Two Gentlemen of Verona Essay Example for Free

Two Gentlemen of Verona Essay William Shakespeare is an interesting character that just happened to be one of the best play writes of not only his time, but even today. He was born in the year 1564 and died in 1616. Though there are not many records of his personal life, from what there is, he lived a sort of scandalize life. Moving to London and leaving his wife, Anne Hathaway, behind to write plays, act, and, it is said, have affairs with men and women. He is often called Englands national poet and the Bard of Avon. Some people say that his earlier works were not so well written as his later plays, but he wrote about 38 plays in total and is said to have changed not only theater by his influences in other authors, but the English language as well. Though he wrote many good plays, one of his earlier plays, â€Å"Two Gentlemen of Verona† will be discussed in greater detail in this essay. Shakespeare, did many things for the first time in theater and his plays that no other other had done before him. One of his most obvious achievements include language. It is said that he had created about over 1700 of our common words by changing nouns into verbs, changing verbs into adjectives, connecting words never before used together, adding prefixes and suffixes, and making up words that are completely original. Language is a big part of theater. In many plays, as well as life, people play with worlds and sentence structures to portray many different types of emotions. In Two Gentlemen of Verona, many scenes were funnier because of the wordplay they used. For example, in Act III scene i. Speed, the servant of the main character Valentine, had asked Launce, the servant of Proteus, â€Å"How now Signior Launce, what news with your mastership? † Launce replied with, â€Å"With my mastership? Why, it is at sea. † Like many other parts in the book, this dialogue shows Shakespeare creativeness and wordplay. When Valentine asks about the â€Å"mastership† what he really is talking about is Proteus because he is Launces â€Å"master†. Proteus is â€Å"set out to see† because he left Verona, but it is also referring to the â€Å"ship† that Speed was joking about. Many other examples of this are in all of William Shakespeares plays; because it is in old English, it can sometimes be seen when acted easier than just read. In addition, all plays must have a character that has inner conflicts; Shakespeare figured out how to make soliloquies explore a characters inner motivations and conflict. Up until Shakespeare, soliloquies were often used by playwrights to introduce (characters), convey information, provide an exposition or reveal plans. This can probably be more more apparent in plays such as Hamlet, hi the big, and famous â€Å"To be, or not to be† soliloquy. Though, in Act I scene ii Julia, Proteus first love, has a soliloquy where shes does just that. It occurs right after she receives a love letter from her servant that Proteus had sent with his servant, Speed. Right before her soliloquy she had tared up the letter into pieces and kicked her servant out of the room. The first line in her soliloquy, â€Å"Oh hateful hands, to tear such loving words! † demonstrates how Shakespeares characters can show their inner motivations within their soliloquies. Though she had destroyed the letter, and acted as though she was annoyed by it and by her servant, her true motives, and inner feelings are revealed. Another influence William Shakespeare had in the culture of theater is the way that Shakespeare mixed tragedy and comedy together to create a new romantic tragedy genre. Before Shakespeare, romance had not been considered a worthy topic for tragedy. While this can be more easily seen in a play like Romeo and Juliet. Two Gentlemen of Verona is also a comedy that involves some romanticism and tragic events. For example, Proteus, character almost like Romeo, in Romeo and Juliet, is young and falls in love too easily. Like Romeo, Proteus falls in and out of love by the beauty of a woman versus her intellect, or thoughts. Though it is a comedy, some traumatic events occur towards the end cause by love and the betrayal. Proteus falls out of love with Julia, and in love with Sylvia. The flip to this story is that Sylvia was supposed to get married to Valentine, which is Proteus best friend. Proteus betrays Valentine and gets him kicked out of the city. He then attempts to rape Sylvia because she refused to give in to someone that will betray their own best friend by in such a way. The play, Two Gentlemen of Verona, has a shocking ending that seems like it could have many different meanings. The scene begins with Valentine sitting alone in a bush where he hears that Proteus, Sylvia, and Julia (disguised as Sebastian) enter the forest scene. Proteus tells Sylvia that she should be thankful that he had saved her from the â€Å"outlaws†, but Sylvias love for Valentine and hatred for Proteus to betray his friend is too strong. When Proteus is about to rape Julia, Valentine jumps out and stops him. In the end, Julia reveals who she is and the Thurio, the man who was supposed to marry Sylvia from the beginning, enters the scene saying that he will not marry Sylvia because he never really loved her. When Proteus decides he does loves Julia after all, the Duke, Sylvias father, says both men will get married on the same day to both women. This scene proves Federico Garcia Lorcas view that â€Å"the theater is a school of pain and laughter, a free tribunal where we can question norms that are outmoded or mistaken and explain