Saving Private Ryan Сoursework

‘Saving Private Ryan' is an academy award winning film set during the time of D-Day invasion in World War 2. It was made in 1998 and was directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat. It was a very successful film and won 5 Oscars. Spielberg has made this film to make the audience feel the essence of war and the effects behind it. Spielberg also focussed on making it more realistic and to make the audience a part of the movie. The film is notable for its opening 24 minutes as it contains high level intensity, which depicts the Omaha beachhead assault, June 6, 1944. In this essay I will be looking at how Spielberg uses presentational devices to create ‘chaos and realism at all times. ‘ ‘Saving Private Ryan' begins with a single brass instrument playing a slow melchonly sound which gradually builds up to orchestral music. This sounds like the last stand and is reminiscent of funerals. The American flag is shown waving with light shinning through it representing patriotism, power and pride. Then a medium shot is used on an old man as he is walking towards the cemetery, in search of something, with his family walking behind him and looking at him. Then a series of establishing shots show the background imagery and a lot of crosses. The crosses are white, (symbolising innocence and purity) and are in lines as if soldiers are standing there. The camera then slowly zooms into the mans face as he has fallen to the ground, weeping beside the place he was searching for. This shows his feelings of unhappiness and shows that he is upset. This also makes the audience question, why is he in that state of emotion. The music also adds tension to the atmosphere. The sound then switches to waves and bombings as the film heads into the next scene. This scene shows a connection between the mans face, the graveyard and D-Day. It also builds tension, which is slowly portrayed with an emotional atmosphere. The next scene begins with the sound of waves crashing against Higgins boats which are taking American soldiers towards the beaches of Normandy. The audience have already been told that this action is set on June 6, 1944, the date of the d-day landings. A close up of a soldiers shaking hand is shown as he takes a drink from his water bottle. The audience may feel that he is scared, reversing the model of a typical war hero. Other closes up shots of soldiers are shown to introduce briefly the characters who will be important later in the film. The sound of soldiers vomiting and of orders being given can be heard going off. This makes the audience feel nervous on the soldier's behalf. As the doors of the boats open the audience are confronted immediately with the deaths of the soldiers. Some men slip under water to escape the bombardment and the camera follows. The sound changes as the audience see men being shot, or drowned under the weight of their own packs. An over the shoulder shot is used to show the German armies power and control as they are shooting the men. As the main character, Tom Hanks, makes his way through the beach, he goes into a state of shock as he witnesses the carnage around him. A medium shot is used to show a man searching for his arm, which has been blown off. A long shot shows the deaths of several men who are on fire. The colour of the fire stands out against the dull colours of the scene. The fact that Tom Hank's character is in a state of shock reinforces the image of a non-typical war hero. The following scene begins with a medium shot on Tom Hanks as he is brought back into reality. He looks around and sees carnage everywhere and soldiers shooting at each other. Then a long shot is used showing the imagery in the background and the essence of war. Soon after the soldiers are shown heading towards the beach, trying to get close to the Germans. This is shown in an extreme long shot which also shows the impact of them heading there and everything that was happening at the time. A medium shot is used as Captain Miller is dragging another soldier who is in pain and in desperate need of help. At this point the scene is put into slow motion as a deafening sound is played. This makes the audience feel shocked and on edge as the scene is put into slow motion. The director wants the audience to know that despite war hitting the American soldiers, they have not lost hope and courage and they are persevering with the circumstance. This shows that the Americans will continue to work with each other and try and emerge victorious against the opposing Germans. The war is then shown in several different long shots to show the chaos because of the war and to show the soldiers trying to seek refuge as some of the soldiers are in pain and agony. The close ups shows the emotions, feelings and the fear that they are having. We also see action from the Germans point of view as an over the shoulder shot is used to show the Germans advantage of shooting down at the Americans and trying to kill them. This is included to show the audience how the Germans are in control and when all the action is happening, the camera shakes, to make them feel the action. Soon after high angle shots are used to show medics on the battlefield trying to help the wounded men. Everyone is helpless as blood is scattered on the camera. The director chooses to add this to make it more realistic and exaggerated shots of soldiers being blown into pieces adds to this. Later, the Americans try to climb up the hill to shoot gunfire at the opposing soldiers at the top shooting down at them. Panning is used to show the audience what war would be like as if they were there and it makes them feel that they are involved in the action. As the American soldiers are getting into position a handheld camera is brought in to, again show the essence of war. As one soldier gets around to the side of the hill to get an accurate aim at the Germans shooting down, an extreme close up shot is used to show the level of concentration that he is using in killing the Germans. The soldier aims at the Germans and recites some prayers as he tries to get an accurate shot. He takes a deep breath before pulling the trigger of his gun and killing them. Throughout this scene, a handheld camera and panning is used as Spielberg wanted the audience to feel as part of the movie. The shooting continues in the next scene as the Americans appear to be in control. This is because they are running up the hill as the Germans at the top off the hill are still falling down. This is displayed using a medium shot. Soldiers are shown running towards their trenches in a long shot, showing that they are striving and are need of help in order to win the war despite the fact that they can now go to the top of the hill with decreased difficulty from before. This shows that they are cooperating and are working together to defeat the Germans. This symbolises to the audience that there is a ray of hope for the Americans winning. Later, German prisoners are shown being shot, as they are trying to surrender because they know that they have lost. This is shown from a medium close up angle and then is zoomed in as a close up shot so that the audience can see the agony the Germans are facing, as they are getting shot. The Americans are shown getting revenge by shooting and killing the prisoners. Spielberg chose to add this so that he could make the audience either sympathise with the Germans or feel relief and satisfaction because the allied forces are proving to be dominant at this point. Soon after screams can be heard as there are large explosions being given off, fire is everywhere burning soldiers and machine guns firing. It was carnage. The tables are turned when we see the Americans in total dominance as they begin to shoot at the German soldiers as they are shown dying and suffering. Then we see a soldier collecting sand and dust of the ground. He is holding 3 silver tins, and is filling one of them. These tins may represent three countries where he has possibly been to war at as they were labelled, Italy, Africa and France. This man is probably collecting this sand as a memorial and a remembrance to the war. One soldier is shown weeping over the death of hi fellow soldiers. He also possesses a Hitler youth knife, which could be important to him. As the scene heads for an end we see Tom Hanks in an extreme zoom in on his eyes showing his emotions as dramatic music begins to play. The battle field is shown in extreme long shots as the audience can see the devastation on it. The audience see the dead bodies scattered everywhere on the beach, with some being washed away by the shore. The scene ends with the camera zooming into Private Ryan's backpack. Saving Private Ryan is undoubtedly one of the best movies made on the d-day invasion. Spielberg clearly shows the essence of the war and has made the audience feel how war would be. The film is well known around the world and it is truly epic. It is concise to the point and the opening 24 minutes reflect on how excellent the movie is, as there is a lot of intensity. This is why it has won so many awards and nominations, topping them with 5 Oscars. Overall I think Saving Private Ryan is a great movie and Spielberg has used a wide range of camera shots and angles to get his message across to people and that is why Spielberg has been very successful with it. Spielberg clearly used a variety of presentational devices and has produced an authentic movie, which will be remembered for a long time.

