King Henry V and King Richard III Essay Example for Free

King Henry V and King Richard III Essay Henry V and Richard III depicted how two very different men rose to power and assumed the throne of England. Henry was an intelligent, driven young man who sought to reconstruct the civil war ravaged kingdom after the death of his father. Shakespeare presented Richard as a corrupt, sadistic villain who cared nothing for the English people except that they knew and feared his absolute authority. Both men, though, possessed the same focus and determination, which made the comparison and contrast of these two plays that much more drastic. When Henry V came to power, he knew he was responsible for gaining the trust and respect of both the English court and the common man. In order to end wars within the country and regain political stability, Henry decided to lay claim to his land in France. In response to this, the French prince Dauphin snubbed Henry, which launched him into action. With the support of the English people behind him, Henry gathered his troops and planned to invade France. Henry did away with those who plotted against him and his mission and set sail for France. With his tremendous resolve and leadership, the English victoriously fought their way through France despite terrible odds. The English forces were urged to remain focused on the task at hand, and all those who disgraced the kingdom were severely punished. Looting, spying and the like all resulted in death at Henrys command. With the same dedication, however, he took into consideration the concerns of the common soldier and in prayer he gained the power to fulfill his leadership responsibilities and rally his troops. After the English forces defeated the French at the Battle of Agincourt, while outnumbered five-to-one, the opposition finally surrendered. Henry was able to secure peace negotiations and meanwhile married Catherine, the daughter of the French king. Thus, Henry had successfully united two kingdoms. The reign of King Richard III differed greatly. In order to reach the throne,  he secretly plotted to usurp the kingship from his brother Edward and, likewise, to destroy anyone else who posed a threat. Shakespeare described Richard as evil and manipulative, but also brilliant, cunning, and persistent. He was born physically deformed and as a result was very bitter toward those around him, and greatly resented their normalcy and happiness. This hatred translated into tremendous drive and served as motivation as well as justification for most everything he did. Richard began his journey to the throne by marrying a noblewoman, Lady Anne, simply for political reasons. He then took every opportunity that arose to speed Edwards illness and death, including the execution of another brother solely to cause grief and clear the path to the title. When Edward finally died, Richard was temporarily rewarded control of the kingdom until Edwards sons were of age to rule. Richard then searched out and executed those noblemen who had remained loyal to the princes, along with the boys powerful relatives on their mothers side. The heirs and Queen Elizabeth, their mother, were left unprotected and vulnerable. After Richard campaigned and all but assumed his role as king, the boys were murdered. The people of England already despised Richard and feared his tyrannical rule. When Richard found himself without support and facing a possible challenger to the throne, he decided to murder his wife in order to marry his niece Elizabeth. This marriage to Edwards daughter would cement his position as king. Queen Elizabeth, however, had sided with the French challenger, Richmond, and had secretly given him her daughters hand in marriage. When Richmond and his forces invaded England, Richard was killed, just as he had been warned in dreams the night before by the ghosts of all those he had murdered. Richmond was the crowned King Henry VII and vowed peace in the restless kingdom. Both Henry V and Richard III possessed the determination to reach the throne and rule England. Henry introduced himself to the kingdom as a relenting force, in power to protect and provide for the common man. He took his role very seriously and thus became a hero in his kingdom, while instilling fear in the hearts of the opposition. Richard, though, saw his dreams crumble before him as he selfishly and insanely used all those around him as a sort of tool for his acquisition of power. England as a whole rejected him as a leader, and saw no promise for the kingdom under the reign of a power-hungry tyrant. Henry sought to rebuild and England and bring back to it prosperity, and therefore gained the love and respect of the English people. Richard cared only to tend to his own selfish interests and was, as a result, overthrown by his enemies. The fate of there two men seemed to have been determined by what motivated them and with which characteristics they utilized in ruling the kingdom of England.

Role of Church in Ethnic Conflict

Role of Church in Ethnic Conflict Write about a recent ethnic conflict in your context showing the role of social, political and religious institutions in the conflict. Discuss what the Church has done (or should be doing) to ease ethnic hostilities. Despite the persistent contribution of governments worldwide to ensure that there is a balanced socio-economic development in all spheres in the society, social inequality is still rife and embedded in all aspects of social development. However, it is worse in developing countries and highly manifested in ethnicity. In multi- ethnic communities, ethnic identity is an additional variable in social-economic development over and above those normally present in the more homogenous communities. The role of ethnicity in development can be negative or positive and it can also be a problem or a potentially rewarding challenge. Unfortunately it is the negative aspect of ethnicity that has been publicized or researched. According to the Oxford advanced learners dictionary, the term ethnic is defined as that which is of a national, racial or tribal group that has a common cultural tradition or of a particular ethnic group. Brown (2000) defines an ethnic group as that community which claims common ancestry and sees the proof of this in the fact that its members display distinctive attributes relating to language, religion, and physiognomy or homeland origin. Young (1994) argued that ethnicity is a concept that has no significance in isolation. His thesis is that any analytical attempt should begin from the premise that ethnicity is a relational concept. According to Young and Turner (1985), we can only find relevance in they. In most cases those who define themselves as we ascribe to themselves positive attributes and give negative and disparaging ones to the they group. Positive ethnicity refers to the constructive social-cultural identification with and a sense of belonging to a particular ethic group. Negative ethnicity mostly in the form of tribalism or ethnocentrism is the pathological and destructive nature of ethnicity. It is when a particular ethnic community considers itself superior to other communities. This form of hatred or repulsion of particular communities or individuals of a particular community is referred to as ethnic bigotry. Ethnic bigotry manifests in various ways including speech, actions, and subtle or hidden repulsion of outsiders. It may also result in ethnic tensions or protracted physical or non-physical conflict between ethnic groups (TJRC, 2013). Kenya, which is a multi-ethnic society with over 42 ethnic communities, is an invention of colonialists, an invention which seemed to have been flawed from the start and hence was a crisis in the making because the invented territory brought together different ethnic communities, some of which had little or nothing in common culturally. In Kenya, the dominance of ethnic affiliations comes to the fore in almost all aspects of human life. In cases where ethnic affiliations are strong like in politics, no one would like to think freely. People always imagine that ethnic based thinking is the solution to every issue of concern but it is worth noting that such ethnic based thinking is a big challenge and threat to development. For instance in Kenya, the majority of the citizens who qualify for opportunities in government and state run organizations are never considered. Instead, politicians practice nepotism and those who wield power fill the positions in their ministries or state run org anizations with their relatives and constituents who are close associates. In Kenya, negative ethnicity has contributed to ethnic tensions which have culminated into violence. Proximate causes of violence are intrinsically related to democratization and the electoral cycle; its roots are to be found in recent times and are politically instigated, and not primordial. As the move to multi-partyism became increasingly probable, senior politicians in many political rallies issued inflammatory statements and utterances, asking for people to go back to their ancestral lands or they be forced out. The advent of the violent ethnic clashes closely followed these rallies. As new political parties emerged, a clear enduring pattern of ethno-regional interests appeared. The violence then in Kenya appeared to be ethnicized expression of political conflict. Ethnicity in this case, was the medium of political violence and not its cause. However, the system once in place, became self-perpetuating for instance it increased the likelihood of future conflict by sharpening ethn ic identity and chauvinism, as well as promoting the doctrine that specific region of the Country belonged to the groups that originally occupied them. This led to coming up of terms such us outsiders, foreigners, strangers or aliens, and this is regardless to the legal ownership of land and the constitutional right of all Kenyans to live anywhere