Bruce Dawe Poem Analysis Essay Example for Free

Bruce Dawe Poem Analysis Essay Decode the question: How has the composer represented the concept of heroism in the film Gladiator? Make specific reference to two key scenes in the film. You MUST NOT choose scenes which have been analysed already in the course work (i.e. scenes I-III, XI-XIII, and XXVI). Write approximately 1000 words. Select Two key scenes: XXXI -Maximus has defeated the greatest gladiator ever to fight XLVI The Final Battle Create a mind map Organise ideas, texts references: Summary, presentation of Heroic concept, references to 2 keyed scenes with quotes notes Draft Do the draft as needed above Edit draft Edit as necessary Submit draft in Final written essay The Essay: Maximus was a powerful Roman General (strong belief, inner strength never dies, stood up for his belief no matter the consequences), loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, known in history as the final of the Five Good Emperors. Before his death, the Emperor chose Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus in an attempt to allow Rome to once more become a Republic. Then a power struggle left Maximus and his family condemned to death. The powerful General was unable to save his family, and his loss let him captured and put into slavery and trained as a Gladiator  by Proximo until he died. The only desire that fueled him at the time was the chance to rise to the top so that he would be able to look into the eyes of the man who would feel his revenge and fulfill the dying wish of his emperor. The time came when Proximos troupe was called to Rome to participate in a marathon of gladiator games held at the behest of the new emperor, Commodus. Once in Rome, Maximus wasted no time in making his presence known, and was soon involved in a plot to overthrow the emperor with his former-love Lucilla, Commodus sister, after whom he lusted, and also the widowed mother of Lucius, heir to the empire after his uncle, and democratic-minded senator, Gracchus was reinstated for Rome to republic. The composer has set up the representation of the heroism concept (50-60%) throughout the Gladiator film, from the opening scene, when the Hero leaves his pleasant vision (his wife and child) to return to the Germania battle field and to: face the 1st execution 1st fight as a gladiator release his name fight against the greatest warrior face Commodus fight in the Final battle As the opening scene and the above listed 3 scenes where the heroic concept has been discussed in the course work, the responder can also find the concept of heroism in the fight against the greatest gladiator and in the Final battle. The fight against the greatest gladiator Tigris turns to Caesars box, with swords crossed, he bows, We who are about to die salute you. Maximus stands by, showing no salute whatsoever. As Maximus gets ready to fight the large doors to the arena are thrown open, surprising Maximus. From each door emerges a team of men, who run into the arena. Each team picks up a chain from the sand. Maximus becomes distracted and Tigris kicks sand into Maximus face and begins the fight. As the fight continues and as Maximus is thrown to the ground, a trap door opens and out jumps a large tiger, pouncing at the fighting gladiators. Maximus is now  having to escape the claws of the tigers as he battles Tigris. In the background can be heard loose, loose, loose and pull, pull, pull as the handlers coordinate their efforts in handling each of the tigers that are now on the arena floor growling and charging at Maximus.] [Maximus manages to disarm Tigris, switching his sword from one hand to the other, Maximus stands ready to finish off Tigris. Suddenly, a fourth tiger jumps out of a trap door and jumps at Maximus. In that split second, Maximus turns and the tiger is speared with his sword. Maximus is thrown to the sand as the large beast lays atop him. Maximus stabs the beast repeatedly, killing it. The crowds cheer wildly. Tigris moves in for an attack. Maximus, on his back with the beast still on him, manages to grab Tigris own hatchet and with great force spikes him in the foot. Tigris bends over in pain, blood pouring from the opening of his mask. Maximus stands and kicks Tigris over to the ground. He is finished. The Final battle The trap door to the arena opens as the lift rises, encircled with the Praetorian as they stand behind their black shields. In the middle, the white clad Commodus, gazing upwardly, basking in the sun and the wounded, dying Maximus stand. All the while, Quintus staring at Maximus. As they reach the arena, the Praetorian take their place at the perimeter of the arena. Maximus stumbles to the center, slowly stooping to pick up a handful of sand, with a watchful eye on Quintus. Maximus rubs the sand in his hands and reaches for his sword but Quintus tosses it aside, and out of reach. Maximus painfully moves to where the sword has been tossed