Compare and contrast Ralph and Jack as leaders Essay

Ralph and Jack signify different themes and ideas throughout ‘The Lord of the Flies’. They both have different personalities but in some aspects they are similar. For example, they both want to be leaders, but they want to lead in different ways. The two boys are from typical English public schools so their background is similar yet their personalities contrast. Ralph is calm and fair; he represents order, leadership and civilisation. On the other hand Jack is very authoritative and represents unbridled savagery and desire for power. As the book progresses we see these traits becoming even stronger in Jack, as if he were a dictator like Hitler from the Second World War, which was when the ‘Lord of the Flies’ was set. When Ralph first finds himself stranded on the island, it is as if he couldn’t care less as to how he got there. The fact that he has just survived a plane crash, in which many adults have died in, does not seem to bother him at all. The first thing he does is rip off all his clothes and swim in the lagoon. This is quite childish behaviour and the fact that he is ripping off all his clothes shows that he is already starting to stray away from civilisation. It is not until Piggy finds him and starts asking intellectual questions as to how they got there and whether there is anyone else on the island that he starts to vaguely consider the situation. As the book progresses Jack emerges with his choir. It is obvious that he is in control, ‘he shouted an order and they halted’. This shows he is an authoritative figure and the impression is given that he is controlling an army. Even though the two boys have not met, it is immediately clear that there are differences between them. Ralph is calmer and quite happy to take everything in his stride, whereas Jack remains in his choir uniform and still acts with a large sense of responsibility despite the fact he is hundreds of miles away from civilisation. Ralph is democratic and more thoughtful. For example, before anything happens about being rescued he says ‘we ought to have a chief to decide things.’ Jack shows his arrogance emerges when he replies, ‘I ought to be chief’, as if he was a dictator without any care for other people’s opinions. In reply Ralph uses his democratic approach and decides, ‘Let’s have a vote’. Ralph’s decision to have a vote shows how fair he is and his approach to become a leader is democratic. On the other hand, it is clear that Jack is very self-centred and is prepared to push for the position of leader even if it happens in a manner not popular with the other boys. The situation of the Second World War is being reflected in the two boys’ contrasting personalities. As the time that is spent on the island advances, Jack’s savage traits start to emerge. For example, when he goes hunting he lets the boys go off swimming whilst he continues. Unfortunately he catches nothing and goes back to camp. He describes the situation to Ralph, ‘I went on. I thought, by myself’ †¦ ‘the madness came into his eyes again’ †¦ ‘I thought I might kill’. Jack’s true traits are starting to emerge. His savage instinct is starting to become apparent; he is described as having madness in his eyes. He is starting to have a ‘compulsion’ to hunt and kill that was not apparent before because society and civilisation keeps people in control but when they are set free from this their natural or basic instincts start to emerge. However this is not true of everyone, Ralph has continued to remain calm and civilised;, building huts on the beach with Piggy, his advisor. His natural instincts are not savage but to try to find a means of remaining safe and being rescued. Throughout the book Ralph relies on Piggy to help him with many decisions. The idea to blow the conch so that other boys would emerge from the island was Piggy’s idea as well as the idea to use his glasses to start the fire on the mountain. Piggy’s pragmatic and intellectual approach to the situation they are in helps Ralph yet sometimes the boys do not listen to him, especially Jack. Jack has a very autocratic approach and feels he can make the correct decisions himself. His decline into savagery becomes apparent due to this and results in him punching Piggy and eventually killing him. For example after Piggy notices there is no smoke he tells Ralph but there is not much they can do, as the boys who were supposed to be watching the fire had gone hunting. Soon enough they notice a large group of figures coming down the beach chanting, ‘Kill the pig, Cut her throat. Spill her blood’. Jack is part of this group and it is apparent that the other boys have also acquired a lust for killing and hunting. However, Piggy drives Jack to violence by saying, ‘You didn’t ought to have let that fire out, you said you’d keep the smoke going’. After this Jack hits Piggy; Jack has lost the self control that was in place before he was held back from violence due to the moral trappings of society. Later on in the book, Jack’s leadership starts to become more appealing to the boys. The lifestyle he is offering them with meat and protection from the beast is compelling for them in some aspects, ‘To-night we’re having a feast. We’ve killed a pig and we’ve got meat. You can come and eat with us if you like’. Eventually all the boys start to switch to Jack as their leader. The boys have lost sight of what being civilise means and just want to follow a leader who offers a simple way of life; hunting, food and safety in the tribe. Ralph starts to give up hope, ‘So we can’t have a signal fire †¦ We’re beaten’. The two boys’ contrasting opinions and aims are in competition and at the beginning of the book when society and civilisation was still in the minds of many of the boys they were prepared to have Ralph as their leader. However, as time has passed and their sense of civilisation has gradually disappeared the longer they are away from it, they have resorted to Jack for fun and a preferred lifestyle. In some aspects Ralph and Jack are alike as leaders because they both want to get their own way. However their aims are different, Jack wants to hunt and Ralph wants to be rescued. Jack is the autocratic, less caring leader whereas Ralph is democratic and tries to do what is best for all the boys. In the end it turns out that the boys would prefer to be led by Jack. Golding is suggesting that it doesn’t matter who you are, even if you are from a privileged public school background, without the influences of society we will decline into savagery and our true natural instincts will emerge.

Animal Liberation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Animal Liberation - Term Paper Example Singer equates treating animals lesser than human beings to other forms of discrimination like racism and ethnicity. Furthermore, Singer equates animals with human beings who have irreversible brain damage. The utilitarian views of Singer are opposed and refuted by Cohen. Cohen argues that rights can only be restricted to moral agents. To refute Singer’s argument that animals have equal rights to humans, Cohen proposes a definition of rights as claims. A right according to Cohen is a claim made against somebody else. Cohen further argues that an obligation to ensure animal welfare cannot constitute a right. To prove this Cohen clearly shows that rights entail obligation but obligation cannot entail rights. However, Cohen’s fails to show how humans without the ability to claim their rights can enjoy rights. These groups of humans include human infants and mentally handicapped persons. Cohen’s speciesist theory failure to explain how humans without the capacity to claim rights can enjoy moral rights assists Utilitarianism answer his criticism for their explanation of animal rights. The starting point for answering the question â€Å"Is there such thing as a moral saint?† always starts with an attempt to define the term. This is occasioned by the fact that any author who attempts to tackle the controversial question must have a standard of morality that the supposed â€Å"moral saint† satisfies. This approach is reflected in Wolf who starts his work by giving a brief description of what the moral saint is supposed to be. Wolf defines a moral saint as a person who strives to be as good as possible everyday and in every situation. Similarly, Carbonell in his work article Moral Saint Reconsidered also starts his exploration of the issue with a description of the term moral saint.

Public Management Reform in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Public Management Reform in the UK - Essay Example This paper gives a comparison of power generation regulation in UK and India, with a number of insights on their drivers as well as ongoing strategy initiatives within the energy sector. The paper also point out a number of key issues along with policy limitations, both in meeting growth targets as well as in controlling emissions increase.The main objective here is to offer a reasonable as well as insightful classification of the factors that shape public management in each UK and India. This paper balances other research attempts of abatement prospective and prospects by offering an evaluation of basis - the framework of state of growth, future requirements and existing policy course. The people of the â€Å"world’s poor† reduced from 3 billion during 1991 to 2.4 billion during 2010, with almost this complete drop occurring in the UK. Majority of the world has not arrived at such sharp declines in poor standard of living. The population of the world’s poor apar t from UK has stayed on more or less 2.1 billion from 1991, regardless of a drop in proportional terms. According to the World Bank estimates, by 2017, this amount would decrease merely to 2 billion. Of the 2.4 billion poor during the year 2010, more than a third resides in India, who consists of almost 40 percent of the nation’s population. More than 50 percent of India’s inhabitants do not have access to electrical energy and they utilize kerosene for light. Merely one fifth of those utilizing electricity consume more than 100 kWh each month, in comparison with the average UK domestic utilization of more than 900 kWh each month (Barnett and Biornsgaard, 2000, p. 82). Therefore, broadening access as well as â€Å"meeting other development goals† (Kiameh, 2009, p. 95) will involve a considerable raise in production ability, even by developments in consumption efficiency. This earnings inconsistency has to be taken into consideration while expanding a load contri bution contract. â€Å"As the philosopher Henry Shue and others have argued, luxury emissions and not subsistence emissions should be the appropriate target of emissions reductions† (Keljik, 2008, p. 78). While one openly justifies this distinction, the comparative burden of India is minute, and is most likely activated just further than 2020. For instance, a current scheme for a burden contribution management for environment improvement supported by nations’ growing discharges from 2000 as well as their assets needs that the UK accept more than 30 percent of the universal improvement prerequisite during 2020, whereas India chips in more or less one percent (Kehlhofer et al, 2009, p. 66). A growth responsive analysis of burden sharing in countries does not mean development should be categorical or that improvement as well as expansion intrinsically diverges. In addition, both countries should focus on to the possibility of â€Å"getting locked† (Grigsby, 2007, p . 93) into flawed technologies and models of growth that will make it tougher to decrease emissions afterwards. Even a quicker look on India exposes discriminatory development in addition to a number of prospects for improvement in co-advantages. Despite the fact that India wants to develop, this sort of development will not chip in satisfactorily to growth unless it is comprehensive and prioritizes the requirements of the neglected. India has diverse evidence with respect to this issue. At the same time, as its scarcity level has dropped since 1991, â€Å"absolute poverty and income inequality† (Blume, 2007, p. 129) have remained more or less the

Efficient Markets hyphotesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Efficient Markets hyphotesis - Essay Example This simple concept has remarkable repercussions for the financial markets and investors alike. In this paper we will talk about the efficient market hypothesis in great detail with reference to technical and fundamental analysis. We will talk about market efficiency and types of market efficiencies. The concepts of ‘random walk’ and ‘fair game model’ will also be discussed. In the end test and studies conducted to prove the efficient market hypothesis will be presented alongside with the conclusion. The efficient market hypothesis proposes that assets in financial markets are priced after taking all the public information available into account. This means that people might not be able to earn abnormal profit consistently for a long period of time. Efficient market hypothesis entails that investors cannot earn more than the average market returns by taking similar risk exposure as the market. This hypothesis therefore suggests that markets are efficient inf ormation wise and all the public information about an asset is perfectly reflected in the market. An obvious consequence of efficient market hypothesis, if accepted, is that markets always go towards equilibrium and this in turn means that financial markets are rational in general. Critics of efficient market hypothesis tend to dispute the ‘rationality of the markets’ as they feel that this hypothesis is not able to explain market crashes (Fox, 2009). If market is overall rational then all investors should immediately.

