Friday, January 24, 2020
Shakespeares Hamlet Essay: Observations on Gertrude -- GCSE Coursewor
And What of Gertrude in Hamlet? à à à à To what extent does evil reign in the heart of Queen Gertrude in Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Hamlet? This essay will delve into her character, and into the deposit of literary criticism regarding her, in order to analyze her character in depth. à Philip Edwardsââ¬â¢ ââ¬Å"The Ghost: Messenger from a Higher Court of Values?â⬠expresses the necessity of the Ghost leaving the guilt of Gertrude to the afterlife: à The final injunction, ââ¬ËLeave her to heavenââ¬â¢, must temper our feeling of the Ghostââ¬â¢s personal vindictiveness. It is more important, however, in giving a religious context to the punishment of Claudius and Gertrude. Gertrudeââ¬â¢s earthly punishment is to be her conscience: ââ¬Ëthose thorns that in her bosom lodge / To prick and sting herââ¬â¢. Whatever further punishment or exoneration is hers to receive belongs to an after-life. With Claudius it is different. By his words ââ¬ËLeave her to heavenââ¬â¢, the Ghost must imply that a higher justice requires the exemplary punishment of Claudius on earth, by the hand of an appointed human being. (67) à At the outset of the tragedy Hamlet appears dressed in solemn black. His mother, Gertrude, is apparently disturbed by this and requests of him: à à à à à Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, à à à à And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. à à à à Do not for ever with thy vailed lids à à à à Seek for thy noble father in the dust: à à à à Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die, à à à à Passing through nature to eternity. (1.2) à The queen obviously considers her sonââ¬â¢s dejection to result from his fatherââ¬â¢s demise. Angela Pitt considers Gertrude ââ¬Å"a kindly, slow-witted, rather self-indulgent woman. . . .â⬠(47). She join... ...is Into' Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet." Early Modern Literary Studies 6.1 (May, 2000): 2.1-24 à http://purl.oclc.org/emls/06-1/lehmhaml.htm à Pitt, Angela. ââ¬Å"Women in Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Tragedies.â⬠Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Rpt. from Shakespeareââ¬â¢s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981. à Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html à Smith, Rebecca. ââ¬Å"Gertrude: Scheming Adulteress or Loving Mother?â⬠Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from ââ¬Å"Hamletâ⬠: A Userââ¬â¢s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996. à Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. ââ¬Å"Shakespeare.â⬠Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
Nature or Nurture Controversy
Developmental psychologists tell us that development is caused by two very extensive intermingling factors: heredity or nature, and environment or nurture. Often determining the demarcation line between these two factors, which directly or indirectly influences our biological and psychological constitution, is not an easy task. Nature speaks of the transmission of traits from parents to offspring through the genes which is universally known as heredity. This biological transmission of traits from one generation to another plays an important role in the determination of traits that are considered human and nonhuman. The biological structures, people inherit, at the same time, make peopleââ¬â¢s behavior possible. It is also these biological structures that limit human behavior (Hurlock, 1964). On the other hand, environment embraces all the influences that affect or shape man. The other process of development that occurs through the medium of the environment is called learning. There are more social or behavior scientists today who stand on the position that they adhere strictly neither to the nature nor to the nurture side. They are persuaded or tend to lean on an integrated or multi-dimensional approach. However, there have been specific areas in the study of human behavior that are being challenged on a continuous basis, and this includes subjects that aid to either the heredity or environment positions (Morris & Maisto, 1999). This short study attempts to provide evidences to the scientific inquiry that nurture influences early human development. It seeks to look into explicit observations already made, i.e., studies done that investigated the issue of nature and nurture. Discussion In general, it can be argued that all behavior reflects the influence of both nature and nurture. All organisms acquire or inherit a range of structures that set the stage for certain behaviors. Yet environmental influence such as nutrition and learning also help decide whether or not genetically possible behaviors will be displayed. The genius of such creative writers as C.S. Lewis or Stephen King may never appear should they have been reared in less fortunate circumstances without the privilege or opportunity of even writing and reading. Nurture especially during the early stages in the life span influences some of the arenas of human existence. The best illustration to this is in the aspect of intelligence. Many studies have been conducted to emphasize the role of environment and this is illustrated in the areas of research where scientists try to manipulate the initial milieu around which many young children are in jeopardy of developing poor intellectual functioning. These researches actually put stress or accentuate the preventive aspect instead of addressing the interventions that may be applied later on. A lot of families from below the poverty line reasonably, are not able to afford their children a cognitively motivating atmosphere. For this reason, majority of these children are even expected to perform below their capacity. It is arguably to the side of nurture in instances that intellectual functioning is compromised when the environment component