Time is money Essay Example for Free

Time is money Essay Indeed, however the concepts of â€Å"time† and â€Å"money† are closely related, they are not equal. Some people complain about the lack of money, but do not know how to kill their time, while others earn decent amount of money, but cannot find a minute of free time. In the formula, â€Å"time is money† – there is great wisdom, which, however, is formulated too generally. As well as money, time is a resource. However, this is a unique resource. Time, unlike money, you cannot borrow, save, or pile it up for future use. Therefore, the problem is not how much time we have, but how we use it. People, who do not know how to manage their time, are in constant tension. Not surprisingly, the time it is never enough. Experienced businessmen say, â€Å"If you cannot manage your time, you will not be able to control anything else. † The rational organization of time can put in front of us a lot of problems, but at the same time open up tremendous prospects. People, who do not know how to manage their time, can to reflect on his past for hours and months, regretting missed opportunities. If you look objectively, it is quite pointless, because the past cannot be changed. All that we can do is to build our future. One who has wasted his time, and not studied, will not be able to pass in spite of being clever. So our success or failure depends on the right use of time. People have become famous and rich by making good use of time. Research workers and scientists use their time to improve the lot of human beings. By making proper use of their time, they become famous. So also merchants and professionals, who work hard, make a lot of money. They know how to make good use of their time. Knowing how precious time is we should never waste time, but make good use of it. Home Is Where the Heart Is I personally think that home is a small world where one lives according to his/her own rules. Its a place where you feel comfort, warmth and reliability. And I believe that its not the size of the place where you live that matters, but the way you feel about it. And if your house is not just a building for you but a place that you can call home, it means that you want to stay there as long as possible and its a place where you always want to return to. The importance of home is depicted in languages of all the nations: we say East or West, home is best , the English say My home is my castle. Home is a place that awakens the most pleasant feelings and high emotions in soul of every person. Always after a hard day I return home and think At last I came home. For me there is no place like home. Im sure that home of a person is as much a reflection of his personality, as the clothes he wears, the food he eats, the books he reads and the friends he spends his time with. Homes reflect the way of life and habits of their owners. Even after the first few minutes in our flat you can understand all hospitality and friendliness of this place and the family which lives there. Our flat is very warm and cosy, so it makes any person feel at home. Its the place where I wake up every morning to the refreshing smell of coffee from the kitchen and where every day of my life starts, thats why it is so important for me. My home, my sweet home Sometimes after a long journey I return home with such pleasure and happiness, that I feel myself like a baby that returns to its mother. I love every corner and every thing in my flat. My home is my fortress, it is my territory, my place where I feel good and comfortable. And nobody can disturb me here. If you are in Rome, do like Romans â€Å"When in Rome, do as the Romans do† is the famous axiom of St Ambrose, the very famous bishop of Milan in the 4th century. He advises that people should follow the traditional customs and decency of country where they choose to live. The knowledge about culture and customs of another country bring many benefits for immigrants. They can know the positive things they should do and the negative things they must avoid. This knowledge also makes them feel more freedom in a strange country. Nowadays, many people have been using this axiom as a motto to achieve the success in their life, especially immigrants and overseas students. However, some people do not agree with this axiom. This essay considers the statement and argues that it is correct. Some people from the opposition force are temporary visitors as overseas students or businessmen and they say it is not necessary for them to follow the customs and behaviour of their hosts. One of their reasons is since they are always busy with their works, they do not have enough time to learn all the customs and how to behave in the right way in other countries. Moreover, their time spends to study or work overseas is just about two or three years, so it is not matter whether they follow the customs and behaviour of the foreign countries where they live. However, both businessmen and overseas students cannot work or study without communication with local people. Overseas student often must contact with teacher and classmates, while businessmen often do business with local companies or local customers. Therefore, trying to get used to customs will help them to accommodate to new environment. Even if overseas students and businessmen just study and work for a short time in other countries, they still have to understand the local community. It is very helpful for their study and business. Moreover, following the custom shows the respect for local people, and it helps visitors receive the admiration from host. I agree to this statement but to some extent I disagree to this proverb. Every culture has their own ways of celebrating their happiness and sad moments. For example, in Indian culture, weddings are considered to be one of the biggest events in the family and it goes on for 3 days. If an american or British attends such events in traditional Indian wear and appreciates the culture, the local people will be more than happy to accept them and involve them in every rituals. Similarly if an Indian attends an american or British wedding happily like other american and British people, the locals will be delighted and they will accept Indian culture openly. Every culture has its positive and Negative aspects. We should accept the positive aspects , however, the negative aspect can not be ignored. Some cultures are very strict and sensitive about their religion and their way of life. For example, Muslims follow their religion strictly and their religion prohibits consumption of pork in their food. Their sentiments should be respected and they should not be offered pork in their meals. However, accepting and following other culture is a threat to our own culture as well. we tend to lose our own traditions and beliefs in an attempt to follow and embrace other cultures. Future generation will not learn their real tradition and culture and in this process, there is a chance that we will lost our own values.

