Dialectial Journal Essay Example for Free

Dialectial Journal Essay Dialectical Journals But today he saw one of the rivers secrets, one that gripped his soul. He saw that the water continually flowed and flowed and yet it was always there; It was always the same and yet every moment it was new. pg. 102 C)Slddhartha ponders about a secret of the river. It Is one that he never realized before. The water flows continuously and remains constant. It Is the same, and yet It Is new. Life seems to be like this. Everyone of us has life, and we live It. The world eems to continuously move and go on, despite the changes that happen. People die and people are born: people succeed and people fall. Every moment Is new, yet the world keeps going, time Is constant and does not stand still for anyone. The river teaches Siddhartha a lesson that he does not fully comprehend at that moment, yet remains an Important lesson to learn. But today he saw one of the rivers secrets, one that gripped his soul. He saw that the water continually flowed and flowed and yet it was always there; it was always the C)Siddhartha ponders about a secret of the river. It is one that he never realized before. The water flows continuously and remains constant. It is the same, and yet it is new. Life seems to be like this. Everyone of us has life, and we live it. The world and people are born: people succeed and people fail

Cultural Differences Between Trinidad and Tobago

Cultural Differences Between Trinidad and Tobago You are a Tobagonian recently returned from your first trip to Trinidad where you spent two weeks. Record in your journal, the differences you have observed in the culture of the two islands. Based on your knowledge of the history of both islands, give explanations for those differences. In one entry you may also note any cultural similarities you observed. Today marks one week since I have returned from the wonderful island of Trinidad, which is the sister island of my homeland, Tobago. The islands are located on the northern edge of South America on the north-eastern coast of Venezuela. I have always wanted to visit Trinidad, since I have heard countless stories about the great experiences my family had there. Fortunately, I finally had the chance to create memorable experiences of my own, during a two week stay at the multi-cultural island, Trinidad. My trip started from February 24th and ended on March 9th. I arrived at Trinidad at approximately two o’clock during the day on Monday, the place was furiously heated, and the sun was scorching my skin as I waited on my Aunt to pick me up from the Port. I remembered taking a deep breathe of polluted air, yes, polluted. Usually, in Tobago the air is clean, fresh and uncontaminated, on the other hand, in Trinidad; the air seemed to be comprised of filth and pounds of dust. Neverthel ess, my Aunt picked me up at half past two, and that was when my journey to the exploration of the differences and similarities of the cultural attributes between Trinidad and Tobago had begun. As a result, the cultural experiences I observed or was exposed to in Trinidad, were the language used, the education system, the tradition of ‘keeping ah wake’, the celebration of Carnival and the diversity of religion. On the very first day of visiting Trinidad, the first cultural difference I observed between Trinidad and Tobago was the language that was spoken. On the way to my Aunt’s place, we stopped off to buy the most popular food in Trinidad, ‘doubles’. As I sat in the passenger’s seat, and waited for my aunt to buy the food, I observed the behaviour and language that the Trinidadians portrayed. Apparently, a man of the African descent has been waiting a long while for service from the doubles vendor, and this caused him to cuss out in an unpleasant manner. Also, I noticed his accent as well as the other buyers, had influences of the Indian, African, French and Spanish heritages (Chapter Five: Trinidad and Tobago Intercontinental Book Centre, 2014). This was quite interesting to me because the dialect in Tobago comes mostly from the African heritage. Also, Patois which is a variety of Spanish and French was once widely spoken in Trinidad until the end of the 1800à ¢â‚¬â„¢s, as a result; there are various traces of the language combined in the Trinidadian Creole English. Trinidadians and Tobagonians both speak Creole English; however, there is a difference with the use of grammar and pronunciation in which Trinidadians used (Language Facts About Trinidad and Tobago, 2014). In contrast, Tobagonian Creole English was derived from the French, Dutch and Courlander settlers (Trinidad and Tobago Speaking the Language | ExpatFocus.com, 2014), but the Tobago’s dialect is influenced predominantly by the Africans. On the second day of my visit to Trinidad, I observed the first similarity between the two islands which is the education system. After having breakfast at my Aunt Lisa’s place, we left to drop off her daughters, Sarah and Maria to their schools. On our way there, I noticed there were a lot of schools in Trinidad, from Primary schools to Tertiary