is not maximized. Hence the reason that some of the governmentââ¬â¢s popular programs to address the problem are in place. They include such services as Head Start, which are confirmed effective strategies in developing the childââ¬â¢s intellectual capability (Ramey, 1989 in Halonen and Santrock, 1996, p. 280). Despite some of the controversies that surround the efficacy of the ââ¬Å"No Child Left Behind Actâ⬠spearheaded by President George W. Bush, the rationale following this public policy is the fact that children coming from inner cities and minority groups will be provided ample opportunities for cognitive development via government funding. Schools that do not perform at par with ââ¬Å"productive onesâ⬠will be evaluated and funding consequently is affected. This raises up the standard of the schools especially their teachers. Whether this is fail-safe or not, is not the question here. However, this is a clear illustration that without any environmental intervention, children left to themselves may not develop competence or achieve their potential. Another evidence that point to the effect of environment on human development especially during the early years is based on observations or studies on parental abuse of children. According to research, the growth and development of a child is modified incessantly by the influences in the environment. The fact that maltreatment by parents over their children account for the vast differences of performance of school age children and many of the resulting disorders or maladjustment problems that are frequent problems encountered by educators, substantiates the claims of nurture or environmental influence (www.ipce.info/library_3/files/glaser/glaser_2.htm). Early childhood environment impacts the childââ¬â¢s cognitive ability is also shown in a study on the effects of nutrition in infancy and later cognition. Nutrients as provided by formula or any other supplement affect brain development significantly.à The study supports the hypothesis that optimum nutrition in infancy ââ¬Å"has significant consequences for cognitive development (Lucas, 1998). Conclusion Nurture is perhaps the strongest alibi any person attributes to whenever things turn out not as good as they want them to be. We often make justifications why we tend to be mediocre; ââ¬Å"because my parents did not try their very best to train me and provide for all that I need,â⬠is our typical rejoinder. To what extent is this true, and where does the line end when it comes to personal responsibility, genetic predispositions, or the responsibility and accountability of people who exert immense influence on us? The argument postulated in this paper is not so much as ââ¬Å"drawing the lineâ⬠in as much as it has evidently proven the great impact of nurture on personality and/or human development in general. This paper pointed out exactly, that many of individual decisions and government policies are responses to the effects of environment to early human development, thus proving the hypothesis correct. Parental abuse and neglect have been issues in learning because these are factors that are vital to the childââ¬â¢s overall performance and normal functioning as they operate as kids and later as adults in the real world. This is also true with nutritional status of children in their growing years. Several studies have proven the effects of these factors that they are consciously observed among the educated parents; as much as possible, many actively pursue in avoiding the drastic effects of either deficiency. Indeed, the environmental changes that are constantly influencing children in their early stages are established in the scientific disciplines; this despite the many arguments to the contrary. Reference: 1. Environmental influences on brain development. Accessed à August 11, 2007. 2. Hilgard, ER, RR Atkinson, and RC Atkinson, 1983. Introduction to Psychology. 7th ed., New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich, Inc. 3. Hurlock, E.B, 1964. Child development. New York: McGraw-Hill à Book Company, Inc. 4. Lucas, A., 1998. ââ¬Å"Randomised trial of early diet in preterm à à à à babies and later intelligence quotient.â⬠British Medical à à à à Journal, British Medical group. Accessed August 12, 2007 5. Morris, Charles G. & Albert Maisto, 1999. Understanding à à à à Psychology. 4th ed. Prentice Hall, Inc. P. 73. 6. Ramey as cited from Halonen, Jane S., and John Santrock. à à à à Psychology: Contexts of à à à behavior. 1996. Brown & Benchmark, à à à à USA, p. 280. à Ã
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Taking a Look at Obesity - 822 Words
1.0 Introduction Obesity is occurring when heavy accumulation of fat in oneââ¬â¢s body and it can increase the risk of infecting heart disease and diabetes. Obesity can be classified into 2 types. Type-1 obesity is caused by practicing an unhealthy lifestyle. It happens to one who does not want to exercise regularly and do not control his eating habits. Whereas, someone suffering from type-2 obesity is probably caused by his inherited genetic from his own family or may be medical conditions. For instance, hormonal imbalance such as hypothyroidism is also one of the causes which lead to obesity. Only about 1% of obese exists in type 2 obesity. The past research had shown that people in nationwide suffering from obesity are increasing year by year. This investigation is conducted to find out the methods to curb obesity from deteriorating the health of these people. 