Pyramus And Thisbe in A Midsummer Nights Dream - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2192 Downloads: 8 Date added: 2018/12/19 Category Literature Essay Type Review Level High school Tags: Love Essay William Shakespeare Essay Did you like this example? The story Pyramus and Thisbe is an example of a story within a story or a myse en abyme in another play known as mid-summer nights dream. The play was written by the veteran poet and actor William Shakespeare in the year 1590. The play is somehow similar to another play by the Shakespeare known as Juliet and Romeo. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Pyramus And Thisbe in A Midsummer Nights Dream" essay for you Create order The act took place in Theseus palace were three couples had just gotten married and were celebrating, feasting and getting entertained. A piece of paper written the number of people who were to perform was brought by philostrate. Theseus read the just brought list in order to choose one of the most interesting performances. The couples get fascinated by the play Pyramus and Thisbe. Then Quince introduces the play. The three couples then commented on the questions that followed about the play. The characters were then introduced and the play commenced (Tammie and Saxby, pg.7). In the story Pyramus and Thisbe who were neighbors fell in love. The main challenge that the couples had was adversity between their families. The couples were prohibited by their parents to meet with each other when they were dating. Due that factor, they often communicated through a wall crack in a wall fence separating their houses. It was during this day that the couples decided to meet at Ninus tomb. They wanted to meet in order to cure the curiosity surrounding their love affair. When Thisbe arrived at the tomb he spotted a lioness who had just finished eating her pray and was smearing blood at her mouth. He escaped from the predator and left his veil behind. When Pyramus arrived at the tomb he was frustrated when he saw the veil with blood. He was frustrated because he thought that his partner was killed by the lion. Pyramus fell on the sword killing himself. Later Thisbe returned to the tomb and found that his lover was dead. She was deeply troubled by the encounter until she resulted to falling on the sword committing suicide. The gods we re pitied by the incidence turning the mulberry tree into the crimson color. It is true that the plot of the story Pyramus and Thisbe has a direct link with the story Romeo and Juliet bringing a confusion to several critics about which among the stories was written first (Delcorno Pietro, pg.41). Apart from the two dramas making an emphasis to the issue of social convection and love, the story is a direct parallel to that of Juliet and Romeo. It is obvious that the talented author was mocking his love story Juliet and Romeo through a burlesque. Apart from other dramas by the author the story Midsummer nights dream does not have any written source, so the story inside the story Pyramus and Thisbe is a development from a written source to strengthen the original story. Though the story is thought to have been crafted by a group of mechanics it is used by Shakespeare to strengthen the theme of forbidden love. Another reason why Shakespeare used the story in the play Midsummer nights dream was to bring the different classes of his audience together. For instance , the audience comprised of working class, actors and mechanics who seem different in many aspects. During these periods when the play was conducted, there existed thick lines of social distinctions among people in Europe. Many other poets who existed during that period also used their comic to try bring to end the then social distinctions. The social distinctions are further displayed in the similar story of Romeo and Juliet. The tactical author is also thought to have brought the tragic story to educate the young people who were present at the audience and other audiences in later generations. He was obviously teaching them that every young love has a bitter ending accompanied by tears. Young lovers can live happily throughout their affair but their ending is usually tragic. Apart from young people anybody that lives for love must shade tears at one time when the love comes to an end either through death or through other ways. The play Pyramus and Thisbe has two main characters and other minor characters mentioned to support the story as well the themes accompanied by the story. The first character who is very popular in the story is Pyramus. According to the author the mentioned character is obviously young, perhaps in his teenage years (Camati Anna, pg.19). He is truly passionate and he is a model to the rest of the young men who existed during the renaissance period. The young character is also handsome according to the author. The character appeared to be impressive to the young lady Thisbe when they frequently communicated through the crack separating their homes. Pyramus is also nave. This character trait is largely exhibited on how the young man reacted when he saw the veil of her lover. The act of killing himself with an exhibit of the veil