Blue Skies by Noah and the Whale free essay sample

After waiting endlessly for summer to come and dealing with all the tacky music playing on the radio, it was honestly a blessing to hear the song â€Å"Blue Skies†, by Noah and the Whale. As entertaining as songs about pop stars that fall over completely drunk on their weekends are, sometimes I need a break. Noah and the Whale is a â€Å"brilliant† band for the simple reason that it is both meaningful and very retro. The first lines to the music video to â€Å"Blue Skies† are a conversation between two of the musicians. The first man says, â€Å"C’mon, let’s do it. You need to live a little bit.† To which the other replies, â€Å"I have. It was brilliant, I remember it. I remember doing it. I was really good.† After a while of reminiscing the first says again, â€Å"C’mon. C’mon mate. C’mon look at me. Come on baby, c’mon† as the shot fades into a scene of bright yellow garage doors and an old red car . We will write a custom essay sample on Blue Skies by Noah and the Whale or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The song itself brings about the theme that one is never to old to love and live ones life, despite difficulties. Already by the first sung sentence I was hooked. They sing, â€Å"This is a song for anyone/ With a broken heart./ This is a song for anyone/ Who can’t get out of bed.† As the end of the school year and final exams dawning on, it captured my heart. â€Å"Blue Skies† tells the story of a man whose girlfriend who he loved dearly has died and that it is the last song that he will write while he is still in love with her because â€Å"blue skies are calling†, even though he realizes how difficult it will be. This theme is important in daily life, and through the sad, yet colorful tone, I was truly inspired. Tall trees, moss, umbrella dresses, Sweden, and old bicycles are seen in almost every scene. Beside the main plot is also one of an old man that can hardly move anymore and sits alone on a swing thinking back on his old memories. Nearing the en d, the old man dances in the dark and the young man throws the ashes across the lake where he used to hold too many memories. These moving stories, the calming tone, the vibrancy, and the wonderful accents all account for a song that really just changed my view on life.

What Killed the Dinosaurs free essay sample

The subject has no concrete answer and probably never will but I hope to find my own personal opinion of what happened at the end and enjoyed and use what I have learnt in the future. Background Science: Before I get into my arguments I will explain a bit of background behind dinosaurs, so you can have a better understanding of my case study and what I am trying to express. Dinosaurs are often brought up in the media and normal life and are also constantly referenced in relation to other animals and films but not many people actually know what a Dinosaur is! The word dinosaur actually means â€Å"terrible lizard†. Dinosaurs were actually reptiles, this means when they were hatched and born, they had no fur. Dinosaurs and lizards are in a way similar but also very different. The main difference between the two is how their legs join to the hips. Lizards have legs in a squatted position, with the legs going outwards. However dinosaurs have legs similar to humans where they go straight down! The dinosaurs were first around about 245 million years ago, during the Mesozoic Era; which is often called the Age of the Reptiles. This era was split up into three sections, the Triassic which was from 245 million years ago to 208 million years ago, and then the Jurassic which was 208 million years ago to 146 million years ago and finally the Cretaceous period which lasted from 146 million years ago to 65 million years ago when dinosaurs started to die off. Over many years scientists have developed many different theories to why the dinosaurs became extinct; some are much more known while others and thought to be the truth and others and not known and thought to be a lie. This list of theories include; volcanoes, an asteroid impact, an ice age, comet and cosmic rays, mammals killing them, diseases, climate change and even obesity! Asteroid Impact: This is where the asteroid hit. One of the main theories, if not the main theory believed to have caused the extinction of dinosaurs is linked to the 15km asteroid which crashed into the Yucatan Peninsular causing mass destruction around the world! Scientists believed that the Asteroid would have travelled 150 times faster than a jet airliner! The original impact would only have killed a tiny percentage of the dinosaurs; however the after effects would be catastrophic. For months dense clouds of dust would block of the suns rays which would darken and chill the earth, so most of the world’s plants and animals would die. Then once the dust had settled, greenhouse gases would cause the temperature on Earth to skyrocket over usual levels. Due to these freezing and sweltering conditions in only a few years, all dinosaurs and 70% of the plants and animals would become extinct. However there are a few issues with this theory and why it might not be true! A well established scientist, Gerta Keller has carried out research for 20 years with her team and she believes that the dinosaurs were dying out 300 thousand years before the impact of the asteroid, which if true, almost destroys the asteroid theory! Due to this many people now believe that volcanoes may be the true reason for the extinction of dinosaurs which I will talk about next. Volcanoes: Volcanoes are one of the main suggested theories for the extinction of dinosaurs and are this theory is generally accepted by many scientists. Massive beds of ancient lava have been found around the world between 65 and 70 million years ago. If these massive eruptions really occurred, there would have been so much gas that the sun’s rays would not have been able to reach the surface of Earth and subsequently would mean poorly adapted creatures; like the dinosaurs would die. Even dinosaurs which survived would have lost many sources of food and could not survive. Scientists have found