Julius Caesar Essays (412 words) - Ancient Rome, 1st Millennium BC

Julius Caesar William Shakespeare writes the Tragedy of Julius Caesar. This tragic play is based on historical facts of the life of Julius Caesar. It displays the events before his death such as his conquest over Pompey's armies and his coronation to be king and after his death. Furthermore, this play describes the minds and motives of Caesar's assassins. He gives a description of Cassius that serves as a prediction on his choices regarding Cassius. In addition, my choices would differ from those of Caesar's if I was the exalted ruler. First, in Julius Caesar, Caesar describes Cassius in the first act and he made choices based on his description. Caesar referred to Cassius as having "a lean and hungry look [and] he thinks too much, such men are dangerous". What this means is that Cassius exhibits no signs of cheerfulness and he is not "gamesome", indicating that he may be a threat to Caesar. However, he describes Cassius as a one who "reads much, a great observer, and looks quite through the deeds of men". Moreover, Caesar felt that such a man could not be fully trusted and felt Cassius had little loyalty to him. Next, I predict Caesar will make thoughtless choices regarding Cassius. In the play, I predict that Caesar will keep an eye on Cassius and avoid him as much as possible. Nonetheless, these projected actions will still seal his fate later in the play. Some indications of his imminent demise were the angry talk of the tribunes and the warning given by the soothsayer: "Beware the Ides of March". Furthermore, I predict that Caesar will be stabbed to death by "augurers" near the Tiber River while protecting Calpurnia. Finally, I would do things in a different way if I were the exalted ruler of ancient Rome. I would not have trusted Cassius as much as Caesar did because of his "dangerous looks" such as his facial expression. As the exalted ruler of the Roman Em-pire, I would investigate many people whom I have suspicions on. By doing these inves-tigations on people, I can lower my chances of being assassinated. Moreover, unlike Caesar, I would consider some warnings from people such as the soothsayer. In conclusion, judgements made by Caesar about Cassius that predicted the future of the play. Caesar feels suspicious about Cassius and sees him as a danger to his power. I predict that various signs, such as the warning by the soothsayer and the dialogue of the tribunes, will contribute to a future danger awaiting Caesar. In addition, the events that followed would have been entirely different if I had been the exalted ruler.

Prophetic, Predictive, Presageful, and Portentous

Prophetic, Predictive, Presageful, and Portentous Prophetic, Predictive, Presageful, and Portentous Prophetic, Predictive, Presageful, and Portentous By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked me to explain the differences between prophetic, predictive, presageful, and portentous. In a very general sense, the words are synonymous. All four are adjectives indicative of the future. Their connotations, however, differ. The adjective prophetic has two meanings: 1. prophetic: â€Å"characteristic of prophecy or a prophet.† For example, King Saul was known to fall into a â€Å"prophetic frenzy,† a mental state usually associated with a prophet. 2. prophetic: â€Å"foretelling events.† For example, Jules Verne (1828-1905) created fictional scenarios that have proved to be prophetic of events and discoveries in our own times. Prophetic often conveys supernatural connotations. The adjective predictive is a simple way to say that something can be predicted or foretold. For example, anyone who has ever browsed an investment flyer has come across this expression: â€Å"Past performance is not predictive of future success.† The adjective presageful derives from the noun presage: â€Å"something that portends, foreshows, or gives warning of that which is about to happen.† Presageful means, â€Å"full of presage.† The verb presage means, â€Å"to predict.† I found this example on a site dedicated to prison reform: â€Å"Two decades after [a former warden’s] presageful caveat, the Louisiana penal system is imploding under the weight of a burgeoning inmate population and a societal mindset that is more retributive than rehabilitational.† Presageful is so uncommon that Word’s spellchecker flags it as a misspelling. Merriam-Webster’s single citation- â€Å"presageful gloom†- is from a convoluted sentence of 101 words spoken by Merlin’s sweetheart Vivien in Tennyson’s Idylls of the King. Trust me, this is a word you can do without. The adjective portentous is used with three meanings: 1. portentous: â€Å"relating to a portent.† A portent is a sign thought to predict the future. Etruscans studied the  flight of birds  to foretell the future. Even the number of  birds  was regarded as  portentous. 2. portentous: â€Å"eliciting amazement.† A travel article contains this example: â€Å"In the Grand Forks Valley at the foot of the mountain the portentous wall cuts off entirely the view of the summit.† 3. portentous: â€Å"exhibiting gravity or ponderousness.† A New York Times reviewer uses the word in the sense of inflated or pompous writing: â€Å"To be sure, there were plenty of passages like this in Cold Mountain - prose that somehow managed to be simultaneously portentous, folksy and cloying, like banjo music on the soundtrack of a Ken Burns documentary.†Ã‚   Used with the first meaning given above, portentous often suggests that whatever is being foretold is ominous and to be feared. A Google search of the four words gives the following results: predictive: 44,700,000 prophetic: 17,800,000 portentous: 464,000 presageful: 15,300 The Ngram Viewer shows that predictive and prophetic are far more common than portentous or presageful in printed books. English has so many words that refer to foretelling the future or knowing something without being told that no writer need be at a loss to choose exactly the right one. For example: clairvoyant divinatory farseeing farsighted insightful intuitive perceptive percipient prescient prognostic psychic vatic visionary Here are a few synonyms for portentous: foreboding ill omened inauspicious menacing ominous premonitory threatening unfavorable Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†What is Dative Case?The Difference Between "Shade" and "Shadow"

