The Pirates of Penzance

The Pirate of Penzance is a movie rendition of the operetta of the same title by Gilbert and Sullivan. The said film was released in 1983 and tells the story of Frederick, a young pirate who decides to change his ways when he meets Mabel and falls in love for the first time. As a comedic opera, the movie is worthy of the great reviews it receives from present day critics. However, I personally think that the director did not take advantage of the film techniques that could have smoothened the whole thing. He wanted to catch the raw aspect of Gilbert and Sullivan’s work, to a point that the settings were way off key; there’s a cinematic experience missing. Aside from being both musical factors, I think that the Little Stores of Horror and the Pirates of Penzance shared little in common; unless of course we entertain the general theme of romantic relations. In terms of power struggles, we could see the attempt of two individuals to overcome the control of people and plant they have come to love. In contrast however, the musical score of the two films differ. On one hand is a more classic, theatric composition/performances and on the other is a more modernized and jazzed up Little Shop of Horror. Both movies did epitomize the absolute masculine as the protagonist but instead chose to have a â€Å"nerd† and Frederick was not played out in a machismo kind of way. All the three films; Little Shop of Horrors, The Music Man, and The Pirates of Penzance include love between two rather unlikely couple. Little shop is a cult movie by people’s standards today and does not really offer bright approach to it self. We see a person eaten up, or the dentist body being cut up. This is something one would never expect to see in the other two films. The Music Man offers a tad bit more similarity in plot and characters with the Pirates of Penzance. In terms of the inner conflicts of both films; there is sameness in manner which the two protagonists are at a state of leaving and evolving from their old and assumed to be bad lives. A key element in their desire to turn a leaf is two women. One is a daughter of a Major General, Mabel; while the other is the town’s librarian. In comparing we could say that Mabel and Ms. Marian accept the conflict of the two heroes differently. Mabel is more accepting and shows her self to be the first person to answer Frederik’s request. Ms. Marian on the other hand was the one insistent in the fraud nature of Professor Hill. While one seeks for her lover’s acceptance, the other asks for change and even agrees to hide the salesman’s identity. Being the con-artist salesman shares a resemblance to being a pirate if we think about it; coming in an innocent town and pillaging or deceiving in order to gain and then get up and leave. I would not have believed that Kevin Kline would ever sing in a film, especially an operetta on which he plays a Pirate King. The latter was able to capture the aim of showing these particular band of pirates as non-ferocious kind, who really are not as buccaneer as they would want to be. There is this particular charm in the manner in which Kline handled the role. The Pirates of Penzance does not bank on realism; however the portrayal of Pirate King had a certain kick to the whole flick. In terms of singing voice we could easily see that this man can; compared to Matthew Broderick and James Seymour. Kevin Kline took on the role and revealed the comedic and some what joke like layer that surrounds the Pirate King. One of my favorite characters of the Play is the Major General played by George Rose. As we could see his voice is able to replicate the demands of the original operatic performance. There is versatility in the type of tones he could play with in his character. One may take him as the little funny man of the show but at the same time when he explicitly shifts to his authoritative position as Major General, he is still able to bring out the rawness of the humor and the performance. These two individuals tended to carry the show especially where the hero, Frederick lacked. I am unsure if he played his role according to specifications or the actor playing the part simply was an amateur and did not know how to attack the character. He seems to be one of those 1980’s aspiring rockers who are a tad bit effeminate. The initial coming together of Gilbert and Sullivan was through the opera Thespis (1871) at which their approach then was spontaneous and risquà ©. The Producer, Richard D'Oyly Carte was a key figure in shaping and maintaining the creative collaborations of the two. the age difference of the two men probably helped in providing a balance the works they worked together. Gilbert was hand on in his approach to theatre and made sure that everything was in order. He wanted actors to imbibe the absurdity of the characters as if they were more real and no logical alternative is possible. Sullivan on the other hand focused mainly on the musical scores; meaning the two kept clear to a certain extent of each one’s area of responsibility. However in later years, we are able to see falling out between the two due perhaps to their difference in theatrical direction. One did not see the point of working with the other. It was unfortunate since the humor and crispness of Gilbert’s craft is dressed well with the fresh notes of Sullivan. To be honest, I found the spectacle of the movie quite cheap. Perhaps this was due to the desire to maintain the authenticity of a Gilbert and Sullivan opera; however in terms of set, things could be way better. It turned out to seem like the scenes are shot on a studio crafted for a local children’s program. The pirate king and Frederick had on something that cuts across old pirate with 80’s new wave. Fredrick’s costume is not really reminiscent of the stereotypical pirate, resembles more of a Spanish Bull Fighter crossed with a Spanish gun fitter I think that the color of his shirt and the dual belts and the knee high boots give this impression The theme is a coming of age, love and honor despite what one has grown to live as. There is of course the factor of finding humor and humanity in those we have often deemed to be scoundrels. The relationship between collective belonging and individuality is seen. Reference: Wilford Leach (1983),   The Pirates of Penzance, film, original from Gilbert and Sullivan.

