Recent orders
importance of studying Shakespeare in the 21st century
Discuss the importance of studying Shakespeare in the 21st century?
Shakespeare has a better understanding of the human psyche better than any other writer, and this alone makes his relevance timeless. Most of his works in the literature contain major themes that have been a major problem to the human race, both at the time of his living and even today, these themes still make headlines. For example, murder, love, betrayal, ambition, hatred, and revenge are some of the major themes that he has propagated in most of his literature, and upon reading his work, it is easy to denote that Shakespeare lived a few decades ago, but this isn’t true. In all his work, Shakespeare constantly challenges our beliefs, prejudices, and assumptions, and since they are the things that humans want all the time, he tends to relate to all of us, regardless of which generation a person is, as long they are humans. In the 21st century, crime, especially murder has been the major subject in most news both local and global, and this seems to have been a major problem as well during Shakespeare’s time. As a result, he created profoundly complex characters that are irredeemably villainous, and who anyone regardless of the level of education, socioeconomic status, or culture, people can relate to based on how they interact. For example, in his play, “Hamlet,” Shakespeare narrates how revenge can bring out the villainous character of a person as most part of the play is based on revenge – Hamlet wants to kill his uncle because he thinks he killed his father to take the throne and wants to avenge his death. While this piece of literature was written many years ago, it is still relevant in the 21st century as people still seek revenge for certain issues they perceive as wrong, and also, it relates to almost everyone including high school students as it is meant to be a play in which the audience can hear and see the actions of the characters. All this makes Shakespeare’s literature worth studying in the 21st century.
Discuss the influences of ancient Greek tragedy on modern-day theater
The ancient Greek tragedies had a great influence on modern theater, and this is a characteristic that is evident in many of the plots in many pieces of literature written in modern cultures. Euripides is one of the characters whose tragedies have been borrowed and applied in modern literature and thus, characterize modern theater. Euripides is credited for turning the prologue into a monologue, in which he informed the audience of the story’s background and also introduced the deus ex machina. The deus ex machina is a plot whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem in a story is suddenly and abruptly resolved by an expected and unlikely occurrence. This aspect is present in many pieces of literature including Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” where Hamlet is wounded by Laertes, but doesn’t die immediately: Hamlet stabs Claudius with a poisoned sword and forces him to drink the poisoned wine. Both of them die, but this is after Hamlet achieves his revenge.
I am writing to you in regard to the admission of Han Cai into your program
Author
Tutor
Course
Date
Dear Admissions Committee:
I am writing to you in regard to the admission of Han Cai into your program. I am delighted to recommend her admission into your program, based on my experience with her for a considerable time. I have been working at Jefferson Pharmacy for more than a decade, as a pharmacist, as well as a mentor to numerous pharmacy students and interns. Han Cai has been working as an intern for close to three years under my mentorship in the pharmacy, in which case I have had the opportunity to observe her character. I wish to bring your attention to my unbiased opinion of her character, and hope that it will be acceptable to you as you evaluate this unparalleled candidate.
My mentorship with Han started when she appealed to assist and shadow me in the pharmacy during summer, as well as when her college breaks for holiday. This signals at a girl who is agile to obtain knowledge and expertise at any given time. I have had the opportunity to watch her grow intellectually, professionally and even personally, thanks to her amazing selflessness and scrupulousness which is rare in many interns and people that I have had the opportunity to know. In addition, she marked her position as an enthusiastic, receptive, honest, thoughtful and remarkably nice lady. What set her apart from the rest are her excellent interpersonal and communication skills that give her the capacity to interact with people of every class, candor, color and background, as well as personalities.
During the time when she was under my mentorship, I got the chance to enquire about her extracurricular activities. Han disclosed that she has been extensively involved in community services among other extracurricular activities. This signaled at her passion and desire in helping and uplifting the lives of the impoverished people in the society, as well as her excellent leadership.
Han has the sole dream of establishing a healthcare volunteer organization. It is worth noting, however, that she has to first succeed as a pharmacist. In this way, she will have the capacity to put her knowledge and interest into the provision of healthcare in the future, which essentially will involve the promotion of health. In essence, her choice to work as an intern in Jefferson pharmacy is part of a clearly defined journey to the attainment of clear career ambitions.
On the same note, I have observed that the Han Cai has impressive work principles. During the time that she was under my mentorship, she carried out her duties in an honorable and consistent manner. I observed that she was extremely attentive to detail, not to mention the fact that she incorporated significant interest in gaining knowledge pertaining to the medication. This not only proved that she is a bright aspiring pharmacist, but would also come in handy during her career as one.
In my opinion, Han Cai has an extremely bright future ahead of her and would, therefore, benefit tremendously from your program. I am deeply convinced that she would channel her enthusiasm for work for the right course, thanks to her impressive and undeniable sensitivity and aptitude. It is my hope and belief that the committee will give her submission a favorable judgment. From her performance in Jefferson pharmacy under my mentorship, I can confidently say that she will make a productive and positive addition to the program. In essence, I would highly recommend Han Cai to your pharmacy program without any reservations whatsoever.
Sincerely,
Hybridity in the novel Ceremony
(Name)
(Instructors’ name)
(Course)
(Date)
Ceremony
By Leslie Marmon Silko
The novel, Ceremony, tells the story of a young man, a former fighter in the World War two, who returns home and seek to find healing from the emotional and physical wounds attained at war. Tayo, the main character in the book, takes a journey back home with the aim of achieving all of this, but when he finally gets home, he is confronted with past experiences with family and friends. At first, Tayo seeks for healing at the veteran hospital, but when he realizes that the hospital is not providing him with what he wants, he opts to leave the hospital and go back to his grandparents home. He believes that being back home with his grandparents will assist him deal with is issues but he realizes that this is not the case when he sinks into depression and drug abuse. In response to this, his grandmother seeks the help of a medicine man to perform a ceremonial ritual to help him heal. He engages in a number of ceremonies until he attains the healing he requires.
