Three Roads To One Hero Essays (1510 words) - Beowulf, Geats

Three Roads To One Hero Throughout the two epics, Beowulf, and Gilgamesh, and the novel Grendel, we see certain heroic characteristics of the main characters. Although Beowulf, Grendel, and Gilgamesh all come to a heroic end, they differ in way in which they came to that end. In Beowulf we read of a great warrior who cares about nothing but honor and his people. In Gilgamesh, we see a man who comes to a realization of his mortality, and then does all he can to overcome that weakness. Finally, in Grendel, we see a monster that was born in a cruel world, and comes to a cruel ending. Throughout the epic poem of Beowulf, we not only read of the heroism of Beowulf himself, but the guile of the antagonist, Grendel. By the fifth chapter, Beowulf is showing a characteristic that was vital to a Greek hero. He is boasting of his accomplishments. He tells of how he once fought a serpent in the open ocean. This might not seem to heroic, but you must attempt to become an archeological reader to begin fully understanding why this is so heroic. During the fist century of this millenium, one of the many things that scared people, and continues to do so today, is the unknown. Beowulf braved the unknown on not only land, but also where man has never belonged. He braved the unknown in the ocean. Grendel throughout the poem is, however, shown in a different light. He is a monster. He is a descendant of the first murderer, Cain. He kills simply for sport. He relishes in the blood of mankind. He is a monster who knows no bounds. In Grendel however, the point of view of the reader has changed. We now read from the point of view of the monster. We see how he has been born into a world where he understands next to nothing, and does not even have the comfort of a true mother. He can talk to no one, save for a dragon that sees everything, past, present and future, and he is alone in a world of humans. There is no place of refuge where he can escape the world of hate that he lives in. He is something that is unknown to humans, and is therefore unwanted, frightful, and must be either eliminated or banished form view. Although in both of the epics, one an English and the other a Mesopotamian, we read of heroic qualities of one main character, and through that main character the ideals of that culture as a whole, in Grendel, we read of an outcast, who is killed simply because he is an enigma to the people. This is where these three stories break down, in the way, not only in which they become heroes, but the way in which the author accomplishes this feat. In both Beowulf and Gilgamesh, we read of people who are highly esteemed, and emulate everything that those respective cultures hold dear. In Grendel, we see the cynicism of the twentieth century, and we read of all the ways in which our society and culture has become incongruent with that which we say we hold dear. In Gilgamesh, we read of a man who is stronger than all that are in the land, and his adventures to prove that to the world. He is a symbol of everything that his country and culture regards as praiseworthy. Not only, though, is he a physically strong person, but he is also given the gift or blessing of being able to reason. He is a man of not only sound body, but also of a sound mind. In addition to knowing how great and powerful he himself is, Gilgamesh also knows when to stop (sometimes). When he is fighting Enkidu, he discovers that his foe is his equal. Therefore, he does not become over-prideful, and deny that someone could be as great as he himself is, but he makes one of the best decisions that can be made by man. He makes his enemy his friend. The greatest interpretation of these three stories comes not only in seeing how well they are congruent, but also how they begin to differ when

