William Shakespeare s King Lear - 1306 Words

â€Å"All...shall taste the wages of their virtue...the cup of their deservings. (5.3.317-320)† King Lear is frequently regarded as one of Shakespeare’s masterpieces, and its tragic scope touches almost all facets of the human condition: from the familial tensions between parents and children to the immoral desires of power, from the follies of pride to the false projections of glory. However, one theme rings true throughout the play, and that very theme is boundless suffering, accentuated by the gruesome depictions of suffering our protagonists experience . There is no natural (nor â€Å"poetic†) justice depicted in this pre-Judeo-Christian world Shakespeare presents, as the relatively virtuous individuals (Kent, Gloucester, and Cordelia) in this†¦show more content†¦The â€Å"gods† are indifferent to the suffering because humans, not gods, are the main perpetrators of the profound cruelty found in this play. Because man has the power to both undermine societal â€Å"nature† and restore it, whether through Edmund’s Machiavellian mora l transgressions in his quest for power or Edgar’s actions to combat them, these characters take the place of their respective, self-created deities. Pagan Gods King Lear is set in a time where even though swords and kings existed, and knights still roamed the land, people still believed in the pagan gods. This is elucidated by the various mentions of the gods (plural) throughout the play, and the lack of a single entity (God). When King Lear disowns Cordelia, he does so by invoking â€Å"the sacred radiance of the sun† and â€Å"the mysteries of Hecate and the night.† (I.i.110-111) He later swears â€Å"by Apollo† to warn Kent, in which Kent rebukes by saying â€Å"Thou swear’st thy gods in vain.† (I.i.164) Lastly, when France proclaims his love for Cordelia he blames the â€Å"Gods† for possessing in him a quality that allows him to be so attracted Cordelia’s virtues. (I.i.263) However, this Pagan world contains the same â€Å"Slave morality† that Judean metaphysics claims, that Nietzche himself criticizes. As Wilson Knight states, the frequent pleas to the gods show at most an insistent need in humanity to cry for justification to something beyond its horizon (188). In fact he extrapolate, These

