OedipusWhen Bad Things Happen To Good People Essays - Oedipus

Oedipus:When Bad Things Happen To Good People Autumn xxxx English 102 April 6, 2000 When Bad Things Happen to Good People The true Greek tragedy, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles (496-406 B.C.), adheres to Aristotles (384-322 B.C.) definition of a tragedy. The first criterion of a Greek tragedy is that the protagonist be a good person; doubly blessed with a good heart and noble intention. Sophocles reveals immediately at the start of the play that Oedipus is such a man. As is common in the Greek tragedy Oedipus is also an aristocrat. Born of the King and Queen of Thebes he is of true nobility. Oedipus on the other-hand believes his parents are the King and Queen of Corinth. Oedipus was abandoned as a baby and adopted by them. Because that information is known to the audience, and not to Oedipus prior to the start of the play, it is a perfect example of tragic irony because when he declares that he will find the murderer he is the man that he pursues. Here he is told by Tiresias,? I say you are the murderer you hunt? (1235). The theme of Oedipus the King is not clear-cut. The theme in this tragic play seems to be you can?t escape your fate. Contentment leads to ignorance as Oedipus lends fate a hand in his bitter end. This trait is touched-on in these lines spoken by Creon. ?Look at you, sullen in yielding, brutal in your rage- you'll go too far. It's perfect justice: natures like yours are hardest on themselves?(Sophocles 1242-1243). Oedipus is a true hero in the Greek tragedy. He has the fate of the community in his hands along with the noble character to take care of it himself. He announces his convictions to take this problem into his own hands and do whatever is necessary to lift the curse. Oedipus addresses the priests assembled before him, ? You can trust me; I am ready to help, I'll do anything (Sophocles 1225). The city has this faith in him and the priest come to tell him so he will help them lift the curse. ?Now we pray to you. You cannot equal the gods, your children know that...But we do rate you first of men,?(1226). He also appears to have Apollo's ear, which makes him seem all-powerful to the audience; this is another standard of the classic Greek tragedy. Oedipus told his people, ?After painful search I found one cure: I acted at once. I sent Creon, my wife's own brother, to Delphi-Apollo the Prophet's oracle- to learn what I might do or say to save our city? (1226). Following Aristotle's qualifications of the tragic hero Oedipus does have a tragic flaw as is standard in the Greek tragedy. Oedipus has a character flaw that brings his end. Although it cannot be summed-up in one word there is evidence that his flaw may be ignorance or blindness to his own fate. This ignorance unearths a pride that is revealed though out the play. As when Oedipus tells the chorus/city' ?You pray to the gods? Let me grant your prayers? (1231). Oedipus is too content with himself and his life to see his end coming. He throws caution to the wind when he kills a man who is old enough to be his father. This was done shortly after he had gone to see Apollo.?-and the god Apollo spurned me, sent me away denied the facts I came for, but first he flashed before my eyes a future great with pain, terror, disaster-I can hear him cry,' You are fated to couple with your mother...you will kill your father, the one who gave you life? (1246)! Oedipus goes to great lengths to keep his fate from being played-out. He thinks running away will stop his role in things to come. And in his marriage to an older woman, he seems to tempt fate by not questioning his choice, when he knows there were doubts about his being a true blood relation to his parents. This is revealed to the audience when Oedipus says, ?Some man at a banquet who had drunk too much shouted out-he was far gone mind you-that I am not my father's son?

