Hamlet’s Oedipal Complex

Hamlet's Oedipal Complex In William Shakespeare's, Hamlet, the Oedipus complex plays a critical role in the affairs of the young prince. Sigmund Freud's theory states that it is normal for children to have sexual desires for their parent of the opposite sex. He says that it is also normal to have feelings of hatred for the other parent that is of the same sex as the child. Most children experience these feelings at a very young age, after which the feelings  are overcome or in some individuals become deeply suppressed. Those that carry on these feelings into adulthood are considered to have an Oedipus complex.These feelings, in some cases, are linked to a physical separation between father and son. This leads the child into a paradoxical state of masculinity, wherein the child spends much of his time solely with the mother, and yet a sense of guilt or femininity, because the mother is significantly older. This sense of guilt and femininity also prevents Hamlet from identifying with women their own age, a societal norm. Furthermore, Hamlet's Oedipal feelings have been buried within him since his childhood. These feelings were hidden during the life of Hamlet, Sr. because the two had a strong connection.However, the death of King Hamlet and hasty marriage to Gertrude by Claudius sparked jealousy within Hamlet. He felt no connection to Claudius, nor felt guilty by having feelings for his mother. It was due to this event that Hamlet's latent Oedipal Complex took over. Although Freud outlined this complex almost 300 years after the publication of Hamlet, Shakespeare's characterizations in regards to the Oedipus complex cannot be refuted. The three main aspects including hatred of the father, intimate desires of the mother, and disconnection from the loving Ophelia show Hamlet's embodiment of the Oedipus complex.Hamlet's actions and mental health are affected by the presence of these Oedipal qualities. Freud had said that the son takes the mother as the object of h is desires. Because of this desire to be with Gertrude, a rivalry forms between Hamlet and Claudius. In the play, Hamlet shows great hostility towards Claudius because of his mother's hasty remarriage. This infuriates Hamlet as he begins to see murdering Claudius as a way of asserting masculine dominance and avenging his father. Once King Hamlet's ghost  tells Hamlet  that it wasClaudius who murdered him, Hamlet feels conflicted. Throughout the play, Hamlet struggles  internally over killing Claudius. It is something he wants to do, but is unable to carry out the task. Because of his Oedipus complex, Hamlet has wanted to kill his own father for at least 20 years, as outlined by Freud. Hamlet desperately wants to desperately forget the presence of his father and mother together, as illustrated in this excerpt in Act 1, Scene 2 from Hamlet. â€Å"Must I remember? Why she would hang on him, as if increase of appetite had grown† (William Shakespeare, 29).In using the word à ¢â‚¬Å"would† to show the past tense, Hamlet is referring the dependency of Gertrude upon King Hamlet, rather than Claudius. Shakespeare also is redundant with the phrase â€Å"increase of appetite had grown†. But Shakespeare is emphasizing the fact that Gertrude became increasingly voracious for King Hamlet's love, which further disturbed Hamlet. In essence, Hamlet feels weak because Claudius did what Hamlet could not. These feelings of inferiority, along with the Oedipus qualities, create feelings of guilt and repulsion towards Claudius. Hamlet becomes aware that he is no better than Claudius is.In murdering Claudius, Hamlet kills himself as well. Claudius has achieved Hamlet's Freudian ideal, killed his father, taken his place, and fulfilled his incestuous desire in winning over Gertrude. Hamlet is able to identify, and even sympathize with Claudius for having done what Hamlet only wished he could do. Hamlet and his mother's relationship is also shown as more intimate than the traditional mother-son relationship due to Hamlet's language regarding his mother his mother, as well as the rivalry toward Claudius for his Gertrude's attention.This suggests that Shakespeare also saw the behavioral characteristics of the oedipal complex in humanity that Freud did, explaining them through the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude. In the word choice Hamlet uses when addressing Gertrude, he shows a discreet desire for his mother bordering on the sexual. In Gertrude's bedroom in Act 3, Scene 4, he addresses her with the following: â€Å"Nay, but to live in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed, stewed in corruption, honeying, and making love over the nasty sty! † (William Shakespeare, 175).The privacy and intimacy of the bedroom add a new dimension when the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is examined. Bedrooms are private, usually the setting for sexual activity. Shakespeare placed Hamlet and Gertrude in these quarters to suggest the aspects of Hamlet's sexual desires for his mother and allow Hamlet to express himself wholeheartedly to his mother. This obsession shows that Hamlet is suffering from an  Oedipus complex. The idea of Claudius engaging intimately with his mother brings out the incestuous feelings stirring within Hamlet.But Hamlet is also confused that, at Gertrude's age, she can't control her sexual desires. Hamlet worships Gertrude, he has high expectations of her, treats her as if she were a goddess. But yet, the fact that she cannot control her sexual desires makes Hamlet all the more intrigued. However, Hamlet is also ridden with jealousy in regards to her sexual activities with Claudius. Hamlet confronts Gertrude, accusing her of spending too much time â€Å"in the rank sweat of an enseamed bed†. The phrase â€Å"rank sweat† means thick or heavy sweat.Hamlet, by saying Gertrude lives in Claudius' bed, is jealous of their constant lovemaking, driving Hamlet to act rashly in killing Poloni us. In the Scene, Hamlet wished the person behind the curtain had been Claudius. He would have won over his mother and avenged the death of his father. Because of his feeling of inferiority, Hamlet feels he needs to establish himself as the powerful masculine figure by killing Claudius and becoming king of Denmark. However, his rash behavior and lashing out largely affects his mental state as well.Ophelia is the character most affected by Hamlet's Oedipal desires for Gertrude. Hamlet disgraces Ophelia, using her simply for sex and pleasure. She means very little to him as a human being. In Act 3, Scene 1 Hamlet orders her to â€Å"Get thee to a nunnery† (William Shakespeare, 131). Completely focused on his desires for Gertrude and murder of Claudius, Hamlet has no need for distractions such as Ophelia. Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia is completely abnormal. He solely uses Ophelia as a substitute for Gertrude.Ophelia's femininity draws Hamlet in, satisfying his lust for his mother and insecurities surrounding Claudius. He toys with Ophelia's affections, just as Gertrude toys with his. He uses Ophelia for pleasure to an extent, but rather uses her to challenge Gertrude. He wants Gertrude to feel threatened, jealous, or angry with Ophelia. Hamlet feels the need to torture Gertrude because he has been so tormented by her himself. Hamlet goes as far as to attempt to spark jealousy within Gertrude by sitting at Ophelia's feet rather than Gertrude's when she asks.Gertrude, in turn, expresses jealousy of Ophelia by refusing to speak to her following the incident. Alas, Hamlet's desires are never to be. When Gertrude dies, it frees Hamlet of his Oedipus complex. After her death, Hamlet had the strength, mentally, to carry out the wishes of King Hamlet's Ghost and kill Claudius, but without the prize he desired. Freud's Oedipus complex effectively explains Hamlet's melancholic state of pensiveness and inaction in killing Claudius. Hamlet was focused on the end result, realizing his desire for Gertrude. It was only after her death that he was free from himself.Hamlet killed Claudius quickly after Gertrude's death as an act of revenge. His Oedipal love for his mother pushed him to near insanity before her death. Hamlet's paradoxical relationship to Claudius is one of the Oedipal aspects that plays into the character of Hamlet. Although Claudius denies him of Gertrude, Hamlet cannot help but stand in awe of the fact that Claudius murdered King Hamlet, something Hamlet could never quite bring himself to do. Secondly, his use of language suggested an intimate relationship between Gertrude and Hamlet.And finally, the abuse of Ophelia gives an example of how the Oedipus complex affected Hamlet's mentality. He became abusive, confrontational, and obsessed with Gertrude, the woman he could not have. Hamlet was deeply altered by the presence of his Oedipal feelings toward his mother, which transformed changed him from a dedicated scholar to an obs essed lover. These three main aspects including hatred of the father, intimate desires of the mother, and disconnection from the loving Ophelia showed Hamlet's embodiment of the Oedipus complex.

