Sweeney Tod Essays - Sweeney Todd, British Films,

Sweeney Tod Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Sweeney Todd is based on the 19th century melodrama about a London criminal. Todd is sort of portrayed as a noble figure driven to crime when Judge Turpin takes his wife and child from him. He is unjustly imprisoned and vows revenge not only to the judge, but also to all the people of London. The theater production began with an awesome staging of eeriness to further the mood of the title itself. My attention was captured as soon as the play began. The thick mist gives way to an entire ?underworld? of Londoners. They come out with their gutter costumes and worn-looking faces. In cut-off laconic phrases they sing verses of the Sweeney Todd ballad. The ballad is important to the play. Every time I heard it, it just reminded me of the evil that was on stage. I think this was the purpose of the song--to keep the audience's attention focused on the insanity surrounding Sweeney's killing spree. The band of beggars and street people advance toward the audience in rags and in anger. They are very important in showing Sweeney's personality early in the show. To complete the actors' purpose, Sweeney Todd himself rises from the pits below. His face has evil and revenge written all over it. Sweeney Todd was very convincing with his role. He has one of the most inspired roles, yet it is filled with dark humor. In on scene where he is proceeding to slit throat after throat, a customer comes in with his family. Sweeney just looks on in irritation and frustration. It is hilarious. Sweeney allows the audience to experience several emotions--from horror and disbelief to sympathy and compassion. Although Sweeney is committing murderous acts, he is acting out of the love of his family. His daughter has been stolen from him and his wife's life has been ruined (although he thinks she is dead). Sweeney makes his rage more frightening with the baritone voice, especially in ?My Friends?. This song is a twisted ode to his razors. His pleasure of being reunited with his razors is sort of a weird experience. It is almost as if he is in love with them. Sweeney was very accurate in taking the audience on a thrill ride all the way to the end where he gained the last bit of sympathy in dis covering that he had in deed killed his own wife. Mrs. Lovett was quite the character. She is absolutely wonderful as the cheerful yet lonely bar mistress. She displays her desire to feel wanted and loved bit by bit. However, her plans come to an end when Sweeney discovers her dishonesty about his wife. Susan Boyle plays Mrs. Lovett with a combination of optimism, crafty self-interest, and wit. With the flexibility of the actor-character role, you almost forget about the hideous conduct in which she is involved. Mrs. Lovett's idea is to turn Todd's victims into meat pies. It is laughable, but also spine tingling. She has all the qualities of performing a successful Mrs. Lovett. She has the operatic quality and superb comic timing. Boyle pulls off a terrific performance in transforming such an inhumane act into pure comedy. At the end of the first act, as she and Todd sing ?A Little Priest?, Boyle uses her wit to hint at the usefulness of Sweeney's victims. In Act II when Mrs. Lovett sings ?By the Sea? (a song that indicates her longing to be with Sweeney Todd, while he rants on about Judge Turpin) she is very expressive in both manner and voice. You find yourself caring about what happens to Mrs. Lovett in spite of her immoral deeds. Susan Boyle (Mrs. Lovett) has a wonderful voice; and having to sing while doing five or ten other things at once is quite difficult. Nevertheless, she pulls them off remarkably. Her voice is a noticeable one and you can follow it through any confusion. With all honesty I think the play would have been missing comedy, harmony, and wholeness without her. She was definitely the more memorable character. Judge Turpin was more like the shadow of darkness over the play. He was instantly written off as a man of Sweeney Tod Essays - Sweeney Todd, British Films, Sweeney Tod Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Sweeney Todd is based on the 19th century melodrama about a London criminal. Todd is sort of portrayed as a noble figure driven to crime when Judge Turpin takes his wife and child from him. He is unjustly imprisoned and vows revenge not only to the judge, but also to all the people of London. The theater production began with an awesome staging of eeriness to further the mood of the title itself. My attention was captured as soon as the play began. The thick mist gives way to an entire ?underworld? of Londoners. They come out with their gutter costumes and worn-looking faces. In cut-off laconic phrases they sing verses of the Sweeney Todd ballad. The ballad is important to the play. Every time I heard it, it just reminded me of the evil that was on stage. I think this was the purpose of the song--to keep the audience's attention focused on the insanity surrounding Sweeney's killing spree. The band of beggars and street people advance toward the audience in rags and in anger. They are very important in showing Sweeney's personality early in the show. To complete the actors' purpose, Sweeney Todd himself rises from the pits below. His face has evil and revenge written all over it. Sweeney Todd was very convincing with his role. He has one of the most inspired roles, yet it is filled with dark humor. In on scene where he is proceeding to slit throat after throat, a customer comes in with his family. Sweeney just looks on in irritation and frustration. It is hilarious. Sweeney allows the audience to experience several emotions--from horror and disbelief to sympathy and compassion. Although Sweeney is committing murderous acts, he is acting out of the love of his family. His daughter has been stolen from him and his wife's life has been ruined (although he thinks she is dead). Sweeney makes his rage more frightening with the baritone voice, especially in ?My Friends?. This song is a twisted ode to his razors. His pleasure of being reunited with his razors is sort of a weird experience. It is almost as if he is in love with them. Sweeney was very accurate in taking the audience on a thrill ride all the way to the end where he gained the last bit of sympathy in dis covering that he had in deed killed his own wife. Mrs. Lovett was quite the character. She is absolutely wonderful as the cheerful yet lonely bar mistress. She displays her desire to feel wanted and loved bit by bit. However, her plans come to an end when Sweeney discovers her dishonesty about his wife. Susan Boyle plays Mrs. Lovett with a combination of optimism, crafty self-interest, and wit. With the flexibility of the actor-character role, you almost forget about the hideous conduct in which she is involved. Mrs. Lovett's idea is to turn Todd's victims into meat pies. It is laughable, but also spine tingling. She has all the qualities of performing a successful Mrs. Lovett. She has the operatic quality and superb comic timing. Boyle pulls off a terrific performance in transforming such an inhumane act into pure comedy. At the end of the first act, as she and Todd sing ?A Little Priest?, Boyle uses her wit to hint at the usefulness of Sweeney's victims. In Act II when Mrs. Lovett sings ?By the Sea? (a song that indicates her longing to be with Sweeney Todd, while he rants on about Judge Turpin) she is very expressive in both manner and voice. You find yourself caring about what happens to Mrs. Lovett in spite of her immoral deeds. Susan Boyle (Mrs. Lovett) has a wonderful voice; and having to sing while doing five or ten other things at once is quite difficult. Nevertheless, she pulls them off remarkably. Her voice is a noticeable one and you can follow it through any confusion. With all honesty I think the play would have been missing comedy, harmony, and wholeness without her. She was definitely the more memorable character. Judge Turpin was more like the shadow of darkness over the play. He was instantly written off as a man of

