Ancient Greek Theatre | Lysistrata

Ancient Greek Theatre | Lysistrata Ancient Greek theatre has been a fascination to millions of people across the centuries. Theatre is one of the most important innovations of the Greek civilization. Ancient Greek theatre which began as a religious ceremony eventually became as expressed by Cohen a mixture of myth, legend, philosophy, social commentary, poetry, dance, music, public participation, and visual splendor (as cited in Phillips, 2000). The well known playwrights Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, Aristophanes and others have contributed largely in the teachings of nobleness, morality, courage, and patriotism throughout time. Many of the stories written Oedipus, Medea, Antigone etc. have endured the passage of time. Moreover, audiences contribution was crucial in ancient Greek theatre because poets success and recognition as good representatives of the Greek culture and civilization largely depended on the audiences negative/positive feedback. From the Antiquity, the role of Greek theatre has not altered. It wa s and still is used to be entertaining, frivolous, and instructional. Greek theaters were located in outdoor spaces which were known as amphitheaters. The amphitheater was purposely chosen by the Greeks to hold these venues not only because they preferred being outdoors but also because they used the construction methods available in their time period to create the most useful and efficient space possible to be used in producing the type of entertainment that was popular in their culture as stated by John Holloway (2010). Greek theatre consisted of four major components: the Orchestra which was the circular dancing floor where the chorus would sing, dance, and act together with the actors, Theatron which was the viewing place, Skene which was the tent or the decorated building behind the stage, and Parados which was the passageways used by the chorus, actors, and audience as entrances and exits to the amphitheater (as shown in figure 1). Figure 1 Greek Theatre Note. This figure is retreived from http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/ search?q=cache:v9_sNzGD5hsJ:www.slideshare.net Nevertheless, ancient Greek theatre cannot be demonstrated without shedding the light on Athens. Athens was a Greek city-state identified for its political, military, and cultural power. Athens was considered the center of Greek culture and theatre. Greek theatre originally initiated with Athens festivals. Athens had four festivals for worshipping the god of fertility and wine Dionysus who was the son of the god Zeus and the mortal Semele. The Athenians celebrated their annual fertility four tribal festivals known as Festival of the Wine Jugs and Old Dionysia in March with a whole week of public wine drinking and phallus, penis worshipping religious orgy (Cohen,n.d.;Phillips, 2000). The religious rites for these festivals eventually took the shape of poetry that later developed to become plays. Greek plays and drama started as an entertaining event that developed to become a powerful medium of communicating ideas. Theatre played an important role in the ancient Greek civilization because it was reflecting the flaws and values of the Greek culture. It mainly focused on solving the human conflicts and problems of the day but with a supernatural element (god or goddess). The theatre that focused on exposing societys flaws benefited the audience who would learn from them. It should be noted here that the body language used in the Greek theatre played an important role in delivering the message to the spectators. As said by Heins-Uwe Haus (1995), We feel obliged to visualize the events of the play, if we want to grasp something of the spirit and the roots of the dramatic heritage of Sophocles. It was this fusion of the artistic and the political, the formal and the philosophical, that made this experience unique. Therefore, the people in Greece were on intimate relations with th e body where they used body language as a major part of the Greek drama. After scrutinizing the Greek drama, it becomes obvious that gods in Greek society were viewed in human terms. For instance, gods can have emotions of sadness, happiness, and emotions of love; they can hold grudges, and can fight with each other. The gods in Greek plays were, like humans, uncertain of their destiny. Additionally, humanity was strongly concerned in ancient Greek drama where humans were elevated from animals. Human harmony depended on the interaction between human and divine forces where peace would be endangered if disharmony existed (Tripod members, 2004). Figure 2. Theatre Masks Note. Retrieved from http://www.crystalinks.com/greektheater.html Greek plays consisted of two major types: tragedy and comedy. The two masks, in figure 2, symbolize both the comedy and tragedy aspects of the Greek Theatre. These two masks that represent duality were worn in ancient Greece during the golden age, around 500 300 BC. With respect to tragedy, it was expressed by Aristotle as: an imitation of an important and complete action, which has a specific length, written in an embellished language, with its separate parts set in order and not randomly, in active