Schopenhauer-Metaphysics of Love and Sexes free essay sample

WantIn Schopenhauer’s view, whose will is at work when two people fall in love? What reasons does Schopenhauer give for this view? In Schopenhauer’s view it is the will of the unborn baby which is at work when two people fall in love. The baby’s will is born when two lovers meet. The real aim of love’s romance, although the persons concerned are unconscious of the fact, is that a particular being may come into the world. Romantic love is nature’s way of selected breeding.. It makes you think, that you need the person to make you happy when all it is the baby’s will to be born. Thus, when two people are in love, they think they want sex, because they connect sex to love, but it is actually the baby that makes us think so. Thus, sex is for procreation but we think we want it because it makes us happy. We will write a custom essay sample on Schopenhauer-Metaphysics of Love and Sexes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page When we choose our lovers, we choose someone who compliments us, someone who has qualities that we lack. (symposium) In this case as well, it is the baby looking for the best traits. We are attracted to body parts and traits that the baby wants. Thus, it is ultimately the baby that makes us choose our partner. For example, men like women with big hips but it actually because they can carry their baby. Thus, we do everything that the baby makes us do. Even when some people don’t want kids, still have kids because it is the baby’s will to be born. For example, when a woman is pregnant she needs the father of the baby more than he needs her even though before the pregnancy he wanted her more. This is because it is the baby who wants the father to be around when it is born. The mother acts unpredictable and this confuses the father and makes him stay. But it is the baby that makes her this way. But if the father continues to love the mother even after the mood swings stop, then it means the mother is doing a good job. However, when we follow our own will we don’t need sex as we are happy without it. For example, when a couple doesn’t want a baby, it is not romantic love, it is deep attraction. Thus, the fact that sex makes us happy is only an illusion to make us procreate Love can often make us go against our own interest in order to follow the baby’s will. Men often fall in love with other men’s wives and enter the relationship in spite of knowing that it is risky. Thus, love is a mere illusion to ensure the continuity of the species.

Persuation essays

Persuation essays Have you ever driven down the road in some town somewhere and saw a person wearing different clothes than you or selling their cultural arts and crafts, that are unusual to you, but not to them? Have you wondered where they got that idea from, or who taught them that? Im talking about a persons general ignorance about someone elses culture and beliefs. About how concentrating more time in school as a kid learning about your American History. More than just Columbus came here and discovered America, and that the Indians were discovered by the Europeans. What about who was here before Columbus landed? How long had they been here for? These sort of things will lead the minds of our young into real stories of tribes and kings, and wars, and the realization that there was more beyond 1776 when our founding fathers founded our country. You know, I think also that it would open our eyes to each other more and less towards turning away. So lets take a look at Americas History, not the United States of America, but the island of America. According to The Smithsonian Encyclopedia, traditional theory held that the first Americans crossed the land bridge from Siberia to Alaska around 11,500 years ago (par 1). These folks were the Clovis people, named after a town in New Mexico, where their fluted spear points used for hunting mammoth were in 1932. Then there were indications that boats were actually in use as far back as 25,000 to 40,000 years ago and now there is evidence suggesting that people with boats moved along the coast of Canada, California, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile date between 10,000 and 12,000 ago and others are buried under the coast line(par 3). Now looking beyond the remains, there are people who are trying to uncover the truth about the New World. These people are scientists who are researching theses remains and others like them to determine the biological as...

Intellectual Property Rights Protection in China Research Paper

Intellectual Property Rights Protection in China - Research Paper Example Yet, it is also a fact that resource rich and technology intensive MNCs can only wholeheartedly commit themselves to their Chinese ventures, only if they are sure that their massive investments in the intellectual property will not be diluted in China owing to a scant regard and concern for intellectual property rights (Ordish 27). Thus upholding of the intellectual property rights in China is synonymous with creating just the right kind of business and investment environment. A section of the Chinese intelligentsia holds that intellectual property rights is a legal tool devised by the West to counteract the rising might and potential of the Chinese scientists and experts (Mertha 42). What China needs to understand is that the stakes exploiting the intellectual property related loopholes within China can also resort to the similar mechanisms and stratagems to undermine the indigenous intellectual property wealth. Thus a potent intellectual property rights regime will guarantee the security of both the Western and Chinese intellectual property related investments, and will definitely prove to be beneficial for China in the long run. There is no denying the fact that a developing nation like China has a big population, and the sta

Cost Effectiveness Evaluation of Villa at Royal Commission in Jubail Literature review

Cost Effectiveness Evaluation of Villa at Royal Commission in Jubail - Literature review Example 2000 p. 15). Measures of effectiveness are also in relations with the achieved results of the designed project. This success factor is represented by the budget, time, quality, client satisfaction, user satisfaction, operational assurance, and learning and exploitation. According to the Roshana Takim’s Analysis of Effectiveness Measures of Construction Project Success in Malaysia, effectiveness is synonymous with success, the degree to which the project objectives are achieved. Therefore effectiveness is the extent to which the project budget, time, and technical specification and mission are met. Project success which is synonymous with its effectiveness is hence measured against the top project priority objectives in terms of the project time, project quality, project cost, and project mission. On the other hand, efficiency is broadly mastered as output maximization for a particular level of resources or input. In this regard, effectiveness of a project is directed towards a ccomplishing the objectives and goals of the project. Project success is therefore identified in terms of measures of efficiency and effectiveness. This is adherence to the budget scheduled and the basic expectations of project performance. ... Effectiveness is hence vital to a project as it deals with the project outcomes. Project will hence be termed effective if it accomplishes its objectives. The basis of the monitoring project performance is costs, time and resources and how the variables help achieve success in completion. Project success or effectiveness has two components, that is, project product success and project management success (Vince & Iranmanesh, 2008). We can therefore infer that cost effectiveness of the Villa at Royal Commission in Jubail, can be achieved through ensuring that the project fits within the proposed budget, is delivered in time, and is within the specification of the project plan. Quality is an important aspect of satisfaction. We can therefore consider that the satisfaction of the clients should be based on the comfort of the clients. If the construction of the Villa is based on the prescribed conditions and using the mentioned construction components, then the Villa would possibly satisf y the clients and hence achieve cost effectiveness in building construction. Achievement of cost effectiveness in the Villa at Royal Commission in Jubail would be done right from planning and scheduling of the process of the project. It is also important and necessary to schedule activities and develop a work-based structure in order to identify the shortest time possible for completing the project to enable the deliverables be delivered within the time stipulated for the project (Zeng, 2002 p. 25). The cost effectiveness of a project is therefore a combination of time, budget, and quality specifications. The cost of construction and resources also make but of the

