Schizoaffective disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Schizoaffective disorder - Essay Example For a full diagnosis of this disorder to be verified, there should be a period of at least two weeks where the patient displays psychosis without mood disorder, and these symptoms of psychosis should not be due to the use of medication or other substances. Schizoaffective disorder tends to affect an individual’s perception and emotions and this result in false perceptions as well as disordered thought processes, which include delusions, disorganized speech, and thought process. Due to this, it is very common for those affected by this disorder to have dysfunctions in both their social and occupational lives. The division into depressive and bipolar types of schizoaffective disorder depends on whether an individual has ever had manic, hypomanic or mixed episodes, and symptoms for this disorder normally occur in early adulthood, with symptoms rarely occurring before the age of thirteen (Diabetes Week, 2009). A person who has this disorder tends to experience extreme transformati ons in mood and has some of the psychotic symptoms, which are related to schizophrenia such as hallucinations. The psychotic symptoms are reflected when a person is unable to differentiate between what is real from what is imagined, and these symptoms tend to vary greatly from one person to another (Dodd, 2010). While the symptoms may be mild for in certain individuals, they can manifest themselves very severely in others. Some of the symptoms, which are displayed when one has schizoaffective disorder, are the following: depression, mania, and schizophrenia. Cases of depression in schizoaffective disorder are always accompanied by various characteristics such as the loss of appetite and this tends to result in the loss of weight. Furthermore, the individual’s sleeping patterns also change so that this individual my sleep a lot or very little, depending on their situation. Depression is always accompanied by excessive restlessness as well as a lack of energy in the body. The i ndividual experiences a lack of interest in those activities that he or she was very active in. there are times when an individual may have feelings of being worthless or hopeless and this can bring about guilt or self–blame. Depression may also bring about the inability to think coherently or to concentrate, and the individual may be tempted to resort to suicide as a result. Schizoaffective disorder is often accompanied by mania, which results in the increase in activity of the affected person, and these include work, social, and sexual activities. Mania also results in the increased talking of the individual due to the rapid and racing thoughts, which are common symptoms of mania. An individual feels very little need for sleep and may in fact prefer staying up late trying to do other activities. The individual might also be very agitated about nothing important in particular. Furthermore, there is a chance that mania might result in the individual having a very low self-est eem and this brings about very destructive behavior such as having unsafe sex, having spending sprees, as well as driving recklessly. Schizophrenia is one of the signs, which enable nurses to identify that a person does in fact, have schizoaffective disorder (Martin, 2007). One of the symptoms of schizophrenia is delusions; this is where an individual has very strange beliefs, which have no real basis in reality, and he or she holds on to these beliefs even when they are presented with facts to the contrary.

The Automatic Stabilizer Essay Example for Free

The Automatic Stabilizer Essay In macroeconomics an automatic stabilizer refers to any economic program or policy that automatically increases or decreases to counteract or stabilize the present economic trend without the need for governmental assistance (â€Å"Automatic Stabilizer,† 2007). Auerbach Feenberg (2000) describe automatic stabilizers as â€Å"elements of fiscal policy† that moderate fluctuations in aggregate output. From the Keynesian viewpoint, automatic stabilizers may include those constituents of the government budget that increase government spending and reduce taxes during a recession, and do exactly the opposite during a boom (Auerbach Feenberg). Automatic stabilizers are precipitated by shocks that cause the aggregate economic activity to either increase or decrease (Auerbach Feenberg). As an example, there are certain kinds of taxes, e. g. the progressive tax, that â€Å"rise more than proportionately† to offset increases in income (Automatic Stabilizers). If these taxes did not exist, the government would have to take action against increases in income so as to prevent the inflation rate from rising in the near future. But, if the government had to take action to raise taxes in that event, it would first have to determine that income has, indeed, risen, before it would pass a law and wait for the law to go into effect. This could be a rather time-consuming process. Moreover, by the time the new law is ready to have an effect on the economy, the economic trend may have reversed (Automatic Stabilizers). Automatic stabilizers tend to help the economy regardless of whether it is experiencing or bound to experience a boom or slump. When income decreases, the economy may ultimately hit a recession. However, â€Å"[u]nemployment compensation and income supplements† for the poor may come to the rescue before the government decides to take action against the drop in income (Automatic Stabilizers). As the income drops, there are more people that are eligible for â€Å"[u]nemployment compensation and income supplements (Automatic Stabilizers). Hence, the economy may be saved from experiencing a downturn through these automatic stabilizers. Auerbach Feenberg have estimated that the payroll and income taxes in the United States have the power to offset approximately eight percent of an initial shock to the Gross Domestic Product. However, the impact of these taxes was higher during late 70s and early 80s because of high inflation. Of course, tax rates have an effect on the power of these automatic stabilizers. According to the authors, however, â€Å"the effectiveness of an automatic stabilizer depends not only on how much of an increase in disposable income it produces, but also how large a private response in consumption this increase in disposable income generates (Auerbach Feenberg). † This is because the spending of households with different levels of income is expected to differ even as the automatic stabilizers are at work (Auerbach Feenberg). Undoubtedly, the effectiveness of automatic stabilizers differs among nations with different levels of income inequality. Moreover, countries differ in their tax rates and the design of their income supplements. Therefore, automatic stabilizers are expected to have differing impacts across countries. Regardless of their impacts, however, automatic stabilizers are very helpful for the economics in which they are at work (Automatic Stabilizers). Lastly, by estimating the impacts of various automatic stabilizers, governments may design programs and policies, that is, automatic stabilizers, that would counteract shocks more effectively in the future. Methods of reducing income inequality are also expected to alter the effectiveness of the automatic stabilizers.

