Unknown Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Two Foscari †A monologue from the play by Lord Byron Essay Paper Example For Students

The Two Foscari †A monolog from the play by Lord Byron Essay Paper A monolog from the play by Lord Byron NOTE: This monolog is reproduced from Lord Byron: Six Plays. Ruler Byron. Los Angeles: Black Box Press, 2007. JACOPO FOSCARI: No light, spare far off black out glimmer which gives me dividers Which never echod yet to distresses sounds, The murmur of long detainment, the progression Of feet on which the iron clankd the moan Of death, the curse of sadness! But for this I have returnd to Venice, With some black out expectation, tis valid, that time, which wears The marble down, had eroded the detest Of mens hearts; yet I knew them not, and here Must I expend my own, which never beat For Venice however with such a longing as The pigeon has for her far off home, when wheeling High noticeable all around on her arrival to welcome Her inexperienced brood. What letters are these which Are scrawld along the inflexible divider? Will the sparkle let me follow them? Ok! the names Of my pitiful ancestors in this spot, The dates of their depression, the concise expressions of A sorrow unreasonably extraordinary for some. This stone page Holds like a tribute their history; Furthermore, the poor prisoners story is graven on His cell boundary, similar to the sweethearts record Upon the bark of some tall tree, which bears His own and his beloveds name. Too bad! I perceive a few names recognizable to me, Furthermore, cursed like to mine, which I will include, Fittest for such an account as this, Which just can be perused, as writ, by scoundrels. We will compose a custom exposition on The Two Foscari †A monolog from the play by Lord Byron Paper explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now

The Art Of Capitalism Advertising And Culture Article

The Art Of Capitalism Advertising And Culture Article The Art Of Capitalism: Advertising And Culture â€" Article Example > Exploitation of Humanity by Advertisers for Commercial AdvantageAdvertising has played a very critical role in the growth of capitalism by aiding commerce, enhancing brand visibility and sustaining the growth of multinational companies. Advertising is the use of media technologies, artistic skills and recently psychological knowledge to appeal to the target market. The ultimate aim of advertising campaigns is to get consumers to buy particular products and services to support the growth of the producing companies. The logic behind advertising is that the effective an advertising campaign is, the higher the value of projected sales. While an increase in sales and growth of an enterprise is good for any economy, there is a thin line between the growth of businesses and exploitation of masses through advertising. Critics of advertising argue that advertisers employ artistic and scientific skills to capture the attention of the target market and influence it to buy the advertised prod uct or service. This has led to unsustainable consumerism where people buy more than they require for their needs. Advertisers also design campaigns meant to influence children whose cognitive ability if not fully developed. Advertising also contributes to gender stereotyping by objectifying women as sexual objects in advertisements that rely on sexual appeal to attract attention. Some messages in advertisement campaigns may be cleverly misleading and may thus cause injury or unexpected expenses to an unsuspecting consumer. Advertising clutter sent via email, visible on WebPages and public places constitute an incursion the attention of the audience subconsciously. The numerous negative implications of advertising seem to support Raymond Williams that at one level, 'the advertisers are people using certain skills and knowledge, created by real art and science, against the public for commercial advantage'. This paper will discuss the negative implications of commercially exploitive advertising in society. Advertising to childrenChildren were not as significantly exposed to advertisement messages before the 1950’s as they are currently. This can be explained by the widespread consumption of television and internet entertainment. According to a news articles by Bruce Watson in The Guardian, The average consumption of TV commercials in countries such as America is estimated at 16,000 (Watson, 2014). It is such statistics that have contributed to debate and scientific research on the effects of advertising on a child’s brain. Several arguments have been advanced against advertising to children. For instance, advertising has been partly blamed for the rising cases of childhood obesity in developed countries. Fast-food restaurants, sugary foods processors and retailers, and carbonated drinks manufacturers have been blamed of contributing to childhood obesity by advertising to children. This has led to fast-food restaurants such as Subway to launch healthy eati ng marketing campaigns meant to appeal to children and avoid a social backlash from the markets where it operates. In 2014, Subway agreed to spend $41m in a campaign-“Playtime: Powered by Veggies” to promote healthy eating in children. Subway’s action is a reaction to a widely discussed ethical marketing issue relating to advertising to children (Watson, 2014). Psychologists argue that children below the age of five years do not have the ability to distinguish between entertainment and commercials in television programs. Children between seven and eight years can distinguish between and entertainment and commercials but cannot recognise the persuasive intent of advertisers. It is not clearly evident if children can appreciate the fact that advertisement messages can be inherently biased towards encouraging consumption of a certain product or service. The fact that the cognitive ability of children does not enable them to understand advertisements messages from a realistic pe rspective creates the ethical dilemma of whether to support advertisements to children or not. Advertising to children indirectly contributes to childhood obesity, poor impulse controls and inability to distinguish between products by their actual value and brands. Advertisers have consistently argued that advertising can help children to develop critical analysis of issues relating to their worldview. However, it is only fair to appreciate that advertisers are primarily interested in persuading children to purchase their services and products. Countries such as Sweden have laws that completely bar advertising to children below 12 years. From a cognitive development of children perspective, it is clear that children cannot appreciate the persuasive intent of the advertiser. Therefore, advertising to children is the use of science and art against public good for commercial advantage.

