King Lear and the Analysis of the Family Concept Essay Example for Free

King Lear and the Analysis of the Family Concept Essay The issue regarding which is more important, love and family ties or fame and political power are issues that are always present in every generation. Well, which is really more important that we should devote our lives in search for the more important thing? Is blood really thicker than water? It is a subjective topic in which persons have different experiences and stand about the subject matter. This paper aims to answer this question by referring to the epic play of William Shakespeare: King Lear. It is also important to look at the values and actions displayed by the characters of the stories and to analyze whether they are still applicable in our contemporary time. â€Å"King Lear† is regarded by many critics as one of the best works of the arguably greatest writer that has ever lived, the immortal William But despite being on of the author’s last works, â€Å"King Lear† had echoed throughout literary history as one of the best read and staged play. It has also become a staple material for those who endeavor in literature studies. The success of the text owes much to the themes that the text generates. One of those themes is an issue that the whole world can relate to about a family. The socio -cultural nature of the family had amplified significantly the readership of the text as it is being used as a study text by those in the social sciences. Family and Society Family is an essential part of the society. It is a major component in the aspect of social health in the world we live in. The family which includes the parents and children, all play a big role in shaping the society, in maintaining the social health of the place we call home. The family is a means of the propagation of life, wherein because of the family, societies continue to exist. It is because of the parent’s capability to bear children and raise them to become better people, thus accounting for a better society. Comparison and Contrast between Modern and Shakespearean King Lear Family The modern American family has more diverse components not just the typical family members. Often times, the structure of a modern family is greatly influenced with the modern influence brought about by the changing times and ideas. Modern societies are not only characterized with the great influence of technological advances and dependency, but rather in more complex terms, the modern family is subjected to changes in the ideals behind the essence of a modern family image. (Woloch 1997) But unlike in modern families, the aristocratic family of King Lear in Shakespeare’s work typifies the basic notion of family struggles at that time. The character of King Lear is portrayed as a struggling human being eager to win the favour of his children in the most drastic ways he knows best. The intention of the character of King Lear is to do what he thinks is best for his sons and daughters. However, he became so obsessed in power and blinded by his intention to protect his daughters at all costs in the expense of Cordelia. In discerning the true identity of a modern family, we realize the need to evaluate the changes in the basic unit of structure in the society from Shakespeare’s time until now. During the early centuries, the family is characterized by only one true virtue: it is composed of the father, the mother and their children. The history behind the family as a concept, involves the idea of each roles portrayed by each entity. The father is the sole provider of the family; the mother is the one who takes care of the children and the household; and the children are there to be nurtured, loved and provided for. But generally these concepts have become the main stereotypes brought into the modern societies. The play has those stereotypes. King Lear is portrayed as a noble aristocrat obsessed with his power. Cordelia is also a pivotal character in King Lear wherein she is seen as a typical good daughter who always follows her father. However, the fool can be put as an allegory of Shakespearean society wherein truth is at its essence of being true. Times change and almost everything in the society changes and has changed. Not just from infrastructure, but also the amount of knowledge shared and experienced by everyone. The concept of family has also changed dramatically. Brought by the women revolution and the emergence of the feminist concept, the country has experienced the women greatly influence the manner in which concepts in the society is changed.(Woloch 1997) The role of women in the society has greatly changed from the stereotyped domesticated females, to the working and productive women of the future.(Kemp Squires 1997) This is an important phenomenon in history that must be addressed in order to define the concept of changing family image. One notable contribution came from the â€Å"changed† status of women and the achievement of gender equality in the country. Another contributing factor to the changing views in family image made by the play King Lear is the role portrayed by men in the society. From a patriarchal type of society, King Lear for instance, experience a dramatic change brought about by the change in the status of women.(Woloch 1997) Men in modern times have to compete more and more with women in context of career and including family life. There is a great paradigm shift of roles from the earlier centuries wherein men have the sole right to work for their family. In modern societies, women share equal roles in bringing and managing resources within the household. These events are clearly depicted in both stories of King Lear and Cordelia. Placed in both different contexts, the two characters in the play depicted the changes within the modern family. In the King’s character, the life of a domesticated father is shown albeit part of the aristocracy. The concept of tough love towards Cordelia is present in all acts. Having experience what probably most modern fathers are experiencing, Shakespeare realized is that being a domesticated father entails the kind sympathy for mothers who spends most of the time taking care of the kids. While men busily work to earn their monthly income, mothers are entailed with a much greater responsibility in terms of taking care of the children. There is a conflict shown in the essay in which the author questions his capacity, as a male figure in the society, to handle such responsibility in the home. While his wife is away, he maintains to struggle between his job as a writer and as an on-hands father. Every domesticated father will