of their choosing within their country (Ndegwa, 1997). Until late 2007, Kenya was considered one of the most stable countries in Africa. It had functioned as East Africas financial and communications hub, the headquarters of many international non-governmental organizations and a magnet for tourism. The violence that erupted in the wake of the controversial 2007 presidential election tested Kenyas political stability more than never before, almost plunging the country into full-blown civil strife. Like a festering wound, it exposed the structural rot embedded in the countrys system. A convergence of irregularities, pertaining to land allocation, an overbearing presidency, a pervasive culture of impunity, and ethnicisation of power, malfeasance and sheer mendacity among both the political elite and the rabble almost pushed Kenya over the precipice. Prior to the 2007 elections, the political elite had been conducting a lot of campaigns, but a closer look at these campaigns revealed that most of it was on ethnicity and the different ethnic identities that exist in the country. It turned out that the political elite had actually exploited the fact of Kenyan different ethnic identities to forward their political agendas. The disputed 2007 elections spurred outbreaks of violence across the country whose carnage was horrific: 1,500 dead, 3,000 innocent women raped and 300,000 people left internally displaced. Most of this atrocities happened in the first 14 days after the election. The severity of this conflict unfolded in a span of 59 days between the general election day, December 27th, 2007 to February 28th, 2008 when a political compromise was reached. The magnitude of the trauma and structural violence that took place in Kenya after the fourth multi-party general election took both Kenyans and the international community, alike, by surprise (Maupeu 2008). In retrospect, the violence that occurred could not only have been predicted, it could most likely have been prevented. Social issues which are both cultural and historical factors also played a role in causing the ethnic violence that was witnessed. Social inequality is not only the income gap between the upper and lower class but it also involves differences that exist in terms of access to education, health, employment and infrastructure development, political rights and representation. In Kenya, historical data suggests that public resources such as education facilities, health facilities and services, water, land, employment opportunities and amenities such as shelter, electricity, fuel, and physical infrastructure have tended to be distributed to the elite and those close to political power. For instance, economic growth has largely continued on the lines set by the earlier colonial structure and Kenyanization has radically changed the racial composition of the group of people in the center of power and many of its policies, but has had only limited effect. This extreme social inequality has res ulted in differences in regional or geographic wellbeing which apparently coincide with ethnic identities as ethnic groups reside in specified geographical regions in the country. Economic aspects of life are so dear to all persons. The ethnic violence experienced after the 2007 election also attributed to economic issues. Economic issues include; unequal distribution of resources and scarcity of resources. Ethnic conflicts are also an outcome of unequal economic opportunities. Another cause of the violence was cultural domination together with political suppression. Ethnic groups tend to have perceptions of another ethnic group being favored by the structures in place economically. Marginalization is also another key concept in this context. Kenya has faced a high rate of unequal distribution of resources across ethnic divides. The political ethnic game plays too along economic activities. For example, since independence in Kenya, the Kikuyu has always been granted a huge share of economic infrastructures. Land has been in question ever since. The distribution of the colonial settler land to the local communities in Kenya took and ethnic twist. For instance, in the buildup to the 2007 elections, in some parts of Rift Valley, Kikuyus were told that they will have to vacate their land before the elections, there were rumors that if Raila won, Kikuyus will have to go Jane Njoki a resident of Burnt Forest. When the election results were announced, they started burning our things and beating people because we are Kikuyus added Njoki. Economic causes also revolve around appointments into public positions in government. This applies in both age and ethnic grounds. The youth in Kenya feel left out as all key positions are given to older people. This leaves the youths to be used by interested parties in violent conflicts. They also engage in these violent conflicts to obtain identity and let out their frustrations. Job opportunities are a way to economic welfare. Ethnic based appointments are also a cause of ethnic conflicts in Kenya. The ethnic group in power favors the ethnic community from which the leading individuals hail from. This leaves the other individuals from the other ethnic groups who qualify for the same appointment deprived and feeling left out. The political factors that cause ethnic conflicts are far more considered than all the other factors in the form of economic and social. Access to political power has, by and large, determined the distribution of socio-economic and political benefits. The old Kenya constitution conferred vast powers to the president including power to allocate by nomination cabinet positions and make appointments to constitutionally protected offices. Regimes therefore entrenched their rule, assigned strategic administrative positions and directed political resources to support the then provinces or ethnic groups. Every political regime tends to allocate more of the national cake to their ethnic group or supporters at the expense of others. When one group is endowed with its interests the other groups feel marginalized and left out thus the urge to speak out by violence upon the explosion of the frustrations from within as witnessed in 2007 post-election violence. Discriminatory government policies also play a significant role in aggravating ethnic conflicts because the political class in Kenya influences all the other aspects. The politicians formulate, make, implement and amend laws. Distribution of wealth or resources follows the directives of the leaders. This is always the argument behind ethnic conflicts in Kenya whereby the politics play an integral role in driving the nation away from nationhood to negative ethnicity. Such ethnic divisive policies leads to the development of the feelings of being excluded, ignored, and discriminated against on the part of some ethnic communities. Kenyan politics are based on ethnic aspirations by political parties and also the regime power. Political alliances are made with regard to gaining ethnic support often resulting to formation of ethnically instigated opposition political parties to find ways and means to access political power as was witnessed in the build up to the 2007 presidential elections . Political inequalities also apply to the youth in Kenya and it is a factor for ethnic violence. The youth in Kenya aged between 18-35 years of age comprises about 60% of the national population. This shows how the demographic factor also plays part in the ethnic conflicts in Kenya. General elections are the highly lucratively rewarding season for the youth. This is the most volatile cohort and politically salient because of three main factors: the group is highly mobile, most educated and networked and also the most unemployed. Therefore they become most vulnerable to be politically lured or politically radicalized. For instance, the 2007/2008 post-election violence demonstrates how violently the youth engaged in the conflict. They were funded and mobilized by the non-youth to be volatile. A trend in Kenyan politics is the rise of youth militia, which have sometimes been identified to work for individual politicians. The youth involvement in violence and ethnic conflicts is purely in strumentalist and attributed to the youth claiming political space after being neglected. Political exclusion of the youth in Kenya is rampant thus the violence either on the ethnic based conflicts or other forms of demonstrations. Kenyas population is mainly Christian and comprised of Protestants and Catholics. There is also a good fraction of Muslims and Hindus and other traditional religions. While religion is domesticated by morals that are illuminated by faith, most states are guided by politics whose orientation is generally practical empirical and in most cases the church. Although the church has been focal in articulating issues that destroy morality of the nation (Anderson Lochery, 2008), chronological events show that the church has been intertwined with issues of ethnic identities. The church leadership has not taken a united approach towards promoting positive ethnicity thus mixing religion and politics. On one hand, the church has been guilty of silence when it should have spoken and on the other, it has been guilty of actively precipitating negative ethnicity. Thus many religious leaders are unable to quell negative ethnicity because some of them have contributed immensely to it. For instance, in Nakuru County, there is a strong presence of the church yet the area has witnessed ethnic tension which has always resulted to tribal violence and ethnic killings in almost all election years. This could be an indication that the society has not received the voice of the church. In the run up to the 2007 general elections in Kenya, the church was seen as being openly partisan along ethnic lines. Christian believers were clearly confused by conflicting prophesies of prominent Christian leaders who predicted victory for