Free Will in John Miltons Samson Agonistes Essay -- Samson Agonistes

Free Will in John Milton's Samson Agonistes John Milton’s Samson Agonistes is based on the story of Samson, an Israelite hero in the Old Testament who falls from grace. In this work Milton shapes his version around the issue of accountability, whether Samson or God is responsible for his actions. Milton displays Samson’s accountability by contrasting his God-given strength with his self-effected weakness. When Samson was born, God gave him extraordinary physical strength. The very fact that God puts prohibitions on Samson implies that there is an element of free choice. His parents told him that in order to preserve his strength he should not cut his long Nazirite hair or drink alcohol. Therefore Samson has control over his strength and can be held accountable for his deeds. Initially, Samson did not appreciate the gift given to him. Before losing the privilege of his power he was unaware of its significance. He says that God put the strength in his hair in order to show him how minor the gift is. "Proudly secure,† (55) he worried about things that now "least afflict [him].† He regarded his strength as a matter of course because he had never experienced weakness and did not recognize that he was â€Å"liable to fall.† The first time he assumes responsibility for a major decision is when he chooses his wife. He is free to choose the wife he pleases. Nevertheless, he is unaware of the responsibility with which he is confronted. He does not take into account the fatal consequences that could result from his decision. His marriage to Dalila, a Philistine woman, harms not only himself but also the other Israelites. Samson’s decision leads him to blindness and captivity and his people to suffer under the rule of the Philisti... ...nistes†. When this work was published in 1671, the author did not regard himself as a Calvinist, as he had during most of his life. Instead, he held an Arminian belief, which criticized the Calvinistic view of predestination; Arminianism allowed human decision a role in achieving personal salvation. The belief in predestination makes life seem hopeless for every effort would be in vain. Moreover, predestination could serve as an excuse for immoral behavior because we could refuse to bear responsibility for our shortcomings. It is a valuable gift that we are all capable of taking responsibility for ourselves and for the people close to us. We can only hope that everyone will be brave enough to make good use of this gift. Works Cited Milton, John. Samson Agonistes. In John Milton: Complete Poems and Major Prose. Ed. Merritt Y. Hughes. New York: Macmillan, 1957.

Beauty: Wish and Jane Martin Essay

The play â€Å"Beauty† by Jane Martin was a great play as in it tells you of how there are some people out there that are not satisfied with whom or what they have. And wish to be someone else or have what someone else has. And the magic a Genie can bring to give them their wishes and let them see how it feels to change places with the person you admire most. Like the saying â€Å"the grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.† The conflict that was going on in the play was between two women, Carla and Bethany. Bethany was the first to come forward with her feelings of inadequacies and wishing she was more like Carla. She then brings these feelings forward to Carla, who states her wish to be more like Bethany. Carla was beautiful and not too brainy, but care free with her life. Bethany was a not so beautiful woman but had a great head on her shoulders, and took life more seriously than Carla. Once Bethany and Carla brought forward their feelings about wishing they were the other, they had decided to make a wish with the Genie in the bottle that Bethany had found on the beach earlier that day. I believe at this time is where the rising action reaches its climax. The women make their wish to the genie, who then changes each one into the other. The women are now the other. They are stunned and happy at the same time. It was now time to live each other’s lives. Life went on for a few very long years with the women living each other’s lives. They then met up again. They had not been happy being the other. They missed who they had been. When Bethany had been Carla she found her new looks and less than intellectual ways had made people look at her differently, and not in a good way. Carla had seen that being as intelligent as Bethany was a double edged sword as well, not being very attractive and smart usually left you rather lonely and never considered the center of the males attention. I believe that before they met up and while they had lived one another’s lives is when the falling action began. I believe the falling action was them discovering that they should have appreciated who they were more before they had made this wish. The techniques that were used in the play was in how it was written and played out in a way that showed you important information and meaning in a very short amount of time by having the genie found and the wishes being known and acted on immediately, then showing them living each other’s lives and then them coming together to undo what they had done. This play accomplishes the meaning and the thought behind it by making you think from the very beginning what the actors were trying to portray to us and pushed right through to the actions that were going to take place and what would come of these actions. And lastly, the final thought on how their original feelings had changed and how they then were changed back into themselves, and tell of how they appreciated more now of who they had always been and didn’t want to be anyone else. Although the play is only ten minutes long, the events that happen in those ten minutes makes you see and maybe appreciate a little bit more of what you have and how changing places with someone else that you think you envy for whatever reason, may not be the way to go. Although it was only a ten minute play, during that ten minutes you were able to see what the women were feeling and what it was they had desired. It showed what their own insecurities about themselves were and the envy toward the others life and who they were. It’s amazing that Jane Martin could right all this and have it come across so clearly in a ten minute play. Jane Martin put the women that were total opposites together as friends and then she was able to show each ones strengths and weaknesses. As a whole person, they probably would have been Wonder Woman, each of them had a strength the other didn’t have and a weakness that the other didn’t have. But, when they were together as friends they completed each other. 1. The conflicts that were present were the two women who had wished to be the other and not satisfied with who they were as themselves. 2. The rising action was when the girls make their wish to change places with the genie. 3. The falling action begins toward the end of the years they spent being one another and seeing what the other’s life was like. 4. The techniques that were used to move the actions along were having the play begin with finding the genie and the fast way the women got into stating how they had wished to be the other and then showing how much they disliked being the other and meeting up and letting the other know their dislikes in having being the other and how they wished to be themselves again, and then making the wish to change back. The quickness of each spoken and acted out emotion and the clarity of what was being said and felt made this play able to be done in a ten minute time without taking anything away from what was coming across to the audience.

