Heroes Throughout History and Popular Culture - 1873 Words

Heroes A hero is defined as a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities (Hero, n.p.). Through the passage of time in history, the perceptions and characteristics of what makes a hero have changed. While some characteristics have remained constant, others have evolved and developed as society has changed. One thing that is certain is that most people have their own individual descriptions and ideas that define a hero. Heroes have high standards to meet. Thousands of people do heroic deeds every day, does doing one heroic deed make one a hero? The values of a hero have evolved over time. The Renaissance Era introduced many of the common characteristics seen in heroes today, such as strength, intelligence, and†¦show more content†¦Superman was gifted, a trait suggested by the Victorian Era. Superman’s values were to stand for truth, justice, and the American way, which are similar values to what was established in the Renaissance Era and the twentie th century. Superman was one of the original American superheroes and is an icon for Americans. Inspirational heroes have influenced their followers with great teachings and commonly have inspired their followers to make a difference. Martin Luther King Jr. was an inspiration for many people of the world seeking equal rights and equality. He was an African-American minister from the south, where many African-Americans were treated poorly. He led many protests and gave many speeches about equality and civil rights. On a December day in 1955, an African-American woman, Rosa Parks, was asked to give up her seat to a white man on a city bus. Her seat was at the beginning of the section for African-Americans and the White section was full. She had a long day at work, so she refused to give up her seat on the bus. As punishment she was fined ten dollars and charged with a four dollar court fee (Martin, n.p.). 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Gender Identity Gender And Masculinity Essay - 1509 Words

Gender plays an enormous role in every society around the world. There are debates about whether gender is defined by strictly biological characteristics or social attributes. Others argue that gender is a spectrum, rather than the dichotomy of male and female. Masculinity and femininity are sets of attributes, roles and behaviors that are associated with men and boys and girls and women, respectively. Both masculinity and femininity have specific traits that are both biologically and socially defined. People are expected to conform to these traits depending on their biological sex. However, there are people who do not relate to either masculine or feminine traits, and do not feel that they are a â€Å"man† or a â€Å"woman†. This is when the topic of gender identity comes into the discussion. In the past decades, more research and on gender identity have been conducted. Gender identity is significant in how people are viewed and treated in society. 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The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 17 Free Essays

