Myths to the Renaissance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Myths to the Renaissance - Essay Example The system was meant to check on excessiveness of a ruler. During this period, the empire was under Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus (son to Marcus Aurelius) and his adoptive brother and son in-law Lucius Verus1. He was a stoic philosopher2 who established himself as the more powerful of the two emperors. During his reign, the Roman Empire was full of all sorts of nefarious deeds. Led by the emperor himself, sexual sin was not a secret. In the film, we encounter concubines being depraved in his presence. He was a womanizer and a homosexual at the same time. The film gives us an understanding of the political system in ancient Rome. This was a political system structured a way that to reflect some sort of modern day democracy. It did not support tyranny. This was the main objective of the joint leadership by two consuls during the time of the ‘Republic’.3 The empire had other notable political entities apart from the monarchy. There was the senate made u p of senators, Plebian Tribunate and Comitia Centuriata. The entities, together with the two consuls constituted the form of political systems, which the Romans referred to as the ‘republic’. In the film, it is evident that the Roman Empire was ruled by militant monarchial leaders. ... He had an arena where he displayed his hunting skills. In this arena, euphemism is brought into play. The killing of ostrich by the emperor was meant to pass a message to the senators that the same could befall them if they disobeyed him. People who displayed reformist minds were assassinated by the regime5. The film depicts the Roman Empire as one full of people with greed for power. There area many instances where characters assassinate rulers to take power. It is claimed that the main character Commodus murdered his father to take power. Barely three months into his rule, there were plans to execute him too. After his death in the arena, the senate met and declared Pertinax the emperor. Some characters in the army could not warm to the idea of being led by a son to a former slave and ended up assassinating him. Tattooing was an in thing in the mercenary dominated Roman army. The deserters could easily be identified through the tattoos, hence are means of checking against deserters . The tattoos such as the one worn by Maximus in the film Gladiator were a reserve for the lowly regarded in society. In the army, they were meant for mercenaries, lowly ranked and miners during the reign of Emperor Constantine. The film portrays the tattoos as an epitome of paganism, superstition and marginalization in the Roman Empire. It was not just an ordinary practice but a law that was applied ruthlessly6. The film portrays a society that idolizes violent sports as a form of fun. Whenever the empire was peaceful, gladiators provided an alternative to war heroes for people to idolize. The gladiators were the heartthrob of many Romans girls. During the era in which the movie is based, the gladiators were a thorn

Narrative Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Narrative - Assignment Example gold was brought from the Cherry creek placers after an advent to Omaha form the Rocky Mountains, whereby the precious metal was in goose quills (Morton, 2). Approximately 100,000 gold seekers had set out for Colorado in 1859, though less than a half of that number reached the pike’s Pike region. On the other hand, the invasion of the prospectors, merchants and promoters settled in Denver, which they considered a significant regional center. Therefore, this made the city a substantial destination point for immigrants and stage routers, since around nineteen guidebooks for immigrants were published during the period between 1858 and 1859. Bob Womack was the prospector who discovered the rich gold ore, which touched the off Cripples Creek Gold Rush, and this reached the country at the western slopes of Pike Peak that became the settlement area for other prospectus. After the discovery of gold in Colorado, there were substantial prospects of gold trading as an appearing business venture, other than the food and pack animals. In this case, people took a shovel, a gold pan, and they required to be determined in order to get in to the gold business. In this case, numerous gold seekers set out for St Louis, which was a bus trading and supply center at the meeting point of Missouri and Mississippi river. In conclusion, the paper has offered an overview of various accounts relating to the discovery of gold in Colorado, which relates to the location of the gold fields and the migration of miners searching for gold. Moreover, the story points out that discovery of gold in Colorado were a relief for the miners who were unsuccessful in their gold exploration, in California. Therefore, the story has covered all the significant events that relate to the discovery of gold in Colorado. Morton Sterling.  "The Discovery of Gold in Colorado".  Transactions and Reports, Nebraska State Historical Society. Available