Animal Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Animal Behaviour Essay Animals and their behaviour has been fascinating to behold and even more incredible to experience. Humans have been intrigued at how the most basic creatures can do the most complex things. Ethology or the scientific study of animal behaviour is responsible for numerous breakthroughs in the understanding of the animal world, and in turn the human one. Animal behaviour can range from being altruistic, to funny, to being lessons in teamwork and commitment. Dolphins have been observed to help sick or injured animals, swimming under them for hours at a time and pulling them to the surface so they can breathe. Male emperor penguins form a huddle during the cold and dark winter months where from tens to thousands of penguins lean on each other and gradually shift positions to obtain maximum warmth from the core of the huddle. Geese fly in a V formation as a flock to increase flight efficiency by 71% compared to one goose flying alone. Malaysian ants blow themselves up into a thousand bits of organic dust if they sense a threat to their colony. Elephants are known to mourn their dead. They stand around the body for days and pay respects to the dead elephant by touching their trunks to its body. Many animals, from earthworms to apes, are capable of learned behavior. They can alter their instinctive behavior by drawing on past experiences. With the help of technology, today scientists are able to find out much more about animal behaviour and the ways animals interact. If scientists in the Smithsonian can teach orangutans simple language using computers they can also find out if other animals think like humans. The knowledge they gain will help save wildlife and prevent endangered species from disappearing. So lets hear it for the creepies and crawlies, the slimies and furries who have successfully learnt to establish and protect territories, find food and water, court, mate, reproduce, nurture their young, and play in a mind-boggling array of conditions far beyond our fragile human capacity. â€Å"God gave unto the animals wisdom past our power to see: Each knows innately how to live. Which we must learn laboriously†.

Literature on the Caste system in India

Literature on the Caste system in India There is a vast literature on Caste system in India with a long and diverse background. This chapter aims to review some of the relevant literatures pertaining to the caste system prevailing in India. Different authors might have varied perceptions about this particular topic for discussion. According to Louis Dumont (1980) in his book Homo Hierarchicus which has details about the caste system and its implication, demonstrates that Indian society was structured on a firm notion of hierarchy that was based on the relationship between the pure and the impure. It is more of a religious than a political or economic notion. He defines hierarchy as the principle by which the elements of a whole are ranked in relation to the whole, it being understood that in the majority of societies it is religion which provides the view of the whole, and that the ranking will thus be religious in nature(Dumont,L.1980). He also points out the prevalence of traditional hierarchy which was based on varnas or colours whereby people were divided into four categories namely Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Sudras and; untouchables are outside the classification. M.N.Srinivas (1962) in his book Caste in Modern India and Other Essays, highlights the part played by caste in democratic processes of modern India in administration and education. The author came across certain conflicting attitudes among the people of the elite class whereby one group wanted legislation to eradicate the social evils pertaining to the caste system and on the other hand, there were people who were not only determined not to fight the evil but also tried to practise this system. In his work he tries to explain the concepts of two social processes namely Sanskritization and Westernization. Sankritization is the part of social mobility as well as the idiom in which mobility expresses itself. This is said to occur within the framework of caste whereas Westernization happens outside the framework of caste. However, Sanskritisation may lead to castes becoming unpopular with their neighbours whereby the leaders of upper or dominant caste may show their bitterness by even to rturing the members of the lower castes. In independent India, the reservations and safeguards granted to the backwards sections especially the Scheduled Caste and Tribes have helped in the upliftment of the lower caste. He also brings into notice the effects of British rule on the caste system which in a way helped in taking over the power previously exercised by the caste panchayats. A new principle of justice was introduced by the British which said all men are equal before the law, and that the nature of a wrong is not affected by the caste of a person who is committing it, or by the caste of the person against whom it is committed (M.N.Srinivas, 1962). This has not been fully followed in the rural areas where caste panchayats are still functioning strongly. The author argues that the Varna system has certainly warped the caste but it has enabled ordinary folks to comprehend the caste system by providing them with a simple and candid system that is applicable to all parts of Ind ia. To the question of can castes exists in the India of tomorrow the author opines that only a minority considers caste as an evil to the whole nation and that this minority is gradually increasing every day. Moreover in rural areas it is possible to come across urbanized young people who consider caste