several pieces of evidence to back up the theory including; large lava flows in India which would be caused by volcanoes and fractured crystals which are caused by high impact or explosions, both asteroids and volcanoes could have caused this. However, some scientists believe that this theory cannot be correct; one reason is that there is a very large amount of iridium found where the asteroid hit and this layer is found all over the world which can only be explain by the asteroid impact. Another reason may be that not all parts of the world have volcanoes so; some parts of the world may not have been affected. Scientists also found that there was a global fall in temperature around the time dinosaurs died out, but massive volcano eruptions would have the opposite effect. Mammal Competition: Mammals could have been the reason for the extinction of dinosaurs. Mammals were quickly evolving and became fierce competition for the dinosaurs. Some packs of smaller mammals would take the dinosaurs food and carnivorous mammals would eat the eggs of dinosaurs. This would mean dinosaurs would have a harder time of getting food and even having babies! Dinosaurs would slowly become less and less dominate and eventually extinct. Unfortunately, this theory isn’t thought to be the real reason for the extinction of dinosaurs. Most mammals would not have been able to defend themselves against the dinosaurs and would have struggled to compete with the dinosaurs for some foods. This theory is also believed to be a contributing factor rather than a main one. Continental Drift/Climate Change: Some scientists believe that continental drift could have killed of all the dinosaurs. The continents were being moved upwards by the movement of tectonic plates which would cause the sea levels to fall and parts of the world were rising by thousands of feet. This would means that the climate would be a lot drier and cooler. The ecosystem providing for the dinosaurs would provide much less food for the dinosaurs and they would not be able to survive. This is another theory which scientists don’t believe is significant enough to wipe out the dinosaurs. There is no solid proof that the tectonic plate movement directly caused the global temperature to drop and many other theories have much more evidence to back themselves up including the asteroid impact and volcano theories. Yet again like the mammal competition theory, it may have been a contributing factor in the extinction of dinosaurs. Alternative Theories: Along with the theories previously mentioned, there are many more â€Å"less known† theories which are either not yet recognized or proven to be correct to a certain degree. It is extremely concerning that a theory could be found that almost comprehensively proves what caused the extinction of dinosaurs but because of how the media works, it may not be recognized or even forgotten over a long period of time. The first theory I will mention is an ice age wiping out all of the dinosaurs, however there has been no solid evidence of an ice age occurring during the life of the dinosaurs. Another theory is mammals out-competed the dinosaurs and forced them into extinction. Some evidence points to a simultaneous evolution between dinosaurs and mammals and some scientists believe some mammals ate dinosaur eggs. However, mammals and dinosaurs had different diets and could not wipe each other out. Furthermore, there were no more marine animals at the time and this means the marine reptiles could not be wiped out by this theory. My final alternative theory is the dinosaurs were never killed but they evolved into birds. Scientists agree there is significant evidence that suggests dinosaurs such as Velociraptors could have evolved into birds but that does not explain the extinction of several types of dinosaur, like the Tyrannosaurus Rex, which disappeared with no evolutionary trace. To finish, each of the theories contains a chance of proving the extinction of dinosaurs. Unfortunately, none of them provide enough evidence to be considered on a larger scale and much more evidence and information would have to be found to be considered like other theories such as the asteroid impact. Conclusion: The reason for extinction of dinosaurs has been debated for centuries and we still haven’t got a solid conclusion and it will probably never be found. Every person you meet can have a slightly different opinion on a topic and this clearly happens with what killed the dinosaurs. As the extinction of dinosaurs happened such a long time ago, unless huge technologic advancements occur where we can find evidence from millions of years ago and link to how they really died, we will never find the true answer. Another problem is when someone finds a new lead another scientists finds one to cancel it out for example; the volcanoes looked like the answer but then scientists saw the global temperature had been lower than usual which could is extremely unlikely due to all of the eruptions from the earthquakes! I really hope that in the future we can find the reason for the extinction of the dinosaurs, as it would not only be ground breaking in the aspect of opening the doors to extreme amounts of information and also helps us in our preservation of mankind if such a thing happened to us but at this current time, it seems we will not be able to find a solid reason on why the dinosaurs are extinct. However, in my opinion, I believe that the extinction of dinosaurs was not just one theory, but multiple theories which all contributed towards the extinction. I think that volcanoes started erupting in various places around the world as well as super volcanoes erupting; which killed off a large proportion of the dinosaurs, and then the continents start to rise and make the earth very cold, this would mean many life forms could not survive including most species of dinosaur. Then finally, the asteroid hit the Yucatan Peninsular and caused the final blow to the dinosaurs where the impact killed some dinosaurs the dust brought up would lower the temperature even further and surely met the end of the dinosaurs and they would soon become extinct.

