Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Myth Of A Classless Essays - Anthropology, Social Class, Socialism

Myth Of A Classless The myth of a classless American society coupled with social stratification impedes race relations in the U.S. far more than any racial differences. The never ending struggle of the have-nots to become one of the haves produces a frustration and feeling of oppression that acts as a catalyst for spawning racial tensions. Minorities see the majority of wealth in the hands of the white population and feel that the wealth is unevenly distributed. Whites hear of government programs for minorities and feel as if they are lazy or just looking for a handout. This occurs and stereotypes are formed. Combine all of this with the United States system of dual welfareand the perfect environment for racial strife is created. In our classlesssociety of false hope the working class and poor are continually seeking opportunities to excel that just aren't there. They have been led to believe that intelligence and ambition are key contributors to one's success. This belief lays blame on the unsuccessful themselves, even if they do possess ambition and intelligence. These people are in a never ending cycle of struggle, followed by minimal rewards, which eventually produces a frustration that sometimes leads to desperate measures. The Summer Stragedy, The Filling Station, Southeast Arkanasia, The Southern Road and Mending Wall are the stories and poems that depict the life of a different classes people in a society. One way you can read Mending Wall by Robert Frost is that it is about a man who rebuilds the wall seperating his property from his neighbours. This man, this person created by Gray doesn't seem to believe there is a use for the wall as he [the neighbour] is all pine and I [the persona] am apple orchard, but his neighbour believes that good fences make good neighbours. The persona tries to change his neighbour's opinion by trying to put a notion in his head? but his neighbour seems to just ignore him. So the person gets annoyed and thinks of him as an old-stone savage. This is a very simple situation which we can all relate to. But, if we read deeper into the poem we may find the meanings that Robert Frost wanted us to see. Firstly, as we know that this persona is against the building of walls where not necessary we find that it is this persona that initiates the re-building of the wall. I let my neighbour know beyond the hill. This gives the reader something to think about. It puts questions in the reader's mind as to why he would initiate this if he doesn't think it's necessary. One reason may be that this persona enjoys the company of his neighbour - but he gets frustrated with him. Maybe this person is a lonely person and any company is good company. They meet to walk the line. Maybe through mending the wall between them they are mending their friendship. These are all viable options and as we read further into the poem we may understand to a greater extent why he does this. When the two start building the wall the reader may notice that words such as we and our are used giving the feeling of cooperation and companionship. The persona once calls this task an outdoor game which connotes feelings of enjoyment, cooperation, competition. The fact that they walk the line one on a side gives a visual image in the readers mind and may remind them of a tennis game. I must emphasize that what is being told in the poem is from the personals point of view, not directly Frost's, so the reader must beware and realise that it is possible that the persona is wrong in some of his comments. There where it is we do not need the wall. This comment being straight to the point makes the reader feel as if the persona is denying the fact that it is the wall that brings the two men together to cooperate with one another and to converse with one another (to a certain extent). The line directly after this comment segregates the two from one another by contrasting the type of people they are with each other. He is all pine and I am all apple orchard. the fact that this statement comes directly after the comment on the uselessness of the wall suggests that it is these kind of attitudes that puts a barrier between people thus segregating them

