Modern Audience Essay Example for Free

Modern Audience Essay â€Å"It is impossible for a modern audience to feel comfortable with the Taming of The Shrew† with close reference to Shakespeare’s presentation of Katharina, comic conventions and having the above question in mind, write about your response to the ending of the play In my opinion, The Taming of The Shrew tells the story of an abusive marriage and I would agree with the view that it is impossible for a modern audience to feel comfortable with the play, especially the conclusion of the story. Shakespeare’s presentation of Katharina at the end of the play seems to me to be one of a broken person; she is almost robotic in her obedience and without spirit, except for when singing the praises of wifely submission. â€Å"Thy husband is thy Lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign† is a prime example of the disturbing brainwashing Petruchio has carried out on her. This humbled ‘Kate’ is a far cry from the feisty Katharina we are first greeted by in Act 2, where she exchanges a vicious battle of words with Petruchio; â€Å"Asses are made to bear and so are you†. This phrase in itself shows that she is fearless, and defies her society’s conventions, cursing at strangers; a sad contrast to the plays ending, where she has totally conformed to what’s expected of her. The ending of the play also contains very little comedy, with the exception of the argument as to who is the real Vincentio, and the fight between Kate and the Widow. This is because the Taming of the shrew defies most Shakespearian comedy conventions, as the marriage takes place midway the play, rather than at then end as was traditional. I believe that this adds to the discomfort of the modern audience, as after the supposed ‘happy ending’ we are faced with the harsh reality of Petruchio’s treatment of Kate. Shakespeare presents Katharina as completely changed by the end of the play. At first she is wild and seemingly untameable; we see her tie up her sister and argue violently with both Petruchio and her father. â€Å"So may you lose you arms, if you strike me, you are no gentleman, and if no gentleman, why then no arms† Here, Shakespeare presents Katharina as highly skilled with word manipulation, generating humour with her insulting play on words with â€Å"arms† as she brands Petruchio simply a commoner if he would strike her. This is in stark contrast to the ending of the play where she seems to have no free will. She is practically enslaved to Petruchio, agreeing with his every thought and whim. An example of this is Act 4, Scene 5, Petruchio and Kate see Vincentio and Petruchio refers to him as a â€Å"fair and lovely maid†, instructing Kate to â€Å"embrace her for her beauty’s sake†. Shakespeare’s use of a command word clearly shows Petruchio’s power and utter control in their relationship. Vincentio is obviously a man, but despite this, and despite a warning from Hortensio that this pretence will anger Vincentio, â€Å"a will make the man mad, to make a woman of him†, Kate does indeed embrace him for his beauty’s sake; â€Å"Young budding virgin, fair fresh and sweet†. This elaborate language with its piling up of adjectives is an example of hyperbole used for comic effect. It is perhaps also, on a less humorous note, an instance of what many feminists would see as the darker side of The Taming of the Shrew, and the destruction of Katherina’s personality; this is a strong interpretation as she could be seen to be using this elaborate language due to her desperation to please Petruchio or her fear of punishment. Petruchio further exerts his power over Kate by then changing his mind and accusing Kate of madness. â€Å"I hope thou art not mad, this is a man† she readily agrees, ignoring the fact that Petruchio has undermined and humiliated her, and begs for his pardon over her stupidity. This scene is a prime example of the change Petruchio has caused from Katharina to Kate. She is not the character we met in Act 2, and this transformation could be said to be uncomfortable for a modern audience to watch. It is unpleasant to see one human being so completely at the hands of another, and whether this total obedience is due to love, fear or desperation is down to the audience to decide. I think this adds a more disquieting edge to the play as Shakespeare seems to condone Petruchio’s taming, or what most modern audiences would see as abuse. However, some critics, for instance Lucy Bailey, director for the RSC, have stated that the play is a curiously misunderstood love story, not the abusive tale of misogyny some modern audiences would see it as; Bailey says that Petruchio and Kate’s attraction is instant, and that what follows after their first meeting is simply fore-play. Nonetheless, this interpretation is hard to digest in the face of the cruelty Petruchio inflicts on Kate, why would a man in love treat the object of his affections like one of his farm animals? This treatment is particularly shown during Act 4 where Petruchio begins his ‘taming’, he attempts to train Kate as one would train a dog. EXAMPLE. Evaluate language. Other critics have explained this treatment by saying that Petruchio is driven mad by grief after the death of his father he â€Å"takes out his disaffection and anger on other people almost as an experiment. (Director David Farr) The best example of Shakespeare’s changing presentation of Katharina to Kate can be seen in the final scene, in her speech. She has not spoken for several pages, but then, on Petruchio’s