egyptian pyramids essays

egyptian pyramids essays When most people mention Ancient Egypt the first thing that comes to mind is the Pyramids. To construct such monuments required a mastery of art, architecture and social organization that few cultures would ever rival. The pyramids are said to have built Egypt by being the force that knit together the kingdom's economy. Their creations were so substantial, that the sight of these vast pyramids would take your breath away. Today, the valley of the Nile has an open air museum so people can witness these grand monuments. Obsessed with the afterlife, Egypt's rulers of 4,500 years ago glorified themselves in stone, thereby laying the foundation of the first great nation-state. A Pyramid is an enormous machine that helps the king go through the wall of the dead, achieve resurrection and live forever in the happiness of the gods. The start of the Old Kingdom is said to be the building of the Djoser's monument. The construction of Step Pyramid of Pharaoh Djoser began around 2630 B.C. and was designed to awe the ancient Egyptians, to impress them with their rule's godlike strength. It was the world's first great construction project; indeed, it was the world's largest building. Djoser, the second king of the 3rd dynasty, hired an architect called Imhoptep who for the first time constructed a tomb completely of stone. Imhoptep is considered the preeminent genius of the Old Kingdom. He assembled one workforce to quarry limestone at the cliff of Tura, across the Nile, another to haul the stone to the site where master carvers shaped each block and put it in place. The Step Pyramid is a terraced structure rising in six unequal stages to a height of 60 meters, its base measuring 120 meters by 108 meters. The substructure has a system of underground corridors and rooms. Its main feature being a central sha...

the federalist numbers 1051 essays

the federalist numbers 1051 essays The Federalist, No. 10, by James Madison is a clear expression of views and policies for a new government. Madison was a strong supporter and member of the Federalists whose main beliefs favored the Constitution. They also believed that the Articles of Confederation needed to be rewritten so that a new central government would control the power of the states. Madison differentiates between a Democracy and a Republic and later on decides on a Republic as his choice of government. A Republic is a type of government run by representatives who are elected by its citizens. Madison states that however small the Republic may be, the Representatives must be raised to a certain number in order to guard against the cabals of a few; and that however large it may be, they must be limited to a certain number, in order to guard against the confusion of a multitude. This means that the Republic should have a certain number of representatives large enough to overpower any outsiders, but not too many where-as nothing could be accomplished due to disagreement. Madison speaks of the problems of the present attempts at a new government saying our governments are too unstable, that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice, and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and over-bearing majority. The crucial issue of Madisons time was the right of the people. The people should be involved in their government, and know about how their government can work with them. Madisons, The Federalist, No. 51 discusses separation of powers in the government and more of the Republican system of government. Madison says outright that we see it particularly displayed in all the subordinate distributions of power, where the constant aim is to ...

Examining the literary devices used in the novels Homage to Catalonia, Essay

Examining the literary devices used in the novels Homage to Catalonia, For Whom The Bell Tolls, and As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning to portray the Spanish Civil War - Essay Example One of the most important elements about these accounts of the civil war period in Spain is the fact that every author has approached and treated the civil war experience in his particular style. Thus, one gets three beautiful accounts of the same background in the subtlest manner, and a reflective analysis of the works proves the individual narrative techniques of every writer as most distinct. The authors of these literary pieces employ different literary devices in their works such as adjectives, hyperbolic language, use of allusion, etc and each of these devices has immense significance as the authors depend greatly on these in narrating their experiences of the civil war. The contrasting methods of the writers find most valuable in an understanding the different accounts of the experiences in the Spanish Civil War, and the authors have been effective in portraying the picture of the civil war. This paper makes a comparative analysis of the accounts of the civil war experiences b y the three authors Orwell, Hemingway, and Lee, focusing on their use of different literary devices to portray the Spanish Civil War. Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls narrates the story of Robert Jordan, a young American in one of the anti-fascist guerilla groups during the Spanish Civil War. Jordan is proficient in the use of explosives and he undertakes the task of demolishing a bridge in an attack on the city of Segovia. The narrative techniques used by Hemingway have resulted in wide readership. In the narrative, Robert Jordan reflects the author’s own experiences in the Spanish Civil War and the novel develops chiefly through the thoughts and experiences of this character. The narrator is an American who passes through distinctive experience in Spain and he combats the fascist forces in his own specific ways. The novel attracts many readers as the specific narrative

