Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Importance of Self Knowledge and Forgiveness in King Lear...

The importance of self-knowledge and forgiveness is strikingly obvious in the play King Lear. If we accept that the two characters most lacking in self-knowledge are Lear and Gloucester, we can examine how the importance of this quality for them is shown in the play. Whilst these two characters lack self-knowledge, the world around them quickly deteriorates. As a result of their lack of insight, evil is given space to breed and take over, and Lear and Gloucester are forced to suffer as â€Å"love cools, friendship falls off and cities divide.† Due to Lear’s palpable mistake in measuring the love of his daughters, he banishes the only child who truly loves him and seals his fate for the remainder of the play. Likewise, Gloucester is deceived by†¦show more content†¦While exposed to the wind and rain, Lear realises the thunder will not â€Å"peace at my bidding†, and therefore realises he is not divine. Out on the heath, â€Å"bareheaded†, he cannot hide from his emotions and his mind. Indeed, his great mind begins to break as he contemplate s his daughters’ â€Å"ingratitude†, the hypocrisy of state and justice, and the suffering of others. It is only when he finally realises his culpability in all of this that he turns the corner to self-knowledge. However, this change does not come easily. The storm scene is one of the most striking scenes in the entire play. The audience can only watch in awe as the once imposing Lear madly rages against the storm, demanding it to â€Å"crack nature’s moulds† and spill all seeds â€Å"that make ingrateful man!† The image of Lear shouting up at the skies, willing them to destroy mankind is unforgettable. As Lear journeys through the violent storm, he also journeys through his own deep despair. The storm is the physical representation of Lear’s suffering, and so its intensity shows the absolute necessity of self-knowledge for Lear. It is only as he gains this knowledge that the storm subsides and Lear can seek shelter in the haven, and also seek shelter from his own turmoil. The change that overcomes Lear is striking. Armed with a new self-knowledge and understanding, he shows compassion forShow MoreRelatedThe Tuesdays With Morrie And King Lear2092 Words   |  9 P agesIt takes countless decades and mistakes to acquire enough experience, knowledge, and good judgement to be considered a wise individual – a person everyone looks up to, and asks for advice. Wisdom is understanding and seeing the truth in life. It is the capability to recognize the aspects of life that are truly important and distinguishing them from the aspects that are essentially useless. Many authors incorporate one or more characters within their novels that possess the characteristics of a wiseRead MoreGloucester and Lears Realizations of the Importances in Life1158 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s King Lear, Gloucester and Lear both experience similar situations in which their children cause them to suffer greatly: The former suffers from blindness and the latter slips from reality into a state of madness. It is not until Act 4, scene 6 that they come to the realization of the importances in life; such as true love for and from a child. Gloucester is convin ced by his illegitimate son Edmund that his legitimate son Edgar cannot be trusted, resulting in the banishment of Edgar. King LearRead MoreComparing Shakespeares King Lear with Mitch Alboms Tuesdays with Morrie1066 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeares King Lear versus Tuesdays with Morrie William Shakespeares King Lear is a tragedy of a king who is unable to comprehend the truth of the human condition until he is stripped of his kingdom, family, and the basic components of human dignity. At the end of his existence, even the one person who he loved, his daughter Cordelia, is taken away. Similarly, Morrie Schwartz in the popular nonfiction book Tuesdays with Morrie does not fully come to terms with himself and what is valuable inRead MoreEssay on Lessons in King Lear by William Shakespeare3489 Words   |  14 PagesLessons in King Lear by William Shakespeare Satisfying, hopeful, and redemptive: some critics would say that these adjectives belong nowhere near a description of King Lear. One critic, Thomas Roche, even states that the play’s ending is â€Å"as bleak and unrewarding as man can reach outside the gates of hell† (164). Certainly, Roche’s pessimistic interpretation has merit; after all, Lear has seen nearly everyone he once cared for die before dying himself. Although this aspect of the play is trueRead MoreIs King Lear Nihilistic or Hopeful?3440 Words   |  14 PagesIs King Lear nihilistic or hopeful? Satisfying, hopeful, and redemptive: some critics would say that these adjectives belong nowhere near a description of King Lear.  Ã‚  One critic, Thomas Roche, even states that the play’s ending is â€Å"as bleak and unrewarding as man can reach outside the gates of hell† (164). Certainly, Roche’s pessimistic interpretation has merit; after all, Lear has seen nearly everyone he once cared for die before dying himself.  Ã‚  Although this aspect of the play is true, agreeingRead MoreEssay on A Thousand Acres Dialectical Journal3935 Words   |  16 PagesSimmy Shah Quotes | Commentary | â€Å"When I think of them now, I think of how they probably seen nearly as little world as I had by that time† (5). | This quote displays the importance of the first person point of view in this novel. The unique perspective from Ginny not only allows the reader to view the events from her own angle, but it also allows the readers to understand her personality. In addition, this quote describes the tragedy of the farmer’s life: no new possibilities of adventureRead MoreFemale Sexuality in Shakespeare4830 Words   |  20 PagesQuestion Compare and contrast the representation of female sexuality in Cymbeline, the Sonnets, and one of the plays: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Richard II, Hamlet, Antony and Cleopatra, Measure for Measure or King Lear.       Both Cymbeline and A Midsummer Night’s Dream  (AMND)  are both set in a patriarchal environment where both genders grapple for control. Valerie Traub defines the distinction between gender sex and gender behavior as â€Å"Sex refers to the . . . biological distinctions between

