Thursday, May 21, 2020

The Subclass Pterygota and Its Subdivisions

The subclass Pterygota includes most of the world’s insect species. The name comes from the Greek pteryx, which  means â€Å"wings.† Insects in the subclass Pterygota have wings, or had wings once in their evolutionary history. Insects in this subclass are called pterygotes. The main identifying feature of pterygotes is the presence of veined wings on the mesothoracic (second) and metathoracic (third) segments. These insects also undergo metamorphosis, either simple or complete. Scientists believe insects evolved the ability to fly during the Carboniferous period, over 300 million years ago. Insects beat vertebrates to the skies by some 230 million years (pterosaurs evolved the ability to fly about 70 million years ago). Some insect groups that were once winged have since lost this ability to fly. Fleas, for example, are closely related to flies, and are believed to descend from winged ancestors. Although such insects no longer bear functional wings (or any wings at all, in some cases), they are still grouped in the subclass Pterygota due to their evolutionary history. The subclass Pterygota is further divided into two superorders – the Exopterygota and the Endopterygota. These are described below. Characteristics of the Superorder Exopterygota: Insects in this group undergo a simple or incomplete metamorphosis. The life cycle includes just three stages – egg, nymph, and adult. During the nymph stage, gradual change occurs until the nymph resembles the adult. Only the adult stage has functional wings. Major Orders in the Superorder Exopterygota: A large number of familiar insects fall within the superorder Exopterygota. Most insect orders are classified within this subdivision, including: Order Ephemeroptera - mayfliesOrder Odonata - dragonflies and damselfliesOrder Orthoptera - crickets, grasshoppers and locustsOrder Phasmida - stick and leaf insectsOrder Grylloblattodea - rock crawlersOrder Mantophasmatodea - gladiatorsOrder Dermaptera - earwigsOrder Plecoptera - stonefliesOrder Embiidina - webspinnersOrder Zoraptera - angel insectsOrder Isoptera - termitesOrder Mantodea - mantidsOrder Blattodea - cockroachesOrder Hemiptera - true bugsOrder Thysanoptera - thripsOrder Psocoptera - barklice and booklice  Order Phthiraptera - biting and sucking lice Characteristics of the Superorder Endopterygota: These insects undergo a complete metamorphosis with four stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The pupal stage is inactive (a rest period). When the adult emerges from the pupal stage, it has functional wings. Orders in the Superorder Endopterygota: The majority of the worlds insects undergo complete metamorphosis, and are included in the superorder Endopterygota. The largest of these nine insect orders are: Order Coleoptera - beetlesOrder Neuroptera - nerve-winged insectsOrder  Hymenoptera  - ants, bees, and waspsOrder Trichoptera - caddisfliesOrder  Lepidoptera  - butterflies and mothsOrder Siphonoptera - fleasOrder Mecoptera - scorpion flies and hangingfliesOrder Strepsiptera - twistedwing parasitesOrder Diptera - true flies    Sources: Pterygota. Winged insects.   Tree of Life Web Project. 2002. Version 01 January 2002 David R. Madden.  Accessed online September 8, 2015.Pterygota, pterygote. Bugguide.net. Accessed online September 8, 2015.A Dictionary of Entomology,  edited by Gordon Gordh, David Headric.Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Subclass pterygota, by John R. Meyer, Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University. Accessed online September 8, 2015.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Wal-mart, ING Group NV and ExxonMobil SWOT analysis - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 10 Words: 3129 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Compare and contrast essay Did you like this example? Wal-mart, ING Group NV and ExxonMobil Introduction In this document the author carries out a SWOT analysis for three organizations. The three organizations are Wal-mart Stores, ING Group NV and ExxonMobil. The author has written a short case study for each organization, giving an introduction to each organization, their current activities and the threats and issues that they are faced with at present. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Wal-mart, ING Group NV and ExxonMobil: SWOT analysis" essay for you Create order Wal-mart Stores Wal-mart was founded in 1962 and since that date has been a household name and has continued to grow from strength to strength through the last four and a half decades. Today the name Wal-mart is not common only in the households throughout the United States of America but also throughout the world. Today there is hardly any part of the world that the store has not penetrated. From the North to South and East to West, Wal-mart is known throughout every nook and cranny of the world. The organization has been able to penetrate every continent throughout the world and is in existence in India, China, Vietnam, Korea and many South American countries that have contributed to its success in many different ways. Wal-mart has been known for its bargain pricing of the products and services that it sells. Further it has also been known for a selling and giving access to a wide range of products and services to the consumers from clothing and accessories to household