Treatment of Women in Medea by Euripides (431 BC) Essay

Treatment of Women in Medea by Euripides (431 BC) - Essay Example Aristophanes, the contemporary writer of comedies, included several mocking references to Euripides' plays, including Medea, in his works. (March p32) One of the reasons was that Euripides tended to go against the tide by taking up the cause of groups, which had no voice of their own (women and slaves, for instance). We must remember that Medea itself was a play written about a woman by a man for men. Euripides chose a subject/character-that of Medea-which was well known to the Athenian theatre going public. However, he took some liberties with the story-with the specific horrific detail of Medea murdering her young sons, which is the pivot on which the audience's (lack of) sympathy for Medea rests. According to legend, Medea did not kill the children (March p35). But Euripides constructed his plot in this manner probably for intensifying the dramatic effect, but more likely to point out what a person who had no power to control her own life could do, if pushed to the corner. Tyro is unmarried and pregnant. She leaves her baby to die in the woods. This child-Pelias-was rescued by shepherds. Tyro marries Cretheus, son of Aeolus, and has three children. Later on, when Pelias returns, his mother accepts him back into the family. When Tyro's husband dies, Pelias seizes the throne of Iolcos, although it legitimately belongs to his half-brother, Aeson. When Pelias tries to get the sanction of the oracle for his deed, he is warned of danger from a descendant of Aeolus "with one sandal". Jason, grandson of Aeolus is sent away by Pelias. Jason grows to manhood and returns-he arrives, having swum across the river, losing a sandal in it. He then claims the throne which is rightfully his. Pelias decides to send Jason on a mission to avenge the death of Phrixus. So Jason sets out with his crew in his ship the Argo. They reach Colchis. Here he meets the king's daughter, Medea, and they fall in love. Medea helps Jason with her magical powers, to outwit her father and o btain the Golden Fleece. Medea, while fleeing from Colchis with Jason, does not hesitate to kill her brother, Absyrtus, throwing his limbs one by one into the water, in order to slow down her father, who stops to pick them up. Thus they escape to Greece. But when they reach Iolcos, they find that Pelias has murdered Jason's family. So she plays a trick on Pelias. She butchers an old ram, and boils it with some herbs, bringing forth a young lamb. So Pelias' daughters attempting to make their father young, cut him up and boil him in the pot. This is a trick played by Medea on them to kill Pelias. The people of Iolcos, however, do not want Jason to become king. So Medea and he flee to Corinth. The action of Medea, the play, takes place here, many years later. (Classics Pages)From the background information, it is evident that Medea dabbles in magic-she is a sorceress; she is

PESTEL analysis for landscaping industry of Nanaimo Essay

PESTEL analysis for landscaping industry of Nanaimo - Essay Example The government of Nanaimo seeks to reduce the level of pollution in its environment.Singling out the use of pesticides as the biggest contributing factor to the high level of pollution, the government banned the use of pesticides on the home lawns in the city. According to Pesticides Free BC (2013, web), not only do the pesticides affect the soil and air, they also affect water. Side effects of the use of pesticides are far more reaching than the just affecting the human population. Since they last for long time in the soil, they lead to the destruction of aquatic life, as rainwater washes them away into the water bodies. They also dissolve into the soil, affecting the underground water sources. The contamination of the water and soil affects wildlife and insects. Since the ban, resear4ch indicates that there was 80% decrease in the three major pesticide pollutants, 2, 4-D, Dicamba and Mecoprop (MCPP). The agency also hopes to create a sustainable soil for agricultural purposes in th e region. Over time, the government hopes to reduce the amount of contamination with the environment through such bans (pesticides free BC 2013, web). The law prohibits the use of and application of the pesticides for maintaining vegetation established for aesthetic or ornamental purposes. According to Bylaw Background (2013, web), ornamental vegetation include outdoor trees, shrubs, and lawns, and thus, the law too prevents the use of any form of pesticides on these types of vegetation (Bylaw Background, 2013, web). The landscaping industry has to use more pest-resistant plants for landscaping, and at the same time changes their plans on how to maintain people’s landscapes. Growing recommendation for the use of indigenous plants There is a growing appeal to the local people of Nanaimo to use indigenous plants. There are a number of reasons necessitating the use of native plants over the use of green lawns in the city