West Side Story Spin on Romeo and Juliet

Fiction, whether it is a movie, play or a story depicts an assortment of human emotions. Although humans experience a variety of emotions, the most influential among them is the feeling of love. Love has varied forms, it can be the tenderly love of a mother, the affectionate love of a friend or the passionate love of a young person for his/her lover. Numerous stories and plays have been written depicting this passionate love. This form of love is a favorite subject of filmmakers; lovers are portrayed in the movies time after time. The audiences are attracted to the romantic portrayal of love in these movies. One such tale of love is â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, a play written by William Shakespeare. The central characters in the play are the young lovers, Romeo and Juliet who have become the quintessence of young lovers all over the world. This tragical love story has been the subject of many movies. The most famous movie which is a version of the romantic tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is the â€Å"West Side Story†, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. Although the plot of the movie â€Å"West Side Story† is based on the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, there are differences as far as the styling and the end of the movie is concerned. Portrayal of Romeo and Juliet The play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, a romantic tragedy by Shakespeare, depicts the story of two lovers who meet a tragic end in the course of their love story. The play is set in the city of Verona, where families of Capulet and Montague are frequently fighting against each other. Amidst this animosity, Romeo, the son of Montague and Juliet, the daughter of Capulet fall in love the very moment they see each other in a party. But fate leads them to their tragic end, as both the lovers kill themselves. West Side Story† by Robert Wise, is an adaptation of the classic love story, Romeo and Juliet. The story has been altered according to the needs of modern times. The feuding families are replaced by the American gang, the Jets and the gang from Puerto Rica, the Sharks. The Jets hate the Sharks, for they think that the Sharks have invaded their territory. The young lovers in the movie are Tony, a member of the Jets gang and Maria who is the sister of Bernardo, the leader of Sharks gang. Tony and Maria fall for each other when they meet at a dance party. They love each other passionately, forgetting the feud between their respective gangs. In a fight between Riff and Bernardo, Riff is killed by Bernardo. Infuriated at the death of his best friend, Tony kills Bernardo. When Tony explains the situation to Maria, she forgives Tony for killing her brother as she is deeply in love with him. But Tony is killed by Chino, a member of Sharks gang when Tony comes out in the streets, upon hearing the wrong message of Maria’s death. Maria is shattered by the death of Tony as fate snatches away her love from her. The classic tale of love of Romeo and Juliet is portrayed in the movie in a different setting and manner. Styling The style adopted by Robert Wise in the movie differs from the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†. The romantic tale of Romeo and Juliet is depicted in the movie in an urban setting and in different circumstances. The modern society in the movie is in tune with the present times. The movie with its story of romantic love, excellent music and vibrant dance catches the attention of the audiences. The movie succeeds in capturing the fervor of the youth through the lively dancing. The tender love which blooms amidst the hatred and rivalry of the gangs touches the heart. The passion depicted in the movie is similar to the passion of Romeo and Juliet but the expression of their love and the surroundings in which Tony and Maria meet are different. The modern style presented in the movie brings forth the old story of Romeo and Juliet in a new and attractive form. The songs and dances in the movie make the story more vibrant and vivacious. The movie is altered to suit the tastes of people in the modern times who view movie as a source of entertainment and leisure. The environment and the characters in the movie reflect the society in which the audiences are leading their lives. The setting of the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† is far different from the environment of the modern society. Changes There are numerous changes in the movie when compared to the plot of the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†. The rivalry between the families of Romeo and Juliet is depicted through the animosity of the Jets gang and Sharks gang. The plot is also changed according to the needs of a movie. In the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†, Romeo and Juliet marry secretly but in the movie Tony and Maria never get married. Fate plays an important role in the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet. It is this fate that leads to the death of Romeo and Juliet. But in the movie, the death of Tony is caused, owing to the rivalry of the Jets gang and the Sharks gang. â€Å"It is not a cosmic misunderstanding but angry gunfire that kills Tony, and Maria doesn't die at all; she snatches the gun and threatens to shoot herself, but drops it — perhaps because suicide would have been too heavy a load for the movie to carry. (Ebert). The ending of the movie is also different from the ending of the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†. Ending The play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† ends with the suicide of Romeo and Juliet. To save Juliet from marrying another man, Lawrence devises a plan according to which Juliet will drink a potion that will make her appear as if she is dead. Juliet drink s the potion on the night before her wedding and her family mourns her death, as the effect of the potion makes them to believe that Juliet is dead. But Romeo, oblivious of the plan, is shocked when he hears about Juliet’s death. Heart-broken and dejected, he ends his life at the tomb of Juliet, by consuming poison. Upon awaking Juliet finds Romeo dead, she also kills herself with the Romeo’s dagger. In the movie, Tony is killed by a member of the Sharks gang. Although Maria is devastated by Tony’s death, she is not shown as committing suicide. The death of Romeo and Juliet is caused by a misunderstanding; this element makes the story of Romeo and Juliet more tragic. Tony dies in the movie, owing to the gang rivalry. In spite of being shattered by the death of her lover, Maria holds herself from killing herself. Conclusion The movie â€Å"West Side Story† is adapted from the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet†. The style and setting in the movie has been changed according to the needs of the modern society. The plot of the play â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† is more tragic compared to the story of the movie â€Å"West Side Story†. Romeo and Juliet end their lives in the play whereas Tony is killed by a member of Sharks gang. Maria is grief-stricken by Tony’s death but she stops herself from taking her own life.

Hydrology hw 9 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hydrology hw 9 - Assignment Example High precipitation results into high surface runoffs which instantaneously increase the streams volume causing floods downstream, the data is generated using long- range radar systems and used to give Early warning systems on floods. Besides, there is also data on climate change and air quality over time and scale in the entire United States which determines the weather patterns. Describe what's available meteorological/hydrological information you have observed from the website at USGS’ Surface Water Information Pages: http://water.usgs.gov/osw/ The site provides data on surface water systems including the river systems, lakes, dams and other related surface water storage systems. This data (R.G. Wetzel & G.E. Likens) II used in analyzing the various surface characteristics such as surface water flows, surface water storages, and its effects on the human and natural environments. There are also data on the threatened and discontinued stream gages due to reasons. There is also information on stream flow measurements using various methods. This is very important in relaying accurate observations and prediction on stream characteristics such as changes in stream volumes, stream discharge, stream composition and velocity. Besides, there is information on climate change and changes in the global atmospheric systems used in making accurate prediction of the global water patterns, both atmospheric water systems, underground water systems as well as the surface water systems. Describe what you learned about both subjects on â€Å"Areal Precipitation Estimation† and â€Å"Hydrologic Loses: Initial Loss and Hydrologic Abstraction† The lesson on areal precipitation estimation is very important on a practical basis as it is very important in determining the surface water bud get. This can for the base line in relating water uses to water availability in different parts of the world. An estimate of the balance between the losses and inlets is a derivat ion for the surface water budget. What are bare, wet HSG’s minimum infiltration rates and other four infiltration estimate methods introduced in the class? Bare, wet HSG infiltration is one of the methods used in estimating infiltration rates referring to the mode of infiltration which takes place after the bare ground overland soil after thorough wetting. HSG is not determined by any other factor such as the effects of vegetation, land use types, ground conditions, slope angle, type of bedrocks among others. HSG however, varies from soil to soil depending on the soil characteristics in each case i.e. highest in loose sandy soils and lowest in clays. Infiltration estimation methods discussed in this class include the use of the Empirical Method: SCS (NRCS) Runoff Curve Number (CN). The curve number CN, is a function of five major variables including: function of land use, cover, soil classification, hydrologic conditions and antecedent runoff conditions. The equation is as sh own; where Q is runoff, P is rainfall, a is initial abstraction, S is potential maximum retention after run off begins, and CN is the curve number, percent of runoff. Holtan Equation, also known as Horton’s infiltration capacity estimation, is another method of estimating infiltration rates. The equation is; f = GI A Sab + fc Where â€Å"

Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Critique - Essay Example Homosexual marriages cannot be justified without drawing help from logical fallacies and making broad generalizations. Summary of the Article In his article, Sullivan argues that gay marriage is eligible for legalization by all means. Marriage is a social contract. Marriage is a physical and emotional bond between two people irrespective of their gender. People, who have been denied to fall in love with somebody despite the natural love they feel can best understand how it feels when a gay is denied the right to get married. Illegalizing gay marriage is a torture for the homosexual people whereas legalization of gay marriage would provide the homosexual people with grounds to have normal relationships with their parents and loved ones rather than being socially outcast. Gay parenting does not have any unfavorable impacts on the children’s psychology, Homosexual marriages have existed throughout the history in forms different from the traditional marriage. Dating, love, and rel ationship; everything becomes meaningless for them when they cannot get married. Without marriage, there is no commitment. Homosexuality occurs naturally, and this challenges all conservative reasons against the legalization of gay marriage. Therefore, gay marriage should be legalized. ... ls by excessively making use of such emotional words as â€Å"most public affront possible† (Sullivan 404) and calling the traditional form of marriage between a man and a woman a â€Å"circular fiet† (Sullivan 404). While referring to marriage as a public contract, Sullivan has just highlighted one aspect of marriage i.e. â€Å"bond between two people† thus excluding all others who are affected by the marriage between the two people that include but are not limited to their parents, and their own children. Marriage is not just about two people, it has its implications on other members of the family, as well as upon the nation as a whole that might be already suffering from a negative population growth rate, and homosexual marriages are definitely going to aggravate this social problem. Sullivan has made a logical fallacy by limiting the intrinsic status of the heterosexual marriage to its understanding as intrinsically procreative. Sullivan has a preconceived no tion that a marriage between an adult and a minor is unsustainable as one of the two parties does not understand the contract. If an adult and a minor marry each other with mutual consent, Sullivan should acknowledge that as an emotional bond too just like he approves of the emotional bond between two homosexuals. Sullivan has made broad generalizations that are unfair. For example, he says that everybody who speaks in favor of heterosexual marriage does not do so because he/she disparages the homosexual marriage, but because not doing so means demanding human virtue in excess. I don’t believe that this is the reason why people support heterosexual marriages. People support heterosexual marriages primarily because of their religious beliefs, and then because of considering its positive impacts on the society.

Physician's Assistant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Physician's Assistant - Essay Example I found that the culture, differences, and opportunities that were coming my way here would never cross my path in Iran. That is why I decided to migrate to Canada. Perhaps it was an epiphany. It wasn't the burning bush but I discovered that in Canada, I was allowed to be who I truly am. Even though I made a conscious effort to blend in and adapt to the culture, nobody would fault me for following the same traditions and cultures of Iran either. By allowing me to experience this sort of freedom that those in Iran can only dream about, I have reshaped who I am and I am looking forward to whom I can be in the future.   I choose to address conflict at the word by directly dealing with it the minute that the problem arises. That way the conflict that exists can be nipped in the bud and any problems within the circle can be resolved before the misunderstanding or mishandling of a situation gets out of hand and causes more problems for everyone concerned. I learned about the effectivenes s of this technique while I was working at a local grocery store. I had a set of duties and responsibilities assigned to me by management that I had to complete by the end of my shift. I had a co-worker working the same shift with me and this person also had assigned tasks to complete. However, this person always found a reason to leave work early, thus leaving me to complete both sets of tasks. Of course, this did not sit well with me and when I got an opportunity, I confronted my co-worker about it. When the store manager heard us arguing, he immediately stepped in and spoke to us separately, then together in order to speedily resolve the issue. By doing so he was able to avoid employee conflict by dissolving the tension that was arising and ensured that the workplace would always be a peaceful and cooperative place to work in for everyone concerned.  

