Othello Essays (2470 words) - Othello, Roderigo, Iago, Brabantio

Othello If Othello didnt begin as a play about race, history has made it one. The Venetian society that Othello is set in is representative of the writers context. The attitudes and values that Shakespeare reveals through the text are those same attitudes and values of Elizabethan society in England in the sixteenth-century. Although Othello is set in Venice and Cyprus, the attitudes and values shared in the text are probably reflective of the attitudes and values of Shakespeare's own society. It is difficult to assess the attitudes and values of people in sixteenth-century Britain to the relatively few blacks living amongst them. We are given an insight into those attitudes and values through the representation of race and gender in the text of Othello.These attitudes and values are indicative of what a culture believes in and supports. By the time Othello was written the English were becoming more and more aware of the existence of other races in the world besides themselves. There had been a lot of travelling and blacks were beginning to be used in Europe for the slave trade. During the time the play was written, the Queen of England had banned all blacks from entering the city. She spoke of them as Negars and Moors which are crept into the realm, of which kind of people there are already here too many. It seems that Shakespeare is almost mocking the Queen by characterising Othello as a black man who has a high ranking position in the Army and who marries a white aristocratic women, against her fathers will. Ruth Cowlig suggests that the presentation of Othello as the hero must have been startling for Elizabethan audiences. This may have been the case, but through the representation of Othello we are able to see that some members of society such as the Duke, looked over his colour to assign him his position whereas, others such as Iago, look on his colour as a way to mock him. Hostility is shown to Othello by characters such as Iago and Roderigo. This attitude may have been encouraged by the widespread belief in the legend that blacks were descendants of Ham in the Genesis story, punished for sexual excess by their blackness. The Elizabethan's discussed at length whether this skin colour was due to life in a hot climate or whether it was a punishment for sin. To the Elizabethan's, who thought hierarchically, fair skin was the epitome of beauty and therefore dark skin ranked below it. The term black was used in a variety of texts to stand for sin, filth, ugliness, evil, and the Devil. This value is ascribed to Iago when he describes Othello as the black moor hinting at something other than just colour. Attitudes to race arent the only attitudes revealed in the text though. Attitudes and values about gender are also revealed in the portrayal of women and their actions in the text. A prime example of this is when Desdemona elopes with Othello without her fathers permission, which during that time would have been socially unacceptable. This is revealed to us through Brabantios reaction as Shakespeare uses Brabantio as a vehicle for the representation of higher societys views on matters. Another value revealed in the text is that of marriage. In the Elizabethan era marriage was not just a spiritual union but also a property transaction; the bride brought a dowry from her father and the grooms father (or the groom if he had already inherited his estate) had to settle lands on her in return, as a jointure. Therefore, to marry without the bride's father's permission could be seen as an act of theft. This may explain why Brabantio reacted so strongly to the union of Othello and Desdemona.These attitudes and values contrast quite drastically to those ascribed to society today. Nowadays coloured skin is a common occurrence and a character such as Othello would be quite socially accepted. Race is both more accepted and more abused than in Shakespeare's time. With the feminist movement values given to women have also changed quite drastically. This is because women are now seen less as property and more of an equal. Marriage has also changed. In the sixteenth century girls tended to

Defining the Symbol essays

Defining the Symbol essays ?Human beings exist and interact in a reality which they define themselves. Inside of this reality they make use of social objects, that is, anything used between to actors in social situations that have meaning and function in that social environment (Charon 46). Many social objects are used to represent something else and are interpreted to convey more meaning. These social objects are known as symbols and it is the core of the symbolic interactionist perspective. Simply defined, a symbol is something that stands for something else. In Sociology, a symbol is classified as a social object that the members of a society have agreed represents a concept, an object, or an ideal that is not present. They are used to communicate, express intentions, represent objects and groups and define the reality that surrounds us (Charon 46-48). They can be separated into the categories of referential, expressive, and mixed symbols which can be interrupted as both of the previous mentioned types. Referential symbols are used to define and classify parts of reality. They can be used to represent an object in its absence. The wordpencil? is immediately interpreted a shaft of wood with a graphite core used for writing or a mechanical device with the same purpose. Now while the pencil itself is just a social object with a simple function, the wordpencil? acts as a symbol in that it represents the physical object. On a larger scale referential symbols are used to represent entire groups. A red star can be used to represent a political party or philosophy (Charon 50). Referential symbols can also be used to classify groups such as gender. Diana Kendall gives the example of dressing infants in certain colours, blue and red for males and pink and yellow for females, to convey immediately communicate the sex of the child (Kendall 70). These symbols are used as labels and divisions in society. Expressive symbols are used...

