Appearance versus reality Essay

Appearance versus reality Appearance versus reality is an important theme in William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’. The theme focuses on characters who are deceived by what appears to be real, and on the tragic consequences that follow this error in judgement. By evaluating the way the play shows that appearances are deceptive and the consequences of each pretence it is apparent that Shakespeare is conveying the message that all humans must make a decision whether to choose the world of appearance or real world concerns. This suggests that the characters who choose to be authentic will gain rewards and the characters who are deceptive will suffer the consequences. Throughout the play there are many examples of how appearances are deceptive and characters choose the world or appearance rather than of real world concerns. The audience is immediately introduced to the idea of appearance rather than reality through the supernatural witches. In act 1 scene 1 they say â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair† this is an idea that contradicts itself, and is used to foreshadow the fact that characters in the play who seem to be good and righteous (Macbeth and Lady Macbeth) may actually be tainted or evil, and vice versa. This is clear whilst looking at both Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth, as their appearances and the way the act are deceptive and generally fatal to the other characters. Macbeth’s appearance differs from his true self. He portrays himself to be strong and wise, but inside he is truly weak. When he first faces the witches predictions, he says; â€Å"Come what come may, time and the hour runs through the roughest day.† (Act I, Scene 3) Basically he says that any good fortune that may come to him in the future will come on its own. He wants to appear collected, strong, and noble, but in the end, he completely contradicts his statement by greedily killing men to get what he expects is his for the taking. This shows his extreme weakness and deception of being a strong, noble man as he believes what three weird strangers tell him. Just like her husband, Lady Macbeth paints herself as a very potent woman. In spite of this facade, the murders and guilt beat at her conscience until she too crumbles. She tells her husband to â€Å"Look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under’t (Act 1, Scene 5), in order to hide their true intentions  whilst meeting King Duncan. Both these characters deceive others and also themselves as their original personalities are destroyed with the ambition to be king, by the thought of power and by the prophecies of the three witches. In ‘Macbeth’, ambition is presented as a dangerous quality. It causes the downfall of both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth and triggers a series of deaths in Macbeth. Ambition has a series of consequences in the play: Macbeth is slain as a tyrant and Lady Macbeth commits suicide. Shakespeare does not give either character the opportunity to enjoy what they have achieved by deceiving the other characters. This is clearly revealed in Macbeths soliloquy in Act 5, Scene 5, where he states: She should have died hereafter; There would have been a time for such a word. To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day To the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. Here, Macbeth is summing up his life’s work, concluding that it’s nothing. Macbeth is saying that we are deceived if we think our lives should have meaning, he feels like this ass his ambition has left him empty. All this struggle—the fake appearance, the murder, the plotting, the self-questioning, the eternal damnation—and the world ends up exactly where it began: Malcolm will be king, and no one will remember Macbeth except as an evil, blood-thirsty traitor. By understanding the characters motives and personalities an understanding of  the representation of the human condition is established. It is clear that throughout the play desire and ambition comes before morals and the sense of power allows people to change their views and potentially become somebody their â€Å"not†. Macbeth knows to kill the king is immoral but is easily persuaded into doing so even though he knows it is fraudulent. This allows the understanding that humans are easily persuaded and although they might second-guess their actions, their lust for power and an influence on their decision making is a huge motivation to do â€Å"wrong†. The soliloquy in Act 2, scene 1 proves that Macbeths mind begins to play tricks on him, as the guilt of what he is about to do gets the better of him. Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand? Come, let me clutch thee. I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. Art thou not, fatal vision, sensible to feelings as to sight? Or art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressed brain? I see thee yet, in form as palpable as this which I now draw. Thou marshall’st me the way I was going. And such an instrument I was to use. Mine eyes are mode the fools o’th’other senses, or else worth all the rest, I see thee still. And on thy blade and dudgeon gouts of blood, which was no so before. There’s no such thing; it is bloody business which informs thus mine eyes. Now o’er the on half-world nature seems dead and wicked dreams abuse the curtain’d sleep. This soliloquy in Act 2, Scene 1 implies Macbeth’s uncertainty and second thoughts about killing his king. The dagger’s appearance is somewhat ambiguous it can be read as an omen that Macbeth should proceed, or is it a final warning of his conscience? This further shows how humans will second-guess their actions and generally rely on others to push them over the edge to make their decision. Throughout the play it is clear that appearance versus reality is a main theme in the text. Ambition and search for power allows characters such as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to seem innocent and loyal but in reality be ‘evil’. By evaluating the way the play shows that appearances are deceptive and the consequences of each pretence it is apparent that Shakespeare is conveying the message that all humans must make a decision whether to choose the world of appearance or real world concerns. This suggests that the characters who choose to be authentic will gain rewards and the characters  who are deceptive will suffer the consequences. By understanding the text, it is clear that the appearance of these characters is nothing like the reality, and this became a tragedy to themselves and others.

