Claudius of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Claudius of Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   A close second in nobility to the protagonist in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is the incredible King Claudius. His superior qualities render him a worthy antagonist capable of a plummeting downfall at the climax.    G. Wilson Knight in "The Embassy of Death" interprets the character of Claudius:    Claudius, as he appears in the play, is not a criminal. He is - strange as it may seem - a good and gentle king, enmeshed by the chain of causality linking him with his crime. And this chain he might, perhaps, have broken except for Hamlet, and all would have been well. But, granted the presence of Hamlet - which Claudius at first genuinely desired, persuading him not to return to Wittenberg as he wished - and granted the fact of his original crime which cannot now be altered, Claudius cannot now be blamed for his later actions. They are forced on him. As King, he could scarcely be expected to do otherwise. (n. pag.)    The drama opens after Hamlet has just returned from Wittenberg, England, where he has been a student. What brought him home was the news of his father’s death and his uncle’s accession to the throne of Denmark. Philip Burton in â€Å"Hamlet† discusses Claudius’ sudden rise to the Danish throne upon the death of King Hamlet I:    A strong new king was immediately needed; the election of Claudius, particularly in the absence of Hamlet, was inevitable. What is more, it was immediately justified, because Claudius manages to dispel the threat of invasion by appealing to the King of Norway to curb his nephew, Fortinbras; the ambitious young soldier was the more ready to cancel the projected invasion because the object of his revenge, Hamlet’s father, was now dead, and in ret... .../ham1-col.htm    Faucit, Helena (Lady Martin). On Some of Shakespeare's Female Characters. 6th ed. London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1899.    Jorgensen, Paul A. â€Å"Hamlet.† William Shakespeare: the Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publ., 1985. N. pag. http://www.freehomepages.com/hamlet/other/jorg-hamlet.html    Knight, G. Wilson. "The Embassy of Death." The Wheel of Fire. London: Methuen and Co., Ltd., 1954. p. 38-39. http://server1.hypermart.net/hamlet/wheefire.html N. pag.    Mack, Maynard. â€Å"The World of Hamlet.† Yale Review. vol. 41 (1952) p. 502-23. Rpt. in Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.      

Villalve Qualitative Article :: Article Review

I had some trouble determining which of the two articles that I read would be most beneficial for the class to read. The quantitative piece on Chinese learners of English fit very well with the course. It exemplified the word recognition view of reading that we have discussed and addressed themes and theoretical frameworks (common underlying proficiency, contrastive analysis, the monolingual perspective) that have come up on many occasions in our class. In the end however I chose the qualitative article from Villalve. My primary justification for this is that the article is so different from the readings we have done in class that I feel it has something more unique to contribute. The primary focus of the article was to consider diverse literacy practices in detail and also to look at approaches to inquiry, learning, and meaning making. In order to do this, Villalve took a case study approach to look at two 17 year-old bilingual Latina students during their last year of high school. These students were involved in an ongoing senior writing project that entailed collecting information from a diverse set of resources, collaborating with other students and school faculty, and finally submitting a thesis and making a final presentation. From this it is clear that one of the primary ways that this article differs from much of what our class has read so far is the age of the students involved. Relatively little data seems to exist on literacy practices of high school bilinguals and this is one reason I feel this article has something to offer the class. Another somewhat unique feature of this article relative to much of the other work we have looked at is the research paradigm and theoretical framework for the work. In terms of Mertens research paradigms, this article fits both into a constructivist and transformative frame. The reliance on the work of Fairclough (2001) and others and the concern with broad societal level discourse practices set this article apart from other pieces we have read. Also, in terms of the theoretical frames, Villalve utilizes an ecological approach to frame her data collection and analysis. For this she makes use of Barton (1994) in particular to define her 3-part framework for data analysis. Her 3 levels of analysis are hierarchical and start from the level of language as artifact (physical samples of writing etc.) From this she moves up to 2 larger frames of interaction and imagination and finally systems and contexts.