Friday, March 20, 2020

Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa are the most Essays

Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa are the most Essays Bulimia Nervosa and Anorexia Nervosa are the most common eating disorders in the world. One in ten Americans suffer or have suffered from an eating disorder in their life. Disorders like these two listed are common in both females and males in their early stages of adulthood. The prevalence in women that suffer from bulimia are 0.3-0.5% , then for women who suffer from Anorexia is 1-3%. From this statistic, it is inferred that these two eating disorders have contrasting characteristics. Even though Bulimia and Anorexia are two types of binge-eating disorders, both have different contrasting effects on t he body such as physical changes to ones' body , Triggers, and negative effects physically and psychologically . Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder where a person is consumed with binge eating followed by extreme methods of pu rging. The physical changes to body are Puffiness in the face below cheekbones, swollen glands, and sometimes bursting blood vessels in the eyes. Bulimia triggers a person's body in ways that exhibit anxious behavior. Someone who has Bulimia Nervosa has less control over their food intake than a person who has Anorexia Nervosa. People who have Bulimia lack control over their daily intake , following extreme diets for example going a day without eating, in-combination with the impulse to eat a large amount of food. This eating disorder may result in negative effects on one's body physically and psychologically, such as heat failure, damage to esophagus and teeth. People who suffer from this eating disorder tend to display a perfectionism behavior and have a tendency to be highly self-critical. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder where a person fears weight gain and avoids eating, or eats small irregular food portions. A person with this eating disorder has physical changes in their body like loss of their hair, slow movements. Someone who is Anorexia Nervosa exhibits triggers such as compulsive controlling, for example their strict control over their food intake. Also, they tend to be consumed with analyzing the smallest things. This disorder effects the body negatively due to the cause of conditions it can cause such as Amenorrhea; which is the loss of one's menstrual cycle, osteoporosis, and infertility. Anorexia Nervosa causes one to become isolated from others, like their family and friends. In conclusion, Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa are both self-destructive eating habits, but must be identified in different ways. They both have very contrasting physical characteristics that set them apart from one and another. Both can have different effects on one's body and daily functioning.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Stuart Davis, American Modernist Painter

Stuart Davis, American Modernist Painter Stuart Davis (1892-1964) was a prominent American modernist painter. He began working in the realist Ashcan School style, but exposure to European modernist painters in the Armory Show led to a distinctive personal modernist style that influenced the later development of pop art. Fast Facts: Stuart Davis Occupation: PainterMovement: Abstract art, modernism, cubismBorn: December 7, 1892 in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaDied: June 24, 1964 in New York, New YorkParents: Helen Stuart Foulke and Edward Wyatt DavisSpouses: Bessie Chosak (died 1932), Roselle SpringerChild: George Earle DavisSelected Works: Lucky Strike (1921), Swing Landscape (1938), Deuce (1954)Notable Quote: I dont want people to copy Matisse or Picasso, although it is entirely proper to admit their influence. I dont make paintings like theirs. I make paintings like mine. Early Life and Education The son of sculptor Helen Stuart Foulke and newspaper art editor Edward Wyatt Davis, Stuart Davis grew up surrounded by visual art. He developed a serious interest in drawing by age sixteen and started illustrating adventure stories for his younger brother, Wyatt. Davis family moved from his childhood home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to New Jersey, where he got to know a group of his fathers artist colleagues known as the Eight. This group included Robert Henri, George Luks, and Everett Shinn. Bar House, Newark (1913). Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain Stuart Davis began his formal art training as a student of Robert Henri, who became the leader of the Ashcan School, an American art movement known for focusing on painting scenes of daily life in New York City. They took much of their inspiration from Walt Whitmans poetry in Leaves of Grass. The Armory Show In 1913, Davis was one of the youngest artists featured in the groundbreaking Armory Show, the first extensive exhibition of modern art in the U.S. First showing at New Yorks 69th Regiment Armory, the exhibition then traveled to the Art Institute of Chicago and Copley Society of Art in Boston. The Mellow Pad (1951). Brooklyn Museum / Wikimedia Commons While Stuart Davis exhibited realist paintings in the Ashcan style, he studied the works of European modernist artists included in the exhibition, from Henri Matisse to Pablo Picasso. After the Armory Show, Davis became a dedicated modernist. He took cues from the cubist movement in Europe to move toward a more abstract style of painting. Colorful Abstraction Stuart Davis mature style of painting began to develop in the 1920s. He became friends with other influential American artists including Charles Demuth and Arshile Gorky as well as poet William Carlos Williams. His work began with realistic elements but he then abstracted them with bright colors and geometrical edges. Davis also painted in series, making his work parallel to musical variations on a theme. Swing Landscape (1938). Robert Alexander / Getty Images In the 1930s, Davis painted murals for the Federal Art Project, a program of the Works Progress Administration. One of those, the monumental painting Swing Landscape shows the style of Stuart Davis in full flower. He began with a depiction of the waterfront of Gloucester, Massachusetts, and then added the energy of the jazz and swing music he loved. The result is a highly personal explosion of color and geometrical forms. By the 1950s, Davis work evolved to a focus on lines and a style influenced by drawing. The painting Deuce is an example of the shift. Gone was the cacophony of bright colors. In its place was a lively set of vibrant lines and shapes still echoing lessons learned from the European cubism of the early 20th century. Later Career After he established himself as a vital member of the New York avant-garde painting scene of the mid-20th century, Stuart Davis began teaching. He worked at the Art Students League, the New School for Social Search, and then Yale University. As an instructor, Davis directly influenced a new generation of American artists. Nightlife (1962). Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons 2.0 Although his late-career work continued to incorporate abstract elements, Stuart Davis never moved completely away from referencing real life. He rejected the abstract expressionism that dominated the American art world of the 1950s. In the early 1960s, Davis health quickly declined until he suffered a stroke in 1964 and passed away. His death came just as art critics saw the influence of his work in a new movement, pop art. Legacy Deuce (1954). Andreas Solaro / Getty Images One of Stuart Davis most lasting contributions was his ability to take lessons learned from European movements in painting and create a distinctly American twist on the ideas. His bold, graphical paintings contain echoes of the work of Fauvists like Henri Matisse and the cubist experiments of Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso. However, the end product finds inspiration in American life and architecture, a factor that makes Davis work unique. Pop artists Andy Warhol and David Hockney celebrated Stuart Davis blending of content from commercial advertisements with the shapes of everyday objects that he first depicted in the 1920s. Today, many art historians consider Davis work to be proto-pop art. Source Haskell, Barbara. Stuart Davis: In Full Swing. Prestel, 2016.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

