King Lear Essays (636 words) - King Lear, Fool, Edmund, Cordelia

King Lear Throughout the first Act of King Lear there is one overwhelming topic, which can not be overlooked. That is to say that the two main families in this play, Lears' and Gloucesters', are both following basically a parallel plot that is developing at different plains of existence. Those plains exist on an aristocratic ladder, Lears' family at the top and Gloucesters' family at the bottom. There are different characters and minor diversities in each family, but at the basic level of events that occur, there is an unmistakable similarity between the lives of the two families involved in King Lear. The first of the three key parallel plot lines in King Lear is in the decision making of Lear and Gloucester. Both of these men make very rash and important decisions in the first act that involve their offspring. First Lear, who after hearing his favored daughter's response to his dowry deciding question, responds; "Nothing will come of Nothing." (Scene 1, Line 93). By this he decides without any hesitation that his favored daughter, Cordelia, shall receive no dowry and thus be banished from the kingdom. Now almost mirror like, Gloucester makes an equally impulsive decision about his favorite son, Edgar. After reading a forged letter by his bastard son, Edmund, Gloucester decides that Edgar does want to kill him and decides that Edmund will instead receive his estate. Those two decisions are both equally unfair to their own favored offspring. Scheming is the next parallel plot line involved in King Lear. Edmund as mentioned above is scheming to get his father's inheritance. He has made several references to this in his soliloquy in Scene 2, like when he said, "Edmund the base shall top the legitimate; I grow; I prosper." (Scene 2, Lines 20 - 21). He then forged a letter on his brother's behalf outlining the plans of Edgar to kill their father. Now in Lear's family, there is Regan and Goneril scheming to make sure that their father will not reverse his decision to split the dowry between them. They make a pact that states, "Pray you let's hit together. If our father carry authority with such disposition as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us." (Scene 1, Lines 304 - 306). The daughters wished to keep their father at bay and stay in control. Both families are scheming to get or keep that which should not be theirs. The last, but maybe the most important of the parallels between the two families, is that of Lear and Gloucester both being old and senile. First there is Lear, whose fits and decisions are beginning to make people question his sanity. Although no one seems willing to confront the king for fear of the consequences, the fool knows no such bounds. When the fool does confront him, Lear seems to be aware of it and responds by saying, "O, let me not be mad, not mad, sweat heaven! Keep me in temper; I would not be mad!" (Scene 4, Lines 44 - 45). Lear though aware of it can do little to stop or even slow it down. Now Gloucester, whose sanity may be more stable at the moment is definitely making poor decision and is not thinking clearly. In fact, he is blaming much of the trouble in the kingdom as of late, on such superstitious things as eclipses. He even mentions it to Edmund when he says; "These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend no good to us." (Scene 2, Lines 103 - 104). He is clearly bewildered and overwhelmed by the current events and is too disoriented to clearly evaluate things. Both men are not mentally well, which may lead to more bad decisions in the future. These two families are essentially living out the same plot. Neither meeting yet, but even though the people are different, these two plots are too similar to not have some major underlying connection. The two plots must begin to intersect to complete the play. It will be the way that Shakespeare accomplishes this that makes or breaks this play.

