Essay --

In April 2003 the Minnesota Senate passed the Minnesota Personal Protection Act (MPPA). This made Minnesota a "shall issue" state where a properly trained, law abiding adult could apply and receive a permit to carry a firearm. States that allow citizens to carry have less violent crimes then those that don’t allow permits. A permit to carry is another prevention method that allows you to be prepared for emergencies. The MPPA sets out guidelines to insure that not just anyone can receive their permit to carry. Carrying a gun is a big responsibility and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. However I believe the MPPA was the right choice for Minnesotans. When Minnesota became a â€Å"right to carry† state many anti- MPPA supporters claimed that by passing the MPPA that it would lead to blood in the streets. Today there are 40 â€Å"right to carry† states with about 6 million permit holders in the US. In Minnesota there are over 160,000 people with a permit to carry. The FBI’s crime reports shows that violent crimes are 26% higher in states that do not allow permits to carry. There is 2.5 million death...

Examine the role of the witches in Macbeth Essay

King James I succeeded Queen Elizabeth I on the throne of England in 1603. He was a member of the Stuart dynasty and was already the King of Scotland. This meant he united the two kingdoms, ending incessant warring between the two nations. James hoped to end the period of religious turmoil that had engulfed England for the previous century. The people in 17th Century England were very superstitious and witchcraft was the object of fevered fascination. In 1604 a law was passed that said anyone convicted of witchcraft should be executed. King James I was as fascinated by witches as his subjects, and in 1590 he personally interrogated a group of witches who had plotted to kill him. Misogyny and a strong belief that morality was being upheld fuelled society’s hatred of witches. World Order was an important factor of seventeenth century life. World Order was a system in which God was at the top of the chain, followed by the King or Queen, then humans, birds, animals and fish. They believed that the King had been directly chosen by God and therefore did not have to answer to parliament. The human section of the Order was split into subdivisions of classes. It was believed that each person was born into their social status and ambition to rise above their position was considered unacceptable and was punishable by political means or by fate. The audience would immediately realise that once Macbeth had murdered the King, he would have to die, as he had disturbed God’s natural order. The first scene of Macbeth prepares the audience for the entrance of the witches with the use of pathetic fallacy. This is used to dramatic effect, with thunder, lightning and rain applied to create a feeling of chaos. The scene being set in a desolate place reinforces this idea, with the setting making it seem like the events that will unfold will be of an ominous nature. The words the witches use support the idea of chaos and disturbance. The word ‘hurly-burly’ is used to show the turmoil at the time, with the area being ravaged by battle. Another phrase used to show disturbance is ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’. This phrase makes the audience wonder how anything fair can possibly be foul, thus creating confusion. There are many indicators that the ‘three weird sisters’ are witches. These include the use of the number three, the familiars and the language of the sisters. The number three is a number often believed to be magical, and throughout the play Shakespeare frequently uses this number throughout the play. All three of the sisters have familiars, demons who take the form of creatures to aid witches with their evil craft. This is shown when the witches say ‘I come Graymalkin’, ‘Paddock calls’ and ‘Anon’. Some of the sisters say things that can be interpreted as being related to witchcraft, including ‘that will be ere the set of sun’. This relates to witchcraft, as traditionally it was believed that witches performed magic at sunset. In Act I Scene 1, the Captain tells the story of Macbeth being a brave and noble man who is valiant and trustworthy. He gives an account of a battle that has just taken place and tells the king of Macbeth’s role in it. As the man telling the story holds the rank of Captain, trust is established between him and the audience. The use of words such as ‘carved’, ‘unseamed’ and ‘steel’ have connotations of murder and butchery, showing Macbeth’s bloodthirstiness in battle. The Captain also uses the phrase ‘or memorise another Golgotha’. This compares Macbeth’s fighting as being as bloody and savage as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. This is a huge comparison, as Christ is a holy figure. I think that this shows Macbeth fights with such passion it could be almost a religion. A semantic field of ‘warfare and battle’ supports this scene, with lexis including ‘choke’; ‘rebel’; ‘galloglasses’; ‘smoked’; ‘over-charged’; ‘bloody’; ‘execution’; ‘carved’; ‘battlements’; ‘cannons’ and ‘wounds’. I think the words ‘choke’ and ‘over-charged’ are strong words, as they both show the zeal and ferocity Macbeth fought with. There is a large contrast between the way the witches and the Captain portray Macbeth. This creates an ambivalent presentation of Macbeth, allowing the audience to interpret Macbeth’s character in different ways. As a result of this, Macbeth’s entrance to the play is delayed until the third scene to allow the witches and the Captain to speak. The contradictory ideas about Macbeth that are spoken create tension, as the audience waits to see the true nature of Macbeth. A witch speaks before Macbeth’s arrival in Act I Scene 3, the line ‘A drum, a drum, Macbeth doth come’. This line has a strong aural quality, and the rhyming of ‘drum’ and ‘come’ creates a sound like a heartbeat, or a drum signifying war. This creates uncertainty in the audience’s mind, and prepares them for an ominous scene. Throughout the first scene of the play the witches are presented to the audience as puzzling creatures, possibly closer akin to Satan than humans. Their characters seem uncertain and their strange speech patterns are an enigma. They speak many contradictions including ‘when the battle’s lost and won’ and ‘fair is foul and foul is fair’. These contradictions could possibly be affiliated to world order, and the 17th Century audience may interpret the witches’ speech as a disturbance of that. The second appearance of the witches gives an insight into the power of the witches. The first witch tells the others about a woman who insulted her and how she would take her revenge upon the woman’s husband. The woman’s husband was the captain of a ship and the witch says ‘in a sieve I’ll thither sail’ and ‘I’ll do, I’ll do, and I’ll do’. One of the skills witches were credited with was the ability to sail in sieves and the use of this and the way in which ‘I’ll do’ is repeated three times, suggests some form of incantation will be used upon the sailor. The other witches offer to ‘give a wind’, allowing her to create a storm at the ship’s location. This shows that while the witches cannot directly control people, they do have control over the environment and they can use this to change the circumstances of people. What the witches plan to do with the captain is very alike what happens to Macbeth in the future. â€Å"Sleep shall neither night nor day† is similar to Macbeth after murdering Duncan, where he is plagued by nightmares and cannot sleep. This links Macbeth to the witches and shows his evil nature. When Macbeth meets the witches he is greeted with the witches saying ‘hail to thee, Thane of Glamis’, ‘hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor’ and ‘All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter’. The three lines indicate the three states of being: past, present and future. ‘Glamis’ shows the past tense, as Macbeth has been Thane of Glamis for a significant amount of time and he is aware of his position. ‘Cawdor’ represents the present, as unbeknown to him, Duncan has just stripped the previous Thane of Cawdor of his title, and