A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay: The Identity of Characters

Identity of Characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Where Shakespeare's tragedies will tell the story, chiefly, of a single principal character, this is rarely the case with his comedies. The comedies are more social and deal with groups of characters. In the case of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the principal groups are, at first, introduced severally. Though, one group may interact with another (as when Puck anoints Lysander's eyes, or Titania is in love with Bottom) they retain separate identities. While each of the groups is separate, there are symmetries which appear among them: Theseus and Oberon (and, in a way, Bottom) are rulers and figures of authority in their proper spheres. Hippolyta and Titania are consorts who defy their lords, but ultimately submit to their lordship. Often one pair is to be contrasted with another: the well-matched lovers Lysander and Hermia contrast with the ill-matched Demetrius and Helena (they resemble Pyramus and Thisbe). Even Puck has his human counterpart in Philostrate. The serious strife of the young nobles contrasts with the good fellowship of the mechanicals while it resembles the contention of the fairy rulers. Complete depiction of a complex character (as in Hamlet) is not attempted here, and would be wholly out of place. This is not a fault but reflects the different concern here of the playwright. But we do find very economical portrayal of strong and vivid characters, in Puck, Bottom, Oberon, Titania, Theseus, Helena and Hermia. Of t hese, the first two stand out as among the greatest of Shakespeare's creations. Puck first appears at the start of Act 2, and is rarely off the stage from this point. He is essential to the narrative: he carries out his master's orders obe... ...ically as anything in the tragedies, his anti-greeting ("Ill met by moonlight...") almost a snarl. But his concern for the lovers, and his pity for the ridiculous dotage of Titania show how he is capable of gentler feeling. Theseus' obvious sympathy for Hermia in 1.1, has a parallel in his concern not to belittle the efforts of the mechanicals to celebrate his wedding: "The best in this kind are but shadows, and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them". His prose speaking here might indicate a concern that the workmen should understand him, to lessen their sense of awe. In Theseus, Shakespeare brings dignity and humanity to the familiar mythical hero; in Oberon, he embodies the most benign qualities of Elizabethan woodland sprites in a fairy king more vivid, concrete and passionate than any original of Oberon on whom he may have based his depiction. A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay: The Identity of Characters Identity of Characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Where Shakespeare's tragedies will tell the story, chiefly, of a single principal character, this is rarely the case with his comedies. The comedies are more social and deal with groups of characters. In the case of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the principal groups are, at first, introduced severally. Though, one group may interact with another (as when Puck anoints Lysander's eyes, or Titania is in love with Bottom) they retain separate identities. While each of the groups is separate, there are symmetries which appear among them: Theseus and Oberon (and, in a way, Bottom) are rulers and figures of authority in their proper spheres. Hippolyta and Titania are consorts who defy their lords, but ultimately submit to their lordship. Often one pair is to be contrasted with another: the well-matched lovers Lysander and Hermia contrast with the ill-matched Demetrius and Helena (they resemble Pyramus and Thisbe). Even Puck has his human counterpart in Philostrate. The serious strife of the young nobles contrasts with the good fellowship of the mechanicals while it resembles the contention of the fairy rulers. Complete depiction of a complex character (as in Hamlet) is not attempted here, and would be wholly out of place. This is not a fault but reflects the different concern here of the playwright. But we do find very economical portrayal of strong and vivid characters, in Puck, Bottom, Oberon, Titania, Theseus, Helena and Hermia. Of t hese, the first two stand out as among the greatest of Shakespeare's creations. Puck first appears at the start of Act 2, and is rarely off the stage from this point. He is essential to the narrative: he carries out his master's orders obe... ...ically as anything in the tragedies, his anti-greeting ("Ill met by moonlight...") almost a snarl. But his concern for the lovers, and his pity for the ridiculous dotage of Titania show how he is capable of gentler feeling. Theseus' obvious sympathy for Hermia in 1.1, has a parallel in his concern not to belittle the efforts of the mechanicals to celebrate his wedding: "The best in this kind are but shadows, and the worst are no worse, if imagination amend them". His prose speaking here might indicate a concern that the workmen should understand him, to lessen their sense of awe. In Theseus, Shakespeare brings dignity and humanity to the familiar mythical hero; in Oberon, he embodies the most benign qualities of Elizabethan woodland sprites in a fairy king more vivid, concrete and passionate than any original of Oberon on whom he may have based his depiction.

