With close reference to the text explore Shakespeares presentation of Romeo through reference to at least three key scenes Essay Example For Students

With close reference to the text explore Shakespeares presentation of Romeo through reference to at least three key scenes Essay William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is an Elizabethan tragedy play, written in the sixteenth century. This is an important aspect to the play because terms like courtly lover would have been initially understood by an audience of that time, whereas, at present, it is virtually unknown. The phrase courtly lover was a way to describe Romeo in the beginning of the play. If a person was a courtly lover, they were usually in a false love with an older woman. In Romeos case, Rosaline, an unobtainable Capulet woman. A courtly lover was a person who felt that they were in love, but was simply infatuated with a person who was beyond their reach. This immature description could be contrasted as Romeo develops throughout the play. We will write a custom essay on With close reference to the text explore Shakespeares presentation of Romeo through reference to at least three key scenes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now From the beginning of the play Shakespeare shows Romeo to be rather immature and adolescent. His short-lived infatuation with Rosaline could be contrasted with a more genuine love for Juliet. Shakespeare makes it clear to his audience that the character of Romeo is shallow and disingenuous. He does this by depicting Romeo to be reveling in his own misery and despair. Shakespeare uses dramatic devices in the form of riddles and contrived rhyme to show Romeos confusion. An example of this is in a conversation between Romeo and his cousin Benvolio in Act 1, Scene 1. Romeo uses a series of oxymora like loving hate and heavy lightness. Shakespeare shows through the forced poetic language that Romeo is seeking attention and enjoying the company of his misery. Shakespeare also makes it clear to his audience that a person truly in love would not speak in this manner. Although Shakespeare spends a lot of time in the beginning showing Romeos lack of maturity and false poetic language, after meeting Juliet for the first time, Romeos language is no longer false, and is more sincere. Although his words are still poetic, they are not false, but rather more natural. At the party at the Capulet household in Act 1, Scene 5, Romeo first meets Juliet. Although Shakespeare creates the idea that Romeo has fallen in love with Juliet, and that this love is also felt by Juliet, it is also questionable that Romeos new love is merely another adolescent infatuation, except this time, it is reciprocated by Juliet. Shakespeare uses a sonnet between Romeo and Juliet, indicating that their love is unforced and spontaneous. The sonnet indicates that Romeo and Juliets conversation is natural and flowing, as opposed to forced and contrived. Also, contrary to Elizabethan customs, the sonnet between Romeo and Juliet is shared, as opposed to the usual courtly lover manner of the man speaking the verse, not the woman. The language that Romeo and Juliet use is a total contrast to the noise of the party, and to the language of hate throughout the play, for example, Then move not, while my prayers effect I take could be contrasted with Patience perforce with willful choler meeting. It is also a contrast with the entire violent background of the story, being about hatred between two families, with a pair of star-crossd lovers between it. Shakespeare shows Romeo to be devastated when he finds out that Juliet belongs to the Capulet family, as is Juliet when she finds out Romeo is a Montague. My only love sprung from my only hate, Juliet says, showing the deep contrast of love over hate in the play. Although Romeo is deeply saddened to find that Juliet is a forbidden love, he proves that he is serious about his love by showing determination to see Juliet again, which results in the balcony scene. Shakespeare shows Romeo using a lot of imagery, particularly of light, for example The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars. In this part of the play, Shakespeare leaves it up to the audience to make their decision as to whether Romeo has grown up, or is still a boy. Romeo is still using rhetoric and rhyme similar to his earlier scenes, for example, But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. but it is questionable as to whether this is different and more genuine than bef ore. By the end of this scene, Romeo and Juliet have agreed to marry. This is a way of Shakespeare showing that Romeo is willing to take responsibility for his feelings, as opposed to when his misery was simply about appearance. .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 , .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 .postImageUrl , .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 , .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580:hover , .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580:visited , .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580:active { border:0!important; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580:active , .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580 .