Macbeth - Supernatural Forces In Macbeth Essays -

Macbeth - Supernatural Forces In Macbeth In the play Macbeth, there were many interesting sections which could be concentrated on due to the suspense and the involvement of the supernatural. The use of the supernatural in the witches, the visions, the ghost, and the apparitions is a key element in making the concept of the play work and in making the play interesting. Looking through each Act and Scene of the play, it is noticed that the supernatural is definitely a major factor on the play's style. The use of the supernatural occurs at the beginning of the play, with three witches predicting the fate of Macbeth. This gives the audience a clue to what the future holds for Macbeth. When the battles lost and won (Act I, Scene I, l.4) was said by the second witch. It says that every battle is lost by one side and won by another. Macbeth's fate is that he will win the battle, but will lose his time of victory for the battle of his soul. After the prophecies of the witches' revealed the fate of Macbeth, the plan in which to gain power of the throne is brought up. The only way to gain power of the throne was for Macbeth to work his way to the throne, or to murder King Duncan. Murdering the king was an easier plan since the motivation in his dreams urged him on. Lady Macbeth also relied on the supernatural by her soliloquy of calling upon the evil spirits to give her the power to plot the murder of Duncan without any remorse or conscience (Act I, Scene V, ll.42-57). The three sisters are capable of leading people into danger resulting in death, such as the sailor who never slept (Act I, Scene III, ll.1-37). Lady Macbeth has convinced her husband Macbeth to murder King Duncan. On the night they planned to kill Duncan, Macbeth is waiting for Lady Macbeth to ring the signal bell to go up the stairs to Duncan's chamber. He sees the vision of the floating dagger. The interest of the dagger is that it leads Macbeth towards the chamber by the presence of evil of the dagger being covered with blood. Then the bell rings and Macbeth stealthily proceeds up the staircase to Duncan's chamber. Once the murder has been committed, eventually Banquo has his suspicions about Macbeth killing Duncan to have power of the throne. There is constantly more guilt and fear inside Macbeth and his wife that they decide to have Banquo killed. Macbeth and his wife attend a banquet in which a ghost appears. Once the murderer notified Macbeth that the deed was done, he observed the ghost of Banquo sitting in his regular seat. This caused Macbeth to act in a wild manner, making people suspicious of his actions. (Act III, Scene VI, ll.31-120). The use of the supernatural has increased the suspense now that Macbeth is constantly relying on the prophecies of the three witches. Hecate, the Queen of witches is angry with the three sisters for not involving her in their encounters with Macbeth. The witches plan to lead Macbeth to his downfall by making him feel over-confident. (Act III, Scene V, ll.1-35). Further on in the play, Macbeth finds his way to the witches' cave and demands to know what lies ahead for him. The three witches predict what he is going to ask and produce the first apparition which is an armed head. Macbeth!, Macbeth!, Macbeth!, beware of Macduff; beware thane of Fife. Dismiss me: enough. (Act VI, Scene I, ll.77-78). The first apparition tells Macbeth to beware of Macduff. Then the second apparition appears (a bloody child), and says: Be bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm Macbeth. (Act IV, Scene I, ll.85-87). This apparition informs Macbeth that no man born from a woman can harm him. finally, the last apparition appears and is a child crowned, with a tree in his hand. The apparition is saying that he will never be defeated until Great Birnam wood shall come against him to High Dunsinane Hill. Be lion melted, proud, and take no care who chafes, who frets, or where

The Environment and Context of Leadership Essay Example

The Environment and Context of Leadership Essay Example The Environment and Context of Leadership Paper The Environment and Context of Leadership Paper According to Brickfield, (2011 ) the need to operate effectively and efficiently is vital to any organization, and is increasing exponentially as organizations evolve to meet the changing demands of the future. Over the past decade, increased recognition, acknowledgement and research has focused on the context of which leadership is developed for the 21st century, as it involves more than just developing individual leaders . This research paper will identify four major trends in the context of leadership. There will be a discussion of why these trends are significant as they pertain to the current business environment. There will also be a review of how these trends affect dervish, in addition to recommendations to approaches for leadership strategy. Globalization Significance and Leadership Influences A study conducted by Bernstein, (2009) concluded one of the most significant leadership trends is globalization, as companies every. Veer are modifying business plans to expand internationally. In todays environment, globalization is an ongoing process of interdependence and integration of economies, societies and culture. Terrible (2013) describes globalization as a multicultural, burgeoning hybrid Of cultures in a borderless world -? one Of sigh chaos and continuous change as if it (the world) were a single entity. As a result of such, companies have to transition from hierarchical, top down leadership models to inclusive, participatory leadership styles. Current business trends have the requirement for 21 SST century leadership to have a global perspective; one that embraces cultural differences and diversity, one that looks beyond immediate geography in an effort to resolve issues. When consideration is given to this concept, the reality of globalization may be characterized as a world that has become so interconnected, that the only ay to succeed is through competition with everyone, everywhere for everything. According to Maidenhead et al (2008), global organizations face complexity with respect to the dynamics of interdependence, ambiguity, flux and multiplicity. These forces drive an increased need for global leadership competencies that enable them to respond and lead effectively. Strategies for Global Leadership The demonstration of a unique set of leadership competencies is significant in fulfilling the role of a global leader. The potential competencies suggested by Terrible (2013) are duly noted but not inclusive: cultural wariness and sensitivity is reflected in the awareness of, sensitivity, understanding, adaptation, and the desire to learn Of different cultures. Providing the tools and knowledge to enhance global leadership ability is a strategy that should also be noted. The utilization of various approaches to determine what works best is an approach practitioners may use to encourage global leadership competency. Global leaders that take ownership and responsibility for learning and development are more likely to learn more than those who rely solely on organizational training and development (Terrible, (2013). This responsibility is typically represented through the identification of learning needs, goal setting and the adjustments to maximize learning potential. The final recommended global leadership strategy is a personal favorite: to integrate intuitive, ad hoc learning approaches and structured global leadership development strategies. Whereas much of the global leadership learning and development is from experience and business challenges, the combination of a leaders ability to intuitively learn through engagement and predisposition is also recommended. Technological Savvy An article posted in the Forbes business section (Forbes. M) last year predicted that the marriage of technology and social media will be likened to an