Titus Andronicus Essays - British Films, English-language Films

Titus Andronicus The film uses various techniques to present a particular view of the war against France. What is that interpretation and how does the film convey it? Although the Branagh version of Shakespeare's Henry V remains very close to the text, with only a few lines left out of the film, the movie portrays a very clear and distinct message about war and Branagh's opinion on the matter. Henry V is fundamentally a play about war, and it would have been very easy for Branagh to make his version of the play into a film that glorified war. Instead, Branagh took the opportunity to make a statement about what he felt was the true essence of wars - both medieval and modern. It is clear through Henry V that Branagh thinks that wars are a waste of precious human life, and in the end are fruitless, causing more loss than gain. From the very first battle at Harfleur Branagh's low opinion of war is shown. When we first see the fighting, it is dusk and the sky is further darkened by smoke, instantly creating a morbid feeling. Combined with the muddy and wet terrain, the cheerless soldiers and the overbearing size of the castle which they hope to achieve, it is clear not only that the English army must fight against all the odds to win, but that even the conditions are detrimental to the English cause. The scene where Bardolph, Nym and Pistol are backing away from the battle to save themselves is an important inclusion to the film. Had Branagh intended the film to be a glorification of war, this small scene could have easily been removed. However, he chose to keep it in his film because it actually assists the message which he attempts to convey. This scene, although still clearly comical, as Shakespeare intended it to be, it implies that not all soldiers are valiant and brave and that war is so terrible that soldiers are willing to desert their friends and fellow countrymen because of the hideous nature of war. After the battle of Harfluer is won by the English and they begin to make their way towards Agincourt, Branagh seizes the opportunity to show the viewer the 'victorious' army. Although he could have shown them to be joyful with their win, Branagh instead shows the war-weary, bloody, wet and muddy soldiers. It is raining and so the already miserable soldiers, wearing torn and ragged clothing are forced to bow their heads as they slowly make their way down the road in a way reminiscent of a death march, the sombre mood of the scene assisted by the music. The irony of this scene is obvious - the victorious English are miserably marching wet and weary down the road while the French are warm and dry inside their castles. The utter pointlessness of war that Branagh obviously feels is also shown through this, because although English men have been killed and they have won, they are still no better off than had they lost the battle. The battle at Agincourt is the climax of the play, and gives us an excellent indication as to Branagh's views on war. The wet and muddy field of Agincourt in which the battle was held assists the feeling of preeminent loss and the pointlessness that the viewer images the soldiers feel. The actual battle takes place rather quickly, but Branagh uses the opportunity to show medieval battle for what it really was. All over the field are small groups of men, beating each other to death with swords too blunt to cut, often resorting to almost wrestling in unbearably uncomfortable and heavy suits of armour. The violence of the scene, although not gory, is shocking, as I'm sure Branagh intended it to be, accentuated by the slow-motion shots of the fighting, and in particular the death of the horses, who are obviously scared already by the situation, but are maimed and fall helpless to the ground where they lay unattended as the fighting continues around them. This naturally evokes emotion in the viewer, who understands that the horses are innocent, but are brought into the battle for no reason whatsoever. This also leads the viewer

Downfall of Affirmative Action essays

Downfall of Affirmative Action essays Affirmative action today, is considered to be one of the most controversial dilemmas facing our equal status of individual rights. As we all know, affirmative action was implemented with the idea and hope that America would finally become truly equal. So far, it has lasted for thirty years and has failed to solve any of our current problems concerning equal rights. Affirmative action was created with the intention of using reverse discrimination to solve the problem of discrimination. In that, in some cases minority groups are being chosen over other fully qualified workers who are not in the minority. This reversal of roles in racial discrimination does nothing but cause arguments and problems for both those for white males and those in the minority. Some arguments for affirmative action may be that for hundreds of years minorities were forced into servitude, and slavery by the white race, and now minorities are simply being repaid for all of those years of torture. In reality though, should men and women that have nothing to do with that oppression be forced to repay the minorities for their forefathers sufferings? Another counter argument to the abolition of affirmative action is that minorities for the most part are brought up in poor neighborhoods and therefore their education is not as good as most of the white people whose income level is higher and subsequently have better schools. Well if that is a reason for affirmative action why not make it to where all children, regardless of race, who are in the poorer communities reap the benefits of affirmative action. Education more than anything decides the potential for success in a persons life, and if most minorities are poor and need help then they should get it but poor whi te families should also receive those benefits. Despite the fact that affirmative action has some positive points that truly do contribute to society. It is still a fla...

