To See or Not to See Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth Essay Example

To See or Not to See: Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth Essay To see or not to see Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth 2009. 12. 14. Literary criticism has ever been a touchy subject. Throughout cultural history we have seen critics of various shapes and sizes commenting on all works of art in vastly different ways, from the condescending to the rave, the profound to the sarcastic – and all of them were right, in one sense. For a critic is a â€Å"voice of the masses†, a representative of readers everywhere, thus whatever opinion a critic has is justified by him having actually seen, read, interpreted and/or digested the given masterpiece, and being moved by it to such an extent as to express this in a verbal form. A true critic, however, is slightly more than that – he possesses a stable sense of cultural value, and the ability to pinpoint the exact place of any artificial creation in the golden canon of immortality, not to mention a sense of humour and a devout humility towards art in general. We will write a custom essay sample on To See or Not to See: Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on To See or Not to See: Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on To See or Not to See: Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Francis Jeffrey (1773-1850) was all these things and more – though admittedly he didn’t bear all the afore-mentioned qualities in equal measure. Even so, owing to his editorship and contributions at the Edinburgh Review, he was undoubtedly one of the most well-known critics of his age (and maybe since then), his utmost concern being to mould public taste in an intelligent and elegant way. And this is how he actually managed to influence the literature he was so keen on dissecting, and whose influence made him write in the first place; so presenting us with the old symbol of a snake biting its tail, one melting into the other, each affecting and being affected by its partner. Jeffrey’s judgements – both well-deserved and slightly less so – were something to be reckoned with, and several notable literary personages of the time can thank him for the growing (or diminishing) number of their readers, serving as an excellent example of what a critic might accomplish. Three personages are often mentioned in connection with Jeffrey, three men whose works became even more interconnected with his than the rest of the prestigious number he commented on. Jeffrey and Carlyle had an ambiguous relationship, with Jeffrey recognizing the genius of Carlyle early in his career, and going out of his way to present him with opportunities to flourish, while the different personalities of the two men – Jeffrey’s benign curiosity about the younger man’s affairs, and Carlyle’s independence – presented themselves in conflicts of varying intensity. Jeffrey and Dickens, on the other hand, had no major opposition of will, although this may be due to the fact that Jeffrey was an older and slightly kinder critic by the time they met. But neither of these relationships can compare, or even contrast, with the one Jeffrey had with William Wordsworth (1770-1850). Jeffrey had, from the start, a very strong opinion about Wordsworth – indeed, there are scarcely any criticisms left us which present such an unmasked feeling of dissatisfaction with a poet as his reviews about Wordsworth’s poems. The significance of these reviews is two-fold: on the one hand, they paint a vibrant picture of what the philosophy and idealism of the Lake Poets, and the morality of the Scottish Whig cultural elite, actually was like; on the other hand, Jeffrey’s unique style, made up of sarcasm, wit, elegance, and a slightly biased opinion, offer an insight to his mind, personal experience and ethics. In other words, Jeffrey’s reviews present themselves as a luxurious â€Å"feast for the soul and mind†, both contextually and stylistically speaking. In the following, we are going to look at two reviews, one from 1807, the other from 1822 – one of the first and last reviews concerned with Wordsworth and the Poets of the Lakes. Wordsworth’s Poems, published in 1807, move Jeffrey to express his disappointment with and worries over the new poetic style used therein in no uncertain form (though still much more mildly than in later years! ). He begins by mentioning the Lake Poets and the popularity of the Lyrical Ballads – and gently implies that success, however well-deserved, does not erase the many faults of the volume (i. . vulgarity, silliness). He goes on to state that these attributes are not in themselves worth any value, and therefore shouldn’t be seen as (aesthetic) virtues in any case. After this introduction, he moves on to the poems in question, and concludes that Wordsworth’s volume has settled the argument concerning literary merit in a definite way – so definite, in fact, that Jeffrey washes his hands, so to speak, and places the matter before the public (as if it weren’t already there), to decide for themselves whether Wordsworth’s Poems are worth something or not. Following this verdict, Jeffrey starts illustrating his opinion by moralizing about poetry in general, defining it as something that gives the reader â€Å"pleasure†, which can be divided into three parts: „that which we receive from the excitement of Passion or emotion — that which is derived from the play of Imagination, or the easy exercise of Reason — and that which depends on the character and qualities the Diction. † Diction, it seems, deserved some further introduction, for apparently this is what Jeffrey found most lacking in Poems. It becomes clear that in the critic’s opinion, true diction is elegant, dignified, appropriate – today we would probably add, conventional. The review laments the disuse of diction in the Lakeside fraternity, the disregard of classical sources and preference for the ordinary, the mundane. This latter tendency is also pointed out in relation to Poems’ topics, where Jeffrey emphasizes that the everyday subjects mentioned cannot actually be admitted as touching or sublime with a straight face. In his conclusion, Jeffrey admits that Wordsworth’s talents do shine through most of his works, making it doubly disappointing that they have to make do with such â€Å"trash†, and finishes by expressing a hope for the abortion of such â€Å"violation of the established laws of poetry†. Looking at the review from a stylistic point of view, Jeffrey is not as outspoken as he will be on following occasions, choosing instead to provide a poetical background philosophy to justify his negative impressions. Towards the end, however, he narrows his range of vision more and more from the general to the particular; and we can see the moraliser turn gradually into the critic, who doesn’t veil or justify his opinions thoroughly, but chooses rather to present them forcibly, with strong words and expressions (e. g. trash, folly, etc. ). Structurally speaking, the review is well-built, and conveys a false impression of impartiality with its units of refutation, exploration and conclusion, while in fact the personal opinion of the critic can clearly be felt in every instance of his well-composed sentences. But this, of course, was Jeffrey’s forte – to insinuate his own feelings even when seeming completely neutral. This tendency can well be observed also in the review of Wordsworth’s Memorials of a Tour, published in 1822. Note that fifteen years have passed, a significant period of time in contemporary literature – the new-fangled notions to which Jeffrey had objected previously had grown roots, even flourished somewhat; however, the opposition never altered its opinion: probably the most famous review of Jeffrey on Wordsworth, the one concerning The Excursion (published in 1814), opening with the line â€Å"This will never do! , is the best example of them still maintaining differences. During these years, Jeffrey used his wit and sarcasm to great effect, succeeding in shaking the reputations of Wordsworth and others considerably, albeit giving them considerable publicity at the same time. This review, however, is slightly different – although stil l wittily disapproving, it again includes the reader significantly, much like the one previously mentioned. Jeffrey – always a man of spectacular openers – starts off with the sentence: â€Å"The Lake School of Poetry, we think, is now pretty nearly extinct. . No gentlemanly reserve in his tone now – he follows up by separating Wordsworth from the fraternity, disclosing that now even they won’t admit him as belonging to them (though how someone could â€Å"belong† to a dead fraternity stays undecided), owing to his backward style, which even the inserted phrases of Milton or the Holy Writ can’t help (Jeffrey’s appreciation of these venerable sources clearly shines through his words on the subject). The second paragraph explains that while most of the compositions begin promisingly, the misguided author mostly succeeds in ruining them by saying nothing, or – even worse – by saying something totally ordinary in an â€Å"unintelligible way†, which, it seems, is one of the major sins against poetry itself. It soon becomes clear that the main concern of Jeffrey is that the sonnets of which the Memorial is composed are puzzling, and hard to understand; that Wordsworth insists on choosing the most unworthy objects to evoke startling fantasies or visions; and most of all, that the politics of the author leave much to be required. For a large part of the review is devoted to a sarcastic account of how Wordsworth depicted Napoleon, and how his sources for political and historical facts mainly consist of newspapers (the Morning Post is specifically mentioned). Following this, even the author’s reference to Milton becomes an object for derision (â€Å"Of a truth, it is a dangerous experiment in Mr. Wordsworth to recall his reader’s notice to Milton when he writes sonnets. †). Loftiness and high emotion are interpreted as pretension and impotence; however, Jeffrey again points out that even this volume has its merits, and that gems of beauty can indeed be found â€Å"†¦when [the author] is pleased to be plain and rational†. This review differs slightly from the previous one in style – Jeffrey does not give reasons for his verdicts any more, but declares his opinion in a straight, and sometimes still respectful manner. He constantly refers to contemporary matters, from affairs of the life of Wordsworth himself (Stamp-office) to the knowledge of the reader about important dates. We can see that this is a somewhat different approach than before – in 1807, he called on the reader to act as a dignified judge of literary value; now, he speaks out to him as a friend, someone with knowledge and experience similar to his own. The linguistic style of the review emphasizes this familiarity by often choosing sarcasm instead of elegance, or maybe not even that, just â€Å"plain† speech, only using flowing phrases when the context requires it. This tendency – although significant – is unsurprising, given that Jeffrey and his readership had, by now, more than fifteen years to grow familiar in. The single largest factor which ties both reviews together is, of course, the undervaluation of Wordsworth as a poet. One might well ask that how