Morality Play Essay Example for Free

Morality Play Essay * Popular from the early 1400s to the 1580s. * Morality plays were about the fate of a single individual’s soul. * The main character represented all men and often had a name such as Mankind or Everyman to demonstrate their allegorical function. * They include vice and temptation characters attempt to corrupt the Everyman figure. * Allegorical characters also represent virtues. The ‘Everyman’ character listens to them and takes note of warnings, often returning briefly to his ‘good’ lifestyle. * A reform/relapse pattern is repeated several times. * Through a series of blunders and moral lessons the hero is gradually educated into an understanding of the difference between right and wrong and the nature of god. * At the end, the main character settles his accounts with God and either lives or dies forgiven and Christian. He is wiser and better at the end of the play. * A chorus, such as the Messenger and Doctor characters in Everyman, is used to comment on and explain the action for the audience. Elements of Renaissance plays. * Contain soliloquies in which a highly distinct self reflects upon his own desires and actions. * Celebrate the scope of human powers while acknowledging their boundaries; there is a duality at work which praises man’s creative powers (by implication also those of the poet, or author) but concedes that man is not God and that ultimately all his powers derive from God. * They begin to refer to the new countries and things being discovered by explorers, mentioning exotic settings and transporting their audiences around the world. Renaissance ideas * The body and soul are separate and linked with different elements and humours. * Catholicism was banned in England and the Pope was considered the antichrist by some. * Renaissance scholars studied classical literature, including Roman and Greek philosophy. Discussion of what it meant to be human centred on reason, balance and dignity much more individualistic than medieval scholastic thinking. * The humanist attitude to the world was anthropocentric: instead of regarding humanity as fallen and corrupt, their idea of truth and excellence was based on human values and experience; people openly questioned religious theology and teaching. * The world was dynamic, changing and exciting. Plays explored the many contrasts between how people should behave and how they actually do, and the questions and contradictions thrown up by a changing world.

The Day The World Ended :: essays research papers

SONS AND LOVERS Relationships have, and always will contain many different levels. These levels can produce somewhat of a state of confusion in ones life, and have many different impacts. But when a change and a transformation takes place, one can reach a point of clarity and a new found direction. In the comparison of two novels, we see several relationships portrayed along these lines, and how the two main characters transform to find what is most sacred to them. Paul Morel is the main character in D.H. Lawrence's novel 'Sons and Lovers.'; The story charts his early life from when his parents married, and the subsequent birth of their four children. During this time, the three women who have the greatest impact on Paul's life are his mother, Miriam and Clara. Each woman displays a definite influence on Paul, but all three are shown in different times of his life. This influence goes on to shape the life of Paul. In conjunction to this, the story of 'The French Lieutenants Woman'; and the main char acter in that story, Charles, will be compared showing similarities and differences of the relationships of women in his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the story 'Sons and Lovers'; from the very beginning their was a connection between Paul and his mother. It was seen that a bond was formed between the two of them, but it wasn't very strong in the beginning. The strong mother –son bond was between Paul's older brother William and his mother. Paul appeared to be jealous of this, and it wasn't until William moved away that Paul's mother noticed him. William was offered a job in London, the 'big city'; in comparison to their town. When he left, it was almost like a part of his mother had left too. She was crushed, very upset, and very unstable. It wasn't until Paul came down with an illness, and was on the boundaries of death when his mother finally really took notice in him. Paul was then nursed back to himself, and shared this same type of bond that William had shared with his mother. Mrs. Morel (the mother) lived for her children, especially William, but then Paul. As Paul grew older, his mother never su ffered alone, and neither did he. He was always there for her when she needed him, she told him all her problems, and he listened as best he could, as a child and as a man.

