A Modest Proposal Essay Example for Free

A Modest Proposal Essay Jonathan Swift, a satirical author from the 1600’s and 1700’s, wrote A Modest Proposal, in 1729 to bring to the attention of the Irish officials that the poor were in dire need of help. In this essay, Swift proposes that the poor sell their children to upperclassmen for ten shillings in graphic detail (Swift 3). Through this disturbing mental image that readers were not able to look away from, the author successfully conveyed his message to the Irish people and managed to ultimately get them to help their own citizens. In modern society, the poor are growing poorer and the rich are growing richer, just like in the 1700’s. The lower class is not much different than the Irish lower class conditions was three hundred years in the past. The similarities of the lower classes are that the rich are of a much smaller percent, the poor are not receiving the help that they should, and that jobs are not readily available to anyone despite popular belief. The movement against Wall Street’s 1% was not effective due to these reasonings. The percentage ratio between the rich and the poor, in both eras, respectively run from extremely low to very high. In an article written for The Los Angeles Times on December 4th, 2011, the author clearly states how â€Å"we are fighting the 1% because they possess most of the nations wealth†¦ They are the enemy of us the 99% who toil at low-wage jobs†¦ and yet pay our fair share of taxes. † (Schiller 1) In this quote, the percent of people without jobs is comparable to that in Swift’s time. As Darell Figgis explains, â€Å"Throughout the eighteenth century the state of that nation was inconceivably wretched. It was rack-rented mercilessly, without let or hindrance or prospect of remedy (1)†. Eighteenth century Ireland was in a worse state of living than the poor in the United States. In eighteenth century Ireland, anyone who was not part of royalty was part of poverty. In this case, jobs were unavailable to most people who were of poor descent. The job most of the poor were able to acquire was a begging job, and even then life was difficult. Even local farmers were more fortunate than the beggars, since they were able to spare a little of their own harvest for heir families. Officials turned a blind eye to the problem, and ignored the pleas of the beggars and lower class. If the United States continues to go down this path, soon the country will face the same fate as that of 18th century Ireland. Occupy Wall Street was a major event that happened in New York City to fight how the upper-class is not helping the less fortunate. Many people flocked to Wall Street to protest, bearing signs saying â€Å"We Are The 99%†, declaring how the so-called â€Å"1%† of the United States holds most of the money in the country. As Fox News writes, â€Å"The protesters have varied causes, but have spoken largely about unemployment and economic inequality, reserving most of their criticism for Wall Street. ‘We are the 99 percent,’ they chanted, contrasting themselves with the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans† (â€Å"Occupy Wall Street† 1). These people wanted to make their opinions known, clearly portraying their disapproval of the system today. The upper-class in society receives up to seventeen percent of the national income in total (McCormally 1). Even through this, there is no evidence that any help will come to the lower class any time soon. A Modest Proposal, written by the satirist Jonathan Swift, condemns the same fate to the Irish of the time. As Swift writes, â€Å"I am not in the least pain upon that matter, because it is very well known that [the Irish people] are every day dying and rotting by cold and famine, and filth and vermin, as fast as can be reasonably expected (Swift 4)†. This quote shows how horrid the living conditions of Ireland were during this time period. Upperclassmen did nothing to help this condition from progressing, and continued about their own ways, pretending that there was no real problem occurring. Likewise, in today’s society, many of the upperclassmen do not help the lower class. Though some actually do lend a helping hand to those people who need help the most, many lower class citizens have to work their way around a meager salary. In the time of Jonathan Swift, though the crisis was much more profound, there were still some similarities to the issues of today’s society. In his work of art, A Modest Proposal, he declares the problem, â€Å"And as to the young laborers, they are now in as hopeful a condition; they cannot get work, and consequently pine away for want of nourishment, to a degree that if at any time they are accidentally hired to common labor, they have not strength to perform it† (Swift 4). This statement is not too far away from the economic problems the United States is having today. Many college-bound students are unable to secure a job, thus making them rely on their parents for longer than ever before in history. The monetary issue has been growing ever larger since the most recent stock market crash, in which the Dow Jones dropped a total of 22. 11% within a week (Stock Market Crash of 2008. 2). However, the issue is currently under review, and hopefully a bailout is in the near future for people of the United States of America. In conclusion, there are many similarities between today’s poverty-driven streets and Ireland’s poor population. The upperclassmen, or, in today’s words, government, were not and are not paying attention to the dire needs that the countries needed to get through the hardship that should not have been. Jobs are scarcely available to anyone who does not know someone already with a job working for the same company. Even though this is the case, the government is not working to help out the situation, and is not focusing on what is needed; more jobs, less government spending on luxuries that are unrequired for the survival of the country itself. The rich are growing richer as the poor’s funds are growing thinner and, much like the issues addressed in A Modest Proposal, help from officials is not in sight.

