The role of prophecies in Oedipus the King

The role of prophecies in Oedipus the King This paper is aimed at discussing the role of prophecies in the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles. In particular, it is necessary to show how different characters attempt to respond to the predictions, which they do not wish to come true, and explain the effects of their actions. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The role of prophecies in Oedipus the King specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Overall, it is possible to say that by attempting to prevent the prophecies from being fulfilled, they only seal their fate and eventually suffer the misfortunes that they fear so much. In order to better illustrate this argument, we need to speak about such characters as Laius and Oedipus. Laius is the rule of Thebes; he learns from oracle that his son Oedipus will kill him and usurp his throne. This is why he orders Oedipus to be killed but they fail to execute his order and save the child. The main thing is that by giving this co mmand, Laius starts a chain of events which eventually results in his death. Oedipus slaughters him without realizing that Laius is his father. Provided that this character decided to take no action in response to the prophecy, the disaster could have been averted. This is the cruel irony of this tragedy. The main error that this character commits is that he prefers to escape his destiny rather than face it. He decides to kill his son rather than try to educate him. Certainly, Laius does not believe the course of events cannot be changed but he attemps to do by relying on brutal force instead of courage, perseverance, and love. In his turn, Oedipus behaves in a very similar way. He is adopted by Polybus, the King of Corinth. For a very long time, he does not know that Polybus and his wife Pariboea are not his real parents. Yet, he learns from oracle that in the future, he will murder his father and marry his mother. Oedipus flees Corinth in order to avoid this catastrophe, althoug h he does not believe himself to be capable of committing such an atrocity. Again, if he had chosen to stay at home, the oracle’s prophecy might have never come true. Both these characters prefer to run away from danger rather than face it. This might be one of the reasons why misfortunes befall them. As it has been said before, Oedipus accidentally slaughters Laius and marries Jocasta, his mother. Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It should be noted that Oedipus mistakes his father for a mere townsman with whom he had a quarrel and killed. He feels practically no remorse for killing this person. Oedipus’ primary concern is that this man is not his father. For a long time, he lives thikning that no danger threatens him and his family. However, later he learns terrible truth about himself. Overall, prophecies are the main drivers of the plot. Every step that characters take is an attempt to escape destiny; yet, these prophecies turned to be self-fulfilling. Sophocles makes the readers think about possible outcomes provided that the main characters had decided to take no action or to behave in a different way. Sophocles does not try to depict human beings as creatures who are entirely devoid of free will. Both Laius and Oedipus are very strong-willed people, but sometimes they lack courage to face challenges. Through these characters Sophocles urges the reader think primarily about the ethical implications of their actions. Sophocles. Oedipus the King (transl. by David Grene). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 2010. Print.

Should drug tests be mandatory for welfare Research Paper

Should drug tests be mandatory for welfare - Research Paper Example In fact, most laws that govern the welfare do not fulfill what their supporters say, and sometimes they may be unconstitutional. The constitution prohibits the government from carrying out unnecessary and unreasonable searches. The constitution also stipulates that all people are innocent until proven guilty. On the contrary, passing such laws that require drug tests for welfare would means that all welfare applicants are guilty, and that they have to prove their innocence. Treating all welfare applicants like criminals, in order for them to qualify for any assistance, is neither ethical nor acceptable (Dilla 586). Is it a crime to be poor and being in need of assistance? It is high time that people came out in large number to protest against laws that make drug test a must for the welfare; such tests only serve to discriminate against the poor. The claim that many drug users goes to welfare to get money to support their illegal habits does not have solid evidence; it is a type of lo ng-standing stereotypes. Researchers have shown that there is no appreciable difference in the rate of illegal-drug use, between recipients of welfare and other people. Besides, the claim that drug testing help save tax dollars does not have any supporting facts. In fact, studies have shown that the costs involved in drug testing exceed any money saved. What really does the law intend to accomplish or fulfill? Drug users will never stop abusing drugs even if they are cut off from public assistance (Lawless & Fox 365). Drug testing for welfare applicants is a way of stigmatizing the needy.... Indeed, it may make some people to stop seeking for such welfare, which they really need for proper maintenance of their children. Why drug tests be made mandatory for welfare applicants, and yet there so many other government programs that do not require drug tests? Several people benefit from such programs without having to go through any drug tests. For instance, retired state workers receive pension, businesspersons get state contracts, and farmers receive crop subsidies, without undergoing any drug tests. If drug tests are to be made mandatory for welfare, then, all applicants of other government programs should undergo through various drugs test (Lawless et al 372). It is not fair at all to only include welfare applicants for drug testing, while excluding the other programs. Drug testing is unreasonable search, and there is no safety reason to be concerned about drug use by welfare applicants or recipients. The supporters of drug test for welfare applicants only target the most vulnerable or needy. Any states that support such tests should enforce better enforcement policies and stricter laws, which apply to the whole population, and not to only the most vulnerable people (Brezina 27). However, enforcement of such laws will be of no great help to the needy. This is because most laws are not about drug use; they aim at solving economical crises or problems. Additionally, may only deny marijuana users’ applicants and applicants on other drugs like meth, coke, and crack. This is because marijuana takes approximately a month to get out of an individual system. Therefore, the aim of such a law will not be met since drug users, with the exception of marijuana users, can

