Philosphy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosphy - Essay Example The difference must be made between the case of Osma Bin Laden, and a murder case occasioned by an instant passion. Death Penalty should be abandoned. However, the time for the idea to get realized would be decided by healthy social conditions. Theories of Punishment In its Hammurabi’s sense the retribution stands for letting punishment fit the crime as eye for an eye, or hand for a hand, or life for a life. There is no place in this conception for replacing the consequence of crime with any thing other than the nature of committed crime. For Utilitarians, however, punishment should look for consequences resulting through the incurring of punishment. The Utilitarians put forward Deterrent and Reformative punishment theories. Deterrent means to punish others in order to deter from committing crime. It may be expressed in a dictum of a judge, â€Å"you are not punished for stealing sheep, but in order that sheep may not be stolen (Mackenzie 374).† This theory is oppressiv e in nature and considers human being as a thing. The Reformative theory of punishment emphasizes on changing the structure and thought of human being, compulsory volunteer service and social services are the examples of this theory. Retribution as connection between Punishment and Guilt Retributive theory of punishment aims to make a return of a man’s deed upon his own head. For Mackenzie, the aim of Retribution is to make it apparent that the evil consequences of his acts are not merely evils to others, but evils in which he is himself involved. Retributive theory therefore emphasizes upon facing the similar consequences as that of the committed crime. Being different from the other two theories, and often interpreted in its literal meaning, the important meanings of this theory remain hidden. The aim of retribution is to make connection between punishment and guilt, that is, to develop a sense of guilt regarding the crime. Retribution as expression of Moral outrage There i s an aspect and meaning of retribution that becomes operative in certain situation in order to try to answer the question whether some social phenomenon should be punished because it is violating the moral order of the society? Morality works upon the defined and prevailed conception of human being and the owned world-view, this may include religious position. The retributive theory, understood in its literal sense, may operate to curb the increase of a social phenomenon endangering the social moral order, and thus may operate as a utilitarian principle. For example, the increase of the crime rate in juvenile may trigger an operation against such groups to keep control of social moral order. Popular Instinct Retribution may be seen through the upsurge of popular instinct. In this situation, the need to go deep into the reality, and placing event within discursive world, does not play a role. The popular instincts decide retributively the punishment for the crime. For example, a rape of a female in a village may invoke a popular reaction that results into a strict punishment. In this situation, no other shade of retribution will be looked upon. Purely retributive justification It is difficult to understand the concept pure, as it may mean going back directly to Hammurabi’s literal intention and may mean understanding retribution only in the sense of an eye for an eye and

Should business take care of its superannuated employees Essay

Should business take care of its superannuated employees - Essay Example It is the obligation of the business management board to take care of the superannuated employees through adhering to the set restrictions. The essay below outlines the reasons why businesses should take care of the superannuated employees with a focus on the benefit to both the employee and business. Most employers and business management structures value their superannuation programs according to the assumed manner in which they are valued by the employees. The viability of the scheme should be ascertained formally through comprehensive research. This implies that most of these benefit programs do not satisfy the employee needs. Paying close attention to the improvement of the superannuated benefits will ensure that the benefits are aligned with what employees want and value. Catering for the welfare of the superannuated employees acts as an assurance to other employees that their future benefits are flexible enough to be useful even when outside the work environment (Billing et al, 2010). Superannuation plays a crucial role in the improvement of the retirement benefits. The change in superannuation programs has enabled employees to apply their superannuation benefits in paying off their mortgage and investing in shares. Focus on superannuated employees ensures that improvement of their welfare is maintained through the use resources from the fund. Superannuation is popular among the work force due to the compound interest accrued after a long working life. The business has an obligation of ensuring that the long-term accumulated benefits are paid during retirement. Taking care of superannuated employee ensures that their patience and willingness to get involved in the high-risk investment is rewarded. Employees should be guarded against losses in the case of business failure. Superannuated employees are the most vulnerable to losses in the event

