Leda and the Swan Essay Example

Leda and the Swan Essay The background of Yeats poem Leda and the Swan is both intricate and central to the development of Yeats poetic vision and his poetic voice. Although the original impetus for the poems composition, according to Yeats, was political, the poem as it evolved to completion concerns itself much more with myth and the human religious impulse than with overt political themes. However, a political interpretation of the poem, specifically one which takes as its departure point, the evident gender-specific themes and symbolic building-blocks of Yeats theme in the poem, can be readily extrapolated and provides an insight into the potential strengths and weaknesses of the poems theme and composition.The persistent political ramifications of the poem, as mentioned, began originally as Yeats response to a poem-by-request: I wrote Leda and the Swan because the editor of a political review asked me for a poem (Melchiori 77) and Yeats original vision for the poem was to create a work which refuted th e individualist, demagogic movement, founded by Hobbes and popularized by the Encyclopaedists and the French Revolution (Melchiori 77) and which sought to re-ignite a birth from above, preceded by some violent annunciation (Melchiori 77).   Although Yeats wandered considerably far from his original conception, the final version   of Leda and the Swan retains both of the key ideas of the original inspiration: a general theme of rebirth, and a theme of violent annunciation.   The first theme became less directly political or philosophical and emerged as a rebirth not of individualism, but of a mystical spiritualism, and the second theme, that of violent annunciation was projected, as we will shortly describe, onto gender-specific symbols. This projection of violence onto gender-based symbols carries the lions share of the poems political ramifications, at least for modern readers.Yeats, for a long period during his developing career had intuited, in his personal creative impuls e, a vague association between the swan image and the idea of the annunciation of a new cult, or a new civilization (Melchiori 99) and it was this urge, rather than a blatantly political urge, which ultimately found expression in Leda and the Swan.   However, in Yeats deepest imaginative core as a poet, he connected both personal destiny and epic historical events as being   produced by the conjunction and the conflict of human and animal forms (Melchiori 78). This schism or duality projects specific conclusions regarding the nature of humanity: The animal symbolizes not only the lowest physical impulses uncontrolled by reason [] but also the superhuman, transcendental powers (Melchiori 78) and as such the surrender to such dualistically charged powers re[resents a surrender to both potentially positive and potentially deranging influences. The key is that surrender rather than integration or harmonic convergence is indicated; violence is indicated, which in turn demands that th ere be a target for violence to be acted upon.Not surprisingly, Yeats inclination to rely upon the Leda and the Swan myth to find a scaffolding for his poem demanded that he adopt an overtly misogynistic point of view as the myth itself intrinsically deals with rape as an agency of rebirth adn empowerment.  Ã‚   Had Yeats chosen to express the myth ironically through a modern viewpoint which took into account the genuine socio-political ramifications and consequences of rape he might have turned the essentially misogyny of his theme to good purpose and to a political purpose which, in fact, would have served as a new vision of individualism and certainly one which stood in utter opposition to Hobbes. Instead, Yeats embraced the Leda and the Swan myth, rape and all, not only mythically but mystically and in doing so, forwarded a politically incorrect theme which can be read as both misogynistic and essentially dismissive of feminine capacity as a passive and incomplete impulse.To t he modern reader, lines such as A sudden blow: the great wings beating still/Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed/By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,/He holds her helpless breast upon his breast (Yeats, 1-4) are not apt to signal, even in symbolist connotation, the birth of a new civilization which has been spawned by the violent cathartic influence of new myth.  Ã‚   That is what Yeats intended, that the symbols of the poem function as a series of revelations which announces an advent parallel to the birth of Christianity (Melchiori 276). Rather, the rape motif of the poem, rendered in such violent lines as:A shudder in the loins engenders there (Yeats, 9) or Being so caught up,/So mastered by the brute blood of the air, (Yeats, 12-13) is used to forward the quintessential patriarchal ideas of feminine energy (and actual womens bodies) being acted upon by force to initiate rebirth. This strategy equates women, both at the abstract and concrete level, with ut ter powerlessness and derives only a single purpose of femininity: that it be acted upon by male energy.In conclusion, because Yeats poem does, so explicitely miss the opportunity to re-envision the essentially misogynistic attributes of the Leda and the Swan myth, the poem, by definition, cannot be what Yeats intended it to be a poem which signaled the poets vision of a new age of myth and spiritual understanding. It is very difficult for the modern reader to conceive of any new myth of spiritual awakening on any significant cultural or historical level which did not include the absolutely natural eradication   of the very kind of misogyny which forms the central thematic core of Yeats celebrated sonnet.

6 Bad Excuses for Committing Plagiarism

6 Bad Excuses for Committing Plagiarism Plagiarism is a serious offense that can cause permanent damage to a student’s academic career. Few students realize the seriousness of this crime – and crime is exactly what plagiarism amounts to. It is an act of theft. Because many students fail to understand the potential consequences of committing plagiarism, they don’t necessarily take the time to understand what types of behavior constitute plagiarism. This gets too many students into trouble – and that trouble can be anything from embarrassment to heartbreak. In college, plagiarism is taken very seriously. Many colleges will expel students on the very first event. While students are given the opportunity to have their case or situation reviewed by a panel or a student court, they should understand that excuses just do not work. The most common excuse that school officials hear appears as number one on the list: 1. I didn’t know it was wrong.   Your first job as a student is to know what behavior is considered plagiarism. You should stay far away from these common types of plagiarism: Submitting the work of another. If you ever turn in a paper that was written by someone else, especially if you pay money for it, then you are guilty of plagiarism and you are risking your future. It is plagiarism to claim the work of another or even the ideas of another.  While most students in middle and high school don’t have to worry about stealing ideas when it comes to a paper or a science project, students in college do run the risk of plagiarism charges when they write a paper based on another person’s thesis. Submitting a paper you’ve written for another class. Yes, you can get into trouble if you use your own original work for two different assignments. There is a difference between submitting the same paper twice and building upon your own research and adding to an old paper. Check with your instructor or advisor if you have any questions or doubts about this. Copying too much text and using it as a block quote. Let’s face it. Sometimes stude nts try to pull the wool over their instructors’ eyes. Instructors are not dummies, and they see this one all the time. They don’t fall for it.  There is a limit to the amount of text you should put into a block quote. Rewording a source or several sources. Sometimes student will submit a research paper with correct citations, but the paper is really a reworded version of one source or several sources pieced together.   The paper you write should contain your own original ideas, theories, and conclusions.   You must draw conclusions from the evidence you find in other work. While â€Å"I didn’t know it was wrong† is the most common excuse, there are others that instructors hear often. Be warned that excuses don’t get you off the hook! 2. I didn’t mean to. Everyone knows that it is tedious work, putting in all those precise citations. One common problem that instructors see is the omission of a citation. If you use a quote from a source and you don’t indicate that it’s a quote and cite your source, you have committed a theft! Be very careful to proofread and make sure you’ve indicated every quote with quotation marks and cited the source. 3. I didn’t know how to do the assignment. Sometimes students receive unique assignments that are so different from previous tasks that they just don’t know how the completed task should look. It’s perfectly fine to look up examples when you are expected to do something new like write an annotated bibliography or create a poster presentation. But sometimes, students who procrastinate can wait too long to look up these examples, and they realize that they have waited too long to complete the work. When that happens, they may be tempted to borrow from those examples. The solution? Don’t procrastinate! That also leads to trouble. 4. I was just helping a friend. You know perfectly well that you’re guilty of plagiarism if you use work that wasn’t written by you. But did you realize that you are also guilty if you write a piece for another student to use? You are both guilty! It’s still plagiarism, on both sides of this coin. 5. It was my first time. Really? That might have worked when you were five, but it won’t work on instructors when it comes to stealing.   Many students are expelled after the first time committing plagiarism. 6. I was in a rush. Politicians and journalists who have quick deadlines for speeches and reports have tried this one, and it is unfortunate that such high-profile personalities have to be such awful role models. Again, this excuse for stealing the work of another is not going to get you anywhere. You are not likely to gain sympathy because you didn’t give yourself enough time to finish an assignment! Learn to use a color-coded calendar to you have plenty of warning time when an assignment is due.

