Law and the Corporation Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law and the Corporation - Case Study Example There are two types, one, as mentioned above is a Public Limited Company, and the other is a Private Limited Company, which as the name suggests cannot sell its shares to the general public. In the UK, the Companies Act permits several people to form a company for any business that is lawful. Private companies are the easiest kind of company to begin as well as run in their initial stages. Company's name should always end with "Limited" or "Ltd" (Ewan 2004 p 20). Lugi must keep in mind that this type of company is often a family business; directors of these firms tend to be shareholders and are involved in the running of the organization. Normally the shares of Private Companies can only be transferred to another person if the consent of all the other shareholders is obtained. Private Limited Companies as does a PLC have to apply to the Registrar of Companies, submitting a number of documents, which have to be delivered to the Registrar of Companies at Companies House. The two most important are the Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association, in addition to these; there is a Statutory Declaration, which states that the requirements of the Companies Act have been followed. When the registrar is satisfied, then a certificate of incorporation will be given, the company can then begin trading at once (World Bank 2007 p5). I would advice Lugi to start his business as a limited company as just 2 share capital is required to set up a private limited company. Limited Companies are made with a share capital that is authorized (authorized shared capital) as well as with a share capital which is issued (issued shared capital). The authorized share capital can be called the total number of shares that exist in a company which is multiplied by the nominal value of each share. But he must keep in mind that not all such shares might have been issued. The issued share capital is exactly same calculation in respect of each and every one of the issued shares. A company that is incorporated in England as well as Wales can be made with whichever number of shares of any value, in any currency. For instance, there might be 10,000 shares with a nominal value of 1p, or 100 shares each of 1. In both cases the share capital would came out to be 10 (Henry 2006 p 19). Advantages for Limited Company: The core reasons why Lugi should open a limited company is as follows: Control of the company cannot be lost to outsiders, more people are prepared to risk money because shareholders have limited liability, more capital can be raised because there is no limit to the number of shareholders and, the company is a separate legal entity and therefore, as such has a continuous legal existence, separate from the individuals who are its shareholders. Its existence is unaffected by changes in the directors and other shareholders, and the work of the business can thus carry on with a minimum of interruption (contrast this with the death of a sole proprietor) (Stephen 2000 p 10). DisadvantagesLike every business even limited business has risks, Lugi must be fully prepared to manage those risks and disadvantages. They are as follows:shared profits among a larger amount of people, the legal procedure to set up the business, as a consequence of this there is a cost in

Discuss Shakespeares dramatic technique in Act one scenes 1 to 7 Essay Example for Free

Discuss Shakespeares dramatic technique in Act one scenes 1 to 7 Essay The chief character of the play is Macbeth. He is first of all Thane of Glamis and then inherits the title thane of Cawdor from an executed traitor. Instigated by a prophecy from the Witches that he will become king, and urged on by his wife, he murders King Duncan, and has himself proclaimed king. To secure his position, he is driven to commit further criminal acts, and plunges his country into civil war. After he is killed in battle by Macduff he is described as a dead butcher. The first scene is set on the moor that is bleak and desolate. This scene is one of desolation and devastation. The desolate countryside metaphorically separates the humans from the Witches who are used to open the play to introduce the idea of fate and destiny. From the stage directions, the battlefield creates a scene of death, carnage and destruction in line 4, when the battles lost and won and line 12 and 13, fair is foul and foul is fair a paradox is offered. How can fair be foul? How a battle be lost and won? The Witches chant in rhyming couplets and their speech is deliberately equivocal to create confusion in the mortals, as it is open t interpretation. He rhyming couplets give the effect of an incantation, while the thunder and lightning echo the noise of the battle. Similarly strange is thepaaradox that closes the scene: contained within it is the oxymoron, fair is foul, and foul is fair, a paradoxical idea that the Witches are able to transform what is good into evil, and make what is evil appear virtuous. These are also the first words spoken in the play by Macbeth, the echo establishes an unconscious contact with the Witches and is dramatically effective. We discover that the Witches are on the moor to meet with Macbeth. They seem to know where Macbeth will be. Once again they show that they can foretell the future. What can Macbeth the plays eponymous hero have to do with these abnormal, weird woman who look not like thinhabitants of earth? How does he fit into their plans? The opening scene heightens the audiences expectations, as Macbeth will soon appear on stage, the audience will try and establish exactly why the Witches hope t meet him. Witches held great significance for a Jacobean audience who believed in witchcraft. Witches were the objects of morbid and fevered fascination during this era. The Jacobeans were afraid and superstitious. They