Gender Transition in Macbeth - Literature Essay Samples

Come you spirit,That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here.Lady MacbethMore so than any other Shakespearean play, Macbeth functions the most vividly as a psychoanalysis of the state of humanitys development of a sense of sexual self. Now, in a time where terms such a transgendered, pansexual, or heteroflexible are integrated into daily conversation as much as articles of political dispute or details of the latest Yankees outing, the play is all the more fascinating because it validates both Shakespeares breadth of genius and our developing notion of what it means to be a sexual human. The play functions in essence as a looking glass for any age into which one might peer to observe the manner in which we have grown or perhaps not grown; it is an honest reflection of society and socio-sexual prescriptions in all of their positive and negative ramifications. The play compels us explicitly to challenge those and implicitly all social prescriptions that limit our humanity because of idea s engendered by imperfect cultural evolution.Specifically, the play is about social pressures and the consequent fissures within sexual identity. Readings of the line quoted above may eventually lead some or even many readers to mistakenly think that it is the desexualization or (perhaps worse) defeminization of Lady Macbeth that leads to her madness, and in anger label Shakespeare a misogynist and a chauvinist pig. Others may read into it as an empowering feminist line, in which Lady Macbeth is rejecting cultures imposed gender on her and the tragedy lies in the fact that her detachment is fatal. Both of these interpretations are wrong2E Macbeth and his wife have their failure in not recognizing the difference between gender-stereotyped emotions and humanitys inherent androgyny. This is difficult to see, especially since such a message is so radical compared to Shakespeares other plays. But even those plays, while supportive of the heteronormative, carry suggestions of a more liber ated view of sexuality. Assertions that Mercutio was Romeos subconsciously spurned lover aside, Shakespeares plays abound with evidence towards his desire to break down cultural gender barriers. There is probably not a single play of his that does involve some character bemoaning what is acceptable behavior for his or her gender; it is the notion of transgendered behavior, however, and not simply anti-establishment tirades that provides the most insight into Shakespeares ideas about gender and the way female and male traits fit together. This is much greater than fleeting pleas by characters for a world free of social obligations that might restrict love (such as in Romeo and Juliet or Alls Well That Ends Well): Shakespeare is not rehashing the age old theme of a womans need to transcend socially shackles but rather exposing and critiquing a society that encourages defeminization to maintain patriarchy. Lady Macbeth becomes accomplice to both the socially subversive witches and the stifling social atmosphere, advancing the anti-life instead of pro-humanity agenda. She rejects what she thinks is her nature, but she is in fact rejecting Nature. This is the tragedy of Macbeth, and the singular cause for this most bloody piece of work.It is clear that Shakespeare embraced the notion of marriage and union; readings of A Winters Tale or Romeo and Juliet reveal the weight the union of a man and a woman carried in his mind. Macbeth suffers no lack of unification imagery; it is the nature of the play, however, to present a topic by showing its perverted side. Early on in the play, we witness the three witches encounter Macbeth and Banquo, but immediately prior to the meeting a telling exchange takes place. The first witch, angry at a sailors wife for not sharing chestnuts, says of the sailor, I will drain him dry as hay. As a succubus, she will prevent the sailor from being a fully able husband by stealing sexual satisfaction from the wife. In a twisted sense, this s exual act gives birth to discord because of its unnaturalness. This looks forward to the murder of Duncan (an unholy act born out of marriage) as well as the estrangement of the marriage itself. The problem with sex with the witches is that they do not embody female characteristics; as Banquo notes, they are bearded and thus forfeit the appellation women. We shall return to the physiological connection with the psychological in a moment, but the main point is that the witches are perverted sexual creatures who reject social norms and relish the subversion and torment of others who are bound to operate within those norms.Note that it is not their transgendered nature that makes witches evil; we have an example of successful meeting of female and male characteristics in the character of Duncan. In speaking to Macbeth, he expresses the intent of displaying feminine characteristics, [m]y plenteous joys / wanton in fullness, seek to hide themselves / In drops of sorrow. Duncan notably d isplays no sense of shame at this act. This should be no surprise; any consideration of his previous comment to Macbeth draws a comparison between Duncan and Mother Nature: I have begun to plant thee, and will labor / To make thee full of growing. There is a