Concert report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Concert report - Essay Example Other artists such as the rising star by the name Ray Ushikubo and just twelve years of age also joined with a Bach performance together with Joanne Pearce Martin for Mozart performance. In concert one, Jeremy Denk dominated where he performed Ligeti selections as well as Beethoven’s piano (Starnley & Chardly 18-19). During the first half of the program, Mozart performance by Joann Pearce Martin did happen. To be in particular the Mozart piece that was played is Mozart concerto number ten in E-flat major for two pianos, K. 365. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed this piece of work; he was a prolific and competent composer during the style period of classical era. This piece was composed between the period of 1775 and 1777, at this time; he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. The Mozart piece belongs to a class of genre called piano concerto. A closer look at the piece reveals that the piece fitted well with the style period. This is because; the piece was composed in such a way that it dictates its deliverance. This is to say, at the initial stage, there is lyrical spell followed by middle movements characterized by slow but refined movements (Speyer & Edward 178). During the second half of the program, performance of Ligeti selections entitle Etudes for piano book I & II took the center stage. Hungarian composed Ligeti selections by the name Ligeti Gyorgy Sandor, he was a legendary composer who specialized in contemporary classical music (Saarinen & Claude 56). Etudes for piano book I & II was composed during the second half of twentieth century; as a result, he was regarded as one of the most important composers by then. Etudes for piano book I & II belongs to the piano concerto genre and this piece in particular fits the style period. This is because; he blended virtuoso technical abilities with contents that were expressive, therefore resulting into a superb piece of work that stood up during that period

