Keats' Odes and the themes of life and death

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John Keats (175-181) is widely perceived as one of the best poets from the Romantic era. As in most Romantic work, the emphasis is placed on beauty. This beauty is then most often expressed in mythology, nature and personal emotion. Keats presents images clearly and simplistically with a definite sense of joy and pain and an ever-present infinite pathos and tenderness (Downer 16 7-8).Of his vast collection of poetic work, Keats' odes are often argued to be his best work in which he creates "… a new class of lyrical poetry" (Downer 16 1). It is clear that the odes were composed in a state of deep reflection and depending on the mood or theme of the poem, they vary from pensive to felicitous. At the same time the odes are "… always self-contained and natural" (Downer 161). The central and most obvious elements of Keats' work in general Nature, Hellenism and Romance are also found in his odes, but there is also another significant element present - that of the mental state of Keats himself (Downer 16 1).In this assignment two of the odes, namely 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' and 'Ode on Melancholy' will be analysed and discussed with reference to the important themes of the sense of the fleetingness of life and thoughts on eternity and immortality.In 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' a higher sate of philosophical thought is reached than in any other ode of Keats and the Philosophy of Art and the Ethics of Life are touched upon. The degree of personal emotion present in the poem leaves Keats free of any objective thought. A definite undertone of pathos can be observed in the fact that pain always seems to be present even in a state of passion and pleasure. This pathos does, however, seem to elevate the general thought of the poem which involves the contemplation of Beauty that Keats equates with Truth. The advantages of plastic art over human life in regard to permanence are clearly illustrated and thus the themes of transience and immortality (Downer 16 6).

In 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' the poet views an old Grecian urn and recounts to the reader how the urn looks. He then goes deeper by expressing awe at the fact that the urn has survived for such a long time and how the imagery on the urn's surface is able to tell a more meaningful story than a poem would have been able to. Emphasis is also placed on the fact that the figures depicted on the urn will live on into eternity and by doing this Keats makes the reader aware of the fact that human life is transient.An external analysis of the ode reveals five regular stanzas each comprising a quatrain and a sestet. The rhyme in each stanza differs and the irregularity can be found throughout in the last three lines. With regard to metre, the poem is written in iambic pentameter.The poem begins with a very striking metaphor. The use of the word "unravished" indicates that the urn is unspoilt - even pure - and has been able to survive the long time since it was created, relatively intact. In the first two lines particular emphasis is placed on silence and this theme of silence is further explored in the rest of the poem as well (Pettet 157 1-). "quietness", "silence" and "slow time" all illustrate the noiseless state in which the urn exists and by being the "foster-child of silence" it is suggested that the urn has been adopted by this quiet and that it has been in this muted state for a long period stretching from the classic time in which it was created to the modern time (Downer 16 4). According to Jack (Jack 167 14) this emphasis on silence links with the well-known observation of Simonides that a poem is a speaking picture, while a picture is a silent poem. It is thus clear that Keats is not merely concerned with the aesthetic beauty of the urn, but also with silence and time which serves as a link between the ancestors and their offspring for all eternity (Blackstone 15 ). The urn is also equated to a "historian". This metaphor serves to explain that the urn functions as a type of storyteller in the depiction on the urn's surface. The "flowery tale" links with the abovementioned function of the urn and refers to the flowery or leaf-like decorations on the urn. In line 4 a comparison is made between the expressive power inherent in visual art and poetry. Keats prefers visual art and it is clear that he perceives the deeper, hidden meaning of the figures of the urn. By using "legend" the reader once again gets the idea of a continued and sustained situation. The ethereal and romantic nature of the story depicted on the urn is suggested by the word "haunt" (Downer 16 45). In the sestet at the close of the first stanza Keats asks a series of questions regarding the identity of the characters and the setting in which they are found. He leaves these questions unanswered, however, because by not providing answers it leaves the possibility for the imagination to intervene, much as what happens in visual art (Downer 16 45).In the first four lines of stanza the abovementioned power of art to stimulate the imagination is expressed further. Keats believes that the melody of the piper figured on the urn is much more "sweeter" than music which is physically heard as it requires the use of imagination. What makes it even more special, is the fact that every person will have a unique idea of what that melody sounds like. In line , the "sensual ear" refers to the ear of sense. Line 4 seems to add a light touch that continues for the rest of the stanza. The figures and foliage seems almost to be alive (Downer 16 47). The repeated idea of silence comes through in this stanza by the usage of words like "unheard" and "ditties of no tone". The central theme of this ode and one of the most important qualities of art, namely the permanence of it in comparison to the transience of life, is quite clear in the closing sestet of stanza . While the actual piper, the trees and the lover with his object of affection have long since passed away, they will remain forever more as images on the surface of the urn; thus in the form of art. In line 8 we see that although the lover will never be immersed in an actual kiss with his beloved, he is actually extremely privileged as he will always be with his beloved and neither of them will be withered away by time.Stanza is a continuation of the thought in stanza about the permanence of life. Everything that is fleeting in real life the trees, the piper and the lovers lives forever in art. They are all blessed, "... for whatever Art may sacrifice of the loveliness and freshness of Nature, it attains permanence, which Nature attains not" (Downer 16 48). Whereas stanza 1 emphasised the advantage of art over poetry, here we see the advantage it has over nature. Permanence is not, however, the sole advantage. Images in art can attain elements of calmness, elevation and perfect joy. Downer (Downer 16 48) rightfully proclaims that in this ode it is made clear that art has the "… power to awaken the imagination to yet more sweet and exalted perception than reality…"Stanza 4 introduces a new scene where a fawn is led to slaughter as part of a sacrificial, religious ceremony. Silence once again comes into play in this stanza with the comment on the town that "… for evermore will silent be…" The repetition of "little town" seems to suggest a playful tone. The image of this town that will remain silent for all eternity and will leave a bundle of unanswered questions is according to Downer (Downer 16 48) not so much sad as it is a little pathetic and it evokes a sense of empathy in the audience and the reader."Attic" in stanza 5 refers to Athens, which is the centre of Greece, which in its turn is the mother of all