with living examples the eternal norms of the human heart. The whole play involves pain and laughter, in this comedy, we as the audience laugh at Proteus thinking that he loves any girl that is beautiful. Though we laugh at it, there are other mixtures of pain and laughter. It is comical that Valentine, such a noble man, is hiding in the bushes waiting for his best friend to do something bad to his girlfriend; Julia is dressed as a man and no one can see it, but at the same time she is in pain because the love of her life is about to rape someone else; and there is more pain and laughter irony in this one scene. It is definitely a â€Å"tribunal where we can question norms that are outmoded† because the Duke comes into the scene unexpectedly and lets the two men get married without asking the women. This is an outmoded norm that men are superior to women, and men do not need to ask the women permission or what they would like. What if Julia no longer wanted to marry Proteus after all she saw? What if Sylvia did not want to get married on the same day of the man who tried to rape her. The norms can also be â€Å"mistaken† because there is a line where Valentine forgives Proteus for almost raping his lover and he concludes by saying, â€Å"All that was mine in Sylvia I give thee† (Act V, Scene iiii). This line, among many others, is up to interpretation. The line could mean that Valentine decided to give away Sylvia to Valentine in the end, or it could mean something completely different and the audience could be â€Å"mistaking† Shakespeares meaning of what is said. The finale, everyone getting married, shows â€Å"the eternal norms of the human heart†, even in Shakespeare’s time a happy ending is seems more complete. The audience in that time, and today would rather hear that everything resolved in the end for these characters. Although some people may argue that Shakespeares plays were not so well writen in the beginning of his career, there can be much said about his earlier plays like The Two Gentlemen of Verona. It is also clear that Shakespeare has changed and influenced theater greatly. He had changed various things like the English language, characters development within soliloquies, and even created new genres. There can be so much to be said about all his novels, in one scene, like the one above there can be much to debate, laugh, and feel pain about. In this on scene proved Federico Garcia Lorcas quote about theater to be true. If analyzing another scene, the same could be said.

Teenage Sleep Deprivation Impact

Teenage Sleep Deprivation Impact Dont you just hate it when youre in the middle of teaching your class to look over and see about half of your students heads down, drooling away during precious learning time? As a student Ive wondered what goes on in students minds that barely receive sleep. Sleep deprivation is a common problem for teenage students ranging from the ages of 13 to 19. Sleep deprivation is defined as a general lack of the necessary amount of sleep that a person needs. An average teen needs approximately 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night for the best academic and physical performance during school hours. Studies show that teens on and average are getting between 6.5 and 7.3 hours of sleep. Teenage students that choose to stay up late on school nights are usually the ones who end up falling asleep in class, and the result is missing an important lesson of the day. This is just one example of the problems a sleep-deprived student could face. This leads to my thesis that sleep deprivation is a serious problem in the teen-aged world, in terms of schools. Behavior problems, Understanding, memory, cognition (the process of thought), motor functions, Alertness are effects sleep deprived teens may undergo. The affects of sleep deprivation on a teenage body can affect the ability to function at school. Studies showed that Sleep deprivation can affect mood/behavior, learning, performance (physically), attention (being focused), and cause health issues.(Teens, Sleep and School).Too little sleep may cause exhaustion or fatigue (an overall feeling of deep tiredness or lack of energy) which can lead deprived student to have mood swings and behavioral problems, such as crying for no reason or losing their temper over small things. It is necessary for teens to get enough sleep on a daily bases in order to function properly during school. Students have to process information given to them by an instructor in order to learn. Lack of sleep may cause a teens mind to be distracted and not focused, causing their grades to decline. According to Dr.Carskadon, a sleep researcher at Brown University Teens with As on their report cards received an hour of more sleep each night and students who had Ds and Fs on their report cards only had two hours less sleep then the students with As.(The Importance of Sleep for Teens Essay | Student Essays Summary). It is very important to get enough sleep in order for a student to be successful academically and perform in class to the best of their ability. A sleepy persons brain works harder but accomplishes less. Sleep can be characterized as food for the brain. According to Jim Horne, PhD, director of the sleep research laboratory at Loughborough University in England, the part of the brain that overworks in the sleep-deprived people normally is one of the most active areas of the brain (Horne). Complex functions involved, verbal fluency, planning, paying attention, dealing with situations such as, group participations, activities, fights and group discussions. Jim Horne also includes, what seems to be happening is that the functional part of the brain appears to be working even harder during compensation because performance shows deterioration (Horne) a sleep-deprived person cannot perform physical and mental tasks as well as a person who is well rested. (Lack of Sleep Takes Toll on Brain Power) James B. Maas is a Professor in Psychology, Education and Communication at Cornell University. Dr. Maas is also one of the nations most sought after corporate speakers. He received his B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) from Williams College and his M.A. (Master of Arts) and Ph.