of Nanaimo. With native plants being more draught free and disease resistant, they also require less fertilizers and lesser time (â€Å"GoNanaimo.com† 2013, web). Additionally, these plants offer food and shelter to the birds, bees and butterflies, this increasing natural environment. The growing concern for the use of the native trees for the nursery necessitates the teaching of the people on the methods of caring for the trees, especially due to the ban on the use of pesticides. Advice on the best way of caring for the native plants points out that the people should keep on watering the plants for a while in order to avoid drying or even attack by pests. There are however reasons why the government shows increased concern on the use of these native trees. According to www.nanaimo.ca (n.d., p. 5) foreign invasive plants contribute to the destruction of the parks in the city. Not only does this negatively affect the natural vegetation, it also contributes to the loss of the beauty of the region. The government also provides resident s with information on the best ways of dealing with invasive plants in the region (â€Å"www.nanaimo.ca† n.d., p. 6). By systematically removing them in the place throughout the year reduces their prevalence and spread. To increase the vegetation cover of the indigenous plants, people plant the indigenous plants in the area previously infested with the invading plants, thus making it impossible for the invading trees to thrive (â€Å"www.nanaimo.ca† n.d., p. 6). Subsequently, the landscaping industry has to change its strategy, and this adopts the use of the indigenous plants in the region to avoid government fines. With people obeying government directives, companies that fail to adopt these trees are likely to lose business to those that opt to comply. Climate of Nanaimo Landscaping in Nanaimo is an all year round business. Various firms take part in the landscaping business, which increases business

Eisenhowers New Look Defence Policy Analysis

Eisenhowers New Look Defence Policy Analysis Dwight D. Eisenhower could be arguably of the most influential presidents in United States of Americas History. Elected as the 34th president of the United States, he was previously a General in the American army with a rank of five stars and he was a Supreme Commander during World War II and oversaw key battles such as the Normandy Landings. This general, after the United States, victory would go on to win a bid to become President of the United States. One of the most important areas in which his leadership would be most notable is his New Look policy to deal with rising tensions with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This essay will scrutinize the goals and achievements of Eisenhowers New Look policy and how efficacious it was in design, intent and execution. In order to grasp the motivations, timings and reasons behind Eisenhowers New Look defence policy -which had a focus on upholding U.S military commitments at lesser costs -one must realize that after the successful utilization of nuclear weapons in the World War II in Hiroshima, Japan on the 6th of August, 1945, and the subsequent atomic bomb in Nagasaki on the 9th of August, 1945, traditional forms of battle -which involved a heavy and almost singular reliance on troops on the ground -was made obsolete (Barlow, 1972:2). Furthermore, by the time Eisenhower began his first term as President in 1953, Soviet Union and The United Kingdom had already been exploring their nuclear capabilities, however, despite the United Nations call for an abolition of atomic weapons in January of 1946, the USSR tested its first atomic bomb on the 29th of 1946, while the United Kingdom tested nuclear weapons on the 3rd on October, 1945 (Icanw.org, 2017). This non-compliance by both the United Kingdom -an ally of the U.S -and the Soviet Union, meant that the rising tensions caused USSRs expansionist ambitions, its war with Japan and seizing of southern parts of and the Japaneses Kuril and Sakhalin islands in 1945, its Berlin Blockade, it alliance treaty with communist China for three decades (1950) and the Korean War (1950 1953) -which heavily weakened its relationship with the West -meant that the USSR, when combined with its nuclear capabilities, could not be ignored by the West or the U.S, and proved to be an antagonism to its virtues of liberty (BBC, 2013). Another reason as to why tensions with the USSR and communist China was an issue of much unease was communism. The rising tides of communism where particularly of interest to the US because had begun to witness a slackening of solidarity and hesitancy with its allies when it came to supporting solid action against communist aggrandizement (Cooling and Watson, 1989). In the face of the aforementioned actions by the USSR, the relationship with a post-war Eisenhowers U.S was, to say the least, strained. Eisenhowers campaign for president included his ideas that would later become known as his New Look Policy. In his campaign, he was sure to