and picks it up, immediately swinging at Commodus. The two do battle. Maximus roars as he attacks Commodus. Commodus manages to cut Maximus leg. Although wounded, Maximus cuts Commodus arm causing him to drop his sword.] [Maximus begins to drift into the after-life and as he sees the gate to his home, the sword drops from his hand. Meanwhile, Commodus is calling Quintus for his sword but Quintus does not comply. Commodus then turns to the Praetorian, calling out sword. The guards begin to pull their swords when Quintus quickly tells them to sheath your swords and they quickly comply. As Commodus reaches for his hidden dagger, Maximus quickly returns to this life and, unarmed but for his strength and determination, does battle with Commodus, turning Commodus knife against him. Commodus tries relentlessly to fight  Maximus off but Maximus slowly plunges the knife into Commodus throat, further and further until it can go no further. Commodus falls to the ground. The fight over, Maximus begins to drift as he reaches out his bloodied hand, to push open the gate that leads to his home. Peace, once again, overcomes Maximus when Qu intus calls to him. Maximus, Maximus. Maximus regains consciousness.] To bring to life ancient Rome, director Ridley Scott employed great period costumes, chariots and horses, lots of dark-haired actors and actresses, and an amazing looking coliseum in the time period set in the movie. The musical score was possibly the best feature of this film, as the music is haunting and perfectly punctuates the dramatic action in soft, then ever-increasing tempos. It was a real trick to make music that would accentuate the flavor of this historical piece, and not distract it. The film used a very potent combination of long shots and close-ups to heighten the drama and yet propel responder into the immensity of the situation: the overwhelming doom that seems to be around any and every corner in Rome. For instance, at this scene where Maximus has defeated the greatest gladiator ever to fight, in a long, drawn-out battle. The bested warrior lies fallen at Maximus’ feet, awaiting his demise. The crowd chants Kill, Kill, Kill! The long shot shows Emperor Commodu s watching Maximus, and in the shot, the emperor is shown in the foreground, and Maximus appears small in the background. In this way the responder get a sense of the power that Commodus holds over Maximus. Now a medium-long shot of the crowd to get a sense of how many people are chanting for the vanquished opponent’s death; they all appear in unison, willfully they crave blood. Next a close-up of the emperor as he dramatically steps forward, arm extended. If he gives a thumbs up, the opponent should live. If he gives a thumbs-down, the opponent should be killed. His arm hangs outward and all eyes in the coliseum fall upon his hand. He gives the thumbs-down, and the crowd goes wild with roars of approval. Finally, a close-up of Maximus as he throws down his own sword in complete defiance to the emperor and to the people. The skillful editing helps contrast the morals Maximus and Commodus possess: Commodus is ruthless and political, Maximus does only what he has to, no more no less, and he is a man of his own conviction. This scene helps responder to understand why earlier the dying emperor Marcus Aurelius wanted Maximus to succeed him, he knew Maximus would do the right thing and not be  swayed easily by popular opinion. A leader must lead, not follow. Whenever the composer wanted the responder to get a sense of the size of this coliseum, he employed the cinematographer to use long range shots. When he wanted responder to get a sense of the hustle and bustle of Rome, a hand-held camera was used. The Final battle: The composer used a number of different techniques during the filming of the Final battle, including muted, washed out colors in the Coliseum. The scene is bright and colour comes across perfectly, setting the mood for the scene of battle. The fighting is filmed replete with quick cuts and a frenetic filming process; its disorienting but not so much that we cant keep track of whos who and what each participant is doing in said battle. The fighting is realistic without zooming in on the gore, as the violence speaks for itself. The composer correctly makes the scenes exciting without the need for a barf bucket.. Combat is supposed to be jarring and disorienting and the filming process actually communicates this sense to the responder very well. The responderd have to agree, as the scenes outstanding in special effects. They are seeing the Coliseum when it is a new(100 years old) and its grand structure, as it would have been in ancient Rome. Stunts are well coordinated and real tigers were used in a particular fight scene, grabbing out just inches from Maximus and his opponent. He earned his act on those days of shooting. Sound The soundtrack with its haunting score, is very memorable its scope and theme. Sound track manages to take a main character theme and vary it depending on the action, making it subtle and sweet at times, brooding and depressing at others. Throughout the film, the same musical elements are applied, bring unity and depth to the story. Besides digital sound, Dolby 5.1 is also included on the same disc

