The Womans Role In Macbeth :: Free Macbeth Essays

The Woman's Role In Macbeth   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  William Shakespeare's, Macbeth, is a play full of betrayal and deception. It is a story about Macbeth's desires to achieve greatness and become king. Despite his involvement in actually committing the treasonous acts, he cannot be held accountable.   However, if it were not for the deeds of a woman at one time or another, Macbeth never would have involved himself with acts of treachery.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the opening scene, we begin to see the role that women play in Macbeth.   The three ugly witches are gathered in a thunderstorm cackling greedily over their evil plans. Their chant of "fair is foul, and foul is fair" illustrates how women perform acts of ugliness and evil to achieve disorder.   In addition, we see that women can cloud reality, thus causing deceptiveness in the "fog and filthy air."      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Act I, scene 3, we again see the feminine presence through the witches. This time, however, they are casting spells on a poor sailor because his wife cursed one of the witches and refused to give her some chestnuts. Chances are, that if women are fighting, a man will suffer for it.   Just then, Macbeth and Banqou see the witches and engage them in conversation.   The witches greet Macbeth with, "Thane of Glamis" (his present title), "Thane of Cawdor" (his soon-to-be announced title), and the prophesy that he will be "King hereafter."   They also greet Banquo with, "lesser than Macbeth, and greater," as "not so happy, yet much happier," and tell him "thou shalt get kings, though thou be none."   How would the witches know of their future?   Perhaps they were trying to plant an idea in Macbeth's head that would later lead to certain calamity.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After Macbeth discovers the witches' first prediction came true, he begins to aspire to realize the next prediction of becoming king.   Already, because of the women, Macbeth begins to entertain the idea of such power. Macbeth later informs his wife of his encounter with the witches and their predictions.   Because Lady Macbeth likes the idea of becoming queen, she encourages Macbeth to kill Duncan.   Just like a woman would do, she begins to put her own interests before the well-being of her husband.   She tells him that he must kill Duncan, which he eventually does with great hesitance.   Even after he commits the deed, she maintains that what he did was rational, and thus

Social Blindness Essay -- Sociology

Blinded Total darkness can take over ones’ sight, leaving the individual barely capable of forming cognitive images, and experiencing the inevitable dependency on the words of others, thus allowing physical blindness to cripple even the most independent of individuals. The phenomenon of social blindness can describe one who leans not on their own understandings, but instead on the understandings of those surrounding them, which is a trend all too common in the modern world. In â€Å"Selections from Losing Matt Shepard: Life and politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder†, transcribed by Beth Loffreda, mass media affected the spread of the truth behind an incident and blindly lead the majority of the United States population to believe various aspects of the murder of Matt Shepard that were created by the media. The spread of unrestrained information about the murder was only possible with the assistance of today’s largest medium, the internet. In â€Å"Is Google Mak ing Us Stupid?† author, Nicholas Carr explained how modern individuals no longer check the validity or exposition of a source, but â€Å"Power Browse† for the facts and important aspects of what they are reading. Whether the article is false or valid has little to no effect on the decision making of reader, for all they look to obtain from the text is information†¦ right or wrong. Yet, with this more efficient and immediate form of information extraction, there is a tangible loss of deep reading and the ability to â€Å"See.† In â€Å"The Mind’s Eye: What the Blind See† the author, Oliver Sacks, gave a few accounts of individuals who were blind in the common meaning of the word that could â€Å"See† more than most individuals that had a fully functioning optical mechanism. Today’s society conta... ...ess, a slow, almost prehensile attention, a sensuous, intimate being at one with the world which sight, with its quick, flicking, facile quality, continually distracts us from,† (Sacks 313). It has been stated that throughout one’s life they maintain a malleable brain that can adapt to multiple situations, which in this case blindness. At the onset of blindness, the brain begins to rewire itself by spreading into the areas of optical stimulation and the brain manipulates them to aide with the expansion of the other senses. The rewiring of the brain accounts for the blind being known as â€Å"Whole-Body Seers,† since the senses of their body’s have matured more than normal in the absence of visual stimulation. As â€Å"Whole-Body Seers,† the blind claim to be sensitive to inflections in the pitch of others voices that show signs of emotions not present to the ordinary eye. Social Blindness