Free Essays on Islam Jibreel Hadith

Man has contemplated the idea of faith through out human history. From the moment he realised his existence he began to question, who are we? What are we? where are we going in this vast ocean of obscurity?. It is only through a select group of people where we can receive these answers of infallible truth. People who have chosen to accept greatness and people who have had greatness thrust upon them. To further understand the motives of such people we must further understand the definition of faith from hemisphere to hemisphere. According to Collins English Dictionary faith from a purely contemporary Western point of view â€Å"Faith: n. which describes a strong or unshakeable belief in something, esp. without proof or evidence, 2.a specific system of religious beliefs, 3. In Christianity, a trust in God and in his actions and promises, 4. A conviction of the truth of certain doctrines of religion, esp. when it is not based on reason, 5. Complete confidence or trust in a person, remedy etc. 6. Any set of firmly held principles or beliefs. 7. Allegiance or loyalty, as to a person or cause. From the Anglo-English word â€Å"feid† which means indeed or really or Latin â€Å"Fides† which means trust or confidence. † To explain faith from an Islamic point of view through a simple definition as listed above will not do the complex concept justice, In Islam faith takes on many shapes, forms, colours and manifestations. It is a blend of harmony and balance that can only be explained from a divine dialogue between the final Messenger of Allah, The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Arch Angel Jibreel, the following hadith has been narrated by Hadrat Umar (RA) and compiled by Imam Sharaf al-Din Yahya and Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi. â€Å"It was related on the authority of Umar (RA), who said: One day, as we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, there came upon us a man in very white clothes and intensely black hair. No sign of journey was... Free Essays on Islam Jibreel Hadith Free Essays on Islam Jibreel Hadith/ Man has contemplated the idea of faith through out human history. From the moment he realised his existence he began to question, who are we? What are we? where are we going in this vast ocean of obscurity?. It is only through a select group of people where we can receive these answers of infallible truth. People who have chosen to accept greatness and people who have had greatness thrust upon them. To further understand the motives of such people we must further understand the definition of faith from hemisphere to hemisphere. According to Collins English Dictionary faith from a purely contemporary Western point of view â€Å"Faith: n. which describes a strong or unshakeable belief in something, esp. without proof or evidence, 2.a specific system of religious beliefs, 3. In Christianity, a trust in God and in his actions and promises, 4. A conviction of the truth of certain doctrines of religion, esp. when it is not based on reason, 5. Complete confidence or trust in a person, remedy etc. 6. Any set of firmly held principles or beliefs. 7. Allegiance or loyalty, as to a person or cause. From the Anglo-English word â€Å"feid† which means indeed or really or Latin â€Å"Fides† which means trust or confidence. † To explain faith from an Islamic point of view through a simple definition as listed above will not do the complex concept justice, In Islam faith takes on many shapes, forms, colours and manifestations. It is a blend of harmony and balance that can only be explained from a divine dialogue between the final Messenger of Allah, The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the Arch Angel Jibreel, the following hadith has been narrated by Hadrat Umar (RA) and compiled by Imam Sharaf al-Din Yahya and Ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi. â€Å"It was related on the authority of Umar (RA), who said: One day, as we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, there came upon us a man in very white clothes and intensely black hair. No sign of journey was...

Pick a chemical industry or book chapter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pick a chemical industry or book chapter - Essay Example Modern technology, as we know it today, greatly depends on silicon-based products. The majority of building stone, clays and silica are the silicon products and vastly used in the construction industry. Glass, polymers, silicon-metals and ceramics and semiconductors made from silicon are low cost allow for high quality packaging (Wilamowski & Irwin 145). The final commodities of silicon are absolutely necessary in the modern world because of our immense dependence on this element. If silicon based commodities are short the world economy might collapse. Technology and construction industry cannot survive without silicon-based products. Structural compounds such as silicate minerals or silica, also known as crude silicon dioxide, form the backbone of the construction industry. Portland cement is a crucial and commodity of silicon. It is usually combined with gravel and sand to make concrete. Silicon is also used to make a ceramic called firebrick. Natural aluminium phyllosilicates form s an essential component of the whiteware ceramics. Similarly porcelain is often used in art projects and for domestic purposes. Silica-based soda lime glass or the common glass that is used in homes is also a silicon product. And finally fiberglass, glass fibers and optical fibers (including glassful) are the end products of silicon element that form the backbone in ceramics industry. The majority of industry produced silicon is kept in ferrosilicon alloy form. About 15% of the worlds production of metallurgical grade silicon is used in semiconductors. The element used for this purpose is highly refined and only forms a fraction of the total production. Silicon’s crystalline nature gives it significant electrical and mechanical advantages (Maluf & Williams 13). The monocrystalline silicon form is used in integrated circuits and in terms of leverage (comparing the quantity produced against its usage) the highly refined form is extremely valuable in the electronics

