DRAMATIC TECHNIQUE

Timberlake  Wertenbaker is a British playwright ,screenplay writer and translator who has written play for the Royal court, the Royal Shakespeare Company and others. “Our Country’s Good” (1988) is  her historical play based on the real events that took place in the eighteenth century among the first convicts transported from England to Australian penal colonies.Wertenbaker uses the play-with-in-a-play to expolre themes of crime and punishment,the impact of colonial expansion,hierarchies of class and gender.The play also emphasis on the theater’s potential to transform individuals and societies .

                Dramatic techniques are used to increase the dramatic tension in the novel or short story.This can be done by placing the characters in time –sensitive situations, diverting the  reader’s  attention or appealing directly to the reader’s  emotion to elicit sympathy for the main character.  In “Our Country’s Good” the cast usually doubles up roles so that convicts and officers are obviously played by the same actors.The play opens with flogging of Robert Sideway and goes on to present stark inequalities between the convicts and officers, between the poor and the better-off, and between men and women. Wertenbaker  uses the  dramatic techniquesin epic theatre , yet it uses mostly naturalistic characterisation. It’s a historical dramatization based on fact and the locations of scenes changes rapidly.

         The play alludes how it connects past and present through documentary information and meta-theatrical  performance.The play creates  tension and insight suffered by it’s  cast of convicts,while suggesting the potential of education and theatre.Each act of play opens with one of the convicts struggling to express the violence of his or her existence with adequate language. “Our Country’s Good” is divided in to two acts that jump forward in time.Each one bears a title that alludes what happens in the episode.This technique encourages readers and spectators to focus on how the events unfold,not just on suspenseful revelations.In these scenes Wertenbaker introduces and reveals the system of beliefs, values and ideas behind the actions of the colonial authorities.With these techniques, it draws spectators  attention to consider this history through the multiple perspectives of the convicts, the colonists and the colonised.Actors signalled their change of character and status simply by taking-off  or putting on a uniform coat and hat.

          To conclude the play  “Our Country’s Good”  enhances the options for stories to be  retold revised.The play concludes with beginning of the first scene of interlude “The Recruiting Officer”.Theatre critics praised this play as a celebration of “the redemptive powers of theatre’’.

             In this year 2021 we are suffering from different kinds of contagious diseases like Covid -19,Black Fungus and White Fungus.Although there are lot of medical clinics in our coutry , people are unable to go there and take check ups.Health gadets are great remedial measure for such conditions. Health gadgets are more useful for people who were in containment zone and  for those  could not come out side due to poor transportation facilities.In our day- to –life   we may be not much  aware  about our health condition ,for example ; diabetic patients who are supposed to be more careful about their food.If   glucose level in blood increases or decreases it may cause major problems. In this occasions they can use health gadgets that are easily available in the market to check their glucose level in their blood while sitting in home.

              According to the existing rules in this year 2021, Government had adopted several safety measures to prevent the contagious virus named Corona. Social distancing became more and more stronger in recent days ,in this scenario people  started working from home and  gradually their health conditions are becoming worst. There were several health gadgets  are available in local medical shops and people can also buy it in online. It is very important to buy such health gadgets because  people can stay at home and  can check and update about their health condition.

In this year  we can see so  many people are affected with corona virus . Major reason for the death of the people who are affected with Corona virus is due to decrease of Oxygen level in their blood.There is a particular  health gadget ‘Oxymetre’  that is very useful for people to check their oxygen level without going to hospitals.In this way  in recent days the demand for health gadgets are increasing. Not for individual purpose only but the people who having the health gadgets can help their neighbours too.

     ‘  Break the chain’ and “ Stay home ,Stay Safe”  are the  slogans that we have been  hearing for past one  year , in order to obey , we have to find out  some remedial measures to stay home inorder to be safe.Due to the spread of corona virus , people are trapped and they could not go to hospitals because everywhere  there are corona wards.Some hospitals are never even admitting some patients that we have seen in news and pitiful conditions of some people.To conclude,  health gadgets  plays a crucial role in our life and it will  continue to be so.We can take this situation in a positive situation, as we all are trying to survive this pandemic.We have learnt many facts during these days.

        George  Bernad Shaw was an Irish playwright,critic,polemiscist and political activist.He had incorporated both contemporary satire and historical allegory,Shaw became the leading dramatist of his generation and in 1925 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.He wrote more than sixty plays ,including major works such as “Man and Superman” (1902), “Pygmalion” (1912), and “Saint Joan” (1923).Shaw’s view about administration was “ good people will make good laws,but good laws passed by a few do not necessarily make a good society”. “Ceasar and Cleopatra” is one of his play written in 1898 that depicts  a fictionalized account of the relation between  Julius Caesar and Cleopatra.It was first published in 1901 in a volume called “Three Plays For Puritans”, which also contained “The Devil’s Disciple” and “Captain Brassbound’s Conversion” and a preface headed ‘ Why For Puritan’s’.

             In Shaw’s play “Caesar and Cleopatra”, Caesar is presented as a merciful man whose aim it was to reconcile his enemies by treating them with clemency and fighting against the spirit of revenge.This account give the impression of Caesar as a great leader. There were occasions when he put justice before mercy and he was also ruthless in dealing with evil doers. ( on the contrary)     Shakespear’s  purpose was to create a tragedy of human love on the contrary Shaw’s aim was to show a soldier statesman’s attempt to turn a crude and spiteful teenager in to a responsible queen .( shaw says in the preface ) Shakespeare who  knew human weakness s well ,never knew human strength of the Caesarian type. Ceasar also  taught  his own colleagues that clemency is the best policy.  Shakespear’s Ceasar is an admitted failure.