detrimental to healthy relations between people. He concludes by saying that nothing else but the people themselves must understand that caste necessarily means casteism and that benefits it offers are bought at a heavy price for the country as a whole. Taya.Zinkin (1962) in her book Caste Today describes the caste system in India. She considers its origin, the way it works, what democracy is doing to caste and vice versa. In her work she states that caste is not class and that every caste has educated and uneducated, rich and poor, well born and ordinary born. The author also says that caste is not dependent on colour because a Brahmin will not stop being a Brahmin if he is black skinned nor does an untouchable stop being one if he is fair skinned. She also argues that caste is not based on occupation, however various other literatures may not completely agree to what this author states. According to her caste is a way of life which divides society into small groups, each of which lives in a rather different way from the rest. Due to these differences, tiny groups and important aspects of life like marriage take place within them, these groups have immense control of power and thus a better survival. Before she goes into the detail s of castes, sub- castes and untouchability she tries to explain the concept of re- incarnation. It is said that the whole system is based upon a combination of status fixed by birth and rebirth. This means that a persons birth in the existing life depends on the consequences of his deeds done in past life i.e. if one performs his duties well complying with what he is supposed to do then he may be reborn in a better situation or not be reborn at all. Marriage customs vary with castes and sub-castes. Untouchables usually make late marriages unlike the Brahmins who make early arranged child marriages. Finally Tan Zinkin(1962) talks about the beginnings of the breakdown and the loss of belief of the Hindu society. Change of attitudes among the castes and sub-castes were witnessed. More recently, loss of belief has been the result, of the spread of education to the rural areas. With education came an arousing of new expectations, which through much of the Indian peninsula produced a new non-Brahmanical leadership, a leadership which was not only non- Brahmin but positively anti -Brahmin (Tan Zinkin, 1962.pp38). Tan Zinkin has been pretty much argumentative on the concept of caste. She strongly says what caste in not rather than what caste is. The theory about re incarnation has helped me to know more about the birth and rebirth cycle with regard to the caste system. Marc Galanter (1963.pp 544-559) in his article Law and Caste in Modern India focuses on caste and laws pertaining to it during the British rule in India. He describes the way in which the legal rules and regulations affect the caste as an institution. The legal view of caste is explained under three headings namely personal law, caste autonomy and precedence and disabilities. First being legal rights and obligations of a person which is determined by the identity of the caste group to which he belongs. During the British period caste was little used for the occurrence of legal regulation and moreover all castes irrespective of their ranks had to follow the same rights and duties. However caste customs varied when it came to law of succession, law of adoption and law of marriage. Marriages between different castes or varnas were not allowed. Caste autonomy conferred some right to the caste groups to enforce certain rules which were not disturbed by the government. Precedence and disab ilities dealt with the legal interventions with regard to the relations between castes. Courts imposed certain rules such as restriction on the entry of a particular caste into temples. This shows that even though the British did help in reducing the caste discrimination, on the other hand they ended up aggravating it to a certain extent. The author also talks about the independent India where the higher castes have lost their dominance over legal matters and moreover the lower ahs castes have acquired certain government benefits regarding equality and other preferential treatments. Marc Galanter (1963) concludes this essay by saying that British period may be considered as a period ofSanskritzation in legal notion of caste. (1963.pp559) Caste- based oppression in India lives today in an environment seemingly hostile to its presence: a nation-state that has long been labelled the worlds Largest democracy, a progressive and protective constitution; a system of laws designed to proscribe and punish acts of a discrimination on the basis of caste; broad- based programmes of affirmative action that include constitutionally mandated reservations or quotas for Dalits or so- called Untouchables; and a aggressive economic liberalization campaign to fuel Indias economic growth. Says Smitha Narula(2008) in her article Equal by Law, Unequal by Caste: The Untouchable Condition in Critical Race Perspective. The author talks about the caste system and the discrimination attached to it and the inequality witnessed in India today focusing on the caste and gender- based discrimination and its impact on the Dalits of India. Dr.Santosh Singh Anant(1972) in his work The Changing Concept of Caste in India enumerates the psychological aspects of caste, inter- caste relations and of untouchability. He comments on the theory of status consistency and it is defined as the extent to which an individuals rank positions on a given hierarchies are at a comparable level (Rush, 1967). A Brahmin working as peon in an office and an untouchable or anyone from the lower caste working as a senior officer would be an apt example for status inconsistency. This