Comparing Women As Propriety In The Merchant Of Venice and The Taming O

Women As Propriety In Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice and The Taming Of the Shrew "We may say that the dominant ideas in most societies are the ideas of the dominant sex, associated and mingled with those of dominant class." (Chedgzoy, pg.50) During the Elizabethan time men dominated society. Historically speaking males have always held more power then females in most cultures. Although a few cultures were Matriarchal societies. Yet even in these cultures women were not the superior power but were valued as equal to men. Most of the matriarchal societies viewed women as the embodiment of the goddess. Women have never been the sole dominant sex in a society. The fall of the Matriarchal societies occurred mostly from the organization of Christianity. The Christian ideals taught that women were not intended to have influential roles in society. In the Elizabethan era women were in a weak social position. In addition when Shakespeare writes about women he encompasses the complex issues that socially surround females. Shakespeare allows the audience to observe issues that effect their own factual society acted out on stage. At this time the society was definitely patriarchal, where women were viewed as inferior. In addition women had little to no power over there own lives. Fathers viewed their daughters as their propriety. Which left daughters in a powerless position. The power that women did have was their personal sexuality, virginity was prized and seen as a jewel. Once daughters were married their husbands also valued them as propriety. "Marriages were still arranged, as they had been in the Middle Ages, to further the interests of land-owning families. On marriage all the girl's legal rights ceas... ...ters he created in his plays. He also developed female characters who were obviously intelligent, dynamic, and strong willed. Thus creating dramatic plots that rise to the surface societal stereotypes and norms. As in modern society theatre and the media allow for people to express issues of concern in a none threatening manner. Shakespeare's dynamic plays have influenced literature globally for hundreds of years. WORK CITED: Kaston,David Scott. A Companion To Shakespeare, Blackwell Publishers Massachusetts. 1999. Chedgzoy,Kate. Shakespeare, Feminism and Gender, New York, Palgrave 2001 Dusinberre,Juliet. Shakespeare and The Nature Of Women, New York, Barnes and Noble Books. 1975. Pit, Angela Women in The Comedies and Last Plays, New York, Barnes and Noble Books 1981. Bamber, Linda Comic Women, Tragic Men, California, Stanford University Press 1982.