                In history,  Gaius Julius Ceasar was a Roman general and statesman who played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the   Roman  Empire.It is at this point,late in the year 48 BC , that Bernad Shaw’s “Caesar and Cleopatra” begins.Beyond recording the historical facts that ,Ceasar remained in Egypt for some nine months and he won the Alexandrine war. Shakepeare wrote according to his own knightly conception of a great statesman commander.A German historian Theodore Mommsen , who also takes Caesar for his hero and explains immense differene in scope between the perfect knight Vercingetorix and his great  conqueror Julius Caesar.In contrast to Mark Antony,the man of passion ,Shaw opposes  Julius Ceasar , cast as the man of reason and shows him as, managing Cleopatra instead of being managed by her.

                 As a romantic writer,Shakespeare takes  a wider and more embracing view ,recognizing that in human nature ,reason is always under attack by passion and that even the greatest of mankind may be overwhelmed by unreason.In contrast to this view , Bernad Shaw  through the characterization of Caesar established the  principle that passion in its various  aspects must be disciplined and controlled by reason.Shaw also alludes that the power of empires does not last for ever.Caesar is depicted as confident,humorous  and determined that since Cleopatra is queen she shall behave as queen ,when he restores her to the throne from which she has been driven.In this play,Shaw gives the example  of an ideal  leader in the modern age.When Cleopatra says that Caesar will know that she is queen by her crown and robes,he answers that he will know her by ‘her pride ,her courage,her majesty, and her beauty.’Although he is a great leader he acts as a confidante for young queen  Cleopatra.

             The play have a prologue and an alternative prologue .The prologue consists of the Egyptian God Ra,addressing the audience directly, he says that Pompey represent the old Rome. God Ra remarks in the prologue ; “Caesar ,for he lived the life they had given him boldly and was not for ever rebuking us for our indecent ways of creation”.By this statement Shaw teaches the audience  about the qualities of a good leader and how leader must behave.Ceasar  know well how to protect his country,how to lead his companions,to teach the young and to survive each day.Caesar can easily adapt to new situations .In contrast to Shakespear’s Caesar ,Shaw presents Caesar who demonstrated no weakness   and it  makes Caesar a unique leader.Caesar always consoles Cleopatra  and he says that “You must confront him  as a brave woman and a great queen;and you must not feel no fear”  (Act 1).Caesar motivates her by saying that “ cast out fear and you will conquer Caesar…”  from this dialogue we can understand his self worth.

    

         In Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar,we  find a picture of Ceasar that reduces him to a mere petty self glorifier.Shaw’s Ceasar is not a reformer of codes but the man who has outgrown them.He stands for progress not in the political and social, but in evolutionary sense.Shaw’s Caesar and Shakespeare’s Caesar are simply two different man.The purpose of the play “Ceasar and Cleopatra” is to draw a great man in history.Ceasar is an exceptional human being in whom we find  a harmonious blending of many contrary elements.He is a conqueror whose business is to conquer countries by cruel bloodshed but he is full of clemency and is averse to murder.We can also consider Caesar as a civilizer too.Bernad Shaw is  a believer in social democratic principles and in self realization as a natural virtue he admired Ceasar, for he saw  in him the practical statesman and a hero.Shakespeare is less interested in portraying a figure  of legendary greatness than he is creating  a character who is consistent with the other aspects of his drama. To conclude, Shaw uses  the historical figure to present the essential qualities, he thinks a leader must possess in the modern age and that is very different from that of Shakespeare.

Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the major English Romantic poet and he is regarded as the great lyrical poet in English language.Shelley also wrote prose fiction and essays on political,social and philosophical issues.Shelley’s poetry reflects passion,beauty,imagination,love,creativity,political liberty and Nature.He advocated Catholic Emancipation,republicanism,the extension of the franchise,freedom of speech,equal distribution of wealth and an end to aristocratic and clergical privilege.Shelley’s advocacy of non-violent resistance was largely based on the French Revolution and rise of Napoleon and his belief that violent protest would increase the prospect of a military despotism.Among his best known works are “Ozymandius” (1818),”Ode To The West Wind”(1819),”To A Skylark”(1820) and the political ballad “The Mask Of Anarchy”(1819).

                 “Ozymandius” is Shelley’s most famous and most anthologised poem. Shelley conveys his own concept about power through this poem .The poem functions as a political commentary by Shelley on the increasing  cruelty and repressions of regimes during his time,especially the empire of his homeland,Great Britain.Ozymandias is the Greek name for the Egyptian Pharoah Ramses ,was a renowned and powerful king.The poem is essentially devoted to a single metaphor: the shatterd ,ruined statue in the desert wasteland with  the inscription on it.The statue symbolizes  the transience of power.Ozymandius is a metaphor for the ephemeral nature of political power.Common themes that Shelley incorporated into his works include; the hatred of kings,faith in the natural goodness of man,the belief in the corruption of present society,these are clearly shaped by French Revolution.Shelley was born in 1792 and grow up during the time of French Revolution and Napoleonic wars .Shelley observed England’s more unscrupulous tactics from their countless military  engagements to their championing of the slave trade and Britain’s financial domination over the rest of Europe and naval superiority .These incidents  influenced him to include themes of  transience of power in his writings.

                                 The poem is a recollection of the persona of the poem having met a traveller who hails from an antique land.The poem alludes ,how the powerful  kings and heroes lose their significance of power as time passes.Shelley mocks the boastful  tyrants ,the ruined statue is now merely a monument that shows the insignificance of humanbeings to the passage of time.Ozymandias’  statue have crumbled and turned to dust by the passage of time,only  a work of art and a group of words remains there.As Shakespeare does in his sonnets ,Shelley demonstrates that art and language longlast than the other legacies of power.The sonnet is in the form of a story told to the speaker by a traveller from an antique land itself shows the level of obscurity of  Ozymandias’s  position.Shelley is deconstructing the statement of the King :”King of Kings”, by the description of the ruined  statue.First he describes about the shattered visage and then the face itself with its frown and wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command.