The AIDS Epidemic

Ever since the initial description of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1(HIV-1) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2(HIV-2) in the early 1980s, these two viruses have been repeatedly confirmed to be the causative agents behind Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).HIV-1 is the most predominant cause of AIDS in the world today and developing countries in Asia, South America and Sub-Saharan Africa bear the brunt of the AIDS epidemic (Hoffman et al 2007).  AIDS is a condition that is caused by immune system deficiency. It is a syndrome since it encompasses a pattern characterized by different symptoms presenting with varied manifestations. As an acquired condition or disease, infection is transmitted from person to person via specific transmission routes.These modes of transmission sets it apart from the numerous immune system diseases which are mainly genetic related or caused by anti-cancer as well as immune suppressing therapies.The first instances of AIDS infection can be traced to between 1979-1980 where HIV infections presented as a new disease that had never existed in medical practice or terminology (Chandramouli & Hubley 1995).AIDS among African AmericansIn 1981, Los Angeles doctors noticed a new disease. They were baffled that young men who were apparently healthy began developing pneumonia like disease caused by a microorganism that had never been detected before.It was strange because it was known that pneumocystis only caused disease among those with a compromised immune system. In New York, doctors began recording a new disease among young men. They identified the disease as being Kaposi's sarcoma because it damaged the immune system.One strange fact was that all the men infected were homosexuals, many of whom had contracted other sexually transmission infections like syphilis and gonorrhea. They reached a conclusion that the new disease must also be sexually transmitted (Chandramouli & Hubley 1995).The same symptoms were also found to be p revalent among the intravenous drug users and hemophiliacs. Since many of the drug users shared needles, researchers concluded that the disease was also transmitted through body fluids like blood.Since AIDS was mainly concentrated among gays and drug users who were mainly blacks a misconception arose due to the inherent discrimination and the disease was not tackled as it should have been.The result was a rapid spread of AIDS among the black community. The underlying socioeconomic and political factors helped to further fuel the AIDS epidemic among African Americans.Currently, African Americans are still disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS. While blacks constitute only 13% of the entire US populace, 49% of AIDS cases are found among blacks. It has also been established that AIDS is the leading cause of mortality among Black women in the age bracket 24-34.Among men in the age group 33-44, AIDS is the second leading cause of death (http://www.hhs.gov/). Among African Americans, st atistics show that more than 36% of all AIDS cases are attributable to homosexual/bisexual activity and approximately 38% are attributable to intravenous drug injections.Infections due to heterosexual contact account for approximately 12% of infections. This puts black Americans at a much higher risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, mainly due to same-sex sexual behavior, than other racial categories like Hispanics and Whites.The magnitude of the AIDS scourge among Black Americans is also due to a history of discrimination and neglect in instituting measures aimed at promoting a deviance from bisexual activity and other measures of prevention among the black community.The misperception that AIDS was only concentrated among blacks buttressed with the risk factors has served to worsen the AIDS scenario to this day (Levine et al 1997).The Origin of AIDSEver since the AIDS epidemic became a reality, several theories and evidences have been put forward to try and explain the origins of the AIDS epidemic. Just like any controversy, various fronts of argument have made it almost impossible to clearly confirm the exact origin of the virus.However, there is evidence that the retrovirus incriminated in causing AIDS has been in the environment even before AIDS as a disease became its worldwide spread.The current debates on the origins of the AIDS epidemic is not limited to the biological factors but has also been complicated by various political, social and economic theories that not only attempt to provide an explanation on the nature of the spread; as in among African Americans, but also provide scientific evidence to the extent that the virus was a product of genetic engineering.Initially, as the virus spread among the African American community, the disease and its etiologic agent remained largely unknown to the medical community. It has also not been resolved whether the virus originated from American soil or from African soil.The first pandemic is believed to have its orig in in America but the second epidemic causes by the HIV-2 have its center in West Africa. At the same time it is also believed that HIV-1 began to spread via three distinct routes; two routes have been traced to North America, while third route has been traced to Central Africa. It is uncertain whether the American and the African routes possess any relation whatsoever.The origin of the AIDS virus is attributed to an assertion made at a Congressional Hearing in 1969. It was predicted that the US military was in the process of developing a super germ for its use in the biowarfare program. The development of the new germ was to be made possible by the advancement in genetic engineering.The super germ would also have the capacity to wipe out massive human populations. Its mode of transmission would make ineffective any human intervention ton prevent its spread. The Department of Defense spokesperson is on record for having said that, â€Å"Within the next five to ten years, it would b e possible to produce a new infective microorganism which could differ in certain important respects from any known disease causing organisms.Most important of these is that it might be refractory to the immunological and therapeutic processes upon which we depend to maintain our relative freedom from infectious disease†(Testimony given before the Sub-Committee of the House Committee on Appropriations, Department of Defense Appropriations for 1970, Washington, 1969) (Cantwell 1992, p 137).This initial assertion was later on buttressed by J. Clemmesen; a Copenhagen epidemiologist in 1973 when lecturing cancer researchers. He presented a visualization of a situation in which a virus could naturally or be scientifically being induced to mutate to produce a very contagious variant capable of causing an epidemic and thwarting any chances of vaccination.A decade after the Congressional hearing, the predictions seemed to have become a reality with the coming of the AIDS epidemic spre ading throughout the world despite interventions to prevent its spread.By 1985, four years after the first case of AIDS had been reported by doctors in excess of 130 countries had confirmed AIDS within their borders. This position of the origin conclusively shows that AIDS originated from the military laboratories (Cantwell 1992).