Media and Masculinity Essay Example for Free

Media and Masculinity Essay Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memahami dan mendeskripsikan: (1) Konstruksi maskulinitas pada majalah laki-laki gaya hidup FHM. Tujuan tersebut dilengkapi dengan penjelasan realitas sosial yang melatarbelakangi hadirnya majalah laki-laki FHM (global dan lokal/Indonesia); (2) Konstruksi maskulinitas pembaca terkait dengan maskulinitas FHM. Penelitian ini menggunakan paradigma konstruktivis dengan kajian teoretis pada teori konstruksi sosial atas realitas (termasuk juga teori interaksionisme simbolik, dramaturgi dan semiotika), teori media massa dan konstruksi sosial, audiens dan pengkonstruksian makna, majalah laki-laki, dan teori-teori maskulinitas (jender). Penelitian dilakukan dengan menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan menggunakan sasaran studi majalah FHM, pembaca FHM di kota Solo dan Yogya, reviu media (akses internet) serta buku-buku literatur. Reviu media serta buku-buku literatur tersebut dikaitkan dengan realitas sosial yang melatarbelakangi hadirnya majalah laki-laki gaya hidup secara umum di mana FHM merupakan salah satu diantaranya. Teknik sampling yang digunakan untuk studi majalah dan pembaca adalah purposive sampling. Untuk majalah, dilakukan dengan menggunakan teknik maximum variation terhadap rubrik-rubrik tetap yang menghadirkan maskulinitas yang kontradiktif dengan maskulinitas tradisional. Terbitan yang diperiksa adalah FHM edisi perdana (September 2003) s/d April 06. Hal ini dilakukan agar memperoleh gambaran variasi konstruksi maskulinitas yang secara konsisten disampaikan majalah melalui seluruh terbitannya. Setelah menemukan variasi maskulinitas tersebut peneliti membagi rubrik-rubrik tetap yang dimaksudkan ke dalam area-area maskulinitas yang mewakili mereka. Dalam masing-masing rubrik tetap, tidak  semua artikel yang ada sepanjang terbitan yang diteliti akan diambil. Tapi akan diambil artikel tertentu yang dianggap peneliti memiliki variasi ‘teks’ paling lengkap yang ditujukan untuk dapat membahas maskulinitas tertentu secara lebih komprehensif. Untuk pembaca dilakukan purposive sampling dengan kriteria pembaca yang membeli rutin majalah minimal telah membaca selama setahun serta masih berlangsung sampai dengan saat penelitian berlangsung. Pencarian pembaca ini dilakukan melalui milis fhmindonesia, agen-agen majalah dan informasi yang diperoleh dari teman. Pengumpulan data untuk studi majalah dilakukan dengan menggunakan teknik analisis media yaitu menggunakan analisis wacana yang difokuskan pada jender. Sementara itu pengumpulan data untuk studi pembaca dilakukan dengan menggunakan teknik wawancara mendalam dan pengamatan berperan pasif (observasi). Hasil-hasil penelitian dapat dikemukan sebagai berikut: (1) Studi terhadap majalah dan pembaca menunjukkan bahwa majalah laki-laki FHM menampilkan  progressive masculinity (androgyn). That is the masculinity which developes femininity. Yet this magazine still emphasizes the traditional masculinity. The finding which shows the masculinity proggressivity (androgyn) is: (a) Manly character â€Å"Metrosexual† (body image area); (b) â€Å"The equality pattern in the interpersonal relationship between man and women (interpersonal area); (c) The character â€Å"Emotional Man† (emotional area); (d) The character â€Å"FashionedTechno Masculinity† (intellectual area); (e) The character â€Å"Caring Man† in the sexual relationship affairs (sexual area); (f) The lost of man’s role as a breadwinner/a maker a living (functional area). The magazine presents the man’s image as â€Å"Single Blessedness Forever† owns a chance to wish of pleasure for himself and leads the exciting consumption activities; (g) The masculinity with the character â€Å"Social Butterfly† (pleasure area). (2) The progressive masculinity in the fixed rubric on sexual areas as mentioned above are also considered still emphasizing to the the traditional masculinity values: (a) Constructing manly/masculinity as a gender which is ‘having’ (‘to have’) relationship; (b) Constructing manly as a voyeur (a man obtains the sexual satisfaction from gazing woman’s sexual activities) and the texts of woman as a gazed object by man/male gazing. (3) FHM magazine is born in the middle of the rising of a new gender which is called â€Å"Metrosexual† (women-oriented man) as the influence of the success of global feminist movement. (4) Studies on the readers shows that they objectivate  the magazine’s masculinity. It means that readers accept the magazine progressive masculinity