The Taming of the Shrew Essay

The Taming of the Shrew Essay William Shakespeares play The Taming of the Shrew is a lighthearted, slapstick comedy written in the 1590s. This particular era is classified as the Elizabethan era. This famous play has been chiefly based on courtship and the concerns of married life. Both of these characteristics were profoundly relevant to society at this time, in fact this was a society concerned with marriage in general. People living in this era often married for power, land or money rather then for love. Marital disputes became very popular in literature, as this era did not offer any avenues out of an unhappy marriage. The laws and practices of these times also did not allow women to have the same opportunities as men. Women were said to be under the authority of their husbands and society would not allow women to perform in plays. In fact, in this era, men acted out all the male and female roles. Another concern of this society was shrews, that is a woman with a violent, scolding, or nagging temperament. Katherina has demonstrated this idea in the play. Women were expected to act a particular way, and any woman with a willful temperament or who challenged the authority of men, was classified as a shrew. It was for these reasons that men set out to tame their wives into the way society felt they should behave. Taming can be defined as being brought from wildness into a domesticated or tractable state. This idea of one taming a shrew is brought out through the main plot of the willful Kate and the equally stubborn Petruchio. Shakespeare has used the idea of deception in his play to reflect the opinions of this society. This idea of deception has been furthered with the use of disguise. Deception can be defined as to give a false impression and to cause to believe what is not true. Shakespeare brings out this deception in his play through the characters. He does this by using a variety of techniques such as disguise. Disguise is defined as being to modify the manner and/or appearance of, in order to prevent recognition. Throughout the play this main idea of deception and disguise is ably bought out through 3 plots. They include the introductory plot of Christopher Sly, the main plot of Petruchio and Kate and the sub-plot of Bianca and her suitors. The first story of deception found in the play concerns Christopher Sly. The first scene opens in an English country alehouse in the late 1500s. Sly has been knocked unconscious as a result of consuming an excessive amount of alcohol. It is at this point that a lord discovers Sly, and he decides it would be very entertaining for him to play a trick on the drunken beggar. Sirs, I will practice on this drunken man. The Lord commands his men to take the sleeping Sly up to his extravagant bedroom and when he awakes, they are to tell him that he is a noble man who has been asleep for many years. Wrappd in sweet clothes, rings put upon his fingers, A most delicious banquet by his bed. The Lord also commands his men to dress Sly in the most sumptuous clothes and to feed him the finest of foods in order to convince Sly that he really is a nobleman. Sly at first is confused as to what is going on, but remains sure of himself and insists that he is not a lord. I am Christopher Sly; call not me honor norlordship. He resists the Lord and his servants and he only relents when he is informed that he has a wife. It is at this point that Sly instantly reverses himself. Am I a lord? And have I such a lady? Sly is so caught up in the fact that he may be able to bed this woman, that he stops contradicting the Lord and his servants. Are you my wife and will not call me husband? My men should call me lord: I am your goodman. Sly becomes oblivious to the situation and his mind is now set on getting this woman into bed. Madam, undress you and come now to bed. His speech also is disguised. Sly eventuates from speaking in prose, to speaking in verse. This is very humorous as verse is usually reserved for those in the higher class of society. Sly uses this technique to make him self appear accomplished and wealthy. Sly is not the only one applying deception within the Introduction. The Lord and his servants have also deceived Sly through the use of disguise. The Lord has done this by forcing Sly to live a life where he is a nobleman, with all the luxuries included. As soon as Sly awoke they began filling his head with nonsense and insisting that he was a wealthy nobleman. Sly was offered the finest of foods and the finest of clothing in order to further this deception and make him truly believe that he is a wealthy Lord. The sub plot of the play involves Bianca and her suitors. This play-within a play is taken place in Padua, Italy. Lucentio, a young gentleman from Verona arrives accompanied by his suitor when he notices Baptista Minola and his two young daughters Bianca and her older sister Kate. BiancaÐ ¢s suitors Gremio and Hortensio accompany them. While standing in the street, Lucentio over hears Baptista say that no one will marry Bianca, until Kate has found a suitor. That is, not bestow my youngest daughter, Before I have a husband for the elder By this point Lucentio has become totally enamored with Bianca and he devises a plan to get closer to Bianca. Lucentio is to disguise himself as a tutor named Cambio while Tranio pretends to be Lucentio. It is obvious that this is an element of deception. Lucentio and Tranio have purposely disguised themselves in order to deceive Kate, Bianca, Baptista and the other suitors. They have used different clothing in order to accomplish this. This is where the third, and main plot of the play begins. Biancas suitors realize that they will not be able to ask for her hand unless they find a suitable suitor for her stubborn sister