Aquinas on the Possibility of Merit †Religion Research Paper

Aquinas on the Possibility of Merit – Religion Research Paper Free Online Research Papers Aquinas on the Possibility of Merit Religion Research Paper Thomas Aquinas is known for having presented both a moral and spiritual view of the world he lived in, yet it is still very much applicable to the world that we live in today. Thomas believed above anything else that the final end of man lies entirely in God and no one else. And while Aquinas attempted to reiterate and model his works after his predecessor Augustine, his views differed, and mainly in one fundamental area. Unlike Augustine, Thomas’ view of man, nature, and the free will is much kinder, desiring for good despite the threat of sin and evil. With that said and done, Aquinas questions merit. Why Can People Merit From God? Thomas compares merit with a reward, saying that they are essentially the same thing. He goes on to explain that God is on a different level than that of man, and even if we attempted to compare ourselves, we could never do so. Furthermore, God does not want our merit, or our reward, he wishes only for fulfillment. This fulfillment meaning that we as his people do what we ought to do using the will given to us by God himself. We can only merit from God by doing this, because if we are successful and we even wish for this merit we must do our deeds and good works. God does not wish to gain anything from these good works he wishes only to be glorified by them. Still if we are unsuccessful in this endeavor it is impossible for us to gain merit from God. Objections to God’s Merit? To successfully go back and answer this question of merit, Thomas first had to raise some objections to this idea that had been brought up in the past. While there were many questions that were raised and still exist today, some are much more fundamentally important than others. It is said that no one can possibly merit a reward by simply repaying what he owes another. In this fashion, how could it be that we could ever merit from God. We owe him so much that we could never get to the point to which we could repay him, let alone surpass this level and wish for a reward for our works. No matter how many good works we do, they can only be used in our vale attempt to repay God exactly what we owe. Thomas calls us â€Å"unprofitable servants,† that we only do what is our duty to do. It is also said that if anyone profits from another that makes him his debtor. However there is no way that God could be our debtor. He is a much higher level than to ever be the debtor, as he started the cycle by giving and because of this we are forever in debt to him, no matter how hard we try or how much good we can do. We are in second place from the start and our lives are only lived in order to fulfill what he has destined for us. And while we will never be able to fully repay him, we still work hard each and everyday to do so, because this action appeases God and will eventually lead him to favor us. Thomas’ Answer to These Objections: Thomas answers these objections by stating that merit and reward are one in the same. We commonly call a reward something that is given to someone in return for his work or labor, as a price for it. To give this reward to someone that has in fact done something for you is justice. And Thomas believes that philosophically speaking, justice is synonymous with equality. Thomas believes that some justices are owed, or even deserved, like a son who deserves something from his father or even a slave that deserves from his master. And while it seems that man would argue that he deserves that justice, this can never be challenged. For man and God both suffer from a great inequality, in fact, the distance between the two is infinite. Therefore, and to end all arguments, the kind of justice that is obtained by and only through absolute equality could never and will never exist between man and God. This is where Thomas believes this argument and any objections have to end, for God and ma n are more like two separate being, meaning that they share no grounds for comparison and because of this the true equality lacks. And it is this equality needed to find if merit can be deserved. So it absence scratches the question and holds no weight for any other objections. Thomas’ Idea of â€Å"Ordination†: Thomas’s idea of a â€Å"divine ordination† is his key component of man ever being able to merit from God. It is this ordination, which is given to us by God that allows us to achieve anything, be it in our eyes, or in the eyes of God. Simply put, man can only receive from God what God has given man the power to work for and earn through his own efforts. God is responsible for creation in the beginning and it was at this time that God gave us all of the tools and abilities that we would need throughout our life. So by using these tools that God has given us, we will be able to achieve great things. These great things will then hopefully fulfill God and his intentions and only then may we receive merit from him. From the beginning of time is has been this ordination that has molded us into what we our. It is because of this divine ordination that we are in debt to God in the first place. This ordination is the gift that was so great that no matter what we do and try to give back to God, nothing, especially no one single act, nor the sum of all of our works ever duplicate or surpass the importance of this ordination that God gave us so long ago. Thus the difference in what God did when he created us all is that he only gave this ordination to man. No other being has been or ever will be blessed or bestowed the same honor. For unlike the other beasts that inhabit the earth, God’s giving us this gift supplied us with free will, something we have only for ourselves. It is with this free will that we can be rational and move ourselves toward actions that we know to be good and to also be pleasing to God. And it is this action alone that could ever be important enough to receive merit. Therefore we say that our free will is meritorious, and this is what separates us from all other creates that God created. Does Thomas’ Ordination Differ From Other Views? While we have studied other differing opinions and views on both the questions of grace and merit and the possibility of predestination, Aquinas’ view differs from all of them. As some believe that God has our futures predetermined and mapped out so that we merely live our lives but have no ultimate effect on its’ outcome, others believe in a two fold strategy. While God does have a plan in mind for us he is open to allow the human the chance to either prove God right or wrong according to his good works, perhaps even to the point in which God ultimate decision about our eternal future may be swayed. Thomas’ ordination presents an altogether different spin on things. Unlike the idea of God having complete control and the final say or even man being able to work to save him self, Thomas believes in God’s belief in us. That is to say that God has already done his part, he has given us the tools that we need. It is up to us to take what he has given us and use it, or simply neglect God’s gift and squander it all away. It is almost like God has a partnership with us, with him being the investor, investing his ordination into us and we being his worker. He has laid us a good foundation and put us on the right track and our actions will ultimately tell if we profit from this investment or we lose it all. Aquinas is the first to say that we can save ourselves, as long as we fulfill God’s wishes for us, and win his favor. And while this may not always seem easy to do, it is not unattainable. Thomas’ Link Between Predestination and Merit: By clearly understanding Thomas’ teaching on predestination, his idea of the possibility of merit becomes more understandable. While he makes it clear that God has given us the abilities to be able to do what it is we do, we must understand that it is our place to work for God. Nothing we will ever do will reward God, for he cannot be rewarded. Our worship of God rewards us instead, for even if we gain his merit, he gains nothing from us, for we do not profit him, we only glorify his name. God therefore will never be a debtor to us; rather he will be a debtor to himself, because it is our right to fulfilled everything that he has ordained. Afterthought†¦. Therefore, although it has been said that we may never merit from God because we may never be able to fully repay God for what he has given us, this may not be the most important issue. Rather, it appears that God would be willing to grant merit to us if he does in fact see that we are working to fulfill the wishes that he ordained in us from the beginning. This fulfillment would bring him happiness and his happiness could bring us his favor and perhaps the gift of eternal life. As long as we know that our role is to serve his name and be thankful for the gifts we have been given, we may be able to work in conjunction with God so that we can both receive just what it is we want. For God, the glory that our good works provide and for us the ultimate gift that only a select few will ever receive. 