Essay -- Sociology Blinded Total darkness can take over ones’ sight, leaving the individual barely capable of forming cognitive images, and experiencing the inevitable dependency on the words of others, thus allowing physical blindness to cripple even the most independent of individuals. The phenomenon of social blindness can describe one who leans not on their own understandings, but instead on the understandings of those surrounding them, which is a trend all too common in the modern world. In â€Å"Selections from Losing Matt Shepard: Life and politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder†, transcribed by Beth Loffreda, mass media affected the spread of the truth behind an incident and blindly lead the majority of the United States population to believe various aspects of the murder of Matt Shepard that were created by the media. The spread of unrestrained information about the murder was only possible with the assistance of today’s largest medium, the internet. In â€Å"Is Google Mak ing Us Stupid?† author, Nicholas Carr explained how modern individuals no longer check the validity or exposition of a source, but â€Å"Power Browse† for the facts and important aspects of what they are reading. Whether the article is false or valid has little to no effect on the decision making of reader, for all they look to obtain from the text is information†¦ right or wrong. Yet, with this more efficient and immediate form of information extraction, there is a tangible loss of deep reading and the ability to â€Å"See.† In â€Å"The Mind’s Eye: What the Blind See† the author, Oliver Sacks, gave a few accounts of individuals who were blind in the common meaning of the word that could â€Å"See† more than most individuals that had a fully functioning optical mechanism. Today’s society conta... ...ess, a slow, almost prehensile attention, a sensuous, intimate being at one with the world which sight, with its quick, flicking, facile quality, continually distracts us from,† (Sacks 313). It has been stated that throughout one’s life they maintain a malleable brain that can adapt to multiple situations, which in this case blindness. At the onset of blindness, the brain begins to rewire itself by spreading into the areas of optical stimulation and the brain manipulates them to aide with the expansion of the other senses. The rewiring of the brain accounts for the blind being known as â€Å"Whole-Body Seers,† since the senses of their body’s have matured more than normal in the absence of visual stimulation. As â€Å"Whole-Body Seers,† the blind claim to be sensitive to inflections in the pitch of others voices that show signs of emotions not present to the ordinary eye.

Inferior to Society Essay -- Character Analysis, Beneatha

Lorraine Hansberry depicts her character of Beneatha as being inferior to the rest of the human race through the use of the name â€Å"Beneatha†, depicting the hardships of African Americans. Hansberry accomplishes her depiction of the hardships through the use of discrimination, both stereotypical and racial, against the African American race and through the general inferiority of her character of Beneatha, in her play, A Raisin in the Sun. For instance, when Hansberry introduces the character of Beneatha, she illustrates that Beneatha is inferior to Ruth in physical appearance (35). Hansberry writes: "([Beneatha] is not as pretty as her sister-in-law)"(35). This passage illustrates the hardships of the African American race through the character of Beneatha, portraying the inferiority of Beneatha through the name Beneatha. This passage is significant because it shows Beneatha as inferior before she can even show her personality, therefore identifies her as inferior. Si nce she is labeled as inferior, society treats her in a childlike manner and she does not receive the same general rights and treatment as other members of society. When Beneatha enters the scene, she looks up at the ceiling, symbolizing her inferiority (46). Hansberry writes: â€Å"(Beneatha comes in brushing her hair and looking up to the ceiling, where the sound of a vacuum cleaner has started up)†(46). This passage depicts the general inferiority of Beneatha. This passage exhibits the fact that Beneatha is inferior to the rest of society. Although she is literally beneath the people on the floor above her, she is also figuratively below them. This passage is significant because it depicts the reality of the true superiority of society versus the character of... ...even looking up) In your heart of hearts you are much drunkard. BENEATHA: (To encourage WALTER, thoroughly caught uwith this side of him) OCOMOGOSAIY, FLAMING SPEAR! RUTH: (Having had enough, and embarrassed for the family) Beneatha, you got company—what's the matter with you? Walter Lee Younger, get down off that table and stop acting like a fool. RUTH: He's had a little to drink†¦I don't know that her excuse is. GEORGE: Oh, don't be so proud of yourself, Bennie—just because you look eccentric.(78-80 In this passage, George tells Beneatha that she needs to stop being so obsessed with her heritage. This passage is significant because it illustrates Beneatha as a child by displaying her childlike obsession with her heritage. Beneatha is shown as being beneath other people and as a child through her fascination with her family origin.

