A Long Way Gone Memoirs Of A Boy Soldier By Ishmael Beah

The book A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah portrays seamlessly what the human condition should be. Human condition is the â€Å"characteristics, key events, and situations which grow the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, everyday conflict, problem solving, and mortality.† Additionally human nature refers to specific characteristics such as morals, attitudes, feelings, thoughts and actions. After reading A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, we have been left with the question, what precisely does Ishmael s experiences tell us about the human condition? What does this exactly mean to be human? To truly understand this, we have to understand what he was capable of†¦show more content†¦I didn t know what I was going to do with my life. I felt that I was starting over and over again.† This quote introduces us to a multitude of issues that Ishmael faced and survived. It portrays how he was a vi ctim of violence who had lost his family and is considered dangerous to most people; he survived more than physical pain but mental anguish as well. The anguish of his everyday battles of losing his family and friends brings him a great deal of sorrow and grief. He continues on through each village realizing how no one cares for him and how hopeless he truly is and with no one by his side he comes to the conclusion that he has no place to call home anymore. His village was destroyed by the rebels and as a whole, Sierra Leone now fears him. He worries no such place will exist for him as long as he is alive. In particular when he says â€Å"I was starting over and over again,† he is realizing that he has no place to stop as long as Sierra Leone is in war because he has to avoid the rebels and the terrified victims of the war, that fear him. With no place to stop and the constant need to be on the move he realizes he has no time or place to rest. Finally he is coming to the conc lusion that his dreams have been obliterated by the war and that the only thing he can do is survive each coming day. Overall Ishmael had to survive a great deal of emotional, mental, and physical pain toShow MoreRelatedA Long Way Gone : Memoirs Of A Boy Soldier By Ishmael Beah1589 Words   |  7 Pageschose to read for my summer reading assignment was A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. By judging this book by its title, I knew it was going to be a nonfiction piece focusing on one person’s experience on this gruesome topic. I expected this novel to graphic and eye opening about the life of a child soldier. Major Characters Ishmael Beah: The author and narrator of this novel shares his experience when he was a child soldier for Sierra Leone Armed Services during the civil warRead MoreLiterary Techniques Used in the Memoir of Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier1050 Words   |  5 PagesIn the memoir of Ishmael Beah, A Long Way Gone, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Beah states that his life’s journey has been a huge obstacle, but has learned to overcome that struggle by venting while the two contradictory sides continue their battling. Beah accomplishes his goal of explaining to the reader his point of view through the use of rhetorical questions, scenic narration, and parallelism. Ishmael Beah’s apparent purpose is to share personal accounts of his life with his fellow country men, inRead MoreA Long Way Gone - 3 Essay834 Words   |  4 PagesA Long Way Gone Ishmael Beah had a really tough life throughout his childhood and teenage years. In his literary work, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Ishmael Beah uses symbols to underscore his central theme of oppression and/or freedom. The three symbols he used to underscore his central theme of oppression and freedom was Ishmaels AK-47, his cassette tapes, and the drugs he used. Ishmaels AK-47 was the most important symbol that Ishmael Beah used to underscoreRead MoreThe Bite Of The Mango Analysis813 Words   |  4 Pagesnext Sunday. But some unknowns are life-changing. Ishmael Beah’s and Mariatu Kamara’s unknowns were the wars that lead to the demolition of their childhoods. But, both fortunate enough to survive their civil wars, Beah and Kamara have written memoirs of their experiences in the war, Beah, as a child soldier in the war, and Kamara, as a child victim of the war. This provides vastly different perspectives, however, due to Ismael Beah’s A Long Way Gone containing more psychological and physical aspectsRead MoreA Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah Essay examples721 Words   |  3 PagesA Long Way Gone By Ishmael Beah A long way gone by Ishmael Beah, attempts to evoke a powerful response from the leader, by using vivid descriptions to show how he has become emotionally traumatized by the acts of violence in the war. The reader then sympathizes with Ishmael and begins to understand the lasting and deep, emotional pain that Ishmael deals with on a daily basis. The book is based on actual events and is expressed through a personal point of view. Ishmael wrote a memoir that tellsRead MoreA Long Way Gone 11043 