Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV began the rivalry and conflict of personalities in 1075.

Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV began the rivalry and conflict of personalities in 1075. Pope Gregory VII forbade lay investiture; the term used for investiture of clerics by the king or emperor, a layman. The clerical reform movement generated the crisis; it was essential that the church had the power of selecting bishops if church reforms-abolition of simony and clerical marriage-were to be carried out. The famous decree against lay investiture come from Pope Gregory VII; 'If anyone in the future receives a bishopric or abbey from the hands of any laymen, he is under no circumstances to be ranked among the bishops, & we exclude him from the grace of St Peter.. and if anyone with a bishopric or any ecclesiastical offices let him know that he will there with incur the sentence of excommunication'. As the feud concerning investiture broke out, there was no official agreement as to the powers of the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor in installing bishops; it was thought by each they both had overall power in this matter. Although investiture meant the ecclesiastical ceremony itself, the duties also included with the election and installation process. The dispute over investiture was one of the greatest struggles between Church and state in the Middle Ages. The problem rose from the dual

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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TMA 07: Myths and Conventions

TMA 07: Myths and Conventions With careful reference to two of the works studied in Block 5 (Medea and Pygmalion), show how attributes traditionally associated with masculinity and femininity are contrasted. Medea by Euripides (431 BCE) and Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw (1913 ACE) are plays that share common themes of sexuality and alienation with both their roots firmly set in mythology. Euripides and Shaw employ a range of techniques to present the compelling personas of their female protagonists, Medea and Eliza Doolittle respectively. The plays revolve around the powerful and physiological transformation of Medea and Eliza's striking aesthetic reform through the writers' skilful use of stage direction, language, tone and theme development. The actions and dialogues of the supporting characters also manipulate the audiences' and other characters opinions. The playwrights have carefully considered each effect when constructing and developing their lead character. Euripides has already launched the transformation of his protagonist at the opening of the play. Medea the queen, wife and mother shows signs of a more masculine and at times, an extremely 'barbaric' role, through her howling lamentations. The play begins with Medea's nurse setting the scene, she introduces the main

  • Word count: 1538
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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With close reference to Henry V, Act 1, scene ii, ll.260-298, in an essay of approximately 1500 words, discuss - Henry's use of rhetorical devices- The way themes important to the play as a whole are present in this scene.

With close reference to Henry V, Act 1, scene ii, ll.260-298, in an essay of approximately 1500 words, discuss - Henry's use of rhetorical devices - The way themes important to the play as a whole are present in this scene The historic play Henry V was written in the Fifteenth century by William Shakespeare and is said to be "the most active dramatic experience Shakespeare ever offered his audience." By Joel Altman. (1) Imagination played a big part in Elizabethan plays because of the lack of visual effects and props etc, therefore language and 'over - dramatic' action was required to provide epic illusion. The need to exercise the imagination is emphasised in Henry V by the chorus who serves to introduce and sum up the five acts. "Piece out our imperfections with your thoughts:" (Prologue New Penguin Edition 4) The play works on many levels and explores six themes; the king's search for justification; modesty and pride; money and the making of deals; the omnipresence of death; the rhetoric of politics; the king as an actor. It was necessary that these themes were emphasized at every stage of the performance thus ensuring that the audience were swept up in the story and the characters reached out to the audience, in fact Paul Garnult, director of the Wales Actor's Company said "It is about the communication of emotional expression, the transference of resonant images from

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Drama review - I didn't have the opportunity to see Hannie Rayson's first play Life After George and I couldn't be more disappointed, especially after seeing her latest play Inheritance.