Institutes. Sarah attended a Primary school and she was in the seventh year, therefore, she would be writing her final exam soon, to gain entry into a Secondary school. On the other hand, Maria is in the fifth year of Secondary school, and she will also be sitting a final exam to gain access into a Tertiary institute. After dropping off the two girls to their schools, Lisa and I were talking about how thankful we are that Trinidad and Tobago has an education system that is free for all. Luckily, in the past, education opportunities started to expand from 1852, in the 1970’s the secondary education system was established, vocati onal schools were opened and primary schools were fully integrated. Hence, the British system took charge of the education system of Trinidad and Tobago in the twentieth century, and now education is available to all elements of society (Trinidad and Tobago EDUCATION, 2014). The other similarity I observed between Trinidad and Tobago was experienced on the fourth day of my visit, which was the tradition of ‘keeping ah wake’. I was able to experience this tradition, not only in Tobago which is my homeland, but in Trinidad as well, and the tradition of a ‘wake’ is quite the same in both countries. On Friday morning, Lisa was notified of a death of one of her neighbours, an eighty two year old woman who was very kind to her and her family. Later that day, Lisa and I got dressed to attend the ‘wake’ at the neighbour’s home. Presently, a wake is the gathering of friends and relatives at the home of the deceased. We made a contribution of coffee and biscuits to the home, and other friends and relatives brought alcohol, tea and more coffee. As I got acquainted with the other neighbours that were present at the wake, I noticed a group of men were playing cards and drinking alcohol and the ladies were drinking tea and chatting amongst themselves. I was informed that the funeral of the old woman was to be held on the Sunday; therefore, every night until Sunday, the deceased home will be ‘holding a wake’. The word ‘wake’ originated from the Old English word ‘wacu’ which is related to the contemporary word ‘watch’. After two hours during the wake, everyone gathered together to engage in prayer for the passing of the old woman. Originally, â€Å"the wake was a prayer vigil where family and friends would pray for the soul of the deceased† (Wilton, 2004). Therefore, this family was sticking with the true tradition of ‘keeping ah wake’. Although, in the past, there was a misconception that people in many Celtic countries in Europe held a wake by placing the dead body on a table while relatives gathered around drinking alcohol and watched the dead body to see if it will wake up (Wilton, 2004). Nevertheless, in Trinidad and Tobago, à ¢â‚¬Ëœholding a wake’ is quite common when there is a death in a family. However, the association of prayer at a wake has become less significant, and it is more associated with social interactions. Fortunately, in Trinidad, I was able to witness the real tradition of ‘keeping ah wake’. On day eight, the second cultural difference between Trinidad and Tobago in which I experienced was the festival called Carnival. My family from Tobago always talked about their amazing experiences; however, my experience with Carnival at Trinidad was truly a disturbingly memorable one. Every year, my aunt and her family usually go to Port of Spain to look at the celebration, which comprises of colourful costumes, music, dance and public partying on the streets. We arrived at Port of Spain at approximately twelve o clock during the day on Carnival Tuesday, the sun was incredibly hot and I felt like my skin was almost blistering as I stood up to witness the display of the parade of the bands, with their multi-colour costumes on the masqueraders. In addition, they vulgarly danced along with the Soca music, which was a great annoyance to me. It was quite disturbing to see adults behave in such indecent and unacceptable behaviour in the presence of young children. Aside from the negative feedback I have on Carnival, the only aspect I actually enjoyed were the sight of the unique and beautiful costumes. Originally, Carnival was established by the French settlers in the 1700’s and was celebrated by the upper class people. As a result, the slaves of the island mimicked the celebrations of the French, and this was spread to all the freed slaves after the abolition of slavery. Therefore, they dressed with feathers and different costumes, and celebrated their freedom on the streets, hence, Carnival was established. In contrast, in Tobago, the island’s traditions and history are embraced, while the celebration is associated with speech bands, whip wielding devils known as ‘jab jabs’ and African drumming (Trinidad and Tobago The True Caribbean Official Travel and Tourism Site, 2014). All in all, I disliked my experience with Carnival in Trinidad, since the celebration was not about tradition, but it was more associated wit h vulgarity, and disorderly behaviour. Lastly, on the ninth day of my visit, I observed another cultural difference between Trinidad and