The Old Man And The Sea Essays - American Literature, Free Essays

The Old Man And The Sea Essays - American Literature, Free Essays The Old Man And The Sea The Old Man and the Sea is a heroic tale of man's strength pitted against forces he cannot control. It is a story about an old Cuban fisherman and his three-day battle with a giant Marlin. Through the use of three prominent themes; friendship, bravery, and Christianity; the Old Man and the Sea strives to teach important life lessons to the reader while also epitomizing Santiago, the old fisherman, as a Hemingway code hero. The relationship between Santiago and the boy is introduced early in the story. They are unlikely companions; one is old and the other young, yet they share an insuperable amount of respect and loyalty for each other. Santiago does not treat Manolin as a young boy but rather as an equal. Age is not a factor in their relationship. Manolin does not even act as a young boy; he is mature and sensitive to Santiago's feelings. He even offers to disobey his parents and accompany Santiago on his fishing trips. Santiago is viewed as an outcast in his village because he has not caught any fish for more than eighty-four days and is therefore unlucky. Nonetheless Manolin is loyal to Santiago and even when his parents forbid him he wants to help his friend. Their conversations are comfortable, like that of two friends who have known each other for a long time. When they speak it is usually about baseball or fishing, the two things they have most in common. Their favorite team is the Yankees and S antiago never loses faith in them even when the star player, Joe DiMaggio is injured with a heel spur. In this way Santiago not only teaches Manolin about fishing but also about important characteristics such as faith. In the story Santiago's bravery is unsurpassed but it is not until he hooks the great fish that we truly see his valor and perseverance. Through Santiago's actions Hemingway teaches the reader about bravery and tenacity in the face of adversity. He demonstrates that even when all is lost and seems hopeless a faith and willful heart will overcome anything. Santiago had lost his luckiness and therefore the respect of his village. Through the description of his cabin we also suspect that Santiago is a widower. Although Santiago has had many troubles he perseveres. He has faith in Manolin, in the Yankees, in Joe DiMaggio, and most importantly in himself. This is perhaps his greatest attribute because without it he would never have had the strength to persevere and defeat the giant Marlin. Faith is not the only thing that drives his perseverance. Santiago also draws upon his past victories for strength. After he hooks the Marlin he frequently recalls his battle with a native in what he calls the hand game. It is not just an arm wrestling victory for him it is a reminder of his youthful days. His recollections of this event usually proceed a favorite dream of his in which he sees many lions on a peaceful shore. These lions represent him when he is young and strong and could overcome any challenge. Although he is an old man and his body is no longer like it used to be his heart is still great and he eventually defeats the Marlin. Santiago's perseverance and bravery are further illustrated when he tries to fight off the sharks. He was a fisherman all his life and therefore he knows that the fate of his catch is inevitable yet he persists to fight the sharks. The battle between him and the sharks is about principles not a mere fish. Santiago is still a great warrior at hea rt and warriors fight until the end. One of the greatest and most obvious pieces of symbolism in the story is Christianity. From the beginning of the story the reader is shown a unique relationship between Santiago and Manolin. Their relationship parallels that of Christ and his disciples. Manolin is Santiago's disciple and Santiago teaches Manolin about fishing and life. One of the greatest lessons that Santiago gives is that of a simple faith. Have faith in the Yankees my son. This type of faith reflects the basic principles of Christianity. Hemingway's