Urbanization in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Urbanization in China - Essay Example Urbanization of the middle class has significant effects on the economic development of the country. China, for instance, is one of the most populous countries in the world with many people living in urban areas. Most of the people in those urban areas are the learned, trading in various businesses. Taking advantage of the country’s first growing economy and modernization, the country has recorded a significant growth. There is a tentative exchange of ideas, which is an essential tool for development. Nevertheless, China has made use of urbanization to achieve modernization. On the other hand, modernization helps in developing urban centers (Commission on Growth and Development, 2008). Since the rise of modernization since the industrial revolution, there has been a shift of people to urban areas to work in the industries and open up new businesses. However not all the people go, but only the learned, skilled and experienced. This is mainly the middle-class group, leaving behi nd the old, young and the disabled (Barton et al., 2013). Although the country gained from this drift, it has continuously faced many challenges. Irrespective of the challenges, urbanization has done better than harm. Increased number of people in the urban cities creates markets for readily available products and services. Essentially, middle-class people are the average people whose consumption levels are significantly higher than the aged and the young. These people are active members of the consuming classes, with sufficient income to purchase the basic needs and spare some for other luxuries. This implies that this increase in consumer classes drives a drastic growth in demand for several goods and services to meet their rising demands. To balance this demand, businesses have to sprout up to supply the required products and services to satisfy the customers.

Casual Reasoning & Science and Hypothesis Essay

Casual Reasoning & Science and Hypothesis - Essay Example The need of oxygen for fire is sufficient condition and that cannot be blamed for the disaster caused for the fire. The conditions prevailing and which are necessary sometimes act as the sufficient condition. Though not necessary some conditions act as sufficient conditions in negative manner. Smoking cigarette causes Cancer is one such instance. It does not mean that not smoking cigarette will prevent cancer. Similarly the different types of causes will come before us in certain circumstances. They can be termed as remote and proximate causes. The remote cause is the cause for proximate one. Actually the final proximate is the effect and the penultimate proximate is the cause for the final. The penultimate proximate is the effect when the more remote one is considered as cause. For instance, A causes B, B causes C, C causes D. Then D is the effect of cause C and C is the effect of cause B. A is remote than B, B is remote than C and vice versa. Whether it is in everyday life or science the use of cause giving effect proposes a theory. We believe it when cause results in effect and we do not believe it if it fails to bring the effect. The assertion of universal proposition through a particular observation is inductive generalization. But when more than one attributes were present for more than one phenomenon then we take the help of analogy. When we are confirming a causal law with enumeration then it was done by number of analogies. Thus the criteria of analogical arguments apply to enumeration also; like in the case of blue litmus paper turning red when dipped in the acid. At times the enumeration is used to establish causal law in history. This can make us go unnoticing the negative aspects of those analogies. But the advance in learning gave rise to inductive procedures. It developed and depends upon: This helps in reducing the method of enumerating in conforming the effect. If ABCD cause WXYZ and AEFG

Philosophy Psychological Egoism vs. Ethical Egoism Essay

Philosophy Psychological Egoism vs. Ethical Egoism - Essay Example Ethical egoism has a normative ethical theory which helps us to determine between the right and wrong of things or actions. In fact, it guides us as to how we are supposed to act in different situations. In contrast to Ethical Egoism, we have Psychological egoism that is based on the descriptive theory which means that it describes certain salient facts about human psychology. According to Ethical egoism, we help others with the notion that it works to the person’s own benefit and advantage and in the course of it, justify our actions. In Ethical egoism it is often debated that sometimes the help that is rendered does more harm than good, and since harming others is wrong, therefore we should not help others. Others have argued that we do not understand the needs of others and hence end up intruding upon their privacy and dignity which might be offensive to them and hence helping them is not necessary. According to the principles of egoism, condemning a certain action would oc cur if it did not work out in one’s own self interest and condemning any action on the basis of harming others would not be the case unless the action harmed one’s own self. According to the ethics of Altruism, the life of an individual is not given too much importance because according to altruistic principles, an individual should be ready to lay down his life (sacrifice) for the good of others. On the contrary, Ethical egoism permits an individual to view their life as having an ultimate value. In weighing the pros and cons between the two, ethical egoism is more acceptable. However, besides the two there is another option where we are in a position to balance our own interests with the interests of other individuals in our society. Egoism offers us a rationale when looking at it from a common sense moral perspective. On moral grounds not harming others, not lying and keeping to our

The Laws of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

The Laws of Leadership - Essay Example This is the Law of the Inner Circle. According to Maxwell (1998), â€Å"Nobody does anything great alone. Leaders do not succeed alone.† (127) This is a statement of fact and it is actually practical. There was a time that I was given the mantle of leadership, but I must confess that, I did not farewell based on my own talents, but with the help and support of the people that worked with me. I did not succeed alone as it was with the help of the people closest to me. Thus, the Law of the Inner Circle was enacted in my life and now I know that, great men do not achieve great things alone, but with the efforts of the great minds that work with them (Pierce & Newstrom, 2010). According to John Maxwell (1998) in 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, â€Å"Effective leaders are always on the lookout for good people.† (103). I think I have not fared well in this regard. I know that, I need good people to work with, but I have not taken time to look for them. I have not really tried to magnet the people that I know that I can work with. In order to solve this leadership lapse, I would try as much as possible to be like the kind of people that I want to work with, so that it would be easier for me to attract them. I would try to take my time out to attract people to my sphere and make them work towards achieving our common

China has a vision to develop into an innovation-oriented society Essay

China has a vision to develop into an innovation-oriented society. Significant efforts have been put into promoting and driving - Essay Example As a result, the Chinese economy has to a large extent come to rely heavily on innovation to ensure that its economy keep running and there have developed many unique ways through which this innovation has come to be encouraged and manifested by its government. China is fast transforming into one of the economic hubs of the world and this may perhaps give it the impetuses to not only become the world’s leading economic, but also political power. In order to achieve this, however, China must continue to encourage the innovation that is an essential part of its economy, because without it, then this country is more likely than not to fail. One of the factors that have contributed to the development of innovation in the Chinese economy has been its government’s support for those women who would like to get into the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This is something that is still quite uncommon in the rest of the world and because of this, China can be said to be a leader in the gender balancing within its economy. This has ensured that innovative ideas have been developed on an equal basis within the economy, especially in those areas that have been traditionally dominated by men (Li 2012, p.1496). While this is the case, there has been a recognition that while the government policy on gender balance has largely worked to bring women into those fields within the economy that involves innovation, more still needs to be done to ensure that even more women are interested in them. In order to increase the diverse pool of innovation, the Chinese government tends to adopt policies that encourage its people to have an interest in the technological fields. This is while still young so that when they get to institutions of higher education; they will be able to compete effectively in matters of innovation with the rest of the world (Chen and Tjosvold 2002, p.48). China Efforts Promoting and Driving Innovation in Medical Field and I ts Impact China is one of the most respected countries in the world when it comes to medical innovation and this is based mostly on the fact that medical care is provided in a highly individualized basis. The treatment of various diseases that are encountered is a highly individual thing because the doctors conducting such treatment have to consider the needs of their patient before deciding on how best to tackle the disease. In China, the plan for treatment is normally created by the physician who takes a wide range of factors into consideration before deciding what the best scheme is for their patient. Among the factors that Chinese physicians consider before making a treatment plan are the following: they type of disease that is to be treated, the part of the body that has been affected, the state of development of the disease, the age of the patient, and lastly, the overall health status of their patient. While it is the responsibility of the doctor to make a treatment plan for their patients, in the Chinese healthcare facilities, the patients also have a say in it. The physicians have to put into consideration the wishes of their patients concerning the treatment they would like to have. Therefore, it has become an essential part of the Chinese treatment for physicians and their patients to discuss the