could a critic, any critic, of such taste and pedigree not recognize the genius of Wordsworth, and still be remembered by following generations as a critic of any value. There could be many answers to this question: one could simply shrug it off by saying contemporary critics very rarely discover the true talents of their times; or that Jeffrey’s enjoyable style is worthy of remembrance anywhere, notwithstanding his misjudged opinions. We could even say that badmouthing Wordsworth was Jeffrey’s one most significant achievement, which in itself constitutes a right to be remembered. The truth, however, lies somewhere deeper than that. For the reason to remember Jeffrey is Wordsworth himself – it is generally accepted that the critic’s judgements affected not only the criticized works’ afterlives, but the poet’s work as well. Wordsworth didn’t heed Jeffrey’s intimations, but they affected him slightly; he responded to the attacks, and defended himself as well as he could, on all grounds Jeffrey has challenged him: morality, philosophy, aesthetics and ethics, stating that contemporary reception cannot serve as a guideline for the future, but should be moulded and refined enough to accept these compositions according to their value. And so the symbiosis continued, with the works of Jeffrey and Wordsworth – although different in genre – growing ever more interconnected. And this is the most important reason why we have to remember Jeffrey: his impact on the Lake Poet’s work will last for ever, even when sarcasm seems outdated, classical references tedious, and elaborate language unnecessary. We can conclude that Jeffrey, even if he hadn’t managed to recognize Wordsworth, stated his opinion in a way worthy of his foe – noone needs to be ashamed of him; for although his sense of humour was limited, his humility likewise, and his ability to pinpoint immortal values a bit shoddy, he was – and remains – a force to be reckoned with. An eternal reminder that, whatever our opinions are, they will always have value and impact towards the one they are aimed at. To See or Not to See Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth Essay Example To See or Not to See: Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth Essay To see or not to see Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth 2009. 12. 14. Literary criticism has ever been a touchy subject. Throughout cultural history we have seen critics of various shapes and sizes commenting on all works of art in vastly different ways, from the condescending to the rave, the profound to the sarcastic – and all of them were right, in one sense. For a critic is a â€Å"voice of the masses†, a representative of readers everywhere, thus whatever opinion a critic has is justified by him having actually seen, read, interpreted and/or digested the given masterpiece, and being moved by it to such an extent as to express this in a verbal form. A true critic, however, is slightly more than that – he possesses a stable sense of cultural value, and the ability to pinpoint the exact place of any artificial creation in the golden canon of immortality, not to mention a sense of humour and a devout humility towards art in general. We will write a custom essay sample on To See or Not to See: Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on To See or Not to See: Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on To See or Not to See: Francis Jeffrey on William Wordsworth specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Francis Jeffrey (1773-1850) was all these things and more – though admittedly he didn’t bear all the afore-mentioned qualities in equal measure. Even so, owing to his editorship and contributions at the Edinburgh Review, he was undoubtedly one of the most well-known critics of his age (and maybe since then), his utmost concern being to mould public taste in an intelligent and elegant way. And this is how he actually managed to influence the literature he was so keen on dissecting, and whose influence made him write in the first place; so presenting us with the old symbol of a snake biting its tail, one melting into the other, each affecting and being affected by its partner. Jeffrey’s judgements – both well-deserved and slightly less so – were something to be reckoned with, and several notable literary personages of the time can thank him for the growing (or diminishing) number of their readers, serving as an excellent example of what a critic might accomplish. Three personages are often mentioned in connection with Jeffrey, three men whose works became even more interconnected with his than the rest of the prestigious number he commented on. Jeffrey and Carlyle had an ambiguous relationship, with Jeffrey recognizing the genius of Carlyle early in his career, and going out of his way to present him with opportunities to flourish, while the different personalities of the two men – Jeffrey’s benign curiosity about the younger man’s affairs, and Carlyle’s independence – presented themselves in conflicts of varying intensity. Jeffrey and Dickens, on the other hand, had no major opposition of will, although this may be due to the fact that Jeffrey was an older and slightly kinder critic by the time they met. But neither of these relationships can compare, or even contrast, with the one Jeffrey had with William Wordsworth (1770-1850). Jeffrey had, from the start, a very strong opinion about Wordsworth – indeed, there are scarcely any criticisms left us which present such an unmasked feeling of dissatisfaction with a poet as his reviews about Wordsworth’s poems. The significance of these reviews is two-fold: on the one hand, they paint a vibrant picture of what the philosophy and idealism of the Lake Poets, and the morality of the Scottish Whig cultural elite, actually was like; on the other hand, Jeffrey’s unique style, made up of sarcasm, wit, elegance, and a slightly biased opinion, offer an insight to his mind, personal experience and ethics. In other words, Jeffrey’s reviews present themselves as a luxurious â€Å"feast for the soul and mind†, both contextually and stylistically speaking. In the following, we are going to look at two reviews, one from 1807, the other from 1822 – one of the first and last reviews concerned with Wordsworth and the Poets of the Lakes. Wordsworth’s Poems, published in 1807, move Jeffrey to express his disappointment with and worries over the new poetic style used therein in no uncertain form (though still much more mildly than in later years! ). He begins by mentioning the Lake Poets and the popularity of the Lyrical Ballads – and gently implies that success, however well-deserved, does not erase the many faults of the volume (i. . vulgarity, silliness). He goes on to state that these attributes are not in themselves worth any value, and therefore shouldn’t be seen as (aesthetic) virtues in any case. After this introduction, he moves on to the poems in question, and concludes that Wordsworth’s volume has settled the argument concerning literary merit in a definite way – so definite, in fact, that Jeffrey washes his hands, so to speak, and places the matter before the public (as if it weren’t already there), to decide for themselves whether Wordsworth’s Poems are worth something or not. Following this verdict, Jeffrey starts illustrating his opinion by moralizing about poetry in general, defining it as something that gives the reader â€Å"pleasure†, which can be divided into three parts: „that which we receive from the excitement of Passion or emotion — that which is derived from the play of Imagination, or the easy exercise of Reason — and that which depends on the character and qualities the Diction. † Diction, it seems, deserved some further introduction, for apparently this is what Jeffrey found most lacking in Poems. It becomes clear that in the critic’s opinion, true diction is elegant, dignified, appropriate – today we would probably add, conventional. The review laments the disuse of diction in the Lakeside fraternity, the disregard of classical sources and preference for the ordinary, the mundane. This latter tendency is also pointed out in relation to Poems’ topics, where Jeffrey emphasizes that the everyday subjects mentioned cannot actually be admitted as touching or sublime with a straight face. In his conclusion, Jeffrey admits that Wordsworth’s talents do shine through most of his works, making it doubly disappointing that they have to make do with such â€Å"trash†, and finishes by expressing a hope for the abortion of such â€Å"violation of the established laws of poetry†. Looking at the review from a stylistic point of view, Jeffrey is not as outspoken as he will be on following occasions, choosing instead to provide a poetical background philosophy to justify his negative impressions. Towards the end, however, he narrows his range of vision more and more from the general to the particular; and we can see the moraliser turn gradually into the critic, who doesn’t veil or justify his opinions thoroughly, but chooses rather to present them forcibly, with strong words and expressions (e. g. trash, folly, etc. ). Structurally speaking, the review is well-built, and conveys a false impression of impartiality with its units of refutation, exploration and conclusion, while in fact the personal opinion of the critic can clearly be felt in every instance of his well-composed sentences. But this, of course, was Jeffrey’s forte – to insinuate his own feelings even when seeming completely neutral. This tendency can well be observed also in the review of Wordsworth’s Memorials of a Tour, published in 1822. Note that fifteen years have passed, a significant period of time in contemporary literature – the new-fangled notions to which Jeffrey had objected previously had grown roots, even flourished somewhat; however, the opposition never altered its opinion: probably the most famous review of Jeffrey on Wordsworth, the one concerning The Excursion (published in 1814), opening with the line â€Å"This will never do! , is the best example of them still maintaining differences. During these years, Jeffrey used his wit and sarcasm to great effect, succeeding in shaking the reputations of Wordsworth and others considerably, albeit giving them considerable publicity at the same time. This review, however, is slightly different – although stil l wittily disapproving, it again includes the reader significantly, much like the one previously mentioned. Jeffrey – always a man of spectacular openers – starts off with the sentence: â€Å"The Lake School of Poetry, we think, is now pretty nearly extinct. . No gentlemanly reserve in his tone now – he follows up by separating Wordsworth from the fraternity, disclosing that now even they won’t admit him as belonging to them (though how someone could â€Å"belong† to a dead fraternity stays undecided), owing to his backward style, which even the inserted phrases of Milton or the Holy Writ can’t help (Jeffrey’s appreciation of these venerable sources clearly shines through his words on the subject). The second paragraph explains that while most of the compositions begin promisingly, the misguided author mostly succeeds in ruining them by saying nothing, or – even worse – by saying something totally ordinary in an â€Å"unintelligible way†, which, it seems, is one of the major sins against poetry itself. It soon becomes clear