will issue it to Macbeth. The final greeting is a prophecy, and it tells Macbeth that he will become King of England. The close repetition of the phrase gives the parallelism a strong rhythmic value, creating a sound that is similar to a spell or incantation. This reminds the audience that the prophecy has come from the mouths of evil, and so cannot be pure. After hearing these prophecies Macbeth responds by physically jolting. Banquo saying ‘why do you start and seem to fear’ shows this. There are three possible explanations for him jumping. Either Macbeth jumps in fear of the witches, jumps because he knows Duncan must die, or because the idea of murdering the king was already in his mind. In my opinion the reason Shakespeare put Banquo’s line into the play was to make the audience wonder if Macbeth had already thought about killing Duncan and claiming the throne. After the prophecies are given, Macbeth also orders the witches to tell him more. Imperative verbs are used to show his commands. These include ‘stay’ and ‘speak’. These show Macbeth wants to know more and show his military commanding background. It appears that he is used to having his orders carried out. Ross – a herald of King Duncan – then gives the news that Macbeth is Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth responds by saying ‘The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?’ This is part of a set of ‘clothes’ images throughout the play. This series of images supports the theme of the play, assuming a false identity and assuming someone else place. Clothing is used because Macbeth appears to be hiding his true nature behind the valiant robes of kingship. The set of images is effective because clothing can suggest concealment and disguise. After being assured of his position as Thane of Cawdor, Macbeth edges into a soliloquy. This is a dramatic technique and shows a character’s innermost thoughts. The phrase ‘if ill, why hath it given me earnest of success?’ is spoken by Macbeth, and shows how he cannot understand how the prophecies can possibly be evil when they have given him success. This shows he fully believes the witches and so means he will be likely to commit the murder of the king. A series of images from the stage is in this soliloquy with words such as ‘prologues’; ‘act’ and ‘imperial theme’. Another one of William Shakespeare’s plays, ‘As You Like It’ has a similar theme and a character in it says ‘All the world’s a stage and the characters merely players. They have their exits and their entrances.’ This displays world order, and it can be seen that each person has a part to play and must not step out of his or her role. By killing Duncan, Macbeth will step out of his role and cause chaos. I also think this can be related to Macbeth, as the witches have carefully orchestrated his life and have great control over his destiny. This is very much alike to the lines or acts in a play, while his exit will be his fate. At the end of the soliloquy there is also another clothes image, when Banquo says ‘look how our partner’s rapt’. This is a pun, as Macbeth is ‘spellbound’ but also metaphorically ‘wrapped’ in the clothes of another man – the king. The language of Macbeth’s letter to his wife shows that he has chosen to believe the witches prophesies. The letter opens with the phrase ‘They met me in the day of success’. This shows that all the experiences he had that day were successful, the battle and the encounter with the witches. The phrase ‘they have more in them than mortal knowledge’ shows that he fully believes they have magical powers, and that he trusts they will be beneficial to his cause. He says he ‘burned in desire to question them further’, showing the audience his desperate need to know more information. The phrase ‘fate and metaphysical aid doth seem’ is used by Lady Macbeth in her response to Macbeth’s letter. This phrase is significant as it shows her readiness to ally herself with evil and the magic of the witches. It also shows that she believes fate has placed the supernatural witches in their paths and they would be wrong to side against them. Lady Macbeth has a large soliloquy in Act I Scene 5. A soliloquy is where an actor turns to the audience and speaks directly to them, as if the character were daydreaming. The actor speaks the truth – as their character perceives it to be – to the audience. This technique is used to great dramatic effect by Shakespeare. In her soliloquy her deadly intent is revealed. The words ‘I feel now the future in the instant’ spoken by Lady Macbeth are very significant. They show that she believes their future will be decided by their actions regarding the king. I think that at this point she knows what must be done for her husband to become King. Lady Macbeth graphically indicates her decision to bring about the death of King Duncan by saying ‘O never shall sun that morrow see’. This shows that when the king goes to sleep, he shall never see daylight again: his fate is inevitable. ‘Sun’ is used as an image because the sun is a symbolic representation of monarchy. Also, in world order, kings where the highest placed creature, just as the sun is the most important thing in the sky. When Macbeth rejoins his wife, they speak of their plans to kill Duncan. She advises Macbeth to ‘look like th’innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t’. This means she wants Macbeth to look honest and friendly on the outside, yet on the inside, be as venomous as a vicious serpent and murder the king. The audience at the time would make a link between this and the Gunpowder Plot. The medals awarded during the plot to commemorate James’ escape featured a flower intertwined with a snake. As this had only recently happened in Shakespeare’s time, the audience would immediately recognise the connection. In Act I Scene 6, Duncan visits Macbeth’s castle. At the scene’s start, Duncan remarks upon how agreeable the castle is, with phrases such as ‘hath a pleasant seat’ and ‘recommends itself’ displaying his thoughts. This is ironic, as the castle looks like ‘th’innocent flower’ but is really ‘the serpent under’t’, as the king finds out. Lady Macbeth uses many euphemisms for murder in her soliloquy. Examples of these are ‘provided for’, ‘great business’ and ‘dispatch’. The use of euphemism shows that she does not want to explicitly state her murderous intentions clearly. A reason for this could be that she is afraid of being overheard and accused of treason. However, I think the main reason is that if she clearly said ‘murder’ the situation would seem more ‘real’ and she would see the extent of the crime. I believe she is still unsure herself about the gravity of the situation. The euphemisms all have double meanings, and these could be seen as a type of test for Macbeth to see how he would react to the suggestions. ‘Provided for’ could mean to be fed or to be killed. The ‘great business’ could be seen to be the feasting or the murder that would mean greatness for the Macbeths. The word ‘dispatch’ could mean welcom ing the guest, or the murder. In Act I Scene 7 Macbeth has a soliloquy that shows his indecisive state of mind. There are many words which show doubt, including ‘if’ and ‘but’, displaying how he is considering his actions and is not fully committed to the cause. This is supported by the language of thought, including ‘but how’, ‘if’ and ‘could’. Macbeth shows he is aware of just how immoral the murder would be, with the lines ‘he’s here in double trust: first, as I am his kinsman and his subject†¦ then as his host’. Here Macbeth lists his reasons why he should not kill Duncan, as he is his subject, his host and is even related to him. Through the soliloquy Macbeth shows that he understands there will be consequences for murder. ‘Might be the be-all and the end-all – here’ is a line spoken that shows the murder will not be the end of his troubled time; it will be the beginning of an even more distressing s tate. He recognises that consequences will occur to whoever carries out the action and shows it through the phrase ‘bloody instructions which being taught, return to plague th’inventor’. Macbeth also says to himself that Duncan has been a good king and that ‘his virtues will plead like angels’. At the end