The History of Cartography

The History of Cartography Cartography is defined as the science and art of making maps or graphical representations/images showing spatial concepts at various scales. Maps convey geographic information about a place and can be useful in understanding topography, weather and culture depending upon the type of map.   Early forms of cartography were practiced on clay tablets and cave walls. As technology and exploration expanded maps were drawn on paper and depicted the areas that various explorers traveled. Today maps can show a plethora of information and the advent of technology such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) allows maps to be made relatively easily with computers. This article provides a summary of the history of cartography and map-making. References to in depth academic studies on the development of cartography are included at the end. Early Maps and Cartography Some of the earliest known maps date back to 16,500 B.C.E. and show the night sky instead of the Earth. In addition, ancient cave paintings and rock carvings depict landscape features like hills and mountains and archaeologists believe that these paintings were used to navigate the areas they showed and to portray the areas that the people visited.   Maps were also created in ancient Babylonia (mostly on clay tablets) and it is believed that they were drawn with very accurate surveying techniques. These maps showed topographical features like hills and valleys but also had labeled features. The Babylonian World Map is considered the earliest map of the world but it is unique because it is a symbolic representation of the Earth. It dates back to 600 B.C.E. The earliest paper maps that were identified by cartographers as maps used for navigation and to depict certain areas of the Earth were those created by the early Greeks. Anaximander was the first of the ancient Greeks to draw a map of the known world and as such he is considered to be one of the first cartographers. Hecataeus, Herodotus, Eratosthenes, and Ptolemy were other well-known Greek map makers. The maps they drew came from explorer observations and mathematical calculations.   The Greek maps are important to cartography because they often showed Greece as being at the center of the world and surrounded by an ocean. Other early Greek maps show the world being divided into two continents – Asia and Europe. These ideas came largely out of Homer’s works as well as other early Greek literature. Many Greek philosophers considered the Earth to be spherical and this also influenced their cartography. Ptolemy, for instance, created maps by using a coordinate system with parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude to accurately show areas of the Earth as he knew it. This became the basis for today’s maps and his atlas Geographia is an early example of modern cartography. In addition to the ancient Greek maps, early examples of cartography also come out of China. These maps date to the 4th century B.C.E and were drawn on wooden blocks. Other early Chinese maps were produced on silk. Early Chinese maps from the Qin State show various territories with landscape features such as the Jialing River system as well as roads and are considered some of the world’s oldest economic maps (Wikipedia.org). Cartography continued to develop in China throughout its various dynasties and in 605 an early map using a grid system was created by Pei Ju of the Sui Dynasty. In 801 the Hai Nei Hua Yi Tu (Map of both Chinese and Barbarian Peoples within the (Four) Seas) was created by the Tang Dynasty to show China as well as its Central Asian colonies. The map was 30 feet (9.1 m) by 33 feet (10 m) and used a grid system with a highly accurate scale.   In 1579 the Guang Yutu atlas was produced and contained over 40 maps that used a grid system and showed major landmarks like roads and mountains as well as the borders of different political areas. 16th and 17th century Chinese maps continued to develop to clearly show regions under exploration. By the mid-20th century, China developed an Institute of Geography that was responsible for official cartography. It emphasized fieldwork in the production of maps focused on physical and economic geography. European Cartography Like Greece and China (as well as other areas throughout the rest of the world) the development of cartography was significant in Europe as well. Early medieval maps were mainly symbolic like those that came out of Greece. Beginning in the 13th century the Majorcan Cartographic School was developed and consisted of a Jewish collaboration of cartographers, cosmographers and navigators/navigational instrument makers. The Majorcan Cartographic School invented the Normal Portolan Chart – a nautical mile chart that used gridded compass lines for navigation.   Cartography developed further in Europe during the Age of Exploration as cartographers, merchants, and explorers created maps showing the new areas of the world that they visited. They also developed detailed nautical charts and maps that were used for navigation. In the 15th century, Nicholas Germanus invented the Donis map projection with equidistant parallels and meridians that converged toward the poles.   In the early 1500s, the first maps of the Americas were produced by the Spanish cartographer and explorer, Juan de la Cosa, who sailed with Christopher Columbus. In addition to maps of the Americas, he created some of the first maps that showed the Americas along with Africa and Eurasia. In 1527 Diogo Ribeiro, a Portuguese cartographer designed the first scientific world map called the Padron Real. This map was important because it very accurately showed the coasts of Central and South America and showed the extent of the Pacific Ocean.   In the mid-1500s Gerardus Mercator, a Flemish cartographer, invented the Mercator map projection. This projection was mathematically based and was one of the most accurate for world-wide navigation that was available at the time. The Mercator projection eventually became the most widely used map projection and was a standard taught in cartography. Throughout the rest of the 1500s and into the 1600’s and 1700’s further European exploration resulted in the creation of maps showing various parts of the world that had not been mapped before. In addition, cartographic techniques continued to grow in their accuracy. Modern Cartography Modern cartography began as various technological advancements were made. The invention of tools like the compass, telescope, the sextant, quadrant and printing press all allowed for maps to be made more easily and accurately. New technologies also led to the development of different map projections that more precisely showed the world. For example, in 1772 the Lambert conformal conic was created and in 1805 the Albers equal area-conic projection was developed. In the 17th and 18th centuries the United States Geological Survey and the National Geodetic survey used new tools to map trails and survey government lands. In the 20th century, the use of planes to take aerial photographs changed the types of data that could be used to create maps. Satellite imagery has since been added to the list of data and can aid in showing large areas in great detail. Finally, Geographic Information Systems or GIS, is a relatively new technology that is changing cartography today because it allows for many different types of maps using various types of data to be easily created and manipulated with computers.

