Brainy Quote. William Shakespeare. www.brainyquote.com/authors/william_shakespeare. May 1,2018 Put bluntly, Shakespeare and classroom environments do not mix. Experiencing Shakespeare in an appropriate setting in a theatre allows viewers to be exposed to his literature in the most effective manner. Sitting behind a desk, reading aloud, and closely analyzing every phrase he articulates doesn’t do his work justice. This ultimately defeats his entire intended method of presentation; to be shared through acting on a stage. Overall, educational facilities’ modern ways of teaching Shakespeare undoubtedly ruin the experience, and associates a bad reputation surrounding his work with students.
Mark Powell beautifully writes, “You don’t need an expensive education to understand Shakespeare, but you do need the luxury of time, space and specialism to put his words on their feet.” (Powell,Subtitle) https://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-network/culture-professionals-blog/2014/mar/17/kill-bill-shakespeare-classroom-theatre This emphasizes my opinion supporting that Shakespeare can take you on a unique journey through a perspective that no other author can offer, however shouldn’t be a part of the curriculum if funds don’t allow for it to be experienced effectively. In addition, the way teachers share Shakespeare’s work with students involving close inspection of certain phrases and attempting to decipher what certain situations represent isn’t what Shakespeare intended. Powell states, “It’s an English teacher’s remit to analyse language, but pick apart every word of Shakespeare and you’ve dissected the butterfly - pretty in parts but a nonsensical whole and certainly unable to fly.”(Powell, paragraph 3). Shakespeare’s audience didn’t recognize “every word uttered… but the sounds and pictures they created kept viewers enthralled for hours.”(Powell, paragraph 4). Thus, if Shakespeare must be studied in a classroom, teachers should modify their ways of analysing his pieces so as to not emphasize and pick apart each given word, phrase or section. In summary, teachers should stop asking ‘why?’ and simply allow students to enjoy. Other feeble approaches to this matter revolving around translating Shakespeare’s work into modern English are foolish and ignorant. Important meanings are hidden behind his straining vocabulary that will be lost. Shapiro of The New York Times exclaims how “Macbeth’s dense soliloquies were intentionally difficult; Shakespeare was capturing a feverish mind at work, tracing the turbulent arc of a character's moral crisis.” (Shapiro, paragraph 4). https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/07/opinion/shakespeare-in-modern-english.html?_r=1 If translated to modern English, the desired emotions attempting to be portrayed just won’t be represented effectively, and personally, I feel the play’s dullness will intensify. It will resemble reading a mediocre story, and lose its renowned ‘Shakespeare’ identity. Thus, tampering with his literature as it’s supposedly “too difficult for today’s audiences to understand.” (Shapiro,paragraph 1), will actually worsen comprehension of vital components. In conclusion, Shakespeare offers an idiosyncratic work of art for today’s generation, but won’t fully be expressed if not exposed to under proper conditions. True appreciation of his masterpieces is unachievable under contemporary education.
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The Death Penalty should indisputably be re-integrated into the Criminal Code in Canada. Over the years, punishments have lessened in severity to meet requirements that label them as humane and civil, and those at fault are receiving an inappropriate amount of solace. The Death Penalty is a blunt and effective way of instilling fear into citizens to abide by rules and regulations, and is the only manner of justice that accurately disciplines certain acts. By no means am I saying that anyone who gets in trouble with the law should be subjected to death; I’m signifying the reputability of this system and its judicious nature in comparison to other forms of righteousness. Alas, the Death Penalty has been neglected for far too long and will only provide benefits to our present mediocre system of law.
