Medieval Architecture Essay Example for Free

Medieval Architecture Essay The Middle Ages, also known as the Medieval era, though scarred with a history of violence and war, has given the world some of the most marvelous and beautiful pieces of art, particularly in architecture. The Middle Ages is the name given to the time period from the late 5th century to the 15th century, particular to European history. The construction of these types of buildings was a constant for various cultures for a thousand years. They can be categorized into three phases; Pre-Romanesque, Romanesque and Gothic. The most important buildings during medieval times were religious, defensive and governmental or power related. Figure 1 – Sarcophagus of Abbess Theodechilde in the Abbey of Jouarre. The Pre-Romanesque era started, arguably, with the Merovingian Dynasty of the Franks. Some say that not much was gained, from an architectural point of view, during the rule of the Franks but I believe there are a couple of points worth making. The Merovingian rule lasted from the 5th century, after the fall of the Roman Empire, to the late 8th century. Most of their buildings followed after the Roman basilica style. The Franks, due to religious beliefs, pushed the building of monasteries and included crypts within their structures. (see figure 1) Although there were many monasteries built with crypts, only five remain intact today. One of the noteworthy aspects of Merovingian architecture was that they are credited with being the first to build raised reliquaries of the saint within their monasteries, located behind the altar. Figure 3 – The 9th century Torhalle, or gatehouse, at the Lorsch Abbey in Germany. Figure 2 – Exterior of Corvey Abbey, showing the Westwork. The Carolingian Dynasty, which some say is where Pre-Romanesque architecture began, reigned from the late 8th century into the 10th century. Also deriving from a Frankish noble family, the Carolingians are credited with a couple of key designs that carry forward into the Romanesque and Gothic phases of architecture. The westwork, which was basically the west facing side of the church consisting of two towers with several stories between them, was probably the most significant change in architectural design for churches during the Pre-Romanesque time period. The first church to incorporate this new style was the St. Riquier Abbey completed in 799. The plan included equal emphasis on both the east and west ends, including a complex west facade. This church was later destroyed but the westwork was to be repeated in many Carolingian churches and passed on to Ottonian and Romanesque architecture. The oldest standing example today of this style is the Corvey Abbey built in the late 9th century. (see figure 2) Another piece of the Carolingian architecture is the Torhalle, or gatehouse, built at Lorsch. This gatehouse, built around 800, stands today in perfect condition. (see figure 3) It was built as the formal entrance to the Lorsch Abbey. And though it is small in comparison to the many other buildings at the time, it remains the oldest monument of the Carolingian era. Figure 4 – The Gloucester Cathedral in England. The Romanesque era is where we see a dramatic change in architectural style as well as an increase in the amount of building that takes place. The Romanesque period doesn’t have an exact date range, but most tend to agree that it existed from roughly the 9th century to the 12th century. Although churches remain the number one built structure in the time, we do see a large increase in the number of castles being built. There are many characteristics of Romanesque architecture. New building ideas and techniques were introduced, such as stone vault ceilings, buttresses, semicircular arches as well as barrel, groin and ribbed vaults. As new designs were added, the need for stronger supports systems resulted in massive double shelled walls, large piers and drum columns. (see figure 4) The Romanesque period is known for massive structures and elaborate designs. From this we see a noticeable increase in the skill of the masons during this time as the stone work displays an obvious increase in precision and engineering. Much of the architecture in the Romanesque era evolved into Gothic architecture. The Gothic era ran from the 12th century into the 16th century. There wasn’t necessarily a clean break from Romanesque to Gothic styles of architecture, but rather a gradual shift in design. The main characteristics of Gothic architecture are the pointed ribbed vaults and arches, flying buttresses and, in place of solid walls, a cluster of columns. Due to the vertical emphasis of the design, the archways could be redesigned and stretched or pointed. Four main Figure 5 – The depressed arch supported by fan vaulting at King’s College Chapel, England. ypes of arch designs that are commonly found within Gothic architecture are the lancet arch, which is simply a steeply pointed arch, the equilateral arch, the flamboyant arch and the depressed arch as seen in the King’s College Chapel. (see figure 5) Due to the new design of supporting the weight of the ceiling