Kate. Petruchio, also from Verona, has arrived in Padua for one sole reason. To find himself a wife whom does a large dowry accompany. He does not care if she is a shrew or not. Hortensio, another gentlemen also in want of Biancas hand, agrees to introduce Petruchio to Kate. All three men, Hortensio, Gremio and Lucentio (posing as Tranio) agree to assist him in gaining access to the younger daughter. Petruchio goes directly to Baptista is completely upfront with his intentions. He tells Baptista that he wealthy and Baptista welcomes Petruchios offer. But Petruchio must first win Kates love. Petruchio is certain that he can do so. When Petruchio and Kate first meet, they flirt and take it in turns in verbally challenging each other. Kate continues to act shrewish and Petruchio claims that Kate is in love with him. The wedding plans begin and Biancas suitors move in. Tranio/Lucentio promises enormous riches for Bianca, but Baptista wishes to mean Tranio/Lucentios father in order to confirm this. Therefore Tranio/Lucentio must find a suitable man to pose as Vincentio. The disguise and deception falls deeper and deeper as the plot continues. Not only do these young gentleman have to act as if they were someone else, but now Tranio/Lucentio must find another gentleman to act as his father in order for him to have Biancas hand. The whole wedding party has gathered for the event, except for the groom. Kate begins to show signs of humiliation. Now must the world point at poor Katherine, And say, Lo, there is mad Petruchios wife, If it would please him come and marry her!' This is significant as it is the first time, we the audience see Kate showing any signs of emotion. When Petruchio eventually decides to make an appearance, his dress and behavior are both outrageous. Baptista objects to this and Petruchio replies that To me shes married, not unto my clothes and then proceeds to take Kate off to the wedding. It seems that Petruchios state of mind has reversed. Previously he has been honest and upfront in his actions. Now he deceiving Kate by playing games and acting like someone he isnt. He uses disguise to emphasize the fact that Kate is here to marry him, and not his clothing. Once the wedding ceremony is completed Petruchio will not allow Kate to stay for the wedding feast. Instead he drags her from her fathers house. The journey from Baptistas to Petruchios house is not a pleasant one. The couple arrives tired, dirty, cold and hungry. Petruchio temps Kate with the finest of foods, but Petruchio is outraged and claims that the supper is unfit. He decides the pair will fast, and they pack up and go to bed. It is at this point that Petruchio admits he is going to tame his new wife like a falcon. He plans to deprive her of sleep, food and sex and claims he will be doing this all in loving care. Therefore killing her with kindness. Petruchio has rises up to the challenge and begins acting as a reflection of Kate. He is rude, stubborn and willful. All the characteristics Katerina once possessed. He has in turn, deceived Kate by not acting him self, rather someone he certainly is not. Meanwhile Hortensio and Tranio/Lucentio give up their quest for Biancas hand when they find Lucentio/Cambio kissing her. Bianca is now engaged to Lucentio/Cambio. It seems the battle for Biancas hand is over. The next day Petruchio announces that the couple will be returning to Padua for Biancas wedding. Katerina is excited for she hopes for new clothes. Petruchio again teases Kate by saying that the clothes are hideous and they will certainly not do. O mercy, God! What miscuing stuff is here? The couple will return to Padua, dressed as they are. Well, come, my Kate; we will unto your fathers Even in these honest mean habiliments: After all, tis the mind that makes the body rich; Petruchio again is stamping his authority. He is sending a message to Kate that he is in charge, and if she wants any chance of happiness, she must agree with him. Whilst walking back to Padua, Petruchio declares that the moon is shinny brightly, when in reality it is the sun. Kate contradicts her husband stating this, and he will not have it. He threatens that the pair will return home and not attend the wedding. At last, Katerina understands the point and states that it is the moon or the sun, or whatever he wishes it to be. What you will have it named, even that it is; The mood calls for celebration, but before Petruchio and Kate return to Baptistas, Petruchio demands a kiss from his wife. It seems that the battle is over. Back at the house, everyone claims that Petruchio has the worst of wives. Petruchio then suggests that they make a bet and she whos wife, in turn is the most obedient towards her husband. When Bianca and the Widow are called they refuse to come, but when Kate is summoned, she not only attends to her husband, but she also lectures the other wives on how they should behave towards their husbands. Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, Thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for thee. Kate has come along way from the beginning of the play; it appears that Kate has been tamed. Her attitude has completely changed, and her willful and stubborn behavior completely disappeared. Petruchio has succeeded in giving her a taste of her own medicine, and in turn molded her into a gentlewoman. Or has he? From this it can been seen that Shakespeare has used many levels of deception and disguise through out his play The taming of the shrew. So is this another level of deception? Has Kate really been tamed or is she simply playing along in a game with Petruchio once again? You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on   The Taming of the Shrew topics from our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with high-quality custom written papers.

