Study On Shakespeare Richard II Drama Essay

Study On Shakespeare Richard II Drama Essay The opening scene of Richard II is illuminating on several counts. On the one hand, Richard II, as king, appears to be acting out in full, his role as supreme arbiter of the land, by presiding over an appeal for treason. This medieval trial requires the presence of the king as both ruler and immediate dispenser of justice. On the other hand, as the scene unfolds, we gradually learn that what is being undermined is not simply the respective reputations of the rival nobles, Bolingbroke and Mowbray, but the very claims of the king himself to his Divine Right to rule. We learn that what they are fighting about is the murder of Thomas of Woodstock, Richard IIs uncle. Bolingbroke appears to know that Richard had secretly ordered Woodstocks death. Obviously, it is impossible for Bolingbroke to accuse Richard directly of his own crime. Nevertheless, his solution, amounts to a thinly-veiled accusation: he accuses Mowbray of murdering Woodstock while under his custody knowing full well that Mowbray himself was carrying out Richards instructions. Meanwhile, for the same reason, Mowbray cannot publicly name the guilty man and resorts to a perfectly traditional game of returning Bolingbrokes insults and accusations. The otherwise perfectly conventional solution proposed by the king, a joust, is as much deployed in defense of his royal power, as presented as an honorable solution for noblemen. At the very moment when the king appears to be at his most powerful, we can already discern how precarious this hold on power really is and on what it rests: a conflation of political and divinely ordained authority. The implication of the concept of the Divine Rights of Kings is that any challenge to royal power is unthinkable because it is not merely treason, as viewed in other cultures, but also tantamount to blasphemy. This becomes clear in scene 3 when Richard realizes that he may soon lose his crown. Richard refuses to acknowledge that royal power relies on human, rather than divine intervention: Not all the water in the rough rude sea Can wash the balm from an anointed king. The breath of worldly men cannot depose The deputy elected by the Lord. (3.2 50-53) The notion that the ceremonial anointment of the king is divinely ordained and cannot be outdone is acted out in its full pathos when Richard II literally uncrowns himself in Act 4 in a bizarre mirror-ceremony. On the face of it, Henry V as a character could not be more different from Richard II. Unlike Richard who merely ignores his subjects and provokes their rebellion through unwise policies, Henry is much more charismatic and popular, while at the same time, politically much more astute. Through a combination of eloquence and bravery he is able to inspire and unite his kingdom against an external enemy in a way that Richard could only have dreamt of. Henrys political skills are most in evidence in 2.2 when he plays a rather Machiavellian trick on the plotters Cambridge, Grey and Scrope. Henry asks their opinion on whether he should be lenient to traitors. Having received the expected, hypocritical responses, Henry pretends to hand them their written military commissions to be carried out as his faithful subjects. In fact, they are letters informing them that Henry knows of their plot. They are promptly arrested. This is far from being an isolated instance of Henrys cunning side. During a pause in the battle in 4.1, he disguises himself as a common soldier and mixes with his infantry, engaging them in conversation. Their talk centers on the respective roles of king and subject. Henry maintains that despite the apparent gulf, the king is fundamentally the same as the common man: I think the King is but a man, as I am. The violet smells to him as it doth to me; the element shows to him as it doth to meHis ceremonies laid by, in his nakedness he appears but a man, and though his affections are higher mounted than ours, yet when they stoop, they stoop with the like wing. (4.1.99-104) Yet a few lines later, he contradicts himself by countering Williams and Bates (the common soldiers) argument that the king also has greater moral responsibility that comes with power. Henry repudiates his earlier assertion of shared humanity by asserting his special position as king: Twin-born with greatness: subject to the breath Of every fool, whose sense no more can feel But his own wringing. What infinite heartsease Must kings neglect that private men enjoy? (4.1, 216-219) The implication is that because of his divinely ordained kingship, Henrys actions cannot be held to account and scrutinized on the same level as commoners. Henry wants to maintain a problematic and dubious distinction between his own kingly violence and the violence of common men, which is merely criminal. It becomes clear that Henry not only likes power games, but wants to write the rules of the game too. This becomes apparent later, when he pardons Williamss (unintentional) challenge to himself as the king. This scene is then deployed to illustrate royal magnanimity. To these examples can be added Henrys wooing of Catherine in 5.2. Whether or not Catherine is won over is frankly irrelevant because in fact, the French King had already, in scene 3, offered Catherine to Henry before his invasion of France. The wooing scene is thus, strictly, superfluous. Back to: Example Essays Conclusion We have seen how in both plays, the notion of the Divine Rights of Kings is mobilized to defend and extend royal prerogatives. In Richard II, Bolingbrokes rebellion is portrayed as inherently unnatural because it is both treacherous and blasphemous. Yet it is plain how ineffective a monarch Richard is. In Henry V, royal power is likewise portrayed as god-given but as we have seen it deployed we are forced to confront the gulf between virtuous kingship and successful statecraft based on the Machiavellian model. Both plays raise the question that what makes someone an effective king may be very far removed from what makes a morally admirable one. Bibliography: King Henry V Arden Shakespeare, 1995 Richard II Arden Shakespeare, 2002 Hamilton, Donna, The State of Law in Richard II Shakespeare Quarterly 34 (1983): 5-17 Greenblatt, Stephen, Invisible Bullets: Renaissance Authority and its Subversion, Henry IV and Henry V. Political Shakespeare: New Essays in Cultural Materialism. Ed Jonathan Dollimore and Alan Sinfield. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1985.