command, launches into the longest speech in the entire play, expelling the virtues of being a good wife. The first reason that most modern audiences would find this scene uncomfortable to watch is the way that Petruchio instructs Kate to â€Å"Tell these headstrong women what duty they do owe to their Lords and husbands†. This phrase itself could be seen to be problematic for modern audiences to digest. In the 21st century, men and women are equal, so the way that Petruchio refers to men as â€Å"Lords†, implies a power and control over women that is uncomfortable for most modern audiences to hear. Shakespeare cleverly prioritises the word Lord over Husband in this line emphasising the debt Petruchio feels women owe their husbands, like peasants owe their Lords. In this statement, Petruchio also uses headstrong as an insult, whereas in modern Britain, although it can have negative connotations, headstrong is often a positive personality attribute, implying one knows ones own mind. The ending of The Taming of the Shrew contains very little comic elements, making it all the more uncomfortable. There is the scene in which Vincentio encounters the pedant impersonating himself . The audience has not seen Kate as impassioned during her speech since she was Katharina; we see some of her old spark when she refers to Bianca and The Widow as â€Å"froward and unable worms†. However, this insult could be seen as a sad reflection of how Petruchio has twisted her feisty nature to suit his own needs. Most modern spectators would see the entire speech as incredibly anti-feminist, and I believe that due to this it is impossible for most modern audiences to feel comfortable with The Taming of The Shrew. Kate suggests women should â€Å"kneel for peace† and â€Å"place your hands below your husband’s foot†. These phrases evoke feelings of servitude and to most modern audiences are difficult to hear. Kate’s ‘realisation’ that women are weak, their â€Å"lances nothing but straws† contrasts to her physical violence at the start of the play where she attacks Petruchio. â€Å"That I’ll try (she strikes him)†. Shakespeare uses regal imagery in this speech to show the total infatuation and obedience Kate feels towards Petruchio. She refers to husbands and ‘Lords’, ‘Sovereigns’, ‘Heads’ and ‘Princes’, and these words show the power Petruchio has over Kate and the power she believes all husbands should have over their wives: one of absolute control, akin to the monarch. Shakespeare’s effective listing of these nouns emphasises Kate’s uncanny passion towards Petruchio and wifely obedience. Similes are also widely used in Kate’s final speech; for example, â€Å"to dart a scornful glance† at ones husband â€Å"blots thy beauty as frosts do bite the meads†. Kate now believes that obedience is beauty, and for most modern audiences who live in a society where independence is valued and celebrated, it is impossible to feel comfortable with these ideas.

Edgar Degas :: Essays Papers

Edgar Degas Edgar Degas was a French artist, some people would refer to him as the expert of drawing the human figure in motion. He was known as an Impressionists, and was different from all the other artist of his type. Edgar Degas was a person who, at certain times, brashly defied propriety and common social practice. Although he could be the nicest person, at times he would go into rages during social gatherings, becoming hostile with the people who disagreed with his ways and opinions. Edgar Degas was born on July 19, 1834, at Saint-Georges in Paris. His father was a French banker, and his mother was an American from New Orleans. While Degas was growing up his idol was the painter. He began his artistic studies with Louis Lamothes, a pupil of Ingres. After studying there he moved on and started classes at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. In 1854, he left and went to Italy. For 5 years he stayed there and studied Italian art, mainly works. Edgar Degas was known as an Impressionist. The Impressionist were artist who exhibited their works of art in independent shows from 1874 to 1886. It was the common desire to make an open forum for artist to show their work that united the group. The word "Impressionist" was created by the critic Louis Leroy after seeing paintings in the first Impressionists exhibition in April of 1874. The name that Leroy gave his article in the French periodical was Charivari "Exhibition of the Impressionists" and sarcastically protected the new style of painting that ignored details, bared brushstrokes, and put unblended colors beside each other. Just like most of the French public, Leroy did not take into consideration the works by Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar as art that deserved serious attention. In 1859 he returned to Paris. There he painted portraits of family and friends and many historical subjects, where he used both classical and romantic styles. In the late 1860’s he switched to contemporary themes, painting both theatrical scenes and portraits with big emphasis on social and intellectual implications of props and setting. Around 1868 Degas began to get recognized as an artist. During the early 1870’s, the female became Degas’s favorite theme. In his studio he sketched from a live model and put poses together in groupings that illustrated rehearsal and performance scenes. In 1872 he visited some of his relatives in Louisiana, he painted The Cotton Exchange at New Orleans, which is his only picture that was aquired by a museum in his lifetime.