Low Morale of Prisoners

The prison employees safety is in jeopardy. Prison positions always carried a moderate amount of risk. Prisons are filled with people who believe that rules and regulations serve no purpose. These people violated the rules to the extent that they were removed from society.   Prisoners never deny nor apologize for their behavior. Making excuses for uncivilized behavior allows the low morale to never be acknowledged. Refusing to acknowledge the low morale problem among prisoners stops solutions from being possible. Causes of the Low Morale Among Prisoners There are as many outside influences for the low morale of prisoners as their own beliefs and opinions.   Giving in to easily to persuasion, wanting to be accepted, wanting friends and associates are the factors that are least acknowledged. Psychiatrists analyze   behavior and characteristics by social skills. However, wanting to have friends and please people leaves an opening to be influenced into unacceptable behavior. Today, no one can be certain if associates are really friends or enemies. Some of the current studies are mental illnesses, malnutrition, isolation, guards behavior and lack of rehabilitation and psychiatric programs are causing prisoners to have a lower regard for human life. Psychological games the guards use to cause the inmates to lose their individuality and focus contribute to low morale.   The system is set up so the prisoners frame of mind never changes for the better. Segregation in Maximum Security Prisons In maximum security prisons, â€Å"The prisoners spend 23 hours a day in small well lit cells, for one hour a day they have access to one small concrete recreation area† (Bender, November 4, 2005, P 15).   According to the study from Psychiatric News, segregation worsens behavior. With conditions like these, the prisoners learn is if they survive another day, they are doing the right thing.   They lose all knowledge of social skills. The only mental health treatment they are allowed is a brief time with the psychotherapists. The counseling is conducted in front of other inmates cells. Lack of treatment for drug and alcohol addiction is another problem in the prisons. â€Å"So far, one prisoner who repeatedly ends up in prison cost tax payers over $200,00† ( Imse, 2007).   The system does very little to correct the situation. The drug addicts cannot overcome the habit on their own. According to the Rocky Mountain News, the expenses of the medication and therapy is one of the reasons many prisoners do not get the proper treatment they need. According to the Human Rights Watch article, prisoners spent at least 23 hours during their daily activities along. The majority of damage to the prisoners is psychological. There is very little or no evidence of physical abuse. Mental humiliation and torture is impossible to prove. Conclusion Maximum security prisoners have a very low morale because of the psychological abuse they go through day after day. According to the latest research, isolation has the biggest impact on prisoner’s behavior. They are isolated, but are constantly watched. People in maximum security prisons are segregated because they have came across   secrets they were not supposed to. Bender, E, Psychiatric News (November 4, 2005), Volume 40, Number 21, P 15  © 2005 American Psychiatric Association Human Rights Watch (2000) HWR.ORG Imse, A, (Feb 16, 2007) Rocky Mountain News. Revolving Door to State Prisons Human Rights Watch, (February 2000) Vol. 12, No 1 G Out of Sight: Super-Maximum Security Confinement in the United States