and not narrative form, tending through pity and fear to the catharsis of passions. The word tragedy was derived from the words Tragos meaning goat and ode meaning song. The reason behind this vague origin had to do with two possibilities: the first which was related to the choruses who were dressed in lion-skins of goats, and the second which was linked to the prize for best song that was a goat. Ancient Greek tragedy mainly depended on stories of myth or history but with varied interpretations of events. It mainly focused on psychological and ethical attributes of characters instead of physical and sociological ones. Tragedy was dominated by the works and innovations of three well-known playwrights: Aeschylus (525-456 B.C.) who was known for his tragic trilogy the Oresteia which enlarge the possibilities for dramatics through the com munication between two characters in his plays. Aeschylus made use of a third character; however, Sophocles (496-406 B.C.) was the one who actually began it. The latter was known for his trilogy Oedipus Rex where his plays decreased the job of the chorus in Greek drama in order to enhance the interaction between characters and the progress of the character itself. The third tragedian was Euripides (480-406 B.C.) who indicated the ultimate form of drama and employed a more naturalistic and human aspects in his plays. An example of tragedy can be the famous speech of Macbeth (Tripod members, 2004): Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Lifes but a walking shadow; a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more: It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. With respect to comedy, the word comedy was derived from Comoi which was the name of a god meaning amusement and entertainment. It was usually based on a happy idea that used exaggerated, ridiculous, and sensual pleasures; for instance, a peace with a power or sex strike to stop war. Comedy plays commented and criticized contemporary society, politics, literature and Peloponnesian War. Two playwrights were famous in this domain: Aristophanes (448-380 B.C.) and Menander (342-292 B.C.). Comedy was not as popular as tragedy at first. However, the popularity of Comedy was accompanied with the diminishing of the popularity of tragedy which highly represented the role of theatre. Therefore, tragedy was at its peak in Greek society when the society was at its height whereas comedy (a means for decreasing frustrations) was at its peak during the decline of Greek government. A good example of comedy can be a funny tale about a strong woman Lysistrata who led a female union to stop the war in Greece. This play, written by Aristophanes, can be a good demonstration of the role of women in ancient Greek time. Women, in this play, were revealed as deceiving, mischievous, strong, smart, cunning, and as being leaders. Lysistratas cunning was shown through her great plan of refusing sex by the wives to their husbands. She knew that by refusing sex, peace would be gained since men would not be able to resist this situation. Moreover, what revealed the cleverness of women was when they took over the Akropolis. Lysistrata was able to give a speech on how to run the government and was capable of changing the situations that she didnt like; she was a true clever leader. For instance, Lysistrata mentioned: If we sat around at home all made up, and walked past them wearing only our see-through underwear and with our pubes plucked in a neat triangle, and our husbands got hard and hankered to ball us, but we didnt go near them and kept away, theyd sue for peace, and pretty quick, you can count on that! (as cited in Gruber-Miller, 1987). Also, Lysistrata said: The older women are assigned that part: while were working out our agreement down here, theyll occupy the Akropolis, pretending to be up there for a sacrifice (as cited in Gruber-Miller, 1987). The Warriors in Lysistrata said (Tripod members, 2004): First Speaker: For through mans heart there runs in flood A natural and noble taste for blood Second Speaker: To form a ring and fight Third Speaker: To cut off heads at sight All in Unison: It is our right! Youth Come, listen now to the good old days when children, strange to tell, were seen not heard, led a simple life, in short were brought up well. Although women were not permitted to engage in ancient Greek plays or even to be with the audience, women made their own festivals in order to gather and discuss their issues with each other. Women played an important role in the Greek society; it was like what people nowadays in our society say behind a great man there is a woman. It was the same case where behind every hero there was a woman. Greek theatre spread its cultural influences to Egypt, the Middle East, Rome, and then the whole world. This indicates how much the Greek theatre has influenced our modern theater. Without ancient theater, the form of entertainment nowadays may not have existed. As indicated by Rebekah Martin (2006):Without the influences of Dionysus festivals and Greek drama, Shakespeare would have no foundation, and Andrew Lloyd Webber would be out of a job. Therefore, the roots of drama have affected everything from radio drama to modern cinema.

