Hamlets Character is contradictory&quot Essay Example for Free

Hamlets Character is contradictoryquot Essay Shakespeare gives Hamlet a very indecisive character in this play. This in turn leads to Hamlet becoming contradictive, more and more so throughout the play. His main problem is that he is more of a thinker than a doer. This causes him many problems throughout the whole play. The first example we get of this comes in Hamlets first soliloquy. Here we find out what Hamlet truly feels about the situation he finds himself in after his fathers death. After initially seeming to be willing to go along with Claudiuss and his mothers marriage here we find out how he truly feels. He expresses his disgust at the hastiness from which his Mother has married to Claudius so soon after his fathers death. He also expresses how devastated he is at the death of his father and Claudius taking the crown, which Hamlet believes should rightfully be his. Hamlet once again shows this when he goes with his Fathers ghost. He comes back from this encounter determined to take revenge on Claudius but then passes up many chances to do so in order to make sure that the ghost is telling the truth. Hamlet continues this throughout the play and ironically this leads to him doing exactly the opposite of what the ghost wants by hurting his Mother and not taking revenge on Claudius when he has many chances to. Another appearance of Hamlets contradiction appears in his first soliloquy when he is very damning towards women: Frailty, thy name is woman! This contradicts with his apparent infatuation with his mother, and especially with her sexual behaviour. Hamlets contradictory character is also reflected in the many mood swings he has during the play. He constantly changes his mood one minute appearing relatively happy, the next he is at his sadistic worse cruelly teasing others with his wordplay. The worst of this comes when he is talking to Ophelia in Act 3 Scene 1, where nearly everything he says to her has a sexual double meaning. Here Hamlet has realised that he is being spied on and intend to have some fun at Ophelias expense as he feels that she has been used as a spy whereas in reality she knows nothing of the situation. Hamlets character however can not just be described as contradictory, it id far too complex for that. Hamlet could also be described as erudite, ingenious and quick-minded for the way he took advantage of the players arriving and setting up the play Murder of Gonzago in order to test the Kings guilty conscience and find out if he really did kills Old Hamlet. Hamlet is also regarded as pessimistic, over dramatic, angry, desperate and frustrated for his outlook on life and human nature and the way he feels about being denied the chance to become king after his fathers death. Many people also feel that Hamlet is obsessive; this is shown with his fixation with his mothers sexuality and is once again brought into light by Ophelia revealing all of the love letters that Hamlet has sent to her in the past. All in all I believe that whilst contradiction is one of Hamlets main characteristics, his character is too broad for it to be described as any one thing.

Women in a Mans World in Eliza Fenwicks Secresy :: literature eliza fenwick secresy gothic fiction

Women in a Man's World Eliza Fenwick's Secresy In examining how women fit into the "men's world" of the late eighteenth century, I studied Eliza Fenwick's novel Secresy and its treatment of women, particularly in terms of education. What I found to be most striking in the novel is the clash between two very different approaches to the education of women. One of these, the traditional view, is amply expressed by works such as Jean-Jaques Rousseau's Emile, which states that women have a natural tendency toward obedience and therefore education should be geared to enhance these qualities (Rousseau, pp. 370, 382, 366). Dr. John Gregory's A Father's Legacy to His Daughters also belongs to this school of thought, stating that wit is a woman's "most dangerous talent" and is best kept a well-guarded secret so as not to excite the jealousy of others (Gregory, p. 15). This view, which sees women as morally and intellectually inferior, is expressed in the novel in the character of Mr. Valmont, who incarcerates his orphaned niece in a remote part of his castle. He asserts that he has determined her lot in life and that her only duty is to obey him "without reserve or discussion" (Fenwick, p.55). This oppressive view of education served to keep women subservient by keeping them in an ignorant, child-like state. By denying them access to true wisdom and the right to think, women were reduced to the position of "a timid, docile slave, whose thoughts, will, passions, wishes, should have no standard of their own, but rise, or change or die as the will of the master should require" (Fenwick, 156). Opposing this view is the radical, or feminist, version of education, echoed in the works of such authors as Mary Wollstonecraft and Hester Chapone. Chapone, a member of the feminist bluestockings, writes in her Letters on the Improvement of the Mind, Addressed to a Young Lady that young girls should "seize every opportunity of improvement" through the study of "those persons, and those books, from which you can learn true wisdom." In her Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary Wollstonecraft presents the idea that women could be on par with men if they were given an equal education. This idea is clearly expressed in the character of Sibella Valmont, Mr. Valmont's niece, who at one point tells her learned friend, Caroline Ashburn: I feel within the vivifying principle of intellectual life.

