Cuba. This caused relations to change because a lot of their trade was with USA and they would have lost a goo d sum of money. Also Cuba was economically dependent on the USA, so Castro turned to the USSR. By 1962 over 80% of Cuba’s trade was with the USSR.Cuba exported sugar, fruit and tobacco and they also exported oil and machinery. And in 1961 Castro announced that Cuba was a communist country. Of course this sent alarm bells going in USA. President Kennedy wasn’t prepared for a Russian satellite that was so close. And in April 1961 the CIA and 1400 Cuban exiles organised an invasion to overthrow Cuba’s communist leader. USA provided transport, weapons, military advisors. The Bay of Pigs invasion was a huge failure, and made Americans and especially Kennedy look foolish.Some of the Americans landing craft were wrecked by coral reefs which were mistaken for seaweed in photographs, and few people joined the uprising which was quickly crushed. So this is how Cuba’s relations changed with the USA between 1959 – October 1962. Cuba’s relation with the USSR is another reason for the relation changes between USA and the USSR. Well after USA cut diplomatic relations with Cuba, Castro edged closer to the USSR. In May 1962 the USSR agreed to supply Castro weapons to protect Cuba from future US invasions.Not only did they supply them with thousands of guns but also, patrol boats, tanks and jet fighters, all this made the Cuban army better equipped. There were also 42,000 USSR soldiers that were sent to Cuba, the Americans thought there were only 16,000 at most. In 1962, USSR was increasingly concerned at the ‘missile gap’ resulting from USA’s superiority in long – range nuclear weapons. Khrushchev was also concerned about American/NATO missiles which were in Turkey, close to the USSR. Russian influence in Cuba offered Khrushchev an opportunity to balance the threat.USSR sent technicians to secretly build silos, missile erectors and install 43 short and medium range missiles, which meant that USA were now in r ange of the missiles. The 13 day crisis was most likely the closest event that both sides have been to a nuclear war. On October 14th, a U2 plane got photographs of the missile sites. These photographs proved that the Russian missiles were well advanced and that most of the USA was in short and medium range of the missiles in Cuba. On October 16th President Kennedy sets up EXCOMM to deal with the crisis.On October 17th Khrushchev assures Kennedy that he will not put missiles in Cuba. On October 20th Kennedy decides that he is going to put a naval blockade around Cuba. On October 22nd President Kennedy goes on television to tell the American people about the crisis. The news shocks the world as everyone knows a nuclear war would be fatal. On October 23rd the US navy set up the blockade around Cuba. On October 24th 18 Russian ships, many carrying parts for nuclear missiles, turned back, but there were still missiles in Cuba.On October 26th Khrushchev sent the first letter to Kennedy, in it he promised to remove the missiles from Cuba if Kennedy promised not to invade Cuba. On October 27th Khrushchev sent a second letter which demanded that the US remove the missiles from Turkey as well. News had come in that a U2 plane had been shot down over Cuba and the pilot killed. The tensions were high at this point, Kennedy could have declared war on them, military chiefs advised an air strike followed by an invasion. Kennedy replied to the first letter and ignored the second letter accepting Khrushchev’s offer.He also promised to remove he missiles in Turkey but insisted this promise was to be kept a secret. And finally on October 28th Khrushchev accepted the offer and the crisis is over. The 13 day crisis was one of the biggest reasons why relations between USA and the USSR changed. The effects of the Cuban missile crisis were; Kennedy’s reputation was enhanced as he stood up to Khrushchev and held his ground. Kennedy played down any show of triumph and pr aised Khrushchev for compromising, as Kennedy knew if he started boasting, that it could have the potential to get Khrushchev angry and maybe even start a war.Khrushchev was criticised by the Chinese for taking the missiles out of Cuba. However, Khrushchev viewed his actions as a success as he got the missiles removed from Turkey. USA agreed that Castro could remain a communist leader. Both leaders realised how close they had actually come to a nuclear war, so a ‘hot line’ to both The White House and The Kremlin was set up in 1963. The Cuban missile crisis also showed how the need for nuclear arms control, so they brought in the ‘Test Treaty Ban’ which banned all nuclear tests except underground tests.In 1969 both signed a treaty on ‘Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons’ which paved the way for a period of detente between the superpowers in the 1970’s. These are the effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis on the superpower relations. The rel ations changed for sure between the USA and the USSR. The events in Cuba changed their relation between them especially when Cuba turned to the USSR for help when USA cut off all trades. But the Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest they were to a nuclear war and that would have been devastating. This was the biggest part of their change of relations.