Lemon Juice and Baking Soda Reaction Project

Lemon Juice and Baking Soda Reaction Project The lemon fizz project is a fun bubbly science experiment using kitchen ingredients that’s ideal for kids to try. Lemon Fizz Materials Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)Lemon juice or a lemon cut into quartersLiquid dishwashing soap (e.g., Dawn or Joy)Food coloring (optional)Spoon or strawNarrow glass or cup The Lemon Fizz Project Put a spoonful (about a teaspoon) of baking soda into a glass.Stir in a squirt of dishwashing liquid.Add a drop or two of food coloring, if you want colored bubbles.Squeeze lemon juice into the mixture or pour in lemon juice. Other citrus fruit juices work too, but lemon juice seems to work the best. As you stir the juice into the baking soda and detergent, bubbles will form that will start to push up and out of the glass.You can extend the reaction by adding more lemon juice and baking soda.The bubbles are long-lasting. You cant drink the mixture, but you can still use it for washing dishes. How It Works The sodium bicarbonate of the baking soda reacts with the citric acid in lemon juice to form carbon dioxide gas. The gas bubbles are trapped by the dishwashing soap, forming fizzy bubbles.

Journal Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal - Coursework Example Revolutionizing the communication industry has completely changed the way that humans across the world interact with each other. We have developed from the point where paper messages would have to be carried, sometimes taking weeks to reach the recipient, to being able to communicate halfway across the world instantly. This has given humanity a huge advantage. It allows for globalization of the economy, collaboration for scientific and other research as well as strategic movements of large military forces or just the simple hello to a relative that lives far away (Parker, 2005). The implementation of technology has had a great impact on society as a whole. Human behavior has been influenced by communications technology. Society has developed based on efficiency and a fast paced environment due to the fact that information is now readily available via networks, internet, etc. As a result, our generation lives in one where everything is expected quickly. Compared to about thirty years ago, the efficiency of industry and business has increased as well as learning in institutions due to the implementation of better and faster computers and internet (FitzGerald, & Dennis, 2009).

Marketing research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing research - Essay Example ?†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Marketing Research Project: Coffee Shops – A Pilot Usage and Attitude Study Introduction: Coffee shops are commonly defined as establishments that primarily serve prepared coffee along with light snacks. From a cultural point of view, coffee shops serves as centres of social interaction where individuals especially youths are provided with a place to congregate, talk, read, write, entertain one another. As defined by Mintel (2009), coffee shops are shops where â€Å"coffee is the primary sales item. They are based on the European and North American coffee shop models, typified by Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Cafe Nero and Coffee Republic and offer a wide variety and different types of coffee, e.g. cappuccino, latte, mocha, etc. Other items are usually on sale, such as pastries, tea, coffee beans, etc. Ho wever, the food offer may be restricted.† Further, the operational venues of these coffee shops are also of relevance: â€Å"Coffee shops include venues such as individual stores, kiosks and concessions. These may operate in a number of locations – motorway service areas (MSAs), health clubs and hospitals, for example. However, they must be independent of the facility they are located in.† (Mintel, 2009) This paper briefly addresses the report of a pilot study on the usage and attitude of coffee consumers, especially young consumers. The data collection for the survey report has mainly been conducted in big coffee shop brand names such as Starbucks and Costa Coffee from the localities of London. The data was collected from 20 young people aged 18 and above, along with a well-structured questionnaire designed on the basis of the usage and attitude of the young coffee consumers. Moreover, the paper looks into the broader picture of coffee shops market in the UK. It briefly provides the current scenario of the UK coffee shops market, which is now considered a booming market contributing remarkably to the UK economy. While competition is getting tougher, the usage and attitude of the young coffee consumers are becoming significantly essential for the coffee shops in order to accomplish competitive advantage. Methodology: Coffee shops are growing faster and wider, thanks to the novel process of globalisation. With the level of market competition growing fast, there is also a growing need of more variables to be included in the market analysis of coffee shops. The study included in this paper is a pilot survey designed to test the questionnaire and the survey approach and to produce some exploratory information which may be of interest to marketing decision makers. The survey conducted for the purpose comprised of 20 young people (aged 18 and above) and students, to be administered by respondent self-completion. In order to explain the behavioura l and attitudinal information of the young consumers of coffee shops, the survey has collected data from both males and females, and coffee shop users and non-users as well. Research objectives:

