Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure “’Tis surely for a name.” - Literature Essay Samples

One possible analysis of Shakespeare’s Measure of Measure follows a natural progression of criminal justice over the course of the play. Angelo’s hardline punishments in Act One reflect the eye for an eye, measure for measure justice of the Old Testament. By Act Two, his personal corruption and constant criticism from secondary characters undermines the legitimacy of his justice. An alternative system aligned with New Testament mercy is represented by Isabella, and exemplified by her begging to save Angelo’s life in the final act. The Duke represents a shift to more moderate power as he doles out punishments in the form of forced marriages rather than executions. This reading of the play fulfills the audience’s desire for progress and reconciliation. Unfortunately, this reading disregards several philosophical and plot problems left unresolved in the rushed reestablishment of the Duke’s rule. Measure for Measure does not, in the end, promote any one ideal justice system. The theme of ideal justice is suppressed by a constant, less explicit motivator: the protection of one’s reputation. While both Angelo and Isabella act to protect their reputations, the Duke’s actions best show how this motivator underlies disparate criminal justice throughout the play. ​The issue of reputation appears at the onset of the play when the Duke decides to fix his public reputation by temporarily placing Angelo in power. In the Duke’s own words: I have on Angelo imposed the office,Who may, in the ambush of my name, strike home,And yet my nature never in the fightTo do in slander. (1.4.40-43) â€Å"Slander,† along with the later terms â€Å"honor† and â€Å"shame,† is repeated often in the play and plays a central role in the theme of reputation. In this moment, the Duke recognizes the power of his â€Å"name†, or position as enforcer of the law, even though he has not himself been exercising the power of the title â€Å"Duke† to enforce laws. The Duke fears that his personal reputation, or â€Å"nature†, would be slandered if he suddenly became more stringent towards criminals. The Duke takes on a more comedic disposition under the guise as a friar, but because the situation itself is slightly ludicrous and because the office of lawgiver is no longer â€Å"imposed† upon him. He is free to act out of the public eye. Like Justice Overdo in Bartholomew Faire, the Duke might be expected to go undercover in order to assess the criminality of his realm. Instead, the Duke says that he wishes to see if Angelo’s virtuous, au stere nature is actually genuine: â€Å"Hence we shall see,/ If power change purpose, what our seemers be,† (1.5.54). A manipulative leader himself, the Duke wishes to see if Angelo can maintain his good reputation – what he seems to be – under the influence of newfound power. From the moment the Duke decides to give Angelo power until the end of the play, he obsesses over his own image in the public eye and the reputations of those around him. His closing lines at the end of Act Five hint that Angelo will not be able to maintain the austere personality needed to carry out and live out the strict code of laws he proceeds to enforce. Following the Duke’s foreshadowing, Angelo’s motivations as a lawgiver come into question even before he propositions Isabella for sex in exchange for Claudio’s life. After being sentenced to death for impregnating his fiancà ©e, Claudio gives the most explicit criticism of Angelo in the form of a metaphor: Or whether that the body public beA horse whereon the governor doth ride,Who, newly in the seat, that it may knowHe can command, lets it straight feel the spur; (1.3.43-46) Claudio accuses Angelo of punishing him without just cause, as an immediate action taken whether the metaphoric horse is out of control or not. Claudio’s execution acts as an example to the â€Å"body public† so that Angelo may establish a reputation as a law enforcer even before laws have been broken. Claudio continues to say that Angelo actions are â€Å"surely for a name† (1.3.55). While it may be important for Angelo to avoid the lax justice of the Duke’s reign, he appears cruel in using Claudio as a tool to change the law enforcer’s reputation. In fairness, Angelo does consistently dole out hardline punishments, which proves motivation beyond establishing a reputation with one radical arrest. However, he appears to show too much zeal for punishment when discussing the clowns Elbow, Pompey, and Froth. Though yet unclear whether these men committed crimes, Angelo leaves them with Escalus, â€Å"Hoping you’ll find good cause to whip them a ll,† (2.1.192). This secondary motivation, whether it be personal malice or a true belief that random punishment will do the public good, is irrelevant so long as it does not conflict with Angelo’s desired reputation. Angelo, and the hardline reputation he has quickly established for the position he inhabits, only comes under threat when he hypocritically breaks his own laws. ​When Isabella threatens to expose Angelo’s hypocrisy in Act Two, their conversation shows both the import of reputation and the almost tangible power that reputation holds. Isabella demands of Angelo to â€Å"Sign me the pardon for my brother/ Or, with an outstretched throat, I’ll tell the world/ Aloud what man thou art!