Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes

Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes Arthur Conan Doyle (May 22, 1859 - July 7, 1930) created one of the worlds most famous characters, Sherlock Holmes. But in some ways, the Scottish-born author felt trapped by the runaway popularity of the fictional detective. Over the course of a long writing career, Conan Doyle wrote other stories and books he believed to be superior to the tales and novels about Holmes. But the great detective turned into a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic, with the reading public clamoring for more plots involving Holmes, his sidekick Watson, and the deductive method. As a result Conan Doyle, offered great sums of money by publishers, felt compelled to keep turning out stories about the great detective. Fast Facts: Arthur Conan Doyle Known For: British writer best known for his detective fiction featuring the character Sherlock Holmes.  Born: May 22, 1859Died: July 7, 1930Published Works: More than 50 titles featuring Sherlock Holmes, The Lost WorldSpouse(s): Louisa Hawkins (m.  1885; died  1906), Jean Leckie (m.  1907)Children: Mary Louise, Arthur Alleyne Kingsley, Denis Percy Stewart, Adrian Malcolm, Jean Lena AnnetteNotable Quote: When the impossible has been eliminated, all that remains no matter how improbable is possible. Early Life of Arthur Conan Doyle Arthur Conan Doyle was born May 22, 1859, in Edinburgh, Scotland. The familys roots were in Ireland, which Arthurs father had left as a young man. The family surname had been Doyle, but as an adult Arthur preferred to use Conan Doyle as his surname. Growing up as an avid reader, young Arthur, a Roman Catholic, attended Jesuit schools and a Jesuit university. He attended medical school at Edinburgh University where he met a professor and surgeon, Dr. Joseph Bell, who was a model for Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle noticed how Dr. Bell was able to determine a great many facts about patients by asking seemingly simple questions, and the author later wrote about how Bells manner had inspired the fictional detective. Medical Career In the late 1870s, Conan Doyle began writing magazine stories, and while pursuing his medical studies he had a yearning for adventure. At the age of 20, in 1880, he signed on to be the ships surgeon of a whaling vessel headed to Antarctica. After a seven-month voyage, he returned to Edinburgh, finished his medical studies, and began the practice of medicine. Conan Doyle continued to pursue writing and published in various London literary magazines throughout the 1880s. Influenced by a character of Edgar Allan Poe, the French detective M. Dupin, Conan Doyle wished to create his own detective character. Sherlock Holmes The character of Sherlock Holmes first appeared in a story, A Study in Scarlet, which Conan Doyle published at the end of 1887 in a magazine, Beetons Christmas Annual. It was reprinted as a book in 1888. At the same time, Conan Doyle was conducting research for a historical novel, Micah Clarke, which was set in the 17th century. He seemed to consider that his serious work, and the Sherlock Holmes character merely a challenging diversion to see if he could write a convincing detective story. At some point, it occurred to Conan Doyle that the growing British magazine market was the perfect place to try an experiment in which a recurring character would turn up in new stories. He approached The Strand magazine with his idea, and in 1891 he began publishing new Sherlock Holmes stories. The magazine stories became an enormous hit in England. The character of the detective who uses reasoning became a sensation. And the reading public eagerly awaited his newest adventures. Illustrations for the stories were drawn by an artist, Sidney Paget, who actually added much to the publics conception of the character. It was Paget who drew Holmes wearing a deerstalker cap and a cape, details not mentioned in the original stories. Arthur Conan Doyle Became Famous With the success of the Holmes stories in The Strand magazine, Conan Doyle was suddenly an extremely famous writer. The magazine wanted more stories. But as the author didnt want to be overly associated with the now-famous detective, he demanded an outrageous sum of money. Expecting to be relieved of the obligation to write more stories, Conan Doyle asked for 50 pounds per story. He was stunned when the magazine accepted, and he went on to keep writing about Sherlock Holmes. While the public was crazy for Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle devised a way to be finished with writing the stories. He killed off the character by having him, and his nemesis Professor Moriarity, die while going over Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland. Conan Doyles own mother, when told of the planned story, begged her son not to finish off Sherlock Holmes. When the story in which Holmes died was published in December 1893, the British reading public was outraged. More than 20,000 people canceled their magazine subscriptions. And in London, it was reported that businessmen wore mourning crepe on their top hats. Sherlock Holmes Was Revived Arthur Conan Doyle, freed from Sherlock Holmes, wrote other stories and invented a character