Using the Keyword Final with Inheritance in Java

Using the Keyword Final with Inheritance in Java While one of Javas strengths is the concept of inheritance, in which one class can derive from another, sometimes its desirable to prevent inheritance by another class. To prevent inheritance, use the keyword final when creating the class. For example, if a class is likely to be used by other programmers, you may wish to prevent inheritance if any subclasses created could cause problems. A typical example is the String class. If we wanted to create a String subclass: public class MyString extends String{ï » ¿} We would be faced with this error: cannot inherit from final java.lang.String The designers of the String class realized that it was not a candidate for inheritance and have prevented it from being extended. Why Prevent Inheritance? The main reason to prevent inheritance is to make sure the way a class behaves is not corrupted by a subclass. Suppose we have a class Account and a subclass that extends it, OverdraftAccount. Class Account has a method getBalance(): public double getBalance(){ return this.balance; } At this point in our discussion, subclass OverdraftAccount has not overridden this method. (Note: For another discussion using this Account and OverdraftAccount classes, see how a subclass can be treated as a superclass). Lets create an instance each of the Account and OverdraftAccount classes: Account bobsAccount new Account(10); bobsAccount.depositMoney(50); OverdraftAccount jimsAccount new OverdraftAccount(15.05,500,0.05); jimsAccount.depositMoney(50); //create an array of Account objects //we can include jimsAccount because we //only want to treat it as an Account object Account[] accounts {bobsAccount, jimsAccount}; //for each account in the array, display the balance for (Account a:accounts) { System.out.printf(The balance is %.2f%n, a.getBalance()); } The output is: The balance is 60.00 The balance is 65.05 Everything appears to work as expected, here. But what if OverdraftAccount overrides the method getBalance()? There is nothing to prevent it from doing something like this: public class OverdraftAccount extends Account { private double overdraftLimit; private double overdraftFee; //the rest of the class definition is not included public double getBalance() { return 25.00; } } If the example code above is executed again, the output will be different because the getBalance() behavior in the OverdraftAccount class is called for jimsAccount: The output is: The balance is 60.00 The balance is 25.00 Unfortunately, the subclass OverdraftAccount will never provide the correct balance because we have corrupted the behavior of the Account class through inheritance. If you design a class to be used by other programmers, always consider the implications of any potential subclasses. This is the reason the String class cannot be extended. Its extremely important that programmers know that when they create a String object, its always going to behave like a String. How to Prevent Inheritance To stop a class from being extended, the class declaration must explicitly say it cannot be inherited. This is achieved by using the final keyword: public final class Account { } This means that the Account class cannot be a superclass, and the OverdraftAccount class can no longer be its subclass. Sometimes, you may wish to limit only certain behaviors of a superclass to avoid corruption by a subclass. For example, OverdraftAccount still could be a subclass of Account, but it should be prevented from overriding the getBalance() method. In this case use, the final keyword in the method declaration: public class Account { private double balance; //the rest of the class definition is not included public final double getBalance() { return this.balance; } } Notice how the final keyword is not used in the class definition. Subclasses of Account can be created, but they can no longer override the getBalance() method. Any code calling that method can be confident it will work as the original programmer intended.

What to Read in March

What to Read in March Not sure what to read this month? Try these suggestions based on   authors born in the month of March! Robert Lowell (March 1, 1917-September 12, 1977): Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet who inspired the confessional style of other poets such as Sylvia Plath. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and was a United States Poet Laureate. His own personal history and his family and friendships were important subjects in his poetry. Recommended: Life Studies (1959). Ralph Ellison: (March 1, 1914- April 16, 1994): Ralph Waldo Ellison was an American literary critic, scholar, and novelist. He won the National Book Award in 1953 served on The American Academy of Arts and Letters. Recommended: Invisible Man (1952). Elizabeth Barrett Browning: (March 6, 1806- June 29, 1861): Elizabeth Barrett was an important English Romantic poet. Many do not know that Brownings family was part-Creole and spent much time in Jamaica, where they owned sugar plantations (kept by slave labor). Elizabeth herself was highly educated and was vehemently opposed to slavery. Her later works are dominated by political and social themes. She met and married the poet Robert Browning after a long epistolary relationship. Recommended: Poems (1844) Garbriel Garcà ­a Mrquez (March 6, 1928-April 17, 2014): Gabriel Josà © de la Concordia Garcà ­a Mrquez was a Colombian author of plays, short stories, and novels. He is considered one of the most important writers of the twentieth-century, having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1982. Garcia Marquez was also a journalist who criticized national and international politics, but he is best known for his fiction and magical realism. Recommended: One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967). Jack Kerouac: (March 12, 1922- October 21, 1969): Kerouac was a pioneering member of the 1950s Beat Generation. He originally went to college on a football scholarship, but upon moving to New York City he discovered Jazz and the Harlem scene, which would change his life, and the American literary landscape, forever.   Recommended: On the Road (1957). Louis L’Amour (March 22, 1908-June 10, 1988): Louis Dearborn grew up in North Dakota during the sunset years of the American frontier. His interactions with traveling cowboys, the great Northern Pacific Railroad, and the world of cattle ranching would shape his later fiction, as would the stories of his grandfather, who fought in civil and Indian wars. Recommended: The Daybreakers (1960). Flannery O’Connor (March 25, 1925-August 3, 1964): Mary Flannery  OConnor was an American writer. She flourished in the essay, short story and novel genres and was also a significant contributor to literary reviews and commentaries. Greatly inspired by her Roman Catholicism, her works often explored major themes of ethics and morality. She is one of the greatest Southern writers in American literature. Recommended: A Good Man Is Hard to Find (1955). Tennessee Williams: (March 26, 1911- February 25, 1983): Thomas Lanier Williams III is one of Americas greatest playwrights and an important presence in the history of homosexual writers. His works are heavily inspired by his own life, especially is unhappy family history. He had a great string of successful plays in the late 1940s, before shifting to a more experimental style which was not as well-received by audiences. Recommended: Suddenly, Last Summer (1958). Robert Frost: (March 26, 1874- Jauary 29, 1963): Robert Frost, perhaps Americas greatest and most successful poet, first explored a variety of careers, such as cobbler, editor, and teacher, before publishing his first poem (My Butterfly) in 1894. Frost spent some time living in England during the early 1900s, where he met such talents as Robert Graves and Ezra Pound. These experiences had a profound influence on his work. Recommended: North of Boston (1914). Anna Sewell (March 30, 1820- April 25, 1878): Anna Sewell is an English novelist, born into a Quaker family. When she was a girl, she severely injured both of her ankles, which confined her to crutches and limited walking for the rest of her life. Recommended: Black Beauty (1877). Other Notable Classic Writers Born in March: Theodore Seuss Geisel, Dr. Seuss (March 2, 1904-September 24, 1991)Tom Wolfe (March 2, 1931-  Ã‚  Ã‚   )Douglas Adams (March 11, 1952-May 11, 2001) Albert Einstein (March 14, 1879-April 18, 1955)John Updike (March 18, 1932-January 27, 2009)Philip Roth (March 19, 1933-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   )Lawrence Ferlinghetti (March 24, 1919-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   ) Gloria Steinem (March 25, 1934-  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   )John Fowles (March 31, 1926-November 5, 2005)