1.What role did the industrial revolution play in reshaping recreation Essay

1.What role did the industrial revolution play in reshaping recreation and sports - Essay Example Professional sports men are earning their living from participating in sports. For example, football and athletics are among the highly profitable and commoditized sports. Some sporting activities are costly such as car racing. People from all over the world come together in sports either as spectators or players. It has helped in enhancing interaction between people from various cultural backgrounds. Recreation on the other hand is a practice whereby people engage in activities in which they derive pleasure. It provides an important opportunity for people to engage in activities away from the monotonous day to day engagements. People usually engage in adventurous activities such as visiting parks, mountain climbing or entertainment such as watching sports, dances and creative performances and many other activities that are refreshing. Most of these activities have also become an income source for service providers. For example, entertainment centers charge a price for using the facility, which may be a swimming pool or dance halls. Adventurous activities such as visiting parks are also paid for. Developments in sports have been continuous since the industrial revolution that had a great impact on sports and recreation. This paper is a critique of the role of that the industrial revolution played in reshaping recreation and sports. Before the industrial revolution, sports were not advanced as they are in the contemporary situation. Charles (1998) observes that people remained calm during their free time, drinking ale, dancing and other village based games and sun bathing before the industrial revolution. The industrial revolution brought to a stop the long-standing practices as people began getting involved in industrial activities that were highly demanding. Industries were developed and the calm environment and fresh air were filled with smoke and

When You Shouldn't Take the Job Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

When You Shouldn't Take the Job - Essay Example It is a tricky position she is in because she would not have to pay them back for the costs they incurred, and she would have secured herself a job. Still, it looks like coercion. Moving is a not an easy thing too. There are more challenges for the young lady than there are for the company. For example, if the girl agrees to the terms the company has set forth for her, then it will have to incur the travel costs and pay for her accommodation in the hotel. Still, it would be profitable in the long run since she will be rendering her services to the firm. For the young woman, however, there is more to lose than there is to gain. The company has her in a dilemma, and her thoughts that she is being coerced are justified. For example, if she does not agree to relocate, she will have to reimburse the company for the cost they incurred paying for her flight and the hotel accommodation. The young woman is unemployed so far and asking that she repays the money is more likely to be a coercive way of telling her that she has to take the job. Since she may have no money to reimburse the company, which could have gotten her an expensive ticket and hotel, she would have no choice but to take the job. If she takes the job, she will have much moving to do and have to leave her social ties and her friends and neighbors from where she lives. Also, she will have to go through all the hassles involved in moving and then slowly make new friends from her new neighborhood. While it is a good thing to have secured herself a job in the company, the terms the company has placed on the opportunity are selfish. It shows the company is willing to use any coercion to have people work there. That is already a red flag as such a company is likely to have other forms of oppression to those people who already work there in a bid to keep them working.

Minorities in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Minorities in the UK - Essay Example However, there are several factors which seem incomplete in the overall claim on the part of the locals. The first one is that the identity of C is known which does not violate the same point in the Act. In this vein, 187B of the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act Part 3 states: Rules of court may provide for such an injunction to be issued against a person whose identity is unknown.1 This is why the local authority made a huge mistake at imposing an illegal breach of planning toward the identified person in keeping strictly with the law. On the other hand, the fact that C bought that piece of land is more than just weighty. She must get through a host of different executive bodies to make it her private property. Thus, if the local authority disregards the fact of purchasing land, then it disregards and sincerely blames the work of officials responsible for selling land to C. All in all, it is a provoking point addressed to the overall executive branch of power. It also does harm to the democratic freedoms proclaimed and shared by the British government. As a result, it is a serious violation of the law. Regardless of the fact that C is of Roma decent, she is an owner. By and large, there is a universal norm on justifying the gist of private property and rights of individuals, namely: â€Å"Property rights† is an index of the degree to which the government enforces laws that protect private property.2 Thus, the eviction is not permissible. To say more, the case is all about some discriminatory nature nurtured highly on the part of the local authority. C wants to station her caravans in order to provide her children with suffice healthcare and education which is within easy reach. This is the next hallmark of the discussion. Once again, here is the fact of straight-forward discrimination toward Roma people in the UK. In this respect the High Court should take it into account since it would be a blame for EU and the UK, in particular. Equality in rights i s needed to keep the social equilibrium. However, it is a case for EU, as the British government lobbied on issues concerned with equal access to education, employment and housing for Roma people.3 This is why the case of C should be considered in terms of international commission on the human rights and the right for housing, in particular. What is more, the fact that C could buy the piece of the land in the London Green Belt makes it possible to suppose that she has a host of other rights. According to the ECSR and the Committee on Human Rights in Europe, the right to housing permits the exercise of many other rights – civil and political as well as economic, social and cultural rights.4 Hereby, C is eligible in taking her part while solving the issue of stationing her caravans near the local school and healthcare facilities. Roma people and other indigenous ethnical groups living in the UK are also protected by the OSCE conventions on their sustainable integration.5 Hence, it is another standpoint to think of by the High Court while considering the merits of the case. Along with the undeniable fact of purchasing and owning the land, C is allowed to share the rest of the amenities as declared by the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities which the UK belongs to.6 Thus, the UK government cannot disregard a set of obligations based on the international

FacBook IPO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

FacBook IPO - Essay Example The main task of this paper was to calculate the so-called fair price of the company’s shares in the moment of IPO. Two different approaches are going to be used to reach the goal of the task – DCF and comparative valuation. Taking into account this goal, the paper has the following structure: introduction (brief background information about the company), theoretical concepts and methodology, financial analysis, conclusions. As it has been already mentioned, Facebook Inc. is one of the most successful companies in the modern business world. It is among the leaders not only in the IT industry, but in the global business environment, in general. The company was founded in 2004 as a website for the local Harvard community. The company has become successful quite soon. Nowadays it employs almost 2000 employees, has offices in the different countries around the whole world, and has almost 1 billion of users. Its current market capitalization is $56.8 billion. Some additional information about the company under consideration can be got from the following quote. â€Å"Facebook, Inc. operates as a social networking company worldwide. The company builds tools that enable users to connect, share, discover, and communicate with each other; enables developers to build social applications on Facebook or to integrate their Websites with Facebook; and offers products that enable advertisers and marketers to engage with its users. As of February 2, 2012, it had 845 million monthly users and 443 million daily users. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Menlo Park, California† (Facebook Inc. Company Profile). Probably the biggest question is what the factors of the company’s success are. The company has provided for people around the world an opportunity to communicate without any barriers. We believe that it is the main driver of the company’s success. Communication is among the greatest need of people and Facebook provides such

Model Law on International Contracting Essay Example for Free

Model Law on International Contracting Essay Introduction E-commerce in commodity goods has existed for decades. Electronic contracts provided a new mechanism to form a relationship via Internet and now we see many commodity products being exchanged daily on the Web. The contract can respond not only to the parties but to changing conditions of some kind and then inform the parties of these new events or conditions. The electronic contract, in other words, connects the parties to each other and, if desired, to other people and to other sources of information in ways that are difficult to imagine with paper. Time, like space, seems to be out of place or even absent in the internet environment. Consequently, different jurisdictions and different laws have challenged some contract issues. Therefore, with the advent of the Web as the new commercial medium, traders and buyers alike should be aware of some basic principles of contract formation and how they apply to Web transactions. Mostly, the approved rules of paper contract continue to hold up in a purely internet exchange between parties to an agreement. The law does, however, draw the line at certain kinds of transactions which must be fulfilled. It is important before considering the particularities of the online world, to take a step back and examine contractual formation via Internet which is the background against which the relevant rules to the online world were established. Today all developed countries try to create a uniform commercial code for business over the Internet. The purpose of this is to design a uniform legal structure for electronic commercial bargains world-wide. Steps in this direction have been taken by the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Contracting, English Law, and the CISG Convention, which has developed a â€Å"model law on electronic commerce† for international contracts in electronic commerce. This work will consider rules and standards for electronic contract performance, define what constitutes valid electronic writing and the acceptability of electronic signatures for legal and commercial purposes under abovementioned laws. It will also discuss the main forms of contracts via Internet and define problems that appeared in the formation of electronic contract today. 3. Formation of contract over Internet 3. 1 The offer 3. 1. 1 Under English Law In English law an internet contract via a website is formed after an offer a determinate indication of the terms on which the offeror is prepared to be legally bound is accepted by the offeree the person to whom the offer has been made . If the email of acceptance does not vary the terms fixed in the email of offer, a contract will be formed by the second email. An offer may be to the world in general in which case anyone may accept it or to a particular person in which case only they can accept it . At English law, a contract is concluded when an offer is accepted. Although this rule appears simple, there have been many conflicts over how to distinguish and identify invitations to treat, offers and acceptances. English common law traditionally classifies an offer as a statement by one party of his or her willingness to enter into a contract on stated terms, provided that these terms are accepted by the party to whom the offer is addressed; whereas an invitation to treat is simply an expression of willingness to enter into discussion which, it is hoped, will lead to the conclusion of a contract at a later date . Therefore advertisement of goods on the website will come only to an invitation to treat. Only when a buyer notifies about his intention to buy something from the site, the offer will only be formed. After this the seller can accept or refuse that offer. Under English Law an offer must be clear and complete and afford a distinct indication of the offeror’s intents . The offer must contemplate acceptance and a consequent obligation or obligations. An advertisement is considered as a mere invitation to do business and it is not an offer. An offeror is legally bound by the terms of the contract once his offer is accepted; while one who makes an invitation to treat is clearly free to accept (and thus form a contract) or to reject any offers that result from it, without any legal consequences.