through the columns and flying buttresses, there was no need for walls made of heavy materials. With all the columns and archways in place, the structure took on a skeletal look. This gave way to expanding the once small openings for windows to an expanse of window space providing plenty of light to the interior of the structure. This space was commonly filled with stained glass. From this, stained glass flourished as an art work to be an essential part of many of the churches in the medieval time. Castles are a huge part of Medieval times and started to grew in number and size during the Romanesque and Gothic eras. The castles were massive and built primarily for defensive purposes. However, some were designed to convey messages of wealth, power and respect as well as fear and domination. Besides a military need, castles were used for administrative purposes as well as a residence. Typical castle residents consisted of the castle’s owner, his family and his military and administrative support staff. Castles were generally made from local materials of stone and wood as well as recycled materials, like Roman bricks and marble. There are, of course, exceptions to this depending on how much money and/or power the person building the castle had. For example, William the Conqueror had the White Tower of The Tower of London built from Caen stone, imported from France. (see figure 6) Figure 6 – The White Tower of the Tower of London. Castles come in all different shapes, sizes and designs depending on the materials available as well as the terrain chosen to build on. Some of the common characteristics of castles are; the motte – an earthen mound created with a flat top for the castle to be built upon; the moat – a large ditch around the castle, typically filled with water; the bailey – fortification that surrounds the keep; the keep – the actual residence of the lord in charge and the most strongly defended part of the castle; the gatehouse – the entrance to the castle; and the curtain wall – a large defensive wall, typically between two bastions. Castle construction would depend on the materials chosen for the building. Earth and timber castles were less expensive to build but could be constructed in most locations due to plentiful resources and most skilled workers had wood working skills. Stone castles cost much more, take longer to complete and require higher skilled masons, and many of them. Not to mention that the location was often relative to the location of the rock quarry. Naturally, stone castles were many times stronger than ones made from timber and, in the eyes of many, were worth the extra cost and time. Depending on the lord in charge and the primary reason for building the castle, the architectural design didn’t stop with just the construction of the building. Many castles maintained beautiful landscapes to compliment their architectural master piece. As seen in figure 7, landscapes play an important role in the overall allure of the entire estate. This particular landscape for the Leeds Castle in England has been maintained since the 13th century. Figure 7 – Panoramic view of the Leeds Castle in England. Throughout the Middle Ages, the key to the many successful pieces of architecture has been the architect. Of course they were not called architects back then, instead they were simply called masons. Often time there were many masons working together on one project. The mason in charge of the design and construction was sometimes referred to as the master mason. Prior to the 13th century, most masons were trained on the job site. From the 13th century onward, the masons took on apprentices and training became more formalized. The masons maintained a constant presence on the job site in smaller structures attached to the building project called lodges. They would store their tools, eat their meals and perform all their inside type work within their lodge. Masonry was one of the few crafts that did not form into a trade guild prior to the 14th century. In later centuries, the masons and their lodge became what we know today as the Freemasons. Architectural design and innovation was not protected and masons often borrowed ideas from one another. In the 14th century, masons were sent to study the design incorporated with the Chateau de Mehun-sur-Yevre in France. This structure was destroyed in the 18th century. Figure 8 shows the ruins today and figure 9 shows what the chateau would have looked like. Figure 9 – Artist rendition of what the Chateau de Mehun-sur-Yevre in France may have looked like. Figure 8 – Current day Chateau de Mehun-sur-Yevre in France. During the estimated thousand years of the Middle Ages, and what we know of it, it is quite evident that architecture played an important part of each society. In religions, in governments and in noble families, the physical structure of the building was just as important to the people as were the traditions and work carried out within. Architecture was not merely a necessary profession but it was a desired form of art work and we are fortunate that so many of these master pieces have been left for us to study and admire.