Isolation, Cloning, and Translation of Plasmid DNA

Isolation, Cloning, and Translation of Plasmid DNA Abstract: The objective of this experiment was to clone a kanamycin gene into the MCS of a pUC18 plasmid, and then to transform cells with the plasmids. Purified pUC18 and pKan plasmid samples were obtained. A 0.7 % agarose gel was prepared, and the wells loaded with the plasmid samples. Restriction endonucleases were used to cut a kanamycin resistance gene from a pKan plasmid. DNA ligases were used to ligate the kanamycin resistance gene on to the multiple cloning site of the pUC18 plasmid. Escherichia coli (strain DH5ÃŽÂ ±) were then transformed with plasmids. The presence of the kanamycin resistance gene in the pUC18 was determined using the indirect (pUC18 selection) and direct selection methods. The results from the gel image were inadequate. Zero colony counts were recorded on the kanamycin plates for the indirect selection method. Zero colony counts were recorded on the kanamycin/ carbenicillin plate for the direct selection method. In Conclusion it can be said that although the kana mycin gene should have been inserted into the pUC18 plasmid, the results from both selection methods indicate that it wasnt. Introduction: DNA cloning is a process in which a certain piece of DNA is replicated several times [1]. This process in essence involves isolating the gene or DNA fragment of interest, and transferring it to another molecular of DNA [1]. In order for the cloning process to begin, the DNA of interest has to be cut at precise locations [1]. Specific endonucleases are used for this process. After which a small molecule of DNA is chosen, that has restriction sites that are complementary to the DNA of interest and is capable of self-replication [1]. These small molecules of DNA are called cloning vectors (phages, plasmids, Yeast Artificial Chromosomes, or Bacterial Artificial Chromosomes can be used) [1]. The two pieces of DNAs (the vector and DNA of interest) can be joined together by using a DNA ligase [1]. The newly formed composite DNA molecule is called a recombinant DNA [1]. The recombinant DNA can then be introduced into a host cell by a process of transformation [1]. Once transformed multiple c opies of the host cell can be produced, and in doing so multiple copies of the DNA are also produced [1]. Bacterial DNA can carry genes for antibiotic resistance [2]. The antibiotic resistance gene can either be on the chromosomes or on other external chromosomal pieces of DNA (e.g. plasmids) [2]. The pUC18 is a cloning vector plasmid that contains an ampicillin resistance gene [2]. On the other hand the pKan plasmid contains a kanamycin resistance gene [2]. The pUC18 plasmids are extremely useful for transformation with an Escherichia coli host cell [2]. The pUC18 plasmid consist of an origin of DNA replication, pBR322 derived ampicillin resistance gene, and a lacZ gene of E.coli [2]. The lacZ gene is part of something called the lac operon [1]. The lac operon in essence consists of the lacZ, lacY, and lacA genes [1]. The combination of the three genes allows the cell to utilize lactose [1]. When sufficient quantity of lactose is available, the cell is able to utilize the lactose by producing the enzyme beta-galactosidase [2]. pUC18s lacZ gene contains a collection of different restrict ion enzyme recognitions sites [2]. This site within the lacZ gene is called a Multiple Cloning Site (MCS). The MCS of the pUC18 plasmids can be recognized by a number of different enzymes; hence cuts can be made at various different places [2]. In gene cloning experiments, X-gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl,-D-galactoside) is used to indicate the presence of the lacZ gene, and hence indicates whether or not a cell is producing the enzyme beta-galactosidase [2][3]. This indication is given by a blue coloration of the colonies growing on a medium containing X-gal [2]. Beta-galactosidase cleaves X-gal into D-galactoside and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indole [3]. The actual presence of 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indole is what causes the colonies to true blue [3]. The pKan plasmid contains the kanamycin resistance gene. In this experiment the kanamycin resistance of the pKan plasmid will be cloned into the MCS of the pUC18 plasmid [2]. This new recombinant DNA will then be transformed into an E.coli strain DH5ÃŽÂ ± host cell [2]. A brief overview of the isolation, cloning and transformation processes are given above [2]. This process in the end will yield an E. coli strain that is resistance to both ampicillin and kanamycin [2]. As mentioned earlier, the multiple cloning sites (MCS) of the pUC18 plasmid is located with its lacZ gene [2]. This means that when the kanamycin resistance gene is inserted into the multiple cloning sites, the lacZ gene is disturbed [2]. This alters the production of beta-galactosidase [2]. Hence the E.coli cells are not able to utilize X-gal on a growth media, producing white colonies instead of blue [2]. The presence of white colonies can be used as an indication for insertion of the kanamycin gene in pUC18 plasm id [2]. A kanamycin/ampicillin selective media can also be used to make sure that the pUC18 plasmid has the kanamycin gene inserted into it [2]. In summary the main objectives of this experiment is to clone a kanamycin gene into the MCS of a pUC18 plasmid, and then to transforms a cell with the plasmids. The hypothesis is that a kanamycin resistance gene will be inserted onto the MCS of the pUC18 plasmid, and as a result the cells will be resistant to both antibiotics. Materials and Methods: The following materials and methods are taken from: Hausner, M., Jong, M. (2010). Experiments in Biotechnology (BLG888 ed.). Toronto: Ryerson University. Pg 7-19 Materials: Bacterial plasmids, restriction enzymes, solutions and media used: Overnight cultures of DH5ÃŽÂ ±/ pUC18 and MM294/pKan (5x10mL) were used. DNA solution kit that was used consist of solution 1 (glucose/Tris/EDTA to which lysozymes were added), solution 2 (SDS/NaOH), and solution 3 (KOAc). Enzymes RNAase (5mg/ml) and DNA ligase were used. Isopropanol and ethanol were used. TE buffer used contained 10Mm TRIS and 0.1 mM EDTA. Tris borate buffer that was used contained (TBE)(1X)10.8g Tris, 5.5g Boric acid, 10 mM EDTA, and up to 1000 ml distilled water. DNA loading dye and Ethidium bromide solution were used. The plasmids pUC18 and pKan were used. The restriction enzymes that were used were BamHI (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H.) and HinDIII (isolated from Haemophilus influenza). 5M ammonium acetate was used. Phenol:chloroform:isoamyl was used. 50mM EDTA was used. 5 x ligation and restriction buffers were used. TE buffer that was used contained 10Mm Tris, 0.1 Mm EDTA. Cell culture of E. coli strain DH5ÃŽÂ ± was used. 50 ml of LB broth and 3 sterile saline tubes. 2 LB plates, 8 LB + carbenicillin (carb), and 3 LB + carbenicillin (carb) + kanamycin (kan) plates were used. X-gal solution was used. 1 plate of LB+ kanamycin (kan). Methods: Preparation of the plasmid DNA: pUC18 and pKan plasmid were prepared over a period of three days (three weeks). Two centrifuge tubes with the culture sample were centrifuged for 10 minutes and supernatant discarded. 100Â µl of solution 1 was added followed by 10Â µl of RNase. After 20 minutes solution 2 was added. Five minutes later ice cold solution 3 was added, which was centrifuged 10 minutes later for 10 minutes. 