Functionalist and Interactionalist Perspective on Illegal Drugs Essay

Functionalist and Interactionalist Perspective on Illegal Drugs The war on drugs in our culture is a continuous action that is swiftly lessening our society. This has been going on for roughly 10-15 years and has yet to slow down in any way. Drugs continue to be a problem for the obvious reason that certain people abuse them in a way that can lead to ultimate harm on such a person. These drugs do not just consist of street drugs (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy), but prescription medications as well. Although there are some instances where drugs are being used by subjects excessively, there has been medical research to prove that some of these drugs have made a successful impact on certain disorders and diseases. One of the most obvious reasons why drugs are still around is because it is such a profitable business. In our society, marijuana, cocaine, xanax, and ecstasy are convenient and readily available to purchase almost anywhere you go. Those who sell drugs can make anywhere from five hundred to three thousand dollars a day. This income is tax-free and requires little to no labor efforts whatsoever. Those involved in this lucrative trade are taking somewhat of a risk, but because dealing drugs is so common in our society the chances of getting caught aren’t as high as expected. Drug trafficking alone serves for about 40 percent of all organized crime activity with this number increasing everyday as drugs become more and more popular. With the economy being so bad most find it easy to turn to selling drugs as an acceptable mean of income. Although drugs are used in an illegal aspect for the most part, there are accounts of medical research to prove the positive effects on some patients with long-term diseas... ...f actual reality. They are no longer able to face day to day activities without having that drug in their life. Many factors contribute to the reasons why drug use still exists in America today. It provides needed job titles, it is an on going process for medical research, and acts as a contribution to help certain people in their own personal ways. Drugs have been around for nearly two decades and as the years progress, the war on drugs seems as if it has no intensions of slowing down. This problem will only continue to intensify in an inferior situation. In using both the functionalist and interactionist perspectives, several imperfections such as addiction and the fact that people use drugs in illegal ways are identified. Ultimately, it is only us as a society as a whole who can take the responsibility and can change this issue †¦ for better or for worse. Functionalist and Interactionalist Perspective on Illegal Drugs Essay Functionalist and Interactionalist Perspective on Illegal Drugs The war on drugs in our culture is a continuous action that is swiftly lessening our society. This has been going on for roughly 10-15 years and has yet to slow down in any way. Drugs continue to be a problem for the obvious reason that certain people abuse them in a way that can lead to ultimate harm on such a person. These drugs do not just consist of street drugs (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy), but prescription medications as well. Although there are some instances where drugs are being used by subjects excessively, there has been medical research to prove that some of these drugs have made a successful impact on certain disorders and diseases. One of the most obvious reasons why drugs are still around is because it is such a profitable business. In our society, marijuana, cocaine, xanax, and ecstasy are convenient and readily available to purchase almost anywhere you go. Those who sell drugs can make anywhere from five hundred to three thousand dollars a day. This income is tax-free and requires little to no labor efforts whatsoever. Those involved in this lucrative trade are taking somewhat of a risk, but because dealing drugs is so common in our society the chances of getting caught aren’t as high as expected. Drug trafficking alone serves for about 40 percent of all organized crime activity with this number increasing everyday as drugs become more and more popular. With the economy being so bad most find it easy to turn to selling drugs as an acceptable mean of income. Although drugs are used in an illegal aspect for the most part, there are accounts of medical research to prove the positive effects on some patients with long-term diseas... ...f actual reality. They are no longer able to face day to day activities without having that drug in their life. Many factors contribute to the reasons why drug use still exists in America today. It provides needed job titles, it is an on going process for medical research, and acts as a contribution to help certain people in their own personal ways. Drugs have been around for nearly two decades and as the years progress, the war on drugs seems as if it has no intensions of slowing down. This problem will only continue to intensify in an inferior situation. In using both the functionalist and interactionist perspectives, several imperfections such as addiction and the fact that people use drugs in illegal ways are identified. Ultimately, it is only us as a society as a whole who can take the responsibility and can change this issue †¦ for better or for worse.