Analyse the relationship between the mother and her son in The Sons Es

Analyse the relationship between the mother and her son in The Son's Veto by Thomas Hardy showing how their behaviour and attitudes were affected by society. "The Son's Veto" is a short story that focuses on a woman, Sophy, who is torn between two conflicting social classes. Sophy is an uneducated parlour maid who marries a man above her class to secure her future. The son that is the outcome of the marriage is arrogant and self centred. He acts as thought he is superior to his mother because of his higher education and who he socialises with. The relationship between Sophy and her son, Randolph, is poor because they grew up in different classes. The thing that held their relationship together was the father and husband. When he dies it is as though the mother and son have nothing in common anymore. Social attitudes have affected heir relationship because the mother cannot be accepted into the son's class and the son will not be accepted into the mother class because it will ruin his reputation. At the beginning of the story, Hardy shows the social detachment between Spohy and her son through the language he uses, "Has, dear mother - not have!, exclaimed the public schoolboy". Hardy uses very impersonal phrases to describe how Sophy is being treated as if she is an object, "She was conducted out of the gardens and passed along the pavements". There is an expectation of how Sophy would be treated as a disabled woman. She noticed how people were interested in her but she did not mind, "did not mind gratifying their curiosity". Sophy is seen as the barter of the male and not as an individual. This means society treats her differently because of this as well as being disabled. When Sophy is the par... ... son. It is Randolph's insecurities and shame over his mother that leads him to control her life. In this way, as long as he is there to supervise her actions, he can take those extra precautions to prevent any social embarrassment that may be inflicted upon him by his mother. Sophy does not necessarily recognize this fact, but is only willing to put his needs and wants before her own. She also feels a sense of duty and obligation towards Randolph and therefore accepts what he says as being final. Ultimately, Sophy believes it is his happiness she needs to ensure and secure, not her own. This, sadly, is how she leads her life. Hardy analyses the flaws existing in society today and gives a fantastic example in showing how the "standards" set up by the public, as well as the selfishness that prevails among the citizens in society, destroyed Sophy's life.

Literature review- should marijuana be legalised? Essay

The legalisation of marijuana has long been a debated subject, and not only in Australia But all around the world. People’s views in this area vary greatly, with many reasonable arguments for and against the issue. In this report, past studies and literature will be reviewed providing an understanding into the possible consequences of legalising marijuana as well as the views and debates regarded to the issue. The organisation, Gallup has been examining America’s attitude towards the legalisation of marijuana since the late 1960’s. Their studies show that in the past Americans have been opposed to the issue, with just twelve percent supporting the drug’s legalisation in 1969. However, in 1977 this number increased to 25 percent, and in 2000 rose again to 31 percent (Carroll, 2005). According to a new study by Gallop, the amount of Americans in favour of marijuana’s legalisation today has now soared to a riveting fifty percent. Including people between the ages of eighteen and twenty nine most in favour of its legalisation, and people sixty five and older proved to be most opposed to it (daily mail reporter, 2011) A predominant question in the debate relating to the legalization of marijuana is whether consumption would rise and by how much. Many people are concerned that if the drug became legal it would become more accessible, affordable, and acceptable in society, making an increase in consumption a big possibility. Rand, a drug policy research centre, conducted a study that supports this argument. â€Å"Results from these studies suggest that regular use of marijuana will Increase both in prevalence and in terms of average level of use with a fall in the monetary price of marijuana and a reduction in the enforcement risk of using marijuana. The precise increase in use, particularly in terms of average quantities consumed among users, remains unclear because of inadequate analyses of conditional demand. However, it is clear that the number (prevalence) of regular users will rise in response to both (Pacula, 2010).