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

Hamlet - Essay Example Hamlet is very upset because of his father’s sudden death and his mother’s marriage with Claudius and this soliloquy is representative of the fact. Hamlet has used a number of metaphors, similes, references to mythology and expressive speech in his first soliloquy. This paper will analyze Hamlet’s first soliloquy in terms of his spoken words and his expressions. Hamlet’s starts with analyzing the worth of human life in this world and also thinks about suicide as he says, â€Å"O, that this too too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!† (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 131-134) These lines indicate that human existence is nothing more than a drop of dew and one day will come when every human being has to die and his body will be a part of the sand. Hamlet here says that death is inevitable and will come to everyone. He also talks about suicide and the restri ction towards committing suicide. Here Hamlet considers his deep wish to commit suicide because of the calamities in which, he is trapped but he is restricted because of his religious obligations. For Hamlet, everything of this world is without any benefit as he says, â€Å"How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world!† (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 135-136) For Hamlet, there is no attraction left in this world for him. He is so sad and dejected that the world as a whole appears useless to him. He compares the world with an â€Å"unweeded garden† and says that the world enables every â€Å"gross† and â€Å"rank† things to grow, which are all corrupted and rotten. After expressing about the world, Hamlet at once comes towards the reason of his remorsefulness as he states that his father who was an excellent king and a loving husband died less than two months ago. Hamlet compares his father to the mythological character of Hyperion , who is a Greek god. After appreciating his father and showing his excessive love for his father, Hamlet exclaims remorse on his mother’s hasty marriage with his uncle Claudius and regards his mother as unfaithful to his father as he says, â€Å"-- Frailty, thy name is woman!† (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 148) By thinking about his mother as a frail creature, he considers that all the women of this world are frail and prone to do wrong. He feels disappointed at his mother’s marriage with Claudius as he thinks that his mother has proved dishonesty by marrying Claudius soon after her husband’s death. He thinks that his mother has shed false tears over his death father’s corpse. Hamlet is tormented on his mother’s action and says, â€Å"Like Niobe, all tears: -- why she, even she -- O, God! a beast, that wants discourse of reason, Would have mourn'd longer† (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 151-153) He thinks that his mother has not mourned as was require d of her. Again, Hamlet has compared his mother to a mythological character of Niobe. He regards his mother’s tears over his father death as â€Å"unrighteous tears†. He regards Claudius as not equivalent to his father and regards him quite downgraded as he says, â€Å"My father's brother, but no more like my father Than I to Hercules†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Act 1, Scene 2, Line 154-155) Hamlet here gives his father a very high position and considers Claudius as a creature that should be hated. In the same soliloquy, Hamlet uses the example of â€Å"Hyperion† for his father and â€Å"

Recognizing Women artists Essay Example for Free

Recognizing Women artists Essay Linda Nochlin’s article tries to bring to light the differences that exist between men and women art and how this disparity has been linked to the distinct nature of men and women. However, Nochlin believes that the differences that may exist in art do not come about as a result of ones gender but rather these discrepancies are influenced by particular social institutions. This, Nochlin says, is because art develops in a specific social situation and that it is usually a fundamental component of that social structure. Nochlin further explains that art can not be considered a free self-directed activity that can be influenced by social forces since it crops up in a social situation, gender, previous artists and other things normally considered influential notwithstanding (Nochlin, 1988, pp. 147-158). As a result therefore, Nochlin states how feminity does not count when it comes to evaluation of great artists. Therefore Nochlin defines the background of some of the great artists like Picasso who came from already artist families. Nochlin also cites how the works of Redon and Corot, both male, had a feminist touch thus it could not be concluded that women art should be classified according to its own standards. This argument makes sense because art is not gender based; rather it is learned through teaching, apprenticeship or even from a long experience period (Nochlin, 1988, pp. 147-158). I agree with Nochlin’s reasoning because one can not classify art as masculine or feminine. When one sees a piece of art, what comes out is the expression captured in that piece of work and