PE analysis of performance Essay Example for Free

PE analysis of performance Essay When playing rugby, my position is flanker. I have some obvious strengths and weaknesses when I am playing, and this piece of writing will consider these and evaluate ways to improve my performance.  I think that one of my main strengths as a flanker is pressurising the scrum half a lot. At scrums and rucks I am quick to move around the side to rush the scrum half into passing, possibly forcing an error, or just tackling the scrum half, enabling a turnover or if not it slows down the oppositions ball. This is a main strength required when playing flanker and I think that I use it well most of the time, but I have to be careful to stay onside so as not to give away any penalties. I think that a second strength in my game is that I am aggressive when making tackles or running with the ball. I have more agility because I run in a position where I can side-step relatively easily. I tend to tackle low, and run low when I am carrying the ball so it is more difficult to be tackled. I think that when we are playing I stay positive even if we are losing and try to motivate the team. I need to get a bit lower when I am running with the ball, if I want to get further, but I run low enough to gain a reasonable distance and I am able to shrug off tackles when running if I am aggressive. I think a main weakness in my game is that although I sometimes take a good crash ball, I tend to hang off the rucks too often and I need to get more stuck in because I might sometimes stand in the channel between the scrum half and fly half, which is getting in the way of a pass, and a phase of play in the backs may be better than one in the forwards. I need to stay in the rucks and mauls more often that I stand in the line. Also I think I need to improve my reaction time, especially when reacting to the stimulus, often being the referees whistle. This would suggest that I was concentrating wholly on the game, but if I was more aware of the stimulus then I would give away fewer penalties and infringements, but also, my game would be more disciplined. I could sprint rather than jog to the breakdowns sometimes, so that I could spoil more opposition ball or even turn it over. Improving Performance Over time I will take actions which will increase my strengths and decrease or totally get rid of my weaknesses. This section will help to prioritise the areas for improvement and the areas where my performance is at its optimum level.  I think that the most important of my weaknesses to work on is reaction to the stimulus. I am fairly disciplined, but if I could improve my reaction time then I would become much more disciplined and not make as many errors. I need to focus more on the game as a team sport and think of what effect my actions may have on the game and rest of the team E.g. giving away a penalty. The reason for my strength in putting the scrum half under a lot of pressure is the combination of strength and speed used to get around the breakdown quickly and hit him low and hard. Power enables this to be done with relative ease.  The reason for my main weakness is that I concentrate on one separate thing in the game, such as the man I am marking or the tackle I am about to make, rather than the whole game itself, such as offside and overlaps. I think that the target of giving away less that one penalty each game is easy to fulfil, and it should progressively lower to one per every two games and so on. Also taking training seriously as if it was a match and putting in all the tackles and looking for options instead of taking the first one that comes into my head. Assess the whole situation, not just one small part of it.  I could possibly keep a tally of how many infringements I make in match situations in training, and then aim to make less than this amount in a match. I could record the number I make in a match and aim to concede less in the next match that I played in.  To monitor the progress of my strengths I could record how many turnovers I make and how many times I force an error on the scrum half due to applying a lot of pressure. In training match situations I need to concentrate on the game and the teams performance, not just my own. Increasing my levels of fitness would allow me o get to breakdowns more quickly, thus making me less likely to stand out and possibly get in the scrum half and fly halfs channel. An exercise that would help to increase my strengths and at the same time help to diminish my weaknesses would be practising a rush defence from the triple threat position as it would help me to advance with the line and stay onside at all times possible.