Ozone Layer

IntroductionWhat is Ozone?The chemical formula for ozone is O3. The molecule of ozone constitutes three atoms of oxygen. Ozone is an allotrope of oxygen and is less stable than the diatomic species O2. Ozone is highly reactive form of oxygen. Ozone in the upper layer of the atmosphere protects the ultraviolet rays from reaching the earth surface on the other hand ozone in the lower layer of the earth surface causes respiratory problems in living organisms. About 90 percent of ozone is present in the stratosphere (15 to 50 km altitude). Ozone has two vital functions. First, it is responsible for filtering out large wavelength band of ultraviolet solar radiation, radiation which would be lethal to the creatures of the earth if it arrived, the earth surface in full intensity. Second, ozone warms the upper layer of the stratosphere, which is an important part of the mechanism of the weather phenomena of the earth atmosphere. The presence of ozone in the upper atmosphere was first recogni zed by Cornu in 1879 and Hartley in 1880.Formation of ozone layerThe formation of ozone layer is photochemical mechanism. The ultraviolet rays strike the oxygen molecules splitting the oxygen molecule into two independent unstable atoms of oxygen. These unstable oxygen atoms in search of stability combine with the unbroken oxygen molecules to form less stable ozone. Since ozone is less stable, ultraviolet rays further split it yielding oxygen molecule and oxygen atom. This process forms a chain and gets repeated again and again. This is a never ending process. Ozone is a trace gas in the atmosphere. Even in the stratosphere where it is most concentrated, it forms only a few parts per million of the local atmospheric composition.Discovery of ozone holeThe Antarctic ozone hole was discovered in 1985. A team of scientists from the British Antarctic survey reported a very larger seasonal fall in ozone values measured over their station at Halley Bay in Antarctica. Every year in Septembe r and October, ozone levels were falling significantly, by about 25 percent but sometimes by as much as 60 percent. The decline probably started around 1976. Data showed no significant changes during 1957 and 1975 but there were apparent changes from 1977 to 1984. When scientists reported the Antarctic Ozone hole and, more importantly, that the impact of ozone depletion would include increased risk of cataract and skin cancer and of reduced body immunity, the public, especially in the north, became worried.Depletion of ozone in the stratosphereThe debates point towards the oxides of nitrogen and water-vapor from the exhaust of high flying aircraft. This was followed by a widely published argument that inert chlorine containing compounds might significantly deplete stratospheric ozone. By 1985, the concerns about nitrogen oxides were largely laid to rest.The Montreal Protocol to the 1985 Vienna Convention for the protection of Ozone layer, signed on September 16, 1987 is one of the s mall numbers of international environmental agreements that have had rapid and concrete impacts on the actions of the nations and other groups responsible for the quality of environment.While the 1985 Vienna Convention only urged States to adopt measures to reduce their consumption of harmful chemicals, Parties to the Montreal Protocol agreed to reduce consumption, of key Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to 50 percent of 1986 levels by 1988. Through the effort of industry, government and public interest groups, and motivated by improvements in scientific understanding, technical capability and a willingness to overcome social and economic barriers, reductions in use and phase-outs have progressed further and faster than expected while the list of controlled chemicals has expanded. At meetings in London in 1990 and Copenhagen in 1992, Parties accelerated the original reduction schedules and added the new substances to the list. Three years later, at the seventh meeting of the Parties in Vi enna, Parties agreed to phase-out methyl bromide.Incremental CostsMany actions that help protect the global environment incur incremental costs. For example, the choice of more expensive (but non-ozone-depleting) technologies and chemicals to provide a given level of refrigeration yields a global environmental benefit in the form of protection for the ozone layer in the Stratosphere. This global benefit has not been valued monetarily but had been judged implicitly to exceed the costs of phasing out ozone depleting substances (ODSs). Incremental costs are being incurred to protect global biodiversity, reduce the risk of climate change, and prevent the pollution of international waters. Benefits of protecting the global or regional environment accrue to many nations, rather than only to the country that incurs the cost of action. To minimize the global incremental costs, that is to achieve a given level of ozone-depleting substances phase out at the lowest cost to the world community. Future impactsThe negotiations concerning Ozone between 1982 and 1992 have launched and developed a new type of diplomacy, which can rightly be called global environmental diplomacy. While it is certainly true that the Montreal Protocol involved many countries with strong views on what should be done, there was always a willingness to take one step at a time. The phasing out of CFCs are could not be agreed upon in 1987, it was accepted 50 percent. The agreement to phase out methyl chloroform by 2000 was not agreed upon in London, it was accepted in 2003. Of course, countries agreed to the interim steps because they believed they could come back another time and make the step more stringent, which is what happened at every stage. But, the spirit of compromise was critical to the success of the Protocol.Likely, future demand for each ODS use was projected to the year 2010 (2015 for 1, 1, 1-trichloroethane) in the absence of any limitations imposed by the Montreal Protocol. The resulta nt unconstrained demand forecasts provided the baseline estimate of the quantities of the ODSs to be substituted if demand for products is to be fulfilled, thus maintaining the domestic benefit. Given the uncertainties associated with forecasting, especially so far into the future, the projections were only indicative of likely future trends.The future state of the ozone layer will remain still because it will be controlled not only by chlorine and bromine loading but also by the atmospheric abundance of nitrous oxide, methane, sulphate particles, carbon dioxide and water vapor and by the climate of the earth. It is essential to clarify the mechanisms potentially delaying the recovery of the ozone layer. Such work should be followed by research for predicting the future of the ozone layer, as well as risk assessments and countermeasures, taking into account the above mentioned uncertainties. It is also important to study the possible impacts of ozone layer destruction on human healt h and ecosystems.Works CitedDr. Christie Maureen. The Ozone Layer: A Philosophy of Science Perspective.Cambridge University Press (2001)Mohan Munasinghe. King Kenneth. Ozone Layer Protection: Country Incremental Costs.World Bank Publications (1995)Le Preste, Phillipe G. Reid, John D. Morehouse Thomas E. Protecting the Ozone Layer: Lessons, Models and Prospects.Springer (1998)