only, is a valid reason to show how the character was nave, misinformed and lacked exposure. If the character was not maybe native he would have taken sometim e to investigate on the matter before rushing towards making the decision of killing himself. The other main character in the story is Thisbe. From the analysis of the character Pyramus, then it is obvious that Thisbe is young and also she is in her teenage years. Thisbe is deeply in love with her lover Pyramus, and the trait can be easily depicted by the act of killing herself after she found his lover had already died. Thisbe is also an archetype. The trait can be easily figured out from the act of committing suicide after she found out that his lover was dead. Further to emphasize on her as being archetypical, the act of taking her own life is a symbol of she viewed their love affair as being connected by spirit and not flesh or blood. She is also determined and this is seen when she planned with Pyramus to meet at the old tomb to show him her commitment for their intimate relationship. Just like her lover she is also native. The author displays this trait when he signifies how the character was unable to control her grief until she took her precious life by a sword. However, her character sounds like an inspiration to many young people who lived during that period and later because challenges faced by young lovers are similar. Another important character in the play is the lion. This lion is one that chases Thisbe until she dropped her veil then the lion shades it with blood. When Pyramus found the veil he thought that Thisbe had been killed forcing him to commit suicide. Orpheus was another character who was music talented and his wife was killed by a snake bite. Eurydice is also an important character in the play and she is wife to Orpheus. Ceyx another character in the story goes on a journey to cross the sea but dies (Delcorno Pietro, pg.41). When Ceyx dies he turns into a turtle. Ceyx was in marriage with Alcyone who was his wife. Alcyone learned about her husbands death in a dream and wished that they would meet again. Pygmalion another character in the play was a Cyprus king who fell in love with a woman statue. The statue was later given life as Galatea. Galatea was another notable character who was converted to life from being a statue by Aphrodite as an answer to prayers by king Pygmalion. Baucis were old couples and they once hosted Hermes and Zeus. They were rewarded to never separate and when they died they turned into a tree. Philemon were other characters who hosted Zeus and Hermes when their neighbors refused to host them. The couple received several rewards like being saved from floods, their wish of dying at the same moment was granted turning them into a tree after their death. Endymion in the play was the shepherd and was in love with Selene. In the story Daphine fell in love with the daughter of god Peneus and did not leave him although she did not love him. Daphines farther turned her into a tree because he wanted to protect her. Alpheus was the god of the river and loved Arethusa until one day he chased her until she got tired turning her into water. Arethusa is the lady who turned into spring water after being chased by Alpheus. The story Pyramus and Thisbe is an example of a classis love story and many styles have been used to prepare the main plot of the story (Tammie and Saxby, pg.7). Most notable styles used by the author is Similarity. Similarity in the story manifests itself because the story is similar to the story of Juliet and Romeo which was written by the same author during the same period. The two stories are similar because their themes coincide with each other and symbols also look similar. Symbolism is another style used to develop the story. The story has many symbols but the main symbols are the mulberry tree and the wall. Though the wall separated the young lovers, there existed a chink that served as a link between the two young lovers. The chink in the wall is symbolic that it is futile to separate two hearts that have fallen in love with each other. Another symbol of a barrier is the parents of both Pyramus and Thisbe. Despite their feeling for love on one another the two parents decided to create a barrier by making sure the two do not meet with each other. Finally, at the end of the story their parents agree that the two were indeed in true love. They accepted the two couples to be buried together breaking the initial barrier that they had put between them. Another symbol of a wall or barrier was the lion. It chased Thisbe away dismantling the plan that they had of meeting and expressing their love to one another. The sword is a symbol of the power of control that lovers have. Both lovers used the sword to commit suicide taking their own lives consequentially. The lovers decided to take control of their lives with believe that they will meet and continue with their love affair in heaven were they will not be faced with any obstacle or restriction. The mulberry tree is a main symbol that signifies the extent of love that the two couples had with each other. It was darkened by blood that was shade by the two