HER VISION HAD CLEARED with her lungs, and just as she smiled involuntarily every time she took a deep breath, she was also fascinated by the sight of things like leaves on trees, or the way the muscles moved under Talat’s skin when he went tearing across his meadow, bucking and kicking like a colt. She went for long directionless walks through the forests of Luthe’s high valley, or strolled along the edge of the silver lake, watching tiny rainbows reflect off the water. If she was absent too long, Luthe came to fetch her; he always seemed able to find her without trouble, however far she’d wandered. We will write a custom essay sample on The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 17 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Occasionally he came with her when she set out. She had paused, staring at a tree like many other trees, but the leaves of it were waving at her; each tiny, delicate, sharp-edged green oval shivered just for her when the breeze touched it; turned that she might admire its either side, the miniature tracery of green veins, the graceful way the stem fitted to the twig, and the twig to the branch, and the branch set so splendidly into the bole. A green vine clung round the tree, and its leaves too stirred in the wind. Luthe idly snapped a small twig from the vine and handed it to her. She took it without thinking and then saw what it was – surka – and all her pleasure was gone, and her breath caught in her throat; her fingers were too numb even to drop what they held. â€Å"Hold it,† snapped Luthe. â€Å"Clutch it as if it were a nettle.† Her frantic fingers squeezed together till the stem broke, and the pale green sap crept across her palm. Its touch was faintly warm and tickly, and she opened her hand in surprise, and a large furry spider walked onto her wrist and paused, waving its front pair of legs at her. â€Å"Ugh,† she said, and her wrist shook, and the spider fell to the ground and ambled slowly away. There was no sign of the broken surka twig. Luthe snorted with laughter, tried to turn it into a cough, inhaled at the wrong moment, and then really did cough. â€Å"Truly,† he said at least, â€Å"the poor surka can be a useful tool. You cannot blame it for the misfortunes of your childhood. If you try to breathe water, you will not turn into a fish, you will drown; but water is still good to drink.† â€Å"Ha,† said Aerin, still shaken and waiting for the nausea or the dizziness, or something; she hadn’t held it long, but long enough for something nasty to result. â€Å"The taste of water doesn’t kill people who aren’t royal.† â€Å"Mmm. If the truth be known, the touch of the sap of the surka doesn’t kill people who aren’t royal either, although eating it will certainly make them very sick, and the royal plant makes a good story. It’s the kelar in your blood that brings the surka’s more curious properties out – although poor old Merth killed himself just as surely with it. As you would have killed yourself were it not for your mother’s blood in your veins – and serve you right for being so stupid about that Galooney woman. Anything powerful is also dangerous, and worth more respect than a silly child’s trick like that.† â€Å"Galanna.† â€Å"Whatever. All she uses her Gift for is self-aggrandizement, with a little unguided malice thrown in. Tor doesn’t realize how narrowly he escaped; a flicker more of the Gift in her and less in him and he’d have married her, willy-nilly, and wondered for the rest of his life why he was so miserable.† Luthe did not sound as though the prospect caused him any sorrow. â€Å"But you have no excuse for falling into her snares.† â€Å"What is kelar?† Luthe pulled a handful of leaves off the surka and began to weave them together. â€Å"It’s what your family calls the Gift. They haven’t much of it left to call anything. You’re stiff with it – be quiet. I’m not finished – for all you tried to choke me off by an overdose of surka.† He eyed her. â€Å"Probably you will always be a little sensitive to it, because of that; but I still believe you can learn to control it.† â€Å"I was fifteen when I ate the surka and – â€Å" â€Å"The stronger the Gift, the later it shows up, only your purblind family has forgotten all that, not having had a strong Gift to deal with in a very long time. Your mother’s was late. And your uncle’s,† He frowned at the wreath in his hands. â€Å"My mother.† â€Å"Most of your kelar is her legacy.† â€Å"My mother was from the North,† Aerin said slowly. â€Å"Was she then a witch – a demon – as they say?† â€Å"She was no demon,† Luthe said firmly. â€Å"A witch? Mmph. Your village elders, who sell poultices to take off warts, are witches.† â€Å"Was she human?† Luthe didn’t answer immediately. â€Å"That depends on what you mean by human.† Aerin stared at him, all the tales of her childhood filling her eyes with shadows. Luthe was wearing his inscrutable look again, although he bent it only on the surka wreath. â€Å"Time was, you know, there were a goodly number of folk not human who walked this earth. Time was – not so long ago. Those who were human, however, never liked the idea, and ignored those not human when they met them, and now they †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The inscrutable look faded, and he looked up from his hands and into the trees, and Aerin remembered the creatures on the walls of her sleeping-hall. â€Å"I’m not,† he said carefully, â€Å"the best one to ask questions about things like humanity. I’m not entirely human myself.† He glanced at her. â€Å"Time I fed you again.† She shook her head, but her stomach roared at her; it had been almost ceaselessly hungry since she had swum in the silver lake. Luthe seemed to take a curious ironic pleasure in pouring food into her; he was an excellent cook, but it didn’t seem to have much to do with culinary pride. It was more as if a mage’s business did not often extend to the overseeing of convalescents, and the interest he took in his humble role of provider ought to be beneath his dignity, and he was a little sheepish to discover that it wasn’t. â€Å"Aerin.† She looked up, but the shadows of her childhood were still in her eyes. He smiled as if it hurt him and said, â€Å"Never mind.† And threw the surka wreath over her head. It settled around her shoulders and then rippled into long silver folds that fell to her feet, and shivered like starlight when she moved. â€Å"You look like a queen,† Luthe said, â€Å"Don’t,† she said bitterly, trying to find a clasp to unfasten the bright cloak. â€Å"Please don’t.† â€Å"I’m sorry,† said Luthe, and the cloak fell away, and she held only silver ashes in her hands. She let her hands fall to her sides, and she felt ashamed. â€Å"I’m sorry too. Forgive me.† â€Å"It matters nothing,† Luthe said, but she reached out and hesitantly put a hand on his arm, and he covered it with one of his. â€Å"There may have been a better way than the Meeldtar’s to save your life,† he said. â€Å"But it was the only way I knew; and you left me no time. †¦ I was not trained as a healer.† He shut his eyes, but his hand stayed on hers. â€Å"No mages are, usually. It’s not glamorous enough, I suppose; and we’re a pretty vain lot.† He opened his eyes again and tried to smile. â€Å"Meeldtar is the Water of Sight, and its spring runs into the lake here, the Lake of Dreams. We live – here – very near the Meeldtar stream, but the lake also touches other shores and drinks other springs – I do not know all their names. I told you I’m not a healer †¦ and . . , when you got here, finally, I could almost see the sunlight through you. If it weren’t for Talat, I might have thought you were a ghost. The Meeldtar suggested I give you a taste of the lake water – the Water of Sight itself would only have ripped your spirit from what was left of your body. â€Å"But the lake – even I don’t understand everything that happens in that lake.† He fell silent, and dropped his hand from hers, but his breath stirred the hair that fell over her forehead. At last he said: â€Å"I’m afraid you are no longer quite .. .mortal.† She stared up at him, and the shadows of her childhood ebbed away to be replaced by the shadows of many unknown futures. â€Å"If it’s any comfort, I’m not quite mortal either. One does learn to cope; but within a fairly short span one finds oneself longing for an empty valley, or a mountain top. I’ve been here †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Long enough to remember the Black Dragon.