Friday, August 30, 2019

How does Shakespeare invoke a sense of evil in Macbeth? Essay

Narrating the climactic downfall and eventual death of a Scottish thane, â€Å"Macbeth† is widely regarded as one of Shakespeare’s four great tragedies, alongside â€Å"Hamlet†, â€Å"Othello† and â€Å"King Lear†. â€Å"Macbeth† is typical of the other three tragedies through several key factors, the first of which is the qualities of the protagonist. As with the other tragedies, Macbeth is a notable man of high status who bears many heroic qualities, including extreme valour and honour. However, much like with Othello and his jealousy, Macbeth is undone by his greed and ambition, his fatal flaw, or â€Å"harmartia† in the Greek. These flaws play a role in the hero’s fall from grace and eventual death, and these occurrences imbue the audience with a sense of loss and waste; thus the genre is deemed a ‘tragedy’. If the protagonist was solely brought down by his own flaws the piece would cease to be a tragedy, as there would be no sense of loss or waste upon the hero’s demise, as they would appear to be malevolent and deserving of their downfall. Instead, Shakespeare also incorporates external factors contributing to the downfall; in the case of â€Å"Macbeth†, Lady Macbeth and the Witches are used, coaxing Macbeth into regicide. If the protagonist were to be influenced too heavily by the separate circumstance then the hero would begin to appear as a puppet, completely corrupted and controlled. A fine balance is found during Shakespeare’s four great tragedies between character-based flaws and external circumstances’ influencing the hero’s actions, and subsequently the feeling of tragedy is massive. This is perhaps a defining factor as to why these four tragedies have received so much acclaim, after all a tragedy is defined by the effect it has on the audience. â€Å"Macbeth† however makes one large departure from the generic formulae in that throughout the play Shakespeare conveys a sense of concentrated evil, not seen in the other tragedies. Concentrated evil is achieved through various characters in the play including the witches, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Indeed, evil is commonplace throughout â€Å"Macbeth†, with children being slaughtered and various assassinations. Shakespeare’s acclaimed inclusion of the witches is a prominent factor in the suggestion of evil throughout the piece. Indeed, immediately in the first scene, you are instantly submerged into this dire, supernaturally influenced world, plagued by the presence of these malevolent witches. Consequently, the sense of evil is evoked right from the opening of the curtains. An aspect of the witches which grabs our attention immediately is the intermittent rhyme and riddle of their dialogue. As the second witch answers â€Å"when the hurley-burley’s done, when the battles lost and won† this unconventional rhyming speech supplements the witches’ already alien nature, as well as adding confusion as to what these riddles portend. Also, as the witches chant in unison â€Å"†¦hover through the fog and filthy air† it seems they share a magical link by which they may indulge in the same evil thoughts. This, for the audience of the time, would be a disturbing piece of imagery. At times what the witches say may be paradoxical, adding to the dialogue’s riddling nature, for example when they drone â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair†. The aberrant speech style of the witches is used by them throughout the play, with the exception of ‘Act 3, Scene 5’ which will be discussed later. It is also evident from this first scene that the witches have an unholy alliance or affiliation with the future and time. The third witch proclaims â€Å"that will be ‘ere the set of sun† displaying her knowledge of future events, and so augmenting the witches already supernatural, malevolent image. With this development the sisters seem all the more potent as with their knowledge of the future comes also the ability to meddle and pervert it. Displayed also is the witches’ association with the elements as the first witch questions â€Å"in thunder, lightning or in rain?†, as though they have a slight mastery over the elements. The thunder and lightning of the scene is more evidence of their power over the elements. We see the witches’ use of familiars when the first witch says â€Å"I come, Graymalkin†, a tool with which the sisters may communicate to the devil. Again, the application of this familiar, in this case a cat, adds further to the witches’ malevolent aura, and the sense of concentrated evil. Over the years, different directors have added various features in order to maintain the scene’s originality. For example, Polanski’s version saw the witches on a beach burying a severed arm, whilst, in contrast Frain’s version depicted the witches as children on a council estate. As the play progresses, the witches’ spiteful, vindictive nature becomes ever more apparent, as they display their malevolence during various scenes. Notable for exhibition of evil is Act 1, Scene 3 in which the sisters describe how they deprived the hapless sailor of sleep, stating â€Å"sleep shall neither night nor day, hang upon his penthouse lid†. This shocking image is made doubly repulsive by how the witches seem to be thoroughly enjoying the whole scenario. Moreover, in the same scene, the witches brandish a severed â€Å"pilot’s thumb†, another revolting image, which is indeed evident of their malicious nature. An example of them dabbling in the dark arts is seen in Act 4, Scene 1 where they brew the vile potion, chanting the theatrically legendary lines â€Å"double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble†. With repulsive detail, they describe the ingredients of the potion, one such being a â€Å"liver of blaspheming Jewâ €  and a â€Å"finger of birth-strangled babe†. This horrific concoction is indicative of their very nature: vile and against society and nature. Due to these malevolent acts, the witches are often referred to as and associated with, agents of evil, for example in Act 4, Scene 1 Macbeth refers to them as â€Å"you secret, black, and midnight hags!