Sonnets of Shakespeare Essay Example for Free

Sonnets of Shakespeare Essay Shakespeares sonnets are a collection of 154 sonnets, dealing with themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty and mortality, first published in a 1609 quarto entitled SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS. : Never before imprinted. (although sonnets 138 and 144 had previously been published in the 1599 miscellany The Passionate Pilgrim). The quarto ends with A Lovers Complaint, a narrative poem of 47 seven-line stanzas written in rhyme royal. The first 17 poems, traditionally called the procreation sonnets, are addressed to a young man urging him to marry and have children in order to immortalize his beauty by passing it to the next generation. [1] Other sonnets express the speakers love for a young man; brood upon loneliness, death, and the transience of life; seem to criticise the young man for preferring a rival poet; express ambiguous feelings for the speakers mistress; and pun on the poets name. The final two sonnets are allegorical treatments of Greek epigrams referring to the little love-god Cupid. The publisher, Thomas Thorpe, entered the book in the Stationers Register on 20 May 1609: Tho. Thorpe. Entred for his copie under the handes of master Wilson and master Lownes Wardenes a booke called Shakespeares sonnettes vjd. Whether Thorpe used an authorised manuscript from Shakespeare or an unauthorised copy is unknown. George Eld printed the quarto, and the run was divided between the booksellers William Aspley and John Wright. - Structure [edit] The sonnets are almost all constructed from three four-line stanzas (called quatrains) and a final couplet composed in iambic pentameter. [18] This is also the meter used extensively in Shakespeares plays. The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg. Sonnets using this scheme are known as Shakespearean sonnets. Often, the beginning of the third quatrain marks the volta (turn), or the line in which the mood of the poem shifts, and the poet expresses a revelation or epiphany. There are a few exceptions: Sonnets 99, 126, and 145. Number 99 has fifteen lines. Number 126 consists of six couplets, and two blank lines marked with italic brackets; 145 is in iambic tetrameters, not pentameters. There one another variation on the standard structure, found for example in sonnet 29. The normal rhyme scheme is changed by repeating the b of quatrain one in quatrain three, where the f should be. Characters [edit] When analysed as characters, the subjects of the sonnets are usually referred to as the Fair Youth, the Rival Poet, and the Dark Lady. The speaker expresses admiration for the Fair Youths beauty, and later has an affair with the Dark Lady. It is not known whether the poems and their characters are fiction or autobiographical; scholars who find the sonnets to be autobiographical, notably A. L. Rowse, have attempted to identify the characters with historical individuals. [19] Fair Youth [edit] Main article: Shakespeares sexuality. Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton at 21. Shakespeares patron, and one candidate for the Fair Youth of the sonnets. The Fair Youth is the unnamed young man to whom sonnets 1–126 are addressed. [20] Some commentators, noting the romantic and loving language used in this sequence of sonnets, have suggested a sexual relationship between them; others have read the relationship as platonic love. The earliest poems in the sequence recommend the benefits of marriage and children. With the famous sonnet 18 (Shall I compare thee to a summers day) the tone changes dramatically towards romantic intimacy. Sonnet 20 explicitly laments that the young man is not a woman. Most of the subsequent sonnets describe the ups and downs of the relationship, culminating with an affair between the poet and the Dark Lady. The relationship seems to end when the Fair Youth succumbs to the Ladys charms. [citation needed] There have been many attempts to identify the young man. Shakespeares one-time patron, Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton is commonly suggested, although Shakespeares later patron, William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, has recently become popular. [21] Both claims begin with the dedication of the sonnets to Mr. W. H., the only begetter of these ensuing sonnets; the initials could apply to either earl. However, while Shakespeares language often seems to imply that the subject is of higher social status than himself, the apparent references to the poets inferiority may simply be part of the rhetoric of romantic submission. [citation needed] An alternative theory, most famously espoused by Oscar Wildes short story The Portrait of Mr. W. H. notes a series of puns that may suggest the sonnets are written to a boy actor called William Hughes; however, Wildes story acknowledges that there is no evidence for such a persons existence. Samuel Butler believed that the friend was a seaman. Joseph Pequigney argued in his book Such Is My Love that the Fair Youth was an unknown commoner. The Dark Lady [edit] The Dark Lady redirects here. For other uses, see Dark Lady. The Dark Lady sequence (sonnets 127–152), distinguishes itself from the Fair Youth sequence by being overtly sexual in its passion. Among these, Sonnet 151 has been characterised as bawdy and is used to illustrate the difference between the spiritual love for the Fair Youth and the sexual love for the Dark Lady. [22] The distinction is commonly made in the introduction to modern editions of the sonnets. [22] The Dark Lady is so called because the poems make it clear that she has black hair and dusky skin. As with the Fair Youth, there have been many attempts to identify her with a real historical individual. Mary Fitton, Emilia Lanier and others have been suggested. The Rival Poet [edit] Main article: Rival Poet The Rival Poets identity has always remained a mystery; among the varied candidates are Christopher Marlowe, George Chapman, or, an amalgamation of several contemporaries. [23] However, there is no hard evidence that the character had a real-life counterpart. The speaker sees the Rival as competition for fame, coin and patronage. The sonnets most commonly identified as the Rival Poet group exist within the Fair Youth sequence in sonnets 78–86. [23] - Themes [edit] One interpretation is that Shakespeares sonnets are in part a pastiche or parody of the three-centuries-old tradition of Petrarchan love sonnets; Shakespeare consciously inverts conventional gender roles as delineated in Petrarchan sonnets to create a more complex and potentially troubling depiction of human love. [24] He also violated many sonnet rules, which had been strictly obeyed by his fellow poets: he plays with gender roles (20), he speaks on human evils that do not have to do with love (66), he comments on political events (124), he makes fun of love (128), he speaks openly about sex (129), he parodies beauty (130), and even introduces witty pornography (151). http://www. bardweb. net/poetry. html ontents * The Sonnets * Venus and Adonis * The Rape of Lucrece * Other Poetry In the summer of 1592, an episodic outbreak of the plague swept through London. Theatres were among the public gathering places to be shut down. William Shakespeare decided to stay in London rather than follow a theatrical company on tour. Shakespeare needed a way to earn a wage until the theatres reopened. He also desired to be taken seriously as a writer. Playwrights of the era were considered little more than populist hacks, writing largely disposable entertainment. Shakespeare instead found a way to earn both money and acclaim through the patronage of the third Earl of Southampton, Henry Wriothesley. Poetry was the art of nobles and gentlemen, and Shakespeare—a rustic interloper without the usual college-educated wit—lucratively introduced himself between1593 and 1594. Venus and Adonis would become Shakespeares most widely printed work during his lifetime. The following year, Shakespeare published The Rape of Lucrece. Both were poems calculated to bolster Shakespeares