Definition and Examples of Complex Transitive Verbs

Definition and Examples of Complex Transitive Verbs In English grammar, a complex transitive is a  verb that requires both a direct object and another object or an object complement. In a complex-transitive construction, the object complement identifies a quality or attribute pertaining to the direct object. Complex-transitive verbs in English include believe, consider, declare, elect, find, judge, keep, know, label, make, name, presume, pronounce, prove, rate, regard, and think. Note that verbs often belong to more than one category. For example, made can function as a complex transitive (as in Her thoughtless remarks  made  him unhappy) and also as an ordinary transitive verb (She made a promise). The  adjective  or  noun phrase  that qualifies or renames the object that appears before it is sometimes called an object predicate or object predicative. Examples During the night leprechauns painted the barn green.The judge declared the man guilty on two counts.Jack found his brothers behavior deplorable.Elena Kagan clerked for Thurgood Marshall and has long considered him a hero.When the Congress unanimously elected George Washington president, he accepted reluctantly.This man had made her happy and  made her miserable, but he was dependable. (Allison Brennan, Compulsion.  Minotaur Books, 2015)Men have called me mad, but the question is not yet settled, whether madness is or is not the loftiest intelligence. (Edgar Allan Poe, Eleonora, 1842)We called him Mother Superior on account of the length of his habit. (Mark Rent-boy Renton, Trainspotting, 1996) Meaning in Transitives and Complex Transitives [M]any of the verbs that appear in complex transitive clauses will also appear in transitive clauses without an object complement; but when they do, there is a change of meaning. Think about the different meanings of the verb in the following pairs of sentences: (49a) Transitive: Ahmed found the professor.(49b) Complex transitive: Ahmed found the professor marvelous!(49c) Transitive: Hojin considered the matter.(49d) Complex transitive: Hojin considered the matter a waste of time. (Martin J. Endley, Linguistic Perspectives on English Grammar: A Guide for EFL Teachers. IAP, 2010) The Relationship Between the Two Complements of a Complex Transitive A  complex transitive verb  has two complements, an argument NP [noun phrase] direct object and either a predicate NP or an AP [adjective phrase]. (5a) We considered Sam [direct object] our best friend [predicate noun phrase].(5b) They elected Mrs. Jones [direct object]  president of the PTA [predicate noun phrase]. There is a special relationship between the two complements of a  complex transitive verb. The predicate NP or AP says something about or describes the direct object, just as the predicate NP that is a complement of a linking verb describes the subject. The predicate NP or AP is either currently true of the direct object or comes to be true of the direct object as a result of the action of the verb. Part of the meaning conveyed by (5a), for example, is that Sam is our best friend. Part of the meaning conveyed by (5b),  for example, is that Mrs. Jones comes to be president as a result of the action named by the verb. Thus, complex transitive verbs, like linking verbs, are either current or resulting verbs.(Dee Ann Holisky, Notes on Grammar. Orchises, 1997) Active and Passive As is the case with any type of object, the DO [direct object] in complex-transitive complementation can also be passivized. An interesting fact is that the co-reference between the OC [object complement] and the DO survives passivization. 59. They made him president.60. He was made president. Note, however, that it is the direct object and not the object complement that can passivize! 61. They made him president.62. *President was made him. (Eva Duran Eppler and Gabriel Ozà ³n, English Words and Sentences: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press, 2013)