              Shelley conveys the idea that power is temporary,even that of great rulers  who may believe their power is immortal.By giving a verbal picture of the ruined statue Shelley reminds the powerful people that their power is only temporary, inspite of what kind of power they possess.However, people  may wish to think that their power is immortal,they are only deceiving themselves.Readers are introduced to the figure of sculptor and how explicitly he sculpted the facial expression of the King that alludes his passion for power.The poem is relevant in the present day,as Shelley gives the lesson about the fate of powerful figures of the past.The persona of the poem doesnot himself preach;instead he merely quotes the words of another person,by this he conveys  his own opinions.Shelley uses visual imageries to emphasis the theme of his poem; transience of power.

                 The poem conveys the aspects that, everything in this world is time bound and not immortal except art and Nature.Shelley uses irony when he lets Ozymandias speak for himself by reporting the inscription on the pedestal of that statue; “My name is Ozymandias,King of Kings; Look on my works,ye Mighty and despair”.Finally traveller says that “Nothing beside remains”.The king’s engravings shows his power,prestige and boastful character.The statue symbolizes a great boastful ruler,whose glory and empire have now vanished.Through the description of an egotistical tyrant,Shelley portrays that all people,leaders and empires ,no matter how great they are ,will eventually succumb to time and come to an end.The  juxtaposition of the words ‘survive’ and ‘lifeless’ in line seven highlights the absurdity of power.This paradoxical element strenghthens the overall theme of the poem.

             P.B. Shelley was an atheist and the phrase ‘king of Kings’ ,the same title used to refer to Jesus Christ ,in a way he questions the power and authority of religion.The capitalisation of the word ‘work’ also alludes to Ozymandias believing himself to be a divine being.The King’s statement is ironic ,as he demands the people to despair instead of admiring or respect his works .There is also irony in using the capitalisation in the word ‘wreck’,by this Shelley mocks the achievements of King that turned insignificant by the passage of time.Time is boundless,it will continue to go on but the supremacy of power will be lost as time goes on.It also reminds the reader of their own impermanence in their existence.The conclusion of the poem describes the setting of the desert as “boundless and bare” and “lone and level”,the using of this alliteration emphasizes the landscape  around the crumbled statue.

               Shelley’s mocking and sarcastic tone reveals his belief that power is not permanent  and can be lost by illuminating the transience of Ozymandias’s power.Some critics argue the poem is not an explicit criticism of the British Empire,the political parellels that can be drawn and the lessons taught by the poem are timeless.The ideas of power in “Ozymanias” can also be found in Shelley’s other poems.Supporting liberty and ridiculing large political powers are major themes in both Shelley’s “England 1819” and “The Masque Of Anarchy”.Shelley states that the power and glory are all illusory.The colossal wreck of that sculpture mirrors that no power is permanent ,regardless of how powerful a ruler believes himself to be.Comaparing ”Ozymandius “ with Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem “Khubhla Khan”, where Coleridge aligns the ruler’s “stately  pleasure dome ” with poetic vision whereas Shelley opposes the statue and its boast to his own powerful negative imagination.

      William Shakespeare was an English playwright,poet and actor,widely regarded as the greatest  writer in English language and the world’s greatest dramatist.Shakespeare’s contribution to the English language is as great as that of the Bible translations.His vocabulary contained about 23000 words, more than three times the number used by Milton and is supposed to be the richest vocabulary ever employed by a single individual.He wrote about a variety of subjects and touched upon so many human facts and relations that he needed such an extensive vocabulary.Shakespeare constantly criticizes or satirizes linguistics and stylistics fashions among his contemporaries.He himself experimented with all kinds of innovations,dialectal adaptations and archaisms.

       Shakespeare used nouns for verbs ,adjectives  for adverbs  and also used scattered prepositions.In “Antony and Cleopatra“  Shakespeare used ‘widow’,’beggar’,’word’ and ’lip’ as verbs.In “The Tempest” he used the adverb ‘backward’ as a noun.In “King Lear” he used phrases like ‘childed’ and ‘fathered’.In ‘Julius Ceasar” he has used ‘fathered’ and ‘husbanded’. In Shakespeare’s language we can find different prepositions used to express the same relations.Corresponding to the present day ‘repent of’ in Shakespeare may be found  ‘repent at’,’repent for’,’repent in’ and ‘repent over’.

    Shakespeare has contributed doublecomparatives and double negatives to the English language.Example;’nor hath not’,’more braver’,’worser’,’more hotter’,’more larger’,’most unkindest’,’most heaviest’.Words already superlative in meaning were given added intensity by redundant comparative and superlative endings as  in‘chiefest’,’extremist’,’perfecter’,’perfeetest’, etc. Similarly he did not always use the words where they should be according to the rules of grammar as he used  “we sent to know that willing ransom he will give” instead of “what ransom he will willingly give “. There are a number of words derived from Shakespeares Warwickshire dialect .To this class belong ‘chop’(thrust with force).His language in general, is provided by his London environment.The different levels of style, the grant,the low, and the mean appear in his writings.There are many words that we may regard as his original contribution such as;’bump’,’dwindle’,’ardent’,’illume’,’orb’,’inauspicious’,’baseless’,’multitudinous’,’courtship’,’dickens’ and ‘lonely’.

    The prefix en- was was abundantly employed by Shakespeare in a number of words. Examples are;’enmesh’,’enscheduled’,’enscar’,’ensteeped’,’entame’,’entreasured’,’etc. Independent  words are combined in to compound words such as; ‘eye-beam’,’eye –drop’,’eye –wing’,’fire –eyes’,’after –eye’,’fire –new’,’fire –robbed’,’fire –work’,’dog –weary’ and ‘arm-gaunt’.Shakespeare used some words with original meaning they had in Latin.The word ‘communicate’ was used by him with the meaning of ‘share’.When Lorenzo in “Merchant Of Venice” says ‘’let us in and expect them coming”, he is using the word “expect’ with the meaning of ‘await’.Shakespeare used  the word ‘enlargement’  to denote the meaning  ‘freedom  from confinement’ .It was Shakespeare  who demonstrated that both the longer borrowed Latin words and the shorter native words have their own kind of usefulness and effectiveness.

