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Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair
Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair
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Fair is foul, and Foul is Fair.
In the play Macbeth, Macbeth demonstrates that fair is foul and foul is fair when he and his wife plot to kill the king and take over his throne with the help of the witches. Macbeth presents himself as a loyal and heroic character towards the king. He is a Scottish general who serves under the king truthfully and wholly. However, Macbeth is a traitor and plans to kill the king to satisfy his desire for power and advancement. “Stay you imperfect speakers. Tell me more. By Sanell’s death I know I am Thane of Glamis”. (Shakespeare,1623). His wife supports his pursuit of power and motivates him to commit acts of murder. The statement depicts how our perception of things or people may not always be who they are. People may appear trustworthy and good to us, not because they mean it but because they have a motive behind it.
There is more than what meets the eye. This quotation further illustrates the importance of taking time and knowing something or someone before making a conclusion about them. For instance, the three witches were perceived to be ugly and possessed by darkness. However, they were the ones who conveyed the good news to Macbeth that he would kill the king and resume his throne. “All Heil, Macbeth! Hail to thee! Thane of Glamis!” (Shakespeare, 1623). These were beautiful words that Macbeth loved to hear. He was obsessed and hungry for power, and any justification or prediction that aligned with his ambition made him a happy man. It shows how what we see on the surface is not what truly exists. People are not who they appear to be, and there is more to a person than their physical appearance.
Don’t judge a book by its cover. This quotation warns people against assuming things about people just from their appearance. There is more to people than what we actually see from their physical appearance. People have characters and traits that are part of their identity. More often than not, people tend to show their good side when it’s relevant and can get them to what they desire. Individuals paint this picture of being too strong and unbeatable by anybody in society. In the Macbeth play, the witches prophesy that Macbeth cannot be killed by an ordinary man born of a woman “And for an earnest of a greater honor, he bade me from him, called thee thane of Cowder. What can the devil speak true!” (Shakespeare, 1623). However, at the end of the play, Macbeth is murdered by a man born of a woman through the Caesarian section.
Looks can be deceiving. In this context, Macbeth and his wife clearly portray how looks can be deceiving. They are both so glued to the idea of being powerful and ruling over the nation that they would compromise their moral values to achieve it. The king buys into the idea that Macbeth is his loyal servant and would fight other nations and die for him. “Stay you imperfect speakers. Tell me more. By Sanell’s death I know I am Thane of Glamis” (Shakespeare, 1603). On the other hand, Macbeth pretends to be loyal to the king so that he can get close to him and kill him. Eventually, Macbeth succeeds and murders the king and takes over his throne. Had the king been vigilant enough, he might have detected Macbeth’s intentions and cut him off immediately.
Conclusion
From the Macbeth play, it is clear that it is hard to tell individuals’ intentions just by looking at them. Individuals have often fallen victim to evil characters with malicious intentions in society for being too trusting and letting their guard down. Therefore, people need to take their time before passing judgment and getting lured into unnecessary traps.
References
Shakespeare, W. (1623). Enter Macbeth and Banquo. Shakespeare.folger.edu. Retrieved 1 November 2021, from https://shakespeare.folger.edu/downloads/pdf/macbeth_PDF_FolgerShakespeare.pdf.
Veszy-Wagner, L. (1968). Macbeth:” Fair Is Foul and Foul Is Fair.” American Imago, 25(3), 242-257.
Experience is the Best Teacher
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Experience is the Best Teacher
Experience they say is the best teacher, and I believe this phrase holds as long as one still lives on Earth. There are several occasions people are warned against some issues, but they take them for granted. I happen to have been a victim of carelessness and negligent to the pieces of advice given by elders and friends in the name of autonomous thinking. At one point when my age hit above twenty, I thought I was already on top of the world completely oblivious of what was in waiting. Transition to university from high school amongst youth is always characterized by a lot of activities especially along the social interaction. The young people are always restless, and they bring in new blood to the partying life by only throwing caution on air. Few persons are able to survive this phase of life, and I was not exceptional. Music and Cinema happen to provide the best avenue of meeting peers, and I happened to have liked it so much that I gave little attention to the many warning by parents and other concerned relatives. I can confess that December holiday is one of the lively festive seasons’ on the earth, but it comes with the highest risk of losing life through diverse means.
My case coincided with an important family event just the following day. I joined my friends to Beach party in the evening as they promised to grace my Birthday party the following day which its plans had already been running, and all that remained was invitation. There had been a warning by security agencies about increasing incidences of crime along the beach hence specified regions set out of bound. The vibrant nature of young people in high spirit of a party cares less about any such warning and would likely fall prey to the set penalties. It was unfortunate that as we left, we did not bother listening to the latest news updates which emphasized on possible round up of perpetrators in the beach part and, so we left. The attempt to avoid the human traffic and slow entry through the main gate, we thought we were tricky by suggesting to use an alternative entrance which had been earmarked by security agencies as the leeway to a beach party crimes.
Although one of my friends appealed against such a decision, the majority rule overwhelmed him, and the spirit of peers made a decision that we were to pursue the course. Little did we know that the preferred short-cut was a death trap, and it would not take long before we came face to face with the assigned security agents who were armed to the teeth.I was at the forefront and when the police shouted at as with threat of shooting to kill if dared running. Despite our plea for mercy and loud confession that we were not aware of the aforesaid by-law, they kept cocking the guns assuming we were thugs.
It was by the grace of God that we escaped shooting by a whisker but ended up in a holding cell the whole night awaiting arraignment to court for loitering. At this point, I realized that I had lost the Earth and the sky since the beach party mission was miserably brought to an end. Worse of all, my birthday was spent in a pathetic holding cell cubicle the entire day. It would not be uncommon to find some people feeling disappointed at such experience, but the bottom line is that it serves as perfect lesson of consistent care when undertaking any mission.