Reflective Analysis Of A Students Induction Week

Reflective Analysis Of A Students Induction Week Reflective Analysis has gained a high level of recognition in higher education, it is now used to structure students learning ability, Reflective Analysis as helped me to be able to analyse and assess current and past events, situation and experience. Ann Mathews (2007) state that it is a way whereby an individual turn out to be self independent so as to be able to solve problems the purpose of reflection depends on hypothesis, this deals with putting into practice all the achieved knowledge from academic and organisational environment, its also deals with the skills and ability that an individual has to pass these achieved information to someone else with the aim that the person with hit upon the information judiciously. Kolb (1975) state that when an individual comes up with ideas and re-assess old knowledge into learning however it also deals with turning or re-cycling old and new experience learnt into knowledge so as to use them for future purposes this is an important aspect when writing a report in higher education because it helps students to come up with new and old ideas on how problems are solved. These are what I attained while writing my applied management project: 1) Reflective learning helped me while writing my applied management project because I was able to come up with past and present experience and this aspect helped me in analysing all the necessary concepts on how to get and compile informations so as to achieve my aims and objective. 2) Reflective learning as also helped in turning my experience to learning, these has helped me to assess seriously all the process of learning and as also improve my learning experience academically. RECOLLECTION OF EXPERIENCE Now that the induction week is over, it is now time for me to commence with my dissertation, the induction week lasted for 1 week and it started on the 8th of February 2010 which was on a Monday although we were divided into two cohort and I was lucky to be part of cohort B, the first day of the induction was generally about the introduction to the unit which was given by Vincent Org and Peter Patrick, the second day was more interesting because Alan Bullimore and Peter Patrick talked about how to source for informations and referencing, on that same day we were all asked to form a group of seven to eight member and topics where given out to each group accordingly, on that same day Steve Briggs and Prof Brain Mathew talked about writing a report, Plagiarism and TurnitinUK, During this lecture we were told that the rest of the week will be a group discussion and we will be able to ask necessary questions about the topic from how tutors and we where also told that after the ends of the se induction week no one will be able to receive any help or assistance from any tutor. After the end of the induction week I realised that it was time for me to commence with my chosen topic although I came across a lot of challenges, this gave me a lot of concern because I was the only person in my group so I had to no one to exchange ideas with, I had to draw up a strategy to monitor my progress while I was busy writing on my chosen topic, I knew I had to start searching for relevant journals and articles which helped me a lot to understand what the topic was all about, I had no choice than to build up courage more over this is the finally stage that will determine if I would be awarded a master degree in Logistics Business and Management. Even though this is my second attempt, I knew I had to prove a point by making sure that I dont make that same mistake I made while I was writing my first chosen topic, while writing on my chosen topic I noticed some shortcomings which I realised that I had no choice than to tackle or find a solution to them. The follow were my sho rtcomings SHORTCOMINGS 1) Insufficient Fund: while I was writing on my chosen topic, I came across some relevant articles and journal online which were for sale and very expensive to purchase, this particular weakness was heartbreaking because at that particular moment I was not financially stable to purchase all the relevant journal and articles online. 2) Lack of understanding: Understanding the chosen topic was another challenge I faced while I was writing on my chosen topic, at first I had less idea about how to come up with relevant and necessary information and particularly the kind of information I need to include in the headings and sub-headings, I spent a lot of time on these before I figured out things. CORRECTION MADE 1) With the help of the learning resources centre, I was able to get more journals, articles, magazines, books and newspapers relating to my chosen topic, corporate social responsibility. 