Understanding the history of Native American Indians Research Paper

Understanding the history of Native American Indians - Research Paper Example Additionally, social interaction with other cultures from African, Asian, European and other continents have with time continued to dilute the observance of cultural values of Native American Indians. 1 Three major factors among them political, economic, and social interactions have had a significant effect on the cultural identity of Native American Indians. This paper will make a critical analysis of how political, economic, and social factors have continued to shape the history of Native Americans. Origin of Native Americans The Indians found in American continents are thought to have migrated from the Asian continent a long time ago when the two plates were still close to each other. As they moved across the continents searching for better hunting and gathering grounds, they settled in different areas where the land had plenty of resources. 2 Here, they mastered and adapted to the environment surrounding these lands. Political The discovery of American continent by Christopher Co lumbus in 1492 created a lot of enthusiasm among the Europeans, among them were the British, Dutch and French who wanted to explore and settle in the interior of this new continent. The arrival of these new inhabitants led to forceful evictions of Native Americans from their ancestral lands to create room for the new settlers. Additionally, there was the problem of destruction of natural habitat and over exploitation of resources that the Native Americans relied on. In addition, the Indians were faced by the new challenge of being forcefully enrolled as workers in the white men farms with little or no pay. The young and strong men were also taken to work in the mines under unbearable conditions. The unwelcoming behavior among the settlers led to the development of a negative attitude among the natives. Additionally, the new settlers from the European continent brought with them new germs and other disease causing agents. However, due to their social seclusions and reliance on tradit ional medicine, a large number of Native American Indian population died due to the effects of these new diseases. 3 In an effort to defend and retain their cultural identity, the Native Indians revolted against their colonialists by waging wars. The war between Europeans and Indians was a common phenomenon from the early years of colonization. European used war as a weapon to enforce a particular a political stand or force them out of their land. For instance, in 1936, a violent clash between whites and Indians broke out in Connecticut after the whites attacked an Indian village where about 600 Indian lives were lost. This aggravated the zeal of the Indians to resist the white settlement. In 1675, a mass resistance was formed by a number of Indian tribes against the settlement of whites on their lands in New England.4 Even though the settlers managed to overcome the resistance within a year, the Indians would not give up their struggle for their lost rights. The struggle for Indian land rights was drawn into the French-England wars especially in the northern America. At the time of the American Revolutionary war, most of Indian tribes aided the Britons as they perceived them as the defenders of their land rights. Even though the government of the United States had vowed to protect the rights of Indians, the promise was never kept as the whites continued to expand their settlements on the Indian lands under the protection of the army. In 1930, the then President of United States Andrew Jackson

Equity and Trust Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Equity and Trust Law - Essay Example Trust law however applies to every situation in which a person places trust or confidence in another person to manage daily affairs and activities. Equity governs the trust law in such a sense and applies to a wide range of situations and cases such as family relationships, charities, pensioners etc. The courts deal with the formalities of property law and secret trusts, although trust law applies to all such situations, and understanding of trust law applies to express trusts, fixed trusts, discretionary trusts, resulting trusts, constructive trusts, charitable trusts, proprietary and personal solutions. Equity relates to the part of the legal system that follows within the English Common law context and resolves all disputes on the basis of principles of conscience, fairness and justice. Equity law comes into play when none of the parties could be blamed directly for any misdeed or breaking of law but their rights are in opposition. Equity could be contrasted with law which is a set of principles although the difference law and equity could be specified in the solutions. Financial damages are sought through court law although equity can relate to injunctions or decrees and can specify actions to be followed. For example a person who has lost an asset to a neighbour may not want the monetary value of the asset but the asset itself. Courts may also specify writs which are however more rigid than an injunction. However apart from solutions offered and the nature of damages claimed in terms of finances or actions, there are other distinctions such as the jury may not be available in equity and equitable remedies may not be subject to intervention of the jury. Within the common law systems, the distinction between legal and equitable titles may be an important one. A case depends on the decision of the jury depending on the type of remedy expected as for financial damages claim or claim of lost property, the remedy is considered legal and the jury is able to decide on the case. For declaratory judgements, injunctions and specific performances contract changes and modifications, and other non financial damage claims, equity claims are made1. The important distinction between law and equity relates to the source of rules that determine the decision making processes and legal decisions are made by reference to legal statutes and doctrines whereas equity is based on appeals to judgement involving conscience fairness and flexibility. In fact equity has not been guided by fixed rules like laws and faced many criticisms although equity has become more rigid to suit into the framework of English Common law. The difference between law and equity is more historical than legal as law would refer to the principles followed in courts of law with restrictions to the types of claims that can be brought to court. Equity is also a body of rules although rules of equity have not been fixed and tend to vary. In fact equity is based more on the sense of fairness and justice rather than a strict set of principle or statutes. Equity is thus referred to a system of rules