not the masculine or feminine touch in it. Therefore Nochlin’s argument is sound because even if it is assumed that women artists are inward-looking, delicate and nuanced in their art pieces, other male artists also exude such characteristics in their work. For instance Redon’s pieces were inward turning and Corot’s art was also delicate and nuanced (Nochlin, 1988, pp. 147-158). Nochlin’s position relies upon the assumptions that great art is a result of intelligence and talent. It is not merely influenced by gender, social class or any other social forces. This is true because great artists like Michelangelo produced exemplary pieces because of the talent they had and not because of social influences. Further still, artists such as Giotto became great artists even though he started off drawing on stone. It is the intelligence and talent that he had in art that elevated his work to great art (Nochlin, 1988, pp. 147-158). Besides, Nochlin’s position also relies on the assumption that the creation of art entails its own form of language. What is more, this language comes to life in paper and not in a mere story that could be told to another party thus disregarding the feminist notion in art. This argument is true because art is learned and perfected through experience and this means that regardless of gender artists with the experience can bring out great art work (Nochlin, 1988, pp. 147-158). Therefore this means that women can produce great art as much as men because art is not gender based. Art is learned and comes to perfection from a period of experience. Besides, great art is also primarily a result of an individual’s intelligence and talent therefore other social forces are just secondary factors in the creation of great art. This therefore implies that women art can be accorded much attention and appreciation if only people could get a deeper insight into what art really entails (Nochlin, 1988, pp. 147-158). Reference Nochlin L. (1988). Why have there been no great women artists? Women, Art and Power and Other Essays. Westview Press.

Theories of Dyslexia and Strategies for Intervention

Theories of Dyslexia and Strategies for Intervention Drawing on current research, module content and your own professional practice critically consider dyslexia as a syndrome incorporating a spectrum of difficulties. Consider the implications of your theoretical understanding for policy, practice and provision within your school. Over recent years there have been many different definitions of dyslexia. It seems that it is almost impossible to define a disability that affects individuals in so many different ways and to so many different degrees in one agreed definition. The republic of Ireland has adopted this definition for themselves which blatantly relates to the fact that this a disability which is part of a continuum of needs, Dyslexia is manifested in a continuum of specific learning  difficulties related to the acquisition of basic skills in reading,  spelling, writing and/or number, such difficulties being  unexpected in relation to an individuals other abilities. The Adult Dyslexia Association has this as part of their definition Every dyslexic person is different and should be treated as an individual. Many show talents actively sought by employers and the same factors that cause literacy difficulties may also be responsible for highlighting positive attributes such as problem solving which can tap resources which lead to more originality and  creativity. ( Schloss 1999) These definitions show the degree of individuality that is present amongst dyslexic learners. It also highlights the fact there are so many positive aspects to being dyslexic that are easily overlooked. The views held by these definitions are implicit , dyslexia encompasses a whole range of difficulties along a spectrum of need. Dyslexia is a very common disability. According to the British Dyslexia Association around 5 10% of the population are affected. Dyslexia impacts on a persons ability to read and wite, thus affecting all areas of education. The severity of dyslexia varies form person to person and ranges form mild to severe. There are many aspects of dyslexia and many other disorders that are co-morbid. According to the dyslexia Institute Dyslexia is, Not related to intelligence, race or social background. Dyslexia varies in severity and often occurs alongside other Specific Learning Difficulties such as Dyspraxia, Attention Deficit Disorder, resulting in variation in the degree and nature of individuals strengths and weaknesses. To have any success in helping these learners to develop their literacy skills we must take full cognisance of their individual manner of working, Reid (2001) states: Dyslexic children are first and foremost individuals and while they may share some common difficulties there are individual differences. Many of the issues facing dyslexic pupils can be adequately remediated with the correct environment and specific teaching strategies. Dyslexia is not something to be cured but if these strategies are applied with recognition of individual differences in learning styles they can be effective as by pass strategies. There is no one definitive intervention as each dyslexic