reputation and wallet. On the opposite end of that spectrum is the body of poetry that comprises Shakespeares more mysterious and controversial work. If Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece represent Shakespeares quest for immortality, his sonnets of the early 1590s represent the passion and introspection behind it. The Sonnets At some point in the early 1590s, Shakespeare began writing a compilation of sonnets. The first edition of these appeared in print in 1609. However, Frances Meres mentions Shakespeare sharing at least some of them among friends as early as 1598, and two (138 and 144) appear as early versions in the 1599 folio The Passionate Pilgrim. Shakespeares seeming ambivalence toward having the sonnets published stands in remarkable contrast to the poetic mastery they demonstrate. Why sonnets? The sonnet was arguably the most popular bound verse form in England when Shakespeare began writing. Imported from Italy (as the Petrarchan or Italian sonnet), the form took on a distinctive English style of three distinctively rhymed quatrains capped by a rhymed couplet comprising 14 total lines of verse. This allowed the author to build a rising pattern of complication in a three-act movement, followed by the terse denouement of the final two lines. Conventional subject matter of the Elizabethan sonnet concerned love, beauty, and faith. Shakespeare as a poet could hardly have ignored the sonnet as a verse form. He appears to have written a sequence of them, dedicated to a Master W. H. , and the sequence as a whole appears to follow a loose narrative structure. Of the 154 sonnets, there are three broad divisions: * Sonnets 1-126, which deal with a young, unnamed lord, the fair youth of the sonnets * Sonnets 127-152, which deal with the poets relationship to a mysterious mistress, the dark lady of the sonnets * Sonnets 153-154, which seem to be poetic exercises dedicated to Cupid The sonnets are poignant musings upon love, beauty, mortality, and the effects of time. They also defy many expected conventions of the traditional sonnet by addressing praises of beauty and worth to the fair youth, or by using the third quatrain as part of the resolution of the poem. The first edition of 1609 could very well have been an unauthorized printing. The dedication is enigmatic, and the sonnet by that time had waned in popularity. Whether or not Thorpe published the 1609 quarto with Shakespeares blessing, the sonnets as they are printed comprise the foundation for all later versions. Points of debate have ensued ever since as to: * The order of the arrangement * Whether or not the sonnets are autobiographical * Whether or not Shakespeare actually intended them to be published * The identities of W. H. , the fair youth, and the dark lady, among others * The exact nature of the poets relationship with those he addresses in the sonnets Venus and Adonis Shakespeare dedicates Venus and Adonis as the first heir of my invention. In doing so, Shakespeare acknowledges that even he considered his plays as literary works inferior to poetry. The poem, a brief epic, evokes comparisons to Marlowes Hero and Leander, to which Venus and Adonisowes at least some debt. Equal parts comic and erotic, the poem is Shakespeares take on a story told by Ovid in which Venus falls for the handsome youth Adonis. Shakespeare, however, makes one crucial twist to Ovids Metamorphoses. Ovids Venus is an irresistible, tragic goddess whose love Adonis returns. Venus and Adonis portrays the goddess as a comically frustrated seductress who cant seem to distract Adonis from his love of hunting. Shakespeare also includes elements from Metamorphoses from the tales of Narcissus and Hermaphroditus. Venus and Adonis is a microcosm of Shakespeares writing: taking a classical source and infusing it with both heightened formality and a playful humanity. Of course, the poems comic overtones and animal sensuality caused it to lapse into critical disfavor. The Rape of Lucrece The Rape of Lucrece was published the year after Venus and Adonis. Because of their proximity and Shakespeares dedication of both works to Southampton, the two poems are often thought of as companion pieces. In fact, its believed that Lucrece is the graver labour to which Shakespeare refers in the dedication of Venus and Adonis. Written in rhyme royale stanzas, The Rape of Lucrece also borrows from Ovid. While Shakespeare sticks fairly closely to the narrative of Ovid, in The Rape of Lucrece, he expands significantly on the action through the characterization of both Tarquin and Lucrece. Shakespeare creates as a result a tense drama with both moral and political overtones. The verses are thick with rhetorical flourishes and wordplay. Like its predecessor, The Rape of Lucrece sparked much critical debate over the years, mostly regarding how Lucreces language often works against her emotion. Other The 1599 volume The Passionate Pilgrim was a collection of twenty poems that the publisher attributed entirely to Shakespeare. Only five works can be traced to Shakespeare: versions of sonnets 138 and 144, and three poems presumably taken from a quarto edition of Loves Labours Lost. Thomas Heywood actually complained about a later reprinting of the work in which his poetry was published but still credited to Shakespeare. Heywood also noted that Shakespeare was unhappy with the publisher, William Jaggard, who presumed to make so bold with his name. It seems apparent that Jaggards printing was an unauthorized enterprise. A Lovers Complaint was printed with Thorpes 1609 edition of Shakespeares sonnets. Like The Rape of Lucrece, A Lovers Complaint is written in rhyme royale stanzas but is much shorter, at just over 300 lines. The poem tells the story of a woman seduced by a womanizing young man. In 1601, an untitled poem by Shakespeare appeared in a collection entitled Loves Martyr. Scholars have given it the title The Phoenix and the Turtlebased on the thematic subject of the collection. Based on computer-aided analysis, a 1612 poem published by Thomas Thorpe as A Funeral Elegy and signed W. S. was thought to be attributable to Shakespeare. Further study has pointed toward Jacobean dramatist John Ford, rather than Shakespeare, as the poems author. Sir John Falstaff is in financial difficulties. On top of that, Justice Shallow and his youthful cousin, Slender, have come to Windsor because he has conned them out of money. Falstaff decides to woo the wives of two of Windsor’s leading merchants, Page, and Ford, to get money out of them. He sends his page, Robin, to each of the wives with a letter. The wives compare the letters and find that they are identical. They decide to teach him a lesson and devise a plan. They invite him to Mistress Ford’s house at a time when Ford will be out bird shooting. Falstaff’scompanions, Pistol and Nym, tell Ford about Falstaff’s intentions and Ford, a naturally jealous man, resolves to catch his wife out. He disguises himself as a shy man, Master Brook, with a passion for Mistress Ford, and goes to Falstaff and offers him money to woo her on his behalf. Falstaff tells him that a meeting has already been arranged and agrees to Master Brook’s request. Slender has made friends with a local clergyman, Parson Evans. Slender has fallen for Page’s daughter, Anne, who is already secretly meeting a young courtier, Fenton, of whom Page disapproves. Anne’s mother, Mistress Page, is determined that she will marry the French doctor, Caius. When Caius hears  about Slender’s suit he challenges Parson Evans to a duel. The landlord of the Garter Inn confuses matters by setting different places for the duel, which results in the antagonists making up their differences. Falstaff arrives at Mistress Ford’s house but his wooing is interrupted by Mistress Page’s announcement that the men are returning. They hide Falstaff in a large laundry basket and he is carried out. Ford searches the house. Falstaff is tipped out on a muddy river bank. The wives, amused by the incident, decide to repeat the incident and invite Falstaff to come again. He is reluctant but Master Brook persuades