History of Sensory Theatre

History of Sensory Theatre What does sensory theatre mean to the modern audience? Asone of the oldest art forms and as one of the primeval kinds of humanexpression, the nature of theatre is as varied across the continents aspainting, pottery, sculpture or any of the classic art-forms. Each civilization, each society, each gathering of humankind has had its personalform of theatrical performance from street artists to court jesters to nomadicplayers. Many would say that this variety at the very core of theatrical achievement is what has permitted theatre to take such a respected and crucialpart of our modern societies. Too often it is claimed that our present daylifestyles leave little time for abstract thinking and artistic appreciation orachievement. This is lamentable but thankfully not usually true. One need only observe the continuation of events such as the Welsh National Eisteddfod forhundreds of years to realize that the human desire and need for theatre willnever diminish. However, this is not to say that modern society has not changed theatre. It is only natural that artistic output should be modeled by the lifestyle surrounding it. After all, warlike civilizations such as the Vikings delighted in the narrating of age-old sagas whereas more enlightened peoples like the Ancient Greeks would draw inspiration from mythical dramas which detailed the flaws at the heart of humanity and their relationships with their gods, representing a search for elements greater than themselves. However,we can take it as certain that the theatrical productions of the last fiftyyears have overwhelmingly been part of a resurgence of theatrical diversity. Asthe free market has made nations more accessible to each other, a rise ininterest for all sorts of artistic expression has been felt around the world.Herein, we shall focus on the analysis and comprehension of one of these.Sensory theatre, or at least the old meaning of the term, is not a new concept.At its very core, much of what constitutes theatre relies heavily on the senses,both those of the audience and that of the actors. Nevertheless, at a time whenour fast-paced lifestyle seems to reject anything out of the ordinary or whichcan be labeled as different, it is refreshing to feel that this resurgence hasregenerated one of the truly great aspects of theatre, oft labeled as post-modernistbut one which links so much of relatively recent artistic output across theboundaries of different art forms: Post-modernity,in attacking the perceived elitist approach of Modernism, sought greaterconnection with broader audiences. This is often labelled accessibility andis a central point of dispute in the question of the value of postmodern art.It has also embraced the mixing of words with art, collage and other movementsin modernity, in an attempt to create more multiplicity of medium and message.Much of this centers on a shift of basic subject matter: postmodern artistsregard the mass media as a fundamental subject for art, and use forms, tropes,and materials such as banks of video monitors, found art, and depictions ofmedia objects as focal points for their artPostmodernisms critical stance isinterlinked with presenting new appraisals of previous works. As implied abovethe works of the Dada movement received greater attention, as didcollagists such as Robert Rauschenberg, whose works were initiallyconsidered unimportant in the context of the modernism of the 1950s, but who, bythe 1980 s, beganto be seen as seminal. Post-modernism also elevated the importance of cinema in artisticdiscussions, placing it on a peer level with the other fine arts. This is bothbecause of the blurring of distinctions between high andlow forms, and because of the recognition that cinema representedthe creation of simulacra which was later duplicated in the other arts. (Wikipedia,2005) Inthis dissertation, we shall be analyzing aspects of sensory theatre as has beenexplored and toyed with by some great artisans of the craft. Despite anyproblems we have with wholesale rejection of this type of theatre, in the interestof fair-minded and complete research, we shall pay due attention to theAristotelian school of thought. That which claims that theatre is a particulartype of experience, one from which the audience member should feel cleansed andhave learnt a lesson. This is a valid point of view, one which we shallthoroughly explore in order to see if it is indeed more artisticallyjustifiable than sensory theatre. Afterexploring Aristotles opinions, we shall look in further depth at the nature ofsensory theatre. What does this term mean? How is each sense tapped? Can themelding of experiences of several senses which are simultaneously stimulatedprovide an elevating experience? For this exploration, we shall use the casestudy of Dwr (water in Welsh), a sensory piece of theatre put on in2003, using water, light and various materials to explore reactions amongst itsaudience. The reasons for using this play are that it was an audiovisualexperience as well as a mere theatrical one as projections and cameras were anintegral part of the performance. Furthermore, the sensory effect of theaudience can be better analyzed as members of the audience were also used inthe play, their reactions helping to define the type of sensory experience. However, Dwr also gives us a good example of Brechtian theatre for the number of levels the play takes on. The actors themselves act as facilitators for the audience to receive personal sensory experiences. With only a minority of audience members taking part in the play, we can gain two further levels of emotional depth and complexity. The general background of the audience will see their emotions and senses assailed by the movements, gestures and decisions of those taking part while this minority will be subjected to sensory input and emit feedback with no room for forethought or planning ahead. Thus, we shall provide a very definite and interesting example to back up any clear defining of sensory theatre we come to. We shall also look at how Dwr fits into the patterns of sensory theatre created by Brecht and Artaud and how its attitude towards its audience defines this multi-tiered theatre as one of the crucial points of sensory theatre. However,no analysis of sensory theatre without detailed research into the works ofpioneers of the genre. Here, we have chosen to look at Bertolt Brecht andAntonin Artaud, each for specific reasons. Brechts attitude, utterly inconflict with the age-old Aristotelian views of theatre, helped build hisreputation as an agitateur who decided to stamp his own distinctive markupon an art form he viewed as static. Thus, the habits of Brechtian theatre oftotal acknowledgement of the audience caused as much mirth as it did anger. Onthe other hand, Artaud provided his audience with a completely integralexperience. By using sensory theatre to deny audience members their usual rightto involve themselves in a performance to a degree of their choice, Artaud madesure his plays would deeply shock his audiences. We will be exploring Artaudstechniques as well as his reasons for providing this kind of theatre. It is the goal of this dissertation to highlight the differences that make sensory theatre an integral genre of its own, containing so many outlets for creativity, expression and emotional impact as to make it not only an interesting part of theatre but an essential one. Its recent resurgence will thus provide us with an ideal platform from which to assess its meaning to a modern audience. TheAristotelian view of theatrical norms Goodoratory can blow the walls off brick buildings. Not just in the real world ofpolitical speeches or rallies but in the arts as well. As one of the only formsof human expression where no point of view is unheard, no eventuality unconsidered,no leaf left unturned, theatre has throughout its history naturally overthrownand shrugged off any shackles or conventions attached to it. This idea couldgive rise to an impression of mayhem and anarchy in an art form that had runaway with its own importance. As one of the leading figures in the history ofliterature, Aristotles views on the nature and importance of theatre arewell-documented and naturally thought of as still relevant today. Aristotlehad the very human characteristic of harking back to the good old days, andthinking them much better than the days in which he lived. Taking scant accountof Aeschylus,he regarded Sophoclesand Euripidesas models in tragedy. His chief complaints were that the poets of his own timespoiled their work by rhetorical display; that the actor was often of moreimportance than the play; and that the poets tampered with the plot in order togive a favorite actor an opportunity of displaying his special talent. He saidthat the poets were deficient in the power of portraying character, and that itwas not even fair to compare them with the giants of the former era. (FletcherBellinger, pp.61, 1967) However,in the matter of sensory theatre, we run into an area of some problems. Beingof a conservative mind-set which appreciated theatre for the moral lessonscontained within the narrative, Aristotle worshipped Sophocles with hisstraight and narrow approach to theatrical drama whilst eschewing the work ofhis contemporaries as being too popular, too watered down to meet the needs ofa public desirous of less preaching and more fun within the theatre. Aristotlepossessed perhaps what could be interpreted as a rather narrow view in that hesaw tragedy as the greatest form of dramatic expression, almost utterly passingoff on comedy as mere fluff as compared to tragedy with the great lessonscontained within it. Furthermore, Aristotle also considered tragedy to bemagnificent when it also contained a clear and well constructed narrativeframework and mythological references to the deeds of greater men and gods in anobler past. Although Aristotles writings on these topics did make a lot ofsense, they are considered somewhat restrictive and far too imbued with theirown authority to be seen as of much use today. After all, in a society wherethe possibilities of theatre are slowly catching up with those of television orcinema as directors, playwrights and stage designers are always exploring newavenues of performance, Aristotles three unities of time, place and actionseem ready to be retired. Their far-too stringent requirements of both cast andcrew make them almost impossible to operate in the modern world of freetheatre. This is no longer a society where the writings of one man, whoever he may