How to Write a Good Research Project on Cell Biology

How to Write a Good Research Project on Cell Biology Throughout your educational journey, writing a research project will be a constant occurrence in your pursuit of a degree. Therefore, mastering the basis of research writing is an endeavor that will serve you well in the foreseeable future. To simplify the difficult task of conducting research and writing accurately, here are some timely tips on writing an excellent research project. The first step to take in defining your research is choosing a topic. The importance of a topic in organizing your research cannot be overestimated. It helps you focus your research, come up with a writing template and allows you to center your findings on this template. Using cell biology as an example, a great topic would be ‘Analyzing the role of Cell Membranes in Protecting a Cell’. What makes this great is that you can include interesting examples on how membranes work, using either the human skin or seed coats in legumes. Therefore, when choosing a topic, ensure that you choose one that interests you. You can find other interesting topics on cell biology here: 20 cell biology research project topics. Next, you organize and conduct your research. Integrating the use of well-thought out information, statistics or case studies when making a point scores you more points with your educator. Remember that this is a research project, which means you are tasked with investigating the facts or statistics surrounding your topic and presenting it intelligently when writing. Therefore, conducting an extensive research on your chosen topic prepares you for the next phase which consists of putting your ideas to paper. Organizing your research notes requires a set structure. This structure will also determine how you go about writing the actual research project. Most research assignments already come with the structure favored by the educators, but if not, there are a couple of templates you can use. Your best bet structurally is going with the classic: abstract, introduction, project body and conclusion. Carrying out revisions is the quickest road to perfection. Once you have written your first draft, it is important to note that to make mistakes is normal and we all make mistakes when writing. Therefore before patting yourself on the back, it is crucial to go through the entire project. Ensure you keep an eye out for syntax errors, misinterpretation of data and grammatical mistakes that will need edits. Therefore taking time out to proofread your project regardless of its length will definitely save you from wasted efforts. Lastly, a good conclusion summarizing the reasons for the research, the questions it raises and those it answers is a great way to sign out. To learn more about cell biology when tasked with writing a research project on it, simply read this article covering 10 facts for a research project on cell biology. The aim of both articles is to prepare you and reduce the research task ahead of you.

How Conservatives Think About Race in America

How Conservatives Think About Race in America When it comes to how conservatives think about race in America, no issue provides a clearer picture of their perspective than affirmative action. Conservatives see the issue very differently than liberals. While liberals believe affirmative action programs create opportunities for disadvantaged minorities where they didnt previously exist, conservatives believe these programs actually serve to foster racism by denying opportunities to others who are equally qualified. Further, most affirmative action programs address specific minorities, while alienating others. From a conservative perspective, this creates tension and undermines the ideal of racial equality. Conservatives are much less apt to adopt sympathetic attitudes toward minorities on the basis of their race alone. Conservatives assume racial equality exists to begin with and base their policies on that assumption. Therefore, when it comes to an issue like hate crimes, for example, conservatives disagree with the notion entirely.If some unconscionable crime is perpetrated upon someone based on that persons ethnicity, conservatives dont believe the victim should receive more justice because of it. The idea of more or less justice doesnt make sense to conservatives, since they believe there can only be one form of justice, applied equally to everyone. If the same unconscionable crime is perpetrated upon someone based on that persons financial circumstances, for example, that victim should be no less entitled to the same pursuit of justice. A crime is a crime, regardless of the motivation behind it.Conservatives believe that affirmative action programs and hate crime legislation often do more harm to the pursuit of racial harmony than good. These types of legislative programs might serve to build resentment outside the particular minority community they serve, which, in turn, promotes the very disharmony they are designed to circumvent.When attention is spent on race, conservatives believe no good can come from it.

Art and cinema Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art and cinema - Assignment Example They seem to be at peace with themselves and those around them. The disruption in narrative convention is apparent in the man’s time-space travel, where nothing is lasting and completely certain. The man and woman are as temporary as the dead animals they are gazing at. The parallel scene with Twelve Monkeys is the scene where the animals run free and James Cole (Bruce Willis) and Kathryn Railly (Madeleine Stowe) see the animals for the first time. See Figure 2. James and Kathryn are in mid cut away shot at eye level. The impact of them together and the animals running free is the perceptions that they are not free compared to the animals. Like the animals, as in La Jetà ©e, the only time they can assuredly have is the present. The future is unreliable in giving happiness for it may even lead to their separation or death. The narrative is disrupted by the constant reference to life’s temporariness. In the clip from Godard’s Band of Outsiders, Odile (Anna) Karina recites from â€Å"Les Poà ¨tes† by Louis Aragon. Odile is represented in a different light from the woman in La Jetà ©e because the former is darker and less hopeful of the future. In this scene, Odile looks forlorn, as she says: â€Å"All they’d ask for was a light. They settled for so little. They had so little anger in them.† The sad tone of her voice and poem suggests that she is unhappy and she longs for something better in the future that she cannot enjoy at present. She is different from the woman in La Jetà ©e who no longer questions the comings and goings of the man. She just enjoys every moment they have. Odile is similar with the woman though because she also strives to be happy. She is unsure how, but she does want to have true happiness in her life. In the essay, â€Å"On Photography,† Susan Sontag explores the meaning of photography, based on its uses and impacts on human behaviors. She argues that photography is a process of collecting