Adolescent Behaviors and the Challenges in Society Today Essay

Increased awareness needs to be established so that adults can be aware of adolescent behaviors and challenges in our society today. Some issues as simple as adolescents are being ostracized because of obesity, mothers work schedule causing risky behaviors, children being raised by depressed mothers, parent stress causing adolescents not to have good self-concept, and adolescents being involved in risky behavior in order to be accepted by peers. All of these actions are causing behaviors such as teen pregnancy, self-injuries, suicide, and eating disorders. Research states many of these behaviors have high statistics coming from the home environment. The United States having the highest teen pregnancy rate all around, what are parents doing wrong and how can society be educated so that behaviors can change with adolescents in the world today. With increased awareness of what adolescents are doing, adults can be helpful to adolescents who are so desperately in need of attention? A family needs to raise their children in a Christian setting so they will have a solid foundation when they grow into adolescents because, they need to be strong enough to face the challenges, peer pressures, and behaviors of our adolescents who are not raised to know right from wrong in their environment. Because of reality of society all adolescents will be challenged to deal with other adolescent behaviors. Adolescents can’t be put into a bubble and be protected from what society has to offer. Society is proof that there is lack of guidance for adolescents in the world today. Is society proof that there is lack of guidance for adolescents in the world today? Research proves lack of guidance is evident. In this study research says that adolescent problems can stem from weight problems, peer pressure, parents work schedule, and parent stress, causing many different behaviors in adolescents. See more:  The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis Essay The discussion in one of the articles researched says that social status for adolescents depend on how your body is developed. Girls and boys are not being accepted or are not popular by peers if they are overweight. â€Å"Adolescent girls are more popular if they have the â€Å"perceived body size† and the boy’s popularity depends on the â€Å"overall muscularity† of his body† (Wang,S.S., Houshyar, &Prinstein, 2006). The research in this article is based on â€Å"522 students in grades 11 and 12.† (Wang, 2006) â€Å"The research was discovered by students choosing popular kids and not so popular kids and results being those popular kids, having the perceived bodies being popular and the not so popular kids being overweight† (Wang, 2006). This research states â€Å"Messages within the media or family promoting ‘idea’ body shapes may be reinforced within adolescents’ own peer groups and associated with social rewards that are particularly salient during this developmental stage† (Wang, 2006). â€Å"Adolescents who desire to achieve high levels of status among peers may be motivated to engage in behaviors that will help them achieve an â€Å"ideal† body shape. (Wang, 2006) Do adolescents have to be socially ostracized by peers to be motivated to look the same as others to be accepted? Are we accepting these behaviors from adolescents, that they should ostracized by anyone? With appropriate guidance and education, we can help adolescents with weight problems instead of adolescents wanting to lose weight to be accepted by peers. The cultural idea for adolescents is to be slim and trim and when they are not slim and trim they react with different kinds of eating disorders. â€Å"Psychological consequences may be particularly severe during a time of life when body image is of special concern† (Feldman, 2011). Anorexia is a disorder when the person refuses to eat because they are afraid of getting fat. ( 2011) When our adolescents don’t get the proper diet it can cause health problems and psychological problems in our children. Feldman states obesity is the most common problem with our adolescents stating that, â€Å"One in 5 adolescents is overweight, and 1 in 20 can be formally classified as obese† (Feldman, 2011) Our text states why our children are becoming overweight and not getting the exercise they need to burn the calories they are eating.(2011) It is a challenge to go past a fast food place because of the affordable prices and availability. It is a challenge for family’s to eat at home. The text also states a disorder called bulimia which adolescents eat large amounts of food and then they vomit it out of their system.(2011) These disorders are very serious and can lead to many health problems. The challenge for adolescents to have the perceived body weight is hurtful to those who are considered overweight or obese. This idea of perceived body weight is causing depression which causes risky behaviors for adolescents. Another example that shows guidance is vital is in this article about peer pressure and friend influences. The article states how our adolescents are being influenced by peer pressure. Do our adolescents have to join the group norms to be accepted or are they strong enough to say no and still be liked by the group? In this research there are two categories of friends called stable friends and unstable friends. Who influence who? According to research â€Å"the more accepted friend had greater influence than the less accepted friend after the friendship was established† ( Laursen, 2012). When the stable friends were paired up with the unstable friends, the stable friends were influencing the unstable friends. (2012 ) â€Å"The stable friends being the popular group and the unstable friend being the less popular group the unstable group was being pressured by the stable groups† (Laursen, B., Hafen, C. A., Kerr, M., & Stattin, H† (2012). Research stated that the unst able friends did not influence the stable friends. (2012) The stable friends were influencing to the unstable friends because of their status in who they were and the unstable friends were being accepted. The research shows how â€Å"adolescents alter behaviors so that they will fit in even when it comes to alcohol consumption and other deviant behaviors† (Laursen, 2012). This is a challenge even for the stable friends to be able to say no to the alcohol and other deviant behaviors. If parents would teach their children about peer pressure, use the word as something happens, the children would know when an issue comes up and they said they did it because everyone else did, let them know they allowed themselves to do the wrong thing because of peer pressure. How something as simple as parental work schedules cause risky behaviors in adolescents. Why are parental work schedules vital when it comes to adolescent risky behaviors? What are adolescents doing while parents are at work? The article provides â€Å"new evidence on the pathways linking parental work schedules with adolescent risky behaviors†( Han, W.-J., Miller, D. P., & Waldfogel, J. (2010). The research states that years of night shift work for mothers indicate that the relationship between their children are not developed as to mothers who work day time jobs.(2010) Parents working to make a living are having to sacrifice having a relationship with their children. As these parents work it allows more freedom for risky behaviors. Also, while parents are working different shifts research indicates that parents don’t know what their children are doing or where their children are.(2010) â€Å"Effects were particularly evident when parents work such schedules during children’s middle childhood years but were also evident during preschool years and early adolescence†(Han, 2010). Our analyses by children’s developmental stage suggest that the number of year’s parents worked nonstandard hours at various stages of childhood influence adolescent outcomes, but in different ways depending on the stage when nonstandard shift work occurred. These results make sense given that children face very different developmental tasks during these different stages. In the middle childhood years mark a time of important changes related to school transitions, developmental advances that establish children’s sense of identity, and developing relationships with parents and peers. These years serve as a foundation for later development, and experiences during these periods can have lasting effects. (Han, 2010) The risky behaviors focused on in this article while parents are working was, â€Å"cigarette smoking, alcohol use, drug use, delinquency, and sexual behavior. With evidence of all these behaviors in adolescents because of parents work schedule, parental guidance is vital in our society today so that these behaviors will be recognized by parents so they will know that their adolescent needs some attention. This article provides facts about how much parent stress is apparent toward parenting behavior and how it reflects adolescent’s self-concept? According to the findings in this article, parent behavior reflected on their stress that they deal with daily? How does the parent behavior affect the adolescent’s self-concept? The article debates how the lax parents and stern parent’s reactions are toward adolescent’s self-concept. The parent’s relationship to the child contributes to the child’s â€Å"self-concept and well-being.† Without self-worth how can adolescents achieve what they need to accomplish in their life as they grow into adulthood. Putnick, D.L., Bornstein, M. H., Hendricks, C., Painter, K.M., Suwalsky, J.T. D.&Collins, W.A. (2008)† Why is society having so many problems with adolescents? Appropriate parental guidance is vital so that adolescents can grow into healthy men and woman. However, we have adolescents growing up and being exposed to many different challenges. Being raised by a mother who has dealt with depression, the article states that the children are the caretakers of the siblings and the house. (2009) The authors stated that they observed â€Å"a 13-year old boy talked about regularly preparing dinner for his mother and younger sibling (instrumental caretaking) and a 9-year old girl offered suggestions to her mother for ways to feel better and reduce her stress at work, including setting up and appointment to talk with her boss. (Emotiona l caretaking)† (Champion,Jaser, Reeslund, Simmons, Potts, Shears,Ccompas, (2009). â€Å"Emotional and instrumental caretaking were significantly correlated with greater self-reported anxiety-depression symptoms only among adolescents whose mothers had a history of depression† (Champion, 2009).The research states that â€Å"mothers think there children are more capable if they are preforming emotional caretaking however the children feel more anxiety and depression when they are preforming those task† (Champion, 2009). How do these children stand a chance to grow and develop their needs if they are caring for depressed mother? The challenges these children face are tremendous as they grow into adult hood. They totally missed childhood and all their lives saw their mother cry, take overdose and the many other behaviors that depressed people do. These children grow cold of emotions. They don’t know how to express except the way their mother expressed. How do we expect them to grow up as good citizens? The United States having the highest teen pregnancy rate of all other countries is not making a good statement of how adolescents are seeking to get the attention they need. The authors in this article state that a â€Å"disturbing discovery that the percentage of apparently involuntary sex among female teens is a significant social problem, around 13% for ages 15-19 by one estimation† (Thomas and Dimitrox, 2007). Also another alarming fact discovered is that â€Å"over half of teens ages 15-19 have had oral sex, including roughly 25% who have not engaged in vaginal sex (2007). Seeing it as a strategy to avoid pregnancies, many teens believe that oral sex avoids the prospect of STD’s including HIV/AIDS. (Thomas, and Dimitrox (2007).† Research detects that direct effects of teen pregnancy are coming from background variables such as family poverty, early school failure, and dysfunctional family systems. â€Å"Some research suggests that most of the economic consequences of early childbearing can be explained by family background variables.†(Thomas and Dimitrox, 2007) However, research is not saying that all teen pregnancies are coming from these variables. â€Å"Recent data suggest that the number of children living in poverty in the United States would have risen by 8.3% if the teen birth rates had not declined as they did for the years 1991-2003† (Thomas , 2007). Education to adolescents and parents is vital. There are so many grandparents raising the adolescents’ babies. The adolescents never have to take responsibility for their action because they have someone to raise their child. What do they do but go have another child for their parents. Even more hurtful than teen pregnancy, would be facing a knock on the door telling you you’re adolescent tried to commit suicide or even worse committed suicide. â€Å"The institute of Medicine defines a suicide attempt as a nonfatal, self-inflicted destructive act with the explicit or implied intent to die.† (Hausmann, C., Kuhlberg, J., A., Zayas, L.H., Nolle, A., P., & Cintron, S., L. 2012) We often think that these things can’t happen to us until we are faced with the issue at hand. Research says that â€Å"depression is the number one disorder diagnosed among adolescents†( Hausmann, 2012). Research also states that depression is associated with the greatest risk of suicide attempts.(2012) â€Å"Adolescents are using objects in their homes to commit suicide such as, drug overdose, knives, pieces of glass, nail files, and guns† (Hausmann, 2012). Less common attempting methods were â€Å"jumping off buildings, suffocating by placing plastic bags over their heads, and trying to hang themselves† (Hausmann, 2012). The majority of adolescents in this study had a lifetime history of two to more than six previous suicide attempts† (Hausmann, 2012). The authors state that the â€Å"Latino population adolescents are at high risk for attempted suicide† (Hausmann, 2012).† Latino population for the youth is up to 41% in the US†(Hausmann,2012). The 76 adolescents in this study have already tried suicide 2 or 3 times. The article states that adolescents will try suicide in the next 3 or 4 months and may continue trying suicide up to the next 12 years. (Hausmann, 2012) `Talk about a heartbreaking behavior for parent, siblings, whom ever involved. If parents could get some education on some of these behaviors, to reinforce that there is a problem with Adolescents growing up in society today. â€Å"The structure of the family for the last couple decades has changed in many ways. With an increase in the number of parents who both work outside of the home, soaring divorce rate, and a rise in single-parent families, the environment faced by children passing through middle childhood in the 21st century is very different from that faced by prior generation† (Feldman, 2011 pg.332). Conclusion is that a family needs to raise their children in a Christian setting so they will have a solid foundation when they grow into adolescents because, they need to be strong enough to face the challenges, peer pressures, and behaviors of adolescents today. Adolescents who go to church are not free from this kind of behaviors but have a solid rock to stand on if they know the Lord. Is society proof that there is lack of guidance for adolescents in the world today? Reference Champion, J. E., Jaser, S. S., Reeslund, K. L., Simmons, L., Potts, J. E., Shears, A. R., & Compas, B. E. (2009). Caretaking behaviors by adolescent children of mothers with and without a history of depression. Journal of Family Psychology 23(2), 156-166 . Feldman S.R., (2011). Food, and Eating Disorders: Fueling the Growth of Adolescence, Development across the Life Span, Pg.365. Grella, C. E., Stein, J. A., & Greenwell, L. (2005). Associations among Childhood Trauma, Adolescent Problem Behaviors, and Adverse Adult Outcomes in Substance-Abusing Women Offenders. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 19(1), 43-53. Han, W.-J., Miller, D. P., & Waldfogel, J. (2010). Parental work schedules and adolescent risky behaviors. Developmental Psychology, 46(5), 1245-1267. Hausmann-Stabile, C., Kuhlberg, J. A., Zayas, L. H., Nolle, A. P., & Cintron, S. L. (2012). Means, intent, lethality, behaviors, and psychiatric diagnosis in Latina adolescent suicide attempters. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 43(3), 241-248. Laursen, B., Hafen, C. A., Kerr, M., & Stattin, H. (2012). Friend influence over adolescent problem behaviors as a function of relative peer acceptance: To be liked is to be emulated. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 121(1), 88-94. Nock, M. K., Holmberg, E. B., Photos, V. I., & Michel, B. D. (2007). Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview: Development, reliability, and validity in an adolescent sample. Psychological Assessment, 19(3), 309-317. Putnick, D. L., Bornstein, M. H., Hendricks, C., Painter, K. M., Suwalsky, J. T. D., & Collins, W. A. (2008). Parenting stress, perceived parenting behaviors, and adolescent self-concept in European American families. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(5), 752-762. Thomas, C.L., & Dimitrov, D. M. (2007). Effects of a teen pregnancy prevention program on teen’s attitudes toward sexuality: A latent trait modeling approach. Developmental Psychology, 43(1), 173-185.

AP World History, How to write CCOT Essay

The spread of Buddhism and development of Neo-Confucianism represented cultural changes in China. Buddhist monasteries gained political and economic influence through acting as advisors to rulers and through generous grants of land. Empress Wu, a ruler during the Tang Dynasty, used Buddhist principles to rule and was considered a Bodhisattva by Buddhists. Pure Land Buddhism offered the promise of a better afterlife while Chen Buddhism emphasized meditation. The increased popularity of Buddhism in China was a result of the political and economic chaos following the decline of the Han. Buddhism was a salvation doctrine that offered succor to the poor and oppressed. Increasing numbers of sons in the gentry class dropped out of society and became monks, which led to an anti-Buddhist backlash during the Song period. Chinese leadership transitioned from the Han through the Tang. After the fall of the Han there was a period of disunity and chaos called the Three Kingdoms period. Eventually, the Sui asserted their rule, building the Grand Canal and invading Korea and Japan. When the Sui fell due to overexpansion, the Tang took power and established a cosmopolitan rule, extending Chinese territory over the Silk Road and integrating central Asian cultural elements such as Polo and wearing pants. The fall of the Han was caused primarily by pressure from outside invaders on China’s Northwest border – the Great Wall proved ineffective. The re-establishment of dynastic rule resulted from core Chinese values inherent in the Dynastic Cycle and Mandate of Heaven. The effects of the Fall of the Han and subsequent rise of the Sui and Tang Dynasties was cultural change as outside cultures influenced China, including the influence of Indian Buddhism and central-Asian nomadic culture. Confucianism was a cultural continuity throughout the time period. The Han had established the Confucian exam system although test-taking was limited to members of the elite. Under the Sui and Tang the examination system became an important way to establish merit-based government, and examinees were responsible for memorizing and analyzing the Confucian classics. Confucianism and later neo-Confucianism clearly defined the relationship between husband and wife, as evidenced in the â€Å"Three Submissions† women were supposed to obey. Even during the heyday of Buddhist influence, Confucian ideals about the family and roles in society influenced many or the elite and peasant class. Ultimately, Confucianism re-asserted itself in the form of Neo-Confucianism, which incorporated elements of Daoism and Buddhism, and Buddhist influence was squelched. As a result Buddhism is a tiny minority religion in China today, while Confucian values continued through later dynasties. Globally, salvation religions were spreading rapidly during this period as classical empires fell and insecurity became widespread. Christianity was similarly making headway Western Europe, as the collapse of the Roman Empire led to chaos and disruption.