Relativism in Culture and Morality

It is said that morality is nothing more or less than obeying the rules imposed by one’s own culture. With this in mind, the most fundamental premise is that there must be culture prior to having a morality, or similarly, culture gives way to morality. It is also said that if one’s culture requires that a certain act be done or be refrained from, then doing that act or refraining from doing is one’s moral duty. Thus, doing or refraining from doing things as moral precepts entail the presumption that it should or should not be done because culture espouses that thought. If a certain culture does not prohibit or allow a certain act from being done or otherwise, it must be the case, then, that the act cannot be attributed to any moral boundaries.Moreover, it has also been said that all of one’s moral duties are not absolutely held by all people for there are cultural variations across various civilizations. Suicide in the contemporary times may be an immoral act, but in earlier times the Japanese culture may even allow suicide and treat it as morally required. These things point the idea that there is no encompassing morality transcending time and regional boundaries.As more and more people grow and as nations rise and fall, one can hardly contest the idea that the morality held by the people centuries ago may be found to be obsolete these days. This is in the sense that not only does culture vary among societies. Culture also varies from within these respective societies, evolving with time and thus creating a corresponding paradigm shift in those societies’ perception of morality.How, then, should we treat and differentiate moral relativism and cultural relativism? In order to have a better grasp of the question at hand, it should be noted that the idea of relativism is that nothing can be taken as absolute and that variations are present and indicate that things are relative. The idea of moral relativism then becomes an idea w hich opposes the absoluteness of moral precepts, or of a single arbitrarily given morality as supreme and the only morality held by different societies.On the other hand, cultural relativism would then present itself as an idea which indicates that, in much the same way as moral relativism, no single culture is exactly the same as another culture, and that the idea of a single and unifying culture is bound to be dissolved precisely because cultural variations are present everywhere.The essential difference between cultural and moral relativism stems from the core terms ‘morality’ and ‘culture’. It has been said beforehand that culture gives way to morality and that moral standards are dependent on the cultural foundation of certain societies. This being the case, the difference between morality and culture is that the latter is the foundation of the former and that the former will disintegrate or would have not come into existence without the latter. For in stance, the moral precept that â€Å"cheating is bad† would not have come into what it is when there is no culture which believes in that precept, or when there is no culture which treats it as a moral principle.To put things in another way, the sense of rightness or wrongness is not entirely absolute or binding to all individuals. What is right for an American may not necessarily be right in the sensibilities of and moral doctrines subscribed to by Japanese citizens. It would likewise be not fitting to view and justify the actions of Nigerians from the moral perspective of a Norwegian precisely because what goes for Norwegians only befits Norwegians at least in terms of moral doctrines. The relativism of morality is even truer from within the ranks and files of nations. Even from within societies, not all people have the same moral beliefs, and that their sense of rightness or wrongness does not necessarily fit into a single and unified moral scheme.Apart from the fact that not all people subscribe to the same and exact moral doctrines whether in the past or today, the multiple moral doctrines we have today reinforces the idea that morality emanates from a single cultural system alone. The main premise behind this is that every nation or perhaps every society is culturally unique. It has been said before that culture gives way to morality, and the mere existence of many different moralities only suggest the corresponding idea that all of these moralities came from a single cultural source.Indeed, it would be dangerous to assume that, in one way or another, the moral dogmas of Chinese are entirely related to the moral dogmas of the Afghans, or that these two nations hold the same source for their moral foundations, which is a single culture. Not only is it difficult to comprehend and accept even its hypothetical validity, it is also dangerous precisely because two distinct cultures would essentially put forward their own moral doctrines which blend well enough with the structure and inner workings of their societies.Cultural experiences of individuals also vary, depending on the situation or on the society in which one belongs. For many centuries, civilizations have given birth to people who have strong ties to the culture they grow up with, eventually giving these people a strong sense of attachment to the culture they belong. The best way to understand or at least see the distinctness of a culture is through its people who eventually will signify that no two cultures are exactly the same, although it can be accepted that there may be certain overlapping features or similar characteristics.Yet it must be reminded that being similar does not necessarily mean being the same. Taken collectively, the various cultures may appear to be a large fabric of many different colored patches. The same can also be said about cultural experiences, and the extent of the differences among the specific cultures may extend indefinitely for one solid reason: cultures evolve through time.To say that there is cultural evolution implies that moral precepts are continuously evolving, or