Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Essay Example for Free

Dramatic Irony in Oedipus Essay In the play written by Sophocles, Oedipus the King, there are several instances of irony. Dramatic irony, or tragic irony as some critics would prefer to call it, usually means a situation in which the character of the play has limited knowledge and says or does something in which they have no idea of the significance. The audience, however, already has the knowledge of what is going to occur or what the consequences of the characters actions will be. The degree of irony and the effect it has depends upon the readers grasp and recognition of some discrepancy between two things. Our first taste of dramatic irony comes very early into the play when Oedipus vows to bring to justice the killer of Laius, which is in reality himself. When he learns that the bringing of justice of Laius killer will rid the city of a terrible plague, he sets forth with a plan to track down the killer. Oedipus begins to curse the killer and vows: Oedipus: As for the criminal, I pray to God Whether it be a lurking thief, or one of a number I pray that that mans life be consumed in evil and wretchedness. And as for me, this curse applies no less (968) This is very ironic, as Oedipus is indeed, without knowledge of the truth, talking about himself. Another example of dramatic irony is the power of fate and Oedipus powerlessness against it. Throughout the play we are aware of Oedipus fate and we realize there is nothing that he can do to change it. When Oedipus tells his city after listening to their plea for help against the terrible sickness and plague that has taken over the city: Oedipus: I know that you are deathly sick; and yet, Sick as you are, not one is as sick as I. (963) The audience understands the truth and the irony in that statement. Oedipus should not worry about himself becoming sick for he is already infested with the sickness. A third example of the irony of Oedipus is the fact that Oedipus seemed to be blind and deaf to the truth. He appears to be on a valiant search for the truth and justice of the killer of Laius, yet refuses to hear the truth when it is spoken to him. In order to hear the truth Oedipus needed to be able to hear and interpret it, yet he only heard what he wanted to hear. Therefore rendering him unable to understand the mystery of who he truly was. In this play there seems to be a constant string of ironies throughout. Oedipus is in denial of the truth. In his dramatic speeches he misconstrues the information that he has been given by Teiresias, as well as Creon and Iocaste. The horrifying realization that the prophecy of the Sphinx is in fact the truth, causes Oedipus to blind himself. The audience therefore pities him, which is a result of the use of dramatic irony. The use of irony in a play allows the writer to make their audience want to see how the events which are occurring, mentally affect the main character, even if they already know how the story will end, as in Oedipus the King. Kennedy, X.J., and Gioia Dana. Oedipus the King Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. 2nd edition. New York: Addison Wesley Longman, 2000. 960-1005.

Ireland :: essays research papers

Ireland   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the main reason me and my family came to America, was because we have been suffering The great Famine as you may call it, this was happening between the years of 1800 and 1845, there were approximately sixteen food crisis. Which was mostly caused due to the Wet harvest season. This season was responsible for about 40 percent of destroyed crops; enough to plunge the country in to a crisis. India helped us out but did not provide enough food for the tens of thousands of people who died Annually from malnutrition and epidemic disease. During the Famine over one million died, reducing the population of Ireland to 6.5 million people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Famine, although one of the main reasons I came to America, I have other reasons. One of the most attractive aspects of American Life that I found was freedom, and the choice that you have I you want to excel they’re room for expansion, back in Ireland, they was no room for expansion. In my homeland if you had a Job that’s would probably be your last, and the fact that America has many sources of food and plenty of jobs, requiring no school degree. Plus this country can give my family and me the opportunity to have a better life then that of Ireland.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What I am expecting to do in America, which I’ve heard from many people, will most likely be working in a factory. Due to that I have no school diploma. By me working in a factory, even though I might die working there, I would make enough money to put my kids through college, and let them be the bosses of the next generation. I’ve already Lived most of my life and its my goal to let my children live a better life, to offer them the best, let them choose they’re future. In 1999 the fate of Most immigrants coming from Ireland will all depend on who the person is. If A person has a good education and are set to work, they have a good future, but if you’re a bum in Ireland and you’re coming to America to get a job, it would be more difficult this time in age, everything is begin taken over computers and simple jobs are just not around anymore everything involves thinking and education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The religion in Ireland was that of Catholicism. Despite the Penal laws it was clear that from the returns made by catholic Bishops to Dublin Castle that the church was better provided with priest then it had been a century earlier.