suspected that the Witches were credited with powers and could predict the future, fly, cause fogs and tempests, bring on night in daytime, kill animals and curse people, with fatal diseases as well as induce nightmares. By the use of this technique, Shakespeare knew that he would get his audiences attention with the opening scene. Although brief, this scene sets the supernatural atmosphere of the play, which is central to its dramatic action. In scene two, Shakespeare cleverly moves the scene to establish a different mood when introducing the humans. The seething battlefield replaces the moor, foul thunder is replaced by the sound of the military alarum and the humans replace the Witches. In this scene we meet Duncan, the King of Scotland, and his sons, Donalbain and Malcolm. Duncans supremacy is instantly established for he is the first to speak. They receive a report of the battle fought against the King of Norway and Macdonwald, the thane of Cawdor who has proved disloyal to Duncan. From the report he audience learns about the heroism and bravery of one of the King Duncans generals, Macbeth. Shakespeare continues to build suspense as he introduces the humans. The audience are also introduced to evil in man and the evil in warfare. The playwrights use of language helps to bring the battle to life and emphasises Macbeths importance. Dynamic verbs like, smokd, brandishd and unseamd suggest Macbeths skills and courage as his sword smokd with bloody execution. Once again we hear about Macbeth before we see him. Hw=e is spoken of in glowing terms and he becomes a hero in the eyes of the audience. Though he is referred to as a worthy gentlemen, there is still the memory that his name is connected with the Witches. Brave Macbeth kills Macdonwald by carving out his passage till he unseemd him from the nave to the chops with his brandishd steel that smokd with bloody execution. Part of this description highlights Macbeths bravery and valour, but the captains description of Macbeths unseeming of Macdonwald can be interpreted in different ways. Shakespeare intentionally paints an ambiguous picture of Macbeth. Macbeth, however, is still not satisfied until he had fixd [Macdonwalds] head upon the battlements. The decapitation of Macdonwald would support a more negative reading of Macbeth as oppose to his courageous behaviour. Scene two concludes with an ironic note as Macbeth is rewarded with the title of Thane of Cawdor which has been taken from that most disloyal traitor and given to Macbeth, who will prove to be more treacherous: No more than Thane of Cawdor shall deceive, Our bosom interest. Go pronounce his death, And with his former title greet Macbeth. The audience will realise that to make Macbeth Thane of Cawdor is a great mistake. We see Macbeth, the loyal subject and great hero who fought for good, change and become corrupt, and gradually deteriorate into a vicious tyrant. At the start of scene three, we meet the Witches once again in foul weather and we begin to witness their spiteful destructive nature. One sister has been killing swine while another has possession of a pilots thumb. The other Witch punishes a sailors wife by conjuring up a storm, therefore getting at her husband. From this the audience learns that the powers the Witches carry are limited. They cannot kill, but are able to create a climate for evil to flourish. Though his bark cannot be lost Yet it shall be tempest-tossd. The Witches curse on the sailor can be read as a prediction of Macbeths future. We are shown that the Witches are determined to make people suffer. They torment the sailor and drain him dry as hay. They deny him sleep at night and in the day. They ensure that he shall live a man forbid. However, Macbeth can be destroyed because the forces of veil are present within him. He alone causes chaos in the world by destroying the natural order when he deliberately choose the path of evil. The ship is a metaphor for the state of Scotland which is going to tempest tossd when Macbeth becomes king. A drum beats and Macbeth makes an entrance. We finally meet him and it is significant that his first appearance is with the Witches on the moor. This represents his connection with evil. His paradoxical word So foul and fair a day I have not seen arrests us because it replicates those of the Witches. This once again draws inferences between Macbeth and evil. This could suggest that the Witches have control over Macbeth, or that the hags are in some way similar to him. The appearance of the Witches like their speeches is equivocal. It is Banquo, who is used now as a dramatic device, who first comments on the bizarre appearance of the Witches. They look not like thinhabitants oth earth, and yet are ont and they appear to be women though they have beards. Banquo is calm and is looking for a reasonable explanation to why the Witches are on the moor, whilst Macbeth is impatient and wants an immediate answer to why the Witches have come with such prophetic greetings. The Witches prophesise that Macbeth, Thane of Glamis will become Thane of Cawdor and king hereafter, and that Banquo will have kings. Part of the prophecy is immediately fulfilled when a messenger announces that Duncan, King of Scotland has promoted Macbeth Thane of Cawdor. We the audience realise, that from the previous scene, Macbeth with his courage and bravery, and not the Witches powers, has won him the title Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth is rapt withal and becomes lost in his thoughts, as the Witches have articulated his secret desire of killing the King. His mind has been corrupted and he wants glory for himself. Shakespeare shows how evil can control what is good in Macbeth. Macbeth is torn between the forces of good and evil and he believes that he cannot be king unless evil wins over good. Macbeth reveals a disturbed mind, when he speaks his own thoughts aloud in a soliloquy, as murder is in