Othello - Male Characters Essays - Othello, Michael Cassio, Roderigo

Othello - Male Characters Mike Hourie The four main characters in the play Othello represent four different character traits of manhood: Roderigo, the failure; Othello, the hero, yet the insane lover; Cassio, the noblemen; and Iago, the villain, yet the strongest character of the play. Of these four characters Roderigo reveals the weakest character traits. Iago effortlessly profits from Roderigos deficiency in a intelligence, in fact Iago himself said he would not waste time and effort on such a snipe(I iii 387) except for sport and profit. Towards the end of the play Roderigo reveals some traits that might classify him as a man with a spine. He finally stands up to Iago and threatens to expose the conspiracy against Othello and Cassio, but ultimately his flaws overpower his virtuous traits and he is persuaded by Iago to kill Cassio instead. Likewise, Othello is the tragic hero of the play but his character is also weak. Jealousy is Othellos major downfall. He reveals his insecurities in the scene where he strikes Desdemona and calls her a devil. Similarly, in the brothel scene, Othellos insecurities arise when he cruelly questions Desdemona. He condemns her as a simple bawd and a whore, which he has no real proof of. Iago also easily manipulates Othello, like Roderigo, throughout the play. Othello is naive. He demonstrates that a few well-placed suggestions can alter his train of thought, such as when Iago was talking to Cassio and made Othello believe that the lieutenant was speaking of Desdemona instead of Bianca. On the whole, Othello was a weak character and a naive man. In contrast, Cassios character is strong. He spoke about Othello with dignity and grace, which no other character in the play does. Also, Cassio showed extreme loyalty to the Moor. Cassios only flaw is that he temporarily lost his power of reasoning when he was drunk and let himself be manipulated by Iago. All in all, Cassio is a good example of how a man should act; with dignity and honor. Likewise, Iagos character is also strong. He is an intelligent man as can seen in the soliloquy where he is hatching a plan to frame Cassio to get his place (I iii). In the soliloquy Iagos intelligence is revealed in the statement How, How? - To abuse Othellos ear / That [Cassio] is too familiar with his wife.(I iii 396-39). Iago used his intelligence to think of a plan to frame Cassio and bring down Othello at the same time. Iago is also a confident man. Throughout the soliloquy Iago is confident That the moor Will be tenderly led by the nose./ As asses are (I iii 401- 404) and will be easily manipulated. However, if Iago had used his good character traits for good he would have been the hero of the play instead of Othello. On the whole, Shakespeare did an excellent job on setting the character traits for the male characters in the play: Roderigo was the snipe; Cassio, the noble gentleman; Othello, the fallen noble Moor; and Iago, the intelligent, confident and arrogant self-made villain. All the Characters in the play had some good traits but each of them had an appalling attribute that led to their downfall.

15 Classic Poems for the New Year

15 Classic Poems for the New Year The turning of the calendar from one year to the next has always been a time of reflection and hope. We spend the days  summing up past experiences, bidding farewell to those we have lost, renewing old friendships, making plans and resolutions, and expressing our hopes for the future. All of these are fit subjects for poems, like these classics on New Year’s themes. Robert Burns,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Song- Auld Lang Syne† (1788) It is a song that millions choose to sing every year as the clock strikes midnight and it is a timeless classic. Auld Lang Syne is both a song and a poem, after all, songs are poetry set to music, right? And yet, the tune we know today isnt quite the same thing that Robert Burns had in mind when he wrote it over two centuries ago. The melody has changed and a few of the words have been updated (and others have not) to meet modern tongues. For instance, in the last verse, Burns wrote: And there’s a hand, my trusty fere!And gie’s a hand o’ thine!And we’ll tak a right gude-willie waught, The modern version prefers: And thers a hand, my trusty friend,And gies a hand o thine;Well tak a cup o kindness yet, It is the phrase gude-willie waught that catches most people by surprise and its easy to see why many people choose to repeat cup o kindness yet. They do mean the same thing though, as gude-willie is Scottish adjective meaning  good-will  and  waught  means  hearty drink. Tip:  Ã‚  A common misconception is that  Sin is pronounced  zine  when really it is more like  sign. It means  since  and  auld lang syne  refers to something like old long since. Ella Wheeler Wilcox,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Year† (1910) If there is a New Years Eve poem worth putting to memory, it is Ella Wheeler Wilcoxs The Year. This short and rhythmical poem sums up everything we experience with the passing of each year and it rolls off the tongue when recited. What can be said in New Year rhymes,That’s not been said a thousand times?The new years come, the old years go,We know we dream, we dream we know.We rise up laughing with the light,We lie down weeping with the night.We hug the world until it stings,We curse it then and sigh for wings.We live, we love, we woo, we wed,We wreathe our brides, we sheet our dead.We laugh, we weep, we hope, we fear,And that’s the burden of the year. If you get the opportunity, read Wilcoxs  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year: A Dialogue.† Written in  1909, it is a fantastic dialogue between Mortal and The New Year in which the latter knocks on the door with offers of good cheer, hope, success, health, and love. The reluctant and downcast mortal is finally lured in. It is a brilliant commentary on how the new year often revives us even though it is just another day on the calendar. Helen Hunt Jackson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Morning† (1892) Along those same lines, Hellen Hunt Jacksons poem, New Years Morning discusses how its only one night and that each morning can be New Years. This is a fantastic piece of inspirational prose that ends with: Only a night from old to new;Only a sleep from night to morn.The new is but the old come true;Each sunrise sees a new year born. Alfred, Lord Tennyson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Death of the Old Year† (1842) Poets often relate the old year with drudgery and sorrow and the new year with hope and lifted spirits. Alfred, Lord Tennyson did not shy away from these thoughts and the title of his poem, The Death of the Old Year captures the sentiment of the verses perfectly. In this classic poem, Tennyson spends the first four verses lamenting the years passing as if it were an old and dear friend on his death bed. The first stanza ends with four poignant lines: Old year you must not die;You came to us so readily,You lived with us so steadily,Old year you shall not die. As the verses move on, he counts down the hours: ’ Tis nearly twelve o’clock. Shake hands, before you die. Eventually, a new face is at his door and the narrator must Step from the corpse, and let him in. Tennyson addresses the new year in  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Ring Out, Wild Bells† (from In Memoriam A.H.H., 1849) as well. In this poem, he pleads with the wild bells to Ring out the grief, dying, pride, spite, and many more distasteful traits. As he does this, he asks the bells to ring in the good, the peace, the noble, and the true. More New Years Poetry Death, life, sadness, and hope; poets in the 19th and 20th centuries took these New Years themes to great extremes as they wrote. Some took an optimistic view while, for others, it seems to have only led to despair. As you explore this theme, be sure to read these classic poems and study some of the context of the poets lives as the influence is often very profound in understanding. William Cullen Bryant,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Song for New Year’s Eve† (1859) - Bryant reminds us that the old year is not yet gone and that we should enjoy it to the last second. Many people take this as a great reminder for life in general. Emily Dickinson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"One Year ago - jots what?† (#296) - The new year makes many people look back and reflect. While not specifically about New Years Day, this brilliant poem is wildly introspective. The poet wrote it on the anniversary of her fathers death and her writing seems so jumbled, so distraught that it moves the reader. No matter your anniversary - death, loss... whatever - you have likely felt the same as Dickinson at one time. Christina Rossetti,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Old and New Year Ditties† (1862) - The Victorian poet could be quite morbid and, surprisingly, this poem from the collection Goblin Market and Other Poems is one of her brighter works. It is very Biblical and offers hope and fulfillment. Also Recommended Francis Thompson,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Chimes† (1897)Thomas Hardy,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Darkling Thrush† (composed December 31, 1900, published 1902)Thomas Hardy,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Eve† (1906)D.H. Lawrence,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Eve† (1917) and  Ã¢â‚¬Å"New Year’s Night† (1917)John Clare,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Old Year† (1920)