Tobago, the diversity of religion. Trinidad is referred to as â€Å"a multi -cultural melting pot† (Trinidad and Tobago The True Caribbean Official Travel and Tourism Site, 2014). When I visited Trinidad, I had the opportunity to attend a Hindu prayers held by my relatives on the Wednesday after Carnival, in which Hindus gathered at a temple, to worship their Gods. I observed that women were dressed in beautifully sequenced Indian wear while the males dressed in plain white cotton cloth. The ceremony was held for two hours, and everyone clapped their hands while they sang and recite chants, and the musicians at the front were gracefully beating the drum called a ‘tabla’ together with the soft sound of the harmonium. Also, I observed that not only were Indians present in the temple, but people of the African descent as well. This particular Hindu ceremony was definit ely interesting to me because in Tobago I was never able to attend any prayers other than Christian. Also, on that same day, on my way to the prayers, I noticed there were a lot of people attending Christian churches; this was due to the festivity called Lent. Compared to Tobago, Trinidad is certainly more diverse in religion and culture, and this is mainly because of the historical upbringings and heritages. For instance, the Roman Catholics were the first religious group to arrive in Trinidad in 1498, Africans were brought to the island due to the slave trade in 1797, and in 1845 the indentured labourers consisting of mostly Hindus and Muslims were also brought to the island (Culture (Trinidad), 2014). Hence, there are still traces in the elements of the religions from the past, and represented in Trinidad. On the other hand, in Tobago, I don’t usually see people of other religions, different from Christian, because Tobago’s population remained predominantly of the African descent. Therefore, there is not diversity in religion in Tobago, as there is in Trinidad (Culture (Trinidad), 2014). In conclusion, Trinidad and Tobago are two magnificent islands that share many similarities and differences in terms of cultures. Fortunately, I was able to experience a few of the cultural attributes of Trinidad, during my two weeks stay. Thus, on the first day, I experienced/observed that the language used in Trinidad is slightly different to Tobago’s language since the language in Trinidad is influenced by a larger variety of heritages than Tobago. In addition, on the second day I noticed a great similarity in the education system of both islands, since education is free for all from the primary level education onwards and the structure of the system is the same as well, due to the model of the British system. Also, of the fourth day I was able to experience the true tradition of a ‘wake’, which was originated by the Europeans. Alternatively, on the eighth day of my visit, I experienced the celebration of the famous Trinidad Carnival, which is more ostentatious , colourful, and indecent compared to Tobago, where the celebration is more traditional and laid back. Subsequently, on the ninth day, I realised that Trinidad is more diverse in terms of religion rather than Tobago due to the various heritages left behind in the past by immigrants. All in all, my experience of the visitation of Trinidad was quite memorable, and I am now aware of the cultural similarities and differences, along with its historical significance. REFERENCES Chapter Five: Trinidad and Tobago Intercontinental Book Centre. (2014). Retrieved March 23, 2014, from Sites.google.com: https://sites.google.com/site/intercontinentalbookcentre/a-look-at-the-caribbean-and-its-people-and-culture/chapter-five-trinidad-and-tobago Chapter Five: Trinidad and Tobago Intercontinental Book Centre. (2014). Retrieved March 23, 2014, from Sites.google.com: https://sites.google.com/site/intercontinentalbookcentre/a-look-at-the-caribbean-and-its-people-and-culture/chapter-five-trinidad-and-tobago Culture (Trinidad). (2014). Retrieved March 23, 2014, from Bestoftrinidad.com: http://www.bestoftrinidad.com/culture.html Language Facts About Trinidad and Tobago. (2014). Retrieved March 23, 2014, from Amazing-trinidad-vacations.com: http://www.amazing-trinidad-vacations.com/facts-about-trinidad.html Trinidad and Tobago EDUCATION. (2014). Retrieved March 22, 2014, from Countrystudies.us: http://countrystudies.us/caribbean-islands/43.htm Trinidad and Tobago History Background. (2014). Retrieved March 22, 2014, from Education.stateuniversity.com: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1541/Trinidad-Tobago-HISTORY-BACKGROUND.html Trinidad and Tobago Speaking the Language | ExpatFocus.com. (2014). Retrieved March 23, 2014, from Expatfocus.com: http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-trinidad-tobago-language Trinidad and Tobago The True Caribbean Official Travel and Tourism Site. (2014). Retrieved March 23, 2014, from Gotrinidadandtobago.com: http://www.gotrinidadandtobago.com/trinidad/carnival/ Wilton, D. (2004). The Elizabethan E-mail Hoax. In Word Myths: debunking linguistic urban legends (p. 74). New York: Oxford University Press, Inc.