† â€Å"Yes. Long enough to remember the Black Dragon.† â€Å"Are you sure?† she whispered. â€Å"One is never sure of anything,† he snapped; but she had learned that his anger was not directed at her, but at his own fears, and she waited. He closed his eyes again, thinking. She’s being patient with me. Gods, what has happened to me? I’ve been a master mage since old Goriolo put the mark on me, and he could almost remember when the moon was first hung in the sky. And this child with her red hair looks at me once with those smoky feverish eyes and I panic and dunk her in the lake. What is the matter with me? He opened his eyes again and looked down at her. Her eyes were still smoky, green and hazel, still gleaming with the occasional amber flame, but they were no longer feverish, and their calm shook him now almost as badly as their dying glitter had done. â€Å"I followed you, you know, when you went under. I – I had to make a rather bad bargain to bring you back again. It was not a bargain I was expecting to have to make.† He paused. â€Å"I’m pretty sure.† The eyes wavered and dropped. She looked at her one hand tucked over Luthe’s arm, and brought the other up to join it; and gently, as if she might like his comfort no better than she had liked his gift, he put his other arm around her; and she leaned slowly forward and rested her head against his shoulder. â€Å"I’m sorry,† he said. She laughed the whisper of a laugh. â€Å"I was not ready to die yet; very well, I shall live longer than I wished.† She stirred, and moved away from him, and her arms dropped; but when he took one of her hands she did not try to withdraw it. The wind rustled lightly in the leaves. â€Å"You promised me food,† she said lightly. â€Å"I did. Come along, then.† The way back to Luthe’s hall was narrow, and as they walked side by side, for Luthe would not relinquish her hand, they had to walk very near each other. Aerin was glad when she saw the grey stone of the hall rear up before her, and at the edge of the small courtyard she broke away from the man beside her, and ran up the low steps and into the huge high room; and by the time he rejoined her she was busily engaged in pretending to warm her hands at the hearth. But she had no need of the fire’s warmth, for her blood was strangely stirred, and the flush on her face was from more than the fire’s red light. Over supper she said, â€Å"I have not heard anyone else call it kelar. Just the Gift, or the royal blood.† He was grateful that she chose to break the silence and answered quickly: â€Å"Yes, that’s true enough, although your family made themselves royalty on the strength of it, not the other way round. It came from the North originally.† He smiled at her stricken look. â€Å"Yes, it did; you and the demon-kind share an ancestor, and you have both lived to bear kelar through many generations. You need that common ancestor; without the unphysical strength the kelar grants you, you could not fight the demonkind, and Damar would not exist.† She laughed her whispered laugh again, and said, â€Å"One in the eye for those who like to throw up to me my status as a half-blood.† â€Å"Indeed,† said Luthe, and the flicker of temper she had grown accustomed to seeing whenever they discussed her father’s court flashed across his face. â€Å"Their ignorance is so great they are terrified by a hint of the truth; a hint such as you are in yourself.† â€Å"You overrate me,† Aerin said. â€Å"I may be all you say of me now, but I have been nothing – nothing but an inconvenient nuisance; inconvenient particularly because I had the ill grace to get born to the king, where I could not be ignored as I deserved.† â€Å"Ignored,† said Luthe. â€Å"You should be queen after your father. The sober responsible Tor is no better than a usurper.† â€Å"No,† she replied, stung. â€Å"Tor is sober and responsible and he will make a far better king than I would a queen. Which is just as well, since he’s for it and I’m not.† â€Å"Why not?† said Luthe. â€Å"It is you who is Arlbeth’s child.† â€Å"By his second marriage,† said Aerin. â€Å"If Queen Tatoria had borne a child, of course it would have ruled after Arlbeth – or it would certainly have ruled if it were a son. But she didn’t. She died. Kings aren’t supposed to remarry anyway, but they may under extreme duress, like childless widower-hood; but they can’t marry unknown foreigners of questionable blood. I’m sure it was a great relief to all concerned when the unknown foreigner’s pregnancy resulted in a girl – they usually manage not to let even firstborn girls of impeccable breeding inherit, so shunting me aside was as easy as swearing by the Seven Perfect Gods. â€Å"Galanna prefers to think I’m a bastard, but I’ve seen the record book, and I am down as legitimate – but not as a legitimate heir. The priests chose to call my father’s second marriage morganatic – my mother wasn’t even permitted to be Honored Wife. Just in case she had a boy.† Aerin’s sense of the passage of time had been uncertain since she met Maur; and as her health returned in Luthe’s mountain valley, she yet had difficulty in believing that days and weeks had any meaning. When it occurred to her that one season had passed and another was passing, and that these were things she should take note of, she backed away from that knowledge again, for it was then that what Luthe had told her about the price she had paid to regain her life rose up and mocked her. Immortality was far more terrible a price than any she might have imagined. As the air grew colder and the grass in the meadow turned brown and dull violet and as the flowers stopped blooming she pretended to notice these things only as isolated phenomena. Luthe watched her, and knew much of what she thinking, but had no comfort for her; all he could offer was his knowledge, of magic, of history, of Damar; of the worlds he had traveled, and the wonders he brought back. He taught her eagerly, and eagerly she learned, each of them distracting the other from something each could not yet face. Snow fell, and Talat and the cattle and sheep spent their days in the low open barn at the edge of their meadow; and sometimes a few deer joined them at their hay and oats; but the deer came mostly for the company – and the oats – because winter never fell harshly where Luthe was, nor did ice ever rime even the shores of the Lake of Dreams. Sometimes what she learned frightened her, or perhaps it was that she could learn such things from a mage that frightened her; and one day, almost involuntarily she asked: â€Å"Why do you tell me †¦ so much?† Luthe considered her. â€Å"I tell you †¦ some you need to know, and some you have earned the right to know, and some it won’t hurt you to know – † He stopped. â€Å"And some?† He raised his hands and his eyebrows; smiled faintly. The pale winter sun gleamed on his yellow hair and glinted in his blue eyes. There were no lines in his face, and his narrow shoulders were straight and square; but still he looked old to her, old as the mountains, older than the great grey hall he inhabited, that looked as though it had stood there since the sun first found the silver lake. â€Å"Some things I tell you only because I wish to tell them to you.† Aerin’s lessons grew longer and longer, for her brain’s capacity seemed to increase as the strength of her body did; and she began to love the learning for its own sake, and not merely for the fact that there was kelar in her blood, and that the house of the king of Damar need not be ashamed to claim her; and then she could not learn enough. â€Å"I shall have to give you the mage mark soon,† Luthe said, smiling, one grey afternoon as the snow fell softly outside. Aerin stood up and paced restlessly, twice the length of the hall to the open door and back to the hearth and the table where Luthe sat. It was a wonderful hall for pacing, for it took several minutes, even for the fidgetiest, to get from one end of it to the other and back again. The door stood open all year long, for the cold somehow stayed outside, and the only draughts were warm ones from the fire. Aerin stared at the glinting white courtyard for a moment before returning to Luthe and the table before the fire. â€Å"I came here first for healing and second for knowledge – but by the gods and their hells I do not know if I can bear either. And yet I have no choice. And yet I do not know even what I wished to know.