The Merchant of Venice Essay Example

The Merchant of Venice Paper If a man has prejudged, negative opinions against a group of people, because of race, colour, wealth or any other reason, can he be considered to be uneducated in the modern world or has society merely educated him with narrow-minded views? The concept of racism, prejudices and inequalities is dealt with throughout Shakespeares A merchant of Venice and although it was written around 1598, like most of Shakespeares works the themes are universal and timeless which makes them very relevant to contemporary society. The main themes of the play are justice and mercy and how these is given and received in the bitter relationship between Antonio, the Christian merchant and Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. The merchant of Venice is considered to be one of Shakespeares comedies as it has a happy ending for most of the characters and an Elizabethan audience would find Shylocks tragedies amusing, but in the last four hundred years society has drastically changed. Would a modern audience have a different opinion on the treatment of Shylock or would the Elizabethan values remain? Fear of the unknown is part of human nature and the Jewish religion and its followers were very unknown to the vast majority people in Shakespeares time. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Jews started to enter England in 1066 and in the course of a generation they established communities in Bristol, York, Canterbury and London, and began to prosper by trading and lending money. However, in 1290 under the reign of Edward I, 16000 Jews were expelled from England although a few managed to stay in England by hiding their identity. This expulsion led to 350 years of Jewish exile from England, which means that there had been no Jews in England for about 300 years before Shakespeare was born! Few people knew a Jew and the majority of people were quite simple, uneducated and illiterate. It was easy to categorize Jews and tereotype them. Something that helped in the stereotyping process was a famous drama by Marlow called The Jew of Malta, performed in 1589. The lead character, Barabas refuses to pay tribute to the crown and so, his wealth is seized and his house converted into a convent. Enraged by these events Barabas sets out on journey of slaughter, which includes the poisoning of an entire convent. Elizabethan audiences loved the exaggeration and hyperbole of Barabass character and the conclusion of the story, were he is boiled to death in a cauldron of water while screaming was very much enjoyed by the audience! The Jew of Malta is not just an anti-Semitic play, but it clearly shows the hypocrisy shown by the Christian community in Elizabethan England. One of the few Jews in England was Dr. Lopez. He was the doctor for Queen Elizabeth I. Lopez was convicted of trying to assassinate Queen Elizabeth and was executed after he was tortured quite savagely, and during the interrogation the fact that he was Jewish became known. The causes for conviction were beliefs that Lopez had tried to poison Queen Elizabeth, but what was later discovered was that the facial makeup she used contained Mercury, a highly poisoned metallic element. However the lack of scientific knowledge in Elizabethan times meant that Lopez was killed. Significantly, Marlowes drama The Jew of Malta was performed shortly after the execution, some accounts claim it was merely ten days after, so the idea of Jews being evil, murderous creatures would have been highly inflicted into Elizabethan stereotypes. Shakespeares generation based their anti-Semitism on religious grounds. The Nazi program which climaxed in the Holocaust of World War 2 and resulted in the deaths of six million Jews was anti-Semitism on racial grounds. A Nazi does not care if a Jew believes in God or rays; A Jew is a Jew and they were considered racially inferior. Elizabethan England however, had inherited the Christian propaganda that the Jews had murdered Christ and so were connected to the devil and were actively trying to stop the spread of Christianity. Jewish people do not accept the blame for the crucifixion of Christ for various reasons: * Crucifixion was a Roman form of execution * People who lived decades after the event itself and were most likely to be biased against the Jews (so to take the blame from Christianity) wrote the accounts of the crucifixion and the events leading up to the crucifixion. Throughout its history, Christianity has tried to stop the following of other religions as well as Judaism. Paganism and other Earth based religions had been established hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus yet as Christianity began to spread, leaders of the Church claimed that the pagan horned God was the devil. This kind of religious propaganda has stayed in society for years as this is were the concept of the devil having horns comes from. Even Christians themselves did not live together well in Elizabethan times, and still today as can be seen in Northern Ireland; Catholics and Protestants onflict. When we see these points, it is no wonder that the Christian Church throughout history targeted Judaism. All this information is relatively clear to how Elizabethan society as a whole viewed the Jews, yet what is not so clear is what exactly Shakespeares image of a Jew was, as they had been banished from England three hundred years before his birth. This is a personal opinion, and the reader must come to his or her own conclusion after considering whether Shakespeare did satisfy the narrow-minded views the audience would have against the Jews. To do so, not just the text hould be analysed but also the dramatic devices used, stage history and the history of the Jews. The purpose of the first scenes is to inform the viewer of the main plot, e. . the bond, but Shylocks first scene not only tells us of this, but also we realise Shylocks character traits. These traits are quickly laid down and repeated his focus on money, (my meaning in saying he is a good man is to have you understand me that he is sufficient- lines 13-15) his hatred of Christians, (I hate him for he is a Christian- line 38) his pride in his religion and also, his