appliance in organizations. This concept is easily understood: in recent years many organizations have downsized on-site IT opting for the Cloud. As more employees bring their own technological devices to work, the role of IT adjusts to strategic counselor versus a cost and procurement center. Moreover, a trend that has rapidly become an integral aspect of leadership effectiveness in todays current environment is tech nological sway (Berlin et al, 201 1). Technology facilitates communication regardless of physical/ geographical boundaries, making virtual leadership a reality that will only increase -? and whereas many good leadership principles remain unchanged regardless of the technology, technological advancement presents a new challenge for leadership. For example many leaders have a leadership skill set with heavy reliance on presence and personality, which do not translate well with electronic communication. Strategies for Leadership In the past, leadership were often able to rely on their leadership traits to give them the edge but todays environment calls for the need to improve communication skills using modern tools (leadership 501 . Mom). One strategy recommended is development of the ability to communicate well through written word, as those that do not may find themselves at a disadvantage. In preparation for the future leaders should make a conscience effort to develop strong writing skills; understand the difference forms of electronic communication and; understand the culture of different forms of electronic communication. It is additionally important for leadership to understand how the intelligent use of how new technology can enhance business functions, and to be positive role models in leading the use of technology (Longing, 201 1). This concept is especially true in consideration that many young future leaders have been brought up with technology and view it as a part of their lives. A few years ago it was merely important just to understand new communication technology and the Internet. Now this is a pre-requisite for managing global teams and understanding consumer behavior and opinions. Today, technological sway has become a key competency for the global leader of the future. New and rapid technological advances insist that leaders need not be experts themselves, but must know enough to be able to recognize and evaluate the potential of any new technology. Multi-l_bevel dervish Development Significance and Influences Leadership during the past fifty years mostly focused on individual leadership but over the last decade this model has become less effective, transitioning to a more collective and collaborative model. Some research even suggests that the ability to lead effectively triples in importance to a leaders career success than other skills and knowledge (Boston. Com). The demands for growth and change to ensure organizations have the right global leadership talent in the right place, at the right time has become increasingly challenging. An approach to achieving this objective calls for defining a new global leader through developing strategies, systems and processes across organizations to build the global leadership pipeline (Mercer et al, 2009). Leadership development solutions thus need to evolve as a process instead of one time event. In order to maintain lasting and substantial benefits, leadership learning experiences must be applicable to real organizational issues; they must take place in small collaborative cohorts (Berlin et al, 201 1). This style of learning simulates how leaders work together in the workplace under both formal and informal situations. Berlin et al (2011) also posits effective leadership development insists on the provision of ongoing learning opportunities to learn from their work as opposed to taking them away from their work to learn. Strategies Recommended As the information revolution has changed the work environment, the ability to adapt is a key component that divides outstanding organizations from the rest. The recommendations for meeting this challenge may be accomplished through aligning core leadership competencies with new business needs. Washington (2013) recommends five leadership competencies: external awareness; talent management; self awareness; legation and; decision making. These competencies will challenge the leader on three levels: cognitive, emotional and behavioral. Current leadership trends calls for new forms of contextual awareness based on strong conceptual and strategic thinking abilities. A new form of intellectual openness and the ability to conceptualize in an unprecedented manner is needed. Leadership should increase sensitivity to diverse genders, generations and cultures, and have the ability to tolerate higher levels Of ambiguity. Businesses must ensure that all leaders are trained in the practices of creating a culture of trust, openness and cross generational elaboration in an effort to build and maintain a cross-functional task network. Leadership development systems encourage a number of leadership practices. Thinking like a leader, gaining results through others and engaging people are just a few of the most critical people-leadership competencies (Boston. Com). Through staying engaged, leadership may effectively leverage new trends, tactics and tools to gain the competitive edge. Organizations may successfully create a leadership brand through the creation of competency models that reflect the future strategy of the business. Berlin (2011) posits that a multi-level, innovative approach to dervish development continues to be one of the most important initiatives in our challenging business environment. Curriculum designs that implements coaching and mentoring; on the job/field assignments; action learning; simulation; assessments; virtual learning and; networking is the recommended strategy. This strategy relies on targeted solutions that hone leadership skills at every level to drive business results. Multi-Generational Leadership A leadership trend that cannot be ignored is the generational shift underway in todays workforce that some project will lead to a crisis, particularly in American businesses Monsoon, 2007). This workforce change is certain to create a shortage of experienced leaders at the precise time that large enterprises are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. These changes are due to basic demographics, structural changes in organizations and generational attitudes and behaviors. In like manner, this demographic trend is determined by the large numbers of workers now reaching retirement age leaving fewer workers to replace them. As the baby boomers generation retires, the next two generations will be leading, planning, organizing and controlling the workforce. According to the U. S. Census data, nearly 1 million Millennial enter the workforce each year and by the year 2020, forty percent (40%) of the U. S. Workforce will be comprised of Millennial. Moreover, Millennial are projected to have the competitive advantage because of their technological proficiencies, and those with graduate degrees are more likely to stay at their organizations than those without (Okapi et al, 2012). Strategies for Development Organizations that understand this demographic trend should take immediate steps to first retain their senior leaders; attract the next level of top level leadership and; cultivate a new generation of leaders. As Millennial enter and assume leadership roles in Organizations, it becomes more imperative for organizations to learn about their organizational commitment level and job satisfaction levels; accordingly this population demands accountability, transparency and change (Johnson, 2007). Those that fail to acknowledge and respond to these dynamics may find it increasingly difficult to compete in the global marketplace. Management in todays workforce has a significant role in the development of the next generation of leadership.

