The Theme Of Blindness In King Lear Essays - King Lear,

The Theme of Blindness in King Lear In the tragedy King Lear, the term blindness has an entirely different meaning. It is not a physical flaw, but the inability of the characters to use their thoughts and emotions to see a person for whom they truly are. They can only read what is presented to them on the surface. King Lear, Gloucester and Albany are three prime examples characters who suffered most by having this flaw. Lear was by far the blindest of the three. Because Lear was the King, one would expect him to have superb reasoning skills, but his lack of insight kept him from making wise choices. This is the flaw that led to his downfall. Lear's first big mistake was letting himself be fooled by Regan and Goneril, and giving them his throne. For they did not love him at all, he could not understand the depth of Cordelia's love for him. He banished her from the kingdom without one thought to what she had said. Lear's last words to the only daughter that truly loved him were; ".....for we/ have no such daughter, nor shall we ever see/ that face of hers again. Therefore be gone/ without our grace, our love, our benison." (Shakespeare 1, 1. 262-265) Lear's blindness also caused him to banish Kent, one of his most loyal followers. Kent tried to stand up to Lear in Cordelia's honor, but Lear would not listen to what Kent was trying to tell him. To Kent's opposition; "This hideous rashness, answer my life, my judgement,/ Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least;" ( 1,1. 150-151) Lear responded with, "Kent on thy life, no more." ( 1, 1, 154) "Out of my sight!" ( 1, 1. 157) This is a good example of Lear's lack of insight. He was being too stubborn to see that Kent was only trying to do what was best for Lear. After Kent had been banished, he continued to serve Lear, by wearing a disguise. Because of Lear's lack of sight he could not see through the costume. As the play progressed Lear's sanity went downhill, but his vision became clearer. When Goneril and Regan would not provide him with shelter during a furious storm, Lear realized that they were the daughters who did not love him. He also began to understand the words of Cordelia from the beginning of the play, he realized that she loved him too much to put into words. When Lear and Cordelia finally reunited near the end of the play, Lear expressed his sorrow for what he had done. "You must bear with me, I pray you now, forget and forgive:/ I am old an foolish." ( 4, 7. 82 ) But it was too late, Lear's rashness and inability to see clearly had already cost him, and Cordelia their lives. Lear was not the only character to suffer from blindness, Gloucester too, had lack of insight. He could not see the goodness of his son Edgar, and the wickedness of Edmund. A forged letter was the only evidence needed to convince Gloucester that Edgar was plotting to kill him. Immediately after reading the letter Gloucester screams in a rage; "O villain, villain! His very opinion in the/ letter! Abhorred villain! Unatural, delested, brutish/ villain! Worse than brutish! Go, sirrah, seek him; I'll/ apprehend him. Abominable villain! Where is he?" (1, 2. 75-78 ) He did not even stop to consider if Edgar were capable of doing such a thing. Ironically, it is not until Gloucester loses his physical sight, when his vision becomes clear. He finds out that it was really Edmund who was after his earldom. Gloucester feels guilty for the way that he treated Edgar, which is obvious when he says; "I have no way and therefore I want no eyes;/ I stumbled when I saw. Full oft ?tis seen, our means secure us, and our mere defects. Prove our commodities. Ah! dear son Edgar;/ The food of thy abused fathers wrath;/ Might I but live to see thee in my touch, / I'd say I had eyes again. ( 4, 1. 18-24 ) From this point on Gloucester learns to see clearly by using his heart instead of his eyes. When Lear questions