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua6b6e9822d6eb20ad73bb10d6df4f580:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Darkness Out EssayIn Act 3, Scene 1, after Romeo and Juliet have been married by Friar Lawrence, Tybalt, Juliets cousin, is looking to fight Romeo. Shakespeare shows Romeos new found maturity in his will not to fight Tybalt. Romeo explains to him that he loves him, yet cannot say why, therefore he doesnt want to fight. Although Shakespeare shows Romeos considerable change of character and new level of maturity, he also shows that Romeo can be erratic and spontaneous as he was before. Shakespeare does this through Romeos killing of Tybalt for murdering Mercutio, a very close friend of Romeos. Romeos punishment for the murder of Tybalt was banishment, and at this point in the play, the audience may question whether Romeo has gone back to his immature self. Romeos reaction to being banished from Verona is devastation. He implies in: Be merciful, say death, that he would rather die than be without Verona or Juliet. He says There is no world beyond Verona walls, again saying that death would be a better solution. Romeos mood, however, is quickly restored when he hears of Friar Lawrences arrangement for Romeo and Juliet to spend a night together. This is clear when Romeo says How well my comfort is revived by this. Upon meeting with Juliet again, Romeos mood is changed considerably, as is his will to seek a practical solution to his problems. Romeo is clearly more mature as he is more cautious about his actions so as not to get caught with Juliet. Romeo says I must be gone and live, or stay and die, indicating he knows what he has to do, and is again, taking responsibility. Act 5, Scene 3 shows Romeo visiting Juliet at her tomb, where as far as he knows, she lies dead. Shakespeare makes it clear to his audience that Romeos love for Juliet is genuine and deep. Romeo cannot bare to live without Juliet, and his plan is to kill himself and be with her. Romeos final speech is clearly shown by Shakespeare to be sincere and without self-pity, as some of his previous speech had been. Shakespeare is able to show the audience that Romeos death was a decision made consciously and in a controlled way. He does this mainly through Romeos final speech. In previous parts of the play, Romeos language was contrived and self-deceiving. At this point, however, his language is clearly deep and sincere. It is possible here to think that Romeos decision to kill himself was erratic and immature, as if he was looking for an easy way out. However, I believe that it is clear to see that the decision made by Romeo to take his own life was made sensibly and in a non-self-pitying wa y. He was thinking clearly and it was what he truly wanted, and showed his love for Juliet to be deep and meaningful. In his final speech, Romeo speaks of a desperate pilot, meaning that his body is being steered towards this fate of death with Juliet. Romeos last words, Thus with a kiss I die, show that in his last living moments her was thinking not of himself, but of Juliet. The death of Romeo and Juliet eventually ended the colossal feud between the Montague and Capulet households. I think this was a device used by Shakespeare to show the power of love over war. Throughout the play Shakespeare used many methods and techniques to present the character of Romeo. In the first part of the play, before meeting Juliet, Romeos language was very poetic, far too poetic for someone genuinely in love. It is made clear by Shakespeare that Romeos language is extremely forced and that he is seeking the attention of those around him, by dwelling in his misery. Shakespeare satirized the form of a courtly lover, showing that Romeos feelings are full of artifice. .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f , .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f .postImageUrl , .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f , .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f:hover , .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f:visited , .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f:active { border:0!important; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f:active , .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u351cd34a6de55b80fb13893326a7e25f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Explore Shakespeare's presentation of Shylock EssayThrough a lot of the play I noticed that Shakespeares descriptions of Romeo are very ambivalent. This gives me the impression that Shakespeare wants his audience to draw their own conclusions from Romeos behaviour. I drew the conclusion that through meeting Juliet, the character of Romeo quickly matured. He started to think of others rather than crave their attention. I realise that it is possible to come to the conclusion that Romeo is in another false love, but I noticed many differences in Romeos character as the play progressed. For example, the rhyme Romeo uses in Act 1, Scene 1, like smoke made with the fume of sighs ; and a fire sparkling in lovers eyes, were all extremely forced. Romeo was looking for attention, but as the play progressed, I noticed that Romeo thought little in the way of attention for his feelings, but more about dealing with the problems he faced. Romeos selfless final speech made me realise that he was thinking of Juliet, and doing what he truly thought was right, rather than trying to appear depressed, which shows, to me, that Romeo did change through meeting Juliet. Shakespeares many devices clearly depicted Romeos thoughts and feelings throughout the play, and the variety of each type of device showed Shakespeares ability to convey a character through many different perspectives.