† According to Rand there is still an uncertainty towards how much marijuana consumption will increase post-legalisation, however, their models suggest that numbers could increase by fifty to one hundred percent or more. This would depend on the retail price, availability, advertisement and the federal response (Kilmer, 2010). If more people are using the drug, more people will be open to the health disadvantages marijuana has on the human  body. The primary reason why marijuana has been illegal in the past is because the drug does have many adverse health effects. In the same way the government protects people on the road by making them wear seatbelts; they also want to protect members of society from falling to the consequences involved with consuming marijuana. The government does have a certain level of responsibility over the safety of society, which is why many people believe that marijuana should remain illegal. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has surveyed and conducted many scientific research projects, all showing that excessive marijuana use has a serious effect on a user’s memory, social skills and capability to be educated (buddy, 2006). Intensive use can also lead to many long term effects such as depression, anxiety and personality disorders as well as an increased risk of getting bronchitis, lung cancer and other diseases of the respiratory system (NSW Government, 2011). Despite these effects of marijuana usage, it has proved that marijuana is no more harmful than legal substances like alcohol and tobacco. Which brings into question, why should marijuana be illegal when alcohol and tobacco consumption is allowed? An investigation by the British Medical Association actually went on to prove that alcohol and tobacco are far more addictive than marijuana. In fact, the drinking of alcohol and the use of cigarettes result in more deaths per year than does the use of marijuana.(marijuana safety, 1999) † Alcohol is more toxic, more addictive, more harmful to the body, more likely to result in injuries, and more likely to lead to interpersonal violence than marijuana† (safer choice,2010) If marijuana were to be legalised it could provide a safer alternative to alcohol and more harmful drugs. Substituting these drugs with marijuana could be a successful approach to the battle against substance abuse. Amanda Reiman describes what she has found in her study about the substitution of other drugs with marijuana. â€Å"Substituting cannabis for alcohol has been described as a radical alcohol treatment protocol. This approach could be used to address heavy alcohol use in the British Isles – people might substitute cannabis, a potentially safer drug than alcohol with less negative side effects, if it were socially acceptable and available.†( Reiman, 2009) Similar studies in this area went on to suggest that legalising marijuana will decrease road  accidents. By viewing statistics in areas where the drug has been allowed, researchers have found that there was nearly a nine percent reduction in traffic deaths (science daily, 2011). Marijuana has actually proved to have many medical uses, although sometimes they are completely overlooked. In the past, many studies have shown the drug to have several beneficial effects, these include, effective pain relief as well as providing aid to the side effects of chemotherapy and the symptoms of AIDS, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, glaucoma and other serious illnesses.(co-ed magazines, 2010) In 1997, the National Institutes of Health published a report specifying the possible medical uses for marijuana. The report emphasized five areas of medical care that were most applicable. These included Stimulation of appetite and decreased cachexia, Controlled nausea and vomiting linked with cancer chemotherapy, Decreased intraocular pressure, pain relief and finally, the benefits in area of Neurological and movement disorders By allowing marijuana consumption the government would be providing many people with a cheaper and effective alternative for pain relief and other medical impa irments. Legalisation could also lead to further medical research and findings on the medical uses of the drug.