Please read the second half(starting from chapter 4) of the book ''War Essay

Please read the second half(starting from chapter 4) of the book ''War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning'' of Chris Hedges and pr - Essay Example I can understand why the media would work with the military and lie or over-sensationalize the war. First, it is easier for them to do what the military tells them to do, rather than put up a fight and face what I can only guess is an unpleasant punishment – or at least a one way ticket home. But the press also has hidden motives: war makes them money. When a war breaks out, like when the USA invaded Afghanistan right after 9/11, people were glued to their TVs. People were watching CNN and all the commercials for products that came on in between the latest war updates. Reporters come back from war and write books – just like Chris Hedges did – that make them money. Why is the media not talking much right now about the war in Afghanistan or the war in Iraq? People grew tired of seeing it on their TVs. The wars have become like a TV show that has been on the air for too long and no one watches it anymore. So the media doesn’t report on it much. Where I canno t really agree with Hedges is his belief that Americans see war as entertainment.

What counts as knowledge in the arts Discuss by comparing to one other Essay

What counts as knowledge in the arts Discuss by comparing to one other area of knowledge - Essay Example Some of the theories and principles enable thinkers to reflect on what they consider their sources of knowledge. When it comes to arts, and other disciplines, say science, people have to consider and differentiate what they know, from the facts that exist. This paper will review what counts as knowledge in the arts, and compare it to another field of knowledge. In math, for example, the use of statistical data and quantitative instruments can determine what an individual requires to make knowledgeable claims. It is a manner in which human sciences are valued in present times, and as such, relies heavily on true, relevant data. In the arts, there is a difference in how information is interpreted by the user, and how it reflects as part of acquisition of knowledge (Leavy 84). For the arts, it is simply a matter of dealing with what people envision, and how relevant it is from the time it came into being, to the present time. Art is science. This is what many people may argue. For instance, historical information requires the collection of data through science. However, one begs the question; can the information collected or acquired be termed as knowledge? What does the information help an individual achieve in the long run? Some of these questions can bring out the true nature of what in science lies hidden in the art (Leavy 86). There is the underlying fact that people who look for knowledge do so through experiences throughout their lives. They could be positive or negative, and how one chooses to interpret them makes them knowledgeable on some issues. Basic science has reduced the world to a number of theories. There are ways in which information displayed. It can influence the deduction of many aspects of life that one did not know existed. Matter, for example, is an area that has many people confused. Science is supposed to act as a tool of communication in which people can understand the basic elements of their lives. It should be,