400Â µl of the supernatant was extracted to a clean tube, to which 400Â µl of isopropanol was then added and was left for 30 minutes at -20oC. The DNA sample was then centrifuged and the pellet speed vac. The dry pellet was re-suspended in 20Â µl of TE buffer. A gel was prepared with accordance to steps in the lab manual. The DNA samples were then loaded on to the wells and the electrophoresis apparatus ran. The gel images were taken to see presence of the pUC18 and pKan plasmids. Endonuclease restriction digestion of the plasmids and ligation of the kanamycin fragment to pUC18: Two centrifuge tubes were prepared from 10Â µl of pUC18 and 10Â µl of pKan plasmids. To each tube restriction buffers, restriction enzymes and sterile water were added (refer to the lab manual for details). The prepared tubes were centrifuged and left in a water bath. 5Â µl of EDTA was added to each tube. 100Â µl of TE buffer and Phenol:chloroform:isoamyl were added. The tubes were then pulse centrifuged and top layer remove and transferred to new tubes (A1 and B1). 100Â µl of Phenol:chloroform:isoamyl was added, top layer removed and transferred to new tubes again (A2 and B2). Ammonium acetate and ethanol were added to tubes A2 and B2. The tubes were centrifuged, supernatant discarded, pellet speed vacuumed, and finally re-suspended in TE buffer. Tube C and D were prepared with accordance to the lab manual. The new tubes were then centrifuged and incubated. Transformation of an ampicillin sensitive E.coli Strain: The first five steps to prepare the cell culture of DH5ÃŽÂ ± for transformation were done by the lab staff. Details on the steps can be found in the lab manual. Four centrifuge tubes were prepared. Tube 1 contained uncut DNA plasmids, tube 2 contained DNA sample from tube C, tube 3 contained DNA sample from tube D, and tube 4 contained sterile water. The pre-prepared cells were then added to the tubes and heat shocked. LB broth was added to each tube and incubated for 20 minutes. X gal was spread evenly on the 8 LB+ carb plates. 100Â µl from tubes 1, 2, and 4 were spread on 3 of the LB+carb+X-gal plates. 100Â µl from tube three was then plated on the remaining five LB+carb+X-gal plates. Tube 3 was also plated on to 3 LB+carb+kan plate. A dilution series (using 0.1Â µl from the previous) was prepared from tube 3 using 3 sterile saline tubes. 10 Â µl from dilution 2 and 100 Â µl from dilution 3 were spread plated onto 2 LB plates. Colonies from each plate were counted. Blue and white colonies from tube 3 plates were then streaked on to a LB+Kan plate. Results from the LB+Kan plates were then recorded. Additional details can be found in the lab manual: Hausner, M., Jong, M. (2010). Experiments in Biotechnology (BLG888 ed.). Toronto: Ryerson University Results: Figure 1: 0.7 % agarose gel digest showing the presence of the pUC18 and pKan plasmids. Lane 3 and 2 were used by Abbas and Jamie. The figure above shows the 0.7% agarose gel image showing the presence of pUC18 and pKan plasmids. If banes appeared in the respective lanes, the plasmid samples would be used in the next part of the experiment. The image above shows bands appearing for lane 3 (pKan), but none for lane 2 (pUC18). This indicates the presence of the pKan plasmid but absences of the pUC18 plasmid. Hence due to inadequate results, additional plasmid sample were prepared by the lab staff. In total results from all 14 plates were recorded. Indirect Method: Table 1: Results for colony counts for the indirect (pUC18) selection method on LB+ carb+ X-gal plates Plate 1 Plate 2 Plate 3 Plate 4 Plate 5 Tube 1 TMTC-Blue N/A Tube 2 5-Blue Tube 4 0 Tube 3 40 Blue/ 5 White 55 Blue/ 15 White 79 Blue/ 22 White 65 Blue/ 3 White 54 Blue/ 12 White The results for tube 1, 2, 3, and 4 plated on the 8 LB+ carb+ X-gal plates are shown above. Tube 1 contained an uncut plasmid which explained the high number of colonies for plate 1. Tube 2 contained a cut pUC18 plasmid, which can be explained by only 5 colonies. Tube 4 contained only sterile water; hence zero colonies appeared on the plates. Tube 3 was plated on 5 plates, showing an average of 59 blue colonies and 11 white colonies. Direct Method: No colonies were obtained from the three plates of LB + carb + kan plates. Competent Cell and Percentage Transformation Calculation: The dilution series was prepared from tube 3, as indicated in the materials and methods section. Dilution 2 had a 100 colonies and dilution 3 had 30 colonies. The CFU (colony forming unit) calculations and values are shown below. CFU = (# of colonies) x (dilution factor) / (volume plated) CFU for dilution 2 = 100 x 104/ 0.1 = 10000000 cells/ml CFU for dilution 3 cant be calculated because it doesnt fall between the 30-300 colony limit. Table 2: Percentage transformation of colonies using competent cells (CFU) Plate 1 Plate 2 Plate 3 Plate 4 Plate 5 Average Percentage Transformation For total colonies (%) (45) 0.0045 (70) 0.007 (101) 0.0101 (68) 0.0068 (66) 0.0066 (70) 0.0070 In order to calculate percentage transformation, calculations from CFU are need. Percentage transformation can be calculated using the total colonies (i.e.. plate 1: 40 blue+5 white =45 total). Percentage Transformation = (Transformed cells per ml /competent cells (CFU) )x 100% So for example for the average of 70 total colonies; =0.007% Discussion: As mentioned in the result section the agarose gel image was inadequate. Lane 2 and 3 in figure 1 represent the pUC18 and pKan plasmids respectively. Clear bands were seen for the pKan plasmid however this is not the case for the pUC18 plasmid. In order for the plasmids to show up, they had to be extracted from their respective E. coli strains(pUC18 (DH5ÃŽÂ ±) and pKan (MM294). The presence of bands on the pKan lane proves that there is actual extraction from the cells. The presence of multiple bands could indicate the presence of multiple size plasmids of pKan. The fact that no bands were seen for pUC18 could be as a consequence of inadequate extraction from the E. coli cells (DH5ÃŽÂ ±). Experimental procedural error could have resulted in this. Both strains of microbes would have been genetically engineered to only contain the plasmid of interest; hence the risk of contamination is reduced. The selection methods for the experiments were divided into indirect (pUC18 selection) and direct selection methods. As mentioned in the materials and method section, cells from tube 1 were streaked on to a plate. The cells were transformed with undigested pUC18 plasmids. The colonies were too many to count and were all blue. The high number of colonies could simply occur because of the stable natural of the undigested pUC18 plasmid. The undigested pUC18 plasmids contain an uninterrupted lacZ gene, capable of producing beta-galactosidase. Beta-galactosidase is hence able to utilize X-gal on the plates and produce the large number of blue colonies. Since the cells were carbenicillin resistance (due to the pUC18 plasmids), they were able to grow on the plates. Cells were transformed with digested pUC18 plasmids from tube 2. Cells from tube 2 formed too few colonies (only 5) when compared to tube 1 (TMTC). This is due to the unstable nature of the digested pUC18 plasmids. These plasmids were digested with HinDIII and BamHI, and it possible that not all of them had an opportunity to re-ligate properly. The restriction enzymes could have cut up the lacZ gene or the carbenicillin (ampicillin) gene making it difficult for the plasmid to come back to its original conformation and survive on the X-gal+carb plate. A large majority of the pUC18 could have been cut in to smaller fragments rendering then inactive. Tube 3 initially contained the digested pUC18 and pKan plasmids. Cells were then transformed with the content of this tube. Since the transformation process is not perfect, there is no way to know what plasmid the cell took up. Hence it can be assumed that cells were transformed with either only the pUC18 plasmids, the pUC18 plasmids with the kanamycin gene, pKan and Puc18 or in some case only the pKan plasmid. Five plates were spread plated with these cells and presence of blue and white colonies were noted. As the results indicate a mixture of both blue and white colonies were obtained with an average of about 59 blue colonies and 11 white colonies. Blue colonies would hypothe