( National Institutes of Health, 1997) ‘Though the benefits of medical marijuana are ignored by the federal government, many scientists seemingly agree that the benefits of marijuana from a medicinal standpoint heavily out weigh the risk when it comes to aiding patients’ (Gallagher, 2012) When looking at marijuana legalisation from an economic perspective many advantages are noted. a study lead by Dr. Jeffrey Miron reported that once legalised, If marijuana were to be taxed similarly to the taxation system used on alcoholic and tobacco products, Governments could be looking at annual savings and revenues of up to fourteen billion each year. This includes savings in areas like prohibition enforcement which is said to be around 7.7 billion dollars. Over 500 other economists are supporting Dr. Jeffrey Miron’s study and are calling for a debate considering the reason and basis behind marijuana prohibition. (Miron, 2005) Overall, views on the legalisation of marijuana vary greatly among the people of Australia and the world. Past literature and in depth studies have revealed many advantages and disadvantages in regards to the drugs legalisation. Society’s arguments  are centred around, the effects on marijuana consumption, health effects, health benefits, economic advantages and its harmfulness in regards to other legal drugs. Bibliography Vandaelle, I. (2012, Janurary 17). Majority of Canadians support legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana, new poll suggests. Retrieved 2012, from National Post: http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/01/17/majority-of-canadians-support-legalizing-or-decriminalizing-marijuana-new-poll-suggests/ 10 Major Health Benefits of Marijuana. (2010, September 2). Retrieved 2012, from Coed magazine: http://coedmagazine.com/2010/09/02/10-major-health-benefits-of-marijuana/ Cannabis is The Answer To Booze Problems. (2011, October 16). Retrieved 2012, from imarijuana.com: http://www.imarijuana.com/tag/medical-cannabis-dispensary Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Traffic Deaths, Preliminary Research Suggests. (2011, November 29). Retrieved 2012, from science daily.com: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129123257.htm Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Traffic Deaths, Preliminary Research Suggests . (2011, november 30). Retrieved 2012, from The rational response squad: http://www.rationalresponders.co m/forum/30694 Record high: Gallup poll shows FIFTY per cent of Americans favour legalising marijuana. (2011, october 18). Retrieved 2012, from mail online: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050348/Legalisation-marijuana-50-Americans-favour.html Carroll, J. (2005, November 1). Who Supports Marijuana Legalization? Retrieved 2012, from GALLUP: http://www.gallup.com/poll/19561/who-supports-marijuana-legalization.aspx Debate on legalising marijuana . (n.d.). Retrieved 2012, from Hun pages: http://ange1ica1.hubpages.com/hub/Debate-of-Legalizing-Marjuana Gallagher, P. (2012, April 30). Are the benifits of medical marijuana being completely overlooked. Retrieved 2012, from Activist Post: http://www.activistpost.com/2012/04/are-benefits-of-medical-marijuana-being.html Kilmer, B. (2010, September). Insights on the Effects of. Retrieved 2012, from Rand: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/testimonies/2010/RAND_CT351.pdf

Byatt s Possession A Romance Establishes Itself As A...

The Pursuit to Discover Intro: A.S. Byatt’s Possession: A Romance establishes itself as a postmodern university novel because it centers on the field of research and academia development through a campus setting. Roland Mitchell, the protagonist of the story, is a postdoctoral and literary researcher who is more focused on academia than job prospects, fixing his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend Val, and overall taking part in mandatory obligations such as household contribution, that primarily falls on Val. The audience is introduced to Roland as he studies: â€Å"The London Library was Roland s favourite place. It was shabby but civilised, alive with history but inhabited also by living poets and thinkers who could be found squatting on the slotted metal floors of the stacks, or arguing pleasantly at the turning of the stair† (4). The novel centers on Roland’s discovery of two letters written by fictional Victorian poets, Randolph Henry Ash and Christabel LaMotte. Roland prid es and invests the majority of his time to research and decoding these letters, in hopes of pursing a top academic standing in his field. Possession focuses the themes of history and the past, academic pursuit, and the downfalls of what becomes an obsession. University novel: Foremost, in order to classify Possession as university novel, one must first understand what a university novel is. In J.J. William’s terms: â€Å"Campus novels tend to revolve around campus life and present young adultShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Book The Pursuit Of A Romance 1711 Words   |  7 PagesThe Pursuit to Discover A.S. Byatt’s Possession: A Romance establishes itself as a postmodern university novel because it centers on the field of research and academia development through a campus setting. Roland Mitchell, the protagonist of the story, is a postdoctoral and literary researcher who is more focused on academia than job prospects, fixing his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend Val, and overall taking part in mandatory obligations such as household contribution, that primarily