is however happening due to the spread of education. He brings in one of the several views about the origin of caste system which dates back to 1500 B.C with the advent of Aryans from Central Asia. According to Nehru (1960) The Dravdians were the conquered race and Aryans the conquerors. Since the Dravidians were advanced in their civilization, Aryans considered them to be a potential threat to them. This is considered to be one of reasons why Aryans tried to push th e Dravidians to an inferior position and thus created the theory of four- Varnas or the caste system. The author also points out that socio-economic factors such as education, industrialization, and increase in mobility have abated the rate of discrimination of caste system. Sree Narayana Guru the Ascetic Who Changed the Lunatic Asylum into Gods Own Country is a biography written by Murkot Ramunny about a saint who lived in Kerala state in the Southern part of India. Narayana Guru was a philosopher as well as reformer who immensely contributed to the upliftment of lower castes in Kerala. He helped in bringing about freedom of prayer and education to millions of under privileged in Kerala. It is due to his selfless service to the society that Kerala has attained 100 percent literacy rate compared to other states in India. The author in his article informs us that, even the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi paid him a visit and took inspiration from Guru for the social Upliftment of the lower casts or Harijans (Untouchables). One caste one religion one god for man was his motto. It is years since I left caste and religion. Even then some people are working on presumption that I belong to their community. As a result, a wrong impression has been created in the minds of the people. I do not belong to any caste or religion. In order that only people who do not belong to any caste or religion should succeed me (Narayana Guru, 1091). This piece of literature has helped me in this dissertation to know more about the caste system prevalent in the state of Kerala. According to Harsh Mandir, in his article Burning Baskets of Shame (2010 August 9.pp3), he illustrates a real incident of manual scavenging which had happened in India couple of years back. The statistics shown by him in this article concerning the number of people doing manual scavenging was about 6.4 lacs according to the Planning Commission in 1995. He describes about a campaign named Safai Karmchari Andolan (SKA) which was started as a non-violent mass resistance to end this hideous practice of Manual Scavenging. This campaign was started by an individual who himself was born into a scavenging family who witnessed this abhorring practice from his childhood. As reported by Harsh Mandir in this article SKA is the first movement to end Untouchability in India. But it should be right to say that this was one of the many movements which had taken place in different part of India during different period. In the article The Indian Caste System by Madhudvisa Dasa (August 9, 2010) he tries to explain the caste system in relation to what has been written in the ancient scriptures. He quotes certain ideas from the Holy Book of Hindus, The Bhagavad Gita. The author sheds some light on theVedas, which says that the Varnas or castes are not differentiated on the basis of birth but my mere qualification (Guna) and work (karma). He assumes that the present caste system has degenerated to the extent that people consider men born in Brahmin families as a Brahmin even if he does not exhibit the qualities of a Brahmin. The author agrees to the fact that one takes rebirth according to his past deeds or karma but at the same time he says that in order to become a Brahmin adequate training is required and that it is not conferred automatically by birth as seen in the present generation. Indias hidden apartheid (UNESCO Courier, 2001.pp27-29); an article written by Gopal Guru and Shiraz Sidhva criticizes the abhorrent caste system in India. The article opens with a note which says Indias ancient caste system persists, subjecting millions to degrading poverty and human rights abuses. Attitudes die hard, despite government legislations to usher in change. They comment on the caste system as a means of deployment by the upper caste to suppress the lower caste and thus attain a monopoly over the wealth, knowledge, power and education. The extent of discrimination was immense that these so called untouchables were forced to use drums in order to announce their arrival so that the upper caste is not polluted even by their shadow falling on them. This article informs us that the term untouchables was abolished in 1950 under the constitution of India but there still exists a glimpse of discrimination against them. India has however tried to reduce the discrimination by reserv ing quotas and reservations for the lower castes in education and for government jobs. Caste in doubt: The Indian Census and Caste (2010.June 12, pp46), an article which had been recently published in The Economist has details about the reservations and quotas being introduced for the lower castes. This article also brings into notice the issue relating to the inclusion of caste system in the census which is to be declared in the ten yearly plan in 2011. However this had been faced with criticisms because since 1931 India has not counted caste in the census. Moreover it is impossible for it be included in the census because Indias caste system has not only the four Varnas but also various other sub-castes which may not be evidently recognised by the authorities. In spite of certain obstacles, the economic growth of the country has contributed to the lessening of discrimination on the basis of caste because