learner is an individual and has an individual need. It is about observing and assessing the specific needs of a specific pupil and adapting an intervention that will address this particular need at this particular time. There are no two dyslexic persons with identical needs and dyslexia occurs across the range of learning abilities. Theory of Dyslexia In order to understand dyslexia fully and to consider the implications for policy and practice it is imperative that the causes of dyslexia are investigated. Frith (1995) views dyslexia as a causal model framework suggesting there are three levels of descriptions for better understanding dyslexia- biological, cognitive and behavioural. The biological description implies that dyslexia is hereditary, Gene markers for dyslexia have been found in chromosome 15 (Smith, Kimberling, Pennington and Lubs 1983 as cited in Reid, G 2001) If one parent is dyslexic there is a 50% chance that any of his/her children will inherit dyslexia Hull learning services This could have a major impact for recognising at risk dyslexics early on and putting measures in place to assist with learning difficulties or differences. Frith also suggests that dyslexia has a cognitive basis and suggests that there is something different in the way dyslexic students process information (quote Fawcett, 2001 regarding metacognition and automaticity). Many dyslexic people have difficulties with short term memory, working memory, metacognition and automaticity. Others have problems with phonological processing and cannot process sounds easily and have problems in a range of areas requiring language skill. Sequencing can also be an issue for some dyslexics. Frith believes there is interaction between these factors causing the behavoural issues of a dyslexic learner in terms of reading difficulties, spelling difficulties and often poor memory and organisational difficulties. Some dyslexia appears to manifest itself or have its root in visual difficulties. In my experience many dyslexic students are helped greatly by the use of coloured paper and coloured overlay to avoid visual stress. Tinted glasses can be useful too in avoiding glare, movement in the text, headaches and eye strain. Traditionally, there have been two main models of Dyslexia. One is that it is perceived to be a discrepancy model whereby a pupil appears to have a higher level of intelligence compared to their reading ability. Snowling, 2000 suggests that this may not hold true as many pupils may have a limited literacy experience at home and are therefore bound to have a lower than expected reading age. Conversly, A dyslexic child my have found their own coping strategies and so difficulties could be masked for a long time. A dyslexic child may come form a literacy rich background and the sheer emersion in this and hard work of parents may also compensate for the difficulties. This makes the diagnosis more difficult. Dyslexia has also been viewed as a deficit model whereby a pupil is lacking in literacy skills and because of this is unlikely to succeed. Many would disagree and will argue that there are a great deal of successful dyslexics who have found a way to compensate for their difficulties and use their differences in learning style to their advantage. Being dyslexic simply means a different way of learning and therefore as educators we may need to find a different way of teaching. Some positive attributes often associated with dyslexia is good visual, spatial and lateral thinking skills. The implications for these traditional views are that interventions currently taking place may not be any where near the solution for dyslexia difficulties. If we are to provide any kind of meaningful solution for these pupils we need to do a great deal more observation and analysis to uncover the specific difficulties. If we are ignoring strengths and concentrating on the weaknesses of these learners we are doing pupils an injustice and adding to the issues of self esteem and confidence. Therefore, there is a challenge for all teachers to actually understand dyslexia and meet the dyslexic learners need. These types of learners like any learner have their own individual needs and strengths. Nicholson and Fawcett In particular, if one can identify the underlying cause of a childs potential difficulties before they are manifested, it should be possible to give pro-active support, to the extend that the child will not fail to learn to read, and will not suffer the comitant emotional and educational devastation. Early Intervention If Dyslexia is caught early enough it may that there is less need for intervention. (Critical learning period) Many would argue that it is too late to help pupils beyond the age of 6 , according to bodien 2007 intervention at 6 80% successful, 9 40%, 10-12, 10%.. Research as shown that by this time parts of the brain have shut down. Early and accurate diagnosis will ensure the best possible intervention for a pupil with this difficulty. Drawing on my own experience as a secondary school teacher there are some dyslexic learners that no matter what is put in place still do not make adequate progress in the area of literacy. These pupils need to be given a means of coping in school without