tically contain cells (plasmids) with an intact lacZ (producing beta-galactosidase) gene justifying the blue color. The white colonies would have there lacZ gene disturbed (not producing beta-galactosidase), because another piece of DNA would have been inserted into the MCS. However the production of white colonies doesnt dictate the insertion of the kanamycin gene into the pUC18 plasmids. It is highly possible that another gene or DNA fragments from the pKan plasmid got inserted in the pUC18 plasmids. Confirmation of this was performed by streaking white colonies onto a kanamycin plate. The fact that no colonies grew, indicated that the kanamycin gene was in fact not inserted. This proves that the results are false positive because white colonies appeared on the X gal plates, but didnt on the kanamycin plates. This means that the white colonies werent transformed with what we wanted. Finally it is noted that when tube 4 was streaked on to a plate, no growth occurred. This seems log ical as the cells in this tube were only transformed with sterile water, which means no plasmids were present. The cells would not have contained plasmids with the carbenicillin resistance gene, and hence did not survive on the carbenicillin plates. The direct method results were recorded from the LB + carb + kan plates. No growth was observed in any of the plate, which proved to be highly contradictory to our hypothesis. Presence of white colonies on the indirect method plates but none on the direct method plates was suprising. White colonies were assumed to have pUC18 plasmids with both kanamycin and carbenicillin resistance genes. Hence its inability to grow on the carb + kan plates was surprising because white colonies grew on the X-gal plates. However as mentioned earlier it could be possible that another fragment of DNA was inserted into MCS besides the kanamycin gene. The fact that white colonies also didnt appear when they were streaked on to a kanamycin plate, ties in with these results. Both direct and indirect methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Indirect method involves multiple steps and hence in many cases can be time consuming. More plates are involved in the indirect methods, making it difficult to keep track sometimes, also adding to cost. However the indirect method helps to indentify the false positive/false negative results. The indirect selection method helps to make a comparison between the cut and uncut pUC18 plasmids. Comparison of the colonies shows the effect of restriction enzymes of the activity of the pUC18 plasmids. Moreover the indirect method is much more selective. This is because it first shows which colonies have an insertion in the multiple cloning site through the blue/white screening method. Then the plating of these white colonies on to a kanamycin plate helps to confirm that it was a kanamycin resistance gene that was actually inserted (on the MCS). The direct method is very concise involving only one plate, which save b oth time and money. This selection method has no chance of giving false negative/false positive results. The direct selection method selects for cells that have been transformed with pUC18 plasmids, and have a kanamycin resistance gene in their MCS. Since the pUC18 plasmid already has an ampicillin resistance gene (carbenicillin in this case), the insertion of kanamycin resistance gene allows it to survive on a LB+carb+kan plate. A problem comes when the plasmids dont have the necessary gene inserted in their MCS. So in this case for example it could be possible that the plasmid doesnt contain the kanamycin gene so the kanamycin antibody kills it, even though the carbenicillin resistance gene is there. Another technicality comes when a cell transformed contains both pUC18 and pKan at the same time. Because this selection method only selects for cells that have both carbenicillin and kanamycin resistance, it is difficult to tell whether the cell selected has both plasmids (pUC18 and pKan) or only a pUC18 (with the kanamycin gene). Therefore although more time consuming the indirect method is more useful. Some of the experimental errors that occurred could have been due to improper spreading techniques. The process of cell transformation that was used was through heat shock. It could be possible to use other cell transformation technique such as electroporation. In Conclusion it can be said that although the kanamycin gene should have been inserted into the pUC18 plasmid, the results indicate that it wasnt.

Stephen Dedalus And Dorian Gray

Stephen Dedalus And Dorian Gray Stephen Dedalus from A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man written by James Joyce and Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde, go through many life changes. These two stories are in a ways similar to each other. Where the two main characters go though crucial transformation and how they are influence by religion and peers. As well in the way the authors wrote the novels by using symbolisms to develop the characters throughout the novel also play a role in these two stories. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man tells a story of Stephen Dedalus how decides to cast off all his social, family, and religious constraints to live a life devoted to the art of writing. As a young boy he attends a strict religious boarding school called Clongowes Wood College. Stephen is lonely and homesick at the school but as time passes he finds his place among the other boys. He likes is visits home, even though family tensions run high after the death of the Irish political leader Parnell. As they had a Christmas diner the death of Parnell becomes the topic. Simon, Stephens father, is inept with money and the family sinks deeper and deeper into debt. Stephen realizes that his family cannot afford to send him back to Clongowes, and that they will instead move to Dublin. He attended a prestigious day school called Belvedere there is where he grows to do extremely well as a writer and as an actor in the student theater. His first sexual experience with a young Dublin prostit ute unleashes a storm of guilt and shame in Stephen. He ignores his religious education, throwing himself with morally wrong abandon into a variety of sins like masturbation and more visits to prostitutes. Then on a three day religious retreat, Stephen hears a tri of fiery sermons about sin, judgment, and hell. Deeply shaken Stephen resolves to rededicate himself to a life of Christian piety. Stephen begins attending Mass every day became Ming a model of Catholic piety abstinence and self denial. His religious devotion is so pronounced that the director of his school asks him to consider entering the priesthood. After a brief considering the offer Stephen realizes that priestly life is utterly incompatible with his love for sensual beauty. Awaiting news about his acceptance to the university Stephen goes for a walk on the beach, were he observes a young girl wading in the tide. He is struck by her beauty and realizes in a moment of epiphany, that the love and desire of beauty should not be a source of shame. Stephen moves on to the university where he develops a strong friendship with Cranly. In a series of conversation with his companions, Stephen works to formulate his theories about art. While he is dependent on his friends as listeners, he is determined to create an independent existence, liberated from the expectations of friends and family. Stephen becomes more and more determined to free himself from all limiting pressures, and eventually decides to leave Ireland to escape them. In the story The Picture of Dorian Gray tells a story of Dorian Gray a wealthy and beautiful young man who curses his fate and pledges his soul if only he could live without bearing the physical burns of aging and sinning. In the London home of his aunt Lady Brandon the well known artist Basil Hallward meets Dorian Gray. Dorian