Oedipus The King Essays (787 words) - Oedipus, Creon, Jocasta, Laius

Oedipus The King In Oedipus the King the knowledge that some characters in the play possess is very crucial in developing the plot. The knowledge in the play is the basic foundation of Oedipus' future, either to remain as the King of Thebes or to be sentenced to death or exile forever. The ironic outcome of the play is tragic. One mans attempt to escape his unfortunate fate leads him into the hands of what he dreaded the most. Every man is born with a predestined future. No matter how hard you try to avoid it one way or another it will come back to haunt you. The play takes place in Thebes; the plot of the play thickens as Oedipus is trying to rid the city of a terrible plague that infects the streets and homes. In order to do so he must find and avenge the killer of the late King Laios. One of the characters in Oedipus the King who possesses this gift of knowledge is the profit Teiresias. Teiresias is a wise, old man who has supernatural powers to interpret the past and predict the future. He is somewhat like a modern psychic, gifted in the art of foretelling things to come. He knows what the god Apollo knows. The fact that Teiresias is blind makes his visionary abilities even more mysterious. At the start of the play Oedipus sends his brother-in-law Creon to call upon Teiresias so he could tell about the murderer of Laios. Teiresias knows of the destiny that Oedipus was born with. He was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. When he was called upon to share what he knows about Laios' murder, Teiresias refuses to answer Oedipus' questions about the prophecy. When he was threatened with death he finally revealed what he knew using riddles and slogans, which confuses even the brilliant Oedipus. He then blames Creon and Teiresias for the murder of Laios, saying that they conspired to kill Laios, and now they are trying to steal the thrown from him by accusing him of such a horrible act. Jocasta is the current wife of Oedipus and the widow of Laios. When her husband was murdered she was in a very vulnerable position. It was hard to rule Thebes by herself so she asked her brother Creon to help her. When Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx she was very happy, so she married Oedipus and made him king of Thebes. She was not aware of the fate that Oedipus was born with, but her and Laios did have a son who was destined to kill his father and marry his mother. To make sure he never lives out his fate they sent a shaped to leave their son on a mountain to die. In search of the cure for the plague Oedipus demands to see the shaped who witnessed the murder of Laios, Jocasta agrees without hesitation. Innocently, she has no reason to suspect that Oedipus is her son until the herdsman reveals the truth. When horrible truth finally came out Jocasta couldn't take the pain of what she had done, and she killed herself. The appearance of the shaped in the play is the final turning point in the plot. The job of the shaped was to take the ill-destined son of Jocasta and Laios to the mountains and leave him there to die. But instead of following directions he pitied the baby and gave him to another herdsman who gave the son to another king who was unable to have children. This shaped was called upon to find out the exact truth and discover if the accusations that Teiresias made at the beginning weren't made up lies. At first he did not want to reveal what he knew, he wanted to prevent whatever pain he would cause with the news. But after much discussion he finally revealed that Oedipus was in fact the son they once banished and Jocasta was his wife/mother and his children were also his brothers and sisters. Every man is born with a predestined future. No matter how hard you try to avoid it one way or another it will come back to haunt you. Knowledge is very strong when one possesses it. It can change the way of life of a person either towards the bad or the good. The saying "what you don't know won't hurt you" is very true. If Oedipus or the people of Thebes had never found