Special Education Teacher Essay Example for Free

Special Education Teacher Essay Passion and compassion two words with very different meanings, but for me, one is the driving force behind my determination to teach. It’s been a long and winding road for me to reach this point of my life, and for me to discover my true destiny to be a teacher. It is now that I realize that my compassion for children is what will strengthen my teaching aptitude and the combination of my education and compassion make me a qualified candidate for any teaching position. In short, my compassion for children is what drives my passion to teach. As I consider the road that is ahead of me, I am thrilled with excitement and eager to explore the many opportunities that lay ahead of me. Most of all, I am passionate about the structure of my future classroom and objectives I plan to tackle in my future career. I feel I owe my students the best possible upbringing and education. They deserve a stimulating and supportive environment that brings out the best in them. I want to encourage my students to broaden their imaginations and reach for goals they considered unattainable. I will strive to instill morals in my students and encourage them to treat each other and their community with respect and understanding. My students will be my primary responsibility their needs will be placed before my own and their development will be my priority. Before we can know where we are going, we must first know where we came from, and the same is true for the educational field. While I am striving for excellence in my career, I must educate myself on the strides my field has made throughout history. Vital lessons can be learned from our nation’s history and the mistakes made in the past. I must reflect on these past strides the educational field has made and continue to look forward. At the same time, I will be able to identify potential regressions the field is trending. I know I can make not only make an impact in the lives of my own students, but in the lives of students everywhere if I stand firm in my beliefs and fight for equality and justice of all children and demand that they be granted all the opportunity to achieve their dreams. Following current political and economic issues affecting education will allow me to understand the direction the field is heading and make educated opinions and allow me to make a stand for what I so passionately believe in, and my involvement in these issues will ensure the educational field will continue to progress. At the same time, identifying and addressing current issues confronting education will empower me to make the proper steps in my quest and further educate me. These current issues will explain to me which groups of children are being neglected or offended by our public education system and pinpoint which matters I need to fight for or against. The important key is education; I need to be educated in education. To do this, I will continue my education after receiving my bachelor’s degree. If I fail to do so, I will be failing innocent children and depriving them of their right to a quality education. I will also attend all school board meetings and be voice for these children in my community. I will also continue to vote in state and federal elections in hope that I may make a difference concerning these issues and so I can change the lives of children nationally. One of the issues confronting education that I am most passionate about is the amount of government involvement allowed in our school systems. Since education is a major focus in the nation’s politics and recipient of federal and state funding, the government naturally enforces strict regulations and guidelines on our school systems. While the degree of this federal involvement varies, the most common obstacle teachers are forced with in this regard is standardized testing. Personal opinion on the matter aside, the fact of the matter is that today’s children must be able to show their knowledge and understanding through this type of assessment. Elected officials have deemed these topics and concepts vital to the development of our nation and the assessment of my students will essentially become the assessment of my school and most importantly, myself as a professional. One of my main focuses in the classroom will be to prepare my students for these standardized tests, academically and mentally. I will vary my approaches in teaching these central concepts in anticipation of reaching a greater sense of understanding for all my students in hopes that they will then succeed on such assessments. While not all will positively respond to the method of testing, I must encourage them to do their very best and attempt to prepare them for this method of testing. I will practice this method of assessment with my students prior to the official testing so they may feel comfortable with the method of assessment and feel less stressed on test day. Regardless of the result of the tests, I will determine what makes a successful school year and I will continually support my student’s learning and be proud of them for all of their already tremendous accomplishments. I will provide each student with the level of support and understand they will need to guarantee an overall successful school year. Furthermore, to become more experienced and a more informed student of education, I dedicate myself to a minimum of thirty hours to participating in K-12 classroom field experience. I will partner with the leaders in the career field and analyze their instruction, relationships and classroom management strategies to gain insight into the field and take away from the experience their best practices so I may be better prepared for my students. I will approach each day with my mentor as the exceptional opportunity is it. I will enter the classroom each time with a new objective I intend to accomplish and will cherish each second I’m able to spend in the classroom. Not every career enables their freshmen professionals the ability to have immediate hands-on experience; this opportunity is truly a rarity and such a blessing. This allows me the chance to learn from quality observation of senior educators and interactions with children in the same setting I expect to one day teach in. I will also be able to share in the instruction of these students and experience the joy when they grasp new concepts and understand the fundamentals. This precious time will provide me with a background that no classroom can provide me and allow me to refer back to these moments when I have a classroom of my own. In addition to analyzing my mentor teacher’s classroom management and relationships, I will also evaluate his or her usage of modern technology in the classroom. After all, modern technology has taken this country by storm; virtually every profession has been influenced by technology and education is no exception. To be successful educator in the twenty-first century, I must be willing to embrace technology and explore options as to how I can incorporate technology into my classroom and lesson plans. My students will benefit from my use of new tools such as smart boards or PowerPoint presentations or Webquest online lesson plans I will prepare for them. My main goal in teaching is making my students respectable and productive members of society, and in order to be productive in today’s age, my students will need to have some technological literacy. While I don’t anticipate them word processing homework assignments, I do expect to explore advances in technology together and I will teach them how to use these advances to their advantage. I must remain up-to-date in the latest developments and learn how I can effectively incorporate technology into my classroom and still remain a student focused atmosphere. I need to able to showcase my ability to embrace technology and my creativity and organization to potential employers so they may be able to develop a firm understanding of my capabilities. One ingenious way to do just this is to create a website portfolio to demonstrate these abilities, along with my teaching philosophy, experience, growth and potential as an educator. I intend to treat this portfolio as a working resume and will constantly keep it current. However, to set my portfolio apart, aside from my extraordinary qualities and capabilities, I plan to entitle a section of my portfolio specifically for the parents of my students to track their child’s activities, learning and progress in my classroom. I welcome as much parental involvement in my classroom as possible, and so I am always considering any additional ways I can allow my parents to be in touch with their child and I think a special section on my website portfolio is perfect. This way the parents can learn more about me personally as a person and teacher so they may feel more comfortable with me and my position as their child’s educator. My biggest challenge in all this will be balancing all my aspirations to become a well-rounded and successful teacher. I will never be perfect and will continuously be learning to better myself for the sake of my students. I plan to grow and develop just as much as my students do each year. I bravely accept this challenge and believe I am more than capable to conquer any obstacle that comes my way. I refuse to allow anything to inhabit my students from becoming successful citizens or degrading my classroom climate, and I am fully prepared to fight for my students’ futures. It is this compassion for my students and my passion for their success that makes me an asset to any school district and a blessing to a child and above all, an exceptional teacher.