Philosophy Of Religion An Historical Introduction Philosophy Essay

Philosophy Of Religion An Historical Introduction Philosophy Essay Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski is a highly qualified American writer. She has done her PhD from University of California, Los Angeles, MA from University of California, Berkeley and BA from Stanford University. At the moment she is a Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oklahoma. Other books by the same author include On Epistemology, Divine Motivation Theory, Intellectual Virtue: Perspectives from Ethics and Epistemology, Virtue Epistemology: Essays on Epistemic Virtue and Responsibility, Virtues of the Mind, The Dilemma of Freedom and Foreknowledge, Rational Faith: Catholic Responses to Reformed Epistemology and Readings in Philosophy of Religion: Ancient to Contemporary. Summary of the Book The writer has written at length on a subject that is of immense interest to the students of philosophy. The writer has given a historical perspective of philosophy but not in a chronological order. She has adopted the conventional approach of dividing chapters into topics. The book has many ancient, medieval and modern examples on philosophy of religion. Book contains a lot of references and the writer has given her own views and position and not just the review / survey of literature. The writer has elaborated some of the standard issues regarding philosophy of religion. The chapter on the problem of evil includes issue of value. The chapter on immortality deals with the question that whether death is bad. The chapter on divine nature dilates on personhood and revelation. The chapter on religious diversity addresses the question why this issue has gained importance in modern period. The core topics included in this book are the relationship between religion and philosophy, the exis tence of God, religion and morality, the problem of evil, death and afterlife and the problem of religious diversity. The book is lucid, elegantly written and an outstanding introduction to the field of philosophy of religion. Authors Thesis Chapter 1 deals with the Philosophical Approach to Religion. In this chapter, the writer discusses relationship between religion and philosophy. Then the writer tells us about origin of religion. She defines religion as a complex human practice. A commonality between all religions is a sacred space. The concept that what should one believe about the ultimate matters of universe, actually marks the intersection of philosophy and religion. Philosophy originated in the 6th Century. A lot of great thinkers Confucius, Mahavira, Hebrew Prophets, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle lived at the same time. This age is known as Axial Age. Afterwards writer discusses the idea of god in different religions. Then the writer compares religion and philosophy that they were not always in harmony with each other. Philosophers did not necessarily approve of the rationale in the religion. Chapter 2 deals with the Classical Arguments for the Existence of God. The writer in this chapter deals with the very question that Does God Exist? She gives the theist and atheist perspective. She argues that religion should have philosophical and scientific reasons, only then in the modern era masses will get convinced. She says that some providential designer of the universe exists. Existence of nature, planets everything is not by chance and has been intelligently maintained and designed. Chapter 3 deals with the Pragmatic Approach to Religious Belief. In this chapter writer tells us that Pascal believed that religion cannot solely rest on reason. According to him faith is higher than reason. Pragmatic arguments are benefit directed. She says that it is better to believe in God then not to believe at all. Chapter 4 deals with Who or What is God? God is the supreme being, designer of the universe and the creator. All these characteristics can only be attributed to one greatest conceivable being. We only know what god is not, rather what he is. So we can only picturize what he is not. Writer discusses at length the omnipotent and omniscient characteristics of God. Chapter 5 Deals with Fate, Freedom and Foreknowledge. All the civilizations had the concept of fate and destiny. Greek gods knew about the future but could do nothing to stop it. Anything that happens is because of Gods will. God knows what is going to happen. Chapter 6 deals with the Problem of Evil. The concept of evil has given rise to atheism. How can there be evil if there is a perfectly good god. The writer says that if god is the god of the whole humanity then why some people suffer and some are blessed. Why evil is ever increasing. There is no good without evil, good requires evil to differentiate. Chapter 8 deals with the Death and the Afterlife. Writer says that every person fears death and according to Aristotle ones death is according to ones life. She explains concept of death by giving example of the views of Epicurus. What makes a person the same person? Is it body or stream of conscious state held together in memory? Chapter 9 deals with the Problem of Religious Diversity. The writer says that in ancient times there was no conflict in religions. Pantheons of god of one ancient group were not rivals of the gods of the other. If you want to follow a new religion or get an opinion then ask someone who is neutral and is a follower of no religion, only then he/she can give you objective description and not a subjective one. It is only when the people we admire have a different opinion that we begin to think and question our own ideas. Chapter 10 deals with Faith, Reason and the Ethics of Belief. In this chapter the writer takes on the very question that she took in the first chapter that What should I believe about the ultimate matters of universe? According to writer reason and revelation cannot be in conflict. Writer says that miracles were given to prophets as a sign and testimony that revelation is from God. Prophets were given powers to perform miracles. Critical Analysis of the Book First of all this book should not be made part of the Book Review. According to Imam Haddad in his book Book of Assistance Muslims should not read literature that is contrary to the Muslim Belief of God. Chapter 2 and 4 (Existence of God Who or What is God) are very disillusioning. It is not encouraged in Islam to read such literature. For someone who is not a student of philosophy, this book is fairly complex and complicated. The writer has given examples which a reader with no prior knowledge of philosophy cannot comprehend easily. This book is fairly concise, consisting of ten chapters that cover nearly all of the traditional topics. However, she doesnt even mention the Islamic version of philosophy of religion in the explanation and elaboration of different chapters. Islamic concept of Death and Afterlife is not given, Islamic concept of God and the purpose of mankind to worship Allah (SWT) is not shed light on. This book is more historically informed. Book is full of references, arguments and quotations from Cleanthes and Plato to Ramakrishna and Aquinas, which makes it cumbersome to read and the reader loses interest. To her credit, Zagzebski does not try to hide this fact. At the end of chapter one, for instance, she concedes that some remaining chapters do not make sense, if there is no God. Furthermore, she admittedly assumes that God exists in her discussion of the concept of God. One wonders what exactly Zagzebski has in mind when she refers to God as the perfectly good being. Zagzebski thinks she has located in her theory a position that eliminates the problem of evil at the level of the metaphysics of value (158). Her ideas in the chapter of Who and What is God are not very convincing. I cannot let some of Zagzebskis metaphors go without comment. In her introduction to the problem of evil, moreover, while addressing the difficulty of understanding Gods motives in allowing human suffering, she compares humans to dogs (143). This was a very vague example. In Chapter 9 while discussing Faith and Reason (213), she criticizes that Abraham sacrificed his son thinking its the commandment of God, its unreasonable to kill an innocent child. In my opinion Islam gives a detail account of the event and the reason and rationale behind this act, which the Muslims all over the world still cherish. Conclusion General Recommendations It is a very well written book and has been thoroughly investigated and footnoted. There is a bibliography and index at the end. This book is highly recommended to the students of philosophy at the post graduate level due to its complexity.

The Impossible World of M. C. Escher :: Mathematics Science Papers

The Impossible World of M. C. Escher Something about the human mind seeks the impossible. Humans want what they don’t have, and even more what they can’t get. The line between difficult and impossible is often a gray line, which humans test often. However, some constructions fall in a category that is clearly beyond the bounds of physics and geometry. Thus these are some of the most intriguing to the human imagination. This paper will explore that curiosity by looking into the life of Maurits Cornelis Escher, his impossible perspectives and impossible geometries, and then into the mathematics behind creating these objects. The works of Escher demonstrate this fascination. He creates worlds that are alien to our own that, despite their impossibility, contain a certain life to them. Each part of the portrait demands close attention. M. C. Escher was a Dutch graphic artist. He lived from 1902 until 1972. He produced prints in Italy in the 1920’s, but had earned very little. After leaving Italy in 1935 (due to increasing Fascism), he started work in Switzerland. After viewing Moorish art in Spain, he began his symmetry works. Although his work went mostly unappreciated for many years, he started gaining popularity started in about 1951. Several years later, He was producing millions of prints and sending them to many countries across the world. By number of prints, he was more popular than any other artist during their life times. However, especially later in life, he still was unhappy with all he had done with his life and his art—he was trying to live up to the example of his father, but he didn’t see himself as succeeding (Vermeleun, from Escher 139-145). While his works of symmetry are ingenious, this paper investigates mostly those that depict the impossible. M. C. Escher created two types of impossible artwork— impossible geometries and impossible perspectives. Impossible geometries are all possible at any given point, and also have only one meaning at any given point, but are impossible on a higher level. Roger Penrose (the British mathematician) described the second type—impossible perspectives—as being â€Å"rather than locally unambiguous, but globally impossible, they are everywhere locally ambiguous, yet globally impossible† (Quoted from Coxeter, 154).

Essay --

Uzbekistan is a large Country (about the size of France) and is strategically situated in the middle of the region, not only bordering the other four Central Asian Countries, but also Afghanistan. It is by far the most populated Country in the region, and the less ethnically fragmented, which also means less influence of regional factions than in the neighboring Republics. Its territory, the towns of Bukhara and Samarkand, and was the focal point of the main dynasties flourishing in Central Asia, from the Timurids, to the Shaybanids, and the Emirates of Khiva and Bukhara. The Russians recognized this historical role by elevating Tashkent as their military and administrative center in Central Asia. Also under the Soviet rule, Uzbekistan was recognized as a primus inter pares in the region by Moscow, which assigned to the Republic most of the regional institutions, from the Central Asian Military District to the Muftiyya(Spiritual Directorship). Uzbekistan was also the most represented of the five Republics in the USSR central institutions. All these factors cooperated to provide the Country with vital infrastructures and a political experience which proved essential to its success as an independent State: it is possible to say that, in the problematic context of contemporary Central Asia, Uzbekistan was the only Country with comparative advantages able to allow it to perform a significant role also at the international level. This was in fact the purpose of the ambitious President Karimov who, after a period of necessary restructuring and State-building, began an assertive foreign policy trying to achieve independence from Moscow (both through political freedom and economic self-sufficiency) and to reach close cooperation with the ... ...hts record. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, newly independent states have born. Along with the newly independent countries came new borders that had to be patrolled and new border guards who had to be trained. These new borders remained virtually transparent until new national customs services were created in 1993-1994. This was one of the reasons that international drug traffickers took a strong interest in the region. Drug trafficking is another challenge for Uzb ekistan government because the most important source of terrorist organizations is drug and narcotic. The only group significantly involved in trafficking Afghan opiates was the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), in particular, is believed to finance terrorist activities from drug trafficking, commodity smuggling and contributions from external sources.