sits for several portraits and Basil often depicts him as an ancient Greek hero or a mythological figure. Basil painted a portrait of Dorian as he truly is but as he admits to his friend Lord Henry the painting disappoints him because it reveals too much of his feeling for his subject. Lord Henry enjoys scandalizing his friends by celebrating youth, beauty and the selfish pursuit of pleasure; he disagrees claiming that the portrait is Basils masterpiece. Dorian enters the studio and Basil introduces him to Lord Henry and he fears that he will have a damaging influence on the young Dorian. Lord Henry upsets Dorian with a speech about the transient nature of bea uty and youth. Dorian worries that his most impressive characteristics are fading day by day and curses his portrait which he believes will one day remind him of the beauty he will have lost. In distress he pledges his soul if only the painting could bear the burden of ageing allowing him to stay forever young. Lord Henrys influence over Dorian grows stronger. The youth becomes a disciple of the new Hedonism and proposes to live a life dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure. Dorian falls in love with Sibyl Vane a young actress who performs in a theater on Londons slums. Overcome by her emotions for Dorian, Sibyl decides that she can no longer act. She wonders how she can pretend to love on the stage now that she has experienced the real thing. Dorian who loves Sibyl because of her ability to act he cruelly breaks his engagement with her. After he leaves the theater he returns home to notice that his face in Basils portrait of him has changed. It is then when he fears that that his wis h for his likeness in the painting to bear the ill effects of his behavior has come true and that his sins will be recorded on the canvas. The following afternoon Lord Henry brings news that Sibyl has killed herself. At Lord Henrys urging Dorian decides to consider her death a sort of artistic triumph and to put the matter behind him. Meanwhile Dorian hides his portrait in a remote upper room of his house where no one other than he can watch its transformation. Lord Henry gives Dorian a book that describes the wicked exploits of the nineteenth century Frenchman it becomes Dorians bible as he sinks ever deeper into a life of sin and corruption. Dorian lives a life devoted to garnering new experiences and sensations with no regard for conventional standards of morality or the consequences of his actions. His peers nevertheless continue to accept him because he remains young and beautiful. The painting, however, grows increasingly hideous. One night Basil Hallward arrives at Dorians ho me to confront him about the rumors that plague his reputation. They argue and Dorian eventually offers Basil a look at his soul. He shows Basil the now hideous portrait and Basil horrified begs him to repent. Dorian claims it is too late for penance and kills Basil in a fit of rage. To dispose of the body Dorian employs one of his doctor friend how refuses to help Dorian but at the end he helps his because Dorian blackmails him. The night after the murder Dorian makes his way to an opium den where he encounters James Vane the bother of Sibyl and attempts to avenge his sister death. Dorian then escapes to his country state while entertaining guest he notice James Vane peering in through a window and he becomes wracked by fear and guilt. A hunting party accidentally shoots and kills Vane, Dorian feels safe again. He resolves to amend his life but cannot muster the courage to confess his crimes, and the painting now reveals his supposed desire to repent for what it is hypocrisy. He pi cks up the knife he used to stab Basil and attempts to destroy the painting. There is a crash, and Dorians servants enter to find the portrait unharmed showing Dorian as a beautiful young man. On the floor lies the body of their master an old man, horribly wrinkled and disfigured, with a knife plunged into his heart. First over the course of the novels this two characters went through several transformation. Stephen Dedalus first transformation was during his first years as Clongowes, he goes from a sheltered little boy to a bright student who understands social interactions and can begin to make sense of the world around him. The second occurs when Stephen sleeps with the Dublin prostitute he went from innocence to a sinner. The third transformation occurs when Stephen hears Father Arnalls speech on death and hell he went from an unrepentant sinner to a devout Catholic. Finally, Stephens greatest transformation is from near fanatical religiousness to a new devotion to art and beauty. That transformation took place in chapter 4 when he is offered entry to the Jesuit order but refuses it in order to attend university. Stephens refusal and his subsequent epiphany on the beach mark his transition from belief in God to belief in aesthetic beauty. This transformation continues through his college year s. By the end of his time in college, Stephen has become a fully formed artist, and his diary entries reflect the independent individual he has became. In contrast with Dorian Gray, he went through several transformations as well. Dorians first transformation to me was when he was introduce to Lord Henry he went from being this young beautiful boy, close minded person to a selfish person with an obsession towards his beauty. His second transformation was when he breaks Sibyls heart. She being torn it drives her to suicide herself. This is the point where Dorian first notice the portrait that Basil had painted of himself starts to change. Here is where Dorian reveals that his pledge of staying young forever and his portrait taking the side effects of ageing are becoming true. As Dorians sins grow worse over the years, his likeness in Basils portrait grows more hideous. He seems to lack a conscience but the desire to repent that he eventually feels illustrated that he is indeed human. Dorian third transformation would be when he murders his friend Basil. He is unable to distract himself from the dissipation of his soul. Although in th e past he has been able to be sweep infamies from his mind, he cannot shake the thought that he has killed his friend Basil. Dorians guilt tortures him relentlessly until he is forced to go away with his portrait. Throughout this transformation not both of the characters went through a good change. Stephen Dedalus transformation went for a good one, well at least for him. As for Dorians transformation it went all bad from the beginning to the end. Also these two characters have in common that they in their own way were influence and let themselves get influence by others. Stephen Dedalus was influence by his family, his Catholic faith, and Irish nationality. Brought up in a devout Catholic family Stephen initially ascribes to an absolute belief in the morals of the church. As a teenager, this belief leads him to two opposite boundaries. At first, he falls into the extreme of sin, repeatedly sleeping with prostitutes and deliberately turning his back on religion. Though Stephen sins willfully, he is always aware that he acts in violation of the churchs rules. Second, when Father Arnalls speech prompts him to return to Catholicism, he bounces to the other extreme, becoming a perfect, near fanatical model of religious devotion and obedience. Eventually Stephen realizes that both of these lifestyles the completely sinful and the completely devout are extremes that have been false and harmful. Dorian Gray influence are heavily mostly by Lord Henry believes and his yellow book given to Dorian by Lord Henry. The yellow book has a profound effect on Dorian, influencing him to predominantly immoral behavior. Reflecting on Dorians power over Basil and deciding that he would like to seduce Dorian in much the same way Lord Henry points out that there is something terribly enthralling in the exercise