Crimes Against Humanity Essay Example for Free

Crimes Against Humanity Essay Saddam Hussein Iraq, a country found in Southwest Asia bordered by Syria, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, has been constantly featured in the news in recent years. Iraq received its freedom from Britain following World War I in 1932 and in 1958 was converted into a republic (Iraq). However, since becoming a republic, Iraq has been controlled by military leaders from Abdul-Karim Quassim to Saddam Hussein (Iraqi Rulers’ Page). The most recent ruler of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, leader of the Ba’ath political party, drew attention to the country with his various crimes against humanity. From his ascension to power in 1979 to his execution December 30, 2006, he has been responsible for numerous atrocities, including, but not limited to, executions of communists, murders of Shiite Muslims, tortures and killings of political prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison, Hussein’s most frequently used prison for tortures and murders (Kadragic 85), the Iran-Iraq war, murders of ethnic Kurds, the Gulf War, destruction of Iraq’s marshes, and therefore the destruction of marsh Arabs’ habitats and homes, the control of news as propaganda (The New Global Society), and the deaths of many others. After a rough childhood living with his mother, three stepbrothers, and an awful and immoral stepfather, Hussein moved to live with his uncle, who was an Arab nationalist, when his uncle was freed from jail in 1947 (Saddam Hussein). It was his uncle who introduced Hussein to politics (Saddam Hussein). Hussein joined the Arab Ba’ath Socialist Party at the age of 20 in 1957 (Saddam Hussein). He started out as a member of low importance whose chief duty was to organize and fuel riots among his classmates (Saddam Hussein). In 1959 he was promoted to the assassination squad (Saddam Hussein). October 7, 1959, he, along with the rest of the squad, attempted, but failed, to assassinate Abdul Karim-Quassim (Saddam Hussein). This failed attempt resulted in Hussein receiving a shot in the leg and exiling himself from Iraq for over three years to escape prison (Saddam Hussein Ex President of Iraq). Only when the Ba’ath Party staged a coup and took over the Iraqi government in 1963 did Saddam return to the country. However, the Ba’ath Party only remained in power for nine months and Hussein was arrested in 1964 for his affiliation with the Ba’ath regime’s attempt to regain power (Saddam Hussein). During his eighteen months in prison before his escape in July 1996, Hussein was tortured as well as named a member of Ba’ath Party’s National Arab Leadership in 1965 (Saddam Hussein). Hussein gradually gained power in the party, becoming Deputy-Secretary General of the Ba’ath Party Leadership September 1966, and being a key leader in the July 17, 1968 coup that overthrew the Iraqi monarchy and made Hussein’s second cousin, Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr, the Iraqi president (Saddam Hussein). Following this incident, Hussein was made Vice President of Iraq (Saddam Hussein). Eventually, Hussein forced al-Bakr to resign and took over the position as president of Iraq (Saddam Hussein). The first crime committed under the rule of Saddam Hussein was the execution of 7,000 Iraqi communists that began the year of 1978 and lasted until 1979 (Saddam Era: The Death Toll). Hussein was not in charge of the Ba’athist regime during 1978, but was in power for the latter part of the brutal executions carried out against the communists of Iraq. Though the Ba’ath Party was vaguely built on the idea socialism in the 1940’s and the Iraqi Ba’ath Party of Saddam’s time had an important alliance with the Soviet Union, the Ba’aths of Saddam’s time were very much opposed to communism. The execution of the Iraqi communists strained the Ba’athist Party’s relationship with the Soviet Union considerably. In the 1980’s Saddam had 148 male Shiites murdered in the village of Dujail. This crime in particular is the atrocity that Saddam was convicted and executed for December of 2006. The motivation for this crime was the attempted assassination of Hussein while he traveled through the small town of Dujail. After said attempt at assassination, almost 800 people, women and children included, were detained. An unspecified number were tortured during the period of time in which they were detained. 400 of those detained were sent to internal exile in a southern part of Iraq, away from their homes in Dujail. The aforementioned 148 men and boys were convicted of some crime, sentenced to death, and executed in 1985 (Judging Dujail: The First Trial before the Iraqi High Tribunal). During the 1980’s Saddam instigated the Iran-Iraq war. This war lasted from 1980 to 1989 and was the cause of nearly 1. 7 million deaths of both Iranians and Iraqis (Saddam Era: The Death Toll). Saddam’s motivation for this war was his fear that the new radical leadership of Iran would upset the Sunni-Shia balance in Iraq (Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)). As the Shia Muslims of Iraq are concentrated on and around Iraq’s only access to a body of water, a fifty-eight kilometer coast on the Persian Gulf, dissension among Iraq’s Shia population would cut off Iraq’s access to water, effectively limiting Iraq’s ability to trade as far as exporting and importing goods by ship (Muslim Distribution (Sunni and Shia)). Another of the many influential factors that prompted Saddam to initiate the bloody war was water claims to the Shatt al-Arab waterway which serves as part of the boundary between Iraq and Iran (Iran-Iraq War and Waterway Claims). Again, the Shatt al-Arab is Iraq’s only waterway to the Persian Gulf and is vital to the country as a means for transporting goods. During the Iran-Iraq War, a Kurdish Iraqi, Masoud Barzani, leader of the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party), along with the KDP, sided with the Iranians (The War Crimes of Saddam Hussein). The Kurdish Democratic Party was an ethnic Kurdish revolutionary political party that actively fought against the Ba’athist regime (The War Crimes of Saddam Hussein). As retaliation for their actions, Hussein had around 8,000 KDP members, including defenseless women and children, abducted in 1983 (The War Crimes of Saddam Hussein). Though many remain unfound, thousands are known to have been murdered and are now located in mass graves along with thousands of fellow victims (The War Crimes