Powers Of and Limitations On the UK Prime Minister

Powers Of and Limitations On the UK Prime Minister Parliament is the legislative body of the UK; it is composed of bicameral parliaments; The House of Commons (HOC) is responsible for considering and proposing new laws as well as scrutinizing governmental policies and legislation, oversees governments finances and administration. The House of Lords (HOL) participates within the law-making process, investigates matters of public interest independently and examines the administration of government. The party with the largest number of members in the HOC forms the government under the office of the Prime Minister (PM). This arrangement exists by a whereby the Monarch must appoint a PM to oversee government and lead the HOC; this position has evolved overtime as a consequence of historical and political acts with origins in the early 1680s. This appointment results in a transfer of power from the sovereign to parliament under the Royal Prerogative Powers (Bradley 2011). The role of the PM is to serve as the head of the Her Majestys government having been elected as the premiership winning party in the UK elections. He / she are not elected as head of their respective party by the public but from within their respective party (Braizer, 1999). Serving as the Chief of the Executive, the PM has a number of functions which include; overseeing Parliament, overseeing the operation of the Civil Service and government agencies, serving as the link among the executive and legislative branches of the assembly, responsibility for policy and governmental decisions ensuring that they are scrutinized and implemented once Royal Ascent has been granted and serving as the figure head in the HOC (Heffernan, 2005). They are responsible for managing a number of relations which include those between; the Government and the Monarch, Government and the Opposition and between the UK and the devolved assemblies. Through the power of patronage, the PM has the power to select the Cabinet The Executive and can appoint ministers to the Cabinet and appoint ministers to lead on specific policy areas such as education, health, foreign and commonwealth; extending the ministerial responsibility for the respective areas of work to them. The PM will also appoint special advisors and other political advisors within the Cabinet, on the basis of political viewpoint, skills and expertise. The PM is required to ensure that the order of precedency is upheld in Cabinet as well as ensuring that ministers adhere to and uphold the ministerial code. Holding power over ministerial conduct (1997 revised 2007) and if required they can appoint, reshuffle or dismiss ministers. The PM can use their power of collective responsibility to silence any critics avoiding dissention and ensuring cohesion exists with the cabinet. Decisions made with Cabinet meetings chaired by the PM must have support of the ministers irrespective of agreement on such matters, they are required to publicly support the PMs decision / mandate, failure to do so can result in dismissal / resignation as was the case of the late Robin Cook, Leader of the Commons and former Foreign Secretary, 2003. In order to encourage support from the cabinet the PM can use their power of patronage as a tool for reward and recognition bringing about change in behaviour and ensuring loyalty. It could be argued that this is both a power and a limitation, to some it is perceived as an elitist method of promotion on the basis of political support and rather than on the merit of work. Whilst the PM has many powers, one of the greatest limitations is the threat and in fighting from within their own respective party; without majority