Conflict Diamonds essays

Conflict Diamonds essays For thousands of years, diamonds have been an internationally recognized symbol of love, romance and marriage. However, a portion of the worlds diamonds come from areas where war and blood shed are an every day occurrence. In some countries, rebel groups use the profits made from the sale of diamonds to buy weapons for their military operations. In this paper, I will introduce you to conflict or blood diamonds and the rebel groups that mine them. I will also look at the horrific infringements on basic human rights that these groups commit on a normal basis. By definition, conflict diamonds are diamonds that originate from mines that are under the control of rebel groups who are fighting against their countrys government. Sierra Leone, a small country on the west coast of Africa, has for the last ten years been under the terror of an ever present civil war. This war is being fought between a rebel group known as the Revolutionary United Front and Sierra Leones present government. The RUF took control of some of Sierra Leones richest diamond mines in the mid nineties. They now use the profits they make from these diamonds to buy weapons for their army, made up mostly of young boys forced to conscript. (United Nations: Conflict Diamonds) The Revolutionary United Front use many different and violent to inflict terror on the innocent people of Sierra Leone. These tactics include kidnapings, rape, torture and executions. Most of all, the RUF is known for amputating the hand, arms, feet or legs of people in the districts it controls.(A mnesty International) In many instances, they get innocent women, children and old men to line up and stick out their hands, then they cut off the peoples hands using machetes, they use it to instill fear in the hearts of civilians (National Geographic). These brutal and heartless techniques clearly violate the international code of human rights. ...

Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Technology - Essay Example Although keeping up with the high cost that these tools require places a heavy burden upon the system as well as upon the bottom line, the fact of the matter is that in order to continue to integrate with business and the patient, the new applications and software packages are demanded (Chunhau et al, 2009). Moreover, the industry standards that must be met also demand a level of standardization that goes beyond convenience and cost equations. Accordingly, one can understand that the information needs that a given health care organization may have relates to the storage of patient data, the encoding of insurance paperwork, billing in all forms, transcription needs, recording of changes to patient health and treatment, as well as a litany of others (G. L., 2012). It can be definitively said that the flow of information across HIT within my given organization greatly increases and supports evidence based practice due to the fact that it allows the healthcare professional ease of access to a great deal of patient information with regards to any single given case. Of course the downside to this is that the training curve to integrating these approaches with new staff is oftentimes long and involved; however, the rewards are manifest in a higher quality of care and treatment that such a proliferation of HIT can provide. Reddy, M., McDonald, D. W., Pratt, W., & Shabot, M. M. (2005).Technology, work, and information flows: Lessons from the implementation of a wireless alert pager system. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 38(3),

Sustainable development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sustainable development - Essay Example As a result, their distinction and level of importance can only be understood with defined hierarchies or system levels. Though the choice of level is always dependent upon the observer, he may attach different importance to different hierarchies. The system levels, anyhow, defined will make it convenient to differentiate systems from sub-systems for not being merely sum of their parts. Besides this, they will facilitate the interaction between these systems and subsystems. The idea of system level or hierarchies in the system practice, therefore, makes it easy to develop structures conducive to exploring a system of interest. Similarly system levels or hierarchy is also essential in sustainable development. The domain of sustainable development comprises of individuals with some course of action, some sphere of thoughts or some situation. Hierarchies and system levels within a domain make it easy to recognize a system and the interrelations of the components within it. However, different individuals or groups involved in the sustainable development carry different system of interests or sometimes joint system of interest. Sustainable development is a complex domain activity that recognizes several senses as the area of activity of a person, a sphere of thought or opinion and the situation where something is applicable. All of these elements are interconnected in terms of the boundaries, environments and systems. The boundaries, systems and the environment are crucial in the understanding of the concept of sustainable development tackling the complexity systematically and thus the concept of sustainable development as a main domain through system practice is relevant to the T306 course. One sensible way of engaging the domain of sustainable development is through system practice where the domain is further divided into sub-domains or subsystems like ‘information system’ and ‘organizations’.

The first written homework assignment for this course is posted at the Essay

The first written homework assignment for this course is posted at the Content link. You should use the posted sources to ans - Essay Example Question 2 Whitaker (2) says that in June 1973 cod blocks were going for 65 cents per pound, compared to around 22 cents in the same period in 1969. A graph has been provided that shows the worldwide landings and wholesale prices of cod blocks between 1960 and 1972, and the price is clearly 21 cents in 1968 (Whitaker 3). In April 2010, The Fish Site published an article titled US Groundfish Market Report. In the article, a graph was included that showed wholesale prices for cod and other groundfish. According to the graph, the wholesale price of cod blocks in 2008 was US$ 2.50 per pound (US Groundfish Market Report 1). Question 3 Supply (in metric tons) Price 1968 4.2 million 21 cents 2008 1.6 million $2.50 The conclusions I can draw from this table is that between 1968 and 2008, supply has been reducing, demand has remained high, and prices have continued to rise. Question 4 Generally, cod tonnage has been in steady decline (with the exception of a few years) between 1968 and 2008. This is how the demand curve also looks like, showing steady reduction and few increments. This is based on the sources provided. Question 5 The demand curve for cod shifted upwards from 1969-1972, compared to the years between 1960 and 1968. ... The market failure in this case is an inability to plan for the future by using existing stocks efficiently. Question 8 The Canadian government banned cod fishing in its Northeast fishing beds in 1993. The Canadian government did not follow an optimal policy in the regulation of the fishing beds, and that is why cod tonnage declined sharply and rapidly from 1968. Politics greatly affected the government’s decisions because it took almost 20 years for the ban to be effected (Waters 1). Without political interference it could have been done earlier since the issue at hand was very critical. Question 9 Although the ban came late, it was nonetheless effective. Slow cod recovery was brought about by a depression in the population of forage fish (necessitated by a virtual decimation of zooplanktons) and the ban. In the article, evidence is presented that there were sufficient haddock, cod and redfish to lay enough eggs and larvae to support recovery, therefore the ecosystem was â₠¬Å"lucky† in a way (Waters 1). Question 10 In my opinion, and based on research sources, the events in the cod market during the period 1968-2008 are expected to open up new markets for other fish species that were previously playing second fiddle to cod. The reality is that this time period has been punctuated by two things: a steady decline and worrying fluctuation in the tonnage of cod worldwide, and a rapid increase in the prices of cod products (particularly cod blocks). Since it has been established that reliance on cod alone will not sustain existing demand, the alternative has been to push people towards embracing other fish species. These alternatives include pollock and