his mind. His first thought is to leave everything to chance: If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me, Without my stir Macbeth has asked Ross and Angus, the messengers, why they dress [him] in borrowd robes- why they call him by the name of Cawdor, when Cawdor lives. By the end of the scene Macbeth is contemplating borrowing the kings robes. The reference to clothing in this scene is symbolic. The imagery of clothing indicates status, prestige and symbolises a persons title. By using the imagery of clothing, Shakespeare is trying to show that if you wear someone elses clothes they may feel uncomfortable and they may cleave not to their mould because they are borrowd. Therefore if Macbeth wears the robes of the kingship they will cleave not to [his] mould as he is not worthy of the kings throne. When the Witches depart in this scene, Macbeth orders them to, Stay, you imperfect speakers tell me more. Macbeths curiosity has got the better of him and his demand of the Witches indicates his obsessive interest with these weird women and their prophecies. The Witches vanish into the air as they do not receive orders from mortals and will not be dictated to. The source and purpose of their evil remains a mystery to the audience. Shakespeare metaphorically compares the disappearance of the Witches to bubbles. Macbeths life can also be represented as a bubble, as the honour, love, obedience and troops of old friends that he has will soon disappear under the wishes they had stayd. Ross and Angus enter, they are used as dramatic devices to convey to Macbeth the Kings decision to reward Macbeth with the title Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth and Banquo are both shocked as the devil has spoken the truth. Macbeth is already snared by the Witches prophecies, as he believes that, The greatest is behind On the other hand, Banquo can see through the trickery of the Witches. He is sceptical and can see through Macbeths motives in asking him whether he hopes his heirs will become kings. Banquo tries to warm Macbeth against the instruments of darkness. He tries to convince Macbeth that the Witches tell simple truths that are easy to believe, so that when they want to deceive people with more important matters they will also be believed. And often times, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betrays In deepest consequence. Banquo is portrayed b by Shakespeare in a positive light, as he does not make him an accomplice in Duncans murder. The stage directions show that Macbeth turns aside. This informs the audience that he is talking to himself. This symbolises Macbeth turning away from the other characters in the play as well as the path to righteousness. Shakespeare uses dramatic language to emphasise Macbeths horror. His seated heart knock at his ribs and his hair is unfixed. The scene concludes with Macbeth and Banquo following Ross and Angus to meet the king. The audience are filled with a sense of apprehension and anticipation. One question remains: how will Macbeth get the crown? Scene four opens with a focus on treachery and betrayal. King Duncan hears his son, Malcolm, relate how the treacherous Cawdor has been executed. Also in this scene Duncan reveals his lack of knowledge regarding his own thanes. He exposes a very human weakness-one which lies at the heart of the play- the difficulty of working out who is loyal and who is pretyending loyalty: Theres no art to find the Minds construction in the face. It seems likely that there is an implicit criticism of Duncan here: a good King should be able to assess the loyalty of all his servants. Duncans failure to do so reveals his limitation as a monarch- one who is taken in by appearances. Dramatic irony is introduced where Duncan announces that Cawdor was a Kinsman in whom he had absolute trust. Macbeths betrayal will replicate that of Cawdors. When Macbeth and Banquo enter, Duncan immediately singles out Macbth for praise, oworthiest cousin. The superlative worthiest subtly reveals that Macbeth is yet another thane in whom Duncan has absolute trust. Macbeth is the most dangerous of the potential traitors because he is closest to the king. Scene four is the only time we see Macbeth and Duncan together and Shakespeare contrasts the forces of good and evil. Macbeths deceit and hypocrisy is shown in this scene when he praises King Duncan and promises to honour him with loyalty. He convinces Duncan that servicing your highness will be its own reward. Macbeth is a hypocrite because in the previous scene he has contemplated the murder of Duncan. Duncan ironically comments that he has started to metaphorically plant Macbeth, meaning that he will make sure that Macbeth grows greater and stronger as a reward for his services. This is ironic because what is growing in Macbeth is the seed of ambition to be King himself. Shakespeare deliberately plants an obstacle in Macbeths path when Duncan announces that his eldest son, Malcolm, is to succeed him as king. Macbeth now sees Malcolm as an obstacle between himself and the throne which he must fall down or else oer leap. Shakespeare uses the euphemism that Malcolm is a step he must oer leap, in order to disguise the realisation that Malcolm must be eradicated. In an aside, symbolically turning his back on the King, Macbeth reveals to the audience, and articulates for the first time his black and deep desires. He invokes the powers of darkness to hide [their] fires. At the beginning of scene five, we see that Macbeth and his dearest partner of greatness, Lady Macbeth, have a very close relationship. This is a contrast to how distant they become later on in the play when Macbeths fiend-like queen is innocent of the knowledge. She is innocent of the knowledge as Macbeth does not confide about his plans to kill Banquo, and she shows ignorance of Macbeths murder of Macduffs family. She asks in her rambling state where the Thane of Fifes