Methods Exercise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Methods Exercise - Essay Example As indicated earlier breast cancer is treatable if it is diagnosed at an early stage. This purpose of this paper is to .look at the different methods of creating awareness among the members of the community on this disease. The objective of this project is to increase the awareness level of female members of the community and engage as many people as possible to get tested. The main goal is to increase the current levels of women who are aged 20 and above to get tested. The target group is mainly young women who do not have the test as they usually argue that they are either too young or they are feeling fine. The target group for this project is the youths and young women under the age of 25 years and as a result the methods to be used should involve this group (Boyle, 2003). First, due to the lean budget that has been allocated to this project the methods used shall be more involving and will require a lot of effort by all the parties involved. The first method that this project will use is sensitizing the people through volunteers who will be selected and be chosen by the programs director (Baum and Meredith, 1999). The volunteers will be selected according to their age for the volunteers who will be doing the field work. The volunteers are to go round through the country sensitizing the people on the effects and the symptoms of breast cancer. This program is geared towards sensitization and awareness among the young people and encourages them to get tested as early as possible to get a cancer free population. The other volunteers that will be used in this program is the clinical offic ers and doctors who will be used in the campaigns as we will be having camps that will be used in the testing in every point that the campaign stops. These are the most important volunteers in this campaign as they will be losing and giving their working hours to this project. This project will therefore start by inviting all

Good dictator, bad dictator article summary Essay

Good dictator, bad dictator article summary - Essay Example He further regarded United Fruit Company, the US multinational as a quintessential American colonialism in Central America. In this article, Bucheli argued that the strong affiliation of the company with the local dictators facilitated it to acquire considerable status in Latin America. He further illustrated the prevalence of three periods in Central American nationalism that impacted overall functioning of United Fruit. Accordingly, Bucheli related first period as an era of resistance in the context of labor movement, which witnessed by United Fruit relating to power and supportive nature of government. Furthermore, he relates second period when United Fruit faced government opposition to its operations for the first time. The third period has been related with the target of seeking nationalism, wherein the company was forced to sale a few of its properties (Bucheli 1-42). Based on the above analysis, it can be summarized that alliances can survive as long as the multinationals fac ilitate the dictators to experience financial stability of the country. On the other hand, he argued that when the multinationals become powerless or their capabilities are reduced to provide adequate benefits to the dictators, they adopt rigid approaches to find out other alternative ways for gaining well-acknowledged reputation especially in Latin America (Bucheli 1-42). I firmly agree with the response of the authors related with multinationals in the early part of 20th century.

Do the Pros of Monetary Policy Outweigh the Cons Essay

Do the Pros of Monetary Policy Outweigh the Cons - Essay Example However, as a stabilization policy monetary policy effectiveness as a tool of economic stabilization among other instruments of economic policy varies from one economy to another. This is as a result, of differences in the economic structures, divergence in the degrees of development in money and capital markets that result in varying degrees of economic progress, and the differences in the prevailing economic conditions. Monetary policy use over time has however, brought about controversy based on whether its applicability during periods of economic recession is beneficial or not. The protagonists among the policy makers uphold the use of monetary policy as a means of adjusting the economy to the high levels of inflation. On the contrary, the antagonists do not support the use of monetary policy as a stabilization tool since they believe that the cons due to its use outweigh the pros gained when the government through the central bank applies monetary policy measures in the economy. It is therefore, worthwhile to see the impact of monetary policy on the economy in order to determine whether the use of monetary policy is beneficial or not. Monetary policy effects during economic recession period when the markets are covered with inflation with the rapid increase in price and interest rates could be beneficial has it has a positive impact as a control measure. According to Keith Kuester’s article the recession period that recently unfolded prompted monetary and fiscal stabilization tools use by the policymakers in the United States and abroad as a means of mitigating the drastic economic downturn. Kuester (2011) further on describes how the economists largely depended on the use of monetary policy as a way of stabilizing the economy. This is because monetary policy can be applied in order to reduce the interest rate in periods of economic recession by stimulating private demand. As a result, the contractionary monetary policy lowers the interest rate and subsequently influences government expenditure by lowering it through the decrease of the interest rate to up to close to zero percent as it cannot move to negative percent. On the other hand, the Economist Intelligence Unit (2010) also support the drastic measures by the government to reduce the interest rates of federal funds through the Federal reserve central bank in order to control the upsurge of economic recession from increasing further to extreme levels. Jenkins & Eckert (2000) also asserts that the government through the central bank regulated the interest rate in order to control the money supply thus, reduce the rate of inflation. In addition, the use of monetary policy brings about stabilization of prices in the long run this is because it can control the slowing down of the inflation rate. Kuester (2011) affirms that at lower interest rate due to the monetary policy enforcement in place the private consumption and investment increases as they gain confidence in the sta bility of the economy. This is because the household tend to presume the presence of a stable inflation and as a result, the households tend to save less and increase their demand for consumption goods. In addition, the Economist Intelligence Unit (2010) also affirms that after applying monetary policy on the economy oversees a recovery that continues to gain momentum as the spending of consumers increase significantly from an annualized rate of 1.6% up to 3.6% after a quarter. This is accompanied considerably by an increase in the gross domestic product.

