Ancient Art Forms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ancient Art Forms - Essay Example From the Louvre museum I will look at the Stele of a master craftsman. The stele is made out of limestone. It was found in a place called Abydos where many Egyptians went for pilgrimage. The stele has fifteen lines of hieroglyphic text covering its body. It symbolizes the Egyptian ritual of pilgrimage. There are religious images below the text that symbolize the Egyptian practice of making offerings to their gods and goddesses. In the same museum we have the ‘Spoon in the form of a bound ibex†. It is curved out of tamarisk wood. It is a spoon with an animal body sculpture. The animal body represented is a Nubian Ibex which is a desert animal. It represents the Egyptian Environment which is primarily a desert and the Egyptian culture of being animal hunters. Finally I will highlight works from the Smithsonian Institution Freer Gallery and Sackler Gallery. First I look at A Journey to Xiangtangshan. This is a stone sculpture carved into the mountains in northern China. They represent a moment of glory of the Qi (â€Å"Chee†) dynasty as they were curved to mark the achievements of the dynasty. The mountains are covered with limestone and as a result the sculpture was curved out of limestone. Finally from the same institution, I go through the â€Å"Fresco†. It is a rock painting found in the Ajanta caves in India. It represents the way of life at the time of the people in India, their belief and cultural practices. Starting with the metropolitan museum I will look at the Statuette of an African also known as Ethiopian.

Effects of Type 1 Diabetes on Pregnancy

Effects of Type 1 Diabetes on Pregnancy Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a serious endocrine disorder caused by a deficiency or diminished effectiveness of the hormone insulin and is categorized into two sub-categories, type 1 and type 2, together with the lesser known variant gestational diabetes (Burden, 2003, pp30-32). Type 1 diabetes is thought to be a genetically controlled autoimmune disorder that presents in childhood and is also know as juvenile onset diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes. Type 2 diabetes usually occurs in older, obese individuals; however, this type of diabetes is becoming increasingly more common among children and adolescents. Debatably, this is because of the increase in childhood obesity because of the sedentary lifestyle some children are adopting in today’s society. There is also an hereditary predisposition to type 2 diabetes. If one or both parents have type 2 diabetes the offspring is at an increased risk of getting the condition (Rosenbloom et al, 1999, pp345). It is important to note that g estational diabetes that is a complication of pregnancy is different from the pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy that will be discussed in this essay. It is thought that approximately three to five percent of pregnancies are complicated by type 1 diabetes. During pregnancy diabetes mellitus can have a damaging detrimental affect on both maternal and foetal health. Conversely, diabetes is affected by the physiological changes that take place during pregnancy (Bewley, 2002, pp47-48). This essay will examine the effects of type 1 diabetes on a seventeen year old (Carol) that is six weeks pregnant. The essay will start by investigating the prevalence of diabetes mellitus in order to acquire a global picture of the disease. The aetiology and physiology of type 1 diabetes will then be discussed. This essay will then go on to consider the signs and symptoms of the condition and its effects on Carol now and in the future. Next the complications of diabetes in general and during pregnancy will be discussed, considering the effects on Carol and her unborn child. The effects of type 1 diabetes on the developing embryo, foetus and mother will be addressed. Finally, the hereditary link for type 1 diabetes will be considered and the essay will then be concluded. Epidemiology Diabetes mellitus is a growing global and public health problem. The World Health Organisation (2006, p1) estimates that the problem could escalate to an estimated three hundred million people by 2025. It is thought that approximately one and a half million people in the United Kingdom have diabetes mellitus. Type 1 accounts for approximately twenty percent of cases of diabetes mellitus. Type 2 diabetes accounts for more than eighty percent of cases with more than one million people diagnosed in the United Kingdom (Burden, 2003, pp30-32). The aetiology and physiology of type 1 diabetes mellitus This section focuses on the causes of disease and the biological