American Judicial System, Mississippi State and Civil Rights Movement

Dear Readers,

Today, I will be discussing about the true story behind the Mississippi Burning movie about the killings of three Civil Rights activists as well as the Civil Rights Movement era. Do sit back and relax as you read through this post! :)

Question 1: For minor crimes, most states have a “statute of limitations” that prohibits bringing charges when a certain period of time has elapsed since the crime. When it comes to serious crimes, is it right for the justice system to pursue criminal charges several decades after the crime is said to have occurred?

I feel that it is perfectly right for the justice system to pursue the criminal charges a few decades after the crime is committed, when it comes to serious crimes. This is because these cases are already labelled as “serious”, suggesting dire consequences due to these crimes. Should the justice system prevent the conviction of the criminals merely due to the lapse of time between the crime and the reporting time, this will definitely have adverse effects on the security and society of the city or country. This is because the criminal, who is not convicted and is able to escape from the punishment scot-free, would feel that the crime was nothing wrong. This might lead to a second occurrence of such a crime, causing a similar aftermath, which is undesirable. These might range from minor injuries to major casualties. Therefore, I conclude that it is only right for the justice system to nab these criminals, implementing no time restriction, so as for the benefit of the region’s security.

In fact, I would say that the justice system should pursue such criminal charges for minor crimes as well. Over the American crime investigation series “Law and Order”, I learnt that rapes and other cases are deemed to be minor and not very severe. Some of the rape victims were children, who were afraid to call the cops, but later had the courage to do so when they grew up. Unfortunately, for these poor folks, they were denied by the police to arrest the crooks, just because of the “statute of limitations”. Personally, I find this extremely unfair for the victims, as these rapists had caused much psychological (and physical) harm to them, just to get away unscathed. Aggravating the situation would be that the criminals, like I previously mentioned, feel that committing the crime has no repercussions and thus, are not discouraged from repeating the heinous act. Hence, I strongly believe that this statute should be reviewed and eventually scrapped.

Question 2: Reporting for The Times on the conviction of Edgar Ray Killen in 2005, Shaila Dewan wrote, “While some in Neshoba County [Mississippi] said it was too late and too painful to revisit the episode, others thought that in doing so, the county might find redemption.” What do you think: was the state’s image “rehabilitated”?

I personally think that the state’s image has been rehabilitated, but the arrests have little contribution to this. Although the nabbing of these crooks who have committed heinous offences during the twentieth century was very much delayed, the base-line is that they were caught. Personally, I think that this is the most important of all, which was that justice was done for the three innocent civil rights activists Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner. The state’s image has indeed been “restored to its former glory”, also because the racism has died down during this modern-day era. As I viewed through some blogs regarding the topic of racism in Mississippi, many have said that racism is no longer existent in the state and that they have “several friends from various ethnicities”. One even said that the school had 40% Caucasian, 40% African-American and 20% from various races like German and Russian to Asian and Hispanic. This definitely shows the diverse races residing and studying in Mississippi; it is somewhat like Singapore, a multiracial society. Therefore, it is a definite “yes” that Mississippi has regained its status as a fair state, not swayed by racism. However, I feel that the major reason is not that those formerly from the Ku Klux Klan involved in the killings of the civil rights activists were punished, but more because of the fairness, tolerance and even respect the various races treat each other nowadays.

Question 3: How much do you know about the civil rights era in general? Use the Learning Network’s Black History Month collection(http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/celebrate-black-history-month/) to find more archival Times articles from that era or finding Dulcinea’s Civil Rights Movement page(http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Education/US-History/Civil-Rights-Movement.html) for oral histories and both primary and secondary sources.

Many sources provide different time periods for the Civil Rights era, but according to the Public Broadcasting Service, the era covers a 17-year period commencing in 1954. The Civil Rights society aimed to promote equality amongst the different races, putting everyone on the same ground. Unfortunately, they met with much resistance, especially from their counterparts in the southern part of America. The Southerners believed that whites were in fact superior to blacks and disregarded them. As a result, racial discrimination against the blacks through means like slavery and physical abuse continued in the nation. In fact, the blacks then were only treated as three-fifths human!

The Civil Rights Movement made many attempts to achieve their goals through the Civil Rights Acts in the years 1957, 1964 and 1968 as well as the Voting Rights Act in 1965, in addition to its other acts in the previous century. These gave blacks the full right as a citizen of the country, attaining the objective of the movement. However, this was definitely not an easy path for the society.

A bigger obstacle for the Civil Rights society in comparison to the Southerners was the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The “organisation” was known for its strong prejudice against blacks and its heartless, cruel acts of lynching blacks all over present-day United States of America. There were many fatalities in incidents that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement, like the Montgomery Bus Riots, as well as the aforementioned lynching of blacks by the KKK. During this period of time before the final laws were set, there were many notable and significant incidents in American history, like the two Great Migrations to help get blacks out of the racist South as well as the Scottsboro Boys Trial. The Jim Crow laws were eventually removed in 1965, in the hope of having equality amongst all races.