DRAMA REVIEW- Draft Claudia Buttazzoni I didn't have the opportunity to see Hannie Rayson's first play Life After George and I couldn't be more disappointed, especially after seeing her latest play Inheritance. Inheritance is a wonderful piece of work. It is a sensitive, tender play, witty and sophisticated at the same time. It is also a very deep piece of work which covers many of our Nations biggest issues. Rayson weaves so many controversies together in the one play; gender identity, women's rights as land owners and the way they are viewed in a mans world, depression and suicide, city life versus life in the bush and one of Australia's longest existing battles- Aboriginal land rights. Inheritance is about rural Australia, which could only mean that it is a play about the land. It tells the story of five generations and just one farm. Twin sisters Girlie Delaney and Dibs Hamilton are preparing to celebrate their 80th birthday. The families are all gathered at 'the farm', Allandale, which Dibs had inherited from her mother. As the story goes, Dibs and Girlie's grandfather Jessie Allan, whose daughter married a man by the name of Norm Myrtle, founded Allandale. They had twin daughter's Dibs and Girlie. Norm struggled with depression, he struggled with life until the day that he decided he couldn't go on anymore, and hung himself. His body was found, hanging, by

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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The Sound and the Fury

The Sound and the Fury is indubitably one of Faulkner's best novels. The precision with which the novel is constructed, and the use of obstructionist narrative devices, make this a challenging text. This book was published in October 1929, and continues to astound readers today. As a novelist he exploits the flaws in the southern American family life very well, as well as concentrating on many other aspects of human life. The book is divided into four sections, the first is narrated by Benjy, a thirty three year old retard, the second by Quentin a Harvard freshman who kills himself after the first year of university, and the third by Jason, a character created to represent the southern American man, and reflect on the tragic decline of the Compson family. The last section is told by Dilsey, the mother of the black family who have served the Compson's all their life. 'Life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing'. This statement is full of cynicsm yet is surprisingly apt for Benjy's section, as he is an idiot, he 'bellers', never listened to, and his mind frame causes him excessive pain when no one else can understand why he feels like that. He has no sense of time and is emotionally troubled my familiar smells ands sights. It is in his mind that we get the first perspective of the Compson family decline. The section starts off in the present

  • Word count: 943
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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King Lear: A Transformation of Self.

Lindsay Grazul December 16, 2003 Dr. Michael Hanby CHS-1000-012 King Lear: A Transformation of Self In King Lear, William Shakespeare traces one man's discovery of his individual sinfulness and ignorance, and his eventual appreciation of his mortal flaws and their consequences. Through the imagery of sight and eyes, Shakespeare details King Lear's passage from initial blindness to the virtue, honesty, and love of Cordelia to the ultimate restoration of his vision through suffering and selfless love. By illustrating the loss and gain of internal sight, as well as, detailing Lear's transformation from egotistic pride to self-abandoning love, the reader is taught to assess reality in terms of truth within ourselves, rather than, mere appearance or monetary value. Lear's tragic flaw is his excessive desire for approval and exaltation, which he looks to obtain by asking his three daughters to profess their love for him. The two eldest daughters, Regan and Goneril, speaking with self-serving exaggeration, give Lear exactly what he desires, reverence and adoration. However, Cordelia, his "most beloved daughter", refuses to comply with Lear's superficial desires. Aware that love extends deeper than artificial compliments, Cordelia confesses her "plain" love, characterized by modesty and honesty. "Then poor Cordelia!/ And not so, since I am sure my love's/ More ponderous

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Discuss Miller's Presentation of Self-Deception in Death of a Salesman.

Jonathan Ensall Discuss Miller's Presentation of Self-Deception in Death of a Salesman Throughout the play, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman distorts the truth. Often his lies and exaggerations are not immediately recognisable as symptoms of his self-deception because they appear true. For example, Willy's claim that he is, 'Vital (to business) in New England' is not disproved until he loses his job in Act II. In this way Miller establishes a complex pattern of self-deception throughout the play which the characters either condone or refute as suits their purpose. There are, however, other presentations of Willy's self-deception that I find more straightforward. There is an immediately observable disparity between Willy's perception and reality when Willy physically enters his memories. He experiences what could be described as flashbacks however Miller asserts that, 'There are no flashbacks in, (Death of a Salesman) but only a mobile concurrency of past and present' Suggesting that Willy's delusional visions of the past are as real to him as his experiences in the present. Miller introduces Willy's older brother Ben as a hallucination when Willy has to make important decisions. Willy idolises Ben, despite having only met him a few times during his adult life, because Ben has achieved easy and lucrative success. I view their interchanges as representative of the mental

