Mythology Zeus and Achilles free essay sample

However, despite all their strength and authority, neither Zeus nor Achilles appears capable of eschewing or defying the omnipresent power that holds more sway than them: fate. Sans doubt, once a human is dealt his hand, there is nothing that he can humanly do in order to prevent his fate. As for the gods, with all their power and independence, they are still undeniably bound by the hands of fate. Fate is a peculiar phenomenon in that it has no limitations, yet it is a fixed occurrence that does not change over time or through the progression of different events that may influence it. Powerful men and gods such as Achilles and Zeus may do as their hearts and minds desire, because there is no one who can stop or defy them. Thus, the role of fate becomes clear, since fate is without desire or mind; its existence is to curb the ridiculous and emotional wishes of powerful beings who cannot be stopped otherwise. We will write a custom essay sample on Mythology: Zeus and Achilles or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Fundamentally, there is no god or man stronger or more powerful than Zeus; he is capable of doing whatever he wants, whenever he pleases. Given this omnipotent ability, all his desires should become immediate manifestations, yet this would only lead to chaos due to the lack of limitations on freedom. There are multiple times during the events of The Iliad that begin with Zeus seriously contemplating using his unlimited power to fulfill his desires yet ultimately ends in his freedom being restricted by fate. In one scene, Patroclus in a blaze of raw magnificence and strength is battling Sarpedon, the son of Zeus. It becomes apparent that the mightier and glory-driven Patroclus will overpower and kill Sarpedon. Zeus is obviously most distressed and sorrowfully states, â€Å"My cruel fate†¦my Sarpedon, the man I love the most, my own son-doomed to die at the hands of Meoetius’ son Patroclus. My heart is torn in two as I try to weigh all this. Shall I pluck him up, now, while he’s still alive and set him down in the rich green land of Lycia, far from the war at Troy and all its tears? † (Iliad 16. 514-520) It is apparent than Zeus could have easily saved Sarpedon in numerous ways, yet he cannot defy the fate of the doomed Sarpedon. In another scene, almost identical to the first, Zeus laments the ill-fate of Hector as he is chased by the vengeful Achilles: â€Å"Unbearable-a man I love, hunted round his own city walls and right before my eyes. My heart grieves for Hector†¦Come, you immortals, think this through. Decide. Either we pluck the man from death and save his life or strike him down at last, here at Achilles’ hands-for all his fighting heart† (Iliad 22. 201-209). Once again, Zeus begins with the desire to save Hector from the enraged Achilles, but he is reminded by Athena of the hand of fate that has been drawn for Hector. In order to remind Zeus of Hector’s fate, Athena protests, â€Å"Father! Lord of the lightning, king of the black cloud, what are you saying? A man, a mere mortal, his doom sealed long ago? † (Iliad 22. 211-214) Upon hearing her objections, Zeus halts his urge to save Hector and realizes that he cannot challenge fate, unless he wants to create total chaos among the gods of Olympus. On the human side, there is the swift runner Achilles who is revered as the greatest warrior amongst the Achaeans. In battle, he is fearless and unmatched; his presence alone sways the very tide of the war. Granted that he is a match for any Trojan soldier and could simply win the war for the Achaeans, his freedom is still restricted by his destiny. When the Achaeans are being routed time and time again by the Trojans, Agamemnon sends an embassy of his finest men in order to persuade Achilles to rejoin the Achaeans in fighting the Trojans. Achilles adamantly refuses the offer and reveals his fate to the embassy: â€Å"Mother tells me, the immortal goddess Thetis with her glistening feet, that two fates bear me on the day of death. If I hold out here and I lay siege to Troy, my journey home is gone, but my glory never dies. If I voyage back to the fatherland I love, my pride, my glory dies†¦true, but the life that’s left me will be long, the stroke of death will not come on me quickly† (Iliad 9. 498-505). Undoubtedly, the prophecy that Achilles receives from his mother weighs heavily upon him. Although he is given the unique opportunity in choosing his fortune, neither option is wholly desirable or undesirable. Consequently, for a large portion f The Iliad, his fickleness with his fates cripples him and renders him paralyzed from being the mighty, unconstrained warrior that he is known and meant to be. Moreover, when the death of his beloved friend Patroclus rouses Achilles to arms, he is deterred by fate from carrying out his impulse to sack the city of Troy. Zeus plots with the other gods to prevent the enraged Achilles from annihilating Troy and rationalizes his decision by stating, â€Å" If Achilles fights the Trojans-unopposed by us-not for a moment will they hold his breakneck force. Even before now they’d shake to see him coming. Now, with his rage inflamed for his friend’s death, I fear he’ll raze the walls against the will of fate† (Iliad 20. 32-36). It is not fated for Achilles to sack the city of Troy; therefore, the gods convened to prevent him from opposing his fate. Moreover, this fate coincides with the original prophecy that his mother told him: if he stayed in Troy and fought, he would gain eternal glory but would die in the battlefields of Troy. In my own opinion, I believe Homer wisely uses the device of fate as a regulator of the limitless power of Zeus and Achilles. Without fate to check their sometimes emotional desires or impulses, the epic of The Iliad would be a ridiculous story that tells of nothing more than the infinite power of two men who do whatever they please and cause chaos in the trail of their emotional whims. Luckily, there is the aspect of fate which adds a sense of organization to the plot. The fact that the two powerful men are constrained by fate does not make them any less powerful, but rather, exemplifies their determination to carry out their desires despite the fate they have been handed. -Paper by LucSilverz

