The Problem Of Global Warming - 2121 Words

Global warming is no longer looked upon as a background problem or a side job. It is now one of the biggest political crises that the world faces and it will take global cooperation in order to be solved. One of the biggest problems surrounding climate change is a lack of a clear understanding of what is a safe global temperature cap. Climate science is still, like all science, a developing topic. Scientists cannot yet completely and confidently make sure statements. As of right now, politicians are failing to do enough to slow down the effects humans are having on climate change. The inability of scientists to provide a definite temperature cap and the poor attitudes of a minority of the United Nations’ (UN) politicians towards that cap are the reasons politicians are failing to successfully create legislation that will halt human impacts on rising global temperatures. Climate scientists have, for a long time, agreed that climate change is a real and growing threat. They have been able to agree that climate change is a natural process that occurs over millions of years. They have also been able to agree that the climate problem humans are currently facing is not natural. Humans are significantly speeding up the process of climate change through global warming. NASA describes global warming as â€Å"the average global surface temperature increase from human emissions of greenhouse gasses† (Dunbar and Conway). In other words, humans, especially those in developed countries, areShow MoreRelatedGlobal Warming Is A Problem Essay1527 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Global warming is a dilemma; it is a debatable issue between a fact and a theory, between approval and disapproval and between having advantages and disadvantages. Endless questions that have indefinite answers arise to a man’s mind when just tackling the idea of the global warming. Many people do not take in consideration the environmental issues, their main interests lie behind thinking about their personal lives and needs. Only few who think about the environment they‘re living in. IsRead MoreThe Problem Of Global Warming1131 Words   |  5 PagesOne of the biggest problems facing in today s world is global warming. It is affecting the earth from climate changes, storms becoming worse over time creating damage to peoples homes, species dying because they can’t adapt rapidly to the changes, animal s population is shrinking and new diseases being created. Thankfully through time we have developed new technology to reduce the effect of global warming. However since we have dealt with global warming for so long for many years, we have doubleRead MoreThe Problem Of Global Warming1228 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is a Social Problem? A social issue is defined as an area of conflict in a social setting that influences different people and is often out of reach of the control of an individual or local geographical authority (Weart 73). Some social problems, however, are not perceived universally as such, resulting in a difference in opinion between different groups. Other social issues are universally recognized as justifiable and, therefore, are addressed by everyone. Global warming is a social issueRead MoreGlobal Warming Is A Problem1381 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is global warming? Global warming is the polar bears and penguins fighting for their lives because their home is melting. Global warming is seventy-degree weather in the middle of February. Global warming is the rapid increase in tropical storms. Global warming is the California drought. Global warming is the harmful wildfires occurring in our forests (NRDC). Many people, mostly politicians, believe that global warming is a problem that doesn’t exist. Global warming is a real issue that we cannotRead MoreThe Problem Of Global Warming1311 Words   |  6 Pagesknow is inhabitable is now being destroyed by man. As humanity has revolutionized we have created many problems along the way. The main problem we are facing right now is called global warming. We have damaged many ecosystems trying to better ourselves, and we have not yet once thought about the damage we are inflicting on our mother earth. We are already beginning to see the effects of global warming. It will make little changes that will have a huge impact, and devastate many ecosystems and everythingRead MoreThe Problem Of Global Warming1430 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal Warming in the United Stated Global warming is no longer just a prediction it is actually happening. It is undisputed that the average temperature at the surface of Earth has increased over the past century by 1 degree Fahrenheit, with both the air and the oceans warming. Since 1880, when people in many locations first began to keep temperature records, the 25 warmest years have all occurred within the last 28 years. The problem is that if we keep on hurting our own environment and ecosystemsRead MoreThe Problem Of Global Warming1443 Words   |  6 Pagesstruggle such as the Syrian war. One reason why Syrians are engaged in a war is that they are experiencing extreme heat and drought which causes them to be more rebellious and aggressive. The underlying cause of these trouble can be due to global warming. Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere because some of the sun’s ray cannot escape. It is a worldwide phenomenon that impacts each a nd every one of us because it cause irregular climate patternsRead MoreThe Problem Of Global Warming1088 Words   |  5 Pagesthe story in the movie The Age of Stupid, in which a man lives in the devastated future world of 2055. The man looks back to today’s date and asks himself why we did not stop the climate change when we had the chance. However, today global warming is out of control, global temperatures are steadily rising. â€Å"The primary cause, a consensus of scientists has said, is the rising emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane† (Stone, 2013). The CO2 stays in the atmosphere for 50 to 100 yearsRead MoreGlobal Warming Is A Problem1654 Words   |  7 Pagesthis reason is global warming. Global warming is a problem that some people choose to ignore. They claim it does not exist. Global warming is real. It is time for people to stop ignoring it and start searching for a solution. Although many people do not believe in global warming, blaming the climate change on the sun, global warming is a serious danger to the Earth because it could have serious effects on the plant and animal populations. To fully grasp the effects of global warming, one must firstRead MoreGlobal Warming Is A Global Problem1418 Words   |  6 PagesThe reason why, I decided to focus on global warming is because it doesn’t just affect one person it affects everyone as a national crisis. Numerous individuals don’t believe in global warming, but to scientist this is a big dilemma. In the article, â€Å"closer looks at climate change, it’s specified that these issues are not new, they have been around forever† (Schmidt, 2010). â€Å"In the article the real case against activist global warming, has gotten the response of the president of the United States†