2) I had to call my sponsor about my present financial situation, I was given all the necessary support I needed, this really helped me because I had more opportunity to assess more journal, articles and books online. GROUP FORMATION On the 9th of February 2010, Vicent Org and Peter Patrick asked everybody in each department to form a group of seven to eight members, unfortunately I am just the only person in my group because this is my second attempt, there was no-one to relate or exchange ideas with, I had to some up courage within myself so that I would be able to accomplish my aims and objectives of coming to the university of Bedfordshire to study, I drew up a strategy which I used to check my progress while I was writing my chosen topic, I gave myself a target which I had to meet up with at the end of each day. LEARNING EXPERIENCE Although this is my second attempt that I am writing this same module (Applied Management Project), I have gained a lot of experiences both from my first and second attempt, writing a dissertation is a huge challenge so I had to apply all the necessary skills learnt from both past and present knowledge. These are the lessons learnt while writing on my chosen topic: 1) I have learnt how to be efficient and effective in problem solving and also produce a quality outcome. 2) I am capable of handle my own learning and career process efficiently and effectively. 3) I have learnt how to be self motivated and this as also improved my decision making skills, I can now work on my own without getting assistance from group members. 4) I have learnt how to manage my own time set a realistic target and monitor my progress while working on my chosen topic. 5) With the help of Alan Bullimore and Peter Godwin I have learnt how to search and retrieve important and relevant information from recognised sources. LESSON FOR FUTURE PROJECT 1) Time Management: Time management is an organised use of common sense tactic and planning, when writing or embarking on a project or dissertation, one should be cautious about time management because it basically deals with how and when to meet up with targets if it is used effectively and efficiently, time should be made for errors and corrections, I now see time management as a continuous process in life in other to achieve aim goals and objectives. 2) Self Management: Self Management is the actual process of utilizing time marginally and making a technical decision so as to achieve ones aims and objectives, before embarking on a project one as to have the following attributes: self confident, self reliance and self control, these qualities are very important while writing a project or before embarking on a project because they help during and after the research process. 3) Measuring Performance: When writing a dissertation, it is advisable for students to set up a realistic tactic or strategy which will be used to measure their progress while writing on their chosen topic, this lets students know if he or she is working as scheduled, these aspect helps to achieve the major aim of writing this project which is handing in the project or dissertation before deadline. 4) Risk Management: Risk Management is a process of minimizing risk not actually eradicating the risk but counting the loss before the situation occurs, while writing on my chosen topic I had to create the risk of set backs in my target so as to accomplish my mission or else I might have encountered obstacles which might cause delay or set back in my project. 5) Loss of work and Plagiarism: When writing a report or dissertation, it is necessary that all the vital informations and datas gathered are saved in a safe and secured place to avoid damage, furthermore while writing on my chosen topic I was careful about coping directly from authors, inaccurate referencing and chunking because It is a serious academic offence. PERSONAL ENCOUNTER The applied management project is a formidable tax; it has being a terrible experience for me because I had to write this particular module all over again, although the module as facilitated me in gaining more knowledge and also applying these gained knowledge to real life situations. I came across several complications while writing on my chosen topic, the first problem I came across was how to analyse and evaluate my chosen topic; since I was the only person in my group I had no one to exchange ideas and relevant informations with, I had to build up courage so as to achieve my aim and objective which is handing in a good report and rounding up the report two weeks before deadline so as pass my report to my brother to proof read so that necessary corrections can be made, furthermore other difficulties were sourcing for relevant journals, articles, newspapers and books but following all the informations gathered from the induction weeks I was able to draw up strategies on how to tackle this problems and to the best of my knowledge my strategies worked out fine. WRITING THE INTRODUCTION This is a very important part when writing a report or dissertation, I found it really difficult to start writing the introduction because it took awhile before I could apprehend what my chosen topic was all about, I had to go into a serious research so as to have a full idea about the topic, because I wanted a good and perfect report I came up with a strategy to guide me through the process of writing on my chosen topic, this strategy was really helpful since i used it to monitor my progress while writing on my chosen topic, it took me up to two weeks to round up this part, moreover because of my kind of topic I had a lot of informations to discuss on, despite the fact that I was struggling to round up this part I realized that I had some distractions which resulted to me relocating from Luton to Merseyside so as to achieve my key aim and objective