† Luthe stood up, but came only a few steps nearer the fireplace. â€Å"I tell you all that I may.† â€Å"May,† said Aerin fiercely. â€Å"What can you tell me that you may not? What am I, now that I am neither human – which I understand I never was – nor mortal, which I used to be? Why did you heal me? Why did you call me here at all? Why do you teach me now so much that you threaten me with the mage mark, that all who look upon me may know to fear me? That will be splendid fun at home, you know; I’m so popular already. Why? Why don’t you tell me to go away?† She stopped and looked down at her feet. â€Å"Why don’t I just leave?† Luthe sighed. â€Å"I’m sorry. Again. I thought that perhaps it would be easier if you first had some idea of your own strength.† She was still staring at her shoes, and he stepped toward her, and hesitantly touched one shoulder. The shoulder hunched itself up and the face turned away from him. Her hair was almost shoulder length now, and it fell across her face like a curtain. Luthe wanted to tell her the reasons she ought to stay – good honest Damarian reasons, reasons she would understand and acknowledge; reasons that were born with her as the king’s daughter, however outcast her people made her; reasons that he had to tell her soon anyway. But he wanted †¦ â€Å"Do you wish so desperately to leave?† he said almost wistfully. â€Å"It matters little,† said a low voice from behind the hair. â€Å"I am not missed.† â€Å"Tor,† said Luthe darkly. â€Å"Oh, Tor,† said the voice, and it unexpectedly gave a choke of laughter, and then she raised her hands and parted the curtain, rubbing her cheeks hastily with her palms as she did so. Her eyes were still a little too bright. â€Å"Yes, Tor, and Arlbeth too, and I do feel badly for Teka; but I would guess they live hopefully, and guess to see me again. I do not mind staying here †¦ a little longer. I don’t much care to travel in winter anyway.† â€Å"Thank you,† Luthe said dryly. â€Å"By spring I shall be ready †¦ to send you on your way again.† Aerin said lightly, â€Å"And what shall that way be?† â€Å"To Agsded,† Luthe said. â€Å"He who holds Damar’s future in his hands.† â€Å"Agsded?† Aerin said. â€Å"I do not know the name.† â€Å"He it is who sends the mischief across your borders; he it is who stirred Nyrlol to rebellion just long enough to distract and disturb Arlbeth, and he who awoke your Maur, and who even now harries your City with his minions, whose army will march south in the spring. Agsded, although none know his name now, and the Northern generals believe they band together through no impulse but their mutual hatred of Damar. â€Å"Agsded is a wizard – a master mage, a master of masters. The mark on him is so bright it could blind any simple folk who look upon it, though they knew not what they saw. Agsded I knew long ago – he was another of Goriolo’s pupils; he was the best of all of us, and he knew it; but even Goriolo did not see how deep his pride went. – . . Goriolo had another pupil of Agsded’s family: his sister. She feared her brother; she had always feared him; it was fear of what his pride might do that led her to Goriolo with him, but it was on her own merit that Goriolo took her. â€Å"And I – I must send you into the dragon’s den again, having barely healed you, and that at great cost, from your encounter with the Black Dragon. Maur is to your little dragons what Agsded is to Maur. I teach you what I may because it is the only shield I may – can – give you. I cannot face Agsded myself – I cannot. By the gods and hells you have never heard of,† Luthe broke out, â€Å"do you think I like sending a child to a doom like this, one I know I cannot myself face? With nothing to guard her but half a year’s study of the apprentice bits of magery? â€Å"I know by my own blood that I cannot defeat him; though by some of that blood I have held him off these many years longer, that the chosen hero, the hero of his blood, might grow up to face him; for only one of his blood may defeat him.† Luthe closed his eyes. â€Å"It is true your mother wanted a son; she believed that as only one of his blood might defeat him, so only one of his own sex might, for to such she ascribed her own failure. She felt that it was because she was a woman that she could not kill her own brother.† â€Å"Brother?† whispered Aerin. Luthe opened his eyes. â€Å"Had she tried, she might yet have failed,† he went on as though he had not heard her, â€Å"but she could not bear to try; until Agsded, who knew the prophecy even as she did, from long before there was apparent need to know it, sought to bring her under his will or to destroy her. â€Å"He could not do the former; almost he did the latter, and in the end she died of the poison he gave her.† Luthe looked at her, and she remembered the hand that was not her own holding a goblet, and a voice that was not Luthe’s saying â€Å"Drink.† â€Å"But she had meanwhile fled south, and found a man with kelar in his blood, and been got with child by him. She had only the strength left to bear that child before she died.† Luthe fell silent, and Aerin could think of nothing to say. Agsded beat in her brain; a moment ago she had told Luthe she did not know the name, and yet now she was ready to swear that it had haunted all the shadows since before her birth; that her mother had whispered it to her in the womb; that the despair she had died of was the taste of it on her tongue. Agsded, who was to Maur what Maur had been to her first dragon; and the first dragon might have killed her – and Maur had killed her, for the time she lived now was not her own. Agsded, of her own blood; her mother’s brother. She felt numb; even the new sensitivities that had awoken in her since her dive into the Lake of Dreams and Luthe’s teaching – all were numb, and she hung suspended in a great nothingness, imprisoned there by the name of Agsded. After a pause Luthe said, as if talking to himself: â€Å"I did not think your kelar would so hide itself from you. Perhaps it was the hurt you did yourself and your Gift by eating the surka. Perhaps your mother was not able entirely to protect the child she carried from the death so close to her. I believed that you had to know at least something of the truth – I believed it until I saw you face Maur with little more than simple human courage and a foolhardy faith in the efficacy of a third-rate healer’s potion like kenet against the Black Dragon. And I knew then not only that I was wrong about you, but that I was too late to save you from the pain your simplicity would cause you; and I feared that without your kelar to draw upon, you would not survive that meeting. And I was terribly near right. â€Å"I have been much occupied while you were growing up, and I do not mark the years as you do; and I have not watched over you as I should have. As I promised your mother I would. Again I am sorry. I have been often sorry, with you, and there is so little I can do about any of it. â€Å"I believed that you would grow up knowing some destiny awaited you; I thought what ran in your veins could not help but tell you so much. I thought you would know the true dreams I sent you as such. I thought many things that were wrong.† â€Å"The kelar may have tried to tell me,† Aerin said dully; â€Å"but the message did get a little confused somehow. Certainly I was left in no doubt that my destiny was different than Arlbeth’s daughter’s should have been, but that was a reading anyone could have done.† Luthe looked at her, and saw her uncle’s name like a brand on her face. â€Å"If you wish,† he said lightly, â€Å"I shall go personally to your City and knock together the heads of Perlith and Galooney.† Aerin tried to smile. â€Å"I shall remember that offer.† â€Å"Please do. And remember also that I never leave my mountain any more, so believe how apologetic I must be feeling to make it in the first place.† Aerin’s smile disappeared. â€Å"Am I truly just as my mother was?† she asked, as she had asked Teka long ago. Luthe looked at her again, and again many things crowded into his mind that he might say. â€Å"You are very like her,† he said at last. â€Å"But you are to be preferred.† How to cite The Hero And The Crown Part Two Chapter 17, Essay examples