Words   |  5 PagesA Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, by Ishmael Beah, tells of the experiences in his intense journey through Sierra Leone during the outbreak of war. Beah had to learn to survive the harsh outcome of the war, resulting in the loss of those whom were close to him, family and friends, and trust in people. The book has a recurring theme of nature and the natural world. In the book, the world at night, as well as the moon, serves as both a safeguard and a bringer of bereavement. As a boy, IshmaelRead MoreThe Bite Of A Mango Analysis799 Words   |  4 PagesWhat would it be like to be completely surrounded by war in one’s own home? For two children in The Bite of a Mango and A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, this was their everyday reality. The Bite of a Mango follows the life of a twelve year old girl named Mariatu Kamara. A Long Way gone follows the life of a fourteen year boy named Ishmael Beah. Both books are true stories that personally recount the events of how the war affected not only their towns, but themselves as children. In bothRead MoreA Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah Essay1205 Words   |  5 PagesBook Summary In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah, a former boy soldier with the Sierra Leone army during its civil war(1991- 2002) with the rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), provides an extraordinary and heartbreaking account of the war, his experience as a child soldier and his days at a rehabilitation center. At the age of twelve, when the RUF rebels attack his village named Mogbwemo in Sierro Leone, while he is away with his brother and some friends, his life takes a major twist. WhileRead MoreA Long Way Gone Argument Essay examples990 Words   |  4 PagesEddie Salcedo Mr. Stone December 5, 2012 7th period A Long Way Until The End of This Essay The author of A Long Way Gone argues against boy soldiers but also against the loss of innocence. Beah’s parents are burned alive by the rebels; this is the first step towards his animosity towards them. In his story he talks about snorting brown brown, shooting men and how he was slowly corrupted by the men around him, turning him into a machine. It tells the story of a world as horrendous as anyRead MoreEmotional Response in A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah Essay587 Words   |  3 PagesA long way gone by Ishmael Beah, attempts to evoke a powerful response from the leader, by using vivid descriptions to show how he has become emotionally traumatized by the acts of violence in the war. The reader then sympathizes with Ishmael and begins to understand the lasting and deep, emotional pain that Ishmael deals with on a daily basis. The book is based on actual events and is expressed through a personal point of view. Ishmael wrote a memoir that tells the story of a young boy who is

How Did John F. Kennedy Act Through the Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban missile crisis of 1962 brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. What was at stake in the crisis, and how do you assess President Kennedy’s response to Khrushchev’s provocation? Was Kennedy prudent or rash, suitably tough or needlessly belligerent? By Jeremy Leung 299722 USA The World 131-236 The Cuban Missile Crisis was perhaps the closest that humankind had ever become to experiencing a thermonuclear war. In October 1962, the world watched perilously, as U.S. president John F. Kennedy warned his people of the amalgamation of Soviet arms in Cuba. John F. Kennedy refused to accept â€Å"offensive† Soviet artillery in such close proximity to the U.S., but Soviet chairman Nikita Khrushchev had already planned a stealthily†¦show more content†¦The reasons why McNamara and Kennedy and other U.S. politicians were so fearful of a nuclear was because according to U.S. analysts at the time, the 24 MRBM’s (Medium range-ballistic missiles) and sixteen IRBM’s (intermediate-range ballistic missiles) that were found in Cuba had significantly increased the number of U.S. targets that the Soviet’s could lethally attack by forty percent.[8] Furthermore, having missiles within Cuba allowed the Soviets to bypass the U.S. warning radars, especially t he Ballistics Missile Early Warning system, which was stationed in the North Pole.[9] By bypassing the U.S. warning radars, it certainly amplified the risk of a surprise strike upon certain American air bases and important command posts.[10] To address this risk, the U.S. army went from â€Å"Defence Condition Five† (peacetime alert) to â€Å"Defcon 3† (war alert) which further illustrated the high levels of precautions the U.S. government were taking in order to protect itself from an offensive attack from the Soviet.[11] It was quite clear from these precautions that the impending nuclear threat in Cuba threatened the lives of American civilians, troops, and government officials. In the event that the situation escalated out of control, the two world superpowers could have engaged in a third World War that, with nuclear technology had the potential to kill hundreds of millions of civilians and soldiers.