Athena in the Odyssey vs. Virgil in the Inferno Essay

Two of the greatest works ever written, The Odyssey by Homer and The Inferno by Dante, are detailed, multi-sectioned poems about the journey’s of two men. In each story, the main character is given some sort of guidance by another character in order to aid them in their travels. In The Odyssey, Athena is portrayed as the protector to Odysseus on his journey back home from the Trojan War to his family in Ithaca. In The Inferno, Virgil is requested to lead Dante through the depths of Hell in order to save his soul. Many similarities can be seen between the two characters as they both served as advice givers, protectors, and guides for the main character. While the two guides seem very alike in the way’s they help, it turns out that many differences can be observed between their ways. Athena and Virgil can both be perceived as escorts in the main characters’ journey, but they both are leading their pupils towards different endings and these endings can be representa tive of a much larger purpose that describes the two authors’ views on life at the time each poem was written. In Greek mythology, Athena is regarded as the goddess of Wisdom. She uses her wisdom to aid Odysseus on his journey back home to his family, through various trials and tribulations. Athena’s guidance can be seen when Odysseus is finally being allowed to leave Calypso’s island, which outraged Poseidon. Poseidon sends a great wave to wreck Odysseus’s ship and possibly drown him in the vast ocean but instead Athena helps him survive. â€Å"But Zeus’s daughter Athena countered him at once./ The rest of the winds she stopped right in their tracks,/commanding them all to hush now, go to sleep./ All but the boisterous North-she whipped him up/ and the goddess beat the breakers flat before Odysseus,/ dear to Zeus, so he could reach the Phaeacians,/ mingle with men who love their long oars/ and escape his death at last.† (Ody. 5. 421-427). Another example of Athena protecting Odysseus is during the great battle in the hall when Odysseus finally confronts his wife’s suitors. Athena appears to Odysseus in the form of Mentor and tries to motivate Odysseus to kill all the suitors off with threats and accusations. She even commands the suitors to through their spears at Odysseus all at once. â€Å"At his command,/ concentrating their shots, all six hurled as one/ but Athena sent to whole salvo wide of the mark†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ody. 22. 267-269). Odysseus sees that all of his men are untouched by the suitor’s spears, and this action propels him to take charge and lead an attack on the suitors. Each time Athena guides or protects Odysseus, it’s in order to save his life. She desperately wants Odysseus to get home because Odysseus is a war hero and a King, very much deserving of a safe return home. Athena thinks very highly of Odysseus because he is such a great warrior and she feels he exemplifies the virtue of excellence. It’s easy to see how the ideals of society on life and death in Homer’s 7th Century BC times are portrayed through Athena’s help. The people of this time were most concerned on how you lived your life during the time you had. For them there was no glorious afterlife, so there was no need to try and save your soul to reap the prize of a great time after death. Homer uses Athena as Odysseus’s guide to get back home and live out the rest of his life the way he pleases. He’s spent his time as a warrior and won his most important battles before the beginning of the poem, so now he deserves to live out the rest of his l ife in peace with those he loves the most. Once he arrives home and fights off his wife’s suitors (with the help of Athena of course) he will finally be free in a sense to enjoy his life. In Dante’s The Inferno, Virgil serves as a guide for Dante through the depths of Hell. Virgil is widely considered an allegory for human reason. Reason is needed in a Christian worldview in order to control emotion and desire from taking control allowing for acts of sin. Reason is God’s gift to mankind, a way of staying on the right path and avoiding the dark side of life, if it is used properly. Virgil was requested to help a lost Dante save his soul by Dante’s departed love, Beatrice, who represents God’s grace. Virgil leads Dante through Hell in order for him to learn the descriptions of sins and their consequences. Virgil is with Dante through out his entire journey, unlike Athena who only appears to Odysseus in The Odyssey every once in a while. One example of how Virgil is always there to lead Dante is when Dante faints before entering the First Circle of Hell. Dante faints at the shine of a bright light and awakens already in the next circle. â€Å"With rested eyes, I stood/ and looked about me, then fixed my gaze/ to make out where I was./ I found myself upon the brink/ of an abyss of suffering/ filled with the roar of endless woe.† (Inf. 4. 4-9). This type of situation occurs many times throughout the poem, as Dante proves many times too weak to carry on, and Virgil takes care of him, protects him, and moves them along on their journey. Another situation is when Dante and Virgil arrive at the center of Circle 9 of Hell. They come to the great body of Lucifer, and Virgil throws Dante on his back to continue their upward climb out of Hell. â€Å"At his request I clasped him round the neck./ When the wings had opened wide enough/ he chose the proper time and place/ and took a handhold on those hairy flanks./ Then from hank to hank he clambered down between the thick pelt and the crusted ice.† (Inf. 34. 70-75). While Virgil leads Dante physically in many ways, he also serves as a voice of reason and leads through his words. An example of this is back as they are entering the First Circle. Dante says, â€Å"My master (Virgil) began: ‘You do not ask about/ the souls you see? I want you to know,/ before you venture farther,/ ‘they did not sin. Though they have merit,/ that is not enough, for they were unbaptized,/ denied the gateway to the faith that you profess./ ‘And if they lived before the Christians lived,/ they did not worship God aright./ And among these I am one.† (Inf. 4. 31-39). In this situation, Virgil not only instructs Dante on what he needs to do, but also reveals a little more information about himself as well. Although Virgil seems to guide Dante in almost the exact same way Athena guides Odysseus, Virgil is working towards an all-together different purpose. In Dante’s 14th century AD Christian society, it was imperative to ensure that you lived a good life on earth and repented for all your sins so that you would be in God’s presence in the after-life. Dante uses Virgil as a way for his audience to see that the most important thing is to save one’s soul, even if a little guidance is required to do so. Dante needed to travel through the depths of Hell to be able to wake up and realize how reason should control emotions and desires so that life can be lived in God’s name allowing for a magnificent afterlife. By showing Dante the different circles of Hell, Dante learns the nature of sin and it’s consequences. Virgil teaches Dante a most important lesson; when reason is not in control, it is more likely to commit harsh sins, sins worthy of an afterlife in Hell and not in God’s good grace. Virgil steers Dante toward the light of God once again, saving him from his impending doom, had he not been able to save his wandering soul. Athena and Virgil are considered to be a form of guidance to their poem’s main characters. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Athena helps to ensure Odysseus’s safe return home, but also allows him to live out the rest of his wonderful life on earth by saving him from various dangers including Poseidon and his wife’s suitors. In Dante’s The Inferno, Virgil serves as Dante’s escort through the circles of Hell, but also pilots Dante back into God’s grace by saving his soul. Each can be seen as not only a physical chaperon but also a spiritual one that illustrates society’s point of view on life or afterlife at the time each poem was written. Works Cited Alighieri, Dante. Inferno. Trans. Robert Hollander and Jean Hollander. New York: Anchor, 2002. Print. Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1997. Print.