hnbim to accept and his visit is again interrupted by Ford’s return. Ford searches the laundry basket but this time Falstaff is disguised as the elderly aunt of one of the servants. When Ford finds nothing in the laundry basket he loses his temper and angrily beats the ‘aunt’ out of the house. The wives laughingly tell their husbands about the trick and Page suggests that they should publicly humiliate Falstaff to stop him from preying on honest wives. Mistress Ford invites Falstaff to meet her at night in Windsor Park, disguised as Hearne the Hunter. Parson Evans organises Anne and some children to dress as fairies. Anne plans to elope with Fenton, while her parents are plotting her kidnapping by Caius and a secret marriage to him. They all meet in the park and Falstaff is pinched and taunted by the fairies. Anne escapes and returns as Fenton’s wife, while Cauius and Slender both find that they have eloped with boys. The play ends with the Pages giving their blessing to Anne’s marriage and everyone laughing at the evening’s antics and the humiliation of Falstaff. Henry-1 Henry Bolingbroke has usurped his cousin, Richard II, to become King of England. News comes of a rebellion in Wales, where his cousin, Edmund Mortimer, has been taken prisoner by Owen Glendower, and in the North, where Harry Hotspur, the young son of the Earl of Northumberland, is fighting the Earl of Douglas. The king’s problems mount up and he is forced to postpone his proposed participation in a crusade. Moreover, his heir, Henry, known as Hal, shows no interest in princely matters and spends all his time in the London taverns with disreputable companions, particularly one dissolute old knight, Sir John Falstaff. Falstaff will do anything to finance his eating and drinking. He carries out a robbery with two of hisfriends but Hal and Poins rob them in turn. Hal protects Falstaff from the law and returns the money to the victims. Although Hotspur has been forced to agree to support the king he joins a plot with his father and his uncle, Worcester, to support Glendower, Mortimer, and Douglas against the king. Hal returns to the court, makes his peace with his father, and is given a command in the army that is preparing to meet Hotspur. Falstaff has also been given a command but he has taken bribes and filled his ranks with beggars instead of recruiting able men. The King offers to pardon Hotspur if he will withdraw his opposition. Glendower’s troops and those of Northumberland have been unable to contact Hotspur and Worcester withholds the King’s offer from Hotspur and the battle of Shrewsbury begins. Falstaff’s conduct in the war is disreputable and behaves in a cowardly way, while Hal saves his father’s life in combat with the Scotsman, Douglas. He encounters Hotspur, who is killed. Falstaff, having feigned death to avoid injury, claims to have fought and killed Hotspur. The King’s army triumphs over the rebels and Worcester is condemned to death. Hal frees Douglas while Henry takes his troops to continue the war against Mortimer and the Welsh, and the remnants of the Northumberland forces. Henry-2 King Henry IV has been victorious at the battle of Shrewsbury but the Earl of Northumberland hears rumours that his son, Harry Hotspur, has been the victor. Northumberland and the Archbishop of York decide to oppose the king’s forces, led by Prince John. The news of Hotspur’s death finally comes, however, and Hotspur’s widow and Lady Northumberland urge them not to continue with their rebellion. The Lord Chief Justice criticises Sir John Falstaff for his behaviour during the wars but gives his blessing to him in his intention to join Prince John’s forces. Before Falstaff can leave he is arrested for his debt to Mistress Quickly, the landlady of the Boar’s Head tavern. They both land up in court where Falsaff persuades her to patch up their differences. Prince Hal and his friend Poins, arrive at the tavern, disguised as servants. Acquaintances between Hal and Falstaff and his companionsare renewed. Pistol arrives and tells Falstaff that he should have departed for the wars by now. Hal and his friends remain, still dressed as servants, although the king is sick, and worried about the succession. Falstaff recruits men, conforming to his usual corrupt methods. York, Mowbray and Hastings prepare for battle. The Earl of Westmorland arrives from Prince John to hear their grievances and they come to a peace arrangement. However, as soon as the rebel armies disperse, Westmorland arrests the three leaders for treason. The king is very ill. Hall arrives from London. He thinks the sleeping king is dead and he lifts the crown and tries it on. The king wakes up and is angered by that. They make up and are reconciled before the king prepares himself for death. When Falstaff hears of the king’s death and Hal’s succession he sets out to attend the coronation, expecting to be given high office, but the king denies knowing him and banishes him, commanding him to come no nearer than ten miles of his court. The play ends with Falstaff left hurt and hoping that the king will change his mind, while the King Henry plans a war against France. Henry-5 Henry V’s father Bolingbroke (Henry IV) was never able to rule comfortably because he had usurped Richard II. On his succession King Henry V is determined to prove his right to rule, including over France. An ambassador arrives from the French Dauphin with a provocative gift of tennis balls. Henry responds by preparing to invade France. Three of the king’s friends, Scroop, Cambridge and Grey, are discovered to be plotting against him and he condemns them to death. Pistol, Nym, and Bardolph, the companions of Henry’s dissolute days in London, join the king’s forces and set off for the wars. The news comes of Sir John Falstaff’s death. The English take the town of Harfleur and the king moves on towards Calais. The two armies prepare for battle near Agincourt. The night before the battle the king visits his troops in disguise. The French numbers are superior but Henry inspires his troops with a powerful patriotic speech. The battle begins and the French are defeated, with heavy losses, whereas the English losses are light. Henry returns to London in triumph before making peace with the French king. Henry woos the French Princess Katherine and their marriage links England and France. HEney-6-The play opens in the aftermath of the death of King Henry V. News reaches England of military setbacks in France, and the scene shifts to  Orleans, where ‘La Pucelle’ (Joan of Arc) is encouraging theDauphin to resist. She defeats an English army led by Talbot. In England, Richard, Duke of York, quarrels with John Beaufort, 1 st Duke of Somerset about his claim on the throne. The lords select red or white roses, depending on whether they favour the House of Lancaster or that of York. Edmund Mortimer, a leading claimant to the throne, is a prisoner in the Tower ofLondon and declares Richard his heir. The young Henry VI honours both Richard and Talbot. Talbot dies bravely in his next battle against the French. In the meantime, King Henry is married off to a young French princess, Margaret of Anjou. Suffolk intends to control the king through Margaret. Ill feeling between him and the Duke of Gloucester continues to grow. This play ends without a resolution, and is Henry-6-21This play begins with the marriage of King Henry VI to the young Margaret of Anjou. William de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, aims to influence the king through her. The major obstacle to this plan is the regent of the crown, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who is very popular with the people. Queen Margaret vies with his wife, Eleanor, for precedence at court. Eleanor is lured by an agent of Suffolk into dabbling in necromancy, and then arrested, to the embarrassment of her husband,Gloucester. Nevertheless, the demon she has summoned delivers some accurate prophecies concerning the fates of several characters in the play. Gloucester is then accused of treason and imprisoned, and afterwards assassinated by agentsof Suffolk and the