of Saddam Hussein). In 1984 about 4,000 political prisoners were tortured and murdered in Abu Ghraib prison. Saddam used this particular prison as a center for tortures and killings. Some of Hussein’s favorite methods of torture included castration, eye gouging, and acid baths. Mass killings at an Iraqi prison occurred again from 1993 to 1996 when 3000 prisoners were killed by machine gun at Mahjar prison in central. That was one of the last crimes committed under Saddam’s rule before he went into hiding Baghdad (Saddam Era: The Death Toll). The al-Anfal campaign, known by many as genocide, was one of the cruelest and bloodiest initiatives taken by Saddam Hussein. It lasted from 1986-1989 and resulted in the brutal deaths of about 182,000 Kurds, a group of people that make up Iraq’s largest non-Arab ethnic minority (A Kurd from Salah ad Din). Hussein may have felt that the Kurds were a threat to the Sunni, Arab Iraqis as the Kurds are generally Shiites and make up about 19 per cent of the Iraqi population (A Kurd from Salah ad Din). Also, many Kurds were concentrated in Kirkuk, an area of Iraq that is very rich in oil (A Kurd from Salah ad Din). Hussein commanded that any living organism in the Kurdish territory in northern Iraq be killed. Chemical weapons were implemented in carrying this out. Previously, Iraq had been the only country, besides the Soviet Union, known to tolerate the Kurds and their cultural differences. Though Iraq instituted arabization as a way to suppress and contain Kurdish nationalism, the Kurdish people were not persecuted on a large scale by Arab Iraqis until the rise of the Ba’athist regime (Shelton 636). In 1988, however, a campaign named Operation Anfal, anfal meaning spoils of war, was initiated and more than 182,000 Kurds were killed with the use of chemical weapons or buried alive in mass graves (Shelton 636) (The War Crimes of Saddam Hussein). In addition, 4,006 villages were utterly destroyed, displacing thousands of Kurdish villagers, and many were arrested and made to live in extremely unhealthy conditions (Shelton 636). In a small town called Halabja alone, 5,000 people were killed with a mixture of mustard gas and a nerve agent called sarin that was dropped from planes on March 16, 1988 (Kurds Look Back with Fear) (The War Crimes of Saddam Hussein). There is evidence that the chemicals used against the Kurds are still affecting people today, as there have been increasing amounts of birth defects, and cases of cancer, respiratory ailments, miscarriages, eye problems, skin problems, and other medical disorders in the affected areas, like the town of Halabja (Kurds Look Back with Fear). People who survived the attacks have recently developed problems that doctors attribute to the chemicals used in the attacks (Kurds Look Back with Fear). The Gulf War was a short war that started on January 16, 1991 several months after Iraq’s invasion of its neighboring country of Kuwait in August 2 of 1990(Saddam Era: The Death Toll) (Gulf War). The invasion of Kuwait occurred after the Iraq and Kuwait’s disputes over oil production and the debts that Iraq owed Kuwait for Kuwait’s aid in the Iraq-Iran war (Gulf War). The war ended when President Bush Sr. rdered a cease fire on February 27, 1991 (Gulf War). Hussein’s objectives in invading Kuwait are said to have been to force the smaller country to pardon the debts owed to it by Iraq, to acquire Kuwait in order to obtain Kuwait’s rich oil fields, and expansion. The justification that Saddam used was that Kuwait was historically part of Iraq in the first place (First Persian Gulf War). The US under the Bush Sr. administration became involved and formed a coalition made up of several Arab countries to achieve a quick victory over Iraq because of fear for Saddam’s ulterior motives. It is estimated that 25,000 Iraqi troops and as many as 200,000 civilians died as a result of the Gulf War (Saddam Era: The Death Toll). Also, many Iraqis civilians suffered because of a lack of food, as a UN trade embargo was put on Iraq when it invaded Kuwait (First Persian Gulf War). After the US won the Gulf War in 1991, Shiites, a Muslim religious minority in Iraq, and the ethnic Kurds were encouraged by the US to rebel against Saddam and the Ba’athist regime. However, when Saddam killed more than 100,000 Shiites and made more 200,000 Marsh Arabs homeless or dead, US support was nonexistent (Saddam Era: The Death Toll). Saddam is said to have ordered 2,000 Kurdish rebels to be killed each day (The War Crimes of Saddam Hussein). The Marsh Arabs were made homeless when Saddam began having Iraq’s marshlands intentionally and ruthlessly drained by 30 dams after the 1991 Gulf War, causing the marshes to dry up and practically decimating the way of life of thousands of marsh Arabs that has existed for at least 5,000 years (Hassig and al-Adely 46). Iraq’s marshlands now make up less than 770 square miles of Iraq, when they once had an area 7,700 square miles, meaning that 95% of Iraq’s marshes have been destroyed (Hassig and al-Adely 46). Also, the number of marsh Arabs has decreased from 250,000 to 30,000, but to this day it is unknown how much of the drop is due to migration or starvation, as the lack of food producing marshes means a lack of food (The War Crimes of Saddam Hussein). Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was a truly vile and despicable man for all of the suffering he inflicted on those he was responsible for as the dictator of Iraq. Saddam repeatedly broke rule after rule of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by subjecting prisoners to â€Å"torture or cruel, inhumane punishment,† as he intentionally did with the many tortures committed in the Abu Ghraib jail in particular, by subjecting others to â€Å"arbitrary arrest, detention or exile,† as he did to those of the town of Dujail that were not among the 182 that he killed. In addition, Hussein violated the UDHR by forcing many an Iraqi to be â€Å"arbitrarily deprived of his property† when he decimated the marshes of the marsh Arabs and destroyed 4,006 villages in the Anfal campaign. Furthermore, he violated the UDHR by depriving Iraqis of their â€Å"right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives,† when the Ba’ath Socialist Party took over Iraq’s government by force. Saddam was responsible for several more violations- not only of human rights, but of basic human morality. Saddam’s term of leadership in Iraq from 1979 to 2003 has been an ugly, dark, bloody stain on Iraq’s history.

