Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Geography - Essay Example Physical determinism was heavily criticized and it was stated that the theory favored imperialism and racism. Therefore, it was recognized as inappropriate base for ethical considerations how interactions between people and nature, particularly, global land use, should be built. Environmental possibilism is not as strict as determinism and states that physical conditions determine human culture only to certain extent. In other words, people take to account their physical environment while building society, but are not defined by it1. Environmental probabilism extends the previous theory and argues that physical conditions allow for numerous variations in ways how people could interfere with nature. Particularly, the concept describes that there could develop a lot of probable human behaviors within one region2. In such way, environmental probabilism explains such phenomena as different cultures existing at the same areas and is one of the least controversial and most powerful geograp hical theories, which provide explanations what the relationship between humanity and surrounding is, how people are supposed to exploit natural resources and specifically could be used as valid guide for global land use considerations. 2. What is the most important human land use? What land use is the least important?   The main spheres, which are associated with human land use, include agriculture, mine-working, development of urban areas, deforestation in the process of wood harvesting in order to use it for further house-hold use and construction, using land for animal husbandry. Such heavy exploitation of land resources has led to various negative consequences like deforestation and irrigation of land3. According to IPCC Special Report on Climate Change (2000), there are seven spheres of human land-use activities, which essentially influence environment: â€Å"conversion of natural ecosystems to permanent croplands, conversion of natural ecosystems for shifting of cultivatio n, conversion of natural ecosystems to pasture, abandonment of croplands, abandonment of pastures, harvest of timber, and establishment of tree plantations† (Sutton, 2004).   On contrary the following categories are supposed to be less exploited in human land use: Land under Residential/Industrial/Transportation Facilities, Land under Protective Cover  (greenhouses and other urban use; vegetable growing, home gardening, residential parks, golf courses, etc.), Land under Temporary Crops Requiring Wetland Conditions  (wet-foot crops such as irrigated rice and jute), Land under Temporary Crops  (annuals; cultivated with crops with a growing cycle of under 1 year) (IPCC Special Report on Climate Change 2000) 3. Are global land uses sustainable? Are U.S. land uses sustainable?  Why or why not? According to An Overview of Key Environmental Issue, â€Å"land use refers to the purposes to which humans commit land cover such as forests and grasslands†4.   Nowadays it is commonly accepted that human land use could cause undesirable changes to ecosystem affecting land cover and land water greatly5. Such human activities as agriculture, logging, ranching, and industrial performance, lead to increased emissions of carbon dioxide gases

Prejudice and Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay -- HOD Joseph

Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness  Ã‚   Imagine floating up the dark waters of the Congo River in the Heart of Africa. The calmness of the water and the dense fog make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck as you wonder if the steamboats crew will eat you as you sleep. These things occur in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Although the book is undeniably racist, was the author, Joseph Conrad, racist? Conrad was racist because he uses racial slurs, the slavery and unfair treatment of the native Africans in his book. The use of racist language is very prevalent in Heart of Darkness. Conrad, through Marlow, the main character, uses the word nigger when talking about native Africans on many occasions. "The fool-nigger had dropped everything to throw the shutter open and let off that Martini-Henry" (Conrad 46). The use of the word nigger so loosely by Marlow and other people in the book was an accepted thing during the time the book took place. Nigger has always been a racist word and because Conrad writes with this word, he is racist. Conrad’s racist writing makes the native people look ignorant. "I pulled the string of the whistle, and I did this because I saw the pilgrims on the deck getting out their rifles with an air of anticipating a jolly lark. At the sudden screech there was a movement of abject terror through that wedged mass of bodies." (Conrad 66) In this particular portion of the book Conrad blew the steam whistle to scare away the foolish natives. Conrad, in his writing, displays an attitude that the native people were niggers and were not smart people. In writing about this, he is uneducated about cultural differences. He does not know and understand the African people so he calls them niggers... ... teach them, as it were." (Conrad 42) To say the natives had no understanding of time is dehumanizing. Even the most primitive cultures had some sense of time. Weather it simply knowing that when the sun goes down and then comes up, a new day starts. Conrad displayed the natives as things that spoke a primitive language and were not intelligent. Writing about this is extremely racist and offensive. As you push further up river, things emerge from the dense jungle only feet from your boat. The "fool-nigger" driving the boat gets scared and starts shooting. The rest of the ships crew shoots aimlessly into the bush. Joseph Conrad was a racist person. He makes the native African people look like brainless things that should be used as pawns of the European society. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. W.W. Norton and Company: New York. 1988. Prejudice and Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay -- HOD Joseph Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness  Ã‚   Imagine floating up the dark waters of the Congo River in the Heart of Africa. The calmness of the water and the dense fog make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck as you wonder if the steamboats crew will eat you as you sleep. These things occur in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Although the book is undeniably racist, was the author, Joseph Conrad, racist? Conrad was racist because he uses racial slurs, the slavery and unfair treatment of the native Africans in his book. The use of racist language is very prevalent in Heart of Darkness. Conrad, through Marlow, the main character, uses the word nigger when talking about native Africans on many occasions. "The fool-nigger had dropped everything to throw the shutter open and let off that Martini-Henry" (Conrad 46). The use of the word nigger so loosely by Marlow and other people in the book was an accepted thing during the time the book took place. Nigger has always been a racist word and because Conrad writes with this word, he is racist. Conrad’s racist writing makes the native people look ignorant. "I pulled the string of the whistle, and I did this because I saw the pilgrims on the deck getting out their rifles with an air of anticipating a jolly lark. At the sudden screech there was a movement of abject terror through that wedged mass of bodies." (Conrad 66) In this particular portion of the book Conrad blew the steam whistle to scare away the foolish natives. Conrad, in his writing, displays an attitude that the native people were niggers and were not smart people. In writing about this, he is uneducated about cultural differences. He does not know and understand the African people so he calls them niggers... ... teach them, as it were." (Conrad 42) To say the natives had no understanding of time is dehumanizing. Even the most primitive cultures had some sense of time. Weather it simply knowing that when the sun goes down and then comes up, a new day starts. Conrad displayed the natives as things that spoke a primitive language and were not intelligent. Writing about this is extremely racist and offensive. As you push further up river, things emerge from the dense jungle only feet from your boat. The "fool-nigger" driving the boat gets scared and starts shooting. The rest of the ships crew shoots aimlessly into the bush. Joseph Conrad was a racist person. He makes the native African people look like brainless things that should be used as pawns of the European society. Works Cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. W.W. Norton and Company: New York. 1988.