be, carry enough influence to truly make as significant an impact as in Ancient Greece. It is not to say that Aristotle should be disregarded but concerning sensory theatre, rules relating how plot should be more important than character and how all the action in a tragedy should be centered around a personage of importance to better capture the attention of a fickle audience seem slightly moot. Its relevance is in the fact that much of what is known of theatrical conventions among a lay audience is heavily based on Ancient Greek theatrical philosophy, particularly Aristotle. It is precisely this philosophy that sensory theatre will have to overcome in order to claim its place as a rightful and deserving genre of theatrical achievement across the globe. Visual,auditory, tactileDwr Choosingan example to illustrate the nature of sensory theatre is a tricky balancingact as one must therefore, in some way at least, pre-define ones understandingof the genre. How do we choose between the senses? After all, since the name ofsensory theatre does not make any kind of distinction, do we consider thesenses of sight and hearing more important than the other three since they areoverwhelmingly the most stimulated in matters of theatre? A distinction such asthis would make sense certainly but since sensory theatre is often seen asstanding alone from usual theatre, perhaps it would be unfair to appraise itthanks to assumptions based on more conventional modes of theatre. Instead,the best way to gain a true idea of sensory theatres range of potentialimpacts would be to base an example upon several criteria. Firstly, although itwould be somewhat over-expectant to try and find a play which could tap allfive of our senses, several attempts at sensory theatre have successfullyenga ged audiences on three senses, if not four. Herein has been chosen Dwr,a Welsh piece put on in 2003 in Aberystwyth and then broadcast on S4C on thearts programme, Croma. Theset-up of the piece was simple. The audience were seated on one side of thestage on a raised-up area, overlooking a long perpendicular dinner table. Theinside of the table, rather than being an ordinary flat surface, had beenhollowed in order to form a shallow pool about six inches deep along thetables entire length. The pool was filled with a level amount of clear waterat the bottom of which a table had been set ready for dinner, complete withplates, cutlery, glasses and napkins. Above the audience, shining down upon thetable was a strong projector which reflected the pool of water onto a backprojection screen in a way which magnified and increased the shadows cast byany ripples in the water. Six audience members were asked to be seated at thetable, as if for dinner before being submitted to a range of experiences by theactors whilst cameras recorded their reactions. These sensory experiments allinvolved stimulation of an audience member in matters of sight, sound, taste orfeelin g. We shall look at the manner in which each of these senses was tappedas well as Dwrs technical set-up. Firstof all, if one were to ask any theatre-goers, it would be certain that even themost intermittent of these would claim the two most stimulated senses in thetheatre are that of sight and hearing. Whilst conventional thinking would allowthis to be true, a cynical perspective would add that since our behinds orfeet, depending on posture, contribute much to the enjoyment of a theatricalperformance three senses, not two, must all be satisfied for a performance tobe considered praise-worthy. After all, although stage design is an oftforgotten art among those who are not privileged to the inner workings oftheatre, the choice of venue often signifies how an audience will feel duringthe performance. Stage design is often considered only in terms of sets, propsand technical apparatus whilst the idea of crowd comfort is often overlooked. In the case of Dwr, the crowd comfort was adequate but the truly interesting phenomenon for the audience of this play was that their peers were submitted to the action contained within it. The stage design was such that the light poured onto the water was bright enough to cause the right amount of shadow reflection whilst not blinding either the audience or the actors. This careful use of projection in order to achieve the desired effect was a technique made famous of Josef Svoboda who pioneered the use of audiovisual projection in theatre to enhance the general experience. The stimulation capabilities of a performance, when combined with camera and sound equipment, is vastly heightened thus cementing Svoboda as one of the great names of sensory theatre. Asfar as the audience members who became a part of the performance itself, thesenses stimulated were done so in a way which gave every sense the time tofully absorb the impact of its experience. First of all, each audience memberwas seated at the table in the guise of a dinner guest but asked not to talk toeach other or carry out any action except if indicated to do so by one of thesurrounding cast. First of all, each dinner guest was asked to remove theirshoes and socks before climbing onto the table into the water. The stage itselfwas kept at a warm temperature in contrast to the cold water, making the changein surroundings quite drastic. Then, the audience member was asked to burst aplastic bag full of water with a long hooked pole. The water would thus droponto the audience member along with a fake plaster egg. The audience member would then be lead back to their seat, given a towel to dry off before being given two chopsticks. After breaking the egg on the side of the table, the contents would then be spilt onto the plate just below the surface of the water. Each egg contained some food coloring, spreading across the table along with the ripples, along with a small piece of paper. Each piece of paper showed the face of a man, wearing different emotions, whilst a brief poem on the back seemed to explain the expression, a poem that would be read by one of the surrounding cast to the relevant audience member. The relationship between the pictures and the poems may not have been immediately obvious but the reactions of the audience members were still assured to be both personal, if not natural due to unusual surroundings and odd experiences. These reactions were filmed by the technical crew on video cameras, adding another level of complexity to the performance as the traditional boundaries between cast and crew become blurred. Furthermore, Dwrs entire performance was played out under a constantly shifting pattern of music which although always instrumental would speed up in tone or gently slow down in function of events happening in the play. Thepurpose of using Dwr as an illustration of the modern applications ofsensory theatre and its meaning to a present-day audience is threefold. Firstof all, the timing of the piece and its broadcasting on a national channelalong with subsequent interviews with the chosen audience members proves theinterest placed in it by a major broadcaster as the BBC has major impact uponS4C scheduling. Secondly, the sensual experience of the show provided afascinating outlet for the audience members, both for those who took an activepart or a passive part, to find out more about what constitutes modern sensorytheatre. Although the audience numbers for this show were relatively small and thus can only provide us with a minor cross-section of theatre-goers, the positive feedback gained at the end during the interviews can give a lot of hope as to the future of sensory theatre. Finally, to use an example such as Dwr gives us a view as to what kind of reaction this genre of theatre would meet with. Dwr covers a broad base of sensory theatre as its performance, not only stimulating several of the senses themselves, dealt with a range of theatrical theories and ideologies which we shall look at in further detail. By separating audience members from each other, creating many layers of reality between crew and cast, audience and cast and audience and crew, Dwr rejectedmany traditional aspects of theatrical performance. However, by engaging its audience/cast members with an individual experience through the messages contained within the eggshells and filming their response, Dwr could be said to have engaged with a more conservative Aristotelian version of theatre. Each audience member not involved with the show directly as a dinner guest will have experience the play as a visual and auditive experience but it is for the six members of the audience at each performance that Dwr transcended the limits of ordinary theatre and became a emotional and sensory journey felt by each in their own individual way. Below, we will be casting an eye at the ways in which theatrical pioneers such as Brecht and Artaud tackled the rigours and the conventions of an art form that they viewed as being a free form, lacking in any structural restrictions. Before doing so, we can still observe that even if Dwr did pander even the slightest bit towards an Aristotelian theatre, the main body of its performance was firmly in the territory of Artaud as we can see when applying this passage to precisely the type of theatre Dwr tries to avoid. If people are out of thehabit of going to the theater, if we have all finally come to think of theateras an inferior art, a means of popular distraction, and to use it as an outletfor our worst instincts, it is because we have learned too well what thetheater has been, namely, falsehood and illusion. It is because we have beenaccustomed for four hundred years, that is since the Renaissance, to a purelydescriptive and narrative theater storytelling psychology; it is becauseevery possible ingenuity has been exerted in bringing to life on the stageplausible but detached beings, with the spectacle on one side, the public onthe other and because the public is no longer shown anything but the mirrorof itself. Shakespeare himself is responsible for this aberration and decline,this disinterested idea of the theater which wishes a theatrical performance toleave the public intact, without setting off one image that will shake theorganism to its foundations and leave an ineffaceable scar. If, in Shakespeare,man is sometimes preoccupied with what transcends him, it is always in order todetermine the ultimate consequences of this preoccupation within him, i.e.,psychology. (Artaud,No More Masterpieces, 1976) Evensuch divides as between audience and actors, theatrical conventions that are sohabitual as to often be altogether forgotten, were not