Karl Marxs Communist Manifesto and Its Impact on Society Essay

Karl Marx's The Communist Manifesto and Its Impact on Society According to the humanities based themes, autonomy and responsibility are defined as â€Å"the individual person has the ability to make choices; with those choices comes a responsibility for the consequences of those choices.† [i] This can be related to the Communist Manifesto, which was written by Karl Marx in the 1800’s. Even deeper though, it correlates the class struggles that were apparent in Europe in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Marx knew there was a division of classes; the bourgeoisie was the wealthy upper class and they proletariats were the lower working classes of Europe. This is where the theme of autonomy and responsibility steps in and plays a role in the changes that were made in society. The proletariats recognized that they were treated unfairly, which led them to the decision of stepping up and taking a stand. Through the Communist Manifesto, they took responsibility and attained the equality they felt they deserved. The problem with society during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was the equality of all persons was few and far between. The bourgeoisie was in control of all the power and the proletariats were basically under their control. It was as if the bourgeoisie â€Å"originated out of the old medieval peasant class, in opposition to the medieval titled aristocracy.† [ii] They had taken over everything; the oppressed class lived by their rules and ways of life. Their way of life was not a happy one; family was based upon money instead of love. â€Å"Capital developed in the same proportion as the class of laborers developed.† ii Life then seemed simple for those living the life of the bourgeoisie, b... ...http://www.as.udayton.edu/hbase/themes.htm > (10 Mar 2002). [ii] Marx, Karl. â€Å"Manifesto of the Communist Party. I. Bourgeois and Proletarians.† 4 May 2002. (10 Mar 2002). [iii] Elizondo, Sonny. â€Å"Classic Note on Communist Manifesto.† 17 July 2000. (10 Mar 2002). [iv] Elizondo, Sonny. â€Å"Classic Note on Communist Manifesto.† 17 July 2000. (10 Mar 2002). Other links: http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~socappeal/150years/ http://www.classicnote.com/ClassicNotes/sources/communist.html http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/hum_303/manifesto.html

This Is My Playes Last Scene

How has Donne used characteristics typical of metaphysical poetry to convey his ideas in â€Å"Holy Sonnet: ‘This is my playes last scene’? † This is my playes last scene is one of Donne’s ‘Holy Sonnets’ embodying spiritual pain and struggling faith in Christianity. Numerous biblical allusions and morbid tone that are typical of metaphysical poetry, convey Donne’s fear of death and religious scepticism. The opening four lines depict the last moments of the speaker’s life through metaphoric comparisons. The comparison â€Å"playes last scene† suggests the speaker is searching for an end that is meaningful and fulfilling.Christian imagery in â€Å"pilgrimage’s last mile† places this envisioned end in religious context, as a pilgrimage to the site of treasured holy relics is representative of Donne’s path to unfaltering devotion, to God. A paradoxical phrase ‘idly, yet quickly run’ expresses t he speaker’s hesitance on the way to achieving this believed end to life. The addition of the comparisons â€Å"span’s last inch† and â€Å"minute’s latest point† enhances the cumulative listing of comparisons and dramatises the speaker’s fear of death.The startling personification â€Å"gluttonous death† portrays Donne’s morbid paranoia of the brief moment when body and soul become â€Å"unjoint†. The speaker’s life is dichotomised; his body shall â€Å"sleep a space†, his soul shall â€Å"see that face†, a Christian image of God’s omnipotence imparting judgement on the speaker. The ninth line witnesses a direct confidence in the speaker’s tone â€Å"as my soul, to heaven her first seat†. More prominently featured â€Å"So, fall my sins†, the immutable tone conveys a false reassurance, whereby the speaker actually pleas helplessly for God’s will and judgement.The i mperative voice in â€Å"Impute me righteous† forcefully channels the persona’s imploration to receive God’s judgement and have so-called righteousness imputed. The precise word â€Å"impute† makes another religious reference to the Christian understanding of attributing unearned qualities in an act of grace. The finality of the sonnet is epitomised by the poetic triplet â€Å"the world, the flesh and devil†, which alludes to the three sinful temptations as it was known in the context of Donne’s time.It enhances the prayer made by the speaker to be purged of sinful thoughts and acts, by godly intervention that would finally allow him to reach a transcendental state. Ultimately, Donne questions the Christian faith, and commands God’s mercy and judgement by Christian imagery and references to Biblical passages. He expresses despair about his salvation, and reveals his fear of death in a sensitive meditation. As such, the poem is an exem plary display of typical metaphysical characteristics.