juxtaposition of paternal and maternal imagery in Duncans presence, bringing together stereotypical feminine traits such as caring, maternity, and tears as well as stereotypical male traits that include honor, courage, and a warrior spirit. This placement and Duncans obvious nobility and elegance give the sense that a synergy of male and female spirits is not only possible, but beneficial. The more important fact is that it can occur within a single person, separate from the consummation of marriage.It is symbolic, then, that it is Lady Macbeth who designs to kill Duncan. While it is clear that the witches are Duncans spiritual opposite, Lady Macbeths assumes a more immediate and voluntary position. In distancing herself not on ly from femininity but from humanity that forces her into the antithetical position of Duncan. Where he strives to nurture, she seeks to corrupt. Upon reading her husbands letter she notes,[y]et do I fear thy nature; / It is too full o the milk of human kindness. This sentence is doubly damning both for what she says overtly and what she also reveals unconsciously. She reveals that her husband possesses feminine characteristics: his nature is full of milk, a distinctly female fluid. More telling, however, is her conception that there could be too much human kindness; this is referring, after all, to a man who has just returned from a battle in which he unseamd [Macdonwald] from the nave to the chaps, / And fixd his head upon our battlements. But the word that is truly traitorous to her thoughts is the word human. Lady Macbeth has separated humanity from kindness.This failure to negotiate differences is repeated when she plots to murder Duncan. Her famous soliloquy begs to be misin terpreted, but we shall avoid that temptation.Come, you spiritsThat tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,And fill me from the crown to the toe top-fullOf direst cruelty! make thick my blood;Stop up the access and passage to remorse,That no compunctious visitings of natureShake my fell purpose, nor keep peace betweenThe effect and it! Come to my womans breasts,And take my milk for gallLooking at it purely from a physiological perspective makes apparent her mistake; it is impossible to separate ones self from ones body, but she attempts to do so in the vain hope that physiological detachment will equate to psychological detachment from her feminine characteristics. The term unsex is accompanied by the demand to make thick my blood so as to stop of the access and passage to remorse, / That no compunctious visitings of nature. This plea may apply to the stopping of the heart, making one cruel and remorseless (and eventually dead) and immune to attacks of the conscience. Equally likely , however, is the supposition that Lady Macbeth is speaking of the uterus and the vaginal canal; make thick my blood to stop compunctious visits would then refer to menstruation. This would also fit with the physiological development of her thoughts, as she moves on from the primary female genitalia to the secondary by demanding that her breast-milk be turned to gall. These demands, especially when taken with her constant abuse of the thought that what is Natural is weak, make obvious the fact that she is mistakenly distancing herself from her humanity and not her femininity.Continuing this line of thought reveals the truth about Macbeths super-masculinization at Lady Macbeths hands. Macbeth, as we know from Duncan and Lady Macbeth heels, has within him a complement of feminine characteristics. But, in true form to maintain a value of social criticism, Shakespeare has Lady Macbeth attack his masculinity for waffling in his decision to kill Duncan, asking Macbeth if he would live a c oward in thine own esteem. As we know, Lady Macbeth succeeds, but at what is not precisely clear; if it was super-masculinization that she aimed for, why is that inherently evil? We discover that this is not the case, it is instead a defeminization that she succeeds in effecting and thus a separation from Macbeths correct nature. Much like an overzealous gardener, Lady Macbeth deluges Macbeth with masculinity (so much so that he makes a sarcastic remark about it) and drowns his inherent femininity and any chance that they might have had at salvation.In the end, the epicene Macbeth and Lady Macbeth deteriorate into husks of human beings; Macbeth realizes [that he] almost forgot the taste of fears while Lady Macbeth finally kills herself in a final act of dehumanization. It is interesting and tragic, of course, that Macbeth learns to fear again and that Lady Macbeth goes insane: both of these are stereotypically feminine characteristics which they have struggled so mightily to evisc erate. Failure aside, the Macbeths do manage to disrupt society inasmuch as they buck the audiences notions regarding the conventions of masculinity and femininity. Look, Shakespeare is saying, the perversion of sexuality within our culture is capable of destroying nations, families, and couples. Shakespeare is not, however, saying that social incarceration is a death sentence. He is instead speaking into existence the possibility of sexual elevation, wherein his readers would believe in a positive androgyny of feminine and masculine, and thus at least accept if not strive towards it.