There are two topicschoose one of them Coursework

There are two topicschoose one of them - Coursework Example By allocating the costs by their using departments, departmental decision making is enhanced. The marketing department cannot be held accountable for the wastage or spoilage incurred by the grinding department. The department generating high production levels is not affected by another department’s operating activities. Applying the traditional cost alternative, the costs of all the departments are lumped into one cost account (Debarshi, 2011, p. 178). Consequently, the department producing the avoidable production wastes and spoilage can be erroneously made to explain one’s wasteful production process charge. This is because the total expenses and costs of all the departments are evenly divided among all the wasteful and not wasteful departments. Further, allocating the costs by departments will allow the implementation of favorable cost center-based strategies. Under the strategy, each department is responsible for its own profit, expense, revenue, or other financial accounts (Kinney, 2012, p. 26). For example, the costs and operating expenses of the fast selling department are deducted from the revenues of the same fast selling branch or department. Likewise, the costs and operating expenses of the slow selling department are deducted from the revenues of the same slow selling branch or department. This way, management can determine whether each department performed financial better than the other departments. In terms of areas where judgment may be needed, the computation of the overhead allocation includes categorizing expenses according to direct costs and indirect costs (Mittal, 2010, p. 23). For example, wood, nails, and paint are classified as direct materials of the furniture manufacturing company because wood, nails, and paint form part of the completed chair. Direct labor cost includes amount paid to the individuals directly making the product. For example, the salary payment of the carpenter making the chair is direct