stress that after the costs attributed to World War II, the Soviet threat to the U.S would negatively affect the U.S. in two major ways: economically and militarily (Barlow, 1972:11). After hearing the recommendations of the out-going Truman Administration, which supported the USSRs opponents in Europe, Eisenhower favoured Trumans Containment policies which, according to Barlow (1972:10), placed and emphasis on enlarging the numbers of the armed forces, putting more effort into conventional forces located in Europe, launching a Far Eastern Defensive Perimeter and security system, increasing assistance to Formosas Chinese nationalists and French forces in Indochina and extending more aid to countries surrounding the USSR and CPR. This stance by the Truman administration was prudent, but it would soon become insufficient. This insufficiency would become apparent not only because of the Soviets nuclear test in August on 1953 -which was seven months into Eisenhowers presidency -but because of the economic stability Eisenhower longed for and campaigned for, was now threatened by the USSR. Due to this ostensible gridlock, Eisenhower suffered from much indecision because he knew that another war could impart irreparable damage to the U.S. economy, nut he also wished to somehow mitigate or contain the growing threat that he USSR and its allies had become. Moreover, the first crucial modification in the U.S. nuclear strategy under Eisenhower took place on the 12th of January of 1954 (Njolstad, 1994:16). This shift -which would later become known as massive retaliation -was announced by Eisenhowers Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, and stated that if the any future mà ªlà ©es with communist countries should occur, the U.S. would decide to depend primarily upon a great capacity to retaliate, instantly, by means and at places of our own choosing (Njolstad, 1994:16). This stance, which is decisive and steadfast stance in terms of foreign policy, could be argued to be decisive, but harboured a spirit of offensiveness that Eisenhowers predecessors (Truman and Roosevelt) were reluctant to take. In fairness to Eisenhower and his Secretary of State, Barlow (1972:1) clarifies that the words massive retaliation were not used in a context that involved the U.S.s response to a foreign conflict, but concerned only local defences. In contrast , Njolstad (1994:16-17) argues that even if the words massive retaliation were not uttered by Dulles, the message within Dulles speech on the 12th of January, 1954, the speech was unambiguous; the United States, it seemed, would respond to any future aggression or attacks it overseas bases, itself or its allies within the Cold War with a swift nuclear attack on Chinese and Soviet cities, military installation/bases and industrial plants. The differences, based on the massive retaliation were most notable because they signalled the United States viewed nuclear weapons a device one only uses when all other strategies have been exhausted, but it suggested the United States had now adopted a nuclear-first response to attack or aggression from the Soviet Union or Chinese (Njolstad:1994:17). Furthermore, Eisenhower utilized press conferences at the time to stress the fact that unlike Truman, he would utilize nuclear weapons against attacks or conflicts that strategic targets that were imperative to the U.S. and its allies (Njolstad:1994:17). Another key tenet of massive retaliation was the imprecise timing and location of US nuclear ambitions; this was deliberate on the part of Eisenhower because one of the major objectives of massive retaliation was to undermine whatever assumptions the Soviet leaders might have had about symmetry between their own aggressive acts and the subsequent American responses (Njolstad: 1994:18). In order to properly gauge the successes and failures of the New Look defence policy, the effectiveness and the environment which prompted its implementation must be discussed. During Eisenhowers early rule as President, the U.S had an evident and tactical superiority because of its vast stores of atomic weapons (hydrogen bombs), while the Soviet Union was significantly inferior because of the grave immaturity of its nuclear capabilities (Slanchev, 2014). This reliance on atomic weapons to help contain Soviet ambitions and communism, according to Barlow (1972:31), had more discernible influence -due to the fear of what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki -during Roosevelts and Trumans presidencies, but also held significant weight during Eisenhowers presidency. Despite the somewhat staunch reliance Eisenhower could be as having when it came to his Massive Retaliations dependence on nuclear weapons, Eisenhower was actually disinclined to a nuclear confrontation. According to Soapes (1980:58), Eisenhower not only had an interest in curtailing the nuclear arms race that had begun well before Nagasaki and Hiroshima, but he was also wary and fearful of a nuclear holocaust as it seemed this was the