Principlies of Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Principlies of Humanities - Essay Example Jubal, the seventh descendant of Adam was the father of them that play upon the harp and the organs (Renehan 2). Music falls into the natural subdivisions of Uncivilized, Semi-civilized or Civilized depending on the people it is associated with. Uncivilized music is primitive in form and exists among races that have not reached the point of artistic organization (Pratt 18). Semi-civilized music falls into two distinct groups, one for people existing now for example, Chinese and Hindus and the other for ancient people for example, Hebrews and Egyptians both of whose music has a real system not relating to our own (Pratt 19). Civilized music falls into three groups marked by centuries namely, Greek and Roman, Mediaeval and Modern music (Pratt 19). This paper covers the song â€Å"Amazing Grace† by English poet turned Clergyman, John Newton. Although born to a religious mother, Newton always abandoned the Christian faith in pursuit of his own interests. At some time in his life, he commanded an English slave ship that he owned and would supply for slave trade. The song dates back to a time between 1760 and 1770 composed in Olney. Newton wrote it after experiencing a tumultuous life in slavery and brutal abuse that led to his conversion. Unpredictable events in his life included, the early death of his mother, adolescent passions, seizure by naval press gang, servitude in Africa, disaster and deliverance at sea, tales of whippings and sudden deaths, climatic religious conversion, romance, an epileptic fit, unemployment, a succession of job opportunities, failed attempts to enter the ministry and so on (Hindmarsh 2).After his experience he got to believe in God and sought Him. The song was originally a poem with its basis derived from works of the New Testament in the Bible. The first verse for example, is derived from the parable of the prodigal son. â€Å"‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate

Word documents Essay Example for Free

Word documents Essay With the rampant use of the inter net today, the students in todays generation get their resources from the world wide web. In effect, most of the resources are easily copy-pasted to the students word documents. It is very likely for them to be accused of plagiarism. Now research resources can still be integrated into paper works without the worry of plagiarizing. There are certain methods on how to properly cite resources. First thing that would leave a writer out from damage is to cite their sources. Acknowledge the author of the source and then discuss the details of the specific source. It can be done through paraphrasing and quoting from the original source. The method of quoting first and then explaining what that specific passage is can also be effective. Quoting is a harmless way of integrating a source into ones work. The citation is very important as well. It is important to indicate page numbers and even line numbers for the sake of references. Another good method would be introducing the author and then following it with a brief summary (Alred, 2003, p. 153). An example would be: Fear Itself: Depression Life is written by Robert McElvaine and discusses how the Great Depression has hit Americans. It talks about how Americans in the early 20th century battle with starvation and unemployment, which affected a lot of Americans. Soon, the situation helped them change to become a better person. The country has suffered the Great Depression in the 1930s. People got mixed perceptions in this difficult time though (McElvaine, 1993, p. 23). Notice how the paragraph started with the authors name and immediately gives a background of the article he wrote. The importance of doing this right away in the first paragraph is for the sake of coherence in writing. With proper citation, paraphrasing and summarizing research sources can be integrated into another persons writing without plagiarism. References Alred, G. (2003). Handbook of Technical Writing. Michigan: St. Martins Press. Lester, J. (2005). Research Paper Handbook: Your Complete Guide. California: Good Year Books. McElvaine, R. (1993). The Great Depression: America, 1929-1941. New York: Times Books.

Strategic Positioning Of The Ryanair Airline Commerce Essay

Strategic Positioning Of The Ryanair Airline Commerce Essay Ryanair is a leading no frill airline in Europe and across the globe, it has managed to outperform all other airlines and in 2006, it carried over 34.8 million passengers. Ryanair is targeting low income earners and cost conscience customers 1. 2.1 PESTEL Analysis: (See appendix 7.5) PESTEL analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. It is a framework for reviewing a situation and can be applied by Ryanair to review strategic direction as well as marketing intention 4. When one aspect in the PESTEL analysis is affected, the rest will also be affected for example if the political situation of Ireland changes then the economical, technological, social, legal, economical and even environmental aspects will change 4. Ryanair is not in good terms with some governments in the European Union as well as airline industry authorities and airport regulatory bodies due to the rules and regulations they set. The EU wanted to charge tax on aviation fuel due to carbon emissions generated by the airline industries before 2010, Ryanair argued that any environmental taxations scheme should be to the benefit of more efficient carriers, so airlines with low load factors that generate high fuel consumption and emission per passenger and airline that offer connecting rather than point to point flights should be penalised thus excluding itself 5. Secondly, Ryanair protested against charges and conditions on some airports such as Stansted and Dublin. Economical conditions also affect both capital availability and cost, as well as demand 4. If demand is high and the capital is low, it will be attractive for Ryanair to invest and grow with expectations of being profitable. To influence demand Ryanair must continue to use its current strategy and improve its services and upgrade its customer care policies. The currency exchange rates affect Ryanair as they may determine whether customers will book a flight or not. If the exchange rate is high, customers will opt to use other means of transport such as the EURO express. To avoid this situation, customers can use the Euro to book flights 1. Moreover, jet fuel prices are dominated in US dollars and therefore Ryanair will have to risk paying more or less for fuel as it will include the exchange rate. The opportunity to exploit a particular strategy successfully may depend on demand which exists in growth conditions and does not in recession. Although a depressed economy will generally be a treat which results in a number of organizations going out of business, it can provide opportunities for some4. The recession decreased the number of competitors in the industry as well as weakening the remaining competition. In and after recession, customers are more willing to fly with a no frill or low cost carriers rather than a differentiated or hybrid carrier. Therefore, to certain extent the recession has had a positive impact Ryanair. The socio or cultural environment involves demand and tastes, which vary with fashion and disposable income, and general changes, can provide both opportunities and threats for Ryanair 4. Ryanair should be aware of demographics changes as the structure of the population by ages, affluence, regions, number working and so on so as to be able to take advantage when an opportunity occurs. Technological breakthroughs affect the airline industry the most. If the organization can adapt to the technological change then it will be able to overcome competition and increase its market share. The global focus in the 21st century is environmental protection. Ryanair has been able to meet the demand and standards of the world market by offering eco friendly airlines. The aircrafts produce 50% less emissions, 45% lower noise emissions per seat. A winglet modification programme on the fleet is providing better aircraft performance and a 2% reduction in fleet fuel consumption, a saving which Ryanair hopes to improve in the coming years 1. Ryanair has been using one type of airline, Boeing 737 to save cost on training staff. As Ryanair cannot dump expenses on its customers it should look for ways to reduce costs and the author believes that this is one of it 1. Legal factors affecting Ryanair is that of labour unions. Ryanair does not have a good relationship with its employees as it has refused to acknowledge unions. Secondly it is providing poor working conditions and low salaries. Although Ryanair has argued that its pilots are the best paid short haul pilots in Europe. In the autumn 2006 pilots in Ryanair lodge a complaint with the Irish Labour Relations Commission on the basis that there were significant in net salary between Ryanair and Aer Lingus pilots. 