various candidates and prayed and anointed them as Gods choice for president. The uncertainty generated by these conflicting views fuelled the divisions in the church. Reports from the Rift Valley indicate that the church leaders used civic education, prayer meetings and other occasions to openly campaign for their preferred parties and candidates. During the post-election violence that erupted, some Christians withheld the biblical principles of love, peace and reconciliation and gave in to ethnic hatred and violence. I will never trust a Kikuyu again in my life. I cant express what has gone on in my heart. I cant live with you and fellowship in the same church for more than 10 years and instead of protecting me you are the first person to thr eaten me said Ken Okoth who lived in Naivasha prior to the 2007 elections. The church leaders also could not rise above their partisanship and give the country a clear moral direction and the church was reduced to a helpless spectator to the emerging tragic drama. The burning of over 400 churches during the violence was a sad reminder that many had come to regard churches not as sacred and neutral places of worship and sanctuary, but as part of the contested terrain of partisan politics. I recognized members of my own congregation in the mob that burnt down the church and my home says Rev. John Maina The church has a duty to speak forceful on broader issues of justice yet this has not been evident in Kenya. In March 2008, the National Council of Churches of Kenya apologized to the nation for having taken sides during the 2007 general election. This was an important step in the long road to the church recovering its credibility and playing its role of being the conscience of society. Several other churches also joined forces in an initiative that was dubbed Msafara the wheels of hope in which over 500 believers joined a caravan from Mombasa through Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret to Kisumu praying to cleanse the nation from demonic influences and taking humanitarian relief to internally displaced persons. Therefore, the church needs to do a lot more particularly in evaluating its own role in promoting positive ethnicity. Some of the things that the church needs to do or is already doing are as below; Discipling the nation There is need to ask ourselves how is it that Christians so easily turned on each other. The church needs to be at the forefront of fighting tribalism and forging an abiding spirit of nationhood. There is need to seriously address issues such as the gospel and culture, which go to the ethnic divisions that have plagued Kenya for many years. There is also need to connect spiritual warfare with rigorous socio-political analysis and engagement. The post-election violence was evidence enough that there is very little that is binding the different tribes together. Politicians have also made it very clear that if left to their own devises, they shall continue to mobilize for support along ethnic lines and therefore continue to fracture this fragile country. The church therefore needs to urgently step into the void especially as we are nearing another election period in 2017 by defining the spirituality of our nationhood. Reconciliation initiatives The church has a prominent role to play in reconciliations all over the world. As the salt of the earth, Christians have a mandate from God to make the world livable. Church leaders have a duty to promote unity in the multiethnic churches. The church must understand its mission before God, not only to promote peace and reconciliation, but to develop structures that will sustain peace and overcome any incitement to violence. Whereas certain individuals can take partisan positions, the church as an institution should not be drawn into ethnic party politics. The church should teach the vanity of negative ethnicity and the value of unity in diversity by being guided by the bible. In Kenya where ethnic conflicts recur, the church should often strategically engage the citizenry with biblical lessons on creation and Gods purpose for them to experience meaningful and selfless relationships. As the salt of the earth, the church should always use its flavor to influence others to seek value of harmony. The impact of the church is the only hope of peace and reconciliation. Every person regardless of race, religion, color, culture, class, sex, or age has an intrinsic dignity because of which he or she should be respected and served but not exploited. The church needs to reconcile people to God and, in the same manner, reconcile people to people. Embodying authentic community The church must embody authentic community, to show the world what relationships are to be. Community in African perception is alive in the sense that all people are connected to the community through spiritness of the community. It is therefore necessary for the church to provide a Christian definition of community that goes beyond ancestral connection. Community includes the wider human family. This community is generated and sustained by the grace of God in Christ by the Holy Spirit. Without this divine intervention, humanity is incapable of transcending the hatred and exclusion that hinder authentic community. Thus, sin has to be conquered for genuine community to be possible. Understanding the church as a family is a theological motif that conquers ethnic divisions. The term family refers not merely to the nuclear family, but to the biblical idea of those who share a common ancestor, the founder of the church, Jesus Christ. In the family of God, there are no distinctions of soci al relations. Paul argued in his letter that individual differences are merged and unified into a common life in Christ (Ephesians 2:14-17). Therefore the divisions along ethnic lines must not exist in the church. Exhibiting a counter-cultural faith The world can only be convinced that the church is a better alternative when the church constantly revisits and evaluates itself on the basis of John 13:34-35: a new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (NIV). One of the ways Jesus demonstrated his love for his followers was that he broke the walls of division and embraced all his disciples as his brothers and sisters, irrespective of their tribe, race or nationality (Matt. 12:46-50). The church community should exhibit a counter-cultural faith; a faith that rises above the tides of ethnic divisions. The Christian faith is a way of being. It is to know God and become a changed person. Being a changed person calls for a counter-cultural expression of faith. To be a changed Christian means exhibiting the inward transformational reality outwardly. It means expressing an alternative faith, an alternative prevailing culture. By being counter-cultural, the church exhibits to the world, a world characterized by divisions and violence, a different way of being human. Counter-cultural faith also means harmony, cooperation, and reconciliation. It also means representing Jesus in the world. Such representation calls for a heroic faith, the interruption of status quo including power, politics, and domination, and introducing a different way of practicing these realities. By interrupting the status quo, the church embodies how it is to live differently. It shows that it is pos sible to transcend negative practices that have for a very long time resulted in ethnic violence. References Anderson, D. Lochery E. (2008). Violence and exodus in Kenyas Rift Valley: Predictableand preventable? Journal of East African Studies, 2(2), 328-343. Brown, D. (2000). Contemporary Nationalism Civic, Etnocultural Multicultural Politics.London and New York: Routledge. Easton David (1965). A Framework for Political Analysis, Englewood Cliffs: N. J., Prentice-Hall, p4 Gachanga Timothy (April 2012). Kenya. Ethnic Agendas and Patronage Impede the formationof a Coherent Kenyan Identity. Africa File at issue Ezine Vol. 14 Laswell, D. Harold, (1936). Politics: Who Gets What, When, How. New York: Whittessey, p.3Laws of Kenya. The Constitution of Kenya, 2010. Maupeu, H. (2008). Revisiting post-election violence. Lafargue, J. (Ed.). The generalelections in Kenya, 2007. (pp. 187-223). Dar es Salaam: Mkuki na Nyota PublishersLtd. Muhula, Raymond (2009). Horizontal Inequalities and Ethnic-regional Politics in Kenya.Kenya Studies Review. I, I, 85-105 Ndegwa, Stephen. Citizenship and Ethnicity: An examination of two transition moments inKenyan politics, American Political Science Review 91, 3, 1997 Njonjo, M. (2008) Regaining Our Saltiness: The role model of the Church in Post-ElectionKenya. An address to the Reunion and Annual General Meeting of the Kenya ChurchAssociation. Ostieno Namwaya. Referendum Exposed Dominance of Tribalism The Sunday Standard,January 8th 2006 p.16 The Report of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) (2013): Volume III. Nairobi, 2013. Retrieved from www.tjrckenya.org Yieke, F. (2010). Ethnicity and Development in Kenya: Lessons from 2007 GeneralElections. Kenya Studies Review. 3, 3, 5-16. Young, C. (1994). Ethnic Diversity and Public Policy. Draft occasional paper for the UNResearch Institute for Social Development, World Summit on Social Development,Geneva, August. Interviews Jane Njoki, 42 year old mother of two who used to live in Burnt Forest area in Rift Valley before the 2007 PEV 12 October 2016 Ken Okoth a former flower farm worker in Naivasha and currently a trader in Kibera area of Nairobi. Nairobi 8 October 2016 Rev John Maina was chased out of his home in Molo, Rift Valley Province, in a wave of violence that rocked many areas of Kenya following the disputed elections in December 2007 Nakuru, 9 October 2016

Stock Market Crash as the Cause of the Great Depression Essay -- Ameri