Netflix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Netflix - Essay Example Netflix definitely has the first-mover advantage in the online video streaming industry. Over the years, other companies have jumped into the fray to cash in on the lucrative market. The major competitors of Netflix include Amazon Prime Instant Video, HBO GO and Hulu. Amazon competes with Netflix by shipping millions of items and rented ebooks. Anyone can stream a TV show or video on the company’s website. HBO Gos Nordic service, an over-the-top (OTT) video-on-demand (VOD), is a potent challenger to Netflix. HBO has also announced its plans to launch its Internet TV service next year (Seitz, 2014). Meanwhile, the Vudu-Walmart alliance enables subscribers to stream on Walmart.com (Cablefax Daily, 2011). Netflix has always maintained leadership position in the online video streaming industry. It is not difficult to fathom why Netflix has been so popular. The online video streaming company provides a compelling value proposition to its customers. Netflix members pay a low monthly price and in return get unlimited hours of access to TV shows and movies. The members can enjoy this access anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. The icing on the cake is that the content is commercial free. Moreover, subscribers can pause and resume viewing the content at will (Netflix.com, 2014). In 2000, the company launched the personalized movie recommendation system whereby member ratings were used to accurately gauge the movie choices for all the Netflix subscribers. The streaming service was introduced in 2007. A year later, Netflix inked pacts with numerous companies so that its subscribers could steam on Xbox 360, Blu-ray disc players and TV set-top boxes. The initial success prompted Netflix to pursue more tie-ups and stream on the PS3, Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, and the Nintendo Wii (Pr.netflix.com, 2014). Recently, Netflix introduced a feature whereby subscribers could automatically share what they saw on

Research paper 2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

2 - Research Paper Example y, I chose these two buildings because the architects who designed these building were revolutionary professionals in American architecture hence their impact on modern architecture. My intention is to compare these two structures to Tikal architecture from a visual interpretation, that is, a visual analysis of these structures. The various architectural styles and patterns employed in early days as well modern days depict a society’s way of life especially religious life. For instance, the tikal architectural design were adjusted in such a way to incorporation nature and worship of God The Wayfarers Chapel was designed by Lloyd Wright and was completed in the year 1951. This architectural structure is located at Rancho Palos Verdes, California. This structure is mostly notable because of its modern unique architectural design and its location at the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, it is part of the Swedenborgian Church of America and is used as a memorial to its founder, Emanuel Swedenborg. Lloyd Wright, the architect given credit for this structure began designing it in the late years of the 1940s and construction began in the year 1949 and lasted for several years until the year 1951 when it was completed. In developing this design, Lloyd wanted to create a serene environment where travelling Christians would take a rest and be close to nature and to God. His inspiration came from the Redwood forest in California. He had visited a restaurant within the forest with tree branches bending over the building and he was awed by this scenes. Similar to most of Lloyd Wright’s building the structural incorporates the natural landscape into its design and features magnificent modern designs. The design for this building is a â€Å"tree chapel† set amongst trees, a natural sanctuary. This is a quintessential structure of organic architecture. The architect used glass to allow natural light, natural growth, the adjacent sea and the sky to create the sense of a