2.2 Michael Porters 5 Forces Analysis: (see appendix 7.8) The threat of substitutes in the airline industry is high as there are other means of transport to and from Europe as well as within Europe. Customers are opting to use the Euro Express (train) rather than using an airplane as it is cheaper and offers extra benefits. The Euro Express enables its customers to enjoy the scenario while offering more or less the same services as the airplane. Rivalry amongst existing firms; there are a number of competitors within the market and when the European Union commenced even more competitors entered the market. The industry is competitive and is becoming saturated. Each competitor is using a strategy to get a foot hold in the industry. Although some of the airlines are using the no frill strategy, Ryanair has been able to best them by creating a strong brand offering the lowest price fare. Bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of suppliers is low as there are many suppliers in the industry. The suppliers of the airline industry are those who supply the airline with parts such as the blades and engines, food, uniforms for the air hostess and so on. They are easily replaceable as Ryanair can get these services from any country within and outside of Europe. Ryanair as a supplier has a high bargaining power as it offers services that are unique in the market (it is the only no frill airline in the United Kingdom). Bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of buyers is very high as there are a lot of substitutes and competitors in the market. The customer can easily use his/her car to go Dublin rather than take an airplane. Secondly, as there are a number of competitors in the market, the airlines will offer discounts and promotions to attract customers and therefore customers can easily switch from one airline to another. Threats of new entrants; the biggest barrier to entering the airline industry is capital but nowadays entrepreneurs can take a loan with the bank or form an alliance such as a joint venture to overcome this barrier. The industry regulations can help decrease the number of new entrants and reduce competition within the market. There is no union among the existing firm to keep new entrants out, in other industries the existing firm come together to keep new entrants out of the industry as they would saturate the market even more. 2.3 Ratios Analysis: Ryanairs financial performance is positive, although there is still room for improvement (see appendix 7.9). The net profit margin in 2006 was lower than 2005 but Ryanair managed to increase it in the second half of 2006. The return on capital employee has been constant from 2005 to 2006. 3.0 STRATEGY CHOICES: 3.1 Strategy: Ryanairs objective is to firmly establish itself as Europes leading low-fares scheduled passenger airline through continued improvements and expanded offerings of its low-fares service. Ryanair aims to offer low fares that generate increased passenger traffic while maintaining a continuous focus on cost-containment and operating efficiencies 1. Ryanair was initially a hybrid (see appendix 7.4) as it was a full service conventional airline, in the early 1990s it become a no frill carrier under the management of Michael O Leary 1. The author believe that this move by the Chief Executive Officer has enable Ryanair to create a market peak for itself and gain market share and therefore I would not suggest a change in strategy. The industry is very competitive and is becoming saturated thus if Ryanair decides to change its strategy it will have to design and implement a new strategy that is not being used by its competitor or that has never been used in the industry. This is next to impossible as all of the strategies i.e. differentiation, cost leadership are already being used. Secondly, Ryanair would lose the foothold it has in the industry and its market share and it would have to start from scratch, which will mean more capital will have to be invested into the new strategy. Although Ryanair is using the no frill strategy1 they must be careful to not devalue the company. Currently, it has a large customer base but most of which have a very low opinion of the airline 6. Moreover, Ryanair should increase more benefits to its customers for example they should remove the 50 cent wheelchair levy that was impose on every passenger ticket 6. These small charges are making customers opt to fly with a different airline. The airline offers point to point flight 1. Ryanair uses secondary terminals to avoid crowding in the terminals as well as to decrease its turnaround time. The turnaround time is also kept to a minimum by the flight attendants cleaning the airplane instead of outsourcing professionals. Building on its success in the Ireland-U.K. market and its expansion of service to continental Europe, Ryanair intends to follow a manageable growth plan targeting specific markets to gain an advantage over its competitors. Ryanair believes it will have opportunities for continued growth by 1: Initiating additional routes from the U.K. or Ireland to other locations in continental Europe that are currently served by higher-cost, higher-fare carriers Increasing the frequency of service on its existing routes Starting new domestic routes within EU countries Considering possible acquisitions that may become available in the future Connecting airports within its existing route network (triangulation) 3.2 Competitive Advantage Analysis: Ryanair has many competitive advantages (See appendix 7.7). According to Ryanairs official website the following are some of its competitive advantage; 3.2.1 Low Fares: Ryanair sets fares on the basis of demand for particular flights and by reference to the period remaining to the date of departure of the flight, with higher fares charged on flights with higher levels of demand for bookings made nearer to the date of departure. The airline sells seats on a one-way basis, thus eliminating minimum stay requirements from all travel on Ryanair scheduled services, regardless of fare. Ryanairs competitors generally do not operate a one-way pricing policy, so direct comparison is not possible, but current round-trip fares on Aer Lingus, Ryanairs largest competitor on the London- Dublin route, for travel in September 2004 were 82.27 Euro for economy restricted return tickets, 218.27 Euro for economy flexible return and 353.75 pounds for business class tickets. 3.2.2 Customer Service: Ryanair delivers the best customer service performance in its peer group. According to reports by the Association of European Airlines and the airlines own published statistics, Ryanair has achieved better punctuality, fewer lost bags and fewer cancellations than all of the rest of its peer grouping in Europe. Ryanair achieves this by focusing strongly on the execution of these services and by operating from uncongested airports. 3.2.3 Frequent Point-to-Point Flights on Short-Haul Routes: Ryanair provides frequent point-to-point service on short-haul routes to secondary and regional airports in and around major population centres and travel destinations. Short-haul routes allow Ryanair to offer frequent service, while eliminating the necessity to provide frill services otherwise expected by customers on longer flights. Point-to-point flying allows Ryanair to offer direct, non-stop routes and avoid the costs of providing through service for connecting passengers, including baggage transfer and transit passenger assistance costs. In choosing its routes, Ryanair favours secondary airports with convenient transportation to major population centres and regional airports. Secondary and regional airports are generally less congested than major airports and, as a result, can be expected to provide higher rates of onetime departures, faster turnaround times, fewer terminal delays and more competitive airport access an d handling costs. Faster turnaround times are a key element in Ryanairs efforts to maximize aircraft utilization. Ryanairs average scheduled turnaround time for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004 was approximately 25 minutes. Secondary and regional airports also generally do not maintain slot requirements or other operating restrictions that can increase operating expenses and limit the number of allowed take-offs and landings. 3.2.4 Low Operating Costs: Management believes that Ryanairs operating costs are among the lowest of any European scheduled passenger airline thus being advantageous to the airline. Ryanair strives to reduce or control four of the primary expenses involved in running a major scheduled airline: Aircraft equipment costs Personnel productivity Customer service costs Airport access and handling costs 3.2.5 Aircraft Equipment Costs: Ryanairs initial strategy for controlling aircraft acquisition costs was to purchase used aircraft of a single type Boeing 737, there was a significant reduction in the number of such used aircraft available for purchase in the market. The 737-800s represent the latest generation of Boeings 737 aircraft and share certain basic attributes in common with Ryanairs current fleet. Although Ryanairs acquisition of the 737-800s has already, and will continue to significantly increase the size of its fleet from that in 1998 and thus significantly increase its aircraft equipment and related costs, the purchase of aircraft from a single manufacturer enables it to limit the costs associated with personnel training, maintenance and the purchase and storage of spare parts, as well as affording greater flexibility in the scheduling of crews and equipment. 