Doctor Faustus Essay Example for Free

Doctor Faustus Essay Doctor Faustus, a talented German scholar who belittles the limits of human knowledge, believes that he has learned all that can be learned by conventional means. What is left for him, he thinks, but magic? He is offered a choice of Christian conscience by a good angel, and the path to damnation by an evil angel. Two fellow scholars, Valdes and Cornelius, teach him the fundamentals of black magic. Eventually, Faustus summons the devil Mephistopheles and the terms of their pact are agreed upon. In return for his immortal soul, Faustus will be granted twenty-four years of power, with Mephistopheles as his servant. In this play, the writer, Christopher Marlowe used symbolism through the play. Symbolism in general means the presentation of objects, moods and ideas through the medium of emblems or symbols. For example, When Faustus makes his pact with the devil, he signs it with his own blood. But as he goes to write, his blood thickens. That was a key moment in the play. Faustus wonders, What might the staying of my blood portend? / Is it unwilling I should write this bill? (2.1.62-63). He thinks since his blood is thickening and clotting it is some type of sign. At this point, Faustus believes his sticky blood is a symbol, a part of himself thats unwilling to give it all up for the devil and also that Lucifer insists on having the document written in blood. To him, this blood represents Faustuss person. If he has the blood, he has Faustus. So its a symbol to Lucifer, too. Without the blood, theres nothing physical to represent Faustuss soul. Then, at the end of the play, as he waits for death, Faustus cries out, One drop of blood will save me. O, my Christ!. Here, again, blood is a symbol of the whole person—Christ. Another example of symbolism that writer uses is when Faustus resolves to sell his soul to the devil in exchange for Mephistopheles, his decision to give it is not enough. Instead, Mephistopheles tells him, â€Å"thou must bequeath it solemnly/And write a deed of gift with thine own blood;/For the security craves Lucifer† (2.1.333-35). This meant that Dr. Faustus has to sign over his soul in a written contact. Faustus does as Lucifer asks, which was writing a contract that’s gives ownership of his soul to Lucifer in exchange for twenty-four years of having Mephistopheles around to boss. In legal terminology, this contact is called a â€Å"deed of gift,† It becomes the symbol  of Faustus’s decision to serve the devil; and since some definitions of sin state it as just that the decision to serve the devil instead of God, it also becomes a symbol of sin more generally. The contract is terrifying because it was actually real. It was made of paper and blood, and Faustus and Mephistopheles can see it and hold it in their hands. So while Faustus’s decision to serve the devil is not much more than an idea, this is an object that Lucifer can point to and say you belong to me. Faustus’s decision is put into document form to symbolize just how difficult, if not impossible, it will be Faustus to take back even if he really wants to. In conclusion, the writer, Christopher Marlowe used symbolism to his advantage which intensified the tragic appeal of this great drama.

Joseph Contrads Heart of Darkness :: essays research papers

“The Horror! The Horror!'; Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness'; is not just a suspenseful tale of a man’s journey to one of the Earth’s few remaining frontiers, the African Congo; it is a psychological insight into the true pits of the human mind, in search of the true “heart of darkness';, which resides not geographically, but is a part of all of us, living under the restraints of society and civilization. Conrad explores the idea that under the taboos and societal mandates, there is a potential for actions and beliefs that are shocking to the common individual. Yet, if a man is released to do as he wills, without society to judge him, he can cross into a state-of-being that we consider primal and non-human. Without civilization, one would become an agent free to do whatever he chooses, and will do it willingly. Conrad demonstrates and hints at this conclusion using several literary devices, ranging from symbolism to the subtle changes in Marlowe, the narrator, that represent his growing distance from civilization and reality. The strongest device and example of this phenomenon is the transformation of Mr. Kurtz, the director of the Inner Station. In this essay, I will explain and analyze Kurtz’s “de-humanity';, and how effective it is in achieving Conrad’s goal. This “deconstruction'; of Kurtz culminates with his utterance of the phrase, “The horror! The horror!';, as he lay dying. Yet, first we must explain what Kurtz was before he stepped over the edge. From the moment Marlowe arrives on the coast of Africa, he hears tales of an incredible man, who runs a trading post deep in the Congo. The accountant at the first station said, “He [Kurtz] is a remarkable person.... Sends in as much ivory as all the others put together....'; (Conrad 33-34) The bricklayer at the second station calls Kurtz an “universal genius'; (43). Marlowe himself tells us that Kurtz is an educated man, who had originally been commissioned to bring civilization and light into this, one of the darkest and vilest places on the Earth. Furthermore, the International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs has asked to Kurtz to submit a report, for the future reference of the Society. Marlowe, himself, has reads the report and refers to it as a “beautiful piece of writing';; yet, through Kurtz’s rhetoric on how the superior white man has a responsibility to civilize and help the primitive natives, the report ends with a phrase scrawled in unsteady handwriting and it reads, “Exterminate all the brutes!'; (66) The last entry into his report gives a hint at what has become to the “remarkable'; Mr.

