John Milton Essays (3664 words) - Abrahamic Mythology, Heaven, Hell

John Milton Paradise Lost is an epic - poem based on the Biblical story of Adam end Eve. It attempts to justify and explain how we came to be what we are today. The central question to Paradise Lost is where does evil comes from? Throughout the poem we receive information about the origin of evil. At the beginning of John Milton's work we are given the Biblical explanation, of Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge and being expelled from the Garden of Eden. This was man's first disobedience, which brought him mortality, and at the same time this first act gave source to all evil. This was the effect of ambition. Adam end Eve both ate the apple from the tree in order to achieve a level of knowledge compatible to God's. The same way according to Paradise Lost, Satan is also known to be the source of evil. Satan was sent to Hell as cause of ambition. For the second time ambition and the desire to become more powerful or knowledgeable, was the basis of evil. Satan challenged God, and was co ndemned to evil. The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. Hell is clearly a state of mind. According to the non-physical aspects of Hell described at the end of the poem, one can conclude even from the quote mentioned above, that Hell is what we think of it to be. Can the human exploration for answers, ambition for knowledge, and curiosity reach a level that then threatens humans themselves? The answer to this question is YES! If we examine subjects such as human cloning, nuclear weapons and medicine there may be different responses. My personal feeling is that anything that alters, or changes life itself, in exception to medicine, is not to be studied nor developed. We humans are curious, and this is simply innate. We will continue to ask questions and explore even outside of our world. I believe we humans, do not have the power to create nor destroy life, by any other means than normal sexual creation and accidental death. I feel medici nes are a positive element and part of our lives because medicine does not threaten the lives of others, unlike nuclear weapons and cloning. Furthermore medicines ameliorate our lifestyles. Does nuclear destruction and radiation do the same? aradise Lost is one of the finest examples of the epic tradition in all of literature. In composing this extraordinary work, John Milton was, for the most part, following in the manner of epic poets of past centuries: Barbara Lewalski notes that Paradise Lost is an epic whose closest structural affinities are to Virgil's Aeneid . . . ; she continues, however, to state that we now recognize as well the influence of epic traditions and the presence of epic features other than Virgilian. Among the poem's Homeric elements are its Iliadic subject, the death and woe resulting from an act of disobedience; the portrayal of Satan as an Archillean hero motivated by a sense of injured merit and also as an Odyssean hero of wiles and craft; the description of Satan's perilous Odyssey to find a new homeland; and the battle scenes in heaven. . . . The poem also incorporates a Hesiodic gigantomachy; numerous Ovidian metamorphoses; an Ariostan Paradise of Fools; [and] Spenserian allegorical figures (Sin and Death) . . . . (3) There were changes, however, as John M. Steadman makes clear: The regularity with which Milton frequently conforms to principles of epic structure make his occasional (but nevertheless fundamental) variations on the epic tradition all the more striking by contrast. The most important departures from epic decorum--the rejection of a martial theme, and the choice of an argument that emphasizes the hero's transgression and defeat instead of celebrating his virtues and triumphs--are paradoxically conditioned by concern for the ethical and religious decorum of the epic genre. On the whole, Milton has retained the formal motifs and devices of the heroic poem but has invested them with Christian matter and meaning. In this sense his epic is . . . something of a pseudomorph--retaining the form of classical epic but replacing