Jardin essays

Jardin essays El jardà ­n de senderos que se bifurcan En este breve ensayo analizaremos sobre la obra del escritor argentino Jorge Luis Borges, El jardà ­n de senderos que se bifurcan. En el primer prrafo de la obra se puede observar que la narracin est escrita en presente y en tercera persona en sigular. En este prrafo, el autor no slo introduce al personaje principal de la obra, Yu-Tsun, quien es un chino espà ­a aleman, sino tambin presenta el tema del cuento que es la demora de una ofensiva britnica contra las fuerzas alemanas en la là ­nea Serre-Montauban en 1916. Este hecho histrico de la Primera Guerra Mundial hace que el cuento sea ms real y le da legitimidad a la obra. Tambin hay un peques, Basil Hery Liddle Hart. Este historiador presenta una perspectiva opuesta al de nuestro protagonista de la obra, pero a pesar de esto, se puede observar en la narracin, una simpatà ­a hacia Yu-Tsun lo cual hace convencer al lector de la à ­ntima relacin entre la confensin de Yu-Tsun y el hecho histrico descrito de la primera Guerra Mundial. Despus de la introduccin del tema y del personaje principal, la presencia del narrador se desvanece, y las narraciones son escritas en primera persona singular de Yu Tsun. Llegamos a comprender la historia de la obra cuando se produce la declaracin final de Yu-Tsun. Se entiende que su objetivo era el de comunicar el nombre de la ciudad ingls donde los alemanes debà ­an atacar. Yu-Tsun se las ingenia, matando un famoso sabio sinlogo ingls Stephen Albert, y asi cumple con su misin de indicar la ciudad que los alemanes debà ­an atacar. Por todo esto, podemos decir que la obra tiene una ironà ­a circunstancial ya que conocemos el final cuando en el momento de la culminacin de ...

Organisational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Organisational Behaviour - Essay Example Critical evaluation of this statement. 3. An employee’s personality has no role to play, in his or her day to day behaviour at work, since it is not something employers worry about. Critical evaluation of this statement. Thematically, this paper provides an understanding of the different theoretical perspectives that contribute to the understanding of people at work. It illustrates the application of OB theory to a variety of real life phenomena, and questions that arise from managing people at work. It also demonstrates how to work competently and skilfully with conflicting ideas that relate to the management of people in working organisations. Question #1 There is this one instance I went to a cyber cafe and the head attendant did not bother to assign me a booth to use since he assumed I knew my way around the installation. It took me a while to get started because I did not know the login since it was password protected. The other attendants had to ask him for the password so that I could get started. The experience cost me valuable time and since then I have not re-visited that premise to use their services. According to this example, the attitude of the head attendant cost the business establishment a client, and in the long run mannerisms like this would become detrimental to the business. The behaviour of the attendant could be attributed to a behavioural complex in the part of the attendant wanting to seem superior to his fellow workmates. It is not enough to say that he is senior to his workmates; it seems that this feeling does not satisfies him. However, supplication by fellow workmates does satisfy him. This situation can be explained by McGregor’s theory, which asserts that employees require micro-management assistance from their managers since they are immature about their jobs (McGregor, 2005 p27). This theory is related to directive leadership, which is characterized by motivating employees with incentives for improved work output and efficiency. A management system that adopts the theory of OB almost invariably ends up blaming its employees, for poor performance, without establishing the key cause of this problem or mistake (McGregor, 2005 p63). When employees are subjected to such compromising situations they usually tend to focus more on how to avoid the occurrence of such mistakes, which would risk their employment and relationships with their employer. McGregor further states that employees will apply self-direction and self-control to pursue organizational behaviours without influences from external control, or the threat of punishment and commitment as objectives of functional rewards, which are associated with their achievement (McGregor, 2005 p64). Employees who are under this system of management are more productive since they do not operate in an authoritarian system. Similarly, those employees in the same management system tend to perceive themselves as victims of oppression by the management, and may cause the uprising of opposition factors in the workforce. These elements usually undermine a company’s policies, including the overall productivity turnover of the organization (McGregor, 2005 p149). Question #2 The phenomenon where employees request for an off day break from work, on grounds that they are suffering from stress, is a problem that should be addressed by employers, instead of being ignored. Stress has been