The definition of Al Qaeda group Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The definition of Al Qaeda group - Research Paper Example I. Introduction †¢ The definition of Al Qaeda group ïÆ' ¼ The meaning of the Al Qaeda group ïÆ' ¼ How many groups join to make the Al Qaeda group (Alexander 50) †¢ A brief history of the Al Qaeda group ïÆ' ¼ The year of formation ïÆ' ¼ The location of the group ïÆ' ¼ The leader of the group ïÆ' ¼ The approximated number of members ïÆ' ¼ Organization of the group ïÆ' ¼ Religion of the group ïÆ' ¼ How many attacks the group has claimed since formation ïÆ' ¼ Current leader II. Al Qaeda and the truth about Osama bin laden A. Section one †¢ Early Life of Osama Bin Laden ïÆ' ¼ Where he was born (Gauvain 713) ïÆ' ¼ The year he was born ïÆ' ¼ His childhood, family, and upbringing ïÆ' ¼ His level of education ïÆ' ¼ Occupation before joining Al Qaeda †¢ Osama Bin Laden and the Pan-Islamlist Idea ïÆ' ¼ His religion ïÆ' ¼ The political beliefs of Osama Bin Laden ïÆ' ¼ He became a follower of Abdullah Azzam in the 1970s (Di Giovanni 12) ïÆ' ¼ In 1979 the Sov iet troops carried out an invasion in Afghanistan ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden and Azzam moved t Peshawar, Pakistan ïÆ' ¼ Azzam, Bin Laden, and the Afghan rebels ïÆ' ¼ The organization served by Azzam and Bin Laden †¢ Osama and the building of Al Qaeda ïÆ' ¼ Al Qaeda created in 1988 by Bin Laden ïÆ' ¼ The group focused on symbolic acts that regard terrorism as opposed to military campaigns ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden’s return to Saudi Arabia in 1989 ïÆ' ¼ The first bombing †¢ Osama the worldwide Jihad ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden and associates ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden and American servicemen in 1993 in Mogadishu ïÆ' ¼ The New York WTC bombing in 1993 ïÆ' ¼ Attempted assassination President Hosni in 1995 ïÆ' ¼ The US NGTC bombing in 1995

Globalization and Urbanization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Globalization and Urbanization - Essay Example During that time, there was no development, and cities were merely those locations or islands where the ships would dock. There was a predominant presence of rural areas, where cities stood out as islands, causing more of a nuisance according to the rural folk than any benefits. There were many reasons why urbanization was not a trend. The industrial revolution had not arrived, and there was much distraction about wars and key discoveries that had not taken place. The pace of life was slower, and the world had not begun its race for global domination. The populations were less and the resources were plenty. The competition was less fierce, and time was on the people’s side. The population ratio at that time was very different from the one today. One study suggests that out of every 100 people, only three people used to live in cities. With the passage of time, this proportion has changed, with almost half of the current population living in cities. In other words, urban univer ses increased. Till the end of 1800, the number of residents living in large urban cities was only 29 million. However, by the year 2000, the urban population numbers increased to 2.8 billion. (Short 23). The most prominent and important development was the creation of large metropolises. In the year 1800, only four metropolises had populations of more than 1 million; the situation was much different by the end of year 2000. The second trend in urbanization represented a shift of populations from minor cities to major cities of the world. a graphic representation would show a flat pattern by 2000, with the line getting steeper after 2000. The impact of this shift is very significant. It causes major alteration in the spatial form of the social organization of space and society. The development of such areas goes fast with the somewhat mercurial changes in the economic system, depending upon agricultural enhancements to economies that move around the construction and service sector. The development of cities is directly linked to the social shift from short scale to the large one, from closely knit urgent social links to more spread unknown themes, and to the growth of unique and antipathetic social classes (Weber, 26). Cities point on both the growth and avatar of social shift. They usually counted as the concept uses of socio-economic shift. There is a challenging link between the social perspective and the city as the city holds a complex base of social shift as well as also considers as an important ingredient of social theorizing. The article focuses on both elements: the most aspirational chore demanding a broad linked of approaches. Two liberal spans are under looked. First, the article focuses on the incline of the present city and its linkage with modernism, capitalist economy and post modernity, questioning the macro-scale relations between deep urban changes and broad social changes. The other goal is to present a wide ranging judgment of the basic t heoretic estimates recently implemented to understand the city. In start, it discusses about the old exercising influence theoretical models in their past context (Graham & Marvin 12). After wards, it discovers the link between present-day urban sociospatial procedures and updated theoretical models in order to understand the complex links between place, space and social conjecturing with the challenging aim of judging urbanizing theory and the city. The authoritarian city can be seen in different perspectives of thicknesses. Authority is strongest when daily routines are covered with the exercise of

Comparison of Two Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Comparison of Two Companies - Essay Example In the year 1929, Cohen opened the first ever Tesco store in North London. During the 1930s, the company experienced growth as Cohen began to buy stores in the expanding London suburbs, and in the year 1947 the company became a public company. It was in 1958 that the first supermarket was inaugurated in Maldon, Essex. Household goods became item of sale for the company from the year 1960. In the year 1993, the company introduced Tesco Value which allows the customers to choose goods from a wide range of products at attractive prices. The company gained international status in the year 1995 after capturing the Hungarian market. It entered the Chinese market in the year 2004 by opening 100 stores and the US market in the year 2007 under the name Fresh & Easy. In the year 2012, Tesco for the first time started online shopping service with a wide range of fresh and frozen food. Since its inception the company has consistently flourished and today it has more than 53,000 people working fo r the company, and caters to more than millions of customers every week (â€Å"Tesco: History†). The company’s mission is to provide the ultimate shopping experience to its customers. Morrisons Supermarket is the fourth largest retail chain in UK with more than 500 stores. Food and grocery are its main products sold in weekly stores. For over 100 years, Morrisons Supermarket has ruled the retail market of the UK. The founder of this chain of retail stores is William Morrison, an egg and butter merchant, who opened his first store in the year 1899 in Bradford market. In the year 1967, Morrisons was declared as a public company with 80,000 shares becoming instant demand among investors. After showing high sales and a consistent increase of profit for 35 years, the company joins the FTSE 100 for the first time in April 2001 (Morrisons: Company History). As of 2013, Morrisons has captured 11.8 percent of the  £101bn value of UK grocery store market.