3.2.6 Personnel Productivity: Ryanair endeavours to control its labour costs by continually improving the productivity of its already highly-productive work force. Compensation for employees emphasizes productivity-based pay incentives, including commissions for on-board sales of products for flight attendants and payments based on the number of hours or sectors flown by pilots and cabin crew personnel within limits set by industry standards or regulations fixing maximum working hours, as well as participation in Ryanairs stock option programs. 3.2.7 Customer Service: Ryanair has entered into agreements on competitive terms with third party contractors at certain airports for passenger and aircraft handling, ticketing and other services that management believes can be more cost efficiently provided by third parties. Management attempts to obtain competitive rates for such services by negotiating multi-year contracts at prices that are fixed or subject only to periodic increases linked to inflation. The development of its own internet booking facility and reservations centre has advantaged Ryanair to eliminate travel agent commissions. 3.2.8 Airport Access Fees: Ryanair attempts to control airport access and service charges by focusing on airports that offer competitive cost terms. Management believes that Ryanairs record of delivering a consistently high volume of passenger traffic growth at many of these airports has allowed it to negotiate favourable contracts with such airports for access to their facilities. Ryanair further endeavours to reduce its airport charges by opting, when practicable, for less expensive gate locations as well as outdoor boarding stairs rather than more expensive jet ways. 3.2.9 Ecommerce: During January 2000, Ryanair converted its host reservation system from the BABS (British Airways Booking System) to a new system called Flight speed, which it operates under a 10 year hosting agreement with Accenture Open Skies (Open Skies). As part of the implementation of the new reservation system, Open Skies developed an internet booking facility called Skylights. The Skylights system allows internet users to access Ryanairs host reservation system and to make and pay for confirmed reservations in real time through Ryanairs website which accounts for a 96% reservation of all flights. 3.2.10 Safety: Ryanairs commitment to safety is a primary priority of the Company and its management. This commitment begins with the hiring and training of Ryanairs pilots, cabin crews and maintenance personnel and includes a policy of maintaining its aircraft in accordance with the highest European airline industry standards. Ryanair has not had a single incident involving major injury to passengers or flight crew in its 20 year operating history. Although Ryanair seeks to maintain its fleet in a cost-effective manner, management does not seek to extend Ryanairs low cost operating strategy to the areas of safety, maintenance, training or quality assurance. Routine aircraft maintenance and repair services are performed at Dublin, London (Stansted), Glasgow (Prestwick), Shannon and Milan (Bergamo) by Ryanair and, at other airports maintenance contractors. 4.0 STRATEGY IN ACTION: According to Ryanairs website the company plans to initiate new services and improve existing ones and therefore the author will suggest ways the company can do so. The first is initiating additional routes from the U.K. or Ireland to other locations in continental Europe that are currently served by higher-cost and higher-fare carriers. As economies have just emerge from a recession, customers are more cost conscience and therefore if Ryanair continues to use its no frill strategy it will be able to quickly gain market share and dominance. Increasing the frequency of service on its existing routes, as seen in appendix 13 the most used route is from Dublin to London, therefore Ryanair should increase flights from Dublin to London and vice versa. Starting new domestic routes within EU countries, as the EU Union continues to grow, more markets will open up. Ryanair should try to enter these markets the first so as to gain the first mover advantage such as being the first to exploit the market thus gaining more knowledge about the market. Considering possible acquisitions that may become available in the future. Ryanair acquired a small Dutch budget, short haul, carrier buzz and wanted to acquire Aer Lingus its Irish rival and long haul airline. Although the acquisition failed at the time, Ryanair can still try again but using a different strategy. In the future the airline should appoint a stockbroker to purchase Aer Lingus as it did when its stockbroker Davy purchased the Aer Lingus shares. Secondly, Ryanair should negotiate behind closed doors, the first attempt failed because of media interference. Ryanair should state that it will bring in an expert to handle the organizational structure so that the 2 organizations can be able to work together and allow trade unions so as to win over the trust of the government and the Aer Lingus board. Connecting airports within its existing route network, currently Ryanair is using secondary terminals to avoid traffic and increase its turnaround time. But most customers prefer to use the main terminals and therefore if Ryanair uses both the main and secondary terminals it will be able to increase its customer base. 5.0 CONCLUSION: As seen in section 3.2 Ryanair is using the no frill strategy, the company has positioned itself well in the market and has manage under the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer and shareholder Michael O Leary to become a household name. Although Ryanair is targeting a niche in the market where its customers are willing to forgo extra benefits for the low fare, the company should try to add value for its customers where ever it can and when ever it can to increase brand loyalty and ultimately sales. 6.0 REFERENCE: Ryanairs official website, http://www.ryanair.com obtained on 21st November 2009 at 12:11 P.M G. Johnson, k. Scholes, R. Whittington 2008, Exploring Corporate Culture, 8th Edition, Prentice Hall Ryanairs history 2009 obtained from http://en.Wikipedia.org/Ryanair on 19th November 2009 at 11:23 A.M PESTEL Analysis, obtained from http://university-essays.tripod.com on 19th November 2009 at 12:00 P.M S. Cairns and C. Newson, predict and decide: Aviation, climate change and UK policy, ECI Research Report 33, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford 2006 D. Milmo, Ryanair the world least favorite airline, Guardian 26 October 2006 Center for Asia Pacific Aviation 2009, obtained from http://www.cntreforpacificaviation.com on 15th November 2009 at 2:12 P.M BBC WORL NEWS, fast track, interview with Michael OLeary time 11:55 28th December 2009 Ryanairs marketing mix 2009 obtained from http://www.marketingteacher.com on the 27th of November 2009 at 12:06 P.M. Ryanairs competitive advantage obtained from http://www.slideshare.net/puya455/newanalysis-of-ryanairs on the 27th November 2009 at 1:00 P.M Ryanairs value chain analysis obtained from http://www.peerpapers.com/essays/Ryanair-Value-Chain-Analysis/171123.html?topic

Pony Express :: essays research papers

Pony Express   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before 1860 it was virtually impossible to get a letter or other form of correspondence from St. Joseph Missouri to Sacramento California in less than 20 days. 20 days seemed entirely too long for the west coast merchants and bankers to wait for documents from the east. So three men, William Russell, Alexander Majors and William Waddell created the Pony Express. The Pony Express ensured fast and safe delivery of the mail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To ensure the fast pace delivery of the mail, the Pony Express purchased 600 broncos, mostly thorough breads, mustangs, and morgans. Still the horses weren’t all needed. They also had to find men who would be able to handle the adverse weather conditions, Indians and be able to ride for 75 miles with out stopping. The riders were generally under 20 years of age and weighed no more than 120 pounds. They had to be excellent horsemen and have experience with guns. The Pony Express was a relay of mail running day and night.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On April 3rd, 1860, the first rider Johnny Fug headed west bound for Sacramento. Every rider road for 75 miles and they would switch horses every 10-15 miles. The very first letter traveled the 2,000-mile journey from St Joseph Missouri to Sacramento California in only 10 days to the hour of departure. This journey used 27 men and 133 horses. The Pony Express cut the normal 20 days of travel into 10 days, nearly cutting it in half.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the amazing delivery of mail in 10 days across 2,000-miles of prairie land, mountains and deserts led many people to use them. With the growth communication between the east and the west the Pony Express grew in popularity. The Pony Express proved that the central route through the U.S could be traveled all winter. It supported the cattle route for the Transcontinental Railroad to meet with the Union Pacific Railroad. Communications was kept open with California during the Civil War. The Pony Express was the fastest communication between the east and west until the telegraph. It captured the hearts and imagination of people all over the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With all its success the Pony Express like all things suffered failures. Such as the owners spent $17,000, on the Pony Express and has a 2,000 deficit.