World Religion---If you are not religious, what are your views on Essay

World Religion---If you are not religious, what are your views on religion - Essay Example Furthermore, as religion has been part of life and sometimes people may be hiding in it while carrying on with heinous activities. At the same time, religion provides a chance or people to reflect on events taking place in their life’s, their meaning and where they are going. It helped bring one’s self or being in a settled place where he or she functions harmoniously with the minimal domination of the runway mind, bodily function and emotions. Therefore, this is one of the major reasons for people engaging in one religion or another so that they can gain direction in their daily lives. Most of the books that have been written in different religions are the writings of the ancient people that have been put together from some of the finest writers of their time. Thus, it serves as a guideline for the human life by guiding on what to do and how to do it. At the same time, the books give accounts of the activities that took place in the past, the kind of lifestyle people had at that time. Therefore, the books cannot be termed as a message from the supernatural powers. At the same time, I believe that there is a rebirth and reincarnation of people in different forms thus there is continued life on earth and not elsewhere. As a non-believer, I really do not believe in any one religion as being superior to another. However, I respect others people beliefs and whatever that they may want to do to satisfy their spiritual needs. Treating others with love, kindness, respect and love makes life more fulfilling at the end of the day. In addition, one always has to find meaning in their lives through various ways, and everybody ought to respect that. Although in my opinion, I believe that religion has denied a number of people an opportunity of discovering a lot in their personal relationship and existence. Religion does not allow people to question most of its teachings and lets people just believe in whatever that had been laid down in each particular religion.

Motivation in the Play Essay Example for Free

Motivation in the Play Essay Villains and why they do their villainy is always justified or explained in any literary work. Even those childhood fairy tales with the villain’s formulaic and predictable evil deeds will always do things that have a purpose or will do those things because they were compelled to do it caused by a negative feeling: jealousy, revenge, envy, greed, a childhood without someone to love them or support them, etc. William Shakespeare’s plays are not an exemption to this case as he even creates characters that are capable of not only of evil; they embody evil in their totality as a person—if you may call them that. An example of this would be Iago, touted as the most villainous of all villains in the literary world because of the simple reason that he was guiltless, conscienceless and definitely purposeless in his strategic deeds that destroyed Othello and the people close to the tragic hero. This analysis will focus on this villain and scrutinize his character, villainy and most of all, his purpose (or the lack thereof) on why he did the things he has done that aimlessly ended to other people’s lives. In fact, there is already an answer to this query for Iago is just plain evil, nothing less and definitely more. His motivation lies in the fact that he wants to end other people’s happiness and takes simple delight in causing other people pain and grief which makes him not just a villain but a very mysterious and most terrifying one. In Othello, the Moor of Venice, a man’s capacity to do evil is magnified as Iago is overcome with rage as Othello gives a position to another less qualified man that was originally intended for Iago. Iago takes this in deep and plots against Othello, a Moor in Venice that holds such high position, influential power and great riches. Iago uses jealousy to destroy Othello and the people around him by making it appear that Othello’s loyal wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with another man. In rage, Othello kills his own wife and when he realizes that it was all Iago’s evil plan, he kills himself out of grief and guilt. Iago confesses to no one and does not explain his actions; instead, he keeps mum about what he has done and the purpose in them. Thus, as the play concludes, it is only the audience who are witnesses to Iago’s malice and the extent of his wickedness—but there is a possibility that Iago also leads the audience into believing that they know the entire truth when in fact, he has been dishonest the whole time to everyone—even that of the audience. Iago acts as the villain in the play even if he was not really the one who did the bad deeds. He is the sole villain because he was the master plotter in the whole thing that even innocent people like Roderigo and Emilia were implicated as bad people when they were not wholly that capable of evil. Roderigo and Emilia were simply pawns to his plans and he used them and easily discarded them. In the book of Dobbs Wells entitled The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare, they sum up the villainy of Iago (and pretty much, the entire play) in a few words: He skilfully convinces Othello that his wife Desdemona has been adulterous with Cassio. He wounds Cassio, murders Roderigo, whom he has involved in his plots, and also kills his own wife Emilia. (211) The extent of Iago’s villainy does not merely end in his acts and plans but in an entirely different context and case because his villainy was unjustified and unexplainable. He did not have a purpose and an aim in ruining Othello’s life and soul. For even if it seems that Iago was motivated by the anger he felt over Othello’s passing over the position that was rightfully his to another man that was very much unqualified (according to Iago that is), it still seems not enough motive. In the first part of the play (act I, scene i), Iago insists that he does hate Othello and does a lengthy monologue on why he hates the Moor. However, it can be later learned that maybe Iago was not really motivated by that trivial act done by Othello since Iago has never really revealed the real reason on why he hates Othello. This is because in the same act, he declares that he will never say what he feels and thinks because it is dangerous and it is laughable: For when my outward action doth demonstrate / The native act and figure of my heart In compliment extern, ’tis not long after / But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve For daws to peck at. I am not what I am. (Shakespeare 1. 1. 63-7) His supposed reason on hating Othello may not be his true reason for the vendetta he so chillingly instills on the Moor because Iago will never disclose his real reasons. Thus, even though Iago was transparent with his feelings and thoughts to the audience and some characters like Roderigo and Emilia, he actually lied to everyone since he could never â€Å"wear his heart† on his sleeve. Moreover, even if the rage he felt over Othello’s actions propelled him to do/plan such things, it was not enough to completely destroy the life of one man and the lives around that man. To think that Iago even killed his own wife with his own hands—without a second thought on doing it or a guilt overcoming afterwards. As what Dobbs Wells wrote, Iago was a â€Å"motiveless evil† and that lack of motivation in him makes him a superior proponent of evil (211). In conclusion, Iago is most villainous not just because of the things he has done but also because of the lack of motivation in them, the absence of purpose, the incapacity to be guilty over the success of his evil plans and most of all, the mockery he throws to the characters and the audience at the end of the play with his silence. This silence is eerie as it has a purpose—to make everyone shiver at what other havoc and damnation he could have done with that evil mind of his. Works Cited Dobson, Michael and Wells, Stanley. â€Å"Iago†. The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc. , 2001. 211. Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Othello, the Moor of Venice†. Ed. Russ McDonald. New York: Penguin Group, 2001. Print.