Relationship Between Music and Architecture

Relationship Between Music and Architecture CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Research Overview There have been some efforts that were made by a number of researcher vis-ÃÆ'  -vis looking at the parallels of architecture and music in terms of rhythm, harmony and the inherent ability to provoke emotional responses of each discipline; however, those researches have not covered all genres of music. One of the types of music that have not attracted a lot of architectural critics, cabaret music, has captured my interest. Given the limited research in the area, this study intends to achieve a better understanding of the relationship between cabaret music and architecture. Statement of the problem Towards the end of the 19th century, Romanticism reached its limits of expression. Consequently, diverse and experimental music forms began to emerge, which broke away from the mainstream of Romanticism. These included the impressionism of Debussy and Ravel, and the surrealism of Erik Satie. The emphasis on irregular rhythms within Stravinskis The Riot of Spring caused its first audience to riot in 1913. These followed the experimentation in scales and rhythms of BartÃÆ' ³k. In the performing arts, cabaret songs were intentionally naturalistic in language, theme while certain of its devices, such as the shadow play, were both decadent and symbolist in their use of light, colour and evocative suggestion. Simultaneously, in this period, architects like Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier experimented with new approaches in composing architecture. Purpose and importance of the research This study is valuable in that it might contribute and add to the existing body of knowledge that has drawn out the parallels between architecture and music. Structure of the report The remaining of the report is organised into four chapters that will start from the known intersections between music and architecture to more specifically, the parallels between cabaret music and architecture. The report will then move to discuss the relationship between architecture and other related music disciplines like dance and Non-western musical. CHAPTER 2: INTERSECTIONS OF MUSIC AND ARCHITECTURE The Chapter focuses on analysing selected architectural work that has used music as design inspirations as a way of introducing the topic. Alberti, Palladio and the application of music in architectural design Historically music was thought of as a mathematical science. The idea of harmonies sprung from the process of division. A string that produced a certain tone could be divided along exact proportions to create a note that would resonate in harmony with the first note, creating an overlapping of tones that could be considered beautiful both aesthetically and mathematically. These ideas were developed by the ancient Greeks, but brought into importance during the Renaissance. It was during this time that architecture was thought of as an art that needed a mathematical and therefore scientific basis to be considered objectively. Palladio often looked to musical proportions as a means to achieve ideal proportions in his designs. Basic harmonies such as octaves and fifths were applied to room sizing in all three dimensions, and were also often overlooked to as ornamental guides. The Palladian practice of applying basic harmonic ideas to basic room proportions is a starting point with what can be achieved by translating tonal ideas into the practice of architecture. Renaissance thinkers placed importance on the translation of audible proportions to the visual arts partly because they viewed musical composition as a mathematical science whereas architecture was thought of as a liberal art. In an attempt to give architecture a system of design method, it had to be referenced to a mathematical framework. Leonardo Da Vinci once said that music and painting are sisters, and both are used to convey harmonies. According to him, music achieved this through the use of chords and painting through the use of proportions. Palladio noted within his illustration ideal proportions for room dimensions and other architectural devices. The numbers within the ratios are carefully chosen and are the result of his attempt to fulfill Vitruvian principles. The principle in question has to do with achieving an ideal design. The artists of the Renaissance believed that it was possible to obtain an absolute beauty by following the proportional principles found in nature. In the practice of architecture, this was achieved by allowing specific geometries to define certain forms. These forms then would act as modules that would define and govern the development of the entire structure. Palladio even stated that it was possible to achieve a harmonic building through the use of proportional principles and that it would be possible to explain and evaluate the success of the building using the terms of musical theory. Leone Battista Alberti had taken the music scale and noted that musical theory is important to the practice of architecture because the numbers that are responsible for pleasing harmonies also evoke delight from mans eyes and mind. Palladio took this idea and used this harmonic scale as a proportioning system in his buildings. He focused on the relationship found between four strings with lengths in a ratio of 6:8:9:12. When these strings were placed under equal amounts of tension and then vibrated they produced wavelengths of consonant tones, most importantly an octave, fourth and fifth. These proportions are noted in his plans published in the Quattro Libri. Le Corbusier and the Phillipss Pavilion The growth of subjective judgment slowly did away with the Renaissance search for an absolute beauty, but this did not stop the intersection of musical and architectural ideas. It did change them, leading to new investigations and ideas. Of particular importance is the work of Le Corbusier on the Phillipss Pavilion. He investigated both the translation of musical proportions to built form, but also the use of acoustics and sound to generate and convey a sense of space. In 1958, Phillips Company, a producer of electronic speakers, hired Le Corbusier to design and build a pavilion for the Brussels World Fair. The Phillips Companys goal was to show off the capabilities of their latest speakers and filled the pavilion with three hundreds of them. Le Corbusier proposed to give the Phillips Company an electronic poem with which to showcase their work. He worked with a team of Phillips engineers and two modern composers: Iannis Xenakis and Edgard Varase. Xenakiss role in the Phillips Pavilion was focused on the exterior shell of the building. His task focused on translating the sketches and abstract ideas of Le Corbusier (mainly dealing with geometry and proportions) into a buildable, architectural