Queen. Meanwhile, Richard, Duke of York, who has a tenuousclaim to the throne, schemes to make himself king. The Earl of Suffolk is banished for his role in Gloucester’s death and killed by Walter the pirate, leaving Margaret without her mentor. Meanwhile, Richard of York has managed to become commander of an army to suppress a revolt in Ireland. York enlists a former officer, Jack Cade, to lead a rebellion that threatens the whole kingdom, so that he can bring his army from Ireland into England and seize the throne. As Cade’s rebels are routed, York, who has brought his army over on the pretext of protecting the King from Somerset, declares open war on the king, supported by his sons, Edward (the future King Edward IV) and Richard (the future King Richard II). The English nobility now take sides, and the Battle of St Albans ensues. The Duke of Somerset is killed by the future Richard III. Young Lord Clifford, whose father has been killed by the Duke of York, vows revenge on the Yorkists, and allies himself with King Henry’s other supporters. Henry-6-3 The Earl of Warwick (Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick) is presiding over a dispute between Richard, Duke of York and the reigning King Henry, in the course of which Henry agrees to make York his heir. The Queen, Margaret, makes it clear that she will not agree to this, and declares war on the Yorkists, with the assistance of the young Lord Clifford and other supporters, including her son, Edward, Prince of Wales. The Yorkists are defeated at the Battle of Wakefield. Cliffordmurders York’s young son, the Earl of Rutland. Margaret andClifford taunt the duke of York before killing him. The Earl of Warwick now takes York’s eldest son, Edward (King Edward 1V of England) under his wing. At the Battle of Twoton, they take revenge on Margaret’s army, and Clifford is killed. Following the battle, Edward is proclaimed king, and his two brothers, George and Richard, are created Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester respectively. Warwick turns against Edward when he marries Lady Grey, and he changes sides, joining Queen Margaret and allowing his daughter to marry her son, the Prince of Wales. The Duke of Clarence goes over to Warwick, marrying his other daughter, and Edward IV is taken prisoner. He is rescued by his brother Richard and the faithful Lord Hastings. King Henry VI has been restored to the throne, and the young Earl of Richmond (the future King Henry V11) goes into exile in France to escape the Yorkists. Edward defeats and kills Warwick at the Battle of Barnet. In a subsequent battle, he kills the Prince of Wales and captures Queen Margaret. Richard of Gloucester begins his campaign to remove all obstacles in his path to the throne by murdering King Henry VI who is a captive in the Tower of London. Henry prophesies Richard’s career of villainy and his future notoriety. However, King Edward’s wife has just given birth to a son, the future King, Edward V of England, and the play ends here. Cardinal Wolsey, a close advisor to Henry VIII’s father, Henry VII, has framed the Duke of Buckingham for treason, who is executed. The Queen, Katherine, hates Wolsey and he is also hated by the people because of the plot against Buckingham and the harsh, unfair taxes he is imposing in the King’s name. The King goes to a party hosted by Wolsely and falls in love with Anne Bullen, a lady-in-waiting to the Queen. Henry, married to Katherine for twenty years, decides that the marriage is not legal because she is the widow of his brother, and it is therefore incest. He asks Wolsey for his advice. Because of that Wolsey becomes even more hated, both by Katherine and the people so he can’t agree to Henry’s solution of a divorce, but he agrees to put it the Pope, who will send someone to investigate and make a ruling. Katherine regards the marriage as sacred but she has to submit to the proceedings. Wolsey’s enemies are active and, the situation compounded by some bad luck, he begins to lose the confidence of Henry. Also, Henry sees him as a stumbling block to the divorce. Wolsey knows that Henry is determined to marry Anne Bullen so he advises the Pope to postpone a decision. With Wolsey in disgrace Henry goes ahead with the divorce and the remarriage with out any regard to the Pope’s opinion. Wolsey then dies, followed soon after by Katherine. The new Archbishop of Canterbury has a plot hatched against him by Wolsey’s secretary, Gardiner, who is tried and executed for treason. Henry has a daughter, Elizabeth, by Anne Bullen. Cranmer christens her and makes a speech foretelling a noble rule for Elizabeth and a glorious period of history during her reign. King John settlement with the French King. John is, in the meantime, having a problem with the Pope. The Pope has excommunicated him, and his envoy, Pandulph, orders the French King to resume hostilities with John. During one of the battles John captures his nephew, Arthur. He gives orders for his execution but his chamberlain, Hubert, disobeys the order. While trying to escape, Arthur falls to his death. The nobles accuse John of murder and defect to the French side. John is forced to hand over his crown to Pandulph, although receives it back, but his kingdom is now under the Pope’s control. Pandulph now tries to stop the conflict but the French won’t co-operate and the armies meet at Edmundsbury. The nobles don’t trust the French King and they return to John. The French King comes to terms with John through Pandulph but John is not there to see that as he is poisoned by a monk while he is staying at Swinstead Abbey. He is succeeded by his son, King Henry III. Richard-3 Richard, the Yorkist Duke of Gloucester, has not stopped plotting since the defeat of Henry VI. He conspires to play his brothers, Edward (now King Edward IV) and George, Duke of Clarence, against each other in an attempt to gain the crown for himself. By insinuating charges of treason against George, Richard has him arrested. He also brazenly woos Anne, widow of the murdered Prince of Wales, in the midst of her husbands funeral procession. In the course of events, Edward IV, who is deathly ill at the beginning of the play, dies; Richard has already arranged for George to be murdered while imprisoned, and so it stands that Richard will serve as regent while Edwards son (also named Edward) can come of age. In order to protect the Prince of Wales and his younger brother, Richard has them stay in the Tower of London. He then moves against Edwards loyalist lords; Vaughan, Rivers, Hastings, and Grey are first imprisoned, then executed. Then, with the aid of Buckingham, Richard declares that Edward IVs offspring are technically illegitimate. In an arranged public display, Buckingham offers the throne of England to Richard, who is presumably reluctant to accept. By this time, Richard has alienated even his own mother, who curses him as a bloody tyrant. By now, Richard needs to bolster his claims to the crown; the young princes locked away in the Tower of London must be disposed of. Buckingham, until now Richards staunchest ally, balks at this deed. Richard gets a murderer to do the deed, but turns on Buckingham for his insubordination. Now Richard—conveniently a widower after the suspicious demise of Anne—makes a ploy to marry the late King Edwards daughter, his niece. Elizabeth, Edwards widow, makes Richard believe that she agrees to the match; however, Elizabeth has arranged for a match with the Earl of Richmond. Richmond, at this point in the action, is bringing over an army from France to war against Richard. Buckingham, finding himself out of favor with the king, gives his allegiance to Richmond. However, Buckingham is captured when his army is thrown into disarray by floods, and Richard has him executed immediately. Richmond, who has undergone his own troubles crossing the English Channel, finally lands his army and marches for London. The armies of Richard and Richmond encamp near Bosworth Field; the night before the battle, Richard is visited by the sundry ghosts of the people he has slain, all of whom foretell his doom.