Education in Pakistan Essay

President Asif Ali Zardari signed ‘The Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill 2012’ into law. The bill, which sought to ensure all children between five to 1 6 years of age are provided free education. He urged provincial governments to promulgate similar legislations in their respective assemblies as well. He said the responsibility for providing free education rests with both federal and provincial governments, referring to article 25-A of the Constitution. The article 25-A of Constitution of Pakistan obligates the state to provide free and compulsory quality education to children of the age group 5 to 16 years. The federal government will now provide free textbooks and uniform s to children and ensure schools have qualified teachers. Free pre-school education, early childhood care and free medical and dental inspection will also be provided to all citizens and no child will be subjected to corporal punishment â€Å"Under the law, private schools will be required to provide free education to disadvantaged students, who will comprise 10% of each class,† Zardari said, adding that school management committees will be established to persuade parents into sending their children to schools. â€Å"We will honor our international commitments and achieve the targets set by the Education for All and Millennium Development Goals initiatives. National Educational Policy 2009 Under the 18th constitutional amendment control and management of the education sector has been devolved to the provinces. They are now responsible for the key areas of the education sector i.e. curriculum and syllabus, centers of excellence, standards of education up to intermediate level (Grade 12) and Islamic education. Planning and policy and standards of education beyond Grade 12 are covered under Federal Legislative List. All the provinces have shown their commitment to the National Education Policy 2009. The National Educational Policy (NEP) 2009 is a milestone which aims to address a number of issues including: * Quality and quantity in schools and college education * Universal primary education * Improved Early Children Education (ECE) * Improved facilities in primary schools * Converting primary schools to elementary schools * Detaching classes XI-XII from college education * Adopting a comprehensive definition of ‘free ‘education * Achieving regional and gender parity especially at elementary level the share of resources for education in both public and private sectors Accordingto the latest Pakistan Social and Living StandardsMeasurement (PSLM) Survey 2010-11, the literacyrate for the population (10 years and above) is 58percent during 2010-11,

Walt Whitmans Take on Slang in America

Walt Whitman's Take on 'Slang in America' Influenced by the 19th-century journalist and philologist William Swinton, poet Walt Whitman celebrated the emergence of a distinctively American language one that introduced new words (and found new uses for old words) to convey the unique qualities of American life. Here, in an essay first published in 1885 in The North American Review, Whitman offers many examples of slang expressions and luxuriant place names all representative of the wholesome fermentation or eructation of those processes eternally active in language. Slang in America was later collected in November Boughs by   David McKay (1888). Slang in America Viewd freely, the English language is the accretion and growth of every dialect, race, and range of time, and is both the free and compacted composition of all. From this point of view, it stands for Language in the largest sense, and is really the greatest of studies. It involves so much; is indeed a sort of universal absorber, combiner, and conqueror. The scope of its etymologies is the scope not only of man and civilization, but the history of Nature in all departments, and of the organic Universe, brought up to date; for all are comprehended in words, and their backgrounds. This is when words become vitaliz’d, and stand for things, as they unerringly and soon come to do, in the mind that enters on their study with fitting spirit, grasp, and appreciation. Slang, profoundly consider’d, is the lawless germinal element, below all words and sentences, and behind all poetry, and proves a certain perennial rankness and protestantism in speech. As the United States inherit by far their most precious possession the language they talk and write from the Old World, under and out of its feudal institutes, I will allow myself to borrow a simile, even of those forms farthest removed from American Democracy. Considering Language then as some mighty potentate, into the majestic audience-hall of the monarch ever enters a personage like one of Shakspere’s clowns, and takes position there, and plays a part even in the stateliest ceremonies. Such is Slang, or indirection, an attempt of common humanity to escape from bald literalism, and express itself illimitably, which in highest walks produces poets and poems, and doubtless in pre-historic times gave the start to, and perfected, the whole immense tangle of the old mythologies. For, cur ious as it may appear, it is strictly the same impulse-source, the same thing. Slang, too, is the wholesome fermentation or eructation of those processes eternally active in language, by which froth and specks are thrown up, mostly to pass away; though occasionally to settle and permanently chrystallize. To make it plainer, it is certain that many of the oldest and solidest words we use, were originally generated from the daring and license of slang. In the processes of word-formation, myriads die, but here and there the attempt attracts superior meanings, becomes valuable and indispensable, and lives forever. Thus the term right means literally only straight. Wrong primarily meant twisted, distorted. Integrity meant oneness. Spirit meant breath, or flame. A supercilious person was one who rais’d his eyebrows. To insult was to leap against. If you influenc’d a man, you but flow’d into him. The Hebrew word which is translated prophesy meant to bubble up and pour forth as a fountain. The enthusiast bubbles up with the Spirit of God within him, and it pours forth from him like a fountain. The word prophecy is misunderstood. Many suppose that it is limited to mere prediction; that is but the lesser portion of prophecy. The greater work is to reveal God. Every true re ligious enthusiast is a prophet. Language, be it remember’d, is not an abstract construction of the learn’d, or of di ctionary-makers, but is something arising out of the work, needs, ties, joys, affections, tastes, of long generations of humanity, and has its bases broad and low, close to the ground. Its final decisions are made by the masses, people nearest the concrete, having most to do with actual land and sea. It impermeates all, the Past as well as the Present, and is the grandest triumph of the human intellect. Those mighty works of art, says Addington Symonds, which we call languages, in the construction of which whole peoples unconsciously co-operated, the forms of which were determin’d not by individual genius, but by the instincts of successive generations, acting to one end, inherent in the nature of the raceThose poems of pure thought and fancy, cadenced not in words, but in living imagery, fountainheads of inspiration, mirrors of the mind of nascent nations, which we call Mytholog iesthese surely are more marvellous in their infantine spontaneity than any more mature production of the races which evolv’d them. Yet we are utterly ignorant of their embryology; the true science of Origins