The Rationale Behind Rwandan Foreign Policy - 1102 Words

Despite these challenges, it was necessary for me to conduct elite interviews with government policy makers through field research. Intrinsic case study research methodology was the primary instrument in the gathering and interpretation of this thesis. I wanted to study in order to learn, understand and explain the rationale behind Rwandan foreign policy. Rwanda’s horrific history with the inactions of the international community made the case study appear to be very interesting. There are only a handful of modern post-genocide states whose foreign relations is at some level dictated by how the international community responded to the massive human rights violations. For Rwanda, the reaction was minimal during the massacres, but grew†¦show more content†¦This period holds significance in creating an environment of trust between policy makers and me. These early interactions made it significantly easier for me to conduct more targeted interviews during my second resea rch period. Rather than worrying about fraying relationships with interviewees who could stop any future interview, I could fall back on the prior relationship if the interviewee felt irritated about my questions. For example, during an interview with General Joseph Nzabamwita I was able to press him on the subject of a conspiracy against Rwanda. He insisted that there was an international plot of some type conspiring to prevent Rwandan development. When I asked to explain more, he would refuse and instead comment how it was my responsibility to provide validity to Rwanda’s past and current actions. I was able to press General Nzabamwita more on his comments because I did not worry about causing tension and loss my privileges to interview him in the future. The relationship I created with him during the first leg of the field research provided me with a cushion in order to press for answers without fear of repercussions. Examples of this occurred throughout the second period of my field research. After the first period of research finished, I travelled to London in order to collect and review the current literature on Rwandan foreign policy. This in-between field work period focused onShow MoreRelatedAn Analysis and Evaluation of the United Nations Peacekeeping Role in Rwanda2919 Words   |  12 Pages1994 (Shawcross 2000). This systematic killing remains a bitter memory for all who witnessed and survived it. Rwandans killed Rwandans, decimating the Tutsi population of the country and also targeting moderate Hutus. Lamentably the peacekeepers did not prevent the genocide, nor did they stop it once it started. This failure has left deep wounds within Rwandan society, and seriously questioned their relationship with the international community, in particular the UnitedRead MoreAppraisal Techniques of Public Investments and Projects62994 Words   |  252 PagesInvestment Appraisal techniques in its programming of public sector investments. It describes how public sector investments should be assessed at conception or programming stage. The modules introduce the basic concepts behind the appraisal techn iques and their applicability in the Rwandan context. It describes the DCF methodology, the shadow pricing methodology and performance measures and decision criteria, together with financial and economic analysis techniques. By their very nature, public projectsRead MoreUnited Nations Role in Conflict Management in Africa: a Case Study of Darfur11729 Words   |  47 Pagesand international relations among different ethnic groups each of whom is conscious of its origin. In realization of the foregoing, proliferation of diverse ethnicity in different countries of the world has given impetus to understanding the rationale behind the clamour for global peace and security, Therefore, ethnic nationalism and international conflict have been dialectics of irreconcilable opposite. Odewunmi(Ph D) and Olori Patrick identified economic as one of the frequent causes of conflictsRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagescolonies after 1870 as a predictable culmination of the long nineteenth century, which was ushered in by the industrial and political revolutions of the late 1700s. But at the same time, without serious attention to the processes and misguided policies that led to decades of agrarian and industrial depression from the late 1860s to the 1890s, as well as the social tensions and political rivalries that generated and were in turn fed by imperialist expansionism, one cannot begin to comprehend the

Christianity, Islam, And Judaism - 1636 Words