named Etienne Gerard, a soldier in Napoleons army. The Gerard stories were popular, but not nearly as popular as Sherlock Holmes. In 1897 Conan Doyle wrote a play about Holmes, and an actor, William Gillette, became a sensation playing the detective on Broadway in New York City. Gillette added another facet to the character, the famous meerschaum pipe. A novel about Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, was serialized in The Strand in 1901-02. Conan Doyle got around the death of Holmes by setting the story five years before his demise. However, the demand for Holmes stories was so great that Conan Doyle essentially brought the great detective back to life by explaining that no one had actually seen Holmes go over the falls. The public, happy to have new tales, accepted the explanation. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about Sherlock Holmes until the 1920s. In 1912 he published an adventure novel, The Lost World, about characters who find dinosaurs still living in a remote area of South America. The story of The Lost World has been adapted for film and television a number of times, and also served as an inspiration for such films as King Kong and Jurassic Park. Conan Doyle served as a doctor in a military hospital in South Africa during the Boer War in 1900 and wrote a book defending Britains actions in the war. For his services he was knighted in 1902, becoming Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The author died on July 7, 1930. His death was newsworthy enough to be reported on the front page of the next days New York Times. A headline referred to him as Spiritist, Novelist, and Creator of Famous Fiction Detective. As Conan Doyle believed in an afterlife, his family said they were awaiting a message from him after death. The character of Sherlock Holmes, of course, lives on and appears in films right up to the present day.

Importance of Rhetorical Theory in Communication Essays

Importance of Rhetorical Theory in Communication Essays Importance of Rhetorical Theory in Communication Essay Importance of Rhetorical Theory in Communication Essay Importance of Rhetorical Theory in Communication â€Å"What do you think about Rhetorical theory? Do you think, it’s something essential for our speaking, something we can’t do without? † – that was the start of my writing this essay, the first question that aroused in my mind, when I started it. Why should I write about the thing I even can’t feel, touch or taste. Is it really so important? Before reading some works and watching some videos in the light of Rhetorical theory, I couldn’t find in my head the answer to this question. So I started to ask parents, friends and nobody could give me a definite answer. As a result the start of my work was much more than pessimistic. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend your lectures on that subject, and in fact, I’ve never paid so much attention to that subject. I didn’t know what to write about. But watching the links you had sent us, I found out that there was something that is really good to know, to learn and to use in our everyday life. Aristotle defines the rhetorician as someone who is always able to see what is persuasive. We can say that if we learn the â€Å"science† of Rhetoric we’ll be able to persuade people. But do we really need this? In my opinion, when a person hears that he/she will have the capacity of persuading anybody of anything, what thoughts appear in his/her mind? I think not only good one. So this capacity can be used both for good and bad purposes, it can have great benefits as well as great harms. Aristotle himself considers it useful, but is it really so? Being 21 years old, and having studied at our faculty for almost 5 years, I know for sure language is a weapon. As any other weapon it should be kept in good hands. Trying to learn the most important points of Aristotle’s Theory I can say that it’s great, interesting, though written hundred of years ago, modern, exciting and I can continue the list of epithets. I really want to learn the art of speaking; I think I lack this capacity. While reading, many times I asked myself why, so to say, â€Å"bad hands† learn the ability of this â€Å"weapon† so quickly? In the last several weeks I studied the works of two scientists – Aristotle and Kenneth Burk – on the question of Rhetorical Theory. A â€Å"pioneer† in this sphere we can call Aristotle, of course. I always admire theories, methods that can work out for centuries. That’s really a factor, that a person discovered something revolutionary. His great contribution to the study was done by his trilogy Rhetoric. In these books scientists usually point out two main divisions. The first division consists in the distinction of Three Means of Persuasion. As we know, speech consists basically of three things: the speaker, the subject that is touched in the speech, and the listener to whom the speech is addressed. According to Aristotle that’s why only three means of persuasion are possible: 1) In the character of the speaker, ) In the emotional state of the hearer, 3) In the argument itself. The second division concerns the three species of public speech. The first species is defined as deliberative species. Here belong speeches that take place at some