and g arden equipment; some of the services provided by the organization are pharmacy services and even photography services. In this manner the organization has been able to put down solid roots in many different countries, cities, towns, villages and communities and become a household name. Further its motto throughout the years has been to save money for the consumer and help the consumer to lead a cheaper but better and higher living standard. These are the reasons that the organization has seen phenomenal growth in the last few years. Wal-mart, throughout the last few years has made immense use of the comparative advantage and moved its manufacturing plants and even its supplierà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s manufacturing plants to the east and countries where it could ensure lower production costs. Today most of the products that are sold in the Wal-mart store around the world are from China, a country that has an almost unlimited supply of cheap labour that gives the organization the advan tage of lower costs, that results in lower pricing. Another success factor of Wal-mart has been its ability to buy in bulk, sell huge volumes and survive on very low or reduced profit margins. This has enabled the organization to pass on the cost benefit to the consumer and give the consumer more value for money, which has been an important element of its success in this highly competitive business era. However the organization has been facing much litigation in the past few years in the United States, due to some of its inefficient handling of human resources related issues. In the recent years the organization has been accused of unfair treatment of its female workforce à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" while the litigation is now well behind the organization it has cast a cloud on the employment prospects of employees with the organization and could thus cause a detrimental effect on the organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ability to attract, recruit and retain talented and high potential employ ees in the future. The only manner the organization will be able to avoid such a threat is to manage its communication with the public and to clean up its image as a potential employer. Strengths Established name brand that is identified with reasonable to cheap pricing and bargain pricing. Wal-mart is a store that most individuals when they are on a low budget and still want to buy what they set out to buy visit. Wide network of stores and therefore it is accessible to all types of individuals whether they are of wealthy means or not. The organization is able to buy in bulk and gain huge bulk discounts that are not available to other organizations and is able to pass on the discounts and pricing benefits to the customers thus further solidifying its reputation as a bargain store The organization deals in all types of goods from clothes to electrical items, from jeweler to garden equipment and therefore caters to a wide range of individuals and needs. Weaknesses In the last few years the organization has faced much litigation from employees accusing it of unfair employment activities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" especially from its female workforce that has given the organization a bad reputation as an employer. The organization has also earned much negative publicity for its strong arming tactics and squeezing suppliers of profit margins by threatening to take its business elsewhere. The goods that are sold by Wal-mart from its Chinese suppliers in the past year have been marred by many different cases of health and safety hazards. The Chinese branches of Wal-mart have had difficulties in establishing themselves in the economy. The organization has been challenged in court over its strong-arm tactics of trying to suppress the unionization of its American workforce. The organization has to allow its Chinese workforce to unionize and the government-backed workersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ federations control the unions. Opportunities The current economic crisis has decreased the disposable income of many individuals and thus has caused many individuals and households to lower their expectations and to shop for bargains, thus Wal-mart stands to gain in such a situation. The inflation in the economy is on the decline and the economy is on the brink of deflation thus it may mean that Wal-mart is able to provide its customers with increased bargains. Many retail organizations are going out of business due to the reduction in disposable incomes. This can help Wal-mart by increasing its customer base due to the bargains that it can provide its customers. Due to the cheap rate that the organization is able to buy its products from suppliers, it is able to provide customers with even bigger bargains to encourage them to shop at Wal-mart. Threats The big name retailers such as MS are giving having huge sales such as 50% off sales; this is difficult for Wal-mart to compete with, as its profit margins are not that great on each unit. The reduction in disposable income of customers and the looming recession and fears of job losses have caused individuals to curtail their shopping and this is a huge threat to Wal-mart, which relies on consumer spending. ING Group NV Before 1991 ING had been in existence and operating throughout the Netherlands behind