Just Desserts Theory and the Death Penalty

Just Desserts Theory and the Death Penalty Is the death penalty cruel and unusual punishment without just cause, or is it just desserts? According to the 8th Amendment of the United States Constitution: nor cruel or unusual punishment inflicted. (U.S. Constitution, 1791). It states that no one will be sentenced to a punishment greater than the crime, with a just system in place to ensure other constitutional rights are not infringed upon. I believe capital punishment is justified under the right circumstances. Some may say the capital punishment is cruel, for the reason you are extinguishing a bright, human life. However, is that life so bright if it smothered and snuffed out others? Before exploring the modern day implications of capital punishment, one must understand that the death penalty is as old as law itself. According to the website procon.org, the Code of Hammurabi contained the first known death penalty laws (History of the Death Penalty), and that was 1700s B.C. Throughout history, capital punishment has been applied to the most serious crimes according to a civilizations values at the time. Whether its helping slaves escape in the 18th century B.C., or murder in the 21st A.D., humanity has punished criminals with the death penalty for heinous crimes for thousands of years. For Americans, the death penalty is an incredibly controversial issue relating to every citizens constitutional rights. Regardless of which side of the issue you agree with, it is important to recognize the death penalty is only applicable to criminal cases of aggravated murder, treason, kidnapping, and rape, as well as a few other various crimes that vary from state to state (Death Penalty Information Center). One may only be sentenced to death if they have been convicted by a jury of their peers and if they have committed one of the aforementioned crimes. Therefore, their constitutional right to a fair trial, as granted by the 6th Amendment to the Constitution, is never violated (U.S. Constitution, 1791). As well, the death penalty affects the common good of society as a whole. Capital punishment keeps the truly dangerous criminals off the streets and out of the prison system. Those that choose to rape and murder could never hope to ever contribute positively to society, so, why should they live in prison and sponge off of state and federal government funds. In short, capital punishment keeps the general public safe from those that would seek to cause harm and grief. Furthermore, the interaction between these two features of American life is subject to fierce debate. I believe that the common good must come before individual rights, or the needs and safety of the public come before the rights of the individual. Now, this may seem like an alienation of ones rights, but the public is a conglomerate of people with their own rights, the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as outlined by the Declaration of Independence (Declaration of Independence, 1776). So, the question posed is how can a person utilize and live these rights when there are murderers, rapists, and bombers that seek to undermine the safety of the American public. The answer is to apply the death penalty to the most gruesome of crimes and to remove these individuals from the world once and for all, to ensure that no one may ever again fall victim to a heinous or violent crime. Additionally, let us not forget that each of these criminals is entitled due process of law and a fair trial. The scales are tipped in favor of the public as far as rights are concerned. Moreover, I intend to advocate my position by providing dangerous criminals on death row that are the underbelly of society. As well, I will explore the morality and implementation of capital punishment. There is a constitutional principle behind the 8th Amendment: that no on shall receive a punishment greater than the crime committed. This is an apt policy, demonstrating the foresight of our founding fathers. It ensures capital punishment is not doled out for minor crimes such as petty theft or vandalism. Rather, it is reserved for only the most gruesome of crimes. One such gruesome crime was the 2005 murders of Brenda Groene, her boyfriend and son, as well as the kidnapping of Brendas two youngest Shasta and Dylan in Coeur d Alene, Idaho (Joseph Duncan, Spokesman.com). The perpetrator, convicted felon Joseph Edward Duncan, then proceeded to murder Dylan in the Montana wilderness. As well, after his apprehension by the authorities he was tied to several other murders, one in California and two in Washington. Duncan was given due process of law, and was sentenced to ten consecutive life sentences and the death penalty for seven murders across four states in a ten year time span. The constitutional principle of just punishment was upheld, an eye for an eye. Justice was served in this instance, for if one murders seven others in cold blood, how can they themselves be worthy of life? Inversely, opponents to capital punishment unanimously believe that the punishment is racially biased. They believe this because the majority of prisoners on death row are in fact minorities. However, an independent study conducted by the R.A.N.D. Corporation (Research and Development), in which several separate teams were tasked with determining whether or not race factors into capital punishment (Muhlhausen, The Death Penalty Deters Crime and Saves Lives). They concluded, independently with no inter-team contact, that incases resulting in the death penalty, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that decisions to seek the death penalty are driven by characteristics of crimes rather than by race. Furthermore, Prof. Richard Berk of the University of California concluded that cases with a black defendant and white victim or other racial combination are less likely to have a death sentence. (Muhlhausen). In continuation, another primary argument against capital punishment is it costs state and federal governments a great deal to carry out the sentences. They believe this because of constant appeals to convictions and demanded re-trials due to new evidence that cost the courts time and money over the course of decades per inmate. However, in a letter to the editor of the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Assemblyman Curt Hagman of the California State Assembly observes the people against the death penalty are the ones that are creating the deficits with those very same appeals. (Hagman, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin). In this way, I believe the opposition to capital punishment, groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is poisoning the public and courts against justice for grisly crimes. The solution to this problem is to take all the time needed the first time around, as well as to gather all possible evidence and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt guilt or innocence, as wel l as limiting appeals to one per inmate. In summary, the death penalty must be applied strictly, quickly, and fairly. By implementing the death penalty, justice can be served for capital crimes such as murder, and the public will be safe from humanitys worst. Also, if we as a nation dispose of all the red tape in the judicial system, the cost for euthanizing inmates will be reduced drastically. The time to act is now. Hundreds of prisoners have sat on death row for 30 years or more, with countless victims and families never seeing justice served. Help set everyones minds at ease and encourage the death penalty. Bibliographies The Declaration of Independence. The Heritage Foundation. 2008. Print Hagman, Curt. Dont End Death Penalty, Streamline It. InlandValley Daily Bulletin. 5 May 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. Muhlhausen, David B. The Death Penalty Deters Crime and Saves Lives. Heritage.org. 28 Aug 2007. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. Staff Writer. Crime Punishable by Death. Deathpenaltyinfo.org. Bjs.ojb.usdoj.gov. 29 Jan. 2012. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. Staff Writer. History of the Death Penalty. Procon.org. 8 May 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. Staff Writer. Joseph Duncan. Spokesman.com. 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2012. U.S. Constitution. Art./Amend. XI, Sec. 3 U.S. Constitution. Art./Amend. XIII, Sec. 3