Free Essays on Grendel

Too often society defines heroes as those who possess extraordinary super powers or those who act as martyrs. Society sees these people as heroes and underestimates the heroism that lies within traditional people with conventional lives. In Grendel, by John Gardner, Grendel’s understanding of humanity’s cruelty broadens the definition of heroism in modern and historical culture. Although Grendel plays the role of a monster in the story, he is more essential to the kingdom than any hero because he provides them with the reality that death is inescapable. Traditional heroism involves admirable traits, yet society overlooks the necessities those unconventional heroes provide through exemplifying integrity, resisting convention, and outstanding but understated achievement. In Grendel, a brave warrior speaks of heroism and states, â€Å"Except in the life of a hero, the whole world’s meaningless† (89). Yet in Grendel, the antagonist actually provides more quality to life than the protagonist does. Considering the circumstances of Grendel’s life, Grendel shows integrity simply by having a splinter of hope in humanity and it’s future. Distraught at the bloodshed and cruelty of society, Grendel loses sight of the goodness that humans are capable of and attacks the kingdom out of despair, rage, and unbelief. Providing them with the knowledge that one day their lives will end, Grendel gives quality and meaning to their lives, disproving Unferth’s statement. Unferth also says, â€Å"The hero sees values beyond what is possible. That’s the nature of a hero. It kills him of course, ultimately† (89). Contrastingly, Kenneth Beck reveals through illness that the value of life is immeasurable. His battle with paralysis proves that life is not only meaningful, but that everything about life contains meaning and everything during life should be cherished. Kenneth’s accident and wavering recovery conveyed the value of life thr... Free Essays on Grendel Free Essays on Grendel Too often society defines heroes as those who possess extraordinary super powers or those who act as martyrs. Society sees these people as heroes and underestimates the heroism that lies within traditional people with conventional lives. In Grendel, by John Gardner, Grendel’s understanding of humanity’s cruelty broadens the definition of heroism in modern and historical culture. Although Grendel plays the role of a monster in the story, he is more essential to the kingdom than any hero because he provides them with the reality that death is inescapable. Traditional heroism involves admirable traits, yet society overlooks the necessities those unconventional heroes provide through exemplifying integrity, resisting convention, and outstanding but understated achievement. In Grendel, a brave warrior speaks of heroism and states, â€Å"Except in the life of a hero, the whole world’s meaningless† (89). Yet in Grendel, the antagonist actually provides more quality to life than the protagonist does. Considering the circumstances of Grendel’s life, Grendel shows integrity simply by having a splinter of hope in humanity and it’s future. Distraught at the bloodshed and cruelty of society, Grendel loses sight of the goodness that humans are capable of and attacks the kingdom out of despair, rage, and unbelief. Providing them with the knowledge that one day their lives will end, Grendel gives quality and meaning to their lives, disproving Unferth’s statement. Unferth also says, â€Å"The hero sees values beyond what is possible. That’s the nature of a hero. It kills him of course, ultimately† (89). Contrastingly, Kenneth Beck reveals through illness that the value of life is immeasurable. His battle with paralysis proves that life is not only meaningful, but that everything about life contains meaning and everything during life should be cherished. Kenneth’s accident and wavering recovery conveyed the value of life thr... Free Essays on Grendel Grendel, though he needs to kill to do so, functions very well in his own sphere. Grendel survives in a hostile climate where he is hated and feared by all. He lives in a cave protected by firesnakes so as to physically, as well as spiritually, separate himself from the society that detests, yet admires, him. Grendel is "the brute existent by which [humankind] learns to define itself"(Gardner 73). Hrothgar's thanes continually try to extinguish Grendel's infernal rage, while he simply wishes to live in harmony with them. On the other hand, Grendel makes numerous attempts to assimilate into society, but he is repeatedly turned back. Early in his life, Grendel dreams of associating with Hrothgar's great warriors. Nightly, Grendel goes down to the meadhall to listen to Hrothgar's stories and the thanes' heroism, but most of all, he comes to hear the Shaper. The Shaper's stories are Grendel's only education as they enlighten him to the history of the society that he yearns to join. "[The Shaper] changed the world, had torn up its past by its thick gnarled roots and had transmuted it, and they, who knew the truth, remembered it his way- and so did [Grendel]"(Gardner 43). Upon Grendel's first meeting with Hrothgar, the great hero tries to kill him by chopping him out of a tree. "The king (Hrothgar) snatches an ax from the man beside him and, without any warning, he hurls it at [Grendel]"(Gardner 27). After being attacked by those he so admires, he turns against them to wreak havoc on their civilizat! ion. This revolution is most evident in John Gardner's Grendel. In Hrothgar's meadhall, his thanes are discussing the heroic revolution with the Shaper. According to the Shaper, the kingdom, those in power, pretends to be protecting the values of all people. Supposedly, the revolution causes the kingdom to save the values of the community-regulate compromise- improve the quality of the commonwealth. In other words, protect the power of the peo...