Case Study 10.1 - Project Scheduling at Blanque Cheque Construction - 1

10.1 - Project Scheduling at Blanque Cheque Construction - Case Study Example A project manager may make use of the below approaches to estimate how long a project will last, rather than basing it on how long he is pressured to make it last. The expert opinion uses the consensus method to arrive at an estimate. The project manager will engage the services of at least three experts who have an understanding of the type of project to be undertaken or have managed similar projects before (Kerzner 6). After a briefing by the project manager on the project requirements, the experts discuss it among themselves and each submits their own separate estimates according to their understanding. Each produces a task list containing effort estimates for each task. The project manager then hands back a list of the estimates to the experts without revealing to which one of them each belongs. He asks the experts to consider the risks and estimates of the others’ results and recalculate their work. The experts then discuss the project to determine if any assumptions or issues have changed after the last discussion. After studying the combined estimates, the experts revise their estimates and submit the results independently again. If the discrepancies are still not practical, the project manager hands the results back again, or invites more experts. The aim is to make the difference between the lowest and the highest estimates as low as possible. The cycle may be repeated severally until most of the results are in or close to agreement. Once in agreement, an average of the experts’ estimates is used as the project duration. However, rather than spending much time on the estimation procedure, the project manager may use the results of several experts in the early stages. For example, if three experts determined the estimate as 2000 hours and one estimated at 4000 hours, he may need to ignore the overestimated duration but with the knowledge that he bears the risk of the duration accepted actually doubling. Past history is one of

Contribution of Digital Projections for Approaching Mise En Scene in Contemporary Theatre Performance Essay Example for Free

