Clear Vision In King Lear Essays (1322 words) - King Lear

Clear Vision in King Lear Clear Vision in King Lear In Shakespeare's classic tragedy, King Lear, the issue of sight and its relevance to clear vision is a recurring theme. Shakespeare's principal means of portraying this theme is through the characters of Lear and Gloucester. Although Lear can physically see, he is blind in the sense that he lacks insight, understanding, and direction. In contrast, Gloucester becomes physically blind but gains the type of vision that Lear lacks. It is evident from these two characters that clear vision is not derived solely from physical sight. Lear's failure to understand this is the principal cause of his demise, while Gloucester learns to achieve clear vision, and consequently avoids a fate similar to Lear's. Throughout most of King Lear, Lear's vision is clouded by his lack of insight. Since he cannot see into other people's characters, he can never identify them for who they truly are. When Lear is angered by Cordelia, Kent tries to reason with Lear, who is too stubborn to remain open-minded. Lear responds to Kent's opposition with, "Out of my sight!," to which Kent responds, "See better, Lear, and let me still remain" (I.i.160). Here, Lear is saying he never wants to see Kent again, but he could never truly see him for who he was. Kent was only trying to do what was best for Lear, but Lear could not see that. Kent's vision is not clouded, as is Lear's, and he knows that he can remain near Lear as long as he is in disguise. Later, Lear's vision is so superficial that he is easily duped by the physical garments and simple disguise that Kent wears. Lear cannot see who Kent really. He only learns of Kent's noble and honest character just prior to his death, when his vision is cleared. By this time, however, it is too late for an honest relationship to be salvaged. Lear's vision is also marred by his lack of direction in life, and his poor foresight, his inability to predict the consequences of his actions. He cannot look far enough into the future to see the consequences of his actions. This, in addition to his lack of insight into other people, condemns his relationship with his most beloved daughter, Cordelia. When Lear asks his daughters who loves him most, he already thinks that Cordelia has the most love for him. However, when Cordelia says, "I love your Majesty/According to my bond, no more nor less" (I.i.94-95), Lear cannot see what these words really mean. Goneril and Regan are only putting on an act. They do not truly love Lear as much as they should. When Cordelia says these words, she has seen her sisters' facade, and she does not want to associate her true love with their false love. Lear, however, is fooled by Goneril and Regan into thinking that they love him, while Cordelia does not. Kent, who has sufficient insight, is able to see through the dialogue and knows that Cordelia is the only daughter who actually loves Lear. He tries to convince Lear of this, saying, "Answer my life my judgment,/Thy youngest daughter does not love thee least" (I.i.153-154). Lear, however, lacks the insight that Kent has. He only sees what is on the surface, and cannot understand the deeper intentions of the daughters' speeches. As his anger grows from the argument, his foresight diminishes as he becomes increasingly rash and narrow minded . When Lear disowns Cordelia, he says, "we/Have no such daughter, nor shall ever see/That face of hers again" (I.i.264-266). He cannot see far enough into the future to understand the consequences of this action. Ironically, he later discovers that Cordelia is the only daughter he wants to see, asking her to "forget and forgive" (IV.vii.85). By this time, he has finally started to gain some direction, and his vision is cleared, but it is too late for his life to be saved. His lack of precognition had condemned him from the beginning. Lear depicts Shakespeare's theme of clear vision by demonstrating that physical sight does not guarantee clear sight. Gloucester depicts this theme by demonstrating clear vision, despite the total lack of physical sight. Prior to the loss of his eyes, Gloucester's vision was much like Lear's. He could not see what was truly going on around him. Instead, he only saw what was presented to him on the surface. When Edmund shows him the letter that is supposedly from Edgar, it takes very little convincing for Gloucester to believe it. As soon as Edmund mentions that Edgar could

The Battle of Bataan - World War II

The Battle of Bataan - World War II Battle of Bataan - Conflict Dates: The Battle of Bataan was fought January 7 to April 9, 1942, during World War II (1939-1945). Forces Commanders Allies General Douglas MacArthurLieutenant General Jonathan WainwrightMajor General Edward King79,500 men Japanese Lieutenant General Masaharu Homma75,000 men Battle of Bataan - Background: Following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Japanese aircraft began conducting an aerial assault on American forces in the Philippines. In addition, troops moved against Allied positions on Hong Kong and Wake Island. In the Philippines, General Douglas MacArthur, commanding United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), began making preparations to defend the archipelago from the inevitable Japanese invasion. This included calling up numerous Filipino reserve divisions. Though MacArthur initially sought to defend the entire island of Luzon, prewar War Plan Orange 3 (WPO-3) called for USAFFE to withdraw to the highly defensible ground of the Bataan Peninsula, west of Manila, where it would hold out until relieved by the US Navy. Due to the losses sustained at Pearl Harbor, this was unlikely to occur. Battle of Bataan - The Japanese Land: On December 12, Japanese forces began landing at Legaspi in southern Luzon. This was followed by a larger effort in the north at Lingayen Gulf on December 22. Coming ashore, elements of Lieutenant General Masaharu Hommas 14th Army began driving south against Major General Jonathan Wainwrights Northern Luzon Force. Two days