The Beatitudes Essay Example

The Beatitudes Essay The beatitudes, or the commandments of blessedness, given us by the Saviour, do not in anyway annul the commandments of the Law. On the contrary, these commandments complement each other. The Ten Commandments of the Law are restricted to prohibiting those acts which would be sinful. The Beatitudes explain to us how we may attain Christian perfection or grace. The Ten Commandments were given in Old Testament times to restrain wild, primitive people from evil. The Beatitudes are given to Christians to show them what disposition to have in order to draw closer and closer to God, to acquire holiness, and together with that, blessedness, which is the highest degree of happiness. Holiness, arising from proximity to God, is the loftiest blessedness, the greatest happiness that anyone could possibly desire. The Old Testament Law is a strict code of righteousness, but the New Testament Law of Christ is the law of Divine love and grace, the only means by which people are given the strength to live in full observance of the Law of God and to approach perfection. We will write a custom essay sample on The Beatitudes specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Beatitudes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Beatitudes specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Jesus Christ, calling us to the eternal Kingdom of God, shows us the way to it through fulfillment of His commandments. For their fulfillment He, the King of Heaven and earth, promises eternal blessedness in the future eternal life. Our Saviour teaches: 1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 2. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. 3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 4. Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. 5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. . Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. 8. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 9. Blessed are you when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in Heaven. In each of these teachings of the Lord, one should observe the commandments on the one hand and the promises of reward on the other. For the fulfillment of the commandments of the Beatitudes it is necessary to have contact with God through prayer, both internal and external. One must struggle against sinful inclinations through fasting, abstinence, and so on. The First Beatitude Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed — joyful in the highest degree and pleasing to God; poor in spirit — humble, those who are conscious of their imperfections and unworthiness before God, and never think that they are better or more holy than others. Spiritual lowliness is the conviction that our entire life and all our spiritual and physical blessings, such as life, health, strength, spiritual ability, knowledge, riches, and every good thing of life, all this is the gift of our Creator God. Without help from Heaven, it is impossible to acquire either material well-being or spiritual riches. All this is the gift of God. Spiritual lowliness is called humility. Humility is the foundation of Christian virtue, because it is the opposite of pride, and pride introduced all evil into the world. Due to pride the first among the angels became the Devil; the first people sinned, their descendants quarreled and went to war among themselves from pride. The first sin was pride (Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus 10:15). Without humility it is impossible to return to God. Nor are any of the other Christian virtues possible. Humility permits us to know ourselves, correctly to assess our worth and deficiencies. It acts beneficially in the fulfillment of our obligations to our neighbor, arouses and strengthens in us faith in God, hope and love for Him. It attracts the mercy of God to us and also disposes people well towards us. The Word of God says, A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart is broken and humbled God will not despise (Ps. 50:17). Surely he scorneth scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly (Prov. 3:34). Learn of me, instructs the Saviour, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matt. 11:29). Physical misery or privation can result in the acquisition of much spiritual humility if this privation or need is accepted with good will, without a murmur. But physical privation does not always result in spiritual humility; it can lead to bitterness. Even the wealthy can be spiritually humble if they understand that visible, material wealth is decadent and transitory, fleeting, and that it is substitute for spiritual riches. They must understand the word of the Lord, For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul? (Matt. 16:26). But Christian humility must be strictly distinguished from self-seeking self-abasement, such as fawning and flattery, which discredit human dignity. It is necessary strictly to reject so-called noble self-love or defense against affronts to ones honor, which reflect prejudices, pernicious superstitions, which were inherited from Roman paganism hostile to Christianity. The true Christian must decisively renounce these superstitions which resulted in the anti-Christian and shameful custom of the duel and revenge. In reward for meekness of spirit, humility, the Lord Jesus Christ promises the Kingdom of Heaven, a life of eternal blessedness. Participation in the Kingdom of God for the humble begins here and now — by means of faith and hope in God; but the ultimate reward in all of its fullness will be seen in the future life. The Second Beatitude Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. The weeping about which the second beatitude speaks is first of all true tribulation of heart, and repentant tears for our sins, weeping over our guilt before the merciful God (for example, the tears of the Apostle Peter after his renunciation). For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of, but the sorrow of the world worketh death, said the Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 7:10). Tribulation and tears coming from misfortunes which befall us can be spiritually beneficial. For example, the death of one of our close ones can result in beneficial tears, if the sorrow is permeated by faith and hope, patience and devotion to the