†. Another example can be found in Act 1, Scene 3 where Banquo calls the witches â€Å"the instruments of darkness†. They influence the characters to such an extent that they refer to them with such titles; this is further evidence of the witches’ concentrated malevolence. It must not be forgotten also that the witches were the ones who originally ensnared Macbeth with promises of greatness, which were partially accountable for him committing regicide. This can be seen in Act 1, Scene 3 as the third witch greets Macbeth, saying â€Å"All hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter†. Had the witches not tainted the noble Macbeth, he may have never fallen and so the evil of the witches can be held partially responsible. The witches can be seen meddling once more during Act 4, Scene 1 where they blind Macbeth into believing he is nigh on invincible with several prophecies. And so, Macbeth becomes complacent, fooled by the witches’ misleading prophecies. Their malevolence is clear to see through their misguiding of Macbeth, as well as the other example given. The witches are depicted as having a haunting physical presence, both through their actual physical appearance and through their chilling language. In terms of their physicality, the witches are only described once during the play by Banquo in Act 1, Scene 3. He describes them as being â€Å"withered and so wild in their attire†, telling directly of their abnormal manifestation. Also, Banquo tells of how the witches â€Å"look not like the inhabitants of the earth†, showing how they are supernatural to such an extent that even their appearance makes us question whether they of this world. Disturbingly, the witches’ appearance is so distorted that their very gender is ambiguous, as Banquo describes how their sex â€Å"man may question†. Their strangeness in appearance would immediately show to the audience the witch’s malevolence, as well as encouraging a sense of foreboding towards them. Along with their appalling appearance is their unorthodox and seemingly corrupting language. As discussed before, their language generally is spoken like a rhyming chant, further supporting their supernatural image. Implementing this chant-like dialogue enhances the threat which the witches impose on the audience, such as during Act 4, Scene 1 where a witch drones â€Å"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes† , far more chilling then a non-rhyming alternative. As the play progresses, Macbeth’s mind seems to be defiled by the witches, so far that at times even his language seems tainted and so echoes theirs at regular intervals. For example, during Act 3, Scene 4 Macbeth cries â€Å"It will have blood they say, blood will have blood† and in Act 4, Scene 1 he declares â€Å"I conjure you by which you profess†. Both these quotations bear a resemblance to the dialogue adopted by the witches and as such it seems as though Macbeth is either tainted by their influence or just obsessed with them. This is further suggestion of their evil, as their malevolence is such that their influence seems to have corrupted Macbeth’s mind. In complete contrast, during the scene of ‘dubious authorship’ (or Act 3, Scene 5), the suggestion of evil through the language is comparatively tame and the established speech conventions adopted by the witches are neglected. Shakespeare cleverly omits the witches’ usual language style in order to highlight their angst at having angered Hecate. Rather then using the typical chanted rhyming style, instead what little the witches do say is blunt and concise, as when a witch says â€Å"come, lets make haste; she’ll soon be back again†. Aside from the lack of rhyming, the witches’ speech lacks its usual dark and evil content; for example a witch simply questions â€Å"why how now, Hecate, you look angerly?† This is heavily altered from their previous dialogue, for example during Act 1, Scene 3 when a witch declares â€Å"like a rat without a tail, I’ll do, I’ll do and I’ll do†. This quotation contains various dark themes, for example the disfigured rat, and is vastly different from the dialogue seen in Act 3, Scene 5. The speech in this scene also lacks the usual complexity used in other scenes, instead adopting a far more concise and simple language. However, because the witches make no reference to evil during this scene, this does not mean that their characters become less malevolent in nature. This is because they make no reference to evil as they are so fearful for their own safety, thus they still seem as vindictive and malicious as ever, only with self-preservation as a priority. â€Å"Macbeth† includes various themes which were relevant to the audience at the time; thus the play bore a higher significance to them, one such being the inclusion of the weird sisters. James I, King of England at the time, had a particular obsession with the hunting and executing of witches, caused by having nearly been killed during a storm, which he believed to have been caused by witches. This hate for witches filtered through the kingdom, meaning the persecution of witches or witch sympathisers was commonplace. James’s paranoia went so deep that he even wrote a book entitled â€Å"Daemonologie† inciting hate towards witches and other like creatures. Thus witches were widely regarded as a threat to the contemporary Renaissance audience and so when Shakespeare included the â€Å"three weird sisters† in â€Å"Macbeth† the audience became more emotionally invested in the performance. Also, the prevailing theme of regicide, central to the play, w ould hold significance to the somewhat paranoid king, thus further immersing him in the drama. Although the witches are certainly responsible for triggering the eventual decision to commit regicide, it must be acknowledged that Macbeth himself is culpable and so may be considered partly malevolent. Highlighting his drastic choice of evil is his initial potential and heroic virtues described in Act 1, Scene 2. The Captain exclaims