A Character Sketch of Chaucers Knight Essay Example For Students

A Character Sketch of Chaucers Knight Essay The Canterbury TalesA Character Sketch of Chaucers KnightGeoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales, written in approximately1385, is a collection of twenty-four stories ostensibly told by variouspeople who are going on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral fromLondon, England. Prior to the actual tales, however, Chaucer offers thereader a glimpse of fourteenth century life by way of what he refers to asa General Prologue. In this prologue, Chaucer introduces all of thecharacters who are involved in this imaginary journey and who will tell thetales. Among the characters included in this introductory section is aknight. Chaucer initially refers to the knight as a most distinguishedman (l. 43) and, indeed, his sketch of the knight is highly complimentary. The knight, Chaucer tells us, possessed/Fine horses, but hewas not gaily dressed (ll. 69-70). Indeed, the knight is dressed in acommon shirt which is stained where his armor had left mark (l. 72). That is, the knight is just home from service (l. 73) and is in such ahurry to go on his pilgrimage that he has not even paused before beginningit to change his clothes. The knight has had a very busy life as his fighting career hastaken him to a great many places. He has seen military service in Egypt,Lithuania, Prussia, Russia, Spain, North Africa, and Asia Minor where hewas of great value in all eyes (l. 63). Even though he has had a verysuccessful and busy career, he is extremely humble: Chaucer maintains thathe is modest as a maid (l. 65). Moreover, he has never said a rude thingto anyone in his entire life (cf., ll. 66-7). Clearly, the knight possesses an outstanding character. Chaucer gives to the knight one of the more flattering descriptions in theGeneral Prologue. The knight can do no wrong: he is an outstandingwarrior who has fought for the true faithaccording to Chauceron threecontinents. In the midst of all this contenton, however, the knightremains modest and polite. The knight is the embodiment of the chivalriccode: he is devout and courteous off the battlefield and is bold andfearless on it. In twentieth century America, we would like to think that wehave many people in our society who are like Chaucers knight. During thisnations altercation with Iraq in 1991, the concept of the modest buteffective soldier captured the imagination of the country. Indeed, thenations journalists in many ways attempted to make General H. NormanSchwarzkof a latter day knight. The general was made to appear as afearless leader who really was a regular guy under the uniform. It would be nice to think that a person such as the knightcould exist in the twentieth century. The fact of the matter is that it isunlikely that people such as the knight existed even in the fourteenthcentury. As he does with all of his characters, Chaucer is producing astereotype in creating the knight. As noted above, Chaucer, in describingthe knight, is describing a chivalric ideal. The history of the MiddleAges demonstrates that this ideal rarely was manifested in actual conduct. Nevertheless, in his description of the knight, Chaucer shows the readerthe possibility of the chivalric way of life. how the hell do you work this thing?