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Anthropology and political and power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Anthropology and political and power - Essay Example Anthropology's basic concerns are "What defines Homo sapiens?", "Who are the ancestors of modern Homo sapiens?", "What are humans' physical traits?", "How do humans behave?", "Why are there variations and differences among different groups of humans?", "How has the evolutionary past of Homo sapiens influenced its social organization and culture?" so it is the study of how humans live and interact. The anthropologist Eric Wolf once described anthropology as "the most scientific of the humanities, and the most humanistic of the sciences." Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running a government. It also refers to behavior within civil governments. However, politics have been observed in other group interactions, including corporate, academic, and religious institutions. It consists of "social relations involving authority or power† and refers to the regulation of public affairs within a political unit, and to the methods and tactics used to formulate and apply policy. Anthropology and politics have a direct link between them. POWER IS IMMANENT in human affairs; by definition, human beings are political animals. Power in this sense cannot be reduced to a single social or political instance by either external or internal criteria. Whether or not the social grouping under scrutiny is collectively aggregated by conditions of gender, age, kinship, class, or hierarchy, power is present. In the most basic sense, power is what the political scientist Harold Lasswell defined as political: who gets what and how. Or, as the anthropologist Edmund Leach provocatively noted, all social and cultural change is a quest for power. Power is not a domain but one of the essential forms and conditions of human relations. Three phases may be recognized in anthropology’s relationship with politics. In the first formative era (1879–1939) anthropologists studied politics almos t incidentally to their other interests, and we can speak only of ‘the anthropology of politics’. In the second phase (1940–66) political anthropology developed a body of systematically-structured knowledge and a self-conscious discourse. The third phase began in the mid-1960s when all such disciplinary specialization came under severe challenge. As new paradigms challenged the earlier dominating, coercive systems of knowledge, political anthropology was first de-centered and then deconstructed. The political turn taken by geography, social history, and literary criticism and, above all, feminism has revitalized anthropology’s concern with power and powerlessness. FEW subjects arouse more passion and debate among Muslims today than the encounter between Islam and modern thought. The subject is of course vast and embraces fields ranging from politics to sacred art, subjects whose debate often causes volcanic eruptions of emotions and passions which hardly l ead to an objective scrutiny of causes and a clear vision of the problems involved. Nor is this debate which consumes so much of the energies of Muslims and students of Islam helped by the lack of clear definition of the terms of the debate and an insight into the actual forces involved. The whole discussion is also paralyzed by a psychological sense of inferiority and a sense of enfeeblement before the modern world which prevents most modernized Muslims from making a critical appraisal of the situation and of stating the truth irrespective of