Corporate Governance Degree Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Corporate Governance Degree - Essay Example Corporate governance is the collection of laws, rules and ways that regulate the interactions and relationships between the owners i.e. capital providers, the governing body i.e. the board or boards in the two-tier system), senior managers and other people that take part in the decision making process and are affected by the dispositions and business activities of the company. Corporate governance exists in its own space. It shows the economic, historical, cultural and legal characteristics of a nation along with its business history and corporate sector. It is shaped by the ownership structures, ways of that particular economy and the available financing options. It includes the role of the financial markets, the banking and insurance sectors and the government in the form of shareholders and capital providers in some nations. "Corporate governance deals with the ways in which suppliers of finance to corporations assure themselves of getting a return on their investment", says Andrei Shleifer and Robert W. Vishny. The system of corporate governanc... hich may occur because different board structures are associated with different arrangements for establishing executive pay (Schwalbach, Joachim, Conyon, Martin J., 2000). Variations present in these areas shows some of the considerable differences among all the governance models. Corporate governance has inevitable relationship with the ownership, control structures and patterns prevalent in an economy, adds Miguel A. Mendez. Eventuating ownership and explaining the agency factor i.e. the owners of the firm hire managers in order to control and manage the assets of the firm is an internal feature of the firm and central to every corporate governance model. "Britain and the US are viewed as similar enough to contrast with Japan and Germany, the benefits of external shareholding, capital markets and the profit-motive competing with committed investors, insider control and the mixed objectives of several stakeholders", says Robert Fitzgerald and Etsuo Abe (Fitzgerald and Abe, 2004). The role of Openness and Efficiency The space of the board i.e. its freedom to execute a judgment in the motive of the benefit of all shareholders and can be defined on behalf of all stakeholders is both inevitable as well as crucial. The freedom of the governing body depends on the way it is organized including the factors like who are the chairman of the board and the top-most leadership positions of other crucial genre like chairmanship of nomination and audit committees, vice-chairmanship, and managing directorship. It also depends upon the composition

