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Music exists in a variety of genres. They convey different messages depending on the target audience. Songs also vary depending on the purpose and settings they are played. Music sets scenes and creates emotion for its consumers. One song that has captured my attention and stayed in my mind for the longest time is called ‘this is America,’ sung by a famous African-American singer and actor, Donald Glover. His stage name is Childish Gambino, and his target audience is Americans, particularly black Americans. The official song video and audio were released in 2018.

The song ‘this is America’ is a controversial piece that caught people’s attention worldwide because of its specially defined lyrics and video. It focuses on the issue of discrimination against black people and police brutality. The song starts with a gospel choir to symbolize good news. During the slavery era, black people relied on the good news to give them hope of a better future and freedom from oppression by the white man. Childish Gambino proceeds to put himself in a white room to symbolize America then shoots a black man sitting on a chair. The gun he uses is treated with utmost respect than the body of a black person lying on the ground. As he shoots, he takes the pose of Jim Crow, a famous racist caricature to enhance his message and bring the audience closer to the narrative. The artist uses this scene to connect with his audience and convey the message of racial discrimination happening in America.

I believe the song intends to portray the image of police brutality against African-Americans in America. Many Cases of police using excessive force when handling black people have been reported, yet no serious or legal action seems to support the black community. Some go to the extent of using their legal power to kill black men and use the excuse of self-defense. The song warns black people to stay woke because they are not safe in America. Childish Gambino dances amidst the chaos to show his audience that they need to wake up and address America’s real issue and not get distracted.

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Characteristics phases of development of pre-historical humanity according to western civilizations by Joshua Cole and carol SymesPre-history refers to the period when human first appeared and invention of writing. This period has being characterized with limited sources of information as there were no formal ways through which information could have been stored except through the use of myths.

During the Paleolithic era, the main characteristics of this phase were the invention of fire by the Hominids who lived during this era. The human societies of this era were able to benefit from fire in a variety of ways including using it to harden tool tips, for hunting purposes, used the fire to made jewelry from metals, keeping themselves warm during cold nights and scaring away dangerous wild animals.

During this period, western civilizations were also characterized by cultures such as painting on wall caves and the burying of dead people in unique graves. During the burial ceremonies, the deceased were buried with objects that were meaningful to the life they lived including instruments such as horns, flowers and jewelry. At the end of Paleolithic era, the western civilization was characterized by finely crafted small tools that were developed by humans to aid in various activities such as fishing and hunting. Some of the finely crafted tools at this stage included fishhooks, wooden and bone sewing needles and arrow heads.

The Neolithic era began at around 11,000 B.C.E when there was rapid climate change and the human populations had become significantly huge. As the natural sources of food diminished, humans started looked for stable sources of food leading to the development of manageable food productions. Humans began domesticating animals and crops leading to a settled lifestyle as the need for hunting for food were eliminated. As people adopted a settled lifestyle, populations grew rapidly and specialization and division of labor became entrenched in societies. There was an emergence of status and rank in societies as a distinction developed between the rich and the poor.

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Characterization in Hamlet

Characterization in the play ‘Hamlet’ plays a crucial role in developing the story’s themes and plot. ‘Hamlet’ is one of Shakespeare’s most famous literary works that has been studied throughout the world. It is a tragic play whose main characters are the first family of Denmark. It is a sad tale of how a son, Hamlet, seeks vengeance for his father’s death and how his quest leaves destruction in its wake. Hamlet who is the main character in the story is central to the development of the play’s themes and other characters.

The story is set in the city of Elsinore in Denmark around the middle ages (Knights 19). When the play begins, the King of Denmark who is Hamlet’s father has been recently murdered. Hamlet is grief-stricken at the death of his father. Gertrude is the Queen of Denmark and Hamlet’s mother. Upon the death of her husband, she marries Claudius who happens to be her late husband’s brother. Other characters in the play are Ophelia who is the daughter to Polonius. Polonius serves as a royal attendant to the King. Laertes is Ophelia’s brother and a son to Polonius who ends up taking his father’s place in the palace after the death of Polonius.

The Ghost of Hamlet’s father is another character in the story that is seen to inspire many of Hamlet’s actions. Other minor characters include Horatio with whom Hamlet attended school and Guildenstern and Rosencrantz who are friends of Hamlet as well. All the characters in the story play a critical role and help to deliver the plot and the themes of the play in a vivid manner. The reader can find the characters very relatable, and their actions are what one would expect from the situations in which they find themselves.

Hamlet is the main protagonist in the play. Throughout the play, his actions are focused on seeking revenge for his dead father. He believes that the new king, Claudius, was a part of the plot to kill his father. He even suspects that his mother Gertrude aided him in carrying out the deed. “O most pernicious woman/ O villain, villain, smiling damned villain!…/ One may smile, and smile and be a villain/ At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.”

Hamlet can be described as being loyal to the memory of his late father. He tells Horatio that he will never see anyone like his father, ““I shall not look upon his like again”. He wants to find out exactly who killed him so that he might take revenge on them. He is also very impulsive, and this can be seen in Act III where he speaks to his mother about her relationship with her husband, King Claudius. He tells her that what he did by marrying Claudius is disrespectful of his dead father. Unknown to him, Polonius was hidden behind the tapestry to protect Queen Gertrude from her son’s strange actions. Hamlet thinks Claudius is behind the curtain and drives a knife through it, killing Polonius.

Hamlet is brutally honest. He tells his mother in no uncertain terms exactly how he feels about her marriage to his uncle. He says, “O most wicked speed, to post/ With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!/ It is not, nor it cannot come to good/ But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue” . Hamlet thinks that his mother and Claudius insulted the late King’s memory by getting married a short time after the King’s death. Their marriage can also be considered incestuous as Gertrude married the brother of her late husband Knights 35). He is also vengeful and will stop at nothing to find out who killed his father.