Mills Utilitarianism Essays (1226 words) - Utilitarianism

Mill's Utilitarianism When faced with a moral dilemma, utilitarianism identifies the appropriate considerations, but offers no realistic way to gather the necessary information to make the required calculations. This lack of information is a problem both in evaluating the welfare issues and in evaluating the consequentialist issues which utilitarianism requires be weighed when making moral decisions. Utilitarianism attempts to solve both of these difficulties by appealing to experience; however, no method of reconciling an individual decision with the rules of experience is suggested, and no relative weights are assigned to the various considerations. In deciding whether or not to torture a terrorist who has planted a bomb in New York City, a utilitarian must evaluate both the overall welfare of the people involved or effected by the action taken, and the consequences of the action taken. To calculate the welfare of the people involved in or effected by an action, utilitarianism requires that all individuals be considered equally. Quantitative utilitarian would weigh the pleasure and pain which would be caused by the bomb exploding against the pleasure and pain that would be caused by torturing the terrorist. Then, the amounts would be summed and compared. The problem with this method is that it is impossible to know beforehand how much pain the bomb exploding or how much pain would be caused by the torture. Utilitarianism offers no practical way to make the interpersonal comparison of utility necessary to compare the pains. In the case of the bomb exploding, it at least seems highly probable that the bomb exploding would cause a greater amount of pain, at least in the present. This probability suffices for a quantitative utilitarian, but it does not account for the consequences, which create an entirely different problem, which will be discussed below. The probability also does not hold for Mill's utilitarianism. Mill's Utilitarianism insists on qualitative utilitarianism, which requires that one consider not only the amount of pain or pleasure, but also the quality of such pain and pleasure. Mill suggests that to distinguish between different pains and pleasures we should ask people who have experienced both types which is more pleasurable or more painful. This solution does not work for the question of torture compared to death in an explosion. There is no one who has experienced both; therefore, there is no one who can be consulted. Even if we agree that the pain caused by the number of deaths in the explosion is greater than the pain of the terrorist being tortured, this assessment only accounts for the welfare half of the utilitarian's considerations. Furthermore, one has no way to measure how much more pain is caused by allowing the bomb to explode than by torturing the terrorist. After settling the issues surrounding the welfare, a utilitarian must also consider the consequences of an action. In weighing the consequences, there are two important considerations. The first, which is especially important to objective Utilitarianism, is which people will be killed. The second is the precedent, which will be set by the action. Unfortunately for the decision-maker, the information necessary to make either of these calculations is unavailable. There is no way to determine which people will be killed and weigh whether their deaths would be good for society. Utilitarianism requires that one compare the good that the people would do for society with the harm they would do society if they were not killed. For example, if a young Adolf Hitler were in the building, it might do more good for society to allow the building to explode. Unfortunately for an individual attempting to use utilitarianism to make for decisions, there is no way to know beforehand what a person will do. Furthermore, without even knowing which building the bomb is in, there is no way to predict which people will surely be in the building. A subjectivist utilitarian would dismiss this consideration and would examine only what a rational person would consider to be the consequence; however, even the subjectivist utilitarian must face the question of precedent setting. Utilitarianism considers justice and humane treatment to be good for society as a whole and therefore instrumentally good as a means to promoting happiness. Utilitarianism considers precedent to be important, but does not offer any method of determining exceptions. It is impossible to determine how much effect on precedent any given isolated action will have. In the case of determining whether or not to torture the terrorist, one must consider whether it is good for society to allow torture to be used as a method of gaining information. If

Tragedy in Shakespeare (Power, ambition and tragedy) an Example of the Topic Literature Essays by