Othello Questions Essay

ACT I 1. While Shakespeare presents the world of Venice as a place of civilization, is slow turns into a place of un-civilization and disputes. For example, Roderigo and Iago wake up Brabantio and tell him that there are thieves in his house. In reply, Brabantio says â€Å"This is Venice. My house is not a grange.† This shows how Venice is not usually a place with interrupting events. . Shakespeare also shows how Venice is slowing becoming corrupt. This is demonstrated when Desdemona elopes with Othello. Brabantio orders a search to get Othello. When Othello tells the Duke Brabantio accusation are false another search is put in place for Desdemona for questioning. Desdemona tells her dad that she is married to the Moor, Othello. Brabantio then disowns Desdemona, his daughter which is a sign of Venice becoming un-civilized. This is showing un-civilization because in Venice it is highly unlikely for a white women to marry a black man and for a women to disobey her father’s orde rs. Since Shakespeare does not go into much detail about Othello’s background, it seems as if his homeland is unimportant. Othello is referred to as a Moor which is a common name given to those who are from Africa. 2. Since Shakespeare starts the play with Roderigo and Iago, it to give the audience important information the plot. They both contribute to the exposition because they help the audience understand the situation through Iago’s and Roderigo’s point of view. Iago is a very intelligent, manipulative man and Roderigo is a foolish, gullible and stupid. Iago relationship with Roderigo is that he is just using him Roderigo is devastated to learn that Desdemona had eloped with Othello, so Iago uses this too his advantage. In act 1 scene 3 Roderigo says, â€Å"What should I do? / I confess it is my shame to be so fond, but it is not in my virtue to amend it.† This quote shows Roderigo talking to Iago about his love for Desdemona. 3. Since Iago expected to be promoted to lieutenant, and Michael Cassio got the spot instead, Iago plotted his revenge against both Cassio and Othello. Iago was close with Othello at the beginning and throughout the play continues to pretend to be friends with him but is not. This shows how Iago is not very trustful. The following quote expresses Iago’s angry towards the situation. â€Å"Off-capped to him, and by the faith of man I know my price, I am worth no worse a place. But he (as loving his own pride and  purposes) Evades them with a bombast circumstance Horribly stuffed with epithets of war, And in conclusion Nonsuits my mediators. For ‘Certes,’ says he, ‘I have already chose my officer.’ And what was he? Forsooth, a great arithmetician, One Michael Cassio, a Florentine.† The following quote shows how upset Iago is with Michael Cassio getting the promotion, and this is the reason why Iago is angry with Othello. 4. Since Othello is a black man from an unidentified part of Northern Africa, he is seen as an outsider in Venice. He was once enslaved and has gone on many harsh battles and journeys in many parts of the world. Yet, Othello has a tendency to try and find the best in people and he trusts many until it is proven that he should no longer have faith in them. Othello is well known to be a good general due to his past experience in war and he is respectful towards people even when they are not respectful to him. This can be seen in the following quote when Brabantio is very rude and disrespectful to Othello but he responds saying, â€Å"Hold your hands, Both of you of my inclining and the rest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This shows how he is raining calm in a very heated conversation. When Othello speaks and interacts with other characters he is respectful because he is an outsider and does not feel comfortable as he would in his homeland. By marrying Desdemona Othello is able to feel less like an out sider in the community in Venice and Cyprus. 5. Since Desdemona was sneaky about her love for Othello her father, Brabantio did not know about Othello and Desdemona seeing each other. Brabantio is awakened late at night by Roderigo and Iago yelling at him that there is a thief in his house who has stolen his daughter, Desdemona. Brabantio and Roderigo have a discussion about how the Moor and Desdemona are seeing each other. The following quote shows the conversation with Roderigo and Brabantio talking about Desdemona and the Moor. â€Å"Brabantio: Raise all my kindred. –Are they married think you? Roderigo: Truly, I think they are.† Act I Scene I Page 19 Lines 187-190. The quote shows how Roderigo is informing Brabantio that his daughter, Desdemona and Othello are married. Brabantio believes that the Moor casted a spell upon Desdemona in order for Desdemona to fall in love with Othello. This shows that at the time women were expected to love a man that her father would approve of. The following quote is a conversation between Brabantio and Othello. The quotation shows how Brabantio believes Othello placed a spell upon Desdemona so that she would fall in love with him. â€Å"Damned as thou art,  thou hast enchanted her!† Act I Scene II Page 25 Line 83. The quote shows how upset Brabantio is at Othello because Othello and Desdemona are together. The following quotation reveals how Desdemona and Brabantio react toward each other about the marriage. â€Å"Desdemona: I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband†¦. Brabantio: God be with you! I have done.† Act I Scene III Page 41 Lines 213- 219. Brabantio could not accept the fact that Desdemona is in love with Othello. The quote shows how Brabantio tells Desdemona that he is disowning her and how he wants nothing to do with Desdemona anymore. It is important that Desdemona and her father separate at this time in the play because it allows Iago to put his plan of savage into action. Desdemona has no family anymore and now she is going to travel with Othello to a place of warfare. At this point in the play Desdemona is very vulnerable. 6. Othello’s and Desdemona’s understanding of their love and relationship are not equivalent to one another. Othello believes their love was founded upon his valiancy and torturous past. Desdemona feels that she fell for his sincerity and strength, thus intriguing her and gaining her love. When Othello must explain his love for Desdemona in the presence of her father and the Venetian council he explains he wooed her through his chivalrous stories and he loved her for her sympathy and aww, not because of qualities she possessed. He explained â€Å"My story being done, she gave me for my pains a world of sighs†¦ she thanked me and bade me, if I had a friend that loved her, I should but teach him how to tell my story, and that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake. She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them† (Act 1. Sc. 3).   He in the end loved her for stroking his ego and she loved him for his bravery and heart, though he lacked in humbleness. Othello and Desdemona do not share a reciprocated love for one another. 7. Because Iago and Othello are contrasting characters, their manners of speaking are very different. Othello’s character is very respectful to others. Even when he is being insulted, he remains calm. He is also very truthful and open with his words. On the other hand, Iago is duplicitous throughout Act 1. He often has double meanings behind his words. For example, he tells Brabantio, â€Å"An old black ram/ Is tupping your white ewe†. This is a crude way of telling Brabantio that Othello has married Desdemona. This shows the difference between the characters. It is also significant since Othello’s trusting nature is what  Iago will use to betray him. 8. When the Duke of Venice tells Brabantio, â€Å"Your son in law is more fair than black.† this shows that not everyone in Venice shares Brabantio’s views on Othello. The Duke wants Brabantio to look beneath his son in laws skin and see that he is fair and deserves to be respected. He Senators and the Duke admire Othello and that is why the Duke defended Othello when Brabantio accused his of using â€Å"witchcraft† on Desdemona. The Duke then responded and gave Othello the compliment that he is â€Å"fair†. This word is troubling because it makes people think about Othello’s race and how he is different from everyone else. Even the color of his skin has not prevented him from achieving high rank in the Venetian society. These achievements have earned Othello respect from the people around him. By reading the play Othello you are able to depict the Venetian society in depth. 9. Since Brarbantio’s says to Othello â€Å"She has deceived her father, and may thee,† it shows how Desdemona might betray Othello. This is very important because later in the play Othello thinks that Desdemona does betray him. The play show that women are viewed in society as being loose, and untrust worthy. 10. Since Othello is more of an outside he would fit in with the Turkish society. It is very important that Othello protects Cyprus because it communicates to the audience that the Venetian and the religion is superior, showing that Othello has much power. Act II 1. In Act 2 Shakespeare represents Cyprus as the land of partying and recklessness. This furthers the action of the play because it gives Iago a lead in his plan.Cyprus is described very highly by Othello in the following quote â€Å"How does my old acquaintance of this isle?—Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus, I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet†¦,† Shakespeare uses Cyprus because it’s the perfect place to help Iago get revenge on Othello without any suspicions being raised. In Cyprus everyone lets is excited that they do not have to fight in the war and have a lot of celebrations. This furthers the action because Iago gets Cassio drunk and Cassio’s lieutenancy gets stripped, the following quote shows Cassio upset that he got his lieutenancy taken away. â€Å"Reputation, reputation, Reputation! O, I have lost my reputation!