aspects of diabetes mellitus. As mentioned type 1 diabetes results from the complete absence of the hormone insulin that is involved in glucose metabolism. It is thought that it is an autoimmune disease in which the bodys immune system attacks and destroys the beta cells in the islets of Langerhans that are embedded in the tissues of the pancreas (See diagram 1). Diagram 1, this shows the islets of Langerhans that are deeply embedded with the tissues of the exocrine pancreas (http://cal.man.ac.uk/student_projects/2000/mnby7lc2/pancreas.htm). Diagram 1 The pancreas has two functions the exocrine cells produce digestive fluids and the endocrine cells produce hormones. It is the endocrine insulin producing beta cells that are important in the role of diabetes mellitus. The beta cells (see diagram 2) make insulin and when the body’s immune system attacks it results in the destruction of these cells. As the cells die insulin production stops and the consequences of this are impairment in function of, and damage to many of the organs in the body. Diagram 2 shows the insulin producing beta cells that are found in the islets of Langerhans (http://cal.man.ac.uk/student_projects/2000/mnby7lc2/pancreas.htm). Diagram 2 It is not known exactly what triggers this immune attack, but susceptibility to the disease might be inherited. The autoimmune attack may be triggered by reaction to a virus infection. The attack is thought to be carried out by the T cells of the immune system (Waugh and Grant, 2001, p234). In Diabetes mellitus there is too much glucose in the blood. When carbohydrates are eaten they are broken down into glucose. This process is known as gluconeogenesis and occurs in the liver and kidneys. The level of glucose in the blood is regulated by the naturally occurring hormone insulin. Insulin promotes transport and entry of glucose into the body’s cell and tissues. Glucose is essential to the production of energy within the cells and without it cellular death will occur (Tortora and Grabowski, 2003, p627). Signs and symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus This section will examine the signs and symptoms that Carol would have exhibited before diagnosis and during the course of the condition. The initial clinical indication of untreated diabetes relates to elevated blood sugar levels, and loss of glucose in the urine. When there are excessive amounts of glucose in the urine, water is taken out of the body in large amounts by the process of osmosis (Waugh and Grant, 2001, p235). This results in polyuria (increased urine output) and that leads to dehydration. Dehydration causes polydipsia (increased thirst) leading to increased fluid consumption. The inability to utilise glucose energy eventually leads to weight loss despite excessive hunger (polyphagia). Dramatic weight loss would have been a clinical sign exhibited by Carol. Some patients also complain of fatigue, nausea and vomiting. Patients with diabetes are prone to developing infections of the bladder, skin, and vaginal areas; this is because hyperglycaemia can disrupt the action o f phagocytes that are help to fight infection. The immune system in diabetes sufferers is suppressed and this limits the body’s ability to resist invasion by bacteria or viruses. Fluctuations in blood glucose levels can lead to blurred vision and extremely elevated glucose levels can lead to lethargy. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a serious medical condition resulting from uncontrolled diabetes. Ketoacidosis is caused by lack of insulin and occurs when the body uses fat as an energy source and ketones build up in the blood. Ketoacidosis starts slowly and builds up to a life-threatening condition that can result in coma and possible death (Burden, 2003, pp30-32). Carol may have exhibited all or some of these symptoms when first diagnosed and she is exhibiting symptoms of weight loss, tiredness and mood changes at present. Debatably, this is because here blood glucose levels are uncontrolled due to her pregnancy. Having said this however, research has found that adolescents (in particularly girls) are not vigilant in all aspects of managing their condition. Having a certain level of hyperglycaemia will enable a person to eat, yet remain thin. In today’s society that is obsessed with thinness teenage girls might undertake such an action (Carson, 2000, pp36-37). Complications of diabetes mellitus in general and during pregnancy There are many long-term clinical complications of diabetes that affect various systems and organs of the body. Having diabetes mellitus increases the risk of developing irreversible microvascular or macrovascular disease. Microvascular diseases include retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy and macrovascular diseases include ischemic heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. These disease are all a result of poor glycaemic control (Donnelly et al., 2000, pp1062-1066). Diabetic retinal and renal disease will be discussed in more detail as pregnancy can result in further complications and poor pregnancy outcome. Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that can lead to blindness. The longer a person is diabetic, the higher the chances are of developing the condition. It is thought that prolonged periods of hyperglycaemia cause damage to the blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye. Diabetic retinal disease can deteriorate during pregnancy and poor glycaemic control in the first trimester is associated with the progression of retinopathy (Hill, 2004, p40-44, Donnelly et al, 2000, pp1062-1066). Carol should have her retinas examined at the start of her pregnancy to establish if she has pre-existing retinopathy. If retinopathy is diagnosed than Carol will need to have regular eye tests to monitor the condition. Continuous good glycaemic control will stop the condition from progressing. Diabetic renal disease or nephropathy is again caused by hyperglycaemia resulting in damage to the capillaries in the kidneys. The kidneys are then unable to undertake filtration of amino acids and this leads to hypertensive disease. Women who have pre-existing nephropathy are at an increased risk of poorer pregnancy outcomes. This is because high blood pressure as a direct result of nephropathy can cause pre-eclampsia. This in turn can cause premature delivery and maternal death (Donnelly et al, 2000, pp1062-1066, Hill, 2004, pp40-44). It is important therefore, that Carol’s blood pressure is monitored throughout her pregnancy as hypertension is a sign of pre-eclampsia (Bewley, 2002, p50). Effects of type 1 diabetes on the developing embryo, foetus and mother It is suggested that type 1 diabetes mellitus in pregnancy puts the foetus and the developing baby at far greater risk than is imposed on the mother. Various, potentially damaging problems can arise from foetal reactions to maternal glucose levels. Therefore, if a mothers glucose levels are high, the foetus will have correspondingly high levels (Bewley, 2002, p51). If a mothers blood glucose levels are continuously high (hyperglycaemia) during the first-trimester there is an increased risk of congenital anomalies such as neural tube defects that include spina bifida, abnormalities of the heart and anatomical abnormalities of the bones (Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health, CEMACH, 2005, p37). Neural tube defects are major birth defects of a baby’s brain or spine. They happen when the neural tube (that later turns into the brain and spine) does not develop in a correct anatomical manner resulting in damage to the brain or spine (Tortora and Grabowski, 2003, p1073). This happens within the first few weeks that a woman is pregnant, often before a woman knows that she is pregnant. Another condition that is attributed to maternal diabetes is that of Polyhydramnios. This is the medical condition of too much amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac. Polyhydramnios is generally due to maternal diabetes and is thought to be caused by increased foetal urination. This is caused by the elevated amount of glucose in the mothers blood that cross the placenta and makes the blood of the foetus hyperglycaemic. This results in increased urine output from the foetus. In pregnancies affected by Polyhydramnios, approximately twenty percent of the neonates are born with a congenital anomaly of some type. There are a number of risks that are increased in polyhydramnios including cord prolapse, placental abruption and perinatal death (Pilu Nicolaides, 2006) Other adverse neonatal conditions that are attributed to maternal diabetes are neonatal mortality, premature birth, hypoglycaemia and an increased risk of respiratory distress syndrome (Bewley, 2002, p51). There is also an increased risk of macrosomia that can lead to an augmented possibility of shoulder dystocia and an assisted delivery. Macrosomia is related to maternal hyperglycaemia and is characterised by larger-than-normal birth weight in a newborn at over 4500 grams (10 pounds). High levels of glucose in the mothers blood readily pass through the placenta to the developing baby stimulating insulin production in the baby. Insulin is a potent growth hormone and so fat is deposited which can result in a large baby. This can cause shoulder dystocia and birth trauma because the baby will not easily fit through the birth canal. Postpartum, the