wife is now. Macbeths lack of sorrow when he hears of his wifes death is also indicative of how they have drifted apart. In all the public scenes in the play she acts like the innocent flower; in the private scenes we see the serpent undert. It is suggested that she commits suicide as she has become lonely and rather isolated. Lady Macbeth does not live up to the expectation of a typical Jacobean/Elizabethan woman. She wants the spirits the spirits to unsex her so that she can be tough and strong. Lady Macbeth uses strong imperatives and determined language that is brutal and violent. This is because she is delighted with her husbands letter and shows determination that he will become king. The letter form Macbeth describes the Witches appearances, their prophecies-in particular that which promises the throne to Macbeth- but does not mention King Duncans announcement of his heir; the audience can therefore, assume that this letter was written immediately after the events which occur in the third scene. Although Lady Macbeth knows that her husband is ambitious, she is aware that he is too full othe milk of human kindness. She says that ruthlessness is an illness that Macbeth does not have. This is not a true portrayal of Macbeth, because from the previous scenes and throughout the play we see that Macbeth is not too full othe milk of human kindness but lacks it. Perhaps she is comparing Macbeth to herself and is saying that Macbeth is not as ambitious as she is. Lady Macbeth under estimates the powers of her conscience. She see her conscience as her weakness, not realising until after Duncans murder how she will pour[her] spirits in his ear. She has also decided that nothing will stand between him (or her?) and the golden crown ( a metonym for the throne). Lady Macbeth greets her husband like the Witches, which subconsciously links her to evil and believes that her call to the murdering ministers has been answered. She feels now the future in the instant and that she is beyond this ignorant present. This is ironic as Lady Macbeth is still being ignorant. Lady Macbeths confidence is a contrast to Macbeths uncertainty. She advises him to look like the innocent flower but be the serpent undert and to only look up clear. She is in control of their relationship and tries to help Macbeth find the necessary determination to do the deed. Though Lady Macbeth appears to be confident, she uses euphemisms when talking to Macbeth about the nights great business. At this point in the play, Macbeth has been tempted to commit regicide, however he has tried to resist temptation. Macbeths resistance, however, is not vigorous enough to stand up to his wifes ability to manipulate him. The scene closes dramatically with Lady Macbeth emphatic affirmation that Duncans fate rests in her hands- leave all the rest to me. Scene six sees King Duncan arriving at Macbeths castle, he and Banquo talk about how pleasant a place it is to visit. They comment that the air recommends itself and is delicate. This is ironic in view of Lady Macbeths words in the previous scene, and even more so when compared with that of the Witches say about the fog and filthy air surrounding their evil deeds. Duncan also says that he is grateful for the love which is shown to him. Here again, Shakespeare uses dramatic irony. The idea that Duncan feels safe and loved in the surroundings is ironic as this will be the scene of his murder. This creates a sense of anticipation for the audience. It shows Duncans naivety, as he keeps full trust in Macbeth and his fair and noble hostess. We are presented in this scene with images of tranquillity and the words host and guest are repeated. At the beginning of scene seven, we once again see the struggle between the forces of good and evil. Macbeth cannot make up his mind whether to kill Duncan and he wrestles with his conscience in his soliloquy. He knows that the murder would be wrong and would he would end up paying the price for his crime, but he has vaulting ambition that is very persuasive to his conscience. Though Macbeth is driven by his vaulting ambition he redeems himself and will proceed no further in this business, as Duncans murder will be like angels, trumpet-tongud and heaven would be outraged. The verb will shows Macbeths determination to keep his soul. Toward the end of his soliloquy Macbeth compares his excessive ambition to a horse that tries to jump too high and fall on the other side of the fence. Within the soliloquy Macbeths thoughts seem to be fragmented, this is shown by the use of many full stops. Lady Macbeth verbally assaults her husband using violent language that becomes heightened. She accuses him of being a coward and questions his manhood: when you durst do it, she says, then you were a man. She is forceful in her language and she conjures up images of horror. She knows, How tendertis love the babe that milks me: I would, While it was smiling in my face, Have pluckd my nipple from boneless gums, and dashd the brains out Lady Macbeth seems to have been granted her earlier wish to the evil spirits to Fill me from the crown to the toe top-full Of direst cruelty. Macbeths earlier decision not to kill Duncan crumbles under the scornful attack of his wife, especially when his bravery is questioned. However, he is still worried bout what will happen to then if they should fail. Shakespeare cleverly ends the scene with rhyming couplets. Away, and mock the time with fairest show, False face must hide what the false heart doth know. The rhyming couplets symbolise their connection with the Witches and evil as they complete their preparations for murder. The audience waits in anticipation. Throughout Act one Shakespeare creates an atmosphere of tension by exploring the theme of evil against good. Symbolism is used to emphasise this theme. Dramatic irony, dramatic language and strong descriptive scenes also help to build up an atmosphere of tension.