form. The end result, a curved, hyperbolic not only fulfills the mathematical ideals of Le Corbusier, but also evokes the glissandi of Xenakiss 1953-1954 composition Metastasis. Steven Holl and the Stretto House Steven Holl took the investigation of a more complex musical idea that of stretto, as a departure point for a house built in Texas. This project focused on using both the compositional and experiential qualities of a particular piece of music as a means to solve the architectural problems presented by the site and the client. The Stretto House, a project by Steven Holl located in Dallas, Texas exemplifies a modern approach to marrying the ideas of architecture and music. While there is more to the project than just this aspect the ideas of music played an important part in the development and implementation of the design. The name of the house comes from the musical term stretto. Stretto is most commonly used in the fugue and in this context it refers to the theme of the piece being repeated and overlapped by different voices. The decision to explore this musical idea as a mode of design occurs during the initial sketching phase. This phase explored some of the vernacular materials of Texan architecture, specifically metal roofs and concrete blocks. This combined with the need to create shade and producing this via overlapping led to the exploration of the overlapping that occurs in stretto. Holl narrowed the study of stretto to one particular piece of music, Bela Bartoks Music for strings, percussions and Celeste. The feature of this work is the distinct separation between heavy and light by carefully dividing the percussion and string sections. Holl literally took the basic composition of the music and composed his building in the same way. Bartoks work is divided into four movements and its most compelling feature is the aforementioned division of instruments into two models. Holl designed his structure to have four distinct spatial sections and focused the work on two distinct elements: masonry, which mimicked the heavy role of the percussion and curved metal, which played the light nature of the spring section. The result is an overlapping and intersection of several elements. The curved metal roofs overlap with the heavy masonry structure, referred to as spatial dams. The different planes of the building, roof, floor and wall, pull space from each other to continue the overlapping effect. The materials of the building follow suit, as do the actual design drawings. The orthogonal plan of the main house drawing stands in contrast to the curvilinear section while the drawings of the guest house reverse this pattern, mimicking the inversion found in Bartoks composition. This project was designed around a cohesive idea that can organize and guide the experiential qualities of the space. Holl notes that the concept that drives a design like the Stretto House disappears completely in the phenomena of the physical reality and yet intuitively the abundance of the idea may be felt. By combining the ideas of music and architecture Holl was able to create an analogue between the two practices. By treating music as something that has a materiality, one gained from its instrumentation, he was able to synthesize it with architecture through his use of light and space. The equation that Holl himself writes to explain this is material multiplied by sound and divided by time equals material multiplied by light and divided by space. The key to success of this lies in the distinction that both architecture and music have a material aspect, and this common factor allows parallels to be drawn. To summarize, the practice of architecture and the practice of music have intersected and impacted each other in a variety of ways throughout their histories. These instances can be divided into two distinct categories. The first category involves architecture taking proportional and compositional principles directly from musical theory. Palladios villas ?t into this category as many of the proportions that guided the design were taken from their eras understanding of music and the nature of sound. The second category involves architecture learning from the experiential qualities of music and trying to replicate them in built form. CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW Writer Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe is famous for describing architecture as frozen music in the 19th century. Music and architecture also share similar experiential aspirations. Architectural historian Sir John Summerson notes in his essay The vision of J.M.Gandy that architecture is an art that is constantly attempting to realize in solid, stable form those effects which music is able to conjure up in an instant. He goes on to point out that music and architecture even use a similar vocabulary, specifically the use of mass, rhythm, texture and outline to achieve similar effects such as the colossal. It was Pythagoras who discovered that a vibrating string, stopped at its centre, produced the octave; at two thirds of its length the fifth, and at three quarters, the fourth. From this he developed the series of ratios that result in the twelve tone scale used in western music today. The ratio between the full length of the string and the length stopped, or the ratios between the lengths making different notes have their direct equivalents in the ratios between the sides of the rectangles that have made up much of western architecture in the intervening centuries. Numerous aspects of this relationship between the underlying ratios of music and architecture have been developed and discussed and in this chapter we shall consider the aspects of rhythm, improvisation and emotional response in the light of some of these discussions, and the architecture of Palladio, Le Corbusier, Schindler and Holl. Rhythm Many architects have developed theories of proportion with which to govern and explain their work. These have generated in their turn a significant body of critical analysis and comment. Palladio, like Alberti a century earlier, expounded theories which took up and developed those first proposed by Vitruvius in the 7th Century BC. These were particularly attractive to the spirit of the Renaissance. To the minds of the men of the Renaissance musical consonances were the audible tests of a universal harmony which had a binding force for all the arts. In the 1930s R M Schindler, developed the ideas of module used by Frank Lloyd Wright in his Usonian houses. Here not only the architectural plans, but also the concrete floor slabs were inscribed with grids derived from the sizes of the materials to be used. Schindler took this pragmatic idea and incorporated it into a system of proportion which he described as Reference Frames in Space. The appreciation of this relationship between the mathematics of the ratios