having to rely on reading and writing. Continually teaching the same method of reading for the 10th or consecutive year or longera in a row is clearly not working. Some of the dyslexic learners at my school who have made he most progress with literacy have despite all the schools effort found their own way of unlocking words and becoming better readers. The fault of the school lies in insisting all pupils lear n to read in the same manner. One particular severely dyslexic pupil I recall has become a fluent reader by devising his own syllable breaking rule which I find difficult to comprehend but has been a way of accessing materials previously incomprehensible. To have continued using phonics programme with this pupil would have been pointless and exasperating to this pupil. On the other hand this form of remediation has been extremely helpful to another pupil and has meant access to a range of learning opportunities. Certain areas of education have recently been heavily backing linguistic phonics as the solution to all literacy difficulties as we can see according to., Nicholson and Fawcett, It may also be true that appropriate treatment for a given child depends critically on the specific underlying cause(s) of their difficulties, rather than just the general reading symptoms displayed Fawcett, Nicholsonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..200? P6 ( dyslexia, learning and the brain) There are many differences between dyslexic pupils both n the manner in which problems arise and in the severity of the problems. Enrolled at any school there are pupils with dyslexia ranging form mild to moderate to severe. Each of these pupils may be affected by their dyslexia in very different ways. Schools need to be able to provide opportunities for dyslexic learners to learn in their own style. A certain degree of flexibility needs to be applied to the way in which notes are taken and homework submitted. Dyslexic learners also need to have plenty of opportunities to work to their own strengths and have adequate support for their own specific areas of weakness. Specialist one to one teaching needs to be put In place also. This is particularly helpful in specifically showing a pupil survival and bypassing techniques so that the pupil can be as fully included in the curriculum as the other non-dyslexic learners within the organisation. Without support within an organisation dyslexic learners are at risk from a number of negative outcomes from being dyslexic. Some psychosocial factors may come into play to a greater or lesser extent depending on the individual. Thompson describes the daily public humiliation of dyslexic children at school and states failure is experienced every time dyslexics are asked to undertake any literacy, which happens many times at school. Thompson, p 214. The effects of this are far reaching and potentially disatrous for any student, causing daily stress, anxiety and can also be the victims of bullying by other students and indeed by teachers in their lack of understand and inappropriate labelling Thompson p216 In order to be fully included within the curriculum there are devices which could be vital to some dyslexic learners. The use of ICT has proven to be very effective in providing the kind of support necessary to access the curriculum. On the market nowadays are a variety of technical aids. Some pupils are greatly helped by the use of voice activated software and can produce work more in line with their academic ability when the need for written accuracy is removed. At the other end of the extreme from this is the use of hand held spell-checkers which can be an unobtrusive way of removing the problem of poor spelling. All of these devices have their downside also and require expert use and the acquisition of particular skills such as keyboarding. and practice by the dyslexic leaner and the compatibility with the kinds of work and arrangements in schools. Being diagnosed with dyslexia is a long and difficult process. There are so many factors in place. Certainly the intervention and amount of intervention varies from school to school and indeed even from pupil to pupil depending on parental pressure and even finance. It has been argued by Wise, Ring and Olsen (1999) as cited in Reid G 2001 that the actual type of phonological awareness training was less important than the need to actually embed the training within a well structured and balanced approach to reading. Many schools now in Northern Ireland are adopting the Linguistic Phonics approach to teaching reading and remediating reading. It could be argued that this is a useful beginning strategy for may people with literacy needs but for many dyslexic pupils it could add to the confusion and is not an adequate intervention for all dyslexic learners. Fawcett 2002, argues that difficulties often arise from confusion between cause, symptom and treatment and that grouping symptoms without understanding cause can lead to inappropriate treatment. Another important implication here is the fact that a dyslexic pupils needs will change over time and will schools be ready to change the intervention. If we are not constantly assessing these needs we could be seriously letting our pupils down. The