Practices of Leadership contribute to managing sustainability Essay

In this essay I will undergo a critical argument that expresses there are practices of leadership which contribute to managing sustainability of a business in the post-bureaucratic era. ‘†¦The process of directing, controlling, motivating, and inspiring staff toward the realization of stated organizational goals†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Cleg, Kornberger & Pitsis 2011). The decisions that are made by management or leadership can have effects on the businesses reputation; hence whether the organization wants to maximise profits or place an emphasis on the ethical decisions made; portraying the idea the decisions made may be legal but is it ethical. In section one through Cameron, Bright & Caza (2004) and others I will explain how individual virtuousness expands to organizational virtuousness which is influenced by leadership, and is therefore expressed through the nature of the business. Further on I will examine the link between the influences of religion, ethical values, age and gender to the variations within levels of relativism and idealism to the ‘trait leadership theory’ which influences a leaders decision making in relation to ethical issues to a certain extent. Through Stubbs & Cocklin (2008) and others I am able to analyse how the leaders; mainly conscious leaders, within the business initially drove the changes through the emphasis on concept of stakeholders within the business to incorporate a ‘sustainability business model’. Therefore it is evident that practices of leadership develop and nurture certain aspect of creating a sustainable business, whether it be ethical decisions or stakeholders over shareholders. Through Cameron, Bright and Caza studies explore how organizational performance is related and linked to virtuousness within the organization. Therefore highlighting how leadership practices affect the outcomes and actions that the business will take in relation to their ethical decisions. Such studies express the differences within leadership practices and attitudes affect how they can lead to different actions taken within the business. Timberlands CEO, Jeffrey Schwartz stated ‘If we don’t make money, no amount of virtue will do our firm any good. Wall Street will ignore us,  and we will soon be out of business. We must have bottom line performance for virtuousness in our firm to be taken seriously’ (Cameron, Bright & Caza, 2004, p 770). Therefore this highlights that the idea of virtuousness in certain organizations have no benefit if there are no pragmatic outcomes, reinforcing the idea of a classical business theory to maximise profits. Hence highlighting an authentic post-bureaucratic leadership where there is pressure on enhancing performance within the business and less emphasis on virtues in comparison to a conscious leadership. However the conscious leadership aspect highlights the notion of integrity and virtue which is therefore expressed through the virtuousness idea of providing an amplifying affect. â€Å"†¦love, empathy, awe, zest, and enthusiasm . . . the sine qua non of managerial success and organizational excellence† (Fineman 1996, p 545). This notion expresses the idea that an emphasis on integrity and emotional intelligence portrayed by the leader can lead to improved cognitive functioning, enhanced decision making and quality relationships between organizational members. Hence through a conscious leadership perspective i.e. an individual virtuousness will then expand throughout the organization, creating organization virtuousness. The central meaning of virtuousness is not the same concept of ethics or corporate social responsibility, but is simply an extension. ‘The entire organization is influenced positively when virtuousness is displayed, especially by individuals in leadership positions’ (George 1995, p 130). Therefore it is evident that different practices of leadership will either adopt practices of virtuality. However it is difficult to manage to effects of the outcome as leaders can have different standards, ‘..,who decides what is good outcome, for whom†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Wray-Bliss 2007). Depending on the leaders attitude they may adopt practices depending if there are beneficial profit outcomes or if it creates a positive organizational environment which will increase business benefits in the longer run i.e. managing the business sustainability decisions. Through studies conducted by Fernando, Dharmage and Almedia we are able to understand the link between decisions made by a leader and how it is influenced to a certain extent by the idea of the ‘trait leadership theory’. However it is evident that ethical values, age, religion and gender to the  variations within levels of relativism and idealism i.e. the traits of a leader create different standards of ethical decisions within an organization. Forsyth’s perception on idealism ‘†¦assume that desirable consequences can, with the right action, always be obtained†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Forsyth 1980, p. 176). Relativism on the other hand is defined by Forsyth as ‘†¦the extent to which an individual rejects universal moral rules†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Forsyth 1980, p. 175). Through Karande et al I was able to observe that ‘†¦models of ethical decision-making posit that organizational factors, such as an organization’s ethical values influence a manager’s ethical decision-making†¦ (Ferrell and Gresham, 1985 p 3). It is evident that the ‘trait leadership theory’ has an effect on this idea to a certain extent i.e. religion. Through studies conducted it is evident that religion had a high effect on the leaders decisions, which is highlighted through Hunt and Vitell ‘A priori, compared with nonreligious people, one might suspect that the highly religious people would have more clearly defined deontological norms and that such norms would play a stronger role in ethical judgments’’ (Fernando, Dharmage & Almeida 1993, p. 780). Therefore highlighting the idea that a leader (that has characteristics of the trait theory) with a perspective in religion will have more incorporation of Corporate Ethical Sustainability within the decisions they make in their organization. It is evident that age plays a role in the decisions that leaders make, the older in age the more life experiences which causes moral development. Hall stated that ‘†¦older the managers tend to be exposed to a variety of ethical problems and become more sensitive to the harm that ethical transgressions can do to the organization and its stakeholders†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Hall 1976, p 148). Therefore highlighting that a leader’s age is negatively related to relativism, hence the older a leader is take into consideration universal moral rules. However there are certain aspects such as gender that doesn’t play a major role in ethical decision making, as gender isn’t significantly related to both idealism and relativism. Fr om this study it highlights the