is yet in its cradle. Daring as it is to say so, in the growth of Language it is certain that the retrospect of slang from the start would be the recalling from their nebulous conditions of all that is poetical in the stores of human utterance. Moreover, the honest delving, as of late years, by the German and British workers in   comparative philology, has pierc’d and dispers’d many of the falsest bubbles of centuries; and will disperse many more. It was long recorded that in Scandinavian mythology the heroes in the Norse Paradise drank out of the skulls of their slain enemies. Later investigation proves the word taken for skulls to mean  horns  of beasts slain in the hunt. And what reader had not been exercis’d over the traces of that feudal custom, by which  seigneurs  warm’d their feet in the bowels of serfs, the abdomen being open’d for the purpose? It now is made to appear that the serf was only required to submit his unharm’d abdomen as a foot cush ion while his lord supp’d, and was required to chafe the legs of the  seigneur  with his hands. It is curiously in embryons and childhood, and among the illiterate, we always find the groundwork and start, of this great science, and its noblest products. What a relief most people have in speaking of a man not by his true and formal name, with a Mister to it, but by some odd or homely appellative. The propensity to approach a meaning not directly and squarely, but by circuitous styles of expression, seems indeed a born quality of the common people everywhere, evidenced by nick-names, and the inveterate determination of the masses to bestow sub-titles, sometimes ridiculous, sometimes very apt. Always among the soldiers during the Secession War, one heard of Little Mac (Gen. McClellan), or of Uncle Billy (Gen. Sherman) The old man was, of course, very common. Among the rank and file, both armies, it was very general to speak of the different States they came from by their slang names. Those from Maine were call’d Foxes; New Hampshire, Granite Boys; Massachusetts, Bay Stater s; Vermont, Green Mountain Boys; Rhode Island, Gun Flints; Connecticut, Wooden Nutmegs; New York, Knickerbockers; New Jersey, Clam Catchers; Pennsylvania, Logher Heads; Delaware, Muskrats; Maryland, Claw Thumpers; Virginia, Beagles; North Carolina, Tar Boilers; South Carolina, Weasels; Georgia, Buzzards; Louisiana, Creoles; Alabama, Lizards; Kentucky, Corn Crackers; Ohio, Buckeyes; Michigan, Wolverines; Indiana, Hoosiers; Illinois, Suckers; Missouri, Pukes; Mississippi, Tad Poles; Florida, Fly up the Creeks; Wisconsin, Badgers; Iowa, Hawkeyes; Oregon, Hard Cases. Indeed I am not sure but slang names have more than once made Presidents. Old Hickory, (Gen. Jackson) is one case in point. Tippecanoe, and Tyler too, another. I find the same rule in the people’s conversations everywhere. I heard this among the men of the city horse-cars, where the conductor is often call’d a snatcher (i.e., because his characteristic duty is to constantly pull or snatch the bell-strap, to stop or go on). Two young fellows are having a friendly talk, amid which, says 1st conductor, What did you do before you was a snatcher? Answer of 2d conductor, Nail’d. (Translation of answer: I work’d as carpenter.) What is a boom? says one editor to another. Esteem’d contemporary, says the other, a boom is a bulge. Barefoot whiskey is the Tennessee name for the undiluted stimulant. In the slang of the New York common restaurant waiters a plate of ham and beans is known as stars and stripes, codfish balls as sleeve-buttons, and hash as mystery. The Western States of the Union are, however, as may be supposed, the special areas of slang, not only in conversation, but in names of localities, towns, rivers, etc. A late Oregon traveller says: On your way to Olympia by rail, you cross a river called the Shookum-Chuck; your train stops at places named Newaukum, Tumwater, and Toutle; and if you seek further you will hear of whole counties labell’d Wahkiakum, or Snohomish, or Kitsar, or Klikatat; and Cowlitz, Hookium, and Nenolelops greet and offend you. They complain in Olympia that Washington Territory gets but little immigration; but what wonder? What man, having the whole American continent to choose from, would willingly date his letters from the county of Snohomish or bring up his children in the city of Nenolelops? The village of Tumwater is, as I am ready to bear witness, very pretty indeed; but surely an emigrant would think twice before he establish’d himself either there or at Toutle. Seattle is sufficiently barbarous; Stelicoom is no better; and I suspect that the Northern Pacific Railroad terminus has been fixed at Tacoma because it is one of the few places on Puget Sound whose name does not inspire horror. Then a Nevada paper chronicles the departure of a mining party from Reno: The toughest set of roosters, that ever shook the dust off any town left Reno yesterday for the new mining district of Cornucopia. They came here from Virginia. Among the crowd were four New York cock-fighters, two Chicago murderers, three Baltimore  bruisers, one Philadelphia prize-fighter, four San Francisco hoodlums, three Virginia beats, two Union Pacific roughs, and two check guerrillas. Among the far-west newspapers, have been, or are,  The Fairplay  (Colorado)  Flume,  The Solid Muldoon, of Ouray,  The Tombstone Epitaph, of Nevada,  The Jimplecute, of Texas, and  The Bazoo, of Missouri. Shirttail Bend, Whiskey Flat, Puppytown, Wild Yankee Ranch, Squaw Flat, Rawhide Ranch, Loafer’s Ravine,  Squitch  Gulch, Toenail Lake, are a few of the names of places in Butte  county, Cal. Perhaps indeed no place or term gives more luxuriant illustrations of the fermentation processes I have  mention’d, and their froth and  specks, than those Mississippi and Pacific  coast  regions, at the present day. Hasty and grotesque as are some of the names, others are of an appropriateness and originality unsurpassable. This applies to the Indian words, which are often perfect. Oklahoma is proposed in Congress for the name of one of our new Territories. Hog-eye, Lick-skillet,  Rake-pocket  and Steal-easy are the names of some Texan towns. Miss Bremer found among the aborigines the following names: Men’s, Hornpoint; Round-Wind; Stand-and-look-out; The-Cloud-that-goes-aside; Iron-toe; Seek-the-sun; Iron-flash; Red-bottle; White-spindle; Black-dog; Two-feathers-of-honor; Gray-grass; Bushy-tail; Thunder-face; Go-on-the-burning-sod; Spirits-of-the-dead. Women’s, Keep-the-fire; Spiritual-woman; Second-daughter-of-the-house; Blue-bird. Certainly philologists  have not given enough attention to this element and its results, which, I repeat, can probably be found working  everywhere  to-day, amid modern conditions, with as much life and activity as in far-back Greece or India, under prehistoric ones. Then the witthe rich flashes of humor and genius and poetrydarting out often from a gang of laborers, railroad-men, miners, drivers or boatmen! How often have I  hover’d  at the edge of a crowd of them, to hear their repartees and impromptus! You get more real fun from half an hour with them than from the books of all the American humorists. The science of language has large and close analogies in geological science, with its ceaseless evolution, its fossils, and its numberless submerged layers and hidden strata, the infinite  go-before  of the present. Or, perhaps Language is more like some vast living body, or perennial body of bodies. And slang not only brings the first feeders of  it,  but is afterward the start of fancy,  imagination  and humor, breathing into its nostrils the breath of life.