newborn continues to produce excessive quantities of insulin that can result in the infant being hypoglycaemic.The mother has an increased pr evalence of pre-eclampsia, postpartum infection, postpartum bleeding, and caesarean section (Reece et al, 2004, p169) . It appears from the research indicated that Carol needs to have optimum glucose control for her own health and for that of her baby. Women with type 1 diabetes should have a pre-conception glucose level within normal limits that is an HbA1c of below 7 percent. The management of pregnancies complicated by pre-existing diabetes mellitus should begin prior to conception (Reece et al, 2004, pp481). However, at seventeen it is quite possible that Carol’s pregnancy was unplanned. Is type 1 diabetes mellitus hereditary? It is thought that there may be a genetic or inherited susceptibility to diabetes. If a parent has type 1 diabetes, the chance that their children will be affected is about twenty-five to forty percent. In the instance of type 1 diabetes various genes have been indentifyed that might predispose an individual to the disease. Therefore, it is suggested that this genetic mutation might incline an individual to diabetes. It is debated that a genetic element is not, in itself enough to cause autoimmunity. It is suggested that external influences such as a viral infection are thought to trigger the disorder. It can be said that type 1 diabetes is an immunological disease that has a genetic background cause (Littorin, 2001, pp1033-37). It is possible therefore, that Carol has inherited a genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes from her mother, but environmental factors might activate the actual disease. Conclusion Diabetes is an increasingly common disease that if not controlled can cause a number of disabling lasting complications that can have a destructive influence on both quality and quantity of life. Type 1 diabetes is thought to be an autoimmune disease that leads to the complete destruction of the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. Insulin is needed to help glucose enter the cells of the body. Glucose is required in the cells to produce energy for normal cell function. It is possible that there is an hereditary link that predisposes an individual to the condition. As Carol was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus at the age of seven and she has had difficulty in controlling her blood glucose levels, she is at an increased risk of developing diabetic complications. It appears that her pregnancy will also intensify the effects of some of the complications affecting both her own health and that of her baby. It is suggested that Carol needs to attain good glycaemic control for her own health and for the health of her baby. Bibliography Bewley C (2002) Diabetes in pregnancy. Nursing Standard, 16, 25, 47-52. Burden M (2003) Diabetes: signs, symptoms and making a diagnosis. Nursing Times, 99, 1, 30-32. Carson C (2000) Managing adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Nursing Times, 96, 45, 36-37 Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health: Pregnancy in Women with Type 1and Type 2 diabetes in 2002-03, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. London: CEMACH; 2005. Diagram 1 and Diagram 2 http://cal.man.ac.uk/student_projects/2000/mnby7lc2/pancreas.htm, date accessed 23/11/2006. Donnelly R, Emslie-Smith AM, Gardner ID and Morris AD (2000) Vascular complications of diabetes. British Medical Journal, 320, 1062-1066. Hill J (2004) Identifying and managing the complications of diabetes. Nursing Times, 100, 34, 40-44. Littorin B (2001) Family Characteristics and Life Events Before the Onset of Autoimmune Type 1 Diabetes in Young Adults: A nationwide study. Diabetes Care, 24, 1033-1037. Pilu G and Nicolaides KH (2006) The 18-23 week scan: Polyhydramnios. http://www.fetalmedicine.com/18-23scanbook/Chapter14/chap14-03.htm, date accessed 23/11/2006. Reece EA, Coustan DR and Gabbe SG (2004) Diabetes in Women: Adolescence, Pregnancy and Menopause. 3rd edition, Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. Rosenbloom AL, Young RS, Joe JR and Winter WE (1999) Emerging Epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes in Youth. Diabetes Care, 22, (2), 345-354. Tortora GJ and Grabowski SR (2003) Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. 10th edition, New Jersey, John Wiley Sons, Inc. Waugh A and Grant A (2001) Ross and Wilson Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness. 9th edition, London, Churchill Livingstone. World Health Organisation (2006) Diabetes. Fact sheet NÂ °312, September 2006, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/ date accessed 23/11/2006.

