Roman Life In Julius Caesar Essays - , Term Papers

Roman Life in Julius Caesar In the play of Julius Caesar, we see a brief picture of Roman life during the time of the First Triumvirate. In this snap shot, we see many unfortunate things. Shakespeare gives us the idea that many people try to circumvent what the future holds, such as unfortunate things, by being superstitious. Superstition seems to play a role in the basic daily life of most Roman citizens. For instance, the setting of the first scene is based upon superstition, the Feast of Lupercal. This feast is in honor of the god Pan, the queen of fertility. During this time, infertile females are supposed to be able to procreate, and fertile ones are supposed to be able to bear more. It is also a supposed time of sexual glorification and happiness. Other scenes depict how throughout Rome, roaming the streets are mysterious sooth-sayers, who are supposedly given the power to predict the future. Dictating what is to come through terse tidbits, these people may also be looked upon as superstitious. In the ope ning scene, one sooth-sayer, old in his years, warns Caesar to "Beware the Ides of March," an admonition of Caesar's impending death. Although sooth-sayers are looked upon by many as insane out of touch lower classmen, a good deal of them, obviously including the sayer Caesar encountered, are indeed right on the mark. Since they lack any formal office or shop, and they predict forthcomings without fee, one can see quite easily why citizens would distrust their predictions. Superstition, in general elements such as the Feast of Lupercal, as well as on a personal level such as with the sooth-sayers, is an important factor in determining the events and the outcome of Julius Caesar, a significant force throughout the entire course of the play. Before the play fully unravels, we see a few of signs of Caesar's tragic end. Aside from the sooth-sayer's warning, we also see another sign during Caesar's visit with the Augerers, the latter day "psychics". They find "No heart in the beast", which they interpret as advice to Caesar that he should remain at home. Ceasar brushes it off and thinks of it as a rebuke from the gods, meaning that he is a coward if he does not go out, and so he dismisses the wise advice as hearsay. However, the next morning, his wife Calphurnia wakes up frightened due to a horrible nightmare. She tells Caesar of a battle breaking out in the heart of Rome, "Which drizzled blood upon the Capitol," with Caesar painfully dying, such that "...The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes." Although Caesar realizes Calphurnia is truly concerned about his well-being, he seeks another interpretation, coming to the conclusion that the person who imagines the dream may not be the wisest one to interpret it 's meaning. Later Caesar tells his faithful companion Decius about it, and he interprets it quite the contrary, "That it was a vision fair and fortunate," and indeed, today is an ideal day to go out, since this is the day "To give a crown to mighty Caesar." Perhaps Decius is implying here that today is a day where much appreciation and appraisal will be given to Caesar, surely not the endangerment of his well-being as Calphurnia interprets it. Caesar predictably agrees with him, as most citizens enjoy believing the more positive of two interpretations. After Caesar's assasination at the hand of Brutus, Cassius, and the rest of the conspirators, Brutus and Cassius are chased into the country side, where we see a few superstitious signs of their forthcoming painful death in battle. In a dream, Brutus sees Caesar's "ghost", interpreted as an omen of his defeat. He also looks upon the ensign, and instead of the usual stock of eagles, ravens and kites replace them, construed as another sign of their loss at Phillipi. Not surprisingly, Caesar's death is avenged in the end, with the two of the conspirators' double suicide. As superstition is inter-twined within the basis of the entire play, we can reasonably conclude that it is because of this irrational belief of why certain events occur and how to avoid them, that Caesar is retired and eventually avenged.