Tragedy in Shakespeare (Power, ambition and tragedy) INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare is arguably the best playwright in the entire illustrious history of English Literature. He is known for his versatility in the sense that he has enthralled audience with his comedies, tragedies as well as historical plays alike. He obviously occupies the centre stage in English plays. Need essay sample on "Tragedy in Shakespeare (Power, ambition and tragedy)" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed However, he is best known for his tragedies that never fail to overwhelm the audience and are famous for being realistic and yet fantastic. In most Shakespearean tragedies that have a political back drop, we find that power and ambition play an extremely important role in taking the plot to its climax and ultimately become responsible for the tragic end that befalls the hero. In this paper, we shall attempt to explore this interesting relationship between power, ambition and tragedy (or justice of fate) as illustrated in Shakespearean plays. We shall use as study, two of Shakespeare's very famous tragedies- Macbeth and Coriolanus. In order to understand this intriguing relationship between power, ambition and tragedy, it will be fruitful to first look into the very concept of tragedy in Shakespearean plays. An analysis of the tragedies reveals that Shakespearean tragedies are based on Aristotle's concept of tragedy as defined by the Greek master in his Poetics. The most important element of a tragedy, according to Poetics, is the concept of the hamartia or the tragic flaw. The hero, the main protagonist or the central character is shown to us as a noble person with greatness of stature and strength of character. He is presented as the near perfect man with larger than life qualities. The audience is forced to look up to such a character with appreciation and awe. However, the hero has a 'tragic flaw'. This is a flaw in his character which invites tragedy and brings about the tragic downfall of the hero. Thus, it is to be noted that the tragedy is seen partially as a work of destiny and partially as a consequence of the hero's hamartia. MACBETH: Macbeth is a story of how ambition corrupts men and drives them to evil ends. The hero, Macbeth is a noble man, a brave soldier and he is looked upon by the common people. The king also considers him a worthy general and thinks highly of him. Thus, he is a hero in the actual sense of the word until we encounter his tragic flaw. He hears some prophecies made by the witches about his becoming the king in the near future. Blinded by ambition and egged on by his wife, Macbeth kills the noble king in order to take on the throne. Later, we find that the king's death is avenged and Macbeth falls into disgrace and finally dies. We find therefore, that Macbeth's tragic flaw was ambition. He was an almost ideal human being in the beginning of the play. But as the plot builds up, we find him plotting and planning to kill his master and his guest, the King Duncan. Thus, it is ambition that drives him to hatch such an evil plan; it is ambition that causes him to fulfill his desire of becoming king by killing the present King Duncan; it is ambition that corrupts such a noble man and makes him stoop down to such lowly levels. Macbeth's good character and noble bearing do create a dilemma for him. It is seen that he reasons with his conscience while hatching the plot to kill the king. He realizes that King Duncan shall be his guest that evening and how immoral it is to stab an unsuspecting guest; he also knows that the King is noble and has not indulged in any wrong-doing to deserve such a death. His inner voice or the voice of his goodness keeps on asking Macbeth to re-consider his decision to kill the king. However, the tragic flaw (of obsessive ambition) in his character intervenes, overpowers his goodness and reason and compels him to take this extreme step. Also, we find later that once he has secured his throne through murder, he is willing to repeat his evil acts to ensure that it is his progeny (and not Banquo's, as revealed by the prophecy) that inherit the throne. He plans to kill Banquo and his son to make this possible. Thus, we see that ambition does not let him be content. It drives him to more evil, makes him commit more vile acts and finally leads to his tragic disgrace and death. CORIOLANUS Coriolanus is one of the less famous tragedies written by William Shakespeare in 1607-08. This play is not one of the best plays written by the great playwright. As his penultimate tragedy, Coriolanus does not boast of immortal heroes like Othello, Macbeth or Julius Caesar, nor does it have the intricate plot of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet. However, its appeal lies in the subtle and intentionally ambiguous portrayal of political drama and viewpoints. The political debate it generates is noteworthy. The story revolves around the hero Caius Marcius (later Coriolanus) who is a proud soldier and his deeds of valor are famous all over Rome. His brave exploits in the war against Volscians have won him admiration in the king's court and also his given name Coriolanus. However, below this seemingly flawless exterior lies his tragic flaw. It is revealed that Coriolanus has autocratic tendencies and an extremely bourgeois attitude. He considers the common people as lowly and not worthy of his attention. He deeply resents the fact that he to canvass for votes in front of the plebeians. In short, he seems to be drunk on the aphrodisiac of power. It is power that blinds him to the importance of democracy. In rage against the people of Rome, who he considers responsible for his exile, he makes peace with the enemy army of Volscians. To get back his lost power and prestige, he concocts the wicked plan of waging war against Rome. So hell bent upon seeking power he is, that he refuses to relent even when his closest and dearest friends come to make him see reason. Finally when his mother begs him to give up his insane plans, he relents and moves back to Antium, the centre of Volscians. It is here that tragedy actually befalls Coriolanus. His ally, the Aufidius (General of the Volscians) becomes jealous of Coriolanus' rising power and declares that their failed campaign to Rome is due to the treachery of Coriolanus. The hero is assassinated by Aufidius' men. Thus we see that power plays a very important in the tragedy. In the first part, we see how power corrupts Coriolanus and makes him forget all reason. He stoops down so low for power that he actually makes peace with Volscians and gets ready to wage a war over Rome. All his valor and bravery that had earlier made him a heroic figure now seem to be a thing of the past. We see him as a villain plotting against his own native land to restore his lost status. Power therefore corrupts a good man and makes him vile. In the last part of the play, we see how power games finally lead to his death. His rising popularity in Antium makes Aufidius insecure and in order to remove Coriolanus from power, Aufidius declares him traitor and causes his assassination. Thus, power makes Coriolanus transform into an anti- hero and it is the power game that finally brings about his end. CONCLUSION It can thus be concluded that both power and ambition cause the tragedies in Shakespeare's Macbeth and Coriolanus. Both heroes have their tragic flaw and fall prey to ambition and power respectively. Their good conduct, noble bearing, strong character and bravery are all left behind once they become overly ambitious and wish to be more powerful than they already are. However, this does not teach that ambition and power are in themselves evil. It just brings home the message that when these become uncontrolled and occupy the mind of man like a passion and obsession, they drive men to limits and cause them to do despicable and wicked acts. The tragedy of Macbeth and Coriolanus is a direct consequence of their extreme ambitions and their willingness to leave behind all their virtues for power. This powerful message is one of the reasons why the tragedies of Shakespeare are so loved and respected. WORKS CITED Greek Theory of Tragedy: Aristotle's Poetics, A Guide to the Study of Literature: A Companion Text for Core Studies 6, Landmarks of Literature, English Department, Brooklyn College Shakespeare and the Uses of Power, Stephen Greenblatt, The New York Review of Books, Vol 54, no 6, April 12, 2007 Outline of Aristotle's Theory of Tragedy in the POETICS, Barbara F. McManus, November 1999 retrieved on 23 April, 2007.