† This builds suspense because the audience is starting to see how Iagos plan is slowly falling into place. 2. Since Cassio is handsome, trusting and brave he is a very unique character. He helped confort Desdemona when Othello was still at sea. The following quote showings how respectful, kind, and caring Cassio is to Desdemona, â€Å"Hail to thee, Lady and the grace of heaven†¦ He is not yet arrived, nor know I aught but that he’s well and will be shortly here.† This quote shows Cassios respect towards Desdemona and him calming her down about Othello not being present. 3. Cassio is manipulated by Iago because Iago is planning to ruin Cassio so he can get the place as lieutenant. Iago learns about Cassio’s weaknesses and uses them against him. This includes his drinking problem, which led to Cassio getting fired by Othello. Also Cassio’s reputation for with women sets the basis for how Iago convinced Othello that Cassio was interested in Desdemona. Iago knows that by getting Othello to think Desdemona is cheating on him, that he will become extremely distraught. Iago uses Brabantio’s words to sway Othello’s thoughts throughout the text. In the beginning, Brabantio said â€Å"Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee.† Which means, she deceived me and she will most likely do it to you too. 4. As the audience reads through Act II Iago’s plan begins to unfold. It is also revealed to the audience that Iago has a way of identifying other characters weaknesses and then manipulating these weaknesses to his advantage. As Iago begins to share his plans and ideas the audience receives more insight into the plot of the story and what Iago has in mind next. Iago deceives people by always making them believe that he is keeping their best interest in mind. By having the other characters believe that he is â€Å"honest Iago,† as the characters come to call him, he is then able to persuade them to believe something or do something else that will help Iago with his plan. Iago is revealed to be a sly character with only his own interests in mind. A quote from Othello when Iago is speaking falsely is, â€Å"I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth/ Than it should do offense to Micheal Cassio.† (Othello, Verses 236-237) This quote shows the readers how Iago sa ys one thing to other characters, when the audience knows that he wants to get rid of Micheal Cassio. Even though the audience knows that Iago is speaking falsely, the other characters in the play still have no suspicion about Iago’s plan of revenge. This dialogue is one way that we learn more  about Iago in the second act. 5. Since Cassio and Iago are foils, the language they use to speak to others are very different. Cassio speaks more respectfully while Iago is rude and wit. For example the following quote shows how Cassio is speaking very highly and respectful when talking to Desdemona. â€Å"Hail to thee, lady, and the grace of heaven, before, behind thee, and on every hand Enwheel thee round.† (Act 2 Scene 1 Page 65 Lines 94-96) In contrast, Iago is very disrespectful to women especially to his wife, Emilia. The following quote shows Iago yelling at his wife to be quite. â€Å"Go to! Charm your tounge†¦.What, are you mad? I charge you to get home.† (Act 5 Scene 2 Page 251 Lines 222 and 231) The quote shows how Iago’s dictions is far more ill-mannered in contrast to Cassio’s language. Act III 1. In the beginning of Act 3, Scene 3 Othello is madly in love with Desdemona, but towards the end he becomes full of jealousy. Othello believes that Desdemona has had an affair with his once loyal lieutenant, Cassio. The reason he trust in such lies is because his good friend, Iago, has convinced Othello of Desdemona’s dishonesty. Iago persuades Othello by feeding him false grotesque images of Cassio and Desdemona and Gplants Desdemona’s handkerchief, a gift from Othello, in Cassio’s room. â€Å"I know not that; but such a handkerchief- / I am sure it was your wife’s – did today / See Cassio wipe his beard with† (Act 3, Sc. 3). What is most surprising is Othello, who quickly believes Iago’s statements. Othello, obviously not completely trusting Desdemona to be faithful, was most likely led to this paranoia after Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, planted the thought of her betraying Othello after Brabantio was betrayed by Desdemona himself. With this proof, Othello has no option but to believe Iago and his persuasive and duplicitous dialogue. 2. Emilia develops a close relationship with Desdemona. Emilia and Desdemona bond over husband trouble: Emilia’s bitter take on her married life with Iago contrasts with Desdemona’s marriage to Othello. Emilia is honest even though she caused the mess with Desdemona murder, but she redeems herself, or at least gives a good shot at trying. Emilia who discovers the truth about Iago’s plotting and tries to reveal it. Emilia’s relationship with Iago is not strong, and Iago uses Emilia as his tool. Iago  has no ability to love someone or something. This quote is proof that her husband uses her, â€Å"The ills we do, their ills (husbands’) instruct us so?†(Act 3) 3. In the play Othello, Shakespeare uses a love token, Desdemona’s handkerchief to symbolize a relationship between two people. Othello gave Desdemona a handkerchief, as a gift that represented their marriage bond itself. One problem that the handkerchief causes is that it was handled by almost everyone in the play. The main thing the handkerchief symbolizes is Desdemona’s fidelity for Othello. When Cassio gets ahold of the handkerchief, Othello feels as though Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. When Desdemona is trying to ease Othello’s headache she drops her handkerchief. Emilia picks it up and gives it to Iago, her husband so she could get on his good side. â€Å"I am glad I have found this napkin. This was her first remembrance from the Moor. My wayward husband hath a hundred times wooed me to steal it. But she so loves the token.† (Act 3 Scene 3 Lines 334 to 337) Iago then tells Othello that Cassio has wiped his beard with Desdemona’s handke rchief and that’s when they decide to kill both Desdemona and Cassio. Desdemona continues to look for her lost handkerchief and when Othello asks for it, she gets even more nervous. With Desdemona’s handkerchief it made all of Iago’s plan to come togethe Othello Questions Act IV 1. The handkerchief of all things plays a key and important role in act four because it is what leads Othello to believe that Cassio has slept with Desdemona. â€Å"Handkerchief – confession- handkerchief – to confess and be hanged for his labor† (Act 4 Scene 1) this quote by Othello explains his thoughts towards Cassio and Desdemona seeing each other. Othello becomes very upset because the handkerchief was the first gift from Othello to Desdemona to represent his love for her. 2. Othello’s character is changing by in the beginning of the play Othello begins as a noble guy who is a respected war hero, and loving husband. Towards the end of the play Othello becomes violent and insanely jealous husband who murders his own wife after Iago convinces him that Desdemona has been unfaithful. The following quote shows Desdemona being slapped by Othello â€Å"Othello: I am glad to see you mad. Desdemona: Why, sweet Othello! Othello: [Striking her] Devil!† This shows  how Othello slowly becomes less respectful towards Desdemona which is how his character is changing. 3. The effect when Othello slapped his wife Desdemona in public was that he was becoming an insane man and that he wasn’t fit to be the general anymore. Also the slap brought humiliation upon Othello because no one thought he would slap his wife that he was so loving and gentle towards. The following quote shows Lodovico speaking with Iago about Othellos behavior. â€Å"Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature Whom passion could not shake? Whose solid virtue The shot of accident nor dart of chance Could neither graze nor pierce?† When people saw this, they began to question Othello’s judgment. This reveals the change in character within Othello. He went from a loving, nice leader unto an angry, abusive man. 4. The contrasting characters; Desdemona and Emilia, form an interesting and important relationship in the play Othello. Desdemona is very ‘sheltered’ from the ways of the world and Emilia is very ‘down to earth’ and ‘experienced’. They have very different views on marriage Emilia states she would commit adultery if it gained her husband. The following quote shows their conversation. â€Å"Emilia: In troth, I think I should, and undo ’t when I had done. Marry, I would not do such a thing for a joint-ring, nor for measures of lawn, nor for gowns, petticoats, nor caps, nor any petty exhibition. But for the whole world? Why, who would not make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch? I should venture purgatory for ’t. Desdemona: Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong for the whole world† .Desdemona states that she is loyal to her husband. One thing that is similar about these marriages is the lack of trust and patience reve al the fragileness of the marriage. This scene shows the women’s private life and how they are not always the way the display themselves. Othello Questions Act V 1. Othello kills Desdemona because he was convinced by Iago that she was cheating on him with Cassio. He doesn’t want to have to kill her because she is the love of his life, but Othello feels so betrayed, upset, and angry that he thinks it’s the best solution. The audience knows that Desdemona was always completely loyal to Othello and never had a relationship with Cassio.  Othello thinks that he is solving the problem but really he is making a huge mistake. He is so distraught over having murdered her, that he kills himself as well. â€Å"Yet I’ll not shed her blood; Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster. Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light: If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, Should I repent me: but once put out thy light, Thou cunning’st pattern of excelling nature, I know not where is that Promethean h eat That can thy light relume. When I have pluck’d the rose, I cannot give it vital growth again. It must needs wither: I’ll smell it on the tree† The quote shows how he was struggling with choosing if he should kill her or not to. 2. After the death of Desdemona, Emilia begins to figure out Iago’s plan. Once Emilia is able to figure it while talking with, she begans to realize her husband’s true self. Before Iago was not very pleasant toward his wife, Emilia, but she never said anything about it because women were supposed to be obedient Emilia starts to speak out because she is upset of Desdemona’s murder. Emilia says, â€Å"Do thy worst.† To Othello as he pulls out his sword on her even though she is unarmed but he is mad because she is defying a man and that was not allowed during that time period. Women were expected to be compliant, which is shown to later when Emilia says, â€Å"I will not charm my tongue, I am bound to speak.† This quote shows how women were not supposed to give their input into things. Because Emilia finally stood up for herself and others, consequently she was killed by Iago. 3. Before Othello kills himself he gives a long speech about how he should be remembered. For example he wants to be remembered as a person who loves strongly but not wisely. After he stabs himself he kisses Desdemona because before he killed her he kissed her and wants to do the same for himself. The following quotation shows this. â€Å"I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.† Act V Scene II Page 265 Lines 420-421. He does confess to killing Desdemona and regrets it greatly. The Play as a whole 1. When Iago is describing his vengeful plan against Othello to his loyal companion, Roderigo, he explains that he is not what he will disguise  himself to be. The quote â€Å"I am not what I am† (Act 1, Sc. 1) told by Iago could also apply to more than one of the characters. Desdemona, portrayed by her father as a timid and naà ¯ve child, is the one who betrays his trust by eloping with â€Å"The Moor†, Othello. â€Å"Your daughter, if you have not given her leave, / I say again, hath made a gross revolt, / Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes / In an extravagant and wheeling stranger† (Act 1, Sc. 1). Therefore, in the text, Iago is not the only character who pretends to be something they are not in order to trick someone else and disguise their underlying plans. 2. Since Iago destroyed Othello’s life very cruelly, it is likely that he had several motives for his deception. In the beginning, Iago states that he felt betrayed that Othello had promoted Cassio to the position he felt he deserved. This was probably a large factor of his deception, since Cassio was targeted for murder in Iago’s plot. Another motive was that there were rumors about Othello sleeping with Iago’s wife, Emilia. Iago also causes Desdemona’s death, saying, â€Å"Nothing can or shall content my soul / Till I am evened with him, wife for wife†. In the end, jealousy of Othello seems to be Iago’s motive. He is jealous of Cassio’s promotion, jealous of Othello’s beautiful wife and feels betrayed by Othello. 3. During this play Iago is able to manipulate Othello threw his weaknesses which are self doubt, his race and that he is madly in love with Desdemona. Iago uses all of the characters weaknesses to catapult their downfall. Mostly, he wants Othello to pay for what he did by making Cassio lieutenant and not him. From the beginning of the play, Iago proclaimed that he would make Othello pay by saying, â€Å"I am not what I am.† (Act 1 Scene 1 Line 71) Othello is prone to jealously is afraid that Desdemona will leave him for a Venetian man. This also plays into his race because he always feels like an outsider throughout the whole play. One reason Othello was manipulated so easily was because of all the â€Å"proof† Iago was giving him. When Iago was telling him this information, Othello should have gone to figure out if it was true; if Othello would have noticed Iago was being dishonest. Desdemona ended up paying for Othello gullibility when Othello smothered her with a pi llow. Racial tension is heavy during the play because they really want to emphasize that Othello is an outsider and doesn’t belong in Venice. The only reason Othello has power is because he is the General, but even though he is the general he still is modest. When  talking to the Duke in Act 1 Scene 3 he starts off explaining how he is a bad poet but then says this elaborate and long explanation about his and Desdemona’s love. From the beginning to the end Iago was able to manipulate everyone because they were all caught up in somebody or something else. 4. Since Emilia and Desdemona had different viewpoints on love, the play does not suggest whether or not Emilia or Desdemona is correct. Emilia and Iago’s relationship was not very loving, also Emilia said she would cheat on her husband which indirectly states she is not loyal to him. In contrast, Desdemona is very loyal and loving towards Othello, even after she was done wrong by him she was still loyal. This can be shown in the following quote when Desdemona is dying after Othello kills her â€Å"Desdemona: A guiltless death I die. Emilia: O, who hath done this deed? Desdemona: Nobody, I myself.† This shows how she still is remaining loyal to Othello by not saying that he killed her. 5. Othello’s heroic and military proficiency allow him partial acceptance into Venetian society. This acceptance is temporary because he doesn’t feel that he has been embraced by Venetian Society, he is both an insider and an outsider. On one hand, he is a Christian and experienced military leader, commanding respect from the Duke, and many Venetian citizens. On the other hand, being a black Moor and a foreigner in Venice also subjects Othello to some racism epically by Brabantio and Iago. The following quote shows Iago describing Othello and Desdemona’s relationship â€Å"Even now, now, very now, an old black ram ewe. Arise, arise; devil will make a grandsire of you. Is tupping your white Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, Arise I say!† The quote shows a racial slur toward Othello. 6. The addition of Bianca, causes her to be more of a women stereotype. Cassio does not mistreat his wife unlike Iago and Othello. Bianca is not seen as much throughout the play. On the other hand, Desdemona is a brave and beautiful woman who stood up to her father, and traveled with her husband. Desdemona and Othello have a very strong relationship at the beginning of the play. Othello starts out very respectful towards his wife, but slowly is rude to her. Emilia and Iago are married, but Iago does not respect Emilia and he treats her badly, he says â€Å"To have a foolish wife.† He does not have any respect for her. Iago says rude things to Emilia and all  she does is try and please him. All three of the women have one thing in common, they all end up without a husband at the end of the play. 7. The play does reinforce racial stereotypes. For example, Othello is addressed as a moor, making it seem as though he isn’t at the same level as them in the social hierarchy. The following quote is an example of when Othello is referred to as the Moor. â€Å"Is this the noble Moor?† Even though he is called the noble Moor is he not address by name, which makes him seem more of an outsider. 8. I believe that we should admire Desdemona for her love. She did everything she could to make Othello happy. It is very unfortunate that Iago was able to manipulate Othello into thinking he had to kill her for something that she didn’t do. â€Å"I kiss’d thee ere I kill’d thee: no way but this; 359 Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.† 9. Shakespeare has placed a very small amount of action in the play and instead placed a large amount of dialogue. Shakespeare’s reasoning behind this use of dialogue is to affect the reader by allowing them to get to know the characters more. This allows the characters to be characterized by what they say and by what other characters say about them. The readers then go through and are preserved through the eyes of others, mostly Iago, and this allows Shakespeare to help and give certain information to the audience. Also, the reader learns a lot about the characters through dialogue and dialogue helps the reader to feel more involved in the play. When Iago says, â€Å"I am not what I am,† the audience is able to feel more involved and to get more information regarding Iago’s characterization than in other parts of the play. 10. Because Iago is trying to get revenge on Othello for not being promoted, the main theme of the text would be jealousy. Iago is jealous of Cassio that he got the promotion to become lieutenant. The following quote shows how Iago is upset that he was not promoted. â€Å"I know my price, I am worth no worse a place†¦ say he, ‘I have already chose my officer.’ And what was he? Forsooth, a great arithmetician one Michael Cassio†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Act 1 Scene 1 Page 7 Lines 12-21) The quote shows how jealous Iago is that Othello chose Michael Cassio to be lieutenant. Another way Othello by William Shakespeare, shows jealousy is when Othello kills his wife because he thinks that she is cheating on him. It seems that Desdemona is cheating on Othello with Cassio, but she is not. Sadly Othello does not know that it is Iago’s plan to get revenge on Othello. Consequently, Othello kills his own wife. The following quote  shows when Othello confronts his wife about seei ng Cassio, also the quote shows Othello killing his wife. â€Å"By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in ’s hand. O perjured woman, thou dost stone my heart, (Act 5 Scene 2 Page 241 Lines 77-78) ‘Twas I that killed her.† (Act 5 Scene 2 Page 247 Line 160) This quote shows how Othello was jealous that Desdemona was with other guys. Since the plot revolves around jealousy it is appropriate that the main theme in this text would be jealously.