Analysis of Aristotles Poetics in conjunction with Sophocles Oedipus Rex

Analysis of Aristotles Poetics in conjunction with Sophocles Oedipus Rex The philosopher Aristotle gave the very first definition of a tragedy. Because of Poetics, lecture notes taken by one of Aristotle's students, one knows the definition of a tragedy. From what we know to be true in history, scholars furiously debated the definition of a tragedy. These scholars discussed the best tragedies and the worst ones. The scholars debated the definition and components of a tragedy. The definition of a tragedy results in many interpretations. Therefore, thousands of years of furious debating yielded nothing and wasted precious oxygen. However, according to Aristotle the greatest tragedy is Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Aristotle must have held this tragedy in very high regard because the Poetics is based on Oedipus Rex. What makes Oedipus Rex a tragedy? To understand how this play is a tragedy, one must examine the inner machinations of the Poetics, the mindset of Aristotle, and the glorious Golden Age of Greek civilization.Oedipus and the Sphinx of Thebes, Red Figu re Kylix...Oedipus Rex is a tragedy because it contains all the components as defined by Aristotle.A tragedy must have a catharsis to take the reader's soul through a roller coaster ride of feelings. An analogy of a dark cloud of rain cleansing a house makes a good comparison for the catharsis. This sentence symbolically represents the catharsis or cleansing of the emotions that arouses pity or fear in a tragedy (Aristotle XIV 1). The catharsis in Oedipus Rex is when Oedipus is "as piteous as he appears in the final scene with Creon" (Weigel 1601). The placement of the catharsis results in many contradicting emotions flurrying. These emotions all mix to represent the catharsis. The emotions create a whirlwind of feelings. At first, the people of Thebes think he is god, and then Jocasta commits suicide. These actions represent the spectrum of emotional discharge.To capitalize on the reader's emotions the catharsis should be used in concordance with recognition and reversal. These eff ects leave the reader longing for a resolve. The inclusion of a catharsis with the recognition is directly reflected for "[O]ur knowledge allows us to fear the final revelation, but also to pity this man as his past is gradually and relentlessly uncovered to him" (Weigel 1600). This also adds a element of dramatic irony which is the affect of the reversal. Oedipus confirms the dramatic irony by saying the knowledge "...came to me on a wind that seemed favorable. Ah, I feel the stab of these sharp pains and with it the memory of my sorrow" (Sophocles 93). Oedipus's recognition occurs when the messenger inadvertently tells him his real past. In this one scene, Oedipus life turns around. Triumph collapses to despair and ultimately suffering; "The tremendous excitement of this passage is partly due to the fact that what Oedipus 'recognizes' is the reversal: 'the best form of recognition is coincident with a Reversal of the Situation as in the Oedipus,' says Aristotle (XI 2)" (Fergusson 17). The emotions the catharsis, recognition, and the reversal have triggered is now tripled as hope turns to despair and ultimately death.The result of Oedipus's trouble stems from several ignorant decisions. Aristotle defines hamartia as "error of judgment" (Aristotle XIII 3). The denial of Tiresias presents the root cause of all Oedipus's troubles. This fault causes Oedipus to accuse Tiresias of starting up "...such a story!" (Sophocles 23) and thinking he "...will get away with this" (Sophocles 23). Oedipus makes several key bad decisions. Oedipus also makes a fatal mistake by starting the frantic search throughout the city. Oedipus tries to find the murderer of Laius by madly questioning the dwellers of Thebes. Of course, no one comes forth of the crime because Oedipus himself is the murderer (Sophocles 14).The relevance of fate remains a powerful element in Greek civilization and Greek drama. Symbolically, the power of fate represents the power of the gods. Fighting fate may b e viewed as an aspect of hamartia, but it is not so. Hamartia is error in choice, but if we are fated to decide on a choice is that hamartia? Hence, fate is separately treated. Oedipus denies fate to justify his own intentions. Although Tiresias warns Oedipus that he is the killer he seeks, Oedipus denies his own fate to justify finding the "real" criminal (Sophocles 22-23). Even Jocasta admits he is an "Ill-fated man. May you never find out who you are" (Sophocles 78). His actions cause his misfortune and the misfortune of his family. This is an important component of a tragedy. It sets the tragic hero up for a scene of suffering. Oedipus gives himself "bodily agony, wounds, and the like" (Aristotle XI 6).Oedipus Rex employs several mechanisms from Aristotle's Poetics. A tragedy must contain the elements mentioned in the paper. Each one of the components of a tragedy complements each other to complete the tragic effect. Without the recognition, the reversal is nonexistent. This is just one of the many examples of interdependence. Proving Oedipus Rex is a tragedy is important because of the basis it creates for other tragedies to follow. This tragedy withstands the test of time and now stands as a testament to Western literature. In these manners, Oedipus Rex is truly a great tragedy.