cunning mind. Shylock actually speaks less than Bassanio or Portia and appears in only five scenes but due to his audience-provoking character he is the most dominating character. Shylocks first appearance in The Merchant of Venice is in Act One Scene Three. From his entrance on stage the audience would identify him as a Jew, as he would be wearing traditional Jewish clothing such as a gabardine, which is a loose cloak worn by Jewish men. Shakespeare would emphasize the costumes in the Globe theatre and other theatre during his time, because the audiences were quite rowdy. People were known to shout at the villains, cheer for their heroes, nd comment on the play loudly. At the same time, food and drink vendors would be going around the audience selling their goods. Distinctive costumes made Shakespeares plots easier to follow for the viewers. However, as mentioned before, many spectators would jeer at the villains and Shylocks entrance on stage would receive a very negative response. What adds to the audiences aggression towards Shylock is what he is talking about in his debut. He is talking to Bassanio about lending three thousand ducats (form of currency) to Antonio. This marks him as a usurer, someone who lends money and charges interest, hich was hated in Elizabethan times. This may seem hard to understand as this is how major banks work today, but in the Old Testament the exacting of interest on a loan was forbidden to Jews who were lending to Jews and in the Middle Ages it was forbidden to Christian clerics and then to laymen. Medieval theory says that money cannot breed money and Aristotle taught that money was barren. After the rise of capitalism however, the sixteenth-century reformers relaxed in this teaching but some countries toleration of usury came late, and England was one of those countries. The way Shylock may be acting at this point in the play would also agitate the audience. Bassanio, a Christian and a good friend of Antonio, comes to Shylock the Jewish moneylender, whom he and Antonio have cruelly mocked many times before, to ask to borrow money on behalf of Antonio. For the first time, Shylock feels as though he has the upper hand. Nowadays most people would certainly be able to understand why Shylock would lengthen this superiority but not Shakespeares audiences. This would simply annoy them more as they would not be able to see that a Jew is still a human and would have uman reactions, just like a Christian, just like themselves. The main plot of the play is determined in this scene, as the forfeit of the bond is decided. If Antonio does not pay the bond back within three months then Antonio must allow Shylock to cut a pound of flesh from anywhere upon Antonios body. Shylock suggests the forfeit in a joking manner as he says: This kindness will I show. Go with me to a notary; seal me there Your single bond, and, in a merry sport, If you repay me not on such a day let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me Antonio merrily agrees to the bond, but Bassanio cautions him; he doesnt want Antonio risking his life so that Bassanio can borrow money, however Antonio reassures Bassanio that My ships come home a month before the day. What he means by this is that as a merchant not only will his ships return home but his money also. What Antonio and Bassanio do not realise though is the fact that Shylock would much rather have a pound of Antonios flesh than any amount of money because Shylock seeks revenge upon Antonio for the way he treats him and his fellow Jews. Antonio and Bassanio, like the Christian audience, would not be able to believe that a Jew would want revenge on a Christian; their narrow-minded views would not comprehend that. Lines 102 to 125 in Act One Scene Three are of Shylock speaking to Antonio about the unfair way he has been treated in by Antonio and his fellow Christians in Venice. This speech is essential for the comparison of a modern audiences view on the treatment of Shylock compared to an audience of Shakespeares time. Shylock speaks to Antonio about the way he has received abuse from the Christians, verbal and physical. Shylock states that although Antonio as often criticised him about his business, he has borne it with a patient shrug, For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe. This again emphasizes his strong belief in his religion, and reinforces image that throughout history the Jews have often been singled out for persecution. More evidence of how Shylock is treated in Venice continues, as he states, You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gabardine, This shows how not only was he verbally abuse, but also physically. He is constantly insulted because of who he is, and Christians spit upon his religious clothing. He late in the speech claims that Antonio has foot me as you spurn a stranger cur, (Kicked me as you would kick a stray dog), and did void your rheum upon my beard. All of these points show Shylocks side of the story, and Shylock then questions Antonio, Hath a dog money? The way that Shylock mocks Antonio by asking this would anger Shakespeares audience, how dare a Jew speak to a Christian in such a way? It is clear now that the Elizabethans, like the Nazis, saw the Jews as an inferior race. Shylock asks if Antonio expects him to humble himself to Antonio and say: Fair sir you spat on me Wednesday last; You spurned me on such a day; another time You called me dog; and for these courtesies Ill lend you this much moneys? He would most likely speak in a sardonic, scornful tone as Shylock for probably the first time, has power above Antonio. Again, the audience are angered. After Shylock has spoken of his suffering, Antonio blatantly tells Shylock that he will most likely call him again! Antonio does not care about the pain Shylock has to go through because of him and his friends, because Shylock is a Jew. He obviously does not like the tone Shylock has spoken to him with and so he is trying to regain his ower. Antonio and Shylock settle on the bond and Act One, Scene Three ends, with Bassanio disliking the terms of the bond. The dramatic tension increases as throughout the play as Antonios ships fail to return home and the audience informed of this