Ophelia as a Foil to Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE English Litera

Ophelia as a Foil to Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚      In Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, the audience finds a docile, manipulated, scolded, victimized young lady named Ophelia. Ophelia is a foil to Hamlet. Plays have foils to help the audience better understand the more important characters in the play.   The character of Ophelia is necessary so that the audience will give Hamlet a chance to get over his madness and follow his heart.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Similarities are an important part of being a foil. One similarity that Hamlet and Ophelia share are that they both are children of controlling parents. [SV - 1] Hamlet's father, who is murdered, comes back as a ghost to tell him who his murderer is. This news is his father's way of controlling him from the grave. Hamlet's mother and stepfather are also controlling him by persuading Hamlet not to go to Wittenburg. Ophelia is also controlled by her father. She tells him how Hamlet has tried many times to express his affections for her. Ophelia's father does not believe Hamlet is sincere and orders her to stay away from him. Ophelia obeys her father's wishes. Women were expected to do as they were told and believed what they were told to be true.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another similarity between Hamlet and Ophelia is the feelings they have for each other. In the beginning of the play, we are led to believe that Hamlet loves Ophelia. This frightens Ophelia, but that does not mean she does not have feelings for him also. It is her father who encourages her to suppress any feelings she may have then. Later in the play Ophelia confesses her love for Hamlet, and he then hides his feelings and denies that he loved her. He suggests that she go to a nunnery. This makes Ophelia feel worthless and not wanted. .. ... when Ophelia takes her life, Hamlet does just that. [SS-1] He again admits to his love for her and apologizes to her brother Laertes for the death of their father. At the end of the play Hamlet's madness is also brought to an end, and he joins Ophelia again.    Works Cited and Consulted: Pennington, Michael. "Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven." Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. of "Hamlet": A User's Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996. Pitt, Angela. "Women in Shakespeare's Tragedies." Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint of Shakespeare's Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.      