Sexuality in Advertising – an Occurring Issue

Abramovitz 1 She arches her back, glancing at the camera with a look of ecstasy. Water pours down her body, wearing only soapy suds from the loofah in her hands. While a pink bottle of ‘Herbal Essence’ body wash sensors a mature view of this woman’s body, the tagline on the side reads â€Å"Our new moisture-rich lather turns H2O into H2Ohhhh! † This is a real advertisement Clairol for Herbal Essence body wash, but there countless advertisements like this one that American society is bombarded with on a daily basis. These ads use women’s sexuality to sell both high end and everyday products to consumers. Even though the objectification of women in advertising has become more apparent and worse, it is not a new phenomenon; instead the insecurity of women experience through comparing themselves with idealized women in advertising has been an ongoing problem since the 1920’s. As fashion changed though women's social empowerment so began the sexual objectification of women in advertising. The iconic figure of the Roaring 20’s was the Flapper. In Edsels, Luckiest and Frigidairies: Advertising the American Way, a flapper is defined as â€Å"A women who could vote, work, drink, and smoke†. 327) Women became more empowered to vote and to go into the workforce, and such large social changes brought new fashions. The once suppressed woman changed out of frumpy petticoats and into short beaded dresses. These were reflected in the flapper style and impacted the sale of silk stockings. â€Å"Silk stocking initially had been regarded as a luxury item †¦ few of whom felt any great compulsion to display their social status in such items. But since silk stockings carried status, once they were made more available to middle and lower class women display became almost a necessity †¦. Women would become increasingly self-conscious about their legs†. (Mquade and Wright 327-28) Silk stockings, once a luxury to have, now were used to objectify the legs of women. A woman could not read the newspaper without viewing advertisements speaking to her awful, ugly, nude legs. Unless she Abramovitz 1 went out and bought herself a pair of silk stockings she would not be sexy enough to be seen in public. Women would be pressured to go out and purchase stockings so she could be up to par with her female friends. The beginning of sexual advertisement in silk stockings promoted the idea of one body part being ‘sexy’. As one progresses through the history of American advertising, one will see that the exploitation of different body parts linked with sexual desire as a technique to raise the sales on items. The Roaring 20’s not only brought the flapper and her iconic silk stockings, but the popularity of the Model T. The automotive industry heavily relies on the sexual objectification of women in its advertising, from the 1950’s to today. One popular car of the 1950’s was the Pontiac Star Chief, a convertible with a roomy interior. In a 1957 advertisement for the Pontiac Star Chief shows a woman in the car, captured at an angle where the viewer cannot see the woman below the waist. A man is right outside the car peering in, and the caption on the ad says â€Å"Spread Your Legs! Enjoy maximum leg room in the new Pontiac Star Chief†. While the phrase â€Å"Spread your legs† is meant to talk about the interior of the car, it also refers to the woman as she opens herself for the man’s pleasure. The double entendre links together motors and women. If a man has a faster and better car, he is likely to get a prettier woman. This mentality is still relevant today’s society, even if the design is more refined. In 2006, Audi, a company that designs and sells luxury vehicles, released it’s Designed to thrill advertisements. One particularly is shocking. It’s simplistic; a black background and whites, reminiscent of a blueprint but in the shape of a female breast. On the side in small print the ad reads ‘designed to thrill’ and on the bottom right corner the Audi symbol is present. The tagline, on the surface, is talking about Audi’s internal mechanics and the fact that engineers improved them to go faster and cause a thrill in the driver. Because of how the graphic is shaped, the catch Abramovitz 1 line entertains a new meaning. When ‘Designed to thrill’ is pictured next to the form of a female bosom, it implies that the woman anatomy was made for the men’s sexual pleasure, or â€Å"thrill†. Objectifying the breasts implies that if a man were to obtain the luxury car, he would get women to show themselves and be more promiscuous. The modern objectification of women in advertisements does not just happen in male oriented products, but female ones too. An online ad for Blush lingerie shows a women in a skirt, a dog and the dog's apparent owner; a man dressed in a business suit. The dog is looking up the woman’s skirt and blushes because of it sees. Because this is an ad for lingerie, one can assume that the dog is getting a look at scandalous underwear. The professional pleating of the skirt the woman’s wearing, and her low demure heels, the ad represents the woman as a high end professional in the business world; a person to be taken seriously. The blushing dog takes away her credibility though because if she is allowed to be sexy she cannot be respected and intelligent. Ads like