George Whashington Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

George Whashington - Essay Example He was born the second child of Augustine and Mary Ball Washington in Westmoreland County Virginia in February 22, 1732 (The White House 4). Like any child in his day, he was educated at home under the diligent tutelage of his father and older brother. Being born in the family of farmers, his first interests are also on planting and agriculture. His manners, moral, and education embody that of an 18th century Virginia gentleman. Together with this passion, he also has two "intertwined interests" (The White House 6)-military arts and military expansion. He has been previously employed as a surveyor which geared him with the knowledge of the terrain in his homeland. During 1749, he was appointed as surveyor of then recently established Culpeper County where he became interested in Ohio Company which planned to exploit Western Land. From these humble occupations, he was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in 1754 and fought in the early series of French and Indian war. These exposures equipped him with the necessary skills of warfare and courage. During the following year, Washington "escaped injury although four bullets ripped his coat and two horses were shot from under him" (The White House 7). After his brother's death, he inherited part his estate together with his responsibility as the adjutant in the colony. At the age of 20, he became Major Washington and "was charged with training the militia in the qua rter assigned him" (George Washington 7). He became a Master Mason in Freemasons, a fraternal organization which had a lifelong influence in him. Washington served in the military during the seven years of French and Indian war. Between the war, he got acquainted with a widow named Martha Dandridge Custis who eventually became his wife. They got married on January 6, 1759 and moved to Mount Vernon where Washington began his career as a farmer and a political figure. Being married to a wealthy widow, Washington has been charged of tilling and managing thousands of acres of land. After his marriage, he has been devoted to a busy yet fulfilling life. However, he also shared the growing concerns of his fellow planters. Having been under British regulations, he also felt exploited by the British merchants because of the unfair practices and policies. In his quest of freeing himself and other planters of these restrictions, he took an active role in voicing out their concerns (The White House 10). He became a leader in the colonial resistance by introducing the proposal which called to boycott imported English goods. He was recognized by being very much passionate in pushing for his fellow planters' interests. When the fighting in the American Revolution broke out in 1775, Washington signaled his preparedness for war by appearing at the Second Continental Congress in his military uniform. Having the "prestige, the military experience, the charisma and military bearing," and "the reputation of a strong patriot" (George Washington 15) he was appointed Major General and elected by the congress as Commander-in-Chief. Thus, together with his troops, he embarked on war which lasted for six years. His efforts paid off because in 1781, he

Iran Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Iran - Research Paper Example Iran has been posed in the global scope as a country involved in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Nonetheless, America and its close allies have not attacked and engaged Iran in a war. In deed the rest of the world have been seeking to determine the America and its associates’ stand concerning the Iranian issue (Johnson 2008). Therefore, the main question for research in this case is, to what extent does the Iran nuclear weapons production activities tantamount to attack and war with the United States and its allies? Considering the complexity of this question in its nature, it would also be right to pose it as what is reason behind the failure of America and its allies to launch war against Iran because of its continued engagement in production of nuclear weapons? The research question for this study is the reason behind the failure of America and its allies to launch war against Iran because of its continued engagement in production of nuclear weapons (Johnson 2008. 2). This is despite it having signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In this kind of situation, there are several factors which could be the cause of America not to launch a war against Iran. What are the effects of economic sanctions on Iranian military operations and capabilities? The America has opted for economic sanctions in attem pt to hamper Iranian nuclear activities. This paper will seek to explore the (BBC 2010.1.) possible effects of sanctions by the American and other foreign governments on the functionality of the Iranian military. Since the inception of economic sanctions on Iran, several operational challenges have been faced by the country’s military that range from inability to secure arms from major weapon markets, to the devaluation of the Iranian currency that has made the arms acquisition process an expensive affair. It is these effects that the paper