sacrosanct enough fordirectors, playwrights and actors such as Brecht, Artaud and Svoboda. TheBrechtian impact or the alienation of theatrical tradition Earlierin this dissertation, it was suggested that Aristotles views on theatre andsubsequent impact thereon had diminished somewhat with the dawn of a time wherethe philosophies of the Ancient Greeks mattered little. However, the centuriesthat his views transcended have signified that they could not dissipate soquickly. Many modern opinions on theatre, however avant-garde or post-modernistthey wish or claim to be, are still formed largely on the back of the opinionsof men such as Aristotle. However, this obstacle would be taken to piece by menand women like Brecht, who wished not to merely co-exist with existing viewsbut confront their defenders and destroy the ideological entrenchment that manytheatre critics had resorted to in the face of the changes sweeping throughtheir beloved art form. In his early plays, Brechtexperimented with dada and expressionism, but in his later work, he developed astyle more suited his own unique vision. He detested theAristotelian drama and its attempts to lure the spectator into akind of trance-like state, a total identification with the hero to the point ofcomplete self-oblivion, resulting in feelings of terror and pity and,ultimately, an emotional catharsis. He didnt want his audience to feelemotionshe wanted them to thinkand towards this end, he determined todestroy the theatrical illusion, and, thus, that dull trance-like state he sodespised. The result of Brechts research was a technique known asverfremdungseffekt or the alienation effect. It wasdesigned to encourage the audience to retain their critical detachment. (Imagi-nation,2003) Thisis not to say though that to achieve such an accomplishment was possible formerely any theatrical commentator. It took men of special gumption, gravitasand guts to dare attack such a powerful establishment as that of traditionaltheatre. Bertolt Brecht was one of these. Blessed with the ability to fightbattles on several fronts whilst still maintaining a clear head, Brecht beganto cause controversy early on in his career. Looking to fulfill a desire formore relevant and modern theatre amongst German theatre-going audiences,Brecht, through plays such as Drums in the Night and with therecognition of director Erich Engel, flirted with an expressionistic style thatbefitted his rising status but left Brecht himself feeling uncomfortable.Although his style was becoming fashionable and it would undoubtedly havebrought him his time in the spotlight, Brecht felt that he should discover aplaywriting identity which was his own and not borrowed from anybody else. Ifwe consider that at this ti me Brecht was writing in post World War I Germany,we can observe the bravery it must have taken for him to make this type ofdecision. Duringthe turbulent years of the socialist rise in Germany and the Weimar Republic,Brecht knew a modest amount of success in both theatre and literature thanks toplays such as In the Jungle of the Cities and his partnership with Engeland Hans Eisler but he was only just beginning to find his feet in a style allof his own. The final step in this direction would be his years with his owncollective of writers, the most famous fruit of which would be the Lehrstuckewhich would form the root of the theatrical changes and theories we thinkof as Brechtian today. Lehrstucke propounded that passive audiences werea thing of the past in matters of theatre and that it was necessary foraudiences to become more actively involved in a performance whilst keeping astrong level of emotional distance in order to remain capable of rational thoughtand criticism. This collection of thoughts would slowly pass into commonpractice in theatrical troupes and communities around the world, a practiceknown as epic theatre. Epictheatre today may seem as historical and passÃÆ'ÂÂ © as Aristotles views did forBrecht but the truth is that the numerous and varied adaptations of epictheatre have formed much of todays common theatrical practices. Before Brecht,the demarcation between the audience and the actors was sacrosanct. SinceAristotle, the status of the star actor had risen so much that now actors wouldmerely be cast in a role that was known to be in their repertoire, a fact whichcould lead to truly spectacular levels of diva treatment or ridiculouscastings. Take for example Sarah Bernhardt whose notoriety had reached suchproportions that she cast herself as Hamlet. This is not to say there isanything wrong with female actors playing traditionally male Shakespeareanparts but it is the manner in which Bernhardt carried out this casting that madethe situation ridiculous. Aristotle lamented this type of situation as beingone of the great plagues striking tragedy theatre whilst Brecht merely laughedat it and lambasted it in his own style. His patented Verfremdungseffekt (or estrangement effect) was a sweepingly original style which not only acknowledged the audience as a part of a theatrical production and encouraged them to change their own attitudes to theatre. Instead of allowing traditional suspension of disbelief and letting audiences feel as if they were watching a truthful event, Brecht went out of his way to remind them that what they saw was a representation, a mirror onto reality and never reality itself. This was carried out by having actors suddenly break character and address the audience to explain the plot, grossly over-exaggerated props or sets in the middle of an otherwise serious play or great placards on the stage asking the audience to behave in a certain way by ignoring a particular happening or to stare less romantically. These unusual situations for an audience confused them and alienated them from the play, hence the name alienation or estrangement effect. This separation from conventional thea trical theory became very fashionable after the war in both America where he lived until being pestered by HUAC and in communist East Germany where he resided until his death in 1953. The appeal of Brechts type of theatre across the globe speaks volumes about how the traditions of theatre were rejected by a large section of theatre going audiences. The sensory feel of the Verfremdungseffekt were indirect but by creating this new separation of audience and stage in an allegorical as well as in a physical sense, Brechtian theatre enabled its audiences and directors to experiment with new sensations. The greatest example of this is in some of Brechts later plays such as The Good Person of Szechwan and Galileo. For example, in Galileo, the portrait he paints of the astronomer is of a tortured soul wracked between his scientific duty to tell the truth to an unsuspecting world and the threat of vengeance from the dark figure of the Grand Inquisitor. This moral dilemma was planned by Brecht as a way to get his audience to think rationally about the situation and contemplate what they would do in such a situation rather than feeling sorry for Galileo. However, if Brecht had one failing, it was that despite his ability to meld together a myriad of sources into a convincing single narrative, he did not understand the human nature of his public. Persuaded that with the right play, he could force his audience into abandoning their emotional side, whether he realized it or not Brecht was asking people to set aside the precise reason most of them came to the theatre. His theories resulted in a number of epic dramas, among them Mother Courage and Her Children which tells the story of a travelling merchant who earns her living by following the Swedish and Imperial armies with her covered wagon and selling them supplies: clothing, food, brandy, etc As the war grows heated, Mother Courage finds that this profession has put her and her children in danger, but the old woman doggedly refuses to give up her wagon. Mother Courage and Her Children was both a triumph and a failure for Brecht. Although the play was a great success, he never managed to achieve in his audience the unemotional, analytical response he desired. Audiences never fail to be moved by the plight of the stubborn old woman. (Imagi-nation, 2003) Anemotional journey where characters could and should be empathized with orcondemned was much of what has always constituted theatres engagement. Eventhe averagely smart and aware audience member does not need the moral absolutesof right and wrong as claimed by Aristotle but the desire to identify with oneor more of the central characters instead of merely rationalizing about theirfates without feeling was too strong in the vast majority of theatre-goers. Brechtis claimed doubly to be both a modernist or one of the first post-modernists.Although some claims have been made that a taste for his kind of theatre quicklyinspires in the face of so much cynicism, his importance and the size of hisimpact upon world theatre cannot be underplayed. Today, many of his conventionsare so common as to be taken for granted whilst a collective of Brechtiansstill operates and remains as long-standing proof to the glory of his genius. Conventionalrelief in theatre and Artauds rejection of it Everygeneration is locked in a perpetual struggle with those that come both beforeand after to break free from the shackles of their ancestral traditions, carvetheir own identity and thus prepare the way for a similar fight with thegenerations that are to follow. Although social morays may seem to remain stilland constant, this is only an illusion, one that can only too easily be piercedby artistic expression. Artists have often been marginalized as second-ratemembers of society, ones that are not indispensable to the everyday running ofour lives. Seen as not producing useful since all their efforts did not feed,clothe or warm anybody, it became a painful reality that if actors or musicianswanted to survive, they were required to curtail any creativity and pander toprecisely what their audiences desired. While this unfortunate turn of events could be passed off as a mere passage in the history of theatre, it left behind some highly tell-tale signs. The simplest of these is that from the Renaissance onward through the Classical period, theatre had become significant with escapism. The majority of plays, and here one cannot deny Aristotles continuing influence, harked back to former days lamenting a fallen age of glory, honour and noble deeds. Whilst this fond reminiscing was unimpeachable in its desire to awaken a better side of humanity in audiences, it often met with boredom and