The Secret Life of Bees - Discussion Questions

The Secret Life of Bees - Discussion Questions Sue Monk Kidds debut novel, ​The Secret Life of Bees, is a coming-of-age story about feminine spirituality, racial tension, and maneuvering through love, loss, and change. The Secret Life of Bees is a great choice for womens book clubs and has the potential to promote lively discussions. Use these book club discussion questions to guide your group through Sue Monk Kidds touching tale. The Best Book Club Questions forThe Secret Life of Bees Spoiler Warning: These questions may reveal important details about The Secret Life of Bees. Finish the book before reading on. How would you describe Lilys feelings about her mother? Did they change throughout the novel? How did hearing that her mother left her to affect her perception of her mother?Do you believe T-Rays account of what happened when Lilys mother died?Did your opinion of T-Ray change when August told Lily about how much he used to love her mother? Does Deborahs abandonment explain or excuse T-Ray?Do you agree with Lily that people would rather die than forgive? Does she forgive her mother? T-Ray? Herself?What do the bees mean to the story? What is the secret life of bees?Do you think race was portrayed realistically in The Secret Life of Bees? What do you think Sue Monk Kidd was saying about race in this novel?Why did Rosaleen spit on the mens shoes? What are the ways the characters in the novel confront injustice? How do you think we should deal with injustice? Do these kinds of prejudices still exist today?What was your reaction to Lilys relationship with Zach? What do you think happened t o them in the future? Talk about the sisters. Who was your favorite? Do we all need a wailing wall, like May? Why do you think June was cold toward Lily? How would you describe August?What role did the Black Madonna play in their community? What do you think about the legend of the Black Madonna?Rate The Secret Life of Bees on a scale of 1 to 5.

What I Learned on My Summer Vacation Lessons in Joy, Leadership, and the Mona Lisa

What I Learned on My Summer Vacation Lessons in Joy, Leadership, and the Mona Lisa Mona Lisa Smile Have you ever tried smiling with just the one side of your mouth? I attempted to do so as part of a leadership workshop last week and was surprised to find out what happened. Before I reveal the punch line, try it yourself: Really smile, with your eyes and everything. Just only use the left side of your mouth. How did it go? OK. Now try smiling with the right side of your mouth. Smile with your mouth and with your eyes. Surprised? If you’re like me and everyone else I know, you found yourself grimacing more than smiling in the second part of this exercise. For me, the seeming impossibility of cracking a right-sided smile was a true eye-opener about where in our brains our emotions show up. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the Mona Lisa is smiling on†¦ guess which side of her face? This phenomenon was just one of the many things I learned about last week when I attended a leadership training with the Wright Institute. The training was a total immersion in a sea of topics including emotional intelligence, creating joy, the formation and workings of the human brain, and getting group projects done with the right leadership (note: the link will bring you to an introductory weekend training; the one I attended was a more in-depth week-long retreat). After the retreat, we were asked to write an essay about the experience in order to cement our learning- something akin to â€Å"What I Did on My Summer Vacation.† I’m sharing my essay here. What I learned will inform the way I live my life and conduct my business for years to come. I gained takeaways not just about Mona Lisa smiling tricks but also about what it means to be a leader, share myself, create joy, and, well, be human. My wish is that you see something for yourself in the following words What I Learned on Summer Training 2013 At Summer I learned how to show up as a leader. It’s not about what I’ve done. It’s not about my skills as they relate to stuff I can do. It’s not about being liked. Leadership requires presence. It requires being willing to risk and to correct myself and others. It requires a strong vision and the ability to communicate it powerfully. It requires being incredibly awake! And it requires caring about the people I’m leading more than I care about getting stuff done. At Summer I learned how to share. It’s not about telling stories or talking about insights. It doesn’t require â€Å"getting it† or having â€Å"done the homework.† It doesn’t require â€Å"knowing† anything. All it takes to share is to be with my feelings, be with the person I’m with, be with my heart and feel into the hearts of the people around me. At Summer I learned how to â€Å"dedicate† to joy. It’s not about being happy all the time. It’s not easy. It’s not a one-shot deal and there’s no magic pill. Joy is not a phenomenon based on life circumstances. Dedicating to joy is a responsibility- a big one to the world and the people around me. Joy is a choice, made moment by moment. Joy often looks like hurt, tears and anger fully felt that open into joy. Joy requires opening- over and over. Joy is accessible to us all. It takes practice. 10,000 hours to mastery, as with so many other things. (See Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers) At Summer I learned that I matter. Not for the things that I do, not for my talents and not for my creativity or my singing voice. I learned that I don’t have to prove that I matter, and that trying to do so is a losing battle, since in that paradigm as soon as I’ve had to prove it I don’t really matter. I matter because I am. I matter because I have feelings and heart waves that reach out at least 3 feet from my body. Because I am everything that I am. And I learned that these are the things that make other people matter too. At Summer I learned that the lifelong journey of getting to know myself as a leader and group member has only just begun. Getting to know the people around me (including the intricacies of their left and right side facial muscles) is an integral and fascinating part of that journey. I will continue to explore over the next year, and look forward to taking the next steps forward on Summer Training 2014.