Eualuation of National Solidarity Program

Eualuation of National Solidarity Program EUALUATION OF NATIONAL SOLIDARITY PROGRAM: PEOPLE PARTICIPATION, CHALLENGES AND SUSTAINBALITY The case of Sayed Abad District of Wardak Province Tariq Salari Table of Contents (Jump to) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Context of the study 1.2. Rationale of the study 1.3. Hypothesis: 1.4. Limitation of the Study: 1.5. Organization of the thesis: ABBREVIATIONS AF Afghani (Currency of Afghanistan) ANDS Afghanistan National Development Strategy AREU Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit AusAID Australian Agency for International Development CDCs Community Development Councils CDP Community Development Plan CRDP Comprehensive Rural Development Program CSO Central Statistics Organization DAC Development Assistance Committee DFID Department for International Development EPA Environmental Protection Agency EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FP Facilitating Partner IFAD International Fund for Agriculture GDP Gross Domestic Product HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus ILO International Labour Organization IWG-PA Informal Working Group on Participatory Approaches Methods KW Kilowatt N Number NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NGO Non Governmental Organization NSP National Solidarity Program OECD Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development PDPs Provincial Development plans PIDRA Participatory Integrated Development in Rain-fed Area SAHEE Sustainability for Agriculture, Health, Education and Environment SCA Swedish Committee for Afghanistan UN United Nation UNDP United Nation Development Program UN ESCAP United Nation Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific UNESC United Nation Economic and Social Council UNRISD United Nation Research Institute for Social Development USAID United States Agency for International Development USFAA United States Foreign Assistance Act WB World Bank WCARRD World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development WECD World Commission on Environment and Development WMP Watershed Management Program 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Context of the study In the 1950s and 1960s many top-down development programs failed because of the wrong policies of the governments, donors and non-governmental organizations, which people were not involved in the design and implementation of the projects. World Bank (1994) proclaimed that top-down fashion entailed long bureaucratic process; they prefer participatory approaches because it is â€Å"learning by doing† which means people learn throughout the process. Top-down forms provide limited opportunities for participatory learning and decision-making as well. It obstructs local culture and habits (FAO, 1997). Shah (2012) stated that it is assumed that if local people were involved in the project cycle, it would be more successful. In most countries top-down policies caused the isolation of the people, increase in poverty, social and economic inequalities and deprivation. Many governments, non-governmental organizations and development agencies have acknowledged that traditional top-down approaches in many developing and developed countries failed to reach the benefits of rural people (FAO, 1991). Moreover, Binns et al. (1997) asserts that top-down strategies have failed to raise living standards of rural people; these approaches ignore rural people’s perception, needs and understanding. It is clear that without people’s participation it would be difficult for the planners to understand the socioeconomic and cultural situation, needs, problems and priorities of the rural communities. In the last few years the term of participation has become popular, especially in relation to sustainability of rural development projects (Bagherian et al, 2009). In the 1970s people’s participation recognized as a missing component of development projects which caused intensifying poverty (Karl, 2000). Participatory approach got momentum after the World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (WCARRD) organized in 1997. WCARRD emphasized on the organization and active participation of rural people in the development programs (UN ESCAP, 2009). Local participation is considered as a vitally important factor for rural development projects, since rural people are the only one who knows their own problems better than anyone else. Hence, participation improves ownership, helps with rural people’s knowledge and boosts sustainability of rural development projects. In 1990, after more than four decades of providing foreign aids to developing countries, the assistin g and major donor agencies came up with the issue of benefits and activities in long term after stopping aids fund. They tried to establish local governance to manage resources and ensure long term sustainability (Bossert, 1990; Mohammad, 2010). A project can be sustained when the beneficiaries are involved in the project cycle; they will train throughout the project and would be enabled to work for their community in the future. Agriculture and livestock sector plays a vital role in the rural economy of Afghanistan. According to the World Bank (2012) rural population measured 76.14% where agriculture is the primary activity. Despite of the many challenges rural economy contributes to more than half of the country’s GDP. The three decades of war, turmoil, instability, revolution and social disruption enormously affected rural people in terms of social development and economic growth. Social institutions and economic infrastructures have been destroyed, sources of livelihoods, housing, schools and hospitals were demolished (Rahimi, 2013). After a long time, the government of Afghanistan and International Community in 2002 began some initiatives to reconstruct and stabilize the country through local communities. Zakhilwal and Thomas (2005) suggest that for longer peace and stability, rural participatory policies are needed to include those people who were often excluded from the decision-making before, especially women who have historically been victims of imbalanced development. The Transitional Government of Afghanistan in 2002 has started national programs. One of these programs was National Solidarity Program (NSP) to create, build up and maintain Community Development Councils (CDCs) as effective foundations for local governance and socioeconomic development (NSP-Web, 2014). NSP as a bottom-up program was created in 2003 to develop the ability of Afghan communities to identify, plan, manage and monitor their own development projects (NSP-Web, 2013). Development projects have a crucial role in the local development, since they improve the living standards of local people, empower local people and educate rural communities. Hence, it is important to be sustained which depends on the project selection, project design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Without active participation of local people, it is impossible to achieve this goal (sustainability), which NSP projects couldn’t meet this criterion many projects have failed to produce expected outcomes. This study examines people participation in NSP projects and it explores major obstacles of people participation and likely sustainability of two projects in Sayed Abad district of Wardak province. 