Facts about Spain essays

Facts about Spain essays The Iberian people from North Africa were one of the first to arrive in Spain in about 1000 BC. They were followed by the Celts from the north and the Phoenicians from the Mediterranean. The Romans came in the 3rd century BC, and became the dominant power over the next few centuries. The Romans had a great impact on Spain as their laws, languages and customs were adopted by the Spanish people. In 409 AD, Roman Spain was invaded by Germanic tribes who established a Visigothic kingdom in the country. They ruled until 711, when the Muslims from North Africa (known as Moors) conquered most of Spain. The Muslim rule lasted in Spain for the next 800 years during which arts and sciences flourished. The next phase in Spanish history started with the re-conquest of the country by the Christians. In the 15th century the Muslims were defeated by the Catholic Christian Monarchs and expelled from the country. This was the start of the Golden Period' in Spanish history during which Columbus discovered America in 1492 and Spain became a major colonial power The Spanish empire began to weaken in the 18th and 19th centuries after a series of expensive wars with France, Britain and the USA. Its decisive defeat in the American-Spanish war of 1898 signaled the end of the Another significant episode in Spain's history is the Civil War of 1936-39 between the Nationalists supported by the Nazis, and the Republicans supported by the Soviets and foreign idealists. The defeat of the Republicans led to a 35-year fascist rule by General Franco. Spain is now a democratic country, member of the European Union (EU) and a famous ...

300 Movie

The film I chose to evaluate is the fantasy action film, â€Å"300. † 300 is a fictional retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae, in which the Greeks tried to hold off an invasion of the Persian Empire. The author’s message, from a leadership perspective, shows what a group of soldier would do for their king and how they inspire a country. A number of scenes from the film will depict that King Leonidas is a great leader with great conviction for what he believes in. Leonidas has many great leadership traits. Leonidas has all the traits a good leader needs. He has intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability. Even though Leonidas has assigned leadership, he also has emergent leadership. He is appointed king only after he has been tested by the rigorous traditional Spartan initiations into adulthood. After being inspected at birth to see if he was worthy of being a Sparta, Leonidas was thrown into the wild at the age of 7 and left to survive. Leonidas came back alive to prove to his father, and his people that he is capable to be their king. As king, Leonidas command legitimate, coercive, and reward power like his counterpart, Xerxes of Persia. But Leonidas also has referent power that Xerxes does not. Leonidas’ soldiers liked him and would die for him. Xerces’ army was made up of slaves and beasts that fear for their lives. They are forced to fight, and when they fail, Xerxes becomes enraged and beheads them. Leonidas’ leadership style is both directive and supportive. He gave specific instructions on how to battle against the overwhelming Persian Army and he also engages in combat with his army. After a victory he praises his soldier for their bravery and courage. He respects and acknowledges each soldier’s effort in the battles. Leonidas has high task and high relationship behavior with his army. Leonidas faced many challenges throughout the movie. One example was in the beginning, when the Persian messenger came to Leonidas and gave him Xerxes’ ultimatum. He had a difficult decision to make. His decision would impact the whole nation. Should he give in to the Persian army or should he declare war? As he ponders his answer, he looked at his people, their children, and his wife. He thought about his Spartan heritage and values. Spartans don’t surrender or fear anything. Acting according to authentic leadership defined, he lead by kicking the Persian messenger into the well. His actions show his people that he would not let anyone invade the empire, no matter the opposition. He showed them that his leadership is genuine and he would not coward even if he is greatly outmatched. Leonidas is a perfect leader for the situations in the film. In battle, a leader must have authoritative powers. He must have loyalty and attraction of his soldiers. He must also have highly structured strategic plans for his soldiers. The phalanx formation the Spartans use requires the soldiers to fight as one to be strong. The contingency theory of leadership would define Leonidas as being in a very favorable situation. In a favorable situation, the leader and followers will be effective. As seen through most of the film, Leonidas and his soldiers were victorious in all their battles until they were out flanked by the Persians at the end. Leonidas has good dyadic relationships with his men. He and his Captain, Artemis fought alongside each other when they were young. He also