The Americas to 1500 Essay -- essays papers

THE AMERICAS TO 1500 I. Methodology in the History This period, which deals with the world the Indians knew before the arrival of European explorers, poses difficulties flowing mostly from the lack of the usual evidentiary foundation for doing history: written documents (for example, letters, speeches, treaties, constitutions, laws, books, newspapers, magazines, almanacs). This lack need not be a major obstacle to historical study, however. Indeed, one of the most important things we can accomplish in teaching this period is devising ways to give students a sense of the spectrum of methods that historians use to investigate and understand the past. We can give students a sense of the breadth and depth of the historian's task and the remarkable array of tools and techniques available to the historian to find out about the past. In seeking to understand the first human beings who settled North and South America either 15,000 or 40,000 years ago (the dates are a matter of vigorous historical dispute), historians use some or all of the following: archaeology (digs for artifacts, examinations of burial sites, close study of ancient constructions such as the cliff dwellings of the western United States, or the mounds left by the mound-builder peoples of the southeastern United States); comparative religion and folklore -- the study of creation myths, legends, and folktales told by Indian peoples; medicine -- tracing such biological factors as human bloodtypes to show how different peoples (the Aztec, the Comanche, the Seminole, the Kwakiutl) may well share a common ancestry, or studying the differing responses of Indian and European peoples to diseases to illustrate how contact between the cultures occasionally proved fatal to the indigenous culture; geology, climatology, and ecology -- to reconstruct the land as the Indians found it, to identify the ways they lived off the land and in harmony with it, and to provide a basis for comparison between Indian and European understandings of the relationship between human beings and t he natural world; linguistics -- to trace the origins and development of Indian languages and the genealogy of Indian language families; anthropology -- to identify shared cultural elements and cultural distinctions between Indian peoples; and even "conventional" techniques of history -- e.g., close interpretation of such histo... ..., and that technological insights such as the wheel are not inevitable.) Indian economies were shaped by their geography, climate, and ecology. As noted above, some Indian peoples were primarily hunters and grazers, while others were primarily agricultural, and still others possessed complex, sophisticated, and successful mixed economies that rivaled European economic systems. One last point: Again, all these areas remain controversial in the extreme, implicating as they do such disputes as whether Indian peoples are "primitive" and whether the concept of "primitive" is useful or even appropriate in analyzing a different people's culture and way of life. Further, as we see in essay II, a complicating factor in the study of the Americas before the arrival of European explorers and settlers is the idea -- widely circulated and discussed during the 500the anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the "New World" -- that the Europeans dispossessed the rightful inhabitants of these continents, and that all later American civilization and history, however notable and estimable its achievements and ideals, is based on a colossal series of acts of expropriation, fraud , and genocide.

How Does Shakespeare Use Conflict in Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 1?

How does Shakespeare use conflict in Romeo and Juliet Act 1 Scene 1? In this essay I will address how conflict is successfully used in Act 1 Scene 1 to prepare the audience for the rest of the play. It will firstly show how Shakespeare uses physical conflict between the two feuding families. Secondly I will demonstrate the idea that Shakespeare introduces emotional conflict through the character of Romeo, and his outpourings of love for Rosaline.Finally I will show that the character of Romeo demonstrates both physical or external conflict and emotional or internal conflict. The purpose of the prologue is to clearly outline the plot of the whole play in fourteen lines and it also allows the audience to be settled before the actual play properly starts. The audience gets a glimpse of the rest of the play, it is introducing the idea that there is conflict; for instance â€Å"death-marked love† gives the idea of love not being positive, but is hinting that love is in fact negativ e as it relates to death.The prologue is a fourteen-line sonnet; it rhymes alternately till the last two lines where the sentences end in rhyming couplets indicating to the audience that the first act is beginning. The audience watching the play would associate a sonnet with love. However the audience is made aware that death and violence are going to be a major part of the play due to very angry, violent and aggressive words; these include â€Å"death†, â€Å"rage† and also â€Å"mutiny†. We are also told that â€Å"from ancient grudge break to new mutiny† which describes a history