a number of individuals have moved from the rigid social surroundings to the urban towns and cities in search of jobs where family background is irrelevant. Many Ind ians are becoming caste- blind and marrying across caste lines. Anidhrudda, a 20 year old software engineer in Calcutta, says his inter-caste marriage was no big deal. But even he concedes that there are limits. If he had married a dalit, he says, my family would not have been able to face the society' (The Economist, 2010.pp46). Leaders: Untouchables and Unthinkable; Indian Business (The Economist.2007.pp17) is an article which highlights the point that says that Indian business does not discriminate against the Untouchables or lower castes. Moreover, it condemns the practice of reservation in private sector because it would damage the whole business system. Responsibility for lower castes lack of advancement does not lie with the private sector. There is no evidence that companies discriminate against them. The real culprit is government and the rotten educational system it has created (The Economist.2007.pp17).It is not possible to have reservations in Business like they have it educational systems. This article says that as people get richer their concern about the caste fades. Nowadays middle class Indian families are to be seen marrying outside their caste than the rural poor and less likely to wrinkle their nose at a Dalit. Harold A. Gould in his work The Adaptive Functions of Caste in Contemporary India (1963.pg427) informs us that caste has not fully disappeared even with the advent of modern technology and other social structural changes. His research found out that in rural areas, the existence of caste in the form of ritual purity, occupation, and system of hierarchy still exists in its own way. In contemporary India, however caste system has not disappeared completely but has declined in the urban areas among the educated middle class families. From the above review of Literature and from various other reliable sources it can be understood that it is not possible to witness an India without a small aspect of Caste system. This is because it has been deeply rooted in the minds of Indians since ages and it still continues in certain spheres of their life. Caste system has been a topic of great interest to the Westerners as it fascinates them about the two ideologies- of caste system being important and not being important, existing within the same country and people. Recent articles from The Economist which are mentioned above, mainly talks about the reservations and quotas based on caste rather than discriminating against them on the basis of ritual purity and occupation. However it is not completely true to say that caste system has vanished from the Indian society. Educated Indians know that caste exists, but they are unclear and troubled about what it means for them as members of the society that is a part of the modern w orld. No one can say that it is easy to give a clear and consistent account of the meaning and significance of caste in India today (Fuller.C.J, 1996.Caste Today.pp153)

Mainstreaming Should be the Parents Decision Essay -- Argumentative Pe

Mainstreaming Should be the Parents Decision    Integrating children with handicaps into regular classrooms (also known as mainstreaming) has been a huge issue in education systems recently. The goal of mainstreaming is providing the most appropriate and beneficial education to a child in the least restrictive setting and so the question of where the children with handicaps benefit the most is the question that is the hardest to answer. In the 1960's there was no question. No one even thought about taking a child with a handicap out of special education and placing them within a regular classroom. But now, partly because of parent's requests, select school districts are mainstreaming. The debate over mainstreaming being good or bad can be easily taken from either side. The severity of the handicap and how great the need is for extra help play an important part in determining if placing a child with a mental handicap into a regular classroom would benefit the child the most. But in a case of a handicap such as Downs Syn drome, a regular classroom setting is not the best possible place for that child. Therefore, special education is the best choice. A classic story about the advantages and disadvantages of mainstreaming was told in a segment of "Turning Point." The segment focused around two young boys, both with Downs Syndrome, who were place in two different schools for the duration of a year. Bobby had returned to his school for the mentally handicapped while Sean's mother had fought to get him out of that school and placed into a regular classroom in a public school. The segment followed each of the boys' experience and progress throughout the year. The greatest benefit of special education, s... ...has gotten a little better with hitting and kicking, but it is still a big problem. Sean gets frustrated when he can't do something so he takes it out on someone else by being violent. This cases concern among the parents of the regular children. They have a feeling that Sean can be distracting to the other students and so cause the teachers to pay less attention to them and more to Sean. Mainstreaming will be an important issue in education in years to come. It is hard to say if mainstreaming is good or bad since I think it differs with every case. For someone with only a speech impairment, mainstreaming may be the right thing to do. It should be up to the parent to decide what they feel is best for their child. Although I disagree that Sean is getting the most by being in a regular classroom, his mother feels differently and I respect her choices.