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism All three religions believe and worship the same God but they do it in different ways. Judaism happens to be the oldest religion today but they don’t have an official creed. They aim to teach you about God, the Messiah, human beings, and the universe which makes Jewish beliefs very important to them. But it is important to understand that being Jewish is more of a race and culture than it is a religion. Some Jewish people may have no interest in Judaism. Judaism has some similar beliefs with Islam and Christianity but they are more different then similar. Islam is the second largest religion in the world and they have 1.2 billion adherents. All of the adherents know about the â€Å"five pillars â€Å"of Islam which represent the framework for a responsible and good life. Islamic people believe that they are here on earth as God’s servants to create a moral social order. 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Personal Transferable Skills

Question: Discuss about the Personal Transferable Skills. Answer: Introduction Employment skills are also called Transferable Skills because they can be transferred from one field to another. People develop these skills among themselves in all the areas of their life such as school college sports events once these developed can be transferred to any job, developing these skills helps in getting a push to a career and be successful in the corporate ladder. Personal transferable skills or employable skills are the most essential skills for any employee or candidate seeking a job (Ashcroft, 2012). As Per a research most of the candidates graduating from Colleges are unemployable because they lack the general employability skills (Rarr, 2014) such as communication skills, leadership skills, time task management also team working skills. These skills are developed over time by the candidate in his social setting, college and general upbringing environment various events he participates in and day to day life chores (Skills you need, 2013). An Australian research in the year 2013 Identified 4 main clusters of skills which contribute heavily in career planning and getting a job. The four Clusters are (Bennett, 2014) Communication Skills which involves effective speaking, listening and writing, computing. Problem solving skills which includes decision making and follow through, research about the social and political factors, reworking and applying knowledge. Team work skills includes cooperating with others, handling disputes, managing differences, motivating people etc. Managing and organizing skills includes planning and executing tasks, decentralize authority and responsibility, handling contingencies and ability to work independently. Skill Gap is the major concern which every employer faces, Skill gap may be defined as the difference in the skill which the employer wants and what is available in the person looking for a job. US in 2014 had 4.3million jobs on offer while 9.7 million people were looking for a job thats almost 2 people for 1 job and yet the employers couldnt fill all the position with people of right skills (Shah, 2013). To understand and know what are the major skills that an employer wants two Areas Namely Accounting and Finance IT were taken up with five Job Advertisements of each area analyzed. Job advertisements were taken From Seek.com- Leading Job search portal in Australia. Accounting and Finance Job Advertisements (Seek, 2016) Company Job Responsibilities Educational Qualifications Skills Required Payroll plus Assistant Accountant Balance sheet management Invoicing Tax Audits Preparation of returns Financial reporting CA/CPA qualification 2+Years of experience in same Industry o Self -Motivated o Team Player o Excellent Communication o Data analysis Prosperity advisers Accounting Tax Adviser business restructuring, tax planning and research, benchmarking and cash flow analysis CA qualified with 3+ years experience in a chartered environment. o strong business acumen o Excellent communication o Client handling o Team Leader o Developing network and Strong business ethics QBE Finance Business Partner financial analysis and commentary annual budgeting process Monthly management reporting CA/CPA qualified FPA/ business partnering experience o ability to work to deadlines with excellent time management and organizational skills Excellent communication and inter-personal skills o negotiation ability skills Bentley Findex Internal Auditor audit process, including scheduling and scoping the audit, designing and executing audit tests, drawing appropriate conclusions and drafting audit reports. CA, CPA, CIA or equivalent 3+ years of experience o Strong understanding of business o Excellent written and oral communication o Team and task management skills o Good with deadlines Lloyd Harrington Australia Business Services Manager Client handling training and development strategy MBA -Finance With 2+ years of experience in the same industry o Perfect written and verbal communication