Overall, it can be said that the Civil Rights movement was a success, despite the many fatalities caused, as it had achieved what it had set out to do.

Best Regards,
Nathan :)

Topic 6: Shakespeare's Theatre

Dear Readers,

Aren't you puzzled about where Shakespeare performs his plays? Read on to find out more about the theatres Shakespearean plays were performed at, as well as the differences between modern-day London Globe Theatre and the Globe Theatre during the Elizabethan Era!

Topic 6: Shakespeare’s Theatre

In what sort of buildings were Shakespeare’s plays performed?

Shakespeare’s plays could be performed in different types of buildings.

Firstly, there are huge, open-air amphitheatres, with the Globe Theatre being an example. It can accommodate about 1500 people. It is an octagonal arena, called the ‘pit’ with a diameter of approximately 100 feet, with a raised stage at one end. Made of timber, it has a thatched roof and is surrounded by three tiers of roofed galleries with balconies. There are two sets of stairs, and artificial lighting, but there is no heating there. Behind the stage, there is a roofed ‘house’ with pillars which contains the props, called the ‘Hut’. These pillars acted as the support for a roof, which is used for dramatic flying entrances, and is called the ‘Heavens’. Behind, there is a wall, named ‘Frons Scenae’, above which is a stage gallery called the Lord’s Room used by actors, musicians and the rich. Flanked on the two sides are the Gentlemen’s Rooms.

There are also smaller, indoor Playhouses where Shakespearean plays are also performed. A good example would be The Blackfriars Theatre Playhouse. Ticket prices for plays here are more exorbitant, because the capacity is 700, less than half of that for amphitheatres. For Blackfriars, there is good artificial lighting as well as other amenities.

Lastly, there is the Inn-yard, which was the original venue for all plays, for large taverns and inns. They are surrounded by balconies which led to the lodging areas for travellers.

How did the physical constraints of the theatre affect the language of Shakespeare’s plays?

Due to the limited space in the theatre, there was unable to be backgrounds to depict the physical landscape of the setting in the story. This was therefore needed to be incorporated into the play through the means of language. A good example would be in “Romeo and Juliet”, where the prologue states, “Two households, both alike in dignity, / In fair Verona, we lay our scene”. This sets the story at a particular place, but is beautifully and skilfully woven into the poetic lines of the story.

What sort of people acted in plays? What sort of people went to see them?

Only males were allowed to act in plays, so the female roles were taken by young boys, whose voices have not broken and pitch is still high. As for the male roles, they were taken, of course, by the men, whose voices are deeper and “manlier”.

There was no restriction on the sort of people who went to see plays. Even women were permitted to watch plays.

How was ‘the theatre’ viewed by society?

The affluent people perceived the actors as rogues and scoundrels, though they still often visited the theatres to watch plays. The average man on the street were clamoured to watch the actors perform in the plays. Although there was some disapproval towards ‘the theatre’, they were often called to court to perform plays.

Compare the modern day Globe Theatre in London with the theatres that Shakespeare worked in.

After the demolishment of the Globe Theatre in Shakespeare’s time, there was a replica made of the Globe Theatre in Southwark, London, England, called Shakespeare’s Globe.

Both theatres were situated near River Thames, so that the environment and ambience of Globe Theatre still remained now. There were no spotlights, so the plays were staged during daylight hours and evenings, just as in the Elizabethan era. There were also no microphones, speakers, nor amplification. The physical structure of Shakespeare’s Globe is made of English oak, without any metal, so it is identical to the timber-made Globe Theatre of old.

Nonetheless, there are some differences between the two.

The pit is made of concrete flooring, as opposed to the original earthen flooring. There are fire preventions in Shakespeare’s Globe, like retardants and sprinklers, unlike the original Globe. The theatre has extensive backstage areas for actors, which is attached to a modern lobby with many facilities and shops for the audience. This is obviously something new, as the Theatre is no longer just a theatre, but a world-renowned tourist attraction today. In addition, the seating capacity of Shakespeare’s Globe is only half that of the Globe Theatre of olden times, making it more comfortable for the smaller audience. In winter, Shakespeare’s Globe becomes an educational place, and throughout the year, there are tour groups bringing tourists around, which is also a difference from the original Globe.