meetings, assemblies and so on. In this species the speaker either advises the audience to do something or warns against doin g something. Accordingly, the audience has to judge things that are going to happen in the future, and they have to decide whether these future events are good or bad for the community, whether they will cause advantage or harm. As an example of this kind of speech I can call a well-known address of the 32nd President of the US, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, to the members of the 77th Congress. I think that’s an excellent example, because this speech is full of the elements – metaphors, retrospectives into the history of the USA, possible outcomes in different situations – all this press exactly on necessary points. The second species is judicial species. By the name we can understand that it concerns speeches that one can hear in a court. The speaker either accuses or defends somebody. Naturally, this kind of speech treats things that happened in the past. The audience or rather jury has to judge whether a past event was just or unjust, according or contrary to the law. In this species the right use of means of persuasion play a great role, I think. What I mean is that a lawyer should arrange and explain these past events in such a way, so that jury believes they’re just. So the level of knowing these means can sometimes turn a guilty person into an innocent one. And Hollywood provides us with a number of such examples. To my mind the best movies, where we can observe a brilliant usage of the Language are The Devil’s Advocate and Law Abiding Citizen. And lawyers sometimes use the third species of public speech that is epideictic. It praises or blames somebody; it tries to describe things or deeds of the respective person as honorable or shameful. While the deliberative and judicial species have their context in a controversial situation in which the listener has to decide in favor of one of two opposing parties, the third species does not aim at such a decision. Aristotle wrote his books centuries ago, but it’s still very up-to-date. The second theory was written in the 20th century. So it’s really very modern. Its author is language expert Kenneth Burke. Unlike Aristotle, whose means of persuasion were based only on verbal elements, Burke included nonverbal elements into his theory. Its main points are that any message in the language can be analyzed with the help of â€Å"Dramatistic Pentad† – that is the name which Burke gave to his method. To this method one very famous quote is appropriate: â€Å"All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players! † Burke said that we choose words because of their dramatic potential, and that we each have preference for particular parts of the pentad. These elements of the pentad are: scene, act, agent, agency and purpose. Scene is a situation, the place where the action of the act occurs, something like a container that include occasion, event, time. Some people believe that changing the scene changes everything else. Act explores what happened, what took place or what someone consciously did. Agent is the person or group of people who perform the act. Agency is the technique or method by which the agent achieves their goals. Purpose is the reason that the agent acts, the outcome they are seeking from what they do. Sometimes it’s obvious and in the open, at other times the agent’s purpose may be covert and hidden. Burke also noted how you can understand the message by observing how pairs of these elements interrelate in ratios (scene-act, agent-agency, purpose-act and every other combination available). I would like to show how this method works on one message that has made a great impression on me. So this message is The Montana Meth Project. I can say for sure that The Montana Meth Project is one of the greatest campaigns that have ever taken place in the history. This campaign was developed by Tom Siebel, a retired billionaire who applies marketing techniques to social problems. Right these techniques are of great interest to me. The reason for this project was the destructive influence of methamphetamine epidemic in Montana. People will say that every region has the problem of drugs, why should we call it epidemic. But it really was this. Almost 50% of young population of Montana was meth users. The most shocking for me was the fact that only few in the state knew about this problem. But still, why should we call it epidemic? Before answering we should know what â€Å"epidemic† is. Collins Dictionary says the following: a rapid development, spread, or growth of something, especially something unpleasant. That’s it. Taking drugs means not only use of them. We should always keep in mind that drugs cause other â€Å"unpleasant† things: robbery, murders, prostitution, health problems and it’s not the full list. The community is ill. It needs help. For Montana this help came. Tom Siebel chose the best way to help the state – to show the truth. Besides direct active social work with the target population (12- to 17-year-olds in Montana who have never taken drugs) marketing methods of the campaign included shock-ads, short videos that show the horrible, destructive influence of meths on the appearance, health, private and social life