Studying the character of Caliban in The Tempest Essay Example for Free

Studying the character of Caliban in The Tempest Essay â€Å"There’s enough wood within,†- Caliban (1, 2). Those were the first words of Caliban in one of the William Shakespeare’s greatest plays. In every play of his, there is always this one character that really comes into attention – and for this play, it’s Caliban. Caliban’s character in The Tempest is portrayed in such a way; it captures the attention of many audiences. He is first shown to be a savage who in the later stages, opens up, to not become more monstrous, but a considerate human being. After analysing this play, I have developed quite a lot of opinions on his character throughout the pay, which I will expand on, in further detail. Commencing with a Tempest, that Prospero conjures up, we can see that the crew really has a hard time, as Trinculo and Stephano jump overboard. Once the Tempest calms down, Trinculo finds this majestic island where he first meets Caliban. â€Å"Lo now, lo! Here comes a spirit of his to torment me,† (2, 2) and also when Stephano comes in, â€Å"Do not torment me, I prithee (2, 2).† From this, I can establish that Caliban’s small fear of Trinculo and Stephano starts here. When he realises that they aren’t spirits to torment, he soon loosens himself up and says, â€Å"These be fine things, and if they not sprites! That’s a brave god and bears celestial liquor (2, 2)† From this situation, it is evident that Caliban is a person whose fears does not get in the way of knowing people. From what briefly happened, I can tell that he is opening minded about people. Claiming that, â€Å"The spirit torments me,† to calling Stephano, â€Å"A brave God,† who in his eyes, offers heavenly beer, takes a person who can trust. To put trust into people has many great aspects – much strength, but in this case, his trust was later taken on as a weakness. The fact he also calls a person he just met, a God, shows that he has never been treated with such kindness, as a little gesture of offering beer turns a butler into a God. However, the respect he gives, he doesn’t receive. Stephano says, â€Å"How now, moon calf? (2, 2)† The words moon calf is not very pleasant, as it means deformed offspring. With this phrase, he is insulting Caliban and his parents, as he came as an ugly child from them. Probably knowing what a moon calf infers, he didn’t come back with an insult, but replied kindly, â€Å"Hast thou not dropped from heaven?† This is very strange, because if Prospero said that, he would curse him will all the names under the sun. This shows that he respects them dearly and never wants to lose them as masters and/or friends. His respect and trust increases as he later of says, â€Å"I’ll kiss thy foot. I’ll swear myself thy subject.† When Caliban says this, he is automatically volunteering to become at a lower status than them. He is offering to slave away and in my opinion, this is cowardly behaviour, as he knew that Stephano and Trinculo are petrified of this â€Å"Monstrous moon calf!† He could have got the 2 to be his slave, but he didn’t. Instead, he obeyed their every command, like for example, kneel when Stephano says, â€Å"Come on then down and swear.† This makes him weak, who doesn’t obey Prospero, but like a â€Å"Puppy headed monster,† acts like a loyal, cute puppy towards Stephano. Caliban acts like this because he isn’t cut out to be a leader, but a slave. I believe this comes down to his mother failing to nurture him in a good way. Even though he is a monster, he is shown to suffer the same psychological effects as humans. This means that the absence of his mother to guide him, has affected him an awful lot, bringing down his confidence and ability to step up. Sycorax, his mother must have treated him in such a way to make him always feel like he is under everyone. For example, she stole the island Caliban found himself. She then took charge of things straight away, not letting Caliban have a say. In a contrasting side to Caliban, he can be very violent, treacherous and rebellious. His violent side was not shown in the play, but was talked about when he, Prospero and Miranda were talking. â€Å"In mine own cell; till thou didst seek to violate the honour of my child. (1, 2)† The honours of Prospero’s child, would have been Miranda’s virginity. In the comforts of her own home, Caliban would have raped her. Caliban was really accepted as a part of their family, but he blew it as soon as he attempted to rape her, His sexual attraction towards Miranda, is what made him treacherous. In reply to this, Caliban said â€Å"O ho, O ho! Wouldn’t have been done! Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else this isle with Calibans.† Inevitably, he would have raped her and got away with it. Nothing could have happened to stop him. And to say that he would have filled the isle with Calibans; little monstrous things running about the place, is loathsome behaviour. He also started off by saying â€Å"O ho, O ho!† In this context, he is wickedly laughing at the fact that if he did go ahead with the rape, he (like a rapist), would have no remorse. Moreover, he is extremely insulting towards Prospero. On multiple occasions, he takes every chance to take a jab at Prospero. He says things like â€Å"May the red plague rid you (1, 2)† or â€Å"Subject to be a tyrant† and many more. The one really long speech that curses Prospero really does give the audience a huge chunk of Caliban’s emotions towards Prospero. â€Å"Teach me how to name the bigger light and how the less that burn by day and night and then I loved thee,† When he said that, it’s beautiful how he appreciated how Prospero taught him language. When he said â€Å"I loved thee,† it shows he really loved the old life he had. In my opinion, if someone, even Caliban, loved a person; an element of love will always remain within oneself. This tiny bit of love and happiness quickly turned to anger. Anger is one of Caliban’s strengths. â€Å"Curst be I did so. All the charms of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you,† Not just anger but regret is shown when he says â€Å"Curst be I did that so,† Here, he came to a realisation that trusting Prospero was a bad idea as he had it all thrown back in his face. All this being felt, he expressed by throwing back what Prospero gave in his face. The teaching of good language, he turned to a curse, later on cursing him with his own mother. Analysing those 2 lines, we can see that Caliban is a troubled person who just wants what a human wants. His main wish is respect. All he wants is to be treated with respect just like before. The trouble is Caliban doesn’t understand why all the trust in