The facility operations department

The facility operations department Facilities Operations Management The Facility Operations Department mission is to safely provide a high-quality physical environment and core services in support of operations. This is to be accomplished through an adaptive and diverse support team of dedicated and well-trained professionals whose purpose is to meet the facilities needs of the Computing Division, its members and the people and organizations that we serve. Effective facilities management, combining resources and activities, is vital to the success of any organisation. At a corporate level, it contributes to the delivery of strategic and operational objectives. On a day-to day level, effective facilities management provides a safe and efficient working environment, which is essential to the performance of any business whatever its size and scope. The purvey of OM ranges from strategic to tactical and operational levels. Representative strategic issues include determining the size and location of manufacturing plants, deciding the structure of service or telecommunications networks, and designing technology supply chains. Tactical issues include plant layout and structure, project management methods, and equipment selection and replacement. Operational issues include production scheduling and control, inventory management, quality control and inspection, traffic and materials handling, and equipment maintenance policies. Facilities Operations Management in Macdonalds Facilities Management acts as the landlord responsible for all facilities maintenance functions in support of the core marketing, engineering, operational and manufacturing in Macdonalds. Programs and Services acts as a liaison between facilities management and the operating divisions; makes sure facilities management is meeting customer needs and expectations. Definition Facilities management is the integration of processes within an organisation to maintain and develop the agreed services which support and improve the effectiveness of its primary activities (CEN the European Committee for standardisation) MacDonalds an Introduction The worlds major chain in fast-food restaurants is McDonalds Corporation that was firstly introduced in 1940 by two brothers Dic and Mack. Its logo was introduced in 1962 by Jim Schindler and that resembles to Ma shaped sign and this sign can be seen on the side of the McDonalds but its name added with the logo in 1968. McDonalds branches are more than 31,000 with the leading of global food service retailer and so this restaurant serving more than 58 million people in 118 countries each day. There are more than 1190 restaurant of MacDonalds in UK and 1.5 million workers are working in all over the world. Ray Kroc became the first franchisee appointed by Mac and Dick for McDonald in San Bernardino California in 1954 after that with the passage of time in USA and other countries in the world it franchised. Independently More than 75% of McDonalds restaurants in the worldwide are owned by local men and women. Responsibilities of facilities managers for staff engaged in facilities operations At Business Link we believe that skilled, motivated and committed employees lead to revenue growth, profitability and customer satisfaction. This can be achieved by knowing how to effectively engage with staff and create an environment that encourages personal development. Facility Manager knows and understand very well this issue e.g. he awares.. Understanding employee needs and wants How to create a stimulating and challenging role Civilised treatment and working environment Exposure to and recognition of senior management Encouragement and praise for good performance Support and mentoring Respect for work and life balance Training to improve skills Encouraging job advancement Managers Responsiveness in Operational Aspects Facilities management is an essential strategic discipline because it operates the high-level, strategic change required by senior decision makers into day-to-day reality for people in their work or living space. Facility managers have following responsibilities for Macdonalds. Deliver effective facility management of Macdonalds assets Enhance the skills of people within the FM sector and provide identifiable and meaningful career options Enable new working styles and processes is vital in this technology driven age Enhance and project for Macdonalds identity and image Help the integration processes associated with change, post-merger or acquisition Deliver business continuity and workforce protection in an era of heightened security threats Example of Responsibility the Facilities Manager hastowardscustomers Administrative services managersplan, coordinate, and direct a broad range of services that allow Macdonalds to operate efficiently. They might, for example, coordinate space allocation, facilities maintenance and operations, and major property and equipment procurement. They also may oversee centralized operations that meet the needs of multiple departments, such as information and data processing, mail, materials scheduling and distribution, printing and reproduction, records management, telecommunications management, security, recycling, wellness, and transportation services. Administrative services managers also ensure that contracts, insurance requirements, and government regulations and safety standards are followed and up to date. They may examine energy consumption patterns, technology usage, and personal property needs to plan for their long-term maintenance, modernization, and replacement. Impact on Facility Operations to Employers or Agencies The role and responsibilities of agency managers and supervisors in protecting their employees from harm through the identification and control of workplace hazards. The main focus is on personal protective equipment, including selection, training, enforcement, and program review. Facility Managers must provide a safe work environment for their employees, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Virginia Executive Order 52 Workplace Safety and Health; good business practices, and employee families place similar demands on employers. To do this, the agency must determine what hazards are associated with its operation and what is needed to protect employees from being injured by these hazards or eliminate the hazard altogether. Assessment of Saturatory Regulations in Macdonalds Statutory regulation exists to protect the publicagainst the risk of poor practice. It works by settingagreed standards of practice and competenceby registering those who are competent to practise and restricting the use of specified protected titles to those who are registered. Facility operational managers need to tell to his staff about rules and regulations e.g., definitions, permit requirements e.g., general, inspection or investigation, references, permit requirements, exceptions to the standard; about enforcing regulations e.g., probation, consultation, inspections etc; about enforcing actions e.g. general, violation classification etc; about enforcing action e.g. general, in service training, health statics etc; about reporting procedure e.g. emergency call number, medical call numbers etc; about fire presentations e.g. arrangements for fire departments response , inspection, evacuation plan, fire response training etc; about facility accommodation, mobile units, severability and general etc etc. Health and Safety Rules Measured by Facility Manager Information from health and safety performance measurement is needed by the people in the Macdonalds who have particular responsibilities within the health and safety management system. These will include directors, senior managers, line managers, supervisors, health and safety professionals and employees and safety representatives. They each need information appropriate to their position and responsibilities within the health and safety management system. There needs to be overall coherence in approach so that individual measuring activities are aligned within the overall performance measurement framework. In effect this results in a hierarchical set of linked measures which reflect the organisations structure. Each organisation must create and communicate performance measures that reflect its unique strategy ( Kaplan) Health and Safety is a very important part of any business and various Acts place varied responsibilities upon employers. This pack addresses many of the basic issues but we do not profess to be experts in this field. As different companies have different methods of operation so facility manager advises that always obtain independent expert Health and Safety advice prior to implementation or use of any CGD document Required Documentations with Saturatory Regulations for Measuring Health and Safety The Health and Safety of all our employees, members, guest, clients, customers, patients, contractors, visitors and members of the public, etc. is the paramount importance to Hughes, MacDonald Davidson that introduced by facility managers. The company undertakes to provide employees with a safe environment in which to perform their duties. The company will train employees in the safe method to be applied to any tasks they have to undertake. Will maintain all equipment, either electrical or mechanical, in accordance with manufacturers recommendations where applicable, or with individual assessment relevant to that piece of equipment to ensure safe and effective operation. Macdonalds has more than five employees and that includes the owners and some part-time staff, thats why Macdonald,s needs written healthand safety documentation. The Law requires that you have a written healthand safety policy statement. Linked to this statement will be the arrangements that exist with the bank for dealing with healthand safety. Healthy and Safety Policies Health Safety Policy StatementsGeneral statement, and policy examples, including contractors Standard Health Safety and Risk Assessment formsAnnual audit, risk assessment forms plans. Environmental FormsPolicy, assessment checklist action plan and waste disposal note. First Aid, Accidents and DiseaseAccident, investigation, treatment and Riddor report forms Fire SafetyRisk Assessment forms, policy and procedures and records Smoke Free, Drugs and Alcohol PoliciesUp-to-date policies governing smoking, drugs and alcohol. Safe DrivingSave Driving Policy, Guidance for Employees who Drive for Work and Vehicle Checklist Display Screen EquipmentQuestionnaire, identification eyesight records and risk assessment Chemical and Hazardous Substances COSHHSafety data, risk assessment and action plan forms etc etc. Effective Systems for Processing information and Maintaing Communications The effective systems process is fair and transparent, allowed for some negotiation of roles and responsibilities, and ensured that the most suitable people are appointed to the right jobs and remunerated accordingly. Facility managers deployed teaching and non-teaching staff effectively, and knew how to use and build on their individual strengths. staff is well supported by the schools arrangements for continuing professional development, which included a wide range of different development opportunities. The facility manager procedures is used well to support for staff development in Macdonalds. Required Effective Facilities Operations The Facility Operations Center provides computer programs designed to assist in the planning, management and administrative procedures required for an effective maintenance and asset management process. As an information technology tool for managing the maintenance process, a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is a mission-essential part of any organization, and a tool for success. Facilities Manager Support for Effective Building Management The Department Chair or Division Manager assigns a qualified Building Manager and alternate for each of their facilities. The Building Manager serves as the single point-of contact for the coordination of non-programmatic operational issues that affect multiple and common areas of assigned buildings, such as utility shutdowns, maintenance activities, and construction projects. This ensures that the integration and execution of facility work is managed and controlled to safely and effectively accomplish operations, maintenance, and modification, while minimizing adverse impact on the mission-related work. The Building Manager also plays an integral role in ensuring that the Facility Use Agreements (FUA) are maintained and in facilitating the FUA process. IMs goal is to ensure Brookhaven National Laboratory real property assets are planned for, managed, tracked, and upgraded as required in order to meet BNLs current and future programmatic needs. To accomplish this IM performs site and utilities master planning, manages BNLs new project request and prioritization system (3PBP), maintains utilities maps, manages BNLs space and facilities data base, and provides program management for BNLs GPP, Line Item and Operating Funded Project programs. Investigates the cost effectiveness of facilities management in relation to the contribution which it makes to bottom-line profits. Concludes that fully cost-effective facilities can only be achieved where independent benchmarking exists and this leads to a facilities policy.(Bernard Williams) Quality and Effectiveness of Facilities Operations For quality and effective facilities operations management administration, books, contract management, customer relations, customer service, data acquisition, delivery, documentation, file management, indexing, interpretation, invoicing, materials management, next, oil painting, quality, quality control, rapport, record keeping, reports, research, safety, sales, scanners, supervisory skills, technical support, telephone skills and transportation skills consider significant element for Macdonalds. Operations facilitiesand workers are physically seen or capable of being monitored by customers andthe practice offacility operationsandqualitymanagement is accepted vices also have a tangible product content. Analyse the procedure in Quality and Effectiveness of Facilities Operations Team effectiveness as measured by team knowledge and skills are significantly associated with the extent of advance clinical access (ACA) implementation in both primary and specialty care. Team functioning was significant only in primary care. Facility Management support as measured by personal leadership support for quality improvement and the importance of reduced wait times is also significantly associated with ACA implementation, but practical facility management support and organizational culture is not. Team effectiveness partially mediated the relationship between extent of implementation and personal leadership support. Findings support the underlying theory that implementation of clinical innovations depends on both individual staff and a more complex dynamic of individuals operating within work units in the larger organization like Macdonalds. References Articles Christine Williams, The state of quality management in six leisure related research sites 1998, Issue 2, Page 95 to 103, Publisher, MCB UP Ltd. Bernard Williams, Cost-effective facilities management: a practical approach 1996, volume 14, Publisher: MCB UP Ltd. http://www.iiml.ac.in/faculty_staff_operations_management.html http://mitsloan.mit.edu/omg/om-definition.php http://www.strath.ac.uk/siom/whatis/ http://www.bifm.org.uk/bifm/about/facilities