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Maas researches on sleep and performance, as well as on leadership and critical thinking. (Maas) What good does it do to try to educate teen-agers so early in the morning? Dr. Maas asks. You can be giving the most stimulating, interesting lectures to sleep-deprived kids early in the morning or right after lunch, when theyre at their sleepiest, and the overwhelming drive to sleep replaces any chance of alertness, cognition, memory or understanding.(Maas) Dr. Maas supports later start times at school. According to Maas, teenagers face significant challenges in maintaining healthy sleep routines.(Maas) Dr. Maas took matters in to his own hands, He went out and spoke to school regarding how students can perform better if school start times started later in the morning. Deerfield Academy was one of the schools that Dr. Maas spoke at, a preparatory boarding school in Massachusetts which loved his idea of pushing schools start time back. In Sept. 2007, the school administration began to consider his idea of changing the school schedule. In Oct. 2007, the school voted to decide if it was reasonable. 61 to 27 voted in favor of the plan. The old start time of school 7:55 a.m. was now moved to 8:30 a.m. Mr. Warsaw a teacher who taught at Deerfield Academy stated that, Students of first-period classes are more vibrant and discussions now began at the opening bell instead of half-way through the class,(Warsaw).Deerfield Academy decided to mainta in the later start schedule. Delaying school start times is one solution for solving the problem for students who are unable to stay steadily awake in class due to sleep deprivation. (Sleep deprivation-Undermining Teen Health) Sleep deprivation can also affect you out of school. Sleep deprivation can have the same affect behind the wheel as drunk driving. By the time teens reach high school, most would be already driving during the junior and senior year. REM sleep plays roles linked to being drunk which leads to car accidents. Researchers in Australia and New Zealand found that people who drive after being awake for 17 to 19 hours performed worse than those with a (B.A.L.) blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent. There studies also show that 16 to 60 percent of road accidents involve sleep deprivation. In a survey taken by teens reported that more than half has operated a car drowsy. According to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration more than 100,000 accidents, 40,000 injuries, and 1,500 people are killed in the U.S. every year due to crashes by drivers who are sleepy. A sleep-deprived teen can be characterized as drunken teen, results can also be fatal when driving drowsy. (Sleep deprivation as bad as alcohol impairment). In 2009 Braeshaun Jackson, 19, graduate from Laguna Creek High School was involved in a fatal car incident .He died in a wreck at the intersection of Whitlock Parkway and Shana Way due to driving sleepy.(Ruffin) According to M. Suzanne Stevens, MD (medical Doctor), Assistant Clinical Professor, from the University of Kansas, Sleep is controlled by neurotransmitters, which act on different neurons in the brain. Some, such as serotonin and norephine which keep the brain active while were awake. Adenosine (plays a role in promoting sleep) builds up in our blood while we are awake and breakdown of it causes drowsiness (Stevens). She also includes that there are five stages of sleep and REM (Rapid Eye Movement). During stages 1-4 of sleep, our brain waves become slower and slower until we switch to REM sleep. At that point, our breathing is more rapid and irregular and our eyes move rapidly under our eyelids (Stevens).REM sleep occurs when we are at a stage of being close to falling asleep, it can be characterized as skeletal muscle twitches or a feeling of low-voltage signals. Before you enter REM sleep a feeling of drowsiness occurs. Two characteristics that may be noticeable when REM sleep is taking place are the dilation of pupils and an increase respiratory rate. Sleep deprivation can also negatively impact physiology that is critical for athletic performance. Athletes can suffer from the loss of sleep/sleep deprivation. Impairments include athletes motor functions, and the inability to control all aspects of muscular movement fully. Examples include races such as sprints, as well as hurdles, which depend on a combination of power and striding over hurdles, or sports where the athletes must coordinate movements rapidly such as ball-sports. Another impairment that an athlete can be affected by is ones visual reaction time. Sports is mainly about reaction time and how one reacts to an object such as in the sport of baseball, where the batter has to be able to hit a 80-95 mph ball with success or in hockey where the goaltender has to be able to stop the fast moving puck from getting in the goal. Sleep deprivation also causes