of the soliloquy an extended metaphor of horsemanship develops. This includes words such as ‘spur’; ‘prick’; ‘vaulting’; ‘o’erleaps’ and ‘falls’. This is prefigures Macbeth’s life, as his ‘vaulting ambition’ is all he has to ‘spur him on’, and it will eventually reach too high (the position of king) and ‘o’erleap’. He will then ‘fall’ and will receive the consequences of his actions. The image of horsemanship was used to remind the audience of Macbeth’s strict militaristic background. Macbeth’s soliloquy shows a huge difference in character between himself and his wife. While his wife immediately resolves that they must kill the king, Macbeth thinks about the consequences. This shows Macbeth does have a conscience and I think this causes the audience to feel sympathetic to his plight. Macbeth has a second soliloquy in Act II Scene 1. Here his intensified fragile state of mind is shown to the audience. Macbeth sees an apparition of a floating dagger, shown through the phrase ‘is this a dagger which I see before me’. This shows that his mind is so focused upon the murder of Duncan, it is seeing weapons everywhere he turns. Phrases such as ‘a dagger of the mind†¦ proceeding from the heat-oppressà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d brain’, show the mental strain Macbeth is under. A semantic field of the ‘supernatural’ underpins this soliloquy, with words including: ‘witchcraft’; ‘Hecate’; ‘murder’; ‘sentinel’; ‘wolf’; ‘stealthy’; ‘ghost’ and ‘fear’. I think that ‘Hecate’ is a particularly powerful word to use as Hecate was traditionally thought to be the goddess of witchcraft. At the beginning of the soliloquy Macbeth is using euphemisms for murder, like ‘the bloody business’. However, towards the end of the soliloquy, the language has developed and now includes words like ‘murder’ and ‘horror’. This shows that Macbeth has now fully made his decision and accepts what he must do. The soliloquy ends with a rhyming couplet, reminiscent of the witches. By using the language of the witches on Macbeth, Shakespeare has identified Macbeth closely with them. This creates the impression that the soliloquy ends with him making his own spell that will mean the death of Duncan. The two soliloquies depict the way in which the witches have effected Macbeth. They have given him advice and he has taken it in the way that he believed was correct. The witches have only influenced him, they have not directly told him what to do. I think Shakespeare has used these soliloquies to give the audience an insight into the mind of a murderer. As this was a 17th Century production, psychology and other studies into the mind had not been begun. This would mean the audience would be enthralled by what would have been revolutionary viewing. Act II Scene 4 takes place outside of Macbeth’s castle and is a conversation between Ross – a thane – and an old man. Though this scene takes place after the murder of Duncan, the two characters discussing the night do not yet know anything about his death. It is important that the man speaking is old, as this means he has lived for a long time among the feuding Scottish warlords. This creates an impression of knowledge, and that the old man would have seen many unusual things. Pathetic fallacy is used, with the phrase ‘dark night strangles the travelling lamp’ signifying an eclipse. I think an eclipse has been used for the night’s weather, as it is highly unusual and would have been considered to be supernatural. This would have given the night an eerie atmosphere. The old man begins the scene by saying ‘this sore night hath trifled former knowings’. This shows that while the man is very old, he cannot remember a night as strange as this. A bank of images relating to the stage is found, including ‘act’ and ‘stage’. These relate to the previous stage images, found in Act I Scene 3. The images link to world order and the way in which everybody has a part to play that they cannot change. By murdering Duncan, Macbeth has stepped out of his role and his upset the balance of world order. ‘A falcon tow’ring in her pride of place was by a mousing owl hawked at and killed’. The falcon is top of the food chain, and this is metaphorical for a lesser animal (Macbeth) killing something that belongs at the top of world order (Duncan). The horses have turned cannibalistic and are eating each other: ‘turned wild in nature, broke their stalls†¦ they eat each other’. This shows just how disturbed the order of the world is, yet it is also metaphorical for Macbeth killing his own kind. The use of language such as ‘entomb’, ‘strange’ and ‘unnatural’ show the precarious state the world is now in, with Duncan dead. Act IV Scene 1 begins with the three witches casting a spell in preparation for their meeting with Macbeth. Pathetic fallacy is once again used, with thunder giving the audience the impression the spell will be destructive. The chant shows many of the prejudices of the time. The witches put many parts of creatures that were considered inferior to the majority into the cauldron. These inferior creatures are: ‘frog’; ‘bat’; ‘dog’; ‘adder’; ‘blind-worm’; ‘lizard’ and ‘howlet’. All of the animals mentioned are creatures of the night, and so were considered very rudimentary forms of life. After more chanting, the witches begin to put in parts of other items associated with death. The mythical ‘dragon’, the predatory ‘wolf’, the evil ‘witches’ mummy’ and the poisonous ‘hemlock’ are all placed into the pot. This adds to the feeling of death and evil. Society’s prejudices come to the forefront of the chant with body parts of non-Christians being added to the pot: ‘liver of blaspheming Jew’, ‘nose of Turk’ and ‘Tartar’s lips’. As Jews, Turks and Tartars were not Christian, the audience would have feared them as they were foreign and their cultures were unknown to them. There is a semantic field of ‘poison’ in the incantation, and the lexis included are: ‘poisoned’; ‘entrails’; ‘toad’; ‘sweltered’; ‘venom’; ‘sleeping’; ‘boil’ and ‘bubble’. These were all added by Shakespeare to make the witches’ concoction appear to be very deadly. Towards the end of the spell, the finger of a ‘birth-strangled babe, ditch delivered by a drab’. A ‘drab’ was a prostitute and the child would have been killed at birth, as an illegitimate child would bring shame upon the family. As it was strangled at birth, the child is unblessed and so would never enter Heaven. This is ‘familiar magic’ and works through association. This could prefigure Macbeth’s murder of Macduff’s children. The magic number three is also used, when the witches say ‘thrice’ towards the start of the spell. The rhymes and rhythm of the words help to reinforce the idea of a deadly spell. The spell has a heavy aural quality, and this meant the audience could feel a part of the play. Rhyming couplets are used throughout the spell, helping to make it seem like a chant. An example of a rhyming couplet is ‘Ditch delivered by a drab, make the gruel thick and slab’. This phrase also has many labials in it, helping to create a sense of evil and decay. Shakespeare also employs onomatopoeia in Macbeth. This helps to reinforce the tension and make an aural sound of a spell. Examples of onomatopoeia are ‘double’, ‘trouble’ and ‘bubble’. There is a language link between this and Act I Scene 2 where the captain describes Macbeth as having ‘doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe’. This helps to tie Macbeth to the witches. I think that Macbeth returns to the witches because he wants to know his future. He has been tortured by the spirit of Banquo whom he has had killed and he fears for his sanity. Macbeth goes to the witches to seek assurances that he will not be dethroned in the future. I think he is looking for a future, as his guilt seems to tell him he will not have a pleasant one. The fact that he comes to the witches for reassurance shows that he has chosen to fully believe them and he trusts them. By consulting them, he is trying to change his own fate. This could further upset the order of the world. Macbeth greets the witches in the following way: ‘How now, you secret, black, and midnight hags! What is’t you do?’ ‘Black’ and ‘secret’ connote concealment and this links to the clothes images that run throughout the play. The use of the phrase ‘midnight hags’ shows that Macbeth understands the power of the witches and that they have just created a spell. Midnight is the witching hour, and this can be cross referenced to Act I Scene 1 where the witches say ‘that will be ere the set of sun’. A witch responds by saying ‘a deed without a name’. This is in keeping with the earlier euphemisms for murder. When Macbeth speaks to the witches he instantly commands them by saying ‘I conjure you’. This is a play on words, as the witches have the ability to conjure things and because he is commanding them. Imperative verbs are once again used, showing that he is used to having his orders carried out. Examples of imperatives are ‘answer’ and ‘speak’. Macbeth is prepared to take the world to the edge of destruction to get the answers he seeks. ‘Castles topple’ and ‘pyramids do slope their heads to their foundations’ shows he does not care about the destruction he causes in his quest. He ends by saying ‘even till destruction sicken’. I believe this would be said with finality, showing how deeply he will pursue his aims. A semantic field of ‘chaos’ underpins this whole section, with words like: ‘winds’; ‘yeasty waves’; ‘confound’; ‘swallow’; ‘lodged’; ‘blown down’; ‘topple’; ‘slope’; ‘tumble’ and ‘destruction’. Semantics are used here to show just how much Macbeth has already disturbed world order by murdering Duncan. The witches create three apparitions that give Macbeth a prophecy each. The first apparition is of an ‘armed head’ and it tells Macbeth:’Beware Macduff, Beware the Thane of Fife’. Macbeth’s immediate response is ‘thou has harped my fear alright’, meaning he has confirmed what he thought. Towards the end of the scene, he says he will act on his first impulse and do what his first instincts say: ‘The very firstlings of my heart shall be, the firstlings of my hand’. After hearing Macduff has fled Scotland, Macbeth turns into a blind rage and orders his men to ‘give to th’edge o’th’sword his wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line’. The second apparition is of a ‘bloody child’ and tells Macbeth: ‘Laugh to scorn the power of men, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth’. This greatly pleases Macbeth and gives him more security. Although he is reassured, he still makes an oath that he will kill Macduff. I think he does this for extra reassurance in light of the first apparition. The bloody child prefigures the decision Macbeth will make to kill Macduff’s children. The third apparition is of a ‘child crowned, with a tree in his hand’. The child tells Macbeth: ‘Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill shall come against him’. Macbeth responds by saying no one can make the trees move at their will. This shows that he dismisses the prophecy and does not take into consideration the possibilities of how this could occur. Macbeth’s confidence has improved greatly after hearing these prophecies and he confidently asks the third apparition ‘shall Banquo’s issue ever reign in this kingdom?’ By asking the question, Macbeth shows he is still intrigued by the original prophecy of the witches which said Banquo’s descendants will be monarchs. The witches then tell him ‘seek to know no more’. This annoys Macbeth and he childishly says ‘deny me this, and an eternal curse fall on you’, showing his arrogance. After he does this, the witches summon another apparition, this time eight kings with Banquo following behind. Macbeth realises the answer to his question about Banquo’s heirs when he says: ‘Now I see ’tis true, for the blood-boltered Banquo smiles upon me, and points at them for his’. Macbeth’s reactions to all the prophecies show his precarious state of mind. Throughout Act IV Scene 1 he lapses into bravado, attempting to show he is confident when in actual fact he is very nervous and afraid. Two examples of bravado used are ‘call ’em, let me see ’em’ and ‘had I three ears, I’d hear thee’. Although he is nervous and fearful of his future, Macbeth still feels superior to the witches. This is shown through phrases such as ‘tell me’ and ‘filthy hags’. Macbeth misses the significance of the third prophecy, where the obvious interpretation of the trees being camouflage is overlooked. This shows that he is no longer thinking like a soldier, and rather a desperate man. The apparition showing Banquo’s heirs is believed to have political significance. The eight king bears a glass (mirror) and it is thought that it would have been pointed at King James I, watched the play. As it was facing James, the audience would have seen the kings face while the line, ‘some I see, that two-fold balls and treble sceptres carry’ was spoken. These represent the two orbs James I carried at his two coronations in Scotland and England, as well as the three kingdoms he now ruled: Scotland, England and Ireland. I think this was put into the play to try and support James. When he came to power, he promised better things for both Catholics and Protestants. However, he seemed not to fulfill these promises in the way that the people wanted and the Gunpowder Plot challenged his rule. I think that Shakespeare put this section in Macbeth to try and show James had a legitimate claim to the throne as he was descended from ancient royalty. In the scene, Macbeth’s assistant is called Seyton. This could possibly be pronounced ‘Satan’, adding to the impression of Macbeth’s growing evil. I think the use of an assistant called Seyton makes it sound as though Macbeth now has his own familiar, the Devil himself. Towards the end of the scene, the doctor tells Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is suffering from a mental ailment. Macbeth’s immediate response is to order the doctor to ‘cure her of that’. The next few lines of the play detail Macbeth asking if the doctor cannot cure ‘a mind diseased’. However, I believe the audience would see the question as Macbeth asking for help himself, as the anxiety and sorrow he describes is what he himself is suffering from. The question is reinforced by a semantic field of ‘cleaning’, with words such as: ‘minister’; ‘pluck’; ‘raze’; ‘antidote’ and ‘cleanse’. I think this shows just how badly Macbeth wants his mental state to be cured. When the doctor says patients must cure themselves, he responds by angrily saying ‘throw physic to the dogs’. This shows his precarious mental state. Act V Scene 8 details the battle between Macbeth and Macduff outside Dunsinane Castle. The scene begins with Macbeth saying he wants to become the great soldier that he once was, and will not commit suicide. The line ‘why should I play the Roman fool and fie on mine own sword?’ shows this. Macbeth tells Macduff that he has avoided him for the entirety of the battle, but his ‘soul is too much charged with blood’. This means he has seen so much death he no longer cares about who he faces. As he is facing Macduff, Macbeth boasts that no naturally born man can kill him. This makes Macduff reveal his own Caesarean birth. Hearing this, Macbeth almost physically collapses. The mental stress and the fake promise of glory from the witches suddenly leave Macbeth, and he is free to sadly muse about his shortcomings. ‘And be these juggling fiends no more believed That palter with us in a double sense, That keep the word of promise to our ear And break it to our hope.’ This section shows how Macbeth now views the witches and their prophecies. The first line shows how he no longer believes the witches. The use of the phrase ‘juggling fiends’ represents his view that the witches have been ‘juggling’ with fate, emotion and people’s lives. ‘That palter with us in a double sense’ means Macbeth now accepts that the witches’ prophecies could have been interpreted in different ways and he made the wrong choices. ‘That keep the word of promise to our ear’ shows how they misled him by speaking of future greatness, but then ‘break it to our hope’. Despite realising that Macduff will kill him, Macbeth decides to die fighting, in an attempt to reclaim some of his lost honour. Another reason for his decision to die fighting is the fact that he cannot bear the thought of being subservient to Malcolm after being in a position of power all his life.