The American Dream in Raisin in the Sun Research Paper Example

The American Dream in Raisin in the Sun Research Paper Example The American Dream in Raisin in the Sun Paper The American Dream in Raisin in the Sun Paper Essay Topic: A Raisin in the Sun Name: Tutor: Course: Date: The American Dream in Raisin in the Sun Individuals from all lifestyles in America dream of vast opportunities and freedoms. The concept of the American dream has influenced the way many Americans think about life and success. The ordinary American envisions a successful life from all fronts including love, business and fame. The American dream is all about having aspirations and striving to achieve them. A Raisin in the Sun captures the story of an American family in their struggle to achieve their American dream. In the play written by Lorraine Hansberry, each individual in a Black-American family has a dream that they want to achieve. The family is however faced with many challenges that hamper the achievement of these dreams. Members of the family are captured in the midst of a struggle for success and a shortage of opportunities. Members of the family are captured in a struggle for the limited financial resources in their possession. Raisin in the Sun is therefore an indictment of the American dream and its emphasis o n financial success. The fascination with being materially wealthy in the play is evident especially among the younger and more robust members of the family. According to Paul P. Reuben’s article on the American dream, the real purpose of the Dream has long been distorted (Reuben, 2011). The pursuit of financial success represents a far-flung shot from the original intentions of the notion of the American dream. The American dream consisted in seeking justice, freedom, unhindered participation in economic activities and a better for future for the coming generations. These factors were supposed to be the motivations behind the pursuit of the American dream. Any other motivation other than these was ill advised. In Raisin in the Sun, the $ 10000 received from the elder Walter’s insurance generates a lot of conflict since all the family members want to use to achieve their dreams. They are all focused on their own financial stability. The version of the American dream captured in this play leans on individualism. As Reuben says, Americans had turned the American Dream into a vehicle for individual uplift (Reuben, 2011). Each i ndividual in the family has different aspirations. None of them shows any concern for the other’s dreams. It is an individualistic contest of sorts. Walter wants to invest the money in a liquor store, and Beneatha wants the money to be used on her college education while their mother intends to use the money to purchase a house for the family. Hansberry tries to point out this misunderstanding of the American dream and its possible effects on the original motives of the American dream. He uses Walter to portray this skewed version of the American dream. In a Raisin in the Sun, Hansberry criticizes the American dream by using Walter’s misunderstanding of the notion. Hansberry tries to reflect on how important the aspects of freedom and a better life are compared to financial wealth. She highlights the evident changes that have occurred in the understanding of the American Dream. Walter envies Charlie Atkins because he owns a dry-cleaning business that is performing quite well. Walter embodies a classic form of the American dream, the fascination with material wealth. In fact, Walter tells his mother that money is life and that there was a time when freedom and other fundamental needs were life, but that has long changed (Hansberry 74). The author understands how much the notion has been distorted and tries to show how much freedom, economic participation and a better future for the children had been overshadowed by material wealth. Walter is determined to see his dreams fulfilled and will stop at nothing to gain wealth. He ref uses to heed his mother’s attempts to stop him from investing in the liquor shop. Because of this obsession with wealth, he refuses to listen to Ruth’s advice on the honesty of his business partner. Since its inception, the American dream was not a dream of wealth and economic betterment but a dream of a better life for everyone, diverse opportunities to those who are able and overall social order. Hansberry in the play mocks this notion. From her perspective, certain circumstances make it difficult to achieve the American Dream. Walter, for example, meets racial prejudice, discrimination and poverty in his quest for success. These factors hinder his pursuit of the American dream. The play shows how some factors in the environment one lives in can make achievement of the American Dream impossible. Walter lacks the money to make his investment in the liquor store. In the play, the Younger family as a whole aspires to gain wealth and acceptance in the white society. This represents the distorted and misunderstood version of the American dream. While gaining acceptance in white society is a viable semblance of the American dream, financial success is not. The Raisin in the Sun iden tifies the most significant factor of the American dream today that has overshadowed the other more fundamental issues. The inability of the country to provide opportunities for even the less privileged to pursue their dreams is a failing of the American dream. People like Walter and Beneatha find it difficult to succeed because the available conditions do not favor them. Hansberry reveals the enormous challenges facing the less privileged in achieving the American dream. According to Raisin in the Sun, priorities have shifted from those that want to achieve social order to individualistic motives. Perhaps, what she wants to put across is that the American dream regenerated into one served by materialistic motives. Americans are increasingly being driven by material concerns rather than the pursuit of individual freedoms and privileges. Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. London: Methuen Drama, 2011. Print. Reuben, Paul P. â€Å"PAL: Appendix S: The American Dream.† PAL: Perspectives in American Literature- A Research and Reference Guide, 10 Nov. 2011. Web. 18 April. 2013. Available csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/append/axs.html

Can married woman today have it all Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Can married woman today have it all - Essay Example In the past, some societies felt that women were a liability especially when taking them to school. Secondly, women are not considered as possible leaders in many parts of the world. This has been holding women back in the society as well. In many countries, majority of leadership is held by the male gender, which leaves the women at a disadvantage in the society. Women have to struggle way harder than men to get elective posts in many countries even in the developed world. Despite their struggles, they make limited progress. Though some end up getting some of the leadership roles, they are not given the ultimate control especially in high decision making ranks. This has been a setback for women as most of them are not delegated the duties of policy formulation for the society as a whole. Similarly, there is the infamous quote that states that women are their own enemies. This rhetoric statement means that some women are pulling down their fellow women. The unity of women is wanting, and they do not have the much needed corporation to make the best outcome for their own gender. In some instances, women are openly seen to oppose other women. In such cases, the opposing sides create a drift among the women leaving room for men to flourish at their expense. The idea of marriage has been changing over time but depending on the stated issue. To begin with, in the previous years, men were known to be the bread winners of the family. Nowadays, this is almost a forgotten case. The man and woman in the home are both bread winners. A family has to depend on both of them for ultimate survival. For example, while the father provides the basic needs like shelter, the mother is, on the other hand, providing clothing. This has brought stability in families as they never lack basic needs. Similarly, women nowadays are career focused and are likely to look for a career and develop it to the highest of levels. However, in yesteryears, women remained as housewives meaning that th ey did not have any other career apart from caring for the family at the basic level. The changing world has proved that women can also have career even when they have families to take care of. Apparently, women are also in control of numerous families. In ancient times, the man was the only one in control of a home. As such, men had the ultimate control in decision making and execution of tasks. Therefore, women had no room to make any decision when the man of the house was not around. In most cases, women had to wait for the head of the house to make decisions. Such decisions were made without consulting their wives. However, nowadays, this has changed: Women have room to make critical decisions even in the presence of the man of the house. This change has been attributed to the change in women and their desire to make changes in the world. This has uplifted the need for women in the society as they have resulted to positive changes cross the world. In many homes, women are equall y in control just like their male counterparts. It is possible for a woman to have a career and still bring up the family in the best manner possible. To begin with, women have instigated the change they wanted in the world as they now have more opportunities to be heard. Since they want to uplift the girl child in the society, they will work tirelessly to ensure they attain their goals. As such, women are working