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David Christopher Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Strategic Management and Leadership - Essay Example There are around 26,000 people employed under the company in worldwide market segments. The company has made adequate investments in the segments of production facilities and ‘Research and Development’ (R&D) facilities with the aim of ensuring that innovative along with better quality cars are provided to global customers. Subsequently, the company with the assistance of R&D facilities is able to conduct business operations in an effective manner (Jaguar Land Rover Limited, 2014). The success of a company is based on the facts that business objectives are accomplished in accordance with desired business outcomes. In this regard, Jaguar Land Rover has been performing business operations in the worldwide market segments with quality products. The prime focus of the company is in the area of quality, innovation, design and technology, which have assisted in enhancing market share, customer base as well as production line. Subsequently, the company is identified to develop new product types which include F-TYPE along with a new variety of Range Rover. The company has been selling different variety of cars that include luxury saloons, four wheeler off-road vehicles and spots cars in almost 178 countries (Bloomberg, 2014). The customers are recognised to be the prime consideration for the success of the company. The company has been making investments in R&D facilities with the intention of providing products in accordance with the expectations of the customers. In this respect, the company has invested around  £2 billion during the period 2013 with the intention of developing production facility, infrastructure and product development (Jaguar Land Rover, 2013). Jaguar Land Rover had employed around 3,000 additional employees during the year 2013. Subsequently, the company with the assistance of its employees, dealers and supply chain networks has been able to provide around 374,636 cars i.e. 23% above from the

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The Significance Of Dreams In Richard III Richard III was written by William Shakespeare and tells the story of how Richard wants to become king and does everything in his power to get there by assassinating members of his family to do so, for example, the Duke of Clarence, Lord Hastings, Lady Anne, Lord Rivers, the Duke of Buckingham, Henry VI, Prince Edward, Prince Edward V and Prince Richard. In the following piece of writing, I am going to discuss the significance of dreams in the play and how they are related to the motif of the supernatural. Although a modern audience would find the motif of the supernatural in Richard III very strange and would react to it very differently we have to keep in mind that this play was written during the Renaissance period in which people were very superstitious and England on a whole was an extremely religious country; people believed in both God and the Devil and Heaven and Hell. They also believed in the supernatural, prophecies, curses and thus the events contained within Richard III must have seemed very real to a Shakespearean audience. The motif of the supernatural which is an extremely important aspect of the play consists of ghosts, dreams, Margarets prophetic curses, the allegations of witchcraft Richard levels at Elizabeth and mistress Shore and the continual association of Richard with devils and demons (for example, he is often called a hellhound). Shakespeare uses the dark aspect of the supernatural to create an atmosphere of dread and gloom which matches the evil of Richards inner self. In addition the motif of the supernatural helps highlight the aspect of foreboding as many a times in the play the prophetic dreams and curses come true giving the reader an idea of as to what is going to happen in the near future. There are three main instances of dreams present in the play. These foreshadow the forthcoming events by showing the similar characteristics between the dream itself and reality, for example, in Act 1, Scene 4 we bear witness to the first of these three dreams. This is when Clarence is imprisoned in the tower and he dreams that he is fleeing with Richard to France, but on the ship Richard stumbles and throws Clarence overboard causing him to drown, Methoughts that I had broken from the Tower, and was embarkd to cross to Burgundy; and, in my company, my brother Gloucester; who from my cabin tempted me to walk upon the hatchesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.Methought that Gloucester stumbled; and, in falling, struck me, that thought to stay him, overboard, into the tumbling billows of the main. This dream foreshadows the near future as in reality Clarence is stabbed and drowned in a barrel of wine by the executioners who are sent by Richard. The second significant dream takes place in Act 3, Scene2 when Stanley receives a warning in a form of a dream. He dreams that a boar rips off his head, the boar had razed his helm. In this scenario the boar represents Richard as it is his heraldic symbol, Stanley tries to warn Hastings but he turns deaf ears to Stanleys advice. Later on in the play, we learn that Hastings was beheaded on Richards orders. This reminds us the similarity between the dream and reality itself and the extent of the resemblance between the two simply helps highlight the supernatural aspect of the play. The third and most important dream occurs in Act 5, Scene 3 right before Richard and Richmond head out for battle. Here, Richard and Richmond are visited by a parade of eleven ghosts (all those people who Richard had killed in the past). Some of these ghosts include, Prince Edward, King Henry VI, Clarence, Rivers, Grey, Vaughan, Hastings, the young princes, Lady Anne and Buckingham. All the ghosts follow a particular pattern They constantly curse Richard and discourage him by saying things like, Despair and Die. On the other hand, they praise and bless Richmond and encourage him by saying things like, Live and Flourish and they hope that he wins the battle and ends Richards gruesome reign. This is an extremely significant dream, as the element of foreboding is once again emphasized as true to the ghosts word, Richmond wins the battle by defeating Richard and becomes the new King of England. To conclude, dreams are a very important part of the play as they greatly contribute to the motif of the supernatural. In addition, I feel that the play is made much simpler for the reader by the existence of these dreams as he/she can predict the outcome of particular situations by evaluating these dreams and this helps the reader understand the play better. The extent of accuracy of these dreams simply heightens the motif of the supernatural and I personally believe that without the presence of these dreams, the play would be incomplete.