How to Use the Inverted Pyramid in Newswriting

How to Use the Inverted Pyramid in Newswriting Inverted pyramid refers to the structure or model commonly used for hard-news stories. It means that the most important, or heaviest information goes at the top of the story, while the least important information goes at the bottom. Heres an example:  He used the inverted pyramid structure to write his news story. Early Beginnings The inverted pyramid format was developed during the Civil War. Correspondents covering the great battles of that war would do their reporting, then rush to the nearest telegraph office to have their stories transmitted, via Morse Code, back to their newsrooms. But the telegraph lines were often cut in mid-sentence, sometimes in an act of sabotage. So the reporters  realized they had to put the most important facts right at the very start of their stories so that even if most of the details were lost, the main point would get through. (Interestingly, the  Associated Press, which is known for its extensive use of tightly written, inverted pyramid stories, was founded around this same time. Today the AP is the oldest and one of the largest news organizations in the world.) Inverted Pyramid Today Of course, some 150 years after the end of the Civil War, the inverted pyramid format is still being used because it has served both journalists and readers well. Readers benefit from being able to get the main point of the story right in the very first sentence. And news outlets benefit by being able to convey more information in a smaller space, something thats especially true in an age when newspapers are literally shrinking. (Editors also like the inverted pyramid format because when working on tight deadlines, it enables them to cut overly long stories from the bottom without losing any vital information.) In fact, the inverted pyramid format is probably more useful today than ever. Studies have found that readers tend to have shorter attention spans when reading on screens as opposed to paper. And since readers increasingly get their news not just on the relatively small screens of iPads but on the tiny screens of smartphones, more than ever reporters must summarize stories as quickly and as succinctly as possible. Indeed, even though online-only news sites theoretically have infinite amounts of space for articles, since there are no pages to be physically printed, more often than not youll find that their stories still use the inverted pyramid and are very tightly written, for the reasons cited above. Do It Yourself For the beginning reporter, the inverted pyramid format should be easy to learn. Make sure to get the main points of your story - the five Ws and the H - into your lede. Then, as you go from the start to the finish of your story, put the most important news near the top, and the least important stuff near the bottom. Do that, and youll produce a tight, well-written news story using a format that has withstood the test of time.

Research paper of African-American Music Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Of African-American Music - Research Paper Example The Harlem had significant influences over music and dance and introduced the genres of blues, jazz, hip – hop and rap music in America. Two of the types of music are blues and rap which are totally opposite to each other. They have different features and characteristics but are originated from the same race of people; the African Americans. Both the blues and the rap are important types of African American music. The blues was introduced in the hard times of slavery of the Africans in the 19th century, and therefore has a variety of musical expressions and individual styles. This form of music was originated by the spirituals, work songs and rhyming narratives. The blues form is present everywhere in jazz, rock and roll which is characterized through the possession of chords. The blues musical notes are usually for the purpose of throwing expressions and thus they are played on a flattened pitch which is important for the sound. The other characteristics of the blues music genre are the lyrics, bass lines and the instruments. The form can be subdivided in genres like country blues to the urban blues. These became more and more popular in the 20th century when these forms of music became popular in the American culture. Out of all these, Delta, Chicago Blues and jump are the most sung forms. The term blues often refers to sadness or depression. And so it can be analyzed that the form of music represented the period of sadness of the African Americans during the time of slavery and oppression. The lyrics of blues music are most popular for reflecting sorrow and loneliness, although, they do sometimes represent humorous reactions to the common troubles of life (Hamilton, 12). Ever since the blues music has been formed, the singers were known to use expressive lyrics to make some loose narrations. The singer often used a low voice where he tended to convey his