Beatles Rock Music

Sample details Pages: 20 Words: 6121 Downloads: 1 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Music Analysis: The Beatles Introduction So much has been said and written about the Beatles and their story is so mythic in its sweep that it is difficult to summarize their career without restating clichs that have already been digested by tens of millions of rock fans. To start with the obvious, they were the greatest and most influential act of the rock era, and introduced more innovations into popular music than any other rock band of the 20th century. Moreover, they were among the few artists of any discipline that were simultaneously the best at what they did, and the most popular at what they did. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Beatles Rock Music | Music Dissertations" essay for you Create order Relentlessly imaginative and experimental, the Beatles grabbed a hold of the international mass consciousness in 1964 and never let go for the next six years, always staying ahead of the pack in terms of creativity, but never losing their ability to communicate their increasingly sophisticated ideas to a mass audience. Their supremascy as rock icons remains unchallenged to this day, decades after their breakup in 1970. (Jansen, Lloyd 2005) Even when couching praise in specific terms, it is hard to convey the scope of the Beatles achievements in a mere paragraph or two. They synthesized all that was good about early rock roll, and changed it into something original and even more exciting. They established the prototype for the self-contained rock group that wrote and performed their own material. As composers, their craft and melodic inventiveness were second to none, and key to the evolution of rock from its blues/RB-based forms into a style that was far more eclectic, but equally visceral. As singers, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney were among the best and most expressive vocalists in rock; the groups harmonies were intricate and exhilarating. As performers, they were exciting and photogenic; when they retreated into the studio, they were instrumental in pioneering advanced techniques and multi-layered arrangements. (Jansen, 2005) They were also the first British rock group to achieve worldwide prominence, launching a British Invasion that made rock truly an international phenomenon. History More than any other top group, the Beatles success was very much a case of the sum being greater than the parts. Their phenomenal cohesion was due in large degree to most of the group having known each other and played together in Liverpool for about five years before they began to have hit records. Guitarist and teenage rebel John Lennon got hooked on rock roll in the mid 1950s, and formed a band, the Quarrymen, at his high school. Around mid-1957, the Quarrymen were joined by another guitarist, Paul McCartney, nearly two years Lennons junior. A bit later they were joined by another guitarist, George Harrison, a friend of McCartneys. The Quarrymen would change lineups constantly in the late 50s, eventually reducing to the core trio of guitarists, whod proven themselves to be the best musicians and most personally compatible individuals within the band. (Turkalo, David M 1990) The Quarrymen changed their name to the Silver Beatles in 1960, quickly dropping the Silver to become just the Beatles. Lennons art college friend Stuart Sutcliffe joined on bass, but finding a permanent drummer was a vexing problem until Pete Best joined in the summer of 1960. He successfully auditioned for the combo just before they left for a several-month stint in Hamburg, Germany. Hamburg was the Beatles baptism by fire. Playing grueling sessions for hours on end in one of the most notorious red-light districts in the world, the group was forced to expand their repertoire, tighten up their chops, and invest their show with enough manic energy to keep the rowdy crowds satisfied. When they returned to Liverpool at the end of 1960, the band was suddenly the most exciting act on the local circuit. They consolidated their following in 1961 with constant gigging in the Merseyside area, most often at the legendary Cavern Club, the incubator of the Merseybeat sound. They also returned for engagements in Hamburg during 1961, although Sutcliffe dropped out of the band that year to concentrate on his art school studies there. McCartney took over on bass, Harrison settled in as lead guitarist, and Lennon had rhythm guitar; everyone sang. In mid-1961, the Beatles made their first recordings in Germany, as a backup group to a British rock guitarist/singer based in Hamburg, Tony Sheridan. The Beatles hadnt fully developed at this point, and these recordings many of which (including a couple of Sheridan-less tracks) were issued only after the bands rise to fame found their talents in a most embryonic state. The Hamburg stint was also notable for gaining the Beatles sophisticated, artistic fans such as Sutcliffes girlfriend, Astrid Kirchherr, who influenced all of them (except Best) to restyle their quiffs in the moptops that gave the musicians their most distinctive visual trademark. Near the end of 1961, the Beatles exploding local popularity caught the attention of local record store manager Brian Epstein, who was soon managing the band as well. He used his contacts to swiftly acquire a January 1, 1962, audition at Decca Records that has been heavily bootlegged (some tracks were officially released in 1995). After weeks of deliberation, Decca turned them down, as did several other British labels. Epsteins perseverance was finally rewarded with an audition for producer George Martin at Parlophone, an EMI subsidiary; Martin signed the Beatles in mid-1962. By this time, Epstein was assiduously grooming his charges for national success by influencing them to smarten up their appearance, dispensing with their leather jackets and trousers in favor of tailored suits and ties. One more major change was in the offing before the Beatles made their Parlophone debut. In August 1962, drummer Pete Best was kicked out of the group, a controversial decision that has been the cause of much speculation since. There is still no solid consensus as to whether it was because of his solitary, moody nature; the other Beatles jealousy of his popularity with the fans; his musical shortcomings (George Martin had already told Epstein that Best wasnt good enough to drum on recordings); or his refusal to wear his hair in bangs. (Turkalo, 1990) What seems most likely was that the Beatles simply found his personality incompatible, preferring to enlist Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey), drummer with another popular Merseyside outfit, Rory Storm the Hurricanes. Starr had been in the Beatles for a few weeks when they recorded their first single, Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You, in September 1962. Both sides of the 45 were Lennon-McCartney originals, and the songwriting team would be credited with most of the groups material throughout the Beatles career. The single, a promising but fairly rudimentary effort, hovered around the lower reaches of the British Top 20. The Beatles phenomenon didnt truly kick in until Please Please Me, which topped the British charts in early 1963. This was the prototype British Invasion single: an infectious melody, charging guitars, and positively exuberant harmonies. The same traits were evident on their third 45, From Me to You (a British number one), and their debut LP, Please Please Me. Although it was mostly recorded in a single day, Please Please Me topped the British charts for an astonishing 30 weeks, establishing the group as the most popular rock roll act ever seen in the U.K. What the Beatles had done was to take the best elements of the rock and pop they loved and make them their own. Since the Quarrymen days, they had been steeped in the classic early rock of Elvis, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, and the Everly Brothers; theyd also kept an ear open to the early 60s sounds of Motown, Phil Spector, and the girl groups. What they added was an unmatched songwriting savvy, a brash guitar-oriented attack, wildly enthusiastic vocals, and the embodiment of the youthful flair of their generation, ready to dispense with postwar austerity and claim a culture of their own. They were also unsurpassed in their eclecticism, willing to borrow from blues, popular standards, gospel, folk, or whatever seemed suitable for their musical vision. Producer George Martin was the perfect foil for the group, refining their ideas without tinkering with their cores; during the last half of their career, he was indispensable for his ability to translate their concepts into arrangements that required complex orchestration, innovative applications of recording technology, and an ever-widening array of instruments. Just as crucially, the Beatles were never ones to stand still and milk formulas. All of their subsequent albums and singles would show remarkable artistic progression. Even on their second LP, With the Beatles (1963), it was evident that their talents as composers and instrumentalists were expanding furiously, as they devised ever more