Differences Between Hinduism and Buddhism

Religion is the basic belief which one practices. It determines the life of an individual. Religions evolve from different customs, traditions, practices and values. Among these religions, Buddhism and Hinduism are one of the two most influential religions with a philosophical element in them. Both of the religions are closely related to each other and hence originated from South Asia. Since they were generated from different parts of India, the basic beliefs and practices are same, though they differ on major grounds.Commenting upon the type of philosophy they practice, one would easily discern the difference of Hinduism being more stable and Buddhism relying more on humanitarian philosophy. However, Buddhism is considered to be a more universally accepted religion as compared to Hinduism. Both the religions spread from India reaching the corners of the World.HINDUISMHinduism is religion which generated and expanded through different groups in India from 1500 BC. Hinduism dates back to the time of Indus civilization. There is no one person who found this religion, unlike Buddhism, whose origin is accredited to Gautama Buddha, a Hindu himself.that is why, Hinduism is generally considered to be a collection of different ideas of groups sharing a common background, culture, traditions and beliefs. Hinduism is divided into different categories such as Brahmanic Hindus, Vedic Hindus, Reformed Hindus, Devotional Hindus and more. Hinduism has many interesting features. This includes the captivating culture, the myths and the stories from the past which is present in their Holy Scriptures. Important Hindu books include the Bhagwad Gita, Ramayan and more which are essential for the guidance of Hindus. Hindus worship several Gods each accredited to a certain value.However, it’s the Brahman who is considered to be the Supreme Authority. Hinduism, a theistic religion, often regarded to be a polytheistic religion, generally prevails throughout India. Hinduism is oft en regarded as the ‘eternal religion’. it is the third largest religion in the world with 837 million followers. Hindus practice the caste system, value meditation and entertain festive occasions such as Diwali, Holi and more. Other beliefs universally practiced by Hindus include the faith in Vedas which is the ancient sacred text, the priests, reincarnation and the law of Karma which determines the destiny of birth and death.The basic purpose of life is to attain liberation from reincarnation where as they live a life according to the rules of Dharma.BUDDHISMBuddhism, as compared to Hinduism, is a non-theistic religion which is divided into two major schools- Mahayana and Theravada which differ on certain religious grounds yet practice certain same beliefs. Buddhism focuses on the individual spiritual development. However, Buddhism is based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha who was born in Nepal in 563 BC. His birth proved to be a milestone in history which amused peo ple not with his origin but his character.They used to ask questions such as are you God or an angel and Buddha used to give a simple yet intriguing reply that ‘I am awake’. (Huston Smith). 1 Buddha generally means The Enlightened One or The Awakened One. With his birth, a sense of serenity developed over the country and everybody rejoiced except the evil Mara. He was an epitome of perfection who was blessed with everything from family to wealth, from knowledge to understanding, yet there was a feeling of discontentment which outlasted during his twenties. He belonged to a wealthy family and led a luxurious life.His father was worried about his future and to end this fret he consulted the fortune tellers. They told him the reality of Buddha’s oncoming life. If he remained with the world he would end as the Universal King of India, it conqueror but if he forsook the world, he would eventually become a world redeemer. Keeping this scenario in view, his father put a ll his efforts to provide Gautama with every existing pleasures of life inorder to keep him intact with the world. He was provided with a number of palaces and around 40,000 dancing girls.All efforts were put forward to keep him away from the ugliness of life but despite these efforts he came in contact with the truth of old age, poverty and death which eventually ended the glitters of the worldly pleasures. Finally, he bid a silent goodbye to the worldly pleasures and led a pure life thereby keeping away from the luxuries of the world. Buddhists do not worship any deity. As per the teachings of Buddha, they believe that one should concentrate on issues which could be practiced or be divulged. However, he never denied the belief in God.Buddhist scriptures comprise different myths and stories which circulated throughout the world . Buddhism follow certain practices and beliefs such as the idea of Karma, rebirth, Dharma, the path of enlightenment and more. The important concepts are T he Four Noble Truths and The Eightfold Path. The Four Noble Truths include Dukkha which tells us that all existent happenings are associated with suffering, Trsna is all about the origin of suffering, Nirvana enfolds the concept of bringing a possible end to the sufferings and the EightFold Path which is a way of ending these sufferings through a possible solution.However, other customs related to Buddhisim include meditation, Buddhist worship and more.SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HINDUISM AND BUDDHISMSince both of the religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, originated from the same piece of the world, they constitute a wide range of similar teachings, beliefs and practices. It is even said that Buddhism originated through Hinduism therefore, it’s obvious that both of the religions would have a number of similarities. 1. Smith Huston, The Worlds Religions: Our Great Wisdom Traditions, chapter 2, 3, Harper Collins Publisher.Critically evaluating, one would easily say that the basic doctrine s are same for the two religions but still they differ a lot when it comes to practicing those beliefs. Both of the religions have a faith on the deceptive power of the nature. The religions are ruled by the laws of Karma which is applicable to every being. According to this law, every living thing is rewarded or punished according to his deeds and intentions. Along with this, the religions even belief in the cycle of birth and death. They even place their faith in the fact of the presence of a number of hells and heavens.According to Buddha, personal desires result in severe suffering. This concept is entertained by Hindus as well, as found in some Hindu texts. Both of the religions do believe in the concept of worshipping a God but on different planes. The idea of compassion and non-violence is entertained by the two religions. Moreover, the two religions deal with the benefits of the community giving it a higher priority then an individual. However, Buddhism focuses more on the i ndividual development then the society. Both the religions reject the evil of selfishness.The two religions follow certain common spiritual practices such as meditation, cultivation and other states of mind related to the purity of mind and soul.DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BUDDHISM AND HINDUISMHinduism and Buddhism generally follow the same concepts yet differ on many circumstances. Some doctrines which are help important for the Hindus are not valued much by the Buddhists and vice versa. Buddhism has a more practical approach as compared to Hinduism. The major difference between the two religions is its origin and its founder. Buddhism was founded by a single leader, Buddha, where as Hinduism has no one leader.There are many groups behind the generation and expansion of Hinduism. The Vedas, which is the sacred text of Hindus, is of wide importance for Hindus whereas Buddhist do not consider the Hindu scriptures essential. The idea of individuality and belief in God is different for both th e religions. There is a conspicuous variance in such philosophical pursuits among the two religions. Buddhism does not belief in the existence of souls and on the Supreme Authority- God. Whereas, believe in Atman which is the inner self. it is the ingredient of every individual which experiences the philosophical, spiritual and physical realm of life.The Hindus place their belief and worship the Brahman who is considered as the omnipotent, omnipresent and the eternal self. The three Gods of Hindus are Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. For Buddhists, Buddha is the Supreme Authority and they do not consider any other being equal to him in any aspect. on the other hand, since Buddha was a Hindu who resorted to the Hindus for knowledge and guidance, he is believed to be the incarnation of one of the Gods of Hindus, Mahavishnu. According to the Buddhists, the chief purpose of life is to end the suffering since the world is filled with sorrow and grief.However, Hindus consider four major tasks to be fulfilled when in the world, the religious duty, issues related to wealth, fulfillment of desires and salvation. Hindus inculcate this idea in the human mind, that the passions are not supposed to be suppressed but intelligently fulfilled. Moreover, Hindus deem the four stages of life i. e. the stage of studentship, householder, forest dweller and the stage of renunciation, whereas the Buddhists deny these concepts. Buddha encourages his believers to reach to the end of suffering whereas Hindus lay greater emphasis upon the enjoyment and bliss of life.The religions even differ on social aspects. Hinduism is practiced individually whereas the Buddhists are divided into a monastic Order. Another major difference between the two religions is that the Hinduism is divided into 4 castes such as Brahmins, Ksatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras. On the other hand, there is no distinction in Buddhisim on the basis of color, caste and creed. Buddha obtained enlightenment through meditation whereas the general concept prevalent among Hindus is that an individual can attain God through meditation. Hinduism and Buddhism are widely practiced and one of the two most influential religions of the world.Since both of them arose from the same part of the globe, they do have a number of similar beliefs but they differ on other practices and doctrines. Buddhism starts from where Hinduism ends. Buddhism is based upon the teachings of Gautama Buddha who left no successor but spread the message of love and peace, or in short enlightenment, through a group of monks and nuns. Technically speaking, Buddhism is a more developed, organized and established religion which is based upon the belief of Dhamma in association with concepts of The Four Noble Truths and the eightfold Path.On contrary, Hinduism has been originated through a number of groups sharing common interest, traditions, history and beliefs. Moreover, it can be evaluated from the fact that Buddhism is a more positive religion sinc e it was generated as result of Hindu uprisings. The two religions are similar as well as different on the major beliefs such as Karma, Dharma, Mantra, Meditation and Reincarnation. In association with these concepts, certain features are entertained by Buddhism and certain by Hinduism. Thus the two are no doubt closely linked to each other.