this do not embrace the many sides of women, but force them to choose one or the other, although they may appear to be smart and sexy. Because you can't see her face, just her legs up, it depersonalizes her, dehumanizes her, objectifying her into the sexy, classy, high end lingerie she's wearing. Not only do ads promote the objectification through the type of underwear women wear, but they also promote reckless sexual behavior. Jean Killbourne, who wrote the book Deadly Persuasion, discusses an ad which promotes this behavior. â€Å"’ The only downfall to female guests that stay over for breakfast is they leave with your nicest shirts’, says an ad featuring a man getting dressed. His back is to the young women in his bed, who is covering herself up as if embarrassed. People in ads like this aren’t lovers, they are users being used. † Advertisements like these promote a culture of commodity; people objectify their friends to what they have to Abramovitz 1 offer sexually, and the aftermath of feelings that naturally come after a sexual connection are thrown in the trash and replaced by a diminished feeling of self worth. When advertisements promote cultures of reckless sex, they pressure people to shallowly judge others by their appearance and how â€Å"sexy† they are rather than their moral character. The objectification of women in advertising is not new. It has been an issue in our society since the 1920’s when print commercial advertisement began to boom. Women today continue to compare themselves with idealized women in advertising and the creates a lasting harm on their self-conscious. Carol Shepard, said â€Å"The objectification of women in advertising campaigns psychological ramifications. It socializes women to think of themselves in the manner in which they are depicted, and causes them to engage in self objectification. †¦ [This] creates anxieties relating to their weight, appearance, body satisfaction, and also creates a negative mood. (qtd Harper & Tiggermann, 2008). Thus, their body image causes them to suffer emotionally and psychologically. Perhaps, by buying the advertised items, the viewing audience of women believes that they will instantly become taller, thinner, younger and prettier†. (Shepard, 5) As the objectification of women in advertising is not a new phenomenon, neither are the mental issues that women deal with because of it. Little girls will always wonder why they look at the pretty models in their mother’s magazines and then glance in the mirror only to wonder why they aren’t as pretty. Although the days of silk stockings and red convertibles are long gone, the advertisements and slogans that destroyed our women continue today.

Compare the Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantitative and...

Compare the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and qualitative research. Illustrate your answer with appropriate research situations. Introduction There are two board research approaches: called qualitative and quantitative research. The writer is going to compare the strengths and weaknesses of both two research approach by introducing two different research papers both related to elder abuse. The content of a qualitative research â€Å"Elder Abuse and Mistreatment in Residential Settings† (Radka and KateÃ…â„¢ina, 2009) (qualitative study) and a quantitative research â€Å"Proclivity to Elder Abuse, A community Study on Hong Kong Chinese† (Elsie and Catherine, 2003) (quantitative study) are being discussed and the related strengths†¦show more content†¦The researchers have to review all the time in-between the research process. And it is more difficult to estimate the work load since researchers would have interviews by saturation, means that they do not know how many informants should interview or how many documents should study before they have found the information or themes are being saturated. Sampling - Relatively small number of participants In the qualitative study, population who is related to improper treatment or elder abuse in institution setting is not big, and cannot be listed. It is fail to meet the requirement of quantitative representative and sufficiency sampling but qualitative since the study need in-depth understanding of the informants and analysis. Sampling - Contextualize ability and Generalizability Qualitative research is less able to generalize because the sample is not representative sample. The findings and result only applicable only in the particular circumstances, say in the qualitative study, all the victims are all live in the countries have similar culture of relationship with elders, institutions have similar working environment, employment situation, the contracts management regulation etc. The researcher of the study also claimed that the coding of the study is based on grounded categories, thus it is very difficult to prove the generalization of outcomes. At theShow MoreRelatedQualitative And Quantitative Methods Of A Humanitarian Crisis Essay1711 Words   |  7 Pages Qualitative and Quantitative methods Introduction:- Qualitative and quantitative methods and its information are very significant and it tends to develop a shared understanding of people how are they affected by any emergency problems. It is also helps us to understand the importance and measure of a humanitarian crisis by