that the main concern of Jeffrey is that the sonnets of which the Memorial is composed are puzzling, and hard to understand; that Wordsworth insists on choosing the most unworthy objects to evoke startling fantasies or visions; and most of all, that the politics of the author leave much to be required. For a large part of the review is devoted to a sarcastic account of how Wordsworth depicted Napoleon, and how his sources for political and historical facts mainly consist of newspapers (the Morning Post is specifically mentioned). Following this, even the author’s reference to Milton becomes an object for derision (â€Å"Of a truth, it is a dangerous experiment in Mr. Wordsworth to recall his reader’s notice to Milton when he writes sonnets. †). Loftiness and high emotion are interpreted as pretension and impotence; however, Jeffrey again points out that even this volume has its merits, and that gems of beauty can indeed be found â€Å"†¦when [the author] is pleased to be plain and rational†. This review differs slightly from the previous one in style – Jeffrey does not give reasons for his verdicts any more, but declares his opinion in a straight, and sometimes still respectful manner. He constantly refers to contemporary matters, from affairs of the life of Wordsworth himself (Stamp-office) to the knowledge of the reader about important dates. We can see that this is a somewhat different approach than before – in 1807, he called on the reader to act as a dignified judge of literary value; now, he speaks out to him as a friend, someone with knowledge and experience similar to his own. The linguistic style of the review emphasizes this familiarity by often choosing sarcasm instead of elegance, or maybe not even that, just â€Å"plain† speech, only using flowing phrases when the context requires it. This tendency – although significant – is unsurprising, given that Jeffrey and his readership had, by now, more than fifteen years to grow familiar in. The single largest factor which ties both reviews together is, of course, the undervaluation of Wordsworth as a poet. One might well ask that how could a critic, any critic, of such taste and pedigree not recognize the genius of Wordsworth, and still be remembered by following generations as a critic of any value. There could be many answers to this question: one could simply shrug it off by saying contemporary critics very rarely discover the true talents of their times; or that Jeffrey’s enjoyable style is worthy of remembrance anywhere, notwithstanding his misjudged opinions. We could even say that badmouthing Wordsworth was Jeffrey’s one most significant achievement, which in itself constitutes a right to be remembered. The truth, however, lies somewhere deeper than that. For the reason to remember Jeffrey is Wordsworth himself – it is generally accepted that the critic’s judgements affected not only the criticized works’ afterlives, but the poet’s work as well. Wordsworth didn’t heed Jeffrey’s intimations, but they affected him slightly; he responded to the attacks, and defended himself as well as he could, on all grounds Jeffrey has challenged him: morality, philosophy, aesthetics and ethics, stating that contemporary reception cannot serve as a guideline for the future, but should be moulded and refined enough to accept these compositions according to their value. And so the symbiosis continued, with the works of Jeffrey and Wordsworth – although different in genre – growing ever more interconnected. And this is the most important reason why we have to remember Jeffrey: his impact on the Lake Poet’s work will last for ever, even when sarcasm seems outdated, classical references tedious, and elaborate language unnecessary. We can conclude that Jeffrey, even if he hadn’t managed to recognize Wordsworth, stated his opinion in a way worthy of his foe – noone needs to be ashamed of him; for although his sense of humour was limited, his humility likewise, and his ability to pinpoint immortal values a bit shoddy, he was – and remains – a force to be reckoned with. An eternal reminder that, whatever our opinions are, they will always have value and impact towards the one they are aimed at.

Free Essays on Othello

Heroic Men and Women in Othello In Shakespeare’s Othello many terrible situations befall on the characters contained in the play. Our main and title character, Othello, is especially ravished by evil deeds. He looses his mind, his wife and his own life all within the span of about two acts. It is all the more tragic because Shakespeare builds up the character of Othello as one of his greatest literary heroes. However to combat Othello’s truly heroic personality Shakespeare creates a character as evil as Othello is good. It is Iago, the antagonist of the play, who seems to hate Othello and his heroic image with no apparent motive present. Although Othello’s heroic nature fails him when Iago manipulates his thoughts to be against his wife, Desdemona, another heroic character steps in to finally put the evil to rest. In a twist of irony it turns out that Iago’s own wife, Emilia, who picks up the sword of heroism to combat the evil of Iago. It is for about only one act that this play is wit hout a truly honorable hero. It is because Othello looses his trust for Desdemona that his heart is turned to madness. However it is because Emilia keeps her trust in Desdemona that allows her to be heroic. Othello, the man, is one of the greatest generals in Venice. However Othello is also an outsider in Venice. He is described as a moor or a member of a Muslim people of mixed Berber and Arab descent. His skin color is what sets him apart from the Venetians. However instead of deeming him with negative qualities because of his skin color Shakespeare blesses him with heroic abilities as well as the heart of a hero. The audience sees how much Othello trusts his wife in the first act. Barbantio, Desdemona’s father, takes great offense to his daughter marrying a man of dark skin. He claims that Othello has wooed Desdemona â€Å"By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks† (1.3.70). However we see that Othello’s heroism transcends any r... Free Essays on Othello Free Essays on Othello Iago’s opinion of women. Shakespeare’s play Othello is based on tragedy of Othello’s jealousy, which ironically leads Othello to kill Desdemona, his beloved (wife). Evil Iago is above all Shakespeare’s villains. Iago is a person with evil emotions, and as a result he deceives everybody, he also is exceptionally influential character who has taken in everyone, above all his own wife Emilia. His public face of bravery and honesty conceals a satanic delight in manipulation and destruction, and he will stop at nothing. Iago’s opinion on women is that he detests women in all kinds and shapes, and finds faults even when they have little or no faults. It is evident that Iago refers to Desdemona as a piece of property, when He wakes up Brabantio (Desdemona’s Father) and tells him about the marriage to Othello. In Act 1 Scene 1 Line 80 he states, â€Å" Thieves, thieves! Look to your house, your daughter and your bags! † Further on Iago comes to Brabantio’s house and says to him that his daughter has been stolen, rather than saying she ran away with Othello, which reveals to us that he thinks women are the property of men. Act 1 Scene 3, Iago tells Roderigo that he shouldn’t be an inane man to even think of taking his life for a female. â€Å"Ere I would say I would drown myself for the love of a guinea hen; I would change my humanity with a baboon †. Act 1 Scene 3 Line 310. Again this reveals to us that Iago says that he would never drown himself for a female, he rather change his humanity with a monkey which is totally degrading because he sees a monkey more fit than women. Further on He refers Desdemona as a guinea hen, which denotes a whore. One might think Evil Iago is a man who hates women, for he shows no love or sympathy to women as he constantly slanders them of things they didn’t do or even think about, this is evident on Act ii Scene 1. He states "Come on,... Free Essays on Othello The ill-fated hero that so honorably battles evil only to be tripped by a single, yet fatal, character flaw is as much a part of William Shakespeare’s work as any theme in literature. This dynamic plot structure has been worked, and reworked into some of the worlds most well known, critically acclaimed literary selections, among which, Shakespeare’s Othello is a prime example. Within the text of this tragic drama, Othello’s fatal flaw can be seen to be his simple idealism, his trusting innocence to the world, and his failure to see through his jealousy. From the onset of the play, Othello is revealed to have the attributes of the most honorable of heroes. This celebrated Moorish general has lived a hard, yet ultimately victorious life to date, and has found love for the first time in Desdemona. In fact, the first hints to this innocence can be seen in his explanation of the â€Å"charms† used in the winning of Desdemona’s hand in marriage. In this, his greatest conquest, he whole-heartedly believes that his tales of battle were the driving force behind Desdemona’s love for him. This rather simple take on the complex workings of love reveals the innocent idealism behind the character Othello and his simplistic, yet pure love for the fair Desdemona. However, more pressing examples of this hero’s innocence to the world can be witnessed, by the reader, in his interactions with the evil Iago. Using Othello’s trusting soul against him, Iago plants the seeds of Desdemona’s infidelity in Othello’s head, and allows the jealous rage to fester in his mind. Refusing to believe that Iago could lie about such a matter, yet just as strongly refusing to accept that Desdemona could have betrayed him so callously, the General is wrought with frustration. This anger, facilitated by his simple, idealistic views on love and the world, causes a collapse in Othello, who initially demands physical proof, but then begins to accept... Free Essays on Othello "If Othello didn’t begin as a play about race, history has made it one." The Venetian society that Othello is set in is representative of the writers context. The attitudes and values that Shakespeare reveals through the text are those same attitudes and values of Elizabethan society in England in the sixteenth-century. Although Othello is set in Venice and Cyprus, the attitudes and values shared in the text are probably reflective of the attitudes and values of Shakespeare's own society. It is difficult to assess the attitudes and values of people in sixteenth-century Britain to the relatively few blacks living amongst them. We are given an insight into those attitudes and values through the representation of race and gender in the text of Othello.These attitudes and values are indicative of what a culture believes in and supports. By the time Othello was written the English were becoming more and more aware of the existence of other races in the world besides themselves. There had been a lot of travelling and blacks were beginning to be used in Europe for the slave trade. During the time the play was written, the Queen of England had banned all blacks from entering the city. She spoke of them as "Negars and Moors which are crept into the realm, of which kind of people there are already here too many". It seems