changing, as well. It would suffice to say that a change in cultural entities, whether large or small, entails a consequent effect on moral entities. That is, people may start thinking and acting newer forms of their culture, in some or in whole parts, abandoning old customs or merging them with new ones. One result would be that the moral beliefs of these people would also begin to change. For instance, technological advancements have given rise to certain cultural ideologies not present in the past.We now have societies whose culture has been deeply embedded in the information and communication technology era like that of the Japanese who constantly harbor advanced forms of technology and applying them to their lives. The sense of right and wrong have been affected by these forms of technology, paving the way for new ethical standards which seek t o foster the delicate balance between doing what is right and doing what is just. More specifically, the use of the internet has created a new moral field in terms of the ethical standards which envelop the user’s experience of the internet.At this point, the relativism of a changing culture is emphasized more and more by the sharp contrast between the nations which have a strong technological grasp and the societies which still lack these things. Even more so, it should be clear that the nations with strong technological grasp are the ones which are most likely to realize the ethical standards drawn upon by the use of these technologies.On the other hand, nations which are yet to experience these technologies may not be aware at all of any ethical standards directly related to these technological benefits. These things only show that the relativism of both culture and morality is not only emphasized by their variations among societies but is also highlighted by the changes i n culture and, consequently, morality brought about by the experiences of the society and the changes which take place through time and development.One argument which can be posed as a challenge to the relativism of culture and morality is the idea that even though there are differences, it still does not warrant the idea that culture and morality are both relative. That is, even if there are perceivable specific differences to the culture of a certain society to that of another, or to the morality of one community to that of the other, the general presumptions of morality and culture remain the same across these unique societies. For example, Indian and Saudi Arabian societies may hold specific differences with regard to their moral and cultural precepts.But when these two precepts are viewed from a larger and more general perspective, one may observe that morality remains the sense of right and wrong and that culture remains the way of life. The argument being posited against the relativist claim is that differences arise in the specific details of culture and morality to every society yet these differences do not altogether warrant the idea that everything else in morality and culture is relative. Specific differences do not guarantee relativism and that a more general understanding of the culture and morality of different societies remain the same—morality remains the sense of right and wrong while culture remains as the way of life.Such an argument against the relativism of culture and morality is bound to encounter at least two criticisms: first is that it abandons or neglects the factual differences of cultures and moralities by reverting to a more general perception of the two and second is that it also confuses the idea of differences and its implication of relativism.By reverting to a general perception of culture and morality, the argument against relativism neglects the fact or sets aside the fact that there are differences between cultures and moralities both within and without the societies in order to serve the purpose of refuting relativism. While the argument does not put forward any claim for absolutism for culture and morality, it can be understood that such an argument nevertheless seeks refuge in the thought of a general culture and a general morality. By simply positing the definitions of culture and morality, it appears that the argument is a mere tautology which does not argue well.Further, the argument against relativism asserts that the differences do not guarantee relativism. Such an argument may only gain merit if there are no factual differences which, in, reality, signifies or espouses relativism. Apparently, there are factual differences and that these differences do not only stand by themselves as mere differences but more importantly as indicators that cultures and moral doctrines are relative.Moreover, the argument fails to take into consideration the fact that certain cultures and moral doctrines have also changed albeit gradually. These changes further strengthen the fact that there are wide differences even today as societies continuously evolve. If it is indeed true that there is no relativism in both culture and morality, it must also be true that the things that Japanese citizens hold to be right and wrong are also in line with what the rest of the world holds to be right and wrong. Apparently, this is not the case precisely because there are factual differences and that these differences are precisely the reason why there is relativism in culture and morality.In conclusion, culture gives rise to moral precepts and that changes in culture would eventually spur corresponding changes in these moral precepts. These changes may not necessarily occur simultaneously across various societies, which is why there are differences among cultures and moral precepts at the least. The evolution of societies from past to present have correspondingly caused changes in cultural beliefs as well as moral perceptions of people, thereby positing the fact that culture and morality have been relative since early years.BibliographyOppenheim, Felix. â€Å"In Defense of Relativism.† The Western Political Quarterly 8, no. 3 (1955): 411-417.