Fictional Research About CCTV Cameras Essay

This report evaluates the social impact of the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV from now on) cameras in our neighbourhood. These cameras have been placed by the local government with the intention of lowering crime rates. Participants filled a questionnaire, and this report is based on their feedback. Positive effects It’s been a month since the installation of the cameras, and they have already paid off as a great discouraging system. Misdemeanours such as hold-ups have lowered by 25%, whereas sexual assaults have lowered by an astounding 78%. People say that they feel safer and protected now. Negative effects However (and paradoxically), people don’t want to be observed 24/7 by the government. 75% of the population feel mildly uncomfortable about being watched all day, but think that this is still a good measure, while another 10% do not agree at all with this system. Among the people who don’t care about the constant surveillance, 2/3 are the elderly people (60+ years old). On the other hand, the most reluctant people to the CCTV camera system are between 15 and 25 years old, about the 64% of them. This group has protested against the system, even resorting to vandalize and destroy the cameras. Conclusions Most people in the area think of the CCTV cameras as a necessary evil, and think that their children are now able to go out without the fear of being assaulted, of something even worse. Most of them don’t like being observed, specially young people, but only a few are really upset about this fact. Recommendations The best solution, given the local response (and the fact that the area was conflictive enough to force the administration to install the cameras), would be for the government to send more police to the area, both to protect the cameras and to enforce local laws. This should lead to a further lowering of crime rates.

We Simply Cannot Wait

I was near the emergency ward of a hospital to claim my laboratory results when an ambulance came rushing in, carrying two victims of a vehicular accident, both of them seriously wounded and unconscious. From there I thought, should these things happen, who will the hospital attendants respond to, if both patients are in danger, both in need of immediate care, and both cannot wait, does the hospital have enough resources and capability to respond to such situations? Such reflections immediately come to mind when I read about Dr. Martin Luther King’s idea on the myth of time. Undoubtedly, he is right when he says, We Can’t Wait (2000) when dealing with problems in our country. . The attitude of waiting for time to come when all things will be good and beautiful is basically an old Christian tradition. Priests in the earlier times usually advise people to beg for God’s mercy and wait for His providence. In contrast, King tells us that while hunger and suffering per sist in the land, we cannot just wait until someone, like the government, finally decides to help us alleviate our sufferings. Applying this in broader terms, we realize that given the everyday struggle that Somali children face each day, we simply cannot wait for when donors will schedule sending relief goods. We need to act right away. Similarly, when we see people lying cold on the streets, we do not think of rallying in front of the senate the next morning to fight for their equal rights, we do not go to the social welfare to refer these people for help. While these actions could help the majority of the needy in the long run, these would take too much time, and before the government agency responds, the person would already be ill or dead. The challenge that Dr. King imposes in his article is timeless. It is addressed not only to the government, to civil rights organizations, or to wealthy businessmen. Rather, it is addressed to everyone, to all of us, regardless of race, gender, age, religion or economic status. This challenge requires only one thing, that is, to respond to the problem at hand, right away, right on time. Responding to this challenge, we give immediate help to those in need. To those feeling cold on the streets, we give out our jacket, old sheets, shirt, etc. Likewise, to those who are hungry, we provide some food and water. These things are not difficult, especially since we do not consume everything we have on our plate. When we eat, we always have some leftovers which we put inside the refrigerator, and most often, we forget about them so they still end up in the trash bin the next day. Moreover, reflecting on this challenge in the education area, teachers cannot take too much time before they respond to the needs of their students. In the classroom setting, they take responsibility over the needs of their students, and not wait for the school’s recommendations. Likewise, on a personal level, students extend help to others who are in need, and avoid feeling indifferent to the needs of their schoolmates. In sum, the challenge that Dr. King imposes on each of us requires our efforts to lift a finger and be good Samaritans to others. In addition, it also asks us not to discriminate, but rather help those in need regardless of their culture or origins. If we can exercise this in our everyday life, there will be less suffering. Therefore, the next time we encounter people needing our help, we should bear in mind the words of Dr. King, â€Å"We (simply) can’t wait. †