2.0 The recent increase of obesity and why this has happened Between 1980 and 2000, the obesity rate has doubled among adults in the United States (US). About 60 million adults, or 30% of the adult population, are now overweight. Similarly, since 1980, overweight rates have doubled among children and tripled among adolescents. The increasing obesity rate in these years is exposed to the health risks of obesity. The reasons why obesity rate among adults in US is high is because US citizens usually eat larger portion sizes of meals. In addition, based on the researchers, US people have only limited chances for activityShow MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Obesity1462 Words à |à 6 PagesObesity Obesity is defined by the World Health Organization as being 30 pounds over the recommended weight for your height due to fat accumulation which increases that personââ¬â¢s risk of contracting illness. The choices you make, your environment, your metabolism, and your genes all affect how much you weigh, so how come just recently our society has become so overweight? We have gone from working in the fields to sitting behind a desk. Were always in the car because itââ¬â¢s the fastest method of transportationRead MoreTaking a Look at Childhood Obesity1842 Words à |à 7 PagesWhat does childhood obesity means? Obesity can be defined as a condition in which the body carries abnormal or unhealthy amounts of fat tissue, leading the individual to weigh in excess or 20 percent more than his or her ideal weight (Health Illness).Obesity in America is an ever-growing problem and has boosted America to the number one spot in terms of obese population. It also stands as the most prevalen t medical issue in American Children. In the past thirty years, obesity has affected many differentRead MoreTaking a Look at Obesity in America695 Words à |à 3 Pagestend to snack and constantly eat even when we even arent hungary. Childhood obesity has brought many problems for kids and has allowed them to suffer from things. Surgeon general Richard states that ââ¬Å"Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physcial inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parent.â⬠Childhood obesity is increasing among the years, it tends to have many health effects, environmentalRead MoreTaking a Look at Maternal Obesity2007 Words à |à 8 PagesThe references used are located in the last part of this essay. The literature search was conducted using the keywords and terms maternal obesity, overweight, pregnancy obesity complications, pregnancy risks for obesity, weight gain in pregnancy and prevalence of maternal obesity in Australia. Articles, researches and journals published within the last five years were chosen to gather the most recent peer-reviewed and evidence-based information. The databases that were used include CinahlFT andRead MoreTaking a Look at Information Obesity and Management1434 Words à |à 6 PagesOverload Research Groupâ⬠[3] a non-profit organization which includes knowledge professionals, industry practitioners, academicians etc., to combat the burning issue. Figure:3 The web page of IORG Information Obesity ââ¬â Is It Good? An old saying in Tamil says ââ¬Å"alavukku minjinaal amirthamum nanjuâ⬠, which means even nectar turns into poison if its limits are exceeded is best suited for the information explosion. Even if medicine when given beyond the dosage levelRead MoreChildhood Obesity and Its Effect1260 Words à |à 6 PagesChildhood obesity is considered to be a serious issue among our youth. Obesity can cause many types of physical problems, which most are aware of, but it can also cause some undesirable internal feelings within children and adolescents who suffer from it. Self-esteem, or self-worth, is important as it helps develop personality and is a major ingredient to our mental health status (Wang, F. and Veugelers, P. J., 2008). Some have said obesity may even have a negative effect on cognitive developmentRead MoreUnderstanding The Health And Social Needs Of A Local Population1716 Words à |à 7 Pagesinterests, a community of individuals with shared needs and trepidations, say a polit ical party or such like and finally individuals with shared social interactions, such as work colleagues or friends (Laverack, 2004). The community profile that follows looks at the geographical area of Newcastle upon Tyne. Using the format suggested by Hawtin, comprehensive research into the needs of the community, and the resources that exist within that community will be carried out with the active involvement of theRead MoreAmericas Fat-Shaming of Obesity707 Words à |à 3 PagesIn ââ¬Å"Whatââ¬â¢s Wrong with Fat-Shaming?â⬠by Lesley Kinzel and ââ¬Å"Solve Americaââ¬â¢s Obesity Problem with Shame,â⬠by Chris Friend share two different ideas about shaming against obesity. Body-shaming happens to everyone at some point in their lifetime, it sometimes includes inappropriate negative statements and attitudes towards a person weight or size. Fat-shaming is a term made by obese people to avoid their responsibility in taking care of their body. These people make themselves victims in society by pretendingRead MoreObesity : Obesity And Weight Loss1667 Words à |à 7 Pages Obesity Epidemic in America There are a lot of different opinions and strong emotions when it comes to the topic of obesity and weight loss. America, home of the free and land of the obese. According to CNBC, nearly two-thirds of American adults are either overweight or obese. Childhood obesity is triple what it was some decades ago. The obesity plague in America costs the nation as much as $147 billion and an indescribable number of lives every year. TogetherRead MoreObesity And Its Effects On Obesity970 Words à |à 4 PagesObesity is the buildup of excess body fat, caused by the ingestion of more food than the body can use in which the extra calories are stored as fat. Obesity is measured by taking BMI, or body mass index of the person which is their height and weight and putting it into a formula. As stated by The Editors of Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, ââ¬Å"A BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 equates with overweight and 30.0 and above with obesity. Morbid obesity (also known as extreme, or severe, obesity) is de fined as a BMI of
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)