       Shakespeare used many words with new meanings,they include; ‘capable’(having the ability),’cloud’(overspread with gloom),’common’(vulgur tongue),’condolment’(tangible expression of sympathy),’discharge’(emission),’distemper’(illness),’directly’(at once),’dull’(tedious).Shakespeare also introduced many phrases of his own ‘public haunt of men’,’fortune’s fool’  in “Romeo and Juliet” ,’custom stale her infinite variety’,’moated grange’.In “Hamlet”  Shakespeare introduced phrases like :’To be or not to be’,’mind’s eye’,’sweets to the  sweet’.The Shakespearean phrase ‘to out Herod Herod’ has become a model after which a number of similar expressions have been created (to  out Bently Bently,to out Milton Milton,to out Darwin Darwin etc).The idiom ‘to out Herod Herod’ used to allude excessive cruel or tyrannical nature.

         Shakespeare’s attitude towards English grammar seems to be rather indifferent.We can find an irregularity and freedom in his use of  grammar. Similiarly he  did not always use the words where they should be according to the rules of grammar. Besides this we can find many constructions which are archaic in character and a construction which is ungrammatical.

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Gender refers to the socially constructed roles,behaviours,expressions and identities of men,women and gender diverse people.In 1964, Robert Stroller coined the term’ gender identity’,which refers to an individual’s personal concept about their gender and how they feel inside.    It is based on how people perceive themselves and each other ,how they react and interact and the distribution of power and  resources in society.Different cultures had a deliberate description about different gender- specific behaviour for men and women but there is a lot more to the explanation of gender difference. Gender identity is personal, internal perception of oneself;  where an individual may see themselves as a man ,a woman,as having no gender ,or as having a non-binary gender.

             ’Sex’ and ‘gender’ are often used interchangeably, despite having different meanings. Historically ,the terms ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ have been used interchangeably.Sex refers to a set of biological attributes associated with physical and physiological features whereas gender is a sociological concept.Major historical events have had  a huge impact on the way men and women are seen and treated.Earlier, women have always been  treated as secondary to men and seen as fragile whose job is to take care of the household chores.There were feminist movements which refers to political campaigns to reform on issues of women suffrage,equal pay,maternity leave,domestic violence and sexual vilence.  

                Feminism in parts of the Western world has gone through a series of waves. First-wave feminism was oriented around the idea  of middle- or upper-class white women and involved suffrage and political equality. Second-wave feminism attempted to further combat social and cultural inequalities. Although the first wave of feminism involved mainly middle class white women, the second wave brought in women of colour and women from other developing nations. Third wave of feminism  was based on  financial, social and cultural inequalities and includes renewed campaigning for greater influence of women in politics and media. In reaction to political activism, feminists have also had to maintain focus on women’s reproductive rights, such as the right to abortion. Fourth-wave feminism focused on body positivity ,stratification of traditionally marginalized groups.

                 The idea of gender in history always had much to say about the rights or duties of men or rights and duties of women , but it never bothered to provide a definition of who is a man or woman is . There were laws that defined specifically what a man or woman  can or cannot do , what work they must not do ,what clothes they must not wear,with whom they can  or cannot enter in to marriage ,or what specific obligations they have .People who having a conservative approach towards gender identity , they cling on to the traditional concepts  whereas now a days as a result of some revolutionary movements we have achieved freedom to pursue our own gender identity , which is devoid of the stereotypes  put forward by society.

    The nature  and development of gender identity have been studied and disputed by psychologists, philosophers and social activists since the late 20^th century.People having a conservative attitude hold that gender identity is fixed at birth by genetic or other biological factors.Early stages of history ,people argued that gender identity or the manner in which gender  is expressed , is ‘socially constructed’ ,determined by social and cultural infuences.As a variation from this  social constructivism there came a performatism holds that gender identity is constituted rather than expressed, by the continuous  performance of gendered behaviour.Further more, a second gender identity developed based on sex associated behaviours ; hetero sexual or homo sexual orientations.

     The development about the concept of gender identity starts from one’s own home, by means of how parents teach their children.Parents teach children about sexual behaviours  and this is reinforced as the children grow older and enter  a wider social world.We can also  see a change in the use of language in describing various roles such as in early stages there were only two words to like ‘she’ and ‘he’ on the contrary now a days there is another term also included to denote the third category as ‘zee’.Lesbian, gay , bisexual,intersex and related identities have been present in various forms through out history.Although the  LGBT  community and individuals remains target  for hate, violence  and  backlash throughout  the world. When we analyse some films also we can see how the gender  identity is portrayed and how some people are marginalised in society.For example we can see some patriarchal stereotypes in the movie “Drisyam 2” where we can see how  a mother tries to reinforce her traditional concepts towards her younger daughter.

           Transvestite is a term that alludes a person who wears clothes designed for the opposite sex, cross dresser is also another term to denote this.In the academic world ,’Gender Studies’ is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gender representation.It includes women studies ,men’s studies and also queer studies.It also analyses how race,ethnicity,religion,nationality influence the categories of gender and sexuality.To conclude there is a broad development in area of gender identity  and in the concept of sexuality in our society as the aftermath of various movements.