Violence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Violence - Research Paper Example Regardless of what argument a person takes, â€Å"Call of Duty† should be an adult game that is only played by people over the age of 18 or young people who have reached the moral stage of development that understands right from wrong. A 1994 survey of young students, between fourth and sixth grades, showed that the longer a person plays a video game the more their personal empathy for others was reduced (Funk, Baldacci, Pasold & Baumgardner, 26). Empathy is the level of personal respect and emotional attachment that a person has to the needs of others in society. This study suggests that if a child were to play â€Å"Call of Duty† for a long period of time, and be exposed to ongoing brutal images, they will be likely to adopt personality traits that make them less caring about others. This theory offers that young people will become desensitized after prolonged periods, making them less teamwork focused and able to support others in the community with positive emotions. In my personal life, I have watched many young children playing violent video games, including â€Å"Call of Duty†. Some of these children were between the ages of eight and 17 years. I have seen children who get very involved with the content of the game, and will explode verbally when they fail to meet content targets or achieve the game’s goal. One young child, a family friend of age 12, actually would slam the computer mouse down on the counter and swear at the computer when playing the game. This was something that was not common with this child when in other social environments. This would add support to the idea that it can change the personality behaviors of children when they play the game over and over again. A normally content and non-explosive child who, when exposed to violent game play, begins to act uncontrollably and angry should be an

Ancient Greek Theater Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ancient Greek Theater - Essay Example While ancient Greek theatre went through a number of incarnations there are a number of factors that remained consistent or thematic throughout its reign. In terms of staging, generally large theatrical spaces were constructed as the audience numbered as much as fourteen thousand individuals (Freund 2000). Quite notably the acoustical dimensions of these ancient Greek stages had to be constructed in a way that carried sound extremely favorably, as this was a pivotal aspect of catering to the sizeable crowds. Indeed, it has been noted that the Greek acoustic systems in these stages is in line with state of the art acoustic systems in the contemporary environment. In terms of seating the first opening seats were wooden, and this was followed by stone seating for the majority of the theatre audience. Later in the development of the theatre a back wall was placed onto the stage to add dimension and various theatrical elements to the productions. This wall also allowed for costume changes behind the scenes. In terms of content, Greek theatre spanned a wide range of theatrical concepts. Aristotle famously outlined a number of these genres, detailing what constituted comedy from tragedy (Lesky 1965). Still, Ancient Greek theatre is perhaps most remembered for it seminal tragedies. Among the most notable, Sophocles and Aeschylus constructed tragic dramas that explored elements of the human condition in great depth and consideration. Today these theatrical productions continued to be studied and remembered for the continued insight they provide into life, as well their dramatic form of artistry. Considering the actors in the plays, it was a custom that only men in masks be admitted into the productions. It follows that there was not a star-system as one finds in the contemporary Hollywood or Broadway climate, but rather a string of actors that were at best remotely popular for their skill and dexterity. Still, all audiences watched the plays. While the nobility generall y received privileged seating arrangements there was not a division between high and low culture or class in terms of who viewed the plays. One of the central aspects of these productions was the use of masks. The use of masks in these Greek productions was most likely a holdover from an earlier theatrical era. The tradition came such that all actors were adorned in masks throughout the production. The mask was so all-encompassing that there only existed holes for the face and head, in-effect covering the entire face of the actor as a means of obscuring their identity. This allowed for the greater emergence of the character the actor was playing to be seen. The lack of emotion in the masks and the obscuring of identity also functioned as means of allowing the audience to project onto the characters their own unconscious emotions and identity, in-effect making the theatrical productions that much more engrossing and interactive (Harsh 1944). There were unique masks created for partic ular characters and emotions which also contributed to the play through the multi-varied nature of the production. In terms of costumes there were a number of unique elements that are worth considering. The actors in tragic character positions were adorned with boots referred to as cothumuses. These elements give the actors extra height and elevation in comparison to the other players. The actors who played comedic

Riordan Manufacturing Staffing strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Riordan Manufacturing Staffing strategies - Essay Example tant deadlines to be met, most of the employers don’t evaluate the pros and cons of hiring an individual and unless there are well developed staffing strategies, this will be an ongoing problem. The focus is,†People are your most important asset is wrong. People are not your most important asset: the right people are." (Jim Collins in his book "Good to Great").Hence it is very important to hire the right candidate for the right job. A well developed staffing strategy helps an organization to eliminate problems before they start. A staffing strategy provides overall guidance on how an organization deals with staff. This includes how the organization identifies with new staff, the types of people the organization wants to staff, and how to retain them. Once this strategy is decided upon, the human resource department frames some policies and procedures to support the strategy. Riordan Manufacturing is a global plastics manufacturer founded in 1991, It employs over 550 people and has projected annual earnings of $46 million. The company is wholly owned by Riordan Industries, a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion. However over the years, Riordan’s management realized that employee dissatisfaction was quite high and sales sloped downwards. As the business world has become more complex and jobs more technical† (*Shah, Sterrett, Chesser, & Wilmore (2001), many corporations have turned to strategic planning. Today, organizations have realized the importance of its human capital thus, the need to further develop, retain and attract personnel to achieve business objectives. Riordans management team has realized that the companys most important asset is their employees. HRs proactive approach to recruiting the best and brightest candidates will help to provide future leaders for the company as they continue to grow and meet the demanding challenges. In order to accomplish the organizational goals, Riordan must follow suit in attracting

Analysis of Circuit City Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analysis of Circuit City - Case Study Example I do not think that Circuit City performed poorly merely as a result of the replacement of highly paid workers with poorly paid workers. Stating that the organization’s performance was pegged on employee pay is too simplistic. Figure 1 and Figure 2 below are used to support this argument. Figure 1 shows that as Circuit City’s stock prices increase, customer satisfaction (ASCI index) decreases and vice versa. Assuming stock prices truly represent the financial performance of the organization, and also that there is a correlation between worker pay and customer satisfaction, interpreting Figure 1, one could argue that Circuit City gets higher returns when customer satisfaction is low. In this case, we would expect Circuit City to have performed better with the poorly paid workers who offered poor service. On the other hand, Figure 2 shows that the only time stock price increase/decrease corresponded with a similar increase/decrease in customer satisfaction (ASCI index) wa s between 2006 and 2007. This Figure shows no correlation between stock price and customer satisfaction. Best Buy and Circuit City are in the same industry thus we would have expected their graphs of similar variables to display the similar correlation between stock price and ASCI index unless there are other factors affecting the curves. For this reason, we find it inconclusive to state that the replacement of highly paid workers with lower-paid workers did or did not cause Circuit city to perform so poorly.

Value of IT to Richer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Value of IT to Richer - Essay Example It is important to mention that large firm considers information technology to have strategic value and is used for attaining or realizing long term strategies of firms. The case of Richter also reflects the same. The aim to privatize the organization was realized through the implementation of the SAP financial module of an enterprise wide system. The success of the strategy to privatize the organization depended largely on the accuracy of financial information collected. The decision to implement SAP depicts the true value of IT that Richter held in realizing its long term goal to privatize. One of the strategic objectives of Richter was to increase revenues and reduce costs of the company. This required greater focus on materials management and production planning processes. It is seen that the major large organizations are able to increase efficiencies of their production processes and materials management processes through the implementation of IT infrastructure. Similarly, the i nstallation of MM module or the materials management module and the PP module or the production planning module was intended to bring about efficiency enhancement and productivity improvement in the organization. This was complimented with the establishment of a decision support system consisting of two production experts through whom doubts could be clarified, regarding data, definitions, procedures or information retrieval. The role of IT in improving revenues and costs also shows its value in Richter in meeting long term goals. Although installing the two production modules involved a cost of $2.12 million which comprised of an investment of $775,000 in equipments and $1.35 million on labour expenses. However, the employment of the internal IT staff saved the organization an amount of $525,000. Governance styles in use at Richter The case of Richter reflects the use of value based style of IT governance. The operational approach to IT governance describes governance as being inte ntional activity having its own artifacts and lifestyles. The value based IT governance style is based on the approach that desired outcomes can only be achieved through value based decisions. It tries to reject unnecessary activities and focuses more on high value projects. The value based style of IT governance begins from Richter’s decision making process regarding all the governance issues with beginning of the strategic plan of the company (CGI, â€Å"CGI’s approach to driving business value within managed services engagements†). The plan was aimed to involve all IT specialists within the organization as well as the IT mangers. The plan was primarily meant to focus on how IT could provide support to the business processes in the pharmaceutical company by stipulating the maintenance projects, investments along with changes in the staffing requirements and IT infrastructures. The IT governance includes the four stages of planning, implementing, managing and a ssessing. The planning stage necessarily involves identifying the governance requirement needs such as the meeting of compliance needs, adherence to policies, enhancing business values and meeting the service levels. The planning process in Richter begins with communication with the IT leaders about the infrastructural issues in the forthcoming

Has Islam Played a Role In the Practice of Female Genital Mutilation Essay

Has Islam Played a Role In the Practice of Female Genital Mutilation - Essay Example pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the genital area† (WHO 2013). Traditional circumcisioners who have no medical knowledge mostly perform this procedure and the instruments used for the circumcision include unsterilized knives, razors, scalpels, and pieces of broken glass among many other tools. This paper would argue that the practice of FGM is mainly a product of social, cultural, physical and psychological constructs, rather than a religious obligation or Islamic perspective. Religious Claims Religion is considered as one of the major elements in keeping Female Genital Mutilation practices alive. Islam, as a widespread religion, is said to be the leader for promoting this practice. The proponents believe that it helps in maintaining the shariah of abstaining from non-Islamic practices by women. Women in Islam are to abide by the shariah rules on interactions, sexual relationships and contact with male counterparts. The proponents believe that having the F emale Genital Mutilation done, female will not consent to have such relationships with men and will be less likely to commit a sin in Islamic law. They have a strong opinion on confining women as they believe is guided by Islamic teachings. However, research shows that Muslims are led by the rules prescribed in the Holy book Quran (Koran). Research shows that Quran (Koran) does not specify the practice for females but it, rather, is identified a healthy practice for male counterparts of Muslim society. The well-known and reverend Scholar of Islam, Ghazali further elaborates on the topic with the statement that â€Å"Circumcision is Sunna for men and only makruma for girls†. Sunnah represent the practices of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which should be followed, whereas, makruma is not a legitimate principle or command to be followed by Muslims. The absence of principles regarding this practice in Quran (Koran) is a further confirmation of this mythical ideology being associat ed with religion. The proponents reveal that â€Å"Female scission is an Islamic practice mentioned in the tradition of the Prophet†, however the tradition never was meant for females but rather was carried out for the males only. Relating and applying these rules on women was entirely an overwhelmingly extremist opinion on practicing Islamic laws. Sociological Claims Since the claims on Islamic or religious viability of the concepts are refuted, one may clearly identify social concerns and traditions to be the main cause of such practices prevalent in any society. Indeed, these practices provide a rather strong indication of a girl being ready to move from one phase of life to the other. The practice is performed on girls aged between 12 and 14. Usually it is performed on girls before their menstrual cycle begins and they marry. The practice is a social activity to identify the female’s status and making them move onto the next stage of their lives. The case of Badawi is a self-explanatory evidence of violation of human rights and women in specific. She was locked

