Corky :: essays papers

Corky As I was walking through the Memorial Union the other day, I noticed a magnificent sculpture encased in a glass fixture. This sculpture is of Corky, Emporia State University’s esteemed mascot. Seeing this sculpture, I decided that it would be perfect for this paper. When an individual thinks of what a sculpture is, they often think of marble or rock of some sort that is carved into shapes or figures of famous people from the past. Taking Analysis of the Fine Arts, one would learn that sculpture is also made of things like metal, clay, and even wood. This brings me to the sculpture of Corky. When discussing sculptures in class one of the questions asked is â€Å"Where does your eye go first.† For this sculpture my eye first goes to Corky’s face. It’s obvious that the sculptor meant for it to exude confidence and happiness. The eye then goes down the sculpture, studying the intricate carvings of the torso down to the legs. I then moved around the sculpture and noticed the wings in the back made of glass. I had never noticed them before now. After walking around the sculpture, the eye ultimately goes back to the face. Corky is carved out of wood. The sculpture is full round. This is where the sculpture is created by the subtracting of a wood from the base to leave a free standing figure that has shape and form on all sides. The sculptor also used addition by adding the glass to serve as wings. The sculpture can be viewed from any angle, also known as three-dimensional sculpture. The sculpture stands on a base that is also made of wood. Corky is extremely smooth and shiny. The sculpture is very intricate, has strong detail, and is proportionate. The lines of the carving are straight, curved, and jagged. Some are carved very deeply and others not so deep. The exterior of the sculpture was probably sanded and then some sort of oil or protectant was probably applied to help maintain the shine and smoothness. The sculpture gives off the feeling of happiness and pride. It conveys a feeling of Emporia State University and what it means to be a student here. He is in a walking stance giving the sculpture action. His shoulders are pulled back and he strides with confidence. Corky :: essays papers Corky As I was walking through the Memorial Union the other day, I noticed a magnificent sculpture encased in a glass fixture. This sculpture is of Corky, Emporia State University’s esteemed mascot. Seeing this sculpture, I decided that it would be perfect for this paper. When an individual thinks of what a sculpture is, they often think of marble or rock of some sort that is carved into shapes or figures of famous people from the past. Taking Analysis of the Fine Arts, one would learn that sculpture is also made of things like metal, clay, and even wood. This brings me to the sculpture of Corky. When discussing sculptures in class one of the questions asked is â€Å"Where does your eye go first.† For this sculpture my eye first goes to Corky’s face. It’s obvious that the sculptor meant for it to exude confidence and happiness. The eye then goes down the sculpture, studying the intricate carvings of the torso down to the legs. I then moved around the sculpture and noticed the wings in the back made of glass. I had never noticed them before now. After walking around the sculpture, the eye ultimately goes back to the face. Corky is carved out of wood. The sculpture is full round. This is where the sculpture is created by the subtracting of a wood from the base to leave a free standing figure that has shape and form on all sides. The sculptor also used addition by adding the glass to serve as wings. The sculpture can be viewed from any angle, also known as three-dimensional sculpture. The sculpture stands on a base that is also made of wood. Corky is extremely smooth and shiny. The sculpture is very intricate, has strong detail, and is proportionate. The lines of the carving are straight, curved, and jagged. Some are carved very deeply and others not so deep. The exterior of the sculpture was probably sanded and then some sort of oil or protectant was probably applied to help maintain the shine and smoothness. The sculpture gives off the feeling of happiness and pride. It conveys a feeling of Emporia State University and what it means to be a student here. He is in a walking stance giving the sculpture action. His shoulders are pulled back and he strides with confidence.

Living with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome :: Personal Narrative Health Essays