The Pros And Cons Of Mass Incarceration - 1542 Words

Mass Incarceration is a growing dilemma in the United States that populates our prisons at an alarming rate. Michelle Alexander is a professor at Ohio State University and a graduate of Stanford law school. She states in her award winning book, The new Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness â€Å"In less than thirty years, the U.S. penal population exploded from around 300,000 to more than 2 million† (Alexander, 6). These young men and women are unable to afford a decent lawyer because they come from such a poverty-stricken background. Men and women are at a financial disadvantage in our justice system. Lawyers and attorneys cost a fortune and most people can just simply not afford them. Others plead to their charges because†¦show more content†¦Jimmy Santiago Baca is a winner of the International Prize for his work in, A Place to Stand. The making of a poet. He writes, â€Å"I had no money. There is no way I’m going to make bail† (Bac a, 187). In some cases, prisoners are only locked up because they had to get appointed a defense attorney who convinced them to plead to the charges so they would not have to go to trial and risk getting an extended amount of time. District attorneys are elected by the citizens and those people want someone who is tough on crime. If the district attorney is not tough on crime, the people will not reelect him. This can lead to many innocent lives being wasted; For instance, some criminals will sit in a cell for decades for the smallest offense. However, if a prisoner attempts to plead not guilty and the case goes to a trial by jury and they do find him or her guilty, they will be sentenced to an even longer term. It is obvious that our justice system is unfair and against human morals and ethics. They are somehow â€Å"innocent until proven guilty† yet they cannot afford to prove themselves innocent. Not only is poverty a reason for the rising increase in the population of in mates, many lack the education needed to understand the law or what they are being accused of. Our government continues to prioritize funding prisons over classrooms. Adolescents who have access to a better education and more pleasantShow MoreRelatedThe Pros And Cons Of Modern Prisons1261 Words   |  6 Pagesdetaining criminals (â€Å"History of Prisons†). Prisons are beneficial for the nation, and are imperative. Without prisons, there will be mass destruction, and small problems that people have with prisons can be fixed and dealt with. Here are some of the problems that people have with prisons. Population. The rising population of prisoners in the United States alone is a con for prisons. There are just simply too many people. According to the Sentencing Project, the United States has 2.2 million criminalsRead MoreThe Prison System And The Jail System1352 Words   |  6 Pagespolitical action memo that I will be discussing is about the jail system. First, I will define the jail system, and what this system can do for the citizens. Second address the cons and pros about the jail system by illustrating the topic into main bullet points. Third, voice my thoughts about the jail system with adding pros and cons to a political action I should address, and concluding which action I am going to take to further y concern about the jail system. When hearing about the jail system, thisRead MoreDeath Penalty Pros and Cons1636 Words   |  7 Pages Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty The death penalty is a legal process whereby a person is put to death as a punishment for a crime. The death penalties are usually carried out for retribution of a heinous murder committed, such as aggravated murder, felony killing or contract killing. Every state handles what method they want to use to put a person to death according to their state laws. The death penalty is given by lethal injection, electrocution; gas chamber firing squad and hanging areRead MoreAlternative Course Of Action :1355 Words   |  6 Pagesback to the patient. The patient is responsible for rolling the leaves in order to smoke it. i. Pros: Although the majority of patients are not comfortable with the responsibility of having to â€Å"roll† their own cannabis, the system still seems to be functioning. This option allows patients to still legally access their treatment of choice, however many patients dislike the way it is distributed. ii. Cons: As I mentioned, a great majority of patients are unhappy with the distribution as a large portionRead MoreShould Legalization Of Recreational Drugs Be A Great Nation?977 Words   |  4 Pageswith a doctor s prescription—would save the country billions of dollars and end the mass incarceration of millions of Americans† (Rosen, â€Å"Decriminalizing Drugs†). Most of the criminals are non-violent and are usually associated with small activities, like possession of small amounts of illegal substances or trading of the same. Our criminal system should follow major drug dealers and suppliers. Wrongful incarceration of low level drug abusers leads to wastage of our resources. Much of the nation’sRead MoreCrime Rate And Its Effects On The United States880 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to Crime in America.Net the crime rate in 2015 increased (â€Å"Incarceration in the US†). This increase is attributed to the growing number of cities, metropolitan areas and the concomitant people living in poverty. A topic for debate has been how this country can stop the increasing crime rate. The best methods are to have stricter gun control laws, easier and more affordable access to a top-rate education for the lower economic classes, and the creation of good paying jobs with benefits thatRead MoreThe Legalization Of Drugs : A Controversial Issue2339 Words   |  10 Pagesdiscussed in this paper and how the damages of prohibition led to the passing of the 21st Amendment, bringing back prohibited substances. In addition, reasons to why legalization of drugs should be considered like how it could reduce crime and mass incarceration of minorities in the justice system, as well as their importance in the medical field, will be stated in this paper also. History of Drug Use Drugs have been abused for various reasons and have been a rolling factor in every cornerRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Guarding Sing Sang By Ted Conover1089 Words   |  5 Pagesactually apply and work there but now I have a clearer knowledge and understanding it no matter what job you apply you will eventually face the pros and cons it just depends how you will be able take it and how you treat others from each situation you will face. As for the Criminal Justice system NewJack shows the perspective on the impact mass incarceration it has on society. I will suggest anyone who wants to become a correctional should read it before pursing in that career path. â€Æ' Read MoreAustralia s Drug Policies And Efforts For Change Essay1366 Words   |  6 Pagesjustice systems close ties historically with countries like Australia; I think it fitting to use some of their recent criminal data analysis as it relates to substance abuse and the exuberant cost by the government. Don Weatherburn, author of, the pros and cons of prohibiting drugs whose article appeared in the peer reviewed Australian New Zealand journal of criminology discusses some interesting findings, â€Å"There is plenty of evidence, on the other hand, that a criminal conviction or a record of imprisonmentRead MoreEthical Concerns Of Solitary Confinement1482 Words   |  6 PagesThe UN Convention against Torture â€Å"[an] act by which suffering or severe pain, whether mental or physical, is intentionally inflicted on an individual for intimidation, punishment, information or for reasons that are based on discrimination† (â€Å"Pros and Cons of Solitary Confinement†). Jails are also known to house pretrial individuals before they receive the verdict. These individuals are typically housed in solitude until released to hear the jury’s decision. There was a recent investigation in

Hills like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway and Happy...