and proportions that underlie both music and architecture is of course a purely intellectual exercise. The analogy with music simply amounts to the transference of an established convention in one art to the purposes of another It does not help explain or evaluate the emotional responses that these media can evoke, which is a factor of how the underlying principles are used and manipulated to create the final work. Stretto, the musical term for the overlapping of subjects, and the only strict rule in the formation of fugues, provided Steven Holl with the basis to explore the relationship beyond this intellectual analogy in his Stretto House. The house is directly inspired by Music for Percussion, Strings and Celesta by BÃÆ' ©la BartÃÆ' ³k, in which stretto is used extensively. It is a choice which is particularly apposite as the chief feature of his [BartÃÆ' ³ks] chromatic technique is obedience to the Golden Section in every element. Improvisation In music improvisation is the impromptu or in the moment creation and performance of music as well as spontaneous response to other musicians. It is distinct from untutored or casual composition, in that it requires discipline and a rigorous understanding of the forms and rules in order to be sufficiently coherent to evoke an emotional response. improvisation is a performative (sic) act and depends on instrumental technique, improvisation is a skill. Because the creation of a work of architecture requires rigorous planning and control of all its elements, improvisation is not usually associated with it. The usual view is that architecture cannot be impromptu, it must be planned, detailed and explained thoroughly if all those involved in its production are to collaborate effectively. In his BBC Proms lecture in 2002 Daniel Libeskind confirmed that it is difficult to have improvisation in architecture â€Å" to have rotating players, to have players interpret. He suggested, however, that if the spatiality and materiality is open, then the public can form its own operation on the building. This being, perhaps, the closest that architecture can come to improvisation. Certainly the villas of Palladio, with the proportions of their components controlled by a strict series of ratios, and their spaces assembled according to harmonic sequences, must be considered as careful exercises in composition rather than improvisations. Le Corbusiers villas too are compositions which follow a set of rules governing their proportions; Le Modulor. Within these cool, intellectual compositions, however, there are elements which are freer in form and which play off against, and highlight, the orthogonal correctness of the remainder. Coming finally to Schindler, Sarnitz observes that as his work evolved the great importance attached to proportion in his early work gradually receded; he never repeats the complexity of the Lovell Beach House. This move away from strict adherence to the system of proportion that he himself developed, to more lyrical or spiritual values, is directly analogous to that of a musician who has learnt the disciplines of his instrument and the rules of music to the highest level but feels able to express himself more fully and coherently through improvisation. Schindler, having developed and established his competence in his early work, chose to follow this route after recognising the limitations that a purely intellectual approach can bring to a potentially lyrical art. Most of the buildings which Corbusier and his followers offer us as machines to live in are crude contraptions to serve a purpose. Mere instruments of production can never serve as a frame for life. Emotional response The emotional impact of both music and architecture is generated not by the intellectual understanding and appreciation of the ratios and proportions that govern the relationships of their parts and overall composition. It is a response produced by the composer or architect or improviser by manipulating the material multiplied by sound divided by time and the material multiplied by light and divided by space which Holl proposes as the equivalent formulae for the creation of music and architecture respectively. The power of the piece to move the listener or viewer is in direct ratio to the skill of the creator. Both music and architecture are immediate rather than mediate forms of communication. That is they do not require the intermediation of language. They affect the listener and viewer respectively, of all backgrounds and languages, directly with no need for translation or interpretation. They also both have a physical element to their means of communication. Music can recall the serenity and grandeur of a seascape; so also, says Viollet, [le Duc] can architecture when it has occasion to give us long, unbroken, horizontal lines. Then he compares the emotional effect of a low broad crypt with that of a soaring knave; he notes the physical reactions of a man in these two settings, And both directly affect the emotions and understanding. The very same numbers that cause sounds to have that concinnitas [a certain harmony] pleasing to the ears, can also fill the eyes and mind with wondrous delight. The cool but powerful emotional response generated by the composed serenity and authority of Palladios villas is not simply the result of the principles of proportion that govern the elements of the elevations, but also the extension of these principles to the way that the spaces and volumes are arranged. the systematic linking of one room to the other by harmonic proportions was the fundamental novelty of Palladios architecture, At the other end of the architectural scale, Holls fugue in the Stretto House generates a similar response in the viewer to that, which stretto in music evokes in the listener, namely excitement, acceleration, fuller realization, a certain indescribable ecstasy with the sensation of heightened simultaneity. Another aspect of emotional impact, which may be more mundane but is nevertheless worthy of consideration, is the cumulative effect of the music and architecture that surrounds us as distinct from the impact of a particular work. Emily Thompson posits the importance that advances in sound engineering made to the aural perception of life in the early years of the century, giving rise to the phenomenon that is sometimes referred to as the soundtrack of our life. The idea of a parallel stage set of our lives has been hinted at by author Will Self, if Brutalism is heavy metal, then what was Modernism, Schoenbergs dodecaphony? Clearly the Little Englander Palladian nostalgia of the Prince of Wales, the Quinlan Terry partnership, and even Barratt Homes, is of a piece with light classical music: Viennese waltzes, frozen in red brick, Chapter 4: Improvisation after the Renaissance and after Modernism In the earlier chapter I have established that improvisation