Impact of Poverty on Children Essay Example for Free

Impact of Poverty on Children Essay According to data from UNICEF, a child in the United States is more likely to live in poverty than any other developed nation (American Psychological Association, 2012) Children living in poverty suffer from lack of nutrition. Lack of nutrition can lead to premature birth and/or low birth weight (APA, 2012). Inadequate access to healthy foods can lead to obesity (Dalton, 2007). Lack of food can lead to hunger or food insecurity (APA, 2012). Malnutrition can lead to deficits in cognitive and social development (APA, 2012). Failure to thrive can be a result of under nutrition (APA, 2012). According to the American Psychological Association (2012) poverty can lead to poor academic achievement. Stress connected with living in poverty affects concentration and memory (APA, 2012). Lack of encouragement to promote literacy and reading readiness (Cuthrell, Stapleton, Ledford, 2010). No exposure to activities such as museums and camps (Cuthrell et al., 2010). Several states with school districts in low-income areas receive much less in state and local funding than other school districts (Hutchinson, 2013). Poverty and lack of insurance affects children’s health. Barrier to children receiving proper vaccinations (Becton, Lee, Nieman, 2008). Children are a greater risk of behavioral and emotional issues (APA, 2012). Increased risk of asthma, anemia, and pneumonia (APA, 2012). Exposure to lead and other environmental contaminants (APA, 2012). Micro social work Working with families with children to provide services for food and health care. Collaborating with other agencies to provide services such as health departments, community service boards, and mental health service providers. Working with schools to ensure child(ren)’s needs being met. Assisting family with nutritional education and access to healthy foods. Macro social work Work with community to increase support for Head Start and preschool programs for all children. Policy and laws must address the lack availability of services and health insurance for children living in poverty. Advocate for school systems to better educate teachers to deal with children living in poverty – hire teachers who care about student’s achievements (Cuthrell et al., 2010). Encourage school boards to eliminate all sugary foods and drinks from school campuses. Encourage communities to be proactive in assisting families living in poverty with food and educational programs. Work with policy to promote increase in wages and employment opportunities (Fass et al., 2009). Social Constructionist Perspective Children in poverty have a place in society – do not move up in class. Children in poverty have certain characteristics: not intelligent, slow-minded, dirty, obese, wanting hand-outs, criminals. Children in poverty should not aspire to improve their circumstances. Society class structure gives the need for children and families to live in poverty. Poverty is accepted as a norm – need change of thinking. Social Behavior Perspective Children in poverty expect to grow up to live in poverty. Children in poverty thinking is reinforced by their environment. Children in  poverty do not have high expectations or goals. Children living in poverty continue the cycle of the parents and grandparents previously. Conflict Perspective Children in poverty are a non-dominant group. Children in poverty have no voice. Children in poverty are results of social and economic injustice – unequal division of power. Children in poverty affect all facets of society Schools and all children affected by policies such as: No Child Left Behind Act – teaching more to state testing versus academics and knowledge. Children in poverty cost an estimated $500 billion in lost productivity and spending on health care and criminal justice systems (Fass, Dinan, Aratani, 2009). Children in poverty are more likely to be poor as adults, continuing the cycle increasing chances of chronic poverty ((Fass et al., 2009). The research on children living in poverty reinforces how the environment can and will affect an individual’s situation. Poverty influences a child’s health, education, and future well-being. If a child is not given the same opportunities as other children not living in poverty, the struggle to rise above poverty can be overwhelming. The cycle of poverty will only change when there is an equality of resources. The change starts at the micro level with the individual child and the family receiving services. To break the cycle, the change must be at the macro level with change in policies and laws. Agencies and social workers must give the children living in poverty a voice that can be heard. References American Psychological Association. (2012). Effects of poverty, hunger and homelessness on children and youth. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/print-this.aspx Becton, J. L., Lee, C., Nieman, L. Z. (2008). The effect of lack of insurance, poverty and paediatrician supply on immunization rates among children 19-35 months of age in the United States. Journal of evaluation in clinical practice3, 14(2), 248-253. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2753.2007.00841.x Cuthrell, K., Stapleton, J., Ledford, C. (2010). Examining the culture of poverty: promising practices. Preventing school failures, 54(2), 104-110. Dalton, S. (2007, January). Our vulnerable children: poor and overweight. Southern Medical Journal. pp. 1-2. Fass, S., Dinan, K. A., Aratani, Y. (2009, December). Child poverty and intergenerational mobility. National center for Children in Poverty. Retrieved from http://nccp.org/publications/pub_911.html Hutchinson, E. D., (2013). Theoretical perspectives on human behavior. Essentials of human behavior integrating person, environment, and the life course. (pp. 39 – 42). Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Publications. Compare/Contrast Krystal and Jessica both want to work with immigrants to help integrate them into the schools and society and overcome barriers. My desire to help children in poverty could be viewed as similar as both groups have barriers due to their status. Immigrants and poor people are looked upon as being less of a person. Each group I believe is affected by the conflict perspective. The unequal balance of power and resources prevents immigrants and poor people access to the same opportunities. If there is not a balance or equal opportunity to services and resources, how can immigrants and people living in poverty achieve the successes of those with access? The environment in which immigrants and poor people are exposed to everyday does not meet the basic needs of acceptance and hope. If children are to succeed in the classroom they must be given the tools and support to do so. Things such as food, shelter and language are taken for granted by society when there is not a need. How is a child who cannot understand what a teacher is saying or is being bullied by other children because of their different speech or clothing achieving success in the classroom? How can a child who has not eaten since lunch in school the day before concentrate on what is being taught by the teacher? Society must take responsibility for these  children. Social workers must advocate at all levels: micro and macro – to ensure immigrants and children of poverty are receiving equal access to opportunities available to others. Social workers and society cannot accept poverty as a norm. Social workers and society cannot accept lack of resources and/or funding an excuse to not properly educate children of immigrants.