him was lost. This is one part of him that makes people think, he isn’t human, even though other parts of his personality is. Using â€Å"Sycorax† in the curse, makes me think about his desperateness for a human body and a normal mother. Deep inside, Caliban must blame his deformed body on his mother, who is so foul; she is used in a curse. When it comes to the ruling system and their stories to the crown, Caliban and Prospero have a similarity. â€Å"Which first was mine own king,† He is here simply saying that he himself was the king of the island until Prospero came along. This is similar to Prospero’s story, as he was a usurped king. I think Caliban can empathise with Prospero, but the opposite can’t be done The reason this can’t happen is because Prospero loathes Caliban. â€Å"Though poisonous slave got by the devil himself,† By him getting called a poisonous slave, shows how much he thinks of Caliban. Calling him a poisonous slave, show that all the think Caliban does is cause death and is sent by the devil to do so. Moreover, the devilish thought of him is expanded. He believes that Caliban is a â€Å"most lying slave, whom stripes may move not kindness,† When he says this, he means that Caliban will not listen, or do anything out of kindness, but out of escaping all the whipping he gets. Miranda then responds to this and says â€Å"Though thou didst learn, had that int which good natures!† Here, she is telling Prospero and Caliban no matter how much she taught him about manners, he never seemed to learn. Here is where the idea of nature and nurture comes in. Some people would argue, this is down to nurture and how he was raised by his horrible mother. They would blame it all on her as she neglected him to let him fend for himself. This is not what a good mother would do. However, others would argue that this is all down to nature and that some people were born evil. To be born evil, means that they will never learn, they would always be heartless, not care about anyone surrounding them, all because the person is selfish. I don’t think either of these factors are to blame because I know Caliban has a heart, but he just chooses when and when not to be kind and when and when not to listen. Through kindness, he could explain what he feels to Prospero, but instead plots to have him murdered, alongside Stephano and Trinculo. â€Å"I’ll yield him thee asleep, where thou mayst knock a nail into his head,† This method of death is very gory, showing he is a very violent person, as knocking a nail into ones head involves a huge amount of blood. On the other hand, Caliban may be thinking horrid death methods, but is unable to carry out the murder himself. He explains how he will get Prospero to sleep, but then orders Stephano to knock a nail in his head. There are 2 ways of analysing this, Caliban is mentally weak and doesn’t have the capacity to carry any murder out or he still has good attributes towards Prospero, and can’t hurt him, as they had a good relationship in the past. In the play, a couple of characters speeches before, he says, â€Å"Revenge it on him,† This shows that he felt as if Prospero put him to sleep, hit a nail into his head and snatched all his freedom away from him. I do feel a bit of pity for Caliban because he can’t express his hate through talking, not through violence. He however, can express beauty through speech as in Act 3 Scene 2; he shows Stephano what is not to be feared of in the island. â€Å"Be not afeared. The isle is full of noises, sounds and sweet airs that give delight and hurt not,† From the first 2 lines of the speech, I can see that Caliban has a soft spot, and really appreciates the joy of nature. â€Å"Sweet airs that give delight and hurt no one,† shows that he knows the true meaning of beauty and delight. He says â€Å"Will make me sleep again; and then in dreaming, then later on â€Å"The clouds me thought, would open and show riches,† This part shows that he has an interest in magic. Influenced by Prospero, I can see that Caliban isn’t that earthly, rough monster, but he is a bit of a sky person too. Even though he didn’t know that all these beautiful sounds were made by Ariel, he moulds to like this music, getting influenced by Ariel’s creative poetry, beauty and thinking. Additionally, he says he wants to dream; dream about all the fantasies and melodious music. In this 3rd scene, he is not portrayed as a repulse, but a beautiful human who has a deep appreciation for Prospero’s magic, music, art and beauty. His depth of attachment to this island is as strong as Prosperos was to his old island. â€Å"I cried to dream again,† is what he says after and this is very emotive, especially after it came out of Caliban’s mouth. His crying for it shows he is desperate to dream for beauty and to just dream about that forever. The relationship between Caliban and Prospero is very unstable, because throughout the play, we can see their highs and lows. Even though Caliban can be quite nasty, he really respects Prospero as a leader. Nearing the end of the play, Caliban asks for forgiveness as if he is still under Prospero’s lead. â€Å"Ay that I will. And I’ll be wise hereafter and seek for grace,† From this, we can see this experience has educated Caliban into being wise after and to never make a huge mistake again. Seek for grace shows he is looking for forgiveness and does respect Prospero, even though he shows a lot of hate. In the Tempest, Caliban was mainly portrayed as a monster, but in my opinion, he isn’t one. Many people have different opinions of him because if he were to e human, he wouldn’t be judges the same. As time passed, his position in society changed, due to many historic events. When America was found, places were colonised, changing people’s civil rights. If these rights were to have been there at the time the play was written, William wouldn’t have made him look to be this monster, especially after Prospero took the isle off him. Discrimination, and him being a ‘moon calf’ made people think less of him. This low standard that characters in the play had set for him, forces Caliban to be the savage people said he was; leading him to attempt to rape Miranda and attempt to kill Prospero. I can’t blame him because I would say he was nurtured in a bad way by his cruel mother Sycorax. As she was a witch, her lifestyle and personality traits, must have influenced Caliban to be the same. He wouldn’t have had an escape from her, because he didn’t have a father he could rely on. After analysing this, I would say that Caliban is a normal human; I don’t have the right to judge, because everyone has different circumstances, whether it is a broken family, or society being harsh on a person.