Resolving Personal Conflicts Through Assertive Communication Essay

Introduction â€Å"Conflict is a problematic situation that occurs between interdependent people who seek different goals or means to those goals (Cahn & Abigail, 2014).† Perceived differences can affect the relationship adversely if not addressed and is one of the characteristics of conflict. A sense of urgency about the need to resolve the differences are is another characteristics of conflict. While conflict occurs in many places – the workplace, between friends, parents and children, etc., one of the most difficult areas for conflict to occur is in a romantic relationship. Not resolving the conflict can cause resentment and a dampening of the feelings towards one another, and the urgency to resolve the differences is palpable. I have shared the last five years of my life with a friend and former boyfriend, Rob, living in a 40 foot boat. Living in these cramped quarters with someone that you love and get along famously with would be difficult, but living with someone that causes daily conflicts is next to impossible. Rob has been married twice and had been divorced for 13 years when I met him. His general attitude towards relationships is that if you do not like what he does, â€Å"you know where the door is.† I was told this several times during my first year with him. But I thought the good outweighed the bad. I was a full time boater myself, traveling in an older boat before I met Rob and I loved the lifestyle. Traveling with someone else and sharing the expenses made it possible for you to go many more places than you could traveling alone. Dating a man that had some truly good qualities – love and compassion for animals, good sense of humor, enjoying the boating lifestyle as well , love of family - and living in a ... ...at, my situation Rob was resolved by my taking assertive communication steps and requesting that he seek counseling to help deal with his misperceptions about women. I now know about Relational Transgressions, Forgiveness and Reconciliation. But those can only occur between two people willing to work things out. He refused and I moved out. And life is much, much better outside of an atmosphere of constant conflict. Works Cited Cahn, D. D., & Abigail, R. A. (2014).Managing conflict through communication(5th ed.). Boston: Pearson. O’Connor, A. (2009). Lee Marvin’s partner gave the world ‘palimony’. The Age/World. Retrieved from http://www.theage.com.au Tavris, C., & Aaronson, E. (2007). Mistakes were made (but not by me): Why we justify foolish beliefs, bad decisions, and hurtful acts. New York: Harcourt.