young couples changing its original color to red sign of true love. Up to date the fruits of the tree are presented as a gift of lo ve in many parts of the world. Tragic Love is the major theme in the story. The main story line in the play is about the desperate love that Pyramus and Thisbe had with each other (Pratt, Karen, pg.257). Apart from the two main characters, other minor characters mentioned earlier in the story analysis are also victims of tragic love affairs. If the love of the protagonist was set free by their parents by allowing them to get married, then their sudden deaths would not have prevailed. Theme of dreams hopes and plans is also displayed in the play. The protagonist were very hopeful and were dreaming about living together and breaking the barriers that existed in their lives. However, just like other ancient love stories their dreams were shuttered by the lion, their parents and other series of barriers which progressively hindered them. The theme of trust and mistrust was also highlighted from the story. The protagonist were seen to be trust each other to extend of planning to meet each other at a secret place in th e tomb. Despite the fact that the two couples trusted each other, their parents did not trust them. They were paranoid and denied any bid from Pyramus and Thisbe to get married or to court freely until they devised other ways to meet and express their love. The myse en abyme in Pyramus and Thisbe is a play that the author used to express how hindered love can bring troubles to both their lovers, parents and the rest of the society. Some scholars believe that the story is one of the oldest stories of love in modern England. The play has been repeated severally in many theatres and has been used as in literature by many tutors of literature. Works cited Pratt, Karen. The Dynamics of the European Short Narrative in its Manuscript Context: The Case of Pyramus and Thisbe. The Dynamics of the Medieval Manuscript: Text Collections from a European Perspective (2017): 257. Camati, Anna Stegh. Intermedial issues inscribed in Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream. Todas as Letras-Revista de i ­ngua e Literatura 19.1 (2017). Delcorno, Pietro. Christ and the soul are like Pyramus and Thisbe: An Ovidian Story in Fifteenth-Century Sermons. Medieval Sermon Studies 60.1 (2016): 37-61. Money, Tammie. And Saxby. Primer. Suicide: Loss, shame, guilt and pain across millennia. American Journal of Medical Research? 4.1 (2017): 7-7.

The Pros And Cons Of Homeschooling - 1022 Words

While homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, federal courts have not settled the issue of whether homeschooling should be considered a fundamental right. This means that in the future, an anti-homeschooling state legislature could take away the ability to homeschool. To protect itself against efforts to suppress the homeschooling movement, Raley suggests that the homeschooling movement seeks to have homeschooling recognized as a fundamental right under the Fourteenth Amendment. If homeschooling were recognized as a fundamental right, regulations on it would be subject to additional scrutiny. Namely, a law that curtails a fundamental right must satisfy three tests: The regulation must be justified by a compelling governmental interest.†¦show more content†¦Hodges, homeschooling could become a fundamental right if it were shown that homeschooling falls under the already-established fundamental right of parents having the ability to â€Å"direct† the education of their children. However, for Obergefell v. Hodges to take effect, it would have to be shown that the Court’s rationales in Meyer v. Nebraska and Pierce v. Society of Sisters are equally applicable to homeschooling. Part IV analyzes the first of these routes, which is whether homeschooling could become a fundamental right because of deep roots in American history and tradition. Raley argues that homeschooling has been the primary form of education for most of Western history and that states have almost always refrained from infringing on the ability of parents to educate their children at home. For example, in societies like ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, medieval England and colonial America, only the wealthy could send their children to school. The vast majority of people were instructed at home by family members (e.g. in a trade). Even when America’s first compulsory education law appeared in Massachusetts in the late 1800s, the Massachusetts Supreme Court concluded that homeschooling should be permitted due to the fact that, â€Å"[t]he great object of these provisions of the statutes has been that all the children shall be educated, not that they shall be educated in any particul ar way.