The Vietnam War - 2388 Words

Introduction to My Lai The 7th of August 1964 saw the start of the Vietnam War where fatalities escalated as war arose. This once civil war since 1954 became an international Cold War as the US conducted military operations to the now, politically unstable Southeast Asia overrun by the Viet Cong. This turn in the civil war, saw one of the world’s most infamous events, The My Lai Massacre take place. December 1967, the 23rd Infantry Division’s fist battalion’s C Company, also known as Charlie Company arrives in South Vietnam. There they encountered 23 incidents of mines and booby traps resulting in 5 deaths followed by more deaths by Mid-March 1968. Morale was fading as anger and resentment rose amongst the remaining troops. In search of the Viet Congs 48th Battalion, C Company were sent to the village of Son My, specifically the hamlets of My Lai and My Khe in March 1968. The 16th March 1968 saw the first platoon’s Second lieutenant William L. Calley lead C Company into My Lai, where there were no findings of any VC. However it was believed that they were being hidden by the locals. As a result of this assumption, between 347-506 Vietnamese women, children, infants and elderly were killed as C Company carried out their gratuitous â€Å"search and destroy mission†. Unarmed civilians were killed on the spot, others were grouped, lined up in drainage ditches and executed. Some were clubbed, stabbed to death, tortured and some even had â€Å"C Company† carved into their chests. ThisShow MoreRelatedThe War Of Vietnam And The Vietnam War1525 Words   |  7 PagesThe war in Vietnam is The United States and other capitalist bloc countries supported South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) against the support by the Soviet Union and other socialist bloc countries of North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and the Vietcong of war. Which occurred during the Cold War of Vietnam (main battlefield), Laos, and Cambodia. This is the biggest and longtime war in American history during the 1960s (Best 2008). It is also the most significant war after World War IIRead MoreThe Vietnam War On Vietnam1725 Words   |  7 PagesThe War on Vietnam Many believe that the way Americans entered the war against the North Vietnam communists was unjust. The United States got into a war that they had no clue on how to win. â€Å"The Vietnam War was a long, costly armed conflict that pitted the communist regime of North Vietnam and its southern allies, known as the Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States. The divisive war, increasingly unpopular at home, ended with the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973Read MoreThe Vietnam War : Vietnam1170 Words   |  5 PagesBeyond Vietnam. The Vietnam War is one of the most traumatic episodes in the history of the United States. Not only because it ended with a defeat for the United States Army, but because unleashed the largest wave of protests in the country, in which the government lost support. Extended over more than a decade, between 1959 to April 30 of 1975, although the US intervened in 1965, in which American soldiers experienced in firsthand scenes of destruction and death. During the Vietnam War clashedRead MoreThe Vietnam War Of Vietnam920 Words   |  4 Pages1940’s Vietnam was trying to break free of French reign over their country. During this time period Vietnam was split into two parts, north and south. The Japanese had decided to take over Vietnam in 1942. They couldn’t capture all of Vietnam, so they decided to retreat. North Vietnam proclaimed independence on September 2, 1945 as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The State of Vietnam declared independence on June 14, 1949, but rema ined under French rule until August 1, 1954. South Vietnam was theRead MoreVietnam And The Vietnam War1711 Words   |  7 Pages â€Æ' The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest wars in the history of Vietnam. Vietnam use to be a peaceful country until the idea of communism started spreading across Vietnam. Many wanted to stay democratic but saw what happened to the Germans and started to lean towards communism. Many also wanted to stay democratic and still had it hopes high that it will soon get their lives and economy back on track. It later exploded into a huge argument and then leads to a civil war spurring between NorthRead MoreThe Vietnam War Of Vietnam952 Words   |  4 Pageswords that describe the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War had 240 days of combat in one year. World War II had forty days of combat in four years(Interesting Facts). That statistic shows how rough the Vietnam War was. The fighting was constant between the two sides. This war was fought over politics and had many gruesome battles. Before the Vietnam war, Vietnam was in a revolution because they did not want to be ruled by France. Vietnam wanted to be independent right after World War II ended in 1945. JapanRead MoreThe Vietnam War Of Vietnam1534 Words   |  7 Pages The Vietnam War began November 1st, 1955 and ended April 30th, 1975. It was a long costly war that involved North Vietnam and their Southern allies, known as Viet Cong, against South Vietnam and its main ally the United States. This war was very unpopular at home and would end with the withdrawal of the United States and the unification of Vietnam under communist control. Many think