Essay on Two Brands of Nihilism - 1537 Words

Two Brands of Nihilism As philosopher and poet Nietzsches work is not easily conformable to the traditional schools of thought within philosophy. However, an unmistakable concern with the role of religion and values penetrates much of his work. Contrary to the tradition before him, Nietzsche launches vicious diatribes against Christianity and the dualistic philosophies he finds essentially life denying. Despite his early tutelage under the influence of Schopenhauers philosophy, Nietzsche later philosophy indicates a refusal to cast existence as embroiled in pessimism but, instead, as that which should be affirmed, even in the face of bad fortune. This essay will study in further detail Nietzsche view of Schopenhauer and†¦show more content†¦Good and evil are not the approbation or prohibition against certain actions, rather, such doctrine codifies self hatred and begs the rejection of â€Å"human nature†. Christianity goes beyond a denial of just the flesh and blood of the body to do away with the whole of the world. In Twilight of the Idols, Nietzsche suggests in several places, that the world is falsified when dictated by the tenets of dualistic philosophies, with emphasis on Christianity. How the â€Å"True World† Finally Became Fable, a section in Twilight of the Idols, is subtitled â€Å"The History of an Error†, for it supposes to give a short rendering of how the â€Å"true world† is lost in the histories of disfiguring philosophies that posit otherworldly dualistic metaphysics. First, Platos vision of the realm of forms. â€Å"The true world - attainable for the sage, the pious, the virtuous man†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , a feasible world, achievable through piety and wisdom. A world a man may come to know, at least possible for the contemplative and diligent student.In this early imagining the world is not entirely lost yet, it is however, removed from the â€Å"concrete† world. A world hardly accessible but by the few who might escape the cave. The first realization of nihilism is the denial of the sensuous world for the really real. The idea of the true world removed is then characterized as the Christian world.â€Å"TheShow MoreRelatedExistentialism : A Philosophical Movement907 Words   |  4 Pagesworks, Either/Or, Kierkegaard outlines two approaches to life, the aesthetic and the ethical. Kierkegaard doesn’t encourage one way of life or the other, and it is said that this work reflects the anguished position of all humanity. We are forced to choose for ourselves and create ourselves through our choices. This type of existentialism is focused on determining which course of life to choose, and knowing that each person has the freedom to choose between the two. This type of existentialism matchesRead MoreHow Has The Shocking Anti Fashion?1447 Words   |  6 Pagesof interest in fashion, She explains how we should celebrate clothes rather than the fashion of today. I will also refer to Malcolm Banard and his view on anti fashion in his academic books ‘Fashion Theory’ and ‘Fashion as communication’. In section two ‘Alexander McQueen a nd Anti Fashion’ I will talk about Alexander McQueens impact he had on the fashion industry through his controversial, shocking fashion shows through to his anti fashion collections. I will refer to Ted Stansfield, Editor at DazedRead More Kurt Vonnegut Jr.s Cats Cradle Essay3320 Words   |  14 Pagesbefore the novel was published, America experienced the Cuban missile crisis. This time period was also punctuated by the impending conflict in Vietnam; the Vietcong were established and ready to fight. These two historical stress points may have triggered Vonneguts mental work. Interestingly, the two examples given are both located in tropical settings; Cuba in particular is similar to San Lorenzo in Vonneguts Caribbean description. Moreover, Freuds idea of harking back to an earlier experience mayRead MoreIdentity In Good Country People1559 Words   |  7 Pagesstory â€Å"Good Country People† written by Flannery O’connor. The theme itself is dependent where as the characters are independent of each other. The characters behaviors build within each other. Firstly, the main character in this short story is thirty two year old Joy who is now known as Hulga. Her character is described as vulnerable to other people but in her eyes is seen as superior to every other character. The feeling of superiority plays a role with her numerous degrees in philosophy. The perspectiveRead MoreThe United States Made History1678 Words   |  7 Pagescountry has demonized political professionals, parties, party leaders and party elders, leaving our political system vulnerable to viruses like Ted Cruz, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump. One of the most surprising things about this election is that the two candidates that have dominated the policy conversation are not, in any meaningful sense, members of their respective parties. Trump is, in no meaningful sense, a Republican. Since 1987 Trump has been a Democrat, then a Republican, then in Ross PerotRead MoreResolving The Dilemma Of The Absurd2309 Words   |  10 PagesCamus, in contrast, differentiates absurdism from both existentialism and nihilism in that his brand of absurdism allows for the construction of one’s own personal meaning, and is neither certain about the value of this artificial meaning (as existentialism is) nor completely certain in rejecting this meaning (as nihilism is) (Francis 16). Thus, Camus’ absurdism is notable in that it represents an important compromise between two dissimilar and divergent schools of thought in the philosophy of life.Read MoreHamlet as a Living Death in the Midst of Life in Hamlet by Wlliam Shakespeare19 24 Words   |  8 Pagessuccess and public image, even at the expense of traditional moral values, that earned Machiavellis schemes a reputation for deception, ruthlessness, and cruelty. Hamlet, by contrast to Claudius, is a figure of bereavement and nihilism. He has empathized with the dead, and been instructed never to let the past be forgotten. As a sick soul commanded to heal, he can be perceived as a poison in the veins of the surrounding characters in the play. But Knight went to extremesRead MoreOverview of Terrorist Organizations: Al-Qaeda and Aum Shinrikyo3113 Words   |  12 Pagesï » ¿Codex: Two Terrorist Organizations Al-Qaeda and Aum Shinrikyo Al Qaeda: Origins People too commonly forget that the story of Al-Qaeda is very much the story of Osama Bin Laden: so much of the development and evolution of Al-Qaeda