My Future Job Essay

Do you like the thrill of working in the hospital’s emergency department? Maybe you prefer the calmer and less stressful settings of a medical clinic. One thing we all must choose upon graduating is the work place we would like to see ourselves in. For me, I would like to work in a medical clinic or doctor’s office. I prefer the 8 to 5 schedule that you see in an office setting as to the crazy hours hospitals keep. As a working mom, this will benefit not only me, but also my children. Because I have a remarkably relaxed personality, I would work better in a medical office. I do not work well under extreme pressures. Do not get me wrong, I realize that even in a doctor’s office, things can get hectic at times; but, even on the worst of days in an office is still not as stressful as working in a hospital. Having a set schedule with no working holidays or weekends is much more favorable to me as I will be a working mom with two small children. This schedule will allow me to spend quality family time with my children and provide income to care for them. I will have the chance to help with homework and still be able to be there for significant events such as sporting events or spelling bees. Another way that this schedule will help me is that, on holidays and weekends, I will not have to struggle to find a babysitter or put my children in daycare. This in turn, will save me money. Another reason that I would prefer the medical office setting is the fact that I will get the chance to know each of the patients. I am truly a people person; I would rather get to know someone rather than rush around them. In an office setting, I will have the opportunity to spend more time with the each of the patients and get a feel for who they are, and better ways to help them. Knowing the patients is a momentous challenge that is worth all the rewards it brings. I have seen a myriad of patients switch providers for  the fact that the doctors, nurses and staff seem uncaring. When you get to know the person and are able to empathize with them, you not only establish better care for what the patient needs but also gain the trust and respect of the patient. As I see it, these are the only reasons I need, to recognize exactly where I see myself working. Having a job that meshes well with my personality is indispensable to me. I want to wake up each morning and not be able to wait to go to work. The financial stability, while still being able to watch and help my children grow is priceless to me. There is nothing more valuable than being able to be there to support your children in all that they do; having a job that allows me to be there is the only kind for me. Plus add in the benefits of getting to know another unique human being on a daily basis, and helping them prosper, makes working in a medical office the perfect job for me.

The Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground Laws

The Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground Laws Recent events involving the use of deadly force by private individuals have brought the so-called Castle Doctrine and stand your ground laws under intense public scrutiny. Both based on the universally acknowledged right of self-defense, what are these increasingly controversial legal principles?   Stand your ground laws allow people who believe they face a reasonable threat of death of great bodily harm to meet force with force rather than retreat from their attacker. Similarly, Castle Doctrine laws allow persons who are being attacked while in their homes to use force- including deadly force- in self-defense, often without the need to retreat.   Currently, more than half of the states in the U.S. have some forms of Castle Doctrine or stand your ground laws.   Castle Doctrine Theory The Castle Doctrine originated as a  theory of early common law, meaning it was a universally accepted natural right of self-defense rather than a formally written law. Under its common law interpretation, the Castle Doctrine gives people the right to use deadly force to defend their home, but only after having used every reasonable means to avoid doing so and trying to retreat safely from their attacker.   While some states still apply the common law interpretation, most states have enacted written, statutory versions of Castle Doctrine laws specifically spelling out what is required or expected of persons before resorting to the use of deadly force. Under such Castle Doctrine laws, defendants facing  criminal charges who successfully prove they acted in self-defense according to the law may be fully cleared of any wrongdoing.  Ã‚   Castle Doctrine Laws in Court   In actual legal practice, formal state Castle Doctrine laws limit where, when, and who can legally use deadly force. As in all cases involving self-defense, defendants must prove their actions were justified under the law. The burden of proof is on the defendant.   Even though the Castle Doctrine statutes differ by state, many states utilize the same basic requirements for a successful Castle Doctrine defense. The four typical elements of a successful Castle Doctrine defense are:   The defendant must have been inside his or her home when attacked and the building must be the defendants regular place of residence. Attempts to apply the Castle Doctrine to defend the use of deadly force during attacks that happen in the defendants yard or lot, but outside the home, typically fail.  There must have been an actual attempt to illegally enter the defendants home. Merely standing threateningly at the door or on the lawn will not qualify. In addition, the Castle Doctrine does not apply if the defendant had allowed the victim into the home, but decided to force them to leave.In most states, the use of deadly force must have been reasonable under the circumstances. Typically, defendants who are unable to prove they were in actual danger of physical injury will not be allowed to claim defense under a Castle Doctrine law.Some states still apply the common law Castle Doctrine edict that defendants have some level of duty to retreat or avoid the confrontation before using d eadly force. Most state castle laws no longer require defendants to flee from their homes before using deadly force.   In addition, persons claiming the Castle Doctrine as a defense cannot have started or have been the aggressor in the confrontation that resulted in the charges against them.   The Castle Doctrine Duty to Retreat   By far the most-often  challenged element of the Castle Doctrine is the defendants duty to retreat from the intruder. While the older common law interpretations required defendants to have made some effort to retreat from their attacker or avoid the conflict, most state laws no longer impose a duty to retreat. In these states, defendants are not required to have fled from their home or to another area of their home before using deadly force.   At least 17 states impose some form of duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense. Since the states remain split on the issue, attorneys advise that persons should fully understand the Castle Doctrine and duty to retreat laws in their state.   Stand Your Ground Laws State-enacted stand your ground laws- sometimes called no duty to retreat laws- are often used as an allowable defense in criminal cases involving the use of deadly force by defendants who literally stood their ground, rather than retreating, in order to defend themselves and others against actual or reasonably perceived threats of bodily harm. In general, under stand your ground laws, private individuals who are in any place they have a lawful right to be at the time may be justified in using any level of force whenever they reasonably believe they face an imminent and immediate threat of great bodily injury or death.   Persons who were engaged in illegal activities, such as drug deals or robberies, at the time of the confrontation are typically not entitled to the protections of stand your ground laws.   In essence, stand your ground laws effectively extend the protections of the Castle Doctrine from the home to any place a person has a legal right to be. Currently, 28 states have legislatively enacted stand your ground laws. Another eight states apply the legal principles of stand your ground laws though courtroom practices, such as citation of past case law as precedent and judges instructions to juries.   Stand Your Ground Law Controversy   Critics of stand your ground laws, including  many gun control advocacy groups, often call them â€Å"shoot first† or â€Å"get away with murder† laws that make it difficult to prosecute people who shoot others claiming they acted in self-defense. They argue that in many cases the only eyewitness to the incident who could have testified against the defendants claim of self-defense is dead.Prior to passage of Floridas stand your ground law, Miami police chief John F. Timoney called the law dangerous and unnecessary. Whether its trick-or-treaters or kids playing in the yard of someone who doesnt want them there or some drunk guy stumbling into the wrong house, youre encouraging people to possibly use deadly physical force where it shouldnt be used, he said.   The Trayvon Martin Shooting The fatal shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in February 2012, brought â€Å"stand your ground† laws squarely into the public spotlight. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain in Sanford, Florida, gunned down the unarmed 17-year-old Martin minutes after reporting to the police that he had spotted a suspicious youth walking through the gated community. Despite being told by police to stay in his SUV, Zimmerman pursued Martin on foot. Moments later, Zimmerman confronted Martin and admitted to shooting him in self-defense after a brief scuffle. Sanford police reported that Zimmerman was bleeding from the nose and back of the head. As a result of the police investigation, Zimmerman was charged with second degree murder. At trial, Zimmerman was acquitted based on the jury’s finding that he had acted in self-defense. After reviewing the shooting for potential civil rights violations, the federal Department of Justice, citing insufficient evidence, filed no additional charges.   Before his trial, Zimmermans defense hinted that they would ask the court to drop the charges under Floridas stand your ground self-defense law. The law enacted in 2005, allows individuals to use deadly force when they reasonably feel they are at risk of great bodily harm while engaged in a confrontation.   While Zimmermans lawyers never argued for a dismissal based on the stand your ground law, the trial judge instructed the jury that Zimmerman had had a right to stand his ground and use deadly force if reasonably necessary to defend himself.