of war as something that just men are involved in but very rarely do people think of the role of women in the warRead MoreThe Vietnam War Of Vietnam1573 Words   |  7 PagesA. The Vietnam War occurred from 1955-1975, this included the North and South fighting over government structure of the newly independent state of Vietnam, having recently become independent f rom France. However, the USA was in Vietnam as a sort of protection for the South Vietnamese people, who had a weaker army force, but only a few thousand Americans were in Vietnam for that purpose at the time. On August 7, 1964, the USA entered the war for the purpose of fighting the North Vietnamese due toRead MoreThe Vietnam War Of Vietnam2003 Words   |  9 PagesThe Vietnam War in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia lasted from November 1st, 1955 to around April 30th, 1975. The war was split up between two sides, North Vietnam, who were allied with the Soviet Union, China, and most of the communist countries during this time period, and South Vietnam, who were allied with the United States and many countries that were against the belief of Communism. Although the United States did not necessarily have to get involved in the war, they believed that they had too soRead MoreVietnam And The Vietnam War1987 Words   |  8 PagesIn 1945, at the end of WWII, Vietnam started their war for ind ependence against their colonial rulers, France. Nine years after the start of the First Indochina War, the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu which led to a peace conference in Geneva. At the conference, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam received their independence from France. However, Vietnam was divided between a Communist North and a Democratic South. In 1958, Communist- supported guerrillas in South Vietnam, known as the Viet Cong, began

Water Microbiology Free Essays

Alyse Rose Microbiology Lab Bacterial Unknown March 25, 2013 Bacterial Unknown Report Each student was given an unknown bacteria to figure out. I was given the unknown bacteria S38. Everybody is supposed to do all sorts of test to identify the bacteria. We will write a custom essay sample on Water Microbiology or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first thing I did was smear my bacteria on a liquid medium. I then proceeded to incubate the medium for 24-48 hours. 1. GRAM STAIN The next step I took in finding my unknown bacteria was to gram stain it. This is used to differentiate the bacteria. The different staining reagents are: crystal violet, grams iodine, acetone-alcohol, and grams safranin. Under the microscope it was a pink color, which means Gram Negative. Also, the shape was a rod. 2. KLIGER’S IRON AGAR (KIA) The next step I did was the KIA slant. This is for the Negative bacteria to see if they are in the Enteriobacteriaceae group. There are many different results than can occur, like: 1. Yellow slant/yellow deep- (A/A) glucose lactose are fermented; if the butt has bubbles in it or is displaced, the tube is gas positive. 2. Red slant/yellow deep- (K/A) glucose but not lactose is fermented 3. Red slant/black deep- (K/A) glucose but not lactose is fermented and H2S2 is produced. The deep is acid (yellow) 4. Red slant/ red deep- (K/NC) neither carbohydrate is fermented. Peptone is degraded aerobically My result was a red slant and black deep. When is H2S2 is produced. Read Chapter 8 Microbial Genetics The deep is acid (yellow). Glucose was fermented and lactose wasn’t. 3. UREASE HYDROLYSIS TEST This test is used to see if urea is used. Proteus can be determined because there fast urease activity. Proteus is the ability to utilize lactose. My test resulted in a positive result. It was a pink color. In my end result, my unknown bacteria is Proteus Vulgaris. Gram Stain| Positive Gram Stain| Negative gram stain| KIARed slant/black deep| Urease Test| Urease Positive| Urease Negative| Proteus Vulgaris| How to cite Water Microbiology, Papers

My Little Quiet Place Essay Example For Students

My Little Quiet Place Essay Back home in South Carolina, my quiet place was a cabin my grandfather owned inthe woods. He would take me out there to hunt and fish. The place was so quiet,you could hear the quietness. Its the sound of a tone that settles in yourear. As I got older, I use to go there to get away from the city and cityproblems. I miss that place. A quiet place is something everyone needsregardless if they think so or not. To some, it may be their bedroom or bathtub,or any secluded place. My quiet place here and now is Piedmont Park. Now that Ireside in Atlanta, Georgia, Piedmont Park is a decent quiet place. Every SundayI would go out to Piedmont Park and relax. Its a peaceful place in such abusy city. I would find a secluded shaded area. Every Sunday was the sameroutine, I would prepare the night before. I would pack in a sack, a littleblanket, a few Sade CDs, and a blunt. Lying there under the clear blue sky,smelling the fresh cut grass, and the sweet smell of honeysuckle would take meinto a tran ce. There would be couples picnicking, and families barbecuing, therewould be masters walking their dogs, and kids throwing Frisbees. I would thinkabout the previous week and prepare myself mentally for the coming week. I wouldsit there for hours just relaxing and vibing on Sade. I think about all the timeI have wasted. I think about how we all take time for granted. I remember onetime I thought about time as a bank. Each day we are credited $86,400 or 86,400seconds. Every day we have to spend all of that money, you cant save orinvest the money. To understand the value of a day, ask a mother who has givenbirth to a pre-mature child one day to early, to understand the value of anhour, ask someone who is waiting for a vital organ. To understand the value of aminute, ask someone who has missed the bus. To understand the value of a second,ask someone who has just been through a car accident. To understand the value ofa millisecond, ask an Olympic silver medalist. Time is just one thing I thinkabout in my quiet place. I try to accept the past and prepare for the future. Family, health, future endeavors, new friendships, friendships that you knowneed to end, secrets, ambitions, goals, and solitude are many things that gothrough my mindand the best thing about it. no one interrupts you!