Duke Ellington: the Music, Politics, and His Story Essay

Duke Ellington was a musical and political genius; he was â€Å"America’s only original musical mind. † He was not only a performer, but a composer. He learned the craft of composing by observing others instead of disciplined study. One important factor of Ellington’s music was its relation to black heritage and African American history. His symphony â€Å"Black, Brown, and Beige† displayed the African American struggle in America. Not only did Ellington use his music to portray the struggle, voice, and triumph of black Americans, he used his professionalism, originality, persuasiveness, and political performances. Edward Kennedy Ellington was born in 1899 and composed, arranged, and performed music for the majority of his life. Ellington was born and raised in a middle-class family in Washington D. C. , and that is where he first acquired his racial beliefs. During his grade school years, an emphasis of identity, pride, and history was instilled in the minds of him and his classmates. He was taught to command respect, not demand it. This meant that he was to act and speak in a respectable manner if he expected to be respected. He first began taking piano lessons at the age of seven but did not have particular interest in the trade at that time. In high school, he became interested in ragtime music. Also in his high school years, he acquired the nickname â€Å"Duke† because of his exotic choice of attire, and today, many believe that is his actual name. At age sixteen, Ellington was inspired by a â€Å"hot† pianist and decided that he wanted to be able to play like that. His knowledge of music was predominantly learned by ear, although he eventually learned to read music and took harmony lessons. Although he did have some music lessons, most of his musical mastery was self-taught by experimentation. Ellington became a professional pianist by the remarkable age of seventeen. Music was not his only artistic interest; he also excelled at visual arts. He was awarded an art scholarship to the Pratt Institute, but he preferred to play gigs instead. Duke eventually started a band of his own, originally containing only four players other than him. As the band expanded, he used the new members as resources to create a better product. Ellington and his band began a six-month residency at the New York Hurricane restaurant. There, he accompanied floor shows until he became the featured artist and broadcasted on the radio. In 1927 after the residency, he and his orchestra known as the Washingtonians moved to the Cotton Club in Harlem. He and his band were said to have â€Å"put the Cotton Club on the map†. While at the Cotton Club, his music was often referred to as â€Å"jungle music† due to his band’s trademark use of plunger mutes to create growling sounds. Often while his orchestra played, there would also be a skit being performed that was nearly primitive. At the Cotton Club, the families of African American performers had to sit in a separate section of the audience. Although Ellington was upset by this, he continued to perform at the Cotton Club because it was his opportunity to enhance his career and popularity. Duke always made sure that he and his band were dressed and behaved as gentleman in order to represent African American pride, beauty, and artistry. Unlike other African American artists of the time, Ellington’s compositions were used for the sake of listening purposes, in comparison to just background music. Silence was demanded. People who broke the silence were given a warning and then asked to leave if they disregarded that warning. This was the first time an African American band was regularly broadcasted nationally. As Duke’s music gained popularity, this became many white Americans’ first encounter with African American music. A radio popularity poll concurred: â€Å"They are heartily admired by the white as the colored people. † One of Ellington’s most prominent composing techniques was that he composed parts for the particular individual in the band rather than the different instruments. When he wrote a composition, he did so with the characteristic sound of the soloist in mind. An example of a musician with a distinctive sound is Johnny Hodges. Johnny Hodges was a member of Duke’s orchestra who had â€Å"complete independence of expression†, Ellington said. Ellington also stated that Hodges was the only man he knew who could pick up a cold horn and still play in tune. The specific sound of the individual was so important to a piece that if a member was to leave, the composition would almost always be omitted. Solos were atypically transferred to another musician. When Ellington composed pieces, he only had his own band in mind. This is why his orchestra’s sound cannot be imitated without sounding watered down. The unique style and tone qualities of the individuals