Outsoucing in the United States Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Outsoucing in the United States - Research Paper Example In as far as recruitment is concerned, there are other independent companies which can offer advanced services on behalf of different organisations which entails that they can outsource the recruitment and staffing services to third parties. As such, this paper seeks to explain the meaning of outsourcing as well as outlining its pros and cons. The paper will also attempt to evaluate real life situations of outsourcing in different organisations. According to Heneman & Judge (633), outsourcing refers to contracting work to a vendor or third party administrator to perform the tasks that could be done by the organisation itself. This means that the functions of the whole human resources department in particular can be done by an outside company. There are many examples of outsourcing of specific staffing activities and some of them include the following: seeking temporary employees, executive search, skills testing, assessing employee backgrounds, job relocations, assessment centers as well as affirmative action planning (Kleynhans, 85). Basically, the organisation can outsource some of its functions such as recruitment to the third party whilst it concentrates on other core business of the organisation. ... This process is usually longer and many organisations usually spend a fortune in recruiting and selecting the right candidates for the organisation. Outsourcing the recruitment services to the third party is advantageous in that the organisation will only pay a fixed fee and these employment agencies have experience in attracting experienced and skilled workers in the industry. The organisations will not waste more money and resources while training new candidates since the recruitment agencies can head hunt for people with the required knowledge and skills. By outsourcing the recruitment services to the other parties, the HR department of the organisation concerned will be better positioned to focus on the other pertinent issues such as employee motivation as well as improving their performance for the benefit of the organisation as a whole. The other advantage of outsourcing is that the organisation is likely to witness improved services since the vendors have special expertise in selecting the right people for different clients. On the other hand, the recruitment agencies are flexible to meet the changing needs of the clients given that they constantly seek information about the needs of different organisations with regards to their staffing needs. Despite the driving factors forcing the organisations to consider outsourcing of HR activities to the other third parties, there are also some cons that are not always favourable to the company. One notable disadvantage is that there is likely to be some form of resistance within the organisation where some members will prefer the HRM to fulfil all its functions by considering internal promotion of

Government regulations in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Government regulations in business - Essay Example This paper illustrates that the government has the mandate to overlook all business activities, and also have the power to control certain businesses. The government has the responsibility to impose various regulations to ascertain that the customers are not exploited, and there is a fair competition among the firms in any given industry. Government regulations in marketing are crucial towards customer protection as well as maintain fairness in competition. The number of government regulations in marketing is sufficient to ensure that there is a reasonable business environment. The government imposes laws on marketing regarding product safety and warranties. Such laws ensure that the advertisers are limited to advertising only true information. Warranties ensure that the manufacturer produces high-quality goods. The limits obtruded on freedom of speech are beneficial to controlling what one organization says about the other and hence fairness is maintained in the market. Government r egulations on validation of advertising claims ensure that the customers are only fed with true information. Therefore, it is evident that government regulation on marketing activities plays three main roles. It ensures that producers of the advertised good or service produce goods of similar quality to what they claim while advertising. It regulates the relationship between competitors. They ensure that the customers receive the best services or goods and are not misguided by the advertisement.

Investment Account Essay Example for Free

Investment Account Essay What is the meaning of Al-Awfar? Al-Awfar means â€Å"prosperous investment†. 3. What is the difference between Al-Awfar Savings Account and Investment Account-i and the normal Bank Islam Savings Account-i and General Investment Account-i (GIA)? Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-i is a rewarding account that offers a host of additional features, which include expected Mudharabah returns on savings and investments (if any). This is in addition to the opportunity to receive cash prizes from the bank through a quarterly prize draw. 4. Is Al-Awfar Saving and Investment Account-i a form of gambling? NO. Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-i is free from any elements of gambling. 5. Is Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-i Shariah-compliant? YES. The Shariah Supervisory Council of Bank Islam approved this product in its 102nd meeting dated 7th April 2008 (30 Rabiulawal 1429H). 6. Are prize draws allowed according to the Shariah Law? YES. Prize draws are permitted if there is no elements of riba (usury), gharar (uncertainty) and maysir (gambling). 7. What is the basis on the permissibility of draw in Islam? 1. Al-Quran, in Surah Ali ‘Imran verse 44 This is a part of the news of the Ghaib (unseen, i. e. the news of the past nations of which you have no knowledge) which We inspire you with (O Muhammad ). You were not with them, when they cast lots with their pens as to which of them should be charged with the care of Maryam (Mary); nor were you with them when they disputed. . Is the draw performed in a manner that is transparent to the public? YES. There is an external independent draw committee who will observe the draw process. 9. What is the difference between Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-I and other competitors’ product? Al-Awfar Saving and Investment Account-i is the first product of its kind introduced by an Islamic bank, which meets all Shariah requirements. 10. Where does Bank Islam invest the funds deposited by customers? Bank Islam invests the fund in Shariah-compliant investments pproved by the bank’s Shariah Supervisory Council. 11. Can the cash prizes received be used for Ibadah purposes, e. g. performing the Hajj and Umrah or given away as Zakat and Sadaqah? YES. The cash prizes come from a Halal source. Upon receiving the cash prize, the customer is free to use it for any purpose 12. Are the cash prizes taken from the profit earned through Al-Awfar Savings and Investment Account-i? NO. The cash prizes are provided by the Bank and are not specifically derived from profits of Al-Awfar Savin gs and Investment Account-i.