Jealousy in Shakespeares Othello Essay -- Othello essays Shakespeare

Jealousy in Shakespeare's Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   Othello features jealousy as the dominant motive for action and therefore just as reflected in real life we bare witness to jealousy influencing the characters of Iago, Brabantio, Roderigo, and Othello. In this essay I shall be attempting to examine this theme in depth drawing comparison between jealousy and the consequential action.   The dominance of jealousy as the chief causative force of action in the drama is very obvious to most critics. In William Shakespeare: The Tragedies, Paul A. Jorgensen exposes the main motivation in the story: In 'roundest' terms, Othello is a story of raging sexual jealousy prompted apparently by the least credible of motives. Othello has eloped with Desdemona, the white, refined, and pure daughter of a Venetian senator, Brabantio. [. . .] The marriage might have succeeded had it not been for one of the most hateful characters ever created: Iago. This essentially puny man is, he tells his dupe Roderigo, jealous because his general Othello has appointed as lieutenant not the seasoned plain veteran Iago but a learned soldier of the new type, Cassio. In soliloquy (1.3.377), Iago tells us also of the reasons for his jealousy and proposed revenge, all of them sexual: he claims both Cassio and Othello have seduced his wife, Emilia, a warm-hearted, simple wom... ...n Shakespeare?s Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55) Jorgensen, Paul A. William Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985. Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical Essays on Shakespeare?s Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 68-90) Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos. Snyder, Susan. "Beyond the Comedy: Othello" Modern Critical Interpretations, Othello Ed. Harold Bloom, Pub. Chelsea House New Haven CT 1987. (page 23-37)