of the addicted person. The campaign’s slogan is ‘‘Not Even Once’’ and its goal is to discourage young people from trying the drug. The campaign has received both praise and criticism for its techniques. I would like to show how Burke’s Theory works on the example of these shock-ads. The most shocking for me were three of them Bath Tub, Parents and Boyfriend. Bath Tub shows a teenager preparing to go out in the evening. While showering she sees blood and a naked meth user crouching beside her. We understand that this meth user is this girl in her future as a meth addict. Parents shows a teenager violently trying to enter his locked home with his frightened parents huddle inside. As he screams and bangs on the door, the voice of his pre-meth self tells how he gets along with his parents and how they trust him. The episode â€Å"Boyfriend† depicts us young lady, a meth-user who has to prostitute for money. While her client gives money to the boy, she says: â€Å"I love my boyfriend so much, he does everything for me†. This cruel, on the one hand, and true-to-life videos, on the other, persuade us very good that we shouldn’t try drugs Not Even Once. If to look at them in the light of the Dramatistic Pentad, we can name the following elements: the agent is a teenager; the scene includes places and situations in which a teenager may find him/herself; the act is using meth –either doing it or not. The purpose is choice, being an independent person by deciding between two acts. The agency is being able to see both options. If to see at the project in the light of the theory of persuasion, we can point out several elements that strengthen the effect of persuasion: 1. The project has a well-defined target population. 2. Creators use such sources of persuasion that will definitely work. 3. There are dramatic before-and-after shots of meth users to show the drug’s devastating physical effects. Though the project was sometimes badly criticized, it has its positive outcome: the meth use considerably dropped and as result the number of crimes dropped, too. Teenagers started to realize that using drugs is â€Å"uncool†. There were attempts to replicate this project in other states, but there is a problem. Such campaigns need great funding. Government doesn’t have enough money to do it. In the history of the US there were other remarkable anti-drug campaigns. For example, Nancy Reagan’s â€Å"Just Say No† campaign. It took place in the time of Reagan’s presidentship. There were used similar ways of persuasion. The most interesting thing for me was, that this project was used in the whole country. And once the first lady even tried to make it international. The second interesting thing is that in their videos besides teenagers, who were saying NO to drugs, sometimes included famous people. They also said NO on TV, they so to say gave good example. There also were written several songs for the support of this campaign. In the end, I want to say that now I know the answer to the question I started with. Rhetoric is an important part of our life. We should now what and whom and when to speak. Ancient and modern scientists did tremendous work. There a number of different theories, that can help us to achieve our goals. We just should learn them and then nothing is impossible.

Completing a threat assessment of ANSAR DINE. This entity poses a Essay

Completing a threat assessment of ANSAR DINE. This entity poses a threat to the United States in some way - Essay Example It is advisable that the US government should take this matter into serious consideration due to the fact that being an integrated part of ‘al-Qaeda’ it might raise threat against the interest of the US in the long run. One of such instances regarding this context includes the destruction of the ‘United Nations declared Heritage Sites’ in the area of Timbuktu, by Ansar Dine. This incident has raised severe levels of concerns for both the US as well as the security interests of the world along with bringing forward certain cases of humanitarian crisis2. Furthermore, the killing of ‘Osama bin laden’ (the leader of al-Qaeda) has further intensified the quest of this terrorist organization in the context of jeopardizing the western interests. Before the attack on the ‘World Trade Centre’ also known as (the attack of 9/11), the US government took the activities of this Islamic fundamentalist group in a casual manner. However, the attack of 9/11 completely changed the attitude of the US government towards this terrorist affiliate organization. The current fear of the US government is regarding the driving of the Ansar Dine militants into the ungoverned areas of the Sahara desert by the French army. The reason being, those ungoverned desert areas within Northern Mali can act as a settlement area for the al-Qaeda affiliates such as Ansar Dine3 This in turn has further increased the intensity of threat from this group both from the domestic as well as international perspective. This is due to the fact that Norther n Mali is a deserted border location within West Africa. Due to the geographical location of Mali, it will be easy for this Islamic fundamentalist group to easily smuggle funds, illegal machineries along with weapons from not only other states but also from the neighboring nations thereby increasing the threat intensity of the terrorist