support, their position is weakened significantly as was the case with Margaret Thatcher in 1990, her former cabinet colleague Geoffrey Howe initiated a revolt against her leadership style leading to her resignation as PM. Interestingly, her successor John Major was subjected to a revolt following the lack of support from his party on the issue of Britain developing greater links with Europe, when the 1997 general election was undertaken he and the Conservatives suffered the largest electoral defeat in history. Without consulting the electorate, the governing party can at any time seek to replace the PM, as was the case in 2007 when Tony Blair was replaced by Gordon Brown as PM. The style of leadership style (Norton) of a PM can work for or against them during their time in office (Norton 2013). Thatcher gained significant popularity in the early 80s but went on to lose support as she was perceived as being too over-bearing and out of touch. Her famous statement This Ladys not for turning demonstrated how aggressive her leadership style was. Blairs leadership was strong and presidential like, he, like Thatcher did not always use his Cabinet for scrutiny or consultation giving rise to accusations of utilizing a kitchen-cabinet and increased use of special advisors, ultimately this caused much mistrust and dissention within the party and executive (Buckley, 2006). Although the PM serves as head of Cabinet; Ministerial members of the cabinet have equal powers primus inter pares, yet the PM is accountable to the nation and the electorate and is not above reproach. They are responsible not just for their decisions but those of their ministers. How the PM deals with contentious political or social issues and how they seek resolution can impact greatly on their popularity and confidence in them as a leader (Quinn, 2012) as was the case with Heath (Miners Strike 1974), Thatcher (Poll Tax 1989) and Blair (Iraq 2003). Browns popularity waned over the issue of calling a general election (2007) and tax rate reductions (2008) resulting in a call for leadership contest, this was usurped on the basis of his handling of the financial crisis (2008). Media can grossly influence public perception on the PM depending on their readerships left or right wing views (McCombs, 2013). To conclude, the PM is granted numerous powers, many of which bestowed from the Monarch and others from their position of PM and leader of their respective party. All powers come with limitations; the powers will work for or against a PM. Fundamentally their position is dependent on their interpretation and execution of said powers, a majority support of ministers on their mandate or how well he or she can secure their support. The office of Prime Minister is what its holder chooses and makes of it H H Asquith (Hennessy, 2001). Their leadership style can affect how ministers react; their position on changing legislation, how accountable they are politically and socially or when subjected to scrutiny can sway the balance of power to eventually become a limitation. (Word count 1094) Bibliography BRADLEY, A., 2011. The sovereignty of Parliament-form or substance? The changing constitution, 23, pp. 54-56. BRAIZER, R., 1999. Constitutional Practice: The Foundations of British Government. Oxford University Press on Demand. BUCKLEY, S., 2006. Prime Minister and Cabinet. Edinburgh University Press. HENNESSY, P., 2001. The Prime Minister: the office and its holders since 1945. Palgrave Macmillan. MCCOMBS, M., 2013. Setting the agenda: The mass media and public opinion. John Wiley Sons. NORTON, P. and JONES, B. 2014. Politics UK. 8th Edition. Harlow, Pearson QUINN, T., 2012. Electing and Ejecting Party Leaders in Britain. Springer.