Foreign Exchange Currency Markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Foreign Exchange Currency Markets - Essay Example rd was established with the aid and support of economic giants of the time such as America, Great Britain, France and other nations which supported the idea of stability through linking their currency with gold. The gold standard became firmly entrenched in the international economic environment after the Second World War when the Bretton Woods system was created. The Bretton Woods system gave rules and established regulations for the commercial and fiscal exchanges between the nations which had emerged victorious after the war. The purpose of establishing such a system was to strengthen and rebuilt those economic systems that had collapsed after the war. As discussed by Bird (1994), the system depended heavily on the regulations provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The basic feature of the Bretton Woods system was an agreement made by each nation that their monetary policies and fiscal agendas would maintain the currency value of the country near a preset value in terms of gold. The IMF had the authority to handle and settle payment imbalances between various nations and had the responsibility to monitor the fiscal activities various countries. Thus the term gold standard was used for the system which worked quite well for many years until it collapsed in 1971 when America pulled out of the gold standard (Bird, 1994). Even before the American pullout, the fundamentals of the gold standard had already weakened. The monetary interdependence of nations which came about after the second world war when international trade become very important allowed banks and even large companies to transfer huge amounts of capital from one location to the other (Cooper & Sneddon, 2001). Currency Speculators could convert large sums of money from a weak to a strong currency in the hope for the currency to gain value if it was so adjusted by the government. If the speculation was incorrect, the money could

'Smart Film'. Case study on Fight Club and Donnie Darko Essay

'Smart Film'. Case study on Fight Club and Donnie Darko - Essay Example This paper defines what Sconce means by this term, â€Å"Smart Film,† showing how it emerges out of both classical and art film cinema history, and provides some examples from two key films which have been categorized within this genre. There is then a discussion of the validity of the term, considering several possible objections to this classification. Finally, the paper concludes that the term â€Å"Smart film† is a valid genre descriptor, so long as it is understood in the ironic way that Sconce originally intended, and not as an indicator of quality or status. One of the main features of the â€Å"Smart Film† is the absence of a single plot line, or main character to unify the action. The way that the characters relate to each other is more complex, and the audience has to work harder to make sense of the connections and dis-connections that appear on the screen. This shift of focus from more traditional linear approaches is described by Sconce as a narrativ e style â€Å"centering not on a central unifying character’s dynamic action (as in classic Hollywood cinema) nor on relatively passive observations (as in previous art cinema), but rather on a series of seemingly random events befalling a loosely related set of characters.† (Sconce, 2002, 362) ... Kristin Thompson argues that this has been a tendency of blockbuster movies right through the 1970s and 1980s: â€Å"... Hollywood continues to succeed through its skill in telling strong stories based on fast-paced action and characters with clear psychological traits. The ideal American film still centers around a well-structured, carefully motivated series of events that the spectator can comprehend relatively easily.† (Thompson, 1999, 8) This so-called â€Å"classical† style of movie production endures because it has become the accepted â€Å"norm† for the majority of film audiences. Thompson acknowledges the importance of episodic films, and the emergence of post-modern cinema, which breaks with many of these traditions, but maintains that Hollywood will doubtless continue to be fascinated by genres such as the action film which tend to be both â€Å"formulaic† and â€Å"overblown† (Thompson, 1999, 338) The impact of non-classical films like Ta rantino’s Pulp Fiction, has, according to Thompson, been minimal, leaving a legacy which encourages imitators to dwell on the extremes of sex and violence rather than engage in novel approaches to narrative structure. Thompson makes valid points, but the â€Å"Smart Film† genre shows that some independent film-makers working together with the large studios have managed to break away from the stranglehold of classical expectations. Sconce’s reference to art films, as well as classical film, is highly relevant, and although Sconce is keen to point out the differences between his new genre of â€Å"Smart Films† and the art film genre, there are also many similarities between the two genres. The work of Bordwell has done much to explain the specific art film

Trends of societal role Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Trends of societal role - Research Paper Example The researcher was burdened to uplift the view of the paternal role in terms of his involvement with his child, thus bringing forth the present study which integrates both quantitative and qualitative research methods, and which could aid future investigations in both areas upon reviewing this literature. Kazura (2000) purposes to look into the father and child relationship through the latter’s involvement in attachment behaviors, play interactions, and social interactions (p. ?). The research conduction is brief, lasting only a few minutes including the Strange Situation procedure and the three play segments, or probably a few hours if we take into account the home visits conducted by the primary investigator. This may seem inadequate, but its cross-sectional design is acceptable as the same is used in other studies; however, we should not neglect the possibility of different results if there is alteration in the time frame. Kazura presents several information in her paper, w hich would allow other researchers to review on. She explains the basics of her study thoroughly, and provides enough statistical data, leaving this study open for future modifications. Using Kazura’s study, analytical skills will be demonstrated in understanding the components of her research and judging them according to the expected deftness achieved in this course. In the present research, Kazura studies both qualitative and quantitative father-child relationships by digging deeper in their attachment, play, and social interactions.... Prior to this, several other undertakings aimed to explore father involvement in child-rearing as women take part in the workforce. Although society noticed that fathers somehow started to be involved with the previously solely-mother role, there are still contentions about their involvement and the influence of their presence as caregivers, especially in the early years of their children, are questioned. Kazura presented previous literature that discussed the hindrances of father involvement to child-rearing in the first few years of life but these were not specifically typified. Providing evidences that the relationship between the quantity and quality of fathering behaviors are not firmly established and that the length of time parents spend with their children does necessarily affect the latter’s developmental outcomes, the researcher intends to collaborate both quantitative and qualitative methods in determining parental involvement with their children, and uses this to c ome up with her hypothesis and conclusions. Because one of the researcher’s goals is to compare paternal to maternal involvement, intact families were chosen to be a part of the sample, which were obtained by convenience sampling, recruited through newspaper advertisements and local child-care centers. The 27 couples with their children belong to the middle-class, composing of 24 Caucasian families, two African-American families, and one Eastern Indian family. The children ranged from 12 to 26 months, where there were 14 males and 13 females. The sample size is small, considering that results of the study would tend to generalize the father-child