[12] Fortunately, the Cuban Mission Crisis never escalated t hisShow MoreRelatedThe Cuban Missile Crisis : A 13 Day Standoff1726 Words   |  7 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13 day standoff in Cuba during the Cold War that struck fear into many American people. Joseph Roblat said, â€Å"The most terrifying moment in my life was October 1962, during the cuban missile crisis. I did not know all the facts - we have learned only recently how close we were to war - but I knew enough to make me tremble†. Missiles were in Cuba, in range of the U.S.. The world has never come so close to being in a full out Nuclear War. If the Soviets launched one ofRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis1495 Words   |  6 Pagesa slip of paper, that President John F. Kennedy kept in his pocket (Dobbs 14). And if ever there was a storm coming, it was evident to Kennedy the morning of October 16, 1962: the date Kennedy was made aware of Soviet missiles in Cuba. This was the testing ground, the closest the world has ever been to nuclear war, the Cuban Miss ile Crisis, 16-28 October, 1962. The future for millions of lives depended upon the ability of United States President John F. Kennedy and Russian Premier Nikita KhrushchevRead MoreThe War Of Fidel Castro870 Words   |  4 PagesUnited States did not like this and refused to acknowledge him. With the U.S. not wanting any affiliation with him, he drew closer to the Soviet Union. President Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted to overthrow Castro so he raised an army of Cuban exiles and trained them in the jungle. The army was ready, but Eisenhower was no longer the President. John F. Kennedy was left to choose whether to launch the invasion or to back off. Kennedy didn t like Castro at all, President John F. Kennedy went forwardRead MoreDr. Strangelove And The Cuban Missile Crisis1563 Words   |  7 PagesStrangelove or: How I learned to Stop Worry and Love the Bomb† and the Cuban Missile Crisis compare in different ways but also contrast each other in certain ways. The film by Stanley Kubrick was filmed in 1964 and was an older comedy film that almost mocks the Cold War fears of a nuclear conflict between the USSR and the United States. The Cuban Missile Crisis was the confrontation in October of 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union established as a classic foreign policy crisis. Both theRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis And The Soviet Union1412 Words   |  6 PagesThe Cuban Missile Crisis became the closest the world had ever been to nuclear war, resulting from gro wing tension in the Cold War between the United States (NATO) and the Soviet Union (Warsaw Pact). Cuba at the time also had ongoing conflict with the United States, after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in attempt to overthrow corrupt government leader Fidel Castro. The Soviet Union and Cuba’s newfound similar plights led to a partnership and the strategic positioning for the Soviet Union to implementRead MoreThe Cuban Missile Crisis1149 Words   |  5 Pagesof liberty.† The words of the 35th president John F. Kennedy. During the 1960’s the Soviets were looking to have world power. So they decided to expand their power towards the America’s. while in Vietnam they always had trouble keeping independence and now communism is splitting the North and South and causing a civil war. Both the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War illustrate the United States attempt to combat communism. The Cuban Missile Crisis in the prevention of a nuclear war. WhereasRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy : A President With A Different Sense Of Confidence1178 Words   |  5 PagesJohn F. Kennedy: A President with A Different Sense Of Confidence One of President John Kennedy’s famous quotes was, â€Å"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on† (Brainy Quotes), and as the 35th president of the United States, his ideas for the country are still living on. Not only Kennedy was extremely liked by people, he was also rated above the majority of presidents America had, with the exception of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Basically, what reallyRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy : A President With A Different Sense Of Confidence1178 Words   |  5 PagesJohn F. Kennedy: A President with A Different Sense Of Confidence One of President John Kennedy’s famous quotes was, â€Å"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on† (Brainy Quotes), and as the 35th president of the United States, his ideas for the country are still living on. Not only Kennedy was extremely liked by people, he was also rated above the majority of presidents America had, with the exception of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Basically, what reallyRead More Cuba in the Cold War Essay1821 Words   |  8 Pages On April 17, 1961 one of the greatest foreign policy mistakes of the Cold War was made, the attempted invasion of the Bay of Pigs, Cuba. The failed invasion happened under the administration of John F. Kennedy and caused the deaths and imprisonment of over 1500 Cuban exiles fighting to over throw the rule of Fidel Castro. The aftermath caused much larger impacts towards United States foreign policy. The invasion made the United States look imperialistic to the rest of the world and al lowed theRead MoreJohn F. Kennedy s Strategy On Foreign Policy1275 Words   |  6 PagesJohn F. Kennedy’s Strategy on US Foreign Policy Although John F. Kennedy’s record on foreign policy has received mixed reviews because of his all too short presidency, Kennedy’s approach or strategy on how to deal with international issues gave the United States of America options on foreign policy, both then and now. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born to a rich and privileged family who was already a well politically connected family. The Kennedy’s fortune came from the stock market, entertainment

Virtual Communities in Purchasing Decisions

Question: Discuss about the Virtual Communities in Purchasing Decisions. Answer: Introduction: Consumer behaviour mainly includes those process and activities that are essentially followed to make different decisions to buy services or goods. Due to this, during the development of the advertisements, advertisers consider consumer behaviour and makes investments to understand the consumer behaviour. This assignment is intended to describe different aspects of the consumer behaviour. The way by which the advertisers utilises the group influences: Users mainly align them against or with various types of groups to which they think as the relevant at their lives. Consumers particularly aspire to buy goods if they observe that buying goods put them into the group to which they want to be included. The main reason behind that is people mainly want to be involved in those groups in which they can find the likely minded people (Nollet and Beaulieu, 2015). For example, a person intends to go to that restaurants or shops where they can get another buyer who is not only the likely minded but also their perception and status is also the same. The main reason behind that is high-class people want to be among the high-class people, or middle-class people want to be among the group of middle-class people. Therefore, the advertiser must advertise these concepts into their advertising. If an advertiser wants to announce a restaurants or shops for the high-class people, then they must mention it somehow during showing advertising to the poten tial customers. Along with that, it is also mandatory to select a proper advertising media so that it can attract the intended target market. Otherwise, it will be very much difficult for the company to attract their target customers. It is seen that there are mainly three different types of reference group influence such as utilitarian influence, informational influence and the value-expressive influence. Through the informational influence, different customers receive information from different professionals who works near the product line and then takes the purchase decision accordingly by comparing it with similar types of goods. On the other hand, by the utilitarian influence, the purchasing of the goods is dependent on the buyer itself (Nollet and Beaulieu, 2015). Therefore, it is mandatory for the marketers to provide extensive and transparent information to customers so that they can be motivated to buy those goods. Along with that, it is also mandatory to express how buying goods and services can increase the image of the customers. This is because; through value-expressed influence, different individuals might feel as well as thinks that purchasing or utilising goods and increase their brand image. Along with that, children also influence their parents to buy different products or services (Leal et al. 2014). For this reason, marketers should influence children via different modes of the marketing channel so that they can change their parents regarding the purchase of the goods or services. It is seen that one parent can affect other parents to make final purchasing decisions. According to the statistics, children spend almost 200 billion dollars annually, whereas they also influence an approximate of 500 billion dollars to purchase different household things. Along with that, the non-wealthy customers also influence wealthy clients. Therefore, marketers must develop their marketing strategy for luxury goods in that way that can distinguish the high-class customers from the non-wealthy customers. Discussion of consumer behaviour: Consumer behaviour is the study of the group, organisations, processes and the individuals that any customer utilises for the selection, utilisation and disposition different services, ideas, products and experiences so that they needs and wants can be satisfied. As stated by Blodgett et al. (2013), organisational buying is one of the processes of decision making by which different formal organisations can establish the need among customers so that they can purchase products as well as services from the company by identifying, evaluating and selecting those products among several alternative suppliers and brands. The consumer buying behaviour is irrational because it does not fit some predictable as well as simple rules that