Middle Ages Weddings and Hygiene

Middle Ages Weddings and Hygiene A popular email hoax has spread all sorts of misinformation about the Middle Ages and The Bad Old Days. Here we address medieval weddings and bride hygiene. From the Hoax Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to smell so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married. The Facts In the agricultural communities of medieval England, the most popular months for weddings were January, November, and October,1 when the harvest was past and the time for planting had not yet arrived. Late autumn and winter were also when animals were usually slaughtered for food, so freshly butchered beef, pork, mutton, and similar meats would be available for the wedding feast, which often coincided with annual festivals. Summer weddings, which might also coincide with annual festivals, enjoyed some popularity, as well. June was indeed a good time to take advantage of good weather and the arrival of new crops for a wedding festival, as well as fresh flowers for the ceremony and celebrations. The use of flowers in wedding ceremonies goes back to ancient times.2 Depending on the culture, flowers have numerous symbolic meanings, some of the most significant being loyalty, purity, and love. In the late fifteenth century, roses were popular in medieval Europe for their connection to romantic love and were used in many ceremonies, including weddings. As for yearly baths, the idea that medieval people rarely bathed is a ​persistent but false one. Most people washed on a regular basis. Going without washing was considered a penance even in the early Middle Ages. Soap, possibly invented by the Gauls sometime before Christ, was in widespread use throughout Europe by the end of the ninth century and made its first appearance in cake form in the twelfth century. Public bathhouses were not uncommon, although their ostensible purpose was often secondary to their clandestine use by prostitutes.3 In short, there were numerous opportunities for medieval people to cleanse their bodies. Thus, the prospect of going a full month without washing, and then appearing at her wedding with a bouquet of flowers to hide her stench, is not something a medieval bride was likely to consider any more than a modern bride would. Notes Hanawalt, Barbara, The Ties that Bound: Peasant Families in Medieval England (Oxford University Press, 1986), p. 176.garland  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica [Accessed April 9, 2002; verified June 26, 2015.]Rossiaud, Jacques, and Cochrane, Lydia G. (translator), Medieval Prostitution (Basil Blackwell Ltd., 1988), p. 6.

Managing involvement and participation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing involvement and participation - Essay Example In the 1990s, worker motivation, productivity and the like became priority issues.3 In fact, raising productivity is a key government objective in the United Kingdom.4 Do employee involvement and participation initiatives contribute to increased employee motivation, productivity and retention? There are differences between these two subjects, 5 but they are not entirely distinct from each other .Employee involvement is â€Å"a range of processes designed to engage the support, understanding and optimum contribution of all employees in an organization and their commitment to its objectives.† Employee participation, on the other hand, is â€Å"a process of employee involvement designed to provide employees with the opportunity to influence and where appropriate, take part in decision making on matters which affect them.† Both of these definitions are those of the Institute of Personnel Development.6 In terms of engaged work, therefore, participation is more extensive than involvement. This paper looks into employee participation and involvement individually, discussing the concepts in relation to motivation, productivity and retention, and finally integrates them in a conclusion. Motivation, productivity and retention, however, will not necessarily be presented as a cluster every time a relationship is made with employee participation and employee involvement. In like manner, from the other end, organisational performance as a construct may point to the dimension of productivity, hence suggesting motivation and possibly even retention when related to employee participation and employee involvement. Participation may refer to ‘influence in decision-making exerted through a process of interaction between workers and managers.’7 But variations are possible in the degree or depth of participation, the range or scope of decisions subject to participation, the form that participation structures might take, the

Aging in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aging in America - Essay Example Guided by the welfare initiative under the Supreme Court's Olmstead Decision in 1999, and a New Freedom Initiative (NFI) in 2001, all American States are expected are modify their respective long term care (LTC) policies to provide comprehensive health care services dedicated to the needs of older Americans. This framework is expected to reform the following areas to increase well being of older Americans:Using the Systems Change Framework as a guide, this paper examines reform in the State of Oregon and how reform efforts have affected them. In Oregon, LTC services are administered on a local level, so as to increase the number of options available to seniors citizens.About 7% of Oregon's population are less than 5 years old, 25% under 18, and 13% are 65 or older. Women constitute 51% of the population. Of these, most settlers originally came from Europe. Others like Mexican Americans, Hispanics, Asians form a large part. The Asian community forms slightly less than 5% of the popula tion.Program information was obtained through interviews with people over 65 years of age, health care professionals and health service providers about each of the four component areas of the LTC Systems and Change Framework. Interviewees provided details regarding the impact of services across available services, satisfaction with services, and future plans for reforms.Unrelated to governmental policy changes though, a technical experts meeting held during April 2000 had underscored the fact that the issue of older population is currently under-addressed, is poorly understood and widely unrecognized. It said that not many organizations are taking into account the comprehensive health issues, medical systems and reimbursement, environmental issues, and education that are necessary to help older Americans live better. To utilize available funds effectively, resources must be tailored to the needs of the aged. The 25% of the population who are over age 50 today control 70% of the total net worth of U.S. households and are seasoned consumers (Dychtwald 1990). Baby Boomers, already in there 60s, are already pushing the market to produce goods and services that are relevant to their needs. They do not like to be thought of as old. Many of these goods and services will increasingly be health-related such as gyms, ski slopes, and dating services for older adults. Since they have resources to spend, the market will respond to meet their demands. To meet the needs of the elders, the government has framed Older Americans Act (OAA). The OAA aids state agencies to cover their social service needs. All people over age 60 are eligible, regardless of need or income. Further the State Units on Aging establish local Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) to develop and administer service plans within local areas. These provide referral services, case management, transportation, home services, day care, nutritional information, community meals, legal services, senior centers, employment programs, and protective services. Access is the most important concept to remember when planning services for the aged. They will try to avoid services that they perceive are inappropriate, too expensive, or