Assigment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assigment - Essay Example So all these conversations for the period 1941-1944 were recorded at Hitler’s headquarters and were published later on in media in several languages. Hitler’s reputation in the public and media reflects his mindset about the politics and will power that he had. Hitler was considered political genius, a man with will power, decisive nature, personality and ideas to bring humankind in darkness (Cameron & Stevens 2000). For understanding Hitler, it is important to go deep in his mind and understand the main point of a discussion. It is important to know the facts from his personal words and not from the speeches and statements, he made. On night 11th-12th 1941, Hitler says, the man who considers universe with open eyes, that man has the greatest natural goodness (Cameron & Stevens 2000). He insisted that mankind must know the laws by which life in governed. On night 22nd-23rd 1941, he says, Germans are hardworking people but they get less wages as compared to their work (C ameron & Stevens 2000). Hard work enabled us to produce cheap and mass produced articles in the fields of chemistry and optical instruments to compete English markets. He also said that England and America are about to start a bloodiest war that will eliminate one of them. We should increase live stock and energy resources. Water power electricity must be adopted at fast pace to overcome energy crisis. Germany should use 100000 acres for cultivation of rubber (Cameron & Stevens 2000). In august 1941 Hitler says, Germans must see a war after every 15 years for their good (Cameron & Stevens 2000). If I sacrifice thousand or two thousand lives, that can be answered. I understand the first encounter of a woman with a man. This can be compared with a soldier’s facing the war for the first time. Germany is the only country that has no unemployment so we are not the slaves of import. In October 1941, we must keep two aims in front, one to keep the war away from our frontiers and sec ond to hold our positions at the eastern fronts at all cost. If someone does not hold respect than he falls below the level of an animal. Hitler said that Jews are responsible for two world wars. Two million deaths of First World War and now thousands in Second World War because of Jews. Christianity has damaged the world badly by destroying the libraries of the ancient world (Cameron & Stevens 2000). Party should keep itself away from religion. Church friendship is too costly to bear. The second part of table talk consists of the period from 1st January to 5th February 1942. In January 1942, he met under secretary of the state and said that prisoners of war be used for constructing tunnels during the hostilities (Cameron & Stevens 2000). Any fool can be made in charge of them and German labour should not be wasted on such a work. He said that we have not lost war against England; Rommel can get two hundred tanks in desert to capture Malta. England knows our strength so cannot use t he route of Mediterranean to reach India. President Roosevelt is a sick brain; Americans are the most stupid people in the world. They will further fall in all affairs. Freemasonry is corrupting the complete world (Cameron & Stevens 2000). Every Englishman speaks against the Churchill that he is off his head. He cannot win the war by lying and corruption. Churchill would not listen to American command asking for abandoning Far East. On 8th