inventive melodies and harmonies, and boosted the fullness of their arrangements. She Loves You and I Want to Hold Your Hand established the group not just as a popular music act, but as a phenomenon never before seen in the British entertainment business, as each single sold over a million copies in the U.K. After some celebrated national TV appearances, Beatlemania broke out across the British Isles in late 1963, the group generating screams and hysteria at all of their public appearances, musical or otherwise. Capitol, which had first refusal of the Beatles recordings in the United States, had declined to issue the groups first few singles, which ended up appearing on relatively small American independents. Capitol took up its option on I Want to Hold Your Hand, which stormed to the top of the U.S. charts within weeks of its release on December 26, 1963. The Beatles television appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964 launched Beatlemania (and the entire British Invasion) on an even bigger scale than it had reached in Britain. In the first week of April 1964, the Beatles had the Top Five best-selling singles in the U.S.; they also had the first two slots on the album charts, as well as other entries throughout the Billboard Top 100. No one had ever dominated the market for popular music so heavily; its doubtful that anyone ever will again. The Beatles themselves would continue to reach number one with most of their singles and albums until their 1970 breakup. Hard as it may be to believe today, the Beatles were often dismissed by cultural commentators of the time as nothing more than a fad that would vanish within months as the novelty wore off. (Turkalo, 1990) The group ensured this wouldnt happen by making A Hard Days Night in early 1964, a cinma vrit-style motion picture comedy/musical that cemented their image as the Fab Four: happy-go-lucky, individualistic, cheeky, funny lads with nonstop energy. The soundtrack was also a triumph, consisting entirely of Lennon-McCartney tunes, including such standards as the title tune, And I Love Her, If I Fell, Cant Buy Me Love, and Things We Said Today. George Harrisons resonant 12-string electric guitar leads were hugely influential; the movie helped persuade the Byrds, then folk singers, to plunge all-out into rock roll, and the Beatles (along with Bob Dylan) would be hugely influential on the folk-rock explosion of 1965. The Beatles success, too, had begun to open the U.S. market for fellow Brits like the Rolling Stones, the Animals, and the Kinks, and inspired young American groups like the Beau Brummels, Lovin Spoonful, and others to mount a challenge of their own with self-penned material th at owed a great debt to Lennon-McCartney. Significance Between riotous international tours in 1964 and 1965, the Beatles continued to squeeze out more chart-topping albums and singles. In retrospect, critics have judged Beatles for Sale (late 1964) and Help! (mid-1965) as the bands least impressive efforts. To some degree, thats true. Touring and an insatiable market placed heavy demands upon their songwriting, and some of the originals and covers on these records, while brilliant by many groups standards, were filler in the context of the Beatles best work. But when at the top of their game, the group was continuing to push forward. I Feel Fine had feedback and brilliant guitar leads; Ticket to Ride showed the band beginning to incorporate the ringing, metallic, circular guitar lines that would be appropriated by bands like the Byrds; Help! was their first burst of confessional lyricism; Yesterday employed a string quartet. John Lennon in particular was beginning to exhibit a Dylanesque influence in his songwriting on such folky, downbeat numbers as Im a Loser and Youve Got to Hide Your Love Away. And tracks like I Dont Want to Spoil the Party and Ive Just Seen a Face had a strong country flavor. Although the Beatles second film, Help!, was a much sillier and less sophisticated affair than their first feature, it too was a huge commercial success. By this time, though, the Beatles had nothing to prove in commercial terms; the remaining frontiers were artistic challenges that could only be met in the studio. (Jansen, 2000) They rose to the occasion at the end of 1965 with Rubber Soul, one of the classic folk-rock records. Lyrically, Lennon, McCartney, and even Harrison were evolving beyond boy-girl scenarios into complex, personal feelings. They were also pushing the limits of studio rock by devising new guitar and bass textures, experimenting with distortion and multi-tracking, and using unconventional instruments like the sitar. As much of a progression as Rubber Soul was relative to their previous records, it was but a taster for the boundary-shattering outings of the next few years. The Paperback Writer/Rain single found the group abandoning romantic themes entirely, boosting the bass to previously unknown levels, and fooling around with psychedelic imagery and backwards tapes on the B-side. Drugs were fueling their already fertile imaginations, but they felt creatively hindered by their touring obligations. Revolver, released in the summer of 1966, proved what the group could be capable of when allotted months of time in the studio. Hazy hard guitars and thicker vocal arrangements formed the bed of these increasingly imagistic, ambitious lyrics; the groups eclecticism now encompassed everything from singalong novelties (Yellow Submarine) and string quartet-backed character sketches (Eleanor Rigby) to Indian-influenced swirls of echo and backwards tapes (Tomorrow Never Knows). Some would complain that the Beatles had abandoned the earthy rock of their roots for clever mannerism. But Revolver, like virtually all of the groups singles and albums from She Loves You on, would be a worldwide chart-topper. Influence For the past couple of years, live performance had become a rote exercise for the group, tired of competing with thousands of screaming fans that drowned out most of their voices and instruments. A 1966 summer worldwide tour was particularly grueling: the groups entourage was physically attacked in the Philippines after a perceived snub of the countrys queen, and a casual remark by John Lennon about the Beatles being bigger than Jesus Christ was picked up in the States, resulting in the burning of Beatle records in the Bible belt and demands for a repentant apology. Their final concert of that American tour (in San Francisco on August 29, 1966) would be their last in front of a paying audience, as the group decided to stop playing live in order to concentrate on their studio recordings. This was a radical and unprecedented step in 1966, and the media was rife with speculation that the act was breaking up, especially after all four spent late 1966 engaged in separate personal and artistic pursuits. The appearance of the Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever single in February 1967 squelched these concerns. Frequently cited as the strongest double A-side ever, the Beatles were now pushing forward into unabashedly psychedelic territory in their use of orchestral arrangements and Mellotron, without abandoning their grasp of memorable melody and immediately accessible lyrical messages. Sgt. Pepper, released in June 1967 as the Summer of Love dawned, was the definitive psychedelic soundtrack. Or, at least, so it was perceived at the time: subsequent critics have painted the album as an uneven affair, given a conceptual unity via its brilliant multi-tracked overdubs, singalong melodies, and fairy tale-ish lyrics. Others remain convinced, as millions did at the time, that it represented pops greatest triumph, or indeed an evolution of pop into art with a capital A. In addition to mining all manner of roots influences, the musicians were also picking up vibes from Indian music, avant-garde electronics, classical, music hall, and more. When the Beatles premiered their hippie anthem All You Need Is Love as part of a worldwide TV broadcast, they had been truly anointed as spokespersons for their generation , and it seemed they could do no wrong. (Jansen, 2000) Musically, that would usually continue to be the case, but the groups strength began to unravel at a surprisingly quick pace. In August 1967, Brian Epstein prone to suicidal depression over the past year died of a drug overdose, leaving them without a manager. The group pressed on with their next film project, Magical Mystery Tour, directed by themselves; lacking focus or even basic professionalism, the picture bombed when it was premiered on BBC television in December 1967, giving the media the first real chance theyd ever had to roast the Beatles over a flame. In early 1968, the Beatles decamped to India for a course in transcendental meditation with the Maharishi; this too became something of a media embarrassment, as each of the four would eventually depart the course before its completion. The Beatles did use their unaccustomed peace in India to compose a wealth of new material. Judged solely on musical merit, The White Album, a double LP released in late 1968, was a triumph. While largely abandoning their psychedelic instruments to return to guitar-based rock, they maintained