directions that the world was heading towards. This addition inputs a different dimension into the mind of Eisenhower because it replaces the image of Eisenhower being a general with and an enthusiasm for war, with one of a cautious leader that prioritized peace. During this time in history, it was no secret that America had, not only a stockpile of nuclear weapons, but a growing arsenal. Eisenhower, in response to this arsenal, stated that, security through arms is only a meansà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦to an end. Peace, in a very real sense is an end in itself ( Soapes, 1980:58). In contrast to the aforementioned hesitation put forward Soapes (1980), Rubinson (2011:295) states that in all of Eisenhowers terms in office, a pronuclear inclination has always been present in his New Look policy, Massive Retaliation and brinkmanship policies (brinkmanship was a view that essentially threatened war to achieve a goal, but had no intention of following through), furthermore, in towards the end of January 1956, Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles, and U.S. UN Representative, Henry Cabot Lodge, associated world peace to U.S. nuclear munitions by saying, The greatest single factor in the world today for peace is our atomic superiority. The effectiveness of Eisenhowers New Look policy is a topic solicits strong opinions from academics. An obvious weakness that one might gather from Eisenhowers administrations heavy reliance on nuclear weapons on the divergence from conventional forces. United States General, Maxwell Taylor, debated even if a conflict should arise, the U.S. would still need conventional forces, and the massive cuts that Eisenhower had subjected the army to -in favour of nuclear weapons -could not mitigate communist aggression in place Korea (Slanchev, 2014:5). Furthermore, General Taylor, in reference to Korean war -in which North Korea (backed by the USSR and China) invaded South Korea (backed by the U.S.) in hopes of unifying the country -stated that nuclear weapons would largely ineffective against a war that was fighting an ideology instead of a visible opponent (Slanchev, 2014:5). This weakness of the Massive Retaliation policy in Eisenhowers New Look policy is immensely striking because it brin gs to the forefront the point that much of the Cold War was a war of ideologies backed by military force. Because both the USSR and the US were polarized as figureheads in the conflict between communist and capitalism, the war in Korea was, in many ways, a proxy war. Secondly, nuclear weapons, if used in the Korean conflict, could geologically devastate the very country they wished to free from the clutches of communism or capitalism, and because both forms of governments needed the land to be viable for agriculture, a nuclear weapon could end up destabilising the countrys land in a way that persisted for many decades. Another weakness of the New Look was its lack of consideration that the USSR, which was severely behind in nuclear technology, would quickly develop its own nuclear capabilities. The USSRs nuclear capabilities were at a point where they could launch their own nuclear weapons in the year of 1957; this not only made the United States Massive Retaliation largely less effective, but it meant that the U.S. could no longer use its nuclear weight to acquire certain assurance from the U.S. (Slanchev, 2014). This outcome by Eisenhowers policies is described by Power (2014:14) a failed psychological threat, and, because this threat was no longer viable, the U.S. now looked weak (in terms of diplomacy) because the all-or-nothing premise which was the foundation of the New Look defence policy had now backfired massively. Furthermore, Massive retaliation received much backlash from Americans: former governor of Illinois and future United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr. Adlai Stevenso n II said in criticism of Massive Retaliation, Are we leaving ourselves the grim choice of inaction or a thermonuclear holocaust? Are we indeed inviting Moscow to nibble us to death? (Barlow, 1972:54). This backlash cost the Eisenhowers administration dearly because they had placed their defense and foreign policy on what was essentially a bluff, and now that the U.S. had lost its domination on nuclear weapons, it found itself uniquely vulnerable against a nation it had ostensibly bullied into submission with the threat of a nuclear assault. References Icanw.org, (2017). Nuclear weapons timeline | ICAN. [online] Icanw.org. Available at: http://www.icanw.org/the-facts/the-nuclear-age/ [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]. BBC, (2013). Soviet Union timeline BBC News. [online] BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17858981 [Accessed 20 Feb. 2017]. Cooling, B. and Watson, R. (1989). History of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Volume 5, The Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Policy, 1953-1954. The American Historical Review, 94(1), pp.100-356.