Graduation Speech: Leaving the Coolest Place on Earth -- Graduation Sp

When I was in middle school, I thought high school was the coolest place on earth. The kids who went to high school took real classes, like English instead of block. They studied history, not social studies. And their science classes had recognizable names like biology or chemistry, not Fast I and Fast II. They could drive; they could see R-rated movies. They got seven minute passing periods and pop machines. The last four years have not been one cool experience after another, like I imagined in middle school. Walking through the maze of halls on the first day of freshman year was a nightmare. Some of us barely survived the sophomore year slump: we have how many months until graduation? Many of us lived on 30 minutes of sleep a night our entire junior year as we tried to balance school work with our college search, a social life and a job, so we could pay for the car we thought was so cool in middle school. Senioritis struck many of us around September of our junior year, although the epidemic has certainly worsened in the past few weeks. Our senior year has been a constant battle...

Book Review: Economic Justice in an Unfair World

The book ‘Economic Justice in an Unfair world:Toward A Level Playing Field is written by ‘Ethan B. Kapstein’. This book focuses on the issue of what is meant by a fair global economy and how fundamental it is in this era. An unfair economy deprives the minorities or financially challenged of the basic rights of their life. The book is written in a market oriented manner which highlights the basic elements of an appropriate international economy as being inclusive, participatory, and welfare-enhancing for all states. The international economy should be structured so as it provides benefits to all economies of the world.Kapstein negates the radical redistribution schemes between rich and poor which cause the global economy to be unjust. He emphasizes, through his book on the point that a politically feasible approach to international economic justice could bring about the benefits of free trade and limited flows of foreign assistance so as to allow countries to earn more and make more profits. Kapstein not only focuses on the elements of a just international economy in his book but also writes about certain fundamental factors that contribute towards a just global economy such as: -Justice in labor -Migration-Investment The book is written for all those people who have concerns for the arguments and issues related to the reduction of poverty and global development. This book provides a detailed illustration of the international community, so as to locate the factors that should be considered in order to structure a global economy that emphasized the benefits of all nations. This book is a must read for people who would want to know about the basic questions relating to the moral economic philosophy. Kapstein makes the use of reasoned writing style in order to present his views to the reader.Through the contents of his book Kapstein attempts to challenge the West's claim which states that the developing countries' should aim at their own develop ment efforts which should be focused on reducing poverty, and this aim should be achieved not through industrialization and economic growth but by the formulation of policies that are directed on the issue of poverty (Ethan B. Kapstein 2006). According to Kapstein, the fundamental element of an international compact is a ‘free-trade regime’ that provides a level playing field.The next factor on which Kapstein focuses in regard to the just international economy is ‘aid’. Kapstein emphasizes through the book on the concept that aid should be used and directed only towards the reduction of poverty but much importance should also be given on empowering the earning capacity of poor countries so that they can take active part on a level playing field. This objective can be achieved through the major shift from the present allocation priorities such as -Primary education -Basic health care -Favor of investment in ports, railways, and the customs and patents bureau cracies.The third point Kapstein discusses in the book is that since migration and remittance payments will become even more essential for developing countries in the future, it is important to create an umbrella regime