are established by the economists. According to Milliman (2011), irrational behaviour can be described as some behaviour that is out of control, agitated as well as dumb. Consumer buying behaviour is irrational because not all of the human being is consistent with nature and they do not hold the same kind of response as well as perception. Therefore, it is very much difficult to assume the strategy that can motivate all of the customers. This is because; at any point in the decision-making process, variability can be generated and creates irrationality. The main reason behind the irrational behaviour of the consumer is most of the customer do not have the proper knowledge regarding the value of any products or services so that they can compare any product or services with the similar types of goods to buy the best products. Therefore, there is an inevitable uncertainty re garding the brand selection of any customers. However, the organisational buying is rational because there is some strategy that is helpful that can influence any client in particular ways so that they can act in an appropriate ways (Koufaris and Ajit Kambil, 2011). It is seen that if any marketers can convince someone in particular ways so that they can be influenced to take their future decisions regarding purchasing products or services, then it can be said that it is possible to influence the organisational; buying. Therefore, it can be said that organisational buying can be rational. The extent to which marketers should utilise different techniques for encouraging the impulse buying: According to Wood (2012), impulse buying can be defined as the purchasing process without any prior planning as the result of the impulse. In the case of any big business, more than forty percent sales are coming from the impulse buying. Therefore, marketers of any big organisation must encourage the impulse buying because it can highly benefit any company. It has been observed that when any individual planned for the rational buying, then they compare the product or service quality and price of one brand with another. Therefore, there is huge possibility that the customer may not select the particular brand. In most of the cases, rational buying process increases the competition in the market. On the other hand, impulse buying is mainly dependent upon the good mood of any people. If any marketers became successful to grab the good mood of any people, then they may get a huge amount of sales, which is unplanned from the customer's end. Therefore, for facilitating the impulse buying t he only requirement is an emotional attachment with the clients and providing them with some compelling discounts that can motivate customers to buy products or goods without any planning (Phau and Lo, 2014). This is because; here feelings, as well as emotions, play an efficient and decisive role in the decision-making process. For motivating customers to facilitate the impulse buying, marketers, as well as retailers, exploits the impulses by adding it with the basic wants of the customers. For example, a shopper in any supermarket showcase some confectionary items at the checkout places so that it can influence the buyer to trigger the impulse buying. However, impulse buying is not effective in every circumstance, and it is effective in that time when any customer is in a good mood. It is not useful in the time when customers do not have enough money to facilitate impulse buying, so that impulse buying is limited only to the middle-class and high-class people whose monthly disposal income is high (Phau and Lo, 2014). Conclusion: From the above discussion, it is clear that for motivating customers different strategy such as considering group behaviour, impulse buying should be implemented by advertisers is important. This is because; current marketplace becomes very much dynamic and competitive so to achieve competitive advantage effective strategy need to be implemented. Reference list: Blodgett, J. G., Hill, D. J., and Tax, S. S. (2013). The effects of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice on post-complaint behaviour.Journal of Retailing,73(2), pp. 185-210. Koufaris, M., and Ajit Kambil, P. A. L. (2011). Consumer behaviour in web-based commerce: an empirical study.International Journal of Electronic Commerce,6(2), pp. 115-138. Leal, G. P. A., Hor-Mill, L. F., and de Paula Pessa, L. A. G. (2014). Influence of virtual communities in purchasing decisions: The participants' perspective.Journal of Business Research,67(5), pp. 882-890. Milliman, R. E. (2011). The influence of background music on the behaviour of restaurant patrons.Journal of consumer research,13(2), pp. 286-289. Nollet, J., and Beaulieu, M. (2015). Should an organisation join a purchasing group?.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,10(1), pp. 11-17. Phau, I., and Lo, C. C. (2014). Profiling fashion innovators: A study of self-concept, impulse buying and Internet purchase intent.Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal,8(4), pp. 399-411. Wood, M. (2012). Socio-economic status, delay of gratification, and impulse buying.Journal of economic psychology,19(3), pp. 295-320.

