Claudius Speech - Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Claudius Speech Hamlet Essay Claudius, the former ruler, husband of his sister and brother of the recently perished king gives a speech at the beginning of Act I. II of Hamlet. Shakespeare’s use of literary devices allows the reader to comprehend the intentions behind Claudius’s figurative language within his coronation speech. The opening scene in Hamlet portrays Denmark to currently be critically unstable and with militaristic chaos; however, in Claudius’s speech he disposes that idea and conveys confidence in the stability of the nation. This chronological set up introduces the theme of appearance vs.  reality as Claudius efforts to manipulate the kingdom into trusting that he has everything under control is carried mischievously yet successfully throughout his speech. Aware of the presence of the rightful king, young Hamlet, Claudius commences his speech with an ambiguous line that strikes the attention of Hamlet. Once he is aware of young Hamlet’s attention, he continues to approach the courthouse. He seemingly shows a state of grief as he acknowledges his dead brother. â€Å" My dear brother’s death† the use of alliteration makes us aware that Claudius has used that line several times before in order to show a sign of loss. He wants to appear that has suffered too from this death, he mentions that â€Å" the memory be green† this metaphor is placed to represent the idea that the memory is fresh and it has not been long since he perished, while also leaving a gruesome image of the old kings decomposing body. His first use of anti-thesis is then exposed in line 6, when he mentions â€Å" the wisest sorrows† in that line he is understanding those in grief but reminding them to think of themselves and the future of Denmark instead. After respectfully mentioning the death of Hamlet, and expressing his condolence to the kingdom he deceitfully moves on to the second important announcement: his wedding. Uneasy, Claudius is trying to go about his speech like a metaphorical obstacle course hoping there is no interference or opposition, while still being able to appear as confident. Efficaciously, he presents his marriage â€Å" Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state. † Using the state of war as his alaby to the marriage of his brother’s wife he is able to convince the courthouse that it is for the greater good and that his actions are a form of self-sacrifice for the nation. Continuing to justify his marriage as a cause and affect matrimony instead of acts of incest he mentions the â€Å" mirth in funeral † and â€Å"dirge in marriage†. This literary device is important within his speech because it is his second antithesis, and a paradoxical clause. In this he is suggesting that he brought happiness to this sad event for the benefit of his people. â€Å"In equal scale, weighing delight and dole† Claudius is trying to banish the aura of unsteadiness and declares balance. He makes up for the sorrow of his dead brother, by marrying his sister. Even though it is an obvious unusual event, Claudius reflects enough confidence as king and successfully manages avoid any opposition. A good strategy used was his the frequent use of â€Å" we†. This indicated that the king was not only speaking for himself, but he was speaking for everyone like a good statesman would. In reality however, he was doing so to make everyone aware that it was of â€Å" better wisdoms† to agree with him, and that those with worst wisdoms would not face good consequences. Claudius gently expresses his supreme control over Denmark and threatens anyone who dares oppose him in a non-aggressive way. He later finalizes the topic of marriage by dismissing the awkward topic of the table like a typical political â€Å" For all, our thanks† As king, Claudius then addresses the issues with Norway. Assertively, he informs the kingdom of his plan of action. He repeats the line â€Å" dear brother’s death† giving it little sentimental value. He then quickly states that Norway believes that Denmark is â€Å" disjoint and out of frame. † He assures the courthouse that the case is not so, and that they will successfully deal with Fortibras. The irony behind that is that Denmark is weak, regardless of what Claudius wants his people to believe. In order to seem like a man of action Claudius puts his future plan forward â€Å" Thus much the business is we have here writ to Norway, uncle of young Fortibras. † By doing that he convinces many that he is a potent king. Writing to Norway makes him seem like he is aware of what he is doing and that the nation does not need to worry. To complement his assurance he appoints two messengers to deliver a letter, this is significantly important because his objective is to prove to the court that he trusts his officials, ironically thought, he is purposely sending two people incase of a betrayal. Claudius’s speech had a successful outcome. He was able to gently hide his inner insecurities and expose himself as a good statesman and valiant leader. His word usage was essential to the deliverance of his speech as it allowed him to get his awkward points across like unusual marriage to his sister. His use of antithesis did make the reader question the sincerity of his grief, but it did not seem to affect the opinion of the courthouse. He showed clear superiority over everyone within the courthouse, especially Hamlet, while making himself clear that he would not tolerate any disagreement of his coronation. Most importantly, he put an action plan forward and proved himself as king.