many different very strong and well known banks and insurance companies. However it was only in the year 1991 that through the merger of National Netherlanden and NMB Post Bank that ING as it is known today came into existence. Therefore as ING the organization has been in existence for less than two decades, however it has been one of the biggest success stories of the banking and financial industry. This success has not come at the expense of the strength of the bank or through the bank taking unwarranted risks but rather through the most appropriate and most prudent steps to become a well recognized brand worldwide. The name ING is synonymous with innovation and Internet banking. It was this that gave the organization its unprecedented growth prospects throughout the years. The ING group was the first ever, financial services provider to use the worldwide web for its banking activities. The organization came up with the innovative strategy to create a bank that is accessible online and that has no bank branches or front line staff, just a call centre and one branch that would be used for those activities that make face to face contact absolutely necessary such as signing mortgage documents and lending documents etc. By cutting down on the brick and mortar operations the organization was able to cut down on the overhead costs that all banks have to absorb and thus was able to pass on the benefit of these savings to the final consumer the bankà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s customers in the form of zero bank charges, lower lending rates and higher saving interest rates. Further with the ability to access ones finances online came the reduced time spent standing in lines, savings in terms of time spent getting to and fro from the bank thus making banking a very pleasant and time saving exercise. This uplifted the profile of the bank in the eyes of the consumer and con tributed to its development and growth as one of the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s ten largest banks. Another factor that contributed to the success of the organization has been its ability to customize its services to suit the different parts of the world that it is located in. For instance the organization is well known for its micro lending facilities in India to uplift cottage industries and empower women in the villages and small communities. Likewise it is very well known for the ING foundation a charity that it operates in different parts of the world. Through the foundation the organization has chosen different charities that it would support and also encourages its staff to participate in ING foundation activities and other voluntary services that has not only helped the organization to climb the ranks as a desirable employer but also as a good corporate citizen. The biggest threat that the organization currently faces is the current economic crisis that has sent most of the large economies in Europe, the United States and the emerging economies into recession. While the organization maybe on firm footing in a financial sense right now, this may change if there is a prolonged global recession. Further as the bank has not been in existence when such occurrences took place in the past, this would prove to be the acid test for the organization. Strengths ING is a long established brand and is known for solidity and has been named in the Interbrand list. The organization has diversified into different financial services, such as banking, investments and insurance thus making it a well-known name and a big player in the financial industry worldwide. ING is well known for its innovative Internet banking activities in the last decade of the 20th century. This helped the bank to be synonymous with being an innovative bank that was on the customerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s side. The bank was known for charging no bank charges and providing customers with high rates of interest and lower lending rates. Further the organization is well known with its innovative products such as the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“ING unmortgageà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . ING has been in existence in many different countries for many years, either as ING or operating under other established names thus increasing confidence in its name. The organization has grown through mergers and acquisitions as well as through organic growth, thus making it a very strong business entity. The organization is able to cross sell its products and services as it has diversified into so many different areas of the financial services industry. Weaknesses The organization in some parts of the world like Britain and in North America does not have strong presence when compared with banks such as RBS and BoA. Many individuals have the wrong notion that the organization has no brick and mortar branches and is a virtual bank only à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" thus denying it of the older and senior citizens market as a customer group. The organization has been growing through mergers and acquisitions more than through organic growth, which in certain aspects can be considered as a weakness rather than a strength. ING had to request for help from the Dutch government in the last month or so, thus projecting an image of weakness à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" even