will of God. Jesus Christ Himself wept over the death of Lazarus. Even more so can tears and tribulation lead to blessedness when they are shed over the suffering of our unfortunate neighbor, if these sincere tears are ccompanied by Christian deeds of love and mercy. Worldly grief is grief without hope in God. It proceeds not from acknowledgment of ones sins before God, but rather from disappointment in ambition, aspiration to power, desire for gain. Such sadness, characterized by despondency and despair, leads to spiritual death, which can also result in physical death, by suicide or simply weakness due to lack of will to live. An example of such grief is that of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Christ the Saviour. As a reward for mourning the Lord promises that they that mourn will be comforted. They will receive forgiveness of sins, and through this, internal peace. The mourners will receive eternal joy, eternal blessedness. The Third Beatitude Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Meekness is peaceful, fully developed Christian love, free from all malice. It is manifested in the spirit of a man who never becomes angry, and never permits himself to grumble against God or people. Meek people do not become irritated and they do not vex or aggravate other people. Christian meekness expresses itself mainly in patient endurance of insults inflicted by others and is the opposite of anger, malice, self-exaltation and vengeance. A meek person always regrets the hardness of heart of the offending party. He desires his correction, prays to God for forgiveness of his deeds, remembering the precept of the Apostle: If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:18-19). The best example of meekness given to us is that of our Lord Jesus praying on the cross for His enemies. He taught us to not take vengeance on our enemies but to do good to them. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matt. 11:29). Meekness tames even the hardest hearts. We can be convinced of this by observing the lives of people, and we find confirmation of it throughout the history of Christian persecutions. A Christian may become angry only with himself, at his own fall into sin, and at the tempter — the Devil. The Lord promises the meek that they will inherit the earth. This promise indicates that meek people in the present life will be preserved on earth by the power of God, in spite of all the intrigues of men and the most cruel persecution. But in the future life, they will be heirs of the heavenly homeland, the new earth (2 Peter 3:13) with its eternal blessings. The Fourth Beatitude Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those people who deeply acknowledge their sinfulness, their guilt before God, and have a burning desire for righteousness. They try to serve God by a righteous life according to the commandments of Christ, which requires from Christians the most holy righteousness in all their relations with their neighbors. The expression hunger and thirst indicates that our yearning for righteousness must be very strong, as strong as our desire to appease our appetite and thirst. King David beautifully expressed such yearning, As the hart panteth after the fountains of water, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsted for God, the mighty the living (Ps. 41:1-2). God promised that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. By this is meant spiritual satisfaction, comprised of internal spiritual peace, a calm conscience, justification, and forgiveness. Such satisfaction in the present, earthly life occurs only in part. The Lord reveals the mysteries of His kingdom to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, more than to others. Their hearts in this world are delighted with knowledge revealed in the divine truths of the Gospel, in Orthodox teachings. Full satiety, full satisfaction of the holy yearnings of the human soul, and from this highest joy and blessedness, will be granted them in the future, blessed life with God. As the psalmist King David says, I shall be filled when Thy glory is made manifest to me (Ps. 16:16). The Fifth Beatitude Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy The merciful are those who have compassion for others, who with all their hearts pity those who have fallen into misfortune or unhappiness, and who try to help them with good works. Works of mercy are both physical and spiritual. Bodily works of mercy: Feeding the hungry. Giving drink to the thirsty. Clothing the naked. Visiting those in prison. Visiting the sick and helping them recover or preparing them for a Christian death. Inviting strangers and foreigners and travellers into ones home and giving them rest. Burying the dead. Spiritual works of mercy: By word and example to convert the sinner from the error of his way (James 5:20). Teaching the ignorant truth and goodness. Dispensing good and timely advice to neighbors who are in distress or danger. Comforting the grieving. Refraining from returning evil for evil. Forgiving offenses with all ones heart. Praying to God for everyone. To the merciful, God promises in return that they will receive mercy. In the future judgment of Christ they will be shown the special mercy for the righteous. They will be delivered from eternal punishment for their sins to the degree to which they showed mercy to others on earth (See Matt: 25:31-46). The Sixth Beatitude Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. The pure in heart are those people who not only do not sin openly, but do not conceal unclean thoughts, desires and feelings in their hearts. The hearts of such people are free from attachment and infatuation with physical, earthly things. In general they are free from passions caused by self-centeredness, egotism and pride. People with pure hearts unceasingly think about God. In order to acquire a pure heart, it is necessary to observe the fasts proclaimed by the Church, and to guard oneself against gluttony, drunkenness, depraved spectacles and amusements, improper teachings and indecent books. Purity of heart is far superior to simple sincerity. Sincerity requires only that a person be candid and single hearted in relation to his neighbor. But purity of heart requires complete suppression of depraved thoughts and constant remembrance of God and His holy commandments. To the