The key themes of Romeo and Juliet Essay Example for Free

The key themes of Romeo and Juliet Essay Romeo and Juliet is the tragic tale of forbidden love, fate and destiny. The prologue is important as it introduces these key themes and creates dramatic irony. It is introduced by a chorus to give us a commentary and summary of the action. The dramatic irony whets the audiences appetite for the play, and the prologue helps the lower class audience understand the storyline easier. Act 1 Scene 1 grabs the attention of both the higher and lower classes of audience with the use of poetry for the higher classes and the comical influences would draw the lower classes into the play. Modern film adaptations of Romeo and Juliet such as Baz Luhrmanns version appeal to modern audiences because of special effects, lighting and sound. Shakespeare on the other hand used only the language he wrote down and the space on the stage in front of him to create dramatic tension and hold the audiences interest. Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet originated from an English poem, The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet by Arthur Brooke. It was published in 1562 and was written in the popular style of the sonnet. Shakespeares main change to the poem was the duration of the events that took place. Instead of taking three months, the proceedings took a mere five days. This increased dramatic tension in the story by speeding up the pace, showing us that the nature of young love is passionate and impulsive. The audience would have already been familiar with the story as they would have known the original version. The prologue introduces what you are about to see, and brings up the key themes of the play such as fate and death. These are explained with phrases such as star crossd lovers which gives the implication of fate romance and death, as there is a mythology that the stars are symbols of a dead person (in the heavens), and they are romantic symbols. The prologue creates dramatic tension because the audience is told exactly what will happen, and this illustrates that the future is set in stone and cannot be changed. The form of the prologue is a sonnet a love poem about suffering and pain. This again highlights the key themes and creates dramatic irony and suspense, as the story of Romeo and Juliet is about the suffering and pain of young love. The episodic structure of Act 1 Scene 1 creates a fast and exciting pace, involving the audience; never letting them get bored. The fight scene is very quick and exhilarating in pace, and heightens the suspense of the scene. Whereas this is very swift and tense part of the Act, it largely contrasts with Romeos lament. He is very calm and deep talking about his vast emotions of love for Rosaline. The juxtaposition of the characters and events create a lot of dramatic tension as we know that Romeo will eventually be involved in one of these feuds because of his love. The contrast between the sombre and melancholy tone of the prologue and the humorous, vulgar beginning of scene1 is to involve both the lower and upper classes of the audience. The lower and less mentally involved classes of the audience would relate to the humour of the first scene, We will not carry coalsno for then we should be colliers, whilst the higher more intellectual classes of audience would appreciate the more meaningful structure of the prologue, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. The use of the props such as the swords they are carrying and the gesture of biting the thumb I do bite my thumb, sir holds the suspense of the audience and increases dramatic tension with the suggestion of potential death and violence. The biting of the thumb increases the dramatic tension even more because it was used to trigger violence. Humour is used in this banter to appeal to the lower classes, and the light-hearted conversation and joking about the violence between the Montagues and the Capulets suggests that the feud has been going on for so long that it isnt taken seriously any more. The pun collar choler introduces the theme of anger leading to death right from the beginning of the play as collar means the hangmans noose, and choler means anger. Also the pun on the heads of the maidens or their maidenheads shows the attitude towards women in that time was that they were just objects to be used. The male servants joke about how they will rape the women servants and take their virginity. The attitude back then was that women were not valued if they didnt have their virginity.  This again shows the women to be animals or things to be used and discarded. The patriarchal system of the day shows this as Juliet was forced to marry Paris against her will. This also shows the different attitudes of Romeo towards women. He has respect for women and shows this by idealising them. This links in to the key theme of love. Dramatic tension is built through the fight scene and Princes speech through the juxtaposition of characters of different classes, who use language for different purposes. The Princes speech is written in verse, rather than prose and he uses complex sentence structures, showing his higher social status, If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace! and also once again appealing to higher-class members of the audience. The language used during the fight scene contrasts to this as it is prose, and quite comical, Do you quarrel sir? Quarrel sir! No sir. As the Prince appears the tone of the scene sobers and his ideas as well as his language contrasts to that of the servants, as he speaks in verse. His threat to the families on pain of death increases dramatic tension as we already know that two people will die as a result of the information given to us from the prologue. In the Romeo and Benvolio scene, Lady Montagues comment about Romeo right glad I am he was not at this fray proves ironic because we as the audience know he is going to die anyway. When the characters start talking about Romeo, the mood changes from dramatic to calm and the key theme of love becomes predominant. The oxymorons used by Romeo here (loving hate, feather of lead) express his confusion and the inner conflict he has between his family and love. Loving hate shows how he feels about love in that love is also like hate. The metaphors Romeo uses for love increase and create dramatic tension because he describes love as a choking gall. This means poison and we know that he dies from drinking poison. I would describe the language he uses as poetic and meaningful. This shows his tender attitudes towards love, but at the same time there is a darker side to it. He shows that he craves and relies on love. He is in love with the idea of love, rather than love itself, alas that love, whose view is muffled still, should without eyes see pathways to his will! Act 1 scene 1 introduces the audience to the characters and their relationships to portray the situation and inform us of their personalities early on in the play. In the Baz Luhrmann version, lighting sound and special effects are used to greater highlight the key themes and also create dramatic tension. In the fight scene, tension is built by the use of dramatic sound and the characters raising their voices. The louder the music the louder the voices become. The tone and the speed of the action create tension as well. Fire was used to symbolise violence and anger. It shows destruction and therefore creates more dramatic tension. There are clear advantages and disadvantages to filming rather than staging it. Many takes can be shot to get the perfect atmosphere and film can be altered to create a mood whereas on a stage mistakes can be made, and theres the risk that the atmosphere may be lost. In the end, the prologue rings true and Romeo and Juliet die the tragic deaths foretold before. I think it is the most inspiring and beautiful love story ever old and there will never be another one like it; For there never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