after the landings at Lingayen commenced, MacArthur invoked WPO-3 and began shifting supplies to Bataan while Major General George M. Parker prepared the peninsulas defenses. Steadily pushed back, Wainwright retreated through a succession of defensive lines over the next week. To the south, Major General Albert Jones Southern Luzon Force fared little better. Concerned about Wainwrights ability to keep the road to Bataan open, MacArthur directed Jones to move around Manila, which had been declared an open city, on December 30. Crossing the Pampanga River on January 1, the SLF moved towards Bataan while Wainwright desperately held a line between Borac and Guagua. On January 4, Wainwright began retreating towards Bataan and three days later USAFFE forces were within the peninsulas defenses. Battle of Bataan - The Allies Prepare: Stretching from north to south, the Bataan Peninsula is mountainous down its spine with Mount Natib in the north and the Mariveles Mountains in the south. Covered in jungle terrain, the peninsulas lowlands stretch to cliffs overlooking the South China Sea in west and beaches in the east along Manila Bay. Due to the topography, the peninsulas only natural harbor is Mariveles at its southern tip. As USAFFE forces assumed their defensive position, roads on the peninsula were limited a perimeter route that ran along the east coast from Abucay to Mariveles and then north up the west coast to Mauban and an east-west route between Pilar and Bagac. Defense of Bataan was divided between two new formations, Wainwrights I Corps in the west and Parkers II Corps in the east. These held a line stretching from Mauban east to Abucay. Due to the open nature of the ground around Abucay, fortifications were stronger in Parkers sector. Both corps commanders anchored their lines on Mount Natib, though th e mountains rugged terrain prevented them from being in direct contact forcing the gap to be covered by patrols. Battle of Bataan - The Japanese Attack: Though the USAFFE was supported by a large amount of artillery, its position was weakened due to a tenuous supply situation. The speed of the Japanese advance had prevented the large scale stockpiling of supplies and the number of troops and civilians on the peninsula exceeded prewar estimates. As Homma prepared to attack, MacArthur repeatedly lobbied leaders in Washington, DC for reinforcements and aid. On January 9, Lieutenant General Akira Nara opened the assault on Bataan when his troops advanced on Parkers lines. Turning back the enemy, II Corps endured heavy attacks for the next five days. By the 15th, Parker, who had committed his reserves, requested assistance from MacArthur. Anticipating this, MacArthur had already put the 31st Division (Philippine Army) and Philippine Division in motion towards II Corps sector. The following day, Parker attempted to counterattack with the 51st Division (PA). Though initially successful, the division later broke allowing the Japanese to threaten II Corps line. On January 17, Parker desperately attempted to restore his position. Mounting a series of attacks over the next five days, he managed to retake much of the lost ground. This success proved brief as intense Japanese air attacks and artillery forced II Corps back. By the 22nd, Parkers left was under threat as enemy forces moved through the rough terrain of Mount Natib. That night, he received orders to retreat south. To the west, Wainwrights corps fared somewhat better against troops led by Major General Naoki Kimura. Holding off the Japanese at first, the situation changed on January 19 when Japanese forces infiltrated behind his lines cutting off supplies to the 1st Regular Division (PA). When efforts to dislodge this force failed, the division was withdrawn and lost most of its artillery in the proces s. Battle of Bataan - Bagac-Orion Line: With the collapse of the Abucay-Mauban Line, USAFFE established a new position running from Bagac to Orion on January 26. A shorter line, it was dwarfed by the heights of Mount Samat which provided the Allies with an observation post overseeing the entire front. Though in a strong position, MacArthurs forces suffered from a lack of capable officers and reserve forces were minimal. As fighting had raged to the north, Kimura dispatched amphibious forces to land on the southwest coast of the peninsula. Coming ashore at Quinauan and Longoskayan Points on the night of January 23, the Japanese were contained but not defeated. Seeking to exploit this, Lieutenant General Susumu Morioka, who had superseded Kimura, dispatched reinforcements to Quinauan on the night of the 26th. Becoming lost, they instead established a foothold on Canas Point. Obtaining additional troops on January 27, Wainwright eliminated the Longoskayan and Quinauan threats. Tenaciously defending Canas Point, the Japanese w ere not expelled until February 13. As the Battle of the Points raged, Morioka and Nara continued assaults on the main USAFFE line. While attacks on Parkers corps were turned back in heavy fighting between January 27 and 31, Japanese forces succeeded in breaching Wainwrights line via the Toul River. Quickly closing this gap, he isolated the attackers into three pockets which were reduced by February 15. As Wainwright was dealing with this threat, a reluctant Homma accepted that he lacked the forces to break MacArthurs defenses. As a result, he ordered his men to fall back to a defensive line on February 8 to await reinforcements. Though a victory that boosted morale, USAFFE continued to suffer from a critical shortage of key supplies. With the situation temporarily stabilized efforts continued to relieve the forces on Bataan and the fortress island of Corregidor to the south. These were largely unsuccessful as only three ships were able to run the Japanese blockade while submarines and aircraft lacked the carrying capa city to bring the needed quantities. Battle of Bataan - Reorganization: In February, the leadership in Washington began to believe that USAFFE was doomed. Unwilling to lose a commander of MacArthurs skill and