skills o Excellent interpersonal skills. o Relationship handling o Team leadership skills Source: Own IT Job Advertisements (Seek ,2016) Company Job Responsibilities Educational Qualifications Skills required Melbourne Water Business Analyst functional and system analysis standard business analysis and process improvement techniques. Business finance/ IT related discipline with 3+ years of relevant experience Extensive experience in Business Analysis negotiation and customer service skills collaborative team player effective interpersonal skills Telstra Senior Business Analyst Establishment of TSS Reporting Framework and development of TSS Tactical Reporting Business, Finance and/or IT related discipline with demonstrated experienced in a similar role. Good Business Acumen Ability to communicate effectively Good written English skills Self-motivated Virtualite Automation Test Analyst Design test scenarios Review business, technical and architectural requirements Design and execute test scripts Experience with Backend API testing: REST, JSON, XML Experience testing iOS and Android mobile apps Good reporting skills Ability to handle team Virtualite Front End Developer Google Analytics and A/Bsplittestimplementations data analysis UI Design Development for Desktop, Mobile apps Experience in UX/UI and digital analytics Knowledge of JavaScript HTML5/CSS3 Time and task management J5 Group Senior Information Security Consultant Review technology objectives and security requirements, deliver security solutions governance and risk guidance internally and externally. Extensive Security Consulting experience minimum 3years - Internal or External understanding of Security Architecture Stakeholder management Team Worker Good negotiation skills Source: Own Findings For all the advertisements analyzed in accounting and finance vertical the major requirement was excellent communication skill, Data analysis skills, Team player, Problem Solving skills and time and task management skills and good negotiation skills. When analyzing the IT vertical job advertisements, the major requirements were communication skills, good understanding of the subject (Technical skills), Ability to handle team, time management skills. In both the verticals it was communication skills which were most important as right from the start we have to have the ability to communicate what we are trying to say. Most of the jobs require reporting to senior officials through presentations, business reports therefore good written and oral communication skills are demanded. Top Five Skills required by the employers (Career studies, 2015) Communication skill Negotiation skills Time management skills Relationship management skills Team player Conclusion Personal transferable skills or employable skills are what determines the success of a person in the corporate ladder. From the above findings, it can be easily concluded that communication skills- oral and written are most demanded by the employers (Smale Fowlie, 2015), there are enough opportunities in the world and the kind of skill gap faced by the employer it wont be difficult for the someone to grab the opportunity if focused well on the top five employability skills. References Ashcroft, L. (2012). Developing competencies, critical analysis and personal transferable skills in future information professionals. Library Review, 53(2), 82-88. https://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00242530410522569 Bennett, R. (2014). Employers' Demands for Personal Transferable Skills in Graduates: a content analysis of 1000 job advertisements and an associated empirical study. Journal Of Vocational Education Training, 54(4), 457-476. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13636820200200209 Career studies,. (2015). 1. Top 10 Transferable Skills. Career Studies GLC2O. Retrieved 30 December 2016, from https://www.careernotes.ca/employability/top-10-employability-skills/ Rarr, V. (2014). 99% of today's graduates are not employable - Vanguard News. Vanguard News. Retrieved 1 January 2017, from https://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/09/99-todays-graduates-employable/ SEEK - Australia's no. 1 jobs, employment, career and recruitment site. (2016). Seek.com.au. Retrieved 30 December 2016, from https://www.seek.com.au/ Shah, S. (2013). The use of group activities in developing personal transferable skills. Innovations In Education And Teaching International, 50(3), 297-307. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2012.760778 Skills you need, (2013). Transferable Skills | SkillsYouNeed. Skillsyouneed.com. Retrieved 1 January 2017, from https://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/transferable-skills.html Smale, B. Fowlie, J. (2015). How to succeed at university (1st ed.). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.