Interest Groups and Democracy Essay

There is no doubt that interest groups play an important role in a democratic society. However, while some are essential in enhancing democracy in the society, some undermine democracy. Democracy can be described as a form of political leadership in which all policies and decisions are arrived at based on the principle of majority rule. In a democratic country, the citizens elect their political representatives after a specified period of time. Democratic election of representatives is governed by the principles of fairness, political equality and freedom where all the individuals who are eligible voters exercise their rights to make a choice between political partners. Interests groups, otherwise known as pressure groups play an important role in the establishment of pluralism in a democratic society. There is no doubt that the political representative in any society does not provide sufficient representation of all the interests in the society. In any society, there are diverse opinions and interests that the modern democratic structures in the political parties cannot adequately deal with. This is because of the structures of political parties which aggregate the interests of the society to establish an entity that has the ability to govern the entire country. This makes them disabled to dealing with some basic democracy issues affecting some individuals in the country. The interest groups in such democratic societies enable such individuals’ interests and opinions to be heard and have an influence of the decision making process (Hrebenar, 1999). Proponents of pressure groups in a democratic society have argued that these groups triumph over the deficits that are inherent in any democracy. It is important to note that there are many factors in the political structures in the society that results into inadequacy in democratic processes and consequently the deficit. One of these factors is the infrequent in which the elections of political representatives are carried out. In many democracies around the world, election of representatives is carried out after five or so years. For this reason, the majority have an opportunity to participate in a democratic process and influence the decision making process once in a few years. Moreover, the minorities in the society may not be fairly represented in the political parties and therefore have no influence on the democratic processes. In such cases, interests groups play an important role in proving a solution to these inadequacies in the democratic process. Although there are other remedies to the deficits in a democracy, there is no doubt that interest groups enhance democracy (Golden, 1998). The most important facet of democracy is the participation of the masses in all democratic processes. Interest groups in a society play an important role in promoting political participation in the society. Although voting is the most basic process in a democratic society, it does not provide the people with the ability to influence the politics of the country. People may participate in the voting process but may not have the strength to express their views individually to their representatives. Moreover, the political parties may not have all the powers to influence the people to participate in essential political practices such as voting. By people coming together which are facilitated by interest groups, they can push forwards their ideas and feelings about a policy issue. Other than influencing each other in making the right decision in the voting process, individuals within an interest group have the ability to take collective actions which will have a greater influence in the decision making process (Jordan & Maloney, 2007). For example, interest groups who are opposed to gay marriages and abortion can campaign for representatives in the legislature who are pro-life. In so doing, they will be able to influence the outcome of the elections and consequently the decision made by the legislature. This may be the only way through which individuals opposed to such activities in the society can be heard in a democratic society. The same is true for individuals supporting gay marriages and legalization of abortion. Interest groups also mobilize individuals with certain opinions about governance and decisions made in a democratic country to protest against political decisions that they are not satisfied. Through these street protests, the masses are able to express their dissatisfaction thus enhancing democracy (Bosso, 2003). Interests groups play a complementary role of political parties. It is common for a large number of citizens to rally behind a particular political party but are not satisfied by the running of the party. The majority may be unhappy with the position held by their political party on key issues on governance and legislation. Through pressure groups within the political party, they can influence the position of the party on the issues which may not be possible if an individual member of the party seeks to influence the party’s position. For example, individuals within a party may use pressure groups to influence the party’s position and include environmental protection or health care as one of the party’s political agenda. These issues may not be part of the party manifesto but if it is in the best interest of the party and the general public, interest groups can be used to incorporate the issues into the political agenda (Chaskin, 2003). Proponents of interest groups on a democratic society argue that they disperse the powers of the government. Pressure groups in a country have diverse opinions on key issues affecting the society many of which conflict. Due to the presence of these divergent and conflicting pressures on the government, the authorities and policy makers are compelled to listen to the suggestion brought forward by the interest groups. This way, the government acts as a mediator between interest groups with conflicting issues. This introduces the aspect of bargaining and compromise which is important in any democracy. It has also been observed that in some democratic countries such as Britain, the people representatives, who are the members of parliament are impaired in their ability to scrutinize the activities of the central government. In such countries, the interest groups play a major role in enhancing democracy by ensuring that the people representatives are informed of public satisfaction with the government activities. The interest groups in this case act as informal researchers who give briefing to the people’s representatives. The existences of interest groups that promote the welfare of marginalized individuals promote democracy by combating the elite’s interests in the society and ensuring that the disadvantaged are heard. In other words, the interest groups empower the citizens to fight for their democratic rights (Greenwood, 2007). In a democratic society, the interest groups provide an important linkage between the people and the government. Due to this link, the government is more responsible and remains focused on the interests of the general public while promoting democratic citizenship. They provide a vital channel through which information flows from the public to the government and the reverse. They inform and advise the government as well as the public on appropriate actions to take concerning emerging issues in the society (Ehrman, 1972). Despite these important roles played by the interest groups in promoting democracy in the society, some people have argued that they undermine and distort democracy and political systems in a country. For example, the interest group may represent a minority group in the society but be powerful enough to influence the decision in the country. This undermines the basic principle of democracy, majority always rules. This happens when the minorities through the powerful interest groups are able to influence decisions and policies that are against the will of the majority. These undemocratic practices that are promoted by interest groups are very common in trade unions and pressure groups with commercial and business affiliations. In many cases, the level of influence by a certain interest group in the country is determined by the financial and economic position of the pressure group or its members. In many cases, the influence and the position of the general society are not comparable and may be out of proportion (Keohane at al, 2009). Some interest groups are either too powerful or may promote corruption in a country. This limits its ability to promote the democracy and the interests of the general public. For example, interest groups pushing for the interests of the manufactures may be too powerful to influence decisions that favor the manufacturers at the expense of the public. Moreover, such interest groups may finance political campaigns in anticipation that they will obtain favors in the long run. Secret financial affairs and corruption have also been cited to demonstrate how interest groups undermine democracy (Sudbery, 2003). Opponents of the participation of interest groups in democracy maintain that they promote the inequalities in the society because of the high likelihood of them being influenced by the socially and economically advantaged members of the society. Marxists argue that the principle role of interest groups in a democratic society is to maintain the status quo or make the social divide worse. They also argue that the view of the government as a mediator between the conflicting interests as a cover-up of the real nature of power. Interests groups can also cause stagnation of democratic evolution in a society where one interest group blocks introduction of new issues in the society. This may limit social and economic development in the society. It is also important to note that the interest groups are subject to individualistic interests. This is mainly because the election of officials and running the affairs of the group in not always done democratically. It makes no sense how interest groups promote democracy whereas their structures are not democratic (Jordan & Maloney, 2007). In conclusion, interest groups play a major role in promoting or undermining democracy in a country. They are therefore good and at the same time bad in any democratic society. However, the large number of interest groups around the world indicates that they are successful in their mandate. They enable the general members of the public to have an influence on the decision making processes thus enhancing democracy, but can have negative effects if not well regulated.

Effects Of Fracking On The Environment And Human Health

As nations search for less carbon intensive forms of energy the demand for gas has grown rapidly worldwide in recent years. This significant increase in demand has led to a boom in world gas prices. In Australia, there are large reserves of unconventional natural gas compared to conventional natural gas. However, according to the Bureau of Resource and Energy Economics (BREE) there is enough conventional natural gas in Australia to supply all of Australia at current levels for more than 6130 years. Fracking extracts hydrocarbons from previously inaccessible sources of oil and gas using hydraulically pressurised liquid to fracture rock and release gas trapped in coal seams (Hester, R Harrison, R). This gas was once unprofitable because†¦show more content†¦Can contaminate groundwater that local landowners that farmers and local communities need. Gas leaks that may damage local fauna and flora and could have detrimental effects on the native wildlife. Takes an enormous amount of water (8 million gallons) to complete each fracturing job. Seismic surveying needs to be undertaken to determine where resources lie, seismic surveying has a detrimental impact on ecosystems – weed spreading, land clearing, dividing up and disturbing landscapes for access roads. Major reasons for water contamination from shale gas fracking operations: Well casing failure due to corrosion or faulty construction. Disposal of fracking â€Å"flowback† fluids, the water mixed with fracking chemicals must be store and then disposed of after the fracking of each gas well. Storage and disposal of used fracking fluids can contaminate surface and/or ground water. Emissions happen at point of both extraction, combustion and processing of the gas. Gas fracking releases methane into the atmosphere which is a powerful greenhouse gas. The health impacts The chemicals used in fracking are of concern. Current lack of research in this area. National Toxics Network produced a statement saying that â€Å"Our investigation found that of 23 common fracking chemicals used in Australia, only 2 have ever been assessed.