delays in an athletes auditory reaction, such as the reaction to a start of a pistol. Auditory reaction is how fast a person can respond by hearing or in sports were teammates are alerted by loud commands, an example would be the loud pistol to signal the start of a race with no delay in reaction time or when a conversation is going on were one out of the 3 person is slowest to respond. Glucose is compared as fuel for our body; it is the primary source of energy for the brain and also influences psychological processes. It is estimated that glucose metabolism will deteriorate in a period of seven to 10 days of limited sleep by as much as 30% to 40%. This condition will impair the ability of the body to properly store the glycogen necessary to provide the body with reserves to use during intense training or competition. (Sleep Deprivation and Sports Performance) Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Medical School, studied the effects of three different durations of sleep in 12 young men ages 17 to 22. For the first three nights of the study, the men slept eight hours per night; for the next six nights, they slept four hours per night; for the last seven nights, they slept 12 hours per night. Results showed that after four hours of sleep per night (the sleep deprivation period), they metabolized glucose least efficiently. Levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) were also higher during sleep deprivation periods, which have been linked to memory impairment, age-related insulin resistance, and impaired recovery in athletes.(Cauter) Eve Van Cauter also said that, after only one week of sleep restriction, young, healthy males had glucose levels that were no longer normal and showed a rapid deterioration of the bodys functions. (Cauter) This can reduce the body to have the ability to store glucose properly. His results showed that these young healthy males had glucose similar to those found in the elderly. The strongest opposing argument for sleep deprivation is that students should sleep less if its necessary to get more urgent things done such as an important assignment(s) due the next day or being that a final exam/test is going to be given. Stephanie, a high school graduate (2007) was asked, Should I stay up late studying and doing homework or rest?(Yahoo! Answers) on an online website. Questions were asked randomly by an unknown person(s) and opinions were given. Stephanies opinion was that he/she should stay up late, according to Stephanie you learn more before you sleep (Stephanie), she also includes that that was my technique (Stephanie). What she is saying is that, you can always get your sleep back but cannot re-do a failed exam/test/assignment because you decided to go to sleep a little early so the next day you wouldnt arrive to class sleepy. However without the proper amount of sleep trying to study or get work done is not a good idea, eventually youll fall asleep during c lass. This leaves you unprepared to do what is presented and take an F for the day. Sleeping in late will mentally impact you the next morning leaving you, drowsy, constantly yawing, and distracted because eventually youll try to think of ways to stay awake in class. The best suggestion is to study/do home work when your suppose to like student should and not just the night before. The second opposing argument is that some find it easier to sleep later at night and still would not be affected by the loss of sleep. According to a college student Ive always been a night owl.(student) A night owl is characterized as a person who says up late a night like an owl dose. She found it easier not to go to bed at all some nights than to get up early in the morning for class or work. She also includes that It was always easier to stay up late to finish (or start) my work than it was to get up early.(student) However staying up to late will take affect on your body when you least expect it, because your body needs to rest and rebuild for the next day. The third opposing argument is that since school starts early in the morning when students cannot mentally focus on studying, studying at night when drowsiness and missing sleep can be eliminated since the student is already mentally up. This gives them a better chance of being able to remember what was being studied the next day. However trying to cram all kinds of information in your brain in one night is not worth it because the next morning youll just forget. Trying to over work your body will make it even more tired the next day. With that being said students should get the regular amount of sleep each night so the next theyll have less of a hassle of dealing with miscommunications. Sleep deprivation is a serious problem in the teen-aged world. Teens get a bad record for staying up late at night, waking up late for school and falling asleep in class. It is necessary for teens to get enough sleep in order for them to function properly during school hours on a daily basis. The effects sleep deprivation on everybody in general can affect learning, performance (physically), attention (being focused), and cause health issues. By not getting the necessary amount of sleep can impair alertness, attention span, reaction time, awareness of the environment, concentration, Loss of motivation and fixating (stalling) on one thought. Some suggestions that can help prevent sleep deprivation is to, go to bed earlier each night, improve sleeping environment by keeping it dark, turning off the television and using relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep quickly.