arts. "Fair Attitude" is used in reference to the urn that appears extremely beautiful as it stands to be viewed. In lines 4 and 5 Keats makes it clear that it is just as unfathomable for the human mind to grasp the ideas and the feelings that the urn evokes as it is to encompass eternity. The same confused feeling that is produced when an attempt is made to grasp the meaning of the imagery on the urn, is produced when trying to fathom the infinite (Downer 16 4).It is important to note that the urn stands central amidst the "woe" of the world. Blackstone (Blackstone 15 ) argues that the urn thus functions as a friend to mankind that has the power vested in it to soothe and admonish. It maintains its ancient dignity but has become more approachable over the ages. The urn exhibits the great aim of art "…to soothe the cares and lift the thoughts of man" (Blackstone 15 ).The message of the urn as well as the moral of 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' are often said to be encapsulated in line 11 when Keats proclaims, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty…" It is the last two lines of stanza 5, which then carries the real interest of the poem and two philosophical ideas. According to Downer (Downer 16 50) these two ideas are "…the Incomprehensibilty of the Infinite in Art and Nature and the Ethics of Beauty…" It is Keats' conviction that Beauty is the touchstone of Truth.Keats' 'Ode on Melancholy' is very closely related to 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' in regard to the time of composition, its poetic substance as well as the logical statement around which it centres. Where 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' very specifically illustrates the experience of beauty, 'Ode on Melancholy' merely makes a statement on this experience. The Romantic idea of the fact that the experience of joy, ecstasy and beauty is always and inevitably linked to sorrow, comes across as the central theme in 'Ode on Melancholy' (Caldwell 165 166). According to Caldwell (Caldwell 165 167) the same idea can be found in 'Ode to a Grecian Urn' as the poet experiences an intense sense of joy while regarding the urn, but he is indeed fraught with sadness when he realizes that; while the characters on the urn and the urn itself will live on for eternity, his death is inevitable and thus "Mortality weighs heavily as the poet contemplates (the various images)…" (Caldwell 165 167-168).We see in 'Ode on Melancholy' that Keats views the passing away of joy and the fading and dying of beauty as the worst melancholies. In this poem the reader is constantly made aware of the paradox between the experiences of joy and sadness as well as the close relationship between these two emotions (Downer 16 86). Jones (Jones 16 16) points out that 'Ode on Melancholy' is an ode of consciousness where the consciousness "… is spatialised into a landscape of the head" which the reader can clearly distinguish from the "art-space" present in 'Ode to a Grecian Urn'. These two different spaces or spheres link with Keats' idea about the actual experience of life and the thoughts surrounding immortality. Art also comes into the argument, as it is just as important an aspect as life.Although a much more intensive analysis can be made of a larger collection of poetic works by Keats, it is obvious that he was intrinsically a Romantic poet whose contention it was that there is an ever-present conflict between man's sense of life's transience and his immediate understanding of the infinite.BibliographyBlackstone, B. 15. The Consecrated Urn. London Longmans, Green & Co.Caldwell, J.R. 165. John Keats' Fancy. New York Octagon Books.Downer, A.C. 16. The Odes of Keats. Folcroft The Folcroft Press.Jack, I. 167. Keats and the Mirror of Art. Oxford Clarendon Press.Jones, J. 16. John Keats' Dream of Truth. London Chatto & Windus.Pettet, E.C. 157. On the Poetry of Keats. Cambridge Cambridge University Press. Please note that this sample paper on Keats' Odes and the themes of life and death is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Keats' Odes and the themes of life and death, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on Keats' Odes and the themes of life and death will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Team Leadership

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How do groups cohere? Historically, strong leadership and a shared culture have been the primary factors in determining collective unanimity within social groups. Managers today might not have absolute power of life or death over their staff, being restricted to hiring and firing in their power to enforce the hierarchy, and their corporate mythology might shade by comparison with that of, say, ancient Rome; yet, although managers today need to unite different people without the traditional binding agents of shared ethnicity or religion, unifying them in pursuit of tasks which can sometimes appear dreary even to the most committed worker, it is becoming abundantly clear that negative motivation the threat of unemployment is at best a limited management tool. Although the knowledge that keeping one's job is contingent on performance necessarily informs every worker's consciousness, fear alone breeds hatred, discord and consequently inefficiency. It is a truth almost universally accepted that a happy worker is a good one aside from such prerequisites as a pleasant working environment and the avoidance of overwork, it seems clear that a good team-spirit is the key to healthy morale. Working as a team increases people's sense of purpose, their feeling of belonging and consequently their productivity. In fact, a properly functioning team is absolutely essential for any business with more than one employee. If the rugby pack doesn't push together, they lose the game. Fortunately, for the twenty-first-century corporate manager, a support-structure, a science and industry of positive motivation, fitted for the contemporary market, has evolved. And one of its principal methods is that delineated in this section. The companies on show here specialize in removing workers from their normative contexts and involving them in challenging, unusual and entertaining activities, by which shared experience the group knits together, eliciting previously untapped interpersonal relationships and individual potential. It is important that we recognize the constructive use-value borne by play in relation to work, since the two exist not in opposition, but in symbiosis. The cooption of constructive play by the corporations is their masterstroke; for by simulating the activities of family and friendship within its aegis, the corporation inculcates comparable loyalties and energies among its workforce. Gamesman Productions are currently leading the way in the provision of innovative team-building games to the corporate event industry. Neil Harvey, the owner (who previously made scenic props for such shows as 'The Phantom of the Opera'), aims to create a 'toy-box' sensibility in all Gamesman products, to effect a high visual impact and encourage a ludic attitude. Thus it is that Mr. Harvey's new game, 'Hell's Bells', uses imaginative play rather than the more divisive impulse of competition as its driving force. 'Hell's Bells' is designed to throw light on team dynamics, focusing on project management skills and team communication issues. For the manager, this is a handy side-effect of corporate team games, which become a means of observing one's colleagues at close hand, in a different light from usual, throwing their strengths and weaknesses into relief. 