The Medea by Euripides and The Aeneid by Virgil Essay Example for Free

The Medea by Euripides and The Aeneid by Virgil Essay In The Medea by Euripides and The Aeneid by Virgil the characters of Medea and Dido respond to desertion by their husbands, the individual they love most, in the form of a quarrel. Both characters go on to attempt to alleviate their pain via revenge. Their judgments and actions are impaired by each womans great eros and amor. Euripides and Virgil illustrate their vision of passion and love through the effects of Medea and Didos actions under the influence of these emotions. Both women could choose a healthier course for their pain by thinking rationally. Ultimately what matters is Medea is permitted to be distressed because she truly is abandoned by her husband, while Dido, on the other hand, is betrayed and destroyed by a lover she cons herself into believing is her husband. In response to the abandonment of their lovers, both Medea and Dido quarrel with their husband in an effort to sway him into altering his resolution. Medea attempts to make Jason leave his new bride and come back to her while Dido tries to influence Aeneas into staying with her. Each woman vents by launching their monologue with an introduction of insults. Although Medea straight forwardly calls Jason a coward in every way, Dido is more controlled and implies that Aeneas attempts to slip away in silence (Euripides, 465) (Virgil, IV.419). Throughout the remainder of the speeches, they attempt to get the men to bend to their wishes. The women use logic. Medea reminds Jason of the shame he will face as a result of having children wandering as beggars. Dido informs Aeneas of the bad weather he will encounter if he leaves now. Both women remind their lover of all they have sacrificed for him and everything they have not asked for in return. Medeas raging comments continue on about the broken marriage oath. Like Medea, Dido tries to force Aeneas to remain by her side because of the marriage that [they] entered on (Virgil, IV.432). Medea and Dido seem to end their side of the argument with final jabs at manhood of their husbands, but in her last breath, Dido asks for pity on her utterly bereft self (Virgil, IV.454). In the course of her speech Medea is seen as a very angry, vengeful woman while Dido is seen as desolate and pitiful. Both women, however, only want to be with the man they love. As a result of the abandonment of their husbands, both Medea and Dido hope  to quench their furor through revenge. Medea satisfies her thirst by killing four innocent victimsthose closest to Jason. Conversely, Dido constructs a funeral pyre that is a reconstruction of her life with Aeneas and throws herself upon it. Medea seeks revenge on others with the intention of mak[ing Jason] feel pain (Euripides, 1398). In hopes to extinguish her furor through her own demise, Dido stabs herself twice in the chest with the sword she gave to Aeneas; this way she says is a blessed relief to go into the undergloom (Virgil, IV.1048). Medeas rage ends with the satisfaction of innocent lives lost. Dido feels compelled to satisfy herself even further by hoping Aeneas painfully views the funeral pyre from his ship and by cursing Aeneas as well as her own people and all the children of their children (Virgil, IV.875). Ultimately, both women succeed in dousing the burning fury within. It is important to follow the paths these women select to satisfy their hurt because these paths are the result of both women allowing their eros and amor to cloud theirr judgment and influence her actions. While Medeas heart [is] on fire with passionate love for Jason and he returns her love, Medeas power and passion were enlisted for his aid (Euripides, 8). Didos love and passion for Aeneas overcome her passion for that of the city she founded. The moment either woman is betrayed, their passionate love for their husbands becomes passionate hate against them. Consequently, this is the motivation for Medeas bad judgment in her quest for revenge. Like Medea, Dido uses very bad judgment and so projects [are] broken off in Carthage (Virgil, IV.124). Both women refocus all of their eros and amor intended for the good of others to a single selfish purpose. Through Medea and Dido, two maddened lovers, both Euripides and Virgil illustrate their outlook on the effects of eros and amor (Virgil, IV.92). Both women allow their heart to rule, which brings trouble for many people. As a result of Medea following the wishes of her heart, she destroys or alienates her entire family. Because Dido uses her violent heart as a compass, Aeneas is almost derailed from his destiny (Euripides, 38). Aeneas is only back in line with destiny and the gods after he leaves to found Rome and begins to navigate with his head. Both Virgil and Euripides prove that  Medea and Dido create chaos as a result of allowing passion, not reason, to rule. Even in the midst of their turmoil it is feasible that Medea and Dido could choose to begin ruling with their minds and not their passion. Medea could kill Jason as a result of his hurtful act and not destroy four innocent people. If Dido truly loves Aeneas, she could risk going with him even if the consequences could be that she continues to be his mistress or that the Trojans tire of her and throw her overboard, as opposed to senselessly committing suicide. Medea could overcome her barbaric culture and allow Jason to live his life while she cares for her children as a loving mother should. Euripides and Virgil leave many options for both Medea and Dido if they can only get past the desires of their hearts and see past them to what is the superior good. Each development of Medea and Dido builds their similarities, but the crucial difference between the two wives in their justification for their actions and emotions is in the very foundation of their relationship with their husbands. Medea is married to Jason. She has gone through a marriage ceremony viewed by many and contested by none. Conversely, as Juno has intended, Dido misinterpreted the events which took place in the cave after the hunt. Virgil says she called it marriage. Thus, under that name, she hid her fault (Virgil, IV.237-238). Medea reacts to her betrayal atrociously. Although she kills the innocents, Euripides justifies the horrendous actions of Medea because she is married to Jason. He has left her for another woman. Because they had no commitment, Dido cannot justify her suicide and curse with the abandonment from a man she has an affair with and chooses to develop this affair into a liaison. Virgil does not specifically condemn Dido, but the tone of her commentary seems to put the blame on her. While Euripides Medea and Virgils Dido have similar reasons, reactions, and motivations, Medea is understood and Dido is just seen as bitter, vindictive, and pathetic.