What Was the Exact Cause Of The Great Depression? The United States Great Depression leads many people to believe different stories about what actually caused it. The Stock Market Crash in October of 1929 is often referred to as the beginning of the Great Depression, but did it actually cause it? The answer is that it was the spark that lit the flame of the Great Depression. The Great depression was a financial decline that started in 1929 and lasted through most of the 1930s. Its pinpoint was in North America and Europe, but plagued countries around the world (especially developed countries). Unemployment and homelessness sky rocketed and construction practically stopped in many countries. Industrial production declined by 50%, international trade plummeted 30%, and investment plunged 98%. The Great Depression was more severe and lengthy in the United States than in other developed countries. The unemployment rate rose higher and remained higher longer than in any other western country. As it expanded, the depression, for many Americans, was a hard time. (Garraty 3, Nardo 29-31) By the fall of 1929 most Americans had reached the peak of success, wealth and happiness. Just a year before, President Hoover predicted that the day when poverty in the United States would be totally eliminated was slowly but surely arriving. James Horan refers to the era as, "a time of plenty". This was because the country was at the height of a great industrial development which begun after the end of the Civil War. Mass production was in "high gear". The middle class was very satisfied after receiving a large amount of goods. "It was a lavish era of silk shirts and two-car garages."(Nardo 29) The stock market was very successful; there were pl... ...eople with nothing but each other. The Great Depression was definitely a terrible problem in the United States. Like every other problem, there is a root cause, and for this problem it was the crash of the stock market in 1929. This paper corroborates that the crash of the New York stock market in 1929 was the exact cause of the Great Depression. Works Cited Dudley, William. The Great Depression: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1994. Garraty, John A. The Great Depression. San Diego. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1986. Nardo, Don. The Great Depression. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 2000. Problems of the Great Depression. [Online] Available http://www.bergen.org/AAST/projects/depression/problems.html, November 25, 2006. Stock Market Crash of 1929. [Online] Available http://www.stock-market-crash.net/1929.htm, October 9, 2006.

Pride and Prejudice Essay -- English Literature

Pride and Prejudice 1. How do the narrative techniques of ‘showing’ and ‘telling’ work at this point in the novel? 2. How does this passage relate to the themes of the novel as a whole? The first part of the passage is dialogic, in that it contains only conversation between Lydia and Mrs Bennet. Jane Austen, through the use of narrative techniques, gives the reader an in-depth understanding of the story. One of these techniques is ‘showing’, which with the use of dialogue, allows us to gain an understanding of the characters. The characters of Lydia and Mrs Bennet, through the use of dialogue in this passage, are ‘shown’ to be excessively concerned with the expectations of the society in which they live, by being obsessed with the importance of marriage. Lydia is passionate in her manner; this is ‘shown’ to the reader when she talks of getting husbands for her sisters, â€Å"They must all go to Brighton. That is the place to get husbands†. She is pleased with herself and even boastful in her ability of having secured a husband before any of her sisters. She puts him on a pedestal, ‘shown’ by the narrator, with statements such as â€Å"Is he not a charming man?† and â€Å"I am sure my sisters must all envy me†. Austen also ‘shows’ how eager both Lydia and her mother are about securing husbands for her sisters, with the use of this narrative technique of ‘showing’, using phrases such as â€Å"there will be some balls, and I will take care to get good partners for them all† (Lydia) and â€Å"I should like it beyond anything!† (Mrs Bennet). This dialogic form of ‘showing’, allows us to view both characters during their conversation with each other, firmly establishing the characters and views of Mrs Bennet and Lydia. This ‘show... ...&P). Then of course there was Miss King, who had come into a fortune of ten thousand pounds; Wickham ‘had paid her not the smallest attention till her grandfather’s death made her mistress of this fortune’, (Page 121 P&P). His ‘distress of circumstances’ compelled him to seek a fortune, for which he would apparently go to any length to secure. We are encouraged by the use of dialogue and narrative to differentiate between Elizabeth’s personal and emotional integrity, Lydia’s immorality, and Mrs Bennet’s persistence in securing husbands for them all, no matter what it takes. Bibliography  · Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen  · The Realist Novel – - Part One: Chapter One – The Genre Approach Chapter Two – Reading Pride and Prejudice - Part Two: Realism and Romance Realism and the novel form Jane Austen and the war of ideas

Discuss the contribution of material culture Essay

The aim of this essay is to explore how useful material culture studies is to understanding societies which existed under Roman rule, especially those of Gaul and Britain. These provinces of Rome adopted Roman culture and used Roman objects for their own use, which could come under the heading of cultural bricolage, where new cultural items are obtained by attributing new functions to previously existing ones, however I shall address this later on in the essay. Woolf comments that anthropologists and archaeologists use the concept of culture as a way of making sense of the diversity of human societies that cannot be expressed simply in terms of biological variation. It is seen by many to be a more precise way of understanding societies rather than seeing how advanced or rich a society was.1 Studying and understanding social identity can also be seen as an excellent alternative to relying on narratives written by Roman authors who were biased and wrote from a ‘Romano-centricâ₠¬â„¢ position, and it also allows us to consider other elements, for instance class,status, gender, age, occupation, and religion. Material culture can be defined as â€Å"the study through artifacts (and other pertinent historical evidence) of belief systems–the values, ideas, attitudes, and assumptions–of a particular community or society, usually across time. As a study, it is based upon the obvious premise that the existence of a man-made object is concrete evidence of the presence of a human mind operating at the time of fabrication. The common assumption underlying material culture research is that objects made or modified by humans, consciously or unconsciously, directly or indirectly, reflect the belief patters of individuals who made, commissioned, purchased, or used them, and, by extension, the belief patterns of the larger society of which they are a part.† 2 Concerning Roman culture, Woolf defines it as â€Å"the range of objects, beliefs and practices that were characteristic of people who considered themselves to be, and were widely acknowledged as, Roman.† It is believed that every man-made object required the operation of some thought and design. Therefore it is the assumption of material culture studies that this thought is a reflection of the culture that produced the man-made objects. With this theory we can see, in some way, how a culture, which had no written records of its existence, lived. One advantage of material culture studies is that it is beneficial to social historians who wish to know about an entire group and not just the elites of a particular society. A useful definition of the term archaeology is that it uses â€Å"fieldwork and excavation, and the comparative study of sites and objects to compile information about the past†¦which can illuminate aspects of Roman life which were never recorded†. However it does have its limitations as it cannot achieve certainty as â€Å"all known sites and artefacts are merely a surviving sample of what once existed- and not necessarily a representative sample.†4 So in understanding identity we may be able to place these artefacts in context as we will know what particular objects are used for certain practices, for instance burial customs or forms of pottery produced.5 Jones defines cultural identity as â€Å"that aspect of a person’s self-conceptualization which results from identification with a broader group in opposition to others on the basis of perceived cultural differentiation and/or common descent.†.6 Concerning material culture, Pitts chose 12 areas of study, these were: â€Å"architecture, art, epigraphy (inscriptions in stone), faunal remains(animal bones), floral remains, funerary evidence, literature, monumentality, pottery, settlement (morphology and landscape archaeology) and small finds(portable material culture other than pottery)†.7 Epigraphic inscriptions allows us to observe how literacy spread through Gaul and Britain, along with helping us to trace an â€Å"outline of the cultural geography of Roman Gaul†8 Woolf also comments that inscriptions are useful as they represent a wide range of Roman cultural customs which included political, cultic, and funerary practices. He adds to this by suggesting that inscriptions should be seen as attempts made by people to assert their identities and to show their achievements in terms of status. Art and architecture are important as it gives us some insight into cultural ideologies, however this type of evidence only really survived if it was owned by the elites of the society, and the art and mosaics were only limited to this class, so it has its biases. Although it does have its uses as we can see how the adoption of villa architecture by the British and Gaulish tribes shows the acceptance and spread of Roman culture throughout the conquered countries.