realize that it is somehow degrading to realize that he can not do his job or fulfill his professional aspirations in life if he exchanges his role with the wife. There is the internal conflict that lies within the men to question their respective roles in the society and specifically in their own family. Osborne explains the struggles experienced by men in accepting that hard roles that women portray in the society. Once they too have experienced being domesticated, this eventually changes their own perception of their role in the family. Sexual identity and social identity is another main idea in the play’s depiction of courtship. In the story, social acceptance has a main role in considering this kind of modern family. This can be seen over the courting of the Duke of Cornwall towards Cordelia. Over the years, society has witness the growing number of social class relationships that includes a child or the wanting of a child. Many states still is irreconcilable with the issues behind aristocracy. But it is of practice to respect and tolerate the decision by the protagonist in handling his family. Obstetrics, Family, and Social Health on King Lear   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Obstetrics is a key in maintaining social health because it deals with a big part in the society – the family. A particular concept which can be adapted in thes paper, Obstetrics makes sure that life propagates, because it takes care of the women’s concerns during pregnancy, the formation of a new life, a life that would play a big role in the society. Obstetrics takes care of being able to have children of your own, which is another important factor in the family. A child, the product of the parent’s love and efforts, completes the society’s building block, the family (Nesbitt, 2002). As in the case of the main protagonist in the play, the same concept can be applied since King Lear had a difficult time in handling his children effectively. Comparison of the Concept of Family in other Shakespearean Plays In the story of Antigone, Haemon must choose between her love for Antigone and the fame and political power that await him if he obeys his father. In both Antigone and King Lear, the concept of patriarchal obedience is evident. Now Haemon is facing a dilemma because of the conflict between his love and his father. The same choice goes for Antigone for she wants to give her brother the honor of being buried in the right way. Both cases can be traced back to the struggles of Cordelia under his father. However, doing so would mean that she must disobey King Lear’s order. Disobeying the king does not only take the opportunity to be the princess by marrying the king’s son, Haemon, but her own life as well. But Antigone and Haemon decided to follow their hearts. In the end, Antigone killed herself. Knowing that his love is death, Haemon also decided to end his life. Thus, their value for their love ones cost them their own lives. However, they still gain the respect and sympathy of the people of Thebes. It can be said that the actions of Antigone and Haemon are not applicable in our present time. Although there are several movies that portray the same idea, this rarely happen in reality. It is a very rare case in which lovers decided to end their lives since it is impossible for them to be together. They can be considered as martyrs rather than heroes because of the act. Antigone also displays the kind of courage and determination that is greatly needed in our society today. Although she is a woman, she defies the odds and even the king for what she believes is right. Adding to the fact that she lives in the period when woman are considered inferior to man. This kind of courage is really needed by the present generation. Not only woman but men as well that have the courage to stand up and are willing to sacrifice their own lives in order to make a change. Today, although woman are accepted by our society and are ‘said’ to be equal to men, there are still some times that they are afraid to speak out and fight for their rights. Also both men and women are sometimes afraid to question some of the things that they find unjust in the society. They are afraid to face the consequences and are unwilling to make a change to improve social order. This characteristic is really needed in our society today, the courage to fight for what is right even if the whole society is against us. If only there are those like Antigone that are willing to give it all in order to make a change, I’m sure that our society will be a better place to live.   On the other hand, King Lear cannot consider himself victorious. His persistence and determination to exercise his power over the people of Thebes had a considerably great cost. Not only had he lost the sympathy of his people not to mention the approval of the gods but the life of his daughters and sons as well. His authority blinded him and the result is loosing the persons that he values the most. If our present leaders will demonstrate the same reason and behavior like that of King Lear, the people will surely revolt and take their powers and authority away and give it to someone more deserving and just. The people will surely not tolerate such actions. Whether to choose love and family over fame and political power is really a big decision. You cannot have the best of both worlds. To pursue love means to let go of powers and fame and vise versa. Also we cannot really determine which is important, whether to choose love and family ties over fame and power depends upon the situation. What is important is that we do not only consider our own benefit in making the right decision. Also the stories show that to pursue love and power is not wrong, however living your life to attain just one of them is sure to cost you a lot. In making a decision we should both consider the heart and as well as the mind in order to come up with the right decision. References: Ashbee, Edward. American Society Today. New York: Manchester University Press, 2002. Hertz, Rosanna, and Nancy L. Marshall. Working Families : The Transformation of the American Home. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001. Hutter, Mark. The Changing Family. 3rd ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. Kemp, Sandra, and Judith Squires. Feminisms. Oxford Readers. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Woloch, Nancy. Early American Women : A Documentary History, 1600-1900. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997. Wakefield, Thaddeus, and NetLibrary Inc. The Family in Twentieth-Century American Drama. New York: P. Lang, 2004.