1.2. Rationale of the study Since 2001 government have put the issue of local participation in the centre of their policies and much more attention has been paid to rural areas and community participation, to bring people together in order to utilize the local resources, as well as to improve the livelihood of the rural people. In the first couple of years government tried to build capacity at local level in the public sector and civil society but these efforts had light impact. Subsequently, Afghan government jointly with the International Community initiated national programs to cope with poverty, engage directly people in the reconstruction process of the country, empower local people and make them responsible for their own development (Rahimi, 2013). Mostly the process of these programs has been bottom up, which has mainly focused on minorities and underprivileged strata of the community. But it is supposed that in some regions these initiatives have not succeeded to perceive the objectives of community par ticipation and empowerment in the local projects and many times it criticized that minorities, especially women have not been involved in these efforts, and still people are suffering from the elite and power-holders interference in the rural development projects. This study attempts to answer the empirical questions which often asked that whether in the NSP program people meaningfully participated and whether people’s participation incorporated with sustainability of the projects. With this background and empirical questions, the entire study was designed to meet the following objectives: To identify the level of involvement of local people in the National Solidarity Program (NSP) projects in the study area. To explore the barriers and factors that affect community participation in National Solidarity Program (NSP) projects in Sayed Abad district. To examine the sustainability of the NSP projects in the study area. To make recommendations based on the findings of this study. 1.3. Hypothesis In Sayed Abad district of Wardak province, elite power holders, socio-cultural situation and personal relationship caused isolation of minorities, especially in case of participation of women in the National Solidarity Program. Threatened security conditions, lack of substantial information and conflicts among tribes are the biggest challenges for community participation in the National Solidarity Program in Sayed Abad district. Meaningfully Participation of people in National Solidarity program likely lead to sustainability of projects in Sayed Abad district. 1.4. Limitation of the Study The limitations are mainly related to the availability of information and time, difficulties of collecting primary data in rural area of Afghanistan. It is not an easy task because of the threatened security conditions and a high illiteracy rate of the citizens. Some of the limitations are listed below: Lack of time and financial limitation. Security problems in Wardak province. Unwillingness of the respondents to give information due to security problems. Bureaucratic policy in the Ministry of Rehabilitation and Rural Development. Lack of secondary data due to absence of database in the provincial office of NSP. Absence of the officials and members of Community Development Councils (CDCs). 1.5. Organization of the thesis The entire thesis has been organized in five chapters. The first chapter highlights the context of the study, objectives, hypothesis and limitation of the study. Chapter two includes an extended literature review about the history of participation, definition of participation and sustainability, typology of participation, factors influencing participation and sustainability, relationship between participation and sustainability of the projects, social exclusion and inclusion and a short description of NSP. Principle concepts, information about study area, methods and tools used in the analysis are elaborated in the chapter three. Chapter four explores the results and findings in a logical scientific manner to accomplish the objectives and test the hypothesis of the study. Chapter five presents conclusions based on research outcomes and also some recommendations for enhancing the people’s participation in rural development projects and sustainability. In the next chapter the st udy is summarized and finally the sources of research materials, books and research papers related to the present investigation are listed.

Impacts Of Climate Change On Coastal Areas Environmental Sciences Essay

Impacts Of Climate Change On Coastal Areas Environmental Sciences Essay An increase or decrease in the temperature for a long time has negative effects on the coastal areas (Moser, 2000). Global warming in the biggest environmental issue which posses stress and pressure to the coast leading to floods and erosions (Shaw, 2002). Tropical or winter storms can grow to dangerous coastal storms, making the surface of the water fiercer (Forces of nature, 2000). Higher temperature levels in the climate increases the temperature of the water, increasing the risk of low oxygen conditions threatening fish stocks and other marine organisms (David, Gordon, 2007). Global warming, high temperature level and coastal storms require more consideration and a better solution is needed to overcome these to protect the coast and the earth from being submerged. In 2002, Jane S. Shaw, stated that global warming manifest of being the most dangerous environmental issue as it has the ability to affect the entire earth and the whole world depends on it. Global warming warms the earth due to the excess of carbon in the atmosphere (Cunnigham, Cunningham, Saigo, Bailey, Shrubsole, 2005). The oceans job is to keep the planets carbon dioxide levels in balance or equilibrium but the problem now is that with so much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels, the oceans, like the air are getting warmer (David, Gordon, 2007). When the oceanic water becomes warmer than usual, it leads to thermal expansion; water molecules move faster and become farther apart, occupying more space (Stein, 2001). Cold seawater absorbs more carbon dioxide than warm seawater, therefore if carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise; the oceans will simply be too warm to take as much carbon dioxide as they have been (David, Gordon, 2007). In the North and Sou th poles, ice and snow reflect away solar radiation from the earths surface because of their bright white color. Higher temperatures make the ice and snow reflect less sunlight, making the earth warmer (Stein, 2001). Increase in the temperature can melt the ice sheets into the oceans (Shaw, 2002). If the Greenland ice sheets melts completely, it will add enough water to raise levels all across the world by 21 feet (6.4m) (David, Gordon, 2007). In 2007, David and Gordon observed that in the last 100 years, global sea levels have risen 8 inches (20cm). When the sea level rises, there is an increased threat of floods and erosion (Stein, 2002). When there is too much carbon dioxide in the air, the sea takes up the slack, soaking up the extra carbon dioxide like a gigantic sponge (David, Gordon, 2007). In general, the warming of the earth does not lead to either positive or profitable consequences. Global warming only contributes to negative ends and destroys the globe slowly. Melting of the ice sheets is not a good sign for the earth and actions towards global warming needs to be enforced to be able to prevent the ice sheets from melting and raising the level of the oceans. This picture of the graph shows increase in the sea level rise from 1850 to 2100 and it is predicted that the sea level will rise up to 20 inches till 2050 due to thermal expansion and the melting of ice sheets (Sea level rise, 2010). There are approximately one billion people who live in coastal areas (David, Gordon, 2007). Even small levels in the sea rise can be dangerous for small islands (Shaw, 2002). Urban areas built near sea level like New York, Boston, Washington, and Miami can be at risk because of flooding (Moser, 2000). The rise in sea increases the risk of coastal flooding from rainstorms, because low areas drain more slowly as sea level rises (Climate change health, 2010). The coastal storms become more dangerous when the wind and waves drive water farther inland than ever before (Stein, 2001). Coastal storms cause a lot of damage in coastal areas, resulting in flooding and mudslides (Moser, 2000). Industrialized countries such as United States and Europe might be able to cope with the dangers related to sea level rise but other poor countries might not (Shaw, 2002). The increase in sea level poses as threat to properties, infrastructures, coastal industries, coastal and marine ecosystems (Moser, 20 00). Because of tropical or winter storms the ocean waves intensifies on the open ocean and these storms make the surface of the water much choppier and fiercer than normal which affects the beaches ( Forces of nature, 2000). There is tremendous loss of money