Aristotle Essay Essay Example for Free

Aristotle Essay Essay Aristotle Despite being Plato’s student, Aristotle’s views conflict with his teacher’s. The biggest difference being that Aristotle was a realist; he saw the value in studying the physical world and trusted his senses, unlike Plato who believed in the world of forms. Plato believed that we need to look beyond the physical world for a metaphysical explanation of the universe, Aristotle refuted this. Aristotle observed nature and used logic and reason to explain how it works; he tried to find the ‘action’ of why things exist and tried to make sense of them. Also, Aristotle’s approach was imperial and he trusted the use of reason based on his experience. Aristotle rejected Plato’s dualism; he thought that the body and soul are one, as the brain and body are. This opposes Plato’s views that the body and soul were separate. Aristotle believed in the four causes, the principal that everything has four causes of existence: Material cause – refers to what a thing is made of, Aristotle used the example of a bronze sculpture and a silver saucer, Aristotle would say that bronze or silver is the material cause. However, an object can have more than one material cause, for example, the laptop I’m typing on is made of plastic, metal, wires and glass; these would all be material causes. The material cause also counters Plato’s theory of the world of forms, he would say that my laptop has a perfect form however, it is made up of individual things in order to be a laptop, all of the things it is made up of must have their own perfect form according to Plato, making his theory contradictive. Formal cause – refers to the structure of an object, the shape it takes that makes it what it is. It is what we recognise as the thing we are looking at. An object must have a specific order in order to be what it is, for example, a bronze sculpture is not just a lump of bronze, and it has been shaped into a sculpture in order to function, as my laptop has been assembled into an order so it works. Efficient cause – refers to how the object has changed from a state of potentiality to what it is, for example, the way a bronze sculpture has been taken from a lump of bronze chiselled until it is made into a statue by the sculptor. The efficient cause of an object may not be as simple as this i. e. my laptop’s efficient cause may vary from machines and people to plastic moulds and screwdrivers. It is the cause of the change. Final cause – refers to the purpose of an objects being; the purpose of a sculpture might be to be admired, the purpose of my laptop is to let me watch videos of cats playing musical instruments on YouTube. Aristotle uses the example of health being the cause of walking, Why does one walk? he asks, that one may be healthy. The final cause is perhaps the most important of all of the causes. Aristotle’s understanding did not end there, he said that once something has achieved a state of actuality, it will be in a state of potentiality, for example, take ‘whiteness’, when my shirt is washed and becomes clean and ‘white’ but it has the potential to become dirty and ‘not white’ anymore. Aristotle also came up with the idea of the Prime Mover. The Prime Mover is, according to Aristotle, the ultimate and final cause of the universe. He said that everything in the universe is in a state of change (motus) so the Prime Mover must exist outside the universe, so that it is not affected by what happens inside. The Prime Mover cannot change, because to change something must exist in a state of actuality and have the potential to change i. e. an actual child is a potential adult. Aristotle does not consider the Prime Mover as a God, because a god is a living being which effects what happens in the world, however, the Prime Mover does not affect what happens in the universe, it is just the cause of it. Aristotle says that the Prime Mover has to exist because the universe has to have a cause. The Prime Mover also has to be eternal, because if something comes into existence it must be caused by something else.

Network Aware Adaptive Media Streaming in Mobile Cloud

Network Aware Adaptive Media Streaming in Mobile Cloud Authors Name/s per 1st Affiliation (Author) line 1 (of Affiliation): dept. name of organization line 2-name of organization, acronyms acceptable line 3-City, Country line 4-e-mail address if desired Authors Name/s per 2nd Affiliation (Author) line 1 (of Affiliation): dept. name of organization line 2-name of organization, acronyms acceptable line 3-City, Country line 4-e-mail address if desired Abstract—This electronic document is a â€Å"live† template and already defines the components of your paper [title, text, heads, etc.] in its style sheet. *CRITICAL: Do Not Use Symbols, Special Characters, or Math in Paper Title or Abstract. (Abstract) Keywords—multimedia streaming; mobile cloud; ranking; QoS I. Introduction In recent years, mobility of computing devices has caught the fascination and attention of many users all over the world. This has led to rapid advancement in mobile technology and now users can easily stream high quality multimedia content like audio and video on the go. A huge limitation to this, however, is the loss of quality that is incurred while transferring the data. Due to the mobile nature of the devices, varying signal strength can lead to packet loss which ultimately leads to the reduction in the quality of service (QoS). In addition, the memory available in mobile devices is relatively low. To overcome these constraints, data is stored and retrieved from a cloud. Cloud computing addresses the QoS related issues and reliability problems. The cloud has a large amount of storage space and computation power. Harnessing the power of the cloud, it will be possible to service the needs of multiple mobile clients simultaneously. Using the cloud, it is possible to allocate resources on demand and reallocate them dynamically. In order to stream data from a cloud to a mobile device, a coding and decoding architecture like H264/SVC is necessary. This architecture is an extension of the H.264/AVC. It ensures that the same quality of video that can be obtained using H.264/MPEG-4 AVC design on the mobile device. It employs spatial scalability and temporal scalability. According to spatial scalability samples of high quality data can be predicted from their decoded low quality counterparts. Using temporal scalability, the entire video is modelled in such a way that the motion is encoded as dependencies so that the picture for subsequent frames need not be encoded directly. In order to boost QoS, a technique called Bayesian-Gaussian method is used to predict the bandwidth available to the mobile user. Once the bandwidth has been predicted, the data is encoded using xuggler transcoding algorithm. To finally stream the video, multipath routing protocols are used and ranks are provided to each node to ensure that none of them have to wait indefinitely to be serviced. Following this, a comparison is made to the existing Bayesian technique proposed by Keshav[1]. II. Related Work A. Mobile Cloud Compuing A mobile cloud computing setup is one in which mobile devices outsource the computational power of the cloud. Data storage and processing are both performed outside the mobile device. B. Streaming Content C. Role of Cache in Real Time Streaming The role of the cache has been outlined by Wu et al[2]. When a Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) request is sent by a machine, the cache memory is initially searched. In case a cache miss occurs, the original server services the request. D. Improving Quality of Service A number of different approaches have been proposed in order to ensure that the quality of service is maximized. One such method presented by Wang and Dey[3] uses a technique that varies the complexity of the content depending on the network. Non-essential data in a scene are omitted to accomplish this. Lai et al[4] have also put forth an approach to data streaming that depends on the network. Prediction of the bandwidth is done based on measured historical data. This will help prevent the wastage of bandwidth. It is also noted that the video format to be used is to be chosen. This is performed by a Bayesian prediction module. A third approach is detailed by Thuy An et al[5]. Enhancements are made to the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) in order to provide an overall better experience. The data separated into two categories and compressed. Lossless techniques are used to provide the best possible output. E. Ranking The various approaches mentioned in the previous section discuss improving QoS with respect to one user. But in reality, the cloud is simultaneously accessed by more than just one user. For this reason, it is important to ensure that there is some scheduling mechanism in place that will monitor the incoming requests so that no client request is forced to wait for too long without being serviced. Zhou et al[6] have proposed a novel approach in which all the competing mobile devices work together to minimize congestion. This approach aims to strike a balance between reducing the distortion in data and increasing the performance of the network as a whole. III. Proposed Work The proposed model has two major components: the mobile device and the cloud. The mobile device simply issues the request while the cloud provides a rank, predicts the bandwidth and then streams the video accordingly. The architecture has been outlined in Fig.1. A. Mobile Device The implementation of the mobile portion of the architecture is fairly straight forward. The user is provided with the option to specify the location of the video in the cloud server. Then, the cache is check to see if the requested data is available. If it is, the data is transferred directly from the cache. This type of cached data will be accessible offline as well. In the case where a cache miss occurs, the server is accessed to retrieve the data. B. The Cloud The videos that are to be stream are stored in a separate database. When a request is made, the video is streamed using the cloud. In order to do this, three major modules are implemented in the cloud. In the cloud, the users are ranked and then the bandwidth available is estimated. Finally, xuggler transcoding is used to encode the data and the encoded data is transferred to the mobile device for viewing. Each operation is handled by a different module as show in Fig.2. C. Bandwidth Prediction D. Xuggler Transcoding E. Ranking The ranking module is used to ensure that QoS is improved while transmitting the data. Once the bandwidth has been determined, the data has to be sent in such a way that the congestion in the network is as low as possible. Ranking is done based on the user profile. The user profile contains a history of the user’s downloads as well as the bandwidth measured. Poorly performing nodes in the system are identified using this ranking system and they can be enhanced to improve the overall functioning of the network as a whole. F. Channel Assignment Once ranking is done, multipath routing algorithms are used to transfer the data. Link states are determined and the several feasible paths are selected. Since several paths are selected, the chances of congestion and packet loss are reduced. The most suitable channel for transmission of the data can be determined by solving the linear programming equation Min (1) The process of selecting the best channel is shown in Fig. 3. IV. Output The proposed system has been implemented and its results have been compared with that of the Keshav’s Bayesian technique. It can be seen that the proposed system works better than Keshav’s system consistently. Comparative studies have been undertaken on the basis of bandwidth and peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR). A. Bandwidth The bandwidth predicted by the proposed system is a lot closer to the actual measured bandwidth than that predicted by Keshav’s system. The graph in Fig.4 clearly shows the deviation of both techniques from the actual measured bandwidth. B. PSNR and Bit Rate The quality of the video streamed can be determined based on the bit rate as well as the PSNR. The proposed system performs better than Keshav’s system on both counts. This is shown in the graph in Fig.5. C. Video Quality The comparative study only shows us how the system works in comparison to Keshav’s existing system. To determine the effectiveness of this system, a detailed study of the video quality was performed and has been summarized in Table 1. Conclusion It is clear from the studies undertaken that the proposed Bayesian-Gaussian technique works well at predicting the bandwidth available. The xuggler transcoding also ensures that quality is preserved. Thus, using a mobile cloud it is possible to stream videos without a loss in quality and also without forcing the user to wait for the video to load. Acknowledgment (Heading 5) The preferred spelling of the word â€Å"acknowledgment† in America is without an â€Å"e† after the â€Å"g.† Avoid the stilted expression â€Å"one of us (R. B. G.) thanks †. Instead, try â€Å"R. B. G. thanks†. Put sponsor acknowledgments in the unnumbered footnote on the first page. References The template will number citations consecutively within brackets [1]. The sentence punctuation follows the bracket [2]. Refer simply to the reference number, as in [3]—do not use â€Å"Ref. [3]† or â€Å"reference [3]† except at the beginning of a sentence: â€Å"Reference [3] was the first † Number footnotes separately in superscripts. Place the actual footnote at the bottom of the column in which it was cited. Do not put footnotes in the reference list. Use letters for table footnotes. Unless there are six authors or more give all authors’ names; do not use â€Å"et al.†. Papers that have not been published, even if they have been submitted for publication, should be cited as â€Å"unpublished† [4]. Papers that have been accepted for publication should be cited as â€Å"in press† [5]. Capitalize only the first word in a paper title, except for proper nouns and element symbols. For papers published in translation journals, please give the English citation first, followed by the original foreign-language citation [6]. G. Eason, B. Noble, and I.N. Sneddon, â€Å"On certain integrals of Lipschitz-Hankel type involving products of Bessel functions,† Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, vol. A247, pp. 529-551, April 1955. (references) J. Clerk Maxwell, A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism, 3rd ed., vol. 2. Oxford: Clarendon, 1892, pp.68-73. I.S. Jacobs and C.P. Bean, â€Å"Fine particles, thin films and exchange anisotropy,† in Magnetism, vol. III, G.T. Rado and H. Suhl, Eds. New York: Academic, 1963, pp. 271-350. K. Elissa, â€Å"Title of paper if known,† unpublished. R. Nicole, â€Å"Title of paper with only first word capitalized,† J. Name Stand. Abbrev., in press. Y. Yorozu, M. Hirano, K. Oka, and Y. Tagawa, â€Å"Electron spectroscopy studies on magneto-optical media and plastic substrate interface,† IEEE Transl. J. Magn. Japan, vol. 2, pp. 740-741, August 1987 [Digests 9th Annual Conf. Magnetics Japan, p. 301, 1982]. M. Young, The Technical Writer’s Handbook. Mill Valley, CA: University Science, 1989.