motivation Essay example -- essays research papers

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Chapter 8 discussed domestic drug trafficking organizations. It distinguished the traditional and nontraditional organized crimes. The problem of organized crime in the United States is nothing new. The drug trade has changed organized crime by creating new, violent, and more sophisticated criminal groups. Although these groups often clash, they mostly work together in order to generate a bigger profit. In this chapter, the booked examined some of the largest and most active organized crime groups in the domestic illicit drug trade. One gang discussed was the Mafia. The Mafia, known as, â€Å"La Cosa Nostra, which has been a source of controversy for years. Its roots are in Italy and Sicily during the mid- 1800s. The Mafia is common referred to as a domestic criminal organization, with two factions of traditional organized crime operated in the United States, American and Sicilian Mafia. Mafia families would meet to divide territory, choose rackets, approve new members, and arbitrate disputes between the families. During the late 196s and early 1970s, France became well known as a distribution point fir an estimated 80 percent of the world’s heroin. Marseilles became the center of heroin laboratories that processed raw opium brought in from Turkey. Heroin was then smuggles into the United Stated by French Corsicans as well as Sicilian Mafia members. France is no longer considered a major producer of heroin sold on the U. S. market Associations with known Mafia type is illegal, whether a crime is committed or not. Association also applies to the Camorra and other â€Å"Mafia-type† groups. Exile is the locations for convicted Mafiosi have been established I towns with populations of fewer than 10,000, and an unauthorized exit of the location shall result in imprisonment. Property and other assets are subject to confiscation. Telephone wiretaps are authorized on people suspected of belonging to â€Å"Mafia-type† organizations. The term omerta is defined in its most negative connotation as a â€Å"conduct of noncooperation with public safety fficials due to fear. There is much controversy on what it is that the Mafia actually does. They argue that the evidence to support the existence of such a group is weak and open to other interpretations and that empirical research has failed to confirm the existence of such a dominant, complex, hierarchically organized criminal group. The historical evidence is sometimes weal and contradictory and empirical research conducted on organized crim e fails to demonstrate the existence of the Mafias a single conspiracy. There is little doubt that some individuals in linked with the Italian dominated criminal organizations in both the United States and Sicily have been involved in Large-scale drug trafficking. Outlaw Motorcycle gangs have created a historic role in organized crime and in the drug trade. According to U. S. Treasury’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, OMG have evolved into one of the most reprehensible types of criminal organizations, consisting of killers, psychotics, panderers, and social misfits. The Hells Angels, The Outlaws, The Pagans, The Bandidos are all notorious motorcycle gangs.

How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet Essays

How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet Essays How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet Paper How does Shakespeare use dramatic devices in Act 3 Scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet Paper Essay Topic: Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is the classic love story written by the infamous William Shakespeare, the Elizabethan playwright. It is set in Verona in the early 16th century and tells the story of two households- the Montagues and Capulets, who are equally alike in power, wealth, social status and dignity, as said in the prologue ‘two households, both alike in dignity’. The youngest generation of the two households break into mutiny because of the hatred of the previous generations (‘from ancient grudge break to mutiny’). These endless feuds cause destruction and death to the streets of Verona (‘civil blood makes civil hands unclean’). However, two young and naive members of the opposing households; Romeo, son of Lord and Lady Montague, and Juliet, daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet become entwined in a dangerous love rollercoaster, which was to be obstructed by their parents as the cold war of rivalry between the two households continued. This play however does not fit into the genre of romance, but tragedy as although Romeo and Juliet are ‘a pair of star-crossed lovers’, fate had planned events far from the fairy-tale happy ending for the both of them, a fact the audience have known since the prologue of the play- ‘star-crossed lovers take their life. Not only do the two main protagonists die an untimely death, but there are also many other deaths throughout the play, including that of Tybalt’s and Mercutio’s. Other tragic elements of the play include the fact that the two lovers cannot be united because of the brawls of the two families and that the only way to restore peace to Verona is for Romeo and Juliet to die, ‘who with their death bury their parent’s strife†¦which but their children’s end nought could remove’. There are also many other themes that run throughout the play such as; enmity, marriage, death and mainly- love. Like all pieces of literature, the play has been influenced by the era it was written in. This scene of the play serves as a reminder for us, a reminder that this play, with all its emphasis on love and romance is based in a patriarchal society, a masculine world where honour, pride, and status are prone to erupt in a fury of conflict. Other influences include the age that marriage was considered acceptable as Juliet was only 13 when her marriage proposal arrived and it was also normal for the groom to be considerably older than the bride, as Paris was 18 when he was engaged to Juliet. Marriage was fixed by the choice of the bride’s father, disobeying her father’s wishes would result in a suitable punishment- nunnery or death, which is what her fate would have probably been if she confessed her love for Romeo. The overall viciousness of the play’s social environment is a main tool that Shakespeare employs to make the pair’s love seem ever more fragile and delicate and their relationship is the only respite of the audience’s from the dangerous and brutal world pressing against their love. Act 3 Scene 1 is the scene directly after the marriage of Romeo and Juliet, and is seen as the pivotal point of the play as it is the point where the play transforms from a comedy/romance to a tragedy as the violence results in