implications for this are far reaching. The amount and quality of help is inequitable. As a practitioner I realise there are a great deal of areas within my organisation that need to be upturned, examined and seriously modified. There are some pupils in my school who receive specialist help from a dyslexic tutor. Someone who is qualified to get to the real heart of problems and devise a programme that will be meaningful to dyslexic children. There are others who fall below the threshold for this help and there interventions can be hit and miss at best. This has to be examined. Ofsted doc 2006 promotesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. We are left with the question. How good will provision be if a specialist teacher is not available for all? The Department of Education is promoting the idea of a dyslexia friendly school. The emphasis being placed on every teacher to deal with Dyslexia and not the role specifically of a specialist teacher. The British Psychological Society came up with a definition in 1999 which has major implications for the manner in which we address dyslexia in schools, implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite appropriate learning opportunities. It provides the basis for a staged process of assessment through teaching. The first major implication of this sometimes contested definition is that the ultimate responsibility for assessment lies within schools themselves. This places the responsibiity upon teachers to address these persistent and severe issues and provide the appropriate remediation. Every school should have procedures and structures in place to deal with the issue of dyslexia. A programme of assistance should be in place for all dyslexic learners to help overcome difficulties faced and in the long term to prevent the negative psycho-social aspects to this different approach to learning. To cover all aspects of difficulties the programmes should incorporate phonics, reading and spelling. It should be in line with the developmental stage of the learner and constantly reassessed and reviewed to ensure that it is effective. Above all it should be set up to provide dyslexic learners with a degree of success to compensate for thr low self esteem often experienced by trying to access materials and learners presnted in a manner that it is inaccessible to them. The Dyslexia Friendly School guidelines are a useful framework for Dealing with dyslexia. The success of the schools programme will be down to how individual teachers plan their lessons, how well the school is resourced and the quality of the teaching. The question remains will this be sufficient. The British Dyslexia association in its article states Dyslexia friendly schools are able to identify and respond to the unexpected difficulties that a dyslexic learner may encounter Intervention requires precision teaching, specialist intervention one to one. In reality we require materials that will support differentiation to facilitate access to the full curriculum. ( Reid, 2003). All dyslexic learners like any learner has unique needs, strengths and areas that need to be supported. Brooks ( 2000, p19 ) children should begin to perceive the world as a place where their strengths rather than their weaknesses are spotlighted. If this shift in perception occurs, then when they are expected to assume the tasks of adulthood, they will do so with increased comfort, confidence and success Cultural context and assessment Thompson p209 Stackhouse and wells continuum of needs Students with SpLDs will often present with significant and persistent difficulties despite appropriate learning opportunities even when additional educational provision has been made available. Dfes 2005

I Am Joaquin Vs. The First Seven Years :: essays research papers

Sometimes many similarities can be found between two completely different works of literature. The poem “I am Joaquin'; and the short story “The First Seven Years'; at the same time exhibit both contrasting positions and similar ideals. Even though “I am Joaquin'; is told from Mexican-American perspective while “The First Seven Years'; is told from Jewish-American perspective, similarities are found in both. They tell of the American Dream and of the two mentioned families’ roles and influences as a means of attaining that dream. The roles of the families in these works and each version of the American Dream are based on the same ideals, but involve different methods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “The First Seven Years'; and “I am Joaquin'; express the same versions of the American Dream in terms of what is wanted. The idea of both works is a better life for the future generations of the families. Both selections also make it clear that the people involved desire a relief of what has been done for many years. “I am Joaquin'; tells of a work with “no end';. The people want an end to this tiring work they have done for years with no reward. Feld from “The First Seven Years'; wants his daughter to marry someone who will make the shoemaker’s next generation one that is not making shoes. Feld thinks that if his daughter marries a shoemaker, his dream will be ruined because she will not have a better life than