â€Å"Hills like White Elephants† by Ernest Hemingway and â€Å"Happy Endings† by Margaret Atwood share a gender-oriented theme. They both show women struggling to attain equality against their male partners. This theme is depicted through the use of symbolism, point of view and plot conflict. Symbolically, â€Å"Hills like White Elephants† represents a choice. It is a life choice that can’t be undone once it is made. This choice is about whether or not Jig, the female character of the story, should get an abortion. It supports the theme because if Jig chooses to keep the baby she is defying the wishes of her male partner, who is simply referred to as â€Å"the man,† and taking a stand for women by doing so. However it is not entirely clear what choice she makes at the end of the story. Her only words being, â€Å"I feel fine†¦There’s nothing wrong with me. I feel fine† (216). The interpretation some people take for this is that she decided to keep the baby and chose to defy male domination. In â€Å"Happy Endings† the main symbols are how the relationships end –be it cheating, age, or health complications. Cheating is symbolic of the relationship being dominated by only one person involved in it. Age is symbolic of both partners sharing or being equal in the relationship. Lastly health complications are a way of saying that fate, be it good or bad, can be involved, or that not everything works out according to plan. These are all related to the idea that by placing a dominant person in the relationshipShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Story Girl By Jamaica Kincaid1608 Words   |  7 Pagesendedness affects what readers may take from the texts The stories I examined that do not correlate with the traditional narrative structure are â€Å"Girl† and â€Å"Happy Endings.† Each story is written in a different narrative structure when compared with the traditional structure. For example, â€Å"Girl† is an ongoing list of commands, where â€Å"Happy Endings† is the letter grouping A-F. These short stories require the audience to create meaning and use details to understand and comprehend the story in several different

Cherry Orchard By Chekhov Essay Example For Students

Cherry Orchard By Chekhov Essay There is a convincing debate whether The Cherry Orchard is a tragedy or a comedy. Chekhov strongly argues that the play is a comedy and should be performed as a comedy. The philosopher Aristotle can support Chekhov perception of his play. Aristotle defines a comedy as an imitation of characters of a lower type who are not bad in themselves but whose faults possess something ludicrous in them. The misinterpretation of The Cherry Orchard is due to a misunderstanding of what a comedy is. The sympathy and compassion of the main characters in The Cherry Orchard should not blind the reader to the fact that they are virtually comic characters. For example no character could be more ludicrous then a patrician like Gayev, whose characteristics according to Chekhov are suavity and elegance. It is not the fact that Gayev becomes a bank official that is laughable but that sense the beginning of the play it is made quite clear that he would not be able to hold a job for even a month. It is also ironic that Gayev would become a bank official considering that it is obvious that he and the rest of his family are all terrible with money. Along with Gayev his sisters ability to understand business and budget their money is completely ludicrous. Through out the play Ranyevskaya continuously spends money although the family is broke and losing everything they own. She has Leonid give Pishchik two hundred and forty rubles although she has told Pishchik I have no money, my sweet. This is ridiculous and the reader has to laugh at the ignorance of this family. Even more ludicrous is Ranyevskaya concern for the lost of her belongs but makes no attempt to save them. After Lopakhin has spent act one and some of act two explaining how to save the land Ranyevskaya is ably to ask, what can we possibly do? Tell us. This leaves Lopakhin to make a comical comment about this family such a strange unbusiness like people. Although tragic events are taking place through out the play, the characters actions and dialect is comical. The symbolism of the sale of the cherry orchard can be sent as comical; it becomes a seminal icon for the memories of the family. This play is generated on seminal values of this family. No one in the family wants to see the cherry orchard go but it is ludicrous that the family does not see that the cherry orchard is going either by sale or development. Sense this is a fact, it is only risible that the family should profit from the lost of the cherry orchard. The importance of seminal values should be over run by the importance of survival. Ranyevskaya does not seem to be concerned with survival and can only see the cherry orchard as a seminal object. This is completely ridiculous and demonstrates the comical actions of Ranyevskaya. The view of the cherry orchard as a seminal object also effects the true objective of the cherry orchard. Firs says: In the old days, forty, fifty years ago, they used to dry the cherries, they used to soak them, they used to pickle them, they used to make jam out of them, and year after year. This caption informs the reader that the original purpose for the land was for profit. Ranyevskaya memories of the orchard as a fantastic playground disallows her to see the truth that the cherry orchard was just her parents business and it is time to change the business because times have changed. Every one of the many characters was carefully planned out to show some purpose in the message conveyed in The Cherry Orchard. Chekhov is able to show that the core of humanity is full of ludicrous emotions and ideas. The importance of the use of comedy in the play conveys with the importance of comedy in our lives. It shows the reader how the most ridiculous moments and decisions are probably the most important ones.