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein Essay -- essays research papers

THE HOBBIT BY J.R.R. TOLKIEN The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is a story of adventure and danger, and it is a prime example of a romantic plot and fantasy genre. What makes this story such a great example of a romantic plot? One, the unlikely hero, Mr. Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit that is dragged on an adventure he doesn’t wish to take. Second, there is a great quest with a reward at its end. Third the great teacher figure, Gandalf is a wizard that helps Bilbo to become the great hero he is destined to be. And lastly the dragon figure, in this story the dragon figure, happened to be a dragon but there are also many miniature dragon figures through out the tale. The story begins with our soon to be hero Bilbo Baggins he’s smoking his pipe and is quite proud of the smoke rings he is managing to make. As Bilbo smokes his pipe, Gandalf stops by to have a talk with Bilbo. He informs Bilbo that he is looking for someone to go on an adventure with him. Although Bilbo is tempted to accept the offer, he declines. Before Gandalf leaves Bilbo decides to invite him for tea the next morning. Dwarves show up at his door instead, one at a time, inviting themselves in until there’s thirteen in all. Bilbo isn’t quite sure of what to make of this, but Gandalf shows up and soon it becomes apparent to Bilbo that he has been chosen by Gandalf to be the thief in an adventure to retrieve some stolen dwarf gold from a dragon named Smaug. He was a very weak character at the start of this adventur...

Cyrano de Bergerac - Cyrano as Noble Idealist :: Bergerac

Cyrano de Bergerac - Cyrano as Noble Idealist In The play Cyrano de Bergerac, the main character, Cyrano, is a noble idealist who fights against the harsh reality of ordinary life, and creates his own world. On the outside he is a strong man with a hard shell, but inside he is a melancholy poet yearning for love. He feels that the world bases love too much on appearance. He believes that no one will ever love him because of his grotesquely long nose. For this reason Cyrano cuts himself off of true reality and creates a world where love exists without appearance. In Cyranos everyday life he is a great swordsman who leads troops in to the battlefields, and fights a hundred men at once. He stands up for what he believes in and never compromises. He is full of chivalry, bravery and wit. In his life of love he is a brilliant poet, comprised of words of emotion. This life of love exists only in his mind and on the paper by which he expresses himself. In the beginning these two worlds are kept apart until Cyrano devises a way to bridge the two together. He discovers that the woman he loves, Roxanne is in love with a man named Christian. When he tells Christian that Roxanne has feelings for him, he reveals to Cyrano that he may have good looks, but a terrible way with words. Cyrano replies with "strange.... Now it seems I, if I gave my mind to it, I might perhaps make love well."..... "Borrow it then! - Your young manhood - lend me that, and we two make one hero of romance." (p. 84-85) Cyrano bridges his two worlds together through Christian. At first Cyrano assumes that this will be a good plan. At first it fills him with joy to be able to express his love for Roxanne but as time went on he realized that he was doing all the work and letting someone else take all the credit. Cyrano says in the end of the play "Yes - that has been my life... Do you remember that night Christian spoke under your window? Cyrano de Bergerac - Cyrano as Noble Idealist :: Bergerac Cyrano de Bergerac - Cyrano as Noble Idealist In The play Cyrano de Bergerac, the main character, Cyrano, is a noble idealist who fights against the harsh reality of ordinary life, and creates his own world. On the outside he is a strong man with a hard shell, but inside he is a melancholy poet yearning for love. He feels that the world bases love too much on appearance. He believes that no one will ever love him because of his grotesquely long nose. For this reason Cyrano cuts himself off of true reality and creates a world where love exists without appearance. In Cyranos everyday life he is a great swordsman who leads troops in to the battlefields, and fights a hundred men at once. He stands up for what he believes in and never compromises. He is full of chivalry, bravery and wit. In his life of love he is a brilliant poet, comprised of words of emotion. This life of love exists only in his mind and on the paper by which he expresses himself. In the beginning these two worlds are kept apart until Cyrano devises a way to bridge the two together. He discovers that the woman he loves, Roxanne is in love with a man named Christian. When he tells Christian that Roxanne has feelings for him, he reveals to Cyrano that he may have good looks, but a terrible way with words. Cyrano replies with "strange.... Now it seems I, if I gave my mind to it, I might perhaps make love well."..... "Borrow it then! - Your young manhood - lend me that, and we two make one hero of romance." (p. 84-85) Cyrano bridges his two worlds together through Christian. At first Cyrano assumes that this will be a good plan. At first it fills him with joy to be able to express his love for Roxanne but as time went on he realized that he was doing all the work and letting someone else take all the credit. Cyrano says in the end of the play "Yes - that has been my life... Do you remember that night Christian spoke under your window?

A Feminist Rhetorical Tradition of Women Fighting For Their Right to Sp

The country is crying out for liberty and equality. Every man and woman has the right to express his/her opinions,† echoes Mariah S. Stewart, the first African-American female to speak amongst a mixed race and gender crowd. Since the very moment men dictated women to act as children, seen and not heard, fervent female voices refused the patriarchal oppression aimed at quelling the efforts of their female gender’s. With a social order firmly placed in position and accepted in large by those in political and social power, women activists continued to work towards impeding the subjection, which denounced them as the weaker, unintellectual, unspiritual, less virtuous and inarticulate sex. While some of these women used the power of Christianity as a vehicle to assert their concerns of women’s lack of freedom, they simultaneously chastised men for condemning their gender as less righteous, which was essentially against God’s order. The prevalence of womenâ€℠¢s activist roots contextualizes women in a cultural manifestation of societal change. By tracing a synopsis of some of the key figures in the anti-slavery agenda, woman’s war on race and sexism, woman’s fight for equality in religiosity and ministerial vocation, and more exclusively, the women’s rights movement, we can identify in a historical tradition of rhetoric the preeminence of the female voice and her passionate declaration for individual rights to freedom and happiness Recognized as a contemporary, as well as contributor, to the leading philosophers, Plato, Socrates, Xenophon and Aristophanes of the Common Era, historians regard Aspasia of Miletus as a key figure in political and rhetorical theory. In Cheryl Glenn’s essay, â€Å"Sex, Lies and Manuscript: Refiguring Aspasia in the... ...ignificant to the women’s movement, but also to contemporary scholarship where women’s voices are often marginalized and silenced over their male counterparts. Challenging the â€Å"contemporary academic and cultural scene† forces women to regain their place in western rhetorical history while also urging women to be aware of the importance in writing themselves into history (Glenn 181). Willard speaks of the action women must take in order to persevere over female hardship; she states, â€Å"The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.† With these words, it is important to consider that change is not met by stagnation of a voice, but instead it is initiated by passionate women who within their voices can reach a majority of opposing listeners fearlessly and demand with great articulation that change must persist.

Language & Human Communication

Of all human skills, language is one of the most valuable because it allows us to communicate with one another. Human communication is important to society, enabling business and interpersonal relationships, as well as teaching and learning. Language is also important because it allows people to create new words for a changing society, like â€Å"Internet,† according to Palomar College. About Language 1. Languages are, essentially, systems of symbols that have meaning. Language is a means of human communication, whether it be expressed verbally, it writing or through sign language. All languages have a system of rules and meanings and can express an infinite number of ideas or meanings within that system. Human Language Development 2. Language is a part of human development, beginning its development in early childhood. Human language begins with what is called â€Å"babbling,† when infants make repetitive sounds like â€Å"mah mah† and â€Å"dah dah† that mark the beginning of speech development. Language is an important part of intellectual development and the development of communication skills. Communication, in turn, is vital to human language development. According to Palomar College, studies show that parents can help infants develop language skills by communicating with them often using and encouraging appropriate language rules. As the child's language skills continue to develop, he may begin to use language, albeit incorrectly. Gently correcting the child's speech can help her improve. If a child says, â€Å"I seen it,† for instance, correct by saying something like, â€Å"Yes, that's good, you saw it. I saw it, too,† thus illustrating the appropriate form of the verb â€Å"to see. † Communication and Language 3. Even though language is standardized, the interpreted meaning of the words that being communicated is influenced by a variety of factors about the situation. The way something is phrased, the tone in which it is said and the volume all matter. These â€Å"hidden† parts of communication affect way the listener interprets the speaker, according to Palomar College. Other Parts of Language 4. The message delivered through language may also be mediated by nonverbal or non-linguistic factors like body language and gestures. According to Palomar College, linguists and other language experts refer to nonverbal elements of language like tone of voice, smiling, frowning, use of personal space and other unspoken means of communication as â€Å"paralanguage† elements. Paralanguage can be just as important to human communication as language itself. In-Person Communication 5. While words are powerful, the power of in-person communication cannot be overlooked. According to Palomar College, it is estimated by researchers that up to 70 percent of the meaning derived from in-person communication comes from paralinguistic expressions. This is because paralanguage communicates the emotional and personal aspects of human communication that can be unseen in written and impersonal forms of language use.