â€Å"brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name† telling us how his comrades admire his valour and respect his courage. We are then told how Macbeth fought â€Å"disdaining fortune†, thus fighting unafraid against the odds. Macbeth is then likened to â€Å"valour’s minion†, symbolising just how courageous and brave he is; that he is the darling or minion of courage. And so with these references, we expect great things from this protagonist when he arrives on stage. It is because of this description that Macbeth’s fall into darkness and evil seems all the more pronounced; that a celebrated soldier, of such audacity, c an fall into such a concentrated crucible of evil, killing a virtuous king, his best friend and even a helpless family. Also augmenting the perceived concentration of evil in â€Å"Macbeth† is the fact that he knows full-well the evil of his actions. Indeed, just before killing Duncan during Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he no longer wishes to kill Duncan, stating â€Å"we will proceed no further in this business†. Therefore, it is discernable that he knows the consequences of his actions and so when he does eventually commit the crime it seems all the more malevolent; he knows what he is doing yet he continues nonetheless. Furthermore, throughout the play, particularly at the beginning when he is less corrupted, Macbeth uses euphemisms to hide the shocking alternative word and to an extent to stop himself hearing the reality. In Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth says in a soliloquy â€Å"if it were done when it is done, then ’twere well† referring to the murder of Duncan as ‘it’. Again, this adds to the evil of the final crime as it is clear Macbeth knows exactly what he is doing, and the malevolent significance the murder bears. Macbeth shows, through these two media, that he has a conscience which he is choosing to ignore and so more responsibility for the crime can be placed on him, as the witches clearly didn’t influence him to the extent where he didn’t know what he was doing. Another contributor to the evil present in â€Å"Macbeth† is the heinous nature of all of the murders; first a gracious and fair king, then his long standing best friend and comrade (Banquo), then an attempted assassination on Banquo’s helpless son, and finally the murder of Macduff’s innocent family. A sensational aspect is present in each of these murders making them seem all the more shocking and repulsive. Due to the vile nature of each of these murders, the concentrated evil present in â€Å"Macbeth† becomes all the more obvious. Also, the necessity of some of the murders is questionable; for example, what was the need to murder Macduff’s innocent family? The murder of Macduff’s family seems entirely out of spite, rather than an actual requirement. With these grim murders, Macbeth is perceived to be host to an even greater concentration of evil, especially in the later stages of the play were he is arguably unaffected by his malicious ac tions. An inner evil is conveyed through the mental torture Macbeth experiences in the later stages of the performance, which defiles his mind and his sanity. Evidence of the inner torture Macbeth experiences is seen in Act 3, Scene 4 where the ghost of Macbeth’s former friend Banquo haunts him, unseen to all else. Gory to behold, this apparition is most likely an embodiment of Macbeth’s guilt at having killed his former friend, as we see Macbeth shout; â€Å"thou canst not say I did it†. This attempt to relieve himself of the blame is really only confession of his guilt. Moreover, the evil blighting Macbeth’s mind can be seen again through his inability to sleep. In Act 2, Scene 2 Macbeth tells his wife of how â€Å"Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep†, evidence of his disability. Due to the evil things he has done, Macbeth’s mind has become contaminated and so he is tormented, to the point where he can no longer sleep. Indeed, at one point Macbeth even professes to Lady Macbeth about his inner torment, saying â€Å"full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife† in Act3, Scene 2. In any case, the change in Macbeth’s thoughts as the play progresses is easily discernable; and so an inner evil corrupting his thoughts is arguably present. Throughout the play, Macbeth always appears to be preoccupied with the witches and this may be partly the reason for the corruption of his mind. Often, in his dialogue he refers to the sisters and genuinely seems beset by their deceitful words. For example, in Act 3, Scene 1 Macbeth tells a servant of how Banquo â€Å"chid the sisters when they first put the name of king upon me†. References such as this towards the witches are commonplace in Macbeth’s speech and it seems he has developed an indissoluble link with them, resulting in his obsession with them. This link can be seen also, as mentioned previously, in Macbeth’s dialogue, which often echoes that of the witches. Even the first words Macbeth utters are akin to lines of the witches, where he remarks; â€Å"so foul and fair a day I have not seen†; paradoxical language similar to theirs. At one point, during Act 2, Scene 1, Banquo even questions Macbeth as to whether his mind still lingers over the witches and he replies â€Å"I think not of them†. Macbeth certainly seems influenced by the witches, and we even see that just before the killing of Macduff’s family he visits the sisters. It is possible that the witches are also responsible for Macbeth’s inability to sleep mentioned above, as we know that they have engaged in such acts previously on the unfortunate sailor. Further influencing and at times controlling the actions of Macbeth is his wife, Lady Macbeth. More so in the early stages of the play, she can be found cleverly manipulating her husband, playing upon his weaknesses to ensure he secures his place as king. As Macbeth tells her how he no longer wishes to kill Duncan in Act 1, Scene 7, she responds â€Å"art though afeard†, questioning his masculinity and classifying him a coward. Had she not guided Macbeth in