revelation by the use of two minor characters. Shakespeare often used this technique, as it is an effective way to move on in the story. Salerio and Solanio are the minor characters used as in Act Two Scene Eight, they joke about Shylocks misfortune (his daughter Jessica has stolen a lot of his money and has ran away to marry Lorenzo, a Christian) and hen Salerio informs Solanio of how a vessel of our country richly fraught has crashed, and Salerio suspects it may be Antonios. The audience would presume that it was Antonios ship, as this would have to happen for the sake of the plot, and it is also clear that with his recent misfortunes, Shylocks need for revenge upon the Christians would be greater. Shylocks vindictiveness feeds on the news of Antonios sorrow and the conclusion of the story is the trial scene, Act Four, Scene One. Antonio could not pay the 3000 ducats back in time and Shylock demands that he takes the pound of Antonios flesh, it seems that no one can top him by persuasion nor legally can they stop him. The matter is brought to court where the comedy aspect returns, as Bassanios new wife, the beautiful Portia dresses as a young lawyer named Balthazar to represent Antonio in court. Comedies are based on convention of some sort, so an Elizabethan audience would have known Balthazar was actually Portia yet for the purpose of the story this would have been easily accepted, as would the fact that her husband doesnt recognise her. Shylock enters the courtroom and the Duke of Venice proceeds with a speech he presumes will make Shylock show mercy towards Antonio. He ends it with We all expect a gentle answer, Jew! This shows how not just the Christians and merchants see him and Judaism, but also the authorities, as the Duke represents political views. They all doubt that a Jew could ever want revenge upon a Christian no matter what the situation is they expect Jews to be meek towards them and never retaliate. Shylock is defiant and is sure he will have his bond. Again, his religion is part of the argument because by our holy Sabbath have I sworn. He believes strongly that he is standing up for the Jews, for all the suffering they have gone through. A main factor that adds to the delicate situation is concerned with the law of Venice. Venice had a good reputation of strictly enforcing its laws, even against its citizens. The bond between Shylock and Antonio was a legal one, and if Venice were to spare Antonios life and destroy the bond Venices reputation would be severely damaged. The courtroom sees shylock as an unfeeling man, but Shylock refuses to be intimidated and he is persistent that he wants his bond. At one point, Bassanio offers Shylock six thousand ducats, twice the money Antonio was to pay back, but Shylocks determination is shown with his eply: If every ducat in six thousand ducats Were in six parts, and every part a ducat, I would not draw them; I would have my bond! Clearly, there is no way that Shylock will show mercy at this stage, but the Duke asks him How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none? This may seem quite ironic as the same question could be posed to Antonio, but when Shylock replies it is plain to see that Shylock does not think he is doing any wrong, and he demands a decision. The Duke is obviously in a difficult position because Shylock does have a bond and so he ca lls for Bellario, a learned doctor but instead, Balthazar (Portia in disguise) comes on his behalf. Through out the courtroom scene Antonios behaviour has been patient and he is ready to face death if he can goodbye to Bassanio. An example of his self-pity is when he speaks to Bassanio, his close friend, and says: I am a tainted wether of the flock, Meetest for death The build up of dramatic tension continues in the trial scene as Shylock wets his knife, preparing to cut the pound of flesh. This shows how sure Shylock is that he will get his bond and it also adds to the underlying current of tension as the courtroom await a decision. This action by Shylock makes him seem inhuman; he is happily anticipating the opportunity to murder someone. Elizabethan opinions on Jews would be satisfied, and it would seem that Shakespeares interpretation of a typical Jew was the same bloodthirsty image as the audiences. This is then stressed by Gratianos insults towards Shylock in which he calls him a damned, inexorable dog and he also states that he is almost tempted to abandon his faith in Christianity and believe the ideas of Pythagoras, who was a philosopher who taught the belief of reincarnation. Gratiano states that Shylock would become wolf after death, as his desires are wolfish, bloody, starved and ravenous. Yet none of this affects Shylock, who would have greatly irritated the Elizabethan audience. He meets his match however in Portia. Upon her entrance in the courtroom she quite ignorantly states, Then must the Jew be merciful. She, of course, has the same view on Jewish people as the rest of the courtroom and when Shylock demands why he must be merciful, she tells not only Shylock, although her words are addressed to him, but the whole courtroom, about mercy. This is the strongest plea of the trial scene and it is also very mportant because it shows that Portia is not just a beautiful woman, but an intelligent one too. She says that: The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath; it is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes She continues to use very strong pleas of how mercy is at it strongest when it is a quality shown by those in power, in this case Shylock. Shylock demands justice and so Balthazar points out to Shylock one of the key points in her speech: Therefore Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That in the course of justice none of us Should see salvation Balthazar tells Shylock that if we all received justice and no mercy none of us would go to Heaven as we all have sins- Jews and Christians. This is Shylocks last chance to show mercy, take the money and be done with the situation but he will not turn back. He is very stubborn and to his delight Balthazar grants him is bonds. Shylock rejoices and pronounces how wise Balthazar is. Unknown to Shylock is the extent of Balthazars