Black Soul Of The 1960s Music Essay

Black Soul Of The 1960s Music Essay In the early 1960s before the British invasion black soul music, Doo wop, Motown and RB dominated the American audiences. The 1960s saw the civil rights movement. In 1963, a march on Washington saw the passing of the civil rights act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination in public accommodations and employment. This followed with the assassination of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, spurring riots in 125 US cities in 1968, coinciding with the civil rights act of 1968. The 1960s saw Billboard change the name of its RB chart to Soul, but the term Soul had been used as a label since the mid 50s. It had its beginnings in the 1950s when Ray Charles exploited the gospel sound to create fusions of black religious and RB music with songs such as I got a woman based on the gospel song My Jesus is all the World. Sam Cooke also contributed a great deal to Soul. Cooke produced an almost unbroken sequence of hits from 1957 to 1964, the year of his death his music gave proof that anything was possible. This influenced artists who would later become global black Soul performers such as Aretha Franklin, The Falcons and James Brown. Groups such as The Angels, The Shirelles and The Righteous Brothers helped to popularize the music as mainstream. For much of the 1960s soul could be seen as the umbrella term for black popular music, which dominated American audiences in the early to mid 1960s. However one of the biggest success stories was the Detroit based Motown, which could be seen as pop soul which gave fame to names such as Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson. Tamla Motown was created by Berry Gordy Jr and although the stars were all black, you couldnt fully define it as black music as the intent was to make music palatable to white audiences. Gordy was also known to have controlled the performing styles and clothes in a way to prepare them for the wider mainstream audience. Amongst the most successful of his artist was Marvin Gaye, who was the first to take his artistic control over his recordings and repertoire. The East Coast DooWop and girl groups also made a contribution to African-American music during the 1960s. They were singers and groups whose origins were found on the street corners in the form of cappella groups found in many urban centres. With very rare exceptions, these groups did not write their own songs, but relied on their handlers to set up the recording sessions, pick the material, and produce the records. In fact, many of these behind-the-scenes people eventually became stars in their own right in the seventies. The influence of Doo Wop can be seen in soul music through groups such as William Robinsons, The Miracles who started a Doo Wop group whilst at school. White popular music of the UK developed into one of the most leading musics in the world. Through the 1950s there existed a barely understood American style. Rock and Roll. At the beginning of 1960 American pop music continued to set the patterns of the native musical efforts in the UK. The US contribution to the British charts was large and extremely important At this point- the twist was in full swing, Chubby Checker, Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis dominated the British charts. After rock and roll, Britain returned to its traditional values with the likes of Cliff Richard and Living Doll which brought mums and dads along as well. For a short while in Britain at the end of the 1950s into the early 60s there was a revival of American Skiffle, made popular by Skiffle artist, Lonnie Donegan. Skiffle was the first attempt undertaken to appropriate American popular music. It was a growing interest in rural and urban blues. Many of these interests involved a conservative nostalgia for the authentic of some imagined yesteryear. Skiffle would later influence John Lennon and Paul Mcartney in their first band The Quarrymen and The Beatles. We can also see the influence of African American artists through British RB which developed as a major musical movement in the early 1960s, initially in London, but also in other urban centres in the UK, as predominately young white male musicians attempted to emulate the style and recordings of African American RB artists. We can see this influence through The Rolling Stones. Muddy Waters used song extension to transform 1940s Chicago Blues. This was achieved by reviving repertoire he had learnt and increasing amplification. 15 years later The Stones and subsequently Cream and Canned Heat followed his example in substance as well as spirit by themselves drawing from the same source. Thus The Stones recorded I Just want to make love to you and I cant be Satisfied. Blues songs and influences continued to surface in the Rolling Stones music throughout their long career. Cream made versions of the delta blues and Canned Heat took their inspiration from the delta bluesman Tommy Johnson. This song copying tradition played a big role in the pop music.- All these African American influences such as Skiffle, RB and Soul along with white American Rock and Roll gave way to Beat music or the Merseybeat. Bands who defined this genre were largely the Beatles but also Hermans Hermits and Gerry and the Pacemakers, to name a few. In Walter Everetts The Beatles as Musicians he describes their compositional style as imitations of buddy holly and RB techniques practised by the witty guitarist Chuck Berry, the energetic Little Richard, and the humorous and skilful coasters After the large success of the Merseybeat in the UK, it transformed over to the US led by The Beatles on the 7th of February 1964. This would be then followed by other beat, pop and rock groups. Among the most successful bands in the genre were the Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Animals, the Spencer Davis Group and The Who. Many of these bands dominated the UK and US charts from 1964, becoming a second wave of British Invasion acts in the US, and in the UK were central to the Mod subculture. Several of the bands and their members went on to become leading rock music performers of the late 1960s and early 1970s, helping to create sub-genres that included psychedelic, progressive and hard rock and making RB a key component of that music. However the British Invasion ended careers of black artists such as chubby checker and fats domino with only a handful surviving such as the Motown artists. However soul music did remain popular through evolved forms such as Funk which can be associated to James Brown. This later developed into Funk and Soul influenced by Phychedelic Rock. A good example would be the band Sly and the Family Stone and their album Stand! who were successful. However groups such as The Miracles and The Supremes found it hard to keep up with the changing trends and could never recover. Black music charted a musical path different from white rock. Although much black music crossed over to the pop charts, black performers did not share common ground with their white counterparts.-