importance of leadership’s traits i.e. age, religion when they are making ethical decisions internally and externally of their organization. Through the study conducted by Cocklin and Stubs it is evident that a conscious leader is able to have an effect and change the organization both  internally and externally i.e. understanding the importance of the stakeholders within the organization. The notion that organizations previously focused on profitability i.e. the shareholders importance has decreased to a certain extent in comparison to the stakeholders of the company, hence expressing the power that leadership has in modifying the idea of utilitarianism. It is evident that the conscious leader highlights the importance of the stakeholders, hence ‘†¦visionary CEOs will push the sustainability agenda throughout organizations and stakeholder networks†¦sustainability becomes more embedded in the organizational structure and culture†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Cocklin & Stubs 2008, p 123). This highlights the idea that a sustainable business with a humble leader will adopt a stakeholder perspective, emphasising the idea that an organizations success is intimately linked to success of their stakeholders rather than the shareholders. It is evident that companies such as Shell petroleum highlight their importance on their stakeholders, and believe that engaging correct ethical decision making towards stakeholders will be more profitable and responsive in the long run, ‘We remain convinced that engaging with stakeholders and integrating social and environmental considerations better throughout the lifetime of our projects makes us a more responsive, competitive and profitable company, in the long and short term.’(Knights & Wilmott, 2007 p. 4) Through Mackey’s article it highlights the differences between a conscious business and corporate social responsibility. ‘†¦emphasis on conscious business on higher purpose, stakeholder interdependence, conscious leadership and conscious culture apart from corporate social responsibility†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Mackey 2011, p 5). These differences are driven by a conscious leader which affects the decisions that one may make i.e. they focus on reconciling caring and profitable through higher synergies in comparison to CSR decisions are focused on adding ethical and financial burden to business goals. However through data produced by O’Toole and Vogel it was evident that their there was the idea to treat all stakeholders equally and fairly. This idea is quite uncontrollable and unrealistic hence Mackey stated that it would be impossible for a conscious leader to achieve anything like this. Hence there is the notion that there will be ‘conflicts’ between stakeholders, which may cause unethical decisions made by the management. It is evident that the conscious leader has enhanced the idea of the stakeholder’s theory which has evolved from the idea of utilitarianism. It is evident that practices of leadership have an effect in the development and management of ethics and CSR. Through the articles I was able to analyse the effects that CEO’s have on their own organization in decision making, whether variables such as age, religion etc have an influence in the ethical decisions that are made by the leaders. The emphasis of a conscious leadership business portrayed the beneficial longer term benefits for the business when stakeholders are seen as the center rather than shareholders. Reference List Cameron, K.S., Bright, D. & Caza, A. 2004, ‘Exploring the relationships between organizational virtuousness and performance’, American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 766-90. Clegg, S.R., Kornberger, M. & Pitsis, T. 2012, Managing and organizations: An introduction to theory and practice, 3rd edn, Sage, London. Fernando, M., Dharmage, S. & Almeida, S. 2008, ‘Ethical ideologies of senior Australian managers: An empirical study’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 82, no. 1, pp. 145P55. Ferrell, O. C. and L. G. Gresham: 1985, ‘A Contingency Framework for Understanding Ethical Decision Making in Marketing’, Journal of Marketing 49, 87–96. Fineman, S. (1996). Emotion and organizing. In S. R. Clegg, C. Hardy, & W. R. Nord (Eds.), The handbook of organizational studies (pp. 543-564). London: Sage. Forsyth, D. R.: 1980, ‘A Taxonomy of Ethical Ideologies’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 39(1), 175–184. George, J. M. (1995). Leader positive mood and group performance: The case of customer service. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 25, 778-794. Hall, E. T.: 1976, Beyond Culture (Anchor Books, Doubleday, Garden City, NY). Knights, D. & Wilmott, H. 2007, Introducing organisational behaviour and management, Thomson, Australia. Mackey, J. 2011, ‘What conscious capitalism really is, California Management Review, vol. 53, no.3, pp. 83-90. Stubbs, W. & Cocklin, C. 2008, ‘Conceptualizing a â€Å"sustainability business model†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, Organization & Environment, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 103-27. Wray P Bliss, E. 2007, ‘Ethics in work’, in D. Knights & H. Willmott (eds), Introducing organizational behaviour and management, Thomson Learning, pp. 506-33. Reflective response: Argument: From the feedback I received I needed to ensure that all my points within my essay correlated and linked from one aspect to anther critiquing what changes had occurred instead of describing the leadership practices. In Assignment 2 I ensured that I only critiqued and I ensured that my main points flowed and related to the question. Organisation and Structure: Assignment 1 my flow of my arguments were not effective they jumped from one point to another, hence in the Assignment 2 I ensured that my essay structure related cohesively so one can read and understand the flow and my main points. Critique: I didn’t score very high in this section as I described the practices of leadership in too much detail. In essay 2 I ensured that I didn’t describe the ideas because the reader already understand the practices I had to critique the ideas, and ensure that I did only describe to the very minimum. Understanding and Content: I scored quite well; I feel I grasped a pretty good understanding of the lectures and the readings. However for assignment 2 I ensured I used more readings and based my arguments from the readings and lectures that I had analysed. Academic English: I made some of my sentences to complicated when they could have been cut down to minimal words. In assignment 2 I ensured that I went straight to the point without any extra words. References: I wasn’t very confident on referencing in assignment 1. For assignment 2 I went onto uts library and it showed me how to reference properly for every type of media. Formatting and presentation: I didn’t follow all the formatting procedures for essay 1. For assignment 2 I went to the assignment guideline and followed all the steps and even went to the rubric and saw what additional formatting need to take place.