Macbeth : a tragic hero or bloody tyrant? Essay

Written by William Shakespeare probably in late 1606 or early 1607, Macbeth is considered by many people to be the darkest of Shakespeare’s works. The play is a tragedy about death and deceit amongst the Scottish noblemen. It focuses on the rise and fall of the main character, Macbeth. The argument on whether Macbeth is a tragic hero or a bloody tyrant still remains unsettled. In order to answer this question, we have to define the characteristics that make up a tragic hero. According to Dr. Peter A. Smith from the English department of Kentucky State University, a tragic hero possesses many several criteria. Firstly, the character must be of noble stature, meaning he is a man with outstanding quality. His actions must affect an excessive amount of people. Secondly, his downfall is the result of his tragic flaw or â€Å"hamartia†. However, the most common flaw is excessive pride or â€Å"hubris†. Thirdly, the hero’s decline is thew result of his own â€Å"free will†. Although â€Å"fate† has a very important part in the play, there is always a factor of choice portrays in the story. Fourthly, the audiences are usually left feeling that the hero’s misfortune is not wholly deserved. The fifth criterion is that the tragic hero will eventually realise what went wrong but it is too late to undo the harm. Lastly, after the death of a tragic hero, the audiences feel the cleansing of emotion or â€Å"catharsis†. On the other hand, a bloody tyrant can be identified as some one who is self-deceived, remorseless, unmerciful, and avaricious. The character should be of bad reputation and is generally disapproved by others. They should be lacking of consideration and sympathy for others. Also, they should exhibit a constant yearning for more and more power. Macbeth, at the different stage in the play, possesses many characteristics of both a tragic hero and a bloody tyrant. In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is portrayed as a brave warrior who has fought for King Duncan and has just won the battle. On his way back from his assignation as Thane of Glamis, he encountered the three witches who greeted him with many pleasant predictions. Their prophecies were the fact that triggered Macbeth’s ambitious soul. However, he was still seen as genuinely loyal to the King â€Å"The service and the loyalty I owe, †¦Are to your throne and state†¦ Which do but what they should by doing everything Safe toward your love and honour.† (Act 1: Scene 4: L 22-27) He already appeared to fit the criterion of tragic hero since he was courageous and respected. He has saves Scotland and many lives from the battle. After Duncan had announced that his son, Malcolm, would succeed to the throne, we first learned of his flawed personality. â€Å"Stars, hide your fires, Let not light see my black and deep desires,† (Act 1: Scene 4: L.50-51) He was asking the stars not to shine because the light would make others see his dark desire. He did not want anyone to know about his future evil plan. So far, Macbeth’s character still corresponded to the characteristics of a tragic hero. We must see how his character developed. In the next scene, Macbeth met his wife, Lady Macbeth, who appeared to have thoroughly planned out Duncan’s murder. She encouraged her husband to eliminate Duncan so that Macbeth, in the near future, would be entitled the king of Scotland. However, Macbeth’s conscience was troubled. â€Å"†¦Besides, this Duncan†¦, hath been So clear in his great office, that this virtues Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued against The deep damnation of his talking-off.† (Act 1: Scene 7: L.16-20) He knew that by killing Duncan who represented a figure of decent human being, heaven itself would detest his decision and he would be condemned. After struggling with his conscience and showing his reluctance to betray the king, he finally decided not to kill Duncan. â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business He hath honoured me of late, and I have bought Golden opinion from all sorts of people,† (Act 1: Scene 7: L.31-33) Macbeth was, perhaps, being selfish and wanted to be admired by the people for a bit longer, or his conscience might be causing his determination to weaken. Both reasons demonstrated that he was showing mercy, and mercy was definitely not a quality of a bloody tyrant. At this stage, he was not yet a bloody tyrant. However, later when Lady Macbeth insulted him by calling him a coward and questioning his masculinity, Macbeth changed his mind. Lady Macbeth’s speech was considered to be very persuasive. She also brought up the concept of being the same in action as in desire to Macbeth. It seems as of every time Macbeth gains back his conscience and follows the path of righteousness, his fatal weakness, which is ambition, always spurs him on and leads him back to the vicious path. His wife also plays quite a major role in manipulating Macbeth to do as she desired. He chooses evil over goodness. This is his own â€Å"free will.† The external force that keeps pressuring him cannot control or decide for him. After murdering Duncan, persuaded by his wife, Macbeth shows the sign of being quite repentant, hoping to undo the crime. â€Å"Wake Duncan with thy knocking: I would thou couldst† (Act 2: Scene 2: L.77) His wife apparently has forced him to do something a bit against his will. At the same time that this happened, Malcolm and Donaldbain decided to elude to England and Ireland respectively to escape the accusation. Macbeth, therefore, was entitled to be king and accessed to the throne. Once Macbeth realised the suspiction BanQuo had on him, including his fear for the witches’ prophecy, that Banquo would be father of a king, would become true, he decided to get rid of Banquo and his son, Fleance. Fortunately, Fleance has escaped. His ambition and pride started to increase. His plan to kill Banquo was kept secret from his wife. This showed that he had gained more self-confidence. His flaw has driven him to kill. Once Macbeth ascended the throne, he organised a feast at his castle. In my opinion, the feast represents the turning point of his character in the play. He began to show more of the vicious qualities. The ghost of Banquo has appeared to him at the banquet, and he began to hallucinate. After the guests have left, Lady Macbeth tried to calm him down. Macbeth was so mad that he has vowed to destroy anyone standing in his way. He was now in the point of no return. â€Å"†¦I am in blood Stepped in so far that should I wade no more †¦ Strange thing I have in head that will to hand, Which must be acted ere they may be scanned† (Act 3: Scene: 4: L.140) â€Å"We are yet but young in deed† (Act 3: Scene 4: L.144) Macbeth was saying that he has done so many bad deeds that he could barely wait to engage in the evil acts again. We could clearly see at this stage that Macbeth’s character has developed into someone who appeared to be malevolent by nature. He had lost all his good equalities. His speech showed his extreme hunger for power and control. He would kill according to his will. Macbeth later went to see the witches again and has received three apparitions. The witches told him that someone who was â€Å"none of woman born† would bring about his death. This prophecy has made him even more arrogant thinking that he was invincible, and it seemed to give him new pleasure for killing. He has Macduff’s family murdered and his castle demolished. After the death of Lady Macbeth, he took actions into his own hands. In the end, he suffered from internal revolt and eventually killed by Macduff, who later revealed that he was born by caesarean. Even though, towards the end, Macbeth has adopted most of the characteristics of evil tyrant, his death produced â€Å"catharsis† in audiences. Our emotions are cleansed knowing that the throne is now in charge by good people. Macbeth started off as being a â€Å"tragic hero†, but eventually, towards the end, his madness and hallucination has transformed him into a â€Å"bloody tyrant.† Bibliography 1. www.literatureclassics.com/essays/371 2. www.shakespearehelp.com/macbeth_guide/ 3. www.kysu.edu/artsscience/ENG411/tragic%20hero.htm