Saturday, January 25, 2020

The Role Of Migratory Birds

The Role Of Migratory Birds The role of migratory birds in transmitting poultry diseases is becoming a contentious issue in the whole world. The issue has even made researchers and naturalists to differ in opinion regarding their capability to disperse pathogens across continents. Recent studies that were conducted during the bird flu outbreaks found out that a migratory bird is capable of disseminating the deadly H5N1 avian influenza without themselves getting infected. Research has shown that these birds are responsible for transmission of many diseases, especially viral, in types of animals. This study therefore has the mandate to critically analyze how migratory birds aid in transmission of diseases. The study will also focus on the various types of diseases that are transmitted by these birds. Introduction Birds have been known since time immemorial to be migrating from one region to another. The birds can be local migrants, short distance migrants, long distance migrants and nomadic and vagrant migrants. They do travel across national and international borders. The migration is always due to the instinct for survival. This instinct leads birds to look for seasonal opportunities for food supply and breeding habitats. The findings from the studies conducted on the concept of bird migration reveal that millions of birds migrate annually from unfavorable to favorable conditions (Hubalek, 1994, 2004). Unfavorable conditions are usually in winter while the favorable are in summer. Birds therefore migrate from places where there is winter to places with seasons of winter. This explains why the migration is rampant. The environmental conditions during summer accelerate food accumulation and breeding because of the better climatic conditions. Through biological systems, birds store up energy and fats during this season. The energy and fats stored aid in migration when there are changing survival conditions in the habitat. During this period, winter falls. An interesting observation is that not all birds migrate with the changing conditions. The pattern of migration differs with species and requirements (Berthold Peter, 2001). Some birds do migrate over short distance just to look for food and come back. Others migrate over long distance and may come back or not. The migration of these birds is a natural phenomenon. They have to do that in order to maintain ecological balance and most importantly, to survive. However, the natural phenomenon is always followed by harsh repercussions that are unavoidable. It is saddening to know that these birds are either carriers or hosts for pathogens. As they migrate, these birds transfer micro-organisms across localities, nations and even continents. They therefore play a significant role in the ecology and pathogenic organism circulation. These birds are implicated as hosts and mechanical carriers of infected ecto-parasites. They are also implicated in the transmission of zoonoses. It is not possible to put a stop to this sequence but we can minimize the risks involved. This can be done by controlling and preventing perilous situations. Pathogens transmitted by migratory birds Avian Pneumovirus (APV). This virus belongs to the genus Metapneumovirus. It causes a respiratory disease which is known as turkey rhinotrachetis (TRT). This disease is commonly known as swollen head syndrome (SHS) in chickens (Gough, 2003Lwamba et al., 2002). This disease kills domestic birds, especially turkey at a very high rate. It has been found out that it only takes a few moments after the attack before the bird dies. When the bird gets a secondary bacterial infection and immunosuppressive viral disease, the severity of APV is accelerated (Lwamba 2002, Jones 2006).The significance of migratory birds in the epidemiology and persistence of APV in domestic flock has been ascertained through isolation process (Shin et al., 2000). When isolation of APV from choanal swab or nasal turbinate of wild birds like geese, sparrows, swallows mallards and starling is done, there is a high persistence of APV occurrence. Bennett (2204) observed a seasonal trend of disease occurrence during APV outbreaks in Minnesota. He suggested the suspected involvement/role of wild migratory birds in APV transmission. When a nucleotide sequencing was done, it was deduced that there was a common source for the APV isolates extracted from wild ducks, domestic turkeys and geese. It was also deduced that the viruses from the different species can cross-infect. This indicated a close relationship (Shin et al., 2002). Duck plague virus (DPV) This is a highly contagious disease of Anseriformes. The duck plague/ viral enteritis causes high mortality and a decline in egg production in chickens and domestic waterfowl (Shawky and Sandhu, 2003). It has also been found to cause viable mortality in wild waterfowl. The disease (DPV) strains have been found to exist from cloacal swabs of pintail ducks, wood ducks and gadwall ducks. It was also found out that wild ducks and geese that survived during the natural outbreaks remained carriers even after four years of post infection. Migratory birds who are carriers have been identified by using virological and serological methods.The role of these birds in the epidemiology and incidence in domestic and wild of duck plague have been estimated (Ziedler and Hlinak). There was clear evidence that the most certain source of infection was DPV- carrier and American black duck. These birds entered through the major flyways (Kidd and Converse, 2001). This conclusion was reached after the major epizootic of duck plague in wild waterfowl in the US way back in 1973. It has also been found out that the convalescent migrants are the silent carriers for DPV control in poultry. Measures to minimize the spread of the disease should include bio-security, decontamination of the environment and eradication of affected flocks (Pearson and Cassidy, 1997; Converse and Kidd, 2001). Egg drop syndrome virus (EDSV) The EDSV is a vertically transmitted disease in poultry. It causes low egg production with high fragility of eggs. It also leads to substantial decrease in fertility and hatchability of the eggs. This virus (EDS-76) is classified under group III of the Adenoviridae. The disease is usually common in layer chickens. Ducks and geese are thought to be the natural hosts for the virus (McFerran and Adair, 2003). Migratory ducks, egrets, gulls, grebes and wild geese have been found to have been found to have antibodies against this virus (Malkinson and Weisman, 2003; Kaleta et al., 1985). Migratory anseriforms is thought to be disseminating EDSV. The sporadic infections in poultry can be connected to the spread of the disease from wild ducks and geese to domestic flock. The spread can be through sharing of drinking water which has been contaminated with droppings of infected birds. These droppings pollute the water thus making it a source for breeding of the virus (Hubalek, 2004; McFerran a nd Adair, 2003). Psteurella multocida P. multocida is a bacterium that has bipolar staining feature. It is the entiological agent of avian or fowl cholera. The disease is highly significant and economically important and causes mortality which is significant in both domestic and wild birds (Wobeser, 1997; Hubalek, 1994; Dash et al., 2004). Avian cholera spreads rapidly through waterfowls. It is known as a disease with carrier status. The disease is very prevalent among the ducks and turkeys followed by chicken are more susceptible. The disease generally spreads faster among the young ones (Glison et al., 2003). About 70,000 migratory ducks and geese were reported to have succumbed to the infection during the US outbreaks in 1979 (Brand, 1984). The dense bird aggregation due to the nature of waterfowls being gregarious, prompts the outbreaks of AC. The bacteriumà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s ability to survive in water for a long period of up to several weeks is high. These aspects enhance the chances of rapidity and the extent of disease spread (Botzler, 1991; Glisson et al., 2003).Those birds that survive during the outbreaks and thus recover have been reported to be long-term carriers of the infectious agents. These birds later help in dissemination of the agent to various distant wetland locations. Free ranging wild birds have also been infected with the bacterium though the greatest magnitude of losses is experienced by the death of waterfowls (Hunter and Wobeser, 1997; Glisson et al., 2003). Chlamydophila psittaci The disease (chlamydiosis) is caused by an obligate intracellular bacterium called C. psittaci. It is a contagious disease of pet birds and poultry having zoonotic implications. It is also considered as a List B disease in parrots, parakeets and humans (A ndersen and Vanrompay, 2000). Chlamydiosis affects all types of poultry and is usually systematic though occasionally fatal. The disease is often transmitted by inhalation or even ingestion of infectious fecal dust. Birds like wild ducks, egrets, sparrows, grackles, gulls other bird species have a significant reservoir of the bacteria that can spread the disease. This can be through direct contact or infectious aerosols to a variety of vertebrates including human beings and poultry (Grimes et al., 1979; Page, 1976; Kaleta and Taday, 2003; Brand, 1989; Andersen and Vanrompay, 2000). Research has shown that some chlamydial strains which are not pathogenic to migratory avian hosts are highly virulent for humans and domestic fowls. Suggestions have been made that grackles and thus migratory birds are potential reservoir hosts which can play an important role in the transmission of cycle of the bacterium C. psittaci in nature (Roberts and Grimes, 1978). The mechanisms by which the bacteria is introduced in domestic flock is clearly not understood. This is mysterious because wild birds are also infected by the same strains as domestic flock (Andersen and Vanrompay, 2000). This calls for an enhancement in the surveillance and screening in order to find the role of wild birds in the epidemiology of infection in domestic birds (Schwarzova et al., 2006). Other pathogens caused by migratory birds Wild or migratory birds also aid in the transmission of other types of pathogens in animals as well as human beings. There are various animal diseases that are a resultant of the interaction between them and the migratory birds. In the ecological system, living things always interact in order to create a balance. During this time, birds that are infected or carriers of bacteria get to interact with other living things. In the process, they make the environment contaminated and thus high risk of these animals contracting diseases. For example, birds and other animals may share drinking water. If these birds are infected, they pass on the virus into the water thus making it contaminated. As the animal drink the water, they ingest bacteria and thus contract diseases. Human beings may use these animals as food. Being that the flesh is contaminated, they automatically get the bacteria or virus into their systems. Through this channel, both the animals and human beings contract diseases. T he main source of the infection is the bird. There are a number of infections that are transmitted by birds to other animals. Among them include West Nile Fever (WNF). This is a Flavivirus belonging to family flaviviridae. It is a mosquito-borne virus which can result in fatal encephalitis in human beings. The effect can also be on equines and avian species (Hubalek and Halouzka, 1999; Komar, 2000; Rappole and Hubalek, 2000). This disease is maintained in a cycle of epizoonic transmission between mosquitoes and birds. Human and horses are the incidental hosts in this case. The migratory birds are central to the epidemiology of WNV infections. This is because they are considered as the main amplifying hosts in the transmission process (Reed et al., 2003). Migratory birds also play a crucial role in the dissemination of zoonotic and enteropathogenic bacteria that cause other infections in animals. For example, wild birds aid in the spread of Campylobacter and Salmonella. The incidence of infections in human beings by Campylobacter jejuni is on a continuous rise. The disease proves to be fatal at some acute stages and thus has led to the deaths of many. From research, it has been proved that the main transmitters of the bacteria are wild birds. The disease is usually rampant in places characterized with high humidity and high temperatures. Research is still on to establish whether there are other transmitters apart from wild birds (Sacks et al,. 1986; Tomar et al., 2006). The contamination of the surface water with the bacteria is largely attributed to aquatic and wild birds. Likewise, in the case of Salmonella infections, remnants of S. enteric (Typhimurium and Enteritidis) have been isolated from many species of birds. These birds include gulls, ducks, terns, finches and sparrows. Research has confirmed that migratory birds are involved in the dissemination of these bacteria.