when recreational areas near beaches get affected due to beach erosion (Moser, 2000). Hundreds of cities are built near the sea level and there is a lot of money involved in the development of these cities. If erosion occurs, these areas will flood. Poor countries cannot even afford to prevent floods or help people living along the coastal areas, therefore they need to protect the environment and come up with all the possible, economical ways to reduce catastrophic weather change. Rising sea temperature is considered to be the largest threat to coral reefs today (mangroves for the, 2007). The mangroves for the in 2007 also stated that when there is a higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the seawater, it will lead to ocean acidification reducing calcification rates of calcifying organisms such as corals. Corals and all shellfish need a certain level of calcium in order to make their hard shells; but higher acidity hits the delicate balance of calcium in the water, reducing the amount available to coral and shellfish to build their protective skeletons (David, Gordon, 2007). Disintegration of degraded reefs following bleaching or reduced classification may result in increased wave energy across reef flats with potential for shoreline erosion (mangroves for the, 2007). When water temperature rise, the algae cannot photosynthesize, the chemical reaction that converts sunlight and carbon dioxide into sugars is blocked and the coral losses its source of color and turns white, almost as if it grown old overnight (David, Gordon, 2007). There is limited ecological and genetic evidence for adaptation of corals to warmer conditions (mangroves for the, 2007). Bleached corals becomes weaker and more vulnerable to disease, predators and storms, it is becoming a pretty feeble hideout for exotic fish (David, Gordon, 2007). Many reefs are affected by tropical cyclones, impacts range from minor breakage of fragile corals to destruction of the majority of corals on a reef and deposition of debris as coarse storm ridges (mangroves for the, 2007). Coastal storms pollute the water due to sediments and pollutants with higher runoff (David, Gordon, 2007). Coastal ecosystems, especially mangroves forests and coral reefs act as buffers against extreme weather conditions and natural disasters, thereby reducing the vulnerability of coastal communities and their investments (mangroves for the, 2007). As stated earlier, the change in the climate can rise the sea level which enables living organisms that live in the ocean from performing daily normal tasks and they eventually die. The ocean is a very big ecosystem for millions of organisms and they are all connected with each other, the removal of one specie from the food chain can really affect the other species. The corals act as an important factor in the ocean and therefore they need to be protected and the sea level and pH needs to be balanced so that the corals are not bleached or affected. Preventative measurements need to be taken toward the coastal areas because a lot of lives can be affected if precautions are not taken. Numerous amounts of projects as well as investments are trying to save the earth from being submerged. The mangroves for the future (MFF) launched a project whose objective is to strengthen the environmental sustainability of coastal development and promote sound investment in costal ecosystem management as a means of enhancing resilience and supporting local livelihoods (mangroves for the, 2007). There are approximately a number of 200 million people who live across the world in high risk coastal flooding areas, (how to prevent, 2010) and this MFF project might be able to help them. These projects require a lot of money to be able to put in action, long term erosion defense and repair requires millions of dollars and requires the participation of a lot of members (how to prevent, 2010). The MFF supports and endorses the concept of REDD (reducing em issions from deforestation and ecosystem degradation) as a result of climate change and mitigation option (mangroves for the, 2007). There are preventative measures being taken to protect the low-lying coastal areas against damage from tidal inundation through the construction of embankments capable of withstanding the anticipated storm surge height and forces (disaster preventation and, 1999). These types of protection will decrease the amount of force in the tides and might prevent the beaches from getting a disastrous damage. The buildings of seawalls, barrier islands and beach nourishment can also protect the coast from the climate change impact (how to do, 2010). Barrier island is a piece of land that is made up of sand and it prevents the coastal storms from damaging the mainland of the island (Paris). The strength of coastal storms changes the shape and the form of the islands and causes erosion of the dunes and can completely destroy the dune system if it is severe (Paris). One of the most dangerous effects on earth is global warming. Global warming comes with enormous amounts of complexity and dangers for the globe. The impacts of this threat needs to be reduced so that it does not damage the earth and therefore every single individual need to live greener. There are multiple ways through which global warming can be reduce. People need to be more energy efficient and they can do so by turning their appliances off when its not required, insulating their house, making their lifestyle greener by reducing the use of vehicles and by educating future generations (prevent climate change, 2010). These small steps can add up at the end and make a big change on the climate.

Do Lotteries Benefit The Poor? :: essays research papers fc

Do Lotteries Benefit the Poor? Lotteries take advantage of the poor in several ways. The lottery entices the poor to waste their money on lottery tickets, rather than everyday necessities, such as food, clothing and shelter. The main way that lottery promoters succeed in attracting the poor is through the persuasive use of advertisements. Other members of anti-lottery groups believe lottery advertisements are deceitful and attract poor people to its promises. Flashy slogans and pictures of large amounts of money are more than enough to pull the needy closer. These poor people are those that least need to be attracted, because they do not have the money to spend on tickets. This wasted money on advertisements is capital that should be used to help the poor in socially useful programs. The lottery is nothing more than a money-taker that uses advertisements to persuade those in search of money to try the lottery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The money spent on advertising for the lottery is an absurdly large figure. Not only are the poor wasting money on lotto tickets, but the government is also wasting money on advertising for the lottery. The government only started to heavily advertise when they saw the annual sale of lotto tickets declining. In 1998, the lottery’s â€Å"sales growth slowed by two point five percent in one year†¦ and new lottery products were created to rekindle public interest, focused primarily towards the poor† (Ira Teinowitz 3). Most of these products consisted of corny scratch of tickets where prizes got no higher than five hundred dollars. It has been reported that nearly 200 million dollars were spent on lotto advertising in one year between the 38 participating state lotteries (Teinowitz 3). â€Å"The New York lottery takes in more than $2 billion in sales each year, and it spends $30 million in advertising to keep the cash rolling in†(Joshua Shenk 22). This is very destructive spending, because this money could be used for schools, charities, and college education. Besides the money spent on such ads, these ads are obviously focused towards the poor person who just needs to read a few catchy words to help himself by a ticket. A study by the Heartland Institute has indicated that the poor spend more money than the non-poor on lotteries, â€Å"not only as a percentage of their income, but also in absolute terms† (Shenk 22). The advertisements have slogans such as â€Å"Play the Lotto, and you could win the stuff dreams are made of†(Shenk 22).