West Side Story Essay -- essays research papers

West Side Story   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this musical, it uses several types of narratives, for example, after the fight between the Jets and Puerto Ricans, after the police leave, they enter the ally and the girl is begging to join the gang saying how much she wants to fight is a part of narrative sexuality (B 34). The girl is more of a tom boy who wants to be like one of the guys.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also, in the West Side Story, it uses many camera angles and distances. One example is the high-angle shot (B 49). In the very beginning the camera shows an overview of the West Side. I think that is shows this because it gives the audience a perspective on how large the West Side is. It also shows a distance shot (B 49) when the police arrive to the fight scene where the...

Dual Structure in Japan :: essays papers

Dual Structure in Japan What do you understand by the term â€Å"dual structure of an economy†? How do you explain the dual structure of manufacturing industry in Japan? The word â€Å"dual† has the meaning of double, twofold or in two parts according to The Australian Oxford Dictionary (1996). Applying the word to an economic context, I would describe the term â€Å"dual structure of an economy† to indicate the co-existence of two different sectors alongside each other with disparities in technology and productivity between them. Take for instance, the existence of a traditional primary sector along with a modern non-primary sector constitutes to a â€Å"dual structure†. Duality can exist within a particular sector of the economy. The existence of traditional subsistence agriculture alongside export agriculture among the Southeast Asian countries during colonial period is an example of duality within a sector. Minami (1994, p.239) defined â€Å"dual structure† to mean the existence of two distinct sectors; one that has modern technology, a high capital-labour ratio, high labour productivity and wages, against another one, which has all the opposite characteristics. Therefore, one can infer that if large-scale industries with high capital intensity (K) were promoted at the stage in which labour supply (L) is relatively abundant then differentials in labour productivity (Y/L) and the wage rate would arise and lead to a dual structure. For Japan, three characteristics of the economy indicated the existence of a â€Å"dual structure†. First, the coexistence of a very low unemployment rates and continued low incomes in agricultural and small business. Second, the existence of large (â€Å"industrial giants†) and small scale firms within the manufacturing sector. Third, the existence of peculiar characteristics of the labour market such as enterprise unions, wages differentials according to the size of the firm and long term employment (Odaka, 1967 p.50). Furthermore, duality existed in the manufacturing sector too. In general, â€Å"dual structure† of the Japanese economy began before the Second World War as seen in a widening of income differential between agricultural and non-agricultural. The widening income differential was due to two main reasons. Firstly, productivity differential widen as productivity in the industrial sector increases faster due to relative ease in technology borrowing than productivity in agriculture. Secondly, the existence of surplus labour in traditional industries has tended to hinder increases in productivity due to limited arable land for agriculture so the farmland area per worker increased very slightly.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare †Ophelia Character Analysis Essay

Even as a minor character in the play Hamlet, the character Ophelia plays a vital part in the development of both the plot and thematic ideas. However, Ophelia is an extremely complicated character as she can be read in many different ways. This in effect causes the readers or audience to be more insightful and gain a greater understanding of the plot and thematic ideas in the play such as â€Å"Love and Loyalty,† and â€Å"Madness.† When exploring the character of Ophelia we must take into consideration personal beliefs, knowledge and outside criticisms which may affect our reading of the character. For example, if the reader analyses Ophelia’s character from the perspective of feminism, concerned with the equal rights and fair treatment of women, or historical context, an understanding of what it was like in the period of time the play was both written and set; their views of the character will differ, which then causes the reader to have a more in depth unders tanding of the plot and themes. Ophelia is present in only a few scenes of the play. This is due to the fact that when the play was written in the Elizabethan period females were considered to be very â€Å"private† sort of people. There job was to stay home, look after the family and complete the housework. They were not allowed to perform and therefore there are very few female characters in Shakespeare’s plays. If a play did consist of female characters they were generally played by young boys, which effectively caused restrictions and limitations amongst characterisation. Using feminism makes it possible to believe that Ophelia is not to pose as a main character of the play, but to act as a â€Å"foil,† to help the audience understand the more important characters in the play. Hamlet’s madness and Ophelia’s feelings of love for