Oscar Wilde’s the Importance of Escape Essay

Oscar Wilde’s play entitled â€Å"The Importance of Being Earnest† illustrates the concept of dual personality, fantasy, love, and lies. Jack, Algernon, Gwendolyn, and Cecily all live in lies. They are manipulated by their fantasies and desire for perfect relationship and love. Jack, the protagonist in the play, is the root of lies because of his imaginary brother named Earnest. Algernon uses the name to win Cecily, while Gwendolyn and Cecily are both fascinated by this name because it expresses strength and perfection of manhood. Due to their search and desire to have Earnest, the male and female characters escape from the reality. Therefore, Wilde in The Importance of Being Earnest portrays a gender doubled theme of escape as the male characters escape through alter-egos and female characters privately through their imaginations. Jack escapes from reality using his alter-ego to become free from his responsibilities and obligations. In the first part of the play, readers learn that Jack is placed in a complex situation: â€Å"When one is placed in the position of guardian, one has to adopt a very high moral tone on all subjects†¦ a high moral tone can hardly be said to conduce very much to either one’s health or one’s happiness, in order to get up to town I have always pretended to have a younger brother of the name of Ernest, who lives in the Albany, and gets into the most dreadful scrapes† (Act I). Jack escapes from his country and changes his identity to Earnest to perform the things that he wants to experience. For Jack, being a guardian and a landowner is a great obligation for his ward and people. Through his alter-ego, Jack obtains freedom because he becomes the opposite of his real self—the liberated and careless individual that he could not demonstrate in reality. Aside from Jack, Gwendolyn also escapes from her real world, through her imagination, to find her true love. When she learns that Jack’s name is Earnest, she immediately confessed to him: â€Å"For me you have always had an irresistible fascination. Even before I met you I was far from indifferent to you. We live, as I hope you know, Mr. Worthing, in an age of ideals. And my ideal has always been to love some one of the name of Ernest. The moment Algernon first mentioned to me that he had a friend called Ernest, I knew I was destined to love you† (Act I). Gwendolyn escapes from the reality to find her match. Searching for his Earnest gives her the opportunity to exit from reality and explore the world of fantasy. She believes that marrying a man with the name of Earnest can give her all her physical, emotional, and economic desires. As she walks into her fantasies, she tends to escape from the reality—from the fact that there is no perfect man. Similarly, Cecily uses her diary to escape from the reality and dreams for her Earnest. When she talks to Algernon, whom she knows as Earnest Worthing, Cecily excitedly revealed: â€Å"You see, it [her diary] is simply a very young girl’s record of her own thoughts and impressions, and consequently meant for publication. When it appears in volume form I hope you will order a copy. But pray, Ernest, don’t stop. I delight in taking down from dictation. I have reached ‘absolute perfection’. You can go on. I am quite ready for more† (Act I). If Gwendolyn uses her imaginations, Cecily is using her diary as her gateway to fantasy. She illustrates her engagement with Earnest in her diary. It means that beyond the boundaries of reality and existence, Cecily found her Earnest, which she claims in her diary. Therefore, Cecily escape from reality and obtainment of her fantasy is part of her comfort zone. It makes her happy, complete, and loved. In conclusion, Jack, Gwendolyn, and Cecily all escape from reality because they want to be free and be loved. Jack uses his alter-ego to detach his self from his moral obligations and obtain liberty without limitations and fears. Meanwhile, Cecily and Gwendolyn escape from reality because they want to experience love. They try to find their own Earnest that will complete their being—and through their fantasies, they are able to explore the idyllic and fearless relationship with the man that they desire.