though in reality this is not the case and the organization is still very strong à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å" it has given it some negative publicity. Opportunities The current economic crisis has not adversely effected the organization, thus proving that the organization can be trusted with the customersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ money. The collapse of many different banks and insurance companies has given the organization the opportunity to acquire stakes in these banks and grow and expand even further. Further the collapse of such big names in the banking industry has enabled ING to increase its reputation and even climb in rankings when compared to other banks. The organization has taken over the operations of a failed Icelandic bank in the United Kingdom thus increasing its goodwill with the British public and will be able to cash in on this good will at a future date. Threats If the mortgage crisis and the looming recession should continue for a pro-longed period of time the organization is not going to be able to come out of unscathed as it has done in the past during previous recessions. ExxonMobil ExxonMobil has been in existence for over a hundred years and is the worldà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s largest company that is publicly traded and operates in the integrated petroleum and natural gas industry. The organization operates facilities around the world and explores for oil and natural gas in all six continents around the world. The organization leads the industry in every aspect of energy and petrochemicals. Further it has taken an active role in exploring for new sources of energy to help meet the increased demand for energy in the past few years. ExxonMobil is a leader in the research and development of new energy sources and technologies in response to the needs of the depleting resources, climate change, environment concerns and rising energy costs that have plagued the industry in the past few years. There are many different factors that have contributed to the success of the organization in the last century that it has been in operations. The first has been that the organization has been able to expand its operations throughout the other globe thus increasing its customer base and its markets. Further the organization has spent much on research and development throughout the years, which has helped the organization to be the leader in the industry for so many year and this expenditure in research and development will continue to help the organization to be a leader in the industry. Further the organization has grown through mergers and acquisitions and has been able to penetrate markets that were out of reach to it like the ones in the emerging markets of India and China. The diversification of the business operations into different areas of the energy supply, the increased investment in technology and again the investment in research and development to discover new methods of energy exploration, energy refinement and energy efficiency have contributed to a great extent to the success of the organization. While the organization is no doubt the leader in the industry and is known to be very strong in its makeup, its market potential and its ability to remain profitable in the future there are many different threats that are looming in the immediate future of the organization. The biggest threat that the organization is currently faced with is the decline in energy prices in the past few weeks to levels not seen over a year ago. While this boards well for the reduction of inflation in the economy, it does not board well for the organization and has reduced its projected profits for the coming year. Further it should be stated that the decline in the growth prospects of emerging economies like China and India has caused a reduction in the demand for energy that is indeed a serious threat for the long-term survival and profitability of the organization. Another threat for the organization is the increased concern for the environment and the depletion of natural resources that is making consumers more conscious of energy consumption and results in a reduction of energy consumption, thus reducing the profitability of the organization even further. Strengths A long established name that has been in existence for over one hundred years. This gives the customers a sense of security when dealing with the organization. The organization has diversified into many different areas of the energy industry and has many strong brands under its main umbrella group. The organization in the past has been able to survive without much damage to its reputation even after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. This is partly due to a few reasons, the good corporate citizenship of the organization, the correct and appropriate crisis management and crisis communication management strategy. The organization has been innovative in the past and continues to be very innovative currently too by spending a lot on research and development to come up with more efficient and effective ways to manage the energy resources and reduce the negative impact to the environment. The organization has a global presence and thus has access to a wider customer base and a larger market than other energy companies. The organization has a very strong presence in