With close reference to language examine how fitting a close Act 5 scene II forms to the play Essay Example

With close reference to language examine how fitting a close Act 5 scene II forms to the play Paper In order to show that Act 5 scene ii, is a fitting close to the play Hamlet. I will be looking at how the characters have been brought to a close. I will also be looking at themes and the importance of order being restored in the court at the end of the play. The scene ties up all the relationships that were formed during the course of the play. Hamlet and Horatio, a friendship that we have seen grow and strengthen through the course of the play is broken by Hamlets death. The close connection that Hamlet shared with his mother is separated by their deaths. The unhealthy relationships that were formed, like that of Claudius and Laertes. They become victims of their own trap and are parted from each other. Starting off with the characters, We defy augury. There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all. There is considerable change in Hamlets character since the last time we saw him, that is before he went on his sea voyage to England. When we first met him in Act 1 scene ii, Hamlet was a lonely character, still mourning his fathers death and very un-happy about his mothers o er-hasty marriage to his uncle Claudius. We will write a custom essay sample on With close reference to language examine how fitting a close Act 5 scene II forms to the play specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on With close reference to language examine how fitting a close Act 5 scene II forms to the play specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on With close reference to language examine how fitting a close Act 5 scene II forms to the play specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer After the encounter with his dead fathers ghost he puts on an antic disposition and uses this strange behaviour to discover whether or not his uncle Claudius is guilty of killing his father. After the sea voyage to England, Hamlets character is now tranquil, and his tone is more like a Prince. He speaks in detail now to Horatio, of his sea passage to England; he rarely spoke in detail to anyone, most of his conversations to any of the characters consisted of a few vague sentences. He has also come to the conclusion that providence is guiding him and that everything depends on the will of God, as he says Theres a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will- Hamlets attitude toward destiny has also changed, he will now wait for his chance to do the right thing, that is kill Claudius. He now defies augury because he doesnt want to allow himself to plan his future. This probably explains why he brushes aside the suspicious feelings that he has about the duel he has accepted to play in against Laertes. He now makes it clear that he wanted to be the King of Denmark after his fathers death as he says of Claudius; Poppd in between thelection and my hopes, Thrown out his angle for my proper life {65-66}. Hamlet in this scene seems to recognise death as something that we have to accept in our lives and something that we have to be prepared for; as he says If it be now, tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all. He has matured emotionally as well, as in Act 3, scene i, 55- 56 he says To be or not to be,. And in Act 5, scene ii, 208 he says Let be. Osrics main function in the play is to invite Hamlet to a fencing match against Laertes. He fulfils this function, but in a very dramatic manner. He is a foppish character, and given to excessive courtesies. His pompousness is very symbolic of the false fai ade that enveloped the English court. The character of Osric represents the corrupted State of Denmark, as Hamlet says to Horatio; he and many more of the same bevy that I know the drossy age dotes on. Shakespeare probably inserted this character into the last scene to give the audience a last glimpse of the corrupted court, before the human canker was destroyed. He allows Hamlet to be witty, and brings him some comic relief after Ophelias death. His language is full of flattery, he calls Hamlet My Lord even as Hamlet insults to his face him calling him a waterfly. The Elizabethans enjoyed word-play or punning on words. Hamlet too enjoyed playing with words, when conversing with members of court, and also his mother and Claudius. Polonius was often a victim of Hamlets word-play. Osric who is seen as a variant of Polonius, too becomes a victim of Hamlets love for punning on words, as we see in Act 5 scene ii, lines 93- 94. Hamlet No, believe me, `tis very cold, the wind is northerly. Osric {taking off his hat } It is indifferent cold, my lord indeed. When Hamlet parodies Osrics style of speech, he collapses and stands confused. Osrics manners reflect the social and cultural manners that were to be observed by courtiers in the presence of royalty. Osric also revels the theme of appearance and reality. He may or may not have realised that he is deaths messenger, as the audience knows that behind the wager of the French rapiers and Arabian horses; lurks, death. He is a foil to the depiction of Yorick through Hamlets fond memories in the first scene of Act 5. The court jester was a genuine fool and Osric is a false fool. The Elizabethans believed that the perfect state for a body is a balance between the for humours. When the humours are unbalanced, the result is that humans are vulnerable to disease. The play also has the themes of blood and judgement, and reason and passion running in the play. The only character in Hamlet to have a balance between blood (passion) and judgement is Horatio. As Hamlet says of him and blest are those Whose blood and judgement are so well commeddled {3. 