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Nicole Ivgui Criminology Ms. Kovat December 13th, 2013 Is Solitary Confinement Unconstitutional? Solitary Confinement is the isolation of a prisoner in a separate cell as a punishment. Aside from the death penalty, confinement is the most extreme punishment that a prisoner can be sentenced to. Prisoners deserve to maintain their human rights while incarcerated just as much as any ordinary citizen in the United States. Solitary confinement is unconstitutional because it violates the fundamental rights of inmates by physically and socially isolating them, which potentially inflicts severe long-term damage on adolescents. The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) has deemed solitary confinement as an unconstitutional form of punishment. It expresses that solitary confinement should be classified as torture because it inflicts potential physical and mental damage on inmates. Being confined to a cell for over 22 hours a day with absolutely no human contact is an inhumane practice and cannot be beneficial enough to overcome the consequences that an inmate must face upon release. Solitary confinement clearly violates the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits â€Å"cruel and unusual punishment.† Solitary confinement is the epitome of torture. Inmates often recall not being able to distinguish the time they spend in confinement; hours feel like days, and days feel like months. Certain prisons use solitary confinement differently than others. The Pelican Bay Security Housing Unit (SHU) is known as the â€Å"most restrictive prison in California.† It is one of the harshest â€Å"super-maximumâ €  prisons in the country, meaning that inmates may be subjected to solitary confinement for a set amount of time or an indefinite duration. This is known as the ‘supe... ...t in solitary confinement because they cannot handle the isolation. When a human being is confined to a small, windowless room in complete isolation from other human beings, the results can only be negative. Communication is key to survival, people feed off of each other to survive. Furthermore, when a human being is deprived of communication and is forced to be alone, it is an unknown experience to them. Nothing in life can prepare someone for this sick excuse of a punishment- the degree of isolation that one is expected to endure in solitary confinement is inhumane. Young people are a lot more vulnerable than adults; therefore the physical and mental effects of isolation take a greater toll on adolescents than on adults. It is not only unlawful but also implacable to place any human being, much less an adolescent, through such a ruthless form of ‘discipline’.