Friday, January 17, 2020

About Shakespeare Essay

Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest and most tragic play. It was first published in 1603, from a draft published several years earlier. The play begins two months after the death of King Hamlet of Denmark. The country is in a state of unrest. Young Fortinbras of Norway is preparing for war. After the King’s death, his brother Claudius takes over the throne, and marries the widowed Queen Gertrude. Young Hamlet, the late king’s son is incensed. He is told by the ghost of his father, that Claudius had poisoned him, to become the King of Denmark. Hamlet starts acting like a madman rousing concern. Polonius, an advisor to King Claudius is also worried by Hamlet’s strange â€Å"transformation. † The two, along with Queen Gertrude instruct Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s childhood friends to spy on him. Hamlet is also increasingly hostile towards his love, Ophelia, Polonius’ daughter. Out of fear, the King orders Hamlet to be sent to England. King Claudius and Polonius both feel that Hamlet is dangerous. To ensure who the culprit was, Hamlet cleverly changes the lines in a play which is performed before the king and the queen. See more: Is the Importance of being earnest a satirical play essay The King’s reaction convinces Hamlet that it was indeed he who poisoned his father. Alone, King Claudius reveals his crime, and confesses that he cannot escape divine judgment. After the play, Queen Gertrude scolds her son, but he instead scolds his mother for her wrong actions. Polonius is spying on the two, from behind a curtain. Hamlet hears Polonius, and kills him thinking he is Claudius. Anxious and scared, the king orders Hamlet to be sent to England, along with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The King wants Hamlet killed as soon as he arrives in England. Hamlet had the spies Rosencrantz and Guildenstern put to death instead. Meanwhile, Young Fortinbras has brought his army to Denmark. Hamlet admires Young Fortinbras, for his courage to fight for honor. The death of Polonius has a profound impact on Ophelia, who in her depression and apathy kills herself by drowning. Laertes, Polonius’ son is enraged. The king tells him that it was Hamlet who murdered Polonius. The two decide to get rid of Hamlet, their common enemy. Claudius and Laertes arrange a duel, in which Laertes will fight Hamlet. To ensure Hamlet’s death, Laertes poisons the tip of his sword. In the course of the duel, Laertes, Hamlet and the King are poisoned by the same sword. Queen Gertrude drinks a poisoned drink meant for Hamlet, and is killed. Dying, Hamlet tells Horatio to tell the world of his story and recommends Young Fortinbras the next king of Denmark. Hamlet – Prince of Denmark is a play that deals with the main subjects of honor, revenge and suicide. Hamlet is not our typical hero. Born in a royal family, he is a refined young man with noble attributes, but he has his weaknesses. After his father’s murder, he is driven mad by anger when his mother marries Claudius. His love for Ophelia too turned into a strange confusion and mix of emotions. He distrusts all those around him, and starts dwelling in a melancholy state of mind. Even those he thought were his friends turn out to be spies sent by the king and queen. This also explain Hamlets â€Å"insanity† to a great extent. But even so, Hamlet is a disturbed individual. The way he treats Ophelia is obvious evidence. He is cruel to her, in spite of her efforts to try and understand him. He is also impulsive – he kills Polonius without thinking twice. Justice and revenge form major themes of the play, with Claudius, at the Head of a country, having killed his own brother, and Hamlet, avenging his father’s death. Suicide also forms an essential theme in the play. Ophelia kills herself by drowning. Hamlet too is prompted to kill himself. † But should he, or not; â€Å"To be or not to be, that is the question. † Shakespeare portrays all the characters with great ingenuity. He analyses human psyche, and how eventually, everyone’s destiny is controlled by fate. References: About Shakespeare, Hamlet Study Guide, http://absoluteshakespeare. com/guides/hamlet/hamlet. htm