Ethnographic Research Study Essay

In the field of Anthropological studies, sociocultural anthropology has two considered major components namely ethnography and ethnology. Ethnography, which is the first component, is the system or the process wherein ethnographers tend to create a documentation of a specific place or society. Ethnography basically means writing the culture or simply culture writing. Often at times, ethnography’s products are being adapted Or created as novels, it could also be a move, a poem, or simply a written book (Haviland). On the other hand, Ethnology as the second considered major component of sociocultural anthropology is the way of systematically studying the different ways of life as well as cultures. This anthropological study is often made in a certain region and before it could be done, a certain anthropologist should read or watch any ethnography that would provide information about that certain region to be studied (Haviland). In general the ethnography gathers information and creates theories that would be of a great use or help to understand why differences in culture occur or what are their similarities while the ethnography is much more on the field jobs wherein they mingle with the society; do as what the people in the society do, eat what they eat, and live the way that the certain society’s people live (Haviland). The urgent anthropology is a release of the complexity of a certain culture in times of needs in order to create documentation before an anthropologist could not be able to do it for some threatening situations. This kind of anthropology is contributed by Franz Boaz and sooner was used by the other researchers towards the indigent people. On the other hand, the advocacy anthropology is explained as a branch of developing anthropology which is focused on defending, showing or presenting, and giving support to those disenfranchised society or group of people who do not have the courage or idea to do so and to promote their group’s interest (Haviland). Anthropologists always check their lists before starting their field study; first they must adopt some of the must-need theoretical perspectives, then before going to the destination, they should create or formulate their research design, then they’ll go analyzing the available data for additional information about the field work destination. This is for the anthropologists to be systemized and sure onwards their field research (Haviland). Mapping is important because it illuminates the important features of the certain culture that a certain anthropologist study’s about of which, on the other hand, cannot be seen. This is in order for the anthropologists to present or show the environment adopted by the certain culture that he or she is studying with. Mapping is also important in order for the anthropologists to secure the land, to be able to manage the land’s resources and to strengthen the culture of the land they are studying with (Haviland).