the banishment of Romeo. It is also the point where the audience see Romeo transform before their very eyes; they see him change from a loving, caring, tender-hearted and gentle person to a violent, destructive and reckless character, all because of the death of his best friend Mercutio. The scene takes place in Verona ‘a public place’. The sort of environment we would be expecting a laugh, maybe a joke and the development of characters in terms of their feelings towards others, but remembering that it is Shakespeare who is the playwright, the audience can expect anything to happen. The characters of Mercutio and Benvolio (who are characters of great friendship) are introduced to us at the beginning of the scene and Shakespeare immediately starts to build tension through his choice of language with the opening line of the scene (spoken by Benvolio) being: ‘the day is hot, the capels abroad, and if we meet we shall not escape a brawl’. Shakespeare again portrays Benvolio as the peacekeeper, a slightly more worried/concerned character than Mercutio. Here Benvolio is trying to explain to Mercutio that a hot day can get a lot of people bothered and is attempting to explain to Mercutio that it would be wise to leave early before any start of trouble begins, tension builds as we- the audience know that they are in a public place, which is the perfect area for someone to be in if they are looking for trouble. Benvolio carries on by saying that he can feel tension building in the atmosphere and senses something bad is going to happen ‘For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring’, through this line Benvolio is saying in the heat of this atmosphere it is quite common for young men to lose control, as it can make someone’s blood boil-which hints to the audience that trouble is just around the corner, especially with Mercutio present. Mercutio replies to Benvolio’s words of wisdom by aptly refusing to leave, his exact words being: â€Å"Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy: and as soon mov’d to be moody and as soon moody to be mov’d. † Mercutio here is implying that Benvolio is involved with many of the fights between the Montagues and Capulets, trying to make Benvolio retaliate with him. This is an antithesis because Benvolio is always trying to keep the peace as much as possible without being involved, a playful mood and atmosphere is built up with this banter. These opening verses highlight the contrasting personalities of Mercutio and Benvolio. Benvolio’s name originates from the word ‘benevolent’ which means ‘peaceful’ which is reflected in his personality, whereas Mercutio’s name originates from ‘mercury’ or, ‘mercurial’. Mercury being the chemical used in thermometers. Shakespeare chose this name for Mercutio as it reflects his character- volatile, dangerous, changeable in temperament and reacts quickly to provocation and heat in arguments. The structure of Mercutio’s dialogue in the opening verses of the scene also reflects his personality as he uses pros and a strong rhythm in his speech, (with Shakespeare using minimal punctuation in the text) emphasising his loss of control and bringing out the anger and recklessness in his personality. The audience are immediately reminded of the warnings of the Friar, of ‘fire’ and ‘powder’ meeting and the explosion and disaster which follow. Contrasting with the previous scene changing the atmosphere from happy and romantic to tense and dramatic; leaving the audience themselves tense and apprehensive about as to what the rest of the scene will reveal to them- keeping Shakespeare’s audience eager, engaged and very much involved in the plot of the play. Mercutio continues to be fearless and reckless as the scene progresses, seeming unconcerned about confrontation and of the consequences which may follow. Even when Benvolio announces the arrival of the Capulets (‘by my head! Here come the Capulets! ) Mercutio does not seem to care- ‘by my heel†¦I care not! ’ his comic and fiery character coming across again here with him appearing to look forward to confrontation. When approached by the Capulet’s Mercutio does not hesitate to provoke Tybalt, whose personality is no less volatile than that off Mercutio. It is at this point, under the blazing sun, in a public place, with these two persona lity’s clashing that the audience know that a fight is unavoidable. Tybalt then insults Mercutio by saying- ‘thou art consortest with Romeo? ’ implying that he is homosexual and referring to his sexuality with Romeo. Mercutio reacts infuriated and weapons are then drawn and it seems that a fourth public brawl will be inescapable. Benvolio then steps in, urging them to go to ‘some private place’, reminding both parties about the Prince’s warnings in Act 1 Scene 1- ‘If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace’. However, his words of wisdom seemingly fell into deaf ears as Mercutio and Tybalt continued with their contention. Soon after this Romeo arrives at the fray, and is approached by Tybalt, whom he refuses to fight when challenged. Romeo attempts to explain that he could not fight Tybalt, as he had reasons to love him that greatly outweighed the reasons to hate him- reasons that he could not yet reveal to the play’s other protagonists (‘but love thee better than thou canst devise, till thou shalt know the reason of my love; and so good Capulet†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢). Shakespeare creates dramatic irony (the audience having greater knowledge of the events of the play than the characters), with these few lines, as the audience of the play know the reason for Romeo’s love is his marriage to Juliet- Tybalt’s cousin. Dramatic irony is an effective technique to be used by Shakespeare in this scene as it makes the audience anxious to know if their interpretation of Romeo’s dialogue matches that of the characters on stage. Romeo would be a fool to get into a fight with his cousin-in-law, so backs down, a gesture which is seen as mature and noble by the audience but perceived as cowardly and weak by the characters in the scene- especially Mercutio. All that Mercutio understood from Romeo’s dialogue was that he was lacking confidence, bravery and was too scared to take on someone as fierce as Tybalt. Mercutio calls Romeo a coward ‘O calm, dishonourable vile submission’, he then tried to coax Tybalt into duelling him in Romeo’s place (‘you rat catcher, will you walk? ’), and he decided. Romeo tries to stop them, he stands in the middle of Mercutio and Tybalt, his attempt to be a saviour however failed and resulted in the death of his best friend- Mercutio was stabbed by Tybalt under Romeo’s arm, mortally wounding him. Mercutio- about to die still cracks jokes ‘Ay a scratch a scratch! however the mood changes completely when it is understood that Mercutio’s wounds