The Political Structure Of The Late Republic - 849 Words

RESEARCH ESSAY Explain the political structure of the late republic. After the overthrowing of their Etruscan rulers, the romans didn’t just change their political status but they established a new form of government, The Republic. A republic was a system of government which citizens were allowed to vote or choose the representatives, which governed on their behalf. With this change from the rule of a king, to the rule of a government and power investment in the magistrates and senate. The romans were able to establish a government which would carry on to late century B.C and which would be adopted by many. However the impact of the Punic wars and patron-client relationships changes some guidelines of the magistrates and the senate. The roman republic’s political structure was defined by the roman constitution, SPQR-senate and the people of Rome. There were three branches of government, the senate, the assemblies and the magistrates. â€Å"Her annually elected magistrates† (Livy), consisted of; 2 consuls who were the most important, their functions included being commander-in-chief of the army and to implement the senate’s decisions, the senate ‘’passed decrees to the magistrates with was usually obeyed’’ (Byrd), praetors were judges who administered Roman law and quaestors who managed financial matter. The checks and balances system was made, as the Romans wanted to makes sure that no individual could hold the same power as a king, so essentially it was to stop the abuse ofShow MoreRelatedLinda Kerber s Women Of The Republic1269 Words   |  6 Pages LINDA KERBER: WOMEN OF THE REPUBLIC Name: (Class Information): Date:â€Æ' The ideals by the Republicans which came into the limelight after the Revolutionary War would set into motion a revolution not just in the United States but in many countries across the world. Linda Kerber’s ‘Women of the Republic’ is a demonstration of the paradigm shift in relation to the US social and political structures after the American Revolution. Kerber observes that not only did the war provide more opportunitiesRead MoreThe Rise Of Interwar Fascism1389 Words   |  6 Pageswas Hindenburg, whose decisions led to its dismantlement. It was the combination of these political, economic and electoral factors that lead to rise of fascism in interwar Germany. Political The Weimar Republic was formed in 1918. The early years of the republic were punctuated by attempted Coup d’à ©tats. It was only through the intervention of the army and right-wing paramilitary groups that the Republic survived its first years. Among these coups was the Beer Hall Putsch, a Nazi attempt to seizeRead MoreCBA: Israel-Palestine Conflict 688 Words   |  3 Pagesgeocultural factors. 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Corruption among government officialsRead MoreAnalysis : The A Tick Tock 1730 Words   |  7 Pageslanguages (Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French) across the globe, in addition to the modern Western alphabet, calendar, and the arrival of Christianity (which would later travel the world at breakneck pace). After a 450-year term as a Republic, Rome became was unified into an empire. The end of one era (Julius Caesar) gave rise to another (Augustus), thereby conceiving what would become known as the Roman Empire. The vast and glorious reign of Augustus initiated a ‘golden age’ in RomeRead MoreThe Iranian Revolution Essay1067 Words   |  5 PagesThe emergence of the Islamic Republic in late 1970’s Iran demonstrates how middle class Iranian people purged themselves of the Pahlavi Dynasty in an effort to continue down a more righteous and egalitarian path. As a result, the country underwent a complete social upheaval and in its place grew an overtly oppressive regime based in theoretical omnipotence. In response to this regime, the very structure of political and social life was shaken and fundamentally transformed as religion and politicsRead MoreEssay about Racist Positivism in Latin America1177 Words   |  5 PagesIndians and the republics becomes most apparent after 1850. The i deals of liberty and equality went astray in the late nineteenth century being destabilized by an upswing of another form political policy, liberalism. This liberalism was interwoven with racism and sexism, and colored by positivist interpretations of science, society and knowledge that were becoming common currency in Western Europe. In order to understand the reaction to liberal policies of native populations in the late nineteenth

Different Types Of Knowledge Personal And Shared Knowledge

There are two types of knowledge: personal and shared knowledge. Within the Human Sciences and the Arts, shared knowledge is defined as a socio-cultural knowledge in which it is set along the lines of values, and cultural mores. Personal knowledge is defined as as individual knowledge acquired through individualised experiences and perspectives. Shared knowledge can have a big impact on our personal knowledge in a way that it can change the way we view the wold or perform our daily actions in life. Thus in both the Human Sciences and the Arts, shared knowledge can shape personal knowledge however, personal knowledge is dominant over shared knowledge. WIthin the Human Sciences, shared knowledge can shape personal knowledge through the Psychology of obedience. Obedience is the compliance with commands given by an authority figure. In 1963, a psychologist named Stanley Milgram did a research study called the Milgram Obedience Study. This study involved forty male volunteers, who partic ipated on an experiment to study the effects of punishment on learning. He assigned each of the subjects to the role of a teacher. Each subject was told that his task was to help another subject learn a list of words. Each time the learner would made a mistake, the teacher was to supposed to give the learner an electric shock ranging from 0 to 400 volts with an increment of 15 volts per mistake. The teacher was told to increase the shock level each time the learner made a mistake, until theShow MoreRelatedKnowledge Is The Fundamental Understanding Of Knowledge1422 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"Knowledge is power† is a quote which is often associated with Sir Francis Bacon, seen in Bacon’s Meditationes Sacrae (1597). However, what really is knowledge? Does knowledge really give you power? Well, in some cases, they do. Knowledge is what I understand and achieve through certain experiences or education. Knowledge is acquired through different life experiences such as the attendance of school which are later used in universities and the workforce. However, not all forms of knowledge is acquiredRead MorePersonal Knowledge And The Chemistry Field1339 Words   |  6 PagesShared knowledge is assembled by a group of people. For example, biology is an enormous subject comprised of work done by many people over hundreds of years. To add to this knowledge, individual scientists can perform experiments. The results from these experiments are then taken and written in research papers, a very basic version being a lab report. If enough experts from the chemistry field agree with the results, then they can be accepted, used, and taught in that particular field of biologyRead MorePersonal Knowledge And Knowledge Of The Humanities And The Arts1348 Words   |  6 Pagesvalue shared knowledge for it has contributed to my own understanding of the world. 