The Role of Communication in the Strategic and Program Planning Term Paper

The Role of Communication in the Strategic and Program Planning Processes in a Health Care Oganization - Term Paper Example Sometimes changes can be small tweaks and fine tuning of the existing strategy or a complete replacement of the old strategy with a new one. A development of a strategy or a program, majority of the times, is a case for change. The change can be for development of an existing service or introduction of an entirely new service and it can involve minor or major changes. But irrespective of what kind of change is being brought in organizational strategy, it will definitely make an impact on the quality of care (Rowe, 2008) Communication plays a very important role not just in the implementation process but also in the strategic and program planning process. Health care organizations have very less products and in all probability are completely based on the service offered which is wholly dependent on the human resources of the organization. It is the employees at the bottom level who have hands on experience of what the problems are at the most basic level than those at the top manageme nt of the company. Their inputs during the strategic and program planning process can be vital. Also it is the employees at the bottom level who are responsible for the actual implementation of the strategy and program designed by the top management. Communication need not be one sided but needs to be an interactive process where there are exchange of views and ideas. Active participation and effective communication among all stakeholders (internal to the organization) can be the difference between designing an effective strategy and a mediocre one. Also even more important is the role that effective communication can play in the process of identifying the areas that are problematic and need to be addressed. Hence, communication channels must be created between the employees at the basic level and those at the top for the formulation of an effective strategy. Now moving on to the implementation phase of the strategy and programs, communication plays an even more important role. As m entioned earlier, any organizational strategy is a case of change and change is always met with resistance from employees. Employees at all levels need to be communicated the purpose and need for the change. Also, what the change in strategy could mean to the employees and how it can improve their job performance. It is only when employees identify with and understand the intent and need for the change in strategy or a program that their full cooperation can be expected and this is vital for the overall success of the strategy. A health care organization has numerous functional units and the broader organization strategy will not be able to cater to the different needs of each of these units. A broader organizational strategy must be used a reference and a strategy must be prepared by the managers and the stakeholders of each functional area that would best suit the function. There are two main criteria that need to be considered here. One, the functional area strategy must be in ac cordance with and mesh with the wider organizational plan. Two, it must be in sync with the plans of the other functional areas (Moseley, 2009). The role of communication is vital in the process. Effective communication between stakeholders of the functional areas and that of wider organization is essential to meet the first criteria. More important one is the communication

Coca-Cola's Marketing Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Coca-Cola's Marketing Strategy - Essay Example The company has been accused of using up water from the aquifers that are around their production plants creating acute water shortages around. Anders approximates that the firm uses almost three litres of water to make just one litre of Coca-Cola (12). They have been accused of discharging toxic water containing Malathion, DDT and chlorpyrifos. These are pesticides, which are carcinogenic and are known to lead to individuals’ immune systems being compromised. Besides the obvious health, concerns a rising from the toxic waste from the firm poses a major environmental threat to water reserves and the soil (White et. al. 15). DDT is a non-biodegradable pesticide thus its effects in the soil have a long-term effect to the soil and water and the communities around the enterprise. The company has been accused of dehydrating the communities around it destroying their agricultural calendars. Farmers are unable to sustain their farms, which they usually do by irrigation to sustain the ir crops putting their entire families at the risk of losing their lively hood (White et. al. 17). The impact of the water shortages has been felt most in the semi-arid areas such as Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan where the company has over exploited the valuable resources. Coca cola has made efforts in an attempt to conserve water such as cooling water recirculation, water reuse and water recycling, and proper use of de-ionized water (Anders 73). Besides the aforementioned techniques, the firm may consider employing landscaping as a major way.