that Shakespeare is almost mocking the Queen by characterising Othello as a black man who has a high ranking position in the Army and who marries a white aristocratic women, against her fathers will. Ruth Cowlig suggests that the presentation of Othello as the hero must have been startling for Elizabethan audiences. This may have been the case, but through the representation of Othello we are able to see that some members of society such as the Duke, looked over his colour to assign him his position whereas, others such as Iago, look on his colour as a way to mock him. Hostility is shown to Othello by c... Free Essays on Othello Othello~Is Racism The Predominant Factor Throughout The Play? Many people consider Shakespeare’s Othello to be a racist play. The main character in this controversial play is a black moor who marries a white woman, but their marriage is later destroyed by treachery, jealousy and deceit. Although there are many instance in this play that suggest that this is a racial play, racism does not actually control the play, even though it has a racist theme that is the romantic union of a black man and a white woman. This theme takes precedence over the entire play and sets up what is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial works of the time. The majority of the racial comments come from characters that are either irritated or upset. For example, when Emilia found out that Othello had killed her best friend, Desdemona, she was extremely infuriated and referred to Othello â€Å"And you the Blacker devil"(5.2.129), this was the only time in the play that she had said anything racial in reference to Othello. Her emotions could be considered to be out of rage or could also be considered that to come out because she was afraid to show them before. The major characters that have racial tensions toward Othello are Iago, Brabantio, Roderigo and Emilia, with the hatred of Othello as the basis for their racial actions and comments towards him. Roderigo speaks the first racial comment in the play, when he refers to Othello as â€Å"thicklips†(1.1.65), which is spoken out of Roderigo’s jealousy toward Othello. Iago is the most racist character in the book though, as he has it in for Othello right from the start. The event that causes this hatred of Othello and also his hatred of Cassio, occurs when it was time for Othello to choose his Lieutenant, it was Cassio who was chosen instead of Iago, even though Iago’s war experience was much greater than that of Cassio’s. Iago does not say anything racist to Othello's face but he has a lot to say against ... Free Essays on Othello Reeti Choudhury Ms.Cerrini English 11 AC 16 October 2004 Othello: Questions that lead to a Gender Approach Throughout history, it has been said that â€Å"behind every successful man, there is a woman’s hand.† â€Å" O heavy ignorance thou praisest the worse best. But what praise couldst thou bestow on a deserving woman indeed- one that in the authority of her merit did justly put on the vouch of very malice itself?.† (Shakespeare 35) This quote is the main idea of feminism in most work that Shakespeare portrays. This quote happens to be portrayed in Shakespeare’s Othello. In William Shakespeare’s works, female characters represent the foundations upon which the climax is built. â€Å" Do not doubt that; before Emilia here I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee, If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it†¦.† (Shakespeare 57) This quote shows how although women are considered less than men, they still have a right to express themselves. Women in Othello, are portrayed as secondary to the male characters. â€Å"Yet I beseech you, if you think fit, or that it may be done, Give me advantage of some brief discourse, With Desdemona alone.† (Shakespeare 56) This quote is said by Cassio, when he needs help from Emilia, so he could try to get his job back. You can notice that the women aren’t being portrayed as bad or evil in Othello, but they are portrayed as someone that could be trusted. This following quote also shows how women were portrayed as to be secondary (meaning although they were looked up to they were not thought of as to be as smart as a male character): â€Å"Emilia. Villany, villainy, villainy! I think upon’t- I think I smell’t!- O villainy! I thought so then.- I’ll kill myself for grief.-O villainy, villainy! Iago. What are ... Free Essays on Othello It is unclear whether Shakespeare intended Iago to appear as evil as he does but one thing is for sure; Iago remains one of Shakespeare’s most debated villains. It is Iago’s motives for scheming that continue to be the most intriguing aspect of his existence. Often critics tend to concentrate on discrediting his motives. Describing Iago’s motives as being weak has almost become a given. There are two general ideas from the sources that I found. One of the ideas sees Iago as a conspicuous character whose sole purpose is to generate evil. Another analysis of Iago is that Shakespeare has created Iago to be a very dramatic villain rather than an evil one. These broad generalizations do not correlate in any kind of rationalization for Iago’s demise. That is what my theory intends to elaborate on. By not establishing a clear motive, Iago’s plan becomes so broad that he involves too many people for the result to be favorable to him. His aggression against Othello starts when Othello names Michael Cassio his lieutenant rather than Iago. This motive would have been valid if he had not involved Desdemona and Emilia. He could have easily gotten revenge at Othello and Cassio by just going after them. Another possible motive is that Othello has committed adultery with Emilia. This motive brings Desdemona and Emilia into Iago’s plotting. He now feels he needs to involve everyone in his evil scheme. When Iago convinces Roderigo to start a fight with Cassio at a party, it appears obvious that Iago’s plot to become lieutenant will come full circle. But Iago consulting Cassio after the altercation makes no sense for his motive to become lieutenant. On a very surface level, Iago comes off as being just plain evil. Many critics would agree with this and would be content to think that Shakespeare created Iago to merely show evil. Richard Flatter feels that due to weak motives as a soldier and as an angry husband, I... Free Essays on Othello The Tragedy Of Othello The Theme Of Two Lovers Life In Which Was Ended Due To A Jealousy Man Othello’s downfall, which was due to Iago mass manipulative plan, is the reason the play is know as a tragedy. Tragedy is defined as a drama or another literary work that ends in the downfall of its main character. According to Greek Philosopher Aristotle, the function of tragedy is to arouse in the audience the emotions of fear and pity in order to produce a catharsis, or cleansing, of these emotions by the play’s end. The protagonist, or tragic hero, is usually a high ranking or respected person whose personality is married by a fatal weakness, or tragic flaw, that causes his or her downfall. In other words, Othello is the protagonist throughout this drama. I think Iago is one of those people who is just plain evil, kind of like a pathological liar. A pathological is someone who lies just to get a response and in Iago’s case, besides the fact he is hungry for power, he makes a scene just for fun, just to get a rise out of the people around him. He can be considered pure evil, without true motive, but he does have his stated reasons and very human excuses which still motivate people today. Iago states in act one that he has heard rumors that Othello had an affair with Emilia, Iago’s wife. Thus his revenge is to make Othello believe his own wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful. The subject of jealousy, friendship, race, and power, all comes up in Iago’s character as well. Othello is black and yet above Iago. Othello appointed the younger Cassio to be lieutenant over Iago, betraying the bonds of age, experience, trust and friendship. Othello, weakness is carried throughout the play due to jealous of his wife, Desdemona. Furthermore, Othello has been a soldier for several years but when it comes down to his wife Desdemona he like a soldier that is inexperience in his position. Othello would do anything for Desdemona even when he didn... Free Essays on Othello Role of Women in Othello In Shakespeare’s Othello, the role of women is greatly emphasized. The important characters of the play, Othello, Iago, and Cassio, each have a women that stands behind him. These women each have an obligation to remain loyal and respect their husband's wishes, especially Desdemona and Emilia. We see Desdemona as a young beautiful white female, madly in love with a powerful black man. She is strong inside but doesn't tend to show that side of her as much as she would want to. She tends to play the peace-maker in her marriage and is always trying to understand Othello. Throughout the play she struggles to prove her loyalty and respect to her husband, no matter what it takes she tries to be a good wife. At the beginning of the play when Brabantio, confronts Othello and Desdemona about their relationship, she does not hesitate to defend her husband to her father, regardless of the consequences she faced. She is brought in by her father to the court to be questioned for her actions, she replies with utter respect to her father, but devotion to her husband". To you I am bound for life and education....I am hitherto your daughter. But here is my husband. And so much duty as my mother showed to you, preferring you before her father...(act1,sc3L210). In other words, she is grateful to her father for what he has given to her but will stand by the side of her husband, as any women should. Even while Othello is accusing her of having an affair with Cassio, and insulting her calling her a whore, her responsibility of standing by her man and trying to understand him still remains. As angered as she may be with what he just called her, she questions him politely, as to why he is saying such things. She knows she doesn't deserve that but how could she defend herself to her husband, without disrespecting him. In her mind a women should never disrespect her husband, or suggest that he is wrong. In her mind when he ca... Free Essays on Othello â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† Lorraine Hansberry wrote the award winning play† A Raisin in the Sun.† It is set in Chicago’s Southside in the late 1940’s. The story reflects her own experience of racial harassment when her successful family moved into a white neighborhood. She got her title from a line in a Langston Hughes poem named,† Harlem (A Dream Deferred) (534) –What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? (1-3) This title is in reference to one of the main characters. He has a dream but racial tension going on at the time and his family’s opinion and interference does not help his dream come true. Walter Lee Younger is a man in his mid 30’s. He is a chauffer. He lives with his wife Ruth, his son Travis, his mother Lena, and his sister Benetha. Walter has a serious conflict with his wife. They are talking about a plan that he and his friend have to open a liquor store. He has it all figured out but his wife shuns him because she things his partner, Willy Harris is â€Å"a good-for-nothing loud mouth†(1.1.992). He sarcastically reminds her about the last â€Å"good-for-nothing loud mouth† she didn’t like-â€Å"Charlie Atkins was just a good-for-nothing loud mouth too, wasn’t he! When he wanted me to go into the dry cleaning business with him. And now he is grossing a hundred thousand a year. A hundred thousand dollars a year! And you still call him a loud mouth!