Applied Performance Practices Study Guide

APPLIED PERFORMANCE PRACTICES * FINANCIAL REWARD PRACTICES >Financial Rewards- the most fundamental applied performance practice in organizational settings. >Pay has multiple meanings * Symbol of success * Reinforcer and motivator * Reflection of performance * Can reduce anxiety >Meaning of money varies * Higher value to men than women * Cultural values influence the meaning and value of money TYPES OF REWARDS IN THE WORKPLACE * Membership and Seniority * Job Status * Competencies * Performance 1. Membership- and Seniority- Based Rewards * Fixed wages, seniority increases. * (Sometimes called â€Å"pay for pulse†) represent the largest part of most paychecks. Sample Rewards: * Fixed pay * Most employee benefits * Paid time off Advantages: * May attract applicants * Minimizes stress of insecurity * Reduces turnover Disadvantages: * Doesn’t directly motivate performance * May discourages poor performers from leaving * Golden handcuffs may undermine performance 2. ) Job St atus-Based Rewards * Includes job evaluation and status perks. Job evaluation –systematically evaluating the worth of jobs within an organization by measuring their required skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions. * Maintain feelings of equity (people in higher-valued jobs should get higher pay) and motivate employees to compete for promotion. Sample rewards: * Promotion-based pay increase * Status-based benefits Advantages: * Tries to maintain pay equity * Minimizes pay discrimination * Motivates employees to compete for promotion Disadvantages: Encourages hierarchy which may increase costs and reduce responsiveness * Reinforces status differences * Motivates job competition and exaggerated job worth. 3. ) Competencies-Based Rewards * Pay increases with competencies acquired and demonstrated * Employees now receive pay increases within each pay band partly based on how well they have acquired new knowledge and skills. * Skill-based pay-is a variation of compet ency-based rewards in which employees are rewarded for the number of skill modules mastered and consequently the number of jobs they can perform.Sample Rewards: * Pay income based on competency * Skill-based pay Advantages: * Improve workforce flexibility * Tends to improve quality * Consistent with employability Disadvantages: * Subjective measurement of competency * Skill-based pay plans are expensive 4. ) Performance-Based Rewards Here are some of the most popular individual, team and organizational performance-based rewards: * Individual Rewards * Bonuses- many employees receive individual bonuses for accomplishing a specific task or exceeding annual performance goals. Commissions- real estate agents and other salespeople typically earn commissions in which their pay increases with sales volume. * Piece rate systems reward employees based on the number of units produced. * Team Rewards * Bonuses- employees earn a bonus based on how well their store meets or exceeds specific fina ncial goals. * Gainsharing Plans- a reward system in which team members earn bonuses for reducing costs and increasing labor efficiency in their work process. * Organizational Rewards Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) – a reward system that encourages employees to buy stock in the company. * Stock Options- a reward system that gives employees the right to purchase company stock at a future date at a predetermined price. * Profit-sharing Plans- a reward system that pays bonuses to employees based on the previous year’s level of corporate profits. * Balanced Scorecard (BSC) – a reward system that pays bonuses for improved results on a composite of financial, customer, internal process and employee factors.