of coming to the university of Bedfordshire to study. WRITING THE LITERATURE REVIEW This is the most complex part when writing a report or dissertation, I had to take my time to compile and gather informations since the literature review determines ones strengths and weakness on the chosen topic, furthermore this part of the report requires me to prove to the reader the kind of knowledge, facts and ideas that I have set up on the chosen topic, this part is a channel concept which consist of problems, issues and basically argumentative theories, according to my laid down strategy it took me up to a month to round up this part because I was checking and scrutinizing my work so that I dont get myself involve in plagiarism and chunking. WRITING THE ANALYSES AND DISCUSSION This part is another difficult aspect when writing a report, it entails evaluating, analysing and discussing all the relevant informations in the previous chapters, it took me one week to round up this part because it requires careful interpretation and discussion of each headings and sub-headings furthermore I make sure that all my arguments were logical and reasonable. Although this part was not really taxing because I was self-assured that I was on the right track. Although I came across challenges while writing the analyses and discussion but I was able to tackle it with the help of my laid down strategy and previous experience. WRITING THE CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION Coming up with a reasonable and logical recommendation and conclusion was another taxing experience because it requires proper concise, clarity, consistency, accurate and objectivity, I spent a lot of time trying to round up this part so as to make my report interesting and attractive, I had to lay emphasis on all the literatures I studied and also explain how they justify or contradict each other, with the help of my laid down strategy it took me up to four weeks to round-up this part. CONCLUSION The process of writing this dissertation as been a great experience and achievement for me, even though this is my second attempt I have been able to motivate myself morally and academically on how to be efficient and effective in whatever I encounter in life, This module (Applied Project Management) is a vital aspect during the process of a masters degree programme, I have learnt all the necessary requirements, process, methods and structures of writing a standard and professional detailed report. In addition, through out my learning process at the University of Bedfordshire I have being able to develop my presentation skills, analyse and evaluate academic write-up, business issues and finally gaining a deep understanding about my course (Logistics and Business Management). Finally Applied Project Management is basically about the development of academic skill and ability.

Analysis of Shakespeares The Tempest - Caliban and Trinculo :: Shakespeare The Tempest

Psychoanalytic Analysis of Caliban and Trinculo of The Tempest  Ã‚  Ã‚   From a psychoanalytic perspective, both Caliban and Trinculo of Shakespeare’s The Tempest are interesting characters. Caliban is very sexual and bitter, while Trinculo is at odds with everything: his situation of being washed ashore and wrongly accused of saying things when he did not utter a word, as well as Caliban’s worship of an unkingly man, his drunken friend Stephano. Caliban has obviously not had all of his desires trained to stay within him, despite Prospero’s punishments and Miranda’s schooling. Trinculo, on the other hand, wastes his emotions in a bottle of liquor and knows better than Caliban who is and is not fit to worship. Caliban is rude, crude, ugly and lazy. Speaking in a psychoanalytic manner, Caliban is going to be remembered as bitter and obsessed with sex. This sexual desire is going to be coincided first with thoughts of his mutation-- a feeling of inadequacy-- and then more significantly with the absence of his mother. That he had no parents on which to form an Oedipal complex and knows only who his mother was (nothing is mentioned of his father) makes for interesting observations on how he deals with sexuality. We learn that he does not deny that Prospero is the only barrier between him and the rape of Miranda. It is clear that he has developed only so far as Freud’s theory of id, with small touches of the superego. Caliban’s development of the superego is evident only when he does not wish to receive Prospero’s pinches and cramps. He is otherwise all for anything that will bring him pleasure. Being free of Prospero, fulfilling his sexual desires with Miranda and drinking liquor are all on his menu. Trinculo is unable to forget, as the butler Stephano does, all of his woes into the bottom of a bottle. He is upset by the way that Stephano allows himself to be carried away by the worship and praise of Caliban. He is also dismayed in the unjust treatment Stephano dispenses on Caliban’s behalf as Ariel plays Puckish tricks. Clearly, there is no problem with this jester’s ego. He wants himself to be taken care of. He does not appreciate the way he is treated on the monster’s behalf, because he knows he has done no wrong. Later, Trinculo’s id takes over somewhat as he becomes more intoxicated and no longer has the will to let his ego control his id.