Causes And Effects Of World Wa :: essays research papers

Causes and Effects of World War I What were the causes and effects of World War I? The answer to this seemingly simple question is not elementary. There was more to the onset of the war then the event of an Austrian prince being murdered in Serbia, as is what most people consider to be the cause of World War I. Furthermore, the effects of the war were not just concentrated to a post-war era lasting for a generation of Westerners. No, the effects of the war were widespread throughout the world and can be traced to generations after the war. It is not a rare occasion that when a person is asked what the causes of World War I were, that they answer with the simple comment of an Austrian Prince being shot in Serbia. However the assignation of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie , in Sarajevo was not the main cause of the Great War. Rather, it was the breaking point for Austria in its dealings with Serbia. The truth of the matter is that several factors played a role in the outbreak of the catastrophic war the engulfed the nations of Europe for over four years. World War I truly was the result of building aggressions among the countries of Europe which was backed by the rise of nationalism. To add to the disastrous pot, there was also imperial competition along with the fear of war prompting military alliances and an arms race. All of these increased the escalating tensions that lead to the outbreak of a world war. (Mckay, pg. 904) Two opposing alliances developed by the Bismarckian diplomacy after the Franco- Prussian War was one of the major causes of the war. In order to diplomatically isolate France, Bismarck formed the Three Emperor’s League in 1872, which was an alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. Then in 1882 , Bismarck took advantage of Italian resentment toward France and formed the Triple Alliance between Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungry. In 1890 Bismarck was dismissed from his office and France took the opportunity to gain an ally, therefore , in 1891 the Franco- Russian Entente was formed. Then in 1904 Britain and France put aside their conflicts and formed the Entente Cordiale. As a result , the Triple Entente , a coalition between Great Britain, France , and Russia, countered the Triple Alliance. Now Europe was divided up into two armed camps.

Miracles: When Faith Contradicts Reason :: Essays Papers

Miracles: When Faith Contradicts Reason When the term "miracle" comes to mind, the average person doesn’t quite know what to say. After all, a miracle is something unexplained that is looked upon in awe. Webster’s Universal Dictionary defines a miracle as: . "an extraordinary event attributed to the supernatural; an unusual or astounding event." 1 In today’s society, though, everyone has their own definition of astounding. Perhaps some people contribute certain events to the supernatural while others do not. So in today’s times, Webster’s New World Dictionary provides a clearer meaning of a miracle: . "an event or action that apparently contradicts known scientific laws." 2 In other words, it is a gap between faith and scientific reasoning. In modern medicine, a miracle is described as any occurrence where a higher power, God, for example, takes over and intervenes benevolently in the fate of the patient.3 The doctor, along with everyone else, can only marvel. As a generality, it can be said that miracles are modern examples of the continuing contradiction between faith and reason. When People Lose Hope in Modern Medicine At a certain point during a person’s illness, a doctor will say that there is just no more that can be done. Modern medicine, scientific technology, and healing techniques have done all they can, but tragically, the fate of the person looks grim, and death is rapidly approaching. It is then that people will hope for a miracle. Terri McFaddin, a minister, expresses the feelings of those seriously ill when saying that "We are living in desperate times where people are going to believe in things they can’t see because they can’t trust the things they can see. Miracles happen where natural resources end. One will walk into the realm of miracles when all natural resources have been exhausted." 4 When scientific reasoning and human knowledge have failed people and no cure can be found, that is when people will turn to their faith and hope for a miracle. They grip hope that is beyond reason and logic.5 Praise and worship leader Ron Kenoly says that more people are reali zing that to be helped with the great problems they face, they need to go beyond the limits of reason and the abilities of man.6 Today the largest percentages of Americans in a decade profess the existence of God and miracles, according to a poll commissioned by the Pew Research Center. Miracles: When Faith Contradicts Reason :: Essays Papers Miracles: When Faith Contradicts Reason When the term "miracle" comes to mind, the average person doesn’t quite know what to say. After all, a miracle is something unexplained that is looked upon in awe. Webster’s Universal Dictionary defines a miracle as: . "an extraordinary event attributed to the supernatural; an unusual or astounding event." 1 In today’s society, though, everyone has their own definition of astounding. Perhaps some people contribute certain events to the supernatural while others do not. So in today’s times, Webster’s New World Dictionary provides a clearer meaning of a miracle: . "an event or action that apparently contradicts known scientific laws." 2 In other words, it is a gap between faith and scientific reasoning. In modern medicine, a miracle is described as any occurrence where a higher power, God, for example, takes over and intervenes benevolently in the fate of the patient.3 The doctor, along with everyone else, can only marvel. As a generality, it can be said that miracles are modern examples of the continuing contradiction between faith and reason. When People Lose Hope in Modern Medicine At a certain point during a person’s illness, a doctor will say that there is just no more that can be done. Modern medicine, scientific technology, and healing techniques have done all they can, but tragically, the fate of the person looks grim, and death is rapidly approaching. It is then that people will hope for a miracle. Terri McFaddin, a minister, expresses the feelings of those seriously ill when saying that "We are living in desperate times where people are going to believe in things they can’t see because they can’t trust the things they can see. Miracles happen where natural resources end. One will walk into the realm of miracles when all natural resources have been exhausted." 4 When scientific reasoning and human knowledge have failed people and no cure can be found, that is when people will turn to their faith and hope for a miracle. They grip hope that is beyond reason and logic.5 Praise and worship leader Ron Kenoly says that more people are reali zing that to be helped with the great problems they face, they need to go beyond the limits of reason and the abilities of man.6 Today the largest percentages of Americans in a decade profess the existence of God and miracles, according to a poll commissioned by the Pew Research Center.