Religion and Evangelicalism in Jane Eyre Essay -- Jane Eyre Essays

Religion and Evangelicalism in Jane Eyre    When orphans of the nineteenth century were able to receive an education, it usually came from a charity instution. These charity institutions were founded on a basis of religion. This is the case in Jane Eyre for Mr. Brocklehurst is a clergyman who owns and overlooks the Institution that Jane became a part of. Jane's conversation with the newly met Helen Burns exposes this to the reader. Jane asks the question, "Who was Naomi Brocklehurst?" The reader finds out that she was the lady who built the new part of the Institution. It is her son, Mr. Brocklehurst who "overlooks and directs everything." At Lowood he "is the treasurer and manager of the establishment." It is also at this time that Jane finds out Mr. Brocklehurst is a clergyman (82; ch.5). The goal of charity schools was to teach religion and morals to orphans. Knowing this, and feeling as though Jane needs more moral and religious instruction, Mrs. Reed tells Mr. Brocklehurst that "this little girl has not quite the character and disposition I could wish: should you admit her into Lowood school, I should be glad if the superintendent and teachers were requested to keep a strict eye on her, and, above all, to guard against her worst fault, a tendency to deceit" (65; ch. 4). However, religious and moral teaching were secondary to grammar. Before the Elementary Act of 1870, religious instruction was limited to the beginning or the end of the school sessions (Curtis 386). This is true at Lowood. After the girls get up and wash, they go into a "dimly-lit schoolroom" and the prayers are read. Then, "Business now began: the day's Collect was repeated, certain texts of Scripture were said, and to these succeeded a protracted... ...d takes great care to be plain and dress neatly. Before she leaves her room, she checks to make sure that everything is neat and orderly. She is "still by nature solicitous to be neat" (130; ch. 11). After Mr. Rochester asks her to marry him, when he says that he will send for the family jewels, her relpy is, "No, no, sir! Think of other subjects, and speak of other things, and in another strain. Don't address me as if I were a beauty; I am your plain, Quakerish govnerness" (287; ch. 24). She cannot have jewels because it would upset her plainness and she would no longer look like that "plain, Quakerish" type of girl. Lowood had quite an impact on her life as it was sure to have had on the other children that went there. Works Cited: Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. London, Penguin Books Ltd.: 1996. (Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Michael Mason).

Justice On Trial in Kafkas The Trial Essay -- Kafka Trial Essays

Justice On Trial in Kafka's The Trial There is no such thing as justice - in or out of court.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clarence Darrow i Most often critically interpreted as a search for Divine justice, Kafka's The Trial, a fragmented and unfinished novel, appears to leave us with the same impression as the words above of Clarence Darrow.   In other words, there is no justice.   This assessment of Divine justice by Kafka works on two levels.   On one level, he is illustrating the helpless nature of the individual when in conflict against an established bureaucracy.   On another level, he is illustrating the existential dilemma of man in the face of a godless, indifferent, and often hostile universe.   A search for justice by Josef K. finds no justice in either realm.   Josef K. awakes one morning to find himself accused by a mysterious legal authority "Someone must have been spreading lies about Josef K., for without having done anything wrong he was arrested one fine morning."ii   His crime is unnamed, one of which he knows nothing.   The novel follows his many attempts to obtain justice from authorities with which he cannot communicate well.   Josef K.'s attempt to find justice end in his utter frustration, his complete loss of human dignity, and his cruel death by stabbing. The Trial is also meant to symbolize original sin and guilt.   On the level of the individual versus the bureaucracy, Josef K. is consumed by guilt and condemned for a crime he does not understand by a court with which he cannot communicate.   We see this same dilemma on the level of the individual versus an existential existence, i.e., man in the modern world trying to find meaning and justice, consumed by guilt and condemned for original sin by a god with which he ca... ... Solzhenitsyn, A. I. The Gulag Archipelago, (I-II).   Translated by Thomas P. Whitney.   New York:   Harper & Row Publishers, 1973. Notes: i Fitzhenry, R. I. (ed.).   Barnes & Noble Book of Quotations, New York, Barnes & Noble Books, 1986, 197. ii Kafka, F.   The Trial.   Translated by Willa and Edwin Muir.   Introduction by George Steiner.   New York, Schocken Books, 1992, 1. iii Id. 180. iv Id. 46. v   Id. 46. vi   Id. 97. vii   Id. 150. viii   Id. 121. ix Beit v. Probate and Family Court Department, 434 N.E.2d 642 (1982), at 643, citing The Trial at 290. x Kafka, 42. xi Id. 222. xii   Id. 43. xiii   Id. 108. xiv   Id. 228. xv Id. 229. xvi Solzhenitsyn, A. I. The Gulag Archipelago, (I-II).   Translated by Thomas P. Whitney.   New York:   Harper & Row Publishers, 1973, 436. xvii Id. 437. xviii   Id. 295.