Hamlet is also very emotional and unstable. His father’s death caused him much grief, and this shows what a loving son he must have been (Jarosz 13). Hamlet is anxious to speak to the ghost of his father when Horatio tells him of how they saw the ghost. With all the problems that Hamlet faces after the death of his father and his mother’s remarriage, he considers suicide but fails to go through with it as he believes it a sin. His actions, however, become more unpredictable by the day and lead his mother to summon him in the third act to find out what the problem is. Hamlet can also be quite level-headed when he chooses to be. Instead of rushing to kill his uncle on the ghost’s word, he decides that he must first get more evidence of his foul actions. He does this by performing a play about the Murder of Gonzago to see Claudius’ reaction.

Gertrude is another major character in the play. She is the Queen of Denmark because when her husband died, she married his brother and remained Queen. Such an act can be considered a betrayal and an insult to the memory of her late husband. She did so very soon after the death that Hamlet feels that her grief was faked. She is also very inconsiderate of her son Hamlet. Gertrude did not give him enough time to grieve his dead father before she went ahead to marry his brother. She, however, does not understand how her actions affected Hamlet and led to his unstable state of mind. Gertrude is a woman who lacks virtue, her marriage to her late husband’s brother can be considered incestuous and Hamlet tells her as much, her weak morality is brought to light when Hamlet asks her not to sleep in Claudius’ bed, to which she replies, “What shall I do?” (Thompson & Neil).

Queen Gertrude can be said to be gullible and guileless. She bows down to her husband’s every whim and is blind to his faults. She fails to comprehend the reason as to why Hamlet has been acting so strange lately. She acts shocked and surprised when Hamlet lets her know how he feels about her marriage and her grief that is quite shallow. She presents herself as a helpless victim in the whole scenario. This is hardly the case as she married Claudius soon after her husband’s death with no regard for Hamlet’s feelings or the opinions of other people. She is also selfish as her marriage was likely because she wanted to maintain the status quo of being Queen of England.

King Claudius is the main antagonist of the story. He became King by poisoning his late brother and then becoming King in his place. He also marries his dead brother’s wife, Queen Gertrude. The marriage can be seen as an incestuous act. Claudius appears to be repentant of his crimes as he confesses his sins to God in his chapel. The confession shows how remorseful he is for killing his brother. The King can also be said to be a capable leader. When the play begins, he manages to diplomatically avert a military crisis when Denmark is threatened by Norway. He is calm and gentle with Hamlet whom he urges to stop being so sad all the time.

As is his wife Gertrude, King Claudius is inconsiderate of Hamlet. He marries the Prince’s mother without giving him to grieve for his dying father. Claudius is also manipulative and scheming. He manipulates his wife into believing that he is innocent of any crimes. He manages to convince Laertes to become his ally after the death of Polonius. When he takes over as King, he tries to unite all his people who are grieving for their king. “The whole kingdom/to be contracted in one brow of woe” (Shakespeare 31). He is a heavy drinker, and in the end, he succumbs to poisoned wine which is ironical. The public persona of Claudius is entirely different from who he is in private. The ghost describes him as being incestuous for marrying his wife. His greed and lust for power are what led him to kill his brother in the first place.

Other minor characters in the story are Polonius, Ophelia, and Laertes. Polonius was a faithful attendant to the court. He is the one who asks Gertrude to speak to Hamlet to find the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior. This is not out of genuine for concern for Hamlet, but it was a way of spying for the king hence Polonius is a pretender. His son Laertes is a man of weak character as he goes from being King Claudius’ enemy to being his friend. Ophelia is a gullible woman who bows down to the instructions of her father Polonius when he sends her to speak to Hamlet with the hope of finding the cause of his behavior.

The characters in the play are well explained, and Hamlet especially brings vivid images to the reader. His desire to avenge his father and his anger towards his mother overwhelm him and lead to the death of all the characters discussed. Characterization in the play helps the reader to identify the lot and theme of the story without much struggle.

Works Cited

Jarosz, Maria. Bargains with fate: Psychological crises and conflicts in Shakespeare and his plays. Routledge, 2017.

Knights, Lionel Charles. An Approach to” Hamlet.”. Stanford University Press, 1961.

Muir, Kenneth. The sources of Shakespeare’s plays. Routledge, 2014.

Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark, 2018.

Thompson, Ann, and Neil Taylor, eds. Hamlet: A Critical Reader. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.

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Music has been for a long time been associated with politics, with a large number of musicians being involved in politics through their indirect influence as well as their ability to command a large population. Due to their influence, some of the musicians have been labeled as rebels to the government with some of the accusations leading to the assassination. Politicians, however, have misused the musicians and manipulated them to their gain.

‘Who shot the Sheriff’ is a Netflix documentary that narrates the circumstance that led to the attempted assassination of the Jamaican reggae icon, Bob Marley. Bob Marley was a famous reggae musician commanding a large crowd in Jamaica. Bob was a Rastafarian and rose to fame during the times that Jamaica was in chaos with people getting into war due to politics. Due to this Bob formed an underground movement named the roots and reggae movement and through this movement, he advocated for unity among the people through his music. Marley gained international recognition, and this sent tension to the politicians back at home as they saw a revolution and considered Bob Marley a threat. Two days before Marley could perform to a concert organized by the then prime minister of Jamaica Michael Manly, Bob together with his family and manager were shot by unknown people. According to the documentary, it is inferred that the attempted suicide was a plot to warn Bob to restrain himself from engaging in politics, and the CIA is thought to have had an upper hand of the attack.

The filmmaker intends to investigate who shot Bob Marley and therefore the film is an investigative documentary. The documentary opens with flickering images of black and white. Gunshots and people armed with guns are seen in the film, and this implies that Jamaica was in war at the time of the shooting. The documentary uses natural lighting, but the contrast is not very clear, and the reason is that the documentary uses past images recorded at a time when the technology was not advanced. Since the images and most of the videos were recorded past the year 1976, the visual quality is not that pleasing, and therefore the visual quality cannot be termed to be very good. However, the audio is very clear, and one can hear the wording without any strains. The coordination of the audio and visual elements is excellent, and this makes the overall quality of the documentary to be of high quality. Since the whole documentary is investigative, various interviews are done with different personalities providing their perspective on what transposed at the time of the shooting. Interviews are a source of valid data, and therefore it is a production of facts from the first-hand source, and this increases the credibility of the author. Through the interviews, that include from Bob Marley himself, we are able to obtain firsthand information and therefore sum up that the overall quality of the documentary is highly rated.