'Hell's Bells' itself is an unprecedented and impressive development, in which the participants have to construct a series of automata whose correct alignment will enact automatically a medieval story, which is the culmination of the game and the convergence of cryptic clues and riddles scattered throughout. The game can accommodate fifteen to two hundred participants, lasting from a minimum of two hours to significantly longer, depending on how it is supervised, keeping everyone involved and, of course, thoroughly entertained. Now, a more martial model of group play is that perennial favourite of the corporate market, paintballing. Holmbush Paintballing has over ten years of experience at organizing paintballing events to boost morale and help to create firm business relationships with staff and clients alike. Situated on the prestigious ,500 acre Holmbush Estate, they offer tailored 'Paintball' events for all sizes of companies, both small and Blue Chip, supplying an action-packed, adrenaline-fuelled corporate day out. Paintball highlights the absolute necessity of communication and teamwork from all levels of staff. Players have the opportunity to practice and develop their leadership skills. Everybody is encouraged to be highly motivated to achieve success, and their decision-making and risk management skills are tested to the limit. Players have to combine their individual talents and create real working relationships, breaking down traditional work-place barriers in order to achieve the set objectives. Holmbush provides all the equipment necessary - which includes full camouflage uniforms, full-face masks and the paintball guns and all players are given a full half-hour safety briefing before any of the weapons are issued and the players go to any of the twelve different playing areas, each of which provides a different objective for the players to achieve. All the staff are fully trained in-house and are enthusiasts of the game. Each team is assigned a Marshal who guides you throughout the day, ensuring safety and fair play while in the varying 'Combat Zones'. At the end of the day the Marshals hold a Presentation where the teams' results are discussed and an award is given for the first and second placed teams.A different kind of marksmanship can be found at the National Shooting Centre at Bisley Camp, the home of competitive shooting since 180. The Centre offers world class facilities for all shooting disciplines. This includes target rifle, gallery rifles, black powder pistols and air guns to name but a few. The Centre also plays host to international competitions. The National Clay Shooting Centre, which is incorporated within the National Shooting Centre, will open in July 001, with evening shoots held twice a week in the summer. The impressive new clay layouts have been built with the aid of a Lottery Grant from Sport England for the Commonwealth Games in 00 and include nine down the line as well as English and Olympic skeet, ABT, double trap and universal trench. A magnificent new clubhouse provides a focal point for the complex and includes catering facilities with a terrace that overlooks the ground and finals layout. The superb new layouts are equipped with seventy-two Materelli traps, covered stands, computer controlled scoring and acoustic release, all against a backdrop of over 000 acres of unspoilt Surrey heath land.

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While the venerable Bisley Camp has been enjoying a makeover, a new kid on the block has been making waves in the home counties. Widdowson Enterprises, based in Berkshire, was set up only this year; but its youth is belied by an impressive client-list (probably ensured by Widdowson's experienced backers), including J.Sainsbury, Safeway, Coca Cola, Hampshire Police, the London Fire Brigade and the British Army. Widdowson can supply many forms of team building games, such as It's A Knockout, as well as casino evenings, American Rodeo Bulls, Jet Ski and other simulators, thereby living up to The Organiser's motto, 'fortitudo in variis'; 'fortitude in variety' power through difference.In recent years, Call of the Wild Adventure Activities, at their location within the Brecon Beacons National Park, have become leaders in the provision of activity and adventure holidays for the corporate market. Those up for adventure can choose from activities such as canyoning, coasteering, caving, pot holing, climbing and abseiling, paintball, quad biking, treasure hunts, orienteering, hill walking, mountain biking, canoeing, pony-trekking, themed challenges, 4x4 driving, sailing and sportsboat activities, archery, clay pigeon shooting, air gun skirmishing, survival exercises and fly fishing, while the center also offers reflexology and aromatherapy for those who want to unwind in a more supine fashion. Rural pursuits are also on offer at A Day in the Country attractive midlands location, which has just won its fourth Marketing Week/CHA Award in as many years. The various on-site sporting activities include clay shooting, 4x4 driving, fly fishing for trout, Honda Pilots, field archery, Virgin ballooning, skydiving and many others. A full day of activities can be arranged or activities can be added to a day meeting or product launch, especially since the unveiling of the spanking new conference suite, the Croughton Room, which holds 10 delegates 'theatre style' and has doubled the hospitality area. The conference suite is equipped to the highest standards with all the equipment that is expected of a cutting edge facility. Unlike many modern conference suites, there is plenty of natural daylight and ample height for display material. Computer-generated audio-visual equipment and special set design are available on request. Again, Byron 4x4 Corporate Entertainment impose exciting entertainment on tranquil, sylvan Middle England, maintaining various sites, with their two main locations in the Midlands, at the Adrenaline Jungle in Sherwood Forest, Nottingham and the Ackers, Birmingham (just ten minutes from the National Exhibition Centre). The former is Nottinghamshire's largest paintball site, replete with such features as villages, castles, bridges, and town halls; but it also boasts its own off-road course for 4x4s, a purpose-built quad bike course, a race circuit for off-road rally karts with pits, sin bins et cetera. Flying round Robin Hood's old stamping ground in a fully roll-caged rally vehicle should satisfy the thrill-seeker in your most boisterous employee or client! If, however, you wish to give your clients or staff the ultimate adrenaline rush, then get in touch with the UK Bungee Club. Imagine yourself 180ft above mother earth, equivalent to the height of an eighteen-storey building, gazing down at your destiny far below, a fall which, though you undertake it willingly, all your instincts tell you will be fatal. "Three, two, one, bungee!" cries the Jump Master, as you leap head first into the void, hurtling towards the unyielding ground and a rapidly approaching moment of truth. When the elastic takes the strain and your quick descent is suddenly reversed, terror turns to elation, and the whole experience becomes the ride of your life. UKBC now operate four mobile rigs offering Bungee Jumping, Catapulting and Abseiling. Over 100,000 people have bounced back, living to tell the tale and collectively raising over £1 million for charity. Recent locations for contracts include The Millennium Dome, Earls Court, Tyne Bridge and Wembley Stadium, and UKBC, established in 1, have been party to over one hundred TV appearances including Don't Try This At Home, GMTV, The Big Breakfast, Harry Enfield and London's Burning. All jumpers are videoed as a souvenir. Now, while the avoidance of sudden death is the UKBC's raison d'être, the enactment of untimely demises is our next company's forte. Murder On The Menu is the official provider of scheduled murders on the Orient Express. They commit murder every month as the luxury train runs from London to Brighton, and on The Northern Belle