The Merchant of Venice Essay Example

The Merchant of Venice Paper If a man has prejudged, negative opinions against a group of people, because of race, colour, wealth or any other reason, can he be considered to be uneducated in the modern world or has society merely educated him with narrow-minded views? The concept of racism, prejudices and inequalities is dealt with throughout Shakespeares A merchant of Venice and although it was written around 1598, like most of Shakespeares works the themes are universal and timeless which makes them very relevant to contemporary society. The main themes of the play are justice and mercy and how these is given and received in the bitter relationship between Antonio, the Christian merchant and Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. The merchant of Venice is considered to be one of Shakespeares comedies as it has a happy ending for most of the characters and an Elizabethan audience would find Shylocks tragedies amusing, but in the last four hundred years society has drastically changed. Would a modern audience have a different opinion on the treatment of Shylock or would the Elizabethan values remain? Fear of the unknown is part of human nature and the Jewish religion and its followers were very unknown to the vast majority people in Shakespeares time. We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Jews started to enter England in 1066 and in the course of a generation they established communities in Bristol, York, Canterbury and London, and began to prosper by trading and lending money. However, in 1290 under the reign of Edward I, 16000 Jews were expelled from England although a few managed to stay in England by hiding their identity. This expulsion led to 350 years of Jewish exile from England, which means that there had been no Jews in England for about 300 years before Shakespeare was born! Few people knew a Jew and the majority of people were quite simple, uneducated and illiterate. It was easy to categorize Jews and tereotype them. Something that helped in the stereotyping process was a famous drama by Marlow called The Jew of Malta, performed in 1589. The lead character, Barabas refuses to pay tribute to the crown and so, his wealth is seized and his house converted into a convent. Enraged by these events Barabas sets out on journey of slaughter, which includes the poisoning of an entire convent. Elizabethan audiences loved the exaggeration and hyperbole of Barabass character and the conclusion of the story, were he is boiled to death in a cauldron of water while screaming was very much enjoyed by the audience! The Jew of Malta is not just an anti-Semitic play, but it clearly shows the hypocrisy shown by the Christian community in Elizabethan England. One of the few Jews in England was Dr. Lopez. He was the doctor for Queen Elizabeth I. Lopez was convicted of trying to assassinate Queen Elizabeth and was executed after he was tortured quite savagely, and during the interrogation the fact that he was Jewish became known. The causes for conviction were beliefs that Lopez had tried to poison Queen Elizabeth, but what was later discovered was that the facial makeup she used contained Mercury, a highly poisoned metallic element. However the lack of scientific knowledge in Elizabethan times meant that Lopez was killed. Significantly, Marlowes drama The Jew of Malta was performed shortly after the execution, some accounts claim it was merely ten days after, so the idea of Jews being evil, murderous creatures would have been highly inflicted into Elizabethan stereotypes. Shakespeares generation based their anti-Semitism on religious grounds. The Nazi program which climaxed in the Holocaust of World War 2 and resulted in the deaths of six million Jews was anti-Semitism on racial grounds. A Nazi does not care if a Jew believes in God or rays; A Jew is a Jew and they were considered racially inferior. Elizabethan England however, had inherited the Christian propaganda that the Jews had murdered Christ and so were connected to the devil and were actively trying to stop the spread of Christianity. Jewish people do not accept the blame for the crucifixion of Christ for various reasons: * Crucifixion was a Roman form of execution * People who lived decades after the event itself and were most likely to be biased against the Jews (so to take the blame from Christianity) wrote the accounts of the crucifixion and the events leading up to the crucifixion. Throughout its history, Christianity has tried to stop the following of other religions as well as Judaism. Paganism and other Earth based religions had been established hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus yet as Christianity began to spread, leaders of the Church claimed that the pagan horned God was the devil. This kind of religious propaganda has stayed in society for years as this is were the concept of the devil having horns comes from. Even Christians themselves did not live together well in Elizabethan times, and still today as can be seen in Northern Ireland; Catholics and Protestants onflict. When we see these points, it is no wonder that the Christian Church throughout history targeted Judaism. All this information is relatively clear to how Elizabethan society as a whole viewed the Jews, yet what is not so clear is what exactly Shakespeares image of a Jew was, as they had been banished from England three hundred years before his birth. This is a personal opinion, and the reader must come to his or her own conclusion after considering whether Shakespeare did satisfy the narrow-minded views the audience would have against the Jews. To do so, not just the text hould be analysed but also the dramatic devices used, stage history and