Storm Born Chapter Eight

The keep was like a cross between Sleeping Beauty's castle and a gothic church. Towers jauntily sprang up to impossible heights, creating black patches across the evening sky. We'd lost our light now, but I could still see that a lot of the windows looked as though they contained stained glass. I imagined they'd be beautiful in full sunlight. And framing everything, of course, were those brilliant, yellow-orange trees. Volusian had told me that the kingdoms' seasons were dependent on their rulers' whims and could last for extremely long times. This was beautiful, but I couldn't imagine living in a place that was perpetually autumn. I knew some claimed Arizona was perpetually summer, but, then, the people who said that didn't actually live there. The seasons were subtle, but they were there. I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't in some kind of wacky movie as Rurik and his gang led us through twisted hallways lit with torches. People passed, giving us curious looks as they went about whatever one did in a medieval castle. Churning butter. Flogging peasants. I really didn't know, and I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of there. â€Å"Wait here,† Rurik told us when we reached a large set of double oak doors. â€Å"I will speak to the king before you're shown into the throne room.† Wow. An honest-to-goodness throne room. He disappeared behind the doors, and a couple guards watched us but kept their distance. â€Å"Volusian,† I said softly, â€Å"did you purposely lead us here?† â€Å"My only purpose, mistress, is to keep you alive. Being here will increase your chances.† â€Å"You didn't answer the question.† â€Å"You will also increase your chances,† he continued, â€Å"if you are nice to King Dorian.† â€Å"Nice? They just assaulted me and threatened to rape me.† He gave me an exasperated look. â€Å"The king will see you now,† said Rurik dramatically, returning from inside the room. He held the door open for us. Trumpets wouldn't have surprised me. The throne room was not what I expected. Sure, there was a dais with a chair on it, just like in the movies, but the rest of the room was in a state of disarray. A large space ran through the middle, for dancing or processions, perhaps, but the rest had an almost lounge sort of look. Small couches, chaises, and chairs were arranged around low tables set with goblets and platters of fruit. Men and women, again dressed in sort of a goth-Renaissance style, draped themselves on the furniture and on each other, picking idly at the fruit as they watched me. I was put in mind of the way Romans used to dine. More than gentry lounged around, however. Spirits and sprites and trowes and wraiths were also in attendance, along with an assortment of Otherworld creatures. The monsters of human imagining, side by side with magical refugees who had immigrated to this world. I wondered then if any other shaman had been this far into gentry society. I remembered Roland's warning, that I could be taken right into the heart of their world. If only our kind had some sort of scholarly journal. The Journal of Shamanic Assassination and Otherworldly Encounters. I could have used this â€Å"research† to write a compelling article to share with my fellow professionals. Conversation dropped to a low hum as the gentry leaned over and whispered to each other, eyes on me. Smirks and scowls alike lit their faces, and I put on the blank expression I would wear going to meet a new client. Meanwhile, my pulse raced into overdrive and breathing became a bit difficult. Volusian trailed near me on one side while Rurik walked on the other. Wil and the others moved behind us. â€Å"Why all these people?† I murmured to Volusian. â€Å"Is he having a party?† â€Å"Dorian is a social king. He likes keeping people around, most likely so he can mock them. He keeps a full court and regularly invites his nobles to dine here.† We came to a stop. On the throne sat a man, Dorian, I presumed. He looked bored. He leaned into the arm of his chair, one elbow propped on it so he could rest his chin in his hand. It sort of made him view us at an angle. Long auburn hair, reminiscent of the trees outside, hung around him, highlighted with every shade of red and gold conceivable. He could have been autumn incarnate. He had the most perfect skin I'd ever seen in such a vivid redhead: smooth and ivory, with no freckles or rosy color. A cloak of forest-green velvet covered unremarkable dark pants and a loose, white button-up shirt. He had well-shaped cheekbones and delicate features. â€Å"Kneel before the king,† ordered Rurik, â€Å"and get used to being on your knees.† I gave him a withering glance. He smiled. â€Å"I'll be happy to make you,† he warned. â€Å"Bah, enough. Leave her in peace,† intoned Dorian laconically. He didn't change posture. Only his eyes portrayed any sort of interest in these goings-on. â€Å"If she's been with you for the last hour, she deserves a break. Go sit down.† Rurik's smugness flashed to embarrassment, but he bowed before the throne and backed off. That left Dorian and me staring at each other. He grinned. â€Å"Well, come here. If you won't kneel, I at least want to get a good look at the ‘terrible monster' they've brought to me. They all seem quite afraid of you. I confess, I didn't really believe it was you when they told me. I thought Rurik had been into the mushrooms again.† â€Å"Do you know how many of our people she has killed and forcibly banished, sire?† exclaimed Shaya from somewhere behind me. â€Å"She took out three in under a minute just now.† â€Å"Yes, yes. She's quite terrifying. I can see that.† Dorian looked at me expectantly. I shook my head. â€Å"I'm not moving until you offer us hospitality.† This made him sit up. He kept smiling. â€Å"She's clever too, though, admittedly, asking for hospitality before you crossed our humble threshold would have been more clever still since any of my subjects could have attacked you just now.† He shrugged. â€Å"But we've made it this far. So, tell me, Eugenie, why – er, wait. Do you prefer Eugenie or Miss Markham?† I considered. â€Å"I prefer Odile.† That smile twitched. â€Å"Ah. We're still clinging to that, are we? Very well, then, Odile, tell me what brings the shining ones' most feared enemy to my door, asking for hospitality. As you might imagine, this is without precedence.† I glanced around at all the watching, listening people. Ignore them, ignore them, an inner voice whispered. Focus on Dorian for now. â€Å"I don't really want to talk about it in front of the peanut gallery. I'd rather meet with you in private.† â€Å"Oh.† He pitched his voice for the crowd. â€Å"Well, well. Odile wants to meet with me in private.† I blushed, hating myself for doing it. Nervous laughter ran around the room, soon growing stronger and more confident as the king's did. Interesting, I thought. I remembered Volusian's comments about Dorian, and his soldiers' hesitation about his wrath. These gathered people were sheep, obviously, ready to dance or laugh at Dorian's command, but suddenly I wondered if they were sheep who also feared the whims of their capricious shepherd. I wondered if I should be afraid too. I kept my silence, not acknowledging his joke. He leaned forward, putting both elbows on his knees, letting his chin rest in both hands now. â€Å"If I offer you hospitality, you must reciprocate in kind. I'll see that no one harms you in my household, but in return, you can harm no one under my roof.† I glanced back at Volusian. â€Å"You didn't mention that.