pure in heart God promises that they will see God. Here on earth they will see Him through Grace, mysteriously, with the spiritual eyes of their hearts. They can see God in His revelations, images and likenesses. In the future, eternal life, they will see God as He is (1 John 3:2). Furthermore, since contemplation of God is a source of the highest blessing, the promise to see God is a promise of the highest degree of blessedness. The Seventh Beatitude Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. Peacemakers are people living with everyone in peace and harmony and fostering peace among people. When other people are at enmity among themselves they try to reconcile them, or at least pray to God for their reconciliation. Peacemakers remember the words of the Saviour, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you (John 14:27). If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men, said the Apostle Paul (Romans 12:18). To the peacemakers the Lord promises that they will be called sons of God. They will be the closest to God, heirs of God, joint-heirs with Christ. The peacemakers by their spiritual feat resemble the Only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who came to earth to reconcile sinful people with Divine judgment and to establish peace among people in place of the animosity reigning among them. Therefore to the peacemakers is promised the epithet, sons of God, and inexpressible blessedness. The Eighth Beatitude Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. For righteousness sake, is meant to live righteously according to the commandments of God, and resolutely fulfilling Christian obligations. Persecuted — for their righteous and pious life, they suffer oppression, persecution, privation and adversity at the hands of the unrighteous enemies of truth and goodness, but nothing can cause them to waver from the truth. Persecution is inevitable for Christians living according to the Gospel’s righteousness, because evil people detest righteousness, as truth exposes their evil deeds, and always persecute people who stand for the truth. The Only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, was Himself crucified by haters of Gods truth. For all His followers He predicted: If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you (John 15:20). All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution, says the Apostle Paul (2 Tim. 3:12). In order to endure persecution patiently for righteousness sake, a person must have love for the truth, be steadfast and firm in virtuous living, have courage and patience, and faith and hope in the help and protection of God. To those persecuted for righteousness sake, for their struggles in confessing the truth, the Lord promises the Kingdom of Heaven, spiritual triumph, joy and blessedness in the heavenly dwellings of the future eternal life (see Luke 22:28-30). The Ninth Beatitude Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven. In the last, the ninth commandment, our Lord Jesus Christ calls especially blessed those who for the sake of Christ and for the true Orthodox faith in Him, patiently bear disgrace, persecution, malice, defamation, mockery, privation and even death. Such a spiritual feat is known as martyrdom. There is no higher spiritual feat than martyrdom. The courage of Christian martyrs must be distinguished from fanaticism, which is irrational zeal not according to reason. Christian martyrs must also be distinguished from the lack of feeling brought on by despair or pretended indifference, with which some criminals because their incorrigible hardness and pride, serve out their sentences and go to execution. Christian courage is based on the highest of Christian virtues, on faith in God, on hope in God, on love for God and neighbor, on complete obedience and unshaken faith in the Lord God. The highest form of martyrdom was suffered by Jesus Christ Himself, and in like manner, the Apostles and an innumerable multitude of Christians, who with joy went to martyrdom for the name of Christ. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, and looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds (Heb. 12:1-3). For the spiritual feat of martyrdom, the Lord promises a reward in Heaven. But here on earth the Lord glorifies many martyrs for their firm confession of faith with incorruptible bodies and miracles. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other mens matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf (1 Pet. 4:14-16). Numberless Christians martyrs rejoiced during unspeakable torture, accounts of which are preserved in factual accounts of lives of the Saints. Note: In Roman courts, special scribes were obligated to write protocols (official records) of judicial procedures and legal decisions. Such protocols of interrogations, made in Roman courts during the legal process of Christian martyrs, after the period of persecutions were carefully preserved by the Church. The protocols came to be trustworthy accounts of the feats of martyrdom of the Christians. Discussion on the Meaning of Evil The concept of evil in the world imposes a grave burden of doubt in the hearts of many faithful people. It seems inconceivable that God would permit evil. In fact, God in His Omnipotence could easily eliminate evil. How could a merciful God allow the evil deed of a single offender to doom thousands, sometimes millions, or even half of humanity to poverty, grief or disaster? What then is the meaning of evil? With God nothing is without reason. In order to answer this question, it is necessary to recall what evil is. By the term evil we do not mean suffering, need and deprivation, but sin and moral guilt. God does not desire evil. Almighty God cannot approve of evil. More than that, God forbids evil. God punishes evil. Evil or sin is in contradiction to the will of God. Sin began, as we know, when the highest angel, created by God, insolently rejected obedience to the blessed will of God and became the Devil. Evil is caused by the Devil. He inspires or influences the occurrence of sin in man. It is not the body which is the source of sin, as many believe. The body becomes an instrument of sin or of good not of itself but through the will of a person. True faith in Christ elucidates the following two causes of sin in the world: The first cause lies in the free will of man. Our free will is the mark of our likeness to God. This gift of God elevates mankind to the highest of all earthly creatures. By freely choosing good and rejecting evil man exalts God, glorifies Him and perfects himself. In the book of the Wisdom of Sirach (Ecclesiasticus 15:14), it says, He (God) in the beginning made man and left him in the hand of his own free will. By this God gives to people of good will the possibility to attain Heaven, and to people of evil will, the other world. However it happens, the result is only by means of a persons free will. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem says, If nature were fused together and it were not possible to do good by free will, then for whom would God prepare the inexplicable crown? Sheep are gentle, but they will never be crowned for their gentleness, because their gentleness comes not from their own free will but from their very nature. Saint Basil the Great says, Why is not sinlessness incorporated our nature, so that it would be impossible to sin, even if we wanted? You do not recognize good and faithful servants when you keep them restricted, but only when you see that they voluntarily fulfill their responsibilities before you. Virtue comes on the condition of free will, not necessity; and free will depends on the condition that we be free. Therefore, whoever reproaches the Creator for not creating us sinless prefers the irrational, immovable nature, not having any yearnings, nature gifted with judgment and independence. In other words, he prefers robots to intelligent creatures. Thus, the internal cause for the origin of evil, or sin, consists of the will of man. The second basis for the existence of evil consists in the fact that directs evil to good. But God does not tolerate evil for the sake of good. For God, it is not necessary to pay such a high price. God does not wish for evil under any circumstances. Bu t when evil penetrated into the world through the fault of sinful people, then God, in plan for the world, compelled even evil to serve good. For example, the sons of Jacob sold his brother Joseph into slavery. They committed an evil deed, but God turned the evil into good. Joseph rose in Egypt and acquired the capacity to save from starvation the family from which the Messiah would come. When Joseph saw his brothers several years later, he said to them, You intended evil against me, but God turned it into good! In the days of the Apostles, the Jews persecuted Christians in Palestine. The Christians had to flee from Judea, the land sanctified by the life and blood of the Saviour. But everywhere they went they sowed the words of the Gospel. The sins of the persecutors were directed into spreading Christianity. The pagan emperors of Rome persecuted the young Christian Church. Tens of thousands of martyrs shed their blood for Christ. The blood of the martyrs became seeds for millions of new Christians. The fury of the persecutors, their sins of hatred and murder were directed by God in this instance into the building up of the Church. They thought and accomplished evil. God turned all of their deeds to the good. The history of mankind, right up to the events of our day, testifies to the truth of these words. The greatest downfall of man concurred with the greatest religious triumph, the turning of men to God. We need only have patience and wait, one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8) But this intertwining of evil into the plan for the management of the world did not appear to be some sort of belated addition for the correction of creation. The intertwining of evil was provided for in the act of the eternal will of God, in which was determined the creation of the world. For God is the eternal today! His foresight extends to eternity. It functions always and without interruption. (Extracted from a brochure by L. Lusin, Who is Right? with additions. )

What Are Expository Essay Samples?

What Are Expository Essay Samples?If you are trying to figure out which grade to apply for your college degree, chances are that there are plenty of expository essay samples in high school. High school is an excellent place to go through an essay as it is the perfect time to think about the subject of your essay. However, the higher grade you are applying for the more choices there are to figure out the grades.If you are applying for a four-year college degree, then the higher grade you get will reflect the quality of your essay. This can be in the form of honors, BS, A's, or even a B. In most cases a four-year degree will be higher than the other two available, a two-year degree and a two-year diploma. And there are some who are willing to go for an equivalent of a four year degree, even if they have a C average.So, what do you do when you are writing an essay and you are not even sure whether you should go with a high school students grade or with the college grade? There are tons of guides on how to make your essay better, and in fact there are many places that can help you with it. But, the choice lies on how much effort you want to put into your essay.There are sites on the internet that will give you sample essays on subjects, and you can even read one straight from the online version. These sites will help you get ideas, and they will also give you guidelines on what not to do to make your essay better.The next thing you need to know is that the teacher will help you write your essay. They will help you come up with a topic that is interesting, but at the same time they are teaching you how to structure your essay. As you write your essay, your teacher will help you to work on the topic and are always watching your writing.You can get expository essay samples in high school, but many of them require that you go through a course first. This does not mean that the content is less important, rather it is that your writing needs to improve. At the end of the day you will still be asked to read the paper and discuss your thoughts, and they will be grading the entire piece, including your writing.After you have gotten all your work together for college, you will then be required to read the grades out loud to your professor. There is no reason for you to avoid this, you will be judged and you will have to give an honest answer, so make sure you make it a point to make your essay better and to improve.