as an objective reality. The objectivation of magazine’s masculinity can not be separated from the individual masculinity experiences which are obtained through the socalization of family’s values, peer group, work surroundings, society dan the other media. This matter explains two issues: the first, the magazine’s masculinity objectivation by the readers are always negosiated by individual experiences. The second, magazine’s masculinities is not a new issues at all for the readers, but it is already observed in the daily life (peer group, work surroundings, general society) and the socialization of the other media, so, refer to that explanations the magazine functions is empahasizing the masculinity. Eventhough the magazine offers the new masculinity or the progressive masculinity at the same time, which looks contradictive against the traditional masculinity (which has been normalized), the interaction between the readers and the magazine is dynamic, a competition between push and pull. The interaction result is there is a push toward and a pulling the readers on masculinity which is offered by the magazine. (5) Studies on the readers also shows that readers objectivy traditional masculinity on sexual areas, which means that: (a) Manly/masculinity as a gender which is ‘having’ (‘to have’) relationship; (b) Manly as a voyeur (a man obtains the sexual satisfaction from gazing woman’s sexual activities) and the texts of woman as a gazed object by man/male gazing. (6) Masculinity is â€Å"a classed masculinity,† the objectivication toward the magazine’s masculinity can not happened absolutely because of the existence of some factors which are obstacles such as: economy, interest, necessity, job and marital status.

The Contrasts Of The Pillowman Drama English Literature Essay

The Contrasts Of The Pillowman Drama English Literature Essay The justification for the existence of late 20th century drama being one of shocking an audience out of their complacency is quite a generalisation, bearing in mind that the two productions in question were almost a 40 years apart. The interim period certainly saw stage productions with developing themes of violence, sex, drugs and rock n roll as with the latest trend of In Yer Face theatre which are not only shocking in their content but also fly in the face of common decency and political correctness. By the end of World War II in 1945, the world had suffered many years of aggression and the violence that goes with it. The lives of everyone involved were affected. It affected the way people lived, the way people worked and even how theatre plays were written. Pinters The Homecoming (1963) and McDonaghs The Pillowman (2003) provide an arena where hostility and aggression can no longer be ignored as a social issue. Whether or not there is good reason to say that late 20th Century theatre set out to purposefully shock audiences out of their comfortable nests is debatable when one takes into account the relaxation of censorship in 1968 replaced by a form of self-censorship which gave individual playwrights the opportunity to express a more realistic and dramatic approach to everyday issues and concerns that had been festering away underneath societys complacency such as poverty, morality, family values etc. There was a progression of theatre productions rather than a rebellion against accepted standards. The content of plays may have been shocking to audiences but to some extent were not unexpected given the way the theatre productions and indeed the audiences were developing. Pre-war critics and theatre audiences had previously been used to seeing plays, which were mostly London based and provided a sense of occasion offering the upper and middle classes a chance to dress formally and sit in splendid surroundings to see and be seen. The content of plays delivered an uncomplicated message whether educational or humorous such as a Shakespearean comedy or J.M. Barries Peter Pan, the main theme being one of entertainment rather than a thought provoking spectacle and many playwrights complied with this condition. This is not to say that no contentious issues were placed in the theatrical arena, for example, George Bernard Shaw wrote a series of plays that amused and challenged his audiences with his Plays Unpleasant (1898) relating to prostitution and philandering. Shaw was an entertainer and viewed the theatre as a means to make people think and that it had a serious purpose rather than offering the audience a more radical approach to his subject matter. His plays tended to show the accepted attitude, and then demolished that attitude while showing his own solutions. Shaw used familiar forms of melodrama, romance and history with unexpected twists, he shocked his audiences but in more of a surprising way as opposed to a more emotionally disturbing, offensive or indecent approach. Eric Bentley said If you wish to attract the audiences attention, be violent; if you wish to hold it, be violent again.  [1]   This may be interpreted and approached in two ways, either physical violence or verbal violence as a means of not only shocking an audience with either the content of conversations or the stage actions but also to keep their interest in what is going to happen next. A case of more of the same if the audience responds. As a reaction to World War II Absurdist theatre evolved, depicting the absurdity of the modern human state and related to a new genre of drama that could not be interpreted in a logical way. What do I know about mans destiny? I could tell you more about radishes.  [2]  (Beckett). Absurdist theatre openly rebelled against conventional theatre. One of the most important aspects of absurd drama is its scepticism of language as a means of communication. Dr. Culik explains that the Theatre of the Absurd tries to make people aware of the possibility of going beyond everyday speech conventions and communicating more authentically  [3]  . In Pinters The Homecoming and McDonaghs The Pillowman we are faced with two different dimensions of absurdist theatre in that, both playwrights have created milieus which are difficult for audiences to come to terms with. In Pinters The Homecoming we have a setting within one room in a comfortable domestic household in which the use of crude languag e with violent undertones is at the forefront. The torrent of vulgar and repugnant language shocked audiences to the extent that it could not be rationalised. Hints of violence are demonstrated when Max tells the audience that he was once one of the toughest men in East London and that all men moved out of his way in the street. There is also the direct and brutal threat when Max says to his son Lenny Listen! Ill chop your spine off if you talk to me like that Pinter exploits claustrophobic power of everyday language in enclosed theatrical space. There is certainly a lack of harmony throughout the play based on the disjointed conversations, lack of continuity and the constant non- sensical verbiage, compounded by the unexpected, e.g. Ruth becoming a whore and Sam dropping dead etc. There is a disjunctive split between how the actors react to situations in the play and what the audience expect and perceive. Apart from the offensive language, for example, when Max refers to Ruth in a derogatory way, Weve had a smelly scrubber in my house all night. Weve had a stinking pox-ridden slut in my house all night, one of the most disconcerting elements of the Homecoming to the audience would have been the constant long pauses Pinter used; thus raising the anxiety of the audience by not knowing what was coming next. One of the most referred to of Pinters comments on his own plays was made during a lecture to students in 1962,  [4]  concerning his stage direction trademark in the adoption of the two silences, the use of what became known as the Pinter Pause, when on the one hand, no actor is speaking and secondly, when there is a torrent of non-sensical abuse which has no relevance as to what has just been said and is technically a pause in the proceedings until the return of the topic of conversation. These silences proved perturbing and uncomfortable, even edgy to some audiences. The Homecoming appears to move from naturalism to absurdism, which is profoundly unsettling. Instead of finding a situation which emphasizes the role of the environment upon the characters we are drawn into a state where the characters existence becomes irrational and meaningless. Whilst the circumstances are naturalistic the dialogue is absurd, employing disjointed, repetitious, and meaningless dialogue, purposeless and confusing situations and plots that lack realistic or logical development. This was not so much a shocking concept but more of a bewildering set of circumstances designed to be thought provoking and perplexing to an audience. McDonaghs The Pillowman on the other hand provides theatre goers with a more subtle approach to absurdist theatre with the actual setting and circumstances being absurd and not necessarily the dialogue. The horrific stories within the play with their explicitly violent subject matter helped to push the boundaries of what was acceptable to a new level and more in the form of brutalist or In Yer Face  [5]  theatre as exemplified by Sarah Kanes in Blasted (1995) which exhibits abject horror and atrocities, for example Ian being raped, having his eyes bitten out and being compelled to consume a dead baby as he starves, alone, in the dark., was shocking and seemed unreal, as Kieron Quirke of the Evening Standard said It moves beyond shock theatre to become a powerful reminder that people are capable of anything. I rate it, but I hope it never becomes heresy to dislike it.  [6]  The Daily Mail denounced the play as this disgusting feast of filth, the Sunday Telegraph spoke scathing ly against its gratuitous welter of carnage  [7]  and the Spectator called it a sordid little travesty of a play  [8]  . McDonagh, having been influenced by Pinter and indeed the film director Quentin Tarantino presents a twisted psychological horror and dark examination of a storytellers (Katurian) hold over an audience by the use of on-stage narrative to explore the power of the stories themselves to shock. The Pillowman is not just an apparent political play it is a play with the artist sacrificing his life in order to protect his art for the future. Artistic freedom was at the core of this play and the responsibility that goes with it. Set in an unknown totalitarian state, this was an opportunity for a playwright to decry the evil and unjust way that dictatorships subdued freedom of speech which we were anticipating; however McDonagh turns this presumption on its head. Katurian is actually being interrogated by a couple of comical, brutal cops not because his stories are subversive to the totalitarian regime, but because they are almost entirely about the brutal torture and murder of children. Kà Ã‚ °turià Ã‚ °ns stories read like exact plans for some recent murders of children. Katurian is questioned about the gruesome subject matter of his short stories and their similarities to a number of strange child murders that have recently occurred. Kà Ã‚ °turià Ã‚ °ns short stories are haunting and horrific eg. 101 ways to skewer à Ã‚ ° 5-yeà Ã‚ °r-old. Michael Billington, of the Guardian said in the end, you sense that McDonagh is playing with big issues to do with literatures power to outlast tyranny rather than writing from any kind of experience.  [9]  Robert Isenberg commented that The Pillowman is a test of will, suitable only for the gutsiest theatregoer  [10]  . The Pillowman is more of discomforting experience, shocking in its content but one containing wonderfully dark humour almost akin to the fairy tales of our youth with lurid and fantastical themes, the Brothers Grimm springs to mind. The Pillowman is a very unsettling and thought-provoking play, a review in the Financial Times referred to the play as A complex tale about life and art, about fact and illusion, about politics, society, cruelty and creativity.  [11]  Whether or not McDonaghs intention was to set out to shock audiences rather than provide intriguing subjects for debate is open to conjecture. Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.  [12]  (Brecht Was the raison detre of late twentieth century drama to shock audiences out of their complacency? Did Pinters The Homecoming and McDonaghs The Pillowman set out to shock audiences? Or was the relaxation of censorship in 1968 to prove the catalyst for more adventurous playwrights to buck the system and take on the more established theatrical styles? Was the avant garde approach by Pinter in 1963 just a starter for things to come? Richard Drain remarked once again the actor stands out as the main transmitter of the invigorating shock. But what must we do to make this shock effective, to help the actor transmit to the audience?  [13]  The Mail on Sunday referred to The Pillowman as an extraordinary play, Kafkaesque, Pinteresque, but more then anything absolutely McDonaghesque  [14]  It would appear that anything unusual, out of the ordinary or quirky in its theatrical content obtained a name associated with the playwright. McDonagh even parodied this in The Pillowman when one of the interrogators paraphrases one of Kà Ã‚ °turià Ã‚ °ns stories to him, to which the writer replies, Thats a good story. Thats something-esque. What kind of esque is it? I cant remember. I dont really go in for that esque sort of stuff anyway, but theres nothing wrong with the story. I believe that rather than trying to shock people out of their complacent sense of security about how the world and other people work that late 20th Century drama was more of an evolution than a revolution. As aptly put by Brian Cliff. Grotesque excess reduces shock value.  [15]   2,087 words

Ptolemy of Alexandria, the Influential Astronomer Essays -- Biography

Ptolemy of Alexandria, the Influential Astronomer Ptolemy of Alexandria was the most influential astronomer of the ancient world. The books and theories Ptolemy developed served as a major basis for future astronomers. It was during the Renaissance period that his work became thoroughly studied and revised. Ptolemy collected all ancient knowledge of astronomy and geography including it in his book Almagest around 140 A.D. It follows, he then wrote a four volume astrological study known as the Tretrabiblos. Ptolemy claimed that the scribes of Babylon had been instructed since 750 B.C to keep detailed astronomical diaries. These diaries were written for seven hundred years on clay tablets. The tablets depicted night-sky events along with river level changes and weather phenomena. Modern archaeologists have confirmed the claim by unearthing Babylonian tablets recording observations of Mars and Venus from that time period. Ptolemy used a method of consulting lists of lunar phases, and planetary movements complied over many centuries to look for...