Identification Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Identification - Essay Example Most members establish the need to be part of this party as it sought to eradicate job discrimination and racism that had most affected the African American populations. Dixiecrats movement played a historical significance in the United States. Based on this research, it opposed the anti-poll tax legislation and equality in employment and recruitment practices. The movement pledged to uphold white supremacy and uphold segregation. Although the movement have been dismissed as a failed third party, it was significant to the southern economical and political change. Dixiecrats were important White Citizens members along with other massive resistance organizations that were dedicated to uphold segregation that later flourished throughout the southern region from 1950s and 1960s. Since then, the ideological and political lines were drawn between the Republican and Democrat parties as liberals and moderates, which were converted from Republicans to Democrats. The party ensured that justice prevailed in the United States without any presence of racism or discrimination. Betty Friedan The feminine mystique Betty Friedan is widely credited for his nonfiction book The Feminine Mystique. This book was first published in 1963 that addressed the aspects revolving feminism in the United States. In her book, Betty discusses how women were denied their rights in the 1950s and early 1960s. Her book discussed the lives of women as housewives who were unhappy in their marriages. Betty points out that women were discriminated in the society while men were given the rights to rule, make wealth, and dictate in their families. Her book was a wakeup call to the United States that women wanted more than what they were given by the society. The book creates the concept of feminine mystique in that it addressed women as being devoted to being mothers and housewives. In the final chapter of her book, Betty advocates that women should view themselves more than homemakers and mothers. They should find total fulfilment in their lives by finding meaningful task that utilizes their full mental or brain capacity. The historic significance behind this book is that, it created a strong ground for Americans to understand how women were discriminated in the society. The book created great insights that women in the American society should enjoy their lives, abilities, and skills. In so doing, the author believed that this would enhance a positive impact in the American society. Betty Friedan’s book, the Feminine Mystique enhanced a significant change on the 1950s and 60s image of women. It helped many women to realize their potential in the American society. The book enabled the American society to respect women in the society. Many understood that women were more than house wives or mothers. Great Society/War on poverty The war on poverty or Great society was the legislation introduced by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The president proposed this legislation to dea l with the high poverty rate that had affected the United States. As part of the war on poverty, President Johnson expanded the government’s function in health care and education. He believed that these were best strategies that would eradicate poverty in the United States. The major society programs were intended to deter poverty by boosting