this sequence, it is questionable whether he would have proceeded with the murder at all. In the same scene she also plans out the detestable details of the murder, and so in this case she can be considered the main agent. This is certainly indicative that there is a concentration of evil present in Lady Macbeth, even if its manifestation is less pronounced than her husband’s. Additionally, in order to provide her with the inner strength to commit the murder, during Act 1, Scene 5 she attempts to conjure up evil ministers, declaring â€Å"come you spirits that tend on moral thoughts†. This act is testimony to her evil; that she would be willing to affiliate herself with damned spirits in order to kill an innocent old man. Also, Lady Macbeth is so eager to kill the king that she is even willing to reject her femininity. In a soliloquy during Act 1, Scene 5 she utters â€Å"unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty†. This unnatural (and chilling) denial of her sex shows how willing she is to commit murder. Through all these ill plans towards Duncan and despite bearing the knowledge that his life may well end that night, in Act 1, Scene 6 Lady Macbeth shows just how devious she is as she acts the part of a welcoming hostess, telling the king â€Å"your majesty loads our house†. At this stage in the play Lady Macbeth’s subtle nature of evil is clear to see. Finally, as with her husband, it is obvious that Lady Macbeth registers the enormity of the crime through her pang of conscience before the murder and continues nonetheless. It is true that during Act 2, Scene 2 she tells Macbeth of how â€Å"had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it†. This is evidence of her conscience, although she still lets her husband kill Duncan, ignoring her inner sense of right and wrong. Because of this, Lady Macbeth gradually becomes insane and descends into a hell of her own making, famously saying during Act 5, Scene 1; â€Å"hell is murky†. Shortly after these w ords Lady Macbeth commits suicide, relinquishing her life because of the evil she is aware she has committed. Contributing in a different way to the evil atmosphere found in â€Å"Macbeth† is the adept language implemented by Shakespeare, which persistently evokes the intended malevolence. A dramatic way in which Shakespeare conveys evil is through the use of disease imagery, for example â€Å"canst thou not minister to a mind diseased†. Particularly to the audience of the era, disease was exceptionally feared as it was often fatal due to the lack of medical knowledge, and for this reason the inclusion of these references conjured markedly strong dark thoughts. The idea of disease by definition is that of spreading corruption and defilement, and this it seems is reminiscent of the spread of evil in â€Å"Macbeth†, and so such references are therefore a reminder of the irresistible contagion caused by a tyrannical king. Similarly, the theme of concealment is also used throughout, regularly conveying a distressing sense of the unknown as well as the ominous threat of hidden evil. At one point Duncan tells of how â€Å"there’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face†, a chilling image of how there is no method by which a person can read another’s intentions based upon their external make-up; this is bitterly ironic given that Macbeth is tricking Duncan all along. In disguising intention, evil can remain hidden – disguise imagery therefore reminds the audience of a character’s hidden intent. Given this overlapping theme of disguise and deception, the audience are always aware of a malevolent atmosphere in â€Å"Macbeth†. Another common method of evoking the sense of evil is Shakespeare’s regular reference to night and blackness. This brand of imagery plays upon humanity’s primitive fear of the unknown; thus in making regular references to darkness Shakespeare ensures that an evil presence is always felt. The play boasts many memorable teaming references to darkness; a typical one can be found in Act 1, Scene 5 where Lady Macbeth proclaims â€Å"come thick night and pull me in the dunnest smokes of hell†. Aside from the obvious reference to hell Shakespeare cleverly refers to darkness to evoke the feeling of deception and hidden evil, as well as the primitive evil of the darkness on its own. On the same note, the theme of cancelling out light is integrated as well as when Macbeth notably says in an aside â€Å"stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires†. Perhaps the most obvious pattern in â€Å"Macbeth† in terms of sinister language is the regular reference to predatory animals. Animals can often portend omens which in â€Å"Macbeth’s† case translate into dire events; however at times in Shakespeare’s application they can also just conjure up dire images. On occasion the characters allude to animals related to ill omens; for example when Lady Macbeth says â€Å"the raven himself is hoarse†, the raven being the bird of ill omen. Or in other cases the reference may just be made in terms of sinister imagery, like when Macbeth says â€Å"full of scorpions is my mind†. At times the imagery also contains biblical-related animals; for example when Lady Macbeth tells her husband â€Å"look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it†. In this case the serpent is a sinister use of imagery as it is related with the biblical ‘fall’ and so is often an animal linked with male volence in literature. Shakespeare’s choice of regularly adding emphasis on blood further exaggerates the evil perceived by the audience, as well as darkening the image of the play. In particular, the murder of Duncan conjures many references to blood, for example Macbeth says â€Å"will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?† In this manner, emphasis is added on Macbeth’s bloody hands, questioning whether even all the ocean’s waters will clean them. Likewise, the spots of blood described on Lady Macbeth’s hand are also highlighted, to the point where she believes her hands are still blood stained several days after the murder, crying â€Å"out damned spots! Out I say!