Aliens Gender Roles Enchaned By Cyborgs - 1587 Words

Alien Notes- Cyborgs Exosuit. Aliens Gender Roles: Enchaned by cyborgs . Nobody believes her. Even the other woman smoking cigarette in suit. Man recoomends her for psychiotiatric evaluation. Liutenant Gorman Colonial Marine Core LV 126. Lost contact with colony. Colonial Marines-trained to deal with situations. Soldiers. Have lots of firepower â€Å"can handle any situation.† They want Ripley as an advisor. Ripley seems to be in charge. Burke trying to convince Ripley. Has nightmares and contacts Burke. Says she will only go back if they agree to â€Å"wipe them out† not just study them† Marine car hyper exaggerated how tough they are. Girls are like men. â€Å"Who’s snow white† referring to ripley. Acting like vasquex is so tough. Tells manly joke is like one of the guys. Doing pull ups, super tough. The marines tell super innapropriate jokes, really offensive to act super tough. Bishop- Android. Begas the marines to not do 5 finger felay. Marines so tough they play 5 finger felay with bishop how sharp he is. Android- Prefers term articial person. A2’s were a bit twitchy. Impossible to harm another human being. Reason he can’t hurt guy in 5 finger felay. Ripley is distrusting of Androids. Marines smoking ciagreets during Ripley’s speech. Vasquez looking bored of Ripley. Ignores her details and once to find the aliens only, acts tough. Hudson speaks out against own military officer again emphasizing his toughness. Challenges his authority. Ripley asks if there’s

The Repulsive Truth Behind School Lunches Essay - 1514 Words

The Repulsive Truth Behind School Lunches Thirty one million kids nationwide eat school sponsored meals twice a day for a hundred eighty days and on average for twelve years. In this sense school lunches are an important and critical component of childhood nutrition and development. Yet these meals are highly processed and filled with chemicals and preservatives. School lunch rooms are essentially fast food restaurants; they unload shipments of frozen food then heat it up in glorified microwaves and serve it hot and ready. This is the same basic principle of fast food restaurants and people all know how terribly unhealthy fast food is for them. Still America feeds this toxic material to kids every day. This has been a tremendous issue†¦show more content†¦As a country, we spend $110 billion a year of fast food and $50 billion on diet aids.† We are killing our kids with pitiful food in school and at home, parents send their children to school to eat cheap lunches and th en feed them fast food at home. All at the same time combating a costly war with diet related illnesses that America is creating. This is a fight the people cannot win with just diet aids; people must cut back on fast food consumption but first and foremost we must cut off the head of this monstrous snake; school lunches, for it is biggest issue and priority one is getting healthier foods in our schools for the sake of our children and for the sake of their futures. It is a monumental challenge that is worsening every year which is why we must act quickly. Children in the United States in the 1950’s were fed unhealthy school lunches of high fat, high cholesterol foods, consisting of ice cream, whole milk, mashed potatoes, and pot roast, with 1,000 calories, 33 grams of fat, 1,300 mg of sodium. Today sixty years later, school lunches throughout the nation are lacking vegetables, still loaded with carbohydrates and fats, two percent milk, canned fruits, processed meats, with 45 grams of fat, 1,200 calories, and almost twice as much sodium. Lunches that are healthier of our kids consist of