made the orchestra nearly impossible to replicate. One thing that was often misunderstood about Ellington’s career was that he had two of them: bandleader and composer. He was famous for recording his own compositions as well as endorsements. He often composed music all through the night, and it has been said that he never went a day without composing something, whether it be a couple lines of a song or an entire piece. He would write music whenever and wherever he had the time to do it. Once, he even had to write a piece by the light of his band manager consecutively lighting matches. Ellington believed that music allowed him to express himself without reservation. Music, unlike words, provided Ellington with a way to express himself in a less controversial manner. It was a non-confrontational approach to expressing his beliefs to the world. In his compositions, he rarely wrote articulations, dynamics, or tempos. He expected the section leaders to decide the style indications. It is commonly know that Duke had finesse for placing an emphasis on colors in his compositions. The colors he used in the titles of his pieces often symbolized racial issues. He did a lot of experimenting with tone and color. Most of his music was instrumental and few incorporated lyrics. Some say his music is reminiscent of Bach. He mostly wrote short compositions with improvised solos, but when he did compose larger arrangements, they were often criticized for having a lack of inner coherence. He used the element of surprise instead of chorus succession to unify the arrangements. Ellington relied on sudden contrasts in theme, tempo, and key. He would also interchange swinging and non-swinging melodies. Some critics argued that his music should be danceable all of the time. Ellington clearly disagreed. Ellington’s compositions differed from other artists’ of his time because he employed a variety of instruments. Not only did he integrate a reed section, brass section, and rhythm section; he featured a valve trombone, a saxophone trio, and a baritone saxophonist who unusually played high notes. The reed section often provided the melody rather than the typical brass section. Ellington would apply asymmetrical themes such as parallel saxophone parts and improvised piano parts. He eventually stopped referring to his music as jazz. He called it â€Å"freedom of expression†. Ellington wanted to express the struggle of the Negro in his music, â€Å"We put the Negro feeling and spirit in our music. † Although his message was very serious, his music generally uplifted and entertained audiences around the world. When Ellington wrote compositions, he allocated certain measures for improvised solos. While it may seem that all of the solos in Ellington’s pieces are improvised, he actually composed the solos to seem as if they were improvised. This became known as â€Å"preconceived improvisation†. Only minor improvisations were allowed during the solos. In 1940, Ellington reached the peak of his compositional career. African American media deemed Duke Ellington the â€Å"race man† because he changed the image of African Americans in mass media. He was the first African American artist taken seriously without stereotypes. His music described the life of black Americans. He exuded his love of Harlem through is compositions. He used color in his music to radiate his appreciation and understanding of African Americans. His early arrangements represented the struggle of blacks during the Great Depression. Ellington was a strong believer that music could undermine the labels associated with how African Americans dressed and acted. His concern with blacks being portrayed as primitive encouraged him to strive to create a new identity for blacks in America through music. Ellington learned at a young age that a positive demeanor was crucial in order to earn respect. Since he was taught this so early, he always tried to be professional and as efficient as possible. He spoke of the significance of having a dignified stature and level of sophistication. Through radio, sound recordings, sheet music, advertising, and stagecraft; Ellington changed people’s conceptions of race and culture. In his advertising techniques, he focused on creating an image of desegregation. Black and white entertainers began to share advertising space, which was one step toward African American equality. His overall goal was to conquer racial and cultural stereotypes in and out of the media. He was forced to break through the barriers of the Eurocentric idea that African American music was not a form of art. He stopped using minstrel stereotypes that he had previously used at the Cotton Club. By the 1930s, he had differentiated many stereotypes from reality. It was important to Ellington that his marketing approach attracted all races and classes. He eliminated some prejudice by proving that music has