Captain John Smith :: essays research papers

John Smith had many characteristics that helped to make him an important person in the beginning settlement of the New World. He was a brave and strong person who seemed to have little fear. He ran away from home when he was young and became a soldier in Europe and the Near East (Barbour). He thrived for excitement and adventure. During the settlement of Jamestown, he took on the responsibility of leadership by saving the colony from starvation (Microsoft). He made the men plant crops and build houses, while he was trading with the Indians for food (Microsoft). The colony chose him President of the Jamestown settlement. The settlers believed and trusted him because he had saved them. John Smith was a very smart man, and he wrote many accounts about the happenings in Jamestown. He also published an article about his voyage of 1614. His longest and best-known work was entitled The General History of Virginia (Gwinn). Without these accounts, we would know very little about the colony in the New World. Not only was he a writer, but he could also draw. He drew many maps showing his expeditions and adventures. Many of these maps were used by other groups of settlers who came to the New World. John Smith was brave, strong, smart, and a good leader. His name is probably best remembered as the man who was to be beheaded by Indians, when the chief’s daughter rushed to his side and saved his life. Many historians doubt this incident and said that Smith was just bragging and was a teller of tales (McMichael). He had so many different adventures and he sometimes stretched the truth. Even if John Smith did exaggerate at times, he was still an interesting and important character in American History. Critique: I don’t remember learning too much on John Smith, though of course I learned about him. My reaction to his work is questioning; I’ve heard how he was this brave and courageous hero, yet in the book it asserts that he was â€Å"a vain braggart† and â€Å"a teller of tall tales†. He didn’t mention the whole Pocahontas thing, which is the first that pops in my mind when I think about Smith. However, I think I admire him more than Columbus because he seemed to be more peaceful and open-minded when it came to the Indians. It claims in the American Literature book that he â€Å"traded for food with the Indians, learned their customs and language†.

My Philosophy as a Teacher :: Philosophy of Education Statement Teaching Essays

My Philosophy as a Teacher I want that â€Å"A† assignment displayed on David’s refrigerator. I want Julie to recount that discussion about Elie Weisel’s Night to her friend on the bus, and I want them to feel enlightened and emotional about it. Years from now, I want to hear Jose tell his son about the class where he realized he wasn’t stupid and could write well. I want him to write a story about it. I haven’t taught a David, a Julie or a Jose yet, but one day I want to have that kind of effect on my students. No matter how a child feels about school, it plays a tremendous part in a child’s life. Teachers can brighten or burden a student’s day, every day, depending on how a teacher conducts her class and how she relates to her students. For this reason, I believe I must teach more than just English and more than that which can be measured by grades. I believe a good teacher can give a student the skills and self confidence that may propel that child through life. Whetting a child’s interest in learning and pushing a child to prove himself capable of obtaining and improving on his talents, is of vital importance. Having been a student for nearly sixteen years now, I believe that in order to be an effective conveyer of skills and knowledge, I must always plan, be organized, structured and make my expectations high and clear for my students. Whenever possible, I must streamline and simplify complex ideas in order to help students grasp new skills and concepts. Teaching freshly, creatively and entertainingly is also highly important. As an English teacher, I want to guide my students closely through their writing processes, emphasizing the revision process, which I find to be crucial in learning to write well. I want to help alleviate the intense stress that students sometimes feel about writing by making them write often. With practice, I hope to make writing feel natural and enjoyable for even my most English-hating students.