2. 66-67} Hamlet contrasts Horatios well- balanced temperament with his own rapidly swinging moods. Hamlet respects Horatio for his balanced nature, and it is probably this balance that assures Hamlet that Horatio is someone who can be trusted and whom he can confide in. Act 5 scene ii, brings this close friendship between Hamlet and Horatio to an end. Through out the play we have seen Horatio as one of Hamlets closest friends, unlike Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he keeps away from the Kings plotting and scheming against Hamlet. Hamlet puts all his trust in him; he was with Hamlet when the ghost of the Old King Hamlet appeared, he helps Hamlet in The Mousetrap by keeping an eye on Claudiuss reaction to the play, Hamlet writes to him informing him of his arrival into Denmark, he is with Hamlet when Osric invites Hamlet to play in the duel against Laertes and Hamlet tells him that he wouldst not think how ill alls here about my heart; and about the uncertainty that he feels about the duel. We see the closeness and belief that Hamlet has in Horatio, when Horatio says hell drink the last of the poisoned wine so that he too may die with Hamlet. Hamlet stops him and says Give me the cup. Let go, by Heaven Ill hat. O God, Horatio, what a wounded name, Things standing thus unknown, shall I leave behind me if thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain To tell my story. This is also a fitting end to the play, as Hamlets story will be told Claudius: O yet defend me, friends. I am but hurt. {5. ii. 317} The power that Claudius obtained when he took over the throne of Denmark, has gone to his head by the end of the play. In the quoted line we see that he is trying his hardest to cling on the crown, he doesnt want to let go of the authority and position that he had murdered his brother for. He tells the assembled members of court that he is but hurt. Claudius has caused a lot of disorder in the State. By usurping the throne, he has unbalanced the order of succession to the Throne. By right, on the demise of the Old King Hamlet, his son Hamlet, could take over sovereignty of the State. But by Claudius taking over the throne and marrying his sister-in-law, he has caused the spirit of the Old King to rise out of his grave in order to seek revenge and avenge his murder. Claudiuss hineous act, that is killing his brother in order to be King, and then his plotting and scheming against Hamlet, for example sending him to England to be killed, the duel and the poisoned wine; reflects the social ideas of revenge in the Elizabethan era. No, no, the drink, the drink! O my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink! I am poisond. One can just hear the agony with which Queen Gertrude cries out her last words to her son. Her warning about the wine shows her true love and concern for Hamlet. Shes always wanted the best for him. For example in Act 5, scene i, when she is scattering flowers into Ophelias grave she says to the dead Ophelia, that she hoped that she would have been Hamlets bride; because she knew how much Hamlet adored Ophelia, and that his behaviour towards her changed after his fathers death and his mothers o er-hasty marriage. During the duel she asks him to wipe the sweat off his face, she drinks to his fortune, and then warns him not to drink the wine, so that he may not have the same fate as her. The theme of appearance and reality which appears though out the play also comes to a close in this scene. The mask of being a good King, that Claudius wears around is ripped apart by Hamlet in this scene. We see the real Claudius, who is a villain, villain, smiling, damned villain! {1. v. 106}. His true nature is exposed to the whole court when Hamlet kills him in the hall. In Act 4 scene vii, the King proposes a fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes. Claudius does this in order to protect himself from the rebellious Laertes. He uses Laertes s anger toward Hamlet, to his advantage. He tells Laertes that the foil that he will use will be unbated or unblunt. The messenger they will use to invite Hamlet to play in the match will be one who will praise Laertes s excellence. Claudius has to do this to make Laertes appear as the stronger player, when he knows that Hamlet is the stronger and better fencer. He appears to be supporting Hamlet by betting that Hamlet will win, when in reality he is actually plotting Hamlets death. The duel which Hamlet has been asked to play in against Laertes appears to be a friendly match. But behind the wager of French rapiers and Arabian horses, lurks, death. But we the audience know that there is poison and the intended outcome is Hamlets death. Duels in Shakespeares time were fought for the sake of honour. Fencing in Shakespeares time was a form of sporting entertainment and was also used to settle disputes. Fencing matches soon became socializing events. The pearl that the King will throw into the flagon of wine and drink from or rather make Hamlet drink from when Hamlet give the first or second hit, Or quit in answer of the third exchange, {5. vii. 253-254}. Here again he is using an extravagant gesture to hide the fact that he will be putting poison in the flagon of wine. The Elizabethan culture consisted of a lot of noisy displays, and hence Claudius orders that the cannons be fired for every hit made by Hamlet. Ill be your foil, Laertes. {5. vii. 240} Hamlet is saying that hell appear to be the weaker player, so that in his obliviousness, Laertes