Neurological Effects of Marijuana

The recreational use of marijuana has become an almost mainstream part of our society today, so mainstream in fact that 16. 8% of Canadians older than 15 use it. In government, the debate to legalize marijuana has long gone back and forth yet never coming to a conclusion. But in this debate is the government really examining the psychological effects of the drug, or are they just concerned with the money aspect. In one study of the neuropsychological effects of marijuana it was concluded that â€Å"The low dose produced generalized impairment of all mental processes (concept formation, memory, tactile form discrimination and motor function). † The research question of this essay is â€Å"Are the short and long term neuropsychological effects of marijuana severe enough to leave lasting impressions on our society? † Purpose The thesis of this essay is â€Å"the neuropsychological effects of marijuana are ery apparent through experimental research and the deficits caused by marijuana could become visible in our society and create problems down the road. † The essay will proceed in the order of first examining a case of neuropsychological effects on heavy marijuana users, then we will examine some of these effects and they way they impact teenage marijuana users. It will also be examined how marijuana may be seen as a cause of psychotic disorders, and also the way marijuana affects aggression. Argument The use of marijuana affects the brain and our neuropsychological functions such as memory. But how memory is affected; is it long term or short term memory and is this a lasting effect or not. In a study performed by Kanayama, Rogowska, Pope , Gruber , and Yurgelun-Todd (2003), 12 heavy cannabis smokers, and a control group of 10 others were to completed a spatial working memory paradigm that included two tasks: a perception task and a short-delay working memory task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. The results showed that the recent cannabis users displayed greater and more widespread brain activation than normal subjects when attempting to perform the aforementioned task. This suggests that the recent cannabis users may experience some neuropsychological deficits and they compensate for these deficits by calling upon different regions of the brain to help out in completing the task. This study shows that for a heavy cannabis user, simple tasks require extra effort from different regions of the brain in order to accomplish said task. This experimental study was well conducted and provided significant findings regarding the neuropsychological functions of a heavy cannabis user. These findings show that the heavy cannabis users had to work harder to accomplish the task at hand, and even though they still managed to accomplish the task, the neurological deficits shown through this study could leave them crippled or handicapped later in life with continued use of the drug. The debate continues in that people are unsure whether neurological deficits associated with cannabis last only as long as the drug does or if the continue afterwards and are more permanent. For example, Fried (2005; cited in Murray, Morrison, Henquet, Di Forti 2007) et al. found no evidence of cognitive deficits in cannabis users after three months of abstention66, whereas Bolla (2005; cited in Murray, Morrison, Henquet, Di Forti 2007) et al. found persisting deficits in decision-making and brain activity among heavy cannabis users who had been abstinent for 25 days. This inconsistency could be due to the age of participants or any number of other variables, which is why this sort of experiments can be unclear and inconclusive at times. One aspect of the age variable is that most experiments of this type are performed on adult participants and so does not show how the neurological effects of cannabis might affect the growing mind of a teenager. In a study performed by Harvey, Sellman, Porter, and Frampton (2007), 70 adolescents aged 13-18 were recruited, and after a 12 hour abstinence from marijuana performed several test. These tests included a demographics questionnaire, a Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB) questionnaire for drug use in the past 28 days. Intelligence was measured using the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery was used and the tests administered were: Motor screening (visual and movement problems), Rapid visual information processing (attention and memory), Spatial working memory (memory and strategy), Intradimensional extradimentional shift (attention), and Paired Associates learning (visuo-spatial and spatial span). The pen and paper cognitive tests used were Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, and Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Psychiatric functioning measures used were: Visual Analogue Scale for Mood (present mood), Beck Depression Inventory II, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Conduct Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The Timeline Follow-Back showed that 68. 5% of participants had used marijuana in the last 28 days. The results found from this well conducted study show that adolescents who were regular cannabis users showed a significantly worse performance on four measures of cognitive functions; attention, spatial working, memory, and learning. These results suggest that the young mind could be more susceptible to the neuropsychological deficits experienced through frequent use of marijuana. This is very negative considering 68. 