Locke and Shakespeare

It is important to note that Locke’s â€Å"Second Treatise on Government† is fully rooted on something ideological and taking parts of it can be considered inappropriate, specially, because the circumstances Locke laid on his work varies form that of Richard II.   Knowing this, Richard II can only be analyzed with reference to some concepts found on Locke’s philosophy rather than an actual application or portrayal of such. Following the flow of Locke’s work, I will start with his concept of the â€Å"state of war.†Ã‚   Locke indicated that a state of war is in contrast with the natural tendency of men to preserve life.   On the other hand, there are certain factors that may threaten a person and may lead him to war or destruction, but never license him to do so.   He supposes that proper implementation of the law and punishment can prevent war. During the onset of the play, it is clear that Richard II has made an erroneous error in not being able to settle and rule a fair judgement on the dispute between Bolingbroke and Mowbray.   When there is a clear indication that law has been broken and that punishment has no basis or bearing and thus, altered, questions will arise and later bring forth war. More of this can be discussed when I go into the detail of political and civil society and the dissolution of the government later in this paper.   My point here is that Richard II’s mercy of reducing Bolingbroke’s sentence to 6 years, no matter how justified, is an act outside of the law that he, himself, should inculcate and practice.   Not to add that the trial by combat that was set for Bolingbroke and Mowbray did not take place upon the king’s discretion. I understand that at the time this play was written, the King is someone ordained by Heaven to rule and so, has the right to grant mercy, create laws, wage war, etc†¦ I believe, on the other hand, perhaps, in one way, or another, similar to Locke, that power is a gift that should never be abused and should always be used for the benefit of the â€Å"natural man.†   A state of nature has existed and can never be repelled from.   In a lawful stage, at this time, that seems very unlikely, and so it does, in Richard II, and so, the next turn of events. The next is Locke’s concept on property.   He pre-supposes that man’s right on land came from the fact that he needs it to survive and he will work to own and maintain it for himself.   Knowing that there was a lot of land for everyone, he assumes that each can be afforded an equal share and that people are not supposed to take more than needed.   He discussed that the value attributed to land, i.e. gold, silver or diamonds is nothing compared to the main purpose – survival. The application of this concept is obvious in consideration of the fact that during the time the play was written; colonization and acquisition of land, in the name of the King was like a trend.   My point in mentioning this though is that improper allocation of funds, seizure of property as well as the war to Ireland are all part of the picture that led Richard II to his tragic ending. While the priorities of the king is largely different from that of the common man, the main truth in surrendering one’s fate to the king is for reasons of survival.   Locke has discussed that a man’s title for property is his own labor.   The king however, thinks otherwise.   I think that a king believes that everything under his â€Å"kingdom† is considered his possession. In the ideal sense, this is true because knowing that the king holds the title to everything means the king has to protect, nurture and make sure that his â€Å"kingdom† is living the good life.   In Richard II’s case, it seems different.   Well, maybe, for that entire period, expanding the land and winning over governance is the main aim of the king.   The bottom line is that while the king is busy making sure he owns and rules a larger â€Å"kingdom,† the people are busy criticizing what the king should do. Moving on, Locke’s discussion on the political and civil society and the dissolution of government is the main theme of Richard II as well as of this assignment.   Locke primarily said that a government exists when people decides to resign their individual rights to the government.   He however, explicitly points out that there is no place for absolute monarchy in a civil society.   This is because having the rights of all depend on one or few people means that judgement is overseen. Knowing that the ruler is also the maker and implementer of laws mean that the ruler is not subjected to any judge – the ruler cannot judge himself, perhaps only by conscience, but seemingly, the ruler becomes above of everything he has set.   And so, such may lead to anarchy, rebellion and the disintegration of the government. The type of government alone is already a subject of discussion for if Locke doesn’t believe in monarchy, then the governance of Richard II is already considered a true government.   Perhaps that was the reason why anarchy, as Locke has discussed, took place later on. Earlier in this paper, I’ve mentioned that the king’s priorities are different from the common man.   It is important to note that even Locke agrees that the common man will not understand this.   The common man’s concern is simply his/her survival – it doesn’t matter how, where, when, as long as they have the right to land and live well, then all should be well. I think this is where Richard II failed as a king.   He understands the need for war (land), the ways (funds) and even the need for strong governance (resolving conflict and â€Å"politics†) but he did not see things in a bigger picture, he did not use Locke’s simple interpretation of things.   He didn’t listen to the needs of the people and focused only on his needs as king. The way the play has progressed revealed how all of Locke’s descriptions and/or principles come into perfect merge with the eventual ending.   As I have discussed with his principles on the state of war and of property, it is clear that Richard II has brought his fate upon himself when he acted upon his assumptions.   If he hasn’t ordered the death of the Duke of Gloucester, Henry wouldn’t have had the opportunity to accuse Mowbray with treason (diversion of funds and the Duke’s death). If he has chosen to let the law decide on the fate of both, he wouldn’t have faced the dilemma of banishment.   Perhaps it was guilt, for Henry’s accusation was true, perhaps, it was because he failed to foresee the course of evens and thought that banishing Henry will be a good-of-a-solution to keep his popularity with the commoners from increasing, or perhaps, it was simply because he was just a weak king. Locke also discussed that the dissolution of the government as a result of rebellion does not necessarily mean that the government will cease to exist.   It means that change is needed and a new governance is required.   Perhaps, this is why Richard II chose to step down without the need for violence and allowed Henry to rule.   Come to think of it, if he didn’t step down, he wouldn’t have had enough power and manpower to protect him anyway, for even his own army was easily swayed with rumor that he was dead. It is on that change of governance that Locke finished his discussion.   The play however progressed further into the tragedy it is known for – the murder of Richard II.   I think this part can be associated to Locke’s early discussion on man’s state of nature.   It is quite funny that in spite of the fact that a political and civil society (at least if we are to forego the fact that it’s a monarchy) already exists in Richard II, man’s state of nature – where he believes that he has power over someone weak and/or has the right to subject someone who has offended him – will always be part of it. And so, Sir Pierce killed Richard II, thinking it is what Henry desires, which is actually true, but in any case, has caused his banishment.   This simply proves that man – no matter what state he or she is, will always be man, just as Locke attempted to base when he discussed his theory. If you’ll come to think of it, this last scenario is not so much different with the onset of the play where Mowbray was accused of murder and was banished.   The irony of such similarity may simply mean that unless the government is changed, the process will repeat.   

How does the inclusion of the witches in Macbeth heighten the dramatic impact of the play? Essay

Macbeth is a play written by the renowned playwright William Shakespeare in the early 17th century. Originally produced for the King of Denmark, the play explores themes such as ambition and betrayal through the actions of the main protagonist Macbeth. The play’s other significant figures include three witches whose practice of sorcery attracted a lot of controversy towards the play. At the time, their inclusion heightened the dramatic impact on the audience; primarily because of the public’s view of witches. Also referred to as the ‘’weird sisters’’, they form a fundamental element of the play because it is their input that shapes the play into action. During this period of time, the mainstream population of Europe was Christian and superstitious, therefore belief in witchcraft was at its peak and so-called ‘’witches’’ were persecuted. Supposedly, witches (along with Satan) were part of a collective of evil and were blamed for a lot of wrongdoing in society. For instance, political dissidents who opposed the King were thought to be under the influence of black magic. This was because there was commonly held believe that the King had the divine right to rule; thus anyone challenging the King was basically challenging God (which was considered blasphemy and punishable by death). The inclusion of the witches and amount of media coverage they received along with the public’s superstition helped to heighten the dramatic impact of Macbeth on a Shakespearean audience. Today, however, due to the secularisation of society, religious morals are diminishing and witchcraft is seen as nothing more than simple entertainment; this is certainly not how Shakespeare intended it to be. Furthermore, television programmes such as W.I.T.C.H. and books such as the Harry Potter series are depicting witches in a much more positive light. On the other hand, a small number of possible offshoots of witchcraft such as Wicca and Freemasonry are still being practiced despite it being punishable by death in some extremely religious cultures. In this day and age, the general view about witches lessens the dramatic impact significantly because it is seen as a comedy routine therefore Macbeth doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of the audience like its original purpose. In Act 1 Scene 1, as shown in the stage directions; the witches are the first performers when they enter an ‘’open place’’ with ‘’thunder and lightning’’. By being the first performers on stage, they intensify the dramatic impact because the audience focuses their attention towards them. Also, Shakespeare specifically chose the weather in this scene to be threatening, to reflect the negative view of witches at the time and to elevate the dramatic impact by making them see more powerful (witches were associated with the ability to manipulate the weather). The technique of using elements of nature to express mood is known as pathetic fallacy. In this scene, the first impression that the audience are given of the witches is that they are unattractive. For instance, the quotes ‘’your beards’’ and ‘’skinny lips’’ suggests that the witches are ugly and depict them as being unnatural due to having masculine characteristics. Shakespeare has done this to add to the negative interpretation of witches, which in turn heightens the dramatic impact (because the realistic appearance of the witches would frighten the audience). He also uses other characters to highlight the appearance of the witches and therefore raise the dramatic impact on the audience. For instance, Banquo describe the witches as being creatures ‘’ that look not like th’ inhabitants o’ th’ earth’’. He is suggesting that they do not resemble other humans and that they are abnormal; perhaps beings from another world. Shakespeare uses dialogue between the witches to heighten the dramatic impact on the audience. For example, in Act 1 Scene 3, one of the witches says to the others ’‘I’ll drain him dry as hay, sleep shall neither night nor day’’. This line heightens the dramatic impact because it portrays witches as evil because of the reference to torturing someone by depriving him of water. Also the words ‘’hay’’ and ‘’day’’ rhyme, during the Shakespearean era this was related to the spells chanted by witches, therefore the audience would have instantaneously assumed that the lines were malicious; thus increasing the dramatic impact. The lines spoken by the witches also include a rhythm. For example in Act 1 Scene 3, the three witches start their lines with ‘’all hail†¦ all hail†¦ all hail’’, this promotes the idea that the witches have the same thoughts and gives the impression that they are insane because they speak in a different pattern to the other characters. The witches also speak in riddles to scare and confuse the audience, for example, the line ‘’when the battles lost and won’’ may be referring to Macbeth or it could be talking about the struggle for the throne of Scotland. This intensifies the dramatic impact because the audience are left unsure and given the impression that the three witches know something that they don’t. Once again, the witches are depicted as being unnatural because of their ability to prophesise the future. Imagery is used cleverly in many ways by Shakespeare to show the witches in a negative light and add to the dramatic impact. For example, in Act 4 Scene 1, the 1st witch says ‘’round and round the cauldron go, in the poisoned entrails throw’’. This quote emphasizes the popular belief (at the time) that witches chant around their cauldrons which consisted of nauseating ingredients such as rats (creates the image that witches are sick). Also, the witches simultaneously say ‘’double, double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble’’, this makes the spell resemble a song more and consequently it increases the dramatic impact. To conclude, the inclusion of the witches in the play undeniably helps to heighten the dramatic impact on a Shakespearean audience. This is mainly because of his successful methods, for example when using pathetic fallacy. Today, however, his masterpiece has not been as popular and effective at creating a negative image of witches because of the enormous change in the public’s view of witches.