Essay --

Growing Your Business Joseph Leoni Bus. Communication Research Paper For a company to reach international status the firm’s foundation must be rock solid. Once you have successfully started your business and continue to maintain the business the next step is to grow the business. Growing the business is essential to going global with the business for a couple reasons. One reason is that the costs alone for going international are substantial. Your business needs to go from being profitable to very lucrative in order to fit the bill for overseas costs. The second reason growing your business is important before going global has to do with the companies success formula. What happens if your business starts booming overseas at an unexpected? With an understanding of how to grow your business here in the U.S. you will be able to reproduce the successful formula overseas as well. Before steps are taken to start growing the company it’s important that the company be as efficient as possible. This means that a very analytical view of the companies operations need to be addressed. Where can the company cut back on costs without hurting the company? Are there any redundancies? Cut back any unnecessary costs that seem fit, but keep in mind your employees morale can be affected by these changes which will in effect hurt the company. Also ask what, if any, technologies you can implement to improve your profit margin. New technology is constantly coming out and it’s usually the companies that best implement it that get ahead and maintain efficiency. Once all the excess spending and redundancies are fixed it’s time to look at the different possibilities as there is always more than one way of doing something. With a successfully maintaine... ... rising another assessment similar to the first one is suggested. With growth of the business comes new variables and changes to the company thus effectively changing the company. Go back again to cut unnecessary spending, keeping in mind employee morale. Franchising your business can be a very rewarding venture especially if your business success formula has been tried and tried again. Franchising can also be your way into the international market although it depends on each businesses needs. Food and consumer businesses usually do very well as the formula can be duplicated easily. Service companies are still possible to franchise but more difficult as they usually require people with special skills or training to get the job done. In general, franchising your business will lead to increased revenues because the customers for the product or service already exist.