develops mutual trust and respect from Artemis and his soldiers, how could he of convince the 300 men to fight the whole Persian army. He knows that each man is a soldier and that they have heirs at home. They are also proud to fight alongside Leonidas. He doesn’t enlist them and take them to war. It is evident when he met up with the Arcadians. When the Arcadian General, Daxos ridicule Leonidas about how few men he brought to the war front, Leonidas asked three Arcadians for their profession. They responded with Potter, Sculptor, and Blacksmith. Leonidas then turns to his soldiers and asked them. They responded with supporting and confident grunts of courage for their leader. According to the Leader-Member Exchange Theory, leadership is a process that is centered on interactions between the leader and his followers. By having high-quality leader-member exchanges with his men, Leonidas is able to have positive performances and commitment from his men and be victorious in the battles. Leonidas was also able to lead through transformational leadership. Transformational leadership brings about positive change to the leader and to those who follow. Leonidas headed into an unfavorable war courageously so that his people may remain free. After multiple attacks on the Spartans had fail, Xerxes call for an audience with Leonidas. He offered Leonidas royalties if he put down his arms and be Xerxes’ general. But Leonidas thought of his people and his kingdom. His people would have to serve the Persians and if he surrendered, how could he answer to his ancestors. By surrendering he would not be a true Spartan. Leonidas kept his honor and brushed off Xerxes. He thought about his followers before himself. By doing this, even in death Leonidas was able to inspire and stimulate the Greek country to collaborate and fend off the Persian Invasion. In conclusion, Leonidas is a good leader as depicted in the film. He has a broad range of leadership skills and traits, but I believe Leonidas is best at leading with transformational leadership. His charisma strongly warrants him to lead through transformational leadership and given the situations of the film, Leonidas is best to use transformational leadership. Also, the message the film entitles is that one great man or nation can inspire a whole country to stand as one and unite towards a common goal.

Design in Contemporary Contexts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Design in Contemporary Contexts - Essay Example So the 1850’s and onwards the term Realism was used by artists and designers. Romanticism was subjective and Realism was objective. The current historicism has been opposed by modernism with a series of ideas that included Romanticism itself. But a painting school originating in France called Impressionism had a particular impact on modernism. Initially it was work done in air not in the studios as they believed that human beings did not see objects but what they see is the light. With time, the studies of the school became a great influence. When the century was turning, there were three concepts that were in conflict. Firstly, machines as being a part of beauty were considered important. Secondly, the subjective experience was important. Lastly, there was a necessity that a system replaces the concept of objective reality. The first fifteen years of twentieth century of modernism were marked by famous artists such as Matisse, the abstract paintings of Wassily Kandinsky and m any others. To this point, modernism enjoyed subjective experience and the idea of a simplified structure. Cinemas were introduced during this period and the idea of moving pictures gave modernism a unique art form. The art of photography also affected modernism. Modernism began to merge with consumer culture during the 1960’s after World War II. Along with modernist art, modernist design entered the popular cultures. This amalgamation transformed the meaning of modernism itself. This kind of modernism suggested the rejection of tradition which itself became a tradition. It also suggested that there was a difference between the elite modernist and mass consumerist culture and this difference had lost its precision. This marked the start of the Post Modernism era. (Museum Quality, 2007). Two Modernist Artists/Designers Marcel Duchamp was one of the modernist artist who had become famous from the year 1916 when he had installed ready-made objects such as hat stands, bottle stan ds in the art gallery. In 1917, the Fountain which was a ready made object had entered the art history as an iconic object. (Meecham and Sheldon, 2005, p.17).One of his famous quotes are: â€Å"The creative act is not performed by the artist alone; the spectator brings the work in contact with the external world by deciphering and interpreting its inner qualifications and thus adds his contribution to the creative act.† The above quote stated by Duchamp suggests that modernism can be understood in terms of objectivism through observation of the real world entities and incorporating those observations in art. This shows that he followed the Dadaist and Surrealist Movements. Edward Johnston was another famous modernist artist who became famous in the 1919 when he came up with his iconic object called the London Underground which was a modified form of an existing logo and became greatly popular and liked. He was among the early artists who brought corporate taste in artistic pi ece. (MobileReference). One of the famous quotes by Johnston is: â€Å"A man who don’t know history, he don’t know anything.† Hence, this shows that Johnston believed historicism in art. Marcel Duchamp Marcel Duchamp was a French artist who supported the Dadaist and Surrealist movements. His artwork influenced the Western art’s development after the World War I. He influenced many other famous artists with his

The airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese state television- its positive Essay

The airing of V for Vendetta on Chinese state television- its positive and negative effects on the Chinese people, media and cen - Essay Example Now with the media event in China, the movie has become bone of contention among the common Chinese people and Beijing elite groups alike, and it is likely to cause notable impacts on the Chinese media and population as a whole. The Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman starred film is set in a fictional English community, and exposes a daring, charming freedom fighter known as ‘V’ (Vigilante), who initiates a revolution against a futuristic authoritarian regime. The James McTeigue directed movie is based on the 1982 comic book V for Vendetta written by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. It depicts a futuristic situation in Britain where V has to use radical tactics to fight the oppressive fascist state to regain the state’s freedom. Another main character of the story is Evey, a young woman who is rescued by V from a crucial life-and death condition. As the story progresses, she also identifies her role in the mission carried out by V and voluntarily joins him. V wears the m ask of Guy Fawkes and invites all the people to join him to blow up the parliament and thereby regain freedom and justice. Although V’s activities are genuine and reasonable, the corrupt Chancellor deems them as acts of terrorism. The movie begins reminding the event when Guy Fawkes plotted to destroy the parliament and the king in order to regain catholic sovereignty in England. The movie really intends to criticise the traditional tactics (fear and the voice of God) used by the government to create a feeling that the wrath of God will soon avenge who went against the regime. (Source: The Hollywood Reporter). In this context, the airing of the movie V for Vendetta raises numerous questions with regard to the Chinese censorship laws and entertainment policies. The Chinese government has been very much concerned about preserving its political authority and hence maintained a tight rein on traditional and new media so as to prevent any potential threats from their part. The gov ernment has very often entailed strict media controls which involved but not limited to using monitoring systems, shutting down publications or websites, jailing etc. As Bennet (2013) points out, China's censorship of its media has been getting attention recently when  Southern Weekly, a liberal-leaning paper based in Guangzhou, staged an extensive confrontation with the government. Google's battle with the Chinese government over Internet censorship in China is another example. However, as many thinkers believe, the airing of the controversial film indicates China’s attempt to balance its media controlling power with the growing need for information. In other words, it seems that China is badly in need of press freedom while at the same time worried about the impacts the liberalisation would bring upon the economy. The airing of the V for Vendetta would be counted as a remarkable event in the history of Chinese media. The event got wide media coverage and multiple response s around the globe. As The Guardian reported dated 20th December 2012, ‘after the telecast, China's internet crackled with quotes of a famous catchline from the movie: â€Å"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people"’. The reports indicate that people at the helm of affairs were not very much

Dehumanization in Night Essay -- The Holocaust Experience, Elie Wiese