of influence. Falling under the wave of such influence is perhaps unavoidable but the novel ultimately censures the sacrifice of ones self to another. Basils worship of Dorian leads to his murder and Dorians devotion to Lord Henrys hedonism and the yellow book precipitate his own downfall. As this two characters go through influences they at a point break apart. Stephen Dedalus does not want to lead a completely debauched life, but also rejects austere Catholicism because he feels that it does not permit him the full experience of being human. He reaches a decision to embrace life and celebrate humanity after seeing a young girl wading at a beach. To Stephen the girl is a symbol of pure goodness and of life lived to the fullest. In comparison to Dorians influences it is little wonder in a novel that prizes individualism the uncompromised expression of self that the sacrifice of ones self, whether it is to another person or to a work of art, leads to ones destruction. The authors way on writing their novels with symbolism enables them to develop their characters. In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, Joyce uses several symbolisms to develop his character Stephen Dedalus. Stephen associates the colors green and maroon with his governess, Dante and with two leaders of Irish resistance, Parnell and Davitt. In a dream after Parnells death, Stephen sees Dante dressed in green and maroon as the Irish people mourn their fallen leader. This vision indicates that Stephen associates the two colors with the way Irish politics are played out among the members of his own family. Another symbolism that Joyce uses is Emma. Emma appears only in glimpses throughout Stephens young life, and he never gets to know her as a person. Instead, she becomes a symbol of pure love, untainted by sexuality or reality. Stephen worships Emma as the ideal of feminine purity. When he goes through his devoutly religious phase he imagines his rewards for his pie ty as a union with Emma is heaven. When he is at the university he finally has a conversation with Emma. Stephens diary entry regarding this conversation portrays Emma as a real, friendly and somewhat ordinary girl, but not as a goddess Stephen earlier makes her out to be. His view if Emma mirrors Stephens abandonment of the extremes of complete sin and complete devotion in favor of a middle path, the devotion to the appreciation of beauty. Joyce also establishes water as a twin symbol of birth and death. Water imagery in the Portrait my point toward pleasure or pain, life or death, or it may be used to suggest both at once. Stephen fears the sea since he views it as an emblem of his own futility but it is the seaside epiphany which awakens him to the demands of life. In chapter five it is where Joyce exploitss the antithetical value of water. Joyce wrote He drained his third cup of watery tea to the dregs and set to chewing the crusts of fried bread that were scattered near him, st aring into the dark pool of the jar. The yellow dripping had backed to his memory the dark turfcoloured water of the bath in Clongowes. Here the tone of the language has been radically changed, the symbolism reversed, and this abrupt reversal emphasizes the change in Stephens state of mine. As for The Picture of Dorian Gray the author Oscar Wilde also uses symbolism in his novel. Wildes uses the color white as Dorians path from figure of innocence to a figure of degradation. White connotes innocence and blankness, as it does when Dorian is first introduced. It was the white purity of Dorians boyhood that Lord Henry finds so captivating. Basil invokes whiteness when he learns that Dorian has sacrificed his innocence and as the artist stares in horror at the ruined portrait he quotes a biblical verse from the book of Isaiah Though your sins be as scarlet, yet I will make them as white as snow those day were over for Dorian innocence. When the color appears again in the form of James Vanes face like a white handkerchief peering in through a window, it has been transformed from the color of innocence to the color of death. It is this threatening pall that makes Dorian long at the end of the novel, for his rose-white boyhood, but the hope is in vain, and he proves unable to wash away the stains of his sins. Wilde also uses the opium dens as a symbol. The opium dens represent the sordid state of Dorians mind. He flees to them at a crucial moment. After killing Basil, Dorian seeks to forget the awfulness of his crime by losing consciousness in a drug-induced stupor. Although he has a canister of opium in his home, he leaves the safety of his neat and proper parlor to travel to the dark dens that reflect the degradation of his soul. Finally, Wilde uses James Vane as a symbol as well. James is less a believable character that an embodiment of Dorians tortured conscience. As Sibyls brother he is rather flat caricature if the avenging relative. Appearing at the dock and later at Dorians country estate, James has an almost ghost spectral quality. James appears with his face like a white handkerchief to goad Dorian into accepting responsibility for the crime he has committed. Overall these two novels A portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and The Picture of Dorian Gray the main characters Stephen Dedalus and Dorian Gray undergo through life changes. Stephen Dedalus development throughout the novel went evolving to living a good life as he grow up he shut all his influences and develop his own taking him where he wants to be in life. As for Dorian Gray his development as he grows did not succeed. He was always influence throughout the novel he did not do anything to revel to the people he was being influence by and at the end it end it up in tragedy. Work Cited Joyce, James. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. New York: Viking, 1916 Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Oxford, 2006 Litz, A. Walton. James Joyce. Boston: Twayne, 1966

The Pit an the Pendulum :: essays research papers

The Pit an the Pendulum By: Edger Allen Poe The Pit an the Pendulum by Edger Allen Poe is what this essay came from. The story starts with the heretic getting sentenced the death penalty. He is thrown in a big pitch black pit, with a swinging pendulum hanging from the roof, to eventually be killed in some way. I believe that this character is a dynamic character because he goes through a lot and changes a lot.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One thing that was interesting was, that the heretic might have been post humus. He says â€Å"I was sick, sick unto death,† he referred to his sickness as past tense by saying â€Å"was.† Unto death means that he is dead. So he was saying that he was sick until he died. So is he post humus or does it just sound that way?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think if you read this story you will agree that he is delusional. In fact he says â€Å"I saw angels for a few moments of delirious Horror.† So he also knows he’s delirious. For a while he saw angels, then their heads burst into flames and eventually into candles. He also sees the judges again and some other images.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you would guess he was scared. He said that he trembled at the sound of his own voice. He is scared about the horrible death and he’s not even sure what it is. The blade, at the end of the story, comes down so far that when he’s lying down on the floor it is slowly cutting his robe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Finally he becomes relived. He actually was not just relieved at the end but also in the middle of the story. He stated that his distress had left him. The rats bite through his straps that were holding him down and I’m sure that led to a lot of relief. At the end of the story he sees an outstretched arm and then is pulled out of his cell, which was the ultimate relief.