Chinese Mythology Essay Example for Free

Chinese Mythology Essay Chang-e is the lunar goddess in Chinese traditional myths. In China, she is a widely known character. She is known as a very beautiful woman who is living alone in a palace in the moon called â€Å"Guanghan Palace†. Her story is one of the most famous tragedies in Chinese myths. Recently there are several â€Å"retold† versions of the story of Chang-e’s ascent to the moon in different media. In 2010, there was a teleplay named â€Å"Chang-e† that told about the love story of Chang-e, Houyi, Wugang and Jade Rabbit. In the retold story, the relationship of these four persons is very complicated at the beginning. Later on, Houyi falls in love with Chang-e and Wugang is in love to Jade Rabbit. They try to start their new lives happily. However, a great flood troubles people, and it can be only resolved by Chang-e. The Jade Emperor gives 2 pills to Houyi and Chang-e but one of the 2 pills is destroyed and exchanged a fake one by a scoundrel. Houyi eats the fake pill when he knows this since he wants Chang-e to float to the moon and control the tides, so that she can stop the disaster. At the end, Chang-e floats to the moon alone. Jade Rabbit sympathizes with Chang-e so she also floats to the moon to accompany her. The 2 couples are both separated. There are several versions of the ancient myth about Chang-e. But the most famous one is from the book â€Å"huainanzi† . Chang-e is Houyi’s wife. Houyi gets elixir from Xiwangmu (the Western Queen Mother), and give it to his wife to store. When Houyi is going out to hunt, his student Fengmeng try to steal it but he is discovered by Chang-e. When he wants to kill Chang-e, she swallows the elixir and floats to the moon. Houyi is very angry when he backs home and Fengmeng has already fled. Houyi feels sad and miss Chang-e, so he prepares some fruits and cakes Chang-e likes as sacrifices to worship. The Mother of Moon shows mercy and allows them to meet in the night with full moon. People believe Chang-e has become the goddess of moon after hearing of the story, so they follow Houyi and pray to her. This is the origin of worship to Chang-e on Mid-Autumn Festival. Although there are many myths in ancient China, Chang-e’s story becomes one of the most famous. People have retold it for thousands of years. It is because of the â€Å"Yin Yang† culture in China. â€Å"Yin† means negative, dark, cold or female, etc. Chinese people believe the moon belongs to â€Å"Yin†, and it is the most â€Å"Yin† thing in the universe. Also, Chinese people think the moon is beautiful but lonely and cold because of the nature of Yin. So, people believed that the deity of the moon should be also beautiful, female and alone. In the story, Chang-e is a young and very beautiful woman. Her image fits people’s thinking of the moon. Her husband Houyi is a hero with great power and good at archery. He shot down 9 suns. Although these two persons are nearly perfect, their love story is a tragedy. People always remember those sad and beautiful love stories. This is the reason why tragedies are always retold again and again. Also, Chinese think that the wanes and full of the moon hint the parting and meeting of families or lovers. As the great poet Su Shi said, â€Å"People have sorrow and joy, they part and meet again and again. There are wanes and full of the moon, it is sometimes covered and it sometimes shines. These are always regrets since the olden days. † This impression fits the situation of Chang-e and Houyi. They are separated but still can meet in the night with full moon. On another hand, ancient Chinese were very curious about the moon. They thought the moon was beautiful but mysterious, and they always imaged the nature and story of the moon, and tried to get some ideas to go to the moon. From a long time ago, there are so many literary works talking about the moon. Ancient Chinese reposed their thinking on the story of Chang-e’s ascent to the moon, and retell the myth again and again. The popularity of the story of Chang-e shows ancient Chinese people’s eagerness and willingness to explore the moon. Even though they had no abilities to go to the moon, they tried to pass the idea to posterity, and that really comes true recently. In the past several decades, the space flight technology has developed significantly. Nowadays, it allows humans to go onto the moon already. In 2007, the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) was launched, and the program is also named â€Å"Chang-e Program†. The lunar orbiters and lunar landers launched in this program are all named â€Å"Chang-e 1†, â€Å"Chang-e 2†, etc. The naming of the program and orbiters and landers hints that the Chinese people’s dream of going to the moon finally comes true. Chinese people can finally set foot on the moon back like the lunar goddess, Chang-e. In contemporary China, the influence of the story of Chang-e still exists in other aspects. The story is retold again and again in different media, such as films, teleplay and cartoons, etc. It is even included in Chinese primary students’ textbooks. Furthermore, many people still keep the tradition of worship to Chang-e on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, when the moon is said to be largest, and Chang-e can hear the pray of people. People will prepare moon cakes and fresh fruits as sacrifices to the lunar goddess, as what Houyi did many centuries before. This tradition shows Chinese people’s mind does not change among thousands of years. Chinese know that the parting and meeting of people are unchangeable, just like the nature principle that the moon wanes and becomes full, moves in circles. Therefore, on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, people recall their family, friends or lovers. The olds hope their children and grandchildren can be with them to celebrate the festival and view the full moon together. And in the night, adults will tell the story of Chang-e to the children, and introduce the culture of Mid-Autumn Festival. The story is retold again and again, and passed to the posterity. Even though those family members has left hometown, they will try their best to back home before the festival to celebrate with the family. In the night with full moon, they pray to the lunar goddess for reunions of members of family. People are eager for â€Å"Yuan†. In Chinese, the word â€Å"Yuan† means the shape of circle and also the reunion of members of family. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people always pray for â€Å"Yuan† of both the moon and family. Even though the myth of Chang-e’s ascent to the moon has more and more retold version since people’s different interest in different times, the culture of it will never change. Chinese people will keep the core value of â€Å"Yuan†, as well as other Chinese traditional core value. References 1. Wen Yu , (2010) ‘ ’, Enorth. com. Retrieved from http://ent. enorth. com. cn/system/2010/11/23/005412956. shtml 2. Gao You. Huainanzi Explanation . Worldbook Taiwan, 1965. 3. Jiang Pei Ying , 300 Song Poems . Thread-Blinding Books Publishing House, 2003. 4. Liu Zhi Qing , (2007) ‘â€Å" † ’,Xinhuanet. Retrieved from http://news3. xinhuanet. com/tech/2007-07/07/content_6340313. htm.