Launching a New Product - Idioms in Context

This short story focuses on the difficulties of launching a new product, or introducing a new idea. Learn from the definitions provided for the idioms and expressions introduced following the story and check your understanding with a short quiz. Make sure to read for gist the fist time. Launching a New Product - Story Trying to launch a new product can be a daunting task. In fact, its so hard that most people have no staying power and soon give up realizing that theyll have to cut their losses and accept defeat. There are many reasons for these difficulties, not least of which is that really new ideas often fly in the face of most peoples expectations. Just think back to the days before the cell phone. Im sure the company that created that first huge, heavy portable phone faced a lot of opposition to their product. Who ever thought wed end up carrying phones in our pockets that have also double as our personal digital assistants?!   In order to keep the ball rolling, an entrepreneur or anyone with a new idea will probably have to ruffle peoples feathers as the push for success. This ability to tilt at windmills is similar to the ability to completely ignore what, at the time, must seem like obvious advice. Its this knack for belief in spite of doubt that success hinges on. Without an almost religious conviction, its hard to continue with the order of the day of pushing your product. This is especially true when a CEO or some other important corporate know-it-all is looking daggers at you as they rake you over the coals for ever having thought of such a stupid idea. Then of course, there are those who throw a red herring into the conversation as you make your pitch to potential investors. However, in the end, you wont need to hard sell your product to those who get it. Theyll recognize your inspiration and throw caution to the wind to catch the train of your genius! Thats the day youll kick off your drive to succ ess. Definitions cut ones losses - accept that you have lost and quitfly in the face of something - be contrary to what some ideas seem to provehard sell something - try to force someone into buying something by making them believe that they need to buy it NOW!have no staying power - not be able to last a long timehinge on something - be dependent upon something else happeningkeep the ball rolling - continue supporting something by doing what is necessarykick off - begin something, usually some sort of business campaignlook daggers at someone - look at someone with intense hatredmake a pitch - introduce a business idea to someone, try to sell somethingorder of the day - the most important thing that needs to be done on an agendarake someone over the coals - strongly criticize someone for doing something wrongred herring - an argument which is introduced into a discussion to avoid talking about something more importantruffle someones feathers - insult someonethrow caution to the wind - take a chance d espite the risktilt at windmills - work against impossible odds, try to continue doing something that is hindered by others Idioms Quiz Lets keep ______________ on this project. I dont think we should quit just yet.Any artist will tell you that before success comes youll often feel as if are ______________.He had to accept defeat, ______________ his ______________ and close the business.  She ______________ her husband ______________ for his mistakes that cost them thousands.Im afraid that idea has ______________. Itll never work out.Stop ______________ me! I didnt do anything wrong, and I didnt mean to offend you.Peter knew that he was bringing a ______________ into the conversation, but he didnt want the project to move forward.Im afraid that ______________ everything I know. It cant be true.  Our success ______________ getting an investment in this project. Without funds, were lost.  Id like to ______________ at the next investors meeting. Do you think theyll have time to listen to my proposal? Quiz Answers the ball rollingtilting at windmillscut his lossesraked her husband over the coalslooking daggers atred herringflies in the face ofhinds onmake a pitch Learn more idioms in context with further stories.