The mood created in the documentary is that of fear as people are seen shooting at one another and this creates a feeling of anxiety. The black and white images are a reminder of the past and therefore carries the mind of the viewer sometimes back. The responses of the Bob Marley during the interviews depicts him as being brave as he seems not to fear anything and this triggers a response of bravery from the audience. Despite the introduction of the documentary being hot with gunshots, Bob is seen with only a guitar in a concert preaching for peace, and this triggers responses of unity and togetherness to the people. Since Bob was a reggae artist, the Rastafarian colors are vividly depicted even through his dressing as well as the long hair that is a culture of the Rastafarians eliciting a response of being true to own religion which again calls for peace and unity. The documentary is thrilling and at the same time educative and therefore serves more than just being an investigative documentary.

Reference

Netflix. “Who Shot the Sheriff”. Retrieved from: https://www.netflix.com/ke/title/80191047

Music has been with us for a very long while. In fact, part of being human is an appreciation of the finer arts. However, music’s role has remained anything but constant throughout history. Music has gone from a mathematical science to a synthesis of melody and harmony. Many wonderful pieces have been written for religious purposes. Many more have been written for the secular world. The art of music has not always been that way. The Roman Catholic Church, for the longest time, was the only source of music that was approved by societies. Little by little, that changed. The secularization of music could not have occurred with out a secularization of the whole of western culture itself. While no one person can be single handedly responsible, there were many people who contributed to the gradual move of music away from the church.

To understand some of the later developments that were made in music, one has to look back on the beginning of western musical thought. Many people associate the beginning of the western world with the tribes that migrated and eventually conquered the Pelopeniasian lands, the area that was eventually called Greece. Greece was one of the first cultures to emerge in the west outside of the Fertile Crescent. It was certainly the first to leave clues as to how the culture thought. Greek scholars like Aristotle, believed that music should be grouped up as to its purpose. There was the solemn, disciplined and restrained music, Apollonian, and the wild, emotional, unrestrained music, the Dianysian. The Apollonian was usually reserved for the serious moments where wild displays of raw emotions were looked down upon. That included prayers, religious services and funerals. The Dianysian was the music used for dancing and celebrating. The whole of the Greek musical theory revolved on keeping those distinctions in mind. The Greeks viewed music as a science. That is an important point. The fact that the Greeks looked at it as a science rather than a religious experience let them have more freedom to study than the later cultures. It was a science, and the nature of science is experimenting. “What if you jiggle your left index finger on that high note?” If there is five hundred years of doctrine saying it is a sin to do that, a composer will feel less inclined to add it in. If you are in a culture that celebrates music as a science, a composer feels they have more freedom to add anything they want in. Rome was an extension of Greece. They were a conquering race of people who had a history of taking what they wanted from a conquered enemy and burning the rest. The Romans were very impressed with the theory of music that the Greeks had. They took it back to Rome and altered it slightly to please them. One of the ideas the Romans kept was separate types of music. There was “Music of the Spheres”, the serious music that made you think and have deep emotions to, and there was the “Music of the Human”, the dancing, not-too-deep, party music that you had urges and acted upon them.

The Roman Empire “fell” and many areas of Europe had very few authority figures to turn to. The kings in Europe were the lords of a hundred acres or so. There were no huge institutions to turn to keep the cultural ideals of the past alive. Enter the Roman Catholic Church. The church was the stable base that kept Europe from falling over after the Romans were finished. In most places, the church was the only stable thing around. In the early sixth century, all the lords were sure to have Rome behind them whenever they did the smallest thing, even write music. A big requirement of singing is you have to be able to read and write. With the fall of basically every institution there was, the people had no way to keep up with everything. They had to forget about music for a while in order to survive. So, there was tons of music lying around, but next to no one was able to understand what it meant. There was only one big organization around that taught people how to read and write. To train as a monk, being able to read and write the scripture was a big deal. Pope Gregory (590 – 604) decided that it was a good idea to pair music with glorifying God. Legends say that he sat down for a few years and hashed out all the music the church would use in its services, the hymns, psalms and canticles. Although it has been proved that there were many people who helped, he was the major force behind reviving the art of music after Rome “fell”. Pope Gregory also brought all the church’s political power to Rome, so that when he said to do something, local lords did not say “He’s some minor monk, I owe fealty to this monk”, they obeyed with out question. When he wanted to include music in the services, all those local lords did everything they could to help.

Europe was sailing along smoothly until one day, the Turks take over the Holy Land. The pope mounts a couple of crusades to wipe them out. During one of them, the second to be exact, the King of France’s wife, Eleanor of Aquitine, went along. Along the way they both had an affair with the same knight. On the way bake, they had their marriage annulled with a quick stop at Rome. Eleanor, however, was the large part of that family’s income. Aquitine made up all of western France at that point. When she went and married England’s king, Henry II, that was adding insult to injury. Henry II is better known by his sons King Richard II, “the Lion Hearted” and King John, the one who signed the Magna Carta. With their marriage, Eleanor was almost as rich as the pope. Half of the pope’s power came from the fact that he was richer than every other monarch. One of Eleanor’s passions was music. In her native Aquitine, there was a large Celtic influence. From that sprang the class of people called Bards. Wandering singers who played for money and food. The Roman Catholic Church had taken a hard line on the idea of Bards. Their music had the effect as to make people wish to commit sinful acts of passion and defiance. Eleanor absolutely loved them. She made it known that her lands were safe haven for bards and minstrels. She could defy Rome like that because she had the money. Also, she had the option of going into her lands and confiscating all the church’s lands and make them hers and therefore, taxable. Eventually, the church backed down. Her victory was short lived after her death. Her land became the territory of Richard II, who loved the idea of a holy quest and obeyed the pope to a fault. However, it was an important point in the history of music. Someone from the secular world stood up to the pope on a matter of musical freedom.