Epic Theatres :: essays research papers

Epic Theatres "Epic Theatre turns the spectator into an observer, but arouses his capacity for action, forces him to take decisions...the spectator stands outside, studies." (Bertolt Brecht. Brecht on Theatre. New York:Hill & Yang, 1964. p37) The concept of â€Å"epic theatre† was brought to life by German playwright, Bertolt Brecht. This direction of theatre was inspired by Brecht's Marxist political beliefs. It was somewhat of a political platform for his ideologies. Epic theatre is the assimilation of education through entertainment and is the antithesis of Stanislavsky's Realism and also Expressionism. Brecht believed that, unlike epic theatre, Expressionism and Realism were incapable of exposing human nature and so had no educational value. He conjectured that his form of theatre was capable of provoking a change in society. Brecht's intention was to encourage the audience to ponder, with critical detachment, the moral dilemmas presented before them. In order to analyse and evaluate the action occurring on stage, Brecht believed that the audience must not allow itself to become emotionally involved in the story. Rather they should, through a series of anti-illusive devices, feel alienated from it. The effect of this deliberate exclusion makes it difficult for the audience to empathise with the characters and their predicament. Thus, they could study the play's social or political message and not the actual events being performed on stage. This process is called Verfremdungseffekt, or the alienation effect, where instead of identifying with the characters, the audience is reminded that they are watching only a portrayal of reality. Several well-known Brechtian plays include Drums in the Night, Edward 2, The Threepenny Opera, Rise and Fall of the Town of Mahoganny, The Life of Galileo, The Good Person of Szechwan, Triple-A Plowed Under, One-Third of a Nation, Mother Courage and her children and the Caucasian Chalk Circle. A play whose dramatic structure and didactic purposes epitomises epic theatre is The Caucasian Chalk Circle (CCC). The prologue of this play transpires in a Caucasian village of the Soviet Union, where the people of this village are being presented a play called â€Å"The Chalk Circle†. This play is narrated by a â€Å" Singer† and embarks on the story of a servant girl, Grusha, who rescues the governor's son when their city falls under siege. The son, Michael, has been left behind, without so much as a backward glance, by his fleeing mother. Grusha escapes, with Michael in her arms, to the mountains where they live for over a year. Along this journey, countless places and people are encountered, a number that would only occur in epic theatre. In truly epic fashion, the play then regresses to the beginning of the story and