Living with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) The end of 2002 and the beginning of 2003 was a very trying time for my loved ones and I in Guangdong Province. I didn't know what was happening in my town. It started with people getting fevers. My father told me that the flu was spreading, that everyone is getting sick and I better stay inside if I don't want to catch it. Little did we know that what we were trying to avoid was not a mere flu outbreak, rather the coming of something much worse. My father's early dismissal of this disease only kept us comfortable a few months. By February of 2003, over 300 cases of this disease were reported just in our province. The fevers turned into respiratory problems and finally pneumonia. The Chinese Ministry of Health said this was atypical pneumonia. As conditions worsened here, it came to be known that a local doctor treating the pneumonia visited Hong Kong. Some how his contact with our infected citizens led him to infect 12 others on his hotel floor in Hong Kong. After the outbreak in Hong Kong, people started to take the disease more seriously. An outbreak occurs in Vietnam, tracing back to a man admitted in a Hanoi hospital for a high fever and sore throat. He goes on to infect 20 staff members at that hospital. At every hospital where these symptoms were present, the staff kept getting sick. The disease was termed Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS for short. By March, there was even a case of a flight attendant from Singapore who contracted the disease from a stay at a Hong Kong hotel. It was later found that through contact she had spread her case to 100 others in Singapore. During this ordeal life in our province became extremely difficult. I was told to always stay indoors. I couldn't leave the house to see my friends or even go to the store. The farmer we got our eggs from became very sick, and soon after his whole family shared his illness. People were afraid to go anywhere. We didn't know how this was getting around, all we had were the hundreds of people getting sick. The disease grew to huge proportions in Hong Kong.

Hanslick With Feeling :: Art Poetry Papers

Hanslick With Feeling Abstract Among most contemporary philosophies of art, Eduard Hanslick's Vom Musikalisch-Schà ¶nen is regarded as an irredeemably formalistic tract denying any aesthetic relevance of feeling in the aesthetic appreciation and discussion of music. Challenging this position, I show that Hanslick's outlook is consistent with an expressiveness in music that can be appreciated and discussed aesthetically in relevant metaphorical terms which reveal how the music  « looks and what its beauties are  ». Rà ©sumà © Parmi les philosophies de l'art contemporain, le Vom Musikalisch-Schà ¶nen d'Eduard Hanslick est considà ©rà © comme un traità © formaliste strict, qui nie toute pertinence esthà ©tique du sentiment dans l'apprà ©ciation et la discussion sur la musique. Malgrà © cette prise de position, je vais montrer que le point de vue de Hanslick n'exclut pas une expressività © musicale sujette à   une apprà ©ciation et à   une discussion esthà ©tiques en termes mà ©taphoriques pertinents, qui rà ©và ¨lent  « l'allure  » de la musique et  « quelles en sont les beautà ©s  ». The consensus of most contemporary philosophers of art is that Hanslick's On the Musically Beautiful is an irredeemably formalistic tract.1 It vehemently denies that the aesthetic apprehension of instrumental music includes feeling either of the composer or of the listener. Hanslick, so it is widely believed, acknowledged as aesthetically relevant only music's formal or technical characteristics. I think that this contemporary view of Hanslick's alleged formalism may be due in part to his vigorous and oft repeated denial that music could in any way represent or express the  « garden-variety  » emotions or ordinary emotions. It hardly follows from this that for Hanslick the only possible aesthetic apprehension of music would be its formal aspects. As Beardsley has noted, denial of the expression theory of music does not necessarily result in formalism; an expressive theory of music is possible. The Expression Theory has called our attention to an important fact about music--namely, that it has human regional qualities. But in performing this service it has rendered itself obsolete. We have no further use for it. ... 'This music is joyous' is plain and can be defended. 'This music expresses joy' adds nothing except unnecessary and unanswerable questions.2 The interpretation of Hanslick as a musical formalist may be due to an all too hasty inference from his conviction that (1)  « from all customary appeals to feeling, we can derive not a single musical law.  » Yet, earlier Hanslick stoutly maintains (2)  « the view that the ultimate worth of the beautiful is always based on the immediate manifestation of feeling.

Gender Stereotyping in TV Commercials Essay

Stereotyping is basically relating a certain behavior or actions to a certain sector of the society or a certain group of people. It dictates how a person or a group is supposed act or respond in front of the society. It tells what behavior by a particular group is acceptable to the society. Such labels or tags are put by us humans itself. Gender stereotyping is when we relate certain manners or conduct to men and women. For example, men are the bread earners of the house and women are home makers. Such stereotypes are created by the society and the general behavior portrayed by them. Today gender stereotyping is extensively used in television commercials. This is mainly done to attract viewers to buy their product. Female stereotypes are mostly used in TV advertisements. Women are usually portrayed as sex objects in commercials. They are portrayed as â€Å"decoratives† in various promotional strategies. They are shown as desirable women to attract the male crowd. They are used more in those commercials which advertise products used by men. For example axe, addiction, etc. They are also shown with minimal clothing. Women are also portrayed as housewives only. In advertisements like Saffola oil, Maggi, Everest masala, etc. t is always the woman who is cooking, etc. Women are shown as people with lower status than men. They are the ones who are washing dishes and clothes in ads like Vim and Surf Excel respectively. Most successful women portrayed on television are always shown as fair and young women. Duskier women are very rarely shown in ads. Fair & Lovely ads are a great example. They demonstrate that any and every woman can become fair after using their product. The end result is shown as them turning fair and becoming successful or popular. They stereotype that women must always be fair and pretty to be successful. Male stereotypes are less used as compared to female stereotypes. They are usually portrayed as more successful and powerful. Men are usually well dressed in TV commercials. They are shown to have more poise and status in the society. Mostly only handsome and good looking men are used to sell products to women. Men are stereotyped to be the ones to lead the society ahead with their charm and personality and success. It has been tried to avoid such stereotyping by a lot of advertisers but at the end of the day the viewers get attracted to such advertisements only. Companies generate more revenue but such advertisements.