Biology The Chiral Molecules Essay - 1019 Words

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1. Introduction Many biomolecules besides amino acid are chiral, which contain one or more asymmetric carbon. Recently, the studies of the chiral molecules in the biological assembly system have been a subject to an extensive research. In order to improve the biosensor detection level, several research has been carried out, especially in the electrochemistry based research. In this study, collagen is used with the combination of carbon nanotubes to create a new bio-composite compound. However, this new type of bio-composite compound for certain need to go through some analyzation in order to improve the condition of the new bio-composite produced. Collagen can act as a very good matrix when combined with the†¦show more content†¦In this project the MWNTs is used. Multi wall nanotubes are made up of multiple roll layered of graphene. It can come out either in the course of a coaxial assembly of SWNT similar to a coaxial line, or as a single sheet of graphite rolled into the form of a coil. The diameter of MWNTs is usually in the range of 5 nm to 50 nm while the interlayer distance is as close as the distance between graphene layers in graphite. MWNT is easily produced in high volume quantities compared to SWNT but the structure of MWNT isles understood as it possessed greater complexity and variety. So, the regions of structural imperfection may diminish its desirable properties. Figure 1.1 (a) Structures of MWNTs Figure 1.1 (b) SWNTs and MWNTs 1.2. Fundamentals of Voltammetry Technique 1.2.1 Three electrode system The three electrode system consists of the working electrode, a reference electrode, and the auxiliary electrode which made it important in Voltammetry. This three electrode plays an important role in the three electrode system. Reference electrode refers to the electrode that has a recognized electrode potential. Besides that, reference electrode can be used as a half cell. When the electrode acts as a half cell, the other half cell electrode potential can be discovered. There are two widely used reference electrode which is saturated calomelShow MoreRelatedImportance of Stereoisomers in a Biological System652 Words   |  3 Pagessubtle differences have wide sweeping implications. In living organisms chiral molecules are usually present in only one of their chiral forms. For Example the amino acids that make up proteins are only found as their L iosmers whereas glucose only occurs as its D isomer. Evolution has played a large role in this fact by favo uring one isomer over the other. This concept is easier to comprehend when you remember that the molecules that select an isomer to use (invariably proteins) are themselves isomersRead MoreSample Resume : School Of Science Health1613 Words   |  7 Pagesnot mark this assignment if the above declaration has not been signed. ADVANCED MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 300891 PROTEIN STRUCTURE Molecular Biology and Biochemistry of protein structures Introduction Molecular Biology and Biochemistry is the investigation of the chemical foundation of life and corroborates all field of studies of biology.[8] Molecular biology and biochemistry provides humans the tools to understand the broad group of formations, purposes and connections of proteins and their significanceRead MoreStructure And Function Of Biology Essay2109 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction Structure and function in Biology is a broad concept that can be explored within a diverse range of topics across the subject matter. The following essay will be focussed mainly on the subject of Deoxyribonucleic Acid, or more commonly DNA. DNA is a highly complex, intricate and extraordinary macromolecule found within all living cells. DNA is a biochemical noun and can be defined as ...a self-replicating material which is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituentRead MoreBCH190 Essay14810 Words   |  60 Pagesï » ¿Quiz # 2 on lectures 3, 4, and including Chapter 2 1. Difference occurs in the sequence of long chain molecules and becomes information in biological organisms. ‘Life’ assembles itself into chains: (A) of RNA (B) all of the answers are correct (C) of DNA (D) of protein (E) none of these answers are correct 2. Which of the following foods is not a significant source of complex carbohydrates? (A) fresh fruit (B) rice (C) pasta (D) oatmeal (E) all of the above are significantRead MoreStudy of Sterospecificity in Mushroom Tyrosinase3571 Words   |  15 Pagesone type for the phenolic substrate and one type for the dioxygen molecule (Espin et al, 1998). Different tyrosinases from different sources have similar structural and functional characteristics (Robb, 1984). Some enzymes will bind to a variety of substrates, if the structure of the substrate is similar, where as others are extremely specific, and will distinguish between D and L isomers. Several monophenols and o-diphenols are chiral tyrosinase substrates such as 3,4-Dihydroxy-L-Phenylalanine (commonlyRead MoreArchaeology Notes19985 Words   |  80 Pagesprocess which uses the measurement of the decay rate of carbon protein amino acids to date once-living organic tissue. All living organisms have protein; which is made up of amino acids. All but one of these amino acids (glycine) has two different chiral forms (mirror images of each other). While an organism lives, their proteins are composed of only left-handed (laevo, or L) amino acids, but once the organism dies the left-handed amino acids slowly turn into right-handed (dextro or D) amino acids