Looking At The Roles Of Media Media Essay

Looking At The Roles Of Media Media Essay Media is described today as the fourth pillar of state, the more powerful is its media for its global impact as evident from BBC, CNN and magazines like Times and Newsweek. The Western media has tremendous impact in shaping opinions, popularizing western values and their whole life style in the world. Napoleon once said, Four hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets. The media, with specific reference to the collective entity of newspapers, radio, television and the Internet, play a very important role in national development. National development involves changes in a nation aimed at improving the political, economic and social lives of the people. In National development, the media particularly contributes in areas of democracy and good governance, political transparency, foreign policy and human rights. The real influence of the media in national development depends on the media itself, the societies in which it operates and the audience it reaches. None of these factors are the same everywhere, at all times, or under all conditions. The media in dictatorships, for example, are not likely to exercise the same influence as those in democratic societies. Even among similar types of government, other factors, such as technology, the target audience and the message, may influence the extent of media impact in the society. As the Fourth Estate, it provides checks and balances on the activities of the three arms of government; As agenda-setters, they influence the issues on public agenda; As gatekeepers, they decide what information gets to the public; As watchdog, they represent the interests of the people against powerful interests; And as for multipliers, they add to the combat effectiveness of military commanders. In military operations, on one hand the media is capable of building public opinion (e.g. Kargil); but it can also undermine public support by emotional coverage (e.g. Vietnam, Somalia). Information is power. Media can be used as a weapon against the enemy as a tool of propaganda, carrying out psychological operations for instigating public dissent against their government, dividing the enemy and countering enemy propaganda. If used prudently, media is indeed a Force Multiplier as it builds public opinion. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: Public opinion is everything. With it nothing can fail, without it nothing can succeed. Moreover, the more intense media coverage is on national disasters, the more relief materials and funds are made available by donors (e.g. India, Mozambique). In public health, media campaigns immensely contribute in the reduction of diseases, such as AIDS, SARS, leprosy and preventable children diseases (as demonstrated in Uganda, Thailand, India, Nepal and Brazil). Media strongly influences the direction of foreign policy (e.g. US policy on Bosnia and Somalia). In internal conflict situations, the media acts as an instrument of peace contributing to nation-building (e.g. post-Apartheid South Africa), but as potent force, in wrong hands, it is also capable of fuelling divisiveness and violence (e.g. Rwanda). How the media plays its role is a matter of critical importance. Where the media pursue the role in the face of professionalism, truth, fairness and justice, then the society immensely benefits, but where the media become selfish in pursuance of mainly profits and personal gains, then the society is at a disadvantage. For the media to play any meaningful role in national development, it must be free and independent. Free press is one of the built-in mechanisms in democracy, designed to oppose destructive and disruptive attitudes; the more the freedom of media in society, lesser the corruption. Secondly, control of the media by a few individuals, corporations or governments is inimical to the medias ability to effectively carry out their role. Thirdly, to succeed in their role, the media must be professional. Biased attitude, sensationalism, propaganda and distortions, negatively affect the contribution of the media in national development. Freedom of the media must therefore go along with responsibility. The newly unshackled Pakistani media lacks this sense of responsibility. Even the best of pro-people government policies are criticized and facts distorted for the sake of criticism. Pakistani press and electronic media are faced with shortage of professional reporting, inadequate resources, lack of investigative skills and modern technology. National Media, on the other hand, is used as a mouth piece by every sitting government. Indias go global mantra with more professional and material resources is having damaging impact on Pakistan. The perceived threat can be countered by improving the performance of our own media so that a balance could be created in the minds of the viewers. Projection of truth is essential to gain credibility so that the viewer does not feel the urge to seek it elsewhere. Moreover, the media must take cognizance of national security and the welfare of the people. Ownership of the media should be spread to avoid the monopoly of a few, powerful individuals, corporations or governments. Transmission of violent materials should be controlled to reduce negative influence on the society. The effect of media on national security decision-making is significant. There is no doubt of its influence and based on the information provided within this record, there can be no doubt of its power and effect on national security decision-making. It has emerged as a viable element of power. Modern technology has revolutionized the mass media especially the electronic media. While the improved communication and transportation systems accelerated the process of accessibility and verification of the stories for radio and press, the television made media-men sufficiently powerful to considerably influence the policy formation, campaign processes, issue developments etc. In third world countries the television enjoys much more power than in the developed countries. It has been continuously capturing attention and increasing the size of audience. Perhaps thats why it has become almost a rule in Third world countries to retain complete control over this aspect of mass media. The regional and global outreach of Pakistani media is negligible and is abysmally behind the media of our hostile neighbor, which continues to carry out its demonizing Pakistan propaganda. The Pakistani media has to face the challenged posed and take it as opportunity by revising its policies and updating its material and human resources to play a proactive role to project and promote Pakistan.