Geography and History of Finland

Geography and History of Finland Finland is a country located in Northern Europe to the east of Sweden, south of Norway and the west of Russia. Although Finland has a large population at 5,259,250 people, its large area makes it is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The population density of Finland is 40.28 people per square mile or 15.5 people per square kilometer. Finland is also known for its strong educational system, economy and it is considered one of the worlds most peaceful and livable countries. Population: 5,259,250 (July 2011 estimate)Capital: HelsinkiBordering Countries: Norway, Sweden, and RussiaArea: 130,558 square miles (338,145 sq km)Coastline: 776 miles (1,250 km)Highest Point: Haltiatunturi at 4,357 feet (1,328 m) History It is unclear about where the first inhabitants of Finland came from but most historians claim that their origin is Siberia thousands of years ago. For most of its early history, Finland was associated with the Kingdom of Sweden. This began in 1154 when Swedens King Eric introduced Christianity in Finland. As a result of Finland becoming a part of Sweden in the 12th century, Swedish became the regions official language. By the 19th century, however, Finnish again became the national language. In 1809, Finland was conquered by Czar Alexander I of Russia and became an independent grand duchy of the Russian Empire until 1917. On December 6th of that year, Finland declared its independence. In 1918 a civil war took place in the country. During World War II, Finland fought the Soviet Union from 1939 to 1940 (The Winter War) and again from 1941 to 1944 (The Continuation War). From 1944 to 1945, Finland fought against Germany. In 1947 and 1948 Finland and the Soviet Union signed a treaty that resulted in Finland making territorial concessions to the USSR. Following the end of World War II, Finland grew in population but in the 1980s and early 1990s it began to have economic problems. In 1994 Martti Ahtisaari was elected as president and he began a campaign to revitalize the countrys economy. In 1995 Finland joined the European Union and in 2000 Tarja Halonen was elected as Finland and Europes first female president and prime minister. Government Today Finland, officially called the Republic of Finland, is considered a republic and its executive branch of government is made up of a chief of state (the president) and a head of government (the prime minister). Finlands legislative branch is composed of a unicameral Parliament whose members are elected by popular vote. The countrys judicial branch is made up of general courts that deal with criminal and civil cases as well as administrative courts. Finland is divided into 19 regions for local administration. Economics and Land Use Finland currently has a strong, modern industrialized economy. Manufacturing is one of the major industries in Finland and the country depends trade with foreign nations. The main industries in Finland are metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, and clothing. In addition, agriculture plays a small role in Finlands economy. This is because the countrys high latitude means that it has a short growing season in all but its southern areas. The main agriculture products of Finland are barley, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, dairy cattle, and fish. Geography and Climate Finland is located in Northern Europe along the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. It shares borders with Norway, Sweden and Russia and has a coastline of 776 miles (1,250 km). The topography of Finland is relatively gentle with low, flat or rolling plains and low hills. The land is also dotted with many lakes, over 60,000 of them, and the highest point in the country is Haltiatunturi at 4,357 feet (1,328 m). The climate of Finland is considered cold temperate and subarctic in its far northern areas. Most of Finlands climate is moderated by the North Atlantic Current, however. Finlands capital and largest city, Helsinki, which is located on its southern tip has an average February low temperature of 18 F (-7.7 C) and an average July high temperature of 69.6 F (21 C). Sources Central Intelligence Agency. (14 June 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Finland.Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Finland: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com.United States Department of State. (22 June 2011). Finland.Wikipedia.com. (29 June 2011). Finland - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.