Outcomes of the Crusades

The â€Å"Crusades† was a military campaign of Christians in Western Europe whose purpose is to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslims. The Roman Catholic Church stimulated most of the support for the war, showing its intolerance to both Islam and Orthodox Christianity. Although religious in nature, the Crusades had become a bloody frenzy. Six military campaigns comprised the period, starting from the First Crusade in 1096, inspired by Pope Urban II, and ending in the Sixth Crusade in 1254, led by the king of France, King Louis IX.To this day, the Crusades is still a controversial because of the military excesses during the battles. However, many outcomes came out of the movement: First, the European horizon expanded; second, the encounters with the different cultures promoted learning as well as commerce between different civilizations; third, as a result of the eastern influence, there was growth in western scholasticism and philosophy; and fourth, it sparked a dangerous con cept adapted in monarchy and politics. Among the noted significance of the first crusades was the increased contacts between the Europeans and the Byzantines and Muslims.During this time, the Byzantine was already beginning to decline and Islam was not as powerful as it once was, although still a formidable force. As regards the original intention of the Crusades, the Christians' success of having Jerusalem under their control never reached permanence. However, the first crusades effected the expansion of Europe, meaning it gained more strength than other competing civilizations did. Moreover, there became a balance of power between the Muslims and the Christians.During the First Crusade, supporters of the movement, such as those from Pisa and Genoa, sailed the Mediterranean Sea to bring help to Jerusalem. As a result, the sea was again reopened to western shipping, and, in turn, communication was reestablished between the east and west. Although at several points the Christians rul ed over the Holy Land, Muslims were able to conquer it again in the 12th century. However, the Christians continued to hold power over the sea. Thus, the ports in the countries such as Levant in the border of the sea were under their control.The number of commercial establishments grew rapidly in the ports of Syria and Egypt, and the Christians held autonomy over operations in the areas of Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, which were originally controlled by the Saracens (Riley-Smith 85). The sea routes were open for trade, allowing products of Asia to come in. In short, the Crusades opened the lines of communication and exchange of knowledge between the eastern and western civilizations through the trade. This made a significant contribution to the development of Europe in terms of both knowledge and economy.Some of the practices of Muslim science, literature and philosophy, as well as medicine had found its way to Christian tradition (Riley-Smith 87). In time, the crusading movements were divided into two groups: the external Crusades and the internal Crusades. The former was directed mainly against Muslims, whereas the latter was a war against the perceived enemies of the Christian world. Unfortunately, the development of the internal Crusades enforced a violent thinking—that is, violence is sanctified in ideological pursuits.The Crusades was originally a war to retrieve the Holy Land, but the concept of sanctified violence extended to the monarchy and the political sphere. What used to be the holy cause of defending the Church became a moral duty of defending the state (Riley-Smith 90). Indeed, the Crusades was a crucial moment in history, and one that people can learn from. That is, the good things that came out of it should be emulated, and its detrimental effects should serve as a warning to modern society. Works Cited Riley-Smith, Jonathan. â€Å"The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading†. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1991. 85 -96.

mp3 essays

mp3 essays The trading of MP3's or digital music over the Internet is all ways going to be an important part of the music industry, and is an unrealistic goal to try to control. The cost of controlling the piracy issues over the Internet would cost record companies more money than what they are losing due to MP3 trading. The record industry is trying to fight the major sites and companies in court with copyright suits. Quinlan states Although downloading music over the Internet and playing it back on computer or portable digital music players has become increasingly popular, major record labels have been slow to embrace distribution over the Web because of the difficulty in preventing unauthorized and unpaid copying of songs. MP3 is a file format which compresses audio files to efficiently store the audio data in files that can be easily downloaded on the Internet. MP3 files are identified by the file extension MP3 and require specialized players which decompress the files and then play the audio files like a regular CD. For all practical purposes, MP3 files can be exact, near-perfect digital copies of the original recorded material. In other words, an MP3 file is a near-perfect copy of a CD and can be stored on a computer or other data storage media. MP3 shrinks audio files in such a way that sound quality is preserved, but the file size is significantly smaller than it would be as a regular CD song file. This means you are able to download an entire song in only a few minutes. After that, you can play the song instantly, as many times as you want, regardless of your modem speed! Kimmel states Quite simply, the technology behind the MP3 audio format allows for high compression ratio and CD- quality sound. An MP3 file compresses a sound file to one-twelfth its MP3 has made it possible to download quality audio from the Web very quickly, causing it to become a worldwide auditi...