English Literature Blood Brothers Essay Example For Students

English Literature Blood Brothers Essay Explain how a key extract from the play Blood Brothers by Willy Russell might be staged and explain the role of the chosen character in this part of the play.  Blood Brothers was written by Willy Russell, who was born in Whiston on the outskirts of Liverpool in 1947. The play Blood Brothers was first performed in a secondary school in Fazakerly, a suburb of Liverpool in 1982. On the first night it was performed in front of four hundred pupils, there were minimal props, scenery and music, but over the years it has been developed onto Broadway in 1993. It has been translated into at least ten different languages and is performed regularly all over the world. The play is set throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s with the main themes brought out towards the end of this period. Russells intentions in the play and the portrayal, reflects the idea of social differences. The social class differences are projected vastly throughout the play and the question of, Is a working class resident able to break free of their working class arises. Mickey and Edward are the key characters in the play and are both twins however they are unaware of this fact. This is because when the mother (Mrs Johnstone) gave birth to twins, she would have 9 children and this would have proved almost impossible to provide for all, therefore she decided to give one of the twins to her employer, Mrs Lyons. As a result, Edward goes off with Mrs Lyons and lives a good medium class life; this is a vast contrast with Mickeys life. The two extracts from Blood Brothers which I have studied explore the idea of the two brothers uniting and becoming friends. However, they are still unaware at this point that they are not only siblings, but twins. One thing they do discover is their mutual days of birth, and due to this they become Blood Brothers, hence the title of the play. In the second scene the two have grown up; Edward has returned from university, and still has not yet matured. In contrast to Mickey who has matured and even has a job, however as Edward returns, Mickey is made redundant. The first extract in my opinion is more effective because it is the very first time that the brothers meet, and realise they have the same birth date. At this point the audience are in suspense, wondering whether the two will realise that they are brothers.  Explain how a key extract from the play Blood Brothers by Willy Russell might be staged and explain the role of the chosen character in this part of the play. Blood Brothers was written by Willy Russell, who was born in Whiston on the outskirts of Liverpool in 1947. The play Blood Brothers was first performed in a secondary school in Fazakerly, a suburb of Liverpool in 1982. On the first night it was performed in front of four hundred pupils, there were minimal props, scenery and music, but over the years it has been developed onto Broadway in 1993. It has been translated into at least ten different languages and is performed regularly all over the world. The play is set throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s with the main themes brought out towards the end of this period. Russells intentions in the play and the portrayal, reflects the idea of social differences. The social class differences are projected vastly throughout the play and the question of, Is a working class resident able to break free of their working class arises. Mickey and Edward are the key characters in the play and are both twins however they are unaware of this fact. This is because when the mother (Mrs Johnstone) gave birth to twins, she would have 9 children and this would have proved almost impossible to provide for all, therefore she decided to give one of the twins to her employer, Mrs Lyons. As a result, Edward goes off with Mrs Lyons and lives a good medium class life; this is a vast contrast with Mickeys life. .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 , .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 .postImageUrl , .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 , .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54:hover , .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54:visited , .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54:active { border:0!important; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54:active , .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54 .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udb5fbfe06331fa8afcaab4cb44656b54:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Brave New World Essay PromptsThe two extracts from Blood Brothers which I have studied explore the idea of the two brothers uniting and becoming friends. However, they are still unaware at this point that they are not only siblings, but twins. One thing they do discover is their mutual days of birth, and due to this they become Blood Brothers, hence the title of the play. In the second scene the two have grown up; Edward has returned from university, and still has not yet matured. In contrast to Mickey who has matured and even has a job, however as Edward returns, Mickey is made redundant. The first extract in my opinion is more effective because it is the very first time that the brothers meet, and realise they have the same birth date. At this point the audience are in suspense, wondering whether the two will realise that they are brothers.