References:

Author Unknown. (Date Unknown). William Shakespeare: “Performances of William Shakespeare’s Plays”. http://www.william-shakespeare.org.uk/performances-william-shakespeare-plays.htm (Accessed 11 June 2011)

Wishingheknew. (9 June 2011). Yahoo Answers: “Were women allowed to watch Shakespeare’s plays in his times?” http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110609080634AAXfLtg (Accessed 11 June 2011)

Author Unknown. (Date Unknown). Wikipedia: “Shakespeare’s Globe”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakespeare%27s_Globe (Accessed 12 June 2011)

Tan, Benedict; Mak, Keloysius; Ong, Keith; Toh, Ming Jie; Yap, John. (2010). Slideshare: “Shakespeare’s Theatre”. http://www.slideshare.net/johnyap11/shakespeares-theatre (Accessed 12 June 2011)


Best Regards,
Nathan :)

Topic 5: Religion: Jews vs. Christians

Dear Readers,

What is the difference between Jews and Christians? This is something that has puzzled me for an extremely long time. Read on to find out more about the relationships between Jews and Christians, and why Jews were prejudiced against by Christians.

Topic 5: Religion: Jews vs. Christians

What was the dominant religion in England and Venice in the 15^th and 16^th century?

The dominant religion in England and Venice during the 15^th and 16^th century is Roman Catholicism.

Why was there such animosity between Jews and Christians?

Some of the early Gentiles, people who are non-Jewish, converted to Christianity. They were not very well-acquainted with the Jewish community during the lifetime of Jesus. When they read the New Testaments text in the Bible, they perceived it as a condemnation of the Jewish religion, as opposed to internal quarrels and quibbles which were rather common during that time.

Many factors also worsened Jewish and Christianity relations, with one simply being the competition for converts. These affected the writers of the New Testament, who portrayed the Jews in a bad light. A good example would be the writer of John, who associated the Jewish religion with darkness and the devil. As time went past and more Christians read the book of John, more and more despised the Jews.

Starting from the second century, many Fathers of churches wrote of Jews as “rejected people” doomed to live miserable lives and as “despised people”. This was evident in the preaching, art and teachings of Christianity, which resulted in attacks on the Jews, both physically by attacking and killing them and emotionally by prejudicing and discriminating against them.

Therefore, it can be summed up by saying that the human influence through the New Testament caused many Christians to prejudice against the Jews. It is not recorded, however, that the Jews discriminated against the Christians.

In what ways did Christians discriminate against Jews in 15^th and 16^th century Europe?

In European regions like Rome, the Jews were restricted to live in particular regions, and unable to reside in other places. They were forced to sell their houses at an extremely low price and were not permitted to engage in businesses. The Jews were also forced to wear badges of infamy as they walked along the streets. The only business or commercial activity which they are allowed to carry out was the buying and selling of the second-hand goods as well as old iron. They were denied medical attention from the Christians, and synagogues were also destroyed.

One of the more cruel “punishments” carried out on the Jews would be the one carried out on the elderly, during the Roman Carnival. They were kidnapped, forced at sword-point to overeat and then forced to race each other. This was an extremely vicious act on the end of the Christians.

Another form of discrimination would be something like the case of Tom Robinson depicted in “To Kill a Mockingbird”. Should two Christians testify against a Jew that he/she disrespected the faith of Roman Catholicism or a priest, he could be executed.

In Venice, the Jews were also discriminated and faced prejudice by the Christians, who formed the majority of the Venetians. They were often spat on and shouted at, even kicked, by the Christians. They were treated so, because the Jews were often the moneylenders who collect interest for the money lent to the Christians. They were not discriminated secretly, but instead were discriminated openly under broad daylight, because it was something done by all, so there was nothing to be ashamed about discriminating a Jew.

Their miseries would only end if they converted to the Christian faith, when they enter the church to attend Sunday sermons.

Resources:

Author Unknown. (Date Unknown). Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Christianity and its Persecutions of Jews” http://www.heretication.info/_jews.html (Accessed 10 June 2011)

Author Unknown. (Date Unknown). Wikipedia: “Venice” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venice (Accessed 10 June 2011)


Best Regards,
Nathan :)

Topic 4: The (Historical and Cultural) Setting of Venice

Dear Readers,

Venice is a city which is renowned across the world for many things during the 15th and 16th century. Read on to find out what it is famous for, and why "The Merchant of Venice" is set in this place!

Topic 4: The (Historical and Cultural) Setting of Venice

What was Venice like during the 15^th and 16^th century? Comment especially on its demographics and culture.

Venice was actually a warring state during the 15^th and 16^th century, and was a country on its own, called the Most Serene Republic of Venice. It was constantly at war with neighbouring countries such as the Ottoman Empire (the Turks) and the Kingdom of France.

By 1490, its population was approximately 180,000. However, Venice suffered horrible losses of many major cities in battles like the Battle of Agnadello. It only strengthened its defences in some three cities of Famagusta, Nicosia and Kyrenia all in modern-day Cyprus, whilst the other cities remained easy targets for the two larger empires.