Business Law of Agency

Business Law of Agency Purpose:  People credited with this unit standard are able to: define agency; apply the law relating to creation and termination of agency; apply the law relating to authority of agents; apply the law as to the rights of third parties; and apply the law relating to the duties of a principal and an agent to each other, and the remedies for breach of duty. Task:   1 (A) a)Universal agency: In the case of universal agency the agent who deals with the third customer have the full authority and unrestricted authorities to act as like the principal. Because principal given that rights to the agent to do so. So in this case agent will see the business of Susan which is in overseas. (USLegal, NA) b) General agency:  General agency is bit similar to the universal agency in which agent take care of the principal property and look after and he have that much which principal could by himself. They can even get cash payments first instead of principal. In this case shop will cut the 30% of the total money in which they sell the silver. (GENERAL AGENT, NA) Task 2 The main legal question is: Was an agency relationship created between   Tim and   Gray? The facts of the case: Principal is Tim.   Agent is Gray. Third party is the car owner. Tim who is an accountant loved old fashioned cars and he is keen to buy one. Tim tells to grey to visit a car show. In a car auction of Mercedes Benz. Grey offers $25000 for the car. Thats how Tim makes deal with Grey and Owner. Grey knew that Time would love to buy this. The issue (s) is: Are there ways of creating an agency relationship satisfied?   Yes.   There are five ways of creating an agency relationship. Express appointment appointed orally or in writing the agent has express (or actual) authority. Ratification an agent acts without authority but the principal later ratifies (approves) the contract. Necessity operation of law in an emergency. Apparent agency (also called estoppel or ostensible agency Presumption (also called implied agency) Decision and the reasons. Example: Yes an agency relationship was created between Tim and Gray.   There are several ways of creating an agency relatlonship.   In this case the relationship was created by ratification when Tim ratified the deal. The main legal question Was the agency relationship between Michael and Livy terminated? The facts of the case: Principal is Michael.   Agent is Livy.   Third party is the tenant. Michael has a house that was for lease.   His agent was Livey.   Michael made an offer for the renewal of the lease through Livy, his agent.   The tenant was given three months to accept the terms..   One week after making an offer Michael died.   After this the tenant signed the agreement, not knowing that Michael had died. The issue (s) : Are there ways of terminating an agency relationship? Yes.   Agency relationship can be terminated by both parties or by operation of law Decision and the reasons . The agency was terminated by operation of law.   The law states that the agency relationship ends with the death of either party.   The death of Principal Michael terminated the agency relationship.   Since the third party (tenant) signed the contract after the death of the Principal (Michael) through the(   Agent ) Livy,   the contract between Michael and the tenant is void since Livy   was no longer Michaels agent at the time of contract acceptance by the tenant. Task 3   Ã‚  Ã‚   3.1  Ã‚   Barlams has a binding contract with Eastexpo for the sale and  Ã‚   purchase of 800 sheepskins. The main legal question is: Who is bound in a contract with third party agent or the principal? The facts of the case: In this scenario : Principal: Kong, Agent: Wang and third party: Barlams The fact of this case is that Kong hired a agent for his company to buy sheepskins from other companies. But they make a clause in the agreement that Wang can order only 500 sheepskins. He cannot order more than 500 without the permission of Kong. But here Wang visit Barlams and he founds the sheepskin quality is good so he order 800 of sheepskin with taking permission from Kong. The issue (s) are: According to the contract with Kong.   Wang is not allowed to ordered more than 500 sheepskins. Decision and the reasons Yes, Eastexpo can cancel the order of 800 sheepskins as they are not bound with any contract with Barlams. Their agent breaches the condition by ordering more that 800 sheepskins while he was not allowed to do that. Wang is liable as a result of his actions to either Barlam or Eastexpo. The main legal question is : Is any contract of   Barlam with Eastexpo? The facts of the case: Principal is Eastexpo. Agent is Wang. Third party is Barlams.The fact of this case is Wang order 800 sheepskins while he was not allowed to order more than 500 without permission but he did it without getting any permission from Kong. The issue (s) are: The issue is when he was in contract with Eastexpo that he cannot give order of more than 500 sheepskins then why he orders more than that to Barlams. Decision and the   reasons Yes, Wang is liable for all of this. Because he is in a contract with Eastexpo and the contract says that he can give order 500 of sheepskins but he cannot give order more than that.   So its clear that Wang is liable and he have to pay for this. Task 4   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   4.1  Ã‚   The main legal question is Is Reno has the rights to sue unnamed Principal? The facts of the case: Principal is unnamed. Park is Agent. Reno is third Party. The fact of this case is that Reno wants a swimming pool at the back of her house. So she called Park and make a contract with him to make a swimming pool in a period of one month but she pay him $10,000 00 as an initial amount. There was also a clause in the contract which says if he fails to complete the swimming pool in one month then he have to refund the initial amount. The issue (s) are: The main issue is that as per contract the swimming pool should be complete in 1 month but he fails to do so. Now he has to refund the initial amount. But after 2 month Reno get to know that he was just an agent of Brilliant constructions. But he should tell this thing before making the contract. Decision and the reasons No. Reno cannot sue the unnamed principal because there is nothing about that unnamed principal in the contract. But she can definitely sue the Park   and get her money back as she makes a contract with him. 4.2    Tanya sues James for not disclosing his relationship with Michael Hill Co. The main legal question Is Tanya able to sue Michel hill and James for did not disclosing the relation between them. The facts of the case: The fact of this case is Michael hill co was Principal, James was an agent and Tanya was a third party who wants to sell her diamond. James was hired by Michael hill to buy a 9 cut diamond on a joint account for them on a certain price. James told Tanya that he will give her the diamond but she needs to wait for the sometime. James cancel the transaction with Tanya and Michael offers the diamond on lower cost. The issue (s) are: James tried to sell the diamond on higher price to Tanya instead of Michael hill. But first he made a false promise to Michael hill that he will give a diamond on a certain price. Decision and the reasons   : No, Tanya cannot sue the Michael hill and James. Because it is not necessary to disclose the information of Principals agent. 4.3 The main legal question is Was Noreen authorized to deposited the half of the money in charities account without let them know? The facts of the case: Principal was Alan and Noreen was agent. The fact of this case is Alan is rugby a team who play rugby games through their talent and all the fees which they get paid; Noreen transferred this whole amount into Alans account. Once they got NZ $50,000 from one of their major games and Noreen deposited only half of the amount into Alans account and rest of the money they give to the charity. Which Alan used to support while before. The issue (s) are: The issue is that Noreen donates the half of the amount without the permission of Alan. But she should ask them first. Whether they like to donate or not. Because they used to support the charity a while long before. Decision and the reasons Yes, the action taken by the Noreen will be considered as unauthorized.   Because without letting them know she   donated the money. Task 5 5.1 1) The fact of this case is John was the Principal, Cathy was the agent and third party was Edwin. John hired Cathy as an agent to sell his boat because he is going overseas and he tell her that he wants to sell this as soon as possible with a minimum cost of $150,000.   After this Cathy post an add to sell the boat. She got 20 buyer but she decided to talk only 5. Then she got one of the buyer who offered her 140,000 for the boat and 10,000 for her if she accept the offer. 2) The duties which Cathy breached are they she didnt answered all of the calls. She answered only 5 calls. She should talk all of them. May shell get someone who can give her more than 150,000 and she also make a 10,000 commission by accepting the Edwins offer of 140,000. 3) John can cancel the contract with Cathy. Because he already told her the minimum amount of $150,000 and he can earn that commission profit by selling that boat himself. 5.2 The main legal question Is there any violation of the law happened by the Principal. The facts of the case: The fact of this case John was the Principal, Bryan was agent and Linda was third parties. John hired Bryan to sell an article through auction. Bryan sell the article to the Linda through auction and after some time she found that the original article had been stolen and Greg who was the real owner will be able to sue the Bryan because he sell the stolen article to Linda. The issue (s) are: The main concern is john appoints the Bryan to sell the stolen article but that time Bryan was not aware with that. But when Greg sued Bryan then he gets to know that article was stolen. But now he can able to recover the money from John. Decision and the reasons Yes, we can say that there was violation of the duties by the John. Because the article was stolen. So its illegal to sell someones article. 5.3 Assume that Jurgen is not liable to supply WDR. Explain what remedy WDR has, if any. The main legal question What remedy WDR has if Jorgen fails to supply? The facts of the case: In this case principal was Jurgen, Richard was agent and third party was WDR. Jorgen used to make chocolate and used to sell these in Adelaide local market. But after some time he appoint a agent in Sydney to sell their chocolates in Sydney local market. Richard was his agent he starts to sell their chocolates in Sydney. Richard is succeeding to arrange wine and dine stores to sell chocolates to them. But in the month of march Jorgen get some stretch in resources for the manufacturing of chocolate so he tell his agent not to accept any large order for next 3 months. The issue (s) are: The issue is that Jorgen already told to Richard not to accept any big order from any customer. But still Richard accepts big orders from WDR and from one of his new customer with same big amount.   Richard also gets a plasma TV from WDR for the promoted delivery. Decision and the reasons No, Jorgen will not be liable to supply the orders to WDR and new Customers. Richard will be liable for that. Because he takes order by himself while he knew that Jorgen told him not to accept any big orders for next 3 month. In this case WDR can sue Richard and claim all of their loss from Richard. WDR can sue Richard for not delivering the chocolates. Able to claim all their loss from Richard Can terminate the contract. Assume that Jurgen is liable to supply WDR. Explain what remedy Jurgen has, if any. The main legal question is What remedy Jorgen has if he liable to supply. The facts of the case: In this case principal was Jorgen, Richard was agent and third party was WDR. Jorgen used to make chocolate and used to sell these in Adelaide local market. But after some time he appoint a agent in Sydney to sell their chocolates in Sydney local market. Richard was his agent he starts to sell their chocolates in Sydney. Richard is succeeding to arrange wine and dine stores to sell chocolates to them. But in the month of march Jorgen get some stretch in resources for the manufacturing of chocolate so he tell his agent not to accept any large order for next 3 months. The issue (s) are: The issue is that Jorgen already told to Richard not to accept any big order from any customer. But still Richard accepts big orders from WDR and from one of his new customer with same big amount.   Richard also gets a plasma TV from WDR for the promoted delivery. Decision and the reasons Okay, Yes If Jorgen will be liable for the supply of chocolates to WDR. Then remedies which he will get is like he can claim for that Plasma TV which Richard gets from WDR also he can cancel the contract with Richard and also he can say no to Richard for his commission. Because Richard should not accept the order after gets written letter from Jorgen. 5.4  Ã‚   Discuss the remedies for breach of agents duties are applied to a given fact situation. Justify your answer. (E5-PC 5.4) Facts The office manager tells his secretary that she can buy a television for the office lunch room but she must not go over $500. The secretary buys a microwave for $750, telling the store it is for her work and to invoice them. When the invoice comes the office manager refuses to pay. What rights does the store have? The main legal question is Remedies after breaching the agents duties. The facts of the case: In this case Principal was Manager, Secretary was the agent and third party was store. The case is that Manager told secretary to buy a television for the lunch room. But it should not be more than $500. But instead of television secretary buys a microwave for $750 and she ask for the invoice to the store as for her work. The issue (s) are: The issue is that secretary breach the order of his manager and also the amount which she told to spend minimum. She buy a microwave instead of TV. When manager gets to know she refuses to pay her. Decision and the reasons The remedies should be like that: She has to pay for this by herself or if she refuse to pay then her Manager may deduct this from her salary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   References Contractual Remedies Act 1979. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1979/0011/latest/DLM366.html Declaratory relief law and legal definition. (2001-2016). Retrieved from http://definitions.uslegal.com/d/declaratory-relief/ Chron. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.smallbusiness.choron.com InvestorWords. (2016). Retrieved from http:/investorwords.com your dictionary. (1996-2016). Retrieved from http://www.yourdictionary.com

Analysis of Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

Analysis of Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi The real Azar Nafisi Reading Lolita in Tehran is a book written by Azar Nafisi and talks about the struggles of a woman was born in Iran moved to the United States to study abroad. She got most of her education from the US and the UK. She moved back to Iran in the late 1970’s and she found here country was in a revolution and war was everywhere. The book it divided into four parts Lolita, Gatsby, James, and Austen each tells a part of the story and her life. She goes on to explain what has happened to her country and the teachings that she has done. Nafisi used to teach at different schools in Iran but the school board found her teachings wrong and expelled her. She was fed up so she got some of her best students and brought them over her house each week to discuss about all sorts of different books. Everyone there used the classes as an escape from reality of Iran’s rules and control because they were able to discus about all they wanted and to let out what they felt about their dreams wishes without anyone judging them, Since they were all woman and woman’s had no rights in Islam. One moment I the book that stood out to me in part one was when Nafisi’s mother, a person who is nothing like a Muslim woman marries a proper Muslim man they somehow work it out. Her mother loves to wear a chador because she feels is something very special to her. What gave me a shock was when the mother taught her daughter English instead of Arabic and that the father allows her. Back then woman weren’t forced to wear a chador so u can tell how much she loved her husband. During the time Nafisi was teaching the seven students at her house why she was so shocked to see her students come out of her shell or in her words â€Å"I could not get over the shock of seeing them shed their mandatory veils and robes and burst into color† (Azar Nafisi 5) She wanted to teach what the schools deemed wrong so she got her seven best students and used the teachings to release all of their ideas, emotions, and frustrations with each other as they discussed books and other literary works. In the article titled â€Å"The book club† by Sam Munson she explains how when Nafisis was teaching in the schools the government started to decide what was allowed and didn’t like what Nafisis was teachings so she got expelled and that is what got her to make this small club with some of her students. Soon each one of here students started to open up to each other â€Å"Gradually, each one gained an outline and a shape, becoming her own inimitable self† (Az ar Nafisi 5) In part two of the book you start to see all the different type of personality’s that her students have and how special they are. It also shows that Nafisis knew them very well before she picked them. She let her students be the judge and jury of the books even though she knew the answer. Even if the students didn’t talk for the books she got them to start thinking for themselves and not just follow someone. In Iran they only allowed works from Tehran to be read. Nafisis got the books and asked her students to evaluate them based on their writing and literature they also focuses a lot of their time on Gatsby to review and learn from it. Why was Nafisis having trouble with her marriage? Her father went to jail so she was left alone and during that time she said â€Å"I was insecure enough to marry on the spur of a moment, before my eighteenth birthday† (Azar Nafisi 83) She married a man who â€Å"wasn’t like us† (Azar Nafisi 83) she thought of him as he was full of himself and that he was crazy jealous this prompted Nafisis to want a divorce with him. The only way she could get a divorce was to get the approval of her father and he agreed when she said she would not sue for alimony. In the article â€Å"Lolita in Tehran Author Goes Silent† by Madeline Brand said that Nafisis had suffered all her life. Her mother died when she was so young and her father was put in jail. That might be the reason to why she wanted to marry at such a young age. Because the author is from Iran you can see a lot of the connections made in the story. The struggles she faces and how she overcomes them and also when she moved to the United States she sees the world different since it’s a new place. She then goes back to Iran and it’s under war and she can’t teach anymore since she got expelled. It is related to the novel in a big way since she has a lot of experience with her home country and her background of a hard life, how her mom died when she was young and her father put in jail. She was left alone. In the biographic article titled â€Å"Azar Nafisi† by Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter he wrote a wonderful article on her struggles and her biographical of her young age and what she went through. The tone in the novel is morel like rebellious because the woman are under oppression and they want to be free so they try to go â€Å"against the man† most of the time and it relates a lot with the characters since most of them are female. Nafisi especially, she teaches at a school then the school no longer allows her to teach there because of her content so in order to rebel she gets some of her best students who are also female and brings them over to her hose for the weekend to discuss the books and topics that she was discussing when she was still teaching. The article â€Å"Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books. (Arts Letters)† by Christopher Byrd he states â€Å"Nafisi convincingly argues, pose an even greater threat to a despotic orthodoxy than any open display of political rebellion.† Showing her rebellious nature, she doesn’t want to feel inferior and the tone of the novel is set around not being oppressed she shows it a lot in the story. The relationship about this novel and the topic of literature is that in the novel Nafisi Loves to teach and on her first day of school asked if fiction is even important in literature. The way it’s related is by how the novel is being presented it’s not just a story it tells the story of a person and the hardships they went thru. The story itself is an expression of individual thought and the feeling of accomplishing from the creative process. Authors wish to share their experiences with their novels and books, their understanding and observations. It’s like making music you share what you are feeling using words in a song. In conclusion the book Reading Lolita in Tehran was a good read, it talked about the struggles Nafisi had in her life how she became a teacher moved to the united states then came back to her home town of Iran to find out it’s at war and she can’t teach anymore so she starts her own â€Å"club† where she picked some of her best students and discussed with them about books. It also talks about some parts of The Great Gatsby in part II and the reactions it had with the people from her weekend club. This book was interesting and I would read it again if I had to. Work Cited Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, 2003. Kindle file. Books, Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in, and Sam Munson. The book club. Commentary  116.2 (2003): 72+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Lolita in Tehran Author Goes Silent. Day To Day 29 Dec. 2008. Literature Resource Center.  Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Azar Nafisi. Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Jeffrey W. Hunter. Vol. 313. Detroit: Gale,  2012. Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Apr. 2014. Byrd, Christopher. Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books. (Arts Letters). The Wilson  Quarterly 27.3 (2003): 126+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 26 Apr. 2014.