James Bond Assignment Essays

James Bond Assignment Essays James Bond Assignment Essay James Bond Assignment Essay In this assignment, I will be examining the standard Bond genre from Golden Eye, the seventeenth bond film. I will also be exploring how the audience and I respond to Bond films and what our expectations of the films are. In the film industry, Genre exists as an obliging system of categorization and allows audiences to sort between films. The industries use the appropriate advertising, marketing and distribution for it to target its audience. Moreover, it allows the audience to filter through films and make a selection on what they want to watch. Genre is a recognizable and established category of written work employing common conventions to prevent readers or audiences from mistaking it for another kind. Narrative is a way of comprehending the story, time, and causality. Since in film there are at least two important frames of reference for understanding the main plot of the story, time, and causality, narrative in film is the principle by which data is converted from the frame of the screen into a diegesis, that frames a particular story, or sequence of action; equally, it is the principle by which data is converted from story onto screen. Contending that fairy tales could be studied and compared by examining their most basic plot components, Vladimir Propp, a Russian Folklorist from the 1920s developed an analysis that reduced fairy tales to a series of actions performed in each story. Propp argued that all fairy tales were constructed of certain plot elements, which he called functions, and that these elements consistently occurred in a uniform sequence. Based on a study of one hundred folk tales, Propp devised a list of thirty-one generic functions, proposing that they encompassed all of the plot components from which fairy tales were constructed. Vladimir Propp composed a fairytale theory that each folk story had similar characters which had the same purpose in the narrative. His theory on the construction of fairytales can be clearly identified in Golden Eye. Propps fairytale convention has been successfully incorporated in the Bond genre and Golden Eye with all the basic characters built-in the film. In Golden Ey e, the hero of the film is James bond, as he is seen to be the character with the great courage and strength, celebrated from his bold exploits. James Bond saved his life for Natalya Simonova, the victim of this James Bond film. A villain is a wicked or evil person; a scoundrel a dramatic or fictional character that is typically at odds with the hero. General Ourumov fits the character of the villain, as he was the one who had access to GoldenEye and plotted the plans. The false hero, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) plays the role of two characters. With his 00 status, the audience are deceived into thinking that he was a good character; however he betrays James Bond and turns into the villainous character. He is in fact a Kosovan spy, which is hinted by his name Janus, the Greek God with two faces. This is also shown in the film where he first appears half his face covered in darkness, and the other half visible in light. In Vladimir Propps fairy tale convention, the false hero is a stock character in fairy tales. The character appears near the end of a story in order to claim to be the hero or heroine and is, therefore, always of the same sex as the hero or heroine. The false hero presents some claim to the position. By testing, it is revealed that the claims are false, and the heros true. The false hero is usually punished, and the true hero put in his place. Moreover, the Bond Girl Natalya Simonova gets together at the end of Golden Eye. There are s tereotypical issues in which the Bond Girls in James Bond are getting more advanced as to before where females were treated differently than today. The clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of equality between male and female are shown in James Bond films with the stereotypical James Bond women only used for looks and glamour. In Golden Eye, the Bond girls are becoming more advanced with guns and fighting and are becoming more matched to James Bond. A narrative film theory is concerned with how stories get told how they are constructed for and create a viewing subject by camera movement, lighting, editing, and all the available techniques of filmmaking. Vladimir Propp studied the fairytale genre and composed a theory that showed that each folk story had similar characters which had the same purpose in the narrative. This theory, although used by Vladimir in fairytales, can be used in film and has proven to fit the Bond genre well. In fairytales there is always the hero who saves the day, a villain who is up against the hero, the princess who the hero rescues and the false hero who surprises us as we realise he is actually evil towards the end. In comparison, there are other film theories such as the Feminist Film Theory which conveys the idea of a film portraying sex equality, and giving equal roles for the women. The Feminist Film Theory criticism was directed at stereotypes of women, mostly in Hollywood films, and now, after twenty years of the film theory, increasing numbers of films include the sex equality of men and women, with equal roles being played out by both genders. There are differences in Vladimir Propps and Feminist film theories as Propp shows the female roles being played as the princess and being used for charisma and attraction. This is shown in the