† In fact, despite a brief period of questionable legality during theShow MoreRelatedPros And Cons Of Homeschooling1383 Words   |  6 PagesHomeschooling is a phenomenon that has been there for a long time where parents pass knowledge and skills learned from a long times experience to the younger generations. This practice equipped the younger generations with skills that they would use in their lives guaranteeing their success in life. Since the time that this method began, many things have changed in different aspects involving education and social setting as well. It is a time that the homeschooling practice is re-evaluated sitingRead MorePros And Cons Of Homeschooling1126 Words   |  5 Pagesother kid from public school, they could all do well if they studied hard enough and put in the work. Isabel also stated â€Å"Homeschooling is becoming more popular every day, with a growth rate of 7 to 15 percent per year. There are about two million children currently le arning at home† Also said by a research by National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) in 2010, homeschooling is growing at a rate of 2-8% every year making it the fastest among different forms of education. This may seem like aRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Homeschooling1182 Words   |  5 PagesHomeschooling has long been an alternate method for parents to educate their children. Homeschooling is a method where a child is being schooled at home by their parents, relatives or private tutors to educate their children from pre-k to 12th grade. Basically their whole childhood to their early adulthood. Homeschooling should be avoided by parents because it can cause their children to have a difficult time integrating into society because they have extremely limited interaction with their ownRead More Homeschooling Pros and Cons Essay1009 Words   |  5 PagesHomeschooling Pros and Cons Homeschooling is a rising alternative in children’s education. As with any other major movement there have been doubts and debates as well as support and promotion for this educational approach. Homeschooling was once the norm in society before there was a public school system. But the parents involved in homeschooling feel very strongly about the positive outcomes that it has brought about in the lives and success of their children. It has once again surfaced and becomeRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Homeschooling1331 Words   |  6 Pages Badr AlmutawaProfessor SpollenEnglish I24 July 2017Homeschooling: A Reasonable AlternativeHomeschooling is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to other forms of schooling such as at public or private schools. homeschooling does seem to gain opponents from time to time and they might have good points. However, this movement has rendered satisfactory results and should continue to be legal and should be respected and aided by educators and the legal systemRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Homeschoolg And Homeschooling773 Words   |  4 Pagesfor success and improvement. Two controversial forms of education are public schooling and homeschooling. Though public schooling is beneficial, homeschooling has proven itself to be better in almost every area, including productivity, socialization, testing, cost, and flexibility. While in public school students are required to stay for countless hours, having no say in the curriculum. In homeschooling students have a flexible schedule; they can spend as much time as they want on subjects. Read MoreHomeschooling in the United States: Types, Pros and Cons Essay1988 Words   |  8 PagesIs Homeschooling A Good Educational System? Once a parent has child that is old enough to start school, the parent has to think about if they want to enroll their child in public school or homeschool them. Today, many parents are homeschooling their children. A U.S. Department of Education’s report shows that approximately 1.5 million children were being homeschooled in 2007 (Lips amp; Feinberg, 2008). This is almost 3 percent of all school age children (Lips amp; Feinberg, 2008). A privateRead MoreEssay On Homeschooling907 Words   |  4 PagesHomeschooling Many families are taking their children out of public and private school’s classroom to move the classroom to their homes. In both articles, the parents have different reasons for why they are choosing to homeschool instead of keeping their children in public or private schools. Homeschooling is not for everyone and cannot be taken lightly. There are many different reasons why families would rather homeschool instead of sending their children to public schools. According to parentsRead MoreWhy I Homeschool : The Answers Change Almost As Fast As My Kids1084 Words   |  5 Pagesor so she thought. Amy Thornton–Kelly explains the many reasons why homeschooling is the best decision she has made. First, she explains that once her husband and her considered homeschooling â€Å"the floodgates opened† to the many benefits of homeschooling. It alleviates stress, allows her kids to learn in a healthier environment and allows her to teach her kids in a more profound way. Second, Thornton-Kelly states that homeschooling allows her kids to better master subjects, unlike in public schoolsRead MoreThe Effects Of Homeschooling On Children And Public Schools895 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction: Homeschooling is becoming much more common now than it was years ago. Parents are now preferring to homeschool their children over public school due to many reasons such as religion, safety, academic quality travel, family togetherness, separation of government and school, mastery over grades, expenses, and focusing on learning plans made for the student. Public schools are institutions, which are funded by tax revenues from the government. Schools have boundaries to then figure