† (1.1.992). Walter is very upset and bitter with his wife over the fact that they could have been getting this money and been successful. He also feels that she isn ’t being supportive of him. Everything he tries to do she talks down upon him. He tries to explain that he and Willie have everything figured out she stops him and shows no interest in what he has to say-â€Å" Walter leave me alone! Eat your eggs they gonna get cold â€Å" (1.1.993) his point of why he thinks she is not supporting him pro... Free Essays on Othello The Webster’s dictionary defines a motif as a recurrent thematic element in a musical, artistic, or literary work. In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, an overriding motif is animals. The characters use reference to animals to show their hatred and scorn to other characters in the play, especially Iago towards Brabanzio, Roderigo, and Othello. There are occurrences in the speech of other characters that also play a significant role. The reference to animals conveys a sense that the laws of nature, rather than those of society, are the primary forces governing the characters in the play. Iago is a manipulative character, and uses his wise tongue to influence others and their feelings. In the beginning of the play, when Iago informs Brabanzio of the whereabouts of his daughter, he refers to Desdemona and Othello to be, â€Å"Making the beast of two backs.† (I.i.117-118). He does this so Brabanzio becomes angry with Othello and possibly cause enough harm and havoc in his life to give Iago what he wishes, power. Iago is manipulating Brabanzio because he secretly is plotting the fall of Othello, but wants everyone else to seem at fault. He is thinking about no one else except himself. We see the overriding concept of the motif when Iago continues his devilish ways with Roderigo by ridiculing him for his foolish attempt of killing himself. After Roderigo failed at gaining the love of Desdemona, suicide became an option. When Iago became aware of this, he told Roderigo, â€Å"Ere I would drown myself for the love of a guinea-hen, I would change my humanity with a baboon.† (I.iii.312-313). He does nothing to encourage Roderigo after a very emotional moment in his life. He makes the situation worse when he says that drowning is only for â€Å"Cats and blind puppies.† (I.i.330-331). Instead of helping Roderigo in the time of need, he uses this opportunity to anger Roderigo and uses him as a pawn in his game against Othello... Free Essays on Othello â€Å"Othello’s stature as a tragic hero is severely compromised by the alacrity with which he turns against his wife, and by his failure to achieve any real self knowledge† To what extent do you agree? Othello’s stature as a tragic hero is severely compromised by the speed and ease with which he turns against his wife, and by his failure to achieve any real self knowledge. In the Shakespearian tragedy of Othello, we witness the character of Othello fall from a position of control in Venetian society due to a combination of different reasons. Othello has a deep self-love for himself, and it is because of this he turns against his wife Desdemona with a great speed and ease. A traditional ‘tragic hero’ portrays four major characteristics: firstly, the tragic hero is a figure of high standing/esteem in the community; secondly, there is an agency that leads to the fall of the hero whether within the hero himself or from an outside figure/source; the third characteristic is a moment of self-realisation or self-awareness and the last characteristic is that the fall of the hero results in death. Othello is portrayed as a well-respected citizen within the Venetian society. He can be seen as an intelligent and heroic military leader whose skill is indeed very valuable and necessary to the state and he knows this. His military success has promoted his position within Venetian society, and as a ‘Moor’ within the white dominated society, he has a strong desire to maintain his social standing, and is prepared to sacrifice anything which threatens his reputation, which leads to the eventual death of Desdemona. Othello is trusted by everyone in Venice being called, â€Å"valiant Othello† and â€Å"brave Othello† and described as â€Å"...more fair than black† (I, iii, 286). He has been given full martial and political command of Cyprus and is a figure of high standing and esteem within the Venetian community. Othelloï ¿ ½... Free Essays on Othello In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, the main character, Othello, experiences a heroic struggle within his own mind, which leads to his downfall. He feels that it is directly based on his cultural background. The villain in the play, Iago, puts this in his mind when he tells Othello that his wife, Desdemona is having an affair and claims that he saw Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief. Othello becomes angry of this and reflects his cultural background, how his is black and the fact that he is a soldier and begins to experiences his own heroic downfall. The affair between Cassio and Desdemona really starts to become true to Othello when Iago claims that he saw Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief. The handkerchief was a gift Desdemona received from Othello. The handkerchief has been passed down from generation to generation. Othello’s mother used it to keep his father faithful to her, and it was given to Othello who gave it to Desdemona to be used in the same way. The handkerchief is a symbol of love and marriage between two people. During the play Desdemona leaves it behind and Iago plants it on Cassio. He then uses this to further convince Othello of the affair between Cassio and Desdemona. The handkerchief then changes from a symbol of love to a symbol of betrayal. This handkerchief has been in Othello’s family and is a part of his cultural background, so it is very special. The thought of Desdemona having an affair is seen, in Othello’s eyes, as an insult to his love and also to his background and th is enrages him.... Free Essays on Othello In Shakespeare’s play Othello, Iago is the antagonist. That is, he is the villain in the play Othello. He is the person who causes an action to occur which affects the other characters in the play. This action may not necessarily be a good thing. Iago is the catalyst for Othello’s change. He is the reason behind Othello’s changing views of his wife Desdemona, which results in the deaths of many of the characters in this tragedy. In order to understand the role Iago plays in destroying Othello, it is important to understand how Iago uses other characters in Othello to set his devious plot into motion. Iago successfully manipulates the characters involved to further his evil plans. He does this in such a way that the majority of the characters’ perceptions of each other change dramatically. Thus leading to Othello’s transformation and Othello’s changing views and behaviour towards his beloved wife Desdemona. Iago firstly uses Roderigo, a Veneti an gentleman, in love with Desdemona and then Cassio in the process of annihilating Othello. Cassio is Othello’s Lieutenant. Other characters Iago exploit include his own wife Emilia and Desdemona herself. Iago goes to a lot of trouble to conquer Othello. When Iago’s interaction with the other characters is understood then it can be perfectly recognised, acknowledged and understood how Iago causes Othello’s perceptions of Desdemona to change so drastically and quickly. Roderigo is the first fall under Iago’s spell of manipulation. Roderigo is convinced that Iago is genuine and does everything Iago tells him to. Iago easily convinces Roderigo to tell Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, of Desdemona’s elopement with a ‘moor’. Iago and Roderigo tell Brabantio of Othello’s marriage to Desdemona who rushes over to Othello to unsuccessfully reclaim his daughter. â€Å"An old black ram Is tupping your white ewe.† (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 90). Brabantio’s perceptions of both his daugh... Free Essays on Othello Heroic Men and Women in Othello In Shakespeare’s Othello many terrible situations befall on the characters contained in the play. Our main and title character, Othello, is especially ravished by evil deeds. He looses his mind, his wife and his own life all within the span of about two acts. It is all the more tragic because Shakespeare builds up the character of Othello as one of his greatest literary heroes. However to combat Othello’s truly heroic personality Shakespeare creates a character as evil as Othello is good. It is Iago, the antagonist of the play, who seems to hate Othello and his heroic image with no apparent motive present. Although Othello’s heroic nature fails him when Iago manipulates his thoughts to be against his wife, Desdemona, another heroic character steps in to finally put the evil to rest. In a twist of irony it turns out that Iago’s own wife, Emilia, who picks up the sword of heroism to combat the evil of Iago. It is for about only one act that this play is wit hout a truly honorable hero. It is because Othello looses his trust for Desdemona that his heart is turned to madness. However it is because Emilia keeps her trust in Desdemona that allows her to be heroic. Othello, the man, is one of the greatest generals in Venice. However Othello is also an outsider in Venice. He is described as a moor or a member of a Muslim people of mixed Berber and Arab descent. His skin color is what sets him apart from the Venetians. However instead of deeming him with negative qualities because of his skin color Shakespeare blesses him with heroic abilities as well as the heart of a hero. The audience sees how much Othello trusts his wife in the first act. Barbantio, Desdemona’s father, takes great offense to his daughter marrying a man of dark skin. He claims that Othello has wooed Desdemona â€Å"By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks† (1.3.70). However we see that Othello’s heroism transcends any r... Free Essays on Othello Cassio and Desdemona Cassio was the Othello’s lieutenant, but he didn’t have a lot of experience. His habit was opposite to Othello, but Othello admired him because he was the polite and respect soldier. Othello had believed that Cassio had something with Desdemona, but Cassio was only honorable toward her so that Iago tried to make the devil plan to Cassio in that scene. Cassio was too innocent, and he fell to Iago’s devil plan which made Cassio to get drunk and had the fight with Roderigo. Iago wanted to use Roderigo to make Cassio to have bad reputation among other people. Desdemona was the Othello’s wife, and she had the high birth and good breeding from her family in Venetian. She was a very truly wife which caused her to defend Cassio in the public area and every where. In the scene, Iago’s plan was to convince Cassio to ask for the help from Desdemona because Othello would get angry from the conversation between Desdemona and Cassio. Desdemona was stronger