The Vulnerability of Man Essay example -- essays research papers

The Vulnerability of Man   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Nature dwarfs us. The jungle absorbs us. Struggling to survive in the middle of an enticing jungle, one truly challenges his own restraints to the temptation of the jungle – of the horror of an abyss which lies so closely beneath us. All of our days and ways are a fragile structure balanced agitatedly atop the hungry jaws of nature that will effortless devour us. A happy life is a daily amnesty from this knowledge. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now share a common theme where the feeble human cannot restrain the domination of the jungle. Those who live in a fool’s paradise will die in a fool’s paradise, and those who discover the horrors of life will die in the jungle. Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now and Captain Kurtz in Heart of Darkness have both been lured into a â€Å"God-like† life in the jungle. Willard and Marlow both travel a long way down a river to attempt to rescue Kurtz, or kill him. The Kurtz in both stories have lost restraint to the wilderness, while Willard and Marlow fight hard to keep theirs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The opening scene in the movie captures a distraught Willard having just returned from the Vietnam War. Willard is pouncing around in his hotel room as though a savage. Only later it is revealed that he is resisting the temptation of returning to the jungle. â€Å"When I was here, I wanted to be there; when I was there all I could think about was getting back in the jungle† (Captain Willard). This scene suggests Willard’s strength to resist temptation. Having already escaped from Vietnam once, he will do it again. The matter is however, the difficulty of withstanding the jungle is like pulling two burly magnets in opposite directions. Willard himself deals with a desire to escape into the jungle. He is uncertain of his reasons, but his physicality and mentality demands it. In Apocalypse Now, the Vietnam War only plays a surface role, a parallel for the jungle, in which both display the effects of corruption and destruction on man. The true significan ce of the story lays beneath the surface, as the horror of existence, the horror of strength, and the horror of an ability to kill without feeling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the beginning of the novel, Marlow and four other Englishmen are stranded close to the mouth of the Thames Riv... ...ad put his restraint to test eventually swallowed him whole. As does in Apocalypse Now, both Kurtz’ die saying â€Å"The horror. The horror.† While the definition of this â€Å"horror† is clearly defined in Apocalypse Now, it is left unclear in The Heart of Darkness. These words might have no larger meaning at all. Though there is a constituent of madness to Kurtz, he's remained coherent enough for the audience to wonder whether in casting off all restraints in the jungle, he has discovered some dark truth about the world, a truth that horrifies him. His words might be a pronouncement on the universe we all inhabit, as in Apocalypse Now, Colonel Kurtz’s discovery of how fragile men live their lives is easily tempted by the wilderness, and most will fall into this trap.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now, the stories contain symbolic imagery of the all-too-powerful nature against the defenseless man. Both stories contain a horror of which one has been given a definition, and the other left for the audience to define. The stories examine a man’s capacity for evil and madness, and the level of self-control necessary to survive the manipulation of nature.

Macbeth: a Dead Butcher

Parker Durham Far From a Dead Butcher â€Å"Producing forth the cruel ministers of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Malcolm spoke these words in the closing lines of the play shortly after Macbeth was killed by Macduff. While it is true that Macbeth could be characterized as a â€Å"dead butcher,† I do not believe those two words do justice in describing the person Macbeth truly is. While Macbeth commits atrocious acts of violence and murder, he did not do so without feeling regret and remorse.In Act II, Scene II, we see how Macbeth regrets slaying his king almost immediately after he pulls his dagger from Duncan’s body. Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that so great was his guilt that he could not utter â€Å"amen† when he heard â€Å"God bless us† come from a nearby room. As humans, we all make mistakes. Usually, a single or even multiple mistakes do not define our lives. However, in Macbeth’s case, his mistake was so severe tha t it would ultimately lead to the loss of everything he loved.Killing Duncan would nullify all the good things Macbeth accomplished in his lifetime. Instead of being remembered as the valiant leader he was, he was remembered as a murderous fiend. One committing an act as foul as Macbeth’s would make one’s peers quickly forget about all of that person’s previous accomplishments and honors. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is respected and revered by his fellow officers and countrymen.So great were his accomplishments in the Scottish war against Norway that King Duncan awarded Macbeth the title of the Thane of Cawdor (Act I Scene II). After this appointment, Macbeth held the titles of both Thane of Cawdor and Thane of Glamis. He was the most noble of all the noble, so much that the king himself visited his home. He forfeited all of this due to his moral ambivalence and greed. Ambition is a good character trait to possess. However, Macbeth’s ambition wa s so unbridled that it caused him to lose his peace of mind, his friends, and his honor.Macbeth had everything men envy and was far from a â€Å"dead butcher,† but due to one decision, his whole reputation and character were tarnished. Macbeth himself said it best in Act V, Scene III, when he said, â€Å"Is fall’n into the sear, the yellow leaf; and that which should accompany old age, as honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, I must not look to have; but, in their stead, curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, which the poor hear would fain deny, and dare not. †