wisdom, as she has led him into a written trap. Antonio and Bassanio say goodbye to each other as Antonio awaits his fate; he eems as though it really is the end for Antonio until Balthazar interrupts the proceedings: Tarry a little; there is something else: This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; The words expressly are a pound of flesh; Take then they bond, take thou thy pound of flesh, But in the cutting it, if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are (by the laws of Venice) confiscate Unto the state of Venice Suddenly, it is not Shylock who is shouting O learned judge! but Gratiano. Balthazar finds another technicality to stop Shylock from taking the pound of flesh as he must take exactly one pound of flesh, o more or less, if not he will be executed and all his goods confiscated. Shylock changes his mind at this point and decides he wants to take the money instead now that he knows of the consequences if he does take the bond. Bassanio is willing to give Shylock the three thousand ducats but Balthazar will not let Shylock have it, as he has refused it in the open court. Yet another law of Venice is brought to light and used against Shylock because, as he, an alien (not a citizen of Venice) has plotted to kill Antonio, a citizen, Antonio should be given half of his goods and the other half to the Duke. Antonio asks the Duke to waive the States share, and says he will hold his half-share in trust for Lorenzo and Jessica, provided that Shylock becomes a Christian and leaves his estate to Lorenzo and Jessica. Shylock accepts, claiming to be content and he leaves the courtroom a broken man. His behaviour now is completely different to the start of the scene. He has lost his power, his wealth and most importantly, his religious freedom. Throughout the play Shylock is isolated and alone. He only has one friend, who is Tubal and his only relative is Jessica, but when Jessica elopes, taking the money and family jewels, we see him taunted y Christians and tortured by Tubals news. He, as a Jew cannot be a merchant yet he is abused because he is a usurer, and he is forced to live in a Ghetto along with the other Jews, a place he does not want to live. Shakespeares use of language further alienates Shylock. Shakespeare wrote in Early Modern English and his vocabulary included 30000 words whereas today our vocabularies only run between 6000 and 15000 words. Shakespeare wrote the way he did for poetic and dramatic purposes, and he wrote in both prose (language without metrical structure and verse (poetry) and in The Merchant of Venice Shylock requently speaks in prose while the Christians use the iambic pentameter. Shylock also speaks a lot less than Portia and Bassanio because they use long, flourishing and descriptive ways of talking while Shylocks language is often blunt and he uses harsh words to describe things, such as his comparison of Antonio to a rat to be poisoned. Shylock has his own prose, and uses special Jewish vocabulary, which marks him as different and he constantly uses Hebrew names: Jacob, Abraham and Leah. However, there is more Christian language in The Merchant of Venice than in any other comedy, partly because of its story of the Jew. Shakespeare also makes Shylock very anti-Christian and he mocks the New Testament. (The audience would take this very personally). Another way in which the Christian language is shown is the relation between the story of Bassanio coming to Antonio for forgiveness and the parable of the prodigal son. The audience would pick up on these different kinds of language used, as they do sound different. It would also please the audience because lesser characters spoke in prose, and they would believe that Shakespeare too saw the Jews as an inferior race. But did he? Shylocks downfall would have been greatly welcomed by the ast majority of Elizabethan society but from a contemporary point of view, The Merchant of Venice can be seen as a cleverly written satire, which effectively criticizes the anti-Semitic views of his time. One of the ways in which Shakespeare accomplishes this critique is by emphasizing Shylocks character as a man rather than his identity as a Jew. What the play reveals is how some Christians are terrible men, as are some Jews. But the genius of The Merchant of Venice is that it allows us see past the surface of the religious identity that defines Shylock the Jew; beyond that Shakespeare allows s to glimpse Shylock the man who hates and bleeds as does any Christian. Shylock proclaims this when he asks, If you prick us, do we not bleed? Shakespeares genius gave the Elizabethan audience what they wanted but looking back we can see how this is very ironic and sarcastic in its tone towards anti-Semitism. This Jew is no longer a caricature and though he remains the villain, the evil is on more than one character. Shylock is a paradox because he is both the bloodthirsty, ravenous wolf Gratiano described him as and also the human victim of abuse that makes his revenge understandable. With this in mind, I doubt that a modern audience would be glad of Shylocks downfall. We would recoil from the hatred he expresses but we would sympathise once we hear of the way he is treated by Antonio. Yet in the courtroom scene these mitigating circumstances were ignored and so Shylock did not receive a fair trial by modern day standards. This adds to a contemporary audiences compassion towards Shylock and I think many people would find Shylocks punishment too harsh. Religious freedom is taken for granted by many in the western world and I also think that many people would want Antonio to be given some ind of punishment. We can see the man behind the murderer and although two wrongs dont make a right, Shylocks actions are understandable if we see him as a human being. So when can we call someone uneducated? In my opinion, a person with unjustified prejudices is educated, but with narrow-minded views. The most uneducated point of a persons life is when theyre a child; when they are first born. Elizabethan society fed their children these views and so we cannot blame Antonio directly. Shylock may have been a cut-throat usurer but he was not a dog and did not deserve to be spat at.