Death and Reality in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates :: Where Are You Going Where Have You Been

Death and Reality in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates      Ã‚  Ã‚   Joyce Carol Oates' "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" is about a young girl's struggle to escape reality while defying authority and portraying herself as a beauty queen; ultimately, she is forced back to reality when confronted by a man who symbolizes her demise. The young girl, Connie, is hell- bent on not becoming like her mother or sister. She feels she is above them because she is prettier. She wants to live in a "dream world" where she listens to music all day and lives with Prince Charming. She does not encounter Prince Charming but is visited by someone, Arnold Friend, who embodies the soul of something evil. Arnold Friend symbolizes "Death" in that he is going to take Connie away from the world she once knew. Even if she is not dead, she will never be the same person again, and will be dead in spirit. With the incorporation of irony, Oates illustrates how Connie's self-infatuation, her sole reason for living, is the reason she is faced with such a terrible situation possibly ending her life. Connie is only concerned about her physical appearance. She can be described as being narcissistic because "she had a quick, nervous giggling habit of craning her neck to glance into mirror or checking other people's faces to make sure her own was all right" (Oates 148). Connie wants her life to be different from everyone else's in her family. She thinks because she is prettier, she is entitled to much more. She wants to live the "perfect life" in which she finds the right boy, marries him, and lives happily ever after. This expectation is nothing less than impossible because she has not experienced love or anything like it. She has only been subjected to a fantasy world where everything is seemingly perfect. This is illustrated in the story when Connie is thinking about her previous encounters with boys: "Connie sat with her eyes closed in the sun, dreaming and dazed with the warmth about her as if this were a kind of love, the caresses of love, and her mind slipped over onto thoughts of the boy she had been with the night before and how nice he had been, how gentle, the way it was in movies and promised in songs" (151).

Benefits and Risks of 3D/4D Ultrasound Essay

Non-invasive method of producing pictures of parts of the body by exposing them to high-frequency sound waves is known as ultrasound imaging or sonography or ultrasound scanning. The images obtained thus are captured real-time, thus showing the movement, structure and blood flow of the internal organs. The equipment used for this purpose is known as ultrasound scanner which consists of a console, a video display screen and a transducer. The console contains a computer and electronics. High frequency, inaudible sound waves are sent into the parts of the body through the transducer in small pulses. These waves bounce off the tissues producing a change in the pitch and direction of the sound. This change is again picked up by the transducer and then based on these echoed waves, the shape, size and consistency of the part of the body is deducted and a real-time image is created on the monitor (radiology info, n. d. ). Until recently only the conventional 2 dimensional images were being produced. However recent advances have led to the development of 3-dimentional and 4-dimentional images too. Such images are very popular in obstetric scanning and are being used to view the baby in the pregnant mother. The 3D/4D images allow physicians and mothers to look at the features of the baby and also watch the baby move and grow (Wood, 2008). 3D pictures are produced by storing the echoed waves digitally and shading the life-like images of the baby. Adding element of movement to 3D pictures produces 4D pictures. However, the clarity and activity of the images depends on the gestational age and the position of the fetus at the time of scanning (Wood, 2008). Benefits of 3D/4D ultrasound The most relieving benefit of the modern 3D/4D ultrasound is that there is no preparation needed prior to scanning. The conventional 2D ultrasound demanded full-bladder causing discomfort to the patient. Also, certain parts of the body like the arms, face, legs, toes and fingers are seen more clearly in the 3D/4D. Thus conditions like cleft palate are more easily