truly is dependent on this one man. Thus, this means that their narratives are forever intertwined. The primary founder of Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, was born in July 1957, the seventeenth of twenty sons of a Saudi construction magnate of Yemeni origin. Many SaudisRead MoreLooming Tower4335 Words   |  18 Pagesinterviews held, a bibliography and a clear bibliography for those who would love research the topic more. He also uses pictures of the main characters in the book, so that a reader can see the person being discussed. The book can be divided into two major parts with the first part focusing on giving the reader a comprehensive background and beginnings of militant Islam and the terror group Al Qaeda. In the book’s first three chapters, the writer writes bibliographies of three important personsRead MorePostmodernism in Literature5514 Words   |  23 Pagessimulations of the real. Many works of fiction have dealt with this aspect of postmodernity with characteristic irony and pastiche. For example, Don DeLillos White Noise presents characters who are bombarded with a â€Å"white noise† of television, product brand names, and clichà ©s. The cyberpunk fiction of William Gibson, Neal Stephenson, and many others use science fiction techniques to address this postmodern, hyperreal information bombardment.[21][22][23] Paranoia Perhaps demonstrated most famously

The Impact Of Globalization On Developing Countries

Globalization is a difficult word to define, simply because it means many different things to many different people. In general, however, globalization refers to the fact that world economies and cultures have become increasingly integrated over the past two or three decades. More specifically, the world has seen a significant increase in the flow of goods through international trade, access to foreign financial capital, movement of human capital across borders, and the transfer of technology, information, and cultural symbols. Developing countries, ones in which the majority of people lives on far less money and with far fewer basic public services than the population in highly industrialized ones, have become much more integrated in to the world economy as a result of this complex process. In what follows, this paper will first provide a brief overview of globalization. Subsequently, it will examine both the theoretical and actual effects of globalization on developing countries. T he primary areas of focus will be financial integration and access to global capital, trade openness and GDP, the effects of foreign direct investment and government ideologies on income inequality, and emigration. I argue that although economic theory and research suggest that increased access to foreign capital and trade openness may be beneficial to the overall economic growth of developing countries, the effects of globalization at the level of human capital and well-being, such as onShow MoreRelatedGlobalization And Its Impact On Developing Countries872 Words   |  4 PagesGlobalization can be defined as an intensive form of worldwide interconnectedness that facilitates the flow of capital, humans, commodities, technology, information, symbols and values due to the advancement worldwide systems of transport and communication. Globalization has created new opportunities for developing countries such as, technology, greater opportunities to access markets, increase in growth an d improved living standards. Despite the fact that it has been beneficial for the world economyRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On Developing Countries2029 Words   |  9 PagesGlobalization has played a key role in our world and continues to be an integral and inescapable part of the lives of every single individual today. In this paper, I argue that globalization has had a negative impact on developing countries, specifically increasing poverty as well as negatively affecting employment, safety of women, gender inequality and wage-gaps. First we must define important terms such as globalization and developing countries. Globalization refers to the interaction among internationalRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On Developing Countries1752 Words   |  8 PagesWhat are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats presented to a developing country by globalisation? Over the past two decades people all over the world have become closer than before. Goods and services that appear in a country will be immediately promoted in the others. This phenomenon is called globalisation. Globalisation at its simplest can be seen as the increase of international trade and services, the greater movement of labour and capital flows, the improvement in communicationRead MoreThe Impacts of Globalization on Developing Countries Essays1365 Words   |  6 PagesGlobalization, love it or hate it, but you can’t escape it. Globalization may be regarded as beneficial from an economic and business point of view, but however cannot be perceived the ditto when examined from the social sciences and humanities side of it. Globalization can be argued as a tool for economic growth, advancement and prosperity through co-operation between the developed and developing countries. The pro-globalization critics argue that the benefits that globalization brings to developingRead MoreGlobalization And Its Impact On Country1578 Words   |  7 PagesGlobalization is the process in which people, companies and governments from different nations gl obalize their trade or business at international level. Globalization is not a new process, In past years people used to imports and exports of things at a long distance from their hometown to another place but nowadays globalization is very powerful and have a new face and it has been spread all over the world. Globalization is a good way to connect countries, people and do trade on a large scale andRead MoreImpact Of Globalization On Politics And Public Policy810 Words   |  4 PagesGlobalization greatly expands in 1990s when it is the period of business establishments nationwide (Naime, 2009). This phenomenon allows economic and politics of one country penetrate others (Mittelman, 1997). In addition, the factors of globalization includes the spatial reorganization of production, the industrialization across borders, the expansion of financial markets, the diffusion of identical consumer goods to distant countries, massive transfers of population and emerging worldwide preferen ceRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article Spiritual Perspectives On