Comparing Moral Systems in Lord of the Flies, Crime and Punishment, Scarlet Letter, and Pygmalion :: comparison compare contrast essays

Superficial Moral Systems Exposed in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, and George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion    "The superficial nature of human moral systems" is a valid concern in society today. This has always been a factor in society that authors have felt the need to address. People see the hypocrisy in themselves and know that it exists in others. The manners that are so commonly used in public are rarely practiced in private. Most people are ashamed to say and do what they believe is right when they are in public. This understanding causes people to worry what other human beings are doing out of the public view. If it weren't for the opinions of others, most of the popular ideas on morality would not be implemented at all. In The Lord of the Flies, the morality of apparently civilized boys gradually seems to vanish in direct relation to the amount of time that they are separated from society. They never understood why they had behaved themselves before they were stranded on the island. They only repeated the moral systems of their parents just as any other perfunctory gesture. As soon as they are on their own, they begin to do what is easiest rather than what is "proper." This concept is not far from what the reaction to any person would be in this situation. If someone found that suddenly he were not longer responsible to anyone, his life would greatly change from the way it was before. People do many things to please family and friends. People only do what is expected. If moral behavior is no longer expected, it will stop being practiced. A perfect example of this human hypocrisy lies in The Scarlet Letter's Arthur Dimmesdale. To his congregation, Dimmesdale is an icon of morality, but he knows better. Every night he beats himself with a "bloody scourge" because he knows that while he is preaching against adultery, he has committed this act. In his Puritan society, what he has done is not allowed. Not only does he not want to be punished, but he also wants to keep his influence in the community. The public opinion is dear to him. He has convinced himself that it is better for everyone if he does not confess, but he knows that he is lying to himself.

Aristotle and Aurelius Essay

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics goes to show that he believes that the end goal of all human actions is eudaimonia, or happiness through success and fulfillment. Following this concept Aristotle goes on to explain that through virtuosity a human being can lead a happy life. He defines virtue as a disposition to make the correct decisions that lead to the chief good of happiness. A perfect example is when he describes someone who does an action well as being good, but they are only considered good because of their distinctive activity. The distinctive activity for human beings can be considered our rationale. This is where virtue comes into play in the matter, but this translation could also be deciphered as excellence. Human beings do every single thing they do for a reason and that reason is to help towards an end goal. Although it may seem like the end goal might be something good like eating lunch, it is actually a chain to the ultimate good which is being happy. Happiness in Aristotle’s view is not second-by-second or even minute-by-minute but an entire lifetime. This is because we view happiness as and end goal which we hope to achieve by death and that way you can look back on a person’s life to see if they succeeded in their goal, through virtuous moral character and virtuous intellectual character and through the act of temperance. A life-time of that act can guarantee a happy, fulfilling, and successful life. Being virtuous come through two different ways in our actions as said by Aristotle, â€Å"Excellence being of two sorts, then, the one intellectual and the other of character, the intellectual sort mostly both comes into existence and increases as a result of teaching whereas excellence of character results from habituation†¦ † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1103a15). Intellectual virtue comes from teaching, experience, and time while character virtue is formed through the habit of repeated virtuous actions and constant practice. This allows for every human being to potentially have a virtuous moral character for the fact that it cannot be learned but only practiced, and not one person can be born already virtuous. The only problem with this concept is that there is no exact guideline in which to follow in order to become virtuous and, ultimately, happy. Basically Aristotle explains that you can find virtue in the middle ground of your actions, for example, he says â€Å"For to arrive at one of the two extremes is more erroneous, to arrive at the other less; so, since it is hard to hit upon intermediate with extreme accuracy, one should take to the oars and sail that way, as they say, grasping what is least bad of what is available†¦ † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1109a35) There is no teaching as to why, for example, courage is preferred over cowardice or rashness but that you need to practice being courageous in order to understand the reasoning for being courageous. This is true for all virtuous traits and merits of the human character and by combining the moral and intellectual teachings and habits can you start on the path of a virtuous disposition. The key to virtue is keeping within a balance between the vices. For an excessive vice there is excessive pleasure but also excessive pain and for the opposite there is no pleasure and no pain. The key is in a state of temperance in order to feel the correct amount of pleasure for a healthy lifestyle and choices. Aristotle’s views show that someone with a virtuous disposition should automatically or naturally choose the best action or behavior in any circumstances without having to rely on reason because the virtuous habit has been already learned. In response to someone arguing against an accidental choice, these views only perceive the deliberate and voluntary choices made by the person of virtue. Also a virtuous moral character will always aim for the good while unjust character will try to aim for what is their perception or the â€Å"apparent† good as said in â€Å"That wish is for the end, we have already said; but to some it seems to be for the good, whereas to others it seems to be for the apparent good. The consequence, for those who say that the object of wish is the good, is that what the person making an incorrect choice wishes for is not wished for.. † (Nicomachean Ethics, 1113a10). A virtuous person will always do the right thing and will never be surprised by their actions, nor will they do it the right thing with an ulterior motive. Though you cannot live a happy life just with a virtuous disposition because you still need to act within accordance to virtue, you