earlier James Bond films, where the Bond girls were defenceless and were not portrayed equally. In the modern Bond films, they have more power and control, and become a threat to James Bond. Bond could be classified as an action, adventure and a spy genre, however as there are now twenty one films made over forty five years, all of which follow the same conventions; it has its own genre, the Bond Genre. The original novels by Ian Fleming produce the formulaic plots and conventional characters which Bond films still follow today and the audience love this. The general conventions the audience would recognise as being part of a Bond Film are exaggerated cars filled with gadgets, guns, girls, explosives and gadgets which make Bond a superior character, and the audience envy his qualities. Even though the narrative is predictable, the audience knows the general plot as it follows the conventions of a normal standard Bond Genre. Every film starts with the Bond opening sequence followed by the opening the scene. The main plot is introduced and comes to a halt where James Bond defeats the villain. This is the normal format of each James Bond which looks rather dull, however each James Bond film have their new setting which is a location unusual to the audience. For example, the setting of Golden Eye was in a Military Base in Russia. Also, the audience look forward to the new Bond Girl and the new gadgets. A Bond audience would be disappointed if certain conventions were missed out such as the new cars, gadgets and bond girls as it wouldnt make the film stand out and wouldnt be any different to the 21 films made. One of the most distinctive features of the Bond films is the gun barrel sequence which opens each movie. The opening credits and the Gun Barrel sequence is a convention in itself. The gun barrel image sequence typically begins with a white dot scrolling across the screen, left to right, leaving a short trail of dots representing a montage of bullet holes that quickly turn black shortly after they appear. On reaching the right edge of the frame, the dot becomes a gunmans view-to-a-kill, down a gun barrel, its rifling a distinctive spiral. Although suggestive of the point-of-view from a telescopic sight, the gun barrel is actually seen from inside directly observing James Bond walking, right to left, against a white background. Aware of being observed, he quickly turns to his left and shoots the gunman; from above, the scene reddens with the gunmans spilling blood. The gun barrel dissolves to a white dot, roving side to side, most commonly settling in the screens lower-right corner. The circle then expands to fill the screen, exposing the films first scene, which may be an unrelated teaser or may directly bear on the films main plotline.The opening bond sequence conveys the idea of significance as it appears in the initiation of every Bond film, and also portrays the idea that it is a James Bond film from seeing this barrel sequence. Other conceptions can be made of the Gun Barrel sequence; it can be seen as the third persons point of view, and you are the camera following James Bond. The gun barrel sequence has evolved during the fifty years of the James Bond. In the older James Bond films, the sequence was shot through a pinhole camera in an actual rifle barrel until Golden Eye. The recent Bond films are CG-animated ever since emphasizing light and shade variations in the rifling spiral as the reflected light shifts with the guns movement. The gun barrel sequence was revised again for Daniel Craigs first portrayal of Agent 007 in Casino Royale, released late in 2006. Unlike in previous films of the series, the gun barrel sequence does not open the film, but instead is incorporated to the ending of the pre-title sequence: Bonds first kill recovers and seizes his pistol to shoot Bond in the back. As the man brings his pistol up, the frame shifts instantly to the gun barrel. Bond spins around and shoots the man. This sequence is noticeably different from the Pierce Brosnan-era of CGI. The gun barrel has 28 shiny riflings, and the blood trickles down not as a slow-moving cascade, but in faster falling, 3D rivulets. This is also the first gun barrel sequence without some variation of the James Bond Theme and also the only rendition beginning with Bond stationary and his back to the camera. Because of the tiles on the bathroom wall, Bond is not shown against a plain white background. Furthermore, this is also the only instan ce in the series where the audience has seen the person whom Bond shoots. Over half a century of Bond film making, the only momentous difference in James Bond is the actor playing Bond. However, there are distinctive similarities between all the actors playing James Bond. They all are tall, dark and handsome with the Bond girl always new and heart-throbbing to catch the corner of the audiences eyes. However, in Casino Royal, the conventions of the Bond features have changed, as Daniel Craig is the first blonde haired James Bond actor. The opening sequence and first few shots of the scene are important as it sets the scene. Mise-en-scene is used with the bird eye view of the whole setting of the military base in Russia a diverse appearance that would strike the audience as it is a new setting with a dramatic landscape. The plane appears in the frame the camera is shown tracking a plane which suddenly zooms upwards to reveal a vast dam with the tiny plane in the midst of it. We immediately assume the monoplane is on a mission going somewhere as this is what an audience have