Globalization 906 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Spiritual Perspectives on Globalization† written by Ira Rifkin and published by Skylight Paths Publishers in 2003, Rifkin defines globalization as a fusion of economic level, which encircles all the multinational companies that made possible the capital flows, cultural level, which encompass the homogenization of culture by the countries that undermine others and individual level, which features the consumerism and boost of consumer values (Rifkin). Still, globalization may reduce or increase inequalityRead MoreGlobalization And Its Effect On Society1240 Words   |  5 PagesGlobalization and the use of new technologies and how it strengthens or weakens global inequalities Globalization is a very important force in the new world and it continues to impact the lives of individuals as well as groups world over. The role and affect of globalization has broadened over time. It has resulted in the lessening of trade barriers, integration of the economy of the world, increase in opportunities for groups and individuals alike and an increase in the economic well being andRead MoreHow Globalisation has affected developing countries in the Asia - pacific region1609 Words   |  7 Pagesthe process of globalization. Globalization is the progressive integration between national economies and the breaking down of barriers between trade and financial flows around the world, which will eventually lead to the emergence of a single world market. Globalization has affected many different nations in different ways, depending on their degree of development and extent to which they are open to the flows of the world economy. China, which is one of the developing countrie s, is said to be theRead MoreGlobalization : The World And Created Unity Out Of Great Diversity Essay1542 Words   |  7 PagesFor centuries, globalization has increasingly knitted 　　together the world and created unity out of great diversity. Coca Cola, Disney and McDonald’s symbolize the process, along with Sony, Shell Oil and IBM. They are products known and consumed from Ulan Bator to Little Rock - and also powerful companies that drive globalization forward, creating new laws, new business practices, new ways to eat and drink, new hopes and dreams. Optimists look forward to a global village, linked together by the Internet

Sociology Ethnicity and Crime Free Essays

Using material from Item B and elsewhere, assess explanations for apparent ethnic differences in involvement in crime (21 Marks) According to official statistics, ethnic minorities are largely linked to crime and their involvement if often over exaggerated. Item B shows that black people make up 11% of the prison population, despite the fact they make up just 2. 8% of the population. We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology: Ethnicity and Crime or any similar topic only for you Order Now Whilst, Asians make up 4. 7% of the population yet 6% of the prison population. These statistics emphasise that ethnic minorities are over-represented in the criminal justice system, and so the use of alternate sources of statistics may help show a more accurate picture. Victim surveys ask individuals what crimes they have been victims of and help identify the correlation between ethnicity and offending. They tend to show a great deal of intra- ethnic crime but also include several limitations as they rely on victims memory of events which could result in over- identifying certain ethnic groups as the offender. Whereas, self- report studies ask individuals to disclose their own dishonest and violent behaviour. The findings of self- report studies challenge the stereotypes of black people as being more likely than whites to offend. However, self-report studies also have their own limitations as inconsistency is shown through the evidence of ethnicity and offending. There are ethnic differences at each stage of the criminal justice process. Policing is often seen to be oppressive, as members of ethnic minorities are more likely to be stopped and searched with Asians being twice more likely than blacks to be stopped by the police. Feature Article –  Sociology Test These allegations have meant ethnic minorities have limited faith in the police and therefore feel under protected. Police racism is one of the many causes behind stop and searches with the MacPherson report identifying institutional racism within the police force. These types of racist behaviour and stereotypes are endorsed and upheld by the â€Å"canteen culture† of rank and file officers and lead to deliberate targeting of stop and searches. In 2007, just over a quarter of the male prison population were from minority ethnic groups. As such, blacks were five times more likely to be in prison than whites while blacks and Asian offenders are more likely than whites to serve longer prison sentences. This is because ethnic minorities are less likely to be granted bail while awaiting trial. The official statistics on the criminal justice process shows striking differences between ethnic groups, and these patterns have been examined by left realists and neo- Marxists. Left realists, Lea and Young focus on the statistics which represent real differences in rates of offending by different ethnic groups. They argue that crime is the product of relative deprivation, subculture and marginalisation whereby racism has led to the marginalisation and economic exclusion of ethnic minorities, who face a higher level of poverty and unemployment etc. In contribution to this, the media’s emphasis on consumerism promotes relative deprivation amongst ethnic groups, who are unable to attain these materialistic goods by legitimate means. This results into the formation of delinquent subcultures, most notable amongst unemployed black males. Utilitarian crimes are most likely to come of this, such as theft and robbery as a means of coping with relative deprivation. As these groups are likely to be marginalised, it means they are also likely to express their frustrations through non-utilitarian crime such as violence or rioting- this explains the involvement with crime by ethnic groups. Lea and Young acknowledge that the police may act in unjust ways but they don’t believe that discriminatory policing fully explains the differences in the statistics. Evidence to support this is that 90% of crime is reported to the police by the public rather than discovered by the police themselves. Lea and Young conclude their argument that the statistics represent real differences in levels of offending