This resulted in a drop in the Venetian population, to 168,000 in 1563 but slightly increased to 175,000 in 1575 after winning the Battle of Lepanto under the naval forces of the Holy League, which was an alliance, over the Turks. However, Venice failed to recover from the 1575-76 plague which caused a drastic decrease in its population to a mere 126,000 in 1581.

Venice was also extremely important during the 15^th and 16^th century, as a world-renowned music centre, trading centre, art centre and metalwork centre, which will be explained in the answer to the second question.

After the rise in power of the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean, Venice faded in the trading field. It remained, however, as an economic and cultural centre in Europe. There was a mix of cultures and races here, as people of different nationalities gathered here and exchanged ideas. In fact, it could be said that Venice was like Singapore, a multiracial society. The theatre was also a source of entertainment after the lift of the ban on theatrical performances in the early 1500s. The musical culture of Venice is also widely recognised.

The dominant religion was Roman Catholicism, and so, the Jews were extremely badly treated during that period of time, which will be expounded on later.

Why was Venice important during the 15^th and 16^th century?

Venice became an important music centre during this period of time. By the end of the 16^th century, Venice could be said to be extremely renowned for the splendour in its music.

Besides music, Venice also was a major trading centre during the 15^th and 16^th century, being the world’s first and busiest trading centre. The republic established a monopoly and forced Crusaders to attack rival traders in Constantinople, and in return, the Crusaders were allowed transportation to the Middle East. In fact, Venice had control over the Mediterranean Sea and imported products from Asia to Europe.

However, later, the Portuguese had a monopoly of spices, forcing Venice into moving towards the artistic world. It became famous for its art, be it paintings or architecture thereon.

Silk production was also extremely prosperous in Venice, so did Venetian glass, sugar and soap. Venice became very famous and popular for its metalwork and method of printing.

What was the dominant religion in Venice? How were Jews treated and regarded?

The dominant religion in Venice was Roman Catholicism.

Jews were extremely badly treated in the area of Venice. There was even a decree by the higher authorities in the year 1527. It ordered all Jews to move to the zone of Cannaregio, where the ancient foundries for cannons were.

They were also discriminated and faced prejudice by the Christians, who formed the majority of the Venetians. They were often spat on and shouted at, even kicked, by the Christians. They were treated so, because the Jews were often the moneylenders who collect interest for the money lent to the Christians. They were not discriminated secretly, but instead were discriminated openly under broad daylight.

How is Venice a choice setting for the plot of this play?

The plot of this play “Merchant of Venice” revolves around possibly the element of trading in the case of Antonio the merchant as well as the lending of money for Shylock the moneylender. The former gave rise to the latter, so trading can be said to be the crux of the entire play, for if it was nonexistent, there would have been no plot.

Venice was a major trading centre and, as explained previously, was, in fact, the first and busiest trading power in the whole world. This sets the theme and plot right to have the setting in Venice, because the connotation of Venice was trading and this suited the story extremely well.

In addition, there was an extremely high degree of discrimination between the Christians and the Jews in Venice, going to extreme points of physical and emotional abuse.

It was also in Venice that the Christians acted as merchants in the sector of trade, and that Jews acted as moneylenders for them.

These three pointers fully substantiate and justify Venice being the choice setting for the play “Merchant of Venice”.

Resources:

Debdeb93. (August 2007). Echeat: “The lives of the Jews in Venice during the 16^th century”. http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=33311 (Accessed 11 June 2011)

ID1676263367. (Date Unknown). Wiki Answers: “What was Venice like in the sixteenth century?” http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_was_Venice_like_in_the_sixteenth_century#ixzz1P1nMwAf9 (Accessed 12 June 2011)

Best Regards,
Nathan :)

Topic 3: Customs and Lifestyles During the Elizabethan Era

Dear Readers,

The Elizabethan era was the period of time when England was under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, but there were many interesting happenings, rules, and customs then. Read on to find out more!

Topic 3: Customs and Lifestyles during the Elizabethan Era

Elizabethan Diet

Water was not clean during that time, so people drank wine and ale. Honey was used to make an alcoholic drink called mead, consumed by both the rich and poor. Ciders and beers were also drunk then. Every day, the average Englishman consumes one gallon of low-alcoholic drinks.

Elizabethan food was purchased from small markets whereby each shop sold a particular food item, say vegetables or fruits. Meat is sold at large livestock markets.

Convenience foods include biscuits, pastries and also pies. Lower class workers consume simple lunches of bread and cheese, which is known as the “Ploughman’s Lunch”.

Cooking utensils used include pots, pans, kettles, skillets and even cauldrons, which most often associate with witches in our fairy tales when we were young. Baking trays are used instead of baking tins, and are referred to as “coffins”. The mortar and pestle are also used by the cooks who use nuts and spices in their food. The cooking methods are plentiful, like spit-roasting, baking, boiling, smoking, salting and frying, so it can be said that one food item can be cooked in many different ways during that time, just as it is in the modern-day world.