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The knower uses personal and shared knowledge as a basis for the viewpointsRead MoreThe s Theory Of Knowledge1664 Words   |  7 Pageswe have the natural propensity to acquire kn owledge from our evolving environment, through different ways of knowing such as perception, reason, emotion and language. Knowledge can be defined as information acquired from experience or education or the awareness of a situation. Thus, denoting experience, education and awareness as the roots of knowledge. Consequently, if a knower is not able to experience an event or be educated, the concept of knowledge may cease to exist. Therefore, in order forRead MoreReliability Is The Credibility For An Item874 Words   |  4 Pages but fails to recognize the standard of living or other factors that indicates the economic growth in a country. Consequently, shared knowledge is limited as only parts of the index is examined, which could contrast with personal knowledge, like individuals who live in the country, might not think the economy in an country has developed. Therefore, the ways of knowledge of reason and intuition plays a major role indicating how the consumer price index does no t demonstrate reliable qualitative dataRead MoreThe Theory Of Everything By Stephen Hawking1566 Words   |  7 PagesThe general consensus in the academic world is that knowledge is power that can solve humanity’s problems. Sometimes, it is clouded by greed, or it lights the way for a better humanity. Scientists experiment to prove new theories, artists sculpt to express emotion and theologians study to provide interpretations of biblical stories. Therein lies the problem, while society is always searching for knowledge, to date there is no singular â€Å"foolproof† method of obtaining it. 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Placing emphasis on individual experience or on collective knowledge bases has dramatic implications for the kinds of selection, career development and reward policies that will be effective for the organisation. There are also longer-term effects from HRM policy which have an impact on the quality of trust and relationships through which knowledge is shared. Newell et al (2002) note that there isRead MoreEvaluation Of A Learning Organization1530 Words   |  7 Pagesstated, A learning organization is an organization skilled at creating, ac quiring, and transferring knowledge and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights (p. 55). In the pursuit of defining specific practices that would produce an ideal learning organization, Senge (2008) proposes five disciplines that include, ...systems thinking, mental models, personal mastery, shared vision, and dialogue (p. 1). In this application paper I will analyze each of the five disciplines discussed

The Coolest Coolers Hot Cooler - 1260 Words

The Coolest Cooler is marketed as the â€Å"21st Century Cooler that’s Actually Cooler†. This product started on Kickstarter where an idea turned into a fund raising project. Ryan Grepper became an entrepreneur from the Coolest Cooler. The Coolest Cooler project through Kickstarter demonstrates tribes, the democratization of social media, the values of a salesperson, and the power of context. Kickstarter is a form of an electronic tribe. Kickstarter is a website where any hopeful entrepreneur can launch their ideas in the hope of raising enough money to meet their goal. If their goal is not met in the time period, the money is returned to the backers. Professors Tyrone Adams and Stephen Smith emphasizes tribes that work together, sharing a common belief, comparable to how Kickstarter links people together to become a part of a movement of the specific project. â€Å"They are throngs of people dedicated to an idea, purpose, function, or even a way of being† (Adams and Smith 14). The backers donate money to the business because they all believe in the project. Ryan Grepper, the creator of the Coolest Cooler, job is to get people to join his tribe by buying his product. Additionally, for people to believe and enjoy the product just as much as he does. Kickstarter caters to electronic tribes because it brings together a community through technology. It is believed that the online environment takes away from the traditional ways of doing things. Print newspapers are digitalized, booksShow MoreRelatedSufficient Homemade Air Conditioner4228 Words   |  17 Pagesand more unbearable, as fans would only constantly stir the hot sticky air S around, so the researchers ended up in choosing this topic. The researchers chose this topic mainly because of the hot weather here in the Philippines. The constant high temperature was the reason this came up to the researchers’ minds. This homemade air conditioner, also known as the â€Å"Swamp Cooler†, can help take the edge off and make a little more bearable

Discipline and Management Comparison Free Essays

Runninghead: DISCIPLINE AND MANAGEMENT: DIFFERENT YET RELATED COMPARISON Discipline and Management: Different Yet Related Comparison Essay Corwin K. Richardson Grand Canyon University Discipline and Management: Different Yet Related Comparison Essay Thinking on classroom management and the ability to effectively teach and guide students of several different backgrounds tends to be a daunting thought. One that has pressed the hearts and minds of teachers and administrators for many days past and which will probably continue to press for many days to come. We will write a custom essay sample on Discipline and Management Comparison or any similar topic only for you Order Now Being confident that you are aware; management alone is a skill that requires several years of practice to become proficient at, not to mention the management of students and their personalities. This essay will deal with the comparisons of discipline and management as it relates to the comparison of behavior versus misbehavior. Each term will be defined in personal understanding and then expounded upon with citations from noted authorities in each subject matter. There similarities and differences will be presented in addition to there apparent relationship with each other. Discipline is something that is the result of an unwanted act. It can be seen as a corrective action that is taken to discourage a behavior that needs to be discontinued. Ex. Mr. Brown quickly removed the unruly student from the classroom. In this example, Mr. Brown chose to remove the disruptive student from the classroom as a method of discipline. However, discipline may be seen as a measure of self-control that someone applies to themselves. This is in any case, a measure of correction. According to Charles, discipline is defined as a teacher’s efforts to maintain classroom decorum and secure students’ cooperation in learning and exercising self-control (p. 45, 2008). This understanding opens up the window of possibilities as to what measure is taken by means of discipline that is deemed necessary to keep the classroom flowing with full cooperation in learning. Regarding self-control; this is a willful act on the student’s part based upon their understanding of order and how it affects their life, even in the classroom. The responsibility of teaching students the need for order can be argued to be the parents; but somehow it ends up being the teachers’. Management is the order in which someone takes things and place them in a systematic way that they can manage them better. Ex. Ms. Wendy moved all of the noisy students’ seats in a way that brought quiet and focus to the class. In this example Ms. Wendy’s management system was to arrange the classroom in such a way that all the class could benefit from the lesson. A collaborative definition of management as expressed by Canter is an environment created by a teacher who motivates and believes in the students; one who effectively plans to manage student behavior in all classroom activities and instructional strategies; a teacher who has the trust of all the students (pp. 6-7, 2006). Behavior is simply the way someone conducts themself. Ex. Bobby obeys every word his father says. In the example, Bobby’s behavior was obedient. This is clearly a defining point in behavior that illustrates how someone acts in an environment or situation. Some authorities such as Canter believe that behavior is greatly influenced by a teacher’s ability to establish a classroom that promotes academic success for all students from the very first day of school (p. 31, 2006). Misbehavior is when someone conducts themselves in a way that is unacceptable. Ex. Janie has random outbursts in class and doesn’t respect her teachers. This shows that Janie is misbehaving by not respecting her teachers and by her outbursts. Canter also suggests that students don’t like or respect teachers who let them get away with misbehavior (p. 6, 2006). This would indicate that the disrespect that some students show their teachers is a direct result of the teacher’s inability to convey their authority and order in the classroom with their students. In other words, the students may feel as though the teachers are â€Å"push-over’s†. In conclusion, discipline is a product of management which is directly related to the eff ectiveness by which management is executed, which determines the level of discipline needed to maintain it. On the other wise, behavior is the product of discipline and is directly influenced towards acceptable or unacceptable conduct by the effectiveness of the management plan. If the management system is proficient then a good disciplinary plan will be in place and if so, then behavior will be appropriate and almost all misbehavior will be eliminated. References Charles, C. M. (2008). Building classroom discipline (10th ed. ). Boston: Allyn Bacon. Canter, L. (2006). Lee Canter’s classroom management for academic success. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree. How to cite Discipline and Management Comparison, Papers