â€Å"ancient† long standing conflict between the two families.We also learn that there is a â€Å"continuance of the parents’ rage† indicating to the audience that this conflict is still on-going and unlikely to be easily resolved. Act 1 Scene 1 opens with Gregory and Sampson of the house of Capulet, in a public place in Verona City which shows immediatel y where the story will take place. From the outset it is clear that the servants are looking for physical conflict, as they are ‘armed with swords and bucklers’. At this time gentlemen wore swords, but servants usually didn’t, so by being armed it is obvious that Gregory and Sampson are looking for trouble.The language of the two servants is very masculine â€Å"we’ll draw† (swords) gives the audience the idea that Sampson is looking for a fight. We learn that he â€Å"will take the wall of any man or maid of Montague† clearly demonstrating he will not run from any conflict with the Montagues. However, Gregory is not as interested in taking part in this conflict but is more interested in talking with his mouth rather than his sword. â€Å"If thou art moved, thou runn’st away† shows how he would rather goad Sampson and challenge his masculinity with the clever use of words.The language used during the interaction between the two servants, such as addressing each other as â€Å"thou† is very upper class and not the language of a servant. This would appeal to the nobility and the upper classes in the audience. This scene is also very comedic; it does this to show the lighter side of the conflict within Romeo and Juliet. One way it is funny is when talking about the male sexual slurs â€Å"My naked weapon is out† is referring to his sword in a sexual way, which will entertain the audience. Another comedic feature is how Gregory can change the context of Samsons words.Sampson states that â€Å"we’ll not carry coals† meaning that they will not be accept any goading by the Montague then Gregory replies â€Å"No, for then we should be colliers† (coal miners) this is funny as he changed the context of carrying coals to mock Samson. The first encounter between the two families begins when servants of the two households Sampson and Gregory (Capulet) meet Abraham and Balthasar (Monta gue). Sampson symbolically bites his thumb; this indicates that he is looking for a fight. Again we see conflict being introduced as biting your thumb at someone was an insulting gesture.He does this to stir things up between the two families; admitting that â€Å"I do bite my thumb, sir† the audience would probably see him as a trouble maker and the source of conflict. However their view of him could change because he starts to back down due to finding out the law isn’t on his side and we learn that he does â€Å"†¦ not bite my thumb at you, sir. † At this point the audience would then begin to view him as weak. The noble Benvolio (cousin of Romeo) is the peacemaker as he tries to stop the fight and orders them to â€Å"Part, fools! It is significant that it is Benvolio who is the peacemaker as his name means good will. However, Tybalt (Capulet) comes along and will not â€Å"talk of peace! I hate the word,† leaving Benvolio with no choice but to c ontinue the conflict. The citizens of Verona are obviously sick of the conflict that exists between the Capulets and Montague, as they shout â€Å"Down with the Capulets! Down with the Montague! † So it is clear that the people of Verona do not like the frequent civil wars. This negativity towards conflict could also be seen as a metaphor for maintaining the peace in Shakespearean society.The prince is introduced as the person who tries to maintain order and peace in Verona; he does this firstly by calling to the mob. â€Å"Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace,† By addressing them as rebellious he shows them as being outside of the law. He also threatens them with torture to control the citizens so he has to address them with ferocity. This is something that the audience would relate to because peace existed at his time during Elizabeth’s rule. However to remain in power Tudor kings and Queens would use torture and execution to control any â€Å"Rebellious sub jects†.Torture in the 16th century usually ended in death. With the loss of fingers and then larger limbs, death would usually follow. The rack was also being a predominant means of torture. Shakespeare uses metaphors to add dramatic effect, â€Å"purple fountains issuing from your veins† refers to spilled blood due to the civil brawl; this emphasises that he will not tolerate the feud. Personification is also used when the Prince tells the citizens to â€Å"throw your mistemper’d weapons to the ground† he is talking about the weapons having human traits when they are being used for the wrong reasons.Once again he is emphasising how he feels that fighting is not the answer. Lady Montague’s dialogue shows she is worried about Romeo being involved in the fighting, because she cares about his well being, she asks Benvolio â€Å"Romeo? Saw you him to-day? † However Benvolio is able to tell lady Montague that Romeo wasn’t at the battle and that he was in the forests with a â€Å"troubled mind† introducing the idea of emotional conflict. We further learn of Romeo’s emotional state of mind when Montague describes Romeo’s behaviour as