Biographical Reflection of John the Baptist Free Essays

Biographical Reflection of a Saint- John the Baptist Though such an accomplished man, not much is known of John the Baptist’s childhood. John, what a basic name right? Wrong, even the name of John was holy, for his name in Hebrew means, â€Å"Jehovah is gracious. † But moving on to his adult life, he pursued the life of a priest without ever being officially recognized as such. We will write a custom essay sample on Biographical Reflection of John the Baptist or any similar topic only for you Order Now The greatest thing that occurred in his adult life was the Baptism of Christ Jesus, our Lord. However, very few people know that Jesus and John were relatives, cousins in fact. John did not know that Christ was the Messiah until the miracle at the Jordan River. When Jesus approached John and asked that he may be baptized in the way of the Lord, John said, â€Å"Should it not be you master, who cleanses me. † And Jesus replied, â€Å"I am but a servant to you, not master. † And with that, John agreed to baptize Christ, but as the water was poured out upon Christ’s head, the Holy Spirit was revealed. Known as the first disciple of the completed Christ, now unified with the Holy Spirit, John continued the mission of baptism. As for when he earned the nickname â€Å"Son of Thunder,† Christ gave the name to him, under rather adverse conditions. They were traveling together through Judea, and Christ was under ridicule. John felt they were being so unjust, so far from the best humanity could be, he asked the lord to wipe them out. At this point Christ prayed that God would forgive them, while telling John, no matter how unjust the Judeans were the Lord will never take life for his name. He was in some senses so close to divinity others asked whether he was the Messiah, however, he always replied, â€Å"Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friends of the bridegroom, which stand and hear him, rejoice greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: thus my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. † This showed his humble appreciation of Christ, by saying he must be known less, and Christ more. However shortly after the Miracle at the Jordan, king Herod for the spreading of as he put it, â€Å"an unorthodox faith,† arrested John. He spent two years in prison until he was released because of the new, changing Roman Empire. John eventually went back to baptizing at the Jordan. This career was once again short lived however, for Salome, child of Herodias, demanded his death. And thus his fate was set in stone; he was to be beheaded in A. D. 31. Once beheaded, his head was to be given to Salome on a silver platter, as a sign of disrespect. As for what I think, I feel the act of baptizing Jesus was the highest honor humanly possible. For this he was very lucky to be the one to perform so noble an act. As the first saint I had ever known, John had a substantial impact on my life. As soon as I knew what Confirmation was, I knew I had to pick the first I had known, he with the greatest impact on me, John. I remember always feeling a sense of divinity whenever I saw an illustration of him baptizing Christ. As a child, I always wanted to obtain knowledge; because of this I became increasingly familiar with him, even at an early age. The thing I liked about him the most as a child was how I shared his name. And so, this biographical reflection begins and ends with a name, John. How to cite Biographical Reflection of John the Baptist, Papers

Causes of World War free essay sample

The treaty of Versailles contained a very important war guilt clause which stated â€Å"The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the loss and damage to which the Allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of the war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies. † the importance of this clause was that it blamed the war solely on Germany. Thus we see how the official primary sources blamed German aggression as the main and only cause of the war. However the causes of the war are now widely debated by historians with some going as far as blaming U. K. for the war. One such historian is American Paul. W. Schroeder. He says that the cause of the war was what he called Britains â€Å"encirclement policy which was directed at Austria-Hungary. We will write a custom essay sample on Causes of World War or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Schroeder argued that British foreign policy was anti-German and even more anti-Austrian as Britain never took Austria-Hungary seriously. It was British policy to always force concessions on the Dual Monarchy with no regard to the balance of power in Central Europe. Schroeder claimed that world war 1 was thus a preventive war by Germany to help maintain Austria as a power, in the face of the crippling British encirclement policy which would have