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Questions and Hypothesis Essay Example for Free

Quantitative and Qualitative Research Questions and Hypothesis Essay Jung (2007) found that general education teacher’s attitudes toward the integration of students with disabilities reflect a lack of confidence both in their own instructional skills and in the quality of support personnel currently provides. General and special education teachers are placed in inclusive classroom settings for the betterment of the student; however, planning is not as effective when general education teachers are not properly trained on or comfortable with the technology. Thousand and Villa (2000) in McLaren, Bausch, Ault (2007), found that providing training for all teachers will result in improved academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities, plus their teachers will become empowered . The problem is the need for more collaborative training for inclusion teachers in an effort to effectively plan curriculum and increase their levels of confidence with the use of AT devices. The specific problem is the need to develop a program to train inclusion teachers on the use of AT devices needed to effectively plan for students with disabilities. This study will use a quantitative method and a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology. The PAR will be conducted by dividing the study into two sequence phases. The first phase will include developing the training program, introducing basic AT devices that can be used for all students, and reflection of the first training. Phase two will include training for advanced AT devices that are developed for specific student needs, developing a lesson with the use of one general and one advanced AT device, and the opportunity to teach the lesson. The results should interest school districts that service students with disabilities in an effort to improve effective collaboration for inclusion teachers, thus promoting a sense of teamwork to improve student achievement through the use of technology. Revised Purpose Statement- Quantitative Study The purpose of this quantitative research study is to develop a training program for special and general education inclusion teachers that will focus on strategies for educational development, effective academic structuring, and increased teacher support systems with the use of Assistive Technology. The data collection design will include surveys before, during, and after  each phase, trainings to implement the program, and field opportunities to identify the areas of improvement and to test the validity of the program. The population will be composed of elementary school teachers who are placed in inclusion settings without prior training. The sample and sample set will include three novice and three veteran elementary inclusion teachers selected from grades 3-5 based on survey results. The geographical area will include three local elementary feeder schools that house special education programs in the South Fulton County area of Georgia. Quantitative Research Questions and Hypoth esis RQ: To what degree, if at all, will training in Assistive Technology promote effective academic structuring and teacher collaboration in inclusive classroom settings?  HO: The degree of training in Assistive Technology will not promote effective academic structuring and teacher collaboration in inclusive classroom settings.  HA: The degree of training in Assistive Technology will positively promote effective academic structuring and teacher collaboration in inclusive classroom settings. Revised Problem Statement – Qualitative Study Al-Shammari and Yawkey (2008) believe that special education students require the involvement of parents to be successful for overall development and in their education programs. Parents are encouraged to participate by offering physical and psychological assistance to the special education teachers in an effort to monitor and manage student progress. However, the lack of support, knowledge, time, and resources result in the unwillingness to participate. Bird (2006) found that increasing parental involvement through technology may have a positive effect on the development of special education students and parents. The problem is the need for technological resources that promote parental involvement for improving the educational development of special education students. The specific problem is identifying the technology that most effectively increases parental involvement in special education. This study will use a qualitative method and case study similar to Hartas’ (2008) st udy of the effects of parental  involvement on students with Autism. Parents will participate in semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and classroom observations to determine what motivates them to be involved. The results should interest special education teachers who require assistance from parents in order for students to attend school daily, participate in instruction, and continue to exhibit progression in all areas of development. Revised Purpose Statement- Qualitative Study The purpose of this qualitative case study is to identify the technological resources that are most effective in encouraging parents of special education students to be involved in the student’s education. The data collection design will include questionnaires, observations, schedule restructuring, community involvement, and semi-structured interviews to identify the areas of improvement. The population will be composed of parents who have elementary-aged special needs children. The sample and sample set will include ten parents; five from two-parent working class homes and five from single-parent working class homes. The geographical area will include two (of the three) selected elementary feeder schools, based on survey results, that service special education students in the South Fulton County area of Georgia who are most in need of an intervention. Qualitative Research Question What are the most effective technological resources that assist in encouraging parents of students with special needs to be involved in their child’s education? References Al-Shammari, Z., Yawkey, T. (2008). Extent of parental involvement in improving the students levels in special education programs in Kuwait. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 35(2), 140-150. Bird, K. (2006). How do you spell parental involvement? S-I-S. The Journal, 33(7), 38. Hartas, D. (2008). Practices of parental participation: A case study. Educational Psychology in Practice, 24(2), 139-153. Jung, W. (2007). Preservice teacher training for successful inclusion. Education, 128(1), 106-113. McLaren, E. M., Bausch, M. E., Ault, M. (2007). Collaboration strategies reported  by teachers providing assistive technology services. Journal of Special Education Technology, 22(4), 16-29. Week 5 Review Components2 points| Expected elements are included.| Articulation5 points | As noted, there are shortcomings regarding population and sample. * 1 point| Presentation2 points | Writing and formatting are well done.| Total9 points| A good start toward purpose statements aligned with problem.|