The State Of The Texas Constitution - 1241 Words

The Texas constitution is one of the oldest constitutions which was initially adopted in 1876. Since the adoption of the Texas Constitution, the Legislature has proposed 662 amendments. Out of these amendments, the electorate has approved 483 while the voters majority has defeated 179. From the many modifications and many more proposals pending or that are yet to come, it is evident that the Texas Constitution is not a perfect one as many other constitutions of individual states. As argued by Maxwell, Crain, and Santos, there is enough evidence to assert that constitutions have several setbacks, and there is no ideal constitution that can serve the interests of all the fifty states or permanently meet the diverse and changing needs of the citizens (Maxwell et.al, 51). Therefore, both the Texas state and the overall U.S. Construction, are not an exception in this context. However, the more the amendments, the more likely unsatisfactory a constitution is to the citizens and thus the r eason for the many amendments. The U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1787 and was ratified by the necessary number of states in 1789. This means that the Us constitution existed earlier than the Texas Constitution. However, with such long history of existence, the Constitution of the US has had 11,372 proposed amendments, but only 27 of these bills have been approved by Congress and ratified by the states. Therefore, in the Texas Constitution, there are few amendmentShow MoreRelatedThe State Of The Texas Constitution900 Words   |  4 Pageshas been seven Texas Constitutions since 1827 including our current Constitution, which was established on 1876. Our current constitution has been amended hundreds of times because of its tight restrictions. The Legislative department is the dominant branch of the Texas Constitution it is subject to check and balances in the tripartite system. The Executive department limits the government’s power, and the judicial powers is divided into smaller courts. These three branches of the Texas are examplesRead MoreThe Constitution Of The State Of Texas845 Words   |  4 PagesThe Constitution of the State of Texas is the document representing the structure and function of the Texas government. The current Constitution took effect on February 15, 1876 and is the sixth Constitution in the history of Texas. When first constructed, the Texas Constitution was a poorly organized document that did not explain clearly the responsibility for government actions. Since its conception (through June 2011), there have been 646 proposed amendments and 476 adopted amendments added toRead MoreThe United States Constitution And Texas Constitution908 Words   |  4 PagesThe United States Constitution and Texas Constitution are similar, but not indistinguishable. The constitution was made to prevent tyranny in the states from the idea of the Federalists who wanted to build a strong form of government that gave people rights without giving their representative s too much power. Additionally, both constitutions form a bicameral form of government, a House of Representatives, and a Senate. The Federalists wanted a strong central government to help the economic and socialRead MoreThe Politics Of The 1876 Texas State Constitution Essay1135 Words   |  5 Pages The 1876 Texas State constitution is the basic framework of today’s legislature it consists of three branches the legislative branch which is comprised of the house and senate, and the executive and judiciary branch. In the following paragraphs we will discuss the Texas legislature’s major responsibilities relative to checks and balances. The Texas legislature is the dominant branch of state government within the state constitutional framework of separation of powers. â€Å"Under the Tenth AmendmentRead MoreThe First Constitution of the Republic of Texas (1836)902 Words   |  4 PagesThe first constitution of Texas adopted on March 1, 1836 opens with these words, â€Å"We, the people of Texas, in order to form a Government, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense and general welfare; and to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves, and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution†. (â€Å"Constitution of Republic of Texas† pp. 9-25.) Created in 1836, the first Constitution of the Republic of Texas was born. Fearful of attack byRead MoreRaul E. Quesada. Professor Kennedy. Texas Government. 261718 Words   |  7 PagesQuesada Professor Kennedy Texas Government 26 February 2017 Word Count: 1718 The Texas Constitution A constitution is consisted of four major functions that apply to constitutions all around the United States. Separation of powers is one of the major functions which is the formality of the three branches of government. The three branches of government are the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. Each have their own appliance to the constitutions of the vast United States, and each have theirRead MoreA Discussion Of Constitutional Law And Its Relationship With Education1031 Words   |  5 Pagesin the United States Constitution, but instead, education is one of the powers reserved to the states. Power not specifically given to the federal government is reserved for the states through the Tenth Amendment of the Unites States Constitution. Therefore, states have plenary, or absolute, power in the area of education. While states may hold this reserved power, with regard to education the federal government has found power through mandates that must be met in order for states to receive federalRead MoreConstitutions Are More Than Fancy Looking Words On An Old Sheet Of Paper1477 Words   |  6 PagesConstitutions are more than fancy-looking words on an old sheet of paper; they are the foundation of all successful nations. The job of a constitution is to legitimize, organize, provide power to, and limit the power of government (Newell et al. 40-42). The United States itself and all of its states have constitutions, including Texas, that aim to meet those needs. The Texas Constitution, written in 1876, is the second longest state constitution in the nation (Texas GOVT 2306- Week 3 Texas Constitution)Read MoreThe Constitution Of The Texas Constitution948 Words   |  4 Pagesbetter, in the case of the Texas Constitution having the second longest state Constitution and the fourth most amended Constitution in the United States, makes it a difficult and complicated document. The Texas Constitution has been rewritten a total of six times since becoming independent from Mexico. The most recent being the Constitution of 1876, which is excessively detailed and exact due to the framers fear of a strong state government. The framers of the constitution placed strategically in theRead MoreThe Main Functions Of A State s Constitution1045 Words   |  5 PagesThe constitution is a written document by which the state is run or operated. It is extremely significant as it sets the foundation and provides the fundamental instructions on how the local gove rnment and the people ought to function. The four functions of a state’s constitution is to state where the power of political institutions originate from, assign powers, construct a system where checks and balance is put in place within the government, and sets the limits of political power. To sum it up