between ethnic groups, and that these are caused by real differences in levels of relative deprivation and marginalisation. Despite this, Lea and Young are criticised on several grounds that arrest rates for Asians may be lower than that of Blacks yet this isn’t because they are less likely to offend but because police stereotype the two differently. On the other hand, neo- Marxism tends to view statistics as a social construct resulting from racist labelling and discrimination in the criminal justice system. Item B brings to light Gilroy’s argument over the myth of black criminality that â€Å"black criminality is a myth created by racist stereotypes of African Caribbean’s. In reality, this group is no more criminal than any other. However, as a result of the police and criminal justice system acting on these racist stereotypes, ethnic minorities come to be criminalized and therefore appear in greater numbers in the official statistics†. The item helps us understand the extent of stereotypes and its effects on ethnic groups, yet Gilroy furthers his argument by identifying working class crime is a political act of resistance to capitalism and a racist society. Lea and Young refute Gilroy’s argument, by suggesting that most crime is intra- ethnic, so it can’t be seen as an anti-colonial struggle against racism. Lea and Young also criticise Gilroy for romanticizing street crime as somehow revolutionary, when it’s nothing of the sort. Moreover, Stuart Hall et al also adopts a neo- Marxist perspective and found that the 1970’s saw a moral panic over black â€Å"muggers† that served the interests of capitalism. As unemployment and strikes were increasing, the ruling class needed to use force to maintain social control. In their view, the emergence of the black mugger and the capitalist crisis was no coincidence, as the black mugger was used a scapegoat to distract attention from true causes of problems such as unemployment. By presenting black youth as a threat to society, the moral panic began dividing the working class on racial grounds. However, Hall et al doesn’t argue that black crime was solely a product of media and police labelling. The crisis of capitalism was increasingly marginalising black youth through unemployment which resulted them into committing petty crime as a means of survival. Hall et al’s study of policing the crisis was criticised for not presenting how the capitalist crisis led to a moral panic, nor do they provide evidence that the public were blaming crime on blacks. During recent years, the focus of ethnicity and crime has largely been on the over representation of black people in the criminal justice system. However, more recently there has been shift in other issues such as the racist victimisation of ethnic minorities. Racist victimisation was brought into greater public focus with the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence and the police handling of the case, where most information is brought to life by victim surveys such as the British Crime Survey. The British Crime Survey found that most crimes go unreported and found that the risk of being a victim varies by ethnic group, whereby statistics showed that people from mixed ethnic backgrounds had a higher risk (36%) of becoming a victim of rime than blacks, Asians and whites faced. While the statistics recorded the instances of victimisation, they do not necessarily capture the victims’ experience of it. Sampson and Phillips note, racist victimisation tends to be on going over time, with repeated minor instances of abuse and harassment interwoven with incidents of physical violence. This has led minority ethnic communities becoming more active in responding to victimisation, with situational crime prevention measures to organised self- defence campaigns taking place. Such responses need to be understood in the context of accusations of under- protection by the police, who fail to record or investigate reported incidents properly. The Macpherson enquiry into the Stephen Lawrence case concluded that the police investigation into death of the black teenager was â€Å"marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership by senior officers†. Ultimately, we have learnt the differences in ethnicity and crime but have established ethnic minorities also becoming subjected to victimisation. How to cite Sociology: Ethnicity and Crime, Essay examples

Shakespeare Twelfth Night Essay Example

Shakespeare: Twelfth Night Paper These lines and indeed Act Three Scene One itself is taken from almost exactly the middle of the play. Many of the characters secrets are beginning to come out or are at least suspected. Viola is troubled by her love for Orsino, and it is possible that this is something that Feste explores earlier in the scene. Orsino however is still stuck deeply in the throes of his romantic love, but below the surface there are hints that he is confused by Viola and his feelings for her. Viola also inspires confusion or at least infatuation in the mind of Olivia, who has fallen deeply in love with Orsinos young servant. Sebastian has not yet arrived, and the plays subplot is really coming into being with Malvolio having just received the letter dropped for him by Mariah, much to the amusement of Sirs Andrew and Toby. The extract itself is taken from the end of the scene; Feste has just exited and Viola alone on stage delivers her lines of blank verse as a soliloquy to the audience. The speech at first seems to refer to her recent and uncomfortable encounter with Feste, but also reflects on other ideas including the two key themes of the play. Moreover, when actually delivered in a production, in my opinion the actress could interpret these lines in a variety of different ways and subsequently speak to mean different things. However, it seems to me that the long vowel sounds (occurring especially regularly in the last three lines) lend themselves particularly to a reflective manner of speaking. We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeare: Twelfth Night specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeare: Twelfth Night specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeare: Twelfth Night specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The actress would draw them out portraying Violas pondering of the revelations she has worked out after her encounter with Feste, as was done in the school production of the play. The opening line, This fellow is wise enough to play the fool, is a play on the proverbial statement No man can play the fool as well as the wise