The Door Slammed Shut, Never to Be Opened Again

The Priest finished off his final words, I tried to savor them knowing that after today I wanted to forget it all; not because I didn’t care, it was quite the opposite actually! It’s just that I know it would be what she wanted. As much as I tried and begged she kept flooding my mind, it’s impossible to throw something like this over your shoulder and ignore the remnants of the past. The blackness of the day contrasted with the overwhelming sunshine and broken heat waves.It was all too much and now at least the worst part was over, I took my last and final glance to the beautiful hand carved woodwork, standard size, polished frame, finished with gold hinges and large metallic black buckles. The coffin stood. The walk back to the car was a rush of images and an overpowering sensation of memories driven into my mind like the intricate bodywork on the stunning 1996 Rolls Royce that was driven by my chauffer, I couldn’t think about anything else but that one a wful night. That one night that changed my life.Forever. The car ride wasn’t much better the same commotions pounding the walls of my weakened cranium. I placed my hands at either temple and continually pressed harder and harder until it was painful and the pictures in my head were drowning with the pressure of my unlawful grasp. I saw the chauffer glance once or twice back at me through his rear view mirror but that was not any where near a priority of mine. Innocent white blotches stained my face as blood slowly brought colour back to my facade.I grabbed the cold shiny metal handle and much too roughly pushed it down to me set me free, all my body leapt out unwillingly as the door swung wide open uncontrollably, releasing me into the pavements merciless lure. My head whipped the grey concrete slabs with an overwhelming impact that destroyed my senses and put me in a deep darkness. I awoke to find a spinning ceiling fun unstably rocking back and forth above my head. I closed my eyes hoping to dissolve back into the safe hands of arkness where all my worries were beautifully decapitated and I with everything else was nothing! But it was useless, once again she swamped my mind and my eyes watered. I see myself as a kid happy and safe, we both standing there as a team side-by-side. We were in Argentina and the beautiful Andes consumed most of my hazy image. She hugs me and I smile and laugh, in her eyes were untainted love and looking into them I felt that I wouldn’t ever be lonesome, she made my petty little worries disappear and if only she was here now.I would tell her how much I love her! My eyes opened and simultaneously a tear ran down the side of my face. I miss her and I can’t help but think about her. It feels like its been years since her loving eyes stared straight into mine. I kept telling myself that I have to resist and tire my mind, but the more I tried the more I thought of her. I slowly got off the couch and looked around, t his was the first time I’ve been back home since it happened. My partial-completed memory of the tragedy was over-whelming me; it was like I was spinning in a never-ending vortex.I took three steps into the kitchen and let out a cry, they hadn’t even cleaned up. I ran back and stopped at the foot of the staircase. I took my first step, step one; I was worried. She swamped my head I was just†¦ just†¦ I can’t but I needed to. I took it one step at a time and gradually I progressed up and up, until I reached the final step before the landing. And. I look around knowing that this last step will punish me, but I must†¦ but what if†¦ and I stopped myself knowing that no good can come of thinking too much. The memories were still tormenting my mind.I lift my trembling leg and placed it on the landing as if the floor was made out of paper I clenched the banister and lifted my other foot. I gave in and released my entire weight upon this drowsy missio n I set myself not knowing what good can possibly occur. I turned my body to the left and saw the door ajar. This is where she used to work peacefully in the next room, quietly and delicately, innocently and lovingly, she, and I. Side-by-side. I walked the length of the corridor. I couldn’t bring myself to do it. To go inside. I knew it would be difficult but.. ut.. No! This was not supposed to be. I can’t. I can’t do it. More pictures and short memories were free to roam around in my head. More tears flooded my face. I saw her beautiful face and I saw her†¦ I saw it all again†¦ exactly what I never wanted to see†¦ exactly what I was avoiding †¦ It was scarred into my head. I saw her innocent face lying in a pool of her own blood in the middle of the kitchen. The image tormented me and haunted me. I threw out my hand and grabbed the handle, I threw back my shoulder and†¦ The door slammed shut never to be opened again!