in architecture can be considered as the departure of a skilled practitioner from the rules he has mastered in order to express himself more fully or to give coherent expression to new or developing ideas. Albertis De Re Aedificatoria (written about 1450) may be seen as the theoretical foundation for the re-establishment of classical order and proportion in the Renaissance. A century or so later Palladios Quattro Libri (published in 1570), re stated these classical rules, and his buildings followed them strictly. At the same time, however, other architects were interpreting these established rules with varying degrees of freedom. In his two villas on the Capitoline Hill in Rome Michaelangelo took the conventional Corinthian order, enlarged it and ran it through two stories; something that the Romans had never done. Vignola, in his Castello Farnese at Caprarola, designed an entablature that, [I]s a departure from the strict grammar of the antique â€Å" a departure in the direction of inventive modelling, of designing a faÃÆ' §ade as a pattern in light and shade, a pattern through which runs a play of meaning rather than any precise series of statements. Giulio Romano was even freer in his interpretation of the rules of antiquity. His Palazzo del Te, with its affected dilapidation and dropped stones in the entablature and his Cortile della Cavallerizza with its extravagant rustication and twisted Doric finds its equivalent in the developing mannerism of the music of the time. In the late 16th century, as the Renaissance era closes, an extremely manneristic style develops. In secular music, especially in the madrigal, there was a trend towards complexity and even extreme chromaticism (as exemplified in madrigals of Luzzaschi, Marenzio, and Gesualdo). Chromaticism in particular is an essential characteristic of the mannerist style at this time. It demonstrates a departure from the rules regulating the fundamental ratios underlying musical theory which is directly equivalent to that executed by Romano upon the rules of classical architecture as restated by Alberti and Palladio. The Pythagorean tone, with a ratio of 9:8, consists of a minor and a major semi-tone; But only the minor semitone can be used in actual music. For this reason, progressions between Bb â€Å" B natural or F â€Å" F#, or any other equivalent intervals, are forbidden. When the chromatic madrigal begins to abound in such progressions, it raises a flurry of controversy. The relationship between mannerism in architecture and in music may be illustrated by comparing the use of chromaticism by Guesaldo with Romanos use of rustication in the Palazzo del TÃÆ' ¨. On the one hand, Guesaldos madrigals are, full of unresolved dissonances, illogical modulations, and chromatic progressions. These are used to powerful effect to create, disruptive and restless changes of mood, so that the end result is rather like eavesdropping on some unresolvable, private agony. On the other, Romanos use of rustication gives the impression that, Everything is a bit uneasy, a bit wrong. It also [R]ecalls ruins [and] ancient buildings left half-finished. But it has great power and this is very largely because of the dramatic use of rustication. Just as Schindler developed a more improvisational style in his later works as he became disillusioned or cynical about the ethos of the Machine Age,[38] so Le Corbusier may also be considered to have undergone a major shift following the Second World War. This is exemplified by the chapel at Ronchamp, the monastery at La Tourette and the Courts of Justice at Chandigarh, all of which may be considered to be improvisational, with regard to the strict principles of Le Modulor. Charles Jencks observes that this perceived change in direction was seen to condone a new turn for modern architecture. He lists a range of diverse range of architectural movements that drew inspiration from Le Corbusiers later works. CHAPTER 5: CABARET MUSIC and MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE Architecture and cabaret music are closely affiliated, not least because both focus on creating unique atmospheres for a variety of purposes. During the early to mid twentieth century American architecture and cabaret were born out of and represented similar cultural concerns. This chapter considers some of the ways in which architecture and cabaret interact and how cabaret uses principles of architecture, such as the utilisation of space, the division of stage space, the distinction between public and private space, and the use of synthesis in design. Examples of Modern architectural designs, including those of Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier, built during the thirties and forties will be considered with the aim of identifying shared cultural affiliation between cabaret music and architecture during the mid twentieth century. Cabaret â€Å" the trend of combining music, dance, comedy, and theatre in a public place â€Å" was first established in France in 1881. Throughout both world wars and the Great Depression in America, Cabaret afforded a means of relaxation and the opportunity to celebrate, through shared performance, a variety of cultures, talents and tastes. Monmartre, in France, is recognised as the place where buildings were first constructed specifically for cabaret performance. The Moulin Rouge was built in Pigalle in 1889. At the time, the traditional Monmartre windmills were being pulled down at an alarming rate, which accounts for the construction of the large red windmill on the roof of the Moulin Rouge. The turn-of-the-century interior of Moulin rouge expresses the late Victorian Romantic sensibility, just before the introduction of the Modernist Art Nouveau movement. Elegantly and richly decorated, the cabaret setting was described in 1952 as possessing an atmosphere of tawdry luxury [. .] much like that of a bordello. At the time this would have befitted the styles of music which it was built to stage. Artists such as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec recorded in paint various scenes from this early era of cabaret, such as music-hall singers, women dancers, and women preparing themselves to take to the stage. The flamboyance of early cabaret and the suggestiveness of dances, such as the can-can, paved the way for a relationship between the architectural setting and the music. In the late Victorian era, when more sensual forms of entertainment tended only to be considered as an underground activity, cabaret legitimised more diverse forms of theatre, music and dance, allowing men and women to mingle freely in a public space specifically designed for that purpose. At the time of the popularisation of Cabaret, the pursuit of pleasure had become a popular activity. During the twentieth century new dance halls were erected throughout Europe and in America in order to accommodate the