A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

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  “Obituary” by A. K.Ramanujan  describes the aftermath poetic person’s father’s death and al things he left behind,physical and emotional.The word ‘obituary’means a notice of death in a newspaper including a brief biography.By describing his father’s  life and death ,A.K. Ramanujan alludes the  transience of human life in his poem.The poem discusses the death of his father and his own sufferings.It is written in first person narrative,the son is the persona in the poem describing his father’s life and death.There are two obituaries in this poem;the one published in the newspaper and the other the poetic recreation.

    The poem begins with the persona telling the reader  that his father died.When he died he left behind a lot .Ramanujan lists the things that his father had left behind;dust and old papers,debts,daughters and a grandson named after him.In the first stanza poet gives importance to the meaningless things by focusing on what the father left behind.Instead of admiring his father the persona enlists the burden  and responsibilities that his father left behind after his death through this the poet alludes the absurdity of life.These lines also shows the culture of typical Indian family.The poet is more concerned about the duties which he has to perform and the description itself indicates the impermanence of human life.

Ramanujan juxtaposes the themes of transience of life and also ridicules the rituals practised after death in the Indian society.In the second stanza persona says that he has inherited a house from his father which is leaning  on a coconut tree and thus in bad condition.The poetic persona deliberately explains how his father cremated.Poet draws the readers attention towards the coin that is left in the ashes ,looking the same as when it went in to the fire alongside there were also several spinal discs.It symbolically represents no matter how great or unimportant a person is death will reduce them in to ashes.The ritual also related to the tradition of putting coins on a dead person’s eyes when they are buried.

      The poem  ‘Obituary’ is a satire  that ridicules the  rituals conducted after the death of a person and states its  insignificance. The poet explicitly states that neither was his father’s birth is much  important nor was his death.  The son,the speaker and his brothers engages in a ritual throwing the bits of bones in to the river.This shows that the how they performs the Hindu rituals and it happens somewhere near railway station.Third stanza of the poem alludes how the priest forces the sons to do the rituals; the priest advises them to pick gingerly the burnt spinal cords and to throw in to the river.”Obituary” is a fine poem, which is steeped in irony because the rituals are practised  for honouring and remembering the died person but here the poet ridicules it.The father’s ashes,the tangible evidence of the man left behind, are thrown in to river and there is no headstone with the dates of his birth and death.The author reflects that this man cremated and disappeared all too easily from this physical existence.

        The poem is a reminder of whatever  we accomplish in life ultimately leave to posterity and  also reminding the transience of human life.The persona says that his father was born in a Brahmin ghetto and he died by heart failure in the fruit market, here he contrasts places with important events. The poet connotes that whether a person is born in an elite family or not all are equal before death.His fathe’rs birth and death was ordinary and his father  achieved nothing in his life.All he gained in his life worth mentioning,the two line obituary inserted in a local Madras newspaper.Even the newspaper’s name is not mentioned in the poem this underlines the triviality of whatever the father has achieved.Earlier on the poet used to read the news papers which had groceries like salt and  jaggery wrapped up in it.However,now a days he does it for the reason that some  day he may succeed in finding those lines relating to his father’s obituary. Thus the poet attempts to find some meaning of his father’s existence in life .

           There are two obituaries in this poem; the one published in the newspaper and the other the poem itself.The poem reflects on how a person’s life has been reduced to a two line obituary a newspaper.There are many imageries in the poem ”Obituary”;images are concrete,precise,accurate,real and highly suggestive. All the imageries employed in the poem reminds the readers about the inevibility of death .To conclude the family is left with annual rituals which were started by a man who is no longer alive. The poet shows his dislike for the rituals which is celebrated in the memory of his father for his peace . Ramanujan’s poetry incorporates a sustained quest ,the quest for roots in the tradition and the quest for a higher self.

  

  

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  Jacobean drama is, quite simply defined, the drama that was written and performed during the reign of Elizabeth’s successor, James I.Some of the most prominent of the Jacobean playwrights, apart from Shakespeare, are Jonson, Webster, Tourneur, Beaumon and  Fletcher.James inherited a whole English drama culture. Audiences loved the humour and the many human situations – the tragic and comic dramas – that were unfolding before them on the stage. Playwrights, reading the audience’s changing appetite, felt the need to give them even more realistic representations of the society of which they were a part. The playwrights were focusing on the human being’s capacity for selfishness, and exaggerating such Renaissance forces as human ambition, and its effects. They were exploring the nature of evil, pushing things to the extremes of human behaviour.

Extreme violence was being portrayed on the stage. A final, almost separate feature of Jacobean theatre sprang from a passion of the king and queen – the musical drama, and so the Jacobean theatre is full of masques – dramas with music and elaborate sets.By showing extreme violence on stage the playwright can produce catharsis in the minds of spectacle.The revenge tragedy, or revenge play, is a dramatic genre in which the protagonist seeks revenge for an imagined or actual injury. The term, revenge tragedy, was first introduced in 1900 by A.H. Thorndike to label a class of plays written in the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean era. The revenge drama derived originally from the Roman tragedies of Seneca but was established on the English stage by Thomas Kyd with The Spanish Tragedy. 

“The Duchess of Malfi” by John Webster is a kind of Revenge Tragedy modeled on Seneca, the Latin playwright of 1st century A.D. This play contains the depth of extreme violence, plotting and mostly revenge on the best part which are the chief elements of revenge tragedy.  From the beginning to the end of this drama, there are a lot of elements of horrors. In this drama, we find people taking revenge and are murdering others .The revengeful brothers are both villains. A love affair between the Duchess and Antonio and at last they marry and they produce three children. On hearing the news of their secret marriage and their children, the cardinal and The Duke Ferdinand react angrily. And from the beginning to the end of Act two, scene five, we seed the reaction of the two brothers for the action of their sister. They think that the Duchess has destroyed the reputation and status of their family.

To conclude, this drama contains all the elements of a revenge tragedy and also characters.A drama is a reflection of that era.Through the drama a playwright introduces human follies.Playwrights portrays political,social,cultural and economical issues in a play.In this drama we can understand people’s apetite for power and their craving to be selfish in their life.