The church could not hold on to power forever. Eventually, the strains on it became too much. The Holy Roman Empire was a constant threat to Rome. The dwindling Byzantine Empire could not hold back the Muslim Turks for much longer. Eventually, a group of scholars got together and decided to look for the best of the best. Find the greatest minds in Philosophy, Mathematics and Music. This was another important step. People were trying to get the best people in a lot of fields and were not turning to Rome. A secular hand would guide the future of thought. The people who gathered there looked back to the past to gain an understanding of where their fields of study had came from. Music was no exception. People learned ancient Greek just to be able to read Aristotle’s views on music. This group of people founded a school called Notre Dame. However, the hand of the church was still holding on. Just because its power had waned, did not mean they were letting go any time soon. There were still certain things you had to do. The songs still had to be based on Biblical text. There was one drone and there was a melismatic melody above it. Then things started to change. In a tribute to the past, the musicians at Notre Dame started to experiment with the science of music. Magistar Leonin came up with what is now known as Organum. This was outlined in his book Magus Liber Organi or “The Great Book of Organum”. A later scholar named Perotin came up with putting more than one melody in a piece. He did this by putting more parts above the drone in a piece of Organum. This was called Organum Triplum and Organum Quadruplum. Then there was the big breakthrough of a Motet. That was the biggest thing to ever hit music. The later Middle Ages saw the greatest decline in the Church’s power. There was a point where certain lords refused to acknowledge the pope’s authority, so the elected their own pope. There was some times where there were up to five popes at once. Eventually, the imposters were denounced and there was one pope again. His power, however, was considerably shaken. No longer could he dictate what was what from Rome without anyone thinking about the decision first. That is when Music comes full circle and there is what we now call “Secular Form”. It had no drone as a necessary voice part and there was a fixed form. The big ones are Ballade, and Rondo. They were music for the sake of music. Harkening back to the Dianysian style of music, it was a perfect tribute to the Greeks.

Music had come full circle after the church controlled it for about one thousand years. It should not be said that the church was wrong to have controlled it in the first place. A little artistic restriction that is eventually done away with is a better thing than letting all of music’s past crumble away to dust. Music, and indeed all the arts, is like a living thing. They need to grow or they will become stagnate and waste away.

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Characterization in Hamlet

Characterization in the play ‘Hamlet’ plays a crucial role in developing the story’s themes and plot. ‘Hamlet’ is one of Shakespeare’s most famous literary works that has been studied throughout the world. It is a tragic play whose main characters are the first family of Denmark. It is a sad tale of how a son, Hamlet, seeks vengeance for his father’s death and how his quest leaves destruction in its wake. Hamlet who is the main character in the story is central to the development of the play’s themes and other characters.

The story is set in the city of Elsinore in Denmark around the middle ages (Knights 19). When the play begins, the King of Denmark who is Hamlet’s father has been recently murdered. Hamlet is grief-stricken at the death of his father. Gertrude is the Queen of Denmark and Hamlet’s mother. Upon the death of her husband, she marries Claudius who happens to be her late husband’s brother. Other characters in the play are Ophelia who is the daughter to Polonius. Polonius serves as a royal attendant to the King. Laertes is Ophelia’s brother and a son to Polonius who ends up taking his father’s place in the palace after the death of Polonius.

The Ghost of Hamlet’s father is another character in the story that is seen to inspire many of Hamlet’s actions. Other minor characters include Horatio with whom Hamlet attended school and Guildenstern and Rosencrantz who are friends of Hamlet as well. All the characters in the story play a critical role and help to deliver the plot and the themes of the play in a vivid manner. The reader can find the characters very relatable, and their actions are what one would expect from the situations in which they find themselves.

Hamlet is the main protagonist in the play. Throughout the play, his actions are focused on seeking revenge for his dead father. He believes that the new king, Claudius, was a part of the plot to kill his father. He even suspects that his mother Gertrude aided him in carrying out the deed. “O most pernicious woman/ O villain, villain, smiling damned villain!…/ One may smile, and smile and be a villain/ At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.”

Hamlet can be described as being loyal to the memory of his late father. He tells Horatio that he will never see anyone like his father, ““I shall not look upon his like again”. He wants to find out exactly who killed him so that he might take revenge on them. He is also very impulsive, and this can be seen in Act III where he speaks to his mother about her relationship with her husband, King Claudius. He tells her that what he did by marrying Claudius is disrespectful of his dead father. Unknown to him, Polonius was hidden behind the tapestry to protect Queen Gertrude from her son’s strange actions. Hamlet thinks Claudius is behind the curtain and drives a knife through it, killing Polonius.

Hamlet is brutally honest. He tells his mother in no uncertain terms exactly how he feels about her marriage to his uncle. He says, “O most wicked speed, to post/ With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!/ It is not, nor it cannot come to good/ But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue” . Hamlet thinks that his mother and Claudius insulted the late King’s memory by getting married a short time after the King’s death. Their marriage can also be considered incestuous as Gertrude married the brother of her late husband (Knights 35). He is also vengeful and will stop at nothing to find out who killed his father.

Hamlet is also very emotional and unstable. His father’s death caused him much grief, and this shows what a loving son he must have been (Jarosz 13). Hamlet is anxious to speak to the ghost of his father when Horatio tells him of how they saw the ghost. With all the problems that Hamlet faces after the death of his father and his mother’s remarriage, he considers suicide but fails to go through with it as he believes it a sin. His actions, however, become more unpredictable by the day and lead his mother to summon him in the third act to find out what the problem is. Hamlet can also be quite level-headed when he chooses to be. Instead of rushing to kill his uncle on the ghost’s word, he decides that he must first get more evidence of his foul actions. He does this by performing a play about the Murder of Gonzago to see Claudius’ reaction.