rising popularity of the sociable and edgy form of cabaret entertainment. Cabaret music traditionally involves singing and orchestra, and American cabaret stars included artists such as Eartha Kitt, Nina Simone, and Bette Midler. However, as an art form cabaret declined in popularity during the sixties due to the rising popularity of alternative forms of music, such as rock. Due to the glamour of its beginnings the architectural setting of cabaret traditionally retained elements of luxury, wealth, and flamboyance. On the relationship between Romanticism â€Å" which the late-Victorian introduction of cabaret was celebrating â€Å" and the poetic sensibility, Geoffrey Scott observes that Romanticism may be said to consist in a high development of poetic sensibility t owards the remote, in that it idealises the distant, both of time and place and identifies beauty with strangeness. The elaborate dÃÆ' ©cor of cabaret stages, often including plush red or plum coloured velvet, idealise the sensual and were designed to encourage maximum comfort, pleasure and enjoyment of the entertainment. The designs of traditional cabaret stages were such that the audience area was only minimally lit, with the main focus being on the stage. In Modernist architecture there is suggestion that the culture of cabaret at least crossed over into and was in part incorporated into design. With the introduction of jazz and Broadway style music, cabaret became recognised as being seedier than during the years of its Victorian beginnings. We can explore the parallels between the responses of the two arts to the exigencies of the time by looking at three of the distinguishing qualities of cabaret music and architecture. The popular appeal of cabaret Cabaret deals with emotional or sentimental themes that easily evoke strong responses, rather than intellectual concepts that require esoteric knowledge to be fully appreciated. Frank Lloyd Wrights Usonian homes, built during the 1930s and 1940s, embody the cultural concerns and ideals of the Modern era, and reflect the complexities associated with the Great Depression of the thirties. During this time, many American families looked to cabaret and its music as the solution, albeit temporary, to the stresses of the quotidian drudge associated with the same economic, social and political forces. Usonian houses were intended to deal with the day to day living requirements of the average American family. A large living room for family life, with a big fireplace in It, a triplicate bathroom with sections for the man, the wife and the children and enough space for dressing rooms, closets and perhaps a couch in each, and airy bedrooms, all with easy access to a garden. A significant aspect of popular appeal is the recognition afforded to the performer; the phenomenon of stars. In this regard Wright, at this time, was actively marketing himself as the possessor of a unique, truly American architectural vision, and promoting his reputation as one of the great architects of the century. Variations in cabaret Cabaret offers variety. The subjects of its songs and dances range from tragedy to comedy and its forms from ballad to blues to jazz. It was popular for certain shows to be given to a select audience â€Å" part of the growing consumer culture in which greater emphasis was to be placed on the needs of the patron. In a similar way that cabaret performances were customised, Wright designed buildings with specific elements for patrons. Scholars have already drawn parallels between the designs of Lloyd Wright and music. For example, as expressed by Brooks Pfeiffer and Nordland, Wrights unit system was as an intrinsic part of the organic process of design and construction: just as the warp is discipline for a woven textile, and as the scale and notes are disciplines for the composer of music, so Wright used the unit system as a discipline for design. The modular unit system, based on rectangular and square units, unified and simplified the construction process, and involved the repetition of components such as doors and windows, with an emphasis on geometric pattern and symmetry. Wrights designs were remarkable for their unification of different component parts and ideas, whi

Classical American Pragmatism and Assisted Suicide :: Euthanasia Suicide Death Essays

Classical American Pragmatism and Assisted Suicide ABSTRACT: Helping people to die may involve killing and/or alleviation of pain in a dying person. A dual commitment to the avoidance of killing and the alleviation of pain raises the question of whether these two ways of helping people are always compatible. This paper addresses the question through use of sources in classical American pragmatism and contemporary bioethics. First, I apply Charles Peirce’s notion of pragmatism to the concept of killing through consideration of the empirical consequences of alternative interpretations. James Rachels’ account of the distinction between active and passive euthanasia is critiqued in this analysis. Second, I examine what it means to relieve pain by relating Jane Addams’ concept of maternal nurturance to an ethic of care and opposition to killing. Utilizing these concepts, I apply William James’ notion of pragmatism as a method of mediating or straddling different theoretical approaches to resolve the apparent in compatibility between pain relief and the avoidance of killing. To address social concerns raised by the practice of helping people to die, I propose a corrective insight of Addams, along with John Dewey, about the role of the philosopher as social critic. Thus understood, pragmatism is a means of avoiding abuses that may occur in the process. I conclude that so long as permissive practices are restrained sufficiently to avoid injustices, it is morally both possible and desirable to resist killing while relieving pain. Here is the doubt that triggers my inquiry: I have two beliefs that are apparently at odds. The first is that we should never kill; the second, that we should always attempt to alleviate pain. The apparent conflict between these beliefs arises from the fact that death may constitute the ultimate pain relief. Certain caveats attach to both beliefs. For example, killing in self-defense or to save others’ lives is acceptable, (1) and inflicting pain through medical interventions in order to cure or restore function is also acceptable. (2) In general, however, both beliefs dispose me, as Peirce would put it, (3) to distinct plans or habits of action: avoidance of killing and provision of pain relief. In health care, the commitment never to kill implies that euthanasia is wrong, and the commitment to alleviate pain demands actions that may hasten the dying process. The question that arises from these two commitments is whether both can be sustained simultaneously. Can I always and in every case avoid killing and alleviate pain?