A STUDY ON SELECT COLLEGES IN KERALA

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        The COVID -19 pandemic situation brought about drastic change in the education system and it  gave rise to online learning method .Corona virus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.The first case of the COVID – 19 pandemic in Kerala was first confirmed in Thrissur district on 30 January 2020.According to the survey  based on the impact of COVID in the learning experience of college students in Kerala, many students are not able to adapt to the new mode of studying ;through virtual classroom.

            The COVID-19 pandemic is a great  challenge to the  educational system . As a part social distancing students are unable to go to colleges and the institutions adopted online learning measure. Due to the shift from traditional method of studying to  digital mode , many students lack proper facilities to attend the online classes.According to the online survey  conducted among  students in Kerala ,it is observed that students  face regular problems while they accessing study  materials such as; 36% of the students face connectivity problems,32% of students have  unfavourable home environment,24% of them suffers from stress due to the inability to access materials through online and 8% have insufficient data problems.These issues prevent/ students from  concentrating on their studies and gave them more stress. It is not always about  technology ; majority of students have physical problems too .Around 68% of students have physical problems like: headache,bad posture and eye strain due to the e-learning  method  on the otherhand   24% of students have no health issues.

           In Thrissur district, around  92% of  students access their study materials through mobile phone and only  4%  of the students uses laptop and desktop computer.It was great challenge for  students who are not financially sound to cope up with this unforseen pandemic.Lack of support from Government and society even  caused some students to commit suicide.Therefore this method made some students more vulnerable.  The excessive use  of technology also made students more  lazy and also it tempted them to use another social medias.It is assumed that only  28% of students are studying on a daily basis while 24% of them are not .The duration of live classes varies from different colleges such as ; 1-5 hours, 6-10 hours and 10-15 hours in a week.E-learning also brought about changes in the pattern and mode of examinations.Majority of the students prefers written exams than online exam,because they  feel more stress while attending  exams in virtual mode on the otherhand some students are comfortable in this method.

           Another challenge for  students are sustaining interactions with teachers in the digital platform,due to noise disturbance in the amplitude of modulation. Although online learning method benefited college students in a certain way , recorded classes are useful them to clear their doubts and they can access it in anytime.Recorded classes is also beneficial for students who have connectivity issues while attending live classes. Around 64% of the students disagrees to the statement that; online learning is better than offline ,while 20%  of them agrees with it and 16% took a neutral stand in this statement. Peer pressure induced learning is more via e-learning than offline.

        The survey provided  that, majority of the students are discontended  in the online learning method and they prefers to re-open colleges by  following COVID  safety protocols.Digital education also  brought about change in the learning routine of students to a great extent.One  of the major consequence  of this pandemic is that,it is an obstacle for providing quality education to college students.Although digital education appears to be viable solution in this current situation ,it fails to ensure a healthy atmosphere for learning.

David crystal is a British linguist,academic,and author.He was awarded the OBE and became a fellow of the British Academy in 2000.He is also a Founding Fellow of the Learned  Society of Wales.Crystal has authored,co authored and edited over 120 books on a wide variety of subjects.David Crysta’ls classic “English  as a Global Language” considers the history,present status and future of the English language, focusing on its role as the leading international language.

        Crystal states that a language achieves a genuinely global status when it develops a special role that is recognized in every country.  Such a role will be most evident in countries where large numbers of the people speak the language as a mother tongue – in the case of English, this would mean the USA, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, several Caribbean countries and a sprinkling of other territories. To achieve such a status, a language has to be taken up by other countries around the world.  There are two main ways in which this can be done. Firstly, a language can be made the official language of a country, to be used as a medium of communication in such domains as government, the law courts, the media, and the educational system. Secondly, a language can be made a priority in a country’s foreign-language teaching, even though this language has no official status. , there is great variation in the reasons for choosing a particular language as a favoured foreign language: they include historical tradition, political expediency, and the desire for commercial, cultural or technological conta.

                        Why a language becomes a global language has little to do with the number of people who speak it. It is much more to do with who those speakers are. There must be something inherently beautiful or logical about the structure of English, in order to explain why it is now so widely used.  ‘English doesn’t have a lot of endings on its words, nor do we have to remember the difference between masculine, feminine, and neuter gender, so it must be easier to learn. A language may have certain properties which make it internationally appealing. A language does not become a global language because of its intrinsic structural properties, or because of the size of its vocabulary, or because it has been a vehicle of a great literature in the past, or because it was once associated with a great culture or religion. A language has traditionally become an international language for one chief reason: the power of its people – especially their political and military power.

      Crystal explains why do we need a global language. Translation has played a central  role in human interaction for thousands of years. The more a community is linguistically mixed, the less it can rely on individuals to ensure communication between different groups. In communities where only two or three languages are in contact, bilingualism (or trilingualism)  but in communities where there are many languages in contact, as in much of Africa and South-east Asia, such a natural solution does not readily apply. The problem has traditionally been solved by finding a language to act as a lingua franca, or ‘common language’. Sometimes, when communities begin to trade with each other, they communicate by adopting a simplified language, known as a pidgin, which combines elements of their different languages for example, West African Pidgin English is used extensively between several ethnic groups along the West African coast.

AN ANALYSIS

        In  “Of Marriage and Single Life” ,Bacon highlights the differences between the married life and the single’s life and the various advantages and disadvantages of the same.Bacon starts his essay with a sudden statement. The statememt clearly depicts that marriage is an impediment to great fortune and luck.Bacon supports his argument by telling a fact that ; most of the works  that helps the society is done by  non-married or childless men.In response,these bachelors married public and endowed their affection and life to it.the burden of  married life according to Bacon, a married man has a family to raise and take care of.He is totally committed to providing security to them, but such commitment leaves him  unable to take up any enterprise whether good or bad,noble or wicked.There is another kind of men those who are unmarried yet,they spend their lives caring about themselves and they  are not apprehensive of future time.