American Literature and Society :: essays research papers fc

Literature is a very powerful tool that is used to make a huge impact on society or in someone’s perspective. Literature comes in different forms and each literature form fits in a certain category or role to help understand the true meaning of it. From playwrights to short stories, each one has moral lesson, a message or a reflection of the author. I have witnessed the power of literature several times. Literature has moved teens to better being; it has motivated unfortunate people to fame, used as an educational process of teaching and most of all, entertainment. Back in the day, plays were on of the most famous forms of entertainment. Without television and radio present, plays served as a substitute to entertain certain groups of people like the royal family or just for the whole public. This was one way of making money by the actors and the authors that wrote the play. Also present during those times were the poem recitals. This is similar to a play but fewer people are present in the stage or sometimes solo performance. Today, Literature is still being used as a form of entertainment and educational intentions. Hollywood made a lot of money by revising the great masterpieces of famous authors such as â€Å"Rome and Juliet† by William Shakespeare. Also, they made movies out of hundreds of literary works for educational purposes and better understanding of the literature piece. Each form of literature has its own style. The style determines how it influences the audience to absorb the true meaning and moral of the story or poem. William Shakespeare and Benjamin Franklin were truly persuasive while Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe mixed mystery and adventure to their works. The style touches the readers which really makes a good relationship from the reader to the author’s literary masterpieces. Being a foreigner to this country, I have viewed American Society in a different way. There are a lot of factors that changed my perspective to the American society and of them is the literature I have studied during the process of having English as on of my major subjects. I can strongly say that American society is very much different than the environment I used to live. There may be similarities but there are few. American society tends to change a lot of times, its culture slowly evolves the American society to a whole different level.

Bassano’s Last Judgment

The Last Judgment, by Leandro Bassano 16th century Venetian Artist, religious painting of Christ Finished in 1596, currently residing in the National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, Japan (Ueno). Visited on 11/2/09 from 10:15-11:30 Bassano’s The Last Judgment Painted by Leandro Bassano, a 16th century Venetian artist, The Last Judgment is a stunning work of scared art that takes one’s breath away upon first sight. Finished in 1596, the oil painting stands 73 x 51 cm tall and currently resides in the National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo, Japan. Visiting this piece on a Monday, I had the pleasure of seeing it mostly to myself. Most people walking by stopped to take a brief look at the well lit painting and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were Christian or not and whether or not the piece would have had a bigger impact if they were. At first glance it was pretty easy for me to see this piece’s relationship to Christianity and the event that it depicts. The painting, to me, appears in 3 sections: the central and most eye drawing section on top, the middle section, and the bottom section. The top section depicts Jesus of Nazareth basked in a glowing light holding a white flag of salvation while a man, most likely his father God, floats above him. He is surrounded by angels and pure followers of Christ at, what the title suggests, is the last judgment. This section is the brightest and most eye catching part of the painting due to the well played contrasting colors surrounding it. All other parts following this are duller and darker in color and really help to create a glowing light in the darkness effect for this top portion. The middle section, duller in tone to its predecessor, appears in two parts. The left side portrays people of the church while the right side shows commoners. I felt this section depicted those who were neither tainted nor completely pure; those who were almost in reach of salvation but who could yet still fall. I thought this section, although smallest in portrayal, represented the largest portion of the Christian community as we are often on the path to salvation but can still easily sway. This middle section was what I believed to be the middle way. As it appears, the top portion of the painting conveys salvation and Christ, while the middle section depicts the church and the people, so all that remains are those in redemption and those who are already damned. This is the bottom and darkest part of the piece. On the left side sits those who can still be saved; the image of angels helping men stand up covey great feelings of regret and redemption. The right side of the section, the darkest and grimmest part of the painting, depicts devils and demons carrying and torturing the tainted and damned. When I first saw The Last Judgment I was curious as to why the brightest piece was on top and not dead center as it was what drew my eye first and foremost; however a quick look at the other sections of the painting quickly draws one to the conclusion of an order with heaven on top, earth in the middle, and hell down below. The colors and style of the painting resemble that of other renaissance pieces surrounding it and really does well in drawing one back in time; giving the viewer a wonderful feel of the Christian religion. Overall this was an amazing piece depicting a holy and scared event in the Christian religion. The Last Judgment, by Leandro Bassano 16th century Venetian Artist, religious painting of Christ Finished in 1596, currently residing in the National Museum of Western Art; Tokyo, Japan (Ueno). Visited on 11/2/09 from 10:15-11:30