otherwise broken-up the state. [1] Historian Fritz Fischer on the other hand states that the war was caused because of domestic politics in countries like Germany. He says that the Germans deliberately sought a war which would distract the population and whip up patriotic support for the right wing conservative government which was under threat of the powerful emerging left. 2] John Rohl uses German documents to tell us how the Kaiser and the Army leadership wanted to start a war at once in December 1912. The only reason for the delay of the war was due to the objections from Grand Admiral Alfred Von Tirpitz, who supported the idea of starting a war but said that the German Navy needed more time to prepare and asked that the war be put off until the summer of 1914. [3] Fischer also claims that there was a will to war amongst the leaders of Germany and that the German government had a plan of expansion very similar to that of Nazi Germany in the 1930s. 4] thus we how many people still believe Germany to be responsible for starting the war. Some historians also list the Franco-Prussian War as one of the main causes for the war. The war unified Germany into an empire thus upsetting the balance of power in continental Europe. At the same time it also led to the splendid isolation of Britain and the forced isolation of France by Bismarck. It also began the alliance system between the different powers which changed the war from a regional conflict to a worldwide one. The alliance system was used as an excuse by Britain to join the war as the German Schlieffen Plan which was made to deal with a simultaneous French and Russian attack involved invading Belgium which had an alliance with Britain Thus we see how the Franco -Prussian War set of a chain reaction of events which culminated in the first world war. It is further said that the initial isolation of France by Bismarck and then the popular revanchist movement led to france becoming more hostile towards Germany. Which resulted in them forming an alliance with Russia. This alliance forced the germans to attack them to protect their western front before attacking Russia.. Thus we see how the Franco Prussian War led to the alliance system which led to a regional conflict turning to a world war. Historian Andreas Hillgruber claims that the war broke out due to a calculated risk by the germans to break the informal Triple Entente of Russia, France and Britain by encouraging Austria-Hungary to invade Serbia nd thus provoking a crisis in an area that would concern only St. Petersburg. Hillgruber argued that the Germans hoped that both Paris and London would decide the crisis in the Balkans did not concern them and that lack of Anglo-French support would lead the Russians to reach an understanding with Germany. However this risk went wrong and thus led to the war[5] Historian Emil Ludwig and Ruth Henig blame â€Å"a few dozen incapable leaders† and called the war a result of â€Å"failure of statesmanship and hope†. Henig states that â€Å"By 1912, most European governments had come to believe that a general European war was inevitable and that the problems which plagued them at home and abroad could no longer be settled by negotiation and diplomacy†¦Ã‚  Ã‚   In these circumstances, war seemed to offer an attractive way out †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The strongest support for this theory has come from a quote from British Prime Minister (during world war 1) David Lloyd George who accepted this theory and said â€Å"We muddled into war† Historian Samuel R. Williamson however lays the blame of the crisis on mainly the Balkan Wars, he claims that as a result of the defeat and subsequent weakening of Turkey and Bulgaria the balance of power in the Balkans was disrupted. [6] This later led to the tensions between Serbia and Austria. These in turn led to the immediate cause of a war, the assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand. This assassination of the heir to the Austrio-Hungarian Empire by the agents of a rival nation played a very significant role in lighting the matchbox that was Europe. The assassination led to a conflict between two small powers which was magnified when these two powers used their respective alliances to turn the whole affair from a regional conflict into a world war. Thus after the evaluation of all the various viewpoints presented by historians it can be concluded that the war was caused mainly as a result of the entangling alliances system and the conflict in the Balkans between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. The two worked hand in hand to start the war. The concept of military alliances that flourished during the Bismarckian era tied the fate of each and every European power together in a web so tight that if one of them fell all of them would fall. The war between Austria-Hungary and Serbia was unavoidable but the progression of the conflict from a regional war avenging an assassinated Archduke to a world wide one was solely because of these the entangling alliance system. Had the alliance system not existed the war would have been another one of the small Balkan wars which had preceded World War 1.