Gertrude is another major character in the play. She is the Queen of Denmark because when her husband died, she married his brother and remained Queen. Such an act can be considered a betrayal and an insult to the memory of her late husband. She did so very soon after the death that Hamlet feels that her grief was faked. She is also very inconsiderate of her son Hamlet. Gertrude did not give him enough time to grieve his dead father before she went ahead to marry his brother. She, however, does not understand how her actions affected Hamlet and led to his unstable state of mind. Gertrude is a woman who lacks virtue, her marriage to her late husband’s brother can be considered incestuous and Hamlet tells her as much, her weak morality is brought to light when Hamlet asks her not to sleep in Claudius’ bed, to which she replies, “What shall I do?” (Thompson & Neil).

Queen Gertrude can be said to be gullible and guileless. She bows down to her husband’s every whim and is blind to his faults. She fails to comprehend the reason as to why Hamlet has been acting so strange lately. She acts shocked and surprised when Hamlet lets her know how he feels about her marriage and her grief that is quite shallow. She presents herself as a helpless victim in the whole scenario. This is hardly the case as she married Claudius soon after her husband’s death with no regard for Hamlet’s feelings or the opinions of other people. She is also selfish as her marriage was likely because she wanted to maintain the status quo of being Queen of England.

King Claudius is the main antagonist of the story. He became King by poisoning his late brother and then becoming King in his place. He also marries his dead brother’s wife, Queen Gertrude. The marriage can be seen as an incestuous act. Claudius appears to be repentant of his crimes as he confesses his sins to God in his chapel. The confession shows how remorseful he is for killing his brother. The King can also be said to be a capable leader. When the play begins, he manages to diplomatically avert a military crisis when Denmark is threatened by Norway. He is calm and gentle with Hamlet whom he urges to stop being so sad all the time.

As is his wife Gertrude, King Claudius is inconsiderate of Hamlet. He marries the Prince’s mother without giving him to grieve for his dying father. Claudius is also manipulative and scheming. He manipulates his wife into believing that he is innocent of any crimes. He manages to convince Laertes to become his ally after the death of Polonius. When he takes over as King, he tries to unite all his people who are grieving for their king. “The whole kingdom/to be contracted in one brow of woe” (Shakespeare 31). He is a heavy drinker, and in the end, he succumbs to poisoned wine which is ironical. The public persona of Claudius is entirely different from who he is in private. The ghost describes him as being incestuous for marrying his wife. His greed and lust for power are what led him to kill his brother in the first place.

Other minor characters in the story are Polonius, Ophelia, and Laertes. Polonius was a faithful attendant to the court. He is the one who asks Gertrude to speak to Hamlet to find the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior. This is not out of genuine for concern for Hamlet, but it was a way of spying for the king hence Polonius is a pretender. His son Laertes is a man of weak character as he goes from being King Claudius’ enemy to being his friend. Ophelia is a gullible woman who bows down to the instructions of her father Polonius when he sends her to speak to Hamlet with the hope of finding the cause of his behavior.

The characters in the play are well explained, and Hamlet especially brings vivid images to the reader. His desire to avenge his father and his anger towards his mother overwhelm him and lead to the death of all the characters discussed. Characterization in the play helps the reader to identify the lot and theme of the story without much struggle.

Works Cited

Jarosz, Maria. Bargains with fate: Psychological crises and conflicts in Shakespeare and his plays. Routledge, 2017.

Jarosz gives an insightful analysis of the works and Shakespeare in this book. This insight is gained mostly from the fact that the Shakespearean characters are very bold and there are different modes of thought that keep on changing as a result. The author takes this into account and allows different perspectives into the main characters such as Hamlet, Gertrude, Claudius, Polonius and the other characters. It makes the reader relate more with the characters by explaining them as humans with tragedies just like the readers. The hypotheses that the author gives are very bold but accompanied with evidence that support it.

Knights, Lionel Charles. An Approach to” Hamlet.”. Stanford University Press, 1961.

This book by Knights gives a detailed explanation about the play Hamlet. Each act is carefully dissected to put into perspective the themes and characters. The book also gives an adequate guide on how the words and actions of each character can be interpreted in line with the general themes and messages that Shakespeare intended to pass across to the audience. It portrays Hamlet who is the main character in different light depending on his words and actions. The reader is eventually led to sympathize with the hero of the story who can be seen to be both a victim of circumstances and a master of his own fate.

Muir, Kenneth. The sources of Shakespeare’s plays. Routledge, 2014.

This book takes an in-depth look at the events and occurrences that influenced the literary works of art that were penned by Shakespeare. Specifically, it looks at how his general readings of other literary works was incorporated into the plays and books he wrote. Shakespeare painstakingly collected the sources that he would refer to in writing his plays and Hamlet is no exception. The tragedy was inspired by real life events that took place in Denmark. The main aim of literary works is to portray some events that have happened or are likely to happen. Hamlet is one such work where the acts are likely to occur and the characters show how the scenario may play out.

Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark, 2018.

This is the primary source in the characterization of Hamlet. It is considered as one of Shakespeare’s most popular works. The acts of the play show us what the main characters represent and the reader can deduce their characters from their words and actions. The paly has several acts that are set in different locations. The conversations between the characters give us an insight into their characters. The dialogues gives us a clear picture of the events and how the characters react to them. For example Hamlet’s conversation with his mother Gertrude shows us that he disapproves of her actions in marrying his uncle Claudius.

Thompson, Ann, and Neil Taylor, eds. Hamlet: A Critical Reader. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.

This book by Ann Thompson and Neil Taylor gives the perspective of both modern scholars and those who have studied the book in earlier times. the characters of the tragedy Hamlet are examined in detail and are a useful reference in the description of the characterization in the play. The past critiques of the books accompanied with more modern analysis makes the range of perspectives given a very wide one. When studying the play, this book is an invaluable companion in dissecting the themes, characters and the plot of the play. It is an effective study guide.