detected in the modern ultrasound. Various movements of the fetus like smiling, crying, yawning, blinking, and moving fingers can be seen with 4D ultrasound. Another benefit with this type of scanning is that the type of display is multiplanar allowing visual cut through of structures and organs in any plane. Thus even the fetal brain and its cavities can be studied (Wood, 2008). Studies have reported that 3D ultrasounds were much superior in determining fetal weight more appropriately. Also, 3D ultrasounds require lesser views, are easier to use, are more efficient and produce much clearer image when compared to 2D scanning (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). Thus, 3D ultrasounds are able to analyze fetal abnormality in a better way. 3D ultrasound is superior to 2D in nuchal cord identification at term (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). 3D ultrasound can identify women who have chances of delivering early by measuring cervical length. 3D is also superior in gender identification, even in the first trimester (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). There is lot of potential to study neurological behavior of the fetus using 4D ultrasound (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). On the whole, 3D/4D ultrasound gives an opportunity to expectant mothers to know and familiarize their babies much before they are born, thus creating bondage between mother and baby. The technology also allows visual confirmation of pregnancy and reassurance of well-being of the fetus. Risks of 3D/4D ultrasound Although no obvious risks have been identified with 3D/4D scanning as is the case with 2D scanning, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine warns against the possibility of biological effects of scanning which may be identified in future (Wood, 2008). Even the American College of Radiology and The United States Food and Drug Administration warn against casual exposure to ultrasound especially during pregnancy. This warning comes in the light of shooting baby photos in malls using scanning machines. There are also concerns about possible thermal and mechanical damage to the fetus caused by sound waves which has led to the ALARA principle of exposure, meaning, the sonologists expose the fetus to ‘As Low As Reasonably Achievable’ doses of sound waves (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). Conclusion 3D/4D ultrasound scanning is a wonder technology which is gaining lot of importance in obstetric medicine. This method of scanning allows better visualization of the fetus and its parts, early and proper identification of anomalies and establishment of bond with the baby much before the baby is born. However, though there are no reports of side effects of these non-invasive procedures, researchers warn against the possibility of thermal and mechanical damage to the fetus, thus discouraging unnecessary exposure during pregnancy. Research is warranted to discover the side effects of these wonder technologies. References RadiologyInfo. Obstetrical Ultrasound. Retrieved on 21st Feb. , 2009 from http://www. radiologyinfo. org/en/info. cfm? PG=obstetricus Wiseman, C. S. , and Kiehl, E. M. (2007). Picture Perfect: Benefits and Risk of Fetal 3D Ultrasound. MCN, The American Journal of Maternal and Child Nursing, 32(2), 102- 109. Wood, D. (2008). New Dimensions in Prenatal Ultrasound: 3D and 4D. Retrieved on 21st Feb. , 2009 from http://www. swedish. org/17337. cfm

Percy Bysshe Shelley Essay - 675 Words

Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was a sad genius who tried to live a happy life. Fascinated with history, language and philosophy, wildly happy in the company of children, he became a serious student of religion as he sought to better our condition in this world. He mastered Latin and Greek, pondered the great philosophers, and, suddenly he was re-born - he became an amalgam of Lucretius, Pliny, Hume, Locke, dHolbach, Bacon, Voltaire, Spinoza, Franklin, Paine, and a host of other giants whose thoughts were melded into his flashing mind. Soon he was ready to take on the powers of his day. Shelley would use the press to publish his vision of humanity and how quot;power and priest-craftquot; had duped us. The Church had been getting†¦show more content†¦One protected the clergy; the other shielded the politicians. He attacked them both with a printing press. It would be hard to say whether Shelley wrote more sedition than