were fatal. Before his death Mercutio is seen repeatedly saying the words ‘A plague upon both your houses’, expressing his extreme displeasure with both parties, saying how he views them as the cause of his death. Mercutio is a bystander in the feud and although he is the friend of Romeo he sees both families as being in the wrong and does not intend to tak e sides. Mercutio’s loyalty to Romeo seems to have gone with this line, which would have heavily impacted the audience. The conflict between the characters would have further engaged the Elizabethan audience, and ensured that their attention was on the plays plot (as the audience needed scenes such as these to keep their minds focused as in the Elizabethan Era plays were quite lengthy and people had to stand for hours on end, which would be frustrating). These conflicts would also serve as a way of informing the audience that more drama and exhilarating scenes awaited for them. This scene also reminds the audience of just how brutal this family feud actually is- Mercutio, neither Montague or Capulet was slain because of the conflict of the two families. It makes the audience fully understand how truly violent this feud is and makes them think about all the innocents who have been severely injured or even lost their lives at the hands of these two foes. It makes us understand how brutal the family’s hatred for each other is. The play pivots on the line ‘O Romeo, Romeo, brave Mercutio is dead! ’, it is at this very line where the play turns from comedy/romance to tragedy. Mercutio’s exit from the play was an extremely significant one, as he was the jester, the character who has overshadowed Romeo with his bawdy humour. It seemed that when Mercutio died all the humour of the play died with it. Characters began to change from this point onwards; the most significant change seen was that of Romeo who changed from Romeo the romantic†¦ to Romeo the violent. Up to this point in this play Romeo had been portrayed as a depressing, dull and negative character, and he had been seen as this since the beginning of the play where we first encountered him as a heartbroken young man. The audience had no reason to be particularly drawn to this rather boring character, and almost instantly fell in love with Mercutio- with his vibrant, interesting and fiery personality. It seemed that only in Mercutio’s death could the spotlight truly be focused on Romeo, and shows us that Romeo was not as dull as we first perceived him to be, he actually has a unique personality with it changing from happy calm and collected to merciless, ruthless and angry almost instantaneously. The spotlight finally arrived to Romeo at this point in the play†¦in time for a dramatic climax, which no doubt captivated the audience. Romeo, in a quick rage decided that either he or Tybalt must die and barely hesitated to challenge him to a duel. Romeo killed Tybalt him in his stride. He became so blind with fury he murdered his cousin-in-law without a second thought, not taking any of the consequences into account. It is this point in the play where the audience begins to wonder about Romeo’s personality, had he really changed, just like that? Or had this been a part of Romeo’s personality that Shakespeare had been hiding for us, waiting to bring out at the right moment to ensure that all members of his audience were shocked, intrigued and eager to see how the plot unfolded? Another clever technique used by Shakespeare is used here. The scene ends with Romeo fleeing the scene (as advised by Benvolio), and with the arrival of the prince and Lady Capulet. The Prince turns to Benvolio and asks for his account of the events, seeing as he is a peaceful, noble and a trusted source who would give an unbiased recount- which he did. Benvolio throughout the play has cleverly been used by Shakespeare as a narrator, as he provides information for the person who he is directly speaking to on stage (in this case, the Prince) and the audience, ensuring that the events are kept fresh in their mind and are not forgotten. After hearing what had happen Lady Capulet was out for revenge, and was desperate to have Romeo killed. The Prince told Lady Capulet that it was fair that Romeo killed Tybalt, as he had slain Mercutio. But, still views Romeo as a villain and exiles him from Verona and states that if he returns he shall be killed, and no excuses or prayers would influence this decision- ‘I will be deaf to pleading and excuses†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ This captivates the audiences interest as they already know that Romeo and Juliet are now man and wife, and his actions have now cause him to be exiled from Verona- from Juliet. Seeming to have ruined all possible chances of them being together, and poses numerous questions in the minds of the audience, the most common and obvious probably being- ‘How on earth will they get back together? ’ They will also be extremely curious as to how the plot would unfold, would this twist cause their love to end? Dramatic irony again is used by Shakespeare here, a clever dramatic device that he has used multiple times in this scene and has proved extremely successful and effective. I think that this scene is very important in the context of Romeo and Juliet as it is the pivotal point in the play. It helps the audience to understand how important Mercutio was to Romeo, if it wasn’t for their friendship being as strong as it proved to be then Romeo would not have acted in the way he did and slain Tybalt. It also shows us a completely new side to Romeo, a character whom prior to this scene had been perceived as a plain and dull character, but now he seems like an emotionally complex character that is governed by his feelings and is prone to acting impulsively. Which explains why he killed Tybalt, his newly bonded in law, Romeo was blinded by the fury and murdered him in revenge for his best friend, without even considering the impact it would have on his relationship with his newly wed Juliet. Two main protagonists are killed off by Shakespeare in this scene; and it seems that these characters were destined to die for the plot to unravel. Shakespeare contrasts this scene to the mood of the previous scene (Act 2 Scene 6), which had a romantic, relaxed and generally atmosphere. Act 3 Scene 1 was written by Shakespeare and put directly in front of this scene in order to shock the audience and have their attention for the remainder of the play. Shakespeare successfully used a range of dramatic techniques in this scene and had the audience in his grasp throughout the entire scene. In my opinion I think that Act 3 Scene 1 is by far the best scene in Romeo and Juliet because it was unexpected and managed to shock the audience, it leaves everyone asking the same question- what does all this mean for Romeo and Juliet?