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Characters of Chris and Rose in the film ‘Get Out’

The film ‘Get Out’ is an American horror film that was released in 2017. It was directed by Jordan Peele for whom the film marked his debut as a film director. It is a critically acclaimed film that has earned several nominations and awards including Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Critics Choice Awards.

Chris Washington and Rose Armitage are the main characters in the movie. Chris is a black photographer and is also Rose’s boyfriend. The film begins with the two heading out to visit Rose’s parents. Chris is very reluctant and is worried that Rose has not told her parents that she is dating a black man. They hit a deer on their way, and there is an incident where the police officer insists on checking Chris’ ID even though he was not driving. They arrive at the estate where the Armitage family lives. Rose’s mother is a hypnotherapist, and her father is a neurosurgeon.

Chris is generally a likable person, amiable and tries to get along with everyone. When Chris goes checks on the deer after they hit it, it is a reminder of how his mother died from a hit and ran. She did not die immediately but suffered for hours, a fact that still causes Chris a lot of pain. When Missy Armitage hypnotizes him supposedly to cure his smoking addiction, she asks his more about this. Chris begins to notice bizarre things especially about the black housekeeper, Georgina, and Walter, the groundsman. He later realizes that they are victims of body snatching.

During the Armitages’ annual get-together, many of their wealthy friends show up, and Chris realizes that there was something seriously wrong. Many of them tell him how much they admire his physique. They do not realize that their attempts to get into his good graces come off a racist and weird. He tries to connect with the other black people who act very eccentric because they are the victims of mind control and body snatching. Chris’ ability to refrain from engaging I conflict in the racially charged environment shows his restraint. Towards the end, Chris realizes that the visit was designed to manipulate him so that the Armitages could remove his brain for someone else to inhabit his body.

Rose Armitage is Chris’ girlfriend who is white and comes from an upper-class background. She is very manipulative and deceiving. Almost all her actions are designed to endear her to Chris so that he can fall into her family’s trap. The first act is when she intervenes in the altercation between the officer and Chris when the officer asks for his identification. She also tells off her family’s racist comments to appear to defend Chris. Watching the movie, it is difficult to imagine that Rose was part of her family’s scheme all along. She lied to Chris that he is the only black man she has ever dated, but Chris discovers pictures that show that she has dated black men and even a woman before.

Rose is quite heartless and emotionless. This is evident when she speaks on the phone to Rodney who is Chris’ friend. She accuses him of being into her for a long time. This is not true, and it was a ploy to discredit him to Chris. Rose is a sociopath and keeps pursuing Chris with a rifle after the rest of her family is killed. In the end, it is clear that she is the one who choreographed the whole act to get Chris to her home so they could take over his body as she did with other victims before.

Works Cited

Nierenberg, Andrew A. “Get Out.” Psychiatric Annals 48.11 (2018): 500-500.

Holmes, Natasha, and Frances Lang. “One year later to Black and White perspectives on Get Out.” International Journal of Applied Psychoanalytic Studies (2018).

Henry Jr, Kevin Lawrence. “A Review of Get Out: On White Terror and the Black Body.” Equity & Excellence in Education50.3 (2017): 333-335.

Music In 1940s By African Who Moved To Settle In Chicago

Introduction

At the beginning, of the 1940s, the African who had moved and settled in Chicago formed a unique style of music that gave way to rock and roll. This came to be known as Rockabilly and Psychobilly.

Originators

The migrants started by playing Rhythm and blues, Gospel, and jazz in small groups of approximately four to five people, it comprised of drums, saxophones, bass, and rhythm guitar or a piano. The rise of various musical styles was motivated by the difficulties the African Americans were enduring. In the 1950s, the migrants created an urbanized rhythm and blues. By the 1960s, the African Americans had invented various music styles such as Motown sounds and soul explosion.

Innovators

The restless band is one of the most successful of the rockabilly to date. They have sold thousands of records and gone all over the world singing to the millions of fans world wide. In the year 1998, during their tours the band showed intentions of ending their singing careers. At the time members of the group comprised of Mark Harman who was the vocalist and guitar player, Paul Harman who played double bass, Tyler played the drums. Later some more members joined the group this included, Mark who had stints with the cadets’ band. Others who joined and later left were, Ben cooper, Mick Malone, Steve white house, and Jeff Bayly who joined from the bands Frenzy and sharks respectively. The band was presented with an award in Birmingham right in the middle of their first song on press day. They were shocked as they had no idea of the presentation which was in honor of the sale of 25,000 units of their first album.

Another group that has made an impact is the Krewmen which was initially formed by Tony Macmillan. The band played pure rock at the time. From the year 1982 to 1984 the band played many shows in the UK, the shows were mostly in clubs and pubs. In 1985 the band was selected to play in the Elvis the Musical tour, it held shows in the USA, Canada, and the United Kingdom for nine months. On their return to Canada the band had made a name for them and had received various offers from the United Kingdom, France, and Holland. Just when, the group had received a recording deal, two of the members left the group to go and attend to some other issues.

Tony later brought on board other members such as Fahy playing drums and Leyland Carl Sonny on the vocals and Guitar. With the new members on board the band changed the sounds from pure rock to Blues they later signed a recording deal in 1985.

Even though the band was doing well it had problems, the major one was the attitude of Mark that was really bringing a lot of problems within the band. Every thing went on smoothly for the band for several years, until Dominic and Jason realized they could not handle all the clubs work.

Change of music

The music has not changed much although there is a slight difference in terms of technology and the instruments used. The music influence cannot become less influential as long as a section of the community feels short changed music will still be used to draw inspiration.

Influence of the music

Rock and roll is a style of music that is here to stay; it has withstood the test of time and has undergone numerous transformations, from when it was first invented in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s to date. To all the pioneers of rock, their legend will live on, and they will never forget. It has inspired several revolutions over the years and will certainly do now and in the future.