prominence, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered him to evacuate to Australia. Reluctantly leaving on March 12, MacArthur traveled to Mindanao by PT boat before flying to Australia on a B-17 Flying Fortress. With his departure, USAFFE was reorganized into the United States Forces in the Philippines (USFIP) with Wainwright in overall command. Leadership on Bataan passed to Major General Edward P. King. Though March saw efforts to better train USFIP forces, disease and malnutrition badly depleted the ranks. By April 1, Wainwrights men were living on quarter rations. Battle of Bataan - Fall: To the north, Homma took February and March to refit and reinforce his army. As it regained strength, it began to intensify artillery bombardments of the USFIP lines. On April 3, Japanese artillery unleashed the most intense shelling of the campaign. Later in the day, Homma ordered a massive assault on the 41st Division (PA)s position. Part of II Corps, the 41st was effectively broken by the artillery bombardment and offered little resistance to the Japanese advance. Overestimating Kings strength, Homma moved forward cautiously. Over the next two days, Parker fought desperately to save his crumbling left as King attempted to counterattack north. As II Corps was overwhelmed, I Corps began falling back on the night of April 8. Later that day, seeing that further resistance would be hopeless, King reached out to the Japanese for terms. Meeting with Major General Kameichiro Nagano the next day, he surrendered the forces on Bataan. Battle of Bataan - Aftermath: Though pleased that Bataan had finally fallen, Homma was angry that the surrender did not include the USFIP forces on Corregidor and elsewhere in the Philippines. Massing his troops, he landed on Corregidor on May 5 and captured the island in two days of fighting. With the fall of Corregidor, Wainwright surrendered all remaining forces in the Philippines. In the fighting on Bataan, American and Filipino forces sustained around 10,000 killed and 20,000 wounded while the Japanese sustained approximately 7,000 killed and 12,000 wounded. In addition to the casualties, USFIP lost 12,000 American and 63,000 Filipino soldiers as prisoners. Though suffering from combat wounds, disease, and malnutrition, these prisoners were marched north to prisoner of war camps in what became known as the Bataan Death March. Lacking food and water, prisoners were beaten or bayoneted if they fell behind or were unable to walk. Thousands of USFIP prisoners died before reaching the camps. Following the war, Ho mma was convicted of war crimes relating to the march and was executed on April 3, 1946. Selected Sources: Corregidor Historical Society: BataanHistoryNet: Battle of Bataan - Brigadier General Clyde A. Selleck Commands the Layac LineUS Army: Bataan Death March

Corporate Culture and Performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Corporate Culture and Performance - Assignment Example The present paper has identified that values also control how the different stakeholders of a company interact with each other and how they think and feel about the problems of each other as well as of the entire organization. Culture is variable and can change as per the wishes of its managers or key members. The organization in which I have previously worked is â€Å"ACME† its organizational structure is based on the vertical functional approach. Hence proving that people in departments are grouped according to their skills, expertise and resource use. This is the most basic form of organizational structure which works for the company and helps them achieve greater efficiency through economies of scale. â€Å"ACME† has a tall structure and comparatively a narrow span of control which means that the overall management has been spread along the same level. It has five major departments. 1. Human capital 2. Production 3. Industrial relations 4. Sales and marketing 5. Fin ance and accounting Human capital department are basically responsible for hiring capable workers who match the kind of work profile required. It also deals with providing the employees the benefits, perks, and privileges so that they remain satisfied with the company and remain loyal to it. it also makes an effort to train employees so that they fit the criteria of the newly developing procedures in the company. The human capital department also puts forward the amount of pay and financial resources to be spent on training and so on to the finance department which is then approved by them. The production department is responsible for the overall production of the product. Because ACME is a multinational company, the production facilities are distributed amongst various countries so as to cut the costs. Bottles are usually manufactured in Singapore and delivered across the globe. There are a total of 8 plants in different parts of the country. They are located comparatively close to the major markets like and the central hubs so as to reduce the transportation costs. The industrial relations department is responsible for handling the problems related to the employees. As such problems in the country can have a major impact on the overall production of the company. This includes the problems to deal with labor unions, strikes, and wage issues. Basically, it deals with the problems related to industry so that the production process runs smoothly and more efficiently. The sales and marketing department deals with making the product available in the market and letting people know about it through advertising. It also deals with promotional deals, price cut offers and analyzing the competition from the competitors in the market and responding accordingly. The department also is responsible for making the product or ads culturally sensitive so as to fit in the environment of the country. For example, reducing the price during the festivities season so that its avail able to more people and hence increase sales. The finance and accounting department deals with actual pricing of the product and also on the working out of the cost of production.