Military Leader Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Military Leader - Research Paper Example The military personnel learn many values while they train basic skills in combat. They learn to live and believe in the values. The values define what they become and what they accomplish. From the lowest ranks, these skills are learnt and internalized. Various soldiers have risen up the ranks from adhering to the values. Their hard work in their training and value system has yielded fruits in battle field, bringing victory to nation. This paper will talk about General Henry Harley Arnold who was a General of the Army, and was later made the general of the Air Force. Focus will be placed on attributes of leadership tactical decision in leadership and battle. 2. Military leader According to Davis (5), Henry Harley Arnold (1886-1950) was born of a doctor in Gladwyne. He was also known as Hap, a short form of the name happy since he was known to be jovial. He graduated from the Military Academy in 1907. In the year 1911, he pursued his desire to fly in the air force and completed exams to earn a license. He became an active pilot of the United States Army. He was involved in different training institutions which impacted the traits that caused him to eventually become a military leader. Arnold has been identified as a successful military leader. A successful military leader is one who is capable of showing attributes of a good leader. A military leader presents the motive and direction during operation so that the mission is accomplished. Their ideas are about improving the organization and causing positive change. The leader’s motivation and objectives gives the subordinates specific goals to attain so that the aspired results are attained. Military leaders have strong values and a reputable character. A military leader has technical skills and human resource skills. Moreover, the military leader should use knowledge and skills to attain effectiveness and efficiency. As a military leader, Henry Arnold was known to be tactical and technically proficient. Be sides having a sense of responsibility towards his subordinates, Arnold was known to look out for their welfare. Arnold was an example to the subordinates, kept good communication and ensured that good and timely decisions were made. One of the most outstanding traits is that Arnold was capable of taking responsibility for own action. During his missions Arnold was keen to ensure that military officers were informed on their mission, trained and understood their assigned tasks. Training done to the teams ensured that they acted as a team. The troops were motivated to follow and answer to Arnold. Arnold’s performance in the mission was in accordance to his capabilities. At an individual capacity, Arnold was aware of own strengths together with weaknesses, and sought to bring about self improvement. Arnold demonstrated the values of military personnel throughout the course of his work. Henry Arnold was loyal to the United States. He had strong belief and paid his allegiance to the Constitution of United States. He was commitment to the army, specific units assigned and other soldiers he was with in the battle fields. He was devoted to his work and believed in the mission. While working in different units, Arnold provided support to other soldiers and was present to assist in the case of difficulty. Arnold fulfilled his duties as a soldier. In his military service Arnold was able to guide and provide leadership as a general of the army and as a general of the air force. Besides he assigned tasks, an army leader goes beyond their duties to ensure that all the tasks are completed and the teams are maintained. Working in the United States Army can be tasking because a leader must combine all their efforts to actualize the mission. This means that they must be aware and capable of coordinating responsibilities with given tasks to meet the