Homosexual Undertones in the Movie, Bride of Frankenstein :: Movie Film Essays

Homosexual Undertones in the Movie, Bride of Frankenstein James Whale recreates the original horror of Frankenstein with his sequel Bride of Frankenstein, in which Henry Frankenstein once again tries to play God with the addition of an Eve to his already thriving Adam. "Henry Frankenstein...may attempt to reverse the Original Sin and re-enter the community by acquiescing to the horror clichà © that 'there are things we are not meant to know'--except that his initial hubristic motive was not just to figure out eternity but to create life without the help of any Eve (he wants to 'be as God' in a double sense), and when in the sequel he manages to get married it is a sure bet that some Dr. Praetorius will 'force' him into an all-male effort to create a bride for the monster" (Kawin 683). Unfortunately, the creation of Eve does not necessarily mean that her heart will belong to Adam. When the female monster first lays eyes on Monster, she lets out a blood-curdling scream. Thus, showing that love cannot be created, just like a person should not be created out of the dead. The only successful loving relationship of the film is between Monster and the blind hermit, which is viewed as a satire against heterosexual family values by critics. It is a satire because the heterosexual relationships in the film fail. For example, the relationship between Henry Frankenstein and his bride is doomed because of the kidnapping and blackmailing, which is destined to ruin even the most solid relationship. Also, the relationship between the male and female monsters is not meant to be because the female monster will not stop screaming, thus making Monster set fire to the laboratory causing their deaths. Thus, the only relationship that thrives is between the two loners. The relationship only thrives until society discovers them and deems their friendship unnerving, which parallels the way in which society viewed, and in some ways still views,

Benefits of a Liberal Arts Degree Essay

The student who decides to pursue a liberal arts education in University often faces a discouraging reaction from family and friends. Everyone seems to know a B. A. in Philosophy who is flipping burgers at Wendy’s, or an M. A. in English who is clerking at Wal-Mart. Students who choose liberal arts hear the same remarks over and over: â€Å"What good is a degree in Medieval History, or Chinese literature, or Classics? Study something practical and get a real job! † In fact, however, no degree provides an automatic job ticket, since the market for employment is constantly in flux. The liberal arts offer education, not training, and thus prepare students for a wide range of possibilities in both work and life. By developing their minds through a liberal arts education, students benefit themselves, their eventual careers, and the culture at large . For anyone interested in personal and intellectual growth, the liberal arts offer immeasurable benefits. Studies in such fields as English and Philosophy introduce a student to the great writers and thinkers whose ideas have shaped our culture. By working through the dialogues of Plato, students see logic in action; by studying the plays of Shakespeare, the poetry of Wordsworth, or the novels of Dickens, they realize the power of language. Without knowledge of the great writers and thinkers of the past, people operate in a vacuum, unable to see beyond their immediate world. How can they gauge the validity of ideas if they know nothing except the present moment? In a media-driven culture of instant celebrity, students need to experience truths that have endured over hundreds and even thousands of years. These truths expand their thinking beyond their immediate limitations, and they discover new insights into their own minds. The benefits of a liberal arts education, however, go beyond personal growth into longer-term career skills. Every liberal arts course from Art History to Women’s Studies requires proficiency in reading and writing. Graduates with Arts degrees find their communication skills in demand by employers seeking people who can read, write, and speak well. As Francis Bacon observed nearly 400 years ago, â€Å"Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man, and writing an exact man†(106). No courses develop these skills more fully than do those in the liberal arts. In addition, the liberal arts foster analytical thought: the ability to break an argument into its parts and assess its validity. Clear analysis is fundamental to the practical worlds of trade  and commerce. Finally, the liberal arts encourage originality, as students learn to think in creative ways. The student who gives an inventive presentation or develops a fresh perception will enhance the workplace with that creativity. It’s no surprise that law schools actively seek liberal arts graduates for its programs, or that jobs in the civil service, human resources, and upper management are typically staffed by people with Arts degrees. The only surprise is that anyone still scoffs at the notion that a general B. A. is a useful degree. As significant as its impact may be on personal and career growth, the real value of a liberal arts education is found in its benefits to the culture as a whole. The liberal arts retain and transmit the history of civilization itself. Without a commitment to preserving that history, our culture runs the risk of forgetting or distorting its past. Liberal arts students serve as guardians of intellectual thought for the next generation. Writers, journalists, film-makers, and politicians – the people shaping the thoughts and actions of the future – are drawn from the ranks of liberal arts majors. For example, the creator of the