Black And White Women Of The Old South Essay -- essays research papers

Minrose Gwin‘s book, Black and White Women of the Old South, argues that history has problems with objectiveness. Her book brings to life interesting interpretations on the view of the women of the old south and chattel slavery in historical American fiction and autobiography. Gwin’s main arguments discussed how the white women of the south in no way wanted to display any kind of compassion for a fellow woman of African descent. Gwin described the "sisterhood" between black and white women as a "violent connection"(pg 4). Not only that, Gwin’s book discusses the idea that for most of the eighteenth and nineteenth century, a black woman usually got subjected to displacement of sexual and mental frustration of white women. Gwin discusses how these black women, because of the sexual and mental abuse, felt looked down on more by whites and therefore reduced to even a lower level than that of white women‘s status of being a woman. . A southern white female slave owner only saw black women as another slave, or worse. White women needed to do this in order to keep themselves from feeling that they were of higher status than every one else except for their husband. White women as, Gwin describes, always proved that they had complete control and black women needed to bow to them. Gwin’s book discusses that the white male slave owners brought this onto the black women on the plantation. They would rape black women, and then instead of the white women dealing with their husbands. They would go after the black women only since the wives had no power over the husbands, but they maintained total control of the slaves, the white women would attack the black women and make their lives very diffucult. The white women would make sure that the black women understood that the white women completely hated the black women for being raped and wanted only pain for the them. This is how the black women of that time got t he stereotypes of being very sexual beings and hated by there oppressors. You can see evidence of this when Gwin discussed the realities of such hatred in the book Absalom, Absalom by William Faulkner. The main character, Clytie, sexual assaults by her male master upsets her because she doesn’t desire to be involved with him, but her female master feels that she should be punished for it. So the white female slave owner... ...man keeps her from ever getting past the dark skin, and makes the white women feel more like the Africans were more of an animal then an actual person. The white women always feels that the slave must understand that the man may rank higher than her but even if her husband wants to mess around then fault goes to the slave not the husbands. And the slave will never be to her level, because the black slave will never be a lady. And in the book you can see how the white women lost there power in the house and that their system of life that they received didn’t prove to work out anymore for them so they had to attempt to adjust to a way life took would take them. I feel that Gwin argues that the main reason for the confrontations for the struggle of power became evident in that it had gotten to point that certain black women would not let their own female owners hit them. This is an example of how not only how the whites women challenged the system, but also how the slave women started to make changes in how they willed to be treated. Bibliographical citation Gwin, Minrose. Black And White Women Of The Old South. Knoxville: Tennessee Press, 1985.

Does your environment shape you? Essay

Does your environment shape your personality and the way you act? I completely agree with the fact that, one’s environment is the main factor of shaping one’s personality. I find that many teenagers including myself are very easily influenced by what they see and hear. For example, some teenagers are different and are more interested in the material they read on the Internet and the newspaper. Television adds for make up or clothes can easily attract our attention. Although many of us teenagers live up to a standard so they can fit into a crowd at school. The newspaper articles and stories we read and hear about can grab our attention very easily. Big titles on articles catch our attention. We don’t try to look at them we just see them. An interesting title for an interesting article about your favorite music group or an even that you attended steals your attention and just be reading the first few lines makes you want to keep on reading and reading. When I flip open the newspaper section, I immediately turn to the entertainment section knowing that there must be an article of amusement that will give me something to think and talk about. Same with the stories that we hear from friends. Gossip. You hear a bit of a story being told to another and you immediately jump in asking the questions â€Å"who? What?† These types of things get our attention and just the way we hear about it changes our thoughts and feelings. What good is a section of a story when you must know the whole thing to spread on the story? Hearing two different stories makes you change your mind back and forth until you are too confused to care or another hot new story arrives to the ears of a fellow friend who will pass it down to you. Even the television affects they way we think about events in life. I know that for a fact because I remember when I had never even heard of the small city of Walkerton, Ontario until the story came on the news. I never really gave a damn about Walkerton before, why should I now? Just because it’s a story to talk about! The interviews they broadcast on television and the facts given to you keep on getting you more and more interested until it becomes a common subject to talk about. T.V. adds are the exact same. The colors and the music provided in the background attract our attention very easily. We’re interested to see what’s hot and what’s not. Since everything  in the media involves sex to attract our attention, a lot of us are very easily. I remember watching my favorite show (The Simpsons) when the commercial came on. A gorgeous young lady planting seeds that tears off the lab coat revealing her bikini suit. Next thing I see, a built, muscular man grows from the ground from the seeds planted. And in the end, what was the commercial trying to sell you? A pair of jeans. Just a fashion statement. The commercials make you want to have that exact same product.

Curley’s wife in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck Essay

John Steinbeck at the beginning of the novel creates dislike towards Curley’s wife. However by the end of the novel we feel sympathy for her. Steinbeck uses many different techniques to present Curley’s wife such as†¦ Colour imagery Appearance Metaphors Similes Dialogue Foreshadowing Descriptive words QUOTES The rectangle of sunshine in the doorway was cut off Tart E ver’body out doin’ som’pin’. Ever’body! An’ what am i doin’? Standin’ here talkin’ to a bunch of bindle stiffs—a nigger an’ a dum-dum and a lousy ol’ sheep—an’ likin’ it because they ain’t nobody else.† well, you keep your place then, nigger. I could get you strung up on a tree so easy it ain’t even funny. ‘I never get to talk to nobody. I get awful lonely.’ ‘I could made somethin’ of myself†¦Maybe I will yet.’ ‘Coulda been in the movies.’ ‘I don’t like Curley. He ain’t a nice fella.’ On Lennie ‘Jus’ like a big baby.’ ‘Her body flopped like a fish’ ‘He pawed up the hay.’ CONTEXT Curley’s wife is the only women at the ranch, women in 1930’s America where treated as less just like Curley’s wife. Women where seen as unintelligent and this is just like Steinbeck portrays Curley’s wife. Also in 1930’s America blacks and whites did not get along. There were many segregated places like hospitals and church’s etc. people where racists just like Curley’s wife was towards Crooks. Curley’s Wife Curley’s wife knows her beauty is her power, and she uses it to flirt with the men at the ranch and make her husband jealous. Steinbeck at the beginning portrays Curley’s wife to be mean and seductive. She brings evil into the men’s lives by tempting them in a way they cannot resist. Eventually, she ends the dream of, the little farm where George and Lennie wanted to live.