Film versions of Romeo and Juliet Essay

My aim of this essay is to compare the two versions of Romeo and Juliet that are directed by Baz Lehrman and Franco Zeffirelli. Lehrman set his in modern times with modern clothing and buildings. He still uses early modern English but with some lines changed, so the modern audience can understand the story a little easier. It was created in 1996. It is given a Miami beach setting with loud music and super-artsy sets, reviewers said â€Å"Natural born killers meet Stratford-Upon-Avon, a kind of Shakespeare MTV†. This version definitely helped younger people with the understanding of the play, and to appreciate the works of Shakespeare, simply because Lehrman could keep to the main basis of the story, yet modernise it to suit these recent times, and keep the audience interested throughout the whole of the film. It was certified as a twelve. Zeffireli’s version is set in Elizabethan times in Italy. At the time that this film was created it was the first version of Romeo and Juliet where the two main characters were played by actual teenagers (seventeen and fifteen). He created the latest action, humour and romantic film version of Romeo and Juliet yet. It was shot in Italy in three main cities of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, but all the scenes of riot and duelling were shot in Gubbio. It was certified as PG. Both of the opening scenes begin with the famous chorus â€Å"Two households both alike in dignity†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This gives you a basic outline of the story although it isn’t clear. Zeffirelli had a male voice talking with the same tone of voice throughout it, it was a fairly plain tone but had the hint of sadness as well. On the screen all you can see is a border surrounding the town at the edge of the screen in orange and yellow swirls giving it an ornament look. There is a birds eye view moving across the town then through it, the camera moves very slowly and appears almost like an introduction to the town and gives a sense of romance and anger. The romance because of when the shot is in the town centre it pivots towards the sun it makes you think of happiness and love. Anger, because of the mist right at the beginning and the dark shadows of the walls when the camera goes down fairly dark alleyways. There is folky and old aged music throughout it, this gives you a head start in knowing there will be old fashioned buildings and costume, this creates an image of the Shakespearian times and recall over the whole story of Romeo and Juliet. Lehrman begins with a television set and a pitch black background with the T.V screen fuzzy at first then with someone channel hopping giving you the directors name an the production team name. It is completely silent with only the sounds of the remote control flicking over the channels. Then there is a newscaster announcing the news/story of Romeo and Juliet’s death. She is reading the chorus which is read at the beginning of Franco Zeffireli’s version. As she is talking the camera very slowly zooms into the screen. Then just as she reads the last line the camera zooms in very quickly into the blue background on the T.V screen. Then very loud opera music is played. This gives you a sense of danger maybe violence, the camera zooms down a long road through the town, I think this might have been influenced by the last line â€Å"Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage† as the word â€Å"traffic† stands out. Then there are flashes of the scenes throughout the movie mainly of violence. The chorus is repeated this time by a male voice. There are pictures of newspaper articles and main words like â€Å"Two star crossed lovers take their life† this is to point out main themes of the story. There is also displays of the white dove and sacred heart labelling Catholicism. The party scene in Zeffireli’s in some ways is different but also similar to that in Lehrman’s, like when the pair talk to each other there is a solo being sung in the background or on-stage both romantic songs to set the scene for when the pair fall in love. In Lehrman’s you have the vision of Romeo who is on drugs, so there is a lot of spinning camera work to show the works of ecstasy also it changes from one thing to another like when Romeo is talking to Lord Capulet then the next moment he sees him singing also the appearance of Mercutio singing and dancing. Later he is looking into the fish tank and there he sees Juliet on the other side of it. He instantly takes an interest in her beauty and follows her over. Then Juliet dances with Paris but keeps an eye out for Romeo. When the dance is over there is a huge celebration when Romeo grabs Juliet’s hand and they begin to talk then the camera shows what Juliet is seeing when Paris turns around ands laughs. Later when they are in the lift together the camera slowly moves around them whilst they kiss to get all sides of them both, it does this about two times I think they do this because its such a passionate moment that Lehrman wanted to make it last as long as possible. In fact its done twice once when they get in the lift and then again when they run out of the lift then back in. When the nurse comes to get Juliet she gives Romeo an evil look, which he doesn’t understand at first until he realises that she is Capulet, the music quietens and the camera holds long time shots at both their faces also when Juliet finds out Romeo’s a Montague, this creates a lot tension. In Zeffirellis he chose to get Romeo to see Juliet before she sees him whilst she is dancing. Soon Juliet spots him and she takes an interest. Zeffirelli chose to get them to meet through a dance called the moreska. Here they dance together they don’t actually talk but you can see in their faces they begin to fancy each other. At this section just like in Lehrmans there is a lot of spinning camera work especially when there are two circles dancing it shows flashes of Lord Capulet, Romeo, Juliet, and of the entire room which they are in. When it finishes a soloist comes on stage and every one creates a circle round him, Romeo and Juliet try to find each other and when they do Romeo grabs her hand and talks to her. Later they kiss and the camera pauses on them whilst there is no singing in the music this makes it fairly romantic but I think it would have been a bit better if the camera looked up and down them to show they are really falling in-love. When the nurse takes Juliet away she asks the nurse to find out who Romeo is. Also Romeo finds that Juliet is a Capulet here, as well as Juliet finding out that he is a Montague. Both directors chose to hold the camera on the couples first kiss. I think they chose this because it really creates a romantic atmosphere this helps people to see the passion between each other. Also they chose to get Romeo to grab Juliet’s hand from behind a column, this makes him appear like the no fear type, the type who are not scared to jump into things like here he instantly tries to impress her with â€Å"holy palmers kiss†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This keeps up Romeos personality on what he does for love, like at the end killing himself for Juliet.