Harry Potter series, J. K. Rowling, has an undergraduate degree in Classics, and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff earned degrees in History. Moreover, the liberal arts tend to be interdisciplinary in nature. Knowledge in one area illuminates another, so that instead of creating a society of narrow specialists, liberal arts studies actually encourage a culture of educated, open-minded people. Such individuals have both the capacity and the training to address practical problems in society. Leading reformers of the 20th century, including Nelson Mandela (â€Å"Nelson†) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (â€Å"Martin†), profited from their liberal arts studies. A degree in the liberal arts is not a dead-end route that culminates in a lifetime of serving fries or stocking shelves. Rather, it is a doorway that opens to paths heading in every direction. Students who expand their minds through liberal arts benefit themselves, their future career choices, and the wider culture.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

1. The actions of the character ‘Puck’ in Shakespeare’s ‘A midsummer night’s dream’ affects the comedy of the play directly and completely reflects the Shakespearean world. Shakespeare portrays humor in numerous ways in his plays and this makes most of his plays successful. ‘A midsummer night’s dream’ is a cautious mixture of humor and love. There are two types of humor, one is plain humor that is added with the help of artisans in the play and the other is inferred humor, which is seen because of a funny character, Puck in this play. The artisans are not intelligent but they pretend to be and they mess up ith grammar and spelling, which results in mere confusion. By making silly mistakes of words they change the meaning of the sentence completely and in this way the audience enjoy the simple and plain comedy in the play. Shakespeare has made use of inferred humor with the help of a character Puck, who is a hyperactive child and gets into mischief every now and then. 2. Shakespeare has made use of the fools a lot in his plays and they are not only portrayed as jesters or fools but they are mediators and sometimes seem to be much more intelligent than the so-called masters. These fools add buoyancy to the story, humor at times of erious situations and also help to lighten the shadow of confusion caused by others. They have fewer dialogues but whatever they say has meaning and they say it with wit and sense. There are two fools in Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, namely Mishra 2 Puck and Bottom where Bottom is portrayed for plain humor, Puck is for inferred humor. Also Puck is very mischievous and creates lot of confusion when he mistakenly puts the love juices in the eyes of Lysander instead of Demetrius. A. ‘A midsummer night’s dream’ is one of the most popular plays of Shakespeare and is idely acted upon worldwide. It is actually a romantic comedy and the story is about the adventures of four Athenian lovers with a group of amateur actors. There are some supernatural powers and the effects of their mischief and above all the confusion created by them. Shakespeare has made his female characters enjoy much more freedom than they actually posses. Helena and Hermia escape into the woods where they do not come under the laws of Theseus or Egeus. Hermia elopes with her lover Lysander and Helena also follows her with Demetrius whom she loves a lot. So women are seen using courage nd guts in Shakespeare’s play for their love but the ultimate refuge and happiness for them is marriage. Mainly there are three plots in the play that are interlocked and the main confusion is caused because Puck mistakenly puts the love juice in the eyes of Lysander who falls in love with Helena instead of Hermia. Because of all this, the four lovers quarrel with each other and in order to stop them from killing each other, Oberon orders Puck to keep them off from each other and re-charm Lysander for Hermia. When Oberon gets what he had asked from Titania, he releases her, Lysander is freed from the magic enchantment and Puck relieves Bottom from the ass’s head. But the magic is allowed to remain on the eyes of Demetrius so that Helena gets her lover in the end. As the whole night is spent in mere confusion and refuge in a forest full of supernatural powers, the lovers are made to think Mishra 3 the whole thing as a dream. In the end everyone retires to bed and Bottom awakes and thinks that he also had a dream. B. Puck, in Shakespeare’s ‘A midsummer night’s d ream’ is in the real sense a fool, i. e. , a jestor whose job is to entertain the Fairy King, Oberon. He is practically involved in the ngoing functions of the play and is seen making some intelligent observations regarding life and love. Puck is introduced to audience in ‘Act II Scene I’ with his encounter with one of Titania’s fairies and this interaction gives the audience an idea how mischievous and playful he is. Puck is given an assignment by Oberon in order to punish the Fairy Queen, Titania because he is angry with her. Oberon asks Puck to put the love juices in Titania’s eyes so that when she wakes up she falls in love with the first creature she sees. Also, Oberon wants to put right love problems of the lovers that are seen running about in he forest and so orders Puck to put some love juices in Demetrius’ eyes. Here Puck makes a mistake and puts the love juices in Lysander’s eyes which further causes lot of problems. Both, Lysander and Demetrius become madly in love with Helena and not with Hermia. All these confusions and comic situations in the play are just because of the foolishness of Puck. C. Puck, in fact, does not take life seriously and believes in fun and mischief. He is also not serious