John Fowles The French Lieutenants Woman Essay Example

John Fowles The French Lieutenants Woman Essay Example John Fowles The French Lieutenants Woman Essay John Fowles The French Lieutenants Woman Essay Essay Topic: Literature The Heart Of a Woman According to Nelson Vieira, John Fowles The French Lieutenants Woman: falls under the rubric of what is commonly known today as metafiction. Metafictional writers thus operate and function with a freedom of exposing illusion for what it is- a device used to mask narrative as a construct and a figment of ones imagination.1 John Fowles has no qualms about admitting that literature is, in fact just an illusion. This is most noticeable in his telling the reader that The story I am telling is all imagination. The characters I create never existed outside my own mind2. It seems then, that John Fowles, in destroying the readers illusion, and also destroys the suspension of disbelief necessary in following a story told by an omniscient narrator3 Fowles destruction of this suspension of disbelief in reminding us of the fictitious nature of all characters and events taking place creates a gulf between himself, or his story, and the reader. To be drawn into the world of fiction, we must feel that it is true, and that we are a part of a real world, and not merely some illusion or magic trick. It is also impossible for the reader to take ownership of the story when the author is so insistent at writing himself into the novel. Fowles not only intrusively reminds us that he writes a fiction and not a truth, but appears himself in the shape of the man in the railway carriage- we are, however, further confused as to whether, perhaps, his story is based in reality, as he observes Charles and asks now what could I do with you?4 This brings us to the conclusion that, perhaps, Fowles truly observed a man on a train, and, in doing so, brought the character of Charles, and so the story, into being, and so confuses the story from reality. It becomes nearly impossible to distinguish reality from the artificial when Fowles suggests that he is perhaps writing a transposed autobiography; perhaps I now live in one of the houses I have brought into the fiction; perhaps Charles is myself disguised.5 We feel that if the author himself cannot decide to which depth his story is, in fact a reality, then we cannot hope to engage with it either as a piece of fiction or a factual document. Palmer points out that: Fowles intrudes in chapter thirteen in order to jolt the reader who, reading this seemingly traditional historical novel is becoming too passively comfortable in his over-stuffed arm chair. He wants to start a dialogue with his reader.6 Whilst this is indeed most probably, in fact, almost certainly, Fowles intention, it does interfere with storytelling. A story is any narrative or tale recounting the sequence of events7, and Fowles interruption only interrupts the story, although it may give the reader a more mental exercise. Palmer also claims that Fowles is attempting to free the reader from the traditional role of passive, uninvolved observer8, but one must wonder whether the reader wishes to be so liberated. He certainly does free himself and his characters from the tyrannising roles of the traditional novelist god-character relationship9, but rather than freeing his readership, he has enslaved them. Rather than being at liberty to enjoy the narrative, they are forced into a realisation that the world constructed around them is merely that, a construct. However, having forced his reader into a realisation that they have been living in a world of mere make-believe, Fowles taunts his audience, in telling them that my characters still exist, and in a reality no less, or no more real than the one I have just broken.10 Whilst this may seem a confusion, and confusion most certainly is an alienation of the reader, problematising the role of both the author and the story, he is, in fact referring to the reality he has just broken, which, as he has just told us, is no reality at all, but a mere construct. Fowles seems to torment his reader with unsure statements whilst keeping them from the narrative, the purpose of a novel. Fowles has been described as a writer stalking himself, or better, he is a novelist writing into a mirror so that each or his works reflect back upon his own mind and vision11. The reader is never sure what to believe of the novel, just as we are never sure where two mirrors reflecting in on themselves may end. It is in just this way that we cannot tell where Charles will end: indeed, even Fowles seems not to know, hence his triple ending. This too, could present a barrier for his readership: if Fowles, as the author and creator of the text, cannot discern the direction of a narrative, how then, is his readership supposed to manage such a feat? We are given the impression that Fowles is perhaps remarkably indecisive, which brings us out o our suspension of disbelief almost as much as the authorial interruptions. This confusion over plot in his inability to come to a conclusion could be rooted in Fowles determination to rewrite the Victorian novel. Even character is at time confused- we are unsure as to Fowles intentions for Charles, or even Charles origins as a literary figure. Palmer claims that the novel hangs insuspension: between the traditions of Victorian fiction, with its attendant restrictions, and the experimental, intensely-self conscious novel of the mid-twentieth century.12 He also reiterates that The French Lieutenants Woman is, in one of its many aspects, Fowless dramatisation of his own theory of the novel. It is a metatheatrical work of literary criticism.13 It is this idea of the metafiction that provides the complexities of the novel, but also draws the reader away from the characters, creating a barrier between them and the story. We feel that we are, perhaps, guinea pigs for Fowles experiments with literature. The same could be said of Virginia Woolfs Jacobs Room. It has been described as Woolfs most consciously experimental novel14, as so much of the modernist movement is an attempt to break away from the Victorian style that Fowles attempts to recreate. She shies away from the normal, and particularly the narrative- Zwerdling cites her as claiming to want to do away with exact place and time, this appalling narrative business of the realist: getting on from lunch to dinner: it is false, unreal, merely conventional 15. In doing this she cuts out much of the tedium of the Victorian novel, but yet has a good chance