their whimsical eclecticism, proving themselves masters of everything from blues-rock to vaudeville. As individual songwriters, too, it contains some of their finest work (as does the brilliant non-LP single from this era, Hey Jude/Revolution). The problem, at least in terms of the groups long-term health, was that these were very much individual songs, as opposed to collective ones. Lennon and McCartney had long composed most of their tunes separately (you can almost always tell the composer by the lead vocalist). But they had always fed off of each other not only to supply missing bits and pieces that would bring a song to completion, but to provide a competitive edge that would bring out the best in the other. McCartneys romantic melodicism and Lennons more acidic, gritty wit were perfect complements for one another. By the White Album, it was clear that each member was more concerned with his own expression than that of the collective group: a natural impulse, but one that was bound to lead to difficulties. In addition, George Harrison was becoming a more prolific and skilled composer as well, imbuing his own melodies (which were nearly the equal of those of his more celebrated colleagues) with a cosmic lightness. Harrison was beginning to resent his junior status, and the group began to bicker more openly in the studio. Ringo Starr, whose solid drumming and good nature could usually be counted upon (as was evident in his infrequent lead vocals), actually quit for a couple of weeks in the midst of the White Album sessions (though the media was unaware of this at the time). Personal interests were coming into play as well: Lennons devotion to romantic and artistic pursuits with his new girlfriend Yoko Ono was diverting his attentions from the Beatles. Apple Records, started by the group earlier in 1968 as a sort of utopian commercial enterprise, was becoming a financial and organisational nightmare. These werent the ideal conditions under which to record a new album in January 1969, especially when McCartney was pushing the group to return to live performing, although none of the others seemed especially keen on the idea. They did agree to try and record a back-to-basics, live-in-the-studio-type LP, the sessions being filmed for a television special. That plan almost blew up when Harrison, in the midst of tense arguments, left the group for a few days. Although he returned, the idea of playing live concerts was put on the back burner; Harrison enlisted American soul keyboardist Billy Preston as kind of a fifth member on the sessions, both to beef up the arrangements and to alleviate the uncomfortable atmosphere. Exacerbating the problem was that the Beatles didnt have a great deal of first-class new songs to work with, although some were excellent. In order to provide a suitable concert-like experience for the film, the group did climb the roof of their Apple headquarters in London to deliver an impromptu performance on January 30, 1969, before the police stopped it; this was their last live concert of any sort. (Jansen, 2000) Generally dissatisfied with these early-1969 sessions, the album and film at first titled Get Back, and later to emerge as Let It Be remained in the can as the group tried to figure out how the projects should be mixed, packaged, and distributed. A couple of the best tracks, Get Back/Dont Let Me Down, were issued as a single in the spring of 1969. By this time, the Beatles quarrels were intensifying in a dispute over management: McCartney wanted their affairs to be handled by his new father-in-law, Lee Eastman, while the other members of the group favored a tough American businessman, Allen Klein. It was something of a miracle, then, that the final album recorded by the group, Abbey Road, was one of their most unified efforts. It certainly boasted some of their most intricate melodies, harmonies, and instrumental arrangements; it also heralded the arrival of Harrison as a composer of equal talent to Lennon and McCartney, as George wrote the albums two most popular tunes, Something and Here Comes the Sun. The Beatles were still progressing, but it turned out to be the end of the road, as their business disputes continued to magnify. Lennon, who had begun releasing solo singles and performing with friends as the Plastic Ono Band, threatened to resign in late 1969, although he was dissuaded from making a public announcement. Most of the early-1969 tapes remained unreleased, partially because the footage for the planned television broadcast of these sessions was now going to be produced as a documentary movie. The accompanying soundtrack album, Let It Be, was delayed so that its release could coincide with that of the film. Lennon, Harrison, and Allen Klein decided to have celebrated American producer Phil Spector record some additional instrumentation and do some mixing. Thus the confusion that persists among most rock listeners to this day: Let It Be, although the last Beatles album to be released, was not the last one to be recorded. Abbey Road should actually be considered as the Beatles last album; most of the material on Let It Be, including the title track (which would be the last single released while the group was still together), was recorded several months before the Abbey Road sessions began in earnest, and a good 15 months or so before its May 1970 release. By that time, the Beatles were no more. In fact, there had been no recording done by the group as a unit since August 1969, and each member of the band had begun to pursue serious outside professional interests independently via the Plastic Ono Band, Harrisons tour with Delaney Bonnie, Starrs starring role in the Magic Christian film, or McCartneys first solo album. The outside world for the most part remained almost wholly unaware of the seriousness of the groups friction, making it a devastating shock for much of the worlds youth when McCartney announced that he was leaving the Beatles on April 10, 1970. The final blow, apparently, was the conflict between the release dates of Let It Be and McCartneys debut solo album. The rest of the group asked McCartney to delay his release until after Let It Be; McCartney refused, and for good measure, was distressed by Spectors post-production work on Let It Be, particularly the string overdubs on The Long and Winding Road, which became a posthumous Beatles single that spring. Although McCartney received much of the blame for the split, it should be remembered that he had done more than any other member to keep the group going since Epsteins death, and that each of the other Beatles had threatened to leave well before McCartneys departure. With hindsight, the breakup seemed inevitable in view of their serious business disagreements and the growth of their individual interests. As bitter as the initial headlines were to swallow, the feuding would grow much worse over the next few years. At the end of 1970, McCartney sued the rest of the Beatles in order to dissolve their partnership; the battle dragged through the courts for years, scotching any prospects of a group reunion. In any case, each member of the band quickly established viable solo careers. In fact, at the outset it could have been argued that the artistic effects of the split were in some ways beneficial, freeing Lennon and Harrison to make their most uncompromising artistic statements (Plastic Ono Band and All Things Must Pass). Georges individual talents in particular received acclaim that had always eluded him when he was overshadowed by Lennon-McCartney. Paul had a much rougher time with the critics, but continued to issue a stream of hit singles, hitting a commercial and critical jackpot at the end of 1973 with the massively successful Band on the Run. Ringo did not have the songwriting acumen to compete on the same level as the others, yet he too had quite a few big hit singles in the early 70s, often benefiting from the assistance of his former band-mates. Yet within a short time, it became apparent both that the Beatles were not going to settle their differences and reunite, and that their solo work could not compare with what they were capable of creating together. The stereotype has it that the split allowed each of them to indulge in their worst tendencies to their extremes: Lennon in agit-prop, Harrison in holier-than-thou-mysticism, McCartney in cutesy pop, Starr in easy listening rock. Theres a good deal of truth in this, but its also important to bear in mind that what was most missing was a sense of group interaction. The critical party line often champions Lennon as the angry, realist rocker, and McCartney as the melodic balladeer, but this is a fallacy: each of them were capable, in roughly equal measures, of ballsy all-out rock and sweet romanticism. What is not in dispute is that they sparked each other to reach heights that they could not attain on their own. Despite periodic rumours of reunions throughout the 1970s, no group projects came close to materializing. It should be added that the Beatles themselves continued to feud to some degree, and from all evidence werent seriously interested in working together as a unit. Any hopes of a reunion vanished when Lennon was assassinated in New York City