come to expect of the opening scene of Bond, although it looks insignificant against the immense area. The diegetic sound of the plane is the only noise we can hear which is effective as the tiny engine is set against the immense mountainous setting and it is the natural sound produced at the time of recording. The setting is conventional for a Bond film as most Bond films start with James on a mission, and gets straight to the point, setting s uspense and action at the beginning of the film. The camera then cuts to a low level medium shot of somebodys feet running towards something. Its significant as the shadow covers his face, making us unaware of the figure. The music builds up the tension, as t2he man is panting. Hes running towards something, and has to do it fast! This shot was cleverly included because it involves the audience as it makes them feel as though they are also running behind Bond. Naturalistic sounds are used in this part of the sequence, and only his footsteps are heard. There is a sense of urgency and suspending disbelief is controlled well in this sequence as the audience think the figure is friend or foe. . We then cut to a shot of an electronic metal gate, a barren setting which fits the convention of Bond. We get a full shot, birds eye view where we see the huge dam with a medium shot of Bond doing one of his typical stunts as he has a rope around him. We can hear the diegetic sounds of chains and panting which gives us a sense of urgency, until the non-diegetic sound kicks in with the mechanical drum bass and the action and drama speed up. The camera then comes up behind Bond with a birds eye view of him standing at the edge of the dam; and as an audience we know he is going to do a skilful jump and we are not worried by this as we know hes an expert and is in control. There is non-diegetic sound used in this clip as it gives a sense of realism. The scene is concentrating more on the sight rather than the sound. The sound effects used in this clip show no music apart from the air sound. This makes the audience focus on the scene, and also adds a feeling of tense into the scene. This part of the scene shows secrecy, and reveals no emotions. There is then a close up of the gadget again as he breaks into the weapons factory. Up till now, there has been no dialogue, only action shots and sound effects. The audience get a sense of what is going on; however the opening only slightly hints out the plot, but doesnt reveal everything. Its a moving movie, and doesnt allow much time for the audience to think about what is going o n. The camera zooms in a birds eye view looking at a man on the toilet with a shadowy silhouette of Bond apparent. There is a close up of the newspaper indicating that it is set in another country as the language is different. We then have the first piece of dialogue, as up until now the narrative was told through the action, a quirky gag from Bond; Beg your pardon, forgot to knock! The toilet humour also symbolises a very British thing to do. From this first piece of dialogue we see an ingredient of Bond, his dry humour, the same as the way he takes his trademark drink, dry martini, shaken not stirred Bond is alone, and the suspense is growing more and more, as Bond moves into a space of darkness. The James Bond theme music then blasts out, loud, dramatic and quick, to signify the beginning of Bonds quest to restore world peace. We then see the classic image of Bond with his gun resting on his cheek. This classic pose was selected by the director to appear in each film and advertisements for the movies because it indicates Bonds control and confidence as he has a relationship with his weapon and protocol in firing. Bond is then in the shadows again although he can see what is going on outside. This shot is used to leave the audience in suspense as the lighting doesnt make the shot as clear so they have to make assumptions as to what is going on and use their other senses. This is effective, as it shows that it is re-building the tension. 006 appears in the screen, with the first impressions of him being someone bad. The idea of Janus (Roman God) is created with half of his face in darkness, and the other in light which represents safety. This also suggests the idea of the false hero within Propps fairytale film theory convention. Again quirky British humour is used and the politeness England is renowned for is shown once again; After you OO6. Bond then reinstates his dedication for his country; For England as he embarks on his mission. The first few sequences in the opening scene are important as it reveals the whole scenario and the setting of the whole film. Golden Eye is a film set in a Russian Military base which would seem impossible to break through, however James Bond encounters this, and does the impossible. The audience thinks that there would be a catastrophic explosion, blowing up the base, completing the mission with a lucky escape. This is a Bond convention which is used in each Bond film, to show the skilled agent in a desolated location, and completes the mission. Casino Royal, the latest James Bond film has a surprise for the Bond fans, as the Bond conventions are torn away. The film tone was changed for the first time in 21 Bond films in order to get Bond back closer to the original character. Casino Royal was Ian Flemings first Bond book, and James was still a human character with receiving a 00 status in his first assignment. He had that licence to kill, however he also had the licence to love. The twist of the Bond girl was