Overview of Applications to Flavonoids to Cancer

Overview of Applications to Flavonoids to Cancer Flavonoids and its effect on the proliferation of the cells: Published date suggested that flavonoids have capability to inhibit phosphate protein kinases on their specific sites. Flavonoids interact with Akt/PKB (protein-kinase B), tyrosine kinase P1KC (protein-1 kinase C), PI3-kinase (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), and MAP (mitogen-activated protein) kinase signaling pathways. Flavonoids have been reported to activate and inhibit the effects on these signaling pathways by modulating of their gene expressions (Williams et al., 2004). Flavonoids inhibitory mechanism has been proved by altering their receptor phosphorylations or blocking growth factor receptor binding. Flavonoids also inhibit Fyn and Lck protein kinases, involved in T cell signaling transport (Calic et al., 2005). PI3K catalyze productions of PIP1 and PIP2. PIP3 may activate the PDK1 which stimulates the Akt/PKB. Of these effects PDK1 is essential for regulator of cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis. Bad, Bcl-2, and caspases proteins are responsible for apoptosis, these can be inhbitied by Akt pathway. Several data have been suggested that flavonoids directly inhibit the PI3K pathway by their interacting their ATP binding sites. MAPK pathway ((ERK2, JNK1 and p38) are responsible for releasing of many survival genes (c-Fos, c-Jun) and those genes which are involved in the antioxidant activity (detoxification enzymes, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione-reductase) have also been activated by low level of quercetin. Anti-cancerous properties of the flavonoids: Flavonoids also have anticancer activities by blocking their cellular mechanism. Flavonoids targets the cell cycle regulator proteins (cycline-dependent kinases and their inhibitors, protein p53 and Rb, E2Fs, ATM/ATR and surviving transition-controlling points G1/S and G2/M) (Sing et al., 2006). Flavopiridol properly inhibits the CDK1-and CDK2 cell regulating pathways (Vermeulen et al., 2003). Cell proliferation and cell viability ratio of the prostate cancer decreased with treatment of quercetin. Quercetin induced apoptosis with down-regulating mechanism of Hsp90 expression of proteins, resulting in the death of cancer cells by inhibiting the cellular growth. (Aalinkeel et al., 2008). Inhibiting cellular growth and DNA synthesis and blockage of cell cycle at S-phase in squamta cells have been reported with quercetin (Haghiac et al., 2005). Querecetin also prevents growth of nasopharyngeal cancer cells via arrest of cell cycle at G1/S phase (Ong et al., 2004). ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) pathway stimulates the lung cancer which is derived from the A549 cell proliferation have been reported combine inhibitory effects of querecetin and kaempferol (Hung et al., 2007). Quercetin stimulates the protein expressions of p21 and p22 which inhibited the cell cycle in H epG2 cells (Mu C et al., 2007). Quercetin at the concentration of (248uM) down-regulates the mutantp53 expressions which is almost untraceable in the cell lines of the breast cancer. Negative control was too lower as compare to normal gene p53. Quercetin at the dose of 70 uM, having inhibiting activity on cell division, and trysine kinase activity, is an enzyme placed on the cell membrane and is involved in growth factors and signaling transduction in nucleus (Lamson et al., 2000). Scientific data have been reported that flavonoids especially the quercetin having oral anticancer properties. Quercetin inhibits the cellular growth and DNA synthesis depending the dose and timing of the administration. Quercetin induced apoptosis with treatment of caspase-3 proteins after 72 hours, and cell necrosis after 24-48 hours in SCC-9 cells. Flow cytometer studies confirmed cell cycle blockage at S-phase with the treatment of quercetin (Haghiac et al., 2005). Quercetin induced cell proliferation of B16-BL6 after 72 hours and also caused apoptosis in B16-BL6 cells and reduced the expressions of Bcl-2 and anti-apoptotic proteins (Zhang et al., 2000). Anti-apoptotic properties of the flavonoids: Flavonoids have been reported to induce apoptosis process by activating and modulating cellular signaling pathways resulting in death of pre-cancerous and maligne cells, which terminates cancer development or progression. Human prostate cancer cell line LNCaP, treated with different concentrations of quercetin shown to inhibited cell death after 24 hours. Inhibition of Akt survival signals have been activated in the treated cells. Rapid decrease in Ser 136 phosphorylation