Organizational Theory and “The Heart of Change” Essay

The book The Heart of Change shows the practical side of the theories that are taught in the course textbook. It presents stories of successes and failures based in the application of concepts discussed in Organizational Behavior and Management and in class. Although we talked about several different concepts the ones that are evident in the examples in The Heart Of Change are the more progressive and individual centered approaches. The leadership characteristics that are important to successful change in an organization are those that are espoused in the transformational theory of management. It makes sense that ideals in line with the transformational management theory would be evident in a book about how to bring about positive change in an organization. Discussion A transformational leader essentially is about growth through change, about challenging the status quo, and staff to grow and perform it is about empowerment and all of those things are important in regards to the approach put forth in The Heart Of Change. A key theme in The Heart Of Change is that change is not brought about by statistical analysis or common sense, but it comes after changing the way that people feel about an issue. It is about connecting with the individual and bringing about an emotive response that motivates a change in behavior. And that is in line with one of the focal traits of a transformational leader. They are visionary leaders who focus who create the mission, focus and goals for the organization. Their approach to leadership is centered around the individual. This is important because for a leader to effectively implement change based The Heart Of Change they would have to be aware of they motivational factors of their employees so they know how do best address the intrinsic needs to change the attitudes of employees. The Heart Of Change shows that change does not happen simply by instituting different systems, but that people are the  force that ultimately determines how well an organization adapts change. That also relates to the leadership style of the transformational leader. They focus on the people as the key elements to bring change to an organization. Group Emotional Intelligence is a topic that we discussed in class that is essential to the type of change discussed in The Heart Of Change. The second stage of change is about putting together a team that is able drive the company towards its specific goal in regards to instituting change. There needs to be a strong force pushing the change and keeping the urgency up. It is understandably to much for on person to handle so there needs to be a team of interested, motivated people to act as that driving force. The three ideas of trust, sense of group identity, and group efficacy are essential to group effectiveness. The group that is at the forefront of the change action in an organization needs to exhibit a high EI. Not only because they need to be efficient, but because they are a model for the rest of the organization. This again relates to the character traits of the transformational leadership theory. Being a role model, showing others behaviors to emulate are what transformational leaders do, and this is what the change guiding group does as described in The Heart Of Change. Empowerment is an issue that is imperative to the change process. We touched on the idea of empowerment while exploring power, and politics in the workplace. Empowerment is important in regards to The Heart Of Change, because it is also about ownership. For change to be effective it takes an entire organization to believe in the change process. Through empowerment of the staff in the change process you are creating a sense of ownership for them in the process of change. Once they feel like they are an important part of the process it creates a sense of pride in their part of the process. In the workplace a sense of pride usually leads to a commitment to excellence in working towards the goals of the organization. Again this is a trait of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders encourage their teams and staff to be innovative, creative and encourage them to take risks. Empowerment is a tool, which is used to elicit the abovementioned traits in the staff, and drives the c hange. Organizational socialization is the way values; abilities, expected behaviors, and social knowledge of a organization are shared. It is based on creating an uniformity in mission, beliefs and actions. Socialization, in regards to the organizational change does not seem that it is an important issue in regards to affecting change in an organization. However, it is an integral part in sustaining any positive gains that have come from organizational change. After any sort of change occurs it must be accompanied with a change in the formal and informal socialization procedures to ensure they reflect the new organizational structure and culture. Effective socialization is imperative to ensure the change is long lasting. Updating Standard Operating Procedures for existing staff, as well as orientation procedures should reinforce the new changes for current staff, and introduce them to the new staff. Changing a system in simple. Sustaining a new culture and behavior in the workplace is difficult. People tend to revert to what is comfortable to them. In organizations that are in the process of implementing change is systems or culture, new people to the organization are the easiest to accept and adapt to the new changes. A new active socialization procedure needs to be adopted to address the veterans in the organization. They are the group that will be more apt to fall into old habits. Communication in the workplace is key to change, and is a theme that is throughout The Heart Of Change. Communication is important throughout several different stages of the change process as described in The Heart Of Change. There is a chapter in The Heart Of Change where they concentrate on communication of the vision and goals to the organization as a whole to motivate the members to buy into the vision. However, communication is very important during the first stage of change. In this stage the message communicated is the catalyst that will inspire the rest of organization to want to change. The communication should be tailored to evoke an emotional response, to motivate staff. The message can be we need to change, but the delivery of the message is has much to do its effectiveness. Also communication is important in the socialization aspect of sustaining  change. Within an organization communication comes in different forms. Procedures and rules are in the employee handbook, emails and memos. The culture of a workplace is transmitted through symbols and actions. The latter of the aforementioned communication is difficult and requires more effort to see that it is carried out in a manner that supports the organizational change. If there is a specific message, and vision that is to resonate with people and motivate them, all the actions of the leaders in the in the organization should reflect the message. Conclusion Change is a difficult process for an individual, but for an organization the difficulty grows exponentially. For an organization to change the actions and culture of everybody within the organization must change as well. There are the logistics involved in changing organizational structure. Then there is the task of changing the behavior of the employees as well. That is where the most obstacles will be found. The Heart Of Change offers a variety of experiences to highlight their theory in regards to the steps of successful change. Rooted in their theory are concepts that were discussed in class. Most of concepts that are evident in the change process theory are progressive and reflect ideas indicative of transformational leadership theory. The Heart Of Change has brought the individual concepts together and shown how they can work together to affect successful change in an organization. Reading The Heart Of Change shows how the powerful and effective the ideas that we learned about are, and how they can benefit us as we take leadership positions in our organizations.

Separation of Mixtures and Solids

After gathering all the material needed to conduct these experiments, the first experiment was initiated. The mixture of solids was weighed out as well as the 10cm square piece of paper and the weighing dish. The mixture was spread out in a very thin layer on a piece of paper, the magnet was wrapped with clear plastic and the magnet was passed over the mixture several times to remove the iron from the mixture.The iron was placed on the 10cm square paper and weighed. The next step was to separate out the sand. The sand was placed in the beaker with 50mL of water and heated to close to boiling. The hot liquid was poured into a Styrofoam cup and another 10mL of distilled water was added to the beaker and again it was heated to near boiling and poured into the same Styrofoam cup. The second heating was to ensure all the sodium chloride and benzoic acid was removed from the sand.The Styrofoam cup was placed into an ice bath, the benzoic acid began crystallizing in the ice bath as it start ed cooling. The sand in the beaker was heated very carefully to allow it to dry. After the sand was dried it was weighed. The benzoic acid and salt were separated. A filter paper was inserted in the funnel and the cup with the salt and benzoic acid was poured into the funnel. A graduated cylinder with 5mL of water was inserted into the ice bath; this was poured into the funnel to eliminate any of the sodium chloride that may have been missed.The filter paper was laid out on several paper towels to dry. After the filter paper has dried it will be weighed and the weight of the filter paper will be subtracted from the total to obtain the exact amount of the benzoic acid. The paper cup of sodium chloride was set aside to allow it to dry. Once it is dry it will be weighed and the weight of the paper cup will be subtracted to obtain the weight of the  sodium chloride.GramsPercent of MixtureTotalsSand5.4g54%54% Iron0.9g9%63% Dried Sand1.2g12%75% Salt1.8g18%93% Benzoic Acid0.7g7%100%Discu ssionI can see room for error when pouring the water out of the beaker some of the sand could be poured out with it, thereby creating an inaccurate result of dried sand. There is also the possibility of some of the benzoic acid and sodium chloride remaining in the beaker, getting stuck to the sides and again creating an inaccurate result for these two mixtures. When the water is poured through the paper in the funnel some of the benzoic acid could remain in the sodium chloride which would create another inaccurate amount for the benzoic acid.The iron could be slightly inaccurate due to the fact that it was not possible to get every single piece off the plastic wrap and into the dish, although the very small pieces may not have added up to much it might have contributed to an inaccurate amount. The initial sand weight is the most accurate; there was no room for error there.Questions1.How did your proposed procedures or flow charts at the beginning of this experiment compare to the ac tual procedures of this lab exercise? I knew the iron could be removed with a magnet. I wasn’t sure how to remove the sodium chloride and benzoic acid. 2.Discuss potential advantaged or disadvantaged of your proposed procedure compared to the one actually used. The only advantage to my procedure was using the magnet to remove the iron. I didn’t know how to remove the sodium chloride or benzoic acid. 3.How would you explain a sand recovery percentage that is higher than the original sand percentage?Perhaps you didn’t remove all the iron out or there was still some sodium chloride or benzoic acid still left in the sand. 4.What were potential sources of error in this experiment? When pouring water out of the beaker some of the sand could be poured out with it. There is also the  possibility of some of the benzoic acid and sodium chloride remaining in the beaker, getting stuck to the sides and again creating an inaccurate result for these two mixtures.When the wat er is poured through the paper in the funnel some of the benzoic acid could remain in the sodium chloride which would create another inaccurate amount for the benzoic acid. The iron could be slightly inaccurate due to the fact that it was not possible to get every single piece off the plastic wrap and into the dish, although the very small pieces may not have added up to much it might have contributed to an inaccurate amount.