My Interest in Law :: Law College Admissions Essays

My Interest in Law    My interest in reading law stems from an early exposure to the subject.   I sometimes accompanied my grandfather to courts and was quick to later on imitate the inquisitive, argumentative, critical as well as negotiating characters of lawyers.  Ã‚   Eventually, I decided I would become one.   My chosen subjects have always reflected this decision and in my years 10 and 11, I won the Best-in-History award, while being highly competitive in English Language and Literature, Government and Religious Studies.   At my A-Level stage, I thoroughly enjoy the research, analysis and writing that goes on in my chosen subjects of English Literature, Economics & Business Studies, Politics and Theology, most especially the latter two.    Securing a work experience placement with Withers Solicitors, London enabled me to interact with solicitors and gain an insight to various aspects of the legal profession such as will drafting and family law.   This increased my anxiety to study law.   During my last spring holiday (April 2001), I got a job working as a receptionist in Chalk Hill Heath Centre, Wembley, London.   Apart from the dignity of labour I gained from doing the work, the experience of working with a wide variety of patients including the obdurate has improved my communication skills.    My participation in the Model United Nations (MUN) conferences run by some schools in Europe and the USA has improved my debating skills, public speaking and helped me to cultivate the habit of researching as well as negotiating.   These qualities are essential in the study and practise of law.   In the Belfast 2001 MUN conference my delegation received the 'Commended Delegation' award due to our hardwork and team effort.      With my reputation as a morally upright student, I was appointed to the highly responsible post of Anglican Chapel Prefect of my school from May 1999 to June 2000 and my task included mobilising students to attend worship on Sundays, as well as assisting other school prefects to run the school. My good communication skills helped to elect me to the office of the Secretary-General of the Photography Club from September 1999 to June 2000, during which I was responsible for minuting meetings and organising club activities. I co-organised a successful Afro-Caribbean Night at my school last May by which we raised seven hundred pounds for Hope and Homes Charity Organisation.   At present I am a House Prefect.