in performing his duties and has airy and light attitude towards his responsibilities. While all the other characters are serious and busy dealing with problems nd confusions, Puck is almost relaxed and is enjoying everything, pulling pranks and dancing around. One of such example is when Puck puts an ass head on Bottom, which is just fun and nothing else. Puck is having fun and is playful throughout the play except in Mishra 4 the end when he sorts out all the problems and makes all believe that they must have experienced a dream. In the end Puck makes a direct speech to the audience and apologizes for anything that must have hurt somebody's feelings and even suggests the audience to take everything as a dream. His speech is, If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is me nded, That you have but slumber’d here While these visions did appear. And this week and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream, Gentles, do not reprehend: If you pardon, we will mend: And, as I am an honest Puck, If we have unearned luck, Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue, We will make amends ere long; Else the Puck a liar call; So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends. (Act V. Scene I) Mishra 5 Thus it is seen that throughout the play Puck is seen making fun, pulling pranks and dancing around like a fool but in the end he ties the audience with the play by just elivering one speech. He is quite intelligent and is totally aware of other’s feelings and understands love and life more than anyone else in the play. In fact Puck’s job is to entertain the Fairy King, Oberon with his tricks, pranks and jokes. His real name is Robin Goodfellow and his character in this play is a little bit similar to the mythological figure, Puck. Just as all the confusion and problems arise due to Puck’s silly mistakes he sorts them out by creating fog and putting more of the flower in Lysander’s eyes which would reverse the effect. So in the end he succeeds in making all the others believe that they had ust experienced a dream and nothing that happened was in reality. Shakespeare used humor in his plays with the help of these jesters and clowns. In fact the fools in Shakespeare’s plays are a mixture of clown and the courtly fool or jester, that has both the qualities as to entertain the king and others with his foolish activities and to say truth in a witty or satirical manner. Where all the other people hesitated to point out King’s mistakes or misjudgment, Shakespearean fools spoke the truth without any fear. They were characterized as very intelligent and sensitive but they pretended to be as fools ost of the time. This is seen in Shakespeare’s ‘A midsummer night’s dream’ in which Puck is a character whose job is to entertain the Fairy King and obey his orders. He actually has not much power in his hands and just carries on the orders of Oberon. He is typical of Shakespeare’s fools and is foolish and mischievous and at the same time intelligent and sensitive too. He is also made to parody the actions and speeches of other characters of the play towards the end of the play during the great fog just to carry on the Mishra 6 light humor a little more until the confusions are sorted out. A Midsummer Night’s Dream Judging the various thematic expression of the play in the light of these lines, it is illustrated that sometimes imagination leads to wholesome results and sometimes leads to absurd consequences. The quintessence of A Midsummer Night’s Dream reveals that the quick fervor, the inconstancy, the quirky work of caprice, the illusion, the fictitious idealism, the delusions, love-idiocies become personified in the play and creates a world of its own. This imaginative world seems as real and living as those which are visited by the warmth of love in the play by the lovers. This creates the whole atmosphere in a way that every far-fetched thing is uniformly existent and incredible. One may label it as the fictitious idealism i. e. production of mere imagination but seems real to lovers as Theseus does in these lines. These lines further corresponds to another thematic expression that is subsidiary to the main theme is love vs. reason. The final pairing in the play accords with the choice which the two girls (Hermia and Helena) have faithfully adhered to; but the choice and the fidelity have not been dictated by reason. Evidently, love is not based upon any rational judgment and imagination has a role to play in the corridors of love. Imagination is liable to err but it has its creative function too. Theseus not only dwells on the misleading consequences of the exercise of the faculty of imagination but also eulogize its higher and creative aspect. In the amorous affairs, everything is led, guided and controlled entirely by the imaginative faculty. Titania’s infatuation for Bottom the ass is an aberration of love; so is the Lysander’s infatuation for Helena. These infatuations are product of this imagination whereas the four love affairs that create a world of intense ardor are also a production of imagination. So these lines encircle the main theme of the play and a sense of dream-reality persists due to imaginative effect in the life of characters as well as in the play. A Midsummer Night’s Dream Judging the various thematic expression of the play in the light of these lines, it is illustrated that sometimes imagination leads to wholesome results and sometimes leads to absurd consequences. The quintessence of A Midsummer Night’s Dream reveals that the quick fervor, the inconstancy, the quirky work of caprice, the illusion, the fictitious idealism, the delusions, love-idiocies become personified in the play and creates a world of its own. This imaginative world seems as real and living