man, and perhaps also He is not wise who cannot play the fool. Firstly, here Viola is looking back at Feste she was confused by the encounter, but understands how intelligent he actually is. It also sets the theme of the passage the wit of fools and the folly of wise men an effectively confusing way to end a scene in which foolery has been the main theme. Interestingly, this confused content creates a distinct contrast to the solid blank verse which also happens to be in almost perfect iambic pentameter, but does however gain an extra syllable on the first, fifth, and sixth lines. This changing rhythm adds to the general theme of madness in the play as well as demonstrating further Violas confusion. In particular, the broken rhythm of the lines might show how conflicting emotions primarily love could crack her self-control. After this, Violas speech continues to elaborate on her comparison between wise men and fools, and her analysis of Feste. The next few lines seem to be her description of what Feste does, and how clever and sensitive he must be to actually is to do this how he must observe their mood on whom he jests, the quality of persons. In my opinion, this could also be interpreted as her realisation of how he has read her that he has worked out all her secrets and she knows this. There are several hints at this earlier in the scene. After this, the next phrase seems to be more of the same, Not, like the haggard, check at every feather that comes before his eye is another acknowledgement of the skill of Feste, but possibly also indication that she sees certain predatory attributes in him. The haggard refers to a wild hawk that will seize on any prey it sees Feste apparently must not do this. Earlier in the scene he hardly treated her respectfully and she could well feel resentful, as if she had been his prey. Finally she might also have, possibly subconsciously but in my opinion more likely not aimed this phrase at herself in a moment of ironic self-deprecation referring to her suddenly and, perhaps, irrationally falling for Orsino. She does not really understand her love and is telling herself that she is the one that must not check at every feather. Moreover, on the surface, Shakespeares use of a hawk as a simile to demonstrate Violas point would have been very easy to relate to and understand by his audience, as hawking was still a favourite pastime of the Elizabethan upper class. The next line returns back to the theme of fools and wise men: This is a practice as full of labour as a wise mans art declares Festes fooling to be equal to any wise mans profession and possibly even an acceptable alternative to such a job as well as declaring how difficult it is. However, in the final phrase, Viola arrives at her conclusion that the Festes profession is more worthwhile, cleverer and far more sensible than following the path of a wise man as for wise men to act foolishly would be wrong not in keeping with any wise mans art if they were to do this they would become stupid, or possibly even mad. By comparison, folly that [Feste] shows is fit folly that Feste intelligently displays is skilfully adapted (to his current audience) but wise men, folly-falln, quite taint their wit. This line allows for a whole range of different interpretations. In my opinion, it works excellently to bring the passage back into context with the themes of the play, explored below. Another very possible interpretation of the phrase might be that Viola is again bemoaning Orsinos confusion in his idealistic love for Olivia; he has falln folly to her, or possibly just to his own narcissism, and is blind to Violas love for him, and even blind to her actual sex. Secondly, an interesting way to view this particular passage is another allusion to Ovids Metamorphoses, which appear in several places throughout the play, if interpreted in a certain way. For example, in Act 1 Scene 1: That instant was I turned into a hart And my desires like fell and cruel hounds Eer since pursue me. If indeed it is an allusion to the Metamorphoses one way to interpret it with relation to Ovids work would be through the same story (of Diana and Actaeon) that the extract above is a play on. Actaeon was a huntsman, not wise exactly, but reputedly sensible whose folly was bad luck in stumbling across Diana bathing. Desperate to keep any living mortal from being able to walk away and tell of what he had seen, and unable to reach her bow, she turned him into a stag. Subsequently, he was then torn to pieces by his own hounds. Significantly becoming an animal, he could be said to have lost, or tainted his wits. If the passage is read in this way, with Orsino taking the place of Actaeon, Viola could almost be blaming Olivia for Orsinos lack of interest in her although this seems really quite unreasonable and unlikely as she knows well of Olivias misguided infatuation with Viola herself. Another way to link Actaeon and Orsino is that they both could be seen to objectify women. A feminist might view Actaeons watching of Diana bathing as an act of voyeurism. He just sees the woman purely as an object to enjoy, and as a result he is torn to pieces by his own animalistic hence hounds desires. Orsinos enjoyment of his own, self-proclaimed love for Olivia could be seen to amount to much the same thing and so ultimately ending with his destruction. This is something that the pragmatic Viola fears. An even more relevant tale from Ovids Metamorphoses is, in my opinion, that of Narcissus himself. Narcissistic is often a very obvious and appropriate way to describe Orsinos actions. Interestingly, Ovids version of the story, Narcissus was a famously attractive, but proud, boy punished by the Gods for having spurned all his male suitors. The fact that Narcissus in this version was a homosexual or at least loved by other men, with no actual feelings of his own for anyone except himself makes the moral story even more appropriate when read with regard to Orsino. A common interpretation of his character is that he is actually homosexually inclined, not at all interested in women except as a far off object with which to entertain himself through his own apparent passion, and the practice of what he believes should be a romantic ideal the idea of Courtly Love. Indeed, he never really ventures near Olivia until the end of the play and even then argues with her almost instantly, obviously finding her difficult to get on with. He is also violently, almost irrationally, shocked and angry at the prospect of Cesario (Viola) being taken away from him by Olivia. Whether this