The play The Merchant of Venice is described as Romantic Comedy Essays

The play The Merchant of Venice is described as Romantic Comedy Essays The play The Merchant of Venice is described as Romantic Comedy Paper The play The Merchant of Venice is described as Romantic Comedy Paper Essay Topic: Merchant Of Venice Play The Lottery and Other Stories One aspect of Romantic Comedy is that it should contain Romance. This is evident in the fictional romance of Portias marriage lottery in the Three Casket Story. Another aspect of Romantic comedy is evident when the central character Antonio is saved from Death and Disaster. The rule of comedy is that however serious the conflict may be, it should all end well in a resolution. As the Italian poet Dante (1256-1326) wrote: A comedy is journey through hell to purgatory and up to heavens which ends well, but does not make the readers laugh. The play is described, as a comedy obeying all the conventions its settings is urban in Venice and countryside in Belmont, its characters middle class. It uses prose and iambic pentameter, there is a clownish comic servant (Lancelot) and a jester (Gratiano) Plot confusion arises from disguise and disaster is avoided, complications are resolved, marriage concluded. The main thematic and structural elements of the play all belong to the category of Romantic comedy rather than tragedy or history. The basic action of the play is moved by two interconnecting stories: 1. Bassanios courtship to a wealthy heiress of Belmont, Portia, which is straightforward romance. 2. The story of the flesh bond is an ancient time narrative known to Shakespeare by II Pecorone (1558) set by Ser Giovanni Fiorentini and the Jew of Malta by Christopher Marlow. I think to a modern day audience it is hard to classify the merchant of Venice as a comedy because the modern day audience would feel that the plot was designed tragically. Elements of harsh reality includes- the sinister and ruthless plan of Shylock also; his total and crushing defeat at the end, which brings the play more close to a tragedy rather than comedy. The play has been turned away from the conventions of Romantic comedy by the union of the, lovers in Act 3 the middle of the play, a modern day audience would have expected to see the romance of Portia earlier. The love of Portia and Bassanio is not comic, it comes about through a test devised by Portias father to safe guard her against unsuitable suitors. This kind of romance is normal to Elizabethan Audience because there is no alive interfering adult, however a modern day audience would consider this kind of courtship not leading freely to choose a marriage partner as it is through a attached condition of choosing the right casket. Portia and Bassanios love is outwards looking (by choosing the right casket), self-sacrificing, comprehensive and mature unlike the mad love normally associated with romantic comedy. Bassanio is helped in every way toward this marriage. Portia is naturally attracted towards Bassanio and Portia does not go against her fathers will to win him. She values her fathers will more than her love. But news of Antonio being in danger meant postponing of the honeymoon meant the harmonious society promised by the conventions of Romantic comedy is not fulfilled, and Portia suffer financially and emotionally. As later in the play Lorenzo comments on this sacrifice for love: You have a noble and true conceit of god like enmity, which appears most strongly in the bearing thus the absence of your lord. No modern day heiress as a bride would do that. I think modern day theatregoers will consider this disturbing and class it tragic rather than comedy. However the play ends on a suitably romantic comic note as Gratiano, the most humorous of the lovers promises a good life for his wife and shadow of Shylock has passed and Antonio is safely in Belmont and atmosphere is of love and Friendship. The plot is tied together by friendship and love of Antonio and Bassanio, which becomes the story of hatred and revenge (Antonio versus Shylock). Bassanios need for money to marry Portia, leads him to borrow from Antonio, who in turn borrows from Jewish moneylender, a usurer, Shylock. Shylock is a member of racial and religious minority of Venice, where Christians are in majority, Shylock hates Christians in general and Antonio in particular for the racial and economic enmity towards him and his business of money lending. Seeing an opportunity to gain advantage over Antonio, Shylock proposes the flesh bond, which Antonio agrees to. If the debt is not repaid in the said period, shylock will be permitted to cut off a pound of his flesh. In this we see revenge tragedy in commercial Venice is counteracted by romance in magical Belmont. The fiction of three-casket story in magical Belmont where Portia a wealthy heiress peruses her fathers will to choose her marriage partner by a successful suitor, who chooses correctly from the three caskets. This courtship romance works out perfectly for Portia, two suitors rejected for choosing incorrectly and eventually meeting her wanted suitor Bassanio, who chooses correctly. Thus ending the fairy tail courtship romance produces the perfect result for Portia. Immediately after the resolution of the romance plot between Portia and Basssanio, the news of Antonios disaster comes his loss of ships at sea, resulting in the forfeit of the bond. Shylock proceeds with his deadly suit against Antonio; according to the Venetian Law moneylender shylock has an answerable case. Bassanio not only has won a rich heiress as a bride but also Portia is more enterprising and intelligent than him. She disguises herself as a lawyer and defends Antonios case skilfully and legally by producing statutes, which not only stops Shylock from proceeding with the case but also Shylock is defeated, he becomes vulnerable to death penalty for conspiring against Antonios life. The Jew is then offered a merciful settlement his life is spared on condition that he becomes a Christian, and that half of his wealth is handed over to Antonio who will keep it in trust for the benefit of Shylocks runaway daughter Jessica. The emotional power of the Shylocks story overshadows the love of Portia and Bassanio. Therefore for the modern theatregoers overall effect is tragic rather than comic, because through T.V, cinema and video modern day audience take comic as funny and tending to laughter rather than social resolution typically ending in marriage. The three main characters that I think play a very important role in this play are Antonio, Bassanio and Shylock. Character of Antonio is used to show the relationship of love and friendship with Bassanio. In the beginning of the play, we meet Antonio who is a rich merchant suffering from depression, In sooth I know not why I am so sad. We have been introduced to a great centre of Venice, Rialto through the merchant Antonio, who is shy, anxious and lacking in confidence and who is deeply involved in his personal thoughts and naivety relying on his argosies with portly sails/ like signors rich burghers on the flood. He is trying to secure a credit for his friend Bassanio to send him to a Secret Pilgrimage and ignoring the perils at sea. We hear of spices scattered on the sea, enrobed with silk, which is the foreshadowing of the disaster at sea which will endanger his life. Antonio is in a deep crisis of identity, I have much a do to know myself. The impression we get from other characters in the play such as Shylock, who refers to Antonio as a good man. But on the other hand, another character and a friend of Antonio interrupt Shylock, Have you heard any imputation to the contrary? Shylock quickly rephrases his remarks,my meaning is that he is good man to have you understand me that he is sufficient. Which meant that he is credit worthy. Infact Shylock was not looking for his credit worthiness he is looking for an advantage over him. Antonio unstintingly helps to raise money for his friend Bassanio is to the extent that he is ready to put his life onto the hands of his enemy. Antonio is a loyal friend but has a vicious side to his character as well, he is a bully hiding behind the law, we learn from Shylocks aside that Antonio is racist, He hates our sacred nation Antonios judgement of Shylock is blinded by the intense desire to help