The Friendship Story of Damon and Pythias

The Friendship Story of Damon and Pythias Turn of  the 20th-century storyteller James Baldwin included the story of Damon and Pythias (Phintias) in his collection of 50 famous stories children should know [See Learning Lessons From the Past]. These days, the story is more likely to appear in a collection showing the contributions of ancient gay men or on the stage, and not so much in childrens storybooks. The story of Damon and Pythias shows true friendship and self-sacrifice, as well as concern for family, even in the face of death. Perhaps its time to try to revive it. Damon and Pythias endured either the father or the same despotic ruler as Damocles of the sword hanging on a slender thread-fame, which is also in Baldwins collection. This tyrant was Dionysius I of Syracuse, an important city in Sicily, which was part of the Greek area of Italy (Magna Graecia). As is true of the story of the Sword of Damocles, we can look to Cicero for an ancient version. Cicero describes the friendship between Damon and Pythias in his De Officiis III. Dionysius was a cruel ruler, easy to run afoul of. Either Pythias or Damon, young philosophers in the school of Pythagoras (the man who gave his name to a theorem used in geometry), ran into trouble with the tyrant and wound up in prison. This was in the 5th century. Two centuries earlier there had been a Greek named Draco, an important law-giver in Athens, who had prescribed death as the penalty for theft. When asked about his seemingly extreme punishments for relatively minor crimes, Draco said he regretted there was no punishment more serious for more heinous crimes. Dionysius must have agreed with Draco since execution appears to have been the intended fate of the philosopher. It is, of course, remotely possible that the philosopher had engaged in a serious crime, but it hasnt been reported, and the reputation of the tyrant is such that it is easy to believe the worst. Before the one young philosopher was scheduled to lose his life, he wanted to put his familys affairs in order  and asked leave to do so. Dionysius assumed he would run away and initially said no, but then the other young philosopher said he would take his friends place in the prison, and, should the condemned man not return, he would forfeit his own life. Dionysius agreed  and was then greatly surprised when the condemned man returned in time to face his own execution. Cicero doesnt indicate that Dionysius released the two men, but he was duly impressed with the friendship exhibited between the two men and wished he could join them as a third friend. Valerius Maximus, in the 1st century A.D. does say that Dionysius released them and kept them near him ever after. [See Valerius Maximus: The History of Damon and Pythias, from De Amicitiae Vinculo or read the Latin 4.7.ext.1.] Below you may read the story of Damon and Pythias in the Latin of Cicero, followed by an English translation that is in the public domain. [45] Loquor autem de communibus amicitiis; nam in sapientibus viris perfectisque nihil potest esse tale. Damonem et Phintiam Pythagoreos ferunt hoc animo inter se fuisse, ut, cum eorum alteri Dionysius tyrannus diem necis destinavisset et is, qui morti addictus esset, paucos sibi dies commendandorum suorum causa postulavisset, vas factus est alter eius sistendi, ut si ille non revertisset, moriendum esset ipsi. Qui cum ad diem se recepisset, admiratus eorum fidem tyrannus petivit, ut se ad amicitiam tertium adscriberent.[45] But I am speaking here of ordinary friendships; for among men who are ideally wise and perfect such situations cannot arise.They say that Damon and Phintias, of the Pythagorean school, enjoyed such ideally perfect friendship, that when the tyrant Dionysius had appointed a day for the execution of one of them, and the one who had been condemned to death requested a few days respite for the purpose of putting his loved ones in the care of friends, the other became surety for his appearance, with the understanding that if his friend did not return, he himself should be put to death. And when the friend returned on the day appointed, the tyrant in admiration for their faithfulness begged that they would enrol him as a third partner in their friendship.M. Tullius Cicero. De Officiis. With An English Translation. Walter Miller. Cambridge. Harvard University Press; Cambridge, Mass., London, England. 1913.

Tourism Industry in Arizona Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tourism Industry in Arizona - Essay Example But overall the tradition leisure and recreation tourism activities have remained core to the growth of the industry. Tourism has been one of the growing industries in Tucson, Arizona. It is one of the rapidly growing industries in the state having been ranked third in revenue. Tucson metropolitan attracts more that 3.5 million tourists every year which is one of the highest tourism numbers in the region. There are diversified tourism activities that attract tourism to Tucson from all parts of the world. The region has a good climate and the Sononarn Desert and the majestic mounts that ring the city continue to attract more and more tourist. This has contributed to the robustness of the industry. With an annual 300 days of sunny weather Condition and the natural ability to attract winter tourism from cold climates, Tucson makes one of the bets tourism destinations in Arizona. (Tucson, 2008a) Tourist attraction in Tucson include Saguaro National Park, Arizon-Sonoar Desert Mesuem, Reid Park Zoo, Pima County Fairgrounds, Kino Sport Complex, Old Tucson Studios, Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley, Arizona Historical Society, Tucson Botanical Gardens, Biosphere 2 Center, and others. There are other attraction sites in Tucson but these are the major leading attractions . Source: Tucson, (2008b). Tourism industry Data. Retrieved from http://www.visittucson.org/media/research/tourismdata/ on 23rd May 2008 Tourism companies operating in Tucson The growth of the industry in Tucson has corresponded with increased number of operation and hospitality companies. There are more that 289 local tourist companies in Tucson which absorbs a workforce of more that 44,200 employees. These companies have been contributing to more that $2 billion in revenue which has been a major boost for the economy of Tucson and the larger Arizona state. There are many companies which operate in Tucson offering tourism services. The major companies in the industry include Canyon Ranch Health Resort which employs 855 employees, Metro Restaurant Inc. with a workforce of more that 750, JW Marriot Starr Pass Resort & Spa employs about 696, Loew Ventana Canyon Resort which employs about 589 people, Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort employing 555 employees, and The Westin La Panaloma Resort & Spa with a workforce of more that 436 employee. These are the major operators in the industry. However there are other small operators providing the same services but the above are the major players who have been offering stiff competition to one another. Most of them have an international operation. These companies produce various tourism packages. Most of them offer travel services where they take their visitors from one tourism attraction to another. In this case they have the transport section which is concerned with arranging travel series from one area to another. They also offer accommodation services. This is one of the most important functions of the operators in the industry. They offer room accommodations and camp sites where accommodation is offered in cottages and tents. An accommodation service also comes with other in room services including meals, laundry services, and other. Although accommodation ser