Monday, December 9, 2019

Gambling Essay Research Paper Gambling to bet free essay sample

Gambling Essay, Research Paper Gambling, to wager money on the result of a game, competition, or other event. To take arisk in the hope of deriving an advantage ; speculate. Gambling has many advantages as wellas disadvantages. Children will be neglected and offense rates will increase. Nevertheless, assistance in cutting the island # 8217 ; s budget shortage and dropping the unemployment rate are merely someof the illustrations that we can profit from chancing. Should Casino chancing be legalized? That is the inquiry that the people are pondering. ? ? ? ? There are many of import grounds for opposing gaming because of its terrible socialconsequences which ravage society. Gambling can acquire habit-forming and hurt peoplefinancially, emotionally, and yes, even physically. Peoples will chance away everything theyhave and everything they can acquire their custodies on. When addicted gamblers no longer havemoney, they would make anything and everything they could to acquire money so they couldcontinue chancing. Sell ing their autos, wagering their houses and in history when gamblersdid non hold ownerships or belongingss, they would even wager their married womans. We will write a custom essay sample on Gambling Essay Research Paper Gambling to bet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Gambling mayalso addition the offense rate, which would be another disbursal for the authorities. Thesour truth does non stop here. Gamblers would pretermit their kids, go forthing them at homestarving without an grownup go toing to them. ? ? ? ? In the ten percent commandment, God condemns the desire for that which belongs to anotherperson, whether people or things. Jesus asked, # 8220 ; For what is a adult male profited, if he shall gainthe whole universe, and lose his ain psyche? # 8221 ; ? Gamblers are people who are non content withwhat they have and who are determined to acquire what they do non hold. The greatesttragedy is that those who gamble are frequently seeking to acquire the money that belonged to thosewho could least afford to lose it. Whatever person wins through chancing is won at the cost of someone else’s loss. Any advancement that takes place at the expense of another iswrong. Every time a gambler reads about someone that has killed himself because of gamblinglosses, or that a family has been destroyed because of gambling losses, that gambler shouldunderstand that he participated in that tragedy, and that any money he has won throughgambling may very well have been money lost by that person whose life became a terribletragedy. Looking at gambling at a different perspective. Everybody knows by now that ourgovernment’s budget is like a â€Å"waterloo.† The only thing flourishing is our unemploymentrate, that’s bursting off the charts. Many unemployed citizens can’t even afford to eat,therefore, they seek aid through our government via food stamps. Our tourism hasdiminished. With an expected increase in the population by the year 2000, the government mightwant to legalize gambling. This would increase our tourism, drop the unemployment rate,and decrease the government’s budget deficit. After conducting a few interviews withtourists, my numbers showed that legalizing gambling would increase our tourismindustry. Three out of every five tourists interviewed would love to engage in gamblingwhile on vacation. The government may also use gambling as another means of income. The governmentcould lay a high gaming tax. Legalizing gambling would give many job opportunities forthe citizens, therefore, lowering the unemployment rate. In lowering the unemploymentrate citizens will not need financial aid from the government for food, thus decreasing foodstamp recipients. Gambling could also decrease the crime rate. With the revenue that thegovernment can attain from this gaming phenomenon, we will be able to afford? recruitingmore police officers. Legalizing gambling can help revitalize our state

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Limited Omnipotence in Dr. Faustus free essay sample