In Another Country Is a Story of Ironies Essay

In the story In Another Country, one of Hemingway’s greatest themes is the implausibility of war, focusing on the fate of the soldiers in the aftermath of war, when they experience the tragedies and futility of their lives. In fact, the story offers a rethinking of war-related concepts and values such as bravery, heroism, patriotism, camaraderie, etc. and a tool used to convey contrasting or unconventional views is irony. For example, irony lies in the fact that the soldiers have wounds in the very parts of the body that make what they are, the medals may be meaningless and do not have true value, and the Cova girls are considered the most patriotic people of all. Those ironies seem to reveal the author’s anti-war attitude. First, the characters ironically receive wounds in the parts of the body that make them what they are. A noble man now becomes a noseless figure, a footballer has a damaged knee, and a fencer a shriveled hand. It seems as if the war has deliberately chosen to rob them of the things that give their lives meanings and essence. In short, they are not their selves any more. To make the ironies more tragic, the boy who lost his nose had his face rebuilt, but ‘they could never get the nose exactly right,’ and the major – the fencing champion – has no confidence in the treatment. Although ‘to lose is human’, a soldier cannot avoid having to ‘place himself in a position to lose’. The soldiers’ losses cannot be recovered and are a painful blow to their bravery. The medals are also images of irony. Though supposed to be awards for deeds of bravery and thus something that hold the soldiers together, that make them ‘friends against outsiders’, the medals have become causes for injustice and discrimination. In fact, the American soldier received his medals just because he is American, without doing anything to get them. Knowing this, the others’ soldiers changed their attitude towards him. The American is well aware that he is never really one of them, would never have done brave things like the other three, and is never a hunting hawk like them. This realization causes the American to drift apart from the other soldiers and their camaraderie suffers from this discrimination and despise. Another bitter irony comes from the fact that the people who appreciate the soldiers most are not the respectable citizens of Milan but the cafà © girls at the Cova. Needless to say, going to war and sacrificing his youth, future, career, and even his life, a soldier expects to be recognized and loved by non-soldier people. However, the people in Milan hate them and yell at them when they pass by. On the contrary, the lowly girls at the Cova like and welcome them, to the point that the I-narrator ‘found that the most patriotic people in Italy were the cafà © girls’ and he believes ‘they are still patriotic.’ It is not clear whether the cafà © girls showing interest in the soldiers comes from real respect or just a means to show their hospitality but the girls’ behavior may question what makes patriotism and highlight the sense of isolation experienced by the soldiers. The three images of irony discussed above, though not exhaustive, evidence the implausibility of war and the cruel fate of the soldiers after war. We have the impression that the soldiers are betrayed by the war, which inflicts the kinds of wounds that are intended to destroy them, to rob them of the very meaning of their existence, by the medals, which widen the gap between fellow soldiers rather than unite them, and by the people, who, in return for the soldiers’ sacrifice, pay them with ingratitude and hate. Hemingway’s anti-war attitude seems to emphasize the fact that war is inglorious and life is unfair.

How Important It Is for Parents to Teach Gender Roles to Their Children Essay

How important it is for parents to teach gender roles to their children? Topics such as abortion, capital punishment, and gender role have always been commonly discussed subject in society since the dawn of time. Gender role simply defined is a person’s inner sense of how a male or female should feel and behave. Society and culture are very important in relation to this subject. This means different societies and cultures may produce children and later, grown men and women, who have quite distinct views of a man or a woman’s place in the world around them, and it is often determined by their parents’ influence at their early age of childhood. Dozens of researches and studies show that parent’s attitude and behaviours could affect their children both positively and negatively which makes it imperative for the parent to bear the burden of teaching the children.. Boys must learn what boys and men do, what they like, and even how they think and feel. Females do likewise as they learn the roles for girls and women. When children seem already aware of differences between what men and women wear and do, then children are deeply involved in this search for these â€Å"roles†. This action also blends in with the process of them searching for their identities. Through myriad activities, opportunities, encouragements, discouragements, overt behaviours, covert suggestions, and various forms of guidance, children experience how they fit into their gender role among others. As children grow and develop, the gender stereotypes they are exposed to at home are reinforced by other elements in their environment and are thus perpetuated throughout childhood and on into adolescence. By the time a person steps into adulthood, the influence from the parents from the childhood will result in the change of his personality and attitude towards others. If the person has been taught how to deal with gender roles properly., he would understand that rather than blaming each other for the situation, he and his partner should be willing to work together to learn about their new roles. Successful marriage partners learn to negotiate and share tasks. Managers take employees aside and tell them when comments are inappropriate. It will take time to sort out all the implications in the changing of gender roles, but with correct guidance, it should result in better workplaces, better relationships, better schools, and better lives. The shifting of gender roles in the past few decades has been huge. It has happened so quickly that men and women are still trying to sort out what the new roles are as well as what the rules mean to them. Although women are no longer expected to be the keepers of the house; nonetheless, in reality, this is still true in most families. Frankly, men are generally open to the successes enjoyed by the women they share their lives with, but some still find it hard to celebrate a woman’s triumphs because they feel it diminishes their own.