Brett Ashley and the novel The Sun Also Rises

I must admit that my views of Brett Ashley have now changed upon reading the article by Lorie Watkins Fulton.   I think that it is very easy to blame her and her manipulative and destructive tendencies for the evil that works itself into the novel The Sun Also Rises.   That is the overriding conclusion not only of the narrator Jake Barnes, but also of nearly all of the critics of the work to date.   That creates a rather compelling point of view for us.   However, I now find it hard to place all of the blame on her character and am beginning to wonder if she is, in fact, maligned. Fulton makes a great case right away by reminding us of the completely paradoxical nature of Hemingway’s narrative.   If we are to believe that is true of the whole story, then it becomes hard to see Ashley only in one light.   How are we to believe that everyone else in the book is multi-layered but poor Ashley?   Why should we trust Barnes about this one aspect and observation of his when he proves not trustworthy about the others?   Finally, and most convincingly, it is hard to blame Ashley when we read of Jake Barnes’ obviously flawed personal observations and biases that he brings to the table: his words about the flower girl down on the street own up to the fact that he sees her as a manipulator just like all of her sex are.This outlandish assignment of character flaw with gender should have provided a useful lens through which we could begin to see Ashley in a much more favorable light.   It shows the power of literary critics in influencing us to one point of view, just as effectively as Jake Barnes did.Langston Hughes’ main theme and main concern is the loneliness and struggle of the black man, the Negro.   This poem is crafted well to show us this theme in a different and unexpected light.   Rather than explaining the struggles the Negro faces, and cataloging all of the well known facts of race in America, Hughes compares it to othe r elements that tell the same story metaphorically.   It is as if Hughes has decided that anyone reading The Weary Blues is already familiar with the issues and basic facts and is ready for a new way of seeing the history through one person but for all people.   His poem takes on color to demonstrate his concern.The title seems obvious: it must be about the type of song the old man is singing.   Surely it is, but it’s more than that.   The poem puts the color blue right up there at the top for us to see the sadness and tiredness that Negros feel.   Hughes then goes on to tell us the plight of the black man through use of the artist’s palette.   We see ‘pale’ on line 5, ebony on line 9, ivory on line 9, black on line 15, and of course ‘blues’ 7 different times.   Why all the color?   Hughes’ theme is the tired condition of the black’s struggle, the overwhelming and consuming aspect of it.   His use of colors spea ks loudly.   Blues, of course, represents the all present sadness of the people.   That is clear.   That is easy.   But look at the other things going on, too.   Pale light is a diminished opportunity.   The black man is not allowed the full brightness of spectrum, the American dream.It is in sharp contrast to that enjoyed by the white race.   Hughes says this by not just saying that the black man is playing a piano down there on the avenue.   That wouldn’t be enough.   What he says is that he had his â€Å"ebony hands on each ivory key† (9).   That contrast of ebony and ivory, black and white, says it all.   Everything we hear from the black man, the mourning of the blues, is a discussion and revelation of his everlasting struggle as a black man in a white world.The story of Mrs. Turpin in Revelation is one of those stories that really gets into me and make me want to take part.   I want to get right in and grab Mrs. Turpin by the shoulders wit h my reactions!   She may be the biggest hypocrite I have ever read about.   What makes her that way the most to me is that she is constantly referring to her position as given by Jesus himself.   O’Connor writes that Mrs. Turpin was made a better class by Jesus’ decision, and that Jesus is perfectly aware that there are many worse classes of people.She refers to this blessing over and over while reminding herself what a good type of woman she is, what a god fearing woman she is, when the reader wants to just grab her and wake her up from this delusion.   I see the opportunities for grace everywhere for Mrs. Turpin.   Where she sees so many faults in other people, she could have talked with them instead of to them.   She could have offered to really help them and not in a self-serving manner like when she helped Claude to a chair by announcing just how much they deserved one over the others who had been there first.   I really thought that she might reall y experience the grace instead of just an opportunity for it when she got home and started thinking about the wart hogs.   It seemed like she really got it for once.But then she sees those black folk and gets right back on her horse, and she has them make her feel better about the way she is! She knew that if she raised doubts about herself they would make her feel superior again, by lifting her up, and by making themselves look stupid to her!   Sadly this is one of the ways that I see this work as Southern, too.   It keeps returning to basic themes of race and religion over and over.   It is a story of defining class and making sure everyone knows their place accordingly.   This is a hallmark of Southern type stories.