Should People Do Things That They Do Not Like Essay Example for Free

Should People Do Things That They Do Not Like Essay In my primary schooling, my teacher always taught us to be honest, partially ourselves. However, our lives are full of regretting and compromising, we often need to dosomething that we do not enjoy. Many people think that we should be true to ourselves, so that we should choose what weenjoy most, regardless of what other people think. For example, if we do not want tostudy anymore, just give up and try to do what we really want to such as being an artist or a dance. It is meaningless for us to continue studying if we have no talents and no interest in it. Somebody consider health as an excuse for not doing anything that they do not enjoy. For a person who wants to be a teacher or an accountant this occupation may not he likes because of some reasons. Every day he needs to face the numbers and calculators. He isunder stress because he does not enjoy what he is doing. Few years later, maybe he willget some serious diseases or even so mad. Therefore, doing things that we do not want bevery dangerous. However, although most of us do not enjoy studying we know that we can gain from that. The most obvious is that we can obtain a high education level and have a better career prospect. Maybe many people oppose this view especially during the economicdownturn, but they should realize that there are some potential benefits that we haveforgotten for a long time. That is through studying, your knowledge can be strengthened. Besides, we will think that our knowledge is not enough when we have the chance tomake use of it. In spite of the importance of health, self-discipline is very essential and so we cannot dowhatever we want to. Otherwise, marriage between relatives, cloning of my murders, burglaries†¦ all the bad things you can think of may happen from time to tome. All theseare immoral and many other people will be effectual if you do them. Moreover, one`s interest in one thing may not exist when he was born. Taking part in thatactivity, Yundi Li, a Chinese pianist, did not like playing piano when he was small, butnow he is an excellent and well-known pianist in the world can develop interest. Primaryschool teachers teach us to be honest; it is true to look into a thing on different aspects. We will try to love what we are doing if we try to find out the lovely things of it. To conclude with, everyone wants to do what he or she enjoys most, but because of theabove reasons, we should learn how to live in the real lives in a happier way.

Mending Wall :: essays research papers

â€Å"Mending Wall† is a poem that presents two opposing attitudes towards keeping barriers up between people. Each neighbor has a different opinion. One neighbor wants a visible line to separate their property lines and the other sees no reason for it. The poem implies a lack of security and trust one person may have towards another, even when it may not seem illogical or necessary. Each year the two neighbors meet annually at the adjoining wall. Both men walk the length of the wall to assess and repair the year’s wear and tear. Frost’ writing style invites the reader to probe the need for communication or, more precisely, the way people put up walls to create barriers between themselves. The visual imagery of the wall helps the reader to shift from just seeing the wall as a basic, natural setting to an abstract consideration of human behavior. In the first stanza of the poem it establishes the sense of mystery, a true color of atmosphere, â€Å"something† that does not want the wall to be there. Whatever it is, it’s a powerful force and it creates a â€Å" frozen ground swell† that disrupts the wall from underneath, forcing stones on top to tumble off. Damage appears each year so the neighbors walk along the wall to repair the gaps and fallen stones that have not been created by either of the two neighbors. Frost then gives the reader an uncertain question as to why should neighbors need walls anyway. Why do good fences make good neighbors? If one or both neighbors had cattle or something that could do possible damage then a fence would be reasonable. However, it is pointed out in the poem that there are no cattle. So, there must be some sort of human distrust between one of the neighbors. What is the distrust? Frost doesn’t let the reader know. Perhaps it is an age difference that results in extreme points of view or tradition. Or maybe there is a religious bias about the other. One neighbor wants to separate and possibly his family. The wall prevents the evil of indifference from entering. The phantom of discomfort seems to be kept in check by this rock structure. Frost gives us the impression that he doesn’t agree with separating people. The poem might have something to do with racism. Maybe one neighbor is black and the other is Caucasian.