How Concepts Of Fate Explored In Oedipus English Literature Essay

How Concepts Of Fate Explored In Oedipus English Literature Essay Fate and free will both play an integral role in Oedipus life. In Oedipus, Sophocles points out the old Greek belief that fate cannot be escaped even though a man has freewill and choice. Despites a man free will it is fate that will eventually prevail. But was Oedipus a victim of an inevitable fate or did he create his own destiny through his free will? Oedipus just like Laius and Jocasta tries to escape his fate by acting on his freewill. Laius had tried to escape his fate by trying to kill the child who was meant to kill him, but does not succeed. Oedipus too tries to escape his fate by running away from Corinth after he was told of the oracle that said he is to mate his own mother and murder the father who gave him life. Afraid and of course believing the oracle he runs away in order to escape it. But by doing so, he is unaware that he has actually taken a step closer to his own destruction. This is proved when on his way to his new life, he unknowingly kills his own father Laius and fulfills a part of the oracle. He then goes on and takes over Thebes and marries his own mother and hence fulfills the first oracle. However, Laius and Jocasta had a chance which Oedipus didnt. They were given a warning saying that they should not produce a child. But Laius was overcome by a momentary lust (Oedipus Tyrannus notes- Pg 90) and thus lef t his son to face the consequence of his action. Jocasta and Laius can also be seen as a perfect evidence of freewill. It was their choice of action that led to their destiny. Their fate was never certain. They were given a warning but ignored it and went against gods will. Their choice of action shows that it was freewill that created their destiny. However, we can also say it was their fate because the warning itself had mentioned their fate. Moreover, they get their punishment for going against god; Laius is killed by his own son and Jocasta marries not only her own son but also the murderer of her husband. The play shows that the gods are in control, and not men (www.slashdoc.com). Furthermore, the play can also be looked at as the fate of Laius and Jocasta since they were the one who ignored the oracle and made a mistake. Oedipus just seems like someone guiding them to their fate. Their ill-fate was the punishment for avoiding the warning and acting on their freewill. So, therefore, we can also say that Oedipus was just a vict im of his parents curse, the curse of your mother and father, a double blow (pg 33 Line -417). At the beginning of the play, when there is a plague in Thebes, we are told about the new oracle from Creon. He coveys the oracle that in order to get rid of the plague, the murderer of Laius must be found. Here we can say that it is his freewill thats creating his destiny because Oedipus could have waited for the plague to end and not send Creon to seek help from Apollo, but he does. This shows him acting with freewill and shows that man is reliable of his own actions. However, on the other hand, we can also say it is fate because it was meant to happen. There were two things he could have done; one was to wait for the plague to end and the other to send Creon to seek help from Apollo. But he goes for the one that leads him to his destruction. So we can say that its fate and is taking him towards his downfall. He does exactly what a good king should have done but doesnt realize that he is pushing himself closer to his downfall. Also, after he learns of the oracle, he could have sear ched for the murderer slowly and quietly but he curses the murderer which in actuality is him cursing himself , I also pray that this unknown doer of this deed, whether he acted alone or with accomplices, may wear out his wretched life in abstract misery(pg 23 Lines 246-278). This symbolizes that freewill is just a road to ones fate. The agon between Oedipus and Tiresias brings out a lot of Oedipuss flaws. His harmatia include arrogance, violence, pride and his quest for truth. In this scene Tiresias continuously warns Oedipus not to ask more, but Oedipus does. The scene creates a lot of tension and Tiresias foretells a lot Now you see clearly but then you will see darkness (Pg 33 line -419). But Oedipus does not pay any heed to this and mocks Tiresias blindness. We can also say that Oedipuss harmatia led and contributed immensely to his downfall. Even after hearing a lot, he is still ignorant and is committed in finding the murderer. Here too he could have stopped his enquiry and saved himself but he doesnt and thinks he is doing the right thing but has no idea of what waits for him. Consequently, he continues pushing himself forward. Jocasta tries to calm Oedipus down by telling him that no one who is mortal has the power of prophecy (pg53 lines-788-789). She also provides an evidence for this by telling him of the old oracle and adds that Laius was not killed by his own son but by robbers and as for the child they had thrown him away with his ankles pinned together. And for the first time realization hits Oedipus, and he cries, Oh. What a wretched I am! It seems I have exposed myself to a terrible curse, without knowing it.