than Othello, but Othello didn’t believe that because he thought she was a little woman. She was not the private woman that Othello expect her to be because she liked to go to the outside world.... Free Essays on Othello Shakespeare on Film Review of Othello The American Repertory Theatre’s Othello certainly did not live up to the expected standard of the previous productions of this theatre company. I think that the directors of this show (in the end) sought to bring the audience a classical version of Othello, though not a Shakespearean version of the play. Despite this classical vision, the acting was clearly not classical, but rather, a very modern approach to classical acting. The indicating nature of the performances, particularly by Iago, was merely an attempt at a classical performance that did not echo throughout the show. The inconsistency of the performances in this show had a strong contribution to the downfall of the production as a whole. Although there were two directors with two different visions for this particular show, the quality of the acting should not have been affected. Actors still have the ability to make conscious choices about their characters regardless of a director’s overall vision of th e play. Because there was a severe lack of set and scenery in this production, the focus of the audience was continually on the actors. Thus, the moments of poor performance were intensified. One of these moments that struck me the most was the opening scene between Iago and Roderigo. This scene, until Brabantio entered, was extremely weak and did not engage the attention of the audience. At the beginning of a show this is crucial. Othello is a play that I am very familiar with. However, I found myself uninterested during this first scene, to the point where I was not sure who was the character of Iago and who was the character of Roderigo. Brabrantio’s entrance pulled the audience back into the action onstage. His entrance was powerful because I really believed that he had just been woken up and was annoyed about it. His voice was clear and thunderous. He, in a manner of speaking, woke the audience up and bro... Free Essays on Othello Analysis of Shakespeare’s Othello & Machiavelli’s The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince serves as a guideline to attain and remain successful in power. He explains what obstacles a new â€Å"prince† faces when he comes into authority. Machiavelli’s The Prince was seen as a set of instructions inspired by his experiences dealing with war and revolt. His writings are concerned with the principles on which such a state is founded, and with the means by which they can be implemented and maintained. In his most famous work, The Prince, he describes the method by which a prince can acquire and maintain political power. In his view, a prince should be concerned only with power and be bound only by rules that would lead to success in political actions. Machiavelli believed that these rules could be discovered by deduction from the political practices of the time, as well as from those of earlier periods. Cocco 2 Shakespeare’s Othello portrays the growth of unjustified jealousy in the protagonist, Othello, a Moor serving as a general in the Venetian army. The innocent object of his jealousy is his wife, Desdemona. In this tragedy, Othello's evil lieutenant Iago draws him into mistaken jealousy in order to ruin him. Shakespeare’s Othello demonstrates the usage of imagery to create a vivid account of the characteristics of the persons represented in the play. In act 1 scene 1 of Othello, two men are plotting against Othello because they feel they were deceived. One participant is a man named Roderigo, who is in love with Desdemona, Othello’s wife. The focus of the scene is Roderigo telling Desdemona’s father, Brabanzio, that she has run off to marry Othello, a moor and valiant general, but not a man of great monetary assets. The visual imagery that Shakespeare uses in this particular speech by Roderigo strongly describes the main character, Othello, as a grotesque, bestial figure who has taken Brabanzio’s d... Free Essays on Othello Not the unjust suspicions of Othello, not Iago's unprovoked treachery, place Desdemona in a more amiable or interesting light than the conversation (half earnest, half jest) between her and Æmilia on the common behaviour of women to their husbands. This dialogue takes place just before the last fatal scene. If Othello had overheard it, it would have prevented the whole catastrophe; but then it would have spoiled the play. The character of Iago is one of the supererogations of Shakespear's genius. Some persons, more nice than wise, have thought this whole character unnatural, because his villainy is without a sufficient motive. Shakespear, who was as good a philosopher as he was a poet, thought otherwise. He knew that the love of power, which is another name for the love of mischief, is natural to man. He would know this as well or better than if it had been demonstrated to him by a logical diagram, merely from seeing children paddle in the dirt or kill flies for sport. Iago in fact belongs to a class of character, common to Shakespear and at the same time peculiar to him; whose heads are as acute and active as their hearts are hard and callous. Iago is to be sure an extreme instance of the kind; that is to say, of diseased intellectual activity, with the most perfect indifference to moral good or evil, or rather with a decided preference of the latter, because it falls more readily in with his favouri te propensity, gives greater zest to his thoughts and scope to his actions. He is quite or nearly as indifferent to his own fate as to that of others; he runs all risks fo a trifling and doubtful advantage; and is himself the dupe and victim of his ruling passion-an in-satiable craving after action of the most difficult and dangerous kind. "Our ancient" is a philosopher, who fancies that a lie that kills has more point in it than an alliteration or an antithesis; who thinks a fatal experiment on the peace of a family a better thing than...

Course Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Course Project - Assignment Example rm, such as the percentage of incongruence, specificity, and sensitivity between self-reported cancer-screening and medical record documentation among African American women. Descriptive research only examines variables in natural environments and does not include researcher-designed treatments or interventions. In addition, a descriptive research design aims to provide a picture of the situation by gaining more information about the characteristics of a particular field of study; thus, descriptive designs may be used in theory development, problem identification, and justification in current practice (Burns & Grove, 2009, 236). On the other hand, quantitative research designs are crafted to determine the relationship of variables in a population. Combining the two research designs, a quantitative descriptive research design establishes only associations between variables and not causality. The quantitative descriptive research design is appropriate to answer the research question because the descriptive design of the study described the current situation by using statistics to determine rates of participation in cancer screening among patients’ self-reported screening or medical records without treatment or intervention whereas, quantitative design establishes only association between self-reported cancer screening and medical record documentation. Powe, B.D. & Cooper, D.L. (2008). Self-Reported Cancer Screening Rates versus Medical Record Documentation: Incongruence, Specificity, and Sensitivity for African American Women. Oncology Nursing Forum, 35(2):

An eater's manifesto Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

An eater's manifesto - Essay Example We don’t realize that in the sizzle of our steaks there is the suffering of animals, the mining of our topsoil, the slashing of our forests, the harming of our economy, and the eroding of our health. We don’t hear in the sizzle the cry of the hungry millions who might otherwise be fed. We don’t see the toxic poisons accumulating in the food chains, poisoning our children and our earth for generations to come. But once we become aware of the impact of our food choices, we can never really forget (Robbins, 57). There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to making our food choices. One of the biggest nutritional problems plaguing America today is the issue of obesity. One of the factors is a high intake of food that is high in saturated fat. Our bodies can make all the saturated fat we need, so we don't need to eat any of it. That's why saturated fat can be in the bad category—because we don't need to eat any of it, and it has undesirable effects in cardiovascular disease. In the United States and other developed countries, saturated fats come mainly from meat, seafood, poultry with skin, and whole-milk dairy products (cheese, milk, and ice cream). A few plant foods are also high in saturated fats, including coconut and coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Saturated fats boost total cholesterol by elevating harmful Low Density Lipoprotein. Like all dietary fat, saturated fat also raises the protective High Density Lipoprotein. Unsaturated fat is much preferable since it lowers the bad cholesterol and raises the good. When picking what to eat, take into consideration the amount of cholesterol and saturated fat you are putting into your body. Another thing to consider may be, for meat eaters, where the meat is coming from. There is the issue of the morality of eating meat. Animals have rights, and no matter how humanely an animal is treated in the process, raising it and killing it for food remains morally wrong. There is yet the issue of animal cruelty. More than 16 billion are killed for food every year in the US alone. They are neglected, mutilated, genetically manipulated, put on drug regimens that cause chronic pain and crippling, transported through all weather extremes, and killed in gruesome and violent ways. Even so called â€Å"free-range† animals are often mutilated without the benefits of painkillers; kept in filthy, disease-ridden sheds; forced to endure long trips to the animal slaughterhouse without food or water; and killed in the same way as animals from factory farms. It’s important to know whether the meat you are eating is from a reliable source. In addition to this, the world’s meat addiction is poisoning and depleting our drinking water, arable land, and clean air. More than half of the water used in the U.S. goes to animal agriculture, and since farmed animals produce 130 times more excrement that humans do, the runoff from their waste greatly pollutes our waterways. Not only does raising animals for food gobble up precious resources and produce tons of waste, it also steals food from hungry people. Raising animals for food is extremely inefficient.   For every pound of food that they eat, only a fraction of the calories are returned in the form of edible flesh. The problem comes in when people stop caring about all these issues and just eat for the sake of pleasing themselves. While eating one day, I found myself wondering about the people who had grown the vegetables on my plate. What were their lives like?