Colonialism and Imperialism - European Ideals in Heart of Darkness and

Hollowness of European Ideals Exposed in Heart of Darkness and The Hollow Men       Kurtz occupies a peculiar position in Conrad's Heart of Darkness and T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men." "Mr. Kurtz, he dead" is the epigraph to "The Hollow Men." Eliot draws an obvious allusion to Kurtz, the morally hollow man in Heart of Darkness. Left to his own devices, Kurtz commits appalling acts such as shrinking human heads and performing terrible sacrifices. Kurtz is armed with only the dubious sense of moral superiority of his culture and the desire to civilize the natives (Dahl 34). This front quickly crumbles when faced with the noble yet savage ways offered by Africa. The crumbling front only leaves a hollow void of desired ideas and morals. This hollowness is what Eliot builds on to develop his own idea of hollowness. Kurtz is an apt example of the hollowness of European ideals that Eliot wanted to expose. T.S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men" uses Conrad's Kurtz to enforce the idea of hollowness found in contemporary Western thought, because Kurtz is a "model European" and rep resents the ideas of the modern Western Everyman.    Kurtz is a prototypal European thinker and citizen. He is the product of idealistic, progressive, and optimistic thought (Dahl 34). Kurtz is a Renaissance man, being a musician, a painter, a journalist, and a "universal genius" (71). So well does Kurtz perform all his duties, Marlow never figures out Kurtz's true occupation. Marlow can envision Kurtz as a "painter who wrote for the papers" as well as a "journalist who could paint" (71). Kurtz's universal talent extends to the field of politics, where he could have been a "splendid leader of an extreme party," in fact of any party (71). Kurtz was highly respected... ...rmany and later in Vietnam and Cambodia (Anderson 404). In all likelihood, Heart of Darkness was just a prelude to the atrocities that could be committed with the continuance of European thought as it was. Eliot explicitly says one of the themes to Part V is "the present decay of Eastern Europe" (Roessel 55). Eliot built on this theme of moral hollowness in "The Hollow Men," by having Kurtz and his actions be representative of contemporary European thought.    Works Cited Anderson, Walter E. "Heart of Darkness: The Sublime Spectacle. University of Toronto Quarterly 57(3) (1998): 404-421. Dahl, James C. "Kurtz, Marlow, Conrad and the Human Heart of Darkness". Studies in the Literary Imagination 1(2) (1968): 33-40. Roessel, David. "Guy Fawkes Day and the Versailles Peace in 'The Hollow Men'. English Language Notes 28(1) (1990): 52-58.      