Furthermore, let’s address the pros of this controversial topic. To begin, adopting the Death Penalty blatantly demonstrates how the justice system has no sympathy for criminals, which can act as an effective deterrent to those considering breaking the law. In addition, it provides families of victims concrete closure that whoever committed the act is no longer alive. Put yourself in an affected family’s position; for example, a very close relative of yours has been brutally murdered and the killer is in prison. This event will haunt you for the rest of your life, and knowing that the individual who took their life is abiding in a penitentiary where they have access to television, internet, and the opportunity to pursue a degree is wretched. The criminal gets to continue their life, as opposed to your innocent family member who is no longer with us. Not to mention the thought at the back of your mind, fearing the criminal’s escape and repeat of their crime, potentially taking more lives. Don’t be naive and assume this doesn’t happen, because it does. Jimmy Lee Gray murdered his sixteen-year-old girlfriend by slitting her throat and served 7 years in prison before he was paroled by the same judge who sentenced him. Within a week, he raped and murdered a 3-year-old girl, Deressa Jean Seales, in a gruesome fashion. A 3-year-old girl. She had her whole life ahead of her, and now doesn’t even get a chance to experience her fourth birthday. The Death Penalty doesn’t sound so bad now, does it? Another case; John Straffen. In July of 1952, John was incarcerated after slaughtering a “schoolgirl”, and within months, managed to escape. He made his way into a nearby village called Arborfield. He proceeded to strangle five-year-old Linda Bowyer, who had been out riding her bike. Another child, ripped from her family. Imagine the state of her mother; who more than likely told her something along the lines of “Be safe sweetie”, experiencing a parental dilemma of wanting to allow her daughter some freedom, however wanting to protect her at all times simultaneously. She will never forgive herself. She will never forgive herself for the rest of her life. She will replay scenarios in her mind of what she possibly could have done that would have resulted in a different outcome, until the day she dies. All because of a failed justice system that allowed a criminal to strike again. In totality, the Death Penalty would have prevented this situation from happening altogether. Thus, it would also drastically aid in the problem regarding overpopulation in prisons. Now you may be considering the few times when the wrong person is convicted for something they didn’t do. Fortunately, the availability of modern testings such as DNA testing virtually eliminates all room for error that could arise when evaluating crime scenes. The entire scene is analyzed and any particles of skin, hair, saliva etc. are processed, successfully identifying people who were present. The only fault in this system is when identical twins are involved, but the ratio of crimes that include twins as opposed to crimes that don’t, are significantly in favour of the latter. You should also be aware that utilizing the Death Penalty would cost more than traditional imprisonment as an appropriate amount of court gatherings must be held to elicit an accurate response from the jury. This would be permitted through a slight increase on taxes. Nonetheless, when morality and justice are at question, I personally don’t feel like a minuscule raise of taxes plays any relevant role. At first I’m sure some of you were adamant that this was abolished for a reason and that we shouldn’t even consider bringing it back. But, after truly analysing its potential positive impact, I hope your point of view has been altered or at least has got you thinking whether it’s the right way to approach the future. I know a lot of people strongly support the importance of second chances and allowing people to shift their focus to eventually become a productive member of society. However, high reward yields high risk. For those of you still unsure of where you lie surrounding this concept, I’ll leave you with a question, do you truly feel second chances are worth the risk of another innocent life? https://www.finanacecareonline.com/2013/07/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-death.html http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/capital-punishment-in-canada-1.795391 https://www.ranker.com/list/ways-people-kill-time-in-prison/mike-rothschild https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Killers-Who-Kill-Again
Although not visibly apparent to some at first, technology is the most common 'drug' administered globally. The funny thing is however, that when asked to name a number of drugs that come to mind, many individuals wouldn't even remotely consider grouping technology into that category. It can take many forms whether that be television, smartphones, or computers, just to name a few.Technology has successfully suppressed its gravitating addictive traits and masked them, being portrayed as either a necessitous or materialistic asset. All in all, this issue needs to be addressed and appropriate actions should be taken to reduce the volume of technology exposed to individuals on a regular basis.
Some readers may feel like I'm overreacting to this seemingly harmless scenario and that this is the direction in which the world is evolving. But in reality, too much exposure to technology can have some serious negative effects on your mental and physical state. The article states that,"spending too much time on the internet can actually cause changes in the brain that mimic those caused by drug and alcohol dependence, according to a 2012 study." (#8 Hiscott). In addition, technology addicts have, "abnormal white and grey matter in their brains, which disrupts and cripples the regions involved in processing emotion and regulating attention and decision making."(#8 Hiscott). The article further re instills the direct correlation between avid technology users and drug/alcohol addicts. In totality, these effects on the brain can prematurely ruin individuals' lives. This is explained in the article through examples pertaining to failed marriages and degrees, and lack of university lecture attendance. Personally, I have witnessed this first hand as some of my close friends have become engrossed with their smartphones, and an evident decline in both their academic and athletic abilities have been demonstrated. The problem with society though is that within educational facilities and workplace environments technology is being abused. In schooling, this began as an enhancement to the curriculum, opening up a new approach to learning, but is now relied on to organize entire classes and their assignments. In the workplace, technology is seen as a vital form of communication to be able to convey various ideas and is relied upon for the success of the company. Reliance; dependence on or trust in someone or something. What started out as as a brand new infatuation, has developed into a worldwide dependence. Technology now has a hold on us as individuals, and each time you find yourself using it, your 'fix' has been temporarily fulfilled. Its addictive properties have begun to consume us. I only pray that the future bestows a reprieve from technology as a whole.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0adeZP6aDQw This is a ted talk outlining the issue
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/technology-intelligence_n_5617181 This is a link to the original article
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