the history of the Jews. The purpose of the first scenes is to inform the viewer of the main plot, e. . the bond, but Shylocks first scene not only tells us of this, but also we realise Shylocks character traits. These traits are quickly laid down and repeated his focus on money, (my meaning in saying he is a good man is to have you understand me that he is sufficient- lines 13-15) his hatred of Christians, (I hate him for he is a Christian- line 38) his pride in his religion and also, his cunning mind. Shylock actually speaks less than Bassanio or Portia and appears in only five scenes but due to his audience-provoking character he is the most dominating character. Shylocks first appearance in The Merchant of Venice is in Act One Scene Three. From his entrance on stage the audience would identify him as a Jew, as he would be wearing traditional Jewish clothing such as a gabardine, which is a loose cloak worn by Jewish men. Shakespeare would emphasize the costumes in the Globe theatre and other theatre during his time, because the audiences were quite rowdy. People were known to shout at the villains, cheer for their heroes, nd comment on the play loudly. At the same time, food and drink vendors would be going around the audience selling their goods. Distinctive costumes made Shakespeares plots easier to follow for the viewers. However, as mentioned before, many spectators would jeer at the villains and Shylocks entrance on stage would receive a very negative response. What adds to the audiences aggression towards Shylock is what he is talking about in his debut. He is talking to Bassanio about lending three thousand ducats (form of currency) to Antonio. This marks him as a usurer, someone who lends money and charges interest, hich was hated in Elizabethan times. This may seem hard to understand as this is how major banks work today, but in the Old Testament the exacting of interest on a loan was forbidden to Jews who were lending to Jews and in the Middle Ages it was forbidden to Christian clerics and then to laymen. Medieval theory says that money cannot breed money and Aristotle taught that money was barren. After the rise of capitalism however, the sixteenth-century reformers relaxed in this teaching but some countries toleration of usury came late, and England was one of those countries. The way Shylock may be acting at this point in the play would also agitate the audience. Bassanio, a Christian and a good friend of Antonio, comes to Shylock the Jewish moneylender, whom he and Antonio have cruelly mocked many times before, to ask to borrow money on behalf of Antonio. For the first time, Shylock feels as though he has the upper hand. Nowadays most people would certainly be able to understand why Shylock would lengthen this superiority but not Shakespeares audiences. This would simply annoy them more as they would not be able to see that a Jew is still a human and would have uman reactions, just like a Christian, just like themselves. The main plot of the play is determined in this scene, as the forfeit of the bond is decided. If Antonio does not pay the bond back within three months then Antonio must allow Shylock to cut a pound of flesh from anywhere upon Antonios body. Shylock suggests the forfeit in a joking manner as he says: This kindness will I show. Go with me to a notary; seal me there Your single bond, and, in a merry sport, If you repay me not on such a day let the forfeit Be nominated for an equal pound Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken In what part of your body pleaseth me Antonio merrily agrees to the bond, but Bassanio cautions him; he doesnt want Antonio risking his life so that Bassanio can borrow money, however Antonio reassures Bassanio that My ships come home a month before the day. What he means by this is that as a merchant not only will his ships return home but his money also. What Antonio and Bassanio do not realise though is the fact that Shylock would much rather have a pound of Antonios flesh than any amount of money because Shylock seeks revenge upon Antonio for the way he treats him and his fellow Jews. Antonio and Bassanio, like the Christian audience, would not be able to believe that a Jew would want revenge on a Christian; their narrow-minded views would not comprehend that. Lines 102 to 125 in Act One Scene Three are of Shylock speaking to Antonio about the unfair way he has been treated in by Antonio and his fellow Christians in Venice. This speech is essential for the comparison of a modern audiences view on the treatment of Shylock compared to an audience of Shakespeares time. Shylock speaks to Antonio about the way he has received abuse from the Christians, verbal and physical. Shylock states that although Antonio as often criticised him about his business, he has borne it with a patient shrug, For sufferance is the badge of all our tribe. This again emphasizes his strong belief in his religion, and reinforces image that throughout history the Jews have often been singled out for persecution. More evidence of how Shylock is treated in Venice continues, as he states, You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog, And spit upon my Jewish gabardine, This shows how not only was he verbally abuse, but also physically. He is constantly insulted because of who he is, and Christians spit upon his religious clothing. He late in the speech claims that Antonio has foot me as you spurn a stranger cur, (Kicked me as you would kick a stray dog), and did void your rheum upon my beard. All of these points show Shylocks side of the story, and Shylock then questions Antonio, Hath a dog money? The way that Shylock mocks Antonio by asking this would anger Shakespeares audience, how dare a Jew speak to a