How Artists Act as Gentrifiers :: Artists Gentrification TriBeca Essays

How Artists Act as Gentrifiers From TriBeCa to SoHo to Dumbo, artists tend to agglomerate in well-publicized art centers rich in loft space. However, the paradox of artistic agglomeration is that artists are eventually priced out of the region of agglomeration as their presence attracts bourgeois residents and capital-rich businesses that together bid up rents. Art centers thus possess a dynamism that other regions of agglomeration, like Silicon Valley or Route 128, do not share. While the dynamic quality of art centers is well-known, artists’ crucial role in gentrification is not. Often, artists are considered victims of gentrification since they are often the ones being priced out of a region by more affluent businessmen. However, artists play a crucial role in the gentrifying process as they help revitalize areas of past stagnation and crime. That artists are eventually priced out of the regions they helped to revive is not necessarily inefficient as they move on to improve the next low-rent industrial area leaving the old art center with increased land value and more businesses. To understand how artists act as gentrifiers and fit into capitalist plans to raise land value, we must first establish a working definition of gentrification as: â€Å"A process by which dilapidated subdivided dwellings or slum neighborhoods are taken over by the wealthy or their agents through purchase, the non-renewal of leases or occasionally, the harassment of tenants, and then converted to expensive single-family housing. Gentrification is a reversal of the normal filtering process, for it involves old substantial dwellings that usually filter down the social hierarchy but in this case are recolonised and filtered back up.† (Yardley 3-4) Since identifying artists’ role in the gentrification process is the subject of this paper and since the process relies on the establishment of an arts center, we must first ascertain artists’ reasons for agglomerating. Artists agglomerate for four primary reasons: to efficiently coordinate complex and ordinary inputs, to facilitate training, to aid in gatekeeper filtering, and to gain the public exposure necessary to effect sales (Caves 26). Artists living in art centers enjoy low-cost access to specialized auxiliary service providers, like low-cost, high-variety suppliers of the art’s raw material, whether it consist of frames, paints, musical instruments, etc. While this cost advantage might play a small role in agglomeration, an art center’s ability to employ critical writers and important industry publications, which are necessary to legitimize and popularize the artists, provides increasing returns to an art market’s scale.

Bladerunner: Humanity Of Deckard & Roy Batty Essays -- essays research

Roy Batty and Deckard are both able to show us what it means to be human. To what extent do you agree? Through Blade Runner, we see an epic quest filled with meaning and symbolism applicable to the human condition. Replicants are basically human beings, except for the fact that they lack a history. As a consequence of this, perhaps, they also lack proper emotional faculties especially empathy. Empathy is the ability to place oneself in the position of another living being and understand that person’s feelings. Blade runner promotes that empathy is the defining characteristics for humanity. The replicants, designed not to show any emotion, develop spiritually and emotionally throughout the film. The characters in the movie, even the ones that were not human, had many humanistic and believable qualities. Many of them were able to feel love as well as hate. Although Deckard is supposedly human he at times shows less emotion than Roy. He seems heartless and uncompassionate making himself look very unhuman. We see that Deckard is possibly not "human" as well, but a replicant. He shows no compassion when he tells Rachel of her being a replicant with implants. In tears, Rachel sneaks out of Deckard’s apartment and into the streets. The only time in which Deckard really shows emotion is accomplished when Roy, forging Deckard through the fires of a harrowing battle, looks terrified knowing that he is going to die. Through this, Roy tries to communicate his life experi...