Japanese history - The Meiji Restoration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Japanese history - The Meiji Restoration - Essay Example These Samurai were motivated by the current state of the country including threat of encroachment from foreigners and emergent domestic problems. They adopted the fukoku-kyohei slogan (â€Å"Wealthy country and strong arms†) and pursued after creating a nation-state that could stand equal among the Western powers. The new government, as deduced from the 1868 Charter Oath, sought to dismantle the aged feudal regime (Devine, 51). In mid-1870s, restoration leaders, acting under the Emperor’s name, faced such steep opposition in carrying out the restoration changes. SaigÃ…  Takamori lead the famous disgruntled samurai in rebelling against the government which were later, with great difficulty, repressed by the formed army and in 1880’s, peasants who had grown distrustful of the newly formed regiment, joined in the revolts bringing it to its peak. This turmoil was halfway dissolved by s call from a Rights movement that was gaining popularity although it was mainly influenced by liberal western ideas. They advocated the formation of a constitutionally-based government with deliberative assemblies (Devine, 54). In 1881, the government responded by issuing a statement that promised a constitution by year 1890 and in 1886, constitution formation started after the formation of a cabinet system in 1885. By year 1889, a constitution was promulgated to the people as a gift from Meiji Social and economic changes were concurrent with the political changes that were already taking place during this era. Agriculture was the primary drive for the economy of Japan (Schirokauer, Lurie, and Gay). However, the Meiji government was working towards industrialization and hence directed developments in communications, transportation and strategic industries. Railroads were built, telegraphs linking all the main cities and private sectors received government support thru funds and European-like banking system. They relied on and heavily promoted western technology and

Gullivers Travels Essay Example for Free

Gullivers Travels Essay When Blackadder and Prince George are faced with dilemma of bribing an MP to vote in the princes favour they provide us with a description of a member of parliament called Sir Talbot Buxomly who is corrupt, cruel, ineffectual and open to bribes. According to Blackadder he is a perfect candidate to become a High Court Judge and even Prince George thinks he is a little over qualified. Blackadder: Sir Talbot has the worst attendance record of any Member of Parliament but if we can get him to support us, were safe hes a violent, bigoted, mindless old fool The use of satire here suggests that the high court judge isnt necessarily as honest as you would expect a person with that much power to be. A comparison with this is Swifts description of the Emperor in chapter two. He describes how he is expensively dressed. He had on his head a light helmet of gold, adorned with jewels, and a plume on the crest. Swift compares him to the pompons King George the first. He was king of England but was brought over from Germany and did not speak the language. When the Emperor speaks at Gulliver he cannot understand a word and this is his bribe at the king. Like Sir Talbot Buxomly, the Emperor is useless and incompetent. When it comes to the actual election, Blackadder confesses that they will cheat in order to win votes. He is not alone in this outlook as one of his opponents, Pitt the Even Younger confesses what he did in order to be a decent politician bad mouthed the opposition. Bribed the newspapers. Threatened to torture the public if his party lost. Once again driving home the point that the politicians will do anything within their power to get a seat in parliament. You can tell that cheating is certainly not beneath them when Pitt the Even Younger told what was a decent politician is in his opinion. I fail to see what more a decent politician could have done Similar examples of satire, which criticise politics and the government are also found in Gullivers Travels. In Lilliput anybody who jumps over the highest rope gets a position in court and how candidates jump over and creep under a stick held at various heights win the silken threads which show the kings favourite. Just like in Blackadder getting a job in the court in lilliput is not to down how good you would be at the job but is down to how much you can creep, crawl and pander to the king. Whoever performs his part with the most agility and hold out the largest in creeping and crawling, is rewarded