12 Angry Men Essays - English-language Films, Legal Procedure

12 Angry Men This essay will compare & contrast the protagonist/antagonist's relationship with each other and the other jurors in the play and in the movie versions of Reginald Rose's 12 Angry Men. There aren't any changes made to the key part of the story but yet the minor changes made in making the movie adaptation produce a different picture than what one imagines when reading the drama in the form of a play. First off, the settings in the movie are a great deal more fleshed out. In the play, the scene begins with the jurors regarding the judge's final statements concerning the case in the courtroom and then walking out into the jury room. In the movie, the audience is placed in the role of the invisible casual observer, who for perhaps the first 5 minutes of the movie, walks throughout the court building passing other court rooms, lawyers, defendants, security officers, elevators, etc. Not able to remember much about this particular part of the movie, I believe this introductory scene's purpose was to either enhanced the realism of the setting by emphasizing the court building's efficient, business like manner or to provide a timeslot in which to roll the credits for producer, director, stars, etc. The settings aren't only built upon through use of scenery and extras in the movie. Invisible and distant in the play, we see in the movie the judge, bailiff, those witnessing the trial and mo st importantly of all- the defendant. This is an important change because in the play, we are free to come up with our own unbiased conclusions as to the nature and identity of the defendant, whom we only know to a be a 19 year boy from the slums. Seeing his haggard and worn face in the movie changes all of that, yet for better or worse, it engages the audience deeper into the trial as they surely will sympathize with him and can gain some insight into why, later, Juror 8 does so as well. Of final note in this summary of points concerning the differences in setting, the jurors all mention the heat wave affecting the city when they begin, and as it agitates them, it serves to heighten the tension between each other and their resentment or other feelings towards jury duty. Oh- also lastly, I think we can infer that the movie takes place in Manhattan, New York City. Which jurors are from which boroughs is easily obvious and yet I'm hesitant to say that the defendant could be from any o f them- slums were persistent in those times. Concerning the characterization of the cast and their conflicts with each other, the movie holds true to the play's guidelines. For the most part, each character I saw in the movie matched up with the picture my mind's eye had painted whilst I was reading the play. One thing irked me however: all the jurors seemed at least 10 years older that I had imagined them. For instance, I had seen Juror 8- the protagonist of the play and Juror 3- his rival, the antagonist as being perhaps 30-ish or so and spirited and vibrant in their arguments. While somewhat vibrant they were, their age made them seem to come across as being more stubborn and grumpy (at least in, Juror 3's case) than lively. Even Juror 2- the meek, weak and timid-spoken one, I thought would be so because of the age disparity between him and the older (and thus, supposedly- wiser) jurors. Yet he is portrayed as such a man but balding and smoking a pipe. His voice, however, fit nicely to its role. The conflicts in the movie, w hile also being more fleshed out than in the play, did match up essentially but there was one point- I thing just before Juror 8 asks for the diagram of the apartment- that the movie's directors took the liberty to take dialogue from later in the play and put it there, greatly confusing me and hampering my ability to follow along. In analyzing the differences in the antagonist's and protagonist's relationship with each other and the other jurors, it too held to the play's guidelines with the various alliances

5 Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension

5 Tips for Improving Reading Comprehension The idea that you either read for pleasure or for learning is misleading. It is, of course, possible to do both. Still, you shouldnt necessarily approach academic reading the same way you approach a beach read. In order to read and comprehend a book or article for school, you need to be much more intentional and strategic. Understand Genres and Themes In most reading tests, the student is asked to read a passage and predict what might happen next. Prediction is a common reading comprehension strategy. The purpose of this strategy is to make sure you’re able to infer information from the clues in the text. Here’s a passage to clarify this point: Clara gripped the handle of the heavy glass pitcher and lifted it from the refrigerator shelf. She didn’t understand why her mother thought she was too young to pour her own juice. As she backed away carefully, the rubber seal of the refrigerator door caught the lip of the glass pitcher, which caused the slippery handle to slip from her hand. As she watched the pitcher crash into a thousand pieces, she saw the figure of her mother appear in the kitchen doorway. What do you think will happen next? We could infer that Clara’s mother reacts angrily, or we might guess that the mother bursts into laughter. Either answer would be sufficient since we have so little information to go on. But if I told you that this passage was an excerpt from a thriller, that fact might impact your answer. Similarly, if I told you this passage came from a comedy, youd make a very different prediction. It is important to know something about the type of text youre reading, whether it is a nonfiction or a work of fiction. Understanding the genre of a book helps you make predictions about the action- which helps you comprehend it. Read With Tools Any time you read for the sake of learning, you should be reading actively.  To do this, youll need some extra tools. For example, you can use a pencil to make annotations in the margins of your text without doing any permanent damage to the book. Another good tool for active reading is a pack of sticky notes. Use your notes to jot down thoughts, impressions, predictions, and questions as you read. A highlighter, on the other hand, is usually not as effective. Highlighting is a relatively passive act when compared to note-taking even though it may seem like you are engaging with the text by highlighting it. However, highlighting during a first read can be a good way to mark  passages that you want to revisit. But if a passage impresses you enough to highlight it, you should always indicate  why it impresses you, whether on the first or second read.   Develop New Vocabulary   Its a no-brainer that you should take the time to look up new and unfamiliar words as you read. But its important to make a log book of those new words, and revisit them long after youve finished reading that book. The more we study a subject, the more it sinks in. Be sure to keep a log book of new words and visit it often. Analyze the Title (And Subtitles) The title is often the last thing to be adjusted once a writer has finished writing. Therefore, it may be a good idea to consider the title as a final step after reading.   A writer will labor hard and long on an article or book, and often the writer uses many of the same strategies that a good reader uses. Writers edit the text and identify themes, make predictions, and annotate.   Many writers are surprised by the twists and turns that come from the creative process.   Once a text is completed, the writer may reflect on the true message or purpose as a final step and come up with a new title. This means you can use the title as a clue to help you understand the message or purpose of your text, after youve had some time to soak it all in.