from Manchester. These very successful, full-day mysteries are available for corporate bookings. As award-winning members of the Corporate Hospitality & Events Association they guarantee an event to suit your company's style, budget and team-building or bonding requirements. Recently, they have extended their menu to include training programmes especially created for our clients. Do you need to project a specific message to your sales staff, managers, executives or clients? Murder on the Menu will write a script to your brief, and provide professional actors to get your message home. With a wide repertoire of themed off-the-peg cabaret whodunnits, and themed dinner entertainment including Pirates, Forties, Oscars and Mission Improbable, Murder on the Menu have the capability to kill to order. Envelop your clients or staff in a theatrical play-world of fantasy, and see their consciousnesses altered in line with your prearranged strategy. Well, I hope you can see that team-building and client motivation are sciences shored up by an advanced, committed service industry, an industry represented in further detail in the following section. The techniques of constructive or strategic forms of corporate play are becoming ever-more refined; so get involved your competitors probably are. Please note that this sample paper on Team Leadership is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Team Leadership, we are here to assist you. Your persuasive essay on Team Leadership will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Sigmund Freud

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Sigmund Freud, a physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist and father of psychoanalysis, is generally recognized as one of the most influential and authoritative thinkers of the twentieth century. Freud's most important and frequently re-iterated claim, that with psychoanalysis he had invented a new science of the mind, however, remains the subject of much critical debate and controversy. (Internet) Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856 in Freiberg, Moravia. His father was a wool merchant and his mother was a lively woman, who was twenty years younger than his father and also his second wife. Sigmund was his mother first child of seven and he had two older half brothers. At the age of four, his family moved to Vienna where he lived most of his life. (Internet) Sigmund was a brilliant child and eventually went to medical school - which was one of the more viable choices for a Jewish boy in Vienna. He became involved in research under the direction of a physiology professor named Ernst Brucke. Brucke believed in reductionism " No other forces that the common physical chemical ones are active within the organism". (Internet) Freud would later spend many years on trying to "reduce" personality to neurology, something he would eventually give up. (Internet) Freud was very successful with his research, especially neurophysiology, and invented a special cell staining technique. While he was successful with what he had accomplished, there were limited available positions available and Brucke helped him receive a grant to enable his to study with the great psychiatrist in Charcot in Paris and then late his rival Bernheim in Nancy. Both studied the use of hypnosis with hysterics. (Internet)

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After spending a short time as a resident in neurology in Berlin, he returned home to his fiance, Martha Bernays, and set up a small practice in neuropsychiatry with the help of Joseph Breuer. (Internet) Freud's books and lectures brought him both fame and criticism from the mainstream of the medical community. He drew a number of very bright supporters who became the core of the psychoanalytic movement. (Internet) Freud's biggest flaw although, was the inability to be able to accept criticism and was known for rejecting people that did not agree with him and most went on to find competing schools of thought. Freud immigrated to England just before World War II, as Vienna became increasing dangerous place for Jews, especially for ones as famous as Freud. (Internet) September ,1, Freud died of cancer of the mouth and jaw that he had suffered from the last 0 years of his life. Sigmund Freud had numerous theories over the course of his career; the ones that I will be discussing are only a few. Freud did not create the idea of the conscious versus the conscious mind, however he was responsible for making it popular. The conscious mind in what you are aware of at any particular moment, your present perceptions, memories, thoughts, fantasies and feelings. The largest part, however, being the un-conscious. The unconscious includes things that are not easily available to awareness, including out drives or instincts and things that we cannot bear to look at, such as memories and emotions associated with trauma. According to Freud's theories, the unconscious is the source of our motivations. (Internet) The id, the ego and the superego are another well-known theory that plays off of the conscious and un-conscious mind. Freudian psychology begins with a world full of objects. Among them is a very special object, the organism. (Internet) An extremely important part of the organism is the nervous system. At birth, the nervous system is a little more than of other animals, an "it" or id. The id, or the nervous system, translates the needs of the organism into motivational forces, or otherwise called the primary process. (Internet). The id works in conjunction with the "pleasure principle", which is the demand to take care of the immediate need. An example, a screaming newborn does not realize that it needs food; it only understands that it needs something now. The ego derives from the id, or the "it" to the "I" that takes place during the first year of one's life. The ego relates the organism to reality by means of its unconscious, and searches for objects to satisfy the wishes that the id creates to represent the organism's needs. (Internet) This is called the secondary process. The ego, unlike the id, functions according to the reality principle, which says, "take care of a need as soon as an appropriate object is found." (Internet) The ego then struggles to keep the id, or the organism, happy. The ego keeps record of the obstacles, aids, rewards and punishments, and from there forms the superego. This theory is usually not complete until the age of seven, if ever. There are two aspects of the superego conscious and ego ideal. The conscious is an internalization of punishments and warnings. The ego ideal derives from rewards and positive models presented to the child. (Internet). The conscious and the superego communicate their requirements to the ego with feelings like pride, shame, and guilt. (Internet) The id, ego and superego lead to the fact that, as if acquired, that a new set of needs and wishes are of social, not biological, at this time. Freud once said, "Life is not easy." Anxiety is a familiar part of each day for many; anxiety is another aspect of the mind that Freud investigated. Anxiety sits at the center of powerful forces reality society, as represented by the superego; biology, as represented by the id. (Internet) When conflicting demands are made upon the ego, the feeling is called anxiety. It serves as a signal to the ego that its survival as a whole is in jeopardy. (Internet) There are three different types of anxiety realistic, moral and neurotic. Realistic anxiety is considered fear. Moral anxiety is a feeling that comes from the outer world, although could be considered shame, guilt and the fear of punishment. Neurotic anxiety is the fear of being overwhelmed by the impulses of the id. This is the anxiety that intrigued Freud the most. Although there are many theories surrounding