ergogenic aids Essay Example For Students

ergogenic aids Essay 1 . An ergogenic aid is any external influences that can positively affect physical or mental performance. 2. In 1968 the international Olympic committee began Olympic drug testing for stimulants because of the many deaths that have occurred among athletes due to drug use. 3. U. S physician John Ziegler developed the anabolic steroid Dianabol as an alternative to testosterone and to also level the playing field for western athletes. 4. Both men and women put themselves at high risk of heart attack, stroke, liver tumor, and depression when using steroids. Possible side effects for men ho use steroids are accelerated male-pattern baldness, decreased sex drive, reduced sperm counts, breast development and testicle shrinking. Possible side effects for women who use steroids are clitoris enlargement, menstrual cycle changes, Deepened voice, Breast reduction, Male-pattern baldness and Facial hair. 5. Anabolic steroids are ergogenic because they are used to have similar effects as testosterone in the body to increase muscle mass and strength therefore enhancing performance. 6. Caffeine is ergogenic because it has been shown to increase endurance. Caffeine increases plasma free fatty acid levels and muscle triglyceride se, while sparing muscle glycogen use early in exercise caffeine improves focus and technical skill during and after strenuous activity or fatigue Caffeine is believed to enhance fat utilization in the body and has also been shown to effectively increase time to exhaustion during endurance activities, as well as sprint, power and strength performance. 7. Yes creatine is an ergogenic aid because it is an external substance that improves physical performance. By increasing resting levels of creatine phosphate it is to regenerate more ATP and sustain a high power output, thus delaying fatigue and improving performance 8. Other ergogenic substances are: Avena sativa has been shown to increase testosterone levels by enhancing LH levels. A study show men experienced increased sex drive, enhanced erections and more pleasure during sex when taking avena sativa. It can also be found in many body building formulas. Geranium extract is a notably powerful stimulant with the ability to increase energy, and suppress appetite leading to its widespread introduction into a lot of different fat loss products. Cocaine is a narcotic that stimulates the central nervous system and, delays fatigue. Phenyl ethylamine is a powerful central nervous timulant used widely as an aid to suppress appetite and increase energy before workouts. Tyrosine is an amino acid which is of particular interest to those using other sports supplements designed to enhance energy. The use of Tyrosine with stimulants such as caffeine, is a cheap and effective way to increase exercise performance in short duration, anaerobic activities such as weightlifting. In the context of sport, an ergogenic aid can be broadly defined as a technique or substance used for the purpose of enhancing performance. Ergogenic aids have from use of accepted techniques such as carbohydrate loading to illegal and unsafe pproaches such as anabolic-androgenic steroid use. The efficacy of many of these techniques is controversial, whereas the harmful side effects are clear. The most commonly recognized form of ergogenic aids are dietary supplements, which is a multi-billion dollar industry that targets a wide range of populations. Some surveys have indicated that approximately 50% of the general population, 76% of college athletes, and 100% of bodybuilders take supplements to enhance performance. Most nutritional aids can be categorized as a potential energy source, an anabolic enhancer, a cellular component, or a recovery aid. Studies have consistently shown that carbohydrates, proteins and other nutritional aids consumed immediately before or after exercise enhance performance by increasing glycogen storage and delaying fatigue. However some of the products on the market generally have very little scientific evidence supporting the validity of claims and they do not have to prove a supplements safety, effectiveness, or potency before placing a product on the market. Pharmacological aids include performance enhancing drugs, both illegal and legal including but not limited to Erythropoietin, beta blockers, antihistamines, rowth hormones, anabolic-androgenic steroids, caffeine and amphetamines. Reaction to Tuesdays with Morrie EssayRT inhibitors are also effective when used with a new class of anti-HIV drugs known as protease inhibitors, approved by the FDA in December 1995. Protease inhibitors work by crippling a key viral enzyme called protease, which is vital to the reproduction of HIV in the later stages of its replication cycle.After HIV replicatesthat is, makes copies of its own protein componentsthese proteins must be cut to specific sizes before they can assemble into a mature virus. Protease is responsible for trimming the new HIV proteins to their required dimensions. When protease is blockedor inhibitedthe proteins are not cut andthe defective HIV cannot infect new cells. The first protease inhibitor drug, saquinavir (Invirase), was approved for use in combination with nucleoside drugs such as AZT. In March 1996 two additional drugs, ritonavir (Norvir) and indinavir (Crivaxin), were rapidly approved for use alone or in combination with nucleosides. A fourth dru g, nelfinavir (Viracept), was approved by the FDA in March 1997 for both adult and child use. Ritonavir, formerly allowed for adult use only, was also approved for adult and child use. Preliminary results from four American and European studies indicate that these drugs cause dramatic increases in the number of CD4 T-cells and decreases in the amount of virus in the blood. These results are about two to three times more powerful than those seen with the nucleoside drugs. Researchers cautioned that new studies show also that HIV can quickly develop resistance to these new drugs, at least when they are used alone. However, researchers suspect that the resistance can be delayed when the agents are combined with other anti-HIV drugsfor example, the nucleosides. In fact, the most effective treatment against HIV is now considered to be a combination of three drugs taken togethertwo nucleoside RT inhibitors and one protease inhibitor. Although these drug combinations may cause severe side effects (such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and anemia), when taken properly they can reduce blood levels of the virus to undetectable levels. Each drug must be taken according to specific guidelines, however, and one missed dose can allow the virus to quickly mutate to a strain that resists the drugs. These drug combinations can also consist of two nucleoside RT inhibitors and one non-nucleoside RT inhibitor, a new class of anti-HIV drug first recommended for approval by