his friend Bassanio, regardless of any cost. Bassanio can see the danger in borrowing money from Shylock unlike Antonio, I like not fair terms and A Villains mind. Antonio is gullible cannot see the ulterior motive of Shylock, by readily lending the money. He is taking revenge from Antonio because Antonio has mistreated him called him a misbeliever, cut throat dog, and spat on his Jewish gabardine. Not only this, Antonio promised to continue his racial hatred. I am as likely to call thee so again, spat on thee again, to spurn thee to which reinforces the Jewish case against Christians. Antonio faces the trial with resignation, I am the tainted weather of the flock, which gives us the cue as to see him this way, but does not reveal his character. At the end of the trial, after the crushing defeat of Shylock, Antonio shows no mercy by converting him into a Christian and giving the money to his run away daughter. Antonios behaviour shows he is no better than Shylock in taking revenge. However the Christian law supports him. Bassanio has accumulated debts mainly from Antonio. He is keeping up the lifestyle Showing a more swelling port/ than my faint means would grant continence His behaviour is prodigal because he has borrowed money to establish a social and economic status. Bassanio is describing to Antonio the Wondrous virtues of Portia to go on Sacred Pilgrimage, not only to gain a virtuous and loving wife but also to settle all the debts by marring a lady richly left. What he explains to Antonio is not courtship but more of a business plan, To shoot another arrow that self way which you did shoot the first/ I do not doubt, as I will watch the aim or to find both, or bring you back again, and I thankfully rest debtor for first. I think a modern day bank manager will see this kind of approach of Bassanio to pay debts as a Credit risk than being credit worthy. Nerissa describes him as a Scholar and soldier because his thinking type of attitude made him choose the right casket. I think he is more of a fortune hunter than as a suitor for a beautiful wife. Bassanios character develops toward the end of the play when he is honest in his love for Portia, which over takes his earlier sentiment: To pay all the debts I owe. His love for Antonio brings him back to Venice where he offers his own life: The Jew shall have my flesh, blood bones and all/ Ere thou shalt lose for me one drop of blood. The character development emphasises that love and friendship are superior to his Earlier self-centred greed. Shylock is the most memorable character in the play. His name is equated with greed and miser ness. He is lonely and isolated figure, unloved even by his own daughter Jessica who implies, our house is hell. She is ashamed to be his fathers child! But though I am a daughter to his blood/ I am not to his manners. Jessica elopes due to her authoritative father Shylock and ends her strive, becomes a Christian and a loving wife of Lorenzo. Shylock is target of vicious mockery by Gratiano; he is a victim member of the oppressed minority in Venice where Christian are in majority. Shylock creates a sense of his different ethnic identity by his speech habits, he speaks of our tribe (Jews), and he will not eat with you (Christians). The Christians in turn call him a dog, spurn him with their feet, spat on him, so to the Christian is a cur, a wolf, a devil, and subhuman. Shylock reminds them of the physical basis of their common humanity if you prick us do we not bleed. In return he wants blood. Shylock is full of hatred and desire for revenge against Antonio because the environment he lives in years of ill treatment by the Christian is indicated in his outburst against the insensitivity that Christian represented in the form of anti-Semitic behaviour of Antonio: He hath disgraced me and hindered me half a million, laughed at my loses, mocked at my gain, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends, heated mine enemies- and whats his reason? I am a Jew. Hath no the Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? (Act 3 S 1) This uncovers understandable motive for his revengeful behaviour, which brings sympathies of audience for him, but when he insists the bond, the audience takes this sympathy back. However, a person who has no feelings will be the only one not to move by the plight of Shylock at the hands of Christian in the end, when he is utterly crushed and leaves the courtroom in anguish. Shylock becomes the victim of his own stubborn cruelty; he loses everything even his faith. I think few of us will feel for Shylock that he got what he deserved in the end but others will see him as a victim of his environment made cruel by the years of ill treatment by the Christians. He is driven by hatred to the extend that he tried to use Christian law against Christians: To have the due and forfeit of my bond, if you deny it, let the danger light Upon your charter and your cities freedom. The victimised character aspect of him exposes hypocrisy of Christians and the modern day audience would sympathise with him but again when the audience learns about his attitude towards saving 9000 ducats, then 3000 ducats, when all attempts failed his dignity. I think it will bring laughter from the audience rather than sympathy. Two important themes in the play are appearance/reality and money/wealth. The main theme of The Merchant of Venice is appearance vs. reality. Bassanio had borrowed, and is borrowing more, money from Antonio so he can look and live on a higher level than his own income can sustain. Later, in Belmont, Bassanio must choose between caskets of gold, silver, or lead to win Portia, who he wants to marry. It turns out that lead is the correct choice. This shows that what may appear to be invaluable, can yield the best results is another example of appearance vs. reality. Yet, another example of this theme is when Shylock is lending money to Antonio without interest, but if Antonio fails to pay back on time, he loses a pound of flesh. Shylock offers this in a way that seems generous and jokingly, but really wants to use the situation to get back at Antonio for past humiliations: Were he (Antonio) out of Venice, I can make what merchandise I will When Portia appears in the trial scene she is not what she appears to be, yet provides the play with the most interesting and tense scene when she defends Antonio against shylocks attempts to gain his pound of flesh. The second theme in the play is Money/Wealth. Money is the theme of the love plot as well as the hate plot of the Merchant of Venice. Bassanios need for money to win a rich heiress Portia as a bride, a lady richly left is what puts Antonio in the power of Shylock. Antonio and Shylock are very different merchants, yet both trying to make money. Jessica brings lots of money, when she elopes with Lorenzo, she throws down a casket. She then spends extravagantly the money her father had earned so carefully. Attitudes to the getting and spending of money are the important themes of the play, wealth does not make Portia happy, By my troth, Nerissa, my little body is aweary of this great world. She needs to love and beloved, spending money is more fun than getting it, generosity is better than meanness yet generosity is not the word for a Jessica who exchanged a turquoise ring for a monkey and spent four score ducats in a night. Life with Shylock must have been grim but the ring Jessica steals and then exchanges for monkey was the ring her mother gave to her father. To a modern day audience the play is very anti-Semitic because Shakespeare age based their prejudice on religious grounds as the Elizabethan inherited the fiction, fabricated by the early Church, that the Jews murdered Christ and were therefore in league with the devil and were actively working to subvert spread of Christianity. The religious grounds of this anti-Semitism means that if a Jew converted to Christianity, as Shylock is forced to do in The Merchant of Venice, then all will be forgiven as the repentant Jew is embraced by the arms of the all merciful Christian God of love. In fact, some Christian believed-as do some fundamentalist sects today, that the coming of the Kingdom of God was aided by converting the Jews to Christianity. When the abuse of the Jew as usurer is combined with the Christian religious bias