Biography of Voltaire, French Enlightenment Writer

Biography of Voltaire, French Enlightenment Writer Born Franà §ois-Marie Arouet, Voltaire (November 21, 1694 – May 30, 1778) was a writer and philosopher of the French Enlightenment period. He was an incredibly prolific writer, advocating for civil freedoms and criticizing major institutions such as the Catholic Church. Fast Facts: Voltaire Full Name: Franà §ois-Marie ArouetOccupation: Writer, poet, and philosopherBorn: November 21, 1694 in Paris, FranceDied: May 30, 1778 in Paris, FranceParents: Franà §ois Arouet and Marie Marguerite DaumardKey Accomplishments: Voltaire published significant criticism of the French monarchy. His commentary on religious tolerance, historiographies, and civil liberties became a key component of Enlightenment thinking. Early Life Voltaire was the fifth child and fourth son of Franà §ois Arouet and his wife Marie Marguerite Daumard. The Arouet family had already lost two sons, Armand-Franà §ois and Robert, in infancy, and Voltaire (then Franà §ois-Marie) was nine years younger than his surviving brother, Armand, and seven years younger than his sole sister, Marguerite-Catherine. Franà §ois Arouet was a lawyer and a treasury official; their family was part of the French nobility, but at the lowest possible rank. Later in life, Voltaire claimed to be the illegitimate son of a higher-ranked nobleman by the name of Guà ©rin de Rochebrune. His early education came from the Jesuits at the Collà ¨ge Louis-le-Grand. From the age of ten until seventeen, Voltaire received classical instruction in Latin, rhetoric, and theology. Once he left school, he decided he wanted to become a writer, much to the dismay of his father, who wanted Voltaire to follow him into the law. Voltaire also continued learning outside the confines of formal education. He developed his writing talents and also became multilingual, attaining fluency in English, Italian, and Spanish in addition to his native French. First Career and Early Romance After leaving school, Voltaire moved to Paris. He pretended to be working as an assistant to a notary, theoretically as a stepping stone into the legal profession. In reality, though, he was actually spending most of his time writing poetry. After a time, his father found out the truth and sent him away from Paris to study law in Caen, Normandy. Di Nicolas de Largillià ¨re - Scan by User:Manfred Heyde, Pubblico dominio, Collegamento Even this did not deter Voltaire from continuing to write. He merely switched over from poetry to writing studies on history and essays. During this period, the witty style of writing and speaking that made Voltaire so popular first appeared in his work, and it endeared him to many of the higher-ranking nobles he spent time around. In 1713, with his father’s assistance, Voltaire began working at the Hague in the Netherlands as a secretary to the French ambassador, the marquis de Chà ¢teauneuf. While there, Voltaire had his earliest known romantic entanglement, falling in love with a Huguenot refugee, Catherine Olympe Dunoyer. Unfortunately, their connection was considered unsuitable and caused something of a scandal, so the marquis forced Voltaire to break it off and return to France. By this point, his political and legal career had all but been given up. Playwright and Government Critic Upon returning to Paris, Voltaire launched his writing career. Since his favorite topics were critiques of the government and satires of political figures, he landed in hot water pretty quickly. One early satire, which accused the Duke of Orleans of incest, even landed him in prison in the Bastille for nearly a year. Upon his release, however, his debut play (a take on the Oedipus myth) was produced, and it was a critical and commercial success. The Duke whom he had previously offended even presented him with a medal in recognition of the achievement. It was around this time that Franà §ois-Marie Arouet began going by the pseudonym Voltaire, under which he would publish most of his works. To this day, there’s much debate as to how he came up with the name. It may have its roots as an anagram or pun on his family name or several different nicknames. Voltaire reportedly adopted the name in 1718, after being released from the Bastille. After his release, he also struck up a new romance with a young widow, Marie-Marguerite de Rupelmonde. Unfortunately, Voltaire’s next works did not have nearly the same success as his first. His play Artà ©mire flopped so badly that even the text itself only survives in a few fragments, and when he tried to publish an epic poem about King Henry IV (the first Bourbon dynasty monarch), he couldn’t find a publisher in France. Instead, he and Rupelmonde journeyed to the Netherlands, where he secured a publisher in The Hague. Eventually, Voltaire convinced a French publisher to publish the poem, La Henriade, secretly. The poem was a success, as was his next play, which was performed at the wedding of Louis XV. Chateau de Cirey where Voltaire lived.  ©MDT52 In 1726, Voltaire became involved in a quarrel with a young nobleman who reportedly insulted Voltaire’s change of name. Voltaire challenged him to a duel, but the nobleman instead had Voltaire beaten, then arrested without a trial. He was, however, able to negotiate with authorities to be exiled to England rather than imprisoned at the Bastille again. English Exile As it turns out, Voltaire’s exile to England would change his entire outlook. He moved in the same circles as some of the leading figures of English society, thought, and culture, including Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, and more. In particular, he became fascinated by the government of England in comparison with France: England was a constitutional monarchy, whereas France still lived under an absolute monarchy. The country also had greater freedoms of speech and religion, which would become a key component of Voltaire’s criticisms and writings. Voltaire was able to return to France after a little more than two years, though still banned from the court at Versailles. Thanks to participation in a plan to literally purchase the French lottery, along with an inheritance from his father, he quickly became incredibly rich. In the early 1730s, he began publishing work that showed his clear English influences. His play Zaà ¯re was dedicated to his English friend Everard Fawkener and included praise of English culture and freedoms. He also published a collection of essays that praised British politics, attitudes towards religion and science, and arts and literature, called the  Letters Concerning the English Nation, in 1733 in London. The next year, it was published in French, landing Voltaire in hot water again. Because he did not get the approval of the official royal censor before publishing, and because the essays praised British religious freedom and human rights, the book was banned and Voltaire had to quickly flee from Par is. In 1733, Voltaire also met the most significant romantic partner of his life: Émilie, the Marquise du Chà ¢telet, a mathematician who was married to the Marquis du Chà ¢telet. Despite being 12 years younger than Voltaire (and married, and a mother), Émilie was very much an intellectual peer to Voltaire. They amassed a shared collection of over 20,000 books and spent time studying and performing experiments together, many of which were inspired by Voltaire’s admiration of Sir Isaac Newton. After the Letters scandal, Voltaire fled to the estate belonging to her husband. Voltaire paid to renovate the building, and her husband did not raise any fuss about the affair, which would continue for 16 years. Somewhat abashed by his multiple conflicts with the government, Voltaire began keeping a lower profile, although he continued his writing, now focused on history and science. The Marquise du Chà ¢telet contributed considerably alongside him, producing a definitive French translation of Newton’s Principia and writing reviews of Voltaire’s Newton-based work. Together, they were instrumental in introducing Newton’s work in France. They also developed some critical views on religion, with Voltaire publishing several texts that sharply criticized the establishment of state religions, religious intolerance, and even organized religion as a whole. Similarly, he railed against the style of histories and biographies of the past, suggesting they were filled with falsehoods and supernatural explanations and needed a fresh, more scientific and evidence-based approach to research. Connections in Prussia Frederick the Great, while he was still just the crown prince of Prussia, began a correspondence with Voltaire around 1736, but they did not meet in person until 1740. Despite their friendship, Voltaire still went to Frederick’s court in 1743 as a French spy to report back on Frederick’s intentions and capabilities with regards to the ongoing War of Austrian Succession. By the mid-1740s, Voltaire’s romance with the Marquise du Chà ¢telet had begun to wind down. He grew tired of spending nearly all his time at her estate, and both found new companionship. In Voltaire’s case, it was even more scandalous than their affair had been: he was attracted to, and later lived with, his own niece, Marie Louise Mignot. In 1749, the Marquise died in childbirth, and Voltaire moved to Prussia the following year. Circa 1751, Voltaire travelled to Prussia in 1750, on the invitation of Friedrich II and was a permanent resident of court for two years. Hulton Archive / Getty Images During the 1750s, Voltaire’s relationships in Prussia began to deteriorate. He was accused of theft and forgery relating to some bond investments, then had a feud with the president of the Berlin Academy of Sciences that ended with Voltaire writing a satire that angered Frederick the Great and resulted in the temporary destruction of their friendship. They would, however, reconcile in the 1760s. Geneva, Paris, and Final Years Forbidden by King Louis XV to return to Paris, Voltaire instead arrived in Geneva in 1755. He continued publishing, with major philosophical writings such as Candide, or Optimism, a satire of Leibnizs philosophy of optimistic determinism which would become Voltaire’s most famous work. Candide by VOLTAIRE, Francois-Marie Arouet - French philosopher, playwright and novelist. Title-page of Candide or Optimism. Culture Club / Getty Images Starting in 1762, Voltaire took up the causes of unjustly persecuted people, particularly those who were victims of religious persecution. Among his most notable causes was the case of Jean Calas, a Huguenot who was convicted of murdering his son for wanting to convert to Catholicism and tortured to death; his property was confiscated and his daughters forced into Catholic convents. Voltaire, along with others, strongly doubted his guilt and suspected a case of religious persecution. The conviction was overturned in 1765. Voltaire’s last year was still full of activity. In early 1778, he was initiated into Freemasonry, and historians dispute as to whether he did so at the urging of Benjamin Franklin or not. He also returned to Paris for the first time in a quarter century to see his latest play, Irene, open. He fell ill on the journey and believed himself to be on death’s doorstep, but recovered. Two months later, however, he became ill again and died on May 30, 1778. Accounts of his deathbed vary wildly, depending on the sources and their own opinions of Voltaire. His famous deathbed quote- in which a priest asked him to renounce Satan and he replied â€Å"Now is not the time for making new enemies!†- is likely apocryphal and actually traced to a 19th-century joke that was attributed to Voltaire in the 20th century. Voltaire was formally denied a Christian burial because of his criticism of the Church, but his friends and family managed to secretly arrange a burial at the abbey of Scellià ¨res in Champagne. He left behind a complicated legacy. For instance, while he argued for religious tolerance, he also was one of the origins of Enlightenment-era anti-Semitism. He endorsed anti-slavery and anti-monarchical views, but disdained the idea of democracy as well. In the end, Voltaire’s texts became a key component of Enlightenment thinking, which has allowed his philosophy and writing to endure for centuries. Sources Pearson, Roger. Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom. Bloomsbury, 2005.Pomeau, Renà © Henry. â€Å"Voltaire: French Philosopher and Author.† Encyclopaedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Voltaire.â€Å"Voltaire.† Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/voltaire/