is interpreted as inspired by jealousy and anger at Cesario, or perhaps concealed shock that he is leaving him, is up to the reader. Moreover, once their apparent marriage comes out, he is really very abusive of Olivia, the woman he is meant to be madly in love with. Crucially, for most of the play, he surrounds himself with men, including the almost constant company of his servant Cesario whom he believes to be a man. Interestingly, even after he learns the truth he still insists on calling her boy. The play certainly contains some ambiguity about Orsinos sexuality. Another narcissistic quality of Orsinos is his wildly dramatising his love for Olivia, in that he idles around his court moaning of his passion to himself. He seems more interested in the passion and purity of his own alleged love, rather than the actual object his love is directed at. In my opinion, Orsino is clearly self-obsessed. To continue with Ovids story, a young man named Aimeinias falls deeply in love with Narcissus but is turned away. Aimeinias then kills himself on Narcissus doorstep, praying to Nemesis that one day Narcissus too would know the pain of unrequited love. Later, this prayer is fulfilled when Narcissus becomes entranced with his reflection in the pool, and attempts to seduce himself without realising it is him. Unable to do so, drowned in confusion and sorrow, Narcissus transfixes himself with his sword, completing the symmetry of the tale. Now, it is possible that at this stage in the play Viola, unable to make Orsino see her for what she really is and how she feels, might be putting herself in Aimeinias place that of one experiencing tragically unrequited love, although she is far too pragmatic to actually kill herself. However, in using this possible reference to Narcissus in her thoughtful soliloquy she is worrying about the future, and what could happen to Orsino if he is not turned from his current, self-obsessed mindset. She worries that he will destroy himself, never understanding who he really is. In any case, falling in love with oneself to the extent of committing suicide could definitely be described as a tainting of the wit of the highest order. Aside form connections with Ovids Metamorphoses another, more contextual, way to look at the extract with regard to a possible example of a wise man, folly falln at that time Rupert Devereux, Earl Of Essex, and a long-time favourite of Queen Elizabeth. He was a military hero but, following a poor campaign against Irish Rebels during the Nine Years War, he defied the Queen and was executed for treason in February 1601 around the time that Shakespeare was writing Twelfth Night. This also ties in with another possible meaning of the haggard, [checking] at every feather. This could have vaguely alluded to the ailing Queen and her changing selection of favourites, many of whom did her country no good at all. Members of the audience at that time, particularly those directly associated with Her Majestys Court, may well have picked up on this. In fact, most of the passage could be looked at as excellent general advice for doing well in court intrigues this may also have been of note to courtiers attending Queen Elizabeth when she viewed the play. Incidentally, this important line is clearly stressed and broken up with particular emphasis on folly-falln to make the words, and their range of meanings, particularly noticeable. This is achieved with the consonance of the letter f causing the phrase to stand out. Moreover, this alliteration, combined with the clear iambic pentameter of the lines and the rhyme of fit and wit is used by Shakespeare to round off the lines of blank verse in a natural, poetic, way a technique he often uses to end formal speeches by lead characters. Furthermore, the end phrases are linked clearly with the wise/fool motif back to the beginning and the play on He is not wise who cannot play the fool. Incidentally in my opinion this statement in itself, if extracted from its connotations in the top line, could very neatly sum up the point in Violas entire soliloquy. Finally, as I mentioned above, not only do these last lines link the passage back on itself, they link it with the rest of the play through the plays two most important themes love and madness. These two powerful ideas are reflected on throughout most of the play, including much of Act 3 Scene 1 although not so much my chosen passage, except the last line. If it is read with these in mind folly falln can easily be read as in love and if this is the case, instead of explaining how foolish wise men are, it instead states that any normally rational person, when in love quite taint their wit. This idea is demonstrated by several of the main characters throughout the play, Orsino being the most obvious example although he is complex because he could either be interpreted as madly in love with Olivia, or if you take the narcissistic view, with himself. However, in my opinion, it could certainly be said that every major character excepting Feste, who appears to be exempt from the tragi c trials of the rest of the world and instead seems to act as some short of catalyst to bring the other characters together in the correct pairings loses their wits to some extent because of love. However, this idea of love causing madness does seem to strongly contrast with the entire play, if thought about with its status as a Comedy in mind. At the heart of many traditional Comedies, abiding by the Greek rules for the genre, the story will revolve around the correction of certain problems areas where there is something deeply wrong with the world (these are many and varied in Twelfth Night, but are largely based around the separation of Viola and Sebastian) through music, mirth and marriage. Each of these three mediums is both important and relevant to the play, which contains resonances of all. Mirth, for example, is used by Shakespeare in many of his plays both to end them satisfactorily, through the conventions of a Comedy and simply to provide his audience with amusement. In Twelfth Night both of these are evident. The sub-plot involving the entrapment and public humiliation of Malvolio is made up of inherently amusing characters, and is full of puns and other amusing lines often deliberately sexual. Presumably this was meant to appeal particularly to the lower classes, whilst the comparatively more highbrow drama was assumed to be to the tastes of the noblemen. However, in my opinion the sub-plot probably provided much light relief and enjoyment, complete with its bawdy jokes, to all. Moreover, the