her mother did. Therefore, what is wanted in both selections is not only a better life, but a new life as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both works present different ways of realizing their similar versions of the American Dream. In “The First Seven Years'; Feld makes it clear that education is the key to a better life rather than the hard labor he has gone through for many years. In the beginning of the story he wants his own daughter to go on to college because she shows promise. However she does not want to go. Defeated by his daughter’s strong will he then wishes to “let her marry an educated man and live a better life.'; Conversely, in “I am Joaquin,'; hard work was thought to be the way to a successful life. The family has lived a life of hardships “and work and work'; to which “there is no end.'; Although unsuccessful in their attempts, this was the idea of how the American Dream was to be realized. I Am Joaquin Vs. The First Seven Years :: essays research papers Sometimes many similarities can be found between two completely different works of literature. The poem “I am Joaquin'; and the short story “The First Seven Years'; at the same time exhibit both contrasting positions and similar ideals. Even though “I am Joaquin'; is told from Mexican-American perspective while “The First Seven Years'; is told from Jewish-American perspective, similarities are found in both. They tell of the American Dream and of the two mentioned families’ roles and influences as a means of attaining that dream. The roles of the families in these works and each version of the American Dream are based on the same ideals, but involve different methods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  “The First Seven Years'; and “I am Joaquin'; express the same versions of the American Dream in terms of what is wanted. The idea of both works is a better life for the future generations of the families. Both selections also make it clear that the people involved desire a relief of what has been done for many years. “I am Joaquin'; tells of a work with “no end';. The people want an end to this tiring work they have done for years with no reward. Feld from “The First Seven Years'; wants his daughter to marry someone who will make the shoemaker’s next generation one that is not making shoes. Feld thinks that if his daughter marries a shoemaker, his dream will be ruined because she will not have a better life than her mother did. Therefore, what is wanted in both selections is not only a better life, but a new life as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both works present different ways of realizing their similar versions of the American Dream. In “The First Seven Years'; Feld makes it clear that education is the key to a better life rather than the hard labor he has gone through for many years. In the beginning of the story he wants his own daughter to go on to college because she shows promise. However she does not want to go. Defeated by his daughter’s strong will he then wishes to “let her marry an educated man and live a better life.'; Conversely, in “I am Joaquin,'; hard work was thought to be the way to a successful life. The family has lived a life of hardships “and work and work'; to which “there is no end.'; Although unsuccessful in their attempts, this was the idea of how the American Dream was to be realized.

Drama coursework †Response Essay

Introduction In our group we came up with lots of similarities in our thought showers. A lot of us described the Witches the same as in the green faces, long noses warts & spots, and there broom sticks. Some differences that our group came up with is that a few of us thought of modern witches, as in a normal human being look but with witch features, instead of black cats a lot of our group wrote different pet names. Our mind has been influenced about the topic by many things e.g. the media’s outlook on a stereotypical witch, children’s stories also portray witches with the green faces big hats etc. which means movies portray it like this. Also from the image created by our ancestors where the apparent witches were being burnt at the stake. Macbeth extract: focusing on the ‘outsider’ This role-play brought about issues such as how society today fears outsiders. How society today is divided into different groups, such as Goths / punks / gangster and take different paths in life. We fear the outsiders of society because we fail to understand the logic behind their culture / background. This also brings about racism / religion clashes. In the olden days most of the fear was based around witches because they were conveyed as the biggest outsiders. The storyline of our role-play was about a gothic boy who was feared & isolated from family & school because of being a Goth. We started the role play with Steven (the gothic boy) being in a school photo where is he is isolated from the rest of the school and then we went into his home life where his parents & siblings make jokes about his appearance and his way of life. We ended the play with a twist, where Steven was with all his gothic friends and his little brother (Aaron Tovee) walks past Steven and his group of gothic friends and is mocked for being what