This paper examines the theme of hybridity in the novel ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. More specifically, the paper examines the different ways in which the theme of hybridity has been brought out in the novel, while drawing attention to the blending of poetry and prose, storytelling, mixed heritage, hazel eyes, and healing at the Veterans hospital and ceremony.
Theme of Hybridity
Hybridity is defined as a mixture of two or more phenomena that are considered different and separate from each other. Put simply, it is the process whereby two things become separated from their inherent practices, and recombine to form new practices. The theme of hybridity has widely been used in literature to signify a transformation from the old into the new, through amalgamation. The new hybrid forms that develop through this combination are an indication of the profound changes that take place as a consequence of hybridization. These changes can either be positive or negative depending on the nature of the change that has taken place. This, therefore, implies that hybridity changes how things used to be, as well as, how they are viewed by the society. In the novel, Ceremony, hybridity has been revealed in a number of ways. Readers are exposed to hybridity from the beginning of the book all the way to the end. Specifically, the theme of hybridity in the novel is brought out in various ways including storytelling, blending of poetry and prose, mixed heritage, hazel eyes, and healing at the Veterans hospital and ceremony.
Hybridity in Storytelling
In the novel, Ceremony, storytelling is not only a theme on its own; it is also used to bring out the theme of hybridity. Evidently, the novel is centered on the main character Tayo, and his return home from World War II. However, in the development of the novel’s plot, the author interweaves the stories of other individuals, such as Tayo’s friends and his community at large. Tayo’s story is unique and individually appealing, but the development of the novel into what it is could not have been possible if the author did not integrate the stories of others. In addition to this, Tayo, who is the main character in the book, seeks to find healing from his experiences, something he can only achieve together with his friends. Accordingly, the combination of the different stories in the book, leads to the creation of the novel, which is the hybrid in this particular case. Each character in the book has an individual story regarding his or her experiences, and the combination of these stories demonstrates the greatest form of hybridity in the novel.
Blending of poetry and prose
The second and most evident form of hybridity in the novel is brought out through the combination of poetry and prose in the novel. In essence, the author uses these two techniques of storytelling as a way of exposing to the readers the two main cultures that are central in the story, including the native Americans and the communities from the West. Both the two techniques are significant to one culture with the poetry style signifying the storytelling patterns in native America, whereas the prose signifies storytelling in the West. Through a combination of these two techniques, the author affirms the combination of cultures as the main content of the novel. In the story, the two cultures are in a constant clash with each other, though in the end, they come together to form a culture that is a combination of both but distinctively different from their cultural roots and background. The use of prose and poetry throughout the novel provides a clear illustration of this and it illustrates both the differences in the two cultures, as well as, provide the necessary combination to bring out the theme of hybridity. Though the combination of these techniques may, at the beginning, sound different and clash with each other, they complement each other in such a way that helps the readers understand the underlying meaning of the theme of hybridity in the novel.
Mixed heritage
The theme of hybridity in the novel is also brought out in the fact that Tayo, the main character of the novel, is of mixed heritage. As a character, Tayo embodies both the native American and Wetsren cultures as part of his identity, something that he struggles with throughout his lifetime. As the author tells Tayo’s story, the readers can see how this character has struggled with this combination, as he does not possess a clear identity as to the person he is. He is often portrayed as confused and in need of clarification, which illustrates one of the negative effects of hybridity. Tayo feels out of place at most times and he is not sure of whether to identify himself as a native American or a member of the Western community. Tayo’s mixed heritage brings out the theme of hybridity in the sense that it illustrates both the negative and positive effects of hybridity. At the outset, readers are exposed to the complications of being of a ‘combined’ culture being to the formation of a hybrid that has not been well defined. However, towards the end of the book, the readers are introduced to a new Tayo who has learnt to appreciate his combined cultural background. This, in turn, illustrates the positive aspect of hybridity owing to the formation of a new and different form.
Hazel eyes
In addition to being of mixed heritage, Tayo also has hazel eyes, which is a combination of the colors brown and green. Tayo’s hazel eyes indicate that he himself is a hybrid, as he is the offspring of parents who are Native American and Western. Additionally, his hazel eyes are an indication of the ways in which the world is changing as a result of hybridity. In a way, the society, as well as, Tayo is confused about the changes that are brought on by hybridity, but later on, they all learn to accept these changes as a way of positive development.
Healing at the Veterans hospital and Ceremony
Upon a closer examination of the plot and story of the novel ceremony, it is evident that the most of the characters in the book are in search of healing. This is especially applicable to Tayo, the main character in the book, as he wishes to heal from both the physical and emotional wounds attained from his experience in World War II. Tayo looks to find healing from numerous places, but there are only two places where he successfully manages to achieve this including the veterans hospital and the ceremony. These two places are filled with a various individuals from different cultural backgrounds, and they all come together are attain the healing they require as a combined force. In the veterans hospital, individuals from diverse cultural background come together and receive treatment as a group, with minimal discrimination because of their cultural background. The ceremonies are a representation of the different cultural traditions in the novel, and it is the only place where these two cultures meet and appreciate their authenticity as a group. Away from the ceremonies, the two groups have no considerations for each other and they discriminate against one another. However, in the ceremonies, they combine into one forget their differences, and carry out their ceremonies as a group. This, in turn, builds on the theme of hybridity in the novel.