The visual effect of the food eaten by the nobles was extremely important during the Elizabethan era, and this included colours, method of presentation as well as some “props” like peacock feathers.

Elizabethan Dressing

The clothing during the Elizabethan era covered a wide variety; the gorgeous ones for the rich, and the raggedy ones for the poor. Men wore doublets and breeches, while women wore gowns and corsets. Both men and women wore hats, collars, ruffs, shoes and underclothes.

However, they were not allowed the freedom to wear whatever they wanted. Elizabethan clothing was governed strictly by the Elizabethan Sumptuary Laws, even colours. This claimed to ensure that the specific class structure was still maintained, so the punishments were extremely harsh, which went up to even execution.

Elizabethan Recreations

Who said that the people of old had no sense of entertainment and were always stern as ever? Recreations then included sports, music and of course, going to the theatres.

Elizabethans had sports tournaments, games, gambling, bear and bull baiting, hawking and hunting, fairs and festivals as sources of entertainment. Of course, the entertainment which is most renowned during the Elizabethan era and which is still fondly remembered today is the theatres and plays then, with Shakespearean plays being one of the more famous ones. Sports included archery, hammer-throwing, quoits, skittles and wrestling.

Team events were extremely significant during that time, whereby even card games included teams like in “Ruff and Honours”. Nonetheless, there were individual sports like fencing which attracted many bets and gambles.

Many of the sports played during the Elizabethan era are actually ancestors of modern-day games. “Battledore and Shuttlecock” is the ancestor of badminton, Elizabethan Bowls and Skittles those of ten-pin bowling, gameball is that of football, pall mall that of croquet, rounders that of baseball, stoolball that of cricket.

Music was extremely popular and important then. Ballads and simple songs relieved the monotonous tasks, especially amongst the lower classes. All Elizabethans went to church on Sundays, where hymns were sung. Music was also incorporated into plays, to emphasise and exude the mood of the play during that period of time.

Elizabethan Accommodation

The architecture of middle class houses was similar to traditional styles. Elizabethan Houses were framed with large vertical timbers, supported by diagonal timbers. The wattle walls were daubed with mortar and whitewash was then applied. Such houses had high chimneys, overhanging first floors, pillared porches, dormer windows and thatched roofs.

Resources:

Author Unknown. (Date Unknown). Queen Elizabeth I: “Elizabethan Life” http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/elizabethan-life.htm (Accessed 10 June 2011)

Best Regards,
Nathan :)

Topic 2: Queen Elizabeth I and the Politics of the Elizabethan Era

Dear Readers,

We have all heard about Queen Elizabeth I, but how much do we truly know about her? Read more about her here!

Topic 2: Elizabeth I and the Politics of the Elizabethan Era

Elizabeth I: who was she?

Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, his second wife. She was born on 7 September 1533 at Greenwich Palace and succeeded the throne officially as Queen Elizabeth I on 17 November 1558. She died at Richmond Palace on 24 March 1603 at the ripe old age of 69. Under her wise leadership, England became one of the most prosperous countries in the world.

What were England’s international relations like during Elizabeth’s reign?

England had many conflicts with various countries under the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

The conflict with France and Scotland arose due to her cousin, Mary Stuart, who was the Queen of Scots and the wife of French King Francis II. In 1559, Mary declared herself Queen of England with the support of the whole of France after her husband’s death. Her mother Mary of Guise solidified the support for Mary in the neighbouring land of Scotland. Fortunately for Elizabeth, the Scottish lords who remained loyal to Elizabeth aided her and it ended in the signing of the Treaty of Edinburgh. She finally sealed her alliance with the French by giving them Calais, the last English settlement on mainland France. She even aided the French in fighting against the invading Spaniards, who took away Calais.

Ireland turned against England, as Pope Gregory XIII sent an army to help the Desmond Rebellions in Ireland, which caused much displeasure for the Irish monarchs.

Spain was a large rival for the English, as evident from the Anglo-Spanish War in 1585, which resulted in an eventual stalemate. Many attempts to free Netherlands from Spanish rule failed, though, as seen from the Drake-Norris Expedition, and a major English expedition in 1589.

Netherlands, however, was a Spanish colony which was aided greatly by England, who attempted to defeat their colonial masters.

What was Shakespeare’s relationship with Elizabeth I?

Elizabeth I was a great supporter of the arts, especially plays. After the closing of theatres, the Queen gathered her own group of performers to bring back the tradition of theatres and plays. Shakespeare’s writings were extremely renowned and the Queen herself was a big fan of his literary works. When Queen Elizabeth I had an idea or concept for Shakespeare’s plays, he accepted them, so many Shakespearean plays were performed for her during her reign over England. After her death, Shakespeare became distraught and included tragedies in his writings. Overall, Elizabeth’s reign had a positive effect on Shakespeare’s career, though there is no proof they ever met.