so as to include issues related to migration, this would help in bringing stability and justice to policies that are now determined by each state. The fourth and last point discussed in the book is related to the issue of international investment most importantly foreign direct investment (FDI). He emphasizes that it should be included in the umbrella regime (Wade, 2006).Strengths and Weaknesses of the Book as compared to other similar readings The same point that is emphasized by Kapstein through his book ‘a just global economy cannot be achieved with only focusing on the factor of poverty reduction, but importance should also be given to the economic settings of nations’, is also debated over in ‘ The No-Nonsense Guide to International Developmen t’ by Maggie Black. Through this article Maggie Black also emphasized that: -The facts that seem to wrong on paper look as wrong technologically or wasteful may have good characteristics on other terms like promoting local leadership, or vice versa-The main aid=development=poverty reduction does not help to understand the meaning and implication of what aid is or how it works (Black, 2002). The main strength of the book is that Kapstein has identified that focusing on poverty reduction will not be enough to justify the global economy by providing convincing arguments with references and quotes from established sources. The same issue has been brought into the light through ‘What I Learned at the World Economic Crisis’ written by Joseph Slightiz.He traces the failures of IMF’s out dated policies to asses and support, the economic conditions of developing countries through his article. Through this he claims that a large flow of power has occurred to the peo ple who have brought the market to the far corners of the globe. These people were economists, bureaucrats, and officials who acted in the name of the United States and the other advanced industrial countries but they were not able to communicate as effectively as they spoke a language that few citizens could comprehend and that few policymakers bother to translate.Economic policy is the most fundamental part of the communication between America and the rest of the world. But it is a grave fact that the nature of the justice of international economy is not just or democratic where big parties such as IMF do not take country constraints into consideration while formulating policies (Stiglitz, 2000). A part of the book by Kapstein is focused on tracing some of the detail issues which are linked to the issue of a just global economy, as they are critical to a couple billion people around the world.Even if some modifications are made in how the WTO works, it would have a negative impact as on the lives of rural peoples, particularly in developing countries. Through the book Kapstein has debated over the topic that merely emphasizing on the issue of poverty is inadequate to make the global economy just as it does not put relations between states front and center. â€Å"It is governments,† he writes, â€Å"that sign treaties and agreements, impose sanctions and boycotts, and make war and peace, and it is governments that — for good or for bad — are ultimately accountable for their actions at home and abroad.† It can be simply said that a theory devised to justify the global economy must stress on the relations between states and the kinds of economic arrangements states subscribe to. Individuals are not the only moral agents but the states are also moral agents, who are responsible to one another as well as to their citizens (Rosenthal, 2006). Bibliography Black, Maggie, 2002. The No-Nonsense Guide to International Development, ch 2 & 3 E than B. Kapstein (2006) Review: Economic Justice in an Unfair world: Toward a Level Playing Field. . Retrieved on November 7th 2006 from:http://pup. princeton. edu/titles/8162. html Stiglitz, Jospeh,( 2000). â€Å"What I Learned at the World Economic Crisis. †Retrieved on November 7th 2006 from: http://www. mindfully. org/WTO/Joseph-Stiglitz-IMF17apr00. htm Joel Rosenthal, (2006). Economic Justice in an Unfair World: Toward a Level Playing Field Retrieved on November 7th 2006 from: http://www. cceia. org/resources/transcripts/5402. html Wade, Robert, 2006. Economic justice in an unfair world Retrieved on November 7th 2006 from: http://pienso. typepad. com/pienso/2006/09/economic_justic. html