When an audience looks at Christopher Marlowe as a writer in Doctor Faustus, they might believe the play is a discussion on religion. The discussion in Faustus is the decision of what to believe in, whether it may be a polytheistic or monotheistic religion. Dr. Faustus represents mans discontent with being human and the struggle of accepting the lack of omnipotence and omniscience. In Faustus, he is repeatedly questioned on his belief in his knowledge of magic, good, and evil. Faustus wants all this power and ability but to achieve this he must have knowledge in the power or religion. However, Faustus’s downfall is not his power but his knowledge in the power he possesses which is in the end limited. As one can see in Stephen Orgel’s Essay Magic and Power in Doctor Faustus, Orgel points out that Faustus did not really bargain much in his deal with the devil and he really did not know what to ask for in the end. We will write a custom essay sample on The Limited Omnipotence in Dr. Faustus or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page He has all this great knowledge but he is not ambitious enough to really embrace the power he has just been given. In this brilliant play by Marlowe, he challenges the audience to look within and choose whether having great knowledge leads to a fulfilling destiny. In the beginning of the play, the audience finds Faustus in his study, going over logic, medicine, law, religion, and magic. In the play, he only studies these subjects half way thinking he understands what he is reading by receiving all the knowledge but not really grasping the whole picture. For example, when looking at religion Faustus reads in the Bible from Romans 6:23 â€Å"The wages of sin is Death†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Faustus stops in the middle of the verse and concludes that when we sin we must die an everlasting death. However the rest of the verse goes â€Å" †¦but the gift of God is eternal life,† Faustus knows that studying leads to knowledge of the truth, but if he only concludes on only half of the subject knowledge is nothing because of the truth he wants to believe. Faustus’ narrow-minded conception is his great downfall. As Orgel puts it, â€Å"Faustus himself is a hero and a clown because he has unbounded ambition and an insufficient imagination. † Faustus insufficient imagination is shown when he dives into magic. Magic deals with the body, the intellect, and the infatuation on material things; which is a retreat from reality and responsibility. This power has no rules it is a free will power to do whatever, whenever. Faustus’ greed for power to live in an indulgent life leads him astray to make the pact with the devil. When summoning Mephistopheles he expresses his desire to live a fulfilled life, to be the emperor of the world, to control nature and to obtain the full knowledge of the universe. Orgel states, â€Å"The fantasies of unlimited power are consistently scaled down in the play; until they finally seem to represent something that really ought to be obtainable do you have to make a pact with the devil just to get a decent job or someone to go to bed with? Orgel has a point because the unlimited power ends up having so many rules and regulations to follow. Faustus initial instincts in the beginning of the play when presented with the dark magic power are altruistic. Before Faustus makes his deal, he proclaims â€Å"I’ll have them wall all Germany with brass, / And make swift the Rhine, circle faire Wittenberg. / I’ll have them fill the public schools with silk,/ Wherewith the students shall be bravely clad. / I’ll levy soldiers with the coin they bring,/And chase the Prince of Parma from our land,/ And rein sole king of all the provinces. The promise of restoration for the people of Germany, for the reclaiming of his homeland from an emperors and the church’s rule are all empty promises. Everyone one time or another wanted to do something great for someone else but it turns out to be something very different, which leads to a big disaster. Faustus has all great intentions however; his selfless ambitions eventually become selfish for his own personal enjoyments. One of Faustus’ ambitions is to become emperor freeing the people from the reign of Prince Parma. A heroic gesture at first until Faustus decides he does not want to be the emperor but be the emperor’s entertainer. After saving making a big fool of the pope and saving Bruno, the emperors pick for the next pope, Faustus’ uses this gesture as an inside invitation to get close to the emperor. Does he forget the power he has because he could be emperor in a blink of an eye then everyone would want to be on â€Å"Great Faustus† good side? However, Faustus uses his power for entertainment by conjuring the spirits of past great emperors like Alexander the Great, and the great emperor Darius. This allusion almost put the emperor into frenzy because he looks up to these great emperors. Faustus also plays a trick on Benvloio because he was in disbelief of Faustus’ magic. The emperor’s court believes that Faustus is doing all theses trick by himself but Mephistopheles is really the one doing all of these magical things according to Faustus desire. Because Faustus gave his soul to the devil, Mephistopheles does not care what Faustus does because after his contract is up, Faustus souls is Mephistopheles. Faustus greatest desire is not ruling the world its revenge, and sexual subversion from religion. Faustus eventually wants a wife but Mephistopheles will not allow that because marriage is a sacred (godly) thing. This is just one example of how Mephistopheles led Faustus astray from the real power and truth. Mephistopheles substitute for Faustus desire for a wife is a promise to bring a new girl everyday only for Faustus sexual pleasure. However, Faustus does not settle with a real women but a figure of a women. The figure of a woman meant a mere image that cannot be touched or loved just some image to admire. In Faustus final hours he requests to see Helen of Troy but he cannot touch her at all because she is a spirit in figure. If Faustus were smart, he would not let this rule stand in the way because he believes to have power over Mephistopheles so if Faustus wants Helen of Troy to sleep with he gets it. The audience can see Faustus ambitions being twisted to more ambitions that are not committed to a particular thing; he wants to fly, to go to Rome, to be invisible, to humiliate the pope, to be mischievous without consequences. Eventually all Faustus wants is to study the knowledge of the universe which Mephistopheles brings him all the books in the entire world to study. Faustus has a lack of imagination but maybe it is not imagination but his scholarly lack of originality. In the end does Faustus make a great bargain with the devil was it a waste of twenty-four years? Audiences can agree that Faustus becomes immature with his power so his bargain seems to be a waste of time. If it is true that, doctrinally, Faustus cannot repent, it is a doctrine that Faustus is either unaware of or denies. What he says, several times, is that he is afraid to repent, afraid that the devils will tear him to pieces if he does-as if this were worse than, or different from, being carried off to hell . In the final moment of frustration, seeing Christ’s blood stream in the firmament and convinced that ‘One drop would save my soul,’ Faustus calls out ‘I will leap up to my God: who pulls me down? The play is in this respect much more a temptation than a warning We see that we could do it better, make bargain and get away with it, have the world and have repentance too. The greatest danger is not damnation, its human envy. For all the play’ talks of power, its principle theme is survival.