† (2.4.154-156) Isabella seeks to use the power of her voice, in contrast to the physical power Angelo yields to enforce laws, to show â€Å"the world† that Angelo is a hypocrite. Unfortunately, Angelo recognizes that his good reputation is actually more powerful than her own: My unsoiled name, th’austereness of my life,My vouch against you, and my place i’th’stateWill so your accusation overweighThat you shall stifle in your own report,And smell of calumny. (2.4.157-161) Angelo relies on his good personal reputation (â€Å"unsoiled name†) and his reputation as an agent of the state (â€Å"my place i’th’state†) to not only counteract Isabella’s accusation, but to ruin her own good reputation. The reputations take on almost tangible qualities with their import: Angelo’s with â€Å"overweigh† hers, which will then be â€Å"stifle[d]†. Isabella will then take on a metaphorical mark, or â€Å"smell of calumny†. In an ironic twist, it is the good reputation of a dishonorable man that can ruin the good reputation of an honorable woman. Their reputations take on a significance separate from the virtuosity of the characters themselves. One problem presented in the play, separate from issues of correct justice and mercy, is the realignment of reputation with true character. ​In another instance in which reputation holds greater influence than true character, Angelo emphasizes how the state punished known criminals, rather than all criminals. Angelo explains to Escalus that there may be criminals on a jury in trial, but â€Å"What’s made open to justice,/ That justices seizes,† (2.1.12-22). While only punishing some criminals is actually unjust, Angelo repeats the word and uses a personified â€Å"justice† as a stand-in for himself. He is the one that â€Å"seizes† criminals when criminals are â€Å"made open† to his knowledge. Angelo continues the line, â€Å"What knows the laws/ That thieves do pass on thieves?† (2.1.22-23). Here, Angelo adds another layer to his conception of who or what enforces criminal justice. The laws, as an inanimate set of rules, cannot recognize that hypocrisy is latent in the system. Angelo recognizes (and dismisses) the distancing of the true spirit of justice in law from crim inal justice, while still trying to defend his system as one that â€Å"justice† itself enforces. In a criminal system that punishes those with criminal reputations rather than criminals themselves, Angelo must jump through rhetorical hoops to legitimate his actions. His Old Testament justice now seems not only harsh, but arbitrary in its enforcement. One might argue that Angelo’s focus on reputation is a fault of his villainous character, but even Isabella shows a similar concern. Isabella, the pillar of mercy and virtuosity, reveals an exaggerated concern for her and her brother’s reputations through obsession with their â€Å"honor†. Isabella will do anything, even give up her brother’s life, before giving into Angelo. In her words, she would â€Å"My body up to shame,† (2.4.104). â€Å"Shame† may be a personal, self-inflicted feeling of disgrace, but it may also be a public disgrace. Isabella is concerned with both, though more so the latter, while she persuades Claudio to die. If he let her give in to Angelo, it â€Å"Would bark your [Claudio’s] honor from that trunk you bear,/ And leave you naked,† (3.1.70-72). Honor is compared to the bark of a tree, a feature notably visible from the exterior. This suggests the public side of â€Å"honor† as well as â€Å"shame†. Her debasement would leave him â€Å"naked†, a form of public shame. Isabella urges Claudio choose â€Å"perpetual honorâ €  over a few more years of life (3.1.74-76). â€Å"Perpetual honor† carries the religious connotation of honor in the afterlife as well as being an honorable member of society. A mixed concern for both Claudio’s eternal soul and reputation as an honorable man pushes her to extremes. Claudio argues, candidly, that â€Å"Death is a fearful thing,† and Isabella responds, â€Å"And a shamed life hateful,† (3.1.117). She would rather choose death over shame for her brother, a form of extremism that mirrors Angelo’s concern for his reputation