Many themes exist in Night, Elie Wiesel’s nightmarish story of his Holocaust experience. From normal life in a small town to physical abuse in concentration camps, Night chronicles the journey of Wiesel’s teenage years. Neither Wiesel nor any of the Jews in Sighet could have imagined the horrors that would befall them as their lived changed under the Nazi regime. The Jews all lived peaceful, civilized lives before German occupation. Eliezer Wiesel was concerned with mysticism and his father was â€Å"more involved with the welfare of others than with that of his own kin† (4). This would change in the coming weeks, as Jews are segregated, sent to camps, and both physically and emotionally abused. These changes and abuse would dehumanize men and cause them to revert to basic instincts. Wiesel and his peers devolve from civilized human beings to savage animals during the course of Night. Segregation from the rest of society begins the dehumanization of Sighet Jews. The first measure taken by the Hungarian Police against Jews is to label them with yellow stars. Early in Night, while life is still normal despite German occupation of their town, Wiesel explains: â€Å"Three days later, a new decree: every Jew had to wear the yellow star† (11). This decree is demoralizing to Jews because it labels them and sets them apart from the rest of Sighet’s population. Like trees marked for logging or dogs marked with owner tags, many people in Sighet are marked with yellow stars, to reveal their Jewish faith. Avni describes Wiesel and the Jews as being â€Å"propelled out of himself, out of humanity, out of the world as he knew it† (Avni 140). The Jews are taken out of the normal lives they have led for years and are beginning to follow new rules... ...ely so, since they are so close to death. Their lives are only about death. Through segregation, loss of identity, and abuse, Wiesel and the prisoners around him devolve from civilized human beings into savage animals. The yellow stars begin separation from society, followed by ghettos and transports. Nakedness and haircuts, then new names, remove each prisoner’s identity, and physical abuse in the form of malnourishment, night marches, and physical beatings wear down prisoners. By the end of Night, the prisoners are ferocious from the experiences under German rule and, as Avni puts it, â€Å"a living dead, unfit for life† (Avni 129). The prisoners not only revert to animal instincts, but experience such mental trauma that normal life with other people may be years away. Night dramatically illustrates the severe dehumanization that occurred under Hitler’s rule.

Creative Writing – The Bliss Of Acceptance

The plane's contact with the ground woke me from my semi-conscious state and I looked around anxiously, to see where I was. We had finally landed, and I felt life flow back into my limbs as I stretched in my seat. A gentle murmur rose as the plane slowed down, and the reassuring sound of the pilot echoed through the plane. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived in Delhi, the temperature is a pleasant forty three degrees with cloudless skies, and local time is four fifteen PM†. Stewardesses strutted up and down isles collecting litter, and passengers began to abscond from the plane. As I lifted myself to my feet, still in a half alert state from jetlag-induced fatigue, I stumbled into the sunshine outside. The blue sky dazzled my agitated eyes, and I grumbled to myself in irritation. The scorching hot sun was already upon me, burning my unconditioned skin in a similar way to a magnifying glass burning an ant. Hours followed as we collected bags; showed passports and performed countless other tasks that made me want to curl up on the floor and lapse into hibernation. Whether I was in Delhi or London, I was still exhausted and cantankerous. Finally we managed to obtain our car, and, as I had suspected, a long trip hundreds of miles upwards to Northern India followed. On our journey, my irritation began to crumble. The first village we stopped at, where I could appreciate the scenery, was near the Punjab, in a rural area. The village itself looked primitive and simplistic, with buildings partially finished, abandoned with no roofs or waterproofing, like an unwanted animal abandoned on the street. Poverty reigned rampant, and incoherent languages flood towards me. We drew nearer to the village market, passing by unsavoury looking beggars and lone children. An old man peered at me through a half developed cataract, before falling into a coughing fit. The world around me seemed dismal. In a split moment, my impression changed. Just as the flood washes dirt from its path, so my notions about India changed. We turned the corner into the market square, and were met with a blissful scene; a crowded square full of laughing, shouting and commotion; stall owners bellowing at the top of their voices to advertise their goods, and amidst the joyful chaos young children scuttled around like playful insects. A rich variety of vivid colours met my eye in the form of scarlet apples, striking yellow bananas and earthy brown yams. Countless fruits held my gaze, which I had never known before. The poor no longer seemed menacing; a half smile on their face was noticeable, as if they were simply satisfied by the atmosphere. Everyone around me seemed happy; and the first question that I asked myself was, why? Back in London for a moment, the answer arrived. A grey sky enveloped the city, and people trudged in their various directions, minding their own businesses and keeping themselves to themselves. After living in my home for ten years, there were still people on my street I didn't know. However, the main question I was posed, which was how could people with little money, health care, and a low standard of living be happier than those living in a modernised world