PC SPECIFICATIONS TABLE Essay

An U.S. Army Colonel talked (use another word besides talked or restructure the sentence so that you won’t have to use the â€Å"talked†) about Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment issues at the SHARP (what is sharp?) training meeting. (I think this lede is a bit vague and boring) In the battle against sexual assault and sexual harassment Col Howard Covington continuously work in sending the message that we are failing in this matter. â€Å"Working together is what can provide continuity of care to the victims and make them feel that they are not left behind† said Col Harold Covington, an Executive officer. He also indicated that commanders are responsible to establish a command climate that is safe to Soldiers soldiers shouldn’t be capitalize and civilians alike through training and education. â€Å"Many people had been hurt and many soldiers have not been held responsible for their acts because commanders are failing to implement the â€Å"zero tolerance policy† and allowing climate of harassment to continue in their units† said CPT Jen Taylor, a U.S. Army IG advisor. We all have a responsibility to take action to change our culture to eliminate an â€Å"enemy that lies within our ranks† responded Col Covington . We need to demonstrate through our words and actions the importance in this matter. CW2 this isn’t a recognizable title maybe it should be spelled outMichael Dilts, an HR officer said that to protect the victims and re-ensure they are not re-victimized must be a first priority in every command â€Å"we have the option of geographically separate the victim and the alleged offender† the victim has the preference to request her/his preferences. He added. This is very confusing and shouldn’t be a sentence but maybe added to the previous sentence or add more attributions SFC Angel Keen, a logistician NCOIC said, â€Å"I’d seen cases where the victim doesn’t have this option because commander prioritizes the mission first and not the victim situation.† SFC Terry Brown said â€Å"many sex harassment situations don’t go forward because there is not witness or proof that incident occurred, basically end in her word again his words.† He added, Situations like this are hard to resolve because you don’t want to hurt an innocent or you don’t want a harasser be free (this should be in quotations and why is the situations capitalized?). Col Covington responded, â€Å"Reporting procedures are very important and every individual need to know them. We are failing because many individuals don’t know what to do in a case of sexual harassment or sexual assault.† We need to continuously send the message to everyone that we are not tolerating sexual acts and our policy is in practice. CPT Taylor said, â€Å"How can we help those victims that failed to report sexual incidents because they feel blamed and they think that nobody will believe them.† Cold Covington responded, â€Å"We need to keep sending the message to the victims that we are here for support and to fight against sexual assault and sexual harassment acts.† CW2 Michael Dilts said all soldiers most be treated properly and succeed in an environment that allow them to achieve their best potential. The Army’s SHARP policies apply to everyone regardless of the ranks, age, gender, and are sexual orientation neutral. â€Å"An individual’s sexual orientation is a personal and private matter† he added. Army’s policy on sexual harassment covers Family members and soldiers 24/7. Suggestive comments are unwelcome, unwanted and sexual in nature constitute sexual assault and is a crime. Col Covington said, â€Å"We need to stop the quid pro quo and eliminate the hostile environment in our Army.† If we don’t start working in these two areas, we won’t be able to protect our soldiers. Sexual Harassment is a violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Complaints are processed IAW AR 690-600 and 29 CFR Part 1614. Physical contact such as  grouping and fondling constitutes sexual assault and is punishable under UCMJ, and other Federal and local civilian laws. (this isn’t a good closing paragraph and I think this should be towards the middle of this article)