Changes in Macbeths Character throughout the Play Essay -- Drama

How I would advise the actor to portray the Dramatic changes in Macbeth’s Character throughout the play. Macbeth’s character throughout the play would be very complicated for any actor to portray, so there would be a large amount of hard work needed. During the play Macbeth portrays a large variety of different feelings e.g. happiness, sadness, anger, frustration etc, so I would have to thoroughly advise my actor on each scene of the play. Also, I would have to teach him on how to close the finishing speeches of Macbeth’s lines, these are very important because they carry a very big amount of significance and impact. In every single type of play, one of the most significant parts is the first entrance of the main actor. This is eminently important because, when the audience first see how the main actor walks, talks and the type of attire he/she is wearing, they can withdraw a lot of information about them e.g. whether they are honourable, devious, heinous etc. In the first entrance of Macbeth (Act 1 Scene 3), he opens with the line â€Å"So foul and fair a day I have not seen†. I imagine that this line would be said with quite a deep voice. From reading this line I would advise my actor to walk straight, with his head held high as if he was a very dominant and opulent man. Also a little later in the same scene he gets very obsessed with the witch’s predictions and is zealous to hear more, plus he gets a little bewildered when the witches say that he may become the Thane of Cawdor. For my actor to portray this part of the scene I would advise him to elevate the tone of his voice, to show his eagerness, to learn more about the predictions and also, I would tell him to show a very puzzled face to show his bewilderment over one of the predictions. In Act 1 Scene 4 when Macbeth shows his gratitude to King Duncan for the murder of the Thane of Cawdor by saying â€Å"The service and loyalty I owe, in doing it, pays itself† he seems to be very imperturbable. For this part of Scene 4 I would advise my actor to have a very calm expression but to still show a little gratitude for the honour that has been shown to Macbeth by King Duncan. Later in the play when Lady Macbeth appears, you get to know a little bit about Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s relationship. Firstly when Macbeth and Lady Macbeth meet in the play (Act 1 Scene 5), they seem ... ...ck, and midnight hags! What is’t you do?†. Eventually, the witches bring in three apparitions. The first apparition was an ‘armed head’, he was trying to warn Macbeth of Macduff â€Å"Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth: beware Macduff, Beware the Thane of Fife. Dismiss me. Enough†. This apparition was actually true, because at the end of the play, Macduff decapitates Macbeth. The second apparition was a ‘bloody child’, he said â€Å"Be bloody, bold and resolute; laugh to scorn. The power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth†. The third apparition was a ‘Crowned child, with a tree in his hand’, he told Macbeth â€Å"Macbeth will never vanquished†. The last two apparitions were actually lying to Macbeth, so he could feel in power. To act these parts, when Macbeth hears the first apparition I would advise my actor to have a very smug look on his ace trying to indicate that no one can murder him because he has so much power and loyalty. When he hears the last two apparitions, I would advise him to become very egotistical because of the compliments they make to him. But, at the same time I would advise my actor to be quite shocked, because he is being told his future, from ghosts.

Psychos in our mist :: psychopathic behavior

For most of us the idea of a psychopath conjures up images from movies like "Silence of The Lambs" and characters with names like "Hannibal Lector." Fortunately characters like Hannibal don’t really exist. Serial killers and people involved in ritual torture are rare, but psychopathic behavior is more common than you might think. I have known several psychopaths in my life. The clearest case involved an older teen who had no sense of guilt. He could learn the rules, but he had no sense of conscience. The only thing that saved him was a mother who loved him, took him to counseling for years and spent a great deal of time patiently teaching him right from wrong. I remember a conversation where he told me, "People know when something is wrong because it feels wrong. I have to remember or be reminded that stealing from someone is wrong. I don’t feel bad if I take something." Meeting this young boy changed my opinion of a psychopathic personality. Why? Because children with this condition are "emotionally blind." And while I do not excuse cruelty or criminal behavior, I have sympathy and appreciate how hard it is for some people to learn how to act responsibly. Without help, potentially psychopathic children will become adults who never remain attached to anyone or anything for long. They may end up living a "predatory" lifestyle, feeling little or no regret, and having little or no remorse - except when they are caught or about to be locked up. A psychopath is not necessarily a bad person. But they are prone to have problems with society, rules, expectations and relationships. A psychopath will use people for excitement, entertainment, to build their self-esteem and they invariably value people in terms of their material value (e.g. money, property, comfort, etc..). They can involve and get other people into trouble quickly and they seem to have no regret for their actions. To date there is no checklist of behavior and symptoms that will tell you with certainty whether or not a person is a psychopath. But there are warning signs. The following warning signs are based on my experience but primarily research conducted by Robert Hare, Ph.D - the leading expert on the Psychopathic Personality. Characteristics of a Psychopath superficial charm self-centered & self-important need for stimulation & prone to boredom deceptive behavior & lying conning & manipulative little remorse or guilt

Abortion and Ethics Essay -- Life Pregnancy Fetus Papers

Abortion and Ethics According to the Websterà ¢s New World Dictionary, the first definition of abortion is the spontaneous act in which the body expels an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive, miscarriage (Neufeldt & Guralnik, 4). Yet others define abortion as à £the termination of a pregnancy with resulting death of the human fetus,à ¤ relating more to the planned procedures to produce this specific response (Ashley & Oà ¢Rourke, 141). In our society we have taken on this second view of the meaning, rather than abortion being a spontaneous act, it is a deliberate procedure sought by the mother that removes an embryo or fetus. This deliberate act has arisen throughout a controversial history. Before the procedures were made legal, women used many primitive methods. Some of these methods include jumping from great heights, having others jump on the pregnant womanà ¢s abdomen, ingestion of toxic substances, and the use of invasive probes such as sticks, knitting needles, or wire hangers (Callahan, 252). Although these primitive procedures might result in an abortion, they were unsafe for the women who endured them. Abortion in the United States was illegal until the early 1970s. Once legalized, abortions were localized to the coastal densely populated cities, such as in the states California and New York. Abortion was legalized nation wide on January 22, 1973 due to the efforts the key court cases of Roe v. Wade, and Doe v. Botton. Roe was an unmarried woman from Texas that wanted to challenge the abortion laws because she herself wanted to have the procedure to relieve the unborn child she carried. The second case, Doe v. Botton had a different outlook on the justification for abortion. Doe, a married... ...cities.com/ourlady_dal/abortion2.htm Knight, James, Joan Callahan. Preventing Birth: Contemporary Methods and Related Moral Controversies. University of Utah Press: Salt Lake City, 1989. Kushner, Thomasine, David C. Thomasma. Birth to Death. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, 1996. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institutes of Health. 26 Nov. 2002. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/taysachs_doc.htm Neufeldt, Victoria, David B. Guralnik. Webster's New World Dictionary 3rd ed. Prentice Hall/Macmillan Company: New York, 1994. Robinson. 26 Nov. 2002. http://www.religioustolerance.org/abortion.htm Shannon, Thomas. Bioethics, 3rd edition. Paulist Press: Mahwah, 1987. The Abortion Law Homepage. 26 Nov. 2002. http://members.aol.com/abtrbng/pbal.htm