Tsunami Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tsunami - Essay Example People who lost their lives were as many as 250 000 across the shores of the Indian ocean and millions of people were displaced from their homes and their livelihoods destroyed. Countries that were directly affected by the earthquake include Indonesia, Maldives, the Seychelles, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Yemen. The livelihoods of people were greatly affected especially the poor people who depended on the ecosystem and natural resources for survival. People lost their food stores and the shops in the coastline were greatly affected. Impact on environment/pollution Environmental impact assessment showed that there are great damages to both human and natural resources. The damage could have been larger but the natural resources also provided a first line defense to the tsunami effects. The damage needed an environmental reconstruction programme that cleaned the hotspots, carried the rehabilitation of the livelihoods and ecosystem, and strengthens environmental policies. The water and soils within the periphery of the coastal systems were greatly contaminated thus interfering with the coastal ecosystems (Samarajiva 14). Inland waters, wetlands, and agricultural lands that support people with food were greatly salinated thus affecting the agricultural yields. Shallow wells and ground water supplies in the small islands and in the coastal lands were greatly affected since their fresh waters were also salinized with the waters that overflowed from the ocean. About 90% of the toilets on the badly affected highlands and coastal regions lost and the waters contaminated with sewage. The living conditions were greatly affected since the survivors stood great chances of contaminating water borne diseases. In Sri Lanka; more than 25% of the wells become contaminated when the waters from the saline Indian Ocean and sewerage treatment systems mixed with them (UNEP 15). Waterborne diseases and vector borne diseases increased considerably resulting to high mortality rates along affected coastlines. The environmental infrastructure like water and sanitation systems together with disposal sites were tampered and greatly damaged. Contamination from waste deposits caused health and environmental problems that threatened livelihoods for several years. Most lives were saved due to the enormous humanitarian response that was quickly mobilized across the globe with appropriate mitigation measures put in place to improve environmental standards (Dawson & Stewart 17). Production of goods and services/Economic impact The economic activities in the coastline and the coastal highlands were greatly affected by the tsunami. Sources of daily income and food were totally destabilized leaving people vulnerable to hunger and thirst. Many of the victims were involved in fisheries prior to the attack but they are left with no source of income since their boats were destroyed and the aquatic system destabilized. Mangrove systems and the aquaculture provided a sustainable balance in the coastal systems that were greatly interfered with in the course of mangrove attack (UNEP 19). Rice crops in islands were seen to be yellowing in the field few weeks after the deadly tsunami, an indication that they were drying out. Soil conditions doubled their salt content needed by plants

Psychological Factors of the Issue Essay Example for Free

Psychological Factors of the Issue Essay Psychological factors include motivation, perception, learning, beliefs and attitudes. These factors are largely unconscious and that a person cannot fully understand his own motivations. People decide based on what h perceives as dictated by his environment that serves as the stimulus and not necessarily that which is real. In marketing, perceptions are more important than reality. Characteristics of Adolescence Adolescence is often a period of stress and conflict, particularly in Western society. The adolescent confronts a host of new, varied and difficult problems of adjustment within a brief period of time. The adolescent attempts to acquire a sense of identity, a sense of who one is and where one is going. Every adolescent wants to be popular. They commonly think, †What can I do to have all the kids at school like me? † â€Å"What can I do to feel I belong to a group? † â€Å"How can I be popular with both girls and boys? † â€Å"What kinds of clothes will make me feel like I am one of them? † Sometimes adolescents go to great lengths to be popular. In some cases, parents go to even greater lengths to try to insulate their adolescents from the rejection and to increase the likelihood that they will be popular. Students show off because it gets attention and makes their peers laugh. Parents set up elaborate parties, buy clothes for their teens and drive adolescents and their friends all over in the hope that their sons and daughters will be popular (Santrock, John). Dr. Riesman in his study of the basic changes taking place in the American characters during the twentieth century (that is, from inner-directed to outer-directed) found that our growing pre-occupation with acts of consumption reflects the change. This pre-occupation, he noted, was particularly intense (and intensively encouraged by product makers). He characterized the children of America as ‘consumer trainees. ’ (Santrock, John). The adolescent confronts a host of new, varied and difficult problems of adjustment within a brief period of time. Physiological changes – rapid body growth, sexual maturity, increases in sex hormonesoften precipitate special conflicts and self-doubts. Almost simultaneously, the adolescent is expected to achieve independence from the family, establish satisfying relationships with peers of both sexes, decide on – and prepare for – a set of consistent moral principles to guide decisions and actions. Fashion, therefore, lures the adolescents to try something new and not get stuck with the traditional ways of dressing and doing things. Back then in the 60s, the clothes that the â€Å"old school† hip hop artists donned were expressions of individuality but they even carried a purpose which was a functional one. The Puma branded sneakers that sported fat-laces and sweatsuits were all the rave back then. The colorful clothing which also had resemblance to the beautiful graffitis on the walls were also very popular back then. The dress-code of being loose and comfortable became a style of dressing which identified all those people as exceptional and unpretentious. Because the people in the ghettos had limited resources, they made the most out of what they had. The style and the fashion sense that they sported spoke of a willingness to create a style of their own despite several constraints (Wikipedia 2004). In the hip-hop culture today, fashion has undoubtedly become more stylish, more pronounced and more accessible in this day and age. It has indeed come a long way in the past twenty or so years. Ever since its inception, it has been proven to be a driving force in the fashion scene. From its modest beginnings in the â€Å"ghettos† of the African-American suburbs of New York, the hip hop fashion has transcended race, culture, gender as well as international borders as you will now see different ethnicities and races who have adopted their own hip hop style. The one thing that will immediately identify a person if he listens to hip hop or not is by the way they dress and what they put on themselves. Today, the hip hop clothing and apparel industry grosses over a billion dollars but despite its popularity among people who have the money to spend for the type of look they are sporting, it is still accessible by even the youngest boy in hopes of making it big in the future as an advocate of the hip hop music and fashion (Wikipedia 2004)