both Hamlet and her father are prime examples of the use of Ophelia as a foil. In both instances she is being used to help the audience identify the emotions and discrepancies of Hamlet and her father. Unfortunately, as Ophelia’s presence is limited it is believed that her character, although important, is poorly developed and therefore provides readers with the opportunity to make up their own judgement. Ophelia can be argued as a character that despite her beauty is weak, frail and easily controlled. Her lack of self confidence makes her an easy target for Hamlet’s abuse. Ophelia has a very connected relationship with her brother, Laertes, and father, Polonius, but unfortunately she allows them to tell her how to live her life. An example of this is where Laertes warns Ophelia against having a relationship with Hamlet: _For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favour,_ _Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,_ _A violet in the youth of primy nature,_ _Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,_ _The perfume and suppliance of a minute,_ _No more._ (Act 1: Scene 3 lines 5-10) He suggests to Ophelia that Hamlet may not actually love her, he just wants a girlfriend because that is the â€Å"fashionable† thing to do. That is what everyone else his age is doing and therefore it is not true everlasting love. Furthermore, Polonius uses his â€Å"parental power† to convince Ophelia that she is too young and doesn’t understand that her decision to go with Hamlet would be a bad option. He also explains to Ophelia that as they are noble, continuing her relationship with hamlet will affect not only her life but also the lives of her family members: _Marry, well bethought._ _’Tis told me he hath very oft of late_ _Given private time to you, and you yourself_ _Have of your audience been most free and bounteous._ _If it be so – as so ’tis put on me,_ _And that in way of caution – I must tell you_ _You do not understand yourself so clearly_ _As it behoves my daughter and your honour._ _What is between you? Give me up the truth._ (Act 1: Scene 3 lines 90-98) These two situations both demonstrate the theme of â€Å"Love and Loyalty.† In both instances Ophelia is being warned against her love for Hamlet. She is put in the situation of having to choose between her love for Hamlet or her loyalty to her family. However, as the play continues so does the situation between â€Å"Love and Loyalty,† and we begin to notice that Ophelia lacks an identity of her own. She is dependant on the men in her life as is evident in Act 3: Scene 2 (line 126), where she states â€Å"I think nothing, my Lord.† At this point she has been hurt so badly and is so confused that she doesn’t consider her thoughts to be important. Unfortunately, as time goes on the conflicts continue and Ophelia is forced to choose loyalty over love causing her to go into a state of madness. Madness is a theme evident throughout the entire text. It is evident in Hamlet, Ophelia, Polonius and Laertes. When discussing Ophelia’s character, her madness is almost always at the centre of controversy. Some people believe that Ophelia’s madness was caused by â€Å"erotomania,† which the Elizabethans referred to as â€Å"female love-melancholy.† Ophelia has also been interpreted as a young girl who â€Å"felt† too much and somehow allowed theses feelings to overcome her. It would be quite simple for such an action to drive a person to madness, just as Ophelia was driven mad. If this was the  cause of her madness it suggests that it stemmed from some sort of frustrated erotic passion between herself and Hamlet. However, a more interesting suggestion is that Ophelia’s madness was caused by the death of her father or more importantly, the removal from all the male connections of the hierarchy. Ophelia was living in a patriarchal world where women were extremely dependant on men. Once all the men in Ophelia’s life were gone she could not cope as she relied on them for advice and direction. If this is the case Ophelia then becomes the victim. This type of madness no doubt causes a different reaction by the audience toward the character. Instead of being just some lovesick girl who drove herself insane, Ophelia becomes the â€Å"innocent† woman who loved her father so dearly that someone else has caused her grief and driven her mad. However, when taking the perspective of a feminist we begin to see the â€Å"madwoman† as a heroine, a powerful figure that rebels against both the family and social order. At first glance Ophelia seems like a simple character. However, an in depth reading of her character proves otherwise. Although Ophelia can be argued as a woman who is weak, frail and ultimately driven to madness by the death of her father and her love for Hamlet, an understanding of feminism and historical context helps the audience to better understand Ophelia’s complicated character which can have multiple readings. However, as a poorly developed character we are able to make our own judgement and hypothesise the plot and thematic ideas. In essence, Ophelia’s character is just like a book in which you â€Å"choose your own ending.† Her character is both limited and incomplete. Therefore, in order to gain an understanding of the plot and the thematic ideas of, â€Å"Love and Loyalty,† and â€Å"Madness,† we must create a complete perception of Ophelia. However, no matter what interpretation you choose, you will still come out in the end with a wom an represented poorly.