Favorite song

The song I love most is Wild bills song unlucky woman. I like the beats especially the sound of the bass guitar and Bills voice. Another thing that led me to love the song was its title. I wanted to know the reason behind the woman in the song being called unlucky, and ended up loving the song.

Music In Early Childhood Education

According to experts kids who grow listening to music in their young lives experience what they refer to as a rich sensory atmosphere. This meaning that these kids are exposed to a wide variety of colors, textures, smells, tastes, and sounds. Researchers maintain that this in turn creates more paths between cells and the kid’s brain. They have identified that music experience is a perfect way of increasing these pathways that they refer to as neural connections (Greata, 78). Studies conducted show that kids who are actively involved in music are usually better in mathematics and reading. The study further indicates that these kids are also in a better position to control their bodies and also focus. It’s clear that music in early childhood education is very important the following paper tries to emphasize on the same.

Researchers have insisted on music on early childhood education. They have based their arguments on very sound studies that have been conducted over the years. Research indicates that the kids who engage in music, it may be just dancing around or singing to the radio, reaps advantages thereafter. This is because these kids clearly indicate better reading capabilities in comparison to their peers not engaged on the same. This meaning that for these benefits to be realized across the divide music should be supported in early childhood education. Another advantage indicated in the research is that music increases the learning coordination, cooperation, goal setting and their concentration. Furthermore, the kids acquire higher self esteem and are able to get along with their peers this in comparison to the children who do not actively engage in music. The studies also indicate that these kids have a higher probability of going to college. One such study showed that when second grade kids are given training on keyboard while they were using mathematics software they score better in comparison to those who use this software only. Additionally, the students engaged in music programs score better grades in SATs as opposed to those who are not. This is a clear indication that music in childhood education may affect children lives positively hence should be encouraged.

Given the fact that music forms general communication of the emotion and senses which are very vital to the human experience music is very important part of every child’s education. Music has been identified as enabling the youngsters to foster understanding, awareness, and to value the ethic and cultural diversity (Gullo, 73). Furthermore, it enables them to record and reflect while it continues to issue understanding of their communities and the world at large. Music in early childhood education has also proved to develop the kids wholly. This is because music nurtures self awareness, problem solving, thinking creatively, thinking critically, and language. Through music kids are able to attain skills, knowledge, and also understanding what will assist them to get involved actively as members of societies, as individuals and at their place of work in the future. Music seems to start at very tender ages for this youngsters and all that is needed is just encouragement from the parents, teachers and the community at large. The kids start music from happy birthday songs to MacDonald. They will initially start with singing only small portions of their favorite songs but eventually will sing the entire song. Hence, the kids are able to appreciate the music at early age and the education could only be continuation of the music they already love.

There are various ways in which parents can improve their child’s musical ability and comprehension. This will go a long way in improving music in early childhood education. The most appropriate time to expose kids to all genres of music is in their early years of elementary. Most of these kids are at age of experiencing all the genres a condition that is most likely to end once they enter third grade (Walker et al, 19). At the time they are at third grade kids will most likely like the most popular music. Research has shown that kids tend to like music of higher tempo once they are in the fourth grade hence parents should ensure they have rock and roll music once the kids are in middle school. Various ways of assisting kids have been proposed by experts among them is that parents should place stereo that is small in size and also collections of CDs in their children’s room. Another way proven to be effective is placing a musical alarm to wake up the kid in the morning (Olson, 44). Certain songs could be sung by the parents as cues to the kids that it’s time to get ready for school. Encouragement from parents has been identified as a very effective way for kids to get interested in music. Lastly, it’s advised that parents should encourage their kids in order for music education to be more effective.

A research conducted indicated that kids who listened to Mozart did perform better in their exams. According to this study named ‘the Mozart effect’ the kids who listened to Mozart just before their exams performed better in the tests (Walker et al, 24). The secret to this was that this effect only lasted for around 20 minutes. The other researches carried out were twisted by economic differences between the kids who attend schools that have music programs as opposed to those who cannot have them. Robert Capanna insists that if the benefits of music are to be realized it should be learned and new skills acquired. In his statement, he maintains that those who play instruments and listen to music are better placed than those who just listen to it (Gullo, 88). In his arguments he compares the situation of a baseball player and the person who watches baseball. Also the kids who graduate from music schools will have far much lesser disciplinary cases and absenteeism in their later years, even after they stop their musical training. As a matter of fact a survey conducted by the University of Munster in Germany indicated that the brain is enlarged when children are actively involved in musical trainings. Lastly, early childhood education is closely related to the performance of the kids in the future.

The most exciting way of appreciating music is by the making of music using the musical instruments. In has been proven that children seem to be responsive to music when they use musical instruments (Harris, 78).Children love the experience of listening to different tones and sound qualities they can be from bells, drums or sticks. However, for youngsters to focus more on creative explorations more real musical instruments are proposed due to their provision of varied opportunities to the kids. There are very many instruments that they can play each one of them being different, easier to use and played in varying interesting ways. Though it’s important for the children to be allowed freedom in the usage of these instruments it’s also important that their teachers offer guidance on the same (Olson, 39). One of the things that the teachers must do is adoption of the notion or attitude that tuned and percussion instruments are real. Instruments such as the resonator bells that are tuned possess rich resonating tone qualities. Small children are more likely to model the behavior of their parents or teachers hence the way their teachers handle the instruments is very important to them. Consequently, teachers should develop a positive attitude towards the instruments for the benefit of the kids.