            There is  a few people ,who are married but consider their wives and children  as mere bills of charges and as burden in their own freedom .There are also some wealthy people who wittingly decide to not to reproduce or have children in fear of losing their riches to their heirs.To them material possessions are more important than  having a family.They refuse to see the needs and benefits of  a family because  they are only influenced by the fears of losing their wealth.There are some foolish covetous men who believes that having no children is a pride and they consider themselves as richer.

            Bacon explores the themes of independence,liberty and marriage throughout his essay.He also comments on the liberty that being single provides individuals who wish to live free from the restraints and responsibilities of marriage.However most men choose to remain single for the sake of liberty that a single life allows. Bacon says that  unmarried men are best friends,best masters and best servants ,but they do not make the best citizens as they  have so great sense of freedom that they tend to run away from responsibilities.The single life is best suited for a clergy man because he can be more charitable as he does not have  any needs to satisfy. For magistrates the situation is indifffernt because if they are corrupted it makes them servants who are worse than wives.For soldiers it is often an emotional support  to think of wives and children before going in to battle .That is why bacon says that the dislike of marriage among Turks makes the vulgar soldiers even more so .

          It is one’s wife and children that provides them with a moral understanding of their behaviours  and conducts  whereas single men lack the empathetic and sensitive side that comes from genuine companionship therefore single men tend to be cruel and hard hearted .A grave man with traditional beliefs is often a loving husband they are not tempted by the pleasures of infidelity and remain honest and loyal to their wives and marriage.Here  bacon gives the example of Ulysses who valued his wife more than an immortal life.Women are often proud of their chastity and a wife will always remain chaste and obedient if she thinks that her husband is wise and not jealous.

            Bacon pays tribute to wives in his eassay as for a young man, a wife serves the purpose of a mistress,in the middle age she is a companion and to the old man she is a nurse.Bacon observes that bad husbands often have good wives.He says that this may be because it makes the husband’s kindness more valuable or because the wife takes pride in her patience in dealing with him.Therfore  a man can reasonably decide when he would like to get married.Bacon here quotes a philosopher and mathematician who answered the question of when a man should marry and said -”a young man not yet,an elder man not at all”.

           Bacon compares the advantages and disadvantages of single and married life through different view points.He puts forward the pros and cons of marriage in terms of how it is viewed by society and how it affects an individual.even though he enlists the burden and limitation of marriage he extols  the benefit of marriage and how it shaped a person.Bacon insists that having a family can make a man generous and merciful and it teaches a form that singlemen lack and thus are more cruel and reckless.

Anna Sewell’s is best known for her children’s novel “Black Beauty” Earlier Sewell thought to write this book as a horse manual then she found out to put in a didactive way.It is in the form of a horse’s autobiography.The novel is written in the first person narrative of the titular horse Black Beauty.There were lot of other animal characters in this novel which helps to understand the problems faced by horses.Anna Sewell used the technique of anthropomorphism in this novle to persuade children and adult readers alike to think in the shoe of horse.Anna Sewell in her own life had a horse, which made her mobile during her weak days. She fell down at the age of fourteen then she became a cripple.She was more aware about taking care of horses.

Anna Sewell portrays the life of cab drivers in England during that time. After the publication of this novel cab owner’s license related issues are solved and also the copy of this book is sold among cab drivers.This book can be considered as a horse manual.Now a days exploitations against animals are increasing, in this scenario this book is relevant to teach the young generation to take care about animals. Sewell narrates the stories of horses , whose life are exploited by humans for their selfish needs.Humans cut the ear and tail of some animals and they do not think about the consequences that effect the animals.If animal’s tails are cut off they could not prevent themselves from small insects.Animals have a natural nobility and they only act violently based on how we treat them.

Some horse owners would not show mercy towards this dumb animals , in some part Black Beauty wishes to communicate his own problem with the cab owners.Humans also scientifically mix the breed of the animals which cause them harm.Black Beauty’s best friend is Ginger.Ginger is a short tempered horse and she has been treated very cruel by former owners.Here Sewell draws readers attention towards the problems faced by horses under different owners.Black Beauty meets a horse which is a special breed maade by human without height ,so that horse laments about it’s own existence.This novel persuades readers to take caare of their pet animals and also all creatures in gneral.This narrative helps us to understand how animals view humans, although the horses in this novel do not converse with humans.

Animal have a supernatural instinct to detect any danger.The protagonist in this novel Black Beauty is also able to sense such supernatural effects. One day Beauty was going with his owner and showed relectunce to go through a bridge and the fact was that the bridge was damaged.In this way Black Beauty helped his owner’s life from danger.To conclude Sewell also mocks the follies of humans.Some cab owners are portrayed as drunkards,also cruel men who do not clean the horse’s stable properly and do not properly feed the horses.Various problems of horses are portrayed in a ficticious way.Sewell is successful in depicting the story of horses from their point of view.

Chasing your dreams is one of the most important goals in your life.”You become what you think in your life” if you realize your true potential, you can achieve anything in your life.If you are a UPSC aspirant keep focusing on your studies and be aware about the current affairs.Reading newspaper is one of the most important habit that you have to develop for preparing for UPSC exam.Newspapers like ; HINDU would be better for reading and you can also choose another News papers . There were lot of magazines which would help to understand the current affairs and general knowledge, one such magazine is Yojana.Developing a reading habit help you to memorize things. Smart work is considered as important rather than hard work.