as those which are visited by the warmth of love in the play by the lovers. This creates the whole atmosphere in a way that every far-fetched thing is uniformly existent and incredible. One may label it as the fictitious idealism i. e. production of mere imagination but seems real to lovers as Theseus does in these lines. These lines further corresponds to another thematic expression that is subsidiary to the main theme is love vs. reason. The final pairing in the play accords with the choice which the two girls (Hermia and Helena) have faithfully adhered to; but the choice and the fidelity have not been dictated by reason. Evidently, love is not based upon any rational judgment and imagination has a role to play in the corridors of love. Imagination is liable to err but it has its creative function too. Theseus not only dwells on the misleading consequences of the exercise of the faculty of imagination but also eulogize its higher and creative aspect. In the amorous affairs, everything is led, guided and controlled entirely by the imaginative faculty. Titania’s infatuation for Bottom the ass is an aberration of love; so is the Lysander’s infatuation for Helena. These infatuations are product of this imagination whereas the four love affairs that create a world of intense ardor are also a production of imagination. So these lines encircle the main theme of the play and a sense of dream-reality persists due to imaginative effect in the life of characters as well as in the play. A Midsummer Night’s Dream A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the many works of William Shakespeare. It is romantic comedy that is said to have been written around 1595 or 1596. It tells the story of young Athenian lovers and their encounter with the Duke and Duchess of Athens and as well with fairies and actors of a play for the Duke’s wedding.The story tells of how far someone would go in order to find themselves. It also shows the reality of sexual bias in our society, how male dominates and other sexual conflicts. It also shows the power of the gods, how they are able to dictate human lives like in the story of Oedipus Rex wherein the story shows that no one can change their destiny that the gods are in control but in the case of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, fairies had been able to control/play with the human characters in the story.The story teller in the play was Puck, also a character in the play. He is a fairy and servant of Oberon (the king of fairies).The story took in Athens in the time of Theseus and Hippolyta. The conflicts in the story started in the Duke’s place and continued in the woods where the king of fairies and his wife were and some other fairies as well. Several conflicts follow in this setting.There had been theories which tries to explain the reason behind the creation of the story although there is no concrete evidence that are found to support these theories. It had been said that there had been numerous aristocratic wedding that took place during 1596 and it was said that it is for these occasions that play was written. Also, another theory says that the play was written for the Queen and for the celebration of Saint John’s feast day.What is missing in the story is a tragedy. Although there had been some confusion and conflicts in the play, the ending can be considered a happy ending unlike Romeo and Juliet. Life is also full of twist and turns and as well as tragedies. Also, the ending seems to have been in favor with every character in the story, well, just as Puck said, consider it a dream. Still, tragedy could have been also present but is not easily seen. Well the ending of the story could just really be plain comedy or a hidden tragedy.The last scene also provides the readers view about reality and as well as imagination. It is also through good imagination that we can enjoy a play or a story. It is what makes these things interesting and really worth our time, money and effort in watching or even reading a play. It requires good imagination and our ability to distinguish what is reality and what is not.I believe that what makes A Midsummer Night’s Dream similar with several stories that I know (watch, read, or heard) is that it tells how far someone would go for their love. Many stories had also been written that tells of several conflicts that are about to be faced by the characters in order to be able to rest the arms of their loved ones.The same thing goes for Shakespeare’s othe r plays like Romeo and Juliet. For me, the story tells of the reality that in life, there are so many trials and obstacles that we must faced before achieving happiness. We cannot have everything that we want and definitely there will be times that we must compromise our happiness for something or someone else.The story also showsI believe that everyone will benefit from the play. It teaches some lessons that are applicable to our daily lives. Everyone will really see something in this story that will surely help them or change some of their views and how they perceive some things in their lives. I also enjoyed the story together with the conflicts that arises. It also help me realize that I must respect others decisions, beliefs etc.Just like in the story, every parent must respect their sons and daughters decisions especially when in comes to matters regarding their feelings. Respect is a very important factor in developing your relationship with other people. Also, it should be a very important part of your personality. If we do not respect others, we should not expect that they will respect us back.ReferenceSky-McIlvain, E. (2004). A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. RetrievedNovember 19, 2007 fromhttp://www.leasttern.com/Shakespeare/Midsummer/Dreamhome.htm