† The explicit references to blood add to the sinister content of the play through their dire implications; blood after all symbolising pain and suffering. A debatable topic within â€Å"Macbeth† is whether the main source of evil in the play extends from external supernatural sources or from Macbeth himself. However, as mentioned previously, if Macbeth is regarded as being influenced too heavily by the witches, he begins to seem like their puppet- easily manipulated. If Macbeth is seen as to be too easily manipulated this draws from his heroic status; how could such a strong character be so easily turned against his will? As such, I feel Macbeth is just as responsible for the atrocities as the witches. The tyranny brought about by this combined concentration of evil affects the whole kingdom, even at times supernaturally, for example after Duncan’s death Lennox tells of how â€Å"the night has been unruly: where we lay, our chimneys were blown down†. As you can see, the disruption brought about by the death of the king is even portrayed to affect the weather. This idea used by Shakespeare in which everything is affected by the death of the king is in conjunction with the ‘chain of being’. The concept of this was a large hierarchy in which God was placed at the top and below him was ranked king; below this was all other organic life. Regicide means that everything below Duncan in the ‘chain of being’ would be disrupted, and would only return to order once the rightful king was restored. This happens in â€Å"Macbeth†: once the rightful king, Malcolm, takes the throne, then the disruption is purged and order returns over the whole kingdom. However, in spite of the regained regime, the final impression of Shakespeare’s masterpiece is that of lingering evil; the witches are still to an extent at large and who is to say the process will not repeat itself again with them partially corrupting yet another star-crossed victim. â€Å"Macbeth† is a play in which evil reigns and flourishes throughout and so it seems only fitting that the final impression masterfully created by Shakespeare should be that of lingering evil.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Ancient Religions Essay Example for Free

Ancient Religions Essay The ancient Norse religion was commonly followed and practiced by people in northern regions of the world, such as Scandinavia, Norway, Iceland and surrounding countries. It was believed that the world first came about when a northern and southern land, Niflheim and Muspellheim, both joined together. Niflheim (â€Å"house of mists†) , an extremely cold, icy land and Muspellheim (â€Å"home of desolation†) the seemingly opposite of Niflheim, a hot, fiery land. As both lands joined together, the reaction of the contrasting temperatures caused the ice of Niflheim to melt creating the first two living creatures Ymer, the giant and Audhumla, a female cow. From these two the first Gods were created (Odin, Vile and Ve), and from them the first human beings were created by Odin from an elm and ash tree. Due to a disagreeance between Ymer and the God’s, the giant was killed and from his body, landforms and other living races were created. The gods were revered by many as they were the creators of the races and established the different parts of the world, the world tree or Yggdrasil included. The Yggdrasil is one of the principal beliefs in Nordic religion as it was known as the centre of their nordic universe, the world tree was said to have held nine different realms within its branches. The realms were situated in different areas of the tree at the top, within the canopy; Asgard (heaven) was located. This is where many gods lived including Odin in Valhalla. In addition to Asgard two other realms Vanaheim (home of the fertility god) and Aflheim (home of light elves) were located at the highest level of the world tree. These realms were known as â€Å"divine†. Norse folk believed that Midgard, the middle section of Yggdrasil held the human world. Along with midgard, Nidavellir, Jotunheim and Svartalfhiem, home of the dwarves, giants and dark elves were also present here. At the third and bottom level of the tree the two lands that created the first living beings are found. It is believed that Hel, the place of death, is part of the harsh, destitute lands of Niflheim. Hel is connected to one of the three main root of the world tree and it is known as the underworld, the second root leads to Jotunheim( realm of the giants) and the third is connected to the divine realm, Asgard. The roots linked together the different levels and realms of the tree, likewise Bifrost, a magical bridge located between Asgard and the human world, Midgard was another connection between realms, allowing gods an entrance into the mortal world. The Influence of the Nordic beliefs in society was great as followers of the ancient religion could identify with the extreme life conditions and harsh weather that was also portrayed in the Nordic creation story. The Norse saw their conditions of life as a blessing from the gods and often used these gifts to the greatest advantage for example men often became farmers, cultivators, tradesmen or traders. Women in Nordic society also searched for meaning and insight from the gods as they held powerful positions in the religion. Women played a strong part in the community and often had to run the villages when the Viking warriors were away. The Norse strived to maintain a balanced lifestyle from the influence of what they had learned and incorporated from the gods. Odin was known as a wise and great warrior and many Viking men chose to follow the same path by becoming a warrior also. I was believed that one of the only worthy ways to die was to die in battle. This factor greatly contributed to the decisions of the Norse men. When a warrior died in battle he would go on to Valhalla, in the divine realm, if not they would go to Hel. The Norse people not only sought meaning from the gods, but from the actions and rituals they performed. Ancient Religions. (2018, Nov 04).