The Morality of Atheism Essay -- essays research papers

That there is a difference between religion and morality is uncontroversial. How can atheism be interpreted as a moral alternative? Although religion and morality reflect different values, they are deeply tangled for most individuals. In many cases, a person’s moral principles are grounded in religious commitments. In other cases, people find the source of morality outside of religion, such as the inherent value of all human beings. My central claim is that atheism rather than a theologically based value system offers the moral high ground. Theism is defined as the belief in a God or Gods. The term theism is sometimes used to designate the belief in a particular kind of god the personal God of monotheism but, theism signifies the belief in any god or number of Gods. The prefix a means without, so the term, a-theism literally means without theism, or without belief in a God or Gods. Atheism, therefore, is the absence of theistic belief. One who does not believe in the existence of a God or supernatural being is properly designated as an atheist. Atheism is sometimes defined as the belief that there is no God of any kind, or the claim that a God cannot exist. While these are categories of atheism, they do not exhaust the meaning of atheism, and they are somewhat misleading with respect to the basic nature of atheism. Atheism, in its basic form, is not a belief it is the absence of belief. An atheist is not primarily a person who believes that a god does not exist; rather, he does not believe in the existence of a God. What propels people toward atheism is above all a sense of revulsion against the excesses and failures of organized religion. Atheism is ultimately a worldview of fear a fear, often merited, of what might happen if religious maniacs were to take over the world. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good. (Psalms 14.1) This passage captures the essence of how the average religious person views atheism. Atheism is probably the least popular and least understood philosophical position in America today. It is often approached with fear and mistrust, as if one were about to investigate a doctrine that advocates a ... ...imply because it is right, and not because of some ulterior motive. There is no need to create fictions for the purpose of moral motivation and to do what is right because one wants to avoid punishment, whether the punishment take the form of incarceration or eternal damnation. The right thing is for honorable people to act for the sake of a reward, whether that reward is worldly or otherworldly. Moreover, a God who will forgive any and all sins does more to promote wrong acts than any secular philosophy. Atheists can avoid these pitfalls since they typically embrace the principle that virtue is its own reward. However, religion can and does play a meaningful role in many lives. A great number of individuals lead a morally good life precisely because of their religious commitments. A deeply ingrained personal faith can provide one with the strength to face hardship and overcome adversity. Hope thrives for those who believe an in an omniscient and all-powerful God, but God and religion are form a necessity to act righteously. Believers and nonbelievers need to work together to live up to the highest moral standards for society to survive as a whole. The Morality of Atheism Essay -- essays research papers That there is a difference between religion and morality is uncontroversial. How can atheism be interpreted as a moral alternative? Although religion and morality reflect different values, they are deeply tangled for most individuals. In many cases, a person’s moral principles are grounded in religious commitments. In other cases, people find the source of morality outside of religion, such as the inherent value of all human beings. My central claim is that atheism rather than a theologically based value system offers the moral high ground. Theism is defined as the belief in a God or Gods. The term theism is sometimes used to designate the belief in a particular kind of god the personal God of monotheism but, theism