no race. He always made sure to articulate the achievements, history, and value or African American culture. He trusted that the most efficient manner to protest was to â€Å"live and create in a way that undermined racial barriers and stereotypes†. Ellington, contrasting from many other African American artists, succeeded without using the white-dominated recording style. He was actually playing African American music and his pieces were on the record charts. Normally African American traveling performers struggled while on the road. Hotels and restaurants would not allow them. They would be physically and verbally attacked which often led to alcoholism. When Duke traveled in the South, he also brought two Pullman cars, a baggage car, lighting equipment, a stage, and an electrician. These assets made for a more secure trip. Ellington received the high honor of the Spingarn Medal which was the highest achievement for the American Negro. During his acceptance speech, he stated that he makes music for freedom. He later joined the Emergency Committee of the Entertainment Industry. This committee was opposed to race riots and poor treatment of minorities. This group advertised on stage, screen, and radio. In 1929, he played at a benefit performance. The proceeds when to the memorial fund for Home for Negro Performers. Another political act he did was assisting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by performing during the Montgomery Bus Boycott to raise funds for the Montgomery Improvement Association. Duke was described as a â€Å"symbol of power of multiracial appeal, the artistry and respect that African Americans could achieve, the money that could be made from the neglected African American market, and the possibility of a comfortable and mutually profitable meeting point for African Americans and whites. † This quote explains how the integration of blacks and whites could be beneficial to society as a whole. When Ellington traveled internationally, he came to realize that jazz music was more popular outside of the United States of America than inside. His overall goal of disproving African American stereotypes was a world project, not just a national project. He and his orchestra became the first jazz band to perform at Carnegie Hall when they premiered â€Å"Black, Brown, and Beige†. Ellington’s success created a new market for African American musicians. One of the first mixed race performances was â€Å"Cotton Club Medley† by Ellington. At this point in time, African American music had become a popular music genre. Racial lines were crossed within music advertising. White and black performers were featured on entertainment ads. Not only had Ellington become the most written about celebrity in this phase of time, his earnings were in the five figures. At the age of sixty, Ellington composed and recorded a song with John Coltrane and Charles Mingus for a motion picture. In the 1960s, he was considered the best known musician and composer in the world. In 1964, he composed a piece to defend the termination of segregation and discrimination entitled â€Å"Non-violent Integration†. Listening to the music of Duke Ellington began to symbolize looking at African Americans in a new light. Ellington’s final works submitted his vision of music, peace, brotherhood, and love. Ellington said, â€Å"The Negro is not merely a singing and dancing wizard but a loyal American in spite of his social position. I want to tell America how the Negro feels about it. † When he stated this, he denoted that black people were more than just a device for entertainment purposes; they were American citizens. One of Duke Ellington’s longest and influential pieces was â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige†, which was composed and performed in 1943. Ellington described this work as â€Å"a tone parallel to the history of the American Negro. † This composition was established to portray the history of the Negro from Africa to the present. The title â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† symbolized the different skin tones of African Americans. Each color in the title also represented a different movement of the composition. When composing this work, Ellington incorporated music from the opera â€Å"Boola† and transformed it into a tone poem. He did not finish editing the arrangement until the day of his Carnegie Hall performance. This explains that Duke believed a piece could be altered numerous times in order to create a great product. Ellington and his orchestra premiered the full symphony, â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† at Carnegie Hall in 1943. Five days later, they performed once again, only this time at Boston’s Symphony Hall. These two performances became the only full performances of â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† for many years to come. Duke decided to only