† â€Å"Oh, for God's sake,† he hissed, displaying a rare loss of patience. â€Å"What did you expect? Take it before your imminent death becomes more imminent and robs me of my chance to kill you myself.† I turned back to Dorian. I didn't like this turn of events. I didn't like being in a nest of gentry, nor did I want to be at one's mercy. Why was I here again? In my head, I summoned an image of little Jasmine Delaney, imagining her being tormented in a similar way over at Aeson's court. Only she would be subject to more than just mockery. â€Å"I accept,† I said. Dorian regarded me in silence and then nodded. â€Å"As do I.† He looked up at the crowd. â€Å"Odile Dark Swan is now under the protection of my hospitality. Anyone who so much as lays a finger on her will get his own fingers chopped off and fed back to him.† He issued the threat with as much cheer as Volusian might have. A buzz spread through the crowd, not entirely pleased. â€Å"What's to keep her from breaking her oath?† I heard someone mutter. Another said loudly, â€Å"She could slay us all!† Dorian's eyes flicked back to me. â€Å"Did you have any idea what a creature of nightmare you are around here? Mothers tell their children Odile Dark Swan will come for them if they're bad.† â€Å"Hey, I don't seek them out. I only come for them if they come for me first.† â€Å"Interesting,† he said, arching an eyebrow. â€Å"But if that's how you like it, so be it. I always admire women who know what they want in the bedroom.† â€Å"Hey, that's not what I – † I hadn't realized the extent to which our slang had permeated the gentry world. Theirs was a reflection of my own; things seeped through. He cut me off with a gesture. â€Å"I gave you hospitality, now come up here. I want to see the terror that haunts the darkness.† I hesitated, both from distrust and defiance to his taunting. Volusian's voice whispered in my ear. â€Å"He will not harm you now that he's given his word.† â€Å"I don't know if I can really believe that.† â€Å"I do.† My minion's voice was calmly serious. â€Å"You know I can't lie to you.† Turning back to Dorian, I took the steps until I stood at the same level as his chair. I met his gaze evenly. â€Å"Look at those eyes,† he sighed happily. â€Å"Like violets in the snow. You smell like them too.† Beyond us, I heard another rise of murmurs in the crowd. â€Å"What's got them all worked up now?† They couldn't hear our discourse. His own eyes danced. They were golden-brown, the color of autumn leaves falling from the trees. â€Å"You've broken protocol. They expected you to stop one step lower. Instead, you've put yourself at the same level as me. The fact that I'm not chastising you means I'm treating you as an equal, like royalty. You should be flattered.† I crossed my arms. â€Å"I'll be more flattered when we have the private talk.† He tsked me. â€Å"So impatient. So human. You've asked for my hospitality. You can't expect me to not give it now.† He made a gesture with his hands, and spirit servants appeared, bearing serving platters of food. For some reason, I suddenly started thinking of the song â€Å"Hotel California.† â€Å"We were about to eat when you so kindly dropped in. Dine with us, and then we'll have as many ‘private encounters' as you like.† â€Å"I'm not stupid. I won't eat anything in the Otherworld. You have to know that.† He shrugged, still sprawled out on his throne like a comfortable cat. â€Å"Your loss. You can sit and watch, then.† He rose gracefully and offered me his hand. I stared at it blankly. Shaking his head with mirth, he simply walked with me down the steps, not touching. â€Å"Where's the rest of my group?† â€Å"Your servants and human friend are safe, I assure you. We've given them their own accommodations since they don't have a guest-of-honor seat at my table, that's all.† He beckoned toward a low, polished table, a bit larger than the others in the room. Like the rest, it was surrounded by sumptuous-looking chairs and sofas, patterned in bright brocades and velvets. Dorian settled down onto a small loveseat and patted the spot beside him. â€Å"Keep me company?† I didn't dignify that with an answer, instead sitting down in the chair next to his sofa. It was a single seat. No one could sit with me. We were soon joined by about a dozen others, including Rurik and Shaya. She reported to Dorian that the people I'd injured had been healed and were recovering. True to my word, I didn't eat any of the food set out before us, but I confess, it looked pretty good. Stuffed Cornish game hens. Fresh bread with steam still rising from it. Desserts I would have committed murder for. But I didn't give in. One of the first rules of the game was to never eat outside your own world. Stories and myths abounded about those foolish enough to ignore that precaution. The other diners tried hard to pretend I didn't exist, but Dorian was fascinated by me. Worse, he flirted with me. At least he wasn't as crass as every other gentry I seemed to encounter, but I didn't rise to any of it – even if it was charming at times. I took it all in with a stoic face, which seemed to delight him that much more. The other women at the table were less resistant. Any look, any word, and they practically melted with lust. In fact, many other people in the room also seemed to melt with lust. Very explicitly so. During and after dinner, I watched as people – couples usually, but sometimes more – touched each other brazenly. It was like being in junior high again. Some of it was just kissing. Some of it was heavy groping – a hand fondling the breast or sliding up the thigh. And some of it was†¦more. Across the room, I saw one woman climb on top of a man and straddle him, moving up and down. I was pretty sure they had nothing on beneath the voluminous folds of her skirt. At a table nearby, one woman was on her knees in front of a man, and she was – I hastily averted my eyes, turning back to my own table. I found Dorian's gaze on me and knew he scrutinized my every reaction. Through some unspoken command, a blond slip of a woman slid into the empty seat beside him, the one I had refused. She draped a leg over his lap and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his neck. He moved one hand up her leg, pushing up the skirt to reveal smooth flesh, but he otherwise seemed oblivious to her as he regarded me and the other guests. Aside from the free love and utterly medieval setting, there was almost something, well, normal about this place. The gentry I'd run into were always causing trouble in my world. Luring humans. Using magic indiscriminately. But this was like any other social occasion or party. People knew each other and regarded their friends with warmth. They discussed love and children and politics. True, they were still foreign and other to me, but I could also almost see them as human. Almost. Needing to do more than sit there and stare, I reached into my coat and pulled out one of the two Milky Way bars I'd brought along. It was also a utilitarian move, seeing as how I was so hungry from watching all the feasting around me. Dorian immediately became intrigued. â€Å"What is that?† I held it up. â€Å"It's a Milky Way. It's†¦candy.† I didn't really know what else to say about it. I wasn't even sure what was in it. Nougat? I had no idea what the hell that foamy stuff was, save that it was delicious. He eyed it curiously, and I broke off a piece, tossing it over to him. He caught it deftly. â€Å"Your majesty,† exclaimed one of the men, â€Å"don't eat it. It's not safe.† â€Å"It won't hurt me here,† rebuked Dorian in annoyance. â€Å"And don't even start in about poison or I'll let Bertha the cook have her way with you again.† The man promptly shut up. Dorian popped the piece into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Watching the expressions his face went through was almost hilarious. It took him awhile to work through all that gooey scrumptiousness, and I fostered a compelling image of him with saltwater taffy. â€Å"Entertaining,† he declared when he'd finished. â€Å"What's in it?