how much equality they had in comparison to Golden eye. They were valued more in Casino Royal. Also, being as human as James Bond, he showed emotion, which was a change to the original James Bond convention. He showed anger whilst loosing in the poker tournament Dont give a dam! when the waiter asked him how he would like his Martini. Hed normally be expected to say Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred as this is James Bonds catchphrase, and a convention the audience would recognise as being part of a James Bond film. In conclusion, the Bond genre has to adopt some conventions to suit a 21st Century audience. Some conventions such as the Bond girls still excites the male audience, however they will have to add more innuendo to make the connection between Bond and the girl, and to make it more humorous. Also, they will have to make the concept cars more unique and different to the original cars found in the 21st century roads. The features of the concept car must amaze the audience such as having the speed of lightning or invisible car that the audience has never seen before, as this is one of the main conventions of a Bond film. Also the gadgets are a key convention, and have to be up to date with the modern society. Although the audience know the outcome of a Bond film, it still excites the audience today; the audience would want to know Bonds latest mission, cars and the new Bond girl. The conventional plot remains unchanged however the detail is revised, making it a superb film. Knowing the gen eral Bond conventions of the films, and knowing Vladimir Propps fairytale theory, it makes the audience safe knowing that good will always triumphant over evil and that Bond will always win against the enemy.

Compound Tenses in English Grammar

Compound Tenses in English Grammar In English grammar, compound tense is a traditional term for a verb construction that uses more than one word to express a meaning related to time. A verb construction that uses only one word is called a simple tense.Compound tenses are made up of auxiliary verbs  (or helping verbs) combined with other verb forms. The perfect, past perfect (also known as pluperfect), progressive, and (in some cases) future are forms traditionally regarded as compound tenses in English. Examples and Observations Simple Tenses vs. Compound TensesThe distinction between simple and compound tenses corresponds to the distinction between affixes and words. A simple tense form of a verb is a single word, usually augmented by a suffix (less often a prefix). A compound tense form consists of several words, at least one of them an auxiliary. The work done by the affix in a simple tense form and the auxiliary in a compound tense form is broadly the same; it expresses some distinction in the general area of time. . . .What is potentially confusing here is the fact that English, like many European languages, uses the past participle (e.g. taken) both for the perfect (a compound tense) and for the passive voice. Note that the English passive is formed in a way quite parallel to the formation of compound tenses, i.e. with an auxiliary and a participle. But, of course, passive is not a tense.(James R. Hurford,  Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994)[W]hen the father comes in from wo rk, he eats, and finally the mother herself eats alone or with the smaller children, who probably have already eaten what they wanted with the others.(Jack E. Weller,  Yesterdays People: Life in Contemporary Appalachia. University Press of Kentucky, 1995) I wash my face, dress and go downstairs where my wife  is feeding the  baby.(Julius Lester,  Lovesong: Becoming a Jew. Arcade, 2013)Anyone who  has read the  judgments of Lord Denning or Lord Atkin will know the importance of the way the facts are presented.(Alan Paterson,  Final Judgment: The Last Law Lords and the Supreme Court. Hart, 2013)Dana  had left the office  to tend to the children, and Keith puttered around the church, unable to do anything productive. He finally left.(John Grisham, The Confession. Doubleday, 2010). Perfect Aspect and Compound Tenses The perfect is a past tense that is marked by means of an auxiliary verb rather than by inflection, like the preterite. The auxiliary is have, which is followed by a past participle. Examples are given in [40] along with their non-perfect counterparts:[40i] a. She has been ill. [perfect]   b. She is ill [non-perfect][40ii] a. She had left town. [perfect]   b. She left town. [non-perfect][40iii] a. She is said to have spoken fluent Greek. [perfect] (b) She is said to speak fluent Greek. [non-perfect]In [ia] and [iia] the auxiliary have is itself inflected for primary tense, has being a present tense form, had a peterite. These constructions thus have compound tense: [ia] is a present perfect, [iia] is a preterite perfect. In [iiia] have is in the plain form, so this time there is no primary tense, no compound tense.(Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum,  A Students Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2005) Expressing the Future With Compound Tenses Past and present are the only English simple tenses, using one-word forms of the verb. Future is expressed in English as a compound tense, with two words, using the modal auxiliary will, e.g. will come; the corresponding past tense came is just one word.(James R. Hurford,  Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994)  Bessie was baffled. How do these birds live? Where do they sleep at night? And how can they survive the rains, the cold, the