as a fierce enforcer of the law. In the final scenes of the play, the audience expects a final system of justice to be instated with the Duke’s return. Instead of a neat tying up of loose ends, the long-winded scenes in which the Duke publicly reveals Angelo’s crime function as a climatic stage for the Duke’s reputation building. The first step in the Duke’s convoluted plan is to make his arrival a public event by mailing Angelo an official decree commanding such. It is the only scene in which unnamed citizens crowd the stage. The Duke draws out the unveiling by first denouncing Isabella’s accusation, though he is the one that earlier told her to accuse Angelo. He sends her to jail for slandering the name of those more highborn than herself: â€Å"Shall we thus permit/ A blasting and a scandalous breath to fall/ On his [Angelo] so near us?† (5.1.123-125). This quote shows a continued concern for protecting reputation, but emphasizes the importance of protecting those in powe r. The Duke’s jailing Isabella is both cruel and unnecessary to carry out justice against Angelo. By doing so, the Duke can disguise himself as a friar and accuse Angelo himself, giving him the final credit. For the same purpose, the Duke cruelly hides the fact that Claudio is alive until he wishes to sentence Angelo. Angelo’s punishment helps restore both the Duke’s and Mariana’s reputations rather than following harsh Old Testament justice or merciful New Testament justice. At first, the Duke proposes that Angelo would give himself: â€Å"An Angelo for Claudio, death for death,† (5.1.405). When Mariana and Isabella beg for Angelo to be spared, the Duke ignores them and directs the conversation towards Claudio’s death. Finally revealing that Claudio is alive, the Duke notes â€Å"Lord Angelo perceives he’s safe;/ Methinks I see a quick’ning in his eye,† (5.1.490-491). In a very odd moment, it is the fact that the Duke saved Claudio which spares Angelo from execution, rather than the many pleas that the women gave. Abruptly, the Duke says that Angelo pardoned or free of evil: â€Å"Well, Angelo, your evil quits you well,† (5.1.492) In this way, the moderate sentence that the Duke finally arrives at can only be attributed to him: he den ounces Angelo, he saves Claudio, and he gives Angelo a just sentence in the end. Establishing all credit towards the Duke’s reputation elongates the final scenes far beyond what the plot requires. As a final note, the Duke also saves Mariana’s ruined reputation, he â€Å"safeguard[s] her honor† from â€Å"imputation† by marrying her to Angelo (5.1.415-416). The final evidence for the true motivator underlying punishment in Measure for Measure is the Duke’s harsh punishment of Lucio. Lucio commits the one crime that the Duke, in his own words â€Å"cannot pardon† (5.1.495). He repeatedly slanders the Duke throughout the play. While insulting the Duke may seem more innocuous than Angelo’s crime, the Duke threatens Lucio with both whipping and hanging. Quickly changing his mind, the Duke chooses a punishment that could only seem worse to those obsessed with reputation. Lucio must marry the mother of his child, a prostitute. Once again, this shame is measured a heavier punishment than death. Lucio says, â€Å"Marrying a punk, my lord, is pressing to death, whipping, and hanging!† (5.1.518) The Duke, as focused on reputation as Lucio, does not deny Lucio’s absurd statement and instead replies that â€Å"Slandering a prince deserves it,† (5.1.519). This punishment is fitting on several levels. Lucio i s will be slandered as punishment for slandering the Duke. His punishment does not sway towards the extreme of either Angelo’s hardline punishment or Isabella’s complete mercy. Even so, it is the harshest punishment the Duke gives to any character, including the objectively more villainous Angelo. In the end, Measure for Measure does not allow one system of justice to save Claudio, punish Angelo’s hypocrisy and crime, restore Isabella’s honor, and equalize the state of criminality under the Duke. Instead, Shakespeare puts aside the fraught issue of correct justice to expose a less virtuous motivator of state officials. In the final acts, the Duke makes decisions that will restore his personal reputation. This motivator is not isolated to the Duke, but is systemic. Angelo and Isabella concern themselves with reputations while using the language of justice, honor, and mercy. The final scenes of Measure for Measure reaffirm the inextricable complexities of correct justice while proving that the appearance of being a just ruler can be just as effective as actually being just.Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Measure for Mesaure. Ed. Grace Ioppolo. W.W. Norton and Company: New York, 2010. Print.