Closing the Achievement Gap Essay -- Education, Minorities

Closing the Academic Achievement Gap Crisis in America The Achievement Gap in America has separated and divided America's youth into more or less, two different cultures of socioeconomic placement. The first being the predominantly Caucasian students at American elementary schools, high schools, and colleges that excel greatly in their education. Most of the time earning them middle to upper class jobs in the economy, the aforementioned group contrasts significantly with its opposite culture of American youth. The second culture, the population that is mostly made up of the minority races, takes it's place in the American education system as the population of students who are less interested in getting a decent education and taking advantage of the resources that are offered, for various underlying reasons. This in turn manufactures less people of this type of culture to be readily available for higher paying jobs, and often times unemployable for a job at all. The Achievement G ap in America is influenced by many cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic factors that separate lower and higher achieving students based on these factors, and leave a high amount of unemployed Americans as a result, if not incarcerated or deceased. The first issue that has been identified as a significant problem involved in the Achievement gap, is that it is partially the fault of America's educational system. Because of the suffering economy that has spurred the increasing lack of basic necessities in schools across America, there are an increasing number of children who are not being properly educated. Whether it is a deficiency in supplies, poor teacher selection, or administration and staff who are indifferent to the students at their sch... ...ell can work together to solidify the learning environment for the student in need and create a better learner as a result. In conclusion, the Academic Achievement has been fueled by society's presets, minority students' lack of effort, and the failures of the schooling system in America. There has been some challenging setbacks, but the Gap can be fixed to create a common ground for all prospective members of America's society to excel on equally. By realizing that change can be achieved, there are little to no limits for minority students to create a better mindset towards education. Students, parents, and teachers have to be willing to work together, as well as tackle obstacles upheld by society, and the economic deficiencies that effect schools across America. This will, in turn, take America one step closer to closing the Academic Achievement Gap in America.