Animals with a saccade and fixate eye movements strategy. Why should Essay

Animals with a saccade and fixate eye movements strategy. Why should this be so - Essay Example In animals the visually elicited spikes have been supported by the modulation in Neuronal excitation. Naturally movements of the eye introduce artifact recordings that are done by the electroencephalographic commonly known as the (EEG). The saccade is the word use to refer to the fast eye movement. The eye being on organ in animals can be referred to as a device the same as in a machine that is very useful with the issue of providing sight to the animal as per that matter.When these simulations are done in a quick movement then this is termed as Saccade where both the eyes do move in the same direction. The focus that comes with the eyes moving straight to the area of interest or concern has been researched as being the fixation. For instance animals are able to detect danger and keep a sharp eye focus on the enemy or at times it might not necessary be danger but the animal has spotted its prey. This will cause more concentration as there is need for food (Johansson, 2001).. The eye at this point has been used for locating the food and then the hunting will take place. This strong focus is what is being referred to as fixation. There are always some small eye vibration that so important in visibility moreover to stand still objects. There is circular kind of movements that will be of great importance in giving a clear and stable image. When we refer to the issue of visual fixation we do refer to the starring of a given point. There is need for the co-ordination of the eye the head and other body parts that will bring Saccade and visual fixation to inter-marry. These bring about speed of responding to events and situations. Let’s take an example of a cheater hunting a gazelle in the field. The Saccade will occur when the cheater will focus and move as close as possible to the prey and the fixation of the eyes will be that it won’t change its focus on the prey (Regan, 2000). On the other hand when the gazelle notices the enemy it will moves with spe ed to save its life as the cheater remains focused to the prey to keep it alive or else it will die of hunger. Now the mechanics on the three fixations does occur when the eye movement is given the category of ocular drift. There are micro saccades and then the ocular micro tremors (Brain, 2006). Their function is to perceptual. Oscillation that occurs from this kind of fixation has not been well detected. The cat family, the primates the avian such as the eagle and owl has been reported to have the best fixation practices. They have a very sharp connection between the eye and the brain that helps the to be well adaptable their environment. They connect the neurons in various different visual parts and connect to their brain perfectly (Brain, 2006). This shows that the text processing is ‘on-line’ on a fixation by the fixation basis. In a similar way, difficult words often result in longer fixations. This indicates that cognitive process operates within single fixations . Like music playing, copy typing has a motor output. According to (Butsch, 1932),a typist of any skill levels always attempt to maintain the eyes about one second ahead of the letter he is currently typing. This is much the same as it is in music reading (Butsch, 1932). In both musical sight-reading and text reading, the gaze must move progressively to the right side. However, it is more complicated in that there are two staves -for key board players- from which the notes are must be acquired. As recorded by Weaver (1943), eye movements of trained pianists gets their gaze alternated severally between the lower and upper staves. This alternation clearly shows that notes that are to be

Friar Lawrence's Influence on Romeo & Juliet Through Baz Luhrmann's Essay

Friar Lawrence's Influence on Romeo & Juliet Through Baz Luhrmann's Eyes - Essay Example Generally, Baz Luhrmanns film provides a perfect understanding of the occurrences in the play. In the film, Luhrmann utilizes artificial and natural light to signify Friar Lawrences influence on Romeo and Juliet. Certainly, the influences of Friar Lawrence results to action in the dramatic end of the play. Without the presence of this character in the play, chances of the occurrence of a tragedy are minimal. Friar decides to marry Romeo and Juliet, thereby being the direct cause of the end tragedy. In other words, assuming that Friar did not marry the two, chances of Romeo and Juliet dying would be minimal. Moreover, Friar Lawrence pushes Romeo at an inopportune point where Romeo becomes uncertain about the position he occupies in love, and Friar Lawrence has hopes that the marriage has high possibilities of generating a positive impact on the quarrelling families. This is evident when Friar Comments; The intentions that Friar has for the potion are good, however, the results of using this portion becomes tragic. The main intention that Friar has for this portion is to help bring together the two feuding families, and at the same time keep Romeo and Juliet together, but unfortunately, this plan ends up to be a contribution of a double suicide. Further, in Luhrmann’s film, Friar Lawrence is depicted as having intense influence on the dreadful outcome of the play. In the play, Friar Lawrence is a holy man trusted by everybody, and Romeo and Juliet hold his judgments with highest reverence. In other words, Friar is a representation of wisdom and moderation (Brenner 58). Despite all the respect and trust that Friar receives, he fails to offer a sensible solution to Romeo and Juliet’s dilemma. Romeo and Juliet’s sad end results from Friar Lawrences inclination to hasty action, his fright of being embarrassed, and his irresponsibility. The first shortcoming of Friar that contributes to tragic outcome is the manner in which he