Christian in such a way? It is clear now that the Elizabethans, like the Nazis, saw the Jews as an inferior race. Shylock asks if Antonio expects him to humble himself to Antonio and say: Fair sir you spat on me Wednesday last; You spurned me on such a day; another time You called me dog; and for these courtesies Ill lend you this much moneys? He would most likely speak in a sardonic, scornful tone as Shylock for probably the first time, has power above Antonio. Again, the audience are angered. After Shylock has spoken of his suffering, Antonio blatantly tells Shylock that he will most likely call him again! Antonio does not care about the pain Shylock has to go through because of him and his friends, because Shylock is a Jew. He obviously does not like the tone Shylock has spoken to him with and so he is trying to regain his ower. Antonio and Shylock settle on the bond and Act One, Scene Three ends, with Bassanio disliking the terms of the bond. The dramatic tension increases as throughout the play as Antonios ships fail to return home and the audience informed of this revelation by the use of two minor characters. Shakespeare often used this technique, as it is an effective way to move on in the story. Salerio and Solanio are the minor characters used as in Act Two Scene Eight, they joke about Shylocks misfortune (his daughter Jessica has stolen a lot of his money and has ran away to marry Lorenzo, a Christian) and hen Salerio informs Solanio of how a vessel of our country richly fraught has crashed, and Salerio suspects it may be Antonios. The audience would presume that it was Antonios ship, as this would have to happen for the sake of the plot, and it is also clear that with his recent misfortunes, Shylocks need for revenge upon the Christians would be greater. Shylocks vindictiveness feeds on the news of Antonios sorrow and the conclusion of the story is the trial scene, Act Four, Scene One. Antonio could not pay the 3000 ducats back in time and Shylock demands that he takes the pound of Antonios flesh, it seems that no one can top him by persuasion nor legally can they stop him. The matter is brought to court where the comedy aspect returns, as Bassanios new wife, the beautiful Portia dresses as a young lawyer named Balthazar to represent Antonio in court. Comedies are based on convention of some sort, so an Elizabethan audience would have known Balthazar was actually Portia yet for the purpose of the story this would have been easily accepted, as would the fact that her husband doesnt recognise her. Shylock enters the courtroom and the Duke of Venice proceeds with a speech he presumes will make Shylock show mercy towards Antonio. He ends it with We all expect a gentle answer, Jew! This shows how not just the Christians and merchants see him and Judaism, but also the authorities, as the Duke represents political views. They all doubt that a Jew could ever want revenge upon a Christian no matter what the situation is they expect Jews to be meek towards them and never retaliate. Shylock is defiant and is sure he will have his bond. Again, his religion is part of the argument because by our holy Sabbath have I sworn. He believes strongly that he is standing up for the Jews, for all the suffering they have gone through. A main factor that adds to the delicate situation is concerned with the law of Venice. Venice had a good reputation of strictly enforcing its laws, even against its citizens. The bond between Shylock and Antonio was a legal one, and if Venice were to spare Antonios life and destroy the bond Venices reputation would be severely damaged. The courtroom sees shylock as an unfeeling man, but Shylock refuses to be intimidated and he is persistent that he wants his bond. At one point, Bassanio offers Shylock six thousand ducats, twice the money Antonio was to pay back, but Shylocks determination is shown with his eply: If every ducat in six thousand ducats Were in six parts, and every part a ducat, I would not draw them; I would have my bond! Clearly, there is no way that Shylock will show mercy at this stage, but the Duke asks him How shalt thou hope for mercy, rendering none? This may seem quite ironic as the same question could be posed to Antonio, but when Shylock replies it is plain to see that Shylock does not think he is doing any wrong, and he demands a decision. The Duke is obviously in a difficult position because Shylock does have a bond and so he ca lls for Bellario, a learned doctor but instead, Balthazar (Portia in disguise) comes on his behalf. Through out the courtroom scene Antonios behaviour has been patient and he is ready to face death if he can goodbye to Bassanio. An example of his self-pity is when he speaks to Bassanio, his close friend, and says: I am a tainted wether of the flock, Meetest for death The build up of dramatic tension continues in the trial scene as Shylock wets his knife, preparing to cut the pound of flesh. This shows how sure Shylock is that he will get his bond and it also adds to the underlying current of tension as the courtroom await a decision. This action by Shylock makes him seem inhuman; he is happily anticipating the opportunity to murder someone. Elizabethan opinions on Jews would be satisfied, and it would seem that Shakespeares interpretation of a typical Jew was the same bloodthirsty image as the audiences. This is then stressed by Gratianos insults towards Shylock in which he calls him a damned, inexorable dog and he also states that he is almost tempted to abandon his faith in Christianity and believe the ideas of Pythagoras, who was a philosopher who taught the belief of reincarnation. Gratiano states that Shylock would become wolf after death, as his desires are wolfish, bloody, starved and