Freud that could be discussed, the last one, and the most controversial one that I'd like to discuss us the Oedipal crisis. The Oedipal crisis is named after the ancient Greek story of King Oedipus, who inadvertently killed his father and married his mother. (Internet) The theory works in this manner the fist love-object for humans is out mother. We want her affection, her caresses and her in a broadly sexual way. (Internet) In earlier readings, I found that Freud defined "sexual" as not just intercourse, but all pleasurable sensations of the skin. In theory, the young boy has a rival for his mother's charms his father. His father is bigger, stronger, and smarter and gets to sleep in his mother's bed. Dad is the enemy. (Internet) At this point in his life, the by had recognized that that he differs from girls as there is a difference in hair length and clothing style. From his perspective there is one major difference, he has a penis and girls do not. This is the beginning of "castration anxiety" or a slight fear of loosing one's penis. (Internet) To return to the original issue, the boy recognizes the father's superiority and engages in some of his ego defenses he displaces his sexual impulses on from his mother to girls, later women, and identifies with the aggressor, his father. He attempts to be more like him, or more like a man. The boy will then enter adolescences and then the world of heterosexuality. (Internet) Freud also believes that women experience the same. The only thing more common that blatant admiration for Freud is the equally blind hatred that people feel towards him. (Internet) Out of the theories previously discussed, the Oedipal complex and the associated ideas behind castration anxiety and penis envy is the least favorite. (Internet) It has been discovered that these rules mostly apply in world in which the families are dysfunctional and are not working in the means intended. These circumstances include parents unhappy with each other that may use their children against each other, or in instances in which girls are ridiculed or forced to think that there are not an equal to men. These symptoms may also be found in circumstances in which parents may threaten to "castrate" a boy for certain behaviors. Ultimately, these circumstances apply in dysfunctional situations. (Internet) If the Oedipal complex was viewed in a metaphoric and not a literal fashion the concepts could be considered useful. Children love their parents. Children learn the standards of a relationship through the images that parents portray in their relationships. Children also imitate the behaviors on the opposite-sex parent therefore playing back into the Oedipal complex. (Internet) Freud's emphasis on sexuality is another area that is highly criticized. When exploring Freud's theories further, I was amazed at the emphasis on just the word "sex" alone. In further researching the meaning, I found that Freud defined "sexuality" as a sensation to the skin. This definition put the theories in perspective for me. Human beings crave sensations to the skin a hug, a kiss, and a caress. These types of affections are non-verbal forms of love that humans need to survive. I think that another extremely important factor is the time period in which Freud presented his theories. His theories were based on the intense avoidance of sexuality, especially among the middle and upper classes, and especially among women. (Internet) Society today, forgets that "sexuality" was something that was looked down upon. Women who felt sexual desires were automatically considered a prostitute, and a new bride would be taken by surprise on her wedding night (or could faint at the thought). (Internet) I strongly think that Freud helped to open a window of understanding regarding the topic of human sexuality. Freud was strong enough to step from the norm and voice his opinions regarding this highly controversial issue and helped to navigate the way the future would view sexuality. I think that it is admirable that he had a strong enough character to discuss a subject potentially this disastrous to himself and his career.Freud made people aware of the fact that human behavior was based on biology and rationale. Freud showed the impact that human behavior had on society when it was realized that each individual is responsible for his/ her own actions. Freud proved the importance of family dynamics in a time where society believed that God determined the roles of men and women. (Internet) The id and the superego will be a part of modern psychology from here on out.The ego defenses are something that I feel is anther important part of Freud's theories. Many criticize Freud's idea of the "unconscious", however it seems to be clear that people in general will manipulate reality and our memories to suit our own needs. (Internet) There are several situations from my past that I know have manipulated to suit what my needs were during those transitions. I also strongly believe that we all have "ghosts in the closet" from past experiences, some that we are even unaware of. These are two specific situations that play into the theory of the "unconscious".Finally, if not the most useful, is Freud's creation of basic therapy. Most therapists today still adopt the " talking cure" and provide a relaxed, physical and social, atmosphere in which they treat their patients. I feel that this will be another theory that will stick to psychology now and for times to come.I think that many people tend to disregard all of Freud's ideas because they do not agree with a few. I think that many of Freud's ideas are tied to his times, although I think that there is a few that play an important role in today's society and will continue to play a strong role in the times to come. Freud was excellent at research and was an excellent observer of human conditions. Freud is a name that you can find regarding psychology today and will be a part of psychology in the future.Works Citedhttp//users.rcn.com/brill/freudarc.htmlhttp//www.lucidcafe.com/library/6may/freud.htmlhttp//www.psywww.com/books/interp/toc.htm http//www.colorado.edu/English/ENGL01Klages/freud.html Please note that this sample paper on Sigmund Freud is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Sigmund Freud, we are here to assist you. 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Nature of religion

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Why we believe what we doReligion, discipline or calling? A religion is, in the most basic of definitions, sets practices and principles inspired by the belief in a certain set of individual truths. This is not to say that they aren't true, just that not everyone believes in the same individual set. Although religion is the way of living through practices, processes and beliefs, it does not fall certain that for one's beliefs to be called a religion, one has to belong to any particular group. People often mistake religion as a group practice when actually a persons religion is a very definite, personal matter, whether the actual practice is. To discuss the "why" religious beliefs, let us first examine the why not. Weak atheism is the belief that gods don't exist, strong atheism on the other hand is the belief that particular gods do not exist and agnosticism is the belief that the existence of gods is unknowable, which is to say that agnostics believe in a supreme being / higher powers. In addition, strong atheism is usually made in reference to a particular god. After looking at all of the major religions (sometimes in a cursory manner), I do not believe in any of them. That makes me a weak atheist. I guess Im a strong atheist about most of them as well. And since I believe in divine intervention, as well as the existence of higher powers, I'm most certainly defined as an agnostic too.