both India and China, the emerging markets that have been known to increase their energy demands exponentially thus the organization has been profiting from this at a higher rate than most other organizations. Weaknesses The organization has been accused of not doing enough to go green and conserve the environment, rather that it is polluting and destroying the environment. There has been much negative publicity generated from the Exxon Valdez spill and also the human rights or rather the employee rights records of the organization has been under a cloud, which is a significant weakness of the organization. Inappropriate handling of the environmental interest groups is a very big weakness of the organization and can be detrimental to it in the future. Further the organization has been known for exorbitant profits in the last few years as energy prices were increasing, which gave it quite a lot of negative publicity that the organization did not handle very well and has cost it the good will of its consumers, who consider the organization to be becoming rich at the expense of the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“poor consumerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . Opportunities The biggest opportunities that are available to the organization currently is the increased demand of energy by developing economies in the South Asian and South East Asian regions likes Malaysia, Indonesia, Korea and Vietnam. Threats The emerging economies of China and India that have been the biggest demanders of energy in the past few years are being hit by the recession in the developed economies and thus have reduced their rates of energy consumption that has caused the organization to loose out on projected levels of profit. The increased attention to the conservation of the environment has resulted in the reduction of the use of energy and energy savings and in the future this will only increase thus reducing the profitability of the organization.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

How Do You Define EducationSome May Have A Very Simple

How do you define education? Some may have a very simple definition to answer this question. However, the definition of education is much more encompassing than one might think. If your definition didn’t make you think of philosophy, experiences, and theory than you might want to rethink your understanding of education. Furthermore, why do we educate? Everyone’s opinion on this subject is somewhat connected between expanding experiences to producing â€Å"good† citizens. This paper seeks to explore the various definitions of education, as well as, find valid evidence to support the answer of â€Å"why do we educate?† Education: How We Define It and Why We Educate When people hear the word education most immediately think about†¦show more content†¦Although, there are some specifics that were found to be common. For example, Coulter and Wiens (2009) conducted an experiment which they entitled â€Å"The Educated Person.† For this experiment, they asked several different types of people of all ages and backgrounds to pick one person in his/her life which they deemed to be â€Å"educated.† Although, their responses were divergent, there were in fact similarities found among them. Namely, they found that most of the people picked as â€Å"educated† by the participants, were older, had more life experiences, and many had humility as a common characteristic. What I found fascinating was, of the people they chose, none of them had any â€Å"formal education.† I have said for years that some of the most â€Å"educated† people I have ever met don’t necessarily have a formal education or a degree, b ut they do have rich life experiences. I was happy to see that Coulter and Wiens confirmed my thoughts in their book, Why Do We Educate?. Further stated in their book is the notion â€Å"Education introduces us to worlds we might otherwise never encounter thereby reshaping our vision of the world we think we know.† (Coulter Wiens, 2009, p. 32). A perfect example of this is the research and readings I did for this paper. It opened my eyes up to new avenues of exploring the craft of educating. Without this class, I may have never come to question my educational philosophy or myShow MoreRelatedEssay about Attitude Can Make or Break a Person781 Words   |  4 Pageswho considered themselves very well-educated because of great financial success, another because of having many degrees. I find that the attitudes of people can make or break a person regardless of who they are or how much they have gained financially. The truth is it does not matter what a person may have in life, if ignorance precedes them, there is no way that this title is applicable. 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Week 2 Quiz Nov Essay examples - 803 Words

Week 2 Quiz Instructions: Select the correct answer for each question. You may use this worksheet to highlight the correct answer using the highlight function or simply create a Word Document, number from 1-15 and provide the correct letter for each corresponding question. Each question is worth .2 points. 1) What is a credit utilization rate? a. How many open credit accounts you have b. The percentage of all your reported credit accounts that are open accounts c. Your total outstanding balance as a percentage of total credit limit d. How often you use credit to make purchases 2) Students should aim to keep their total student loan debt to a. less than the salary they are likely to make their first year out of school b. less than†¦show more content†¦A line of credit with a high monthly limit 8) What is the difference between a subsidized and an unsubsidized Stafford loan? a. 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Harry Potter the Commodity Fetishism Free Essays