Discuss safe urinary catheterisation of a male patient defining the Essay

Discuss safe urinary catheterisation of a male patient defining the indications and contra indications and the potential complications that may arise - Essay Example es are verified, they should be positioned as comfortable as possible in order to reduce anxiety and also facilitate access to their anatomy (Michael 2012, p. 31). The proper type and size of catheter is selected and then the genital area cleansed thoroughly. In case of an uncircumcised patient, the foreskin should be retracted and the area cleansed with saline (Saint 2000, p. 804). This reduces chances of contamination and trauma to the urethra. The penile urethra is straightened by extending the penis at a 90 degree angle to the body to facilitate the administration of local anaesthetic gel. The gel, which requires approximately five minutes to take effect, will dilate, lubricate and anaesthetise the urethral passage (Bradsley, A 2005, p. 45). The catheter is then inserted approximately 20 centimetres into the urethra, at which point urine should flow. In case of resistance at the sphincter, gentle pressure should be applied on the catheter. It is then inflated to make sure it rema ins in situ and a suitable closed drainage unit attached. Before the foreskin is returned to its position, it must be dry and clean (Francis 2008, p. 69). Indications include acute urinary retention, hygienic care of patients who are bedridden and monitoring the output of urine. Traumatic injury of the urinary tract, such as a urethral tear, will contraindicate urinal catheterisation. Possible complications include infection, bladder spasm and trauma to the bladder neck or urethra (Stewart 1998, p. 124). Michael, S 2012, ‘A review of strategies to decrease the duration of indwelling urethral catheters and potentially reduce the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections’, Urology Nursing, vol. 32, no. 1, pp.

Inclusive Science Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Inclusive Science Education - Essay Example 5). People with physical impairments have long encountered barriers to pursuing careers in science. These barriers come in various forms, including historical, institutional, physical, attitudinal, and curricular hindrances. The CLASS Project uses professional development workshops to prepare educators for inclusive classrooms, thereby helping them do away with obstacles for their students. (Bargerhuff, 2004, p-319) The eventual objective of the project is to augment the depiction of individuals with disabilities pursuing careers in or related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Persons having impairments have worked hard for decades to attain reasonable outcomes in all areas of their lives, employment, independent living, and education. Until the passage of the Education of All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) in 1975, many students with disabilities were regularly excluded from public school.

Professional Development and Differentiated Instruction Speech or Presentation

Professional Development and Differentiated Instruction - Speech or Presentation Example An introduction to the general theory of cultural competency. Members of staff take notes. Overhead projector Handout 35 Minutes PRESENTATION Underachieving students. Social- cultural, physical, and racial prejudices against underachieving students. The role of the curriculum in achieving cultural competency The application of differentiated instruction among students with varying learning capabilities Content Process- grouping of students according to readiness, needs, and interests. Product Use of a tiered lesson plan to meet different learner needs Discussion between the facilitator and the members of staff. Members of staff attempt to answer questions asked by the facilitator regarding the application of differentiated instruction. Members of staff begin to draft a sample tiered lesson plan. Overhead projector Handout 10 Minutes CONCLUSION Review of main points discussed Question and answer session Members of staff ask questions. The facilitator asks the members of staff to finis h up on the sample tiered lesson plan and use it in their respective lessons. Overhead projector Handout Agenda for members of staff - cultural competency session on professional development 5th July 2012 9: 00 a.m : Arrival of members of staff. 9: 00a.m – 9: 10 a.m : Introduction. ... These characteristics may involve customs, channels of communication, and beliefs. A culturally competent institution or organization should cater for the needs of each cultural group to ensure optimal outcomes. The education sector has incorporated the use of cultural competency to cater for those learners who have dismal learning outcomes. In a normal classroom, there are learners with different learning abilities. Some learners grasp concepts very quickly, others have the normal comprehension capacity, and others are slow learners. When the needs of each group of students are not met, the class ends up having a group of stereotyped as â€Å"underachievers†. In the U.S schooling system, there are those learners who are categorized in the underachievers group. Most teachers, according to Darlene (2007) view these students as lacking in motivation, lazy, high headed, or just indifferent towards academics. This notion, however, could not be further from the truth. Underachievin g students may have other issues outside their control that make them perform not so well in their academics. These may include: social-cultural, physical or ethnic disadvantages that inhibit their potential. The curriculum needs to provide avenues for the execution of cultural competency policies for all students. The curriculum should cater for all races and social-cultural groups, without victimization. A multidisciplinary curriculum according to Darlene (2007) should acknowledge cultural differences, while promoting inter-cultural development. The teacher should address the needs of differentiated students by promoting communication and involvement of each and every student in the lesson. All