Haydn Middletons The Lie of the Land :: Literature Christianity Religion Essays

Making a Movie on Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land To make a movie from any source takes a lot of people in the process. It's not just one or two people sitting down saying "let's make a movie." There are things to be considered, things to be done and people to contact. In this essay, I plan to make a movie of Haydn Middleton's novel The Lie of the Land, just to give a glimpse of the complications involved with making a movie. The first step in any movie would have to be a script. No script, no movie. It's just that simple. A small group (or one individual) would have to sit down and write a script from this novel. Of course he (they) would have to decide what to focus on from the book, or what they (he) wants to dramatize, and if there is something that they (he) can put in the script himself that wasn't really there to begin with. For example, if the screenwriter(s) wanted to make this a romance story between the characters David and Quinn, then they would emphasize that dramatically. They might add some sexuality into said relationship, and even go so far as to have Quinn come back to David at the end of the movie. The key words that you would see on the screen would be "adapted from," meaning that the movie was based on this novel, but the screenwriter(s) wrote the movie from their interpretation. Of course, some things have to be in the script, such as David's story, but how focused it is depends, lik e I stated, on the screenwriter(s). Now that we have a script, and we'll cut out the process of submitting it to movie studios, the next step would be pre-production. For this purpose, we'll use a fictional studio and call it L 0 L studios. This studio, after accepting the script, would hire a producer. Let's use a name here, like Richard Donner. His job is to hire a director, audition a cast, find a location to film, or decide if it can be done on a sound stage (possibly both), and try to keep it all under budget. Our director would be James Cameron, because with his success recently, his name alone would bring people to see this movie, which is the whole goal of the project. Casting is difficult, because certain factors have to be looked at, such as looks, (do they look the part?

The Last Holy Book

Quran is the last Holy book of Allah revealed upon His last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Surah Al-Fatiha means â€Å"The Opening† as it is the first chapter of Holy Quran. It contains seven verses which are a prayer for the guidance, lordship and mercy of Allah. The meaning of the entire Quran is summarized in this Surah. It has its different names indicating it as a special blessing of Allah. Surah Al-Fatiha is one those chapters of Quran which holds great importance as Allah (SWT) said in the words given below:†And, Indeed, We have bestowed upon thee seven of the often repeated (verses), and this sublime Quran.†Surah Al-Fatiha is very important as one has to start with it when he begins his prayer. Reciting Surah Al-Fatiha five times a day shows the nature of its greatness as a chapter as well as a Dua so that we can be benefitted. In any situation a person may be, be it a difficulty, an illness or a state of suffering or any other problems a person may face in his life Surah al-Fatiha is the cure of all the sufferings. This Surah is a prayer to your Lord for seeking guidance and mercy so that He showers His blessings upon us.Virtues of Surah Al-FatihaThere are many virtues of Surah Al-Fatiha. Starting with the first virtue, it is the greatest chapter in the Quran. It mainly covers the topics discussed in Quran. Another virtue is that as it is recited five times a day during prayers so it is a pillar of prayer. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:†Whoever does not recite Surah Al-Fatiha in his prayer, his prayer is invalid.†This Surah is contains the cure for the diseases as a companion once recited Surah Al-Fatiha to a person who got bit by a Scorpio and he was cured. It is not just a cure for diseases but it is also a cure for the heart from the evil. It is a light to direct us towards the righteous path. As it has so many virtues it is known as the Mother of Quran.b)Tafseer of Surah Al-Fatiha1. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, and the Most Merciful†In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, and the Most Merciful† is the first ayah of this Surah. This is also known as Bismillah which is good to recite before doing anything so that we are showered with the blessings of Allah Almighty.The letter BaaThe letter Baa can have three different meanings. First is with/ in the name of Allah. The second is seeking help of the name of Allah and the last seeking blessings with the name of Allah.Al-Rehman and Al-Raheem Al-Rehman and Al-Raheem are the names of Allah which mean mercy. They are derived from the words raa, haa, meem and their meaning is mercy. Whether someone is a Muslim or a non-Muslim, good or bad he is always bestowed with Allah's mercy. Not only humans but animals and every creature in this universe have His mercy. â€Å"My mercy encompasses all.