The Great Gatsby and The Hollow Men Essay -- essays research papers

The Great Gatsby has been one of the classic novels of the twentieth century. It creates a unique society that makes the story such a masterpiece. Another magnificent work that relates to The Great Gatsby is T.S. Eliot's 'The Hollow Man.'; The lines in the poem portray the story so vividly that it should have been an epigraph for the novel. The poem's references to hollow and stuffed men, can describe different characters in The Great Gatsby. The hollowness of men represents ruthless barbarians with no respect for humans and no understanding of love. However, the stuffed men seem to be educated, wealthy, and respectful. The differences in these types of men can be seen through the events of the novel. Another aspect of the poem that represents the novel is the idea of the paralyzed force. This force symbolizes freedom and uniqueness. It also is captivating and serves as authority. So, the similarities between The Great Gatsby and 'The Hollow Men'; remarkably show the hollow and stuff ed characteristic of the people in Gatsby's secret society.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first similarity between the two pieces of work is the hollowness in mankind referred to by the poem. In the novel there are two main characters that depict such hollowness. The antagonistic character of Tom Buchanan represents the ruthless and careless American whose dream is to use women and acquire money. In addition he has no respect towards others which creates pain for people around him. An example of this is when Myrtle repeatedly uttered his wife's name which was Daisy. Tom took this as an insult and viciously punched her in the nose. He never took into consideration that hitting a women is uncivilized. Another quality he has is to flaunt his wealth in other peoples' faces. This can be seen when he takes Nick around his colossal house. Tom wants others to feel jealous of his riches, when he is actually jealous of the others around him. Thus revealing his emptiness of heart and spirit. His hypocritical remarks show his hollowness towards other. During t he climatic scene in the plaza hotel he said 'I suppose the latest thing is to sit back and let Mr. Nobody from Nowhere make love to you wife.(137)'; He doesn't take into account that he has been doing the same thing with Myrtle and plenty of other ladies. Another hollow character in the novel is Daisy. Daisy portrays the conceite... ...ed to be in charge of the conversation. Also, Owl Eyes was one of the few honorable people who attended Gatsby's funeral. He had an admiration toward Gatsby and cherished his view toward life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  So, 'The Hollow Man'; has many parallels that make it a perfect epigraph for The Great Gatsby. The three key aspects of the poem that relate it to The Great Gatsby were the hollow men, the stuffed men, and the paralyzed force. All three depict the society Gatsby lived in and the life he had to go through. The hollow and stuffed men showed the two types of people in Gatsby's society. The hollow men contain no inner spirit or love toward one another. However, the stuffed men consisted of bravery, self-control, and love. They were Tom, Daisy, Jay, and George, respectively. The poem categorizes where people fit in society. The final parallel is the paralyzed force including Owl Eyes and the billboard. Both had a frozen outlook on life and someone to look up to. In conclusion, Fitzgerald and Eliot created classics that will be analyzed for many years to come. However, no one will be able to make an epigraph for The Great Gatsby better than Eliot's 'The Hollow Man.';