Contribution of Digital Projections for Approaching Mise En Scene in Contemporary Theatre Performance Essay In this research paper I’m going to describe about theater production technology which it is using digital production and how it is saturate to the mise en scene. Cinematic theater is term of using digital projection in contemporary theatre. That can be briefly described as a fusion of live performance and the magic of the big screen. By utilizing the best dramatic devices that each art form has to covey a story and entertain an audience; the possibilities to create interesting narratives and stage dynamics through the synergy of stage and cinematic design is exciting. Cinematic theatre is a contemporary style of drama that revolves around using pre-edited and live vision sequences to be projected onto screens and surfaces. These sequences are then integrated with the live performance to create dramatic meaning that interacts with the dramatic action on stage. The integrated use of projection during scenes and scene changes allows the stage action to become continuous, therefore creating a suspension of disbelief that engages the audience. In the ever increasing technological environment, more and more information and storytelling is being brought to us through visual images and screens; contemporary audiences are able to read layered visual texts. In developing a creative rationale for the utilization of cinematic sequences in live performance you have to consider various factors; how to use the projected vision without overwhelming the stage performance, creating a theatrical and visual design that enhances the dramatic meaning and the narrative choice between screen and stage action. To guide the creation and production of new work we have developed a description of the elements of cinematic integration for live performance. To accompany the Cinematic Theatre style they have devised a comprehensive creative rationale that we teach to educators and students using the conventions and elements that we utilize to produce visual performance work. Primary Conventions: The basic principle of Cinematic Theatre is to create a continual experience by using visual sequences projected onto screens or surfaces, in conjunction with set design and lives performance to create different dramatic spaces. The cinematic design should be active throughout the performance, to achieve this there are two primary conventions that are used to integrate the stage with the Visual design: Cinematic Backdrop is the live visual environment that works together with live scenes on stage to create a dynamic visual design to enhance the dramatic action. There number of ways to utilize the live backdrop: Cinematic Transitions are the visual sequences between the live stage scenes that allow the performance to continue during scene changes keeping the audience engaged. These transitions work very well with music and the use of popular songs to accompany these cinematic sequences to add meaning and action, especially if the music chosen is representative of the narrative. Visual Conventions: In producing a Cinematic Theatre production there are number visual conventions that can be utilized to create a genuinely integrated performance. Style Elements: When conceptualizing the visual component of a cinematic theatre performance it is important to address the overall style with reference to the script/ narrative/ context. In below describe technologies, which is using for the cinematic theatre. Screens and Surfaces: Traditionally projection has been used on one screen directly behind the stage action, much like a movie screen. With more mobile projectors and screens it is possible to think of new ways to place and project images. A number of screens can be used to create different effects, in What Simon Said? there rear projected screens were used to create the walls of the character’s room as the cinematic background. We envisage being able to create large-scale immersive environments to create distant horizons, urban architecture or multiple images. Stage design allowing the utilization of projected images on surfaces can create a dynamic canvas on which to apply vision. The applications are only limited by your imagination and ability to position the projector. Some examples include: a window space to see outside, a mirror to show symbolic representations of character, floor space to create a pool of water, smoke, curtains etc. Lighting design: It is important when incorporating video into live performance that you consider the effect of lights on the screen surface. One difficulty in setting lights is that they can significantly degrade the brightness and colour of the screen images if there is light either directly hitting or bouncing from the floor onto the screen. One solution is to set the screen up from the floor and placing some blocks/staging in front to block some of the bouncing light. When considering colour gels it is imperative to consider colours used in the screen images and try to match them as well as possible to give a blended effect. Mise-en-scà ¨ne Mise-en-scà ¨ne is a French term and originates in the theater. It means, literally, put in