Teachers should introduce the instruments one at a time. By doing this teachers will have allowed the child to sensitivity to each and every musical in a gradual process. One the kids have experienced all the musical instruments they should be influenced to make rhythmic melodies. This respectful introduction of all musical instruments should be given to each and every youngster interested in the instruments (Greata, 89). This in turn will have opened a venue for their responding to melodies, rhythms, tones and harmonies. Even though the above presented ideas are good for the usage in a childhood class, teachers should also consider the usage of cassettes and compact disks for the same purposes. The most evident advantage of using cassettes and compact disks is that the music contained therein is grouped according to specified purposes. However, it’s good for the teachers to realize that it would be very difficult to provide them with a complete list of how to handle the early childhood education. It’s for this reason that teachers should identify useful ways to handle individual kids as different kids will definitely have different interests. They should also realize that early childhood education in music is a very vital part of the child’s education and that it should be nurtured right from a very tender age (Harris, 89).

Lastly, in the above paper it has been realized that music in early childhood education is very important. It has been positively identified as key to improve the performance of a kid at school and the kids’ relationship with the peers. Hence music in early childhood education should be encouraged and upheld. Parents have also been identified as playing a major role to improve music in their children. To this effect various ways in which parents can motivate their kids have been outlined. Also in this paper is how teachers can take part on this same endeavor and how they can improve their teaching of the subject. Hence this paper meets its objectives of outlining support for music education to children and ways to improve it.

Work cited

Greata, Joanne. .An introduction to music in early childhood education. Michigan: University of Michigan Publishers, 2010. Print.

Olson, Traci. Music and learning with students in early childhood special education in the kindergarten classroom. Minnesota: ProQuest Publishers, 2009.Print.

Walker and Andress, Barbara. Readings in early childhood music education. Michigan: University of Michigan, 2010. Print.

Harris, Maureen .Music and the young mind: enhancing brain development and engaging learning. San Francisco: R&L publishers, 2009. Print. Gullo, Dominic. Understanding assessment and evaluation in early childhood education. New York: Teachers College Publishers, 2005.Print.

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Characteristics of a good life

Human beings spend all their lives searching for happiness and fulfilment. This can be found in everyday activities such as family life, work, hobbies, travel and interests. Sometimes, people are willing to go to extreme lengths in search of the elusive concept of happiness. Literature is a reflection of this desire for a good life, for example, Lena Younger in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ wants a good home for her family and Nora Helmer in ‘A Doll House’ took a loan so that her husband could regain his health in Italy. Similarly, Elizabeth Bishop explores her love of fishing in her poem ‘The Fish’, and Calixta cheats on her husband in search of happiness. From these four works of literature, it is evident that health, a comfortable home, and coexistence with other beings are the key characteristics of a good life.

The first defining point of a good life is a comfortable home that can accommodate all the family members. Since a family occupies a home, a good life will also entail a devoted and thoughtful spouse. In Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘A Raisin in the Sun’, Lena Younger is the matriarch of the Younger family after the death of her husband. The family receives a check for the late Younger’s insurance money, and a conflict ensues over what the family should do with the money. Lena wants to buy a house, a dream she and her husband shared while he was alive (Hansberry). Her son Walter intends to start a business while her daughter Beneatha wants to use the money to pay for medical school. Lena finds out that her daughter-in-law Ruth is pregnant, even more reason to move to a bigger home. Their quarters are already cramped, and they share a communal bathroom. Moving to a bigger and better house would be suitable for the family; they would be more comfortable and have more space especially with the new baby.

The theme of a comfortable home with a devoted spouse is shown in ‘The Storm’ by Kate Chopin; Calixta’s husband Bibi and their son Bobinot head out to the store, and they get caught up in a storm. Alcee, one of Calixta’s old acquaintances, stops by to shelter from the storm (Chopin). They have sex during the storm; which is a sign that both of them may have been unhappy in their marriages. In ‘A Doll House’ by Henrik Ibsen, the play ends with Nora Helmer storming out and leaving her husband because she feels he treats her like a doll to be played with. Her husband got furious when he learnt of the loan that Nora had taken from Krogstad. He did not appreciate the fact that she did it out of concern for his wellbeing. He tells her that he will not let her raise their children but later relents (Ibsen). However, by that time Nora was already furious and declared that they did not understand each other even after they had been married for eight years.

The second requirement for a good life is health. Nora Helmer took a loan from Krogstad who happens to be her husband’s employee. A few years before, Nora and her husband Torvald were poor and had to spend their money carefully. During that time of want, they spent long hours working, and Torvald fell ill as a result. To regain his health, the couple travelled to Italy. Nora claimed that money for the trip came for her father, but she secretly took a loan from Krogstad without her husband’s knowledge (Ibsen). She prized his health above all. However, this comes back to haunt her as Krogstad blackmails her when Torvald fires him.

Coexistence with other beings is also another essential quality for a good life. In her poem ‘The Fish’, Elizabeth Bishop explores her fishing hobby. She has caught a large fish, and at first, she is proud of her achievement. She describes the fish with pride but later realises that she has harmed it when she sees the lines that have pierced through its lips (Bishop). She feels remorseful for having hurt the fish and lets it go in the end. This is a sign that human beings should coexist with other living things such as plants and wildlife. Humans also have a responsibility to care for these forms of life. Aside from coexisting with animals, people should also strive to coexist with each other. Many times people get into conflict with each other and must learn to resolve their issues peacefully. Lena Younger in ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ came up with a plan for her family members to coexist. They would split the money so that each person could fulfil their own dream.

In conclusion, all the four works; ‘A Raisin in the Sun’, ‘The Fish, ‘The Storm’, and ‘A Doll House’ share a similar theme, the search for a good life. From the four it is clear that to have a good life there must be good health, a happy home, and coexistence with others. For good health and a happy home, money is the underlying factor in the short stories under study. Peace with nature and other people is also emphasised; Elizabeth Bishop lets her prize fish go, and the Younger family finds a way to share the insurance money. These stories and poem reflect the general society where people spend their lives searching for things that make them happy.

Works Cited

Bishop, Elizabeth, and David Ishii. The fish. John Sollid, 1974.

Chopin, Kate. The complete works of Kate Chopin. LSU Press, 2006.

Hansberry, Lorraine. A raisin in the sun. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, 2007.

Ibsen, Henrik. A doll’s house. A&C Black, 2008.