Compare Elizabeth I to Portia. How is Portia’s character a tribute to Elizabeth I?

The most obvious similarity between the two females is that Portia is the heiress to Belmont, which is matched with Elizabeth being the heiress of the English empire. They are also the “lead females” in that Portia led the court trial and was the star of it, and Queen Elizabeth was of course the most important and honoured figure in England.

Portia is witty and could see the loophole in Shylock’s agreement, which the other male leads were unable to. Similarly, Queen Elizabeth is an extremely intelligent figure in English history, and was able to lead England to many victorious battles.

Portia was not afraid to stand up against other men, as seen from her performance during the court trial, and was able to speak fluently and eloquently against the prosecutors. Queen Elizabeth often had to convey her ideas to an all-male council, who was often hostile towards a female monarch, but she never did once felt threatened by them.

Therefore, it is said that Portia in “Merchant of Venice” is a tribute to Elizabeth I, because Portia’s character is mirrored almost exactly, if not exactly, after that of Queen Elizabeth. Her strengths are played out and emphasised, as a successful leader, a daring feminist as well as a woman of substance.

Additional Note for Queen Elizabeth I

Nonetheless, Queen Elizabeth was undeniably a successful female monarch. She helped steady England after having to deal with an enormous sum of debts. She aided in the avoiding of a Spanish invasion and of a religious outbreak and possibly, a civil war in England. Therefore, we cannot help but applaud her wise leadership.

Resources:

Cherit, Alicia; Lipman, Dalia. (Date Unknown). Alicia Cherit’s and Dalia Lipman’s Website: “Queen Elizabeth I”, Major Events and Shakespeare. http://pages.ramaz.org/2013/chetral/shakespeare/Rt2_dalia%20lipman.htm (Accessed 9 June 2011)

Best Regards,
Nathan :)

Topic 1: Can The Real William Shakespeare Please Stand Up?

Dear Readers,

William Shakespeare is a renowned playwright during the olden times in all of English literature history, but it turns out that we might have been acknowledging an anonymous person, whose name is not William Shakespeare! Read the following to find out more!

Topic 1: Can the real William Shakespeare please stand up?

Why is William Shakspere of Stratford-upon-Avon an unlikely candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare’s works?

There are too many reasons justifying the saying that William Shakspere of Stratford was not the true Shakespeare whom almost everyone in the world knows today.

Firstly, throughout the Stratford man’s lifetime, there was no record of the author of the Shakespearean works being to Stratford-upon-Avon, neither did it say that the Stratford man was the true author of the works. In fact, the first mention of Stratford man being the Shakespeare we know today came ambiguously from the 1623 First Folio.

William Camden was the author of a book called Remaines, where he commended “Shakespeare”. He, however, omits the Stratford man’s name in his other books Annals and Stratford Worthies in 1616 and 1605 respectively. This proves that Camden never associated Shakspere of Stratford with Shakespeare.

There were also no records of any man called Shakespeare or Shakspere having relations with the inner court circles either.

The author of Shakespeare’s contemporary works had to be a knowledgeable person who was well-versed in many different fields, like law, music and foreign languages, which the Stratford man had no access to.

Shakspere of Stratford was never recorded to be an actor, whilst the William Shakespeare was commemorated as “the Principall Actors in all these Playes” in the 1623 First Folio. This was a direct contradiction, between the two men.

In Shakspere’s will, he mentioned about the inheritance of household furniture, but did not talk about any literary works, or manuscripts. Shakspere’s handwriting was only captured in his signatures, all on documents which had nothing to do with literary pieces or works, all of which were signed as “Shak”, and not “Shake”.

Shakspere was also not recorded to have left for London in 1585, which he should have if he was the true Shakespeare.

Who are the possible candidates? / Who is the most likely candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare’s works? Provide reasons to support your view.

The first candidate is Francis Bacon, who had a keen sense of intellect, sophistication, and learning, in addition to a firm grasp of the law. However, his writing style is extremely different from that of Shakespeare, where the latter’s was more richly metaphorical unlike Bacon’s.

Christopher Marlowe was the same age as Shakspere, and was said to have died in 1593. However, supporters said that he did not die but continued writing under a pseudonym, William Shakespeare. The year 1593 was also the first publication of Shakespeare’s works, which further justified Marlowe’s case. However, these are all weakly-supported conjectures, much less only provided by his supporters, which exude a definite bias.

Nonetheless, I feel that Edward de Vere, also known as Oxford, is the one who is the most likely candidate for the authorship of Shakespeare’s works.

The writing style of Oxford and Shakespeare are too similar to be ignored.

Shakespeare wrote Venus and Adonis and used the phrase “first heir of my invention”, which was a common sight in Oxford’s poetry, and nowhere else in other English poems.