Regulations and Policies in Europe Essay

How does it fit within the ideas of Hayek and Keynes? Use the stagflation of the 70s as an example. The post–World War II the postwar economic boom, also known as economic expansion, the long boom, and the Golden Age of Capitalism, and the Age of Keynes in western countries after the end of World War II in 1945. It was a high worldwide economic growth in Western European that had been devastated by the war such as unusually high and sustained growth, together with full employment. By the end of World War II, much of Europe was devastated. The region’s trade flows had been disrupted. Food shortages were severe in all over the Europe. The 1930’s Great Depression in Europe production had fallen far below even than usual for the entire decade due to failure of market forces to restore demand to normal levels. Hence, the biggest panic after WWII was the return of the Great Depression during 30s. After the war, the major powers were determined not to repeat the mistakes of the Great Depression. Governments might have been slow to dismantle wartime allocation controls, and so have severely constrained the market mechanism. However, Politicians were predisposed toward intervention and regulation, their principle was: no matter how damaging â€Å"government failure† might be to the economy, it had to be better than the â€Å"market failure† of the Depression. After WWII, the slightest regulations and policies are derived from The Keynesian Economy. Keynesian economists claim that the boom was caused by the adoption of Keynesian economic policies, particularly government spending. The basic idea of Keynesian thinking was to have pure free market policies rather than the mixed economy which require a significant role for government intervention. Efforts against Keynesianism took place on three fronts – in the academic world, in politics, and in the wider world of business and public opinion. In Keynes’s theory, in contrast to the previously accepted view, an economic depression might continue indefinitely unless government spending, financed by a budget deficit, were increased sufficiently. In 1948 the Marshall Plan was implemented to rebuild and modernize Western Europe. The Coal and Steel Community had which was to become the European Union lately. The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was a program occurred in United States to aid Europe as the US. gives monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of WWII in order to have a force over Soviet communism. The plan was for four years. The goals of the Marshall Plan were to remove trade barriers, modernize industry, and provide Europe to be strong again. Plan pumped over $12 billion to rebuild and modernize Western Europe. Keynesian economics period also accepted as financial repression. With these Keynesian policies such as low nominal interest rates and low or negative real interest rates and government policy, especially the US and UK both dealt with their existing government debt level from Great Depression and World War II and reduce the level of debt in the debt service without needing to direct a high portion of government spending. All of the success was coming from free market economies. After the death of President Roosevelt, a conservative control of Congress took place and try to turn the policies into Libertarian policies by rejecting numerous Keynesian initiatives, dropped many price controls, and instead cut taxes sharply. These libertarian policies are believed to have been stimulated the economy and created near full employment. During the whole period, especially Hayek was against Keynes at some points. He and a group occurred from other journalists and intellectuals had planned to displace Keynesianism and other collectivist influences. Hayek complained about economists to refuse to allow his work to be questioned after his death, it almost became a tabu. According to Friedrich von Hayek, the development of welfare socialism after World War II undermined freedom and would lead western democracies inexorably to some form of state-run serfdom so that socialism was also affecting Europe negatively. For the institutions Bretton Woods system was used after WWII until 1970s. The Bretton Woods system was history’s first example of a fully negotiated monetary order. It is an international regime which was designed to combine binding legal obligations with multilateral decision-making, which is conducted through an international organization, like the IMF, endowing money with some limited supranational authority. In 1971, The Bretton Woods system collapsed due to President Richard Nixon’s severed the link between the dollar and gold. Another policy which is used after WWII was Military Keynesianism, which sighted to devote a large amount of money spending to the military to increase the economical growth of the countries.

Corporate Image And Sustainability An Organization

Corporate image and sustainability rest greatly on the manner in which they respond and manage allegations of legal, social and ethical misbehavior. The reputation of an organization is a primary feature of its ability to operate and function successfully in a global context. When accused of ethical impropriety, it is not uncommon for an organization to errect a stance of denial, excuses, and justifications. The typical reactions of corporate entities seek to â€Å"†¦defend their actions and image† (Eweje Wu, 2010, p. 379). Unethical behavior and the irresponsible responses given by businesses operating in international settings generate a backlash of negative publicity, and public outcry from patrons, citizens, interest groups and†¦show more content†¦Noca-Cola Case Study Noca-Cola, an international soft drink company based in the U.S. has strategically located manufacturing plants in many developing countries around the world. One such plant is located in Colombia. According to sources, the general population are satisfied with the increased number of local jobs and improvements to the county’s economic status. Conversely, the indigenous populations of Colombia recently initiated an informal claim purposing that Noca Cola’s Colombian based plant is situated on indigenous territory. In response, Noca Cola avows that the Colombian government granted permission to place the plant in indigenous territory, due to its potential benefit to the county’s economy. That being said, the Colombian government has a demonstrated record of ignoring the needs and rights of its indigenous groups, in exchange for royalties. Strategic Plan In light of the emerging conflict, Noca Cola offered jobs to the indigenous population. Still the relationship between the parties continues to be overwrought with dispute and relational strain. The Noca Cola dilemma highlights a scenario where having an awareness of social issues and laws does not represent a sufficient course of socially responsible action. â€Å"A corporation is not being socially responsible if