s skill will shine like a jewel; as the word foil means background to show off a jewel. Before the duel begins, Hamlet asks for Laertes pardon for his behavior at Ophelias funeral. Laertes appears to accept his love, but when presented with the foils he pick up the Unbated and envenomd foil. By Hamlets antic disposition coming to an end, th rough his death; the theme of appearance and reality comes to an end. Hamlet is a revenge tragedy. But isnt like the traditional revenge tragedies, where the protagonist was driven by vengeance. In contrast Hamlet delays taking revenge on Claudius while he was praying, thinking his soul would go to heaven instead of being damned for eternity. The traditional revenge tragedies ended with a corpse strewn stage, and a hero coming to restore order to the disrupted State, which is parallel to what happens at the end of the play Hamlet. Seneca published a lot of tragedies, and he had a very strong impact on Shakespeare. Some of the features of Senecan drama can be found in Hamlet; example appearance of a ghost calling for revenge, displays of violence that resulted in a corpse strewn stage. A revenge tragedy has to have some element of victory in it. Death, Hamlet and Fortinbras stand triumphant in the end of the play. There is a lot of talk of death in the play. Claudius killing the Old King Hamlet, Hamlet killing Polonius. Claudiuss plot to have Hamlet killed, Hamlets letters to have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed upon arrival in England instead of himself, Ophelias supposed suicidal death. The Queen drinking the poisoned wine, the King being killed by Hamlet with the poison that has killed his father, mother, and which will also take him away from this world. Laertes and Hamlets death due to a wound each of them received from the envenomd sword. Hence we see that death scores victory as Fortinbras says O proud Death, What feast is toward in thine eternal cell, That thou so many princes at a shot So bloodily has struck? {5. ii. 357-360} Hamlet is victorious because he has avenged his fathers death by killing Claudius. He has his dying wishes fulfilled, that is for his story to be told and for Fortinbras to take over the Danish throne. But most of all it is Fortinbras who is most triumphant. In Act 1 scene i, we are told that he wanted to recapture whatever land his father had lost to King Hamlet. Now in Act 5 scene ii, we see him returning victorious from Poland, and upon arrival in Denmark, he is presented with Denmarks Sovereignty as per Hamlets dying wishes. Order played a very important role in the Elizabethan world. They that the stability of a country depended on the stability, and strength of the Government heading it. Hence if the Government was corrupted the rest of the State would get corrupted as well, as we see happen in Hamlet. Claudius was driven by the desire for power, and authority over Denmarks Sovereignty that he would do anything to it. Even if it meant killing his own brother, and causing the break-up of families and the deaths of innocent people in the process. The Elizabethan audience would have been very disturbed with the appearance of the ghost in Act 1 scene I, as Marcellus says in Act 1 scene iv Something is rotten in the State of Denmark. And to restore their frame of mind, Fortinbras is reintroduced into the play, at this stage to restore order in the troubled State of Denmark. The anxieties that we see in Hamlet, that is who should be ruling Denmark now that the old monarch, King Hamlet is dead; reflect the situation that England was in, near the time when Hamlet was first performed. Claudiuss assassination of Hamlet, would have brought to mind the things that the audience would have heard about the threats to Elizabeths life. Act 5 scene ii, is a fitting close to the play Hamlet. The scene brings to an end all the corruption that Denmark was steeped in. All the characters who aided then human canker example Polonius, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Laertes; and the victims of Claudiuss deviousness, Hamlet ,the Queen Gertrude and Claudius himself are dead. These characters meet their end either through carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts, accidental judgements, casual slaughters or Of deaths put on by cunning and forcd cause. When Hamlet puts Denmark in the hands of Fortinbras and dies on the throne, he is bringing an end to all the corruption that Denmark suffered during Claudiuss reign. Hence we see that Act 5 scene ii, is a fitting close to the play Hamlet because, all the relationships, corruption and plotting that had begun in the beginning of the play has come to a halt, and has ended. We are given a last insight into the characters of Claudius and Gertrude, in their dying lines. O my dear Hamlet! The drink, the drink! I am poisond. We see her love for her son Hamlet. And her loyalty toward Claudius, even while on her death bed she wont give away his secret; that he has poisoned the wine to kill Hamlet. O yet defend me, friends. I am but hurt. Very characteristic of Claudius, who was possessive of the power and authority he had gained by killing his brother. He is so possessive of the power and authority that he is not willing to give it up, even when he is dying. The most important element that makes this scene a fitting close to the play is the restoration of order into the troubled state of Denmark. In his dying speech Hamlet hands over Denmarks Sovereignty to Fortinbras. This would have put the Elizabethan audiences mind at rest, as they strongly believed in order; and considered it extremely essential in the running of a country.