against Jewishness that marked Elizabethan England, this leads to a natural result in the demonisation of the Jew. This demonisation quickly leads to the image of the Jew as a wanton murderer, and is clearly revealed in the accusation of blood libel that arose against the Jews during their year before exile from England. In The Merchant Of Venice the central conflict is common enough, and decidedly the stuff of romantic comedy a young man borrows money to finance his pursuit of a beautiful and wealthy woman. But the devil is in the details as Shylock, and the details of this play are troubling, ambiguous, and risky. The borrower is a Christian, the moneylender a Jew. The merry bond, a pound of flesh, has overtones of the crucifixion of Christ, and in a Venetian courtroom, justice and mercy get so entangled that the final verdict seems neither just nor merciful. Therefore interpreted by a modern day audience as anti-Semitic, also because of the effects of more recent events of 20th Century such as the horrors of the holocaust, the very names of the WWII concentration camps such as Auschwitz, Dachau, and Belson remains the symbols of persecution of the Jews by Nazis. The part of the play I would like to highlight is the trial scene; I have chosen it because of its dramatic tension, who will win the court case? Will the judge really have to let Shylock carve a pound of flesh from Antonios body? Portia disguised as a man, how would she intensify the drama through the theme of appearance and reality. The evil of Shylock hidden behind the mask of friendship: I would be friends with you and have your love, kind offer is sealed as the dreadful bond. The language used in the many speeches can be staged to highlight the conflict and rivalry between Antonio and Shylock. The trial scene in The Merchant of Venice is one of the great scenes in Shakespeare. In the early stages of the play Shylocks deal with Antonio seems so silly that it does not make any sense. However, when Antonio is unable to pay his debts to Shylock the conditions of the deal assume a terrifying quality, I will have my bond! Speak not against it! What Shylock actually wants to do here is to kill Antonio and make it legitimate by using the idea of the contract. This, of course, is a viciously cruel punishment for the non- payment of debt, no matter how much Shylock hated Antonio. It is therefore necessary for Shylocks cruelty to be contained and this, of course, is where Portia, disguised as Balthasar comes in. Her brilliant probing attack on Shylock completely destroys his position and this is quite acceptable, given what Shylock actually deserved. However, Shylock is stripped of his wealth for his attempted murder of a Venetian, which in the full balance of things seems harsh. The court itself, after the request of Antonio, then shows some mercy to Shylock. He will lose only half his wealth, provided he converts to Christianity. The stage: will be an arena type in the round where audience would be sitting is semi circle around the stage in a stadium type seating arrangement for a fuller view of the court room scene for every one. The trial scene does not need to be changed so the curtain is not needed. The Set: to make it an informal court room scene where I would be highlighting the speeches I have chosen an uncluttered room with minimum furniture and props, an oval table with some chairs around it, few chairs at the side walls for Bassanio and others. The Dukes chair would be with arms and pen holder in front of him. Another square table and a chair with a computer to record the proceedings for the Clark of the judge. The walls of the room would be fitted with bookshelves full of law reference books and some upright filling cabinets in one corner. Costumes: Shylock dressed as modern Jew with a pinned stripped dark suit with three buttons, a Jewish skull cap, enters holding a leather briefcase containing a box of surgical instrument and digital weighing scales. Antonio dressed up in a dark blue suit with a light blue shirt, white collars and cuffs with Christian Dior cufflinks. Duke wearing a judges wig and a robe. Bassanio and others wearing Next suits. Portia and Nersissa disguised as men with moustaches wearing black gowns and white collars. Sound system: all actors wearing small microphones. Sound effects: through electronic tape players. I would want Shylock to deliver this speech with strong emotions. Now Shylock look at the Duke and answer him, what judgement shall I dread doing no wrong. Now with quivering muscles and altered tones move in a semi circle and point with his arms towards every one sitting in the court, You have among you many a puchasd slaves, you use in abject and in slavish parts, because you bought them. Now turn towards the Duke and say in a high pitched voice Let them be free, marry them to your heirs? Why seat they under brethrens? Let their beds be made as soft as your: Now, Shylock put your hands towards your mouth and let their palates be seasond with such viands: At this stage wave your arms and beat your chest with your arms and you will answer the slaves are ours. In a very angry tone, so do I answer you? Shylock, looking at Antonio moves towards him, the pound of flesh which I demand of him is dearly bought, this is mine and I will have it. Turn towards the Duke and in a loud and angry tone there is no force in decrees of Venice: I stand for judgement, answer. Stress on shall and say, Shall I have it. Portia, now with your back towards the Duke looking at Shylock say in an eloquent way without overstressing on the word straind speak with two syllable without distracting affect and start moving in a rapid speech form, giving it as much energy as possible, The quality of mercy is not straind, It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown; His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings; But mercy is above this sceptred sway; It is enthroned in the hearts of kings, It is an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest Gods. When mercy seasons justice. Portia start urging Shylock to offer mercy to Antonio in a pleading tone, When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew, Though justice be thy plea, consider this, That, in the course of justice, none of us. Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy; and that same prayer doth teach us all to render. The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much, to mitigate the justice of thy plea; which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice. Looking towards Antonio with anxiety and says Must needs give sentence gainst the merchant there. Antonio stand tall like a tower at the kneeling body of Shylock with a steady joyousness, addressing the Duke and all the court, To quit the fine for one half of his goods, I am content so he will let me have, the other half in use, looking down at Shylock Antonio now strike a harder blow, upon his death, tauntingly on that lately stole his daughter, and in a triumphant tone two things provided more, that for this favour, he presently become a Christian, the other that he do record a gift here in the court of all he dies possessd, unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter. I believe the play is of great relevance to contemporary society. Although the play was written and performed in England in the 16th Century, the theme of prejudice and religious intolerance is still very relevant today, in the 21st Century as it was in the Shakespeares time. Many recent productions have focused upon the treatment of the Jews and have used ideas from this period of history. The Oscar winning Spielberg film Schindlers List gives an account of Jewish Persecution under the Nazis and contains similar ideas at times to those in the play. The existence of Apartheid in South Africa was the recent reminder of the behaviour like that of Antonios does not go away, it simply changes where it happens. Even after 400 hundred years of this play someone, somewhere will behave like the characters of The Merchant of Venice. For a modern day audience it is not possible to remain neutral about the situation, such as in Merchant of Venice, it does arouse our response and encourages the need to identify and combat anti-Semitism and all other forms of racial prejudices in our contemporary society.