The Life Of John F. Kennedy :: essays research papers

The Life of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy was born in Brookline Massachusetts on May 29, 1917. He attended Harvard University and graduated in 1940. From 1941-1945 he served in the United States Navy, during World War II. In 1946 he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. Then in 1952 he was elected to the United States Senate. On September 12, 1953 he was married to Jacqueline Lee Bouvier. Then in 1960 he was elected President of the United States. On November 22, 1963 he was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. John grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. His father Joseph P. Kennedy, was a self-made millionaire. During the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he served as the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and as United States Ambassador to Great Britain. During John's childhood, his family often moved. Some of these moves sent the family into New York. All of the Kennedy children developed a strong competitive spirit. The boys enjoyed playing touch football together. John Kennedy's education included elementary schools in Brookline and Riverdale. By the age of thirteen his father sent him to the Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut. He then transferred to Choate Academy in Wallingford, Connecticut, and graduated in 1935 at eight-teen years old. In 1936, after a summer in England, John entered Princeton University. After Christmas, of that same year, he developed jaundice. Then in 1936 he entered Harvard University. At Harvard he majored in government and international relations. In 1940 he graduated from Harvard. He then enrolled at Stanford University, but dropped out after only six months. After serving in the United States Navy, where he won the Navy and Marine Corps Medal as the skipper of a PT boat in World War II, John decided to enter government. In 1946, he ran for the House of Representatives and won the election over his Republican opponent. He was reelected to the House in both 1948 and 1950. In 1952, he ran for the United States Senate. He defeated his opponent Henry Lodge, who was a popular and experienced legislator. After the 1956 Presidential election he decided to try to run for the upcoming 1960 Presidential election. In 1960 John Kennedy ran in the Presidential Election. His opponent, Richard M. Nixon, was a popular person, he had previously been the vice-president under Dwight Eisenhower. Together they became the first Presidential opponents to debate face-to-face on television. John Kennedy won the election. During his years as president, John helped pass a number of laws. He also established the United States Peace Corps, through

Bless Me Ultima Essay

Bless Me, Ultima, By Rudolfo Anaya is a moving story about a boy who is the last hope of his family and must decide on a culture and his own fate. Throughout the book readers recognizes allusions to the Bible but mainly to the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is an alliance of three principles, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Antonio has three religions that influence him and each are alluded to the Trinity. The Father represents the Catholic religion and God, also the faith he resembles. The Golden Carp alludes to the Son, and his guidance of right and wrong and Antonio’s morality. The Holy Spirit is represented by Ultima and old curandera that resembles wisdom. By analysis of the book Bless Me Ultima, Anya uses the allusion of the Holy Trinity to conclude that through wisdom, faith, and morality a conflict can be reconciled. Throughout the text, Rudolfo Anaya uses the allusion of the Holy Spirit illustrates that when one only relies on wisdom a conflict cannot be resolved. This conclusion is confirmed when Tenorio has blamed Ultima; who resembles wisdom and the Holy Spirit, for the loss of his child. It is not rumor,† Narciso pleaded, â€Å"he has gathered his cronies around him at the bar, he has filled them with whiskey all day, and he has convinced them to burn a witch! They come on a witchhunt! † (Pg 128). The citizen’s fear of Ultima shows that he is using the allusion of the Holy Spirit and when Antonio only relies on one part of his Holy Trinity he fails to commit to resolving his conflict. Then he soon finds himself and his family in danger. Antonio again only depends on the wisdom Ultima supplies him, and then he realizes an internal conflict he has created after witnessing a fight between Narciso and Andrew. Had I already lost my innocence? How? I had seen Lupito murdered†¦ I had seen Ultima’s cure†¦ I had seen the men come to hang her†¦ I had seen the awful fight just now†¦ I had seen and reveled in the beauty of the golden carp! Oh God! My soul groaned and I thought that it would burst and I would die huddled against the evil house. How had I sinned? (Pg 165). Suggesting that Antonio has only leaned on Ultima he finds himself in a dilemma within his cultures in that he has been separating his cultures instead of creating intimacy between them. By only confiding in part of the  Holy Trinity one has to go through a cultural struggle without it being reconciled. Numerous times in the text Anaya uses the allusion of the Father in the Holy Trinity to explain that when one only focuses on faith a cultural conflict