ravenous. Yet none of this affects Shylock, who would have greatly irritated the Elizabethan audience. He meets his match however in Portia. Upon her entrance in the courtroom she quite ignorantly states, Then must the Jew be merciful. She, of course, has the same view on Jewish people as the rest of the courtroom and when Shylock demands why he must be merciful, she tells not only Shylock, although her words are addressed to him, but the whole courtroom, about mercy. This is the strongest plea of the trial scene and it is also very mportant because it shows that Portia is not just a beautiful woman, but an intelligent one too. She says that: The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath; it is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes She continues to use very strong pleas of how mercy is at it strongest when it is a quality shown by those in power, in this case Shylock. Shylock demands justice and so Balthazar points out to Shylock one of the key points in her speech: Therefore Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That in the course of justice none of us Should see salvation Balthazar tells Shylock that if we all received justice and no mercy none of us would go to Heaven as we all have sins- Jews and Christians. This is Shylocks last chance to show mercy, take the money and be done with the situation but he will not turn back. He is very stubborn and to his delight Balthazar grants him is bonds. Shylock rejoices and pronounces how wise Balthazar is. Unknown to Shylock is the extent of Balthazars wisdom, as she has led him into a written trap. Antonio and Bassanio say goodbye to each other as Antonio awaits his fate; he eems as though it really is the end for Antonio until Balthazar interrupts the proceedings: Tarry a little; there is something else: This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood; The words expressly are a pound of flesh; Take then they bond, take thou thy pound of flesh, But in the cutting it, if thou dost shed One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods Are (by the laws of Venice) confiscate Unto the state of Venice Suddenly, it is not Shylock who is shouting O learned judge! but Gratiano. Balthazar finds another technicality to stop Shylock from taking the pound of flesh as he must take exactly one pound of flesh, o more or less, if not he will be executed and all his goods confiscated. Shylock changes his mind at this point and decides he wants to take the money instead now that he knows of the consequences if he does take the bond. Bassanio is willing to give Shylock the three thousand ducats but Balthazar will not let Shylock have it, as he has refused it in the open court. Yet another law of Venice is brought to light and used against Shylock because, as he, an alien (not a citizen of Venice) has plotted to kill Antonio, a citizen, Antonio should be given half of his goods and the other half to the Duke. Antonio asks the Duke to waive the States share, and says he will hold his half-share in trust for Lorenzo and Jessica, provided that Shylock becomes a Christian and leaves his estate to Lorenzo and Jessica. Shylock accepts, claiming to be content and he leaves the courtroom a broken man. His behaviour now is completely different to the start of the scene. He has lost his power, his wealth and most importantly, his religious freedom. Throughout the play Shylock is isolated and alone. He only has one friend, who is Tubal and his only relative is Jessica, but when Jessica elopes, taking the money and family jewels, we see him taunted y Christians and tortured by Tubals news. He, as a Jew cannot be a merchant yet he is abused because he is a usurer, and he is forced to live in a Ghetto along with the other Jews, a place he does not want to live. Shakespeares use of language further alienates Shylock. Shakespeare wrote in Early Modern English and his vocabulary included 30000 words whereas today our vocabularies only run between 6000 and 15000 words. Shakespeare wrote the way he did for poetic and dramatic purposes, and he wrote in both prose (language without metrical structure and verse (poetry) and in The Merchant of Venice Shylock requently speaks in prose while the Christians use the iambic pentameter. Shylock also speaks a lot less than Portia and Bassanio because they use long, flourishing and descriptive ways of talking while Shylocks language is often blunt and he uses harsh words to describe things, such as his comparison of Antonio to a rat to be poisoned. Shylock has his own prose, and uses special Jewish vocabulary, which marks him as different and he constantly uses Hebrew names: Jacob, Abraham and Leah. However, there is more Christian language in The Merchant of Venice than in any other comedy, partly because of its story of the Jew. Shakespeare also makes Shylock very anti-Christian and he mocks the New Testament. (The audience would take this very personally). Another way in which the Christian language is shown is the relation between the story of Bassanio coming to Antonio for forgiveness and the parable of the prodigal son. The audience would pick up on these different kinds of language used, as they do sound different. It would also please the audience because lesser characters spoke in prose, and they would believe that Shakespeare too saw the Jews as an inferior race. But did he? Shylocks downfall would have been greatly welcomed by the ast majority of Elizabethan society but from a contemporary point of view, The Merchant of Venice can be seen as a cleverly written satire, which effectively criticizes the anti-Semitic views of his time. One of the ways in which Shakespeare accomplishes this critique is by emphasizing Shylocks character as a man rather