About Shakespeare Essay

Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest and most tragic play. It was first published in 1603, from a draft published several years earlier. The play begins two months after the death of King Hamlet of Denmark. The country is in a state of unrest. Young Fortinbras of Norway is preparing for war. After the King’s death, his brother Claudius takes over the throne, and marries the widowed Queen Gertrude. Young Hamlet, the late king’s son is incensed. He is told by the ghost of his father, that Claudius had poisoned him, to become the King of Denmark. Hamlet starts acting like a madman rousing concern. Polonius, an advisor to King Claudius is also worried by Hamlet’s strange â€Å"transformation. † The two, along with Queen Gertrude instruct Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s childhood friends to spy on him. Hamlet is also increasingly hostile towards his love, Ophelia, Polonius’ daughter. Out of fear, the King orders Hamlet to be sent to England. King Claudius and Polonius both feel that Hamlet is dangerous. To ensure who the culprit was, Hamlet cleverly changes the lines in a play which is performed before the king and the queen. See more: Is the Importance of being earnest a satirical play essay The King’s reaction convinces Hamlet that it was indeed he who poisoned his father. Alone, King Claudius reveals his crime, and confesses that he cannot escape divine judgment. After the play, Queen Gertrude scolds her son, but he instead scolds his mother for her wrong actions. Polonius is spying on the two, from behind a curtain. Hamlet hears Polonius, and kills him thinking he is Claudius. Anxious and scared, the king orders Hamlet to be sent to England, along with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The King wants Hamlet killed as soon as he arrives in England. Hamlet had the spies Rosencrantz and Guildenstern put to death instead. Meanwhile, Young Fortinbras has brought his army to Denmark. Hamlet admires Young Fortinbras, for his courage to fight for honor. The death of Polonius has a profound impact on Ophelia, who in her depression and apathy kills herself by drowning. Laertes, Polonius’ son is enraged. The king tells him that it was Hamlet who murdered Polonius. The two decide to get rid of Hamlet, their common enemy. Claudius and Laertes arrange a duel, in which Laertes will fight Hamlet. To ensure Hamlet’s death, Laertes poisons the tip of his sword. In the course of the duel, Laertes, Hamlet and the King are poisoned by the same sword. Queen Gertrude drinks a poisoned drink meant for Hamlet, and is killed. Dying, Hamlet tells Horatio to tell the world of his story and recommends Young Fortinbras the next king of Denmark. Hamlet – Prince of Denmark is a play that deals with the main subjects of honor, revenge and suicide. Hamlet is not our typical hero. Born in a royal family, he is a refined young man with noble attributes, but he has his weaknesses. After his father’s murder, he is driven mad by anger when his mother marries Claudius. His love for Ophelia too turned into a strange confusion and mix of emotions. He distrusts all those around him, and starts dwelling in a melancholy state of mind. Even those he thought were his friends turn out to be spies sent by the king and queen. This also explain Hamlets â€Å"insanity† to a great extent. But even so, Hamlet is a disturbed individual. The way he treats Ophelia is obvious evidence. He is cruel to her, in spite of her efforts to try and understand him. He is also impulsive – he kills Polonius without thinking twice. Justice and revenge form major themes of the play, with Claudius, at the Head of a country, having killed his own brother, and Hamlet, avenging his father’s death. Suicide also forms an essential theme in the play. Ophelia kills herself by drowning. Hamlet too is prompted to kill himself. † But should he, or not; â€Å"To be or not to be, that is the question. † Shakespeare portrays all the characters with great ingenuity. He analyses human psyche, and how eventually, everyone’s destiny is controlled by fate. References: About Shakespeare, Hamlet Study Guide, http://absoluteshakespeare. com/guides/hamlet/hamlet. htm

Essay Animal

Eating Animals by Jonathan Saffron Foyer's he talks about his journey as a meat eater. Fore discuses his family eating styles and how he believe he will raise his son. Food is key for every person, but what you eat and what you don't eat shapes who you are. Fore and his wife both had very particular views on being meat eaters. In a way they both hated what they were doing, but because of they way they were brought up they could not stop them from doing so. For this same reason he started researching on how he should raise is unborn child, meat eater or vegetarian.Fore starts off by talking about his grandmother and how her eating habits and cooking methods affected them as children. The grandmother, also known as â€Å"Greatest Chef who ever lived†, had been threw the depression and many vulnerable times. Fore tells us she had very strict rules on letting food go bad and throwing away expired food. She had seen such harsh times that she mad sure she always made the right amoun t of food so nothing would ever go to waste. The grandmother had seen the worst oftentimes, but she made sure her family ate well but did not take what they have for granted.Fore believes many people do not understand what and whom they are eating. He also falls under this category; he does not count himself out. Offers talks about how people have pet dogs and view them as a part of family, but on the other hand cook and eat a chicken. He tries to grasp this idea that has been passed down generation after generation but he cannot come to a solid conclusion on why this happens. And with his new born on the way he is looking into if he wants to pass on these beliefs to his child or to change what has been passed down and start something new.

Shown Before Photoshopped

By living in a visual world, companies frequently run ads using photoshopped pictures. The image presented is near perfect in appearance, yet it is not always truthful. Despite the numerous cautions implied by doctors or inscribed on cigarette packets, smoking has been a fashionable trend throughout the years. Some advertisements influence individuals in becoming addicted to the nicotine inside the health hazard wrapped within paper. Other advertisements tend to sway the viewer into pondering the general concern of the problem at hand.Photographer Mike Stubbs’s photo of Terrie Hall focuses on his subject’s physical appearance not altered in photoshop, instead, altered by surgery. By presenting Terrie Hall, a former smoker, in this advertisement, the harsh and shocking truth about smoking is exposed. This picture introduces Terrie as a 52 year old woman from North Carolina. A quarter size hole in Terrie’s throat causes one’s eyes to focus on the rest of her disfigured appearance. Directly to the viewer’s right of Terrie are large, bolded white letters that spell, â€Å"Record your voice for loved ones while you still can.†In Terrie’s lap is a small framed picture of her with her child. Unfocused, is a background of a white wall and another framed picture of the same child on a nearby table. Unfortunately in a society where one’s image is so important, these businesses and their buyers do not want people to know the underlying truth. Tobacco businesses would not enjoy the presence of Terrie Hall working for their company because of the effects of her cigarette usage over the years. The quarter sized hole in Terrie’s throat is the result of surgery to remove her cancer filled voice box and its surrounding structures.The hole, or stoma, is how Terrie breathes. Smoking also causes other life suppressing damages such as the deterioration of one’s lungs, bladder cancer, and other various chronic dis eases that advertisements do not consider when supporting their product. Most advertisements promote cigarettes by using a selection of people that are often fairly attractive. Michael Stubbs, on the other hand, selectively chose Terrie Hall for her true appearance. The advertisement or commercial commonly shows the desirable people in a party scenario where cigarettes and booze are prominent.What these companies are hiding is the truth buried beneath the photoshop and scripted lies. The CDCP, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, started the anti-smoking ads in 2012 and have continued these commercials into this year as well. â€Å"Officials believe the campaign led as many as 100,000 American smokers to quit† (Associated Press par. 5). Being the only one to return for this year’s round of advertisements out 24 others, she shares her everyday life to the public.Typically when Terrie wakes up in the morning, she has many tasks to accomplish before leaving the hous e like everyone else. But prior to breakfast, she throw on her wig and puts in her false teeth. Terrie tosses a scarf around her neck in order to cover the stoma in the middle of her throat. The puzzling message in large white letters to the right refers to Terrie’s loss of ability to talk due to the removal of her own vocal cords. Terrie Hall once stated, â€Å"It’s the only voice my grandson’s ever heard† (par. 15).Total laryngectomy is the removal of the entire voice box including the structures around it. The cancer moves into surrounding cartilage that makes up the voice box’s outer structure. From this, the trachea must adapt with the help of the electrolarynx, a device one must put to their neck in order to transmit sound into the throat. The vibrations create noise for the pathway of sound to emit into words and phrases. Terrie Hall’s appalling appearance on television caused the baffled viewer to ponder the message displayed.â€Å" It was the campaign's most popular spot by far, receiving more than 2. 8 million views on YouTube — more than any other CDC video ever posted online† (Associated Press par. 7). Unfortunately during this summer of 2013, Terrie’s cancer spread to her brain. No amount of radiation or surgery could have saved her life when Terrie Hall died in September of 2013. â€Å"She was a public health hero,† says Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Frieden also mentions, â€Å"She may well have saved more lives than most doctors do† (par.2).By living in a visual world, companies frequently run advertisements using photoshopped pictures, so the image presented is near perfect in appearance. These pictures are not always reliable. Smoking can cause oral, throat, and lung cancer along with emphysema. Photographer Mike Stubbs’s photo of Terrie Hall focuses on his subject’s physical appearance not altered in ph otoshop, but by surgery. By presenting Terrie Hall, a former smoker, in this advertisement, states the harsh consequences of smoking.