Craig Huston showed in his books The Shakespeare Authorship Question, Evidence for Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford and some others that there were many parallels between Shakespeare’s and Oxford’s works.

Venus and Adonis indicates both knowledge of Arthur Golding’s translation of Ovid’s Metamorphoses and of the original. Golding was the Earl of Oxford’s uncle and lived in the Cecil household when Oxford was a ward of Cecil’s, also dedicating two of his other translations to Oxford.

Characters and incidents in Shakespeare’s works are really people related to Oxford.

In Hamlet, Polonius actually represented Lord Burghley, who was Oxford’s father-in-law. In Hamlet’s dialogue, knowledge of Burghley’s career is revealed.

Christopher Hatton was Oxford’s enemy, and was satirised as Malvolio in Twelfth Night, with his letter to the Queen being parodied.

Oxford also wrote an introduction to Thomas Bedingfield’s Cardanus Comfort, a major source book for Hamlet.

Oxford was the only possible candidate for “Shakespeare” who actually “bore the canopy” over the Queen during the celebration of the defeat of the Spanish Armada.

The infamous Oxford-Sidney tennis-court quarrel is likened to Polonius in Hamlet saying, “young men falling out at tennis”.

Due to injuries suffered in a duel, Oxford attested to his own “infirmity” in later life, which could be the lameness mentioned by the author of Sonnets 37, 66 and 89.

In 1573 young Oxford played pranks on travellers along the same stretch of road “between Rochester and Gravesend”. So did Prince Hal’s pals from the Boar’s Head Tavern in Henry IV, Part 1. The Vere family crest also featured a blue boar.

Oxford wrote the poem “Anne Vavasor’s Echo”, to his mistress Anne Vavasor, the “Dark Lady” of the sonnets, which is similar to parts of Venus and Adonis and Romeo and Juliet.

The details of Hamlet are also very similar to those of Oxford’s life.

Oxford had a probable reason for adopting the name William Shakespeare because Thomas Nashe may have been referring to him when he addressed a “Gentle Master William” and a “Master Sacred ox” in 1592. In the same pamphlet, Nashe also mentions “his very friend Master Apis Lapis” and “Will Monox”, which might refer to Oxford.

The reference by Ben Jonson to Shakespeare as “Sweet Swan of Avon” in the First Folio has been put forward to show Shakespeare must have been Shakspere of Stratford. However, Oxford had an estate, which was bounded by the Avon River on one side and the Forest of Arden.

Upon Oxford’s death in 1604, King James had eight Shakespeare plays produced at court. When Oxford’s widow died, a group of Shakespeare plays were produced.

All these fully justify Edward de Vere’s identity as William Shakespeare. Would you not agree with me?

Resources:

Shakespeare Oxford Society. (Date Unknown). Shakespeare Oxford Society: “A Beginner’s Guide to the Shakespeare Authorship Problem” http://www.shakespeare-oxford.com/?p=35#Introduction (Accessed 5 June 2011)

Best Regards,
Nathan :)

Book Review: Around the World in Eighty Days

Dear Readers,

I recently read the book “Around the World in Eighty Days” written by a world-renowned British writer, Jules Verne. This novel can be said to be one of the classics in the history of English literature, so I chose this book amongst all others.

First of all, let me give you a simple summary of the plot in this story.

Phileas Fogg, an affluent man of few words, made a wager with his five friends. If he was able to travel around the world, stopping at significant places and countries, within a span of 80 days, he would win 20,000 pounds. Otherwise, each of his friends would win 4,000 pounds from Fogg.

Together with his newly-employed servant, Passepartout, Fogg set out on his voyage, meeting with innumerable difficulties like incomplete railway at the hamlet of Kholby, the nabbing of Passepartout on the way to Omaha, his arrest by the police as well as a court trial.

In the end, Fogg returned to London a few minutes late and was disappointed that he had lost his wager. However, the twist was that he had forgotten that by travelling eastwards, he gained one day due to the International Dateline. In fact, he had travelled around the world in slightly more than 79 days! He returned exactly at the promised time and consequently won the 20,000 pounds.

In actual fact, Fogg had not won much, as the whole journey cost nearly 19,000 pounds. However, the fun and rapport built with Passepartout was something that he could not put a price to.

For everything, there are merits and demerits. Let me share with you what I think is good about this book.

Firstly, the words used are rather simple to comprehend. The vocabulary is not flowery and bombastic, so it should be suitable for any age group.

This novel teaches us about the different types of cultures in the world, with the visit to India as a good example. We learn that before stepping into the temple, we must take off our shoes in respect to the gods of India. This is extremely important, and very enriching. It might even serve as a good guide for tourists and those who want to learn more about the history of some countries. A good example would be Yokohama, where Verne wrote, “[t]he Japanese quarter of Yokohama is called Benten, after the goddess of the sea, who is worshipped on the islands round about”. I never did know this, even though I am rather well-versed with Japan and its prefectures.