sub-plot also provides us with the rather cruel, but supposedly comic, ending involving Malvolios departure ending the play with mirth. (Incidentally, this also functions as an attack on Puritanism. Puritans consistently tried to close the theatres, as they were immoral, and as such were a popular target for ridicule in plays. Malvolio is described as a kind of Puritan and as such ends the play in disgrace shamed, and leaving the house. Finally, in the actual production of the play, the audience would almost certainly have found the cross-dressing amusing, something Shakespeare must have intended as all actors at that time were male. So, the actor playing the character of Viola would have been a man, dressed up as a woman, dressed up as a man a very confusing circumstance that almost anyone should find funny! It would also have fit very nicely with the original role-changing traditions of the festival of Twelfth Night. Secondly, music is particularly evident in the play, which contains two songs actually written in the script and other references to music being played which could easily have been introduced in for an actual production of the play, and probably were. Twelfth Night is definitely one of Shakespeares more musical plays. Music, in a comedy, is important in itself as a symbol of harmony but furthermore it is often interpreted as referring to the Ancient Greek idea of Music Of The Spheres. This is supposed to be the original music, originating from the proportions and movements of all celestial bodies at the time thought to be revolving around the earth. Of this, all earthly music is supposedly a copy, so the theory goes, created since the Fall after which Adam and Eve could no longer hear this divine, perfect harmony. However, in this instance, it is marriage that is especially important. Marriage, as part of a Comedy, not only provides a happy ending for the play, but also, along w ith Music, symbolises social harmony. As a result, if the end of Violas soliloquy is interpreted as an argument that people lose their wits when in love, it could well be seen as a sharp contrast to the Comedic idea that marriage will sort out peoples problems, make everything right and keep everyone in their right minds. Importantly, this basic idea and the importance of social harmony would probably have been very easy to relate to for the Elizabethans that Shakespeares plays would have been performed to, and indeed to most of Europe. All in all, the late 16th, early 17th Centuries were not times that could be easily described as rich in social harmony, or much harmony at all really. Although on the surface it has been described as a golden age a time that ushered in a new era, breaking away from the past in many ways (for example the new styles of plays written by William Shakespeare); a time filled with exploration and expansion this can still hardly have been particularly peaceful. Socially, the growing power of the middle classes, particularly in London, threatened to unbalance the traditions of social hierarchy a hierarchy created centuries ago, with the evolution of the basic Feudal System. This rise in middle-class mercantile power would have seriously worried established upper classes perhaps making them unsure of their own security. Another source of worry for the upper classes would have been Englands military security, both internal and external. Critically, at that time England had a major rival in Spain. The two countries had conflicted often both in Europe and the Americas the Anglo-Spanish war (1585 1604. ) Particularly notable was the Armada, famously defeated in 1588, although less well known is the English retaliation the disastrously unsuccessful Drake-Norris expedition of 1589. After these Spain provided much support for the Irish Catholics in a draining guerrilla war against England, mentioned earlier with regard to Rupert Devereux. This, combined with a series of lost skirmishes with Spanish land and naval forces was very damaging both to the English Exchequer and to the economy, so carefully restored under Elizabeths prudent guidance after the Wars Of The Roses another bad memory hanging over the English people. When Twelfth Night was first shown the civil war may have been particularly prominent in the minds of many people, as no-one wanted to repeat it and yet Elizabeth seemed to be becoming more and more infirm (she would die in 1603, the year after Twelfth Night was first performed) and she had no heir. Consequentially, throughout this Golden Age, English society may well have actually been very tense and worried. Even the expression of the great new ideals and style of living in Merry England is possibly being mocked by the play. This expression included the evolution of new music and literature, architecture and adventurous seafaring. So, for example, Orsinos mis-use of very old, classical literature in his language and declarations of love seems at odds with the wave of new writing sweeping the country from authors like Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson and Edmund Spenser, not to mention Shakespeare himself. Finally, the exitement and romance of adventurous seafaring is really very black humour when looked at with Twelfth Night, a play from which the entire plot origianates from a shipwreck. However, it would certainly be a very topical way to involve the audience, as many may have been involved in such seafaring, or at least interested by it, and opening his play with a shipwreck, Shakespeare may well have interested and excited his audience from the start. Indeed, London was and still is to some extent a very great trading post. Finally there is the idea of Twelfth Night itself. A very popular holiday, Twelfth Night, in Elizabethan England, marked the end of the winter festival that started on All Hallows Eve. It was a time of festivities and merrymaking indeed, Shakespeares play was written to be part of Twelfth Night entertainment and was first performed in Middle Temple Hall, London 1602 as the culmination of the evenings revelry. The play itself draws heavily from Twelfth Night ideas, not least the name. Crucially, the theme of confusion and back-to-front-ness (for on Twelfth Night a King, or Lord Of Misrule usually a servant is elected to lead the festivities) is echoed strongly throughout the Comedy, through ideas like Viola spending much of the play as a man, or Malvolio believing he could wed Olivia and become a nobleman. Even in my chosen passage the idea is reflected, through the theme and repetitive comparison of fools and wise men.