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Service Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Service Report - Essay Example In this manner, people begin to want certain things and end up saving for them. After the purchase thus, if the product ends up not suiting their needs, it forms a void and unhappiness with respect to their purchase. The product thus loses its goodwill eventually as well. The objective of this paper is to underline two incidents regarding a good and a bad choice of purchase during the last year and comprehending the gap analysis of the companies with respect to the same in order to understand the discrepancies faced with the usage of the product. During the last year, a memorable product that I purchased was the iPhone 4; this phone had been released after a heavy bout of advertising and proclamations, over various sources of media and networking. Most people were excited about the launch of the iPhone because of the high class that it possessed. Its application and music market had already begun to soar in the good books of the consumers and thus there were thousands of pre orders given for the purchase of the iPhone on the very day that it would be launched. After conducting months of research and waiting for the phone to come out, I too was excited and hoped for the best for the release because of the expenses that I was putting into the same. Having saved up for a long time, the phone was finally in my reach and did not disappoint me one bit. Almost every service related to the phone exceeded expectations and the distributors and retailers selling the phone also provided excellent consumer services. All this added up to an extremely pleasant consumer purchase on my part and to date I am very happy with my phone because of the many things that it can do. On the other hand, I went ahead and bought a Blackberry 9360 recently in order to keep up to date with contacts belonging to the Blackberry Messenger world. This

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Paper on Summa Theologica, Q. 94, art. 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Paper on Summa Theologica, Q. 94, art. 2 - Essay Example Nevertheless, the book can already stood on its own as a basis of creating an excellent and moral society based on theological laws. 1. Christianity is the official religion of the state. Citizens may only adopt Christianity and its different variations as a manner and method of praising of God, for Jesus Christ is the way through man’s divinity. 2. The state should protect the individual and make him or her free from any forms of threat and unjust vexation from outside force. Protection of the individual is necessary because man is in the likeness of God. An assault to man due to laxity of the state in unforgivable. Security therefore must be achieved to protect God and his likeness which is man. Explanation: This proposed law is consistent with Aquinas â€Å"The end or term of production of man† as enunciated in Question 94. The image of God is in man as Aquinas justified â€Å""Where an image exists, there forthwith is likeness; but where there is likeness, there is not necessarily an image" (Summa Theologica Question 94). Protecting its citizens therefore is also an act of protecting God’s likeness because man is created in the image and likeness of God Explanation: Perhaps this portion of the Question is the crowning glory of Summa Theologica because it explicated reason and excellence is part of Divine Plan. That to achieve divinity, it would be necessary to develop man to become perfect that he is now. Quoting St. Thomas Aquinas in Question 94, he said that â€Å"The first man did not see God through His Essence if we consider the ordinary state of that life; unless, perhaps, it be said that he saw God in a vision, when "God cast a deep sleep upon Adam" (Gn. 2:21). The reason is because, since in the Divine Essence is beatitude itself, the intellect of a man who sees the Divine Essence has the same relation to God as a man has to beatitude† (Summa Theologica Question 94). In essence, Aquinas is saying that man can only see the

Monday, August 26, 2019

Posing a problematic question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Posing a problematic question - Essay Example Putting up a home requires flat and leveled ground. According to the picture, the area in question does not hold this characteristic as it is on a steep area hence making it not suitable for human habitation. Other details in the picture are controversial to these assumptions. The leaves could indicate the possibility of trees growing in the area. Another feature is the landscape that is steep in nature. Trees and steep landscape are usually associated with high rainfall that is essential for human existence. The boy in the picture shows human existence in the area despite the harsh conditions surrounding the boy. The boys’ good health demonstrates that there could be possible measures put in place rendering the area harmless by use of mosquito nets to prevent malaria (Oberlender 10). The area in question has more advantages for human habitation than hindrances. In conclusion, we see that with intervention, this area is able to support conditions required for good and healthy living

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Classical Hollywood Cinema Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classical Hollywood Cinema - Essay Example This style of filmmaking is based on an invisible style, where the camera and sound recording merge as one with the action taking place on the screen. Classical Hollywood Cinema was formulaic in nature and most movies made were musicals, cartoons, slapstick comedy, Westerns, epics or the biopic. In 1927, with the release of the movie ‘The Jazz Singer’ sound was introduced to the moving picture. The movie was made by Warner Brothers, one of the big five studios of the time, the other four being Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Loews (MGM) and RKO (Radio-Keith-Orpheum). These studios controlled filmmaking, from its creative to its financial and to its distributive process, which led to the creation of the classical film style. Movies were, â€Å"over determined,† a film jargon used to refer to the social, cultural and economic factors which determine the final product, and it was also derogatorily compared to Ford’s assembly line. The studio system solidified into a mammoth business undertaking prompted by the introduction of sound in films and the idea of vertical integration in its operations. The studio system could be compared to a factory and as such the products coming out of it had a standard look and feel and it is this which led to the many genres in addition to the identification of studios with particular features. MGM had a list of stars on its roster and thus created all-star productions like ‘Grand Hotel’ (1932). Warner Brothers indulged in social realism while Paramount created rib tickling comedies and 20th Century Fox created very great musicals and biopics. The studio system became what has been called â€Å"the genius of the system’, the title of Thomas Shatz’s study of this unique industry, a phrase borrowed from Andre Bazin, a critic and theorist who called â€Å"American cinema †¦ a classical art,