Free Essays on Toni Morissons The Bluest Eye

Toni Morisson's novel The Bluest Eye is about the life of the Breedlove family who reside in Lorain, Ohio, in the late 1930s (where Morrison herself was born). This family consists of the mother Pauline, the father Cholly, the son Sammy, and the daughter Pecola. The novel's focal point is the daughter, an eleven-year-old Black girl who is trying to conquer a bout with self-hatred. Everyday she encounters racism, not just from the White people, but mostly from her own race. In their eyes she is much too dark, and the darkness of her skin somehow manifests that she is inferior, and according to everyone else, her skin makes her even "uglier." She feel she can overcome this battle of self-hatred by obtaining blue eyes, but not just any blue. She wants the bluest of the blue, the bluest eye. Pecola Breedlove is an innocent little girl who, like very other young child, did not ask to be born in this cruel world. It is bad enough that practically the whole world rejects her, but her own parents are guilty of rejection as well. Her own father, who is constantly drunk, sexually molests his daughter more than once. The first time he has sexual intercourse with his daughter, he leaves her slightly unconscious, and lying on the kitchen floor with a guilt covering her frail, limp, preteen body. The next time he performs the same act, but this time he impregnates her. Of course, the baby is miscarried. This is obviously not a love a father should be sharing with a daughter. This act displays hatred in the worst way. Her mother's rejection is subtle yet potent. When Pecola tells her mother about the molestation, Mrs. Breedlove does not believe her own flesh and blood. Pecola calls Pauline Mrs. Breedlove instead of calling her mother. Allowing this, Mrs. Breedlove shows that unconsciously she does not acknowledge Pecola as her daughter, and Pecola does not avow Pauline as her mother. Distance is quite evident in this so-called mother-daughter re... Free Essays on Toni Morisson's The Bluest Eye Free Essays on Toni Morisson's The Bluest Eye Toni Morisson's novel The Bluest Eye is about the life of the Breedlove family who reside in Lorain, Ohio, in the late 1930s (where Morrison herself was born). This family consists of the mother Pauline, the father Cholly, the son Sammy, and the daughter Pecola. The novel's focal point is the daughter, an eleven-year-old Black girl who is trying to conquer a bout with self-hatred. Everyday she encounters racism, not just from the White people, but mostly from her own race. In their eyes she is much too dark, and the darkness of her skin somehow manifests that she is inferior, and according to everyone else, her skin makes her even "uglier." She feel she can overcome this battle of self-hatred by obtaining blue eyes, but not just any blue. She wants the bluest of the blue, the bluest eye. Pecola Breedlove is an innocent little girl who, like very other young child, did not ask to be born in this cruel world. It is bad enough that practically the whole world rejects her, but her own parents are guilty of rejection as well. Her own father, who is constantly drunk, sexually molests his daughter more than once. The first time he has sexual intercourse with his daughter, he leaves her slightly unconscious, and lying on the kitchen floor with a guilt covering her frail, limp, preteen body. The next time he performs the same act, but this time he impregnates her. Of course, the baby is miscarried. This is obviously not a love a father should be sharing with a daughter. This act displays hatred in the worst way. Her mother's rejection is subtle yet potent. When Pecola tells her mother about the molestation, Mrs. Breedlove does not believe her own flesh and blood. Pecola calls Pauline Mrs. Breedlove instead of calling her mother. Allowing this, Mrs. Breedlove shows that unconsciously she does not acknowledge Pecola as her daughter, and Pecola does not avow Pauline as her mother. Distance is quite evident in this so-called mother-daughter re...