Life at college :: essays research papers

Term Paper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The person with whom I sat and collected my data for my term paper was a woman who works in the Ethnic Studies program in the library here at school. I interviewed her not because she work in Ethnic Studies, but because she, like myself was a member of a Greek-Letter organization. For the rest of the population that does not know, she is in a sorority and I am in a fraternity. Due to the fact that we had such a common ground, certainly there was a number of direction that my paper could have taken, but I focused it on the way it was when she pledged, and the way it is now and moreover why numbers of intakes are decline so rapidly in this part of the country.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The woman I spoke with was a girl, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Delta Sigma Theta, along with eight other fraternities and sororities comprise the National Pan-Hellenic Council. This council is the housing body for these nine historically black Greek-Letter Organizations, more commonly named the â€Å"Noble Nine†. The oldest of these organizations is Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.(1908) and the youngest is the fraternity that I am a member of, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.(1963). Lisa’s organization was founded in 1913, just the fifth of these organizations founded, and only the second sorority. As has been evidenced, with certain organizations having more years on others, some prejudices and stereotypes have been created and perpetuated, and this is where we began our discussion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"You guys weren’t even around when I pledged† was one of the first things Lisa said to me in our interview. Although, Lisa did pledge after 1963, Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc., had not yet been an officially inducted in to the NPHC. Although Lisa takes a more pro-active and mature approach to learning about this new organization, there still remain a few that don’t. â€Å"I know about your organization, although they weren’t around when I was in school†, Lisa said. The minority of the Greek population feels as though if you weren’t around when the pledged, then you don’t exist or get recognized. Also the older the organization: the larger the organization. For instance, since Lisa’s sorority was founded an entire fifty years before mine, their membership is significantly higher. Some people from the old school of thought have being enculturated to hold the disposition that an organization’s wort h is directly related to its size.