the scene. For film, it has a broader meaning, and refers to almost everything that goes into the composition of the shot, including the composition itself: framing, movement of the camera and characters, lighting, set design and gen earl visual environment, even sound as it helps elaborate the composition. Mise-en-scà ¨ne can be defined as the articulation of cinematic space, and it is precisely space that it is about. Cutting is about time; the shot is about what occurs in a defined area of space, bordered by the frame of the movie screen and determined by what the camera has been made to record. That space, the mise-en-scà ¨ne, can be unique, closed off by the frame, or open, providing the illusion of more space around it. Four aspects of mise-en-scene, which overlap the physical art of the theatre, are setting, costume, lighting and movement of figures. Control of these elements provides the director an opportunity to stage events. Using these elements, the film director stages the event for the camera to provide his audience with vivid, sharp memories. Directors and film scholars alike recognize mise-en-scene as an essential part of the director’s creative art. Conclusion In this research I’m trying to explain ‘contribution of digital projections for approaching mise en scene in contemporary theatre performance.’ In the first part I briefly explain what is ‘Digital projections’, ‘mise en scene’ and ‘contemporary theatre performance’. Mise en scene is French term and it generally use for film appreciation or film criticism. But previously this term use for critic theatre productions. Actual meaning of mise en sence is ‘put in the Frame’. Frame is basically explained in both film and theatre. So I think using term of mise en sence is possible in theatre productions. For creating theatre sets, props and space generally using hard materials. But in this art form those things create by digital projections. This is major development of the contemporary theatre productions. Further more I’m explaining advantages and disadvantages of usage digital projection in this art form. Finally I’m talking about choreographers who use this art form successfully and showing few videos. Basically this is new art form. It is impossible to compare with other theatre performance, which is not using digital projections. Choreographers day by day create new art pieces using projections. So I think this is major occasion of digital media use in society.

Cross-Dressing in Shakespeares Twelfth Night and As You Like It Essay

Cross-Dressing in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and As You Like It In Shakespeare's plays Twelfth Night and As You Like It both of the lead female characters dress as men. Both plays are comedies and the change in gender is used as a joke, but I think it goes much deeper. A woman can become a man, but only if it is not permanent. The affect of the change cannot be too great because she must change back to female once everything is settled. They are strong female characters, but must become men to protect themselves and ultimately solve the problem of the play. In the book Desire and Anxiety: The Circulation of Sexuality in Shakespearian Drama Valerie Traub calls the characters, "the crossed-dressed heroine who elicits and enjoys multiple erotic investments" (Traub 17). They can only acts this way when they are dressed as men. They return to their passive and nonsexual ways when they change back to women's clothing. In both plays the women are not in their own lands, Viola being shipwrecked on a strange land and Rosalind being banished from the cour t and wandering in the forest. Both women disguise themselves as men for protection. On the way to the forest Celia says to Rosalind, â€Å"Now go we in content/ To liberty and not to banishment† (1.3.137-138). Liberty in this line is the freedom they get overcoming the restrictions of a female role (Erikson 22). Dressing as a man is the way the women protect themselves, but as the plays progress the roles they play as men begin to influencing their actions and attitudes. The definition of a man by what he wears is so strong that in Twelfth Night Orsino still refers to Viola as her male name Cersario even after he learns she is a woman and decides to marry her. "Cersario, come/ F... ...e roles are right. Men are manly taking care of their women by marrying them and women are in their correct roles under their husbands. Works Cited Erickson, Peter. Patriarchal Structures in Shakespeare’s Drama. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1985. Greenblatt, Stephen general ed. Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, and Katharine Eiasman Maus eds. The Norton Shakespeare. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1997. Orgel, Stephen. Impersonations: The Performance of Gender In Shakespeare’s England. Cambridge: University Press, 1996. Traub, Valerie. Desire and Anxiety: Circulation of Sexuality in Shakespearean Drama. London: Routledge, 1992. Notes: More of the definition of a female’s role in Shakespearean England can be found at http://drama.pepperdine.edu/shakespeare/romeoandjuliette in the essay Female Sovereignty in Renaissance England.