Taking a lm of your choice, explore in detail the manner in which lm Essay

Taking a lm of your choice, explore in detail the manner in which lm language is used to create meaning - Essay Example The major focus of the films of the era was on violence with the depiction of the society as the major casualty in the process (Brathwaite, 1984, p. 45). The development of the films was a way of confronting the traditional moral values with the hope of elaborating or discrediting them. The major role of the films in the era was to establish new values in the society. The vital value depicted by the films was the need for peace and coexistence. The use of cinematic scenes has been used lately in Sci-fiction movies (Wierzbicki, 2008, p. 56). The movie pan labyrinth is a science fiction movie that contains various language uses that can be used to distinguish the roles of the characters. The movie Pan’s Labyrinth is directed by Guillermo Del Toro and released in 2006. The film is based on a Spanish forest at a time of awakening of the rest of Europe. The story combines the political fable with a guise of a fairy tale. The focus of the story is on ethical issues affecting the soc iety. The storyline is written by Guillermo Del Toro but borrows from several fairy tales. The geographical location of the movie is Spain, and it focuses on an 11-year old girl whose is life is at a crossroads after her father’s death, she lives with the stepfather (Toro, 2006). The young lady is called Ophelia and is cast is Ivana Baquero. Other casts in the movie include Sergi Lopez as Captain Vidal, an officer in the Franco army while the Ofelia’s mother is Ariadna Gil. The story line of the movie is uncluttered with the focus being on the magic and two worlds the real and the unreal world. Movie analysis The techniques employed in the movie include lighting, dialogue and symbolism. The director uses dialogue and lighting to develop the story line of the movie. The director uses steely-blue lighting illustrates the gloomy atmosphere used especially when bringing the village settings. Blue tones are set every time the scene moves to the village. Symbols used in the movies are beneficial because they bring out the fascinating features of the movie (Elsaesser and Buckland, 2002, p. 12). Clocks are used in the movie, to illustrate orders and time lapse. The blue lights events in reality and illustrates the cold and unjust society. The clocks are used to illustrate that the time is running out and everything lead to a big event. The state of the uniform worn by Vidal is indicative of the events of the movie. Lighting is a serious issue in the film because it brings out the necessary image of life in the film setup. The director of the film has a reputation of using different stylistic device especially lighting and symbolism to influence the interest and participation of the audience during the screenplay of the movie. This movie uses light as the main focus of the movie is with the focus of the whole lighting process being to distinguish the reality and the fairy part of the movie (Hornberger and Mckay, 2010, p. 45). Lighting in the movie helps t he audience to know the different scene setting of the movie. Language use in the movies is a device employed in depicting the behavior of Captain Vidal. Vidal communicates with the staff by use of monosyllabic answers. In addition, he uses foul language even to the helpful doctor. The film relates to the audience both in political, social and economic perspective. The major focus of the movi

Accounting Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Accounting Theory - Essay Example Laan (2009) argues that the two theories namely Stakeholder and Legitimacy, derived from the broader political economy perspective, broadly explain motivations for social disclosures. The paper aims at exploring whether the main motivation to corporations for social and environmental reporting is to enhance their corporate image and credibility with stakeholders. While a few decades back, corporations sole aim remained enhancing shareholder value in financial terms and report them as per the statutory norms, organisations have now moved beyond traditional financial reporting of their performance to its stakeholders. Currently, stakeholders group not merely constitute shareholders, employees, suppliers, creditors, customers but they also include society, community and all those who are affected by the operations of the organization. Corporate social reporting thus, has occupied a wider perspective. Stakeholder theory prescribes that all stakeholders including primary and secondary have the right to expect fair treatment from an organisation. That is to say management needs to manage the corporation such that interests of all stakeholders are secured. Community or Society at large may not be directly engaged in transactions with the corporation yet they are influenced and affected by the activities of corporations such as emission levels, waste water creation and its treatment, impact on ecology or surroundings and so on. Ethical branch of stakeholder theory also necessitates that community and society not only have a right to know how they are affected or impacted in the long run from the activities of corporations but also they expect that they must be treated fairly by corporation. At the same time, managerial branch of stakeholder theory explains that organisations prefer to provide social and environmental reporting when they believe that it is in their