My Childhood Dream Of Becoming A Registered Nurse - 843 Words

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Jean Jacques Rousseau Essay - 1383 Words

Jean-Jacques Rousseau I was born to a family whose morals distinguished them from the people. (Josephson 9) Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland on June 28, 1712. He became the son of Isaac Rousseau, a plebian class watchmaker, and Suzanne Bernard, the daughter of a minister who died shortly after giving birth to him. Rousseaus baptism ceremony was a traditional one held at St. Peters Cathedral on July 4, 1712 by the reverend senebies. He had an elder brother who had a loose character, but Rousseau loved him anyway. At an early age, Rousseau found a love for reading. His mother had an inheritance of some money and many romantic books and novels, so those are the first that he read. He and his father†¦show more content†¦He was next placed as an engraver in April 1725. His master was also a violent man like his father who fed Rousseau poorly and often treated him harshly. The young boy developed a menial frame of mind. 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identity theft Essay Example For Students

identity theft Essay identity theft Essay In todays society, there is a white-collar crime that has greatly risen in popularity among criminals. This crime is identity theft. Hundreds of thousands of people have their identities stolen each year. Identity theft is when these criminals obtain and use consumers personal information such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers, insurance information, and social security numbers to purchase goods or services fraudulently. According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 1. The information in the chart was taken from a survey of people who had been victims of identity theft. Some of the people in the survey answered yes to more than one of the choices. (Harris Interactive) Technology and computers are an even easier way for personal information to be stolen. Programs known as spy-ware are implanted on computer systems. Your computer can be infected by a spy-ware program when you visit different websites. Spy-ware programs aim to collect information from your computer as you visit different websites. They sell this information to web site providers, which is one reason why you see multiple pop-up advertisements when you are online. But the information from spy-ware programs can also be used by criminals, looking to steal your identity. Studies have shown that 80-90% of desktops are infected with some sort of spy-ware program. (Connor) Being that the numbers are so high, you have to be careful when accessing websites on the internet. You have to be careful when entering your personal information or credit card information on websites because many of the websites also have spy-ware imbedded in them. You should always look for secure websites before you e nter any information. Another way to keep your self safe from harmful spy-ware programs is by downloading or installing anti-spy ware systems on your computer. When dealing with identity theft you must always be careful with whom or with what you .

What is Psychology and How Does It Affect My Life Essays

What is Psychology? How Does It Affect My Life? What is Psychology? The formal definition is the scientific study of behavior and mental process. Some might say it is a matter of common sense. But, that won?t get you very far in your study of psychology. I have had numerous experiences with psychologist. I have a seventeen year old daughter with Asperger?s Syndrome. She didn?t talk until she was four years old. Even then she had to have speech, occupational and some physical therapy. My ten year old son has ADHD, so we have had to meet with several psychologist regarding that. And last but not least, I myself, suffer from Bipolar syndrome. Before my daughter was actually diagnosed with Asperger?s, we had to take her to numerous psychologists. They always diagnosed her as being socially delayed. I finally got her into a psychologist that actually knew what they were talking about, and diagnosed her correctly. Since she didn?t talk they had to basically use behaviorism as their main tool to diagnose her. I have had psychology invol ved in our lives for a long time. Some of the psychologists? have helped and some have not. This is how I have had psychologists? in my life.