†The difference between both of them is that Al-Rehman shows the vastness of mercy of Allah and Al-Rehman refers to the Allah's (SWT) mercy which is specific for the believers. 2. All praise to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds All praise to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds is the second ayah.Many scholars consider that there is not any difference between hamd and shukar. Hamd means praise which is done in love for someone but shukr is different. Shukr is thanking someone in return of something. The meaning of Rabb The word Rabb usually refers to Lord but it also means sustainer, master, nourisher and cherisher. Rabb usually shows the mastery and someone who has control over everything. The meaning of Aalameen The Arabic word Aalameen comes from the root word ‘Ayn-Lam-mim' which means to know, be aware, knowledge, science or by means of which something can be known. It comes from the word Alam and carries the significance of the meaning world or universe. 3.The Beneficent, the Most MercifulThis is the third ayah of Surah Al-Fatiha. The meaning of these words are already given before but the reason to repeat it again is that Allah (SWT) is giving emphasis on the fact that He is the only Lord who is forgiving and merciful. 4. The Only Owner of the Day of the RecompenseThe fourth ayah is: â€Å"The Only Owner of the Day of the Recompense†. God is the Lord of the Day when all generations of mankind gather together on order to render an account of their conduct, and when each person will be finally rewarded or punished for his deeds. The description of God as Lord of the Day of Judgment following the mention of his benevolence and compassion indicates that we ought to remember another aspect of God as well-namely, that He will judge us all, that He is so absolutely powerful, that on the Day of Judgment no one will have the power either to resist the enforcement of punishments that He decrees or to prevent anyone from receiving the rewards that He decides to confer. Hence, we ought not only to love Him for nourishing and sustaining us and for His compassion and mercy towards us, but should also hold Him in awe because of His justice, and should not forget that our ultimate happiness or misery rests completely with Him. 5. You (alone) we worship and you (alone) we ask for help The fifth ayah is: You (alone) we worship and you (alone) we ask for help. In this ayah it is being addressed that we worship Allah. The concept of worship is often misunderstood by people that it is only about prayers, fasting, and charity etc. Basically worship is everything one says or does for the pleasure of Allah. In other words worship is to obey. The ayah affirms the Lordship of Allah and affirms that worship is due to Him.6. Guide us on the straight pathThe sixth ayah is: Guide us on the straight path. This ayah is a Dua which make to Allah asking Him to guide us on the straight path. We humans get so much involved in the daily affairs of our life and living with different people who may get us involved in bad deeds. Thus we ask for guidance from Allah so that He helps us stay away from the bad deeds and we follow the right path, the one He wants us to follow which is Siraat-e-Mustaqeem. Siraat means path which should reach its goal and should be the shortest route to get there. Mustaqeem means straight, correct etc. thus Siraat-e-Mustaqeem is the straight path or in other words the right path. 7. The path of those you have blessed, not of those with anger on them, nor of those who are astrayAllah (SWT) has explained the above ayah in another ayah:†Whosoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those whom Allah has favored, and the Prophets, the sincere, the martyrs and the righteous, and these are the best company. † The people who have who have anger on them and who are astray are like Jews and Christians and are not favored and blessed by Allah the way the righteous people are. c)Impact of Surah Al-Fatiha on the life of a Muslim as servant of AllahSurah A-Fatiha has a great impact on the hearts of a Muslim as we recite it five times a day in our Namaz or Salah. And to start our Duas we need to recite it first. This is because of the nature of its greatness as a Dua and as a chapter of Holy Quran. Whenever a person is suffering from any difficulty or problem he needs to recite Surah Al-Fatiha. This Surah contains guidance and cure. Whoever reads Surah Al-Fatiha with belief he will definitely find guidance. Surah al-Fatiha is a cure for physical and also spiritual ailments. Without this Surah, even the daily prayers are incomplete. It is indeed a great treasure that has been given to us by Allah (SWT) through the Holy Prophet (PBUH). As a servant of Allah this Surah guides us towards the right path and good deeds. It creates a sense of gratitude among us as we realize that the hardships were actually the tests which were supposed to bring us closer to Allah (SWT). This makes us praise and thank Allah for all his blessings. This Surah makes us realize that as a servant we have to worship Allah only and ask Him for help so that he guides us on the right path and we are blessed by Him on the Day of Judgment.