Killer Nashville Writers Conference Scholarship Giveaway

Killer Nashville Writers Conference Scholarship Giveaway Want to attend a conference but cant afford the cost?   Want to be around others who enjoy reading mystery and suspense?   FundsforWriters, in partnership with 2016 Killer Nashville, is offering a scholarship to one lucky individual who wishes to hob-nob with other mystery enthusiasts for the three days of August 18-21, 2016 in Franklin, TN. But wait, theres more. Guess who will be the Guests of Honor  at this shin-dig? Besides so many other published and almost-published authors . . . besides a sea of mystery aficionados? Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Fox and O’Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barna Before his thrillers landed him on The New York Times Bestseller list, Kevin O’Brien was a railroad inspector who worked all the live long day and wrote novels at night. His first thriller, The Next To Die (2001) became a USA Today  Bestseller. Then came The Last Victim (2005), which hit the New York Times Bestseller list and won the Spotted Owl Award for Best Pacific Northwest Mystery. So, what does this scholarship include? 3-day full registration for the conference ($300 value) Agent/Editor Roundtable participation (free for you because you have a 3-day registration) A free Network Lunch on Saturday with Guest of Honor Janet Evanovich ($45 value) A free Breakout Session (a paid event for others) any of the three days ($15 value and only open to 3-day registrants) A ticket to the Guest of Honor Dinner Awards Banquet ($95 value) $100 toward travel and transportation (issued Total value $555 ***NOTE: Conference does not include all costs of transportation or motel accommodations. See Killer Nashvilles site for information on the special hotel rates for this conference. So, how do you enter for a chance to win this opportunity? Email hope@chopeclark.com with KILLER NASHVILLE SCHOLARSHIP in the subject. Include name, address, phone, email, website/blog/Facebook (if applicable) Explain what this scholarship means to you in 100-500 words. Agree to write a 500-600-word piece for FundsforWriters within 30-days  after the event, talking about the conference and how you benefited from the experience. Piece will also be considered for publication on the Killer Nashville site. Winner selected based upon the quality of submission. DEADLINE for entries is midnight (Eastern Time), on July 1, 2016. (Winner to be announced July 8, 2016.) So, why is FundsforWriters sponsoring this contest? Because C. Hope Clark is an avid mystery author and enthusiast and wants to share that joy. Because C. Hope Clark believes every author ought to experience the thrill of a writing conference. Because C. Hope Clark wants to give back to the readers of her mysteries. Thanks . . . looking forward to your entries . . . https://www.fundsforwriters.com/killernashvillescholarship DISCLAIMER: C. Hope Clark reserves the complete right to make the final decision of winner, not to be disputed. Article to be submitted upon return from the conference to be turned in no later than September 23, 2016 and will not receive additional compensation. The scholarship is not transferable. If winner cannot attend, C. Hope Clark/FundsforWriters reserves the right to give the scholarship to the runner-up on her choice in the contest.