Underwriting Process in Insurance

Underwriting Process in Insurance Underwriting Process In order for the insurance companies to make profit and charge the appropriate rate for an insured, they undergo the underwriting process. Underwriting is the process in which an insurance company determines if an applicant is eligible for insurance and the rate they should charge if the applicant is eligible. In simpler words, it is a process of risk classification. The purpose of insurance underwriting is to spread risk among a pool of insured in a way that is both profitable for the insurer and fair to the customer. Insurance companies need to make a profit like many other businesses. Therefore, it doesnt make sense if they sell insurance for everyone who applies for it. They may not want to charge an excessive high rate to the customer and also it is not good for them to charge the same premium to every policyholder. Underwriting enables the company to weed out certain applicants and to charge the remaining applicants premiums that are commensurate with their level of risk (Conra d, Clark, Goodwin, Morse Kane, 2011). The underwriting process consist of evaluating several sources of an applicant and the use of complex pricing models developed by actuaries that help the insurance companies set prices. I will focus on the risk classification along with some of the factors that help the underwriters classify each applicant and the use of insurance credit scoring that allow the insurance companies to price the premiums. Factors An insurance company usually looks at various factors during the underwriting process in order to evaluate a potential customer in terms of risk. These factors enable the insurer to determine whether or not the potential customer is insurable. If the potential customer is determined to be insurable, then these factors will help to place them in the appropriate risk group. Some of the factors considered are age, sex, health history, current health/physical condition, personal family health history, occupation, personal habits/character, financial condition, and hobbies (Clark, et al, 2011). Some people believe that any characteristic over which we have no control, such as gender, race, and age, should be excluded from insurance underwriting and rating practices (Baranoff, Brockett, Kahane, 2009, p.157). This argument reflect the idea that the factors used by insurance companies should be based on the behavior of the people instead of the quality on which they are born. Risk Classification Risk classification plays an important role in the pricing of the policy. The premium that the customer pays will depend on the category he/she belongs to. Underwriters classify the applicants into four types of risk groups: standard risk, substandard risk, preferred risk and uninsurable/declined risk. Standard risk. Individuals who have a likelihood of loss or the probability of filing a claim that is not significantly greater than the average are classified as standard risks. Based on the underwriting standards of the insurance company, the people in this group are given a term of insurance without being charged for any extra fees or be subjected to any policy restrictions and they are charged with the standard premium rate (Clark, et al, 2011). Most individual life and health insurance policies are issued at standard premium rates. Substandard risk. Insured that are classified as substandard risk or rated risk, are those that have a greater chance of filing a claim. Applicants are classified in this group because of their health and/or other factors that makes them more likely to die earlier than those who dont possess these kinds of risk factors (Clark, et al, 2011). They are usually charged a higher than standard rate because of the added risks that they possess. Examples of people that may be in this category are those who possess a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, drugs and alcohol. Or maybe they engage in some dangerous activities like skydiving or rock climbing. Preferred risk. Applicants classified as preferred risks are those who are expected to have an above average life expectancy (Clark, et al, 2011). People in this group are preferred by the insurance companies because of their health history and good habits. They are usually offered a lower rate or preferred rate. Applicants that may belong to this group are nonsmokers or people that have a good health history. Uninsurable risk. Individuals categorized as uninsurable or declined risk are those that pose a risk that is too great for the insurance company to cover. The applicants conditions are so rare or unique that the company may not be able to arrive at a suitable premium (Clark, et al, 2011), so their policies are generally declined. Examples of this category include people who have a serious illness and people who conduct illegal activities. Insurance Credit Scoring in Pricing After classifying the applicants into one of the risk groups, the insurance company needs to set price for the policies. One of the tools used by the insurance companies for pricing is the credit scores that help them determine the adequate premium for each consumer. Insurance scores are confidential rankings based on credit history information. Insurance scores are used to provide insurers with a snapshot to provide service to consumers. The score is derived from the consumers previous credit history. This data allows the insurers to price insurance premiums/rates more accurately. (Almarshary, Erbek Reddic) Insurance scores estimate the probability of having insured file a claim. The variables commonly used to estimate insurance scores include measures of performance on credit obligations, credit-seeking behavior, use of credit, length of credit history, and types of credit used (Powell, 2009). They do not include race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, address, salary, disability, occupation, title, employer, date employed or employment history for scoring purposes (Anonymous, 2009). Insurers have found a strong correlation between insurance claims and credit scores. People with low scores are more likely to file claims than people with high scores (Lankford, 2007). They also discovered that people who made late payments tended to have more claims (Almarshary, et al). Improving credit score can certainly make a big difference in the premiums. More insurers now are considering credit scores when setting premium rates. Credit scoring enables insurers to better assess the risk of future claims. In fact, insurance credit scoring helps insurers to differentiate between higher and lower insurance risk (Almarshary, et al). Therefore, insurers will charge a premium based on the information provided by the credit score. When insurers use insurance scores to improve the accuracy of predicted losses, it benefits individuals and society (Powell, 2009). Premiums are closely related to consumers risk of loss on average, so insurance scores increase the fairness in insurance pricing outcomes. Insurance scoring also adds value to insurance transactions. Because insurance scores are accurate and inexpensive rating variables; it reduces the overall cost of providing insurance and this reduction in cost is applied to the premiums of the customer (Powell, 2009). Many people may not be familiar with the underwriting process, but knowing the factors that affect the decision of the insurers of placing you into one of the risk groups, is very useful. In this way, you can easily know if you can be chosen as a potential customer based on your personal information and even if you are not chosen as a potential customer, you might at least know what to avoid in order to decrease the chance of your policy being rejected. Finally, we have to notice the importance of the credit scores, because many insurance companies used it nowadays to price the premiums. Having a good credit history is a key factor to get a lower premium rate in the policy.