“On the Waterfront” and the Music of Leonard Bernstein

Addam Farmer MUS 468I Written Project Professor Perry La Marca 3/19/2012 â€Å"On the Waterfront† and the Music of Leonard Bernstein (1954) â€Å"On the Waterfront† is a masterpiece film about a union man (Terry Malloy) whom makes an attempt to stand up to the corrupt mob bosses leading the Longshoremen’s Union. Just as important as the plot of the film is the music; the original score by Leonard Bernstein greatly influenced how other composers would approach film scoring.Bernstein combined the â€Å"American† characteristics of Aaron Copland’s music (disjunct melodies, wide intervals, small but colorful ensembles) with the dark and somewhat disturbing elements of modernism. Bernstein did not shy away from dissonance, and he also incorporated jazz elements (such as brass and rhythmic syncopation) into the equation. During the opening credits, we can hear a solo French horn followed by a small music ensemble. This is expected of the modernist techniq ue – to start off with one instrument followed by others mirroring the opening melody and/or providing contrapuntal contrast.What is amazing about â€Å"On the Waterfront† is not just the music itself –rather, it is the way in which Bernstein employs his music. The movie score is not wall-to-wall; there are long periods of silence in the film (other than sound effects and dialog. ) Strategic musical entrances and long periods of silence are carefully placed to help with the storytelling of the film. For instance, when the â€Å"non-corrupt† members of the Longshoremen’s Union meet in the Church to discuss their problems, there is no music.Suddenly, thrilling â€Å"danger† music begins to play, followed by the mobsters’ attempt to break up the union meeting. The corrupted mobsters begin to beat up the union members, showering them with intimidation. The placement of the music plays a vital role in this scene as the absence of the music symbolizes the absence of conflict. Another way Bernstein helped the film is through his utilization of various themes. The â€Å"Waterfront† theme serves as the frame of the musical score.Parts of the theme can be heard throughout the film, but the â€Å"Waterfront† theme is only heard in the complete form at the beginning and end of the film. There is also a love theme that acts as the catalyst for the portrayal of Edie and Terry’s chemistry. Lastly, the dominant theme in the film is the â€Å"Violence† theme, which is first heard in the second scene with the death of Joey. These themes help to distinguish the films elements: the love story between Edie and Terry, the violent nature of the corrupt union bosses, and the overall message of the film.The greatest point in the music occurs at the climax of the film, when Terry gets severely bruised and beaten by the union boss’s men. At this point, Bernstein utilizes the â€Å"Violence† theme surrounded by dissonance and jazz-style syncopated rhythms. Then, when we see Terry’s bloodied face, a plainer version of the â€Å"Violence† theme is heard in the woodwinds. The opening â€Å"Waterfront† theme is then heard by a solo horn after Terry asks the others to â€Å"Put me on my feet. † The horn is joined by an orchestra.The proceeding music follows the nationalistic, proud, â€Å"American† music style of Aaron Copland – Bernstein again shows the listeners where his own compositional influences come from. The grand performance of the theme suggests the unity of the union members standing up to the mob bosses. The theme also can suggest the courage held by the longshoremen as working citizens of American society. Leonard Bernstein was a musical genius in many different aspects. It is kind of a shame that â€Å"On the Waterfront† was his only original film score – even â€Å"West Side Story† was later adapted for film.His intelligent use of various themes coupled with his great sense for rests in the score create a mood that sucks the viewer into the world of Terry Malloy. His careful decisions concerning where to place the silences also help to surprise the viewers in a way that is conducive to the film; the viewer can’t help but wonder what will happen next. It is no wonder that Bernstein’s scoring for â€Å"On the Waterfront† was held in high esteem by the very composers that inspired him.

How does St John Rivers compare to Rochester Essay

Jane Eyre is a novel written by Charlotte Bronte in 1847, it is written in the first-person narrative. The plot follows Jane Eyre through her life from a young age and through the novel the reader sees Jane maturing from a young girl into adulthood, Jane also goes through many emotions and experiences and the book touches on many themes for example love, social class and religion. During the novel Jane encounters two important men and through these men has two proposals of marriage, one from Rochester whom she loves and the other from her cousin St John Rivers. The two men are portrayed very differently, as are their marriage proposals. This essay will compare and contrast St John Rivers and Edward Rochester. Jane had a testing†¦show more content†¦If he had been handsome Jane may have felt herself to be too simple and plain, she may have been embarrassed in his company. Jane had not spent much time with men in the course of her life, up until she was ten she lived with her cousin John Reed who bullied her. She then met Mr Brocklehurst who punished and embarrassed her at Lowood School. As Jane had never spent time in the company of a pleasant man she did not know how to act in the presence of one, Jane was more familiar with men who appear to have power over her, she goes to help Rochester without him asking and calls him sir, from this it appears she believes it is her duty to help him. Jane describes St John Rivers in a very different light; her first description of him is a very pleasant one, one she defines as a gentle description. She discusses him as young, possibly twenty eight or thirty and of a tall and slender build; she claims his face is riveting to the eye, that he has a Greek face and a straight nose ‘His eyes were large and blue, with brown lashes; his high forehead, colourless as ivory, was partially streaked over by careless locks of fair hair.’ Chapter 29. She believes that St John Rivers may be shocked by her plain looks as he was so handsome. Yet she is not shy of him, this could be due to her spending time in Rochester’s company. She has learnt how to be comfortable around men and other people, her self-esteem has grown through being with people whoShow MoreRelatedEssay on An Analysis of Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre1431 Words   |  6 Pageslife. Jane Eyre was born an orphan and raised under the hands of a heartless Aunt. Aunt Reed stressed to Jane that she was privileged to live so well without any parents. At a young age, she has to discover the hardships of life. 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