Childhood Obesity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Childhood Obesity - Research Paper Example Moreover, when children are not breastfed to the expected age, they develop high chances of suffering from obesity. Television and media are other major causes of obesity in children. This is because children spend much of their time watching television programs and movies, which denies them time for physical activities as well as exposing them to unhealthy eating advertisements. In addition, children end up snacking since they lack enough time to eat well (Cdc.gov, 2012). According to Emedicinehealth.com (2012), obesity can be inherited from family members. A child’s family can also influence the childs lifestyle and eating habits, leading to obesity. Childhood obesity increases the chances of developing other related diseases. There are both immediate and long-term health effects of childhood obesity. Immediate health effects include; high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, joint problems, low self-esteem and stigmatization. Furthermore, obese children are likely to become obese as adults and hence at a very high risk of developing long-term health effects like stroke, heart disease and diabetes. Moreover, they are at a high risk of several types of cancer like cancer of the pancreas, breast, ovary, and colon among others. Childhood obesity can be prevented through adequate breastfeeding in infancy and encouraging healthy lifestyles in children, including physical exercise and healthy feeding. Social institutions such as communities, families, hospitals, faith-based institutions and schools among others can facilitate this. The school as an institution particularly plays a very important role to a childs health. Through schools, children learn about healthy living in terms of dietary and behaviors on physical exercises and activities. They in turn practice what they learn with their peers as well as discussing it with their family members when at home (Cdc.gov, 2012 & Emedicinehealth.com, 2012). Evidently, childhood

Lectopia. More Convenience And Control to Learning in Tertiary Essay

Lectopia. More Convenience And Control to Learning in Tertiary Education - Essay Example In Australia, for example, employers' dissatisfaction rate with fresh graduates was increasing. Obviously with these concerns in mind, the University of Western Australia (UWA) developed the country's first iLecture system in 1998, followed by Macquarie University in 2005. According to McElroy & Blount (2006), another consideration for the introduction of Lectopia in these schools was the changing socioeconomic profile of students in Australia, which now runs third behind the US and UK in hosting the largest number of international college students. A non-English speaking background is a handicap for international students because they may go through a lecture with little comprehension (Bennett & Lockyer, 2004). Applicability remains one of the most compelling reasons for the adoption of Lectopia in Australian universities. The student population in Australian universities being dominated by the Net Generation, Lectopia is compatible with the characteristics identified with this generation, whose preferences include online communication, mobility and accessibility (Thielfold & Scheef, 2004). Williams & Pardon (2007) observe that the youth in the Net Generation are more comfortable with hypertext, laptop libraries, instant messaging and beamed messages such that they took to iLecture like fish to water. For this reason, a survey on the use of Lectopia by Macquarie students showed that 73.15 percent agreed to its capability to improve the quality of education (McElroy & Bount, 2006). The survey involved 828 students in a second-year accounting course, of which 202 were locals and 626 were foreign students.... This essay stresses that education is the latest sector to join the ICT bandwagon because of the increasing realization that technology can provide academics with the tools to interact with students in a more flexible way and support a more student-centered approach to teaching. The desire for an alternative system in the conduct of lectures was impelled partly by growing concerns that today’s university graduates lack the skills and competencies that would make them competitive in the technology-driven workplace In Australia, for example, employers’ dissatisfaction rate with fresh graduates was increasing. Obviously with these concerns in mind, the University of Western Australia (UWA) developed the country’s first iLecture system in 1998, followed by Macquarie University in 2005. most compelling reasons for the adoption of Lectopia in Australian universities. The student population in Australian universities being dominated by the Net Generation, Lectopia is co mpatible with the characteristics identified with this generation, whose preferences include online communication, mobility and accessibility. This paper makes a conclusion that there are as diverse types of students as there are different learning styles and preferences. For this reason, it is not advisable and educationally beneficial to adopt Lectopia as replacement for traditional face-to-face lectures. As in other newfangled technologies, the one-size-fits-all approach will not work for this system since there as many foreign and working students as there are locals who are professional students.