of leaving her reader floundering: we may feel at the end of the novel that we do not truly know even Jacob, let alone the peripheral characters. He has been described as far too shadowy a figure who fails to come to life.16 There are few reference points within the novel: Woolf has indeed succeeded in her goal of doing away with typical narrative. We see only brief but typical vignettes chosen seemingly at random,17 and have little means of stringing them together to form a picture of his true character and experiences. Joan Bennett claims that the novel builds up no whole that can be held in the mind18 As such, Jacobs Room seems not so much to problematise storytelling as to obliterate any concept of story. Zwerdling describes Jacobs Room as a surgical excision of clogged detail.19 However, we must consider the meshing of art and science in this idea. A surgical excision seems very far from the constructive art of writing, and, whilst surgery is an exacting, science-dependant field, writing, surely, is a free art, the bounds of which are only the farthest reaches of the imagination, not the facts of textbooks. Whereas Fowles makes us wonder as to the true reality of his characters and story, especially Charles, suggesting that he sees much of Charles in himself, Woolf admits to actively disliking Jacob. Zwerdling suggests that this is largely thanks to his sex, quoting Woolf in Jacobs Room- granted ten years seniority and a difference of sex, fear of him comes first20. Frank Kermode, in the biographical preface to Jacobs Room suggests that this might be possibly related to the sexual molestation of which her half-brother, George Duckworth is accused.21 He also puts points out that there have been many accounts of the marriage very hostile to Leonard Woolf22. Indeed, Woolf gives Jacob thoughts that she, as a woman in the twentieth century, surely could not agree with- he compares the presence of women at the Kings College service to the presence of dogs: No one would think of bringing a dog into church. For though a dog is all very well on a gravel path, and shows no disrespect to flowers, the way he wanders down an aisle, looking, lifting a paw, approaching a pillar with a purpose that makes the blood run cold with horror (should you be one of the congregation- alone, shyness is out of the question), a dog destroys the service completely.23 As educated as she was, although not having attended university, Virginia Woolf could not have agreed with such ideas. As a modern reader, these ideas grate on our sense of equality. In an age where education is available regardless of gender, moments such as these create a distance between the writing and the reader and prevent a true feeling of connection with the text. The French Lieutenants Woman too has some anti-feminist moments, which could present a barrier between the text and a potential readership- Charles believes that Ernestina, as a woman could no possibly hold the same value as a man: He could not be angry with her. After all, she was only a woman. There were so many things she must never understand: the richness of male life, the enormous difficulty of being one to whom the world was rather more than dress and home and children.24 However, this could also represent the other side of the argument- whilst Fowles may alienate a segment of society which was active at the time of the novels publication; he was also attempting to echo the Victorian novel, in which this would very much be a recognised and accepted viewpoint- the Victorian icon- the angel in the house the presiding hearth angel of Victorian social myth25. Charles expects women to stay the same, and to be reliant on men- he expects Sarah to rely on him, and seems to find her making her own way in the world faintly repulsive. In one way, therefore Fowles is problematising his storytelling in possibly alienating a part of his readership, but also moving his story closer to the goal he set out to achieve. As I earlier pointed out in relation to The French Lieutenants Woman, the purpose of storytelling is for entertainment; therefore making a stilted or confusing narrative will certainly problematise the process of storytelling. Jacobs Room is very much a metaphorical text: McNichol points out that there has been too much concentration on what the novel is not26 largely because of a failure to grasp the originality of Virginia Woolfs new conception of a novel27 However; she also notes that it is, in fact, an abstract and theoretic work28, and so we must wonder how much of a story it is, or whether it is, in fact, a challenge to the nature of fiction itself29, and as such, more an academic treatise than a novel. The metaphorical nature of the text is made clear in the relation of the title to the work: the room of the title is in fact in the context of the space, metal and physical, which is occupied by Jacob Flanders30 rather than the physical rooms in which we see him in the course of the novel: asleep in Cornwall with his sheeps jaw, at Cambridge, and at Lambs Conduit Street, among others. As a metaphorical text, the novel is designed not so much for the process of storytelling as to make a statement on the accepted structure. Virginia Woolf is a far more solid presence in the text that any of her characters; indeed, McNichol presents Jacobs Room as being full of authorial dialectic31, just as The French Lieutenants Woman is full of authorial intervention. It seems that the role of the author and the role of storytelling are, to an extent, mutually exclusive. For the author to have a role in their text, it seems they must take a presence in it, as Fowles does in chapter thirteen, and as Woolf does in making Jacobs Room more about an experiment conducted by her than about her characters and plot, and so her readership. As I have pointed out, this concentration on the experiment disrupts the idea of storytelling: for a reader to fully appreciate a story, they must be able to view it as a reality, which the readership of both texts cannot truly do, as the author refuses to give up their place in the piece. Whilst the author is present, we are aware that the constructed world is just that, a fiction, where we would prefer to believe if as a reality, at least for a time. It seems that for storytelling to be effective, therefore, the role of the author must only extend as far as the writing of the story, not featuring in it. As such, storytelling in these texts is problematised by the role of the author, and the role of the author is problematised by storytelling.