The Concept of the Political

As a counterterrorism officer my moral duty is to protect the residents of my state from terrorism attacks and the national security of US. Therefore, I am under no obligation but to ensure I fulfill the role that I have been assigned. I am the senior counterterrorism officer in California State where there is a high percentage of Arab American citizens and immigrants. Thus over the last couple of decades it has been difficult to detect terrorists. Furthermore, infiltrating such a community has proved to be difficult thereby providing a loophole for the increase in terrorist activities.Infiltrating the Arab American Community To curb this demise I will commission FBI agents to act as my spies by posing as Muslim worshippers in the California mosques. This decision may be perceived as a violation of human rights and the freedom of privacy enjoyed by other citizens. However, in the actual fact this initiative is among the criminal responsibilities that are bestowed on counterterrorism officer. Moreover, it is a counterintelligence activity that ensures protection of the US national security by providing important information to the FBI body and the government.The rights to perform counterintelligence activities have been governed by the National security of 1947 which was amended in 2004 by the establishment of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act. Furthermore, the commissioned FBI agents will not commit any wrong doing offences (Uwe, 2007). I will also employ informant to live amongst the community. The informant will mainly be ex-US military officers whose credentials are remarkable and stimulate the required standards.I prefer using ex-military officers because they are competent, trained to serve the nation thus will thoroughly understand the importance of their assignment and the need for them to keep their identity in discretion. The agents will regularly be monitored to prevent the development of discrepancy behaviors against ethical and mo ral norms. I will also make use of biometric fingerprint procedure for all travelers leaving and entering the California state. It may be argued that this tactic will detain people unnecessarily thereby wasting their time and subjecting them to measures and challenges that are unjustifiable.However, the initiative will enable the California Homeland Security Department to prevent identity theft, use of fraudulent documents and terrorists from gaining access to the state thus enhancing the national security and safety of California residents (Schmitt, 2007). The Status, Rights and Protections offered to Culprits of Terrorism In an attempt of increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of counterterrorism an executive order authorizing the interrogation and trial of foreign terrorist suspects and illegal combatants by a special military tribunal was passed in 2001.Therefore, an ex-American citizen captured in the United States in the act of terrorism should be considered as an illegal enemy combatant. Thus I would not hesitate to hand the culprit to the jurisdiction of the military commission of the United States, an act that will be in accordance with the (Military Commissions Act (MCA) of 2006 that was passed by the Congress introducing the concept of illegal combatant into US legislation. Furthermore, the concept of illegal combatant enemies has been accepted by other nations who have willingly handed over their sovereignty in this context to the US (Gill & Sliedregt, 2005).The establishment of the above legislations withdrew all the protections that were accorded to ex-American citizens. The same applies to foreign nationals caught engaging in terrorism in US, American citizens fighting American forces abroad and foreign nationals that are non-military officials fighting American forces abroad. The above are all illegal combatant enemies of the state and thus also deserve to be tried before the jurisdiction of the military commission without the provision of Habeas corpus rights.The Habeas Corpus is a provision given to detained culprits to appeal for their release incase of being detained unlawfully. The above subjects are liable to torture in the event of collecting information that would increase the efficiency of the government and military to provide the US state national security. Therefore, I would fully support the idea of implementing torture as a method of extracting useful information to such culprits in an attempt of protecting the California residents (US Congress Joint Resolution, 2001). Perspectives Concerning Just WarJust war is perpetuated by states in an attempt of protecting themselves from aggressive attack from other nations. However, for just war to be justifiable it should be used as a last resort problem of solving the conflict that exists that is after all non-violent mechanisms of resolving conflicts are exhausted. Just wars should only be perpetuated by bodies that are recognized by the society as legitimate. A just war should be initiated if the presumed end results are beneficial where its success is guaranteed to prevent death and suffering of innocent people in accordance to moral vices.The death of civilians can only be justified if they were accidentally killed by being in the vicinity of the military targets. Therefore, just wars should initiate long lasting peace between the nations that were under conflict. Furthermore, states are not supposed to use force when initiating just wars and in instances where such force must be implemented it should not exceed the injury or suffering caused. The war on terrorism can thus be classified as a just war because it adheres to the above principles.However, it can cease to be a just war if its goal is to spread terror, subject war on a non-state organization and if it aims at killing and hurting civilians (Fotion, 2007). Anti Americanism involves the negative aspect that individuals and state have over the political, economic, social and cu ltural values of US. Anti Americanism has adversely affected the national security of US due to introduction of foreign hostility towards the US state for instance terrorism, thus curbing the effective attainment of stipulated US policy goals.Anti Americanism also affects the ability of US to conduct businesses abroad. This is unethical and thus not justifiable therefore individuals that perpetuate the stimulation of violent acts against the American state should be held accountable for their actions and thus are liable to stand trial before the military commission. The US government has a right to protect the national security of the country by dealing with schools, mosques and charities that indirectly support terrorism while actually not directly engaging in the terrorism activities.The government prosecutes such individuals or organization with the aim of eliminating the terrorism concept and support that the individuals and organizations offer (US Congress Joint Resolution, 200 1). USA PATRIOT Act The enactment of the USA PATRIOTIC ACT after the 9/11 attack has substantially reduced terrorism in United States because the surveillance and investigating powers of the US law enforcement officers was increased especially with respect to internet use.However, if I were in Congress I would vote for the renewal of the Act to amend it. This is because the Act was enacted in haste without being subjected to Congress debate and house report to declare the consent of Senators. This fact resulted to the omission of a balance between civil liberty and stipulated legislations (US Congress Joint Resolution, 2001). Word Count: 1190 Reference List Fotion, N. (2007). War and Ethics: Just War Theory. New York: Continuum. Gill, T. & Sliedregt, E.(2005). Guantanamo Bay: A Reflection on the Legal Status and Rights of Unlawful Enemy Combatants. The Utrecht Law Review, 1 (1). Retrieved on July, 6th, 2009 from http://www. utrechtlawreview. org. Schmitt, C. (2007). The Concept of t he Political. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. U. S. Congress Joint Resolution (2001). Authorization for Use of Military Force. Public Law, 107(40), 115 Stat. 224. Uwe. S. (2007). On the Ethics of War and Terrorism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.