will not be compensated. For example, during one of Antonio’s dreams, he interprets God as a sort of evil figure. â€Å"You foolish boy, God roared, don’t you see you are caught in your own trap! You would have a God who forgives all, but when it comes to your personal whims you seek punishment for your vengeance†¦ Vengeance is Mine! He shouted, not even your golden carp would give up that power as a godâ€Å"(Pg 173). The fact that God is illustrated as a bad character in his dream it is clear that Anaya is using allusion within the Holy Trinity in that it is not enough to only take part in one section and might result in doubts like Antonio’s. Also, after the death of Narciso, Antonio returns back to school and has many things running through his mind. â€Å"I thought a great deal about God and why he let such things happen†¦ Perhaps, I thought, God had not seen the murder take place, and that’s is why He had not punished Tenorio. Perhaps God was too busy in heaven to worry or care about us†(Pg 186-187). The author uses the feeling of doubt in faith to show that when Antonio regulates the faith in his life he ends with failure. This occurs because Anaya uses allusion within the Holy Trinity to suggest that if you only regard the Father and the faith in which he represents one’s cultural conflict will not cease. As Anaya uses the allusion of the Son in the Holy Trinity it is evident that only confining in morality concludes to a cultural conflict. Readers experience this conflict multiple times throughout the text. One specific event is when Cico and Antonio are having a conversation about the Golden Carp and how Antonio would like to see the fish. â€Å"We have never taken a non-believer to see him,† he said solemnly. â€Å"But I want to believe, â€Å" I looked up and pleaded, â€Å"it’s just that I have to believe in Him? † (Pg 107). The author alludes to the culture of the Golden Carp to resemble the Son in the Holy Trinity; one sees here that when Antonio contradicts his religion and only focuses on his morals. Also when Antonio says â€Å"Its just that I have to believe in Him? † it is clear that faith and wisdom are not being considered in his decisions and because of that, cause conflict. Antonio’s morals rise and fall throughout the book according to his three cultures and the three parts in his Holy Trinity. When he only relies on morality we find that he is lost within himself. While Antonio is with Cico and they are waiting for the Golden Carp to show one of Antonio’s friends, Florence, dies in the water. Later that night he has a dream where all that he had lived for is now being killed around him. â€Å"Look! He pointed to the creek where Cico lay in wait for the golden carp. When the golden carp appeared Cico struck with his spear and the water ran blood red† (Pg 244). Through the allusion of the Son this passage and the resemblance of the Golden Carp being killed shows that if one is too strong in one section of the Holy Trinity it is no good. When Cico murders the Golden Carp it concludes that Antonio cannot accommodate his three cultures by keeping them separate and not combined. It is apparent that the most ineffective way to reconcile a cultural conflict is only alluding to one of the three constituents of the Holy Trinity. By closely examining Anaya’s use in allusion, it is clear that the most effective way to handle cultural conflicts is to believe in morality, wisdom, and faith. Antonio’s conflict is a result of not combing the three parts of the Holy Trinity. While he is in church he is listening to the priest speak. â€Å"How many persons are there in one God? † he continued. â€Å"Three. The Father, the son, and the Holy Ghost† (Pg 199). The author chooses to literally say that a God cannot work without the three main components. This shows resemblance in Antonio’s life when he tries to keep Catholicism, The Golden Carp, and Ultima all separate pieces. He questions if he can combine or create resolution for his conflict but hesitates to take action. â€Å"Does one have to choose? † I asked. â€Å"Is it possible to have both? †(Pg 238). This shows that Antonio recognizes his problem and starts to connect with all three parts of the Trinity, wishing they could all are one, and not realizing he has the power to do so. Through the power of the Holy Trinity, (God, The Golden Carp, and Ultima) Antonio comes to the conclusion to reconcile his cultural struggles. â€Å"‘Take the llano and the river valley, the moon and the sea, God, and the golden carp-and make something new, I said to myself. That is what Ultima meant by building strength from life†¦ Papa, I asked, Can a new religion be made? †(Pg. 247). Anaya attempts to inspire the reader by illustrating that within togetherness one can incorporate their cultures and create a new one. To conclude in Antonio’s struggle within himself it is inevitable that one can overcome a cultural battle by reliance of faith, wisdom, and morality. The Holy Trinity does not work if all parts aren’t connected. In Antonio’s life, the only way he would become successful it to combine and control his three cultures into one, never letting one over power the other. In Bless Me, Ultima; one can see a reoccurrence of resemblance to the Trinity and many other Bible references. Rudolfo Anaya suggests that one has the power to do anything with wisdom, faith, and morality in his or hers heart.