with excessive amounts of money and a high standard of living? The sad answer was, that we appear to have forgotten how to obtain happiness. Epicurus, a Greek philosopher living around 300 BC, spent much of his life finding out what was required to obtain true happiness. A well-known phrase of his is: The human soul is as material and mortal as the human body. To live a good life, is to exercise prudence and to enjoy life through stimulating the senses, subjecting oneself to tranquillity and scientific study. † Later, however, he concluded that to obtain true happiness one must have a number of things. Friends, a frugal lifestyle, time and thought were all considered prerequisites for happiness. Visualising the crowded metropolis of London in my mind, trying to ignore the shouting of the stall keepers intent on making me buy their spinach, I felt that we had all these. What was it that these people had that we did not? This question remained on my mind throughout my trip in India; through the bustle of the city in Jalundar; the peaceful tranquillity in the village; the faint sounds of gunshots near Kashmir; even during the humorous incident of seeing a man squat in the middle of a field only feet away from a road. Sitting back at home in London listening to the gentle drumming of the rain, I contemplated why it was so hard for the Western man to gain happiness. Like the correct document finally being found in a stack of papers, I finally produced the answer. A Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist once said: â€Å"Humans are afflicted with all external forms of life: we are subject to life and death, pleasure and pain, love and fear, good and evil, beautiful and ugly. We tend to sway, or strive towards one side, and reject its opposite. There is no real escape of one or the other, yet we somehow believe that sooner or later, we will be able to conquer the other side if we stay focused long enough. † The reason the average man in the West could not find happiness lies in acceptance. Driven relentlessly by the Capitalist machine, we are constantly told we must improve, do better, get promoted, find a better job, or save for the latest electronic gadget. The real obstacle in the way of happiness was an excess of opportunity in the West, which in turn sows the seeds in men's mind that they can achieve better all the time, leaving only a handful of people who achieve their goal, and reject the rest of the spoiled harvest of the population who are scarred with depression and left with an 'empty feeling' in life: that they have achieved nothing. It could be said that pain is essential for pleasure, if pleasure is to be known as pleasure. If we did not know of evil in the world, then how would we be able to distinguish good? Denial of one of these extremes is similar to denying the existence of both. If we believe that evil cannot exist, or that we can block it from our lives, then good cannot exist, because then there is nothing to measure it against. However, if we accept that both good and evil exist in our lives, it can allow us to feel more at home in the world, perhaps obtaining happiness. Looking back to India as evidence for this, I remembered an encounter with a family of peasants. The husband of the family was a peasant, working for the richer men as a farmer, constantly toiling at the fields every day with no hope of extra pay or advancement in his job. The wife of the family took care of their four children, all destined for the same lifestyle, in what many would call an endless, and pointless cycle. However, far from pitying them, I envied them. They were contented with their lives; they earned enough money to live under a roof with adequate food and drink. The end result of this was that they were happy; they had no ambitions to gain wealth, and were satisfied with their lot. To be truly happy we must not linger in the past, or hypothesise about the future, but live life for the moment, and enjoy its small pleasures. By losing the foresight of the future, or hindsight in the past, we open up that world of acceptance. Some people will steal because they see that they have something more in their future. Some people will perform good deeds because they desire to feel better about themselves. In this society, we can never truly be completely happy. From our first few years of life we have ambitions: to decide what we will be when we grow up, and how we will choose to live our lives. Without these ambitions society would, unfortunately, not function correctly; no one would have any motivation to do well at their jobs and get promoted, as the idea of a Marxist/Communist society shows. It seems to me the human population has dug itself into a pit where the light of true happiness is growing more and more remote as we dig further and further down. There will always be, even in the mind of a Buddhist monk or Christian nun, a growing desire to gain something else, no matter what it may be. This, I conclude, makes it impossible for anyone in the modern 21st Century to gain the status of ‘Buddha', or ‘The Enlightened, or Blissful One'.