signifies the belief in any god or number of Gods. The prefix a means without, so the term, a-theism literally means without theism, or without belief in a God or Gods. Atheism, therefore, is the absence of theistic belief. One who does not believe in the existence of a God or supernatural being is properly designated as an atheist. Atheism is sometimes defined as the belief that there is no God of any kind, or the claim that a God cannot exist. While these are categories of atheism, they do not exhaust the meaning of atheism, and they are somewhat misleading with respect to the basic nature of atheism. Atheism, in its basic form, is not a belief it is the absence of belief. An atheist is not primarily a person who believes that a god does not exist; rather, he does not believe in the existence of a God. What propels people toward atheism is above all a sense of revulsion against the excesses and failures of organized religion. Atheism is ultimately a worldview of fear a fear, often merited, of what might happen if religious maniacs were to take over the world. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none that does good. (Psalms 14.1) This passage captures the essence of how the average religious person views atheism. Atheism is probably the least popular and least understood philosophical position in America today. It is often approached with fear and mistrust, as if one were about to investigate a doctrine that advocates a ... ...imply because it is right, and not because of some ulterior motive. There is no need to create fictions for the purpose of moral motivation and to do what is right because one wants to avoid punishment, whether the punishment take the form of incarceration or eternal damnation. The right thing is for honorable people to act for the sake of a reward, whether that reward is worldly or otherworldly. Moreover, a God who will forgive any and all sins does more to promote wrong acts than any secular philosophy. Atheists can avoid these pitfalls since they typically embrace the principle that virtue is its own reward. However, religion can and does play a meaningful role in many lives. A great number of individuals lead a morally good life precisely because of their religious commitments. A deeply ingrained personal faith can provide one with the strength to face hardship and overcome adversity. Hope thrives for those who believe an in an omniscient and all-powerful God, but God and religion are form a necessity to act righteously. Believers and nonbelievers need to work together to live up to the highest moral standards for society to survive as a whole.

HTTrack Essay

During this week I had the pleasure of using HTTrack. I found that HTTrack is a program that works like an offline browser and allows you to download a World Wide Web site from the internet. The downloaded site can be directed to a local directory, building recursively all directories, getting HTML, images, and other files from the server to your computer. I had HTTrack mirror the site www. certifiedhacker. com and it allowed me to browse the site from link to link, as if I were viewing it online. My local website compared to the actual website was very accurate. The links in the local website function just as well as the links in the actual website. The local websites structure is identical or very near identical to the actual website. As shown in the picture above HTTrack is transferring the data of the acutal site (www. certifiedhacker. com) to the mirrored site in my local directory. This tool can be used to allow an attacker to gather information about a target. When an attacker mirrors a site using HTTrack they will create an exact duplicate of the website which can be used to deceive the users of that website. For example, a hacker can mirror a site and use the mirrored sites login screen or applications to gather information about the website user. The user would enter sensitive data such as passwords, bank account numbers and credit cards, believing that the site is legitimate. All of this information is actually input onto the mirrored site and now the hackers have gathered information about their target.