The novel also inculcates virtues in the readers. A good example would be the virtue of helpfulness. Fogg did not ignore the poor girl who was in need of help, Aouda, but instead was willing to slow down his journey to save her. In the end, he married the girl. This also goes to prove the saying that “whatever comes from the heart goes to the heart” and the effect of Karma.

There were also very touching scenes, which can help develop our Emotional Quotient (EQ). When Passepartout was kidnapped by the Indians, Fogg did not ignore him, although he was running short of time. This truly reflects the kind side of mankind, and will surely tug at your heartstrings!

However, there are also some demerits about this book.

For one, the pace of the book is extremely slow, and the plot very predictable. This is because the planned journey has already been stated in the beginning of the story, so it is very obvious how the story would move on. There was not much suspense, because I already know the planned route. This might be one of the largest minus-points for this book.

The twist provided is also not very interesting, because it is very predictable. For example, for me, before the entire story, I already knew what was going to happen. In such stories, there must be a twist, and I knew the twist must be the gaining of day through travelling eastwards, as stated in the beginning of the story and through general knowledge.

Nonetheless, I would say that this book is a passable one. If you are someone who loves travelling and about geography and maps like me, you will definitely enjoy this book, and I recommend you to get your hands on this book. However, if you are someone who loves fast-paced stories and suspense, I would say that there are many other books out there in the library, which you might want to give a shot at, but this is not one you will like.

Readers, what are your views, and how would you rate the book?

Best Regards,
Nathan :)

Book Review: The Time Pirate

Dear Readers,

Today, I will be sharing with you a book entitled “The Time Pirate” by Ted Bell.

In this story, the protagonist is a twelve-year-old boy called Nicholas McIver, who lives on one of the Channel Islands which belongs to the English empire. This story is set in 1940, when the Nazis were attacking England, and began bombing the Channel Islands. Being a courageous, patriotic and hot-blooded boy, Nicholas offered to aid in the defence of his homeland. Despite his young age, he was granted permission by Lord Hawke, who is the governor of the island, Baroness de Fleur as well as his parents. After being taught how to fly a plane, he aided in the bombing of the German bases. He had a close shave with death, when the plane malfunctioned, but survived miraculously. Upon returning home, he realised his sister had been captured by William Blood, a notorious pirate who yearned to possess the other half of the time machine which Nicholas had. With the two halves of the time machine, William would have absolute power over the world. Nicholas, with the help of Lord Hawke and Hobbes, managed to create a replica of the half and exchanged it for his sister’s life. When they returned home, Nicholas realised that the only way to defeat the Nazis was to have an America, which did not exist then because Washington failed to defeat British general Cornwallis at the Battle of Yorktown during the American Revolution. In order to do so, he whizzed back to the time of the Revolution and aided Washington and French general Lafayette in the mission to defeat the British. The plan succeeded, and upon whizzing back to the year 1940, the Americans came to the aid of the British, saving them from the hands of the Nazis, causing the Nazis’ eventual defeat.

I personally did not really like the story, for I found that the negative points outnumber the positive points. Let me explain what I mean.

Self-contradictory in itself, this story has shown that since Nicholas was able to time-travel, why is it that he is unable to prevent the World War Two from happening in the first place? For if he was able to do so, nothing of this sort would have happened. The story stated that Admiral de Grasse was only able to converse in French, giving rise to the need for Lafayette to tag along and join Nicholas on his journey. However, it turned out that de Grasse talked to Lafayette and Nicholas in English, aggravating the situation of the contradiction of the book.

Spelling and grammatical errors are also plentiful across the entire book, whereby General Lafayette’s name morphed to become Layfayette and even Layafette, which I personally found rather ridiculous and disrespectful to the French general who was a real character during the war of American Independence. Words like “encourgaged” also dotted the book. Such mistakes will definitely put off readers.

There were also plenty of French embedded in the dialogues in the story, with no translation provided, making readers guess what the words meant. An example would be avec le pamplemousse, which I had to use Google Translate to comprehend its meaning.

Nonetheless, this story has indeed given me some valuable insights and inculcated some values in me. It taught me that age means nothing, for if we have the determination to do something, we should not be restricted by our age. This is evident from the twelve-year-old Nicholas who embarked on such a dangerous and life-threatening attempt. It also showed me the power of patriotism which could counter all odds, as shown by Nicholas’s love for England and his homeland.

I also learnt some beautiful descriptions of the scenery, which I will try to add into my subsequent essays, when applicable.

All in all, with all due respect to Mr Ted Bell but I do not recommend this book, as this story revolves around a self-contradictory storyline. Therefore, I feel that this book is not really worth a read and will leave a bad and poor impression of fantasy stories, even for me, a fantasy-lover.

Readers, what do you think about this book?

Best Regards,
Nathan :)