in Bad that is a Akt target have been reported with treatment of LNCaP and 100 uM of quercetin. Quercetin have been shown to reduce the Bcl-XL, Bx ratio and enhances translocation and multimeriation of Bax in the mitochondrial membrane; cytochrome-c released by translocation, and the caspase 3, 5, 9 proteins and PARB (poli(ADP-ribose)polymerase). Remarkably, quercetin does not induce cellular viability or apoptosis at same concentrations in normal prostatic epithelial cells (Zhanget al., 2000). Exposure of cells for longer time on quercetin induced apoptosis intervened by reduction of thymidylate synthase (Ong et al., 2004). Quercetin induced apoptosis in CNE2 and HK1 cells after 24 hours of treatment and treatment was continued when necrosis was observed. HeLa cells have been exposed on non-toxic flavonoid concentrations which slightly susceptible to TRAIL induced cell death. TRAIL mediated cytotoxicity in HeLa cells was increased by apigenin and ginstein but no effect have been documented with kaempfeol and quercetin (Leeet al., 2008). Luteoline induced cell cytotoxicity by suppressing PI3K/Akt (phosphattidylinositol 3-kinase), NF-kB (nuclear factor kappa B) and XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein) and activates of apoptotic pathways, such as p53 protein (Lin et al., 2008 and Lopez-Lazaro., 2009). At high doses majority of the flavonoids suppressors AP-1 activity (activator protein 1) by MAPK (mitogen – activated protein kinase) pathway (Gopalakrishnan et al., 2006). Activation of cellular signaling pathways in cancer and flavonoids: Figures-9. Sources of inflammatory mediators and their origin Figure-7. Some diseases and cancers associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) Conclusion: Oxidative stress brings the changes into the cells resulting in gene mutation which leads to the carcinogenesis. It brings direct or indirect intra and inter-cellular and intercellular transduction and transcription changes by antioxidants. The role of oxidative stress in carcinogenesis and tumor bearing conditions is complex and various mechanisms and substances are involved. Clinical evidence suggests that oxidative stress and inflammation linked to free radicles over generation may be the key factor in development of chronic diseases, insulin resistance, diabetes, cardiovascular and other diseases. Excessive nutrition, stress in combination with sedentary lifestyle, can independently result in overburden of glucose and fatty acid accumulation with musle, adipose tissue and pancreatic cells. All these factors lead to chronic inflammation resulting in chronic diseases. Published data suggested that the key role of polyphenolic compounds such as flavonoids as therapeutics agents in the inflammatory diseases including obesity, T2DM, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases cancer and aging. Flavonoids are the key modulators of inflammatory molecules. Flavonoids inhibits the AMPK one of the major pathway of inflammation and cancer. Activation of AMPK by flavonoids causes to increase the cancer cell apoptosis, inhibit cell proliferation and some studies suggested that it a neoplastic agent Furthermore, inflammation stimulates various inflammatory mediators, chemokine’s, cytokines, signaling transductions and transcriptional factors; overproduction for long periods may lead to chronic inflammation which in turn to chronic diseases such as neurological diseases and cancer. Better clarification of these mechanisms will be beneficial to the development of efficacious prevention and therapies of inflammation associated cancers. Moreover, effects of flavonoids at molecular mechanism and study also should be carried out on modulatory action; effects on transcription levels of the flavonoids should be studied. Fig-4. Anti-inflammatory activities of the flavonoids SOD- Superoxide dismutase 2- CAT- Catalase 3- GPx- Glutathione peroxidase 4- GR- Glutathione reductase 5- GST- Glutathione S-transferase. 6- ÃŽ ³GCS- ÃŽ ³-glutamylcysteine synthetase 7- NADPH:NQO1- quinone oxidoreductase-1. 8- HSP70- heat shock proteins. 9- MPO- myeloperoxidase 10- iNOS- inducible nitric oxidase synthase. 11- OH Hydroxyl radical. 12- O2 -superoxide radical. 12- MDA- Malondialdehyde 13- IL-2 interlukins-2 14- FMLP- Formyl-Methionyl-Leucyl-Phenylalanine. 15- TNF-ÃŽ ±- Tumor necrosis factor ÃŽ ±. 16- LTB4- Leukotriene B4. 17- LTC4- Leukotriene C4. 18- TXB2- Thomboxane B2 19. PGE2- Prostaglandins e2. 20- NF-ÃŽ ºB- Nuclear Factor Kappa Beta 21- ICAM-1- Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 22- VCAM-1- vascular cell adhesion molecule-1

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.