â€Å"black and portentous†.He says that even when it is day he â€Å"pens himself† in his â€Å"chamber† and â€Å"shuts up his windows†. This description of Romeo allows the first scene to change direction from physical conflict to emotional conflict. The audience’s first impression of Romeo is that he is very dark and mysterious due to his habit of locking himself in his room. However the audience at the same time will be intrigued to find out what has caused this depressive behaviour. The question is asked by Benvolio â€Å"do you know the cause? which would echo the audiences thoughts. The audience learns more of the character of Romeo when Montague compares his son to a flower and how â€Å"the bud bit with an envious worm, Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air. † This metaphor enables the audience to learn more about Romeo’s nature, by comparing him to a flower the impression of Romeo is that he is more delicate than the previous characters. The audience learn that Romeo’s emotional inner conflict is due to his love for a beautiful woman (Rosaline) who has rejected his advances.This male suffering was a popular theme in love poetry of this time and was echoed by authors such as John Donne in Sweetest Love, I do not go â€Å"When thou weep'st, unkindly kind, my life's blood doth decay. † Romeos dilemma is similar to that of Petrarch who loved a girl called Laura, this identifies Romeo to the audience as a Petrarchan Lover. As the passage moves on we learn more of Romeos inner conflict. His state of mind is demonstrated by the use of oxymorons â€Å"loving hate† â€Å"heavy lightness† and â€Å"sick health† all give a clear indication of how the use o f opposites echo the turbulent state of his mind.The sentences are also disjointed when he describes his love he jumps from â€Å"Mis-shapen chaos†¦ † to â€Å"†¦ cold fire, sick health! † which further reflects his confusion because of his unrequited love. However Romeos mood changes and this is indicated by blank verses (iambic pentameters) when he further describes what love means to him. This style of writing helps to make the script flow which demonstrates how Romeos love flows. His feelings of what love means to him are further reinforced by the inclusion of rhyme â€Å"shown, own† â€Å"sighs; eyes;† and â€Å"discreet, sweet†.This elevation in language is reiterated in the language that he uses when he later describes his feelings for Juliet. The audience learns more about Romeos mysterious love when he compares her to Dian. Dian was the goddess of chastity and this gives the audience an indication of the true nature of his love. She is described as having â€Å"Dian’s wit† therefore by comparing her to a goddess she is intelligent and yet has the body of a goddess. The fact that she wants to â€Å"live chaste† and â€Å"Cuts beauty off from all posterity† supports the idea that she will never return his love and adds to his emotional conflict causing Romeo to become depressed.We learn that Romeo declares that he cannot even bare to say her name and he asks â€Å"Bid a sick man in sadness make his will:† Emphasizing the idea that to say her name would cause him to die. Conflict is again reinforced in his love for Rosaline, when he talks about his fight to win over Rosaline. He describes it as a battlefield where he uses words such as â€Å"siege. † These are not words usually associated with love but by saying them the conflict that exists can be seen as both emotional and physical. Benvolio gives Romeo the advice that he should â€Å"Examine other Beauties† R omeo says that this would only make things worse.He likens it to a man that is struck blind can’t forget that he once could see â€Å"his eyesight lost†. Once again Romeo is emphasising that he can never forget his love and the emotions that he is feeling can be related to something physical such as losing his sight. The first act introduces the audience to more details of the physical conflict in Verona that was mentioned in the prologue. We learn that this long standing feud is between the Capulet and Montague families. However it is a feud â€Å"bred of an airy word† demonstrating that it is so longstanding that nobody really knows how it started.Romeo who is a member of the Montague family is key to the idea of conflict and brings together both physical and emotional conflicts. He is himself suffering inner emotional conflict because of his love for a woman who â€Å"hath forsworn to love† and so cannot return his love. Romeos father likens him to a f lower that has not â€Å"spread his sweet leaves† this points to the idea that he is not a strong and forceful male. But instead the ideal person to become embroiled in the love affair indicated in the prologue.The emotional conflict that he feels is linked to the physical conflict that is happening around him, by his choice of words when he likens his love to a battle by his use of the word â€Å"siege†. This linking is further reinforced when Romeo likens the idea of emotional conflict to the physical conflict of losing his sight. It is my belief that Shakespeare uses conflict in Act 1 Scene 1 to prepare the audience for the conflicts that exist between the two families and to introduce them to the character of Romeos and how his emotional instability will affect the rest of the play.

Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Cat in the Rain’

Moya, Jon Enc1102 February 27, 2013 Midterm Essay The story I will be analyzing is ‘Cat in The Rain’ By Earnest Hemingway. The story tells a story of an American couple staying at a hotel, presumably in Italy because of the mentioning of Italians and the dialogue sometimes having the Italian language. Hemingway uses good imagery to describe the room the couple stayed in. He wrote that it faced the sea, a public garden, and a war monument. He goes on to describe the beauty of the garden and how if there was a good weather, there would always be an artist admiring it and painting it.He then mentions that Italians â€Å"come from a long way off† to visit the war monument. He does this probably to show that Italians really respect the monument and what it stands for. It then begins to rain and all the cars were gone around the monument which means that everyone was probably inside. Then story then introduces the American Wife and how she notices a cat trying to stay d ry in the rain by sheltering itself under a table. She says that she wants to get the â€Å"kitty†. After her husband offers to do it for her, she declines the offer and goes on to do it herself while her husband goes back to reading.She goes downstairs and as she passes the front desk she has small talk in Italian with the hotel owner about the weather. I presume Hemingway made it in Italian to confirm that the setting was indeed in Italy. In this time Hemingway writes about the wife’s feelings towards the owner, saying this â€Å"The wife liked him. She liked the deadly serious way he received any complaints. She liked his dignity. She liked the way he wanted to serve her. She liked the way he felt about being a hotel-keeper. She liked his old, heavy face and big hands†.Hemingway used many likes to contrast the hotel-keeper to the Husband. Hemingway makes it a point to have so many â€Å"likes† in that section to show that the wife is most likely unhapp y with her husband because she’s paying close attention to what she likes in a man. After the conversation, she goes out into the courtyard to look for the cat. A maid that was sent from the hotel-keeper then offers her an umbrella. They go on to have a conversation on how the wife was looking for a cat and that it was no longer there and that she really wanted â€Å"kitty†. The story begins to address the protagonist as â€Å"American Girl† now. Most likely to emphasize her increasing childlike behavior stated by her use of the word â€Å"kitty† now rather than cat. The girl then returns to her room passing by the office and feeling special and important when the owner bows to her. Hemingway most likely wrote that to emphasize that she really doesn’t get much attention if a simple bow would make her feel special. Back in the room, the wife has a conversation with her husband on how she wants to grow out her hair.The husband tells her she looks fin e but she goes on to say that she wants to brush her hair, and she wants a kitty, and her own silverware and candles and some new clothes. After saying this, George just tells her to shut up and get something to read. This reaction that George has to his wife is also contrasting with what the wife liked from the owner. She liked the way the owner listened to her complaints and wanted to serve her, this instance further contrasts what she has in a marriage and what she wants.The list of things wanted by the wife shows that she is unhappy with the marriage and that she wants things that are common in every marriage. She then says even if she doesn’t get those things, she still wants a cat. The story then abruptly ends with the maid knocking on the door holding a cat saying it was sent by the owner to the wife. This ending contrasts the actions of the husband and the owner even more than before. There has been much speculation as to what the cat represents in the story.One theor y that scholars and professors have is that her want for a cat shows her desire for a child. [1] In the story there is also mention of a man in a â€Å"rubber cape† passing by the square. Scholars know it isn’t Hemingway’s style to add pointless interludes in a story so they speculate that it could represent a rubber condom preventing the wife from becoming pregnant. [2] In the biography â€Å"Hemingway’s Cats†, the author writes that â€Å"Cat in The Rain† was a tribute to Hemingway’s wife Hadley.According to biographer Gioia Diliberto, Hemingway based this story on an incident with his wife when she was two months pregnant and saw a cat under a table and told Hemingway that she wanted a cat. [3] Cat in The Rain is an extremely ambiguous story and really demonstrates Hemingway’s skill of using very simple items to portray much more complex ideas. Sources [1]   Hemingway, Ernest (1925, 2006). In Our Time. New York: Scribner. [2]   Hamad, Ahmad S.. Post-Structuralist Literary Criticism and the Resisting Text. [3]   Brennen, Carlene (2006). Hemingway’s Cats. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press.