Sacred Cow in India - 2799 Words

18 Indias sacred cow MARVIN HARRIS Other peoples religious practices and beliefs may often appear to be wasteful. They seem to involve a large expenditure of scarce resources on ritual; they contain taboos that restrict the use of apparently useful materials. Their existence seems irrational in the face of ecological needs. One example that many cite in support of this viewpoifJt is the religious proscription on the slaughter of cattle in India. How can people permit millions of cattle to roam about eating, but uneaten, in a land so continuously threatened by food shortages and starvation? In this article, Marvin Harris challenges the view that religious value is ecologically irrational. Dealing with the Indian case, he argues that†¦show more content†¦Thereafter, the cow taboo assumed its modern form and began to function much as it does today. The place of the cow in modern India is every place - on posters, in the movies, in brass figures, in stone and wood carvings, on the streets, in the fields. The cow is a symbol of health and abundance. It provides the milk that Indians consume in the form of yogurt and ghee (clarified butter), which contribute subtle flavors to much spicy Indian food. This, perhaps, is the practical role of the cow, but cows provide less than half the milk produced in India. Most cows in India are not dairy breeds. In most regions, when an Indian farmer wants a steady, high-quality source of milk he usually invests in a female water buffalo. In India the water buffalo is the specialized dairy breed because its milk has a higher butterfat content than zebu milk. Although the farmer milks his zebu cows, the milk is merely a by-product. . More vital than zebu milk to South Asian farmers are zebu calves. Male calves are especially valued because from bulls come oxen, which are the mainstay of the Indian agricultural system. Small, fast oxen drag wooden plows through late-spring fields when monsoons have dampened the dry, cracked earth. After harvest, the oxen break the grain from the stalk by stomping through mounds of cut wheat and rice. For rice cultivation in irrigated fields, the male water buffalo is preferred (it pulls better in deep mud), but for most otherShow MoreRelatedThe books and materials used in data collection acted as the source of information for writing the1200 Words   |  5 Pagesthe people of India live their life. The India’s religion, dance, language, food and architecture differ from place to place in the country. The culture is an amalgamation of different cultures that is found across the Indian subcontinent (Prakash 2005). The country is the birth place of many of the religious beliefs such as Sikhism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. There are substantial linguistic, cultural, regional and religion variations in the country. The description of culture in India is based on as sertionsRead MoreCultural Differences in India659 Words   |  3 PagesHead: Cultural Differences in India Cultural Differences in India Cultural Differences in India India is a unique country. Home to close to a billion people, it boasts a rich cultural history spanning over 4 millennia. Indias vast geographical coverage features all kinds of different terrain; from the cold, magnificent peaks and valleys of Kashmir to the hot, barren lands of Jacobabad. With such terrain comes a culture so vast that it is almost impossible to define. India possesses an array of differentRead MoreEssay about Evaluating Societies Culture by Norms, Values, and Laws1076 Words   |  5 PagesAlmost every society participates in a unique culture that cannot be accurately judged without acquiring viewpoints from the individual’s in it. While reading the article India’s Sacred Cow by Marvin Harris (1978) I was able to gain insight about the Hindu people and their reasons for â€Å"worshipping† the â€Å"sacred cows† (Harris, 1978). According to the textbook Sociology Thirteenth Edition by Richard T. Schaefer, â€Å"through cultural realis m, or the sincere attempt to understand an individual’s cultureRead MoreThe Twentieth Century : Cannibals And Kings ( 1977 ) By Marvin Harris And Coming Of Age1297 Words   |  6 Pagesproblematic by some, especially in relation to his discussion of sacred cows in India (Freed and Freed 1981: 715). Harris argues that cows are venerated in India due to the victory of, â€Å"reproductive of productive forces† (Harris 1991: 229. By this he means that cows are not seen as sacred because of a religious belief, but instead because they are required, along with oxen, to plow the fields (ibid: 220). 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If the nature of the world is just an illusion, why venerate cows? The nature of the world for Hindu’s is mysterious, confusing, and pessimistic. The practical outcomes of Hinduism have left India in shambles. Because of their strict caste system, many lower class citizens are forcedRead MoreTen Sacred Objects768 Words   |  4 PagesTen Sacred Objects Michelle Sanders Hum/105 August 1, 2013 Greg Jorge Ten Sacred Objects 1.) Fish are a symbol of luck in China. In fact, it’s traditional to serve fish at New Year’s dinner. The word fish, â€Å"Yu†, sounds like the word â€Å"wish† or â€Å"abundance† in Cantonese and Mandarin. 2.) Cows have long been sacred in India. They are protected animals under the Hindu religion. Hindus do not eat beef. In fact, most rural Indian families have at least one dairy cow which isRead MoreFollowers of Hinduism1038 Words   |  5 Pagesand the different time periods. Hindus practice strict religious beliefs and customs. Hinduism consists of a 1,000 religious groups that have evolved in India since 1500 B.C. Followers of Hinduism are known as Hindus. Hindus live their lives by following the religious guidance of the Vedic scripture. The Hindu scriptures consist of two sacred types of writing: the Shruti and the Smriti. The Shruti is heard, while the Smriti is memorized. Before being recorded, these scriptures were passed downRead MoreHinduism Was One Of The Religions That I Found To Be Most1456 Words   |  6 Pagestime that have shaped other religions that branched off from it. Hinduism is an ancient religion that was founded near 1,500 B.C. It is a religion that has perceiver through many different times of persecution and its one enemy time. It originated in India which is what many Indus people originated. Most Hindus worship Shiva, Vishnu or the Goddess Devi but there are many other minor people they worship. The main god that they all worship is Brahman and they believe that every living thing with a soulRead MoreReligion and Violence Essay examples1081 Words   |  5 Pagesshape d and changed religious practices within Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism. There have also been many generalisations about the above traditions. Moreover I will try and answer why non violence has become a generalisation and how it has impacted India as a whole. â€Å"The trauma of the attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., which were quickly interpreted as religious as well as political phenomena, provoked yet another body of studies. On the other hand