Child Trafficking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Child Trafficking - Essay Example These children, having suffered at the hands of fate get tempted by such offers, mainly because they want to make good money to serve their personal and family needs. Such children sometimes even step out of their houses with these agents, even without their parental consent. Actually neither the child nor the â€Å"adult is usually aware of the full implications of their actions† (What is Child Trafficking para. 2). Often, by the time these children are rescued, it is generally too late. The children who have been trafficked and sexually exploited have to bear various consequences varying from unwanted pregnancies to HIV/AIDS or other sexually transmitted diseases. The physical scars can still be dealt with but the psychological scars remain to haunt them for a lifetime! Unfortunately, though many children get rescued their sufferings continue. According to an NGO, Plan USA, â€Å"The causes of child trafficking are complex and often reinforce each other. Victims are often made vulnerable by factors including poverty, the attraction of perceived higher standards of living, lack of employment opportunities, organized crime, violence and discrimination against women and children, government corruption, political instability and armed conflict† (What is Child Trafficking para. 2). ... The statistics show that in the last 20 year's time, anti trafficking organizations have worked harder to accept, understand, research and resolve the issue. But, despite of these continuous efforts, the problem remains unresolved. Therefore, it is time to make cumulative effort globally to eradicate such heinous issues thriving around us. â€Å"Some shocking numbers: Approximately 80% of human trafficking victims are women and girls of which upto 50% are minors. – U.S. State Department The average age of entry for children, who have been victims of the sex trade industry is about 12 years. – U.S. Department of Justice The global market for child trafficking is over $12 billion a year, with more than 1.2 million child victims. – UNICEF Surveys indicate that 30 to 35 % of all sex workers in Mekong (sub-region of Southeast Asia) are between 12 and 17 years of age. – UNICEF The average cost of slavery today is $90, a historic low† (Bales). Apart from w hat the governments across the world are doing to end child trafficking, there are other non profit agencies which are aiming towards rescuing children from hunger, abuse and disease. Each day, more and more children are trafficked into prostitution, forced labor, child marriages and other kinds of slavery. â€Å"Each day, the challenges grow greater for those who seek to prevent child trafficking and provide care for children who have been trafficked† (Our Mission para. 2). We all wait for someone else to bring about that change ! A general tendency is not to bother about the problem - unless it befalls upon us. That is precisely the reason why problems which are occurring on global level seldom find a global and effective solution. Sometimes it is people’s fear that holds them back from raising

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Research paper - Essay Example Earthquakes are believed to be caused by different occurrences that include glacial rebounding, sliding of tectonic plates that lie over each other, and by sudden discharge of stored strain that is accumulated along a fault line. The severity of a shake from an earthquake is usually as a result of three factors i.e. its magnitude attenuation of a wave that causes the earth quake as it moves through the earth’s surface and the possible disruption caused by different rock structure (Hough par 9-12). These vibrations can be predicted before they happen in a place. When these vibrations happen also, they result in major disruptions to physical features. However, the major cause of investigation has resulted from the threat these vibrations cause to people. The ability to predict great causes of damaging events that are likely to face an area in future time is a basic element of risk reduction development practices. It becomes an important element when it is facing emergency and le ad to development of a good planning for such emergency (Albarello and Meletti 1-2). Earthquakes are caused by seismic waves. The intensity of these waves is measured with a machine known as a seismometer. The depth of the earthquake is another determiner of its intensity. Earthquakes are a major threat to life because if they happen with great magnitude, they lead to destruction of properties in which people live. When they happen on the water, they result to tsunamis that are likely to result in disruption of waters and seizing of ships. The commotion caused on the water also is extended to the coast, which causes major deaths of people at such coastal lands and destruction of property. Before the 1970s and 1980s, prominent scientists were optimistic that reliable prediction of earthquakes was possibly going to come. This was facilitated and motivated by the ground breaking prediction event of Soviet Union prediction of an earthquake and the successfully accomplished prediction of Chinese earthquake that happened in Haicheng. However, even with those optimistic achievements, there was a lot of pessimism because still many predictions were not reliable by then (Hough 34). Today, prediction of earthquakes is possible by scientists who agree that the understanding of ground motion attenuation relationships is an important aspect of predicting possibility of there being an earthquake. In March 2009, an Italian technician observed the radon and noticed some abnormalities and predicted that a great magnitude earthquake would be experienced. Although seismologists did not concur with that laboratory scientist, a fatal earthquake was experienced in L’Aquila barely a month after the prediction. The earthquake claimed many lives and were injured while a lot of property was destroyed and many were displaced from their places. Forecasting of earthquakes is faced with many debates about their occurrence once they have happened. For example, when it happened in cit y of L’Aquila a lot of questions and debates followed; scientists were fiercely faced by contradiction basing on their ability to forecast such dangers. This earthquake was so destructive such that everyone affected by it rose against the people who are responsible for predicting (Albarello and Meletti 3). Currently, there are many prediction methods for earthquakes developed such that one does not have to ask whether it is possible to