5% of participants use marijuana frequently and thus has neurological deficits when it comes to attention, spatial working, memory and learning. If this sample is a close representation of the teenage population then our society could have problems down the road. If these teenagers continue to consume cannabis regularly through to adulthood then we could see these neurological deficits etting worse and worse as these teens earn more responsibility as they progress through life. Another possibility of problems that could come from this is the possibility that cannabis use could lead to psychosis or schizophrenia. It is unclear whether this is true or not but, but in some cases cannabis has been deemed a causal risk factor for schizophrenia. Richard Reading (2004) examined the evidence behind these claims and identified five studies that included a well-defined sample drawn from population-based registers or cohorts and used prospective measures of cannabis use and adult psychosis. After examining these cases thoroughly he concluded that cannabis is a component cause to psychosis. It is part of a complex mix of different factors which lead to psychosis down the road. Through these findings Reading deemed that cases of psychotic disorder could be minimized by discouraging cannabis use to vulnerable youth. Considering how 16. 8% of Canadians use marijuana on a regular basis, this is a very negative finding. Even if marijuana is only one little factor which contributes with many other factors to the chance of a psychotic disorder, then having this many people partaking could increase the number of psychotic disorders in Canada by quite a bit. We also know that a very large part of teenagers use cannabis as a social activity, and when used frequently for long periods of time these teenagers could develop psychotic disorders early on in life, making it difficult for them to contribute to our society to their full potential. On the other hand however marijuana could possibly give some positive to our society as well. In an earlier study conducted by Myerscough and Taylor (1985), the aggression levels of thirty male college students were examined while under the influence of either a light, medium, or heavy dose of marijuana. Since the U. S. government released â€Å"Reefer Madness† in 1936, it has been in question whether marijuana really does drive people crazy and amps up their aggression. The subjects were given either a low, medium, or high dose of marijuana then were sat in booth which corresponded with the booth of another participant. They were told that by pressing on one of eleven buttons they could choose the intensity of an electric shock that would be administered to their corresponding subject and vice versa. The person who completed this task faster would not be administered the shock but would find out what level of shock the other had picked for him. When the participants would see the aggressiveness of the other’s choices and receive shocks they would perhaps become more aggressive themselves. In concluding the data they had gathered showed that people in the low dose group tended to respond more aggressively than those in the mid to high level groups. Those participants in the high dose group were for the most part non-aggressive throughout the entire experiment. These findings indicate that when people are on marijuana they tend to be more calm and relaxed, and less easily aggravated. This could benefit many people by helping to ease stress. It could also help to lessen the aggravation behind many acts of crime, and violence in our society. Unfortunately we could not really use these findings to our advantage because we are unable to control who does what, and when. This does help shed some light on the benefits marijuana could have for our society. Conclusion The mainstream use of marijuana as a â€Å"party drug† or social tool in our society has started to get out of hand. Adults and teenagers alike take part in this illegal habit, but what are the consequences. As we see throughout this paper marijuana causes deficits in the neurological processes of adults by making the brain work harder to accomplish certain tasks. Also in teenagers the mental processes of memory, spatial working, attention, and learning were slowed by the frequent use of marijuana and showed deficits that could be worsened with time. It has also been shown here that marijuana could be a causal factor in the development of psychotic disorders. Though all of these experiments and research show how marijuana negatively influences people in our society there are many discrepancies in the research done on marijuana, and some do show no negativities whatsoever. Though the limited and controversial data we have on marijuana’s effect on psychological processes is incomplete, it is hard to say if it will have a lasting negative impression, however we know that marijuana is not having any useful positive effects on our society.

Discuss the role of John Proctor Essay

Discuss the role of John Proctor in ‘The Crucible’. Why does he choose to die at the end of the play? John Proctor is the protagonist of the play ‘The Crucible’, written by Arthur Miller. This is because Miller uses Proctor as a character to help the audience understand the characters’ experience. He does this by either making sympathetic expressions or the actions that Proctor makes, whether they are violent or confusing. Miller makes us feel sympathetic for Proctor when Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth gets taken away to court for being accused of doing ‘the devil’s work’. Proctor knows she is innocent but nobody will believe him. In Act I, John Proctor’s role is to introduce himself and show his character: ‘Be you deaf? I forbid you leave the house did I not? ‘ (Proctor, Act I) This comment suggests he likes to be powerful and in control, in this case, by being forceful. He feels ‘strong about hypocricy, but is even-tempered. Miller tells us that ‘in the presence of Proctor a fool felt his foolishness instantly’. He also tells us that proctor ‘is a sinner against his own vision of decent conduct’, of which he is talking about the affair with Abigail Williams. This is dramatic irony as, only three characters (including Proctor) are aware of this. When we first meet Proctor he is with Abigail, Mary and Mercy Lewis. Abigail’s first words are: ‘Gah, I’d almost forgotten how strong you are John Proctor! ‘ (Abigail, Act I) John Proctor quickly realises what she is implying and replies: ‘What’s this mischief then? ‘ (Proctor, Act I) This shows he doesn’t want anything to happen between him and Abigail. ‘No, no Abby. That’s done with. ‘ (Proctor, Act I) Later on he replies with this to Abigail, and this shows he is strong-willed, recognises what is happening and the mistake. However Abigail thinks that