The Post-Industrialism Era Essay -- Globalization

The era of post-industrialism refers to a period of change where a society advances from a manufacturing base, to a society reliant on knowledge, services, and research. What emerges from the remains of the industrial society is a society based around services, contracts, precariousness, segmentation, and insecurity, etc. Divided are the prospects for this globalized, post-industrial society. People question who will benefit from this new era of globalization. Some view the post-industrial era as one that offers opportunities for the well-educated, creative, and young professional while others view it as an era involving less security, job deskilling and high levels of inequality (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008). If one of the main consequences of post-industrialism is a widening gap between the â€Å"haves† and the â€Å"have not’s† then who are those who make up these two distinct groups? The re-organization of work in the 21st century marks a shift from manufacturing to services. By 2004, 74 percent of employed Canadians held service-sector jobs, 21 percent in the secondary sector, and 5 percent in the primary industries (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008; Bowlby 2000). We can divide these service jobs into two distinct groups, upper-tier jobs and lower-tier jobs. The upper-tier jobs are referred to as the â€Å"good† jobs while the lower-tier jobs can be considered the â€Å"bad† jobs. Dominating the lower-tier are women, youth, immigrants, and those with less than a high-school diploma. Jobs in this tier include retail, hospitality, customer service jobs such as call centres and help desks, janitorial work, etc. Many of these jobs are part-time, temporary or contractual, therefore preventing workers from obtaining the same benefits that many o... ...e potential for a highly fragmented and highly unequal job market or one that embraces the changes listed above and works towards better unity amongst workers, unions, and government. Works Cited Krahn, Lowe, Hughes (2008) Work, Industry, & Canadian Society. (5th ed.) Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd. Athabasca University (2010) Sociology 321 Reading File. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Critoph, U (2010) Sociology 321 Study Guide. (Revised edition). Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Krahn, H (1991) Non-Standard Work Arrangements. (Vol.3,No. 4) Statistics Canada, Catalogue 75-001E) Lowe, G. (1998) The future of Work: Implications for Unions. (Vol. 53, No.2) Montreal, Quebec. Retrieved May 2012 from http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/005291ar Betcherman, G.; Lowe, G.(1997) The future of work in Canada: A Synthesis Report. Ottawa ON: CPRN Inc. The Post-Industrialism Era Essay -- Globalization The era of post-industrialism refers to a period of change where a society advances from a manufacturing base, to a society reliant on knowledge, services, and research. What emerges from the remains of the industrial society is a society based around services, contracts, precariousness, segmentation, and insecurity, etc. Divided are the prospects for this globalized, post-industrial society. People question who will benefit from this new era of globalization. Some view the post-industrial era as one that offers opportunities for the well-educated, creative, and young professional while others view it as an era involving less security, job deskilling and high levels of inequality (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008). If one of the main consequences of post-industrialism is a widening gap between the â€Å"haves† and the â€Å"have not’s† then who are those who make up these two distinct groups? The re-organization of work in the 21st century marks a shift from manufacturing to services. By 2004, 74 percent of employed Canadians held service-sector jobs, 21 percent in the secondary sector, and 5 percent in the primary industries (Krahn, Lowe, Hughes, 2008; Bowlby 2000). We can divide these service jobs into two distinct groups, upper-tier jobs and lower-tier jobs. The upper-tier jobs are referred to as the â€Å"good† jobs while the lower-tier jobs can be considered the â€Å"bad† jobs. Dominating the lower-tier are women, youth, immigrants, and those with less than a high-school diploma. Jobs in this tier include retail, hospitality, customer service jobs such as call centres and help desks, janitorial work, etc. Many of these jobs are part-time, temporary or contractual, therefore preventing workers from obtaining the same benefits that many o... ...e potential for a highly fragmented and highly unequal job market or one that embraces the changes listed above and works towards better unity amongst workers, unions, and government. Works Cited Krahn, Lowe, Hughes (2008) Work, Industry, & Canadian Society. (5th ed.) Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd. Athabasca University (2010) Sociology 321 Reading File. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Critoph, U (2010) Sociology 321 Study Guide. (Revised edition). Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University Krahn, H (1991) Non-Standard Work Arrangements. (Vol.3,No. 4) Statistics Canada, Catalogue 75-001E) Lowe, G. (1998) The future of Work: Implications for Unions. (Vol. 53, No.2) Montreal, Quebec. Retrieved May 2012 from http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/005291ar Betcherman, G.; Lowe, G.(1997) The future of work in Canada: A Synthesis Report. Ottawa ON: CPRN Inc.

Journal of My Two Live

Reading Jhumpa Lahiri’s essay, My Two Live, I got that the author, as an Indian-American, tried to define herself throughout her whole life. The changing of her feeling for her identity and the death of her parents and her bicultural experience changed her feeling for her identity from humiliating to confusing to accepting to cherishing. Lahiri wanted convey us that the bicultural things can be seen as a shifting equation and she used â€Å"one plus one† for instances. Basically, I agree with her notion. However, in my opinion, the result of the equation is not just zero or two. It should be equal three or even bigger, when you really understand your great nation, United State of America. In one hand, I think most of people would very easy to lose their way when they are squeezed by two different cultures existing in their daily life. As the second generation of immigrants, my older cousin also had used to face this issue. When, he was a middle school student, he had avoided speaking Chinese, changing his hair’s color to yellow, and love to eat sandwiches and drink soda. Tried to do lot of things to make him seemed more â€Å"American†. Obviously, he is an American without any embellished. But, he did not understand this at that moment. As a naive child, he just hoped he can looks more similar with others around him. At that time, one plus one, of course, smaller than two or even equal zero. In the other hand, along with the growing up, the more social experiences you collected, the deeper understanding of yourself, then you would find that the result of this equation bigger, not limited in two. Because two different cultures combined together is not a simply one plus one equation. It contains great potential and energy, like when carbon meets oxygen can explode incredible brilliancy. Actually, I am not so familiar with America history or the great persons of this nation. However, story of my elder cousin’s I would love to share. As I aforementioned, he had used to doubt himself. But now, his has already got the doctor degree and even published a paper in Science, one of the most top scientific journals in the world. I remember acknowledgment of his doctoral defence stated that he would love to thanks his dear grandma since to be a doctor is grandma’s dream. Following the willing of grandparents or parents is a very traditional thinking in China. When persevering and enduring hardship, which comes from his family, meets critical and innovative coming from his American part, my cousin got an achievement. I think that beyond what one plus one equal two can include. So far, he hope his children can be teach by Chinese culture or even study in China someday, even if his wife is a White. I am not sure if this example reasonable, but this is what I really want to tell. Moreover, as a foreigner, from my sight of view, America is the one of most open and tolerant nations in the world. Democratic† and â€Å"Liberty† are two words what Americans the most proud of and pursuing. Thus, when you are walking on a normal street in any city of US, you will find that really like walking in the United Nations. Citizens of the USA might have various colors of sinks, speak English with different accents, and wear sorts of clothes. What’s more, you can buy anything you want by yourself in spite of understanding nothing English. I think this interesting phenomenon just belongs with America. Therefore, unique and individual are very common and important value of America. Everyone have an American dream, and everyone have the opportunity to achieve it. You can learn everything you like and grow individually. American culture comes from hundreds of cultures. The diversity of culture creates lots of advantages to the US, comparing with any other countries. All these above are the reasons why America, a country less than 300 years history, can be the greatest nation all over the world. Therefore, don’t be confusion because this is a part of America, what make it so amazing and fantastic.