Free Essays on Gathering Of Old Men

A Gathering of Old Men by Earnest J. Gaines is a great novel about race relations in the south. The novel begins with a child narrator who relates the report that there has been a shooting on a Louisiana plantation, and a white, Cajun farmer Beau Boutan, is dead. He has been killed in the yard of an old black worker, Mathu. Because of the traditional conflict between Cajuns and blacks in South Louisiana, the tension in the situation and the fear of the black people is immediately felt in the novel. I would definitely recommend this book to someone else. Gaines uses the fifteen narrators to deal with the changing relationship between the Cajuns and the blacks in Louisiana. As each narrator picks up the story, we see the tension between the past and the present, the conflict between the whites and the blacks. This allows Gaines to set up the unfolding of the depths of character and the courage of the men. Mapes, the white sheriff who traditionally dealt with the black people by the use of intimidation and force, finds himself in a frustrating situation of having to deal with a group of black men, each carrying a shotgun and claiming that he shot Beau Boutan. In addition, Candy Marshall, the young white woman whose family owns the plantation, claims that she did it. As each person tells the story, he takes the blame and, with it the glory. Gaines technique allows the characters to reveal themselves and their relations with others. We hear the story through the voices of the old black men, a black woman, a child, and the white narrators. We not only see the conflicts of the blacks, but also the conflicts of the Cajuns as well. It is very interesting the Gaines didn’t give the three main characters a voice. The reason that I think that he did it this way is because Mathu knows what really happened. He is the only one who knows who killed Beau Boutan. By coming at the main characters like this Gaines heightens the effect... Free Essays on Gathering Of Old Men Free Essays on Gathering Of Old Men A Gathering of Old Men by Earnest J. Gaines is a great novel about race relations in the south. The novel begins with a child narrator who relates the report that there has been a shooting on a Louisiana plantation, and a white, Cajun farmer Beau Boutan, is dead. He has been killed in the yard of an old black worker, Mathu. Because of the traditional conflict between Cajuns and blacks in South Louisiana, the tension in the situation and the fear of the black people is immediately felt in the novel. I would definitely recommend this book to someone else. Gaines uses the fifteen narrators to deal with the changing relationship between the Cajuns and the blacks in Louisiana. As each narrator picks up the story, we see the tension between the past and the present, the conflict between the whites and the blacks. This allows Gaines to set up the unfolding of the depths of character and the courage of the men. Mapes, the white sheriff who traditionally dealt with the black people by the use of intimidation and force, finds himself in a frustrating situation of having to deal with a group of black men, each carrying a shotgun and claiming that he shot Beau Boutan. In addition, Candy Marshall, the young white woman whose family owns the plantation, claims that she did it. As each person tells the story, he takes the blame and, with it the glory. Gaines technique allows the characters to reveal themselves and their relations with others. We hear the story through the voices of the old black men, a black woman, a child, and the white narrators. We not only see the conflicts of the blacks, but also the conflicts of the Cajuns as well. It is very interesting the Gaines didn’t give the three main characters a voice. The reason that I think that he did it this way is because Mathu knows what really happened. He is the only one who knows who killed Beau Boutan. By coming at the main characters like this Gaines heightens the effect...