Definition of Instructional Words Used on Tests

Definition of Instructional Words Used on Tests Instructional words are very important, but they are often overlooked and misunderstood by students during exams and tests. It is important to know what is expected of you when you encounter words such as â€Å"analyze† or â€Å"discuss† on an exam. Valuable points can be earned or lost, depending on your understanding of instructional words shown here. Analyze: Take apart a concept or a process, and explain it step by step. You could encounter analysis questions in any discipline, from science to history. An analysis question is usually a long essay question.Comment: If a test question prompts you to comment on a fact or statement, you will need to explain the relevance of the fact or statement. For example, you could be prompted to comment on a particular amendment quoted in a government exam or comment on a passage that is quoted on a literature exam.Compare: Show likenesses and differences when you compare two events, theories, or processes.Contrast: Used for showing differences between two processes or theories, a contrast question could appear on a literature exam, a history exam, a science exam, and more.Define: Provide a definition of a key term you’ve covered in class. This is usually a short essay type of question.Demonstrate: If you are asked to demonstrate, you must provide proof of your answer by using an example . A demonstration could be a physical action, a visual illustration, or a written statement. Diagram: Demonstrate your answer by drawing a chart or other visual element to illustrate your points.Discuss: When a teacher instructs you to â€Å"discuss† a topic, he or she is trying to determine whether you understand both sides of an issue. You will need to demonstrate that you know the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. You should pretend that you are having a conversation with a friend and voicing both sides.Enumerate: Enumerating is providing a list in a particular order. When you enumerate a list of items, you may need to specify why items go in a particular order.Examine: If you are prompted to examine a topic, you will use your own judgment to explore (in writing) a topic and comment on significant elements, events, or acts. Provide your opinion and explain how or why you came to your conclusions.Explain: Provide an answer that gives a â€Å"why† response. Provide a complete overview of the problem and solution for a particular issue or process. This is a typical form of question used in science exams. Illustrate: If you are expected to illustrate a topic, you should use examples to show or explain a topic. Depending on the subject matter, you might use words, drawings, diagrams, or behavior to illustrate an answer.Interpret: Interpretation of a subject calls for the ability to read between the lines and draw conclusions. You will be expected to explain the meaning of an act, action, or passage in an interpretation.Justify: If you are asked to justify something, you will be expected to use examples or evidence to show why (in your opinion) it is correct. You must provide reasons for your conclusions and opinions.List: Lists are used in every discipline. In list questions, you must provide a series of answers. If you are expected to memorize a certain number of items for an exam, be sure to remember how many there are in total.  Outline: Provide an explanation with headings and subheadings. This is a common instruction word found on literature exams.Order: Provide a chronological or value-based answer by listing several items (terms or events) in the correct placement. You could be asked to place events in a certain order on a history exam, or you could be asked to put a scientific process in the correct order.   Prove: To prove an answer, you must use evidence (this could be numbers) or reasoning to solve a problem. Tests that require proof normally appear on science or math exams.Relate: Relate could mean a few different things on an exam: 1) You could be asked to show a relationship between two events or items by discussing their similarities, or 2) You could be required to provide a written account of something (as in literature).Review: If a test question prompts you to review a process or event, you should recall and repeat all the most important elements or facts that you learned about a specific topic in essay form.Trace: To trace an event or process, go over it in detail and explain it step by step. You could trace an event that occurred in history or you could trace a process in science.

Environmental Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Environmental Science - Essay Example Denver has taken many initiatives in the past in an effort to become self-sufficient in terms of energy needs. For example, Greenprint Denver promoted the development of a joint group of businesses, and city departments. This group was called the Neighborhood Energy Action Partnership (NEAP). The objective of NEAP is to make use of the local non-profits so that community outreach can be organized. Providing the residents with energy audits is a potential way to increase their awareness and motivation to save energy. Denver should install subsidized smart meters to lower their cost for the residents and hence, enhance their adoption. The best way for Denver to reduce its carbon footprint as well as the demand for fuel is by introducing the public bike-sharing system, regulation of traffic jams and reduction of carbon emissions being two of the major requirements of sustainable development. The bike system saves on gasoline through its link with buses and trains so that a whole web of substitute transportation is spinned in Denver. This builds resilience into the transport system so that the reliance on one type of transportation is reduced. Presently, over 400 bikes have been located at 50 bike stations in the public areas to ensure maximal usability. Success of the Denver Bike Sharing program can be estimated from the fact that more than 96000 single rides have been recorded along with a procurement of over 1765 yearly memberships (Peterson, Matthews and Weingard 17). A significant population of the residents of Denver acquires the bikes on per-day basis and pays the fee accordingly. In order to increase the popularity of energy-conservation programs among the residents, there needs to be a concerted effort made by Denver. This can be achieved by creating awareness in the masses through demonstration of the usability of such programs on TV, schools and all