Project management tools and techniques

Project management tools and techniques Project management tools and techniques are available to assist project managers and their teams in successfully delivering the project. Some popular tools in the time management knowledge area include Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical path analysis Critical Incidence 2- Perceived Failure Of The Project A critical incidence during the project was the perceived failure of the project by the University administration due to the amount of time it was taking to register all the students. This was 10 weeks in to the project and the university claimed that with their manual process they completed registration in 3 weeks. As the on-site member of the project team, I was responsible for utilizing all available resources to successfully complete the project within a reasonable time. The time frame was not stated and my aim daily was to register as many students as possible. Gantt charts Gantt Chart is one of the popular information presentation tools in a project plan for graphically scheduling and budgeting. This tool makes it possible to have a quick look at all the tasks names and timings, and shows the current schedule status and progress. (Schwalbe 2006). It is also a good technique to identify parallel and sequential tasks, estimated time required for each task and an overall project timeline representation (McFarland  Ã‚   ) Schwalbe K. 2006, â€Å"Introduction to project management† Publisher: Cengage Learning Avoiding Project Management Pitfalls Allison J. McFarland With the availability of various Project-Management applications, like MS Project, smartdraw-Easy Project Chart, etc., Gantt Chart can be easily made. According to Pankaja Pradeep Kumar one of the biggest problems, the project managers have to face, is project-scheduling. With Ms. Projects Gantt Chart, an effective scheduling plan can be put in place for providing the necessary information, required by the project team members, for measuring the actual performance with the planned performance. This will enable the projects to be delivered within the time constraint with pre-defined quality standard. There are many literature and reading material available expressing the usefulness of the Gantt Chat (see appendix 1). Unfortunately Gantt charts, despite having various advantages faces various criticism. Asaravala (2006) highlights that some critics argue that Gantt Chart distracts the project managers attention from the project and towards perfecting pretty graphs, while others argue that charts are created only to satisfy the higher-ups and act as a distraction for the project team. Asaravala, A. 2006, â€Å"Defending the Gantt Chart†,   Resource: Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) , Citation: Software DevelopmentJan2006, Vol. 14 Issue 1, p14-15 Luz (2009) Also criticises that, besides the benefits, Gantt charts have many weakness which includes lack of details and inefficient utilization of screen space when displaying large number of parallel tasks, each of which requires its own representation space. Maylor (2001) extends the criticism and considers Gantt Chart as a â€Å"blunt instrument†, that encourages a one-step approach to planning. As a result of the presentation capabilities of modern planning packages, the visual quality of colour charts means that they gain an implicit credibility. This can result in staff being unwilling to challenge the charts, and so they gain a momentum all of their own. Furthermore Maylor (2001) states that charts obliges the project manager to over-control the project instead of delegating the project responsibilities to the team members. Increasing use of the project-management applications, project managers become not only the ‘keeper of the charts but also a computer operat or. This might lead the virtual project plan not being updated, as frequent change occurs. Asaravala (2006) defends the charts approach by reasoning that Gantt chart is a communication tool in helping stakeholders in understanding the tasks and the tasks relations with each other Pritchard (2004) affirms that Gantt charts helps the stakeholder to have a good view of the project and also act as a communication tool to the project clients and the stakeholders involved. Furthermore it helps project leaders focus their attention on critical tasks and resources as the project moves forward and allow them to keep track of how the project is progressing and using its available resources. Pritchard C. 2004, â€Å"The project management communications toolkit†, Publisher: Artech House Asaravala (2006) concludes that one the major reasons for criticism against Gantt charts might be that project managers, most often, find it difficult to get Project Management Applications, like Microsoft Project, to do what they want it to do. This might lead to confusion in the project tasks and delays in delivering the project Since Gantt Chart is not the only tool for time management in a project management. Literature mentions that there is an alternative approach to Time management. Therefore, Kendrick (2004) and Ribeiro (2009) suggest that an alternative to the Gantt chart would be to use a Critical Path Analysis CPA (Network Analysis) whereas Field et al. (1998), Johnson et al. (2007) and Davis T. and Pharro R. 2003 suggest Gantt Chart should be used along with Critical Path Analysis. Critical path networks provide a powerful notation needed to show all the local interdependencies between different tasks. Furthermore, it also ensures completion of the project in a timely manner by quantifying the priorities, based on an analysis of all the task duration estimates, with efficient utilization of resources but all this depends on the accuracy of the information used. (Lock 2007) Lock D. 2007, The Essentials of Project Management, Edition: 3, Publisher: Gower Publishing   Ltd. Field M. and Keller L. 1998, â€Å"Project management†, Publisher: Cengage Learning EMEA Ribeiro J. M. 2009, â€Å"Procurement of Goods, Works and Services in Development Projects: With an Overview of Project Management†, Publisher: Presses inter Polytechnique Johnson L. K., Luecke R. and Austin R. D. 2007, â€Å"The essentials of project management†, Publisher: Harvard Business Press Kendrick T. 2004, â€Å"The project management tool kit: 100 tips and techniques for getting the job done right†, Publisher: AMACOM Div American Mgmt Assn for project of a long duration, or where the details associated with future stages of he project are unclear, the completion of detailed network or Gantt chart can be meaningless. An alternative approach for projects of this nature is to agree and set metilestones or target dates fro akey events some way into the future. Detailed plans are then produced on a rolling programme as work is completed. Milestone charts are a very useful way to represent the project schedule. The activities leading up to the next milestone are developed in detail (using the processes outlined above), but the future stages of the project are shown simply by apporiate milestones. The detailed activities associated with the work leading up to those future milestones are developed as the project draws near. This approach provides a realistic representation of the project as events some way into the future are inevitably less well known and clearly defined. Planning the schedule in detail as the work is approac hed provides more accurate detailed plans. Davis T. and Pharro R. 2003, â€Å"The relationship manager: the next generation of project management†, Publisher Gower Publishing, Ltd Personal Reflection In the trans Himalayan mountain bike race project, the use of Gantt Charts for delivering the project has been empirical. For me Gantt chart acted as a key planning and controlling tool for addressing the project management in terms of time, scheduling and cost. It is easy to understand, embodies the WBS and enables monitoring the progress against projected estimation. I do not agree with Maylor (2001) criticism for considering Gantt Chart as a â€Å"blunt instrument† because it is either the projects milestones that are not executed in the way it is scheduled for or the Gantt Chart is not consistently aligned with the reality of the project. Blaming the Gantt Chart for being useless is just absurd. I have observed that Gantt Charts are not as good as a Critical Path Analysis Flow Diagram for identifying and showing interdependent factors. Although some of the literature, as mentioned above, mentions using the Critical Path Analysis as an alternative to Gantt Chart but after experiencing and using both tools in the Himalayan mountain bike race project, made me realized their importance and compels me to agree with Field et al. (1998) and Johnson et al. (2007) CPA flow diagram should be used with the Gantt Chart as a secondary tool. and Davis T. and Pharro R. 2003 Highlights the critical path and shows project logic (flow). Introduction To Project Management By Kathy Schwalbe For this reason many good organizations stopped using chart approach to plan projects like the top level management of Hewlett Packards UK plants uses whiteboards and Post-It notes with individual sub-project managers using the project management application at the task level Kuta points out that the key success factor for project rely on the project decisions which are based upon cost, risk, procurement and contracting, and other issues but are not addressed in the traditional Gantt Chart can oftenbe the timing and tn Although Gantt chart act as a key planning and controlling tool for addressing the project manamgent in terms of time, schecdule and cost but in support of this argument by In this argument

Coca-Cola Company Struggles with Ethical Issues Essay

Many of the ethical issues surfaced when Warren Buffet resigned in 2006 and Doug Ivester took over. Ivester lacked leadership and as a result, the company faced many ethical issues. Ivester tenure was symbolic in that it was short-lived. This was a serious public relations glitch for a company who for so long, performed flawlessly. Ivester was replaced by Doug Daft, the former president and chief operating officer. Unfortunately, Daft had no success in derailing the controversies. In early 2000, Coca-cola was embroiled in ethical scandals such as racial discrimination, misrepresenting market test and manipulating earnings. Text Questions 1. Why do you think Coca-Cola has had one ethical issue to resolve after another over the last decade or so? In 2000, Coca-Cola failed to make the top ten of Fortune’s annual â€Å"America’s Most Admired Companies† list for the first time in a decade. Many believe this was a direct result of the contamination scare in June of 1999. 30 Belgian kids became ill after consuming Coca-Cola. Rather than come out right away and defends its product, Coca-Cola took several days to respond. I believe that as a result of this global crisis, Coca-Cola panicked and spiraled out of control. This company was operating on a high level for a decade and to be hit with such a scandal rocked the foundation the core. 2. A news analyst said that coca-cola could become the next Enron. Do you think this is possible? I do not believe that this case is similar to Enron. Enron’s culture was one of greed and win-at-all-cost mentality. Enron leadership created an atmosphere of invincibility. This was evident by the â€Å"rank-and-yank† system implemented to rid of those who were rated at the bottom 20 percent. This forced employees to engage in questionable practices in order to maintain their standing within the company.