the FDA in June 1996. These drugs work similarly to nucleoside RT inhibitors in that they bind to the HIV reverse transcriptase enzyme. However, they do not compete with other nucleosides for binding sites. The first drug of this type to be developed was nevirapine (Viramune), which was appproved by the FDA in April 1997. A second non-nucleoside RT inhibitor, delavirdine (Rescriptin), is currently available only in test settings. Both drugs are effective only when taken with nucleoside RT inhibitors; they should not be used with protease inhibitors. No matter which drug combination is administered, researchers believe that the earlier a patient is treated for HIV, the greater the chance that the treatment will be effective. The development of antiviral therapies for HIV is complex, and each new approach and drug must be extensively evaluated for safety and effectiveness. The general perception that this evaluation process causes unnecessary delays in providing therapies spurred public demonstrations against the FDA. These demonstrations have resulted in policy changes that make experimental drugs and approaches more readily available to people with AIDS, even before the drugs or approaches are approved. Although early availability of a drug entails the risk that it may be used in people before its toxicity and side effects are fully understood, many people with AIDS are willing to take this risk with the hope that the drug may prove effective. Effective drug treatments are available to fight many AIDS-associated opportunistic in fections, and these treatments have provided clinical benefit and prolonged survival for individuals with AIDS. Recent drug treatments for PCP have dramatically decreased illness and death due to this opportunistic infection. Antifungal drugs such as amphotericin B and fluconazole are effective against AIDS-related fungal infections. The antiherpes drugs ganciclovir and foscarnet are used to treat CMV retinitis and other herpes diseases. Because these therapies require medical supervision and are often needed on an extended basis, a network of community hospices (see Hospital) has been established to provide low-cost outpatient care for individuals with AIDS. Some hospices provide shelter and compassionate support for people living with AIDS. Gene therapy, an approach that involves altering the genes of the infected person to help prevent the virus from spreading to uninfected cells, might someday be used to treat HIV infection. Gene therapy has been used in clinical trials to inhib it HIV by introducing into cells a new gene that interferes with the viral regulatory proteins. In other trials, gene therapy has been used to introduce a new gene that protects the cells from becoming infected by HIV. Efforts also are under way to develop an effective immunization that could be either protective, preventing infection if an immunized person is exposed to HIV, or therapeutic, prolonging survival or decreasing immune destruction in people already infected with HIV. The World Health Organization (WHO) is currently sponsoring a large-scale trial of a protective-vaccine candidate in areas of the world where the rate of HIV infection is just beginning to rise dramatically. In 1998 the FDA approved the first large-scale trial of an AIDS vaccine in uninfected volunteers. The vaccine, made from the viral protein gp120, is designed to stimulate the production of antibodies that could protect against HIV infection. The vaccine is being tested for safety and effectiveness in Thailand and North America. With the discovery in 1996 that HIV must bind to chemokine receptors as well as CD4 molecules, researchers also began to develop laboratory chemokines that might block HIV from attaching to these receptors and casing infection. Individuals who lack CCR5 receptors due to a genetic defect appear to be protected from contracting the disease. IXPREVENTION EFFORTS Because there is as yet no successful vaccination against HIV, prevention efforts have focused mainly on educating the public about routes of HIV transmission and about personal measures that reduce the risk of infection. The CDC has established the National AIDS Clearinghouse, a hotline to disseminate educational literature and current statistics on AIDS. Safe-sex campaigns encourage sexual abstinence or monogamy (sexual relations with only one partner) and the use of latex condoms to provide a protective barrier during sexual intercourse (see Birth Control). Needle-exchange programs have been implemented to reduce needle sharing and consequent HIV transmission among IV drug abusers. The U.S. government has set strict guidelines for health-care settings, including use of protective clothing and proper instrument disposal, to decrease the risk of transmission to both the patient and the health care provider. On a national scale, screening of the blood supply has greatly reduced the risk of contracting HIV from blood products. However, with the exception of blood screening, these prevention programs have had only limited success. XSOCIAL ISSUES Many people consider HIV infection and AIDS to be completely preventable because the routes of HIV transmission are so well known. To completely prevent transmission, however, dramatic changes in sexual behavior and drug dependence would have to occur throughout the world. Furthermore, prevention efforts that promote sexual awareness through open discussion and condom distribution in public schools have been opposed because of the fear that these efforts may encourage sexual activity. Similarly, needle exchange programs have been criticized as promoting drug abuse. Prevention programs that identify HIV-infected individuals and notify their sexual partners, as well as programs that promote HIV testing at the time of marriage or pregnancy, have been criticized for invading personal privacy. Efforts aimed at public awareness have been propelled by community-based organizations such as Project Inform and Act-Up, which provide current information to HIV-infected individuals and to individuals at risk for infection. Public figures and celebrities who are themselves HIV infected or who have died from AIDSincluding American basketball player Magic Johnson, American actor Rock Hudson, American diver Greg Louganis, and American tennis player Arthur Ashehave personalized the disease of AIDS and thereby helped society come to terms with the enormity of the epidemic. As a memorial to people who have died from AIDS, especially in the early years of the epidemic, friends and families of AIDS victims stitched together a giant quilt in which each panel of the quilt was dedicated to the memory of an individual who died from AIDS. This quilt has traveled on display from community to community to promote AIDS awareness. The U.S. government has also attempted to assist HIV-infected individuals through legislation and additional community-funding measures. In 1990 HIV-infected people were included in the Americans with Disabilities Act, making discrimination against p eople with AIDS for jobs, housing, and other social benefits illegal. Additionally, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act established a community-funding program designed to assist in the daily lives of people living with AIDS. This congressional act was named in memory of a young man who contracted HIV through blood products and became a public figure for his courage in fighting the disease and community prejudice. The act is still in place, although continued funding for such social programs is threatened by opposition in the U.S. Congress. The lack of effective vaccines and antiviral drugs for AIDS has spurred speculation that the funding for AIDS research is insufficient. Although the actual amount of government funding for AIDS research is large, most of these funds are used for expensive clinical studies to evaluate new drugs. Many scientists believe that not enough is known about the basic biology of HIV and recommend shifting the emphasis of AIDS research to basic research that could ultimately result in more effective medicines. Words/ Pages : 5,149 / 24