Managerial Marketing Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managerial Marketing - Term Paper Example Retention of the customers is a system which must be mastered because it is the key to success and profitability. Businesses start with dreams of financial independence and financial security. No business can ever start to germinate and soar to success without a good idea, a business plan, sufficient capitalization and mastery of at least two aspects of business, human resource management and marketing management. This paper zeroes in on marketing management Target market is defined as the specific groups of customers that a business entity aims to capture (www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/term/82498.html). Today, there is stiff competition in practically all kinds of business so it is imperative that to capture these target markets, there be target market strategies. It is also important that these target markets be identified, a process called market segmentation and a market niche be established (Daly,2001,p.50). To do this, an earnest research should be conducted to identify who these people are who have needs and wants that can be met by the services or the products of the business entity. If the business has already been started, then research begins with one's own existing customers. The questions to be answered are: who are these people; what sort of lives do they lead; who influence their buying decisions; what purchasing power do they have; what

Focus group Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Focus group - Assignment Example This paper however used extensively qualitative data from primary sources. By definition, a focus group is a research in which qualitative data is obtained from a small group of people usually between 4 and 15 (Litosseliti, 69). The people in the group are asked about their opinions, attitudes, beliefs and perceptions towards a concept, a service or a product. Since the purpose of this research is to evaluate the Extra Gum with respect to why it is a popular gum and the peoples beliefs about chewing the gum, a focus group therefore appears to be the best way to go about the inquiry (Stewart, 51). This research used primary data from five participants from the engineering departments. The participants were conveniently selected to participate. All of them signed a consent form before engaging in the research. They were all above the age of 18 years with the range of their ages being between 23 years and 36 years. The results obtained from the focus group indicate that all the participants liked chewing gum. Further, all of them liked Extra Gum due to its many flavors (60%) and long smell time (40%). Regarding the shape of the gum, it’s simple and attractive shape was the most likable characteristic of the gum being indicated by 4 of the five participants. From the perspective of the focus group, all the participants indicate that Extra gum faces competition majorly from Mentos. Its major quality that keeps it competitive is the wide area of the breath smell when chewing the gum which was indicated by 4 of the 5 participants. Using wrap gum appeared to be less popular that using can gum with a 2:5 popularity ration between them. All the participant consumers did not mind the price of the gum, but the place of manufactured mattered to all the participants. With 4 of the 5 participants indicating that the gum need change, their advice is varied. Three of the participants suggest that providing wraps that can be used when getting

The Interprofessional Working Environment with Vulnerable Adult with Essay

The Interprofessional Working Environment with Vulnerable Adult with Learning Disabilities - Essay Example As individuals, health practitioners and society are informed, take concern and progressive actions, various professional groups backed by government institutions and private ones are assigned either by choice or by obligation to individuals that need the help and assistance to lead a healthy, normal productive life. This study would try to delineate the current status of interprofessional working condition with regards to government programs and support, public and private agenda and contributions, as well as the actual process, problems and situations involved in being an occupational therapist with a vulnerable adult with learning difference. Occupational therapists (OTs) work with individuals with mental, physical, emotional or developmental disabilities to help them improve their ability to do everyday tasks at home and at work (BLS, 2005) with the goal to make clients have independent, productive, healthy and satisfying lives. The Deaprtment of Health through the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom provide for the necessary support in order to attain a holistic output in all efforts undertaken by both the health and social services sector. As the agency mutate and change over time adopting new policies and programs and discarding those which they deemed outmoded and outdated, professional groups from various agencies are hauled in the scene altogether. Pietroni (1994) described inter-working professional relations developed through hospital teamwork among surgical teams and mental health teams. But the Community Care Act further required social care assessment so that team membership became extended to psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and most recently, music and art therapists. But also a part of the growing network are from education, housing, court solicitors, voluntary and private sectors (Kingdon, 1992). Stott (1995) observed that by 1990s, the practice-based primary care in the UK have developed into a continuing and comprehensive care that shifted away from the personal doctor. West (1994) added that challenge is already focused to continuing personal care as well as achieving effective teamwork through shared vision, objectives and protocols. The 28 Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) were introduced in 2002 that led to strategic developments that disbanded former health authorities and also underlined a major NHS issue which is constant change (Leathard, 2003). So that with this preconception, change has been equated to policies and legislations that affect health and social care since. As agencies and professionals with differing background and duties come together to handle individuals with special needs such as vulnerable adults with learning disabilities, a work environment is changed. Many believe that evaluation is still much needed but more also support his integration of different professionals. In a study conducted by Fawcett (2002), it was indicated that among 183 adults who self-reported learning disabilities, over 60 percent admitted that the disabilities persist into adult life. This is prevailing notion as well as a fact that beseech individuals with LD. Here, occupational