Racial Segregation – Essay

Racial Segregation Introduction The great nation of America is one of the most racially diverse countries in the world today. Practically all races in America can trace their roots from different parts of the country. From the African-American to the Korean- Americans, and the Hispanic to the Irish people, all these represent the different faces of American people. However, the co-existence of these different races has not been smooth sailing.They have experienced racial discrimination, mostly from white Americans, who felt threatened by the increasing influx of the ‘foreigners’ in America. Following Ronald Takaki view in his book ‘A different mirror’, this essay tries to explain the nature of discrimination the slaves, Mexicans and the Irish experienced from the white American people. It captures events that happened before the civil war in relation to racial discrimination, and how the affected groups responded to such actions. Discussion The African Ameri can race was first introduced in America as servants.They were remarkably few in number and served the white masters who were the Anglo Americans â€Å"†¦rather, like most of the white laborers, they were probably indentured servants† (Tikaki, 2008). Later on as their numbers increased, most of them were transformed to slaves. It is not clear though how and when this transition took place Nonetheless, in the nineteenth century, there was uproar by the citizens over the abolishment of slavery. It is this uproar that resulted to future civil rights movements and affirmative action that has been associated by the African American people.They have been the biggest minority group in the United States and have been on the forefront in spearheading the civil rights movement, with African American leaders such as Martin Luther King Junior leading the pack. The Mexican immigrants were mostly dominated by the Chinacos, a group among the Hispanic people. Their population in America supersedes that of the African Americans by far, and has lived in the United States for a longer time too. Their immigration into America was catalyzed by the Mexican- American war of 1846.The subsequent conquer of part of Northern Mexico by the Americans implied that some Mexicans were locked out their native country and became foreigners in their own land. However, a sizable number of immigrants walked to El Norte in search of greener pastures in America. As usual, they were treated with hostility by Anglo Americans and resorted to doing blue collar jobs. Their settlement in El Norte, however, has enabled them to transform the culture to date due to the large number of Mexican settlers in that city. The Irish people arrived in large numbers than most immigrants in the states.Their immigration was fueled by neighboring England’s conquest of their territory, which occurred before the colonization of America. It is for this reason that they migrated to America in search of gr eener pastures. Their reception, however, was not so welcoming, despite their similar complexion to the Anglo Americans. This was many because their catholic belief was not welcome since most Americans came from protestant backgrounds. The Americans believed that the Irish were trying to spread their catholic practices to the Americans.As such, they were segregated and mainly did casual jobs like construction. It was only after passing the naturalization law that the Irish got some reprieve. Their near complexion to the Anglo Americans enabled them to get blue collar jobs to the disadvantage of African Americans and the Chinese. They took advantage of this opportunity to promote their ethnic background, and also to secure political power. Conclusion Racial discrimination by the Anglo Americans was spread across all races as described in the discussion above.The Anglo Americans were keen to protect their ethnicity and culture, and as such did not provide avenues for the other races t o prosper as they did. Instead, they strived hard to show their superiority over the other races. They believed that increased immigration of the other races would dilute their culture as seen by their resistance to the Irish community. However, pertinent to note is that these immigrants brought with them positive change to the American people. The African Americans, for instance, have made America be known for its commitment to the principle of liberty.This, as we have seen, was brought about by the civil movement during the cold war. The Hispanians also managed to introduce a new culture that continues to be accepted and has spread widely all over the nation. In conclusion, most immigrants moving into the United States during the nineteenth century faced racial discrimination at different levels as they strived to settle in a foreign land. Bibliography Takaki, Ronald T. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. New York: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, and Co, 2008. Pr int Racial Segregation – Essay Racial Segregation Introduction The great nation of America is one of the most racially diverse countries in the world today. Practically all races in America can trace their roots from different parts of the country. From the African-American to the Korean- Americans, and the Hispanic to the Irish people, all these represent the different faces of American people. However, the co-existence of these different races has not been smooth sailing.They have experienced racial discrimination, mostly from white Americans, who felt threatened by the increasing influx of the ‘foreigners’ in America. Following Ronald Takaki view in his book ‘A different mirror’, this essay tries to explain the nature of discrimination the slaves, Mexicans and the Irish experienced from the white American people. It captures events that happened before the civil war in relation to racial discrimination, and how the affected groups responded to such actions. Discussion The African Ameri can race was first introduced in America as servants.They were remarkably few in number and served the white masters who were the Anglo Americans â€Å"†¦rather, like most of the white laborers, they were probably indentured servants† (Tikaki, 2008). Later on as their numbers increased, most of them were transformed to slaves. It is not clear though how and when this transition took place Nonetheless, in the nineteenth century, there was uproar by the citizens over the abolishment of slavery. It is this uproar that resulted to future civil rights movements and affirmative action that has been associated by the African American people.They have been the biggest minority group in the United States and have been on the forefront in spearheading the civil rights movement, with African American leaders such as Martin Luther King Junior leading the pack. The Mexican immigrants were mostly dominated by the Chinacos, a group among the Hispanic people. Their population in America supersedes that of the African Americans by far, and has lived in the United States for a longer time too. Their immigration into America was catalyzed by the Mexican- American war of 1846.The subsequent conquer of part of Northern Mexico by the Americans implied that some Mexicans were locked out their native country and became foreigners in their own land. However, a sizable number of immigrants walked to El Norte in search of greener pastures in America. As usual, they were treated with hostility by Anglo Americans and resorted to doing blue collar jobs. Their settlement in El Norte, however, has enabled them to transform the culture to date due to the large number of Mexican settlers in that city. The Irish people arrived in large numbers than most immigrants in the states.Their immigration was fueled by neighboring England’s conquest of their territory, which occurred before the colonization of America. It is for this reason that they migrated to America in search of gr eener pastures. Their reception, however, was not so welcoming, despite their similar complexion to the Anglo Americans. This was many because their catholic belief was not welcome since most Americans came from protestant backgrounds. The Americans believed that the Irish were trying to spread their catholic practices to the Americans.As such, they were segregated and mainly did casual jobs like construction. It was only after passing the naturalization law that the Irish got some reprieve. Their near complexion to the Anglo Americans enabled them to get blue collar jobs to the disadvantage of African Americans and the Chinese. They took advantage of this opportunity to promote their ethnic background, and also to secure political power. Conclusion Racial discrimination by the Anglo Americans was spread across all races as described in the discussion above.The Anglo Americans were keen to protect their ethnicity and culture, and as such did not provide avenues for the other races t o prosper as they did. Instead, they strived hard to show their superiority over the other races. They believed that increased immigration of the other races would dilute their culture as seen by their resistance to the Irish community. However, pertinent to note is that these immigrants brought with them positive change to the American people. The African Americans, for instance, have made America be known for its commitment to the principle of liberty.This, as we have seen, was brought about by the civil movement during the cold war. The Hispanians also managed to introduce a new culture that continues to be accepted and has spread widely all over the nation. In conclusion, most immigrants moving into the United States during the nineteenth century faced racial discrimination at different levels as they strived to settle in a foreign land. Bibliography Takaki, Ronald T. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. New York: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, and Co, 2008. Pr int