Stand By Me

In the film the four main characters are, Chris, who is the tough one, Teddy, who is the daring one, Gordie, Who's the sensitive one and Vern, whos just stupid because he asks stupid questions. They hear that a kid has been killed by a train and they've gone to lookfor him. The story is about them growing up and becoming more mature, Friendship, Bullying and an adventure(themes). The Night scene takes place towards the end of the film. They are all smoking around the campfire talking about daft things such as what is Goofy?(the Disney character). This scene is important because it shows their friendship and how they are all close friends, asking Gordie to tell them a story because they all believe he is a really good story teller/writer. The night scene opens with a shot of the moon and then calmly moves down and into the woods to were they are all smoking around the campfire. There is no music at the start of the scene, but there is music towards the end of the scene (once they have finished talking some music comes on, the music is 50's because it makes you feel as if the film is set in the fifties. There are sounds of birds and crickets (wildlife) at the start which makes you feel as if its real life. The Gang ask Gordie to tell them a story, so he tells them a story about a boy called Lardass, who enters a pie eating competition, he doesn't want to win the competition he just wants revenge. Lardass is a overweight kid who is very unpopular, his brother and sister even call him Lardass (Lardass is his nickname). Before the competition he drinks a bottle of castor oil and one raw egg, this is all to do with his revenge. Halfway through the competition his plan had started to work, he was sick all over the champion of last year, then the champion was sick all over another person. Not until the smell reached the crowd did his plan really work, when the smell hit the crowd every body was being sick over everybody. Verns reaction to the story was that of stupidity, when he asks Gordie if Lardass had to pay to get in the competition. Teddy didn't like the ending probably because it didn't have anything to do with fighting or killing. He says the ending should be that Lardass goes home, shoots his dad then joins the Texas Rangers. Teddy thinks like that because deep down inside he hates his dad and that's what he would do to his dad. Chris thought the ending was brilliant, as he was being very supportive and also saying it was brilliant. The story relates to the gang, as they are all outcasts like Lardass. You can also tell the story related to them because it was set in a very similar town to theirs. You could see the story as if it was on the television, physically seeing the story made you feel as if it was going into Gordies imagination. Once they had finished talking about the ending of the story, Chris turned on the radio which was playing fifties music, the music was fifties to remind you what year the film was set in, it also set the scene, gradually fading away as they start to talk. They show their friendship by talking to one another about daft things, such as what is Goofy. The camera fades from one person to another, it doesn't let you hear the whole conversation, it just keeps changing subject. It also shows the friendship with camera shots around the campfire, looking cosy and warm. The mood of the scene changes when they hear the noises of the wildlife, at first only Vern showed that he was scared. Teddy was scaring Vern even more by saying it was the ghost of the dead boy. Teddy was saying that he wanted to look for the kids ghost and then all of a sudden a big howl echoed in the woods, at this point everybody was scared. Vern showed that he was the wimp of the gang by whispering â€Å"I think we should stand guard†. They gang approve of his comment and Teddy is first to stand guard, he was acting as if he was in a War of some sort. When Vern was guarding he was really scared, pointing the gun at every noise he heard. Gordie and Chris were talking because Gordie had a nightmare about his brothers funeral. His nightmare was that his dad whispered into his ear â€Å"It should have been you†.

English Comparison Essay

‘Superman and Paula brown’s new snowsuit’ by Sylvia Plath is set in the Boston area of New England and it’s possible that Plath based it on her own childhood as there are some parallels in the details she mentions. It is also about a specific time, sometime between 1939 and 1945, as it mentions the American conflict with Japan. The story has the central theme of the difficulty of growing up. Sylvia Plath presents the girl’s experiences as being about injustice, unfairness and the feeling that the world is not good, but evil. War and the conflict between individuals are presented as being equally important and destructive, war is a key part of the life of the children just as much as childish feuds are. Throughout the story Sylvia Plath has used colour imagery to represent the child’s feelings. Sylvia Plath uses the image of light to show what the girl feels about her home. ‘A secure web of light.’ It isn’t threatening; it is safe – at the moment. Significantly, the dining room window gives only a reflection of the room, so a careful reader might begin to think that the feeling of safety is an illusion. Whilst the girl and her family are eating dinner someone comes to tell her mother that she has deliberately spoilt Paula’s snowsuit. Again, the image of ‘a cold draught’ (l. 151) suggests that this is frightening and unwelcome news. Paula of course denies that it was deliberate, but her Uncle Frank and her Mother don’t believe her and even she sounds to herself as though she’s not telling the truth. Darkness is a key image from the end of the story that reinforces the child’s feeling of loneliness and sadness as she lies alone in her room. Uncle Frank’s face is ‘featureless’ in the shadows and the story concludes with a vivid image of a ‘black shadow’ engulfing the whole world. The story links with ‘Snowdrops’ (page 89): both stories use the perspective of a child to describe events and do not venture into the consciousness of the grown ups. Both stories look at the darker side of life and show the realisation of a child that happiness and goodness are necessarily predominant in life. The friendships between children are also important themes in both stories. In this story, the vivdness and colourfulness of youth is personified by the lights, as if a beacon of hope in the troubled society that the children revel in.†The lights of boston that blazed and blinked far off across the darkening water.† (Line 8) This metaphor, shows the corrupt and the evil that does occur in the world by â€Å"darkening water†, the fact that it is â€Å"darkening† shows the continuous acts of crime and injust always happening. However, with the sheer optimism of children and how they put immediate emphasis on the good, with their fantasy view of life the â€Å"blazed and blinked† show how they have this young perception that good will always overrule evil, which is not the case in reality. Anaylsis of key themes. An example of one the themes in motion would be from the realisation theme which seems to run parallel to the plot. â€Å"Where I knelt over the toilet bowl and vomited up the cake and ice cream.† (Line 96) This shows the sheer rejection of youth, as she realises that everything that she has believed and imagined has been a true faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade, that her hero won’t come swooping down to the save the day. The phrase â€Å"cake and ice-cream† is mainly associated with the happy memories of youth, whereas in this case it seems that because of the shocking image that she has just seen, she needs to reject everything she knows, everything she has imagined and dreamt of, and get in touch with the real world that contains despair, disappointment and ultimately evil.This shows a shocking maturity to the narrator. Analysis of the key characters. The key characters in this story is the narrator, as from a first person recount we get to know her feelings and her thoughts.Which creates a strong connection between thee audience and the character. â€Å"I lay there alone feeling the black shadow creeping up the underside of the world like a flood tide.† (Line 180-1) This demonstrates how lonely the narrator now feels, that she has lost her children perception on life, the word â€Å"black† is a stark contrast to the beautiful lights that she relied on to guide her, it shows how her optimistic outlook on life is gone, after betrayal and seeing the frightening images of the real world. The word â€Å"creeping† illustrates how this new view of life crept up in a sinister and stole her innocence. This gives us a perfect passageway into the narrators most inner depth feelings, by the use of metaphors that demonstrate how despondent and alone she feels. ‘Snowdrops’ is set in rural Wales, but this is only hinted at and is not a key theme to the story. It opens with a description of family life and the adult narrator focuses on the world of a little boy who remains nameless throughout the story. The snowdrops, which provide a key image throughout the story, are mentioned in the first sentence. They are important at the end of the story as well and a reader can see that this is a small child at the centre of the story, whose attention is caught by the simple activity of looking at these common flowers. The description of a family breakfast shows a child who is observant and who sees his world ‘with wonder’. Symbolically, the family home is described as warm, in contrast with the cold world outside. This story is about childhood. It tries to show how a child sees their world and also how different the world of adults is. It is also about how the realities of life encroach on their world and taint it with sadness. It also looks at the relationships between adults and children, especially the adults who are closest to children, their parents and their teachers. This is the only story in the Anthology that looks at the role of teachers and it gives a sympathetic presentation of how their job can sometimes be hard, when the personal and the professional clash. The story also shows how parents strive to protect their children from the harsh realities of life. ‘Snowdrops’ has parallels with ‘Superman and Paula Brown’s New Snowsuit’, in that both stories show children learning a harsh fact of life. Both stories are also about young children and focus exclusively on how they see the world. Some of the symbolism of colour, especially black, and of cold is common to these two stories. The snowdrops symbolise people, who endure difficulties and sadness, like the teacher endures bereavement. The children do not understand Miss Webster’s crying at the end of the story, but they are frightened by it. It is probably their first introduction to the experience of grief, but it won’t be their last. It is a sad ending to the story, as the boy experiences fear and happiness at the same time. It is in poignant contrast to the happy start to the story. The story also shows how parents strive to protect their children from the harsh realities of life. ‘Snowdrops’ has parallels with ‘Superman and Paula Brown’s New Snowsuit’, in that both stories show children learning a harsh fact of life. Both stories are also about young children and focus exclusively on how they see the world. Some of the symbolism of colour, especially black, and of cold is common to these two stories.