society would call â€Å"normal† and he is then conveyed as the outsider. We showed isolation in this play from the very first scene. In the first scene we had school photos were Steven (the outsider) was separated a foot away from the rest of the school that were huddled together for the photo. We portrayed an even bigger sense of frustration & isolation by this when the photographer asks Steven to step in the photo and the group moves away from him. The photographer blames Steven and again snaps at Steven to move into the photo. We did this to show how normal society blames the outsider, as if it was just easier to do so. We also showed isolation at the dinner table of Stevens’s family-home. We showed this by having all his siblings laugh and snigger at him and make comments like â€Å"drink blood† because of his gothic background. We ended that scene with Stevens father shouting at Steven telling him he’s not welcome in the home for kicking his sibling under the table (for making the comments) and telling him to get out and hang around with ‘his own kind.’ This made the whole idea of isolation seem a lot more effective because even his father, he whom he should be very close with, kicks him out of the house belting abuse at the top of his voice just because he is a Goth. We also ended our role-play with a twist on the sense of isolation where Steven is with a group of his Goth friends when his little brother walks past and his little brother feels isolated and afraid because he is the outsider there. The crucible Some similarities of ideas that we had on the idea of witchcraft from this stimuli went along the lines of how accusations were so quickly thrown around in the courtroom, and how everyone believed someone who was called a witch. Most people also thought that it was a fairly racist time and that’s why if you was black like the maid in the stimuli the blame was easily put on you. Some differences on the stimuli were about how the accused always showed a sense of fear. How society was so gullible and why the lies were started. In our role play we showed the accusation by the same sort of scene as the stimuli. We had it set in a court-room in the olden times whereas the judge’s verdict was the final, and punishment was death / something incorporating pain. We built hysteria in our role-play by levelling up the amount of volume in the courtroom until it was mayhem and chaos with everyone throwing accusations of being a witch to the accused. We marked the moment where the defence is getting shouted at and abused really badly and she gets up and accuses a man from the courtroom audience. We did this by building up the hysteria with everyone standing up shocked, and built up amount of noise slowly to a really loud volume and then when she got up and said â€Å"It’s him!† we silenced the courtroom immediately so it was just a big awkward silence. Studying this stimulus helped us understand the context at the time because it showed how gullible society was at that time period. An example of this is the fact that everyone believed that a person was a witch just by someone else’s word. The stimulus also shows that there was a big thing about racism in that time. An example of this is where the black woman was blamed for being the witch and beat brutally, the accusation was easily accepted by society because of the colour of her skin. Forum Theatre. Our class used forum theatre through studying a news article about a woman sacrificing her two babies to Satan. We then used this as a stimulus and did a whole-class courtroom drama, where we would switch places (defence, prosecution, judge, witnesses etc) This was useful to use because it made you think on the spot about the subject and it also improved your improvisation skills. Using the court-room drama attached with forum theatre was very useful because reading about just the sacrifice gave you a biased opinion about what really happened. But when we used the courtroom drama we had to act as defence as well so you started thinking about both sides of the story, and maybe reasons for why they did it. When playing the witnesses it also opened up that it might not just affect the family it could also affect other people around too. Conclusion My understanding of the topic has developed through studying the different stimuli a lot because you start to realise that witchcraft isn’t all fairytales and children’s books. It can be portrayed through children’s theatre, but also relate to serious events such as when the babies were sacrificed by the mother to Satan and such. Studying the different stimuli in different times and cultures developed our Understanding a lot too because you can see that not along ago was it that people actually were killed for being accused of witches, and everything was done through religion, and people believed in God strongly. You can see that science has developed through the ages and changed the thoughts of people today drastically through things such as the theory of evolution, which puts people in 2 minds about the creation of mankind, and even questions religion. Therefore people aren’t willing to believe things like witchcraft anymore as it has become abnormal for us to comprehend supernatural things.