Simple Explanation What Is FAFSA

Simple Explanation What Is FAFSA SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you heard your high school counselor or other students reference the FAFSA, and you didn't know what they were talking about? What is FAFSA, and what do you have to know about it?Well, if you're hoping to get financial aid for college, then it's criticalthat you know about the FAFSA. In this article, I will explain what the FAFSA is, why it's important, and the information you need to fill it out. What Is the FAFSA? FAFSA is an acronym that stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Colleges and universities use this form to determine your eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs. Therefore, even though the FAFSA is technically the application for federal aid, you have to fill it out to receive state and college-sponsored financial aid as well. If you're hoping for any government or school financial aid for college, you should file a FAFSA. How does the FAFSA determine your eligibility for financial aid? The FAFSA is used by the US Department of Education to calculate your Expected Family Contribution, or EFC, for college. Your EFC is a dollar amount that reflects how much you can afford to pay for college for the following academic year. The lower your EFC, the more aid you're eligible to receive. Your EFC is determined based on income, assets, and other household information you'll be asked to provide on the FAFSA. What Information Is Required on the FAFSA? You can check out the FAFSA worksheet to see all of the information you need to properly fill out the FAFSA. Now, I'll explain the information you need to enter on the form. Citizenship Status/Alien Number You need to be a legal resident of the United States or a US citizen to submit a FAFSA. However, if you're an undocumented immigrant, you have other options to get financial aid for college. Dependency Status For FAFSA purposes, most of you will be considered dependents, meaning that you're under the care of your parents. All dependents have to answer questions about their parents on the FAFSA. Due to varying family situations, this is the FAFSA definition of a "parent" for the purposes of filling out this form: "Parent" refers to a biological or adoptive parent or a person determined by the state to be a parent (for example, if the parent is listed on the birth certificate). Grandparents, foster parents, legal guardians, older siblings, and uncles or aunts are not considered parents on the FAFSA unless they have legally adopted you. If your legal parents are living and married to each other, answer the questions on the FAFSA about both of them. If your legal parents are not married and live together, answer the questions about both of them. In case of divorce or separation, give information about the parent you lived with most in the last 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, give information about the parent who provided you the most financial support during the last 12 months or during the most recent year you received support. If your divorced or widowed parent has remarried, also provide information about your stepparent. Financial Information Dependents have to report information from their parents, including their parents' previous year's adjusted gross income, government aid, untaxed income, and any other financial benefits. Your parents may be able to use the IRS Retrieval Tool to transfer their tax return information to your online FAFSA. Also, you have to report any financial benefits you received in the previous year, even if you're a dependent. What Happens After You File Your FAFSA? Student Aid Report After you file your FAFSA, if you provide a valid e-mail address, you'll receive your Student Aid Report, or SAR, in 3-5 days. Without a valid e-mail address, you'll receive your SAR via mail in 7-10 days. Your SAR will have a summary of the information you submitted on your FAFSA along with your EFC. Remember that your EFC does not determine the amount of aid you will receive from colleges; it determines the amount of aid you're eligible to receive. The EFC that displays on your SAR is a calculation based on the information you provided on your FAFSA. If there are any errors in your SAR, you can correct the information online. If your application is incomplete, your SAR will not include an EFC, but it will display text that specifies any issues that need to be resolved. In this situation, you'll also be able to complete your FAFSA online. Financial Aid Award Letters The colleges you list on your FAFSA will have access to your information electronically one day after it's processed. Colleges will use the information from your FAFSA to help determine what financial aid they offer you. Shortly after you receive your college acceptances, or even with college acceptance letters, you'll receive financialaid award letters from the colleges that accepted you. However, if you apply early decision or early action, you may have to wait until those who applied for regular decision receive their acceptance notices to get your financial aid award letter. The financial aid award letter outlines your financial aid package, including the amount of aid you'll be offered in grants, government loans, and scholarships. Subtract the amount of financial aid you're offered from the cost of attendance, and you can determine your out-of-pocket expenses for the upcoming academic year. Typically, you'll receive your aid award letters in March or April and have to commit to a college by May 1. Is the FAFSA Required? The FAFSA is only required if you want to be eligible for federal financial aid. Remember that most states and colleges also require the FAFSA to receive state or college-sponsored aid. If you or your parents can afford to pay the full cost of attendance to the colleges you apply to, then you don't have to file a FAFSA. If, based on your EFC, colleges determine that you can afford to pay the full cost of attending, you're unlikely to receive any need-based aid, even if you do file a FAFSA. Also, if you have received a scholarship that makes additional financial aid unnecessary, then you don't have to file a FAFSA. Keep in mind that regardless of whether or not you file a FAFSA, you or your parents can still take out loans to cover your college costs. What's Next? You need to submit a FAFSA to be eligible for valuable financial aid like the Pell Grant and work-study programs. Now that you understand the importance of the FAFSA, learn about how much college really costs. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Lobour Market Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Lobour Market Policy - Essay Example The understanding of "labor market" or more appropriately, "labor markets" involves the study of the dynamics of the market vis--vis the demand and supply of various kinds of labor. A 'labor market' may be defined as the number of people employed plus the number of unemployed but seeking work. The supply of labor depends upon variables such as natural population growth, new entrants, immigrants, retirements, increased female participation, de-industrialization, skills shortage and surpluses, education and training, flexibility, and wage determination. The 'level of employment' is the proportion of such employed in the total labor market. The levels of supply and demand in the 'labor market', just as in 'markets' for any other goods depend on the availability of work, the availability of labor and their skill compatibility. However the main difference between the two is the function of supply and demand in setting the price and quantity. Whereas in the case of goods, increases in prices result in increased production for the demand to be satisfied, this does not happen in the case of labor for there are limitations of time available for labor and increased wages may result in less supply of labor as workers may tend to utilize increased earnings to indulge in leisure activities. Some economists believe that the laws of supply and demand apply more to certain segments of the markets only where workers change job types corresponding to changing wage rates.Segmenting labor markets The 'agency theory' of labor management purports that the principals (owners or managers) have to develop ways to monitor and control the activities of their agents (staff); that the principals may have problems in ensuring that work is carried out according to instructions and that therefore it is necessary to clear up ambiguities by setting objectives and monitoring performance. (Armstrong 2003, p. 281). However Armstrong suggests that the theory "looks at the employment relationship purely from management's point of view and regards employees as objects to be motivated by the carrot and stick." He calls it a "dismal theory, which suggests that people cannot be trusted." (Armstrong 1996, cited in 2003, p.281). The neoclassical theory of labor markets assumes that firms aim to maximize their profits with minimal costs; the number of buyers (firms) and sellers (workers) is high; there is no collective bargaining that there is no monopsony of power (exploitation of labor because of large supply and low demand) and that the firm is a wage taker. In a perfect world, with no bargaining forums like trade unions, labor markets may be 'competitive'. This means that the workers and employers have information about each other and that there are no transaction costs. On the other hand, job search, training and the need to gain experience to switch jobs are variables that determine supply and demand in a normal labor market. However the glaring lacuna of this theory is that it assumes that labor is homogeneous which means that all workers turn out equal amount of work and that there are no differences in skills and experience of workers. This is demonstrated by the study of Hipple and Stewart (1996), w hich highlights the wide variations in the

The Impact of Political Institutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Impact of Political Institutions - Essay Example The Scottish Parliament is composed of 129 members of Parliament (MPs), directly elected by Scottish voters, who make laws regarding domestic issues such as crime and justice, education, health, agriculture, environment, transport, economic development and local government (Calman Commission, 2009, p.4). The Parliament at Westminster, with 59 Scottish MPs, makes laws regarding security, foreign affairs and social security (Calman Commission, 2009, p.4). The Scottish Executive is then in charge of enforcing these laws. Whereas the Scottish Parliament benefits financially from the central government’s money, it has no real power over its taxes. Scotland receives 60% of its spending from the British tax income (Calman Commission, 2009, p.4). However, with regard to economic independence, Scotland is allowed to vary the basic income tax by up to 3 pence in the pound taxed (Calman Commission, 2009, p.4). Thus, though politically independent, Scottish Treasury has no economic independence from the rest of the UK. This dependence is historical. Scotland has always had economic ties to the rest of the country, but has constitutionally been independent (Calman Commission, 2009, p.5 - 6). Due to the 1707 Act of Union, Scotland was allowed to retain its own judicial and educational system. However, economy and legislature, as well as the executive branches became subject to the Parliament at Westminster (Raco, 2003, p.80). The devolution of power is only a symmetrical copy of the historical structure of the UK before 1707. The US has a federalist system, unlike the UK. The UK is still an overwhelmingly unitary nation - state, where the central government controls everything (Vile, 2007, p.3). The US has a federalist system with separation of power between the judiciary, legislative and executive branches (Vile, 2007, p.3). Unlike the British system of central government, the US

Defining Corruption in Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Defining Corruption in Society - Essay Example o government intervention where they are not needed, in turn significantly affecting their ability to pursue policies where they are needed most, such as in safety and health regulation, environmental regulation, contract enforcement, or macroeconomic stabilization. In moral and philosophical discourse, corruption is considered as the misuse and abuse of position or power bestowed on an individual for their personal gain. Such corrupt actions may take the form of bribery, theft of state assets, bureaucratic/political corruption, or systematic and isolated corruption (Clausen et al, 2011: p220). While nepotism, favoritism, and cronyism are also considered acts of corruption in this discourse, the family-based nature of specific societies, especially in Asia, means that these acts are more acceptable. Niehaus and Sukhtankar (2013: p245) write that corruption, which in this case means political corruption, is the use of public position and power illegitimately to accrue positive private gains. Another economically-inclined definition identifies corruption as actions that secretly provide services or products to third parties in order for them to influence their actions to their benefit, that of the third party, or even both and where this individual has authority. Legally, the definition of corruption is an activity that involves the abuse of power within legal confines, especially since those with authority and power are in a position to pursue laws and policies for their protection. Corruption as a concept covers a wide array of human actions. Thus, in order to comprehend how corruption may impact on socio-economic and socio-political systems, deconstruction of the term to identify particular transactions and activities that could be corrupt is important (Niehaus & Sukhtankar, 20 13: p245). Essentially, corruption involves the misuse or abuse of public power and office for private gain.