THE DESTRUCTION OF MAN KIND Essays - Forest Conservation

THE DESTRUCTION OF MAN KIND Essays - Forest Conservation THE DESTRUCTION OF MAN KIND "We know there will be problems in environmental terms, many serious problems, but it is a matter of economics. There won't be any complete disaster, and what we cannot solve, well, that's the price we have to pay." - Eduardo Albuquerque Barbosa There is a constant war that is being fought in the rainforests of South America. The death toll is one that far surpasses any other war in history. Vietnam and World War II had minimal loss of life compared to this never ending battle. It is predicted that by the year 2020, the casualties will reach 150 per day. This total does not even include the loss of human life due to the lack of oxygen and the unsuitable living conditions. This horrible scenario would be the result of mankind's failure to cooperate and live in harmony with the environment, especially the rainforest of South America. In the end, the destruction of the rainforests will mean the destruction of mankind. The devastation of the rainforest may be compared to playing a game of Russian Roulette. One-forth of existing medicines are derived from tropical plants whose homes are in the rainforests of South America. For every acre that is lost in the burning season, there is one acre less that we have for possible life saving medicines. About 70 percent of plants used in anti-cancer drugs come from the rain forest. We are slowly destroying ourselves and the environment. Whether we realize it or not, the world could quickly come to an ecological halt. Every day 144,000 acres of the rainforests are cut down, slashed and/or put up in flames. In 1974, Brazil started a forest fire of 20.6 million square feet (3,900 square miles). The fire ragged out of control and was later marked the largest forest fire in Brazilian history. This 1974 fire is now considered small to others in the past recent years. On average the burning season lasts up to four months out of the whole year. During this period of time, it is not uncommon for the majority of South America to be covered in a thick blanket of smoke. The bulk of these fires, when combined, are equivalent to the great inferno of 1988 at Yellow Stone National Park. Emitted from these devastating fires every year are billions of carcinogens and poisonous gases that end up in the atmosphere. The gases and pollution have been building for many years, and scientists believe that the atmosphere is due to reach its saturation point very soon. The greed for money and lust for land are just two flames at the heart of the fire. At the expense of innocent lives of rainforest dwelling animals and local environmentalists, large corporations can some how justify there murderous means. Rainforests cover only a mere seven percent of the earth's land surface, yet they contain 50 percent of the world's species. Along with the thousands of animals in these century old forests, there are many tribes of Indians who are subjected to torment and usually death from the large companies. Heartless Corporations such as Endesa, Arboriente and PICOP ignore the blockades of the FPA, "Forest Peoples' Alliance", and the perpetual pleas of the Scientist's who predict, "tropical species are disappearing at a rate that could conceivably reach as high as 150 species a day by the year 2020" Landry, (5). Unfortunately this battle comes down to economics versus environment, and so far the environment is losing the war. Chico Mendes' death finally brought the much needed world wide attention to the rainforests. Until 1988 the astonishing figures produced by environmentalist and scientists never had much weight on the conscience of countries outside of the Amazon Rain Forest. The death of Mendes was the second death of a NCRT, National Council of Rubber Tappers, member in recent times. The fight, " at first, was only about ecology, and defending the fishes, the animals, the forest, and the river. They didn't realize that humans were also in the forest" Rodrigues, Revkin (1). Though Chico was a rubber tapper in the town of Xapuri, he spent most of the year traveling around the world trying to gain support in his fight against the destruction of the rainforest . Chico's non-violent approach won him much favor from the United States and all of the other rubber tappers. Chico Mendes once said, "If a messenger came down from heaven and guaranteed that my death would strengthen our struggle, it would even be worth it. But experience teaches us the opposite. Public rallies