than his identity as a Jew. What the play reveals is how some Christians are terrible men, as are some Jews. But the genius of The Merchant of Venice is that it allows us see past the surface of the religious identity that defines Shylock the Jew; beyond that Shakespeare allows s to glimpse Shylock the man who hates and bleeds as does any Christian. Shylock proclaims this when he asks, If you prick us, do we not bleed? Shakespeares genius gave the Elizabethan audience what they wanted but looking back we can see how this is very ironic and sarcastic in its tone towards anti-Semitism. This Jew is no longer a caricature and though he remains the villain, the evil is on more than one character. Shylock is a paradox because he is both the bloodthirsty, ravenous wolf Gratiano described him as and also the human victim of abuse that makes his revenge understandable. With this in mind, I doubt that a modern audience would be glad of Shylocks downfall. We would recoil from the hatred he expresses but we would sympathise once we hear of the way he is treated by Antonio. Yet in the courtroom scene these mitigating circumstances were ignored and so Shylock did not receive a fair trial by modern day standards. This adds to a contemporary audiences compassion towards Shylock and I think many people would find Shylocks punishment too harsh. Religious freedom is taken for granted by many in the western world and I also think that many people would want Antonio to be given some ind of punishment. We can see the man behind the murderer and although two wrongs dont make a right, Shylocks actions are understandable if we see him as a human being. So when can we call someone uneducated? In my opinion, a person with unjustified prejudices is educated, but with narrow-minded views. The most uneducated point of a persons life is when theyre a child; when they are first born. Elizabethan society fed their children these views and so we cannot blame Antonio directly. Shylock may have been a cut-throat usurer but he was not a dog and did not deserve to be spat at.

The Medicare Debate essays

The Medicare Debate essays The U.S. government have denied that Medicare has been going bankrupt. Although the government may say that Medicare has plenty of money it is untrue because it is a fact that Medicare will go bankrupt by the year 2001 as stated by preliminary sources. Medicare is one of the main sources of funding for those people that have no money or very small amount of money. The community service that was done for this research paper is hospital volunteering at John Muir Medical Center. The community service included various jobs that was needed to be done were, Putting items away for nurses, discharging patients, doing paper work, feeding patients, answering phones, and helping patients when they ask for assistance. The floor I worked on was Oncology (The branch of medicine that deals with tumors, including study of their development, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention). This community service has help me gain insight on the Medicare situation because I have asked multiple amount of people t hat work at John Muir Medical Center. There is a side to be considered about Medicare and Social Security in the government. The vice president of the United States, Al Gore, wrote in a letter stating that social security funds are not being depleted. Gore said that, "the allegations to the contrary have been circulated by certain organizations as a money-making scheme for some time." (Gore Letter). Vice President Gore tries to show theses allegations are untrue by explaining how social security works. In this letter, Vice President Gore cleared up the allegations by writing that, "When Social Security taxes are collected, they are credited to the Social Security trust funds with government security, perhaps the safest investment in the United States. In history Medicare has experience a few problem regarding it's funding. Problems have occurred over the history of Medicare. The major problem and most recent of Medicare is that it is going bankrupt. Med...

Competition Between Political Parties Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Competition Between Political Parties - Essay Example It is a group comprising of numerous individuals striving for a common cause but all supports the set of common governmental goals. It may be 2 or 3 or many party system. However in a party, people are the representatives always desiring to create equality and fraternity in a country to maintain peace and order. But, in the most imperative thing that need to be maintained is the rules and regulations of the government like: equal speaking power of the citizens, voting rights, rights of all basic needs etc (Hofmeister & Grabow, 2011, p. 4). Apart from political party, another type of group that also works for the benefit of general public is pressure groups. In recent age, maximum extent of the citizens do not try to engage in politics through voting and so without joining the political parties, they become politically active through their active membership in groups, organizations and associations of varied kinds. These type of parties are also known as pressure groups (Hofmeister & Grabow, 2011, p. 5). The parties or groups are some sort of permanent organizations that help in contesting elections with the aim to acquire the crucial positions in the government of the state. These small fractions of individuals or groups work for a common cause keeping at par with the rules and regulations of the state. Thus, these parties act as a device to highlight the desire or interest of the citizens among the higher authorities of the state or country (Hofmeister & Grabow, 2011, p. 6).