Amalia Rodrigues Film Survey Prompt 1 Harry Potter the Commodity Fetishism There are few things in this world that manage to seep into every crevice our lives as humans; the air we breathe, the people we interact with, and in our contemporary culture, the buying and selling of commodities. The masses have adopted a â€Å"give the people what they want† attitude that results in the commodification of everything thinkable. â€Å"Even as a negation of that social purposiveness which is spreading through the market, [art’s] freedom remains essentially bound up with the premise of a commodity economy† (Adorno Horkheimer 1238). We will write a custom essay sample on Harry Potter the Commodity Fetishism or any similar topic only for you Order Now There may have been a time when art was an escape from the domination of commerce, when people created things motivated by passion and emotion rather than by the prospect of dollar signs; no longer does that time exist. In film, the studio system has become a monopoly, and the structure of films, a formula. Though some would argue that there are a myriad of genres that give variety to the industry, Adorno and Horkheimer would counter that a menu is still not a choice, and that the monopolization of the film industry takes away from a world of choices and freedoms. The industry has morphed into a total administration of art, undoubtedly integrating our pleasure in the theater with the machinery of global media firms. A textbook example is the franchise of the Harry Potter films, which more than most any series of films, proliferates the sins of hyper commercialism. A commodity is defined as something that has use value, or utility, by satisfying a particular need or desire, created to be exchanged for a profit. It must have some sort of utility, or it will not be desired by a prospective buyer. â€Å"So far as it is a value in use, there is nothing mysterious about it, whether we consider it from the point of view that by its properties it is capable of satisfying human wants, or from the point that those properties are the product of human labor† (Marx 1). This could be virtually anything, being that everything today has a price put on it by society. We are constructed through our relationship with and use of commodities in our everyday lives. As a people, we have become obsessed with the commodities we surround ourselves with, constructing our identities through the material goods that inhabit us. Commodity fetishism replaces relationships between people with relationships between humans and objects. The eruption of the Harry Potter phenomenon occurred in the late nineties and has only flourished since. The author of the series, J. K. Rowling, created a world that nobody had seen before, a world of magic. This world, along with the lovable characters involved, are what our society seamlessly bought into. The masses fell in love with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, leaving them vulnerable to the impending commercial goods that the media conglomerates would soon overwhelmingly develop. And, no doubt, the Potter-inspired merchandise began to flow like lava as the movies were produced one by one, each one more successful than the next. Mindlessly, readers and viewers were sucked in by the new world of witchcraft and wizardry that leaves ceaseless possibilities for immense revenue. To quote Adorno and Horkheimer, â€Å"The culture perpetually cheats its consumers of what it perpetually promises. The promissory note which, with its plots and staging, it draws on pleasure is endlessly prolonged; the promise, which is actually all the spectacle consists of, is illusory: all it actually confirms is that the real point will never be reached, that the diner must be satisfied with the menu† (Adorno Horkheimer 1230). When adopting the premise of Harry Potter from words in a book to the big motion-picture screen, the film makers undoubtedly had dollar signs flashing in their pupils. Such a fantastically huge foundation was built and the only direction to move was up. Before Harry could say â€Å"abracadabra† (or something to that effect) stores began to overflow with anything and everything with the name â€Å"Harry Potter† plastered on the side. Hats, mugs, T-shirts, video games, costumes, the signature round glasses, not one item from the series has gone unnoticed by the conglomerates who are so devoted to squeezing every ounce of profit out of poor Harry’s wand. Even the earwax jellybeans that Dumbledore so foolishly consumes out of his bag of â€Å"Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans† are readily available at your local superstore. There is simply no escaping the pure immensity that is the Potter revolution. Children are hosting Harry Potter themed birthday parties, adults are tattooing the dark mark on their bodies, college students are starting quidditch teams and tournaments, and families are taking road trips to the newly developed â€Å"Harry Potter World† in Universal Studios. This