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These views are not defined by any lack of belief, but rather a lack of any standardized practices. In fact, the views mentioned above are based on strong beliefs, just not in any specific gods or in the case of weak atheism, any gods at all. In contrast, in can be argued that religion is the opposite, the practice of a set of standardized practices by a person/group of people. When presented with the wide assortment of gods and religions available presently in Malaysia not to mention the whole world, and not including those that are no longer being practiced, it is difficult to single any of them out as being the true religion. Some gods/pantheon of gods, like the Greek and Roman pantheon, Zeus/Jupiter, Hera/Juno, Apollo/Mars and all th others, can be shown to be rejectable on practical grounds (just go to the top of Mount Olympus. Nope, no gods there) and most others can be shown to be self-contradictory. When it comes to ethics, values or being closer to reality, I simply fail to make any distinction between Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism (Zen and other), Christianity (in its many forms) or any other. I have to say that I just do not know which is correct. I believe that with such diversity, they are probably all wrong, or all right. But I digress, by looking at religion in general, barring only religions with negative values such as Satanism, we can conclude that almost all of them including 'pagan' religions like Wicca and aboriginal religions, have the same basic values. Only thing that differs is how they go about their rituals. This view was even publicly supported by the Roman Catholic Church in statements released by the RCC- the Dominus Iesus(000)and Nostra Aetate(165) (Appendix A). If, in fact, religions were a call from the heart and not a set of practices, then whatever it was that called to the hearts of Muslims which cannot be found in any Bible beats me. Even within two religions with the same source; the most obvious example being Conservative Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, views differ not on the 'calling from the heart' bit, only the way that calling is expressed. For example, the Roman Catholic worship of saints is unaccepted by the Conservative Protestant Church bcos it involves the ritual of idolism; instead of banging on the concept, the CPC decides instead to focus on the way the concept is expressed and practiced. The RCC on the other hand rejects the protestant practice of 'rebirth' (baptizing of a teenager/adult) and believe in the baptizing of babies. It seems like all around us, religions differ in, or are arguing on minor (and major) practices. This supports further the argument that religion more practice and habit, the face of the religion with nothing behind it if you would. There are of course differences in values and beliefs (followers of the Book say that to be 'good' and to not go to Hell, u must believe in our god, Elohiem, everyone else says this is Malaysia, a multi-religious country, you go to hell), but these variations in basic beliefs are few and far apart. Moving away from religion in general, and toward religion from a social perspective, religion through default comes to mind. In a region with a strong religious majority, the Middle East for example, a country adopts the religion, a state has little choice but to conform, and individual societies and consequently family units are pulled in to this black-hole of social pressure. When a family immigrates into such a setting, more often than not the next generation will convert to the local religion, Asian and African families from their respective homelands who immigrate to the West where Christianity is the religion of the majority are a prime example of religion through default. In multiracial societies, although religion by default is not present geographically, it can be seen when a society is viewed ethnically. Let's look at ourselves for instance, in Malaysia, practically all Muslims are Malay, a large majority of Hindus are Indian and so on. In these common instances, religion cannot be defined as a calling rather a set of habitual practices, which are, although not intentionally, influenced by communal practices as well as ethnicity and religious majority. From an individual perspective, when a religion is adopted by choice, although this is seldom the case, a calling from the heart seems to be the obvious reason. When examined more thoroughly however, we can deduce that an individual again seems only to discard the practices and rituals, and seldom the core values (which, as we have discovered, are practically identical in almost all religions) his/her current religion to adopt the new practices of another. From the Mahaparinibbana Sutta (The Great Discourse on the Total Unbinding) upon the death of the Buddha, this was supposedly recorded by Ananda as one of his final teachings,At present, the monks address one another as friend, but after I am gone they are not to address one another that way. The more senior monks are to address the newer monks by their name or clan or as friend. The newer monks are to address the more senior monks as venerable or sir. (Appendix B1) Putting aside the validity and origin of this curiously instructive and uncharacteristic statement by the Buddha, as well as the fact that the Sangha elders were the ones who compiled the pitakas, we can see how a new religion can emerge from a living philosophy by a single quotation (or misquotation) calling for discipline.Even the perceived spiritual and moralistic aspect to which the individual adheres, is merely the set of actions predetermined by his/her religious group as 'good' and 'bad' (eating pork is 'bad', going to Sunday school keeps you out of hell). "Do"s and "Don't"s, if u would, and this are, in all religious groups, what defines a proper adherent from a bad one. How do religious groups define a devout adherent of the way? Most often, through the perception of the person's actions and routines and whether these actions and behaviors conform to the 'proper' ones encouraged by the religion. So much more so, when one can only believe that one is a good believer by following a guideline determining actions and daily practices. How then can it be possibly argued that religion is a calling? Here, to reinforce my belief that religious behavior and holiness is defined by actions, I would like to quote directly from the Mahaparinibbana Sutta one of the pitakas in which the Buddha's teachings were recorded. (See Appendix B)Ananda is judged to have merit in the last pitaka, the most significant of Buddhist scriptures, because his physical acts are the sum of his soul. Later in the pitaka, Ananda is described as having 4 main virtues, all of which were his related to his actions and physical attributes.(See Appendix C) As Terry Prachett argues throughout his criticism of religion, 'Small Gods' people who truly believe in something will believe it indefinitely. My understanding of his entire text and the message I believed he was trying to get across is that although the devoutly religious argue that the calling of religion is intangible, indefinable, elusive except to those who hear and answer its call to the heart, that to those who search with the eyes, ears and mind not the heart cannot help but see the shell of habit, rote and ritual that covers the divinity. But to those who believe that the school of discipline is all there is to it, religion may have stemmed from the heart and for a while, a God may or may not exist there, but over time the God is worn down by the erosion of doubt, of habit and of discipline, these feed the minds and suppress the hearts. The will of God is then slowly replaced by constant doubt, His holy rituals and prayers by our habitual semi-attentive mumblings and most importantly His way of life by nothing more than just subconscious rote and mindless discipline. (I refer to an Omnipotent Patriarchal Deity as Prachett did in his text.) And after awhile, the God dies, all that's left is a shell of procedures, a rule book in the subconscious which defines right and wrong, good and bad. When the God