blasphemy or visa-versa. At 18 he was expelled from the University of Oxford for publishing The Necessity of Atheism, which opened with quot;There is no God.quot; He posted a copy to quot;every Bishop in the Kingdomquot; and placarded the chapel with atheistic signs. Shortly after his departure from Oxford, the Lord Chief Justice of Great Britain, Lord Ellenborough, sentenced an aged publisher to prison and gave him a bankrupting fine, for printing Tomas Paines The Age of Reason. Shelley published an open letter to the eminent and ignorant jurist, pleading for the right to think, to investigate, and to publish. He explained that truth is only found when there is an opportunity for open discussion. quot;That which is false will ultimately be controverted by its own falsehood. That which is true needs but publicity to be acknowledged.quot; He informed the Lord Chief Justice that if religion would admit free discussion, quot;†¦the Mohammedan, the Jew, the Christian, the Deist, and the Atheist, will live together in one community, equally sharing the benefits which arise from its association, and united in the bonds of brotherly love.quot; That didnt happen but a debate would arise in England concerning the rights ofShow MoreRelatedPercy Bysshe Shelley Essay1456 Words   |  6 Pagesthe 19th century was Percy Bysshe Shelley. He was born August 4th 1792 to Sir Timothy and Elizabeth Pilford Shelley in Field Place, Horsham, Sussex, England. (Crook) Shelley was the oldest of six children. He had one brother, John and four sisters, Mary, Elizabeth, Hellen, and Margaret. His family lived a very comfortable lifestyle, especially his dad’s father, Bysshe Shelley whom owned quite a few estates. 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(OED Online) ‘Mutability’ was most probably written in order to portray Shelley’s own views that humans do not have control over changes which occur in their own lives. However, it asserts Shelley’s belief that, â€Å"Nought may endure but Mutability.† Shelley demonstrates this idea by using various literary devices, dictionRead More Irony in Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley Essay617 Words   |  3 PagesOzymandias, the Greek name for Ramses II, is a sonnet written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. In the poem, Shelley uses irony as a form of satire, mocking tyranny. The poem was published, according to Ian Lancashire (University of Toronto) near January of 1818. At that time, for Europeans, places like Egypt were considered exotic and that adds to the popularity of the sonnet at the time. 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My author is Percy Bysshe Shelley â€Å"He was born in Suxxex England† and â€Å"he attended theRead MorePercy Bysshe Shelley A Tragic Flaw Essay1707 Words   |  7 PagesThere once was a revolutionary English Romantic poet by the name of Percy Bysshe Shelley, and considered by many critics as one of the greatest lyrical, influential, and liberal poets of his era. Shelley always stood up for what he believed in and would fight tooth and nail for what he wants. His life was always full of risks and was very adventurous, this is what made him an interesting person and it is what made his works so intriguing. Despite his popularity, Shelley’s riskiness was also hisRead MoreEssay on Percy Bysshe Shelley Defends Poetry1608 Words   |  7 PagesPercy Bysshe Shelley Defends Poetry â€Å"While Mrs. Bush understands the right of all Americans to express their political views, this event was designed to celebrate poetry.† – Office of the First Lady, in regards to the cancellation of a poetry symposium. (Benson) In â€Å"A Defence of Poetry,† Percy Bysshe Shelley puts forth the claim that poets are the â€Å"unacknowledged legislators of the world† (810). Although Mrs. Bush might disagree, Shelley argues convincingly in favor of such a positionRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem England By Percy Bysshe Shelley1122 Words   |  5 Pages In â€Å"England in 1819† by Percy Bysshe Shelley, he utilizes allusions, diction, symbolism, and metaphors to show disdain for King George the Third. These literary devices are important to the poem as a whole to convey the hatred Shelley had because it allows the reader to see where this disdain derives from. Shelley uses allusions to indirectly call something familiar to mind. First and foremost, he calls out â€Å"an old, mad, blind, despised, and dying King† (Shelley 790). Though he doesn’t mention