Supply and Demand Easyjet

Assignment 2. 5 Supply, Demand and Easyjet The Marketing Mix is the name given to the elements which are the key components which a marketing plan should be based upon. Typically in Marketing literature there are four elements: price, place, promotion and product, however this is now sometimes expanded to incorporate another 3 elements: people, physical evidence and process. Pricing policy is clearly very important to the marketing mix and is affected by variables such as firm’s objectives, the nature of competition, demand and firm costs.Firms operate pricing in different ways according to their marketing strategy and the industry in which they participate; an example of pricing methods will be shown and evaluated further in the essay in reference to EasyJet and British Airways flight pricing. As mentioned in the introduction, the role of pricing within the marketing mix is a varied one depending on what the firm is trying to achieve and the conditions within which it is oper ating. This contradicts what economic theory tells us: that pricing should be based upon setting prices at the point where Marginal Revenue = Marginal Cost in order to maximise firm profits.However, in real life â€Å"few firms explicitly follow the economic model in developing pricing policy† (Doyle 1997), because firms may be trying to achieve other things than maximising profits such as gaining market share, in which case they could be using the loss-leader tactic (where prices are set at a point which actually makes a loss for the firm which they are able to recoup through customer retention once prices increase or through the sale of full price complementary products).Doyle suggests that there are several common type of pricing policies such as: market-penetration pricing, market-skimming pricing, cost-orientated pricing, perceived-value pricing and price discrimination. Market penetration pricing refers to the concept discussed above such as loss-leading where short-ter m profits are sacrificed in order to increase/gain a market share(Baker, 1997). Market-skimming is the practice of setting high prices with subsequent high profits and expect to only sell a small volume of products; this can only work if there is no risk of nother company being able to completely take-over your potential sales with a cheaper price. Cost-orientated pricing is where prices are set as a basic mark-up on top of product costs, which can be known in business as ‘cost-plus’ pricing or target pricing when it refers to a certain level of return on investment. Perceived value pricing is based on the perception that buyers have of your firm’s product relative to other products in the market. Finally, the concept of price discrimination is one of particular importance to this essay given its data content of airline pricing.Perfect price discrimination is an economic concept where a firm seeks to charge every buyer exactly the price that they are prepared to pay. In reality, this is very difficult to achieve as how can a firm possibly be expected to know the exact value which each individual buyer places on their product? The only way that perfect price discrimination can be achieved is through an auction format, but this is debatable. General Price discrimination is a common strategy, however, and this involves firms charging different groups of customer’s different prices for the same product.In order for it to work, Doyle states that â€Å"customers in the highest-price segment must not be allowed to buy from the lower-price segment† e. g. there must be boundaries in place to ensure that a high-price customer cannot sneakily purchase at the low price. Within the airline industry this is achieved by differentiating between time of bookings – long-term advance bookings are the lower price customers and bookings made close to the time of departure are high price customers. The prices for Easyjet flights from London Luton to Madrid are as follows below: †¢ Tomorrow = 124. 98 †¢ One week = 183. 98 One month= 82. 98 †¢ 3 months = 70. 98 The key difference between these prices is that the more in advance you book, typically the cheaper it is. This indicates that Easyjet flight pricing is based upon demand (and supply but supply is fixed) for the flights, as the further in advance you book, the cheaper it is and on the flipside if you discover you have to go to Madrid tomorrow the price is much higher as your need/demand is more urgent and thus you will pay a higher price. However the obvious exception here is that it is nearly ? 60 cheaper to fly out tomorrow than it is to fly out in a week’s time.I would suggest that this appears to be an anomaly, as the obvious pattern of decreasing prices with advance bookings coupled with the knowledge that Easyjet formulates it’s prices based on supply and demand for each particular day and thus rewarding advance bookings (lower d emand for far away dates) with cheaper prices suggests that this is an unusual occurrence. One reason for the flights in a week being higher than a flight tomorrow to Madrid may be because the flight in a week is the weekend before Valentine’s Day so may be booked up more than we would typically expect from a normal day a week in advance.This peak and higher price for a potentially popular weekend represents that Easyjet is employing an almost near perfect pricing scheme in an economic sense e. g. each consumer is being charged a slightly different price relative to the level of demand for the flights (there is a fixed supply due to the fixed number of seats available). [pic] The graph above represents graphically the information from the Easyjet website which is displayed in bullet points above.As is clear to see – apart from the peak at 1 week – there is a downwards trend over time which I would expect to be even more obvious if we were to add in more data for weeks between 1 week and 1 month and between the periods of 1 month and 3 months. The decrease in price does appear to be flattening between month and 3 months which I would advocate is because once we’re getting to booking a few months in advance the prices are getting near to Easy jet’s lowest price point so there isn’t much room to decrease- thus I would anticipate the bottom price for the journey being around the ? 0 mark (as at 3 months in advance it is ? 70. 98). Turning now to the British Airways data, below are the prices for a BA flight from London Heathrow to Madrid at the same time of day and date as the Easyjet prices above: †¢ Tomorrow = 316 †¢ One week = 217 †¢ One month= 130 †¢ 3 months =126 Again, we can see both in the data and in the graph below that the same price discrimination strategy is being pursued by British Airways as by Easyjet: the advance flights represent the cheap-price customer segment and the close flights ( next day to next few weeks) represent the high-price segment.In both companies the price discrimination policy works as they are able to enforce the different price/customer brackets because of time of purchase of travel tickets being the discriminating factor. Therefore similarities between the two airlines are in the nature of their pricing strategies – price differentiation – and therefore the decreasing trend in air fares if booked in advance. The differences between the two companies from the data collected appear to be two different things: firstly that British Airways has a higher base price than Easyjet (circa ? 20 to circa ? 70) and that British Airways has not taken into account high-demand special occasions such as Valentine’s Day weekend in its pricing in comparison to EasyJet, as shown by the lack of spike in price at the one week point on the British Airways graph. The higher base price of almost ? 50 more commanded by British Airways (BA) is proba bly due to both higher costs than EasyJet (who follow a low-cost strategy and thus deliver less service than BA on its flights e. g. ess cabin crew, no complimentary food/beverages, no free baggage check-in) and also the Brand-name of British Airways commanding a higher price. To conclude, pricing is a vital part of the marketing mix and overall strategy of all firms. Within the airline industry, the tendency is for price discrimination as due to the nature of travel and the booking of flights it is possible to discriminate between different bands of customers booking the same service based on their needs (economy, business class, first class) and their time of booking (advance, the day before etc. . From evaluation of comparable data taken from both EasyJet and British Airways it is clear to see that both are operating a policy of price-discrimination based on advance booking of fares. Bibliography Baker, J (1997) The Marketing Book, The Bath Press, Bath, UK. BritishAirways. com [o n-line] http://www. britishairways. com/travel/home/public/en_gb Doyle, P (1997) Managing the Marketing Mix, reproduced in The Marketing Book, The Bath Press, Bath, UK Easyjet corporate website [on-line] http://www. easyjet. com/EN