Nelson Mandela :: essays research papers

Nelson Mandela's greatest pleasure, his most private moment, is watching the sun set with the music of Handel or Tchaikovsky playing. Locked up in his cell during daylight hours, deprived of music, both these simple pleasures were denied him for decades. With his fellow prisoners, concerts were organised when possible, particularly at Christmas time, where they would sing. Nelson Mandela finds music very uplifting, and takes a keen interest not only in European classical music but also in African choral music and the many talents in South African music. But one voice stands out above all - that of Paul Robeson, whom he describes as our hero. The years in jail reinforced habits that were already entrenched: the disciplined eating regime of an athlete began in the 1940s, as did the early morning exercise. Still today Nelson Mandela is up by 4.30am, irrespective of how late he has worked the previous evening. By 5am he has begun his exercise routine that lasts at least an hour. Breakfast is by 6.30, when the days newspapers are read. The day s work has begun. With a standard working day of at least 12 hours, time management is critical and Nelson Mandela is extremely impatient with unpunctuality, regarding it as insulting to those you are dealing with. When speaking of the extensive travelling he has undertaken since his release from prison, Nelson Mandela says: I was helped when preparing for my release by the biography of Pandit Nehru, who wrote of what happens when you leave jail. My daughter Zinzi says that she grew up without a father, who, when he returned, became a father of the nation. This has placed a great responsibility of my shoulders. And wherever I travel, I immediately begin to miss the familiar - the mine dumps, the colour and smell that is uniquely South African, and, above all, the people. I do not like to be away for any length of time. For me, there is no place like home. Mandela accepted the Nobel Peace Prize as an accolade to all people who have worked for peace and stood against racism. It was as much an award to his person as it was to the ANC and all South Africa s people. In particular, he regards it as a tribute to the people of Norway who stood against apartheid while many in the world were silent.

Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay

Referring to at least two extracts in detail, explain why A Midsummer Night’s Dream is still popular, 400 years after it was written. Comment on a production you have seen, or consider how you would like to produce the play. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is set in Athens in Greece. It is a journey into a mid-night forest, where fairies put spells on people. The story begins with Hippolyta and Theseus (Duke of Athens), getting married and the events that surround it. There are a group of workers who have decided to put on a play for the wedding. â€Å"Here is a scroll of every man’s name wish, is thought fit, through all Athens, to play in our interlude before the Duke and the Duchess on his wedding-day at night. † In the play, a carpenter, called Peter Quince, gives this speech. He is informing the workers about the play, they will be putting on. â€Å"The most lamentable comedy and most cruel death of Pyramus and Thisbe. † Bottom agrees with Peter Quince, that Pyramus and Thisbe is a great play to be putting on. Another main part of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is the quarrelling that has been going on between Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the fairies. They are arguing about a little Indian boy, who Titania has looked after, since he was a baby. Oberon wants the boy to be his henchman, but Titania totally disagrees. â€Å"Give me that boy and I will go with thee,† says Oberon. â€Å"Not for thy fairy kingdom. Fairies, away! We shall chide downright, if I longer stay. † By this comment, Titania has made it clear, that, there is no chance of her giving the boy to Oberon. Titania also says, she is going to go, otherwise things will become violent and out of control. In Athens there was a law, that stated daughters had to, marry, whoever their father wanted. Otherwise there were serious consequences, if the daughter refused. The father could have his daughter put to death. This was the exact situation for a young lady named Hermia. Hermia was in love with a young Athenian called Lysander, he was also besotted with her. But her father Egeus had chosen another young Athenian called Demetrius, (who was from a very noble family) to marry his daughter, Hermia. Hermia’s best friend, Helena was frantically in love with Demetrius, however, he did not have a care in the world for her. Egeus had gone to the Athenian court, to plead with Theseus (the Duke of Athens) to do something about Hermia. Theseus could only give Hermia, four days to agree to marry Demetrius; otherwise she would be put to death. â€Å"For you, fair Hermia, look you arm yourself, to fit your father’s will; or else the law of Athens yields you up to death, or to a vow of single life. † Hermia was in a huge dilemma, what was she going to do? Oberon decides to take the Indian boy off Titania. He told Puck, his attendant, to put a love juice on Titania’s eyes, while she was asleep. So that when Titania woke up, she would fall deeply in love with, the first thing that she sees, whether it is an animal or human. Oberon has seen Helena and Demetrius arguing in the forest. Oberon informs Puck to put, the love juice on Demetrius’ eyes, so he falls in love with Helena. But Puck accidentally, puts