Explore the differences in the ways Hamlet and Laertes go about seeking revenge Essay

This essay will consider the relevance of father/son relationships to motive for and the manner of revenge, the initial responses of both Hamlet and Laertes to the news of the murder of their father. Finally I will conclude by comparing how Hamlet’s and Laertes’ responses each compare with Fortinbras’ responses to his fathers death. The relationship each son had with his father is important, because it can be seen what motivates them for revenge, and whether or not their father’s influence inspires such vengeance. Hamlets’ relationship with his father is only shown after his demise. This is the only way we are able to see father and son interact. What we do see of this indicates that they do not have a good relationship, as the ghost of Hamlet’s father takes no pains to cover up the torment he endures beyond the grave. The ghost wants Hamlet to †revenge his foul and most unnatural murder† and warns that he would find Hamlet a †fat weed that roots itself in ease on Lethe wharf† if he did not avenge his death. The ghost might have said this quite scathingly, perhaps because he is aware of Hamlet’s tendency to contemplate every action, and failure to get things done quickly. The love in this relationship is clearly one sided, Hamlet later on in the play, in Act 3 Scene 3-4 shows his mother a picture of his late father and a picture of Claudius. He bitterly comments on how superior his father is with his †Hyperion curls†, †grace† and †eye like Mars to threaten and command† compared to Claudius. He is furious and obviously holds his father in high regard. The abnormality of Hamlet’s situation is emphasised when the ghost appears before Hamlet and his mother in act 3 Scene 4. When Hamlet’s situation is compared to the relationship Laertes shares with his father, the result is starkly different. They both appear to have a very close father-son relationship and in Act 1 scene 3 we can see a conversation between them, where Polonius is giving Laertes fatherly advice on how to behave when in Paris. Among the many aphorisms given by Polonius, he warns Laertes too not â€Å"give any unproportioned thought his act; Later on in the play, we can of course, see that Laertes ignores this heartfelt piece of advice when seeking revenge on Hamlet. Through not sitting down and thinking the situation out calmly, he jumped to the wrong conclusions. Polonius went so far as to ask for Claudius’ permission for Laertes to leave for Paris on Laertes’ behalf. The language he uses such as â€Å"he wrung from me my slow leave† does not suggest anything other than a father who carries nothing but deep affection for his son, and does not which to see him leave. No sooner are we shown the cruel and malicious treatment of Hamlet by hid dead father, then we are shown the stark contrast of Laertes and Polonius’ concerned and endearingly caring farewell conversation. As well as having completely different familial relationships, Hamlet and Laertes themselves form one of the most important polarities in all of the play. This is important in understanding why both characters have different methods of avenging their fathers. As the plot progresses, Hamlet’s hesitance and general inability to obtain his father’s revenge, will be heavily contrasted with Laertes’ fierce willingness to avenge his fathers’ death. Before Hamlet spoke to the ghost, he didn’t know that his father had been murdered. When the ghost asks him to †revenge his foul and most unnatural murder† Hamlet replies †Murder? † the question mark in this statement indicates that Hamlet had not considered seriously the idea that his father had been murdered, and that it had taken him by surprise. Hamlet has been delivered a double shock. He was already grieving for his father’s death and is now confronted by the fact that he was murdered. The ghost exhorts Hamlet to seek revenge and Hamlet, who is intensely moved, swears to remember, obey, and â€Å"sweep to his revenge†. Whereas Hamlet doesn’t quite trust the ghost and seeks to test Claudius’ guilt himself by staging a play based on the murder, Laertes sees no cause to disbelieve the method in which his father died. Laertes instantly trusts Claudius’ word that Hamlet is his father’s murderer. Laertes is a complete foil for Hamlet in some actions; his cry for vengeance is an absolute contrast to Hamlets’ timorous testing for the ghosts’ truthfulness. Laertes acts as the wronged son operation in open fury who †dates damnation; He has all the moral legitimacy that Claudius lacks and that Hamlet has forfeited through not acting quick enough and procrastination too much. Hamlet, however, does have powerful and genuine incitement †a dear father murder’d† as one soliloquy puts it and †a mother stain’d† as does another. Laertes confronts the king in Act 4, Scent 5. He demands †where is my father†¦ how came he dead?†¦ I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father† believing Claudius to be the perpetrator of his father’s murder. The words that Laertes utters could quite easily have come from Hamlet’s mouth. You can almost hear the bitterness and scarcely contained fury in Laertes tone as he said these words. It is poignant that whereas Hamlet took time to establish Claudius’ s guilt for himself, Laertes had jumped in at the deep-end and confronted the king wrongfully. Claudius managed to diffuse the situation by giving very short snappy answers such as †dead† by saying this; he is showing that he is being honest and up-front with Laertes and giving no excuses. In Act 4, Scent 7 Laertes initial fury has calmed down, although he remains extremely confident about the task ahead. He thinks about Hamlet’s dirty deed and his †noble father lost; he welcomes Hamlets’ return so that he can †tell him to his teeth ‘though didest thou†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. Every word he says invites comparison with Hamlet. When he arrived at the palace to challenge the king, Laertes brought with him a †riotous head† who cried, †Laertes shall be king! † He is obviously very angry, and this can be seen in the manner in which he speaks to Claudius. He calls him a †vile king†, â€Å"dares damnation†, and †vows to the blackest devil! † He obviously wants to make very clear his feelings on the matter of his father’s death and wants revenge. It can also be seen that he has dispelled any respect he had for Claudius. This is different from Hamlet, because although Hamlet is not overly polite to the king, he does not openly defy him as Laertes does in this scene.