English Civil War and French Revolution Essay

The English Civil War and the French Revolution are characterized by a change in power that took place within their existing governments in a relatively short period of time. In addition, the English Civil War and the French Revolution were both initiated from the citizen’s unhappiness with the king’s rule. These were caused by a multitude of political, social, and economic problems residing in the English and French monarchies. In England, the civil war was a rebellion by parliament against the king. There was a direct conflict and struggle in determining each of their roles in governing the nation. After the Tudor dynasty ended with the death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603; her cousin, King James VI of Scotland became King James I of England and thus began the Stuart lineage. Though he was influential in his homeland, he knew little about the English laws, institutions, and customs. James believed in divine right and consequently alienated the parliament who were accustomed to the Tudor’s â€Å"balanced polity†. Parliament did however manage to keep the power of the purse and expressed their unhappiness by refusing the king’s money requests. King James’ additional failure was stemmed from religious affiliations. The Puritans in the country wanted James to eliminate the Episcopal system of the church organization in which bishops or episcopos held a major role in the administration and replace it with the Presbyterian model. This model was used in Scotland, replicated after Calvin’s church in Geneva where ministers and elders played an important governing role. However, their pleas were pushed away by James’ refusal because he realized in the Anglican Church, the bishops were appointed by the crown. This gave the monarchy supreme authority over church and state. At this time there was a growing opposition of the king and now the Puritans joined in with other English gentry. Conditions continued to worsen under the reign of James’ son, Charles I. He went as far to dismiss parliament altogether from 1629 to 1640 after recanting his previous agreement to the Petition of Right. The document prohibited taxation without parliament consent, arbitrary imprisonment, quartering soldiers in private homes, and declaration of martial law in peacetime. Charles collected taxes for his excessive spending without Parliament’s consent. Alienating himself further, Charles’ marriage to Henrietta Maria aroused suspicions about the king’s faith. She was the Catholic sister of Louis XIII of France and this upset the English Puritans. Charles attempted to introduce more ritual practices with the archbishop of Canterbury, William Laud. This struck Puritans as an effort to return to Catholicism. Charles’ fatal error was trying to impose the Anglican Book of Common Prayer to the Scottish Presbyterian Church, which caused many Scots to rebel. Without the financial backing needed to raise troops, Charles was forced to call the disbanded parliament. From November 1640 to September 1641, the new Long Parliament created a series of laws to limit royal authority such as abolishing arbitrary courts, repealing the taxes the king collected without their consent and the passage of the Triennial Act, which made sure Parliament met at least every three years. Some were satisfied with these reforms while radicals pushed for even more change. Charles tried to take advantage of this division by arresting some radicals including a large group led by John Pym. This final act made it clear that the king had gone too far which resulted in the English Civil War. Unlike the English Civil War, the French Revolution was closer to an uprising against the power of the monarchy and rich nobility by the peasants and middle class. Fifty years before the time the war broke out in 1789, France experienced a period of economic growth due to expansion of foreign trade and an increase in industrial production. France was broken up into three unbalanced estates. The first and second estates were made up of the clergy and nobles, which dominated society and led lavish lives and paid little taxes. The third estate was made up of peasants who were not included in the nation’s prosperity. The taxes necessary to maintain and pay for the first and second estate’s luxuries heavily burdened the peasants. They constituted 75-80% of the population but consequently only owned 35-40% of the land. Their discontent and struggle for survival played a vital role in the course of the revolution. The consumer prices rose faster than their wages, which resulted in urban groups unable to purchase necessities to live. A hardened resentment grew from both the lower and middle classes. Even the bourgeoisie were excluded from the social and political privileges dominated by nobles. At the same time, new critical ideas of the Enlightenment deemed attractive to groups aggravated by the monarchial system. The majority of French society was fed up with the old, rigid order based on estates and privileges and responded by taking drastic action against the regime. Crisis struck in 1787 and 1788 with bad harvests and the beginning of a manufacturing depression. This led to food shortages, rising prices and unemployment. One-third of the entire French population was poor. These people saw the lavish lives of the first and second estates, which led to increased criticism of their existing privileges. The parlements gained new strength and judges took on the role of â€Å"defenders of liberty† against the arbitrary power of monarchs. However, these efforts failed when they pushed their own interests and often blocked new taxes. The immediate cause of the revolution was the entire collapse of government finances. The court’s luxuries and costly wars took a toll and their expenditure grew to new heights. The government reacted by borrowing money, which created a huge interest on the debt they already owed. Charles de Calonne, controller general of finance, proposed a complete reconstruction of the fiscal and administrative system of the state. He convened an â€Å"assembly of notables† to gain support, but they refused to cooperate and once again their efforts at reform failed entirely. The French king, Louis XVI was forced to call a meeting of the French Parliamentary body, known as the Estates-General. At this point, the government was basically confessing that the consent of the nation was required to raise taxes. Louis initially thought this would be just a way to solve the immediate financial issues of the monarchy but actually ended up reforming the government completely and destroying the old regime. The revolution was officially initiated on July 14, 1789, when several starving, working people of Paris stormed into the castle of Bastille, demanding change. Despite their differences, the French Revolution and English Civil War stem from unrest of their citizens and their desire to transform and improve society. Clearly the main problem lay within the corruption and greed of people with authority. The powerful have influence over the political, social, and economic facets of society. However, in these instances, each monarchy failed to compromise by ignoring their own citizen’s frustrations and struggles. This left the civilians no other choice but to begin a revolution.