Final Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Final Project - Essay Example There are factors that urged the citizens to be more aware of the lifestyle they possessed as they are becoming much more concern on their food and nutrition intakes, considering the widespread of overweight individuals, nourishment of food that prevent illnesses, and many more. The main thrust of this report is to analyze a 3-day diet using the MyDietAnalysis program, specifying actual vs. recommended intakes and activity summary with the given motivation codes. Analysis of My 3-day Diet To analyze my nutrition habits and evaluate my own diet, I have organized a 3-day diet and entered it into the MyDietAnalysis program. See appendix A for my diet menu showing my food and beverages intake for 3 days in a row. Specifically, these include the corresponding meal (i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack), quantity, units, and code motivation. This activity has allowed me to closely observe my eating habits in order to meet the daily nutritional requirement. Furthermore, during the 3-day diet, I have performed various exercises. Exercising proves to strengthen health in the long run (Schmidt, 2002). In particular, habitual physical actions proved to be safe and capable in improving health conditions (Biller, 2002). Among the exercises I have performed include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, bicycling, and playing badminton. After consuming the specific meal and having a moderate exercise, I felt more relaxed and less anxious. Logue (2004) noted that skipping meals greatly affects an individual’s thinking skills and overall performance. Personally, the food and beverages that are included in my diet have improved my performance in school and after-school activities. For the diet program, I kept track of my daily nutrients intake, including the amount of fiber, calories, protein, and many more. Table 1 below shows the actual intake versus recommended intake with the corresponding components and percentages. The data illustrate the amount of nutrient s in my 3-day diet with the equivalent recommended percentage. Table 1: Actual Intake vs. Recommended Intake Calories 1,033.652,329.66 = 44% Vitamin A –RAE (mcg) 237.94700.00 = 34% Calories from Fat 348.40652.30 = 53% Beta-carotene (mcg) 536.92 = 63% Calories from Sat Fat 129.86209.67 = 62% Vitamin B1 - Thiamin (mg) 0.461.10 = 42% Protein (g) 56.1561.69 = 91% Vitamin B2 –Riboflavin (mg) 0.541.10 = 49% Carbohydrates (g) 118.95320.33 = 37% Vitamin B3 - Niacin (mg) 10.2114.00 = 73% Sugar (g) 31.49 Vitamin B6 (mg) 0.791.50 = 52% Dietary Fiber (g) 11.1432.62 = 34% Vitamin B12 (mcg) 2.412.40 = 100% Soluble Fiber (g) 0.16 Vitamin C (mg) 43.3575.00 = 58% Insoluble Fiber (g) 0.58 Vitamin D - mcg (mcg) 4.0315.00 = 27% Fat (g) 38.7172.4853% Vitamin E -Alpha Toc. (mg) 0.9315.00 = 6% Saturated Fat (g) 14.4323.30 = 62% Folate (mcg) 57.79400.00 = 14% Trans Fat (g) 0.07 Calcium (mg) 243.371,200.00 = 20% Mono Fat (g) 4.9925.89 = 19% Iron (mg) 6.298.00 = 79% Poly Fat (g) 2.2323.30 = 10% Magnesium (mg) 101.53320.00 = 32% Cholesterol (mg) 281.73300.00 = 94% Phosphorus (mg) 374.25700.00 = 53% Water (g) 681.562,700.00 = 25% Potassium (mg)1,133.884,700.00 = 24% Selenium (mcg) 35.79 Omega-3 (g) 0.35, Omega-6 (g) 1.75 Sodium (mg) 1,618.681,300.001 = 25% Alcohol (g) 0.00 Zinc (mg) 3.008.00 = 37% Caffeine (mg) 0.00 Recommended intake per day. In my 3-day diet program, I have taken less than 100% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamins and minerals.

Employability Skills Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Employability Skills - Assignment Example The major target market for Next is the 18-35 year old consumers and the firm’s major successes are due to offering lower- and mid-priced merchandise that make its fashion offerings desirable to the lower-resource consumer. Many of the firm’s sales come from its online website, referred to as NextDirect, which contributes to over 40 percent of the company’s total revenues (Next 2012). Why the business is so successful is that the company has established a low cost pricing strategy and the capability of procuring trendy and chic fashion merchandise that is relevant to the contemporary, younger consumer with a need for fast, mod fashion at an affordable price. Next competes with major retail companies such as Zara, Matalan, Debenhams and even New Look (to suggest only a few competitors). Internally, Next operates under a functional organisational structure where each division associated with the value chain is grouped and maintains reporting structures according to the purpose of the division. The company has a marketing department, a procurement division, a sales department, and customer service division (to name only a few) with each being responsible for their own activities. This is one of the disadvantages of Next’s internal structure as it does not provide many opportunities for cross-collaboration and inter-group consultations. Having had a lower-level management position in the women’s clothing department at Next, I gained valuable insight into what responsibilities and performance targets required development for future employment. At Next, there was little emphasis on teamwork throughout the entire business model and, therefore, I was not given many opportunities for networking, collaboration, or working within a group environment to solve organisational problems. Stover (2004) asserts that in order for a business to generate more valuable solutions to problems and innovate, it is critical to interact with