Free Essays - Animal Farm :: Animal Farm

The novel â€Å"Animal Farm† was written in 1945 by author George Orwell.   George Orwell was the pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair, a British writer born in Motihari, India in 1903.   After serving in the Indian Imperial Police force, Orwell wrote â€Å"Down and Out in Paris and London,† an account of the conditions faced by the poor in France and England.   Next, in 1936, he fought in the Spanish Civil War, which was his source of inspiration for â€Å"Homage to Catalonia.†Ã‚   After his days in service, he devoted his efforts to speaking out against the domination of one man over another.   This is shown in books such as â€Å"Animal Farm† and â€Å"Nineteen Eighty-Four.†   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Animal Farm† takes place in England, on Manor Farm (later renamed Animal Farm) in Willingdon.   It incorporates all seasons of the year, as it takes place over the course of many years, tracing the lives of all the animals.   The point of view in the novel is third person, omniscient.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"Animal Farm† is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and the course of communism in Russia and the USSR.   The many characters in the book symbolize either one person or a group of people.   The pigs represent the communist government and are the ones that become corrupt.   More specifically, Old Major is Karl Marx, the â€Å"father of communism,† Snowball is Vladimir Lenin and Napoleon is Joseph Stalin.   The dogs that Napoleon uses as his personal guards symbolize the KGB, the Soviet police force.   Most of the other characters like Boxer, Clover, the chickens, Benjamin and others represent the working class that is gradually taken advantage of more and more throughout the story. Mr. Jones represents the last Russian Czar, Nicholas II, who is overthrown in the Russian Revolution, his men represent the Red Army and Mollie represents the sympathizers of the old government in the USSR.   George Orwell sets up the novel by introducing the prize winning boar ‘Old Major’ and establishing him as the leader of the animals.   He then uses to describe the harsh conditions that the animals (or Russian labor class) were forced to endure on Manor farm and throughout England.   He then tells them how good life would be without humans, which was called in the book ‘animalism’   (represents communism).   Old Major finishes off by teaching the animals a song called â€Å"Beasts of England† which becomes their anthem and remains until outlawed by Napoleon later in the book.