Existentialism in Waiting for Godot Essay

Existentialism is a philosophy that repudiates the idea of religion or any ‘supreme’ being bringing meaning to life, and advocates the idea that individuals are instrumental in finding a purpose to life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. Hence in Samuel Becket’s existentialist play Waiting For Godot, he puts forth an idea that all of humanity is wasting their lives in inaction- waiting for the salvation of a deity, when that divine being may or may not even exist. As inferred from the phrase â€Å"existence precedes essence†, there is no pre-existent spirituality or soul; no god, Christian or otherwise; no cosmic compassion for human life; no salvation in heaven and damnation in hell; neither preset destiny nor inevitable fate; and nor is there the transcendence of our worldly existence. Everyone must bear the responsibility for their own existence, since it is not predetermined or shaped by any external force; a subsequent anxiety is one of the aspects of human nature. Nevertheless, the burdens of anxiety and responsibility are often too heavy to bear, and we often seek to shift them on certain individuals, institutions, religions, or even on a ‘Godot’. Existentialism manifests itself in Waiting for Godot through its motifs of despair, absurdity, alienation, and boredom. One of the most prevalent themes is that of loneliness as a consequence of godlessness. In a blank futile universe devoid of purpose, design or care – represented by the featureless Beckettian landscape, human beings are alone, and condemned to be free. Afraid of this isolation Estragon and Vladimir cling together despite their quarrels, and Pozzo and Lucky do not untie themselves. This futility leads to another characteristic of existentialism: despair. Since there is no preset will, Existentialism preaches the individual freedom of choice. Estragon and Vladimir have made the choice of waiting, without any instruction as Vladimir says that Godot â€Å"didn’t say for sure he’d come†. Yet they wait to know exactly how they stand. The boredom of waiting prompts them to ponder over their identity, as inactivity leads the individual to think. Estragon remarks: â€Å"We always find something, eh Didi, to give us the impression that we exist? It is learnt that man needs a rational basis for existence but fails to find one, making his life no better than a wasted passion. The two tramps, Estragon and Vladimir vainly attempt to put order in their lives by waiting for Godot who never arrives, and reiterate that â€Å"Nothing is to be done. † This inaction further questions their very entities, and Estragon anxiously doubts: â€Å"Where do we come in? † Whenever Estragon and Vladimir make a decision, the stage directions dictate that â€Å"They do not move. † and continue to show passivity. Therefore, even their resolution to go is not strong enough to produce action. Many times Estragon says â€Å"Let’s go†, but Vladimir always reminds him that they can’t as they are â€Å"waiting for Godot. †This inability to act renders Vladimir and Estragon unable to determine their own fates. Instead of acting, they can only wait for someone or something to act upon them- referring to the existentialist argument of man’s desperate need to establish his own purpose and meaning to life. Furthermore, Vladimir and Estragon ponder suicide by hanging themselves from the tree, but once again their anxiety stops them, as the latter remarks: â€Å"Don’t let’s do anything. It’s safer. † Kierkegaard’s notion of ‘Dread’ or ‘Angst’ includes ideas of existentialism which talk about a state in which the individual’s freedom of choice places him in a state of anxiety, as he is surrounded by almost infinite possibilities. This could explain the inactivity of both the tramps. They are aware of the different choices they can make but are hesitant, just as they decide to leave at the end of the act but remain motionless. Thus, the end of act 1 firmly asserts the characters’ hopelessness. Beckett infers that people pass time with habits to cope with the existentialist dilemma of the dread or anxiety of their existence. Estragon and Vladimir idly pass their time to escape the pain of waiting and even thinking. Vladimir expresses this idea at the end of the play: â€Å"Habit is a great deadener. † All the events narrated through the course of the play – the Crucifixion story, the suicide plan, playing talk – seem nothing more than silly pastimes. Once during the Pozzo-Lucky encounter, the tramps behave as if they are in a theatre; Vladimir even asks Estragon to keep his seat while going off to the urinal at â€Å"The end of the corridor, on the left. † Pozzo and Lucky’s coming can also well be interpreted as an act to entertain Vladimir and Estragon; a way in which Becket questions whether life itself is just a mere source of entertainment to pass the time while waiting for salvation. However, the distractions end sometime or the other, leaving them again with their futile inaction: â€Å"The essential doesn’t change. † This once again echoes the existentialist theory that life will end in nothingness as it has begun, reducing all of man’s achievements and accomplishments to nothing. Time has little significance in this futile lifecycle. The past often becomes misty to Estragon as he often asks questions like â€Å"What did we do yesterday? † He does not remember Pozzo and Lucky and even the place in Act Two, and shortly, Pozzo fails to recognize the tramps (Estragon and Vladimir) too. The mysterious boy returns with the same message; Godot never comes and tomorrow never seems to arrive. Vladimir, therefore, is right to say that â€Å"time has stopped. † Estragon conveys the horror of this uneventful repetitive existence in â€Å"Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it’s awful! â€Å".