The automotive industry in For almost the past hundred years the Essay

The automotive industry in For almost the past hundred years the automotive industry has dominated Michigan's economy. How and - Essay Example In addition, in 1990, the city ranked thirteenth amongst largest cities in the United States with a population of about 285,000 residents (Cooney & Yacobucci, 2006). The other thing is that the city was situated along a river, whose water offered power and transportation for outgoing goods and incoming supplies. This paper therefore, seeks to find out why for almost the past hundred years, the automotive industry has dominated Michigan’s economy. In addition, the paper will explore how and why the industry established itself in Michigan, and what have been its effects--positive and negative. From the beginning, Detroit was preferably positioned to be a hub of the automobile industry in the United States. This is based on the fact that the place was squarely located in the heartland of United States—an area that connected many other key regions in the US. For instance, it was linked Pennsylvania, lower New England, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana (McAlinden & Andrea, 1992). W ith these, the required raw materials for production of automobiles were easily transported to the city via rail and the Great Lakes waterways (McAlinden & Andrea, 1992). Furthermore, the coal producing regions of West Virginia and Pennsylvania were directly connected to Michigan and specifically Detroit by rail. Furthermore, the great steel factories of Youngstown, Pittsburgh, Gary, Chicago and Cleveland were just a few miles away from Detroit. The copper and iron mining zones of Minnesota and northern Michigan were reachable without any difficulty by ship (McGinnis, 2005). The other contributing factor was that its centrality at west and east confluence offered auto manufacturers easy access both to the much needed capital and product markets for its unprecedented growth. The contribution of Henry Ford and Dodge was another factor behind the establishment of Michigan as an auto hub (Cooney & Yacobucci, 2006). Before, the coming of Ford, the first auto companies were very tiny oper ations, however, this changed as Ford invented the methods of mass production, along with the advanced assembly line techniques, including vast River Rouge complex, aspects which turned around the scale and scope of auto production in Michigan (McGinnis, 2005). Dodge, on the other hand, set up an enormous Main automobile Plant just close to that of Ford. All these grand automobile plants served to turn Michigan into an American automobile hub. The accessibility of Detroit also brought in enough workers who provided reliable labor for the labor-hungry automobile industry. Potential auto workers from Midwest moved into the area as a result of the declining logging industry. In short, Henry Ford, based in Detroit, Michigan, was responsible for the groundbreaking innovations that were later copied by competitors such as Chrysler, American Motors and General Motors. Each organization set up their headquarters in the Detroit making it the main center for car production not just in America but also world over. Positive impacts of auto industry in Michigan Enhanced Diversity The emergence of the automobile industry completely transformed Michigan and especially Detroit, attracting more than one million new migrants and via its technological aspect and its demographic impact, reshaped the cityscape in different ways. The population of the State changed in diversity (McAlinden & Andrea, 1992). On top of migrants from the hinterlands of Midwest,

Cultural Background And Belief In Astrology Research Paper

Cultural Background And Belief In Astrology - Research Paper Example Numerous studies claim that the existence of scientific validity to back the form of astrology common in the West is conspicuously absent. Moreover, sources purporting that there is empirical evidence to support the authenticity of astrology in the West lacks scientific verification. Because of this, the question as to why people still belief in astrology while reality indicates that there is no truth to it arouses enormous scientific curiosity. A possible approach to unraveling the enigma would be to examine the interplay of factors that define social inclinations that weigh on belief in astrology. In particular, there has been a considerably level of controversy with regard to belief in astrology and cultural backgrounds. Some previous studies have studied astrology and culture and reached intriguing conclusions. For example, Dambrun (2004) claimed a strong positive correlation between belief astrology and racial bigotry, sexism, and negative attitudes towards marginalized societal groupings. The cross-cultural research suggested that strong believers in astrology consequently had stronger ascriptions to societal stereotypes and social tagging. Other studies have put their focus in finding the interrelation between faith in superstition and cultural inclinations. This project seeks to study cultural effects on astrology using the Chinese and the Western culture. According to a study by Beck and Forstmeier (2007), superstition deserves treatment as an interesting subject of science. The observation was born of the realization that regardless of the little empirical basis for its validity, many people harbor strong beliefs in astrology, and continue to read their astrology profiles. For instance, a large proportion of people knows their astrological signs and read them on a regular basis (Rogers & Glendon, 2010). In the past, studies have successfully demonstrated that the belief is attributable to the fact that the astrology sign profiles appear believable to most people when they most echo their personalities. The phenomenon now also known as ‘the Barnum effect’, and has been validated in numerous interdisciplinary studies touching on the military, occupational, educational, and clinical aspects of psychology (Rogers & Soule, 2009). The belief in Barnum’s effect has won support of many researchers. For instance, the effect was also noticeable by studies by Hamilton (2000), which demonstrated greater acceptance of astrology when the descripti ons had higher favorableness. The choice of profile, negative or positive, affects to some extent the way the respondents feel towards astrology in general. However, the relationship is yet to undergo comprehensive empirical research, and further validates ‘the Barnum effect’. Ever since, the effect has been an inspiration in the context of cross-cultural studies on its claims for its worldwide applicability. Cross-Cultural differences and Belief in Astrology Overwhelming evidence implies that ‘the Barnum effect’ is a global phenomenon. Studies comparing the acceptance of ast