Lust for Power; Destruction of Humanity Free Essays

Lust for Power; Destruction of Humanity â€Å"Power†, the literal meaning of this word is â€Å"control†. Unfortunately, we are living in a world where the lust for power has resulted in the destruction of humanity. From the lower class clerks to the industrialists of the highest class, everyone is involved in a race, a race to get to the top. We will write a custom essay sample on Lust for Power; Destruction of Humanity or any similar topic only for you Order Now And they are willing to use any means to get there. Leg pulling has become a culture now a days, no one can digest anyone else’s success. Everybody is blinded by this hunger for attaining power. Take any one; a student can do anything to get an A in his finals, even if it may involve sabotaging his fellow students’ work. A country can go to unthinkable extents to get to the top, even if has to take down another country and kill numerous of innocent people. In our country, â€Å"Pakistan†, we are going through the same phase. Every day we see T. V shows where politicians are busy shouting and yelling, blaming other politicians, fighting just to get power and get a hold of our country’s treasury, or at least what’s left of it. No one really cares about the people; everyone is just interested in making their own lives better. We kill, we destroy, and we hurt the feelings of other human’s, just to satisfy our hunger. Is this what we have been taught? Are these our moral and social ethics? Is this what our Religion has guided us to do? No it is totally against everything. But we are all too busy thinking about our wants and we forget that we are humans. We have figuratively turned into cannibals. If this keeps up, very rightly man himself will become the reason for the extinction of his own self! How to cite Lust for Power; Destruction of Humanity, Papers