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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The decision to use the atomic bomb

The decision to use the atomic bomb is a debate that will question and antagonize American foreign policy analysts and decision makers for as long as moral and ethical elements accompany empirical realities. However this debate was most intense and important while the shockwaves of the first use of atomic power were still encircling the world. At this time those that had to carry the responsibility of such a decision had the responsibility to defend it. This responsibility fell primarily to Henry L. Stimson, American Secretary of War and main adviser to the President Harry S. Truman. In 1947, two years after the first use of the atomic bomb Henry L. Stimson produced "The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb" outlining his reasons, and the suggestions made by the Interim Committee; the committee formulated to advise the president of his decision, headed by Henry L. Stimson. The period after the introduction to the world of atomic energy had been filled with bomb testing in February of 1946, surveys of the effects on humanity, objection to this kind of force, and a critical claim that the American government had created a 'myth' to justify the use of atomic warfare1. Many people started to question; was the bomb really necessary during World War Two? What really motivated the decision makers in determining what plan of action to take, and what were the alternatives? This new

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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'The Simpsons' family and how the makers of the programme have a dissimilar view of American families.

SIMPSONS The next part of my essay gives attention to 'The Simpsons' family and how the makers of the programme have a dissimilar view of American families. The creator of 'The Simpsons' has a distinctive view on American families; this is clearly reflected in the Simpson episodes. The excerpts form the article "Welcome to Planet SIMPSON", BY Stuart Jeffries of the Guardian newspaper suggests "Homer Simpson is a ground down anti-hero who is designed to be laughed at hardly ever with" Homer is a conformist and says "I am not popular enough to be different". Homer gives Bart some fatherly advice to Bart telling him "Never say anything unless you're sure everyone around you feels exactly the same way". This shows that Homer Simpson is scared and anxious of not fitting into society. He is also frightened of getting fired even though he has been fired on many occasions before. Simpsons are an American family that is greatly influenced by television. In the 'STUNT BART' episode both Bart and Homer go "Whoa" at the same time. They are both astonished and overwhelmed at what they saw. They stare at the screen and they hear the fading echo "one helluva match", this is enough to persuade both Homer and Bart that they want to go to the rally. This also shows us that they are moderately similar in some ways. They are also effortlessly brainwashed by television commercials. From

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  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Show through the movement of verse Brutus' thought process at 2

Show through the movement of verse Brutus' thought process at 2.1 lines 10-34 This is a soliloquy, designed to reveal Brutus' thinking and feelings, and also to give the audience a chance to judge his motives. By delaying the action of the play, it increases suspense as the audience enter the mind of a killer and his plotting. Throughout his speech, rhythm, rhyme, repetition and imagery are used to reveal Brutus' need to justify himself. The whole speech is in iambic pentameter. Iambs occur when, of two syllables, only the second is stressed. Here, "death" is most stressed, followed by "must". "Must" and "death" contain hard-hitting consonants ("t" and "d") and the combination, along with "must", sounds threatening, intent and violent. This rhythmic effect in the first clause sounds determined and final - so why does Brutus run on? The colon before "and, for my part" suggests that he feels he needs an explanation for this decision, one that he can justify in "general" terms (meaning for the general good of the people), if not on a "personal" level, why he is, quite definitely, going to kill Caesar. The iambic rhythm set up so far is interrupted by lines 2 and 3, with "personal" and "general" going from one stressed followed by two unstressed, creating a trickling sound, and supporting a very thoughtful tone. One can feel that Brutus is just trying to persuade

  • Word count: 837
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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