giving a numbers of picture of its impact upon the affected communities. Quantitative addresses the question, like how many, or howRead MoreModule 1 Slp . Introduction To Research Methodologies .1219 Words   |  5 Pages Introduction to Research Methodologies MAE 504 Research Methods in Education Dr. Wilson Tiaqunia Hayes Your task for the Module 1 SLP assignment is twofold: FIRST, fill in the matrix with information pertaining to the following items: identify the type of research represented by each methodology listed in the matrix (i.e., quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods) describe the purpose of each research methodology listed in the matrix, provide an example of a research problem for each methodologyRead MoreUnderstanding Business Research Terms and Concepts: Part 1 Essay824 Words   |  4 PagesBusiness Research Terms and Concepts: Part 1 Two research studies, The Workers Compensation Experience: A Qualitative Exploration of Workers Beliefs Regarding the Impact of the Compensation System on Their Recovery and Rehabilitation and A Comparative Study between Army Civilian Workforce and Private Industry Workforce Workers Compensation Claims Management, pertaining to worker’s compensation will be analyzed. This paper will identify the research design used in each article, the strengths and weaknessesRead MoreQualitative and Quantitative Approaches1126 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches RES/351 June 17, 2014 University of Phoenix Professor Pamela Campbell Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches Business researchers utilize various forms of approaches to analyze and obtain information and data, and two of the most popular approaches used are the qualitative research approach and quantitative research approach. Each approach can be beneficial or in some cases may cause inconclusiveRead MoreThe Importance Of Quantitative And Qualitative Research1012 Words   |  5 PagesQualitative and qualitative analysis has been adopted since time immemorial in providing relevance to data. By description, a quantitative research employs numerical data to quantify the adversity of a situation; thus, it addresses effect (Jonassen, 2008). The quantitative analysis involves the use of scientific methods and statistical computations to transform data into a format that is easy to interpret (Polit, Beck, 2017). On the other hand, a qualitative study seeks to identify explanationsRead MoreStrengths And Weaknesses Of Research Methodology Essay1562 Words   |  7 Pagessocial research, we nee d to balance the strengths and weaknesses of the methodologies available to us. We need to consider what is the question that we want to answer and how we want to answer it. What is our purpose and what methodology makes more sense to achieve it. How do we justify using one method over the other? What is our reasoning behind it? These are some of the questions we have to answer before we start involving ourselves in research. They would help us choose between qualitative researchRead MoreRational Choice And Institutional Approaches1135 Words   |  5 Pagesapproach utilizes the game theory to explain the strategy of the players based on their cost and benefit calculation (Cox, 1999). However, rational choice approach also can be explained using deductive case study (Ramseyer and Rosenbluth, 1994). †¢ Strengths: based on Tsebelis (1990) o This approach can explain clearly the outcome based on the political actors’ behavior across the country (clarity/parsimony). o Generalizable. Although rational choice theory is from US, we can apply this approach toRead MoreForecasting Paper1450 Words   |  6 Pagesthe work of operations managers. The two major types of forecasts are qualitative and quantitative. Within each of these types are multiple methods and models. Qualitative forecasts are based upon subjective data. Quantitative forecasts are derived from objective data. Both methods are not suitable for all situations and circumstances. Each has inherent strengths and weaknesses. The forecaster must understand the strengths and shortcomings of each method and choose appropriately. One exampleRead MoreChild Development Developing Countries : Article Critique Essay1157 Words   |  5 PagesDevelopment in Developing Countries Article Critique Jimena Renteria Liberty University Introduction The article â€Å"Developmental Potential in The First 5 Years for Children in Developing Countries†, published in 2007 by several authors, is a research about the major risks of the children who live in developing countries. This article highlights the relevance of the children’s 5 first years of age, through the evaluation of different psychological and physical cases around the world to prove theRead MoreKey Engagement Drivers Of The Companies Operating Across Asia1496 Words   |  6 Pagesand profitability by utilizing human capital efficiently. The most recent innovation to increase company’s profitability is to engage the employees towards their work. Robinson and Hay (2003) mentioned employee engagement as an evolution of past research which focuses on employee satisfaction, motivational approaches and commitment. This is a modernized version of job satisfaction. According to Robert J. Vance (2006), employees who are engaged in their work and committed to their organizations give