play excerpts from the piece in the future. The six most popular excerpts were â€Å"Work Song†, â€Å"Come Sunday†, â€Å"The Blues†, â€Å"West Indian Dance†, â€Å"Emancipation Celebration†, and â€Å"Sugar Hill Penthouse†. The premiere of the piece was deemed confusing and disappointing by critics. People who were not accustomed to Ellington’s musical style were also perplexed by â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige†. Ellington and his band began performing sections of â€Å"Black† and â€Å"Brown†, but rarely performed sections of â€Å"Beige† until 1965. He refused to play â€Å"Brown† in its entirety because he claimed that people did not understand the important story behind it. Ellington often spoke of his message prior to performing a piece, also called programming. His first biographer, Ulanov, said that â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† was â€Å"more successful without programming†. Ulanov also stated that people â€Å"didn’t need to know about the American Negro to understand the music. † The first movement of â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige†, â€Å"Black† was worked at the most thoroughly of the movements. The first movement interpreted the sorrows and joys of the Negro when brought to America from Africa through work songs and spirituals. According the Ellington, the second movement, â€Å"Brown†, represented the recurring hopes and disappointments of blacks in America. It also symbolized the pain suffered through whippings, the bravery of the African Americans who attempted and/or succeeded at escaping, and the triumph of their emancipation. The last movement, â€Å"Beige†, was said to be a â€Å"vague and unfinished working of ideas†. Originally, the finale of â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† consisted of the lyrics, â€Å"We’re Black, Brown, and Beige, but we’re red, white, and blue. † Although Ellington was advised to remove the line from the performance completely, he simply omitted it from the finale and instead, announced it in his programming prior to the final movement. This line was evidently very significant to Duke Ellington. It represented the point that although African Americans were different shades than white people, they were still Americans and deserved equal rights. â€Å"Black, Brown and Beige† was performed in segments for a few decades. The version recorded in 1958 was criticized because it was believed to have expanded the flaws of the original premiere at Carnegie Hall. During the 1958 recording, there were only four other musicians, excluding Ellington, remaining from the original orchestra that performed in 1943. These musicians were Ray Nance, Lawrence Brown, Johnny Hodges, and Harry Carney. Ellington took another large step toward presenting the African American struggle when he and his orchestra performed â€Å"Black† at the Festival of the American Arts in 1965. The audience included approximately four hundred members including President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Analysis Of The Nevada And Us Constitutions - 1883 Words

An Analysis of the Nevada and US Constitutions and Government Structures Denisse Bustillos, 5432 PSC 101 Introduction to American Government and Politics Fall 2014 Section number: 101-1003 88311 Professor: William Eric Davis Ph.D. Author Note This assignment represents my own work. It is not a recycled assignment from another course and it has not been purchased, borrowed, or obtained from another source. Nor has any part of it been plagiarized. I did not include sections written by or summarized by other students. I have not shared any part of my paper with other students. I have made myself familiar with the definition of plagiarism and I have properly documented and cited all of the referenced data and quotes in the sections in which they are used. I am familiar with the rules for documenting sources and further understand that any violations of the college code of student conduct will cause me to fail this course (and not just the assignment at issue) and the case turned over to the college vice president’s office for possible further action including possible expulsion from the college. Denisse Bustillos American politics can be a controversial subject with many political struggles. Many struggles arise from the differences in political branches and dysfunctions between the nation and state’s power. This paper will define and contrast the differences between the United States Constitution and Nevada’s Constitution, the differences and similarities between theShow MoreRelatedGun Control and Regulation Essay1716 Words   |  7 Pagesindustrial nations. Next to automobile fatality, gun violence is the second leading cause of death by injury in the U.S. It should become first by the year 2003 unless something is done to prevent it. 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