How much time you spend for studying is not important ,you have to utilize your time qualitatively.Buying so many books and rushing through it few days before the exam is not preferable that is why you have to make a time table for reading the books.Before You go to sleep make sure that it is a productive day.Push yourself if you feel like demotivated.Do remember if you become an IAS officer or IPS officer there will be lot of challenges come before you so you have to solve that problems,so try to act bravely.UPSC do not test your IQ level rather they focus more on our common sense.You have to develop your method of preparation or you fail to develop your own study method you can go for a coaching class.Before you choose a coaching class be aware about the ability of teachers and can ask for the opinions of students.

We all have a role model in our life, pursuing the path of your role models or their studying strategies would help you to a great extend.Keeping a single minded devotion is needed for achieving your goals.UPSC aspirants can watch the interviews of people who cleared UPSC exam.By watching interviews you will get an idea about UPSC interview and help to score good marks.Personality test is something that will measure your true personality so you have answer the questions honestly.Try to cover all the topics wisely.Do not beat around the bush while answering the paragraph questions.Examiners only want points so you have to be careful in writing your answers and make sure to stick to the question’s intended answer.Group work sometimes help you in studies , making a students circle and discussing current affairs helps to scoring in general knowledge studies.

Continuous practice will lead you to success.How much effort you put to achieve something decides your future.People who comes from different strata of society have cleared if you check the history of UPSC exam.They are united in one aim UPSC. Nothing is impossible and we all have equal opportunities for achieving anything.If you have to materialize your dream the one thing that you have to do is to do smart work.Our mind sends a natural vibration to universe and the universe will help you to achieve the wish, if it can put in this ficticious way.To conclude keep the fire in you and achieve great heights.

Education is the most powerful tool that help us to change our life.As Malala Yousafzai said “All I want is an education, and I am afraid of no one” she materialized her dream in her real life.We have to have a fire inside us or craving for education.Education is not something that is attributed upon us as a responsibilty rather it should be considered as a fundamental thing for our personal growth.We can analyze how many great souls who left their mark in this world through education.Quest for knowledge is fundamental for achieving greatness in life.More than that we have to be more aware about what is happening around us.Education and power can be said as the two sides of same coin in our daily life we could not survive if do not have a proper education.

As someone said “ignorance is bliss”, we could not ignore education like that.It became a part our life.In this modern world we know how competitive it is to survive in such situations so in order to get a proper and good life we need to be more educated.Understanding history helps to improve the knowledge of students.In a way history can be seen as a guiding tool.We have to be well aware about historical facts in our life that helps us to be vigilant and alert in our life.Learning a new language or learning about new idea keeps you vibrant.Having a good knowledge about work or what ever you are doing is important in achieving perfection.Nobody is perfect then why somebody is admired over other people ? That is only because of their educational standard or knowledge.A good athlete needs constant practice for good performance, in the similar way a good learner have to practice and read more.

Reading is one of the important thing that helps in your personal growth.You become more aware of the thought process of people .Education and culture are interdependent. In a particular region there must be some rules and did you ever thought who creates this rules ? It should be from a person who possess power.An educated person can lead his natives to development.There are laws and regulations in these contemporary scenario but still some knowledgeable person become more famous during these days.We have to create our own identity during these days.That can only be possible through good education and a sharp knowledge.Scholars and students are also learning through their entire life.Not only academicians but all people in this universe is learning through their entire life about various things and from various experiences.

To conclude we have to prioritize our education over anything in our life.Education is important for personality development.A nation can be said to be developed only if every citizens in it have provided with equal opportunities.Education should be provided without any gender bias.Some traditional culture would not support women to be educated.They have to change their perspectives and they have to rise from their cocoon.We can break all shackles from our life through high standard of living that can only be achieved through a proper education.

Wisdom and knowledge can be said as the two sides of a same coin.During these pandemic day as part of Covid 19 protocols we have to stay at home.Students are the victims of laziness during these days.Here are some remedial measures for all students to be consistent in their studies.Discipline can be achieved only through continuous practice.Even students coming from poor family achieve academic excellence than others.The only reason behind success is to be consistent in what ever you are doing in daily life.Setting a particular timetable for daily routine would help students a lot. Some students lack discipline because of their laziness ,but there many possible ways to overcome this obstacles.Making to do list plays a crucial role in achieving daily goals.

To make a day productive students must set a daily routine compulsorily.Some students can manage their studies without preparing a daily routine.Even though we study hard sometimes things may not be so easy for us.It depends upon the abilities of the students.Seeking the opinion of teachers is another method that helps student to plan about their future. In order to be consistent in life , we have to have a proper plan in our life.In making a daily routine they can also a healthy diet along with daily accomplishments.A good mind can be pruned only from a healthy body.It would be helpful for students to do some aerobic exercises in the morning this will help them to reduce their tension.It is fine to have a belief in God or not, it would be beneficial for them to analyse their daily activities and their daily deeds.This would help students to keep their morale high.

Study room and it’s atmosphere plays major role in formation of knowledge in ourselves.It have to clean and properly arranged ,it does not depend upon whether it is a small room or a big room.For those who are now sitting in a small study room have to keep in mind that you can change your surroundings or whatever hardships you are facing in your life, you can change it only through the power of education.Education enlightens the soul and whatever we have learned would not be a waste.Every single knowledge is precious.That is why students have to be consistent in their studies.Studying through a virtual platform will be a challenge for students they have to taken special care about their health also.Looking to system for a long time causes students loss of interest in studies.

Students have to have a goal in their life and they have to paste the same on the wall in study room. That is a psychology because that aim would enter in to their subconscious mind. If an idea enter in to our mind it is difficult to eliminate it from our mind.We have to give our complete attention to our surroundings also we have to a general knowledge about what is happening around us.Government should have implement various programs that would provide students with various job opportunity in their life.For example, students have to be acknowledged about various professional courses and various competitive exams.This will help students to concentrate on their studies.Being ourselves and finding our own methods in managing our life is an art.Students have to be concentrate more on their studies and they have to prioritize their studies over anything.