the love juice on Lysander’s eyes, so Lysander ends up falling out of love with Hermia and in love with Helena. â€Å"What has thou done? Thou hast mistaken quite and laid the love-juice on some true-love’s sight. † Puck had put the love juice in Lysander’s eyes but he was already in love with Hermia. The language and poetry used, is so effective, you can easily picture it in your mind. English has changed in the last four hundred years, so some little grammatical words are no longer used and there are also words for things, which are not used anymore. ‘Girdle means belt, vestal is a girl who is a virgin and a votaress means to a worshiper. ‘ These words no longer exist. ‘Ere meaning before and hither meaning here,’ are both little grammatical words, which are not used anymore. The second person singular, ‘thou, thee, thy, thyself,’ are not used in English. Although used in modern French and German. Pronunciation has also changed a great deal, instead of taking the first letter of a word and replacing it with an apostrophe. The third letter is taken out instead. ‘It is – tis’ – nowadays ‘it is – becomes it’s. ‘ Shakespeare’s language has a big impact, on his plays because the English now is very different. These are words in his plays, which mean something, totally different in modern English. ‘Civil – smooth, rude – rough, bolt – arrow, maiden – virginal. ‘ These words are called ‘false friends’, because we think we know them, but we do not. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the poetry is immense; you are able to imagine things, which cannot be seen. Oberon and Bottom’s poetry sticks out, because it is of high quality. In Shakespeare’s plays, there are many complex lines. The poetry’s quality has strength, to entertain and engage the audience. ‘The raging rocks, and shivering shocks, shall break the locks, of prison gates; and Phibbus’ car, shall shine from far, and make and mar, the foolish fates. ‘ This bit of the play was spoken by Bottom, it is almost like a limerick but it is a bit longer. The rhythm makes it gripping, ‘rocks, shocks, locks, car, far, mar. ‘ Rhythmic poems are good to listen to, as they are fairly easy to understand. Oberon’s poetry is more descriptive and the poetry is rhythmic. ‘My gentle Puck, come hither. Thou rememberest since once I sat upon a promontory, and heard a mermaid on a dolphin’s back, uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath, that the rude sea grew civil at her song and certain scars shot madly from their spheres, to hear the sea-maid’s music,’ Oberon’s poem was relaxing, because you could just close your eyes and imagine it. He creates a picture that can only be seen in your mind. Oberon gets love across by pictures, ‘loosed his love-shaft, Cupid’s fiery shaft, now purple with love’s wound. ‘ Cupid has let his arrow go and it has hit them right in the heart. On stage, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is really effective, especially when there are squabbles between characters. When Bottom wanted to play everybody’s part, it was as if he was a little spoilt child, who wanted everything. Theatre can do things that a film cannot; a film cannot interact with you. The actors on stage can really express their feelings and emotions. Like love, anger or sorrow. ‘O spite! O hell! I see you are all bent, to set against me for your merriment. ‘ Helena is very furious because she feels that; Hermia, Lysander and Demetrius, are trying to make a fool of her, and laugh about her behind her back. When Helena says â€Å"O spite! O hell! † I think it is really effective because when you are reading the play, you can really feel her anger. It would be quite hard to make the fairies look small and real on stage. I saw a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on video. I did not enjoy watching it because the play was too modern. The fairies were just like other actors; they were life size and just acted normal. The actors and actresses wore modern day clothes, like plain dresses, casual trousers and plain T-shirts. The film is based on a little boy’s dream. To get into the play you have to realise that fairies only exist if you believe in them. In Shakespeare’s theatre four hundred years ago, there were not women performers. Young boys used to play women’s parts because their voices had not yet broken, which meant they were quite high pitched. The theatre was almost like an arena. Most people stood up and watched the play, but there were seats in the balcony, for the richer people. The audience’s were usually, socially mixed. This meant that, Shakespeare’s plays had to appeal to lots of different people, whether they were illiterate, poor, rich or literate. This helped Shakespeare’s plays, to still be famous today because they are multi-faceted. The play has many archaic words, because the English language has changed, a great deal in the last, four hundred years. ‘Dulcet-sweet, votaress-virgin, and sirran – to address a boy or man servant or child. ‘The theme of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a love story, with lots of comedy. After all the downsides, there is a happy ending. But life is not always like that. Hermia gets to marry Lysander and Demetrius marries Helena. In real life in Athens 400 years ago, I doubt it would be a happy ending for someone in Hermia’s situation. The fairies put a spell on the lovers and Titania to sort the misunderstandings out, which the love potion caused. Oberon and Titania have both made up with each other, and as king and queen of the fairies they bless the house together.