Evening of Bluegrass :: essays research papers

An Evening with the Dickel Brothers It was 9:30 on a chilly Thursday night when our little trio finally found a parking space in the Richmond District. Already drunk, we wove quickly through the neighborhoods by foot. Finally we arrived at the Last Day Saloon, uneasy that we had not purchased tickets in advance for what was sure to be one of the highlights of this years San Francisco Blue Grass and Old Time Festival – the fabulous Dickel Brothers. Our fears of a sellout were quickly allayed, as was the sense of unease that having four quarts of Irish whiskey strapped to ones person tends to instill. We were home free, for now, anyway. After purchasing our tickets, we proceeded upstairs to catch the opening act, which, to our delight, turned out to be five perfectly agreeable old geezers calling themselves the Roadoilers. Their sound was pure old-school bluegrass, heavy on melody, light on lyrics. Their artful rendering of the Bill Monroe standard Uncle Penn, made for a memorable encore. Next up, we were subjecte d to the shrill vocal styling of The Stairwell Sisters. Don’t get the wrong idea, I am certain that the particular brand of old-time mountain music that the sisters are peddling is faithfully rendered. The problem for me was simply that the clog-happy cutsieness of their presentation was enough to make even the most dyed in the wool harmony junkie run gasping for the nearest fire exit. And that is exactly what we did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We figured the most sensible course of action was to hole up in the alleyway outside the club and wait for the fervent toe tapping to subside. I had barely finished my first cigarette when a lanky figure dressed something akin to Tom Joad on his way to church approached our little assemblage. I recognized him at once as Stephen Dickel, banjo player of the headlining band. â€Å"Anyone know where a fellah can get a bottle of whiskey in this neighborhood?†, he asked plaintively. Jill shrugged, explaining that we were from the East Bay, and thus, had little idea where he might try. Jill, apparently sensing the desperation in his face, thrust a small flask of Bushmills into his hand. After a great deep swallow, he proceeded to explain his sad situation. â€Å"This goddamn hippy club issued only two drink tickets to each of us. How, for the love of Mary, do they expect us to play in this condition?

Dream Team †Media Analysis Essay

George and Lennie’s dream is the most commonly mentioned in the novel, they want to live the American dream and have their own land and home. Although Crooks tells them he â€Å"never seen a guy really do it† their determination is beyond that of normal men. They crave the freedom from ordered working life and less responsibility. George desires the relief from the burden of supervising Lennie, on the ranch he constantly has to watch him to ensure he is no danger to himself or others. He talks of how he could â€Å"live so easy† without Lennie and it seems to be a private dream of his to marry and raise a family without the childish weight of Lennie upon him. He has cared for Lennie for a large part of his life and wants happiness for both of them without the strain of rules and the risk of characters such as Curley. Lennie’s only dream at first glance seems to be having his rabbits, however at a closer look the rabbits are his way of relating to their entire dream, he connects all other aspects of free life with them such as growing crops to feed them. He loves hearing the story of â€Å"how its gonna be†, his own dreams are based on what George tells him is good and bad. Candy is desperate to join in with Lennie and George and their dreams have become his. Since his dog died he has nothing left on the ranch to encourage dreams and he seems to have given up, the chance to be part of a reasonably realistic project motivates him again and he is willing to give everything to be part of it, â€Å"I’d make a will an’ leave everything to you guys case I kick off. † All of Candy’s dreams seem to have be worn away by life on the ranch, the loss of his hand also seems to symbolise a large loss mentally for without his hand he cannot realistically dream of working his own land and living alone. For Candy life on the ranch seems to be a reminder of lost dreams rather than hopeful ones and this could explain his eagerness to be part of Lennie and George’s. He is also aware that he is old and becoming closer to the end of his job and possibly his life. â€Å"They’ll can me purty soon. Jus’ as soon as I can’t swamp out no bunk houses they’ll put me on the county. † He dreams of ending his life in happiness and not in poverty and discomfort surrounded by bad memories. Curley’s wife is in many ways like Lennie and George, she tell her dream like its real and could happen at any time to escape the loneliness of the ranch. She tells as many people as she can about her dream as though she wants to make it more real for herself. Her conversation with Lennie reveals her desperation to make this dream come true, she hangs onto the man who could put her in â€Å"pitchers†, so sure he did write to her and someone else ruined her dream. It is these fantasies she uses to escape her life which is heavily restricted by her husband who wants to control her to comply with his own dreams, she wishes to be free to fulfil the life she desires. Her way of telling the story of her dream is almost sad as she clings to any glimpse of it so desperately it is clear how unhappy she is. All the dreams expressed by these characters are what drive them in the novel and can determine how they express their feelings and how they act. Niki Holdsworth Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE John Steinbeck section.