dies, it may not be noticed due to the prominence of religion in the mind. Now the religion is no longer a faith, no longer the belief in something more, and thus no longer has the power to make something true just through raw faith. To quote directly from 'Small Gods'- "The religion is a practice, the rituals a discipline. The 'What' and 'How' of the religion. The 'Why', the divine inspiration, the unshakeable faith is gone, along with the God." (Appendix D) AppendixA) Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions. She regards with sincere reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which, though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth, nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.B1) At present, the monks address one another as friend, but after I am gone they are not to address one another that way. The more senior monks are to address the newer monks by their name or clan or as friend. The newer monks are to address the more senior monks as venerable or sir. B) For a long time, Ananda, you have waited on the Tathagata with physical acts of good will -- helpful, happy, whole-hearted, without limit; with verbal acts of good will...with mental acts of good will -- helpful, happy, whole-hearted, without limit. You are one who has made merit.C) There are these four marvelous & amazing qualities in Ananda. If a group of monks approaches to see Ananda, they are gratified at the sight of him. If he speaks Dhamma to them, they are gratified with what he says. Before they are sated, he falls silent. If a group of nuns approaches to see Ananda...If a group of male lay followers approaches to see Ananda...If a group of female lay followers approaches to see Ananda, they are gratified at the sight of him. If he speaks Dhamma to them, they are gratified with what he says. Before they are sated, he falls silent. These are the four marvelous & amazing qualities in Ananda. There are these four marvelous & amazing qualities in a wheel-turning monarch. If a group of noble warriors approaches to see him...If a group of brahmins approaches to see him...If a group of householders approaches to see him...If a group of contemplatives approaches to see him, they are gratified at the sight of him. If he speaks to them, they are gratified with what he says. Before they are sated, he falls silent. In the same way, monks, there are these four marvelous & amazing qualities in Ananda. If a group of monks...a group of nuns...a group of male lay followers...a group of female lay followers approaches to see Ananda, they are gratified at the sight of him. If he speaks Dhamma to them, they are gratified with what he says. Before they are sated, he falls silent. These are the four marvelous & amazing qualities in Ananda. D) "The religion is a practice, the rituals a discipline. The 'What' and 'How' of the religion. The 'Why', the divine inspiration, the unshakeable faith is gone, along with the God." Please note that this sample paper on nature of religion is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on nature of religion, we are here to assist you. 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Shakespeare's King Leare

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ESSAY CRITICAL STUDY "King Lear has meant different things to different people depending on the time and place"King Lear is widely regarded by many scholars as Shakespeare's greatest tragedy. Shakespeare took his main plot line of an aged monarch abused by his children from a folk tale that appeared first in written form in the 1th century and was based on spoken stories that originated much further into the Middle Ages. In several written version of the story, the king does not go mad, his good daughter does not die, and the tale has a happy ending. This is not the case with Shakespeares Lear, a tragedy of such consuming force that audiences and readers are left to wonder whether there is any meaning to the physical and moral carnage with which King Lear concludes.

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Since Shakespeare first created The Tragedy of King Lear in 1604, the play has been reproduced countless times in many modern and contemporary productions. Because the themes of family, justice, chaos vs. authority, gender roles, love and forgiveness, redemption & retribution are relevant even today, the play can be interpreted to raise issues and present morals to a modern audience. How the play is 'read' or understood is dependant on the 'lens' it is viewed through. This is affected by the political and social values of the time and place. Different people present different interpretations, which vary drastically according to circumstance. For Example some common readings of Lear include Marxist, Feminist, Gender Roles, Christian and Absurdist readings of the play.Different productions of King Lear are used to convey meaning to an audience within the relevant context of the time and place. To a director different directorial approaches imply different social and moral values. For a production of Lear to be critically analysed we need to understand the intent of the director displayed through various devices in stage and film. The traditional or Elizabethan reading of King Lear focuses on how Lear's actions upset the natural order. His folly in banishing Cordelia and dividing his kingdom is the cause of a situation where chaos reigns and nature is violently disrupted "Kings turned paupers; daughters and sons rule, abuse and betray fathers; truth is spoken only in riddles or in disguise and evil, madness, violence and blindness supplant good order and stable government.""Unhappy that I am, I cannot heaveMy heart into my mouth. I love your majestyAccording to my bond; no more nor less."Cordelia speaks these words when she address her father, King Lear, who has demanded that his daughters tell him how much they love him before he divides his kingdom among them (I.i.0). In contrast to her the empty flattery of Goneril and Regan, Cordelia offers her father a truthful evaluation of her love for him she loves him according to my bond; that is, she understands and accepts without question her duty to love him as a father and king. Although Cordelia truly loves Lear more than her sisters do, she is unable to heave her heart into her mouth, as her integrity prevents her from making a false declaration in order to gain his wealth. Lears rage at what he perceives to be her lack of affection sets the tragedy in motion. Cordelias refusal to flatter Lear, then, establishes her virtue and the authenticity of her love, while bringing about Lears dreadful error of judgment around which the play revolves. Darkness and unhappiness pervade King Lear, and the devastating final act represents one of the most tragic endings in all of literature. Nevertheless, the play presents the central relationship between Lear and Cordelia as a dramatic embodiment of true, self- sacrificing love. Rather than despising Lear for banishing her, Cordelia remains devoted. Lear, meanwhile, learns a cruel lesson in humility and eventually reaches the point where he can reunite joyfully with Cordelia and experience her forgiveness. We see Lear's redemption even if only fleetingly, amid the horror and chaos that engulfs the rest of the play.The Tragedy of King Lear has reproduced for theatre and film by many different directors who use different readings of the play to convey different meanings. Instead of simply replicating a Shakespearian traditional reading, in production Shakespeare's text can be manipulated to focus on one or more themes or morals evident in the play. Peter Brook's production of Lear (created in 171) has been criticized by some, who found his selective cutting of the script disgraceful and thought it to betray Shakespeare's aim. Despite these inhibitions the production has been hailed as "the most widely discussed and influential post-war production of King Lear so far" By editing sections out & modifying scenes Brook's effectively molded the script to dramatize the absurd nature of man. Brook considered Lear not only Shakespeare's greatest work but a play very much in the vein of the Absurdist drama of Ionesco