Where to Get a Writing Critique

Where to Get a Writing Critique Where to Get a Writing Critique Where to Get a Writing Critique By Maeve Maddox From time to time, I receive emails from writers, asking me to critique attached poems or short stories. In the early days, I would send a polite reply, explaining that I hadn’t time to critique their work. Now I simply delete the email and attachments and get back to my own writing. The DWT Contact page states the policy that our writers don’t answer questions via email. Critiquing a manuscript of any length is time-consuming. Time is the most precious possession of a working writer. Asking another writer, especially one with whom you have no personal acquaintance, for a free critique is the equivalent of asking a stranger for a gift costing anywhere from $300 up. I have arrived at this figure by browsing the sites of professional critiquing services. Rates are based on word-count, number of pages, or some combination of the two. One service that specializes in science fiction, fantasy, and horror charges $300 for the first 20,000 words and $15 per every 1,000 words thereafter. Another service offers a flat rate of $260 for the first 50 pages, but applies a per-page rate thereafter. A manuscript of 100-199 pages is priced at $6 per page; from 100-199 pages, $4 per page. A manuscript of 200 pages is priced at $3.75 per page. Paid critiquing is neither a practical nor sensible solution for the beginning writer. Such services are for writers who have already done everything they can to improve their drafts with whatever help is available to them without an outlay of cash. On the other hand, writers need the feedback of other writers. What’s the solution? Where can beginners find suitable readers for their early drafts without an outlay of cash? First, they must be willing to critique the work of others in exchange for critiques of their own writing. Ideally, they will find another writer or writers in their own vicinity. For example, I belong to a writer’s critique group whose members live within a radius of about thirty miles. We meet weekly, varying the meeting place so that no one has to drive the farthest distance every week. Not every group is a good fit for every writer. In approaching an established group, writers need to evaluate the writing level and interests of the members. Some groups specialize in different genres. Not every group critiques poetry or illustrated children’s books. Not every group is made up of beginners. A group of published writers may not be the best choice for an unpublished writer who is still struggling with basics. A good place to find kindred writing spirits is your local public library. Browse the bulletin board. Ask the reference librarians if they know of authors in the area. Writers who can’t find other writers locally can look for critique partners on the Web. Here is a starter list of five sites that offer help in finding a partner: Kingdom Writers An email critique and fellowship group for Christian writers. Ladies Who Critique Ladies Who Critique  is a critique partner-matching site for writers of all levels – â€Å"published, unpublished, aspiring, hobbyists, even closet writers or complete newbies!† Nathan Bransford This free writing forum offers a thread devoted to connecting with a critique partner. Poetry-Free-For-All This site boasts 23,000 members â€Å"of all skill levels† and is described as â€Å"a non-stop online poetry workshop for beginners and experts alike.† Participants must agree to offer at least three critiques of others’ work for each poem submitted. Quantum Muse This site is for writers of â€Å"science fiction, fantasy and alternative writing and artwork.† It offers the opportunity of publication. Membership is free, but participants must complete three critiques of the work of others before receiving permission to submit. Scribophile This free site is for writers of all skill levels. Members exchange detailed critiques. Reciprocity is a must. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:15 Terms for Those Who Tell the FutureLatin Plural Endings6 Foreign Expressions You Should Know

Blood Diamonds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Blood Diamonds - Essay Example Diamonds are commonly associated with glamour, love and affluence but the discovery that they were financing conflicts in Sierra Leone, The Congo, Liberia and Angola took the ‘shine off the stone.’ â€Å"In some African countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo tens of thousands of civilians have over the past years been killed or tortured and millions have been displaced† (International Secretariat, 2006). Many came to realize that they not only financed genocide and other acts of vulgar inhumanity by purchasing a diamond but were also wearing and flaunting this symbol of human suffering. The main source of this horrific revelation to the world community was last year’s movie ‘Blood Diamond’ which attempted to alert the masses to the atrocities occurring in Africa. Until then, this situation was largely ignored by Western governments and news media. In one scene of the movie, the character Maddy Bowen witnesses a massive refugee camp that contains more than a million displaced, poverty stricken, desperate people and says â€Å"we’ll only get a glimpse of it in CNN, somewhere between Sports and Weather† (Zwick, 2006). Rebel militias deal in the illegal diamond trade for many reasons. The most obvious is that diamond’s value-to-weight ratio is very high which allows for great amounts of capital to be easily transported. Diamonds are mined with low-profile, rudimentary tools and in various regions, many of which are remote making it all but impossible to adequately patrol. Additionally, determining the source of individual diamonds is tremendously problematical although efforts have been made in this respect such as the Angolan government issuing tamper-proof ‘certificates of origin.’