Down syndrome is a birth defect caused by a genetic disorder that affects 350,000 people in the United States
Downs
Down syndrome is a birth defect caused by a genetic disorder that affects 350,000 people in the United States. It is caused by abnormalities in the genes and is not inherited, meaning that parents do not pass this onto their children. In order to understand Down Syndrome, one must examine genetics of a “normal” person as well as a person with Down Syndrome.
Genetics is the study of heredity, or how certain traits are passed from parents to their children. Genes are the basic unit of heredity while cells are the building blocks of your body. Each person has more than 100 trillion cells. Our genes are located in chromosomes. Each cell in your body contains 46 chromosomes or 23 pairs. In the case of a person with Down syndrome, there are 47 chromosomes. In 1956, a French researcher named Jerome Lejeune used a new powerful microscope to view human strands of DNA. DNA is what holds an individual person’s genes. He studied these DNA strands and determined that there is an extra strand in chromosome 21, which is now called “Trisomy 21” tri meaning three and somy for the word chromosome – meaning three chromosomes. No one knows exactly what causes Down syndrome aside from it being genetic.
Many years ago, this condition was known as “mongolism” or people that had it were called “mongolian idiots”. But in later years, Asian people as well as parents of these children protested these terms and in the 1960’s the condition became known as Down syndrome in honor of the English doctor John Langdon Down. Who, in 1866, studied people with mental retardation and noted distinct physical features in them. Some of the physical features associated with Down syndrome are low muscle tone, many newborns appear as floppy and not toned, they have flat facial features especially a small nose with a flattened nasal bridge. Their eyes are slightly slanted with small skin folds at the inner corner. The have a short neck, small abnormal shaped ears, and an enlarged tongue that often tends to protrude making speech difficult to understand.
Many people with Down syndrome suffer from a variety of health problems. The most common and significant symptom is mental retardation, which ranges from mild to moderate. People with Down syndrome suffer from congenital heart defects, which affect approximately 40-50% of these people. Their poor muscle tone makes much physical activity difficult. There are many hormonal problems, mainly thyroid disease. People with Down syndrome suffer from circulatory problems, respiratory ailments, and digestive problems. Nearly 70% of infants have some type of problem with their eyes. The most common eye problem is eye muscle imbalance, known as strabismus which causes the eyes to cross. About 50% afflicted with Down syndrome will suffer from hearing loss. Many of these problems can be serious or even life threatening but fortunately, most of them can be treated if they are detected early. Due to the nature of the disease and the many health issues involved, the life expectancy for a person with Down syndrome is only 50-65 years. Babies are born with poor muscle tone causing weak muscles and making it harder for them to develop motor skills such as using their arms and legs. It is harder for them to grasp objects, crawl, and walk. Children with Down syndrome have difficulty with their cognitive (thinking) abilities, problem solving, memory retention, social, language, and motor skills. This is one reason why people with Down syndrome become frustrated very easily.
Although people with disabilities are becoming more acceptable in society, we still have a long way to go. Congress has passed many laws to help the disabled such as the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, and the most well known, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991. People with Down syndrome just want to be like every one else. Many of these people live “normal” lives. They go to school and learn, they are taught skills and learn to be independent, they work and even get married.
There is genetic research and studies in biochemistry to find a way to prevent Down syndrome. The best known research study is the Human Genome Project which is identifying the genes in the human body. This project is being done by scientists all over the world. They are trying to determine what each gene is responsible for and are making a “genetic map”. This is still a very controversial attempt at finding a cure. The Warner Program is named for Jack Warner, a pediatrician in Fullerton, California. His approach is based on therapy. The treatment consists of nutrition, metabolic therapy, physical therapy, and developmental optometry (vision). Targeted Nutritional Intervention (TNI) uses nutrition to correct imbalances caused by metabolic abnormalities. Supplements such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids and digestive enzymes are used. Piracetam is a new, experimental drug used to improve intellectual performance and stimulate the central nervous system. In the United States, however, it has not been approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) so most testing is being done in Europe where the laws are less strict.
Down syndrome is caused very early in the development of the fetus. There are four main prenatal tests used to detect this condition. The first is by having an Ultrasound. It is the least invasive, and involves ultrasonography or sending sound waves into the womb where they bounce off the fetus. These sound waves are then studied for abnormalities. A second test is Alphafetoproteins (AFP). This test measures the level of AFP in the mother’s blood, and is 60-80% accurate. A third test is Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS). This test is the most invasive and risky procedure done during the 8th to 12th week of pregnancy. A piece of the placenta is removed and the cells are tested under a microscope for chromosomal abnormalities. The last test is Amniocentesis, which is where a sample of the amniotic fluid is withdrawn from the womb. This procedure is done during the 14th to 18th week of pregnancy. This is the most reliable and accurate test. It is 99.8% reliable in testing for Down syndrome. There is another blood test available called Percutaneous Umbilical Blood Sampling (PUBS).
The fact of the matter is no matter how different or unusual these people appear, people afflicted with Down syndrome should be treated with respect and dignity just like you and me. These people are productive individuals and have many things to offer. Just because they are different doesn’t mean they aren’t valuable to us. We can learn patience and acceptance from them and until there is a cure, our acceptance and a positive attitude will help us all to move forward.
Bibliography:
Diseases and Disorders – Down Syndrome, Christina M. Girod, San Diego, CA, 2001
Down Syndrome, Salvatore Tocci, Grolier Publishing Company, Inc., 2000
www.aolsvc.health.webmd.aol.com/content/article/1680.54172
www.my.webmd.com