and Beckett, a work in which the blindness of man was thrillingly dramatized.Absurdism was the most popular and influential nonrealistic genre of the 0th century. As Ionesco puts it "man as lost in the world, all his actions become senseless, absurd, useless" This sense of having no control over your own existence can be found in Lear.King Lear is a brutal play, filled with human cruelty and awful, seemingly meaningless disasters. The plays succession of terrible events raises an obvious question for the charactersnamely, whether there is any possibility of justice in the world, or whether the world is fundamentally indifferent or even hostile to humankind. Various characters offer their opinions As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods; / They kill us for their sport, (IV.i.78).Gloucester says this, realizing it foolish for humankind to assume that the natural world works in parallel with socially or morally convenient notions of justice. Edgar, on the other hand, insists that the gods are just, believing that individuals get what they deserve (V.iii.16). But, in the end, we are left with only a terrifying uncertaintyalthough the wicked die, the good die along with them, culminating in the awful image of Lear cradling Cordelia's body in his arms. There is goodness in the world of the play, but there is also madness and death, and it is difficult to tell which triumphs in the end.Brook's Screenplay conveys this sense of absurdism through his costume, set, character expression and selective use of dialogue. His assistant Charles Marowitz commented on the production saying "The world of King Lear like Beckett's is in constant state of decomposition." This is very true of Brook's production; tattered worn-out costumes (even for court members), sets made of rusted metal and decaying timber with beat-up furniture gave the set a hollow, decaying appearance reflecting Lear's collapse into madness and his decay of vision. Trying to differentiate his production from any classical or traditional interpretations Brook's made sure to avoid 'authenticity' in his set design. He eventually decided on windswept North Jutland in Denmark as a locale for its barren abstract landscape. This adds to the meaningless of the play and the senselessness of Lear's actions. Paul Schofield who plays the role of Lear in this production provides a bleak, mundane reception to his decaying world. Although he could be criticised as sometimes seeming unenthusiastic his performance ties in well with Brook's harrowed, nihilistic vision of Lear.Instead of directly adhering to the text Brook's slightly modified it in creating his own screenplay. Although most of the play's text is preserved it has been cut, rearranged, disembodied even going as far as to swap lines with other characters. Above anything else Brook places most emphasis on Lear's violent speeches while playing down some of his more rational favourable ones. In doing this Brook's creates a nihilistic and unrelentingly bleak view of Lear's tragic descent and presents a more modern interpretation of Shakespeare's classic tragedy.As critic Robert Moore puts it "Like the noble Kent, seeing a mad, pathetic Lear with the murdered Cordelia in his arms, the profound brutality of the tale compels us to wonder Is this the promisd end? (V, iii. l.64). That very question stands at the divide between traditional critics of King Lear who find a heroic pattern in the story, and modern readers who see no redeeming or purgative dimension to the play at all, the message being the bare futility of the human condition with Lear as Everyman."Sydney director Tanya Denny's theatre production of Lear again presents a more contemporary interpretation of Shakespeare's great tragedy. The Denny production (starring David Ritchie as Lear) focuses on family betrayal and gender roles as themes in a modern context."Shakespeares version of this age old tale is by far the bleakest, unsparing in its description of cruelty and corruption. The world of King Lear is a malnourished landscape, controlled and stagnant. Ironically, this society highly values fertility, yet it is decidedly barren. Nothing female can survive. The unmitigated assertion of patriarchal authority drives the drama to its tragic ends. Old men abusing their power is not a new concept. The History of the world tells us we are dealing with familiar territory Ypres, Dresden, Hiroshima, Grozny, Bosnia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Israel, Japan, Britain, The United States, Russia... Women who abuse their power are usually denounced by history as tigers, not daughters. All Lears daughters die but their greatest punishment is that they die childless. The absence of the maternal underpins Shakespeares images of seeing, feeling and weeping." Tanya Denny DirectorLear's descent into madness is shown well in this production by David Ritchie's strong performance and Lear's costume, which goes from furred gown to tattered rags, as he is turned mad by his actions and his daughter's cruelty.In Denny's production colour is used extensively in costume to show the contrast between good and evil. For example, the sisters, Goneril and Regan, are dressed in black with red shoes and scarf. These colours bringing up connotations of evil and the devil, whilst Cordelia is completely dressed in white bringing up connotations of purity and good. This use of colour also simplifies these characters making them more comprehensive to a younger audience.An interesting change is made in the character of the Fool not being gender specific. The fool is dressed in a skirt with both male and female characteristics (breasts and male genitalia). Because the fool is ironically the character with the most insight and wisdom Denny chose to make the character not identifiable as being of either sex. This is to show that "knowledge and wisdom transcend the sexes". This is important, as gender roles are a theme especially relevant in this productionSexual innuendo is used to strongly portray some of the perverted traits of the 'evil' characters. This is noticeable particularly in the scene where Regan is straddling Gloucester and the scenes involving Edmund and the controversial relationship with the two sisters. These scenes make the sisters seem animalistic. Hence Lear's quote "tigers not daughters"In various sections of the production comic relief is used to break up the more serious undertone of the play. Denny uses humour in both a subtle manner, for example the fools scenes and in a more exaggerated manner (Lear dropping his trousers, Kent's dramatic change of clothes whilst becoming Kias). Although sometimes this can seem out of place in such a dark tragedy it does provides a strong contrast to the brutal nature of the play and in doing so also highlights the cruelty of Lear's daughters. By providing humour Denny also targets a younger audience.Keeping with traditional Shakespearian productions Denny uses minimal sets to allow direct focus to the characters, it also allows the production to evade any sense of time or place leaving it to be interpreted by the audience. Modern and classic themes are contrasted in both costume and the set to not show the play in any particular time frame. Denny uses this to show that the morals presented in Lear transcend their time and are relevant to a modern audience.Shakespeare's The Tragedy of King Lear has a strong textual value because it can be viewed by itself as a stand-alone text or interpreted through many different classical and contemporary readings. The themes of family, justice, chaos vs. authority, gender roles, love and forgiveness, redemption & retribution are universal even today. Social, ethical and political values affect the way we 'read' a text. In this way King Lear has been perceived as meaning different things by different people according to circumstance. Please note that this sample paper on Shakespeare's King Leare is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Shakespeare's King Leare, we are here to assist you. Your persuasive essay on Shakespeare's King Leare will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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