Chapter 12 Triwizard Tournament

Through the gates, flanked with statues of winged boars, and up the sweeping drive the carriages trundled, swaying dangerously in what was fast becoming a gale. Leaning against the window, Harry could see Hogwarts coming nearer, its many lighted windows blurred and shimmering behind the thick curtain of rain. Lightning flashed across the sky as their carriage came to a halt before the great oak front doors, which stood at the top of a flight of stone steps. People who had occupied the carriages in front were already hurrying up the stone steps into the castle. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville jumped down from their carriage and dashed up the steps too, looking up only when they were safely inside the cavernous, torch-lit entrance hall, with its magnificent marble staircase. â€Å"Blimey,† said Ron, shaking his head and sending water everywhere, â€Å"if that keeps up the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak – ARRGH!† A large, red, water-filled balloon had dropped from out of the ceiling onto Ron's head and exploded. Drenched and sputtering, Ron staggered sideways into Harry, just as a second water bomb dropped – narrowly missing Hermione, it burst at Harry's feet, sending a wave of cold water over his sneakers into his socks. People all around them shrieked and started pushing one another in their efforts to get out of the line of fire. Harry looked up and saw, floating twenty feet above them, Peeves the Poltergeist, a little man in a bell-covered hat and orange bow tie, his wide, malicious face contorted with concentration as he took aim again. â€Å"PEEVES!† yelled an angry voice. â€Å"Peeves, come down here at ONCE!† Professor McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and head of Gryffindor House, had come dashing out of the Great Hall; she skidded on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione around the neck to stop herself from falling. â€Å"Ouch – sorry, Miss Granger -â€Å" â€Å"That's all right, Professor!† Hermione gasped, massaging her throat. â€Å"Peeves, get down here NOW!† barked Professor McGonagall, straightening her pointed hat and glaring upward through her square-rimmed spectacles. â€Å"Not doing nothing!† cackled Peeves, lobbing a water bomb at several fifth-year girls, who screamed and dived into the Great Hall. â€Å"Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeeeeeee!† And he aimed another bomb at a group of second years who had just arrived. â€Å"I shall call the headmaster!† shouted Professor McGonagall. â€Å"I'm warning you, Peeves -â€Å" Peeves stuck out his tongue, threw the last of his water bombs into the air, and zoomed off up the marble staircase, cackling insanely. â€Å"Well, move along, then!† said Professor McGonagall sharply to the bedraggled crowd. â€Å"Into the Great Hall, come on!† Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped and slid across the entrance hall and through the double doors on the right, Ron muttering furiously under his breath as he pushed his sopping hair off his face. The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked past the Slytherins, the Ravenclaws, and the Hufflepuffs, and sat down with the rest of the Gryffindors at the far side of the Hall, next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost. Pearly white and semitransparent, Nick was dressed tonight in his usual doublet, but with a particularly large ruff, which served the dual purpose of looking extra-festive, and insuring that his head didn't wobble too much on his partially severed neck. â€Å"Good evening,† he said, beaming at them. â€Å"Says who?† said Harry, taking off his sneakers and emptying them of water. â€Å"Hope they hurry up with the Sorting. I'm starving.† The Sorting of the new students into Houses took place at the start of every school year, but by an unlucky combination of circumstances, Harry hadn't been present at one since his own. He was quite looking forward to it. Just then, a highly excited, breathless voice called down the table. â€Å"Hiya, Harry!† It was Colin Creevey, a third year to whom Harry was something of a hero. â€Å"Hi, Colin,† said Harry warily. â€Å"Harry, guess what? Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!† â€Å"Er – good,† said Harry. â€Å"He's really excited!† said Colin, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. â€Å"I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed, eh, Harry?† â€Å"Er – yeah, all right,† said Harry. He turned back to Hermione, Ron, and Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Brothers and sisters usually go in the same Houses, don't they?† he said. He was judging by the Weasleys, all seven of whom had been put into Gryffindor. â€Å"Oh no, not necessarily,† said Hermione. â€Å"Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?† Harry looked up at the staff table. There seemed to be rather more empty seats there than usual. Hagrid, of course, was still fighting his way across the lake with the first years; Professor McGonagall was presumably supervising the drying of the entrance hall floor, but there was another empty chair too, and Harry couldn't think who else was missing. â€Å"Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Hermione, who was also looking up at the teachers. They had never yet had a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had lasted more than three terms. Harry's favorite by far had been Professor Lupin, who had resigned last year. He looked up and down the staff table. There was definitely no new face there. â€Å"Maybe they couldn't get anyone!† said Hermione, looking anxious. Harry scanned the table more carefully. Tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was sitting on a large pile of cushions beside Professor Sprout, the Herbology teacher, whose hat was askew over her flyaway gray hair. She was talking to Professor Sinistra of the Astronomy department. On Professor Sinistra's other side was the sallow-faced, hook-nosed, greasy-haired Potions master, Snape – Harry's least favorite person at Hogwarts. Harry's loathing of Snape was matched only by Snape's hatred of him, a hatred which had, if possible, intensified last year, when Harry had helped Sirius escape right under Snape's overlarge nose – Snape and Sirius had been enemies since their own school days. On Snape's other side was an empty seat, which Harry guessed was Professor McGonagall's. Next to it, and in the very center of the table, sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, his sweeping silver hair and beard shining in the candlelight, his magnificent deep green robes embroidered with many stars and moons. The tips of Dumbledore's long, thin fingers were together and he was resting his chin upon them, staring up at the ceiling through his half-moon spectacles as though lost in thought. Harry glanced up at the ceiling too. It was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and he had never seen it look this stormy. Black and purple clouds were swirling across it, and as another thunderclap sounded outside, a fork of lightning flashed across it. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, beside Harry, â€Å"I could eat a hippogriff.† The words were no sooner out of his mouth than the doors of the Great Hall opened and silence fell. Professor McGonagall was leading a long line of first years up to the top of the Hall. If Harry, Ron, and Hermione were wet, it was nothing to how these first years looked. They appeared to have swum across the lake rather than sailed. All of them were shivering with a combination of cold and nerves as they filed along the staff table and came to a halt in a line facing the rest of the school – all of them except the smallest of the lot, a boy with mousy hair, who was wrapped in what Harry recognized as Hagrid's moleskin overcoat. The coat was so big for him that it hooked as though he were draped in a furry black circus tent. His small face protruded from over the collar, looking almost painfully excited. When he had lined up with his terrified-looking peers, he caught Colin Creevey's eye, gave a double thumbs-up, and mouthed, I fell in the lake! He looked positively delighted about it. Professor McGonagall now placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, an extremely old, dirty patched wizard's hat. The first years stared at it. So did everyone else. For a moment, there was silence. Then a long tear near the brim opened wide like a mouth, and the hat broke into song: A thousand years or more ago, When I was newly sewn,There lived four wizards of renown, Whose names are still well known: Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor, Fair Ravenclaw, from glen, Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad, Shrewd Slytherin, from fin. They shared a wish, a hope, a dream, They hatched a daring plan To educate young sorcerers Thus Hogwarts School began. Now each of these four founders Formed their own house, for each Did value different virtues In the ones they had to teach. By Gryffindor, the bravest were Prized far beyond the rest; For Ravenclaw, the cleverest Would always be the best; For Hufflepuff, hard workers were Most worthy of admission; And power-hungry Slytherin Loved those of great ambition. While still alive they did divide Their favorites from the throng, Yet how to pick the worthy ones When they were dead and gone? Twas Gryffindor who found the way, He whipped me off his head The founders put some brains in me So I could choose instead! Now slip me snug about your ears, I've never yet been wrong, I'll have a look inside your mind And tell where you belong! The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished. â€Å"That's not the song it sang when it Sorted us,† said Harry, clapping along with everyone else. â€Å"Sings a different one every year,† said Ron. â€Å"It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one.† Professor McGonagall was now unrolling a large scroll of parchment. â€Å"When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool,† she told the first years. â€Å"When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table. â€Å"Ackerley, Stewart!† A boy walked forward, visibly trembling from head to foot, picked up the Sorting Hat, put it on, and sat down on the stool. â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† shouted the hat. Stewart Ackerley took off the hat and hurried into a seat at the Ravenclaw table, where everyone was applauding him. Harry caught a glimpse of Cho, the Ravenclaw Seeker, cheering Stewart Ackerley as he sat down. For a fleeting second, Harry had a strange desire to join the Ravenclaw table too. â€Å"Baddock, Malcolm!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† The table on the other side of the hall erupted with cheers; Harry could see Malfoy clapping as Baddock joined the Slytherins. Harry wondered whether Baddock knew that Slytherin House had turned out more Dark witches and wizards than any other. Fred and George hissed Malcolm Baddock as he sat down. â€Å"Branstone, Eleanor!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Cauldwell, Owen!† â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!† â€Å"Creevey, Dennis!† Tiny Dennis Creevey staggered forward, tripping over Hagrid's moleskin, just as Hagrid himself sidled into the Hall through a door behind the teachers' table. About twice as tall as a normal man, and at least three times as broad, Hagrid, with his long, wild, tangled black hair and beard, looked slightly alarming – a misleading impression, for Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew Hagrid to possess a very kind nature. He winked at them as he sat down at the end of the staff table and watched Dennis Creevey putting on the Sorting Hat. The rip at the brim opened wide – â€Å"GRYFFINDOR!† the hat shouted. Hagrid clapped along with the Gryffindors as Dennis Creevey, beaming widely, took off the hat, placed it back on the stool, and hurried over to join his brother. â€Å"Colin, I fell in!† he said shrilly, throwing himself into an empty seat. â€Å"It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!† â€Å"Cool!† said Colin, just as excitedly. â€Å"It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!† â€Å"Wow!† said Dennis, as though nobody in their wildest dreams could hope for more than being thrown into a storm-tossed, fathoms-deep lake, and pushed out of it again by a giant sea monster. â€Å"Dennis! Dennis! See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? Know who he is, Dennis?† Harry looked away, staring very hard at the Sorting Hat, now Sorting Emma Dobbs. The Sorting continued; boys and girls with varying degrees of fright on their faces moving one by one to the three-legged stool, the line dwindling slowly as Professor McGonagall passed the L's. â€Å"Oh hurry up,† Ron moaned, massaging his stomach. â€Å"Now, Ron, the Sorting's much more important than food,† said Nearly Headless Nick as â€Å"Madley, Laura!† became a Hufflepuff. â€Å"Course it is, if you're dead,† snapped Ron. â€Å"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch,† said Nearly Headless Nick, applauding as â€Å"McDonald, Natalie!† joined the Gryffindor table. â€Å"We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?† Gryffindor had won the Inter-House Championship for the last three years in a row. â€Å"Pritchard, Graham!† â€Å"SLYTHERIN!† â€Å"Quirke, Orla!† â€Å"RAVENCLAW!† And finally, with â€Å"Whitby, Kevin!† (â€Å"HUFFLEPUFF!†), the Sorting ended. Professor McGonagall picked up the hat and the stool and carried them away. â€Å"About time,† said Ron, seizing his knife and fork and looking expectantly at his golden plate. Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was smiling around at the students, his arms opened wide in welcome. â€Å"I have only two words to say to you,† he told them, his deep voice echoing around the Hall. â€Å"Tuck in.† â€Å"Hear, hear!† said Harry and Ron loudly as the empty dishes filled magically before their eyes. Nearly Headless Nick watched mournfully as Harry, Ron, and Hermione loaded their own plates. â€Å"Aaah, ‘at's be'er,† said Ron, with his mouth full of mashed potato. â€Å"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know,† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"There was trouble in the kitchens earlier.† â€Å"Why? Wha' ‘appened?† said Harry, through a sizable chunk of steak. â€Å"Peeves, of course,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shaking his head, which wobbled dangerously. He pulled his ruff a little higher up on his neck. â€Å"The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast – well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council – the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance – but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down.