The Representation Of The Monster - 1480 Words

From time to time popular literature has made it’s way to the bring screen every now and again. Once the mass appeal from the text surfaces, these film industry companies to take them into their own hands, which usually altering the integrity of the text. Once specific example that can be found interesting is the representation of the monster in Frankenstein. In this text the exploration of why director, James Whale, had altered the appearance of the monster not only in the visual aspect, but also the internal knowledge he obtained in the novel, but not in the movie. According to the Oxford English Dictionary one of the definitions of a monster is, â€Å"A person of repulsively unnatural character, or exhibiting such extreme cruelty or wickedness as to appear inhuman; a monstrous example of evil, a vice.† Throughout the course of the novel you read of a doctor who has spent all of his recent time trying to sow up different limbs all to one body in hopes that he can cre ate this artificial human. Once the pieces are all assembled this creature comes alive, thus fulfilling the requirements to make this creature to be a monster. In the novel, the monster is described as, â€Å"His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast withShow MoreRelatedThe Representation Of The Monster1515 Words   |  7 Pagesintegrity of the text. Once specific example that can be found interesting is the representation of the monster in Frankenstein. In this text the exploration of why director, James Whale, had altered the appearance of the monster not only in the visual aspect, but also the internal knowledge he obtained in the novel, but not in the movie. According to the Oxford English Dictionary one of the definitions of a monster is, â€Å"A person of repulsively unnatural character, or exhibiting such extreme crueltyRead MoreThe True Monsters Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein961 Words   |  4 PagesThe True Monsters In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein creates a monster whose appearance brings ineffable terror and destruction into his life. However, the monster’s appearance and actions are not an accurate representation of the monster and are influenced by many outward factors that ultimately trace back to his creator. The monster’s grotesque outward appearance acts as a mirror as it reflects the true inward qualities of Victor as well as shows the flaws and abnormalitiesRead MoreThe Greek Heros Triumph Over Monsters1477 Words   |  6 Pagesrecognized for it. Every Greek myth with a hero in it has a monster or monsters that the hero must face at some point in the myth. â€Å"MONSTERS,†¦, were beings of unnatural proportions or parts, usually regarded with terror, as possessing immense strength and ferocity, which they employed for the injury and annoyance of men. [†¦]†(Bullfinch). The monsters in the Greek myths are antagonists to the heroes and represent evil. An example of a Greek myth monster is, â€Å"†¦ The Stymphalian Birds These monstrous birds hadRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Babadook 861 Words   |  4 Pagesaudience terrified without ever utilizing a single clichà © jump-scare. The audience is constantly in a state of dread and fear along with the protagonist. One of the final scenes in the movie shows the protagonist walking into her basement to feed the monster that she keeps down there. The scene is a unique ending that is not commonly seen in horror films. It revolves around implicit meaning an d the interesting point-of-view editing. Without the implicit meaning of the film and the point-of-view editingRead MoreComparison Between Frankenstein And Mary Shelley s Frankenstein1644 Words   |  7 Pagesand other representations; for example, a scene can be changed, the setting can be different, or an entire new story could be introduced. However, one major difference that tends to happen a lot is the adjustment of characters and their traits. This difference can be seen when comparing the creature in Mary Shelley’s original novel Frankenstein to multiple newer representations. The creature is portrayed differently in almost all illustrations; unfortunately, all modern representations of the creatureRead MoreEssay about A Comparison of Beowulf and Grendel935 Words   |  4 Pagesof an evil monster, Grendel, who has been wreaking havoc and terrorizing the kingdom. Beowulf is glorified for his heroic deeds of ridding the land of a fiendish monster and halting its scourg e of evil while the monster is portrayed as a repugnant creature who deserves to die because of its evil actions. In the epic poem, Beowulf the authors portrays Grendel as a cold-hearted beast who thrives on the pain of others. Many have disagreed with such a simplistic and biased representation of Grendel andRead MoreSymbolism Of Beowulf716 Words   |  3 Pagesthe first monster Beowulf battles snatched up 30 men and it is to be said that beowulf has the strength of 30 men. Beowulf is an epic poem translated by Burton Raffel. In Beowulf there is three battles with three different monsters, Grendel, Grendels mother, and a dragon. The three battles have a symbolic meaning throughout the whole book. The three battles in the epic poem represent more than just two enemies fighting for victory, they are battles between the internal good and monster who embodyRead MoreIs Grendel Truley Evil? Essay1135 Words   |  5 Pagessignifies one of the important messages in the text about hum anity. In Beowulf, Grendel is called a ‘monster’. However, if observed closely, analyzing the meaning behind the story, it is easy to see that Grendel is not a typical monster, in fact, it doesn’t seem like he is a monster at all. There is much evidence within the short period of the text where Grendel is present, which indicates he is not a true monster. In observing the relationship with his mother, his circumstances of his given situation, andRead MoreThe Guilt Of The Death Of Others By Mary Shelley1307 Words   |  6 Pagesabsence of â€Å"mother† characters in Shelley’s novels reflects the death of her own mother. According to Kotze, â€Å"the monster is, in all respects, a motherless child, and to fulfil his desire for a mother, he is forced to find a substitute mother-figure. He accomplishes this by attributing the idealised characteristics of the Imaginary mother to a natural object, the moon† (Kotze 56). The monster, a main characte r in Frankenstein, is motherless much like many of Shelley’s other characters and of Shelley.Read MoreThe Inacurate Representation of the Cyclops Essay examples1421 Words   |  6 Pagesviewed as rugged human-like monsters with one eye in the middle of their head. Cyclopes are the least favorite of Greek mythological creatures; they are seen as brute, vile, and disgusting creatures with a thirst for blood. Even though Cyclopes are mythological creatures, they make us question our existence because they are so similar to us. They make us question whether we share an ancestral trait or if we will one day turn into them. Cyclopes are gigantic one-eye monsters that live a lawless life