Film Review: All Quiet on the Western Front Essay

After being put through training camp under the harsh command of Corporal Himmelstoss, the group of friends is shipped out to the front lines. It is there that they see firsthand the tragic and often bloody effects of war. The film as a whole is told from the point of view of the Germans, which in my personal opinion takes away the romanticism that other films depicting this time period tended to include, and gave the movie more appeal because of what I felt was a more realistic, and less biased depiction. In All Quiet on the Western, we are given perspective from that of young German soldiers, and in providing the audience with this perspective, the Germans are humanized. This films message emphasizes the harsh reality of war, the fact that it took a toll on the ‘enemy’ as well, how pointless WW1 really was, and how preventable it could have been. After being persuaded to enlist in the army by their impassioned teacher Kantorek, Paul and his fellow classmates are quickly sent off to basic training. While there, they are under the command of the sadistic Himmelstoss. He is charged with training the young men, and does that but has an unfortunate penchant for harshly punishing anyone for even the smallest mistake. When their training is completed, the men are sent to the front lines, where they are put under the charge of Stanislaus Katczinsky. Katczinsky proves to be a much fairer and pleasant leader then Himmelstoss. It is by him that the boys are taught what is most important in the war and how to achieve it: staying alive. With an increasing number of encounters with the enemy, comes an increasing amount of casualties. After losing many of his friends throughout the efforts of war, and being injured himself, Paul returns home. But when there, finds himself uncomfortable with his old life, and readily returns to the front lines. Although I enjoyed the general premise of the plot, which in my knowledge seemed fairly realistic, there were several scenes and developments in the plot that I felt dragged on too long. One of which was when the boys were sent off to training camp, I felt that much of their time there that was shown was just them learning the same basic things over and over again, and this seemed to take up a reasonable amount of time without any real plot development. Overall, Paul’s transition from an innocent to a weary man knowledgeable in the ways of war is good as pot overall, but there were certain developments that tended to drag on pointlessly and had somewhat of a dulling effect on the movie. I have very limited knowledge on what a person who experienced, or had been in the process of experiencing WW1 should have been like, therefore my opinion on the following is just that of my personal opinion. I’m not sure if this really pertains to the actors and the portrayal of their character, but the majority of the characters in the film seemed to be very muted in their expression of opinion and emotions except for that of the character of Himmelstoss, who came off as more of a caricature. Although Richard Thomas does a decent enough job at giving his character some depth in his portrayal, such as the scene when Paul is left with only the company of a French soldier who is half alive because of previously being stabbed by Paul, this seems to serve as the only real look that we get at his inner turmoil. The direction in which the director has taken also seems somewhat stinted and drawn out. The issues pertaining to the war are addressed, but when being addressed are either paid extreme attention, or none at all. An example of the latter would be when Paul’s fellow soldier joins him in the hospital after having had his leg amputated. The film focuses on this plot development for such a drawn out amount, that the significance of it is somewhat lost. In contrast, there is a scene where Paul is witness to a fellow soldier suffering from the effects of mustard gas, and he seems like he is hardly affected by this brief occurrence, which is never mentioned again. From what I can tell the script was well written in accordance to the situation, and the narrations by Paul served to further the story rather then hinder it. Although at times the dialogue seemed somewhat lacking, I feel that during such situations dialogue would realistically be lacking. Considering that All Quiet on the Western front is a made for TV movie from the late 70’s, I can’t really get to into it’s technical quality. There were a few things though that I thought could have been improved in that area. One of which was the overall editing of the film. As I have said before, there were some seems that didn’t serve to further the movie at all, and some that were extended to a point of boredom. An example of such an instance were many of the battle scenes, which just seemed to drag on. The battle scenes also exhibited another flaw in the technical aspect of the movie, which was the exclusion of actual blood from the battle scenes. The lack of blood when it came to the battle scenes gave the film more of a contrived feel. The view that was afforded during the battle scenes was not the best either, the camera having a tendency to shy away when anything too gruesome, such as a bomb going off would occur. In this respect though it did allow the quality of sound affects to prevail, providing our imagination with at least some sense of the battlefield. As film overall, the film paints a picture and concludes in a way that stresses and conveys the director and writer’s point: The needless innocence was lost in a war that could have very well been avoided. Although the scenes tend to drag on in certain points, everything of importance is included in the film, which is better then leaving too many things out. The character in the film effectively play the role of the soldier, but can be lacking in certain parts, which leaves me confused as to if this is purposeful or not. The film could have shown more of the gory effects of war to really convey the severity of it to the audience, and could have delved deeper into it’s effects on the characters rather then pointlessly dragging on. But overall these things do not discourage the film from conveying it’s overall point, and the generally plot is one that is fresh and surprisingly enlightening.