† The Bloody Baron was the Slytherin ghost, a gaunt and silent specter covered in silver bloodstains. He was the only person at Hogwarts who could really control Peeves. â€Å"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something,† said Ron darkly. â€Å"So what did he do in the kitchens?† â€Å"Oh the usual,† said Nearly Headless Nick, shrugging. â€Å"Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits -â€Å" Clang. Hermione had knocked over her golden goblet. Pumpkin juice spread steadily over the tablecloth, staining several feet of white linen orange, but Hermione paid no attention. â€Å"There are house-elves here?† she said, staring, horror-struck, at Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"Here at Hogwarts?† â€Å"Certainly,† said Nearly Headless Nick, looking surprised at her reaction. â€Å"The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred.† â€Å"I've never seen one!† said Hermione. â€Å"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?† said Nearly Headless Nick. â€Å"They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning†¦see to the fires and so on†¦.I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?† Hermione stared at him. â€Å"But they get paid?† she said. â€Å"They get holidays, don't they? And – and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?† Nearly Headless Nick chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head flopped off, dangling on the inch or so of ghostly skin and muscle that still attached it to his neck. â€Å"Sick leave and pensions?† he said, pushing his head back onto his shoulders and securing it once more with his ruff. â€Å"House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!† Hermione looked down at her hardly touched plate of food, then put her knife and fork down upon it and pushed it away from her. â€Å"Oh c'mon, ‘Er-my-knee,† said Ron, accidentally spraying Harry with bits of Yorkshire pudding. â€Å"Oops – sorry, ‘Arry -† He swallowed. â€Å"You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!† â€Å"Slave labor,† said Hermione, breathing hard through her nose. â€Å"That's what made this dinner. Slave labor.† And she refused to eat another bite. The rain was still drumming heavily against the high, dark glass. Another clap of thunder shook the windows, and the stormy ceiling flashed, illuminating the golden plates as the remains of the first course vanished and were replaced, instantly, with puddings. â€Å"Treacle tart, Hermione!† said Ron, deliberately wafting its smell toward her. â€Å"Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!† But Hermione gave him a look so reminiscent of Professor McGonagall that he gave up. When the puddings too had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded off the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Albus Dumbledore got to his feet again. The buzz of chatter filling the Hall ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard. â€Å"So!† said Dumbledore, smiling around at them all. â€Å"Now that we are all fed and watered,† (â€Å"Hmph!† said Hermione) â€Å"I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices. â€Å"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it.† The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. He continued, â€Å"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year. â€Å"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.† â€Å"What?† Harry gasped. He looked around at Fred and George, his fellow members of the Quidditch team. They were mouthing soundlessly at Dumbledore, apparently too appalled to speak. Dumbhedore went on, â€Å"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy – but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -â€Å" But at that moment, there was a deafening rumble of thunder and the doors of the Great Hall banged open. A man stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff, shrouded in a black traveling cloak. Every head in the Great Hall swiveled toward the stranger, suddenly brightly illuminated by a fork of lightning that flashed across the ceiling. He lowered his hood, shook out a long mane of grizzled, dark gray hair, then began to walk up toward the teachers' table. A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. He reached the end of the top table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. Hermione gasped. The lightning had thrown the man's face into sharp relief, and it was a face unlike any Harry had ever seen.It looked as though it had been carved out of weathered wood by someone who had only the vaguest idea of what human faces are supposed to look like, and was none too skilled with a chisel. Every inch of skin seemed to be scarred. The mouth looked like a diagonal gash, and a large chunk of the nose was missing. But it was the man's eyes that made him frightening. One of them was small, dark, and beady. The other was large, round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye was moving ceaselessly, without blinking, and was rolling up, down, and from side to side, quite independently of the normal eye – and then it rolled right over, pointing into the back of the man's head, so that all they could see was whiteness. The stranger reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand that was as badly scarred as his face, and Dumbhedore shook it, muttering words Harry couldn't hear. He seemed to be making some inquiry of the stranger, who shook his head unsmilingly and replied in an undertone. Dumbledore nodded and gestured the man to the empty seat on his right-hand side. The stranger sat down, shook his mane of dark gray hair out of his face, pulled a plate of sausages toward him, raised it to what was left of his nose, and sniffed it. He then took a small knife out of his pocket, speared a sausage on the end of it, and began to eat. His normal eye was fixed upon the sausages, but the blue eye was still darting restlessly around in its socket, taking in the Hall and the students. â€Å"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?† said Dumbledore brightly into the silence. â€Å"Professor Moody.† It was usual for new staff members to be greeted with applause, but none of the staff or students chapped except Dumbledore and Hagrid, who both put their hands together and applauded, but the sound echoed dismally into the silence, and they stopped fairly quickly. Everyone else seemed too transfixed by Moody's bizarre appearance to do more than stare at him. â€Å"Moody?† Harry muttered to Ron. â€Å"Mad-Eye Moody? The one your dad went to help this morning?† â€Å"Must be,† said Ron in a low, awed voice. â€Å"What happened to him?† Hermione whispered. â€Å"What happened to his face?† â€Å"Dunno,† Ron whispered back, watching Moody with fascination. Moody seemed totally indifferent to his less-than-warm welcome. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he reached again into his traveling cloak, pulled out a hip flask, and took a long draught from it. As he lifted his arm to drink, his cloak was pulled a few inches from the ground, and Harry saw, below the table, several inches of carved wooden leg, ending in a clawed foot. Dumbledore cleared his throat. â€Å"As I was saying,† he said, smiling at the sea of students before him, all of whom were still gazing transfixed at Mad-Eye Moody, â€Å"we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.† â€Å"You're JOKING!† said Fred Weasley loudly. The tension that had filled the Hall ever since Moody's arrival suddenly broke. Nearly everyone laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled appreciatively. â€Å"I am not joking, Mr. Weasley,† he said, â€Å"though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar.† Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. â€Å"Er – but maybe this is not the time†¦no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Dumbledore, â€Å"where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament†¦well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who do know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely. â€Å"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities – until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.† â€Å"Death toll?† Hermione whispered, looking alarmed. But her anxiety did not seem to be shared by the majority of students in the Hall; many of them were whispering excitedly to one another, and Harry himself was far more interested in hearing about the tournament than in worrying about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago. â€Å"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament,† Dumbledore continued, â€Å"none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger. â€Å"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.† â€Å"I'm going for it!† Fred Weasley hissed down the table, his face lit with enthusiasm at the prospect of such glory and riches. He was not the only person who seemed to be visualizing himself as the Hogwarts champion. At every House table, Harry could see people either gazing raptly at Dumbledore, or else whispering fervently to their neighbors. But then Dumbledore spoke again, and the Hall quieted once more. â€Å"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts,† he said, â€Å"the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age – that is to say, seventeen years or older – will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This -† Dumbledore raised his voice slightly, for several people had made noises of outrage at these words, and the Weasley twins were suddenly looking furious – â€Å"is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion.† His light blue eyes twinkled as they flickered over Fred's and George's mutinous faces. â€Å"I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen. â€Å"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected. And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!† Dumbledore sat down again and turned to talk to Mad-Eye Moody. There was a great scraping and banging as all the students got to their feet and swarmed toward the double doors into the entrance hall. â€Å"They can't do that!† said George Weasley, who had not joined the crowd moving toward the door, but was standing up and glaring at Dumbledore. â€Å"We're seventeen in April, why can't we have a shot?† â€Å"They're not stopping me entering,† said Fred stubbornly, also scowling at the top table. â€Å"The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. And a thousand Galleons prize money!† â€Å"Yeah,† said Ron, a faraway look on his face. â€Å"Yeah, a thousand Galleons†¦.† â€Å"Come on,† said Hermione, â€Å"we'll be the only ones left here if you don't move.† Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George set off for the entrance hall, Fred and George debating the ways in which Dumbledore might stop those who were under seventeen from entering the tournament. â€Å"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?† said Harry. â€Å"Dunno,† said Fred, â€Å"but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though,† said Ron. â€Å"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?† said Fred shrewdly. â€Å"Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names.† â€Å"People have died, though!† said Hermione in a worried voice as they walked through a door concealed behind a tapestry and started up another, narrower staircase. â€Å"Yeah,† said Fred airily, â€Å"but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?† â€Å"What d'you reckon?† Ron asked Harry. â€Å"Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? But I s'pose they might want someone older†¦.Dunno if we've learned enough†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I definitely haven't,† came Neville's gloomy voice from behind Fred and George. â€Å"I expect my gran'd want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to – oops†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Neville's foot had sunk right through a step halfway up the staircase. There were many of these trick stairs at Hogwarts; it was second nature to most of the older students to jump this particular step, but Neville's memory was notoriously poor. Harry and Ron seized him under the armpits and pulled him out, while a suit of armor at the top of the stairs creaked and clanked, laughing wheezily. â€Å"Shut it, you,† said Ron, banging down its visor as they passed. They made their way up to the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was concealed behind a large portrait of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. â€Å"Password?† she said as they approached. â€Å"Balderdash,† said George, â€Å"a prefect downstairs told me.† The portrait swung forward to reveal a hole in the wall through which they all climbed. A crackling fire warmed the circular common room, which was full of squashy armchairs and tables. Hermione cast the merrily dancing flames a dark look, and Harry distinctly heard her mutter â€Å"Slave labor† before bidding them good night and disappearing through the doorway to the girls' dormitory. Harry, Ron, and Neville climbed up the last, spiral staircase until they reached their own dormitory, which was situated at the top of the tower. Five four-poster beds with deep crimson hangings stood against the walls, each with its owner's trunk at the foot. Dean and Seamus were already getting into bed; Seamus had pinned his Ireland rosette to his headboard, and Dean had tacked up a poster of Viktor Krum over his bedside table. His old poster of the West Ham football team was pinned right next to it. â€Å"Mental,† Ron sighed, shaking his head at the completely stationary soccer players. Harry, Ron, and Neville got into their pajamas and into bed. Someone – a house-elf, no doubt – had placed warming pans between the sheets. It was extremely comfortable, lying there in bed and listening to the storm raging outside. â€Å"I might go in for it, you know,† Ron said sleepily through the darkness, â€Å"if Fred and George find out how to†¦the tournament†¦.you never know, do you?† â€Å"S'pose not†¦.† Harry rolled over in bed, a series of dazzling new pictures forming in his mind's eye†¦.He had hoodwinked the impartial judge into believing he was seventeen†¦.he had become Hogwarts champion†¦he was standing on the grounds, his arms raised in triumph in front of the whole school, all of whom were applauding and screaming†¦he had just won the Triwizard Tournament. Cho's face stood out particularly clearly in the blurred crowd, her face glowing with admiration†¦. Harry grinned into his pillow, exceptionally glad that Ron couldn't see what he could.