Heres How to Navigate a Twitter Pitch Party (and Land a Book Deal)

Heres How to Navigate a Twitter Pitch Party (and Land a Book Deal) The Ins and Outs of a Twitter Pitch Party If you're familiar with the traditional publishing landscape, you'll know that it's really hard to land a book deal without an agent, and it's impossible to get an agent without sending dozens of query letters†¦ There are, however, a few ways to  get to know agents before you submit to them. One is to go to conferences. Another one is Twitter Pitch Parties - and those don't require you leaving even your house!In this post, publisher, author and professional speaker L. Diane Wolfe explains what these "parties" are, and how they can help you find that agent or get that book deal you've been dreaming of! Wolfe is also an administrator for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, which is launching its annual Twitter Pitch Party on January 18, 2018. Details here.You’ve probably heard of pitch parties or seen one in action. There are dozens upon dozens of pitch parties throughout the year. Some draw over a thousand participants. If you’re not familiar with the con cept, you might be wondering†¦What is a Twitter pitch party? Hosted by an organization, individual, or publisher, a Twitter pitch party usually lasts twelve hours. Using the designated hashtag for the event, writers Tweet a summary/pitch of their manuscript. Publishers and agents watch the hashtag feed and â€Å"heart† pitches that interest them. Writers receiving a â€Å"heart† can then submit a completed query. And the best part? It’s already been requested, which means it won’t be an unsolicited query that falls into the slush pile.Each organizer has its own set of rules, but these are the general guidelines:Writer Tweets must include the Twitter pitch hashtag. (#IWSGPit, #PitMad, etc.)Tweets must also include the appropriate genre hashtag. (e.g. #YA)Tweets can only be sent out at intervals - once an hour, once every other hour, etc.You can re-Tweet your friends’ Tweets, but do not â€Å"heart† them.Publishers and agents will â€Å"heart† the pitches that interest them, inviting those writer s to send a query. Looking for an agent? Take a look at upcoming Twitter Pitch Parties in your genre! Who should enter a Twitter pitch?Any writer with a complete and polished manuscript that is ready for querying or in the process of being queried. (Unless you have already signed with an agent or publisher, or your manuscript is under exclusive consideration.) Writers should check the dates of pitch events and the genres featured. Some include a wide variety of genres and some are very specific. Find the pitch contests that fit your manuscript best.Preparation is key. Familiarize yourself with the participating publishers and agents if they are listed on the host site. You can then tailor your Tweets to what they seek. Write your pitch Tweets in advance, crafting 3-4 different ones for each manuscript. Be sure to leave room for hashtags and include all those that pertain to your story in your Tweets. Avoid the use of images, including â€Å"possible† cover art. Write your pitch tweets in advance and craft 3-4 different ones for each manuscript. How to make the most out of the pitch partyOn the day of the event, start Tweeting at the appropriate time. Remember to send Tweets out at the requested intervals and alternate your Tweets so participants aren’t seeing the same one over and over. Some publishers and agents tune in early and some later in the day, so you’ll have to continue checking the hashtag feed. Check your own profile and note any â€Å"hearts† on your pitches. You can also check on the competition and do a search for your genre’s hashtag among the Twitter pitches. If you receive â€Å"hearts† on your pitch, go to that publisher or agent’s Twitter profile first. Many will tweet how they want to receive the pitch queries. Whether they do or not, visit their website and read the submission guidelines. Even if it was a requested query, you still want to follow etiquette and send a proper query. Before you send any query, double-check the publisher or agent’s reputation. Go a general Google search and check sites such as Critters Workshop or SFWA. When you send your query, be sure to note that it was a Twitter pitch request (using the pitch’s hashtag) in the email’s subject line. If you get your Twitter pitch "hearted," make sure you follow the agent's guidelines when submitting! If you don’t receive any â€Å"hearts,† don’t despair. This business is all about timing. Perhaps your pitch sounded similar to a book already in production. Or perhaps the right publisher missed your pitch. Take this opportunity to fine-tune your pitch for the next pitch party. And of course, continue sending query letters to agents and publishers on your list. Twitter parties don’t replace actual query letters, but they are a great way to test the waters and perhaps get a request. There are hundreds of success stories - you might be one pitch party away from yours.If you’re ready to jump into a Twitter pitch party, the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is hosting one on January 18, 2018. Details can be found here.  Lists of Twitter pitch parties can also be found at Carissa Taylor's blog and John R Berkowitz's. Join @TheIWSG's Twitter pitch party on January 18 for a chance to land a publishing deal! Have you had any luck with Twitter pitches in the past? Share your success stories with us, or feel free to ask Wolfe any question about pitches in the comments below!