Chapter 12 Triwizard Tournament

Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window, Harry could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase. â€Å"Blimey,† said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, â€Å"if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak – ARRGH!† A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head and exploded. Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped – narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his sneakers into his socks. People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire. Harry looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again. â€Å"PEEVES!† yelled an angry voice. â€Å"Peeves, come down here at ONCE!† Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling. â€Å"Ouch – sorry, Miss Granger -â€Å" â€Å"That's all right, Professor!† Hermione gasped, massaging her throat. â€Å"Peeves, get down here NOW!† barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles. â€Å"Not doing nothing!† cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. â€Å"Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!† And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived. â€Å"I shall call the headmaster!† shouted Professor McGonagall. â€Å"I'm warning you, Peeves -â€Å" Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely. â€Å"Well, move along, then!† said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. â€Å"Into the Great Hall, come on!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right, Ron muttering furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face. The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck. â€Å"Good evening,† he said, beaming at them. â€Å"Says who?† said Harry, taking off his sneakers and emptying them of water. â€Å"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving.† The Sorting of the new students into Houses took place at the start of every school year, but by an unlucky combination of circumstances, Harry hadn't been present at one since his own. He was quite looking forward to it. Just then, a highly excited, breathless voice called down the table. â€Å"Hiya, Harry!† It was Colin Creevey, a third year to whom Harry was something of a hero. â€Å"Hi, Colin,† said Harry warily. â€Å"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!† â€Å"Er – good,† said Harry. â€Å"He's really excited!† said Colin, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. â€Å"I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?† â€Å"Er – yeah, all right,† said Harry. He turned back to Hermione, Ron, and Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don't they?† he said. He was judging by the Weasleys, all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor. â€Å"Oh no, not necessarily,† said Hermione. â€Å"Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?† Harry looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual. Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years; Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor, but there was another empty chair too, and Harry couldn't think who else was missing. â€Å"Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Hermione, who was also looking up at the teachers. They had never yet had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms. Harry's favorite by far had been Professor Lupin, who had resigned last year. He looked up and down the staff table. There was definitely no new face there. â€Å"Maybe they couldn't get anyone!† said Hermione, looking anxious. Harry scanned the table more carefully. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, greasy-haired Potions master, Snape – Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts. Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him, a hatred which had, if possible, intensified last year, when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose – Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days. On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very center of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. Harry glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, beside Harry, â€Å"I could eat a hippogriff.† The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. If Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wet, it was nothing to how these first years looked. They appeared to have swum across the lake rather than sailed. All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school – all of them except the smallest of the lot, a boy with mousy hair, who was wrapped in what Harry recognized as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat. The coat was so big for him that it hooked as though he were draped in a furry black circus tent. His small face protruded from over the collar, looking almost painfully excited. When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin Creevey's eye, gave a double thumbs-up, and mouthed, I fell in the lake! He looked positively delighted about it. Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song: A thousand years or more ago, When I was newly sewn,There lived four wizards of renown, Whose names are still well known: Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, Fair Ravenclaw, from glen, Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, Shrewd Slytherin, from fin. They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, They hatched a daring plan To educate young sorcerers Thus Hogwarts School began. Now each of these four founders Formed their own house, for each Did value different virtues In the ones they had to teach. By Gryffindor, the bravest were Prized far beyond the rest; For Ravenclaw, the cleverest Would always be the best; For Hufflepuff, hard workers were Most worthy of admission; And power-hungry Slytherin Loved those of great ambition. While still alive they did divide Their favorites from the throng, Yet how to pick the worthy ones When they were dead and gone? Twas Gryffindor who found the way, He whipped me off his head The founders put some brains in me So I could choose instead! Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong, I'll have a look inside your mind And tell where you belong! The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished. â€Å"That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us,† said Harry, clapping along with everyone else. â€Å"Sings a different one every year,† said Ron. â€Å"It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one.† Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment. â€Å"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool,† she told the first years. â€Å"When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table. â€Å"Ackerley, Stewart!† A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool. â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† shouted the hat. Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Harry caught a glimpse of Cho, the Ravenclaw Seeker, cheering Stewart Ackerley as he sat down. For a fleeting second, Harry had a strange desire to join the Ravenclaw table too. â€Å"Baddock, Malcolm!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† The table on the other side of the hall erupted with cheers; Harry could see Malfoy clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins. Harry wondered whether Baddock knew that Slytherin House had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other. Fred and George hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down. â€Å"Branstone, Eleanor!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Cauldwell, Owen!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Creevey, Dennis!† Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward, tripping over Hagrid's moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table. About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid, with his long, wild, tangled black hair and beard, looked slightly alarming – a misleading impression, for Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew Hagrid to possess a very kind nature. He winked at them as he sat down at the end of the staff table and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat. The rip at the brim opened wide – â€Å"GRYFFINDOR!† the hat shouted. Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors as Dennis Creevey, beaming widely, took off the hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to join his brother. â€Å"Colin, I fell in!† he said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. â€Å"It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!† â€Å"Cool!† said Colin, just as excitedly. â€Å"It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!† â€Å"Wow!† said Dennis, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deep lake, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea monster. â€Å"Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? Know who he is, Dennis?† Harry looked away, staring very hard at the Sorting Hat, now Sorting Emma Dobbs. The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L's. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, massaging his stomach. â€Å"Now, Ron, the Sorting's much more important than food,† said Nearly Headless Nick as â€Å"Madley, Laura!† became a Hufflepuff. â€Å"Course it is, if you're dead,† snapped Ron. â€Å"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch,† said Nearly Headless Nick, applauding as â€Å"McDonald, Natalie!† joined the Gryffindor table. â€Å"We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?† Gryffindor had won the Inter-House Championship for the last three years in a row. â€Å"Pritchard, Graham!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† â€Å"Quirke, Orla!† â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† And finally, with â€Å"Whitby, Kevin!† (â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!†), the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. â€Å"About time,† said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate. Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome. â€Å"I have only two words to say to you,† he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. â€Å"Tuck in.† â€Å"Hear, hear!† said Harry and Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes. Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as Harry, Ron, and Hermione loaded their own plates. â€Å"Aaah, ‘at's be'er,† said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato. â€Å"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know,† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"There was trouble in the kitchens earlier.† â€Å"Why? Wha' ‘appened?† said Harry, through a sizable chunk of steak. â€Å"Peeves, of course,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously. He pulled his ruff a little higher up on his neck. â€Å"The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast – well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council – the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance – but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down.† The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent specter covered in silver bloodstains. He was the only person at Hogwarts who could really control Peeves. â€Å"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something,† said Ron darkly. â€Å"So what did he do in the kitchens?† â€Å"Oh the usual,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging. â€Å"Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits -â€Å" Clang. Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention. â€Å"There are house-elves here?† she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Here at Hogwarts?† â€Å"Certainly,† said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. â€Å"The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred.† â€Å"I've never seen one!† said Hermione. â€Å"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning†¦see to the fires and so on†¦.I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?† Hermione stared at him. â€Å"But they get paid?† she said. â€Å"They get holidays, don't they? And – and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?† Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck. â€Å"Sick leave and pensions?† he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. â€Å"House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!† Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her. â€Å"Oh c'mon, ‘Er-my-knee,† said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding. â€Å"Oops – sorry, ‘Arry -† He swallowed. â€Å"You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!† â€Å"Slave labor,† said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. â€Å"That's what made this dinner. Slave labor.† And she refused to eat another bite. The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings. â€Å"Treacle tart, Hermione!† said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward her. â€Å"Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!† But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up. When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard. â€Å"So!† said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. â€Å"Now that we are all fed and watered,† (â€Å"Hmph!† said Hermione) â€Å"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. â€Å"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it.† The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, â€Å"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. â€Å"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.† â€Å"What?† Harry gasped. He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbhedore went on, â€Å"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -â€Å" But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped. The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen.It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness. The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbhedore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side. The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students. â€Å"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. â€Å"Professor Moody.† It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him. â€Å"Moody?† Harry muttered to Ron. â€Å"Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?† â€Å"Must be,† said Ron in a low, awed voice. â€Å"What happened to him?† Hermione whispered. â€Å"What happened to his face?† â€Å"Dunno,† Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination. Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot. Dumbledore cleared his throat. â€Å"As I was saying,† he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, â€Å"we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.† â€Å"You're JOKING!† said Fred Weasley loudly. The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. â€Å"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley,† he said, â€Å"though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar.† Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. â€Å"Er – but maybe this is not the time†¦no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Dumbledore, â€Å"where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament†¦well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. â€Å"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.† â€Å"Death toll?† Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago. â€Å"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament,† Dumbledore continued, â€Å"none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. â€Å"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.† â€Å"I'm going for it!† Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more. â€Å"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts,† he said, â€Å"the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -† Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious – â€Å"is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion.† His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. â€Å"I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. â€Å"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!† Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall. â€Å"They can't do that!† said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. â€Å"We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?† â€Å"They're not stopping me entering,† said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. â€Å"The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!† â€Å"Yeah,† said Ron, a faraway look on his face. â€Å"Yeah, a thousand Galleons†¦.† â€Å"Come on,† said Hermione, â€Å"we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move.† Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George set off for the entrance hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the tournament. â€Å"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?† said Harry. â€Å"Dunno,† said Fred, â€Å"but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though,† said Ron. â€Å"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?† said Fred shrewdly. â€Å"Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names.† â€Å"People have died, though!† said Hermione in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase. â€Å"Yeah,† said Fred airily, â€Å"but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?† â€Å"What d'you reckon?† Ron asked Harry. â€Å"Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older†¦.Dunno if we've learned enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I definitely haven't,† came Neville's gloomy voice from behind Fred and George. â€Å"I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to – oops†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Neville's foot had sunk right through a step halfway up the staircase. There were many of these trick stairs at Hogwarts; it was second nature to most of the older students to jump this particular step, but Neville's memory was notoriously poor. Harry and Ron seized him under the armpits and pulled him out, while a suit of armor at the top of the stairs creaked and clanked, laughing wheezily. â€Å"Shut it, you,† said Ron, banging down its visor as they passed. They made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. â€Å"Password?† she said as they approached. â€Å"Balderdash,† said George, â€Å"a prefect downstairs told me.† The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which they all climbed. A crackling fire warmed the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables. Hermione cast the merrily dancing flames a dark look, and Harry distinctly heard her mutter â€Å"Slave labor† before bidding them good night and disappearing through the doorway to the girls' dormitory. Harry, Ron, and Neville climbed up the last, spiral staircase until they reached their own dormitory, which was situated at the top of the tower. Five four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings stood against the walls, each with its owner's trunk at the foot. Dean and Seamus were already getting into bed; Seamus had pinned his Ireland rosette to his headboard, and Dean had tacked up a poster of Viktor Krum over his bedside table. His old poster of the West Ham football team was pinned right next to it. â€Å"Mental,† Ron sighed, shaking his head at the completely stationary soccer players. Harry, Ron, and Neville got into their pajamas and into bed. Someone – a house-elf, no doubt – had placed warming pans between the sheets. It was extremely comfortable, lying there in bed and listening to the storm raging outside. â€Å"I might go in for it, you know,† Ron said sleepily through the darkness, â€Å"if Fred and George find out how to†¦the tournament†¦.you never know, do you?† â€Å"S'pose not†¦.† Harry rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in his mind's eye†¦.He had hoodwinked the impartial judge into believing he was seventeen†¦.he had become Hogwarts champion†¦he was standing on the grounds, his arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were applauding and screaming†¦he had just won the Triwizard Tournament. Cho's face stood out particularly clearly in the blurred crowd, her face glowing with admiration†¦. Harry grinned into his pillow, exceptionally glad that Ron couldn't see what he could.