absolutely cannot live a happy life without virtue. Having virtue in your actions will lead to the final goal of happiness because it far outweighs the happiness found in pleasure, awards or merits. II. Marcus Aurelius was a philosopher-king and emperor of the Roman Empire and was considered of of the most influential Stoic philosophers of all time. His greatest work Meditations is an honest portrayal of Aurelius’ thoughts as they were found in journal form, never meant to be publicized. He wrote these books for himself as a sort of guideline and thought-provoking inner voice. In his works of Meditations, Marcus Aurelius doesn’t use arguments as a way to get his point across but rather states his words as truths and seems to be very confident in his uses. It seems he is prying at the meaning of life, the why’s and how’s of it all on the idea of living. He is very blunt in his use of understating the human existence in the world and compares them to specks in the grand scheme, but the point of this is to provide a sort of carpe diem lifestyle. By letting yourself let go of the things you cannot control, you begin to gain a better understanding of the things you can control and act accordingly. â€Å"We were born to work together like feet, hands and eyes, like two rows of teeth, upper and lower. To obstruct each other is unnatural. To feel anger at someone, to turn your back on him: these are obstructions. † (Meditations, 17). This quote goes to show how you cannot allow yourself to get angry at another person for what they have done, but to continue your existence and recognize what you need to do. He advises in his writings â€Å"To shrug it all off and wipe it clean-every annoyance and distraction-and reach utter stillness. † (Meditations, 54) and once you can do that you can realize what is natural. Stoicism being a very popular philosophy in ancient Rome for it called for a â€Å"cosmic determinism† in relation to â€Å"human freedom† by a parallel will to that of Nature . Aurelius,himself, was a firm believer in the Logos, which can be identified as a principle a guiding force for the universe, human beings and all matter. In fact, it is one of the most important concepts in Stoicism for the ancient Romans of the time. The stark and â€Å"manly† belief that every single citizen had a duty, whether they were a king or a peasant, were expected to follow it to the best of their abilities. The term utter stillness is used to acknowledge the state of no distractions. By achieving this you can focus solely on appropriate actions and how to follow your own road by the way of Nature on an unconscious level. Not by thinking about it but by acting naturally should you continue to help others, work for yourself, never stopping but continuing to reply to Nature’s demands. To do this all under the Logos, in order to find our common sense and avoid the annoying distractions all the while by controlling these actions through your inner unconscious/conscious self. III. The Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Roman philosopher-king Marcus Aurelius can be compared and contrasted in their similar and different ways of thoughts. First you can compare Aristotle’s ideas on eudaimonia and Aurelius’ use of utter stillness to help follow the logos, also the final step of death as the end of one’s journey towards a life of fulfillment. Contrastingly, they have different outlooks on purpose of human life and how to lead to the fulfilling of that said life. Stoicism was developed within the framework of Greek theory and philosophies from Plato and Aristotle so obviously there are bound to be many similarities. Both of these men were truly brilliant and ground-breaking in their respective ways of thought and led centuries of intellectuals to search for more fulfillment and happiness’s in their lives. Some big differences between Aristotle and Aurelius were there views on mortality or death. While Aristotle concludes that our lives are given to us and as valuable as human beings want to make them, the Stoics view on life is that is shaped by death and that the thoughts, choices and actions are just based on the knowledge of death. Eudaimonia is a subject in which Aristotle and Aurelius were familiar with in their writings about philosophical life. Aristotle thought of eudaimonia as an activity done with virtue performed rationally and consciously. Aurelius and the other Stoics insist that the way for eudaimonia is to live a morally virtuous life, in regards to the fact that virtue is good, vices are bad and most everything else is neutral. A popular argument for this where a death in the family would be involved, according to Aristotle, that would rob the most virtuous person of their eudaimonia while the Stoics would consider that neutral. Another interesting fact about Aristotle is how he acknowledges how â€Å"dumb luck† can aid or block the journey for eudaimonia, for example being born beautiful or losing close friends and family. Basically, they agree that eudaimonia is self-sufficient; the chief goal in life and that eudaimonia is the most complete end result. Virtue is very important to both philosophers and their ways of thinking and considers it absolutely crucial for eudaimonia. Aristotle and Aurelius can agree that no one is born just virtuous as it must be an act learned. Virtue is believed to be how one can control their emotions for it helps them to stay stable and in moderation. Overall, living life virtuously is living a life full of dignity. Marcus Aurelius’s view is a much more justified view because it is more modern and more adaptable. As the stoicism wants people to better themselves within reasonable goals and change values into something that will bring upon an unconscious change so that they may make better decisions consciously. Aristotle instead relies too much on a proper upbringing and calls the loss of good and friends as a prevention of eudaimonia. Stoics learn to realize what is out of their control and move on to what they can control. Aristotelian views also say that if a person dies early that it is a tragedy and that they were taken away before they reached their prime which in the Stoics eyes, a virtuous person should never be afraid of death because their life is sufficient when living a virtuous life. The difference continues when viewing the topic of emotions for Aristotelian that emotions are not good nor bad, only bad when expressed inappropriately while the Stoics think the whole point of eudaimonia is to be free from emotion. Finally the stoics don’t see a difference between the rich, poor, slaves or free men, because in their views bodily and external things can no impact on their dignity, whereas Aristotle believes that a life based on virtues along with enough material and external goods like freedom, wellbeing, and close friends lead to a life of dignity. Overall, Aurelius and the Stoics have built upon and modified Aristotle’s view to be more realistic and to try and be more optimistic in leading the best possible life no matter the circumstances.