The Influence of Constructivism free essay sample

I intend to investigate the idea that the Constructivists created the blueprint for modern consumerism and methods of advertising. I will investigate semiotics and Marxism in context with my study. In today’s society of consumerist culture I think the topic of propaganda is interesting as I feel propaganda goes hand in hand with advertising. In today’s society we are relentlessly saturated with loaded words and images, for this reason I wanted to investigate the origins of consumerism and today’s advertising. The purpose of Soviet propaganda was to create a new type of world; Lenin wanted to remodel the world under Socialist Realism and visual propaganda played an important part in this. Using propaganda to influence people’s thoughts and actions by making them act on feelings rather than rational thought. I am going to investigate the idea that soviet Marxist ideology continues to influence To illustrate my idea I am going to discuss the semiotics of a Soviet poster designed by Alexander Rodchenko for Gosizdat (fig. ) in 1924 the poster is a typical example of the stark, distinct and timeless design of the era. The poster features Lilia brick, a muse of Vladimir Mayakovsky and later Alexander Rodchenko. The poster was designed as mass spread agitprop intended to spread the ideals of Socialist Realism with its vision of a widespread literate society. The simplified bold graphic is typical of the work produced during the Constructivist movement; the lack of decoration or of representational depiction of objects ties in with the movement’s aims to keep the production purely informative and functional. Art that fails to become part of life will be catalogued in the museum of archaeological antiquities† (Rodchenko The poster features a woman, Lilia Brick, wearing a kerchief; clothes of the proletarian workers. This design and its message was calculated so that the proletarian of Russia would relate and engage with the message the image conveys. The woman is shouting â€Å"Books† inside a trapezoid shape, as most of the population were illiterate it was necessary for the image to be understood visually. Pictures indeed could be more potent than writing because they ‘impose meaning at one stroke’ but semiotic communication could extend beyond both the verbal and the visual† (Visual Culture, Richard Howels, 2003, page 100) Personally, I think this is a timeless image but I don’t think it is very understandable without the text. It is an example of the constructivist’s novel experiments with juxtaposition and photography. Contemporary posters and graphics are testament to the strength of design this age produced. To further illustrate my idea I am going to discuss the semiotics of three advertising images and compare them with the Gosizdat (fig. 1) 1924 Lilia Brick poster from the Soviet era, which they are derivative of. The images I will discuss come from a broad spectrum in popular culture. I will look at an image from a political campaign, a mobile phone advert and a popular indie band. In order to sell and appeal, it is my opinion that these products and ideologies have borrowed the connotations of power and directness that these Soviet posters command. A humorous take on poster from the Barak Obama campaign featuring a dog in the place of Lilia Brick became a hit on the Internet. This suggests the poster has widespread appeal on masse. The poster was not affiliated with the campaign. An example of the Gosizdat posters influential use in advertising can be viewed in a Greek advert for Vodaphone mobiles (fig. 2), here the semiotics are not entirely saying the same thing as in the poster designed for Gosizdat (fig. ), in this version it is depoliticised. The poster itself comes with an extra subtext thanks to its history; the viewer can take meaning from this as well as the intended message to advertise Vodaphone. The art of the past no longer exists as it once did. Its authority is lost. In its place there is a language of images. What matters now is who uses that language for what purpose. (Berger, 1972, p. 33) The anonymous woman in the poster is supposed to be shouting some sort of offer or Vodaphone; the anonymous woman in the p oster is in black and white creating an interesting juxtaposition against the bright colour scheme. The image of the woman seems slightly more ‘cut-out and pasted in’ than the other example images. I feel this could be derivative of the Constructivists experimentation with photomontage. It is in a sense ironic that these posters are now being used to promote capitalism given that the political ideology at the time was to do with Communism. A statement made by art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon backs this up; he says in BBC4 programme The Art of Russia: Smashing the Mould â€Å"this was totally new to use words like this and that is one of the paradoxes that Rodchenko and Mayakovsky give to the West the visual language of Capitalism†¦because they are inventing advertising† (M2 PRESSWIRE-10 November 2009-BBC: The Art Of Russia on BBC Four(C) 1994-2009 M2 COMMUNICATIONS RDATE:09112009) The second example of the influence of the poster for Gosizdat (fig. ) is in the album artwork for Franz Ferdinand’s 2005 album You Could Have It So Much Better (fig. 3). The semiotics suggests the same as with the last two reworks. The band reworked two other Constructivist posters for two more of their singles artwork; This Fire 2004 (fig 4) is derivative of the El Lissitzky poster Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge 1919 and Take Me Out 2004 (fig. 5) is a rework of Aleksandr Rodchenko’s One-Sixth Part the World Post er 1923 (fig 6). The illustrator and graphic designer Shepard Fairey who created the affiliated Obama campaign posters deliberately took inspiration from Soviet posters when creating the Obama Hope (fig. 7) poster. The work of Neville Brody further backs up the ideology behind the movement and that today’s designers draw much inspiration from Constructivism. Bold design and typography classic are time enduring. The semiotics of these images have connotations of empowerment. What matters is that design is a way of reflecting social undercurrents. The Futurists supported Mussolini, whereas Rodchenko was a socialist revolutionary. I draw a sense of dynamism and optimism with no intention of a political connotation. If you look at some of Rodchenko’s paintings, you’ll see he anticipated abstract expressionism by a good 50 or 60 years. It’s so abstract, it’s completely apolitical. Rodchenko was more about humanism and humanitarianism than communism. †- Neville Brod y. Another direct example of a Soviet posters influence on recent popular culture is the occurrence of Red Wedge in the 80’s, this collective of musicians wanted to inspire young people to connect with the politics of the Labour government and inspire them to take charge of their political opinions. A lithographic poster inspired the name for this movement: Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge 1919 (fig. 8); a poster designed by Constructivist artist El Lissitzky. The Red Wedge’ logo was also inspired by the poster and designed by graphic designer Neville Brody. In the 1980s there was a revival of politically fuelled art, Neville Brody reworked the typography of the Soviet era in popular magazine The Face (fig. 9). Jenny Holzier’s Protect Me from What I Want, 1998 (fig. 10) is sending out a political message in a very simplified way just as the Constructivists did. â€Å"Holzer writes messages which are not in â€Å"her† voice but in styles that mimic the anonymous voices of authority† government, education and advertising† (Toby Clark, Art and Propaganda, 1997, page 155) The film created in the time of Soviet Russia was also influential. It has had an affect on the film production and movie editing of today. The film Battleship Potemkin, a silent film directed in 1925 by Eisenstein is one of the first examples of evocative film editing and of propaganda in film, it served as a warning against rebellion toward the government, such was the influence of this film, people at the time of its release who viewed it believed these were real events. The films this influence is apparent in are The Untouchables and Brazil. In my opinion the imagery of the Soviet era is incredibly iconic and it is not surprising that it has been borrowed time and time again. It seems evident from the examples in the text that everything from companies and politicians and popular culture will continue to borrow some of the imagery and iconography that the Constructivists strived to create, it is interesting that the artistic movements at the time of the Soviet era are not known as well as some. I have come to the conclusion that Soviet idealism has influenced much of today’s culture though the message is obviously not the same. I think the much of the advertising inspired by The Constructivists is clever as it can tap into what makes an image iconic. Companies that use the Russia propaganda style of imagery are looking to give their product cult status and iconography. With reworking of the Soviet and Constructivist style the designers are borrowing some of that power. In a world where we are saturate by advertisements the ones inspired by Constructivism are most successful in my opinion.