Influence of Ethnic Lobbies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Influence of Ethnic Lobbies - Essay Example This influence and the potential imbalance of â€Å"rights and interests† in extreme cases may lead to conflict that may tear apart the delicate mechanism of democracy. This will be explored further. American Foreign Affairs and Ethnic Lobbies The issue of the inequity of power distribution and influence amongst various groups has been rigorously debated in the United States since the inception of the pluralist democracy, according to Smith (5) and recognizes that polarizing influences will always exist within the structure of a pluralistic democracy (6). When looked at in the context of American foreign policy Smith argues that at different occasions different ethnic lobby groups with different agenda’s have had an undue influence on American foreign policy decisions, which may not necessarily have been in the interest of the nation as a whole. Smith identifies three ways through which ethnic lobbies gain influence in American foreign policy: by acquiring votes, financ ing campaigns of politicians and by organizing and mobilizing the ethnic community to which it belongs. History of Ethnic Lobbies & Measuring The Effect A country with as ethnically diverse a population as the United States of America has encountered various forms of ethnic activism and foreign policy lobbying for various at ends throughout its history. The period of World War 1, in particular, was a deeply polarizing era, during which many different ethnicities in America had differing allegiances in the conflict. Jewish Americans had begun to develop a strong lobby by acquiring control over financial resources and media in the form of newspapers. Having initially supported Germany, they began to support Britain after the Balfour Declaration. During the period after the war, ethnic lobbies began to exert increasing amounts of influence. Examples included America’s reluctance to actively participate in the League of Nations through Irish American lobbying, the ascendancy of t he Republican party due to German American support and America’s â€Å"isolationism† of the 1930’s influenced by Mussolini supporting Italian Americans (Smith, 53). It must be clarified, however, that even though lobbying has a great deal of influence on many American foreign policy decisions, it is not the sole determinant. In fact, Smith states that the problem is one of â€Å"measurement†, and that in order, to measure the effect of lobbying, the activities of the lobbies must be inspected in isolation and in competition with contradictory forces (124). Jewish American Lobby The Jewish American lobby has managed to maintain a strong presence in American polity since the beginning of the 20th century, its influence has grown gradually and it can now boast of almost unrelenting American support in almost all matters, that it concerns itself with. The ultimate goal of the Jewish American lobby in the modern day scenario is the unconditional support of Isr ael. In the early 1980’s President, Ronald Reagan managed to garner just enough support in Congress to allow an arms deal with Saudi Arabia.

American Beer Market Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

American Beer Market - Case Study Example US sales and market shares are shown in the following: Bud Light has seen a 2% growth in 2008 which is greater than other light beer competitor. The brand still remains as the top-selling beer in global terms. Growth drivers include rising market share in Mexico which went up 27% in 2008 and made the brand Mexico's No.1 light beer brand. This was due to the equity investment made by the company to the Grupo Modelo S.A.B. de C.V. which has 56% of the Mexico beer market. In Canada, sales volume went up by 30% due to innovative marketing strategies and sponsorships of popular teams in the National Hockey League like the Toronto Blue Jays. Anheuser-Busch has also set its eyes in China's emerging and burgeoning market. A production facility has already been established in the country where the main product to be made was Bud Lite. The company has also teamed up with China's oldest and largest brewery, Tsingtao. In October of 2007, owners of Miller and Coors announced a joint venture to try to unsettle the behemoth Anheuser-Busch which had 51% of the total beer market. Miller commands 18% while Coors has 11%. The said merger entitled Miller to a 52% economic interest while the rest is to Coors. The joint-venture, MillerCoors, was expected to benefit from an estimated $500 million from the integration of its distribution system and market shares.

Was a separate Jewish state necessary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Was a separate Jewish state necessary - Essay Example Anti-Semitism is commonly said to be the cause which forced the Jews to seek out a separate homeland of their own. This idea is supported by Herzl (1896) who gives several accounts of how Jews were persecuted in his own times and those times which are recorded by history. The keenest memory of anti-Semitic behaviour comes in the form of the German Jews who were persecuted, troubled and harassed by the Nazi regime. The holocaust brought upon by the Nazi regime was a horrifying experience for the European Jews but anti-Semitic feelings also ran to a large extent across Europe and America. Isseroff (2006) says that anti-Zionist propaganda is the main reason why some people suggest that Israel was created out of pity for the Jews of Europe after the Second World War. For him the European influence existed already before the events of the Second World War : ‘Israel was created as a result of the League of Nations Mandate of 1922, which granted a mandate to Great Britain to create a "National Home" for the Jews in Palestine’ (Isseroff, 2006, Pg. 1). Even before the holocaust, and in fact, long before the discovery of the new world, there had been calls for a separate Jewish state. Arguments for a Jewish country had been put forward by many Jewish and non-Jewish thinkers who suggested that separating the Jews from mainstream Europe might be a possible answer to the Jewish question. Despite these calls for a Jewish state, there have been arguments against a separate country for Jews (Scham, 2002). These arguments are based on economic and social factors and the debate means that there is more to the story than can be discerned from a cursory glance. Even the historical background of the Jewish persecution and the problems between the Jews and other nations would require volumes of information. The counterpoints to a separate Jewish state come from many sources and although charges of anti-Semitism can be made against those

Logistics and Transportation as A Service Category within a Category Research Paper

Logistics and Transportation as A Service Category within a Category Management Program - Research Paper Example The intention of this study is Nexen. It is Canada based energy generation company having a dedicated workforce of about 3800 employees. In addition to this the company also has a strong and visionary management that helps in catapulting the organization to levels of excellence. The company was incepted in the year 1971 in which the Occidental crude oil company merged its subsidiary of energy and gas to create a conglomerate. The company is also engaged in the exploration of oil and gas and also owns gas fields across Canada. The future strategies of the company include investing in exploration in Mexican gulf, West Africa and North Sea. It also includes exploration of oil sands and unconventional gas fields across the nation.The company has a considerable and commendable supply chain management strategy under which the company focuses on using technology to reduce the cost of inventory. The logistics and supply chain aspects of the organization include management of the movement of goods from the source to the final destination. Transportation and its efficient management can help generate a lot of competitive advantage for the organization. The aspect of supply chain management is very closely linked to the aspect of warehouse maintenance, transportation as well as management of materials over distances. Use of global category management would help in generating not only cost advantage but would also help generate sustainable and long term competitive advantage for the organization. ... The logistics and supply chain aspects of the organization include management of the movement of goods from the source to the final destination. Transportation and its efficient management can help generate a lot of competitive advantage for the organization. The aspect of supply chain management is very closely linked to the aspect of warehouse maintenance, transportation as well as management of materials over distances. The present study would try to analyse the aspect of global category management in the supply chain strategies of the company that would help generate greater efficiency for the organization. Use of global category management would help in generating not only cost advantage but would also help generate sustainable and long term competitive advantage for the organization. Concept of Category Management Category Management program objectives are found to bear strong linkages with the product portfolio of a manufacturing or marketing sector company. In this regard, Ch iplunkar (2011) observes that the product portfolio of a company operating in manufacturing or retail segment is mostly decided by product managers. Product managers managing that category are responsible for getting the right amount and quality of raw materials for the production of such items. The responsibility for arranging the production of the product is shared eventually by the product managers with other departments like administrative and manufacturing units. Further the product manager also coordinates with the sales and marketing team for getting the product rightly sold in the market to help achieve business profits. The category management concept earns further depth in regards to

Purpose of Article 234 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Purpose of Article 234 - Essay Example (3) Where any such question is raised in a case pending before a court or tribunal of a Member State, against whose decisions there is no judicial remedy under national law, that court or tribunal shall bring the matter before the Court of Justice. We can see that the European Court of Justice can only deliver preliminary rulings in certain circumstances and from a limited subset of organisations - namely courts and tribunals. Certain criteria must be fulfilled before a national court or tribunal can invoke Art 243. Closer examination of the provisions of the Art 234 leads us to ask the following questions: Article 249 makes it clear that a European Union Decision is 'binding in its entirety upon those to which it is addressed'. In this case the European Union Decision requires all member states to take necessary measures to ensure that pension schemes are equalised for male and female workers in order to eliminate any forms of discrimination based on gender. The Italian government has lead responsibility to make sure it is implemented. What is not clear on the facts before us is whether there is a question of Community law to be interpreted. The European Court of Justice will not hear any other matter. ... e the European Union Decision requires all member states to take necessary measures to ensure that pension schemes are equalised for male and female workers in order to eliminate any forms of discrimination based on gender. The Italian government has lead responsibility to make sure it is implemented. What is not clear on the facts before us is whether there is a question of Community law to be interpreted. The European Court of Justice will not hear any other matter. This is the only ground on which a national court or tribunal can request a preliminary ruling. If we refer back to Art 234(1) applicants must establish that they require a ruling which pertains to either the interpretation of the Treaty itself and or the interpretation and validity of an act by a European Community institution. With regard to Council statues, the statute itself must grant permission for preliminary hearings on the statue: Art 234(1) If there is no question of Community law to be interpreted then Maria will be denied her request for the Italian Medical Council to seek a preliminary ruling. The European Court of Justice has powers to neither interpret domestic law nor pass judgement on the compatibility of domestic law with European Community law: Van Gend en Loos (case 26/62). In Costa v ENEL (case 6/64) the European Court of Justice said: 'a decision should be given by the Court not upon the validity of an Italian law in relation to the Treaty, but only upon the interpretation of the above-mentioned [Treaty] Articles in the context of the points of law stated by the Giudice Conciliatore' The European Court of Justice also has no jurisdiction to rule on the application of Community law by national courts. Further it cannot invite national courts to refer matters to it: De