Commonly Confused Words Have and of

The sound of the preposition of  is similar to the sound of ve--the shortened form of the helping verb have. As a result, of is sometimes misused in contractions. Usage Have  often functions as an auxiliary verb (or helping verb). In speech and informal writing, the contracted form ve  is sometimes used with the verbs could, must, should, would, may, and might. Of  is a  preposition, not a contraction. Examples Jed could have tried harder to help us.Jed said, I wouldve tried harder if Id known you were paying attention.Some of us must have been watching the game when the burglars broke into the house.If the Mets would have given him two more runs per game, Seaver would have won 20 games by the end of August. But that was one of those wouldve, couldve, shouldve scenarios.(Josh Rosengren, Hammerin Hank, George Almighty and the Say Hey Kid, 2008)The planning of the fly was an application of pure intelligence, morals not being concerned. Not one of us could have planned the fly, not one of us could have constructed him; and no one would have considered it wise to try, except under an assumed name.(Mark Twain, Thoughts of God, early 1900s) Usage Notes Mr. Wood, my English teacher, is always telling us that theres no such thing as must of, should of, could of, its must have, should have, could have. Mr. Wood says stuff like, The day you all get that simple little fact into your tiny little heads is the day I can retire a happy man. Well, this is all very well and good, but he doesnt need to be moaning on to me about it. (Hayley Long, Lottie Biggs Is [Not] Mad. Macmillan, 2009)When we speak, we slur these phrases so that they all sound as if they end in of, but in fact, all of them end in have. Their correct forms are may have, might have, must have, should have, would have, and could have. (Susan Thurman, The Only Grammar Book Youll Ever Need. FW Media, 2003)Some writers use of for ve deliberately to add flavor; should of and Id of have a drawled look that the more clipped shouldve and Idve lack. Ring Lardner and John OHara often used of for ve, and it is unlikely that either did it from ignorance. (Edward Johnson,  The Handbook of Good English. Washington Square, 1991)   Practice Exercises Fill in the blanks with either have or of. See how you did with the answers below. One _____ us made a mistake.It must _____ been you.She was one _____ the few gentlewomen I _____ ever known, and has remained throughout my life the measure _____ what a human being can be. (Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House, 1969) Answers to Practice Exercises One  of  us made a mistake.It must  have  been you.She was one  of  the few gentlewomen I  have  ever known, and has remained throughout my life the measure  of  what a human being can be. (Maya Angelou,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Random House, 1969)