† â€Å"I don't know. Some chocolate and caramel. A bunch of stuff sort of fused into other stuff.† One woman, her hair curly and brown, fixed me with a combative look. â€Å"That's so typical of them. They twist nature and the elements for the sake of their perverted creations until they no longer know what it is they do. They are an offense to the divine, bringing forth monstrosities and abominations they cannot control.† A snappy retort rose to my lips, but I bit it off. Volusian had warned me to be nice. In light of their relatively civilized behavior at dinner, I could do no less, so my voice stayed calm. â€Å"Our monstrosities do great things. We can fix injuries you can't. We have plumbing and electricity. We have transportation that makes your horses look like dinosaurs.† â€Å"Like what?† asked one of the men. â€Å"Bad analogy,† I replied. Shaya shook her head. â€Å"We can achieve many of the same results with magic.† â€Å"Magic couldn't do much against my gun earlier.† â€Å"Our people survived. Only a human would brag about her ability to wield death.† â€Å"And you in particular would have good reason to,† pointed out Rurik. â€Å"No other human in memory has killed as many of our kind – spirits or shining ones – as you. You would have killed me last week if you'd had the strength. You would have killed our people in the woods today if you could have.† â€Å"I don't always kill. I even avoid it if I can. But sometimes I have to, and when I do†¦well, then, that's the way it goes.† Glowers regarded me all around the table. Only Dorian's face stayed politely curious. â€Å"Rumor has it you've killed your own kind too,† he noted. â€Å"Doesn't it keep you up at night to have so much blood on your hands?† I leaned back in my chair, as always trying to keep my emotions off my face. It did bother me sometimes, but I didn't want them to know. I hadn't killed many humans – only a handful, really – and most of it had been self-defense. They'd been humans working with gentry or other creatures to do harm in my world. That had justified the kills in some ways, but I could never ignore that I was taking a life. A human life. A life like my own. The first time I'd seen the light fade out of someone's eyes – wrought by my hand – I'd had nightmares for weeks. I'd never told Roland about that, and I certainly wasn't going to tell this group. â€Å"Actually, Dorian, I sleep very well, thank you.† â€Å"It's King Dorian,† hissed a plump man across from me. â€Å"Show respect.† Dorian smiled. The others glared further. â€Å"The gods will punish a murderer like you,† warned one of the women. â€Å"I doubt it. I don't murder anyone. I defend. Everyone I've killed was doing damage to my world or – in the case of those humans – helping your kind cause harm. Those who merely trespass, I don't kill. I just send them back. It's not your world, so I protect my own. That's not a crime.† Dorian sent the blonde away with a quick motion of his hand and leaned over the couch so he could speak closer to me. â€Å"But you know it was once our world too.† â€Å"Yes. And your ancestors left it.† Shaya eyed me, cheeks flushing. â€Å"We were driven out.† Dorian ignored the outburst. â€Å"You gave us no choice. Once we were all one people. Then your ancestors turned away from the power within and sought it without. They built. They subdued nature. They created things with their hands and the elements that we had only thought magic capable of. Some even surpassed what magic could do.† â€Å"So what's wrong with that?† â€Å"You tell me, Odile. Has it been worth it? You can't have it both ways. The ability to force ‘magic' from the world killed the magic within. Your lives shortened as a result compared to ours. Your sense of wonder disappeared, short of anything that can be proven by numbers and facts. Your people will soon have no gods but their machines.† â€Å"And despite all this,† observed Shaya bitterly, â€Å"humans continue to flourish. Why haven't they been cursed? Why do they spawn like cats and dogs while our numbers suffer? They are the abominations, not us.† â€Å"Their short lives, their burning need to create before they die, drive that. Their bodies can't help but produce life so readily. We do not feel that urgency.† Dorian grinned. â€Å"Well, physically we do, but subconsciously†¦our souls know we have time.† â€Å"That's another wonder of modern medicine. We can help the infertile.† Dorian frowned, again more curious than angry. â€Å"Enlighten us.† I hesitated, suddenly regretting my comment. In as brief a way as I could, I explained artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization. Even Dorian had trouble stomaching that one. â€Å"This is how your numbers grow?† asked a woman near Shaya. Her voice was an awed whisper. â€Å"Only for some,† I told her. â€Å"Most don't need it. If anything, I think we have too many babies.† Seeing their shocked faces, I felt a little bad about upsetting them with all this. After all, I was a big advocate of respecting cultural diversity. Yet that core belief of mine wavered around these people. Maybe that was unfair, but I had spent my life being taught that they were not human. They might seem so now, but I didn't think one dinner could truly alter my ingrained views. Shaya shook her head, face pale. â€Å"This, then, is what has displaced us from our homeland. These are the things that forced us from the place we came from and into the world of spirits and lost souls. We lost to twisted creatures who breed easily, who rape and pillage the earth in homage to their metal gods.† â€Å"Look, I'm sorry it upsets you all so much, but that's how it is. You guys lost. You have to deal. You did an okay job fighting, I guess. You still show up in a lot of fairy tales and myths. But you still lost. History's like that. There are wars, and unfortunately, in the end, who wins and who loses is more important than who's right or wrong.† â€Å"Are you saying your people were wrong, then?† asked Dorian quietly. â€Å"No,† I said with certainty. â€Å"Absolutely not.† â€Å"You're very loyal to your own kind.† â€Å"Of course I am. I'm human. There's no choice there – especially when your people do nothing but cause trouble for mine when they cross over.† â€Å"Look around this room. Of those gathered†¦I would say only less than twenty have ever visited your world. And of those, only a small amount 'caused trouble.' You have degenerates in your world too. Yet, you wouldn't use them to define your entire race as bad.† â€Å"No,† I agreed. â€Å"But I'd still punish them. Look, maybe I'm overly jaded toward your kind, but then, the only ones I've ever met have been the deviants. It's hard not to judge.† Dorian stared at me for a long time, and I couldn't read him. Everyone else looked like they would have killed me on the spot, if not for the hospitality prohibition. I wondered if I'd made Dorian mad enough to regret giving his oath. His thoughtful face changed to its typical expression, the perpetually amused and lazy one. He rose from his couch, sweeping the cloak behind him. Everyone else hastily followed suit. I took my time getting up. â€Å"I thank you all for a lovely evening, but I must take my leave now.† He spoke loudly, so that his words carried to more than just our table. Conversation in the room dropped. â€Å"I daresay my guest is growing restless and eager for some privacy, and I do so hate to disappoint.† The toadies laughed appreciatively, and I steeled myself not to blush again. Dorian glanced at me as we slowly walked out of the hall. â€Å"If I offered my hand again, I don't suppose you'd take it?† â€Å"Not a chance. I don't want to give them any ideas.† â€Å"Oh. Well. I'm afraid it's too late for that, once they see where we're going.† I cut him a warning look. â€Å"Where are we going?† â€Å"Why, to the most private of places. My bedroom, of course.†