Study On Busbecqs Letters History Essay

Study On Busbecqs Letters History Essay I would like to analyse some Western European descriptions of the Ottoman Empire from The Turkish Letters, written by Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, who described the Ottoman Empire in a series of letters that he wrote when he served Ferdinand I of Austria as the ambassador for the Holy Roman Empire to the Ottoman Empire from 1554 to 1562. Included in this paper is my analysis on parts of three of his letters which are concerned with in particular: the Turkish Army, the Turks openness or lack thereof in borrowing from other cultures, and Christian Slaves. Busbecq presents an absorbing eyewitness account of the Ottoman Empire from the perspective of a well educated Western observer at the time of the Ottomans greatest ever ruler: Sultan Suleiman The Magnificent. In the letters Busbecq describes some of the workings and details of the Turkish Army, including interesting information on The Janissaries. In another letter he talks about the Turks openness in adapting military manoeuvres and c ombat skills of the Europeans such as that of the Greeks, and their reluctance in adopting useful things such as public clocks and printing books. In the third letter he portrays some information on the Christian slaves of the Ottoman Empire. He details impressions on everything he saw and experienced in Turkey from the army, slavery, and other matters and does so with literary talent and though quite gripping there is a strong possibility that his depiction was slightly exaggerated because he was trying to bring about reform at home. Of particular significance is his account of the Turkish Army where goes into vivid detail about the campaigns. The Sultan when he sets out on a campaign, takes as many as 40,000 camels with him, and almost as many baggage-mulesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ This is an explicit illustration of the organisation, might, and sheer size of the Sultans army. Busbecq further goes on to describe the Turks campaign into Persia, the way rations are used, and the importance of the soldiers health. He also makes note on the Sultans respect and willingness to help the soldiers whenever he could by assisting ill-fated soldiers who have come across bad luck in losing their horse or suffering from illness or injury. Suleiman the Magnificent is plausibly the most illustrious figure in Turkish history. For the Turks his status is legendary and his reign saw the greatest extension of Turkish power. His devotion to his own religion and his tolerance of other faiths, his charity and generosity, won him the loyalty of his subjects and the respect of his enemies. The Janissaries represented the well trained and adaptable soldiers for the Turkish army. They were well looked after and respected for their courage in battle, repeated victories, and experience in warfare; hence they were highly valued. They were a product of Suleimans progressive system. The Turks adopted from the Europeans many smooth military combat techniques and the use of canons to great effect in their battles, for example the shooting against the door which was formerly used by the Greeks and the Turks had adopted from them. Conversely at the same time the Turks were never able to bring themselves into accepting the use of public clocks or to print books. As Busbecq strongly puts it They hold that their scriptures, that is, their sacred books, would no longer be scriptures if they were printed; and if they established public clocks, they think that the authority of their muezzins and their ancient rights would suffer diminution. This I believe is an understandable stance considering their position and their culture. They did not want their culture to be diluted this is not to say they werent tolerant to other cultures but only to keep their own pure from western influence. The extract of the letter by Busbecq in Documents in World History on Christian slaves portrays completely bleak and miserable image for the slaves: Youths and men of advanced years were driven along in herds or else tied together with chainsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..At the sight I could scarcely restrain my tears in pity for the wretched plight of the Christian populationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. This particular document if read by someone not familiar with Busbecqs writings and general view of the Ottomans could be misleading. In his book The Turkish Letters Busbecq explains the advantages of Ottoman slavery and stipulates that it outweighs the drawbacks. For example, young male slaves had the opportunity to have a prestigious career and be trained as Janissaries or diplomats. Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq wrote impressions on everything he saw and experienced in Turkey, including landscapes, plants, animals, Islam, ethnic groups, architecture, slavery, military, court practices, clothing, gender and domestic relations, the Sultan himself, and even plants and animals. I think his letters offer lessons in understanding and appreciating cultural differences. It is clear to me that he describes the Ottoman Empire as being powerful and admirable; he makes it obvious that he respects the Ottomans in many ways and almost even considers them as better than the great European nations. Nonetheless I suggest that he may have been exaggerating what he thought and knew about the Ottomans to an extent in an attempt to bring about reform in Western Europe. After all he was writing at or near the time when the Ottoman Empire was at the pinnacle of its power, and one of his aims could have been to frighten European rulers and governments into transformation and improvement. K eeping this in mind I would still consider The Turkish Letters a great source of insight and entertaining reading. The letters are a standard for understanding the Ottoman Empire written with frankness and in great detail by a noted diplomat with an established reputation.

The Ysera Realm of World of Warcraft :: Personal Narrative

The virtual worlds were good for doing what was impossible to do in the physical world rather than simply produce replicates of physical reality (Yee, 2009). This is why most people including myself, although a constant gamer, enjoy the experiences of the virtual world. The virtual world is an escape route from the actual realities of the world. This paper is going to describe my experience in The Ysera Realm of World of Warcraft MMORPG. Avatars are a key component of the virtual world and we rely on them a means of living digitally while fully inhabiting in the world (Taylor, 2002). When the chosen avatar Race (Night Elf) was announced a sense of disappointment ran through my mind, because I believed the Night elf Race was not going to be as physically attractive as the Human race or Blood Elf race which I have previously used in other realms. However, when I began customizing my avatar I was excited to begin the process, because it had to ability to create a unique identity which not only serve a personal function (individualization) but also a social function as other characters would be able to recognize me over time(Taylor, 2002). My Avatar â€Å"Elvinna† is a Level 6 Druid who has the role of a tanker, healer and damager, with the ability to shape shift into animal form. Elvinna also has the capability to use mana, rage or energy as a resource (World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, 2012). I chose my avat ar name based on its sexiness, simplicity and how ancient it sounds. My avatar was created as a desired self-image of myself, her gender was chosen solely on my gender as a female in reality, her look is very fierce which is what I was going for an avatar that looks fierce but sexy. Her class was chosen due to my unawareness of the different class, if I had the option of redoing characters I would go for hunter, because they are a better representation of the desire self (physically). Her personality is graceful and achieving, she desires to the highest to reach the highest levels in the virtual world. Elvinna’s, (which desired representation of myself) character is different from mine in the sense that she is everything I desire to be looks and goals. When given tasks she is quick to execute them in order to ascend, which is a total opposite from myself.