in December 1980. The Beatles continued their solo careers throughout the 1980s, but their releases became less frequent, and their commercial success gradually diminished, as listeners without first-hand memories of the combo created their own idols. The popularity of the Beatles-as-unit, however, proved eternal. In part, this is because the groups 1970 split effectively short-circuited the prospects of artistic decline; the body of work that was preserved was uniformly strong. However, its also because, like any great works of art, the Beatles records carried an ageless magnificence that continues to captivate new generations of listeners. So it is that Beatles records continue to be heard on radio in heavy rotation, continue to sell in massive quantities, and continue to be covered and quoted by rock and pop artists through the present day. Legal wrangles at Apple prevented the official issue of previously unreleased Beatle material for over two decades (although much of it was frequently bootlegged). The situation finally changed in the 1990s, after McCartney, Harrison, Starr, and Lennons widow Yoko Ono settled their principal business disagreements. In 1994, this resulted in a double CD of BBC sessions from the early and mid-60s. The following year, a much more ambitious project was undertaken: a multi-part film documentary, broadcast on network television in 1995, and then released (with double the length) for the home video market in 1996, with the active participation of the surviving Beatles. To coincide with the Anthology documentary, three double CDs of previously unreleased/rare material were issued in 1995 and 1996. Additionally, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr (with some assistance from Jeff Lynne) embellished a couple of John Lennon demos from the 1970s with overdubs to create two new tracks (Free as a Bird and Real Love) that were billed as actual Beatles recordings. Whether this constitutes the actual long-awaited reunion is the subject of much debate. Certainly these cuts were hardly classics on par with the music the group made in the 1960s. Some fans, even diehards, were inclined to view the whole Anthology project as a distinctly 1990s marketing exercise that maximized the mileage of whatever could be squeezed from the Beatles vaults. If nothing else, though, the massive commercial success of outtakes that had, after all, been recorded 25 to 30 years ago, spoke volumes about the unabated appeal and fascination the Beatles continue to exert worldwide. Revolution song Analysis Revolution is a song by The Beatles, written primarily by John Lennon and attributed to Lennon-McCartney. The song appeared in two distinctly different incarnations, a raucous electric Revolution, and a slowed acoustic Revolution 1. A third connected piece, the heavily experimental Revolution 9, appeared on the same album side (i.e., side 4) as Revolution 1 on The White Album. (Corliss, 2004) Lennon claimed the song was inspired by the May 1968 uprising in France. Another song called Revolution was released by the London psychedelic group Tomorrow in September 1967, a year before the John Lennon song. Tomorrows lyric Have your own little revolution, NOW! contrasts with Lennons lyric, including the opening lines, You say you want a revolution/ Well, you know/ We all want to change the world. There is a belief that in some studio versions of the song, the pronunciation of evolution early in the song has what sounds like an overdubbed voice distorting evolution into what sounds eerily similar to evil-jew-shin. A common myth is that Lennon wrote the track in disdain of overwhelming money-hungry businessmen. This theme of anti-semitism is not alone in this song, as in Come Together the verse verse can be interpreted as describing a hasidic jew. Revolution 9 is an experimental recording which appeared on the Beatles 1968 self-titled LP release (known as the White Album). The track marked the peak of the bands studio experimentation; the inclusion of such a sound collage or musique concrte on a pop music release was virtually unprecedented. The recording began as an extended ending to the album version of Revolution, to which were added vocal and music sound clips, tape loops, and sound effects influenced by the musique concrte styles of Karlheinz Stockhausen and John Cage, further manipulated with editing and sound modification techniques (stereo panning and fading). As with Revolution itself, the theme was inspired by the contemporary May 1968 riots in Paris, and Revolution 9 was meant to capture the violence of a revolution in progress. At over eight minutes it was the longest track on the album, as well as the longest Beatles track ever officially released. The work is credited to Lennon/McCartney (as were all Beatles songs written by either composer), though it was primarily the effort of John Lennon. George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Yoko Ono made small contributions, while Paul McCartney did not actively participate in the tracks creation. Onos avant garde influence on Lennons songwriting and composition is clear throughout Revolution 9. McCartney and producer George Martin fought hard to keep the track off the White Album, but Lennon and Ono won out, and the track was included as the second from last song at the end of the albums fourth side. (Corliss, 2004) Revolution 9 played an important part in the infamous Paul is dead controversy. If one listens carefully, the babble, many believe, includes hints left by the band about Pauls alleged death. These include the repeated Turn me on, dead man, I buried Paul, dead man, dead man and Let me out!. As the Paul Is dead rumours were quickly debunked, these clues are creative misinterpretations of Revolution 9, and are an interesting footnote to the Beatles history. Los Angeles District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi and Manson Family member Susan Atkins came up with the theory that Charles Manson believed that Revolution 9 was a reference to Revelation 9, a book in the Bible that speaks of apocalypse and prophecy. He believed the Beatles were speaking to him through this song, and he drew many odd interpretations from the lyrics. Why the Notion that the Beatles Changed the World is a Misconception The Beatles had a minimal effect on the worlds course of events. (Corliss, 2004) They jumped on the hippie bandwagon at the perfect time to capitalize from it. Their fame did not reach as far nor did not unify as much as some people would think and they are merely an icon through which baby-boomers reminisce about the good old days. The Beatles are credited with touching off the revolution of the sixties. In reality, it was the hippie era that influenced them. They knew that it was something that the kids were becoming interested in. The next plan of action was to create the illusion to the masses that they were part of something bigger. This worked well and still does with the teen who are especially susceptible to becoming swept up. Through this, they were able to sell more records than imaginable. They made their profit from selling philosophy. Many people claim that the Beatles won worldwide fame. Even John Lennon claimed that he was bigger than God. The reality is that every culture would not fall to the British influence. They have enough self-identity to not be so easily taken by four guys with music. By the way, the Gideon Bible alone has been published in 170 countries, and 900 million copies have been circulated. This dwarfs the measly broadcast of All You Need is Love in 24 countries and no Beatles album could ever come near 900 million sales. Lastly, anyone can plainly see that the body of Beatles fans is comprised overwhelmingly of baby boomers and early Generation X-ers. The only reason that people still talk about or listen to the Beatles is because it is a means by which 40-somethings can reminisce about the Flower Power era. Anyone can climb aboard the Beatle bandwagon as the Beatles did aboard the hippie bandwagon. The Beatles are generous and nice people, I am sure. And, it is true, they created good music and opened the door for the Rolling Stones, who are one of the greatest bands ever. But the bottom line is that without the Beatles, there would still have been the Civil Rights movement, the Apollo missions, the revolutions in music and other events associated with the Beatles. To say otherwise is a discrediting thing to say about the leaders in each field. The fame of the Beatles is overblown. To say that they are bigger than the Lord is not only blasphemous but also an outright lie. The only fame they receive from the media today is because the media is doing what the Beatles did over thirty years ago selling emotions to a large demographic. References Jansen, Lloyd: The Beatles: The Biography. Library Journal, 2005, Vol. 130 Issue 15, p67-67, 1/4p, 1c Corliss, Richard: The Beatles, Year One. Time Canada, 2004, Vol. 163 Issue 5, p53-53, 1/3p, 1c, 1bw Jansen, Lloyd: The Beatles Anthology. Library Journal, 2000, Vol. 125 Issue 17, p74, 1/6p Turkalo, David M: How They Became the Beatles: A Definitive History of the Early Years. 1960-1964. Library Journal, 1990, Vol. 115 Issue 7, p95-96, 2p