latest installment of the Harry Potter craze allows fans to live in the world they see on screen, drink butter beer, and purchase wands from Olivander’s; all of this for the low, low price of a hefty wad of cash straight into the pockets of the already multi-billion dollar industry. And yet, somehow our society does not mind being conned into purchasing such unnecessary yet desirable items, directly depicting the idea of commodity fetishism. Massive consumerism based on obsessions drawn from movies and franchises such as Harry Potter happen day to day, year to year, generation to generation. It has become so naturalized in our society to buy into our every impulse of consumer products that we cannot help but be blinded by our desires for such vain items. In a way, we, as consumers, are being exploited similarly to the way that house elves like Dobby are exploited in the Harry Potter series. We are born into our exploitation, and in some ways seem to enjoy it, as the elves seem to enjoy their dirty work. As a population, we can only hope to be as lucky as Dobby, to find a sock in an old diary, and be set free from manipulation. How to cite Harry Potter the Commodity Fetishism, Essay examples

Blindness in King Lear Essay Example For Students

Blindness in King Lear Essay A reoccurring theme in Shakespeares King Lear is the theme of blindness. Blindness in todays society is generally interpreted as the inability of the eye to see. In Shakespearian terms, blindness is not a physical state of being, but rather a temporary mental flaw. The theme of blindness in King Lear is clearly shown through the actions of Albany, Gloucester, and King Lear. Albany suffers from the classic case of blindness. Albany is blinded by love. Although Albany disagrees with Gonerils cruel actions towards her father, he only half-heartedly argues his case against her. Albanys fear of upsetting Goneril is exemplified in his response to her demand that Lear dispose of his knights. I cannot be so partial, Goneril, / To the great love I bear you (I, iv, 309-310). Albany is unable to behold Gonerils evil intentions because of his deep devotion and love for her. Goneril is cruel and deceitful and merely flatters her father with lies, yet, Albany is visionless and does not observe her wretched personality. Albany is also unaware Goneril is cheating on him with Edmund, as well as, plotting to kill him. It is not until Albany receives a note from Edgar, outlining Gonerils evil intentions, that he regains his sight. Finally, Albany realizes Goneril is not the woman he thought she was. Albany discerns she is a heartless, lying, adulterer. Albany finally reve als his emotion saying, O Goneril, / You are not worth the dust which the rude wind Blows in your face (IV, ii, 29-31) and See thyself, devil! / Proper deformity shows not in the fiend / so horrid as in woman (IV, ii, 59-61). Albany is able to overcome his blindness without suffering severe losses and lives to become ruler of Lears kingdom. Gloucester is another character Shakespeare uses to promote his theme of blindness. Gloucester is deceived by his son Edmund in King Lear, just as Isaac is deceived by his son Jacob in the Bible. In both instances, an evil sons jealousy provokes him to deceive his father. Gloucesters blindness prevents him from seeing Edmund is conspiring against his brother, in search of his fathers love and inheritance. Edmund is able to convince his father that Edgar is plotting to murder him and take his lands. Edmunds lie results in Gloucester disowning Edgar and desiring to kill him, even though he is the good and loving son. Ironically, Gloucester contemplates killing the son that would later save his life. Gloucester fails to realize the true nature of his sons disposition, while possessing the physical ability to see, because he is mentally blind. It is not until Gloucester literally loses his sight that he realizes Edmund is deceiving him. King Lear was the blindest character of all. Being king, one would suspect Lear should posses the ability to distinguish the difference between good and evil. There are several instances where Lears inability to see, lead him to make poor decisions bearing fatal consequences. The first example Shakespeare gives of Lears blindness occurs in the first act of the play. Lears desire to be glorified by his daughters leads him to be deceived by the lies of his two eldest daughters, Goneril and Regan. Lear perceives Cordelias response as an insult from an unappreciative child. He is unable to comprehend the love and respect she has for him and banishes her. Have no such daughter, nor shall ever seeThat face of hers again. Therefore begone,Without our grace, our love, our benison! (I, i, 262-265)Another tragic result of Lears inability to see leads to the banishment of his most loyal servant, Kent. Kent is able to see through Goneril and Regans faade and tries to explicate to Lear the true l ove Cordelia possesses for him. Kent is banished from the castle, and later disguises himself as an ordinary, run of the mill commoner. Ironically, he is later hired by Lear as a servant. Shakespeare gives a blatant example of Lears blindness through his inability to recognize his servants true identity. As the play progresses, King Lear begins to see the light and gains sight of the corruption around him. Lear learns of the wicked plot Goneril and Regan have devised after they