Continuous writing Essay Example

Continuous writing Essay Example Continuous writing Paper Continuous writing Paper The weather has been hot lately as summer was coming by. Sunny days with gentle wind at the beaches welcomed every people near Madonna beach to stop by. My family and I also grabbed this chance to go for a family outing. We went to Madonna beach by car. We went there in the morning excitedly until we forgot to take our breakfast. When we arrived, I saw the beach was full of people doing variety of activities. Some of them were swimming under the sun, cannoning, boat riding and some of the people were taking selfless. My mother enjoyed herself by looking at the lovely scenery of the beach. While me and my mother were taking our things out of the car, my younger sisters ran as fast as lighting to the beach and started to build their own sandcastle as their first activity there. I took out my DSL camera and started to take some pictures with my mother to keep it as a precious memory of our family. As we were tickled pink enjoying our own activity, suddenly the black sky overcast with heavy rain clouds. The trees along the beach dance frantically in the wind. The rain started like cats and dogs. We packed our things quickly and jumped into the car as a big storm might happen anytime. We took a look at the sea waves and it was surprising that it became wild in a blink of an eye. There was a bad traffic Jammed on our way back home. The street was crowded with cars, vans, busses and even motorcycle waiting to pick up the children after school. They parked haphazardly along the street make It difficult for people to cross the street. Other vehicles were speeding along even there was speed limit sign. Suddenly, I saw a young boy who was running quickly without looking to the left or to the right to cross the street. The vehicles honked mercilessly on the street. Unfortunately, a tricycle hit the unlucky young boy. The boy was flung up In the air for a moment before his books scattering everywhere on the street. The accident happened In Just a blink of an eye. The motorcyclist speed up and run away before the people nearby could stop him. My father started to have a conversation with my mother after she woke up and told her what had happened Just now. While both of them were talking, I saw a woman with a brown backpack rushed to the boy and she had to fight her way through the crowd. l am a doctor! Make a room! as the crowds of people limit her movement. I could saw through my cars window that she took out a stethoscope from her backpack. I was worried about the boy so much because he Is such a young boy to experience all of these things. At that moment, I heard the siren wall of the ambulance. I was never felt so relieved In all my life. The doctor with the backpack had a talk with the paramedic before they pushed the boy Into the ambulance. As the crowd started to continue their normal actively, I saw blood splattered everywhere on the scene when my father passed by. There was a man who picked the boys book which scattered everywhere on the road to help the raffia moving. It was my first experienced an accident In front of my eyes. It gave me a shocked and I could not close my eyes at night when I was thinking If the boy would survived after the accident. The accident taught me that anything unexpected could happened anytime and everywhere without defined age or gender. So, we must take every step to say safe whenever or wherever we are. Continuous writing By catastrophic boat riding and some of the people were taking selfless. My mother enjoyed herself by parked haphazardly along the street make it difficult for people to cross the street. Motorcycle hit the unlucky young boy. The boy was flung up in the air for a moment before his books scattering everywhere on the street. The accident happened in Just stethoscope from her backpack. I was worried about the boy so much because he is wail of the ambulance. I was never felt so relieved in all my life. The doctor with the backpack had a talk with the paramedic before they pushed the boy into the ambulance. As the crowd started to continue their normal activities, I saw blood traffic moving. It was my first experienced an accident in front of my eyes. It gave me a shocked and I could not close my eyes at night when I was thinking if the boy would

The Field of Religious Studies Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Field of Religious Studies - Assignment Example Evaluation skills also employ analysis skills such as semiotics and hermeneutical (Kessler 26). Explanations according to some scholars have the same meaning as interpretation. It is the comprehension gained through interpretation of data within a religious context. Explanation is independent and resistant to theory influence as opposed to unstable description and interpretation. Explanation can also be functional, structural or causal all of which assist in appealing arguments advanced in religious discipline. Interpretation also integrates the comparative aspects of the determination of the meaning of a religious data. Interpretation comprises of evaluation, explanation, and comparative studies. There is a close relationship between a descriptive analysis of religious theory and its interpretation. Pure description requires integration of interpretation and evaluation skills. Some research hypothesis accepts that explanation and understanding presents the most efficient platform for comprehension of religious literature and theory. Approach of explanation and understanding integrates the phenomenology of religion subject in self-generation of ethical arguments. Phenomenology discipline helps in self-generation of spiritual knowledge, which is imperative, as nonreligious theories cannot explain religious ideas (Kessler 23). Phenomenology discipline is more applicable than reductionism concepts that some scholars

The itc echoupal intiative harvard case study Essay

The itc echoupal intiative harvard case study - Essay Example To tap this opportunity, ITC-IBD has created an IT-enabled rural ‘channel’ called eChoupal to procure and process the soybeans in a productive way. So, using eChoupal, ITC-IBD wanted to streamline the input and output sides of the soybean supply chain, throughout its distribution network particularly in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Through this process, they set an objective of giving the farmers access to quality inputs such as accurate weather report, correct information about sowing seeds, herbicides etc. Then in the output side, ITC’s objective through e-Choupal is to remove the dominance and clogging of the middlemen, by using Information Technology. The main problem this initiative of ITC faced is to do with the rules of the State Government. That is, the state government had stipulated that all purchases or procurement of the soybeans from farmers should be done in Mandi, to protect the farmers from unscrupulous buyers. So, the ITC had to convince the Government about the potential of procurement outside the Mandi for the farmers as well as the rural economy. Also, the need to provide the infrastructure to start eChoupal initiative is one of the problems faced by ITC. That is, with computer, telecommunication and Internet being in the infancy in India, with minimum spread, ITC had to built the whole structure independently with little backing from the Government. All these problems were overridden and the implementation was successful because of the full co-operation of the farmers, who were happy with this productive arrangement. Apart from the valuable information, they received for the effective cultivation, they also got profitable price for their soybeans. The role played by the liaison person named Sanchalak contributed to eChoupal success as well. The transparency of the process also made it into a successful venture. Supply Chain Management is the lifeline of any business.