Diversity and Education According Essay

America’s student populations are increasingly reflective of an ethnically diverse society. However, we recognize that there are several major variables for improving the multicultural accommodation apparent in a school. Bruner and Vytgotsky lend this discussion some useful insight concerning such variables. Chief among them, the diversity of faculty, of learning content and of learning media all are directly relevant to the school’s embrace of difference. As the immigrant population continues not only to rise but to diversify in the United States, our educational system, and indeed, our nation has in many contexts attempted to enforce a degree of cultural uniformity inclined to either assimilate or exclude incoming cultures. Standardized testing, rigid curriculum design and poor representation amongst teachers and administrators of a diverse student population have all had the impact of white-washing American education. In the urban setting such as the case at hand, this can be especially problematic, with such failures of institution causing vulnerable students to disengage. Vytgotsky contributes an important idea to this discussion, referring us to the relevance of effective pedagogy in engaging such students. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through group activity. We have a core understanding of the fact that diversity implies not just a diversity of ethnicity or culture but also of potential learning styles or strategy. Vytgotsky offers an effective way to use this diversity to the advantage of the classroom. Group activity is always an effective way to help distill strategies and strengths for individuals. By strategically grouping students according to aptitude and academic strength, we enable stronger learners to directly engage weaker learners in a way that helps to effectively communicate concepts and ideas in play. Vytgotsky essentially contends that there is value to the less effective student of being partnered with a more skilled learner. This interaction can be beneficial to the aptitude of the former and can help the latter develop innate leadership skills. The focus of such legislation as No Child Left Behind does not leave a great deal of freedom or latitude for the urban school to engage in such activities however. There seems at present to be an impulse of standardization directly opposite the need for diversity celebration. Some of the root causes of the failure of our educational system to accommodate diversity as it cuts across multiple demographic lines are resultant of the instruments used to promote student aptitude measurements. (McCarty, 1) Primarily, the ability or interest of teachers to accommodate diversity is stunted by the entrenched presence of institutional prejudices that shape testing standards, curricular design and instructional method in a way that embraces standardization, legislative mandate and procedural uniformity. (McCarty, 1) One of the most heavily-recognized and persistent of such conflicts may be observed still today in the genuine lack of equality in the cultural standards applied to teaching African Americans. Particularly, there is a fundamental failure in the content choices which shape curricula such as those concerning literacy, history, policy and even the natural As part of a cyclical pattern which institutionally prevents our minority populations from being loosed of such a negative spiral, students beholden thereto are either locked into curricula which are given a financial short-shrift and are thus, armed with fewer qualified teachers, or are committed to districts where their cultural and ethnic perspectives are not being accounted for. This is a circumstance which regrettably continues today, with the current presidential administration’s No Child Left Behind initiative imposing further dependence upon the diagnostic testing and grade-evaluation policies which have long been an appendage of established educational patterns. The new education standards are given over to a â€Å"fundamentally punitive law that uses flawed standardized tests to label schools as failures and punish them with counterproductive sanctions. † (Neill, 1) This is also a sharp diversion in focus from that which Bruner argues is a priority for the diverse student bodies in our urban schools. The social impact of the educational experience is, according to Bruner, a fundamental aspect of its quality. The student’s engagement in class will often be a function of his socialization. This provides a firm rationale for the critique of diversity standards in our educational system. Indeed, there is an inherent danger by way of this administrative approach of the loss of pragmatism, which often incorrectly attributes the challenges related to diversity as products of learning deficiencies. This constitutes a fundamental disservice to the student and, it is worth asserting, basic intellectual prejudice which generally stigmatizing the future opportunities availed to those of ethnic minority or immigrant status. In Bruner’s understanding, the socialization of a diverse student body will actually promote learning rather than obstruct it. Therefore, as the ultimate resolution on the subject, our discussion inclines us to acknowledge as a basis of assumption that greater multicultural sensitivity is needed in the teaching of literacy, of the social sciences and of all disciplines on the individual level. Moreover, we resolve that both Bruner and Vytgotsky would find fault with the rigid and disruptive patterns of No Child Left Behind. Ultimately, the two provide theories which merge to suggest that diversity can be managed through flexible management of the classroom and educational experiences. Works Cited McCarty, Teresa. (2005). Language, Literacy and Power In Schooling. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Neill, Monty. (2003). Don’t Mourn, Organize! Rethinking Schools. Online at http://www. rethinkingschools. org/special_reports/bushplan/nclb181. shtml