John is just playing around with her and speaks of how he clutched her back behind his house and sweated like a stallion. ‘I may have looked up. ‘ (Proctor, Act I) This quotation suggests that Proctor is still interested and this brings across a message that people don’t change, in this case Proctor a sinner, but then the strong, powerful part of his character comes across and he threatens to whip her, to which the stage directions say ‘shaking her’. This suggests he regrets the affair and wants no more to do with Abigail. As an affair is more likely to have happened in the 20th century, the audience sympathise with him as the play is set in the late 17th century, so Proctor is a man ahead of his time. When Proctor meets Hale, he wants him to make Salem more realistic. He shows his sensible character, but could also be seen that Proctor is trying to be ‘in charge’ and think he knows too much: ‘He don’t believe in witches. ‘ (Giles, Act I) ‘I never speak of witches one-way or the other. Will you come Giles? ‘ (Proctor, Act I) ‘I’ve heard you to be a sensible man Mr Hales. I hope you’ll leave some of it in Salem. ‘ (Proctor, Act I) Act II shows Proctor’s house, and Proctor is tense, which brings tension upon the audience. He carries a gun, which suggests insecurity among Salem, and himself. He places it leaning on the wall, which is an accessible point, again showing insecurity. It makes the audience feel inferior. AS Elizabeth walks down the stairs he goes to a basin washing his hands and face. This is symbolic as he is trying to forget the affair, because he feels so guilty. This builds more tension: ‘What keeps you so late? It’s almost dark. ‘ (Elizabeth, Act II) This comment of Elizabeth’s shows she is anxious and suspicious of his whereabouts. He replies that he was ‘planting far out the forest edge’. Then goes on to say: ‘Pray now for a fair summer. ‘ (Proctor, Act II) He is trying to please his wife, still feeling guilt. He says with a grin: ‘I mean to please you, Elizabeth. ‘ (Proctor, Act II) Elizabeth replies, although hard to say, which suggests denial or disbelief: ‘I know it, John. ‘ (Elizabeth, Act II) Proctor and Elizabeth fear each other, and this illustrates the feature of the play-fear. Their short sentences and being silent suggests this, and also brings tension upon their marriage, and the audience. Act II is mostly to do with John Proctor, the visiting of Hale to which he is questioned about his religious efforts, his arguments with his wife, his suspicions of the witchcraft in Salem and Abigail, and the arrest of his wife. He grabs the search warrant off Cheever: ‘Proctor, you dare not touch the warrant. ‘ (Cheever, Act II) ‘Ripping the warrant. ‘ (Stage directions, Act II) This is Proctor’s angry side. He knows what Abigail is up to, yet no one will believe him. They go on what Abigail says. As he rips up the warrant, he puts a reputation to his name at the courts of the Witch trials. Act III shows Danforth, a deputy governor, talking to Proctor about witchcraft. He is questioning about the pretence that Mary Warren has confessed. He wants a second view from John Proctor: ‘We burn a hot fire her; it melts down all concealment. ‘ (Danforth, Act III) This relates to the title of the play ‘The Crucible’. It is a metaphor of a crucible, which points out the message of the play. As a crucible is a container in which metals are heated to extract the pure elements. In the play, witches are to be purified and ‘to come back to God’. When Mary is in court, Proctor is determined to get the judges to see what is really happening. He goes into the courts and confesses his sin of adultery with Abigail to try and make the judges see how much of a ‘whore’ she really is. He risks his well-preserved name to save his wife from being hanged. The judges have no proof: ‘In her life, sir, she have never lied. ‘ (Proctor, Act III) Here he talks of Elizabeth, and he thinks she will tell the courts the truth of the affair, but instead she thinks the courts don’t know. She worries that she is risking her husband’s well-dignified name, and lies: ‘Answer the question! Is your husband a lecher! ‘ (Danforth, Act III) ‘No, sir. ‘ (Elizabeth, Act III) Proctor gets taken into jail for perverting the course of justice: ‘Marshal! Take him and Corey with him to the jail! ‘ (Danforth, Act III) Hale realises what is happening and quits the courts. Act IV is tragic, bringing the death of the ‘hero’ of the play. Danforth is doing almost anything he can to get a confession from Proctor. For example he gets Elizabeth, his wife that he tries so hard to please, to go and talk to him. They understand what Proctor meant by all the lies. Abigail ran off the Barbados. When Proctor sees Elizabeth again, it creates a tragic atmosphere. To them it seems almost unreal, like they didn’t think they would see each other again. The short, quick sentences that they exchange give us a sense of tension: ‘You are a – marvel, Elizabeth. ‘ (Proctor, Act IV) ‘You – have been tortured? ‘ (Elizabeth, Act IV) As she asks Proctor this it proves that she wants to forgive him, and that she wants to love him again. He decides to confess about witchery, for Elizabeth’s sake. Once the confession has been written down he grabs it, saying: You have all witnessed it – it is enough. ‘ (Proctor, Act IV) He refuses to sign his confession. He doesn’t want to blacken his name anymore: ‘God knows how black my sins are! It is enough! ‘ (Proctor, Act IV) If he doesn’t give it back, or sign the confession, he will be hanged, he will be killed. Instead he rips it like, just like he did the warrant/ He decides to die. The atmosphere turns tragic and goes still. The audience’s reaction is also tragic, but also understandable – after all, that was the role of John Proctor. He chooses to die because he would blacken his name, and his children’s name – Proctor. He realises he has ruined his reputation from the affair, and that the courts in Salem were finished. He couldn’t lie anymore. He chose his own death rather than betrayal of his conscience. This shows us that he too has come through the fire to be purified, just like the pure elements extracted from the metals in a crucible.