(pg 55 lines 744-745). But Jocasta assures him that Laius was killed by robbers and not a single man. Even after knowing so much Oedipus is still persistent in finding the whole truth. He now waits for the shepherd who had witnessed Laius murder and calls him hes only grounds for hope (pg 61 lines836). But in reality the shepherd is the one who opens the gate to his ill-fate. The chorus then, in the 2nd STASIMON reminds us that the laws of the land is in the gods hand and not men The laws pres cribed for these are sublime ,and were given their birth in the clear air of heaven, Olympus (pg 65 lines 865-867). While they are waiting for the servant, a messenger comes by and informs that Polybus is dead and later adds that Polybus was not Oedipuss father Polybus was no relation of your (pg 75 line-1016). Just then Jocasta realizes that the oracle has come true, and begs Oedipus to stop his quest. But as always Oedipus doesnt listen and misunderstands Jocasta. Jocasta leaves calling him an unhappy man. The herdsman then comes into the scene and at first refuses to tell the truth. Like Tiresias and Jocasta, he too warns him to stop but Oedipus doesnt. The herdsman then confirms Oedipuss identity (that he is Laius son) and thus breaks the shield that had been there till now that had kept Oedipus away from his ill fate. Having realized what he has done, Oedipus cries Oh, oh! The whole truth has come out. Light may this be the last time I look at you (pg 8 lines 1182- 1123). The chorus then reflects on the illusionary qualities of mans happiness and the futility of mortal life. Even someone who appeared so pre-eminently successful as Oedipus has shown this by falling victim to terrible suffering. (pg 86 notes). We are then told about Jocastas death. Jocasta suicide is purely freewill since her fate was never to die but to marry her son. So her decision to die was not her fate but her choice; her freewill. At the end of the play, Oedipus blinds himself and when the chorus asks him what had made him do so, he replies, Apollo, it was Apollo, my friends (pg 97 lines 1328). But the hand that struck them was mine (pg 97 line-1331). He now understands his fate and takes responsibility for his actions and is guilty for killing his father and marrying his mother. Even though we know that Oedipus killed his father and married his mother, we as an audience feel pity for him because he didnt do anything deliberately. The characters in the play were not fully responsible for their actions. In the play, fate and freewill both worked together towards Oedipus destruction. Every action he took, lead him to closer to his destruction. Thus we can conclude that freewill is just a road that leads to ones destination. In the end all the oracles are proved right and it is proved that fate is inevitable and humans are controlled by god and despites a mans freewill, it is fate that prevails. AS English Literature Unit 2 Dramatic Genres Oedipus Coursework First Draft Jesika Limbu

Cleopatra the Great - VII Essay --

The Great Man Theory was extremely prominent in the 19th century, originating from historian Thomas Carlyle, who stated that â€Å"The history of the world is but the biography of great men.† This mirrors his belief that heros shape history through their personal attributes and divine inspiration. According to this Great Man theory, history is written around the ‘Great Men’ or heroes who, due to their exceptional characteristics of charisma, intelligence, and wisdom utilize their power status to embark on a decisive historic imprint. This theory specifies on these heros’ historical events, being compared to their individual orders and decisions as rulers. In order to fit this title, individuals must use their power of leadership to protect and lead their country, seize given opportunities, possess machiavellianism characteristics, and be influential and captivated by their people. Cleopatra VII, an Egyptian Queen, had exquisite leadership skills which are a rgued to be better than any man’s, and she was honored and influenced by not only her people, but the world, through the hardships of war, famine, and the expansion of the Roman Empire. Her ideas, guiding principles, and public values influenced why she made the decisions she did. Thus, Cleopatra is the epitome of a ‘Great Man’, according to the criteria of the Great Man Theory. Cleopatra is a substantial leader because she was one of the first influential female leaders throughout her time on the throne, obtaining more power than any other female leader could achieve. Her leaderships were much different from other leaders which made her shine. Almost every Egyptian queen was named Cleopatra, however, the most famous of which was Cleopatra VII. She was born in Alexandria in 69 BCE... ...event makes her a ‘Great Man’ because she turned Egypt from a famished state, into a strong nation once again. She was able to use her intelligence to make allies to save her nation, and this is a very erioc stunt. She knew she was exiled from the throne, yet she went to a place where she was still considered of high authorities, and was able to organize an army to wage civil war on her brother. This is a remarkable event which allowed her to be remembered; she saved Egypt's’ state. This shows how she always acted to further her vision of a strong nation, equal in respect and stature to Rome. Lastly, it shows her determination to reign the throne, and became a mature leader in making Egypt great again. Thus, Cleopatra is applicable to the Great Man Theory. Cleopatra fits every little aspect of a ‘Great Man’. according to the criteria of the Great Man Theory.