Characters in Hamlet Essay

William Shakespeare uses various elements, themes and connections between them to present ideas of enduring value in ‘Hamlet. His character development in Hamlet &Claudius and use of dramatic techniques present values in ‘Hamlet’ those of which are timeless. These enduring values include guilt, corruption and life & death. Shakespeare has used various dramatic techniques to express his idea and enduring value of guilt. In Act 1, as Polonius talks about ‘the devil hiding’, Shakespeare uses a dramatic technique as Claudius acknowledges his conscience in an aside, â€Å"how smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience†. Claudius is the villain of the play, however Shakespeare has a created a complex character with a working conscience and serious feelings of guilt. Claudius sense of guilt emerges through the use of the dramatic technique, soliloquy. Furthermore, it also makes him a more ‘rounded’ character in his development, not merely evil or lacking in human qualities. His guilt is emphasized when he attempts to ‘pray’, and he finds that as a sinner, he cannot, while he still desires the fruits of his crime, these being Gertrude and the crown, â€Å"Forgive me my foul murder? That cannot be since I am still possess’d of those effects for which I did the murder. †Shakespeare has used metaphor and alliteration in, Oh bosom black as death† as Claudius, concedes that he is not really capable of praying. From this point, as a development of his character, his villiany increases as he becomes desperate to eliminate Hamlet and ultimately plotting his death. Gertrude can also be played as experiencing guilt throughout until she concedes her guilt and claims it will not go away, â€Å"I see such black and grained spots/ As will not leave their tinct†. Claudius and Gertrude share the guilt for what goes wrong in the play, as theirs is the corruption that infects Denmark. Corruption is another prominent value in ‘Hamlet’. In Act 1, the dramatic technique, monologue is used as Claudius addresses his court and celebrates his coronation and marriage to Gertrude to reconcile the grieving for Old Hamlet. His speech, â€Å"mirth in funeral and dirge in marriage† is commonly known as ‘spin’ today. There is a notion that Claudius’ motive for killing Old Hamlet is envy, strictly a lust for power and to be king however this cannot be interpreted as Claudius consistently shows true love for Gertrude and displays qualities of a good king. Consequently, it is plausible that the function of the marriage is genuine however also essential for Claudius’ agenda which makes his reign corrupt. Shakespeare demonstrates the idea of corruption, that if the king reigns on false or evil grounds, hence the whole kingdom suffers, as Marcellus says, â€Å"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark†. Furthermore, through Hamlet’s main source of distress of the thought of his mother remarried too soon, and to his uncle, he introduces the theme of corruption with the technique, imagery, â€Å"unweeded gardens†. Hamlet interprets news of Old Hamlet’s ghost as a reflection of the corruption in Denmark, â€Å"My father’s spirit in arms! All is not well†. He believes that foul deeds will rise and that evil will inevitably unravel. The use of Hamlet’s development of a complex multi-faceted persona demonstrates Shakespeare’s idea on life and death, conveyed through the use of the dramatic technique, soliloquy. Hamlet’s situation in the play is relevant today because circumstances force him from being a critical observer of the world to being a participant, an experience that is universal. The flaw in Hamlet’s character lies in the involutions of his character. He is guilty of â€Å"thinking too precisely on th’event†, a man who â€Å"continuously resolves to do, yet does nothing but resolve†. It is assumed Hamlet is honest and open in his soliloquys. At other times he is puts on a ‘faà §ade’, the main purpose is to hide his true state of mind and intentions often portraying himself as ‘mad’. In Hamlet’s first soliloquy he is already contemplating about the desire to disappear or commit suicide, â€Å"O that this too too solid fle sh would melt†. Hamlet rejects the idea of trying to predict the future and reaches a point of acceptance of life, death, and everything more, â€Å"Not a wit, we defy augury†¦ the readiness is all†. This expresses the idea that what is destined is inevitable and what is significant is ‘readiness’. Hamlet acknowledges this when he holds up Yorick’s skull. The dramatic technique of visual imagery of Hamlet looking at Yorick’s skull is one of the most enduring images in all of literary history. It is a human confronting the truth, contemplating death and decomposition that even the greatest of humans are subject to. His speech on ‘readiness’ is all about his own death. It is this, which he must become ready for, something, which is presented as central sad truth of human life. ‘To be, or not to be, that is the question’ is definitive on life and death. It provides a stark contrast to the intense confrontation with Ophelia as it is contemplative, intellectual and uncharacteristic for someone who is supposedly ‘mad’. Shakespeare implies through Hamlet’s character development that the reason people do not commit suicide is because of the fear of the after life which is unknown and could potentially be worse. Hamlet ponders the question as a matter of philosophical debate. Yet though the play is thus rooted in its own time, ‘Hamlet’ seems to have a rapport with all ages and centuries. It speaks eloquently to the twentieth century as it did to the 17th 18th and 19th. Reasons for the play’s enduring appeal is attributed to the values Shakespeare has expressed. How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience Forgive me for my foul murder? This cannot be for I am still possess’d of the effects for which I did the murder I see such black and grained spots/ as they will not leave their tinct Something is rotten in the state of Denmark Mirth in funeral, dirge in marriage O that this too too solid flesh would melt Not a wit we defy augury My father’s spirit is in arms! All is not well Unweeded garden To be or not be, that is the question