Discuss the importance of dreams in Of Mice and Men Essay

Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men is set in America in the 1930s. This was a time and a place where some people were discriminated against because of their lifestyle. The fundamental cause of this was a hierarchy that existed within American civilisation. The rich and the powerful were given a place in society whereas the working class were outcasts. Of Mice and Men is a novella of outcasts. Steinbeck explores how discrimination dominates the lives of these outcasts: racial discrimination against Crooks, age discrimination against Candy, gender discrimination against Curley’s wife and discrimination against Lennie because of his mental disability. The similarity between all the outcasts is that they all dream of an existence where they are not the victims of discrimination, and this dream is their sole motivation in life. Their dream is the American Dream. Through these outcasts, Steinbeck details everything that was morally wrong with 1930s America. The reason for this was the instability of the 1930s American economy; the Wall Street crash in 1929 being one example. The result of this was a high level of unemployment, and it was these people who were the outcasts. 1930s America rejects Lennie because of his mental ineptitude. George protects Lennie from the victimisation he would have to endure, if he were to face 1930s America on his own. George also helps Lennie find a job as he is hopeless on his own, â€Å"If he finds out what a crazy bastard you are, we won’t get no job.† There are two aspects George’s speech that would suggest he is trying to protect Lennie. Firstly the normality of his tone; he is not shouting and therefore Lennie would not feel that there is anything wrong with him. Secondly what George is actually saying; he is giving Lennie advice on how to avoid being victimised. Both Lennie and George have the same dream, but for different reasons. Lennie dreams of having his own bit of land so he can tend rabbits; he is not trying to escape discrimination because he does not understand the concept of it. George, on the other hand, wants to escape discrimination. He wants to live without worrying about Lennie’s every move. He wants Lennie to be safe. It is plainly apparent that Lennie and George’s dream is their only incentive in life; all their efforts are aimed at earning enough money to buy their own bit of land. It is made even more apparent to the reader at the end of the book that their dream is their only incentive in life, â€Å"Come on George. Me an’ you’ll go in an’ get a drink.† Lennie is dead and suddenly the dream is no longer achievable. The reader immediately sees how George’s incentive to save money goes; he is going to go for a drink with Slim where he will likely squander every cent he has. There is evidence to suggest that George never really thought they would ever achieve their dream, â€Å"I think I knowed from the very first. I think I knowed we’d never do her. He usta like to hear about it so much I got to thinking maybe we would† He had talked about the dream so many times to Lennie, he started to believe it could come true even though he knew, inside, that it would not. Crooks is rejected because he is a Negro. Racism was rife in 1930s America and Negros were the unwanted surplus of American society. Steinbeck shows the reader how Crooks has adapted to protect himself from hurt. Unlike other characters, Crooks considers what can go wrong first before he starts to believe a dream can come true, â€Å"I see hundreds of men come by on the road an’ on the ranches with their bindles in their back an’ that same damn thing in their heads† Crooks has been hurt in the past. He knows the realities of life in 1930s America. The result of not having a dream reflects in the way in which he lives his life. Unlike Lennie, George, Candy and Curley’s wife, Crooks has no incentive in life. Crooks is content to stay in his lodging away from the rest of the world. Although he is not progressing in life; he is not digressing. But given the opportunity he also clings on to Lennie, George and Candy’s dream. This shows that although he does not dream, he has longings and desires. Steinbeck reveals this through use of nostalgic language, in Crooks’ desire to re-experience the feeling of equality he felt when he was a child, â€Å"The white kids came to play at our place, an’ sometimes I went to play with them.† Crooks dreams of equality, this is evident in the books he reads; in particular the Californian Civil Code. He longs for a civilisation where he can be treated equally. For Crooks, his desire for equality dominates his life as dreams dominate the lives of the other outcasts. Candy is discriminated against because he is old and useless. In an environment where respect is earned through physical competence, Candy has no respect from his fellow ranch workers. However, the most painful thing for Candy is the feeling of not belonging and lack of purpose. He has these feelings because he is old and has lived most of his life; he has left no mark on the world. Other workers, younger workers, like Whit, have dreams of making a mark on the world as Candy probably had when he was younger. Whit displays admiration for a former ranch worker he reads about in a magazine who has had a letter published in that magazine. Whit dreams of making a mark on the world and has not even considered the misery that will overcome him if he does not. Steinbeck uses juxtaposition to illustrate to the reader how little respect Candy receives from his fellow workers. Candy could not kill his dog; he is his only companion and he has owned and loved him for years, â€Å"No, I couldn’t do that. I had ‘im for too long.† Candy desperately wants to save his dog here, but the other workers at the ranch do not respect him enough to comply with his wishes. The contrast between Candy’s desperation and the other worker’s casual dismissal of this desperation highlights how little respect Candy receives from his fellow workers. For this reason Candy quickly catches on to Lennie and George’s dream. He has money in the bank, as a result of his compensation for his lost hand, and feels that the dream can come true with their money combined. His dream is his incentive in life; he carries on with his insignificant swamping at the ranch because it is the only thing he can do. If George, Lennie and Candy can somehow make this dream maintainable he can live the rest of his life happily. As a woman Curley’s wife is isolated as women were not equal to men in 1930s America. She is deprived of many things men have: companionship, power and acknowledgement. She dreams of having all these things. But she differs from the other outcasts because she has no hope of achieving her dream. What she believed to be her only shot at achieving her dream has gone. Furthermore she is trapped in a marriage with a callous man who she despises. In fact if it were up to her husband she would remain indoors all day. The men do not like her because they see her as a ‘tart’ and a threat. She could get them ‘canned’, â€Å"I never seen no piece of jail bait worse than her.† George discriminates against her because she is a woman. He makes the assumption that any woman in a male lodging is trouble. Through George’s damning reaction to Curley’s wife Steinbeck shows the reader how she will never achieve her dream. She has no power because she is a woman. She only has power over Crooks because he is a Negro, â€Å"You know what I can do if you open your trap?† Steinbeck’s presentation of the situation would suggest she is using Crooks as a scapegoat to disburse her frustrations. And she is indeed because Crooks is trying to defend his room from what he sees as an invasion of his territory, â€Å"You got no rights comin’ in a colored man’s room.† Curley’s wife may have been scornful, but Crooks was equally insensitive to her. She is never acknowledged, her true name is not mentioned, and therefore Crooks’ comment made her turn on him like a whiplash because he is the only one on the ranch over whom she has any power or authority. It is ironic how the death of the forgotten outcast brings about the end of all the other outcasts’ dreams. To conclude, dreams are important in the novella because they are the only thing the outcasts can cling on to. They are discriminated against to the extent that they cannot achieve success; they are doomed to failure. Even their dreams, the only means by which they can escape the monotony of 1930s America, are destroyed by their compromised circumstances. Steinbeck shows the reader how important dreams are for the poor. Only the poor that have a dream can live their lives with their dream as an incentive. Steinbeck sums up the injustice of 1930s America at the end of the novella. Curley’s dream of killing Lennie comes true, it is an evil dream and it is the only one in the novella that comes true; the dream of one man with a little power and authority over the dreams of all the poor. (Although Crooks’ dream of equality does become true it is a long time after the novella is written, and he does not experience this so it can be said that his dream did not come true) Through the dreams of the poor Steinbeck conveys many things that were wrong with 1930s America.