Cash vs. Accrual Accounting and Balance Sheets Essay

Cash vs. Accrual Accounting and Balance Sheets - Essay Example With the help of the cash accounting method any organization can identify its exact cash flow, provided if the company has entered each and every transaction in the account. Cash accounting method is comparatively easy to perform. Accrual basis accounting is the process where the transactions are taken into consideration once the order is made, the product is distributed, and service is provided. It does not consider the time when the amount is paid or received. In the accrual method of accounting, the expenses and the income would be recorded once the goods and the services have been received or the sale has occurred. It would not consider the payment at the same time of the transaction. This method essentially gives priority to the benefits or the facilities given or received and not the monetary transaction. Cash accounting method is more popular than any other accounting systems. Cash accounting method is easy to execute, on the other hand, accrual accounting method is more accur ate in case of making a balance sheet for any organization. At times, accrual accounting is difficult to execute, due to certain confusions in the balance sheets. In the cash accounting method it is easy to maintain the finance, as the entry is not allowed till the payment is received on the sale and vice versa. On the other hand, the accrual accounting method would increase the difficulties as the transactions might be entered before getting the payment, which might inturn raise problems for the organization. Both the accounting methods are helpful to evaluate and to analyze the company finance at the end of the financial year, with their distinct natures. Q2. The cash accounting method is easier to perform in case of small businesses. The cash accounting method does not record the transactions in the balance sheet until and unless the payment has been done for the transaction, either by the buyer or by the seller. Once an organization pays for the order placed, the transaction wou ld enter the balance sheet and at the same time if the organization receives the payment for the order placed to them, they would enter the detail of the transaction. It is an easy process, provided the company size is small. Cash accounting does not enter all the dealings at the time of the transaction, thus it would create difficulties and conflicts in case of larger sized organizations. Therefore, they imply the accrual accounting method for its better accuracy and clarity. Accrual accounting system includes all the transactions made either paid or not. This helps to know the exact cash flow of an organization. Therefore, the cash accounting is more popular in small businesses and the accrual accounting is more effective in case of the big enterprises. Assignment 2 Q1. Balance Sheet is one of the most vital and crucial aspects of financial accounting. It is the total or the summarized value of the finance of an organization at the end of the financial year. A balance sheet includ es partnership, proprietorship, assets of a company, and liabilities of a company and the equity of the owner among others. The date on the balance sheet after every financial year is different in case of different companies. If in any case a company does not have their balance sheet, for example Microsoft, it would be very difficult to know the transactions made by the company, whether the company has faced loss or profit, what are the liabilities and the assets of

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Iraq war Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Iraq war - Essay Example Women, in particular, assailed by a series of unending attacks to their humanity and had to claw at what appears to be a hint of hope for survival. Class distinctions broke down and the formerly rich women adjusted to life’s painful realities that they had to live like the rest of the commoners. â€Å"Mass observation surveys conducted during 1941 found that many who advocated conscription believed it would force ‘idle rich girls’ to work.† (Smith, 1986, p. 215) The war demanded enormous manpower, not just in the armed forces, but also in industry. Millions of men joined the forces, which left many industries without a satisfactory workforce. The government realised that this shortfall had to be filled, approximately one and a half million workers were needed in munitions alone and it was vital to keep up the production of essential wartime machinery and equipment. The new realities faced by the women necessitated that they likewise take part in the war effort in any capacity they can. Most women had to leave their homes to work in a variety of occupations. The ‘Registration of Employment Order’ was introduced in the spring of 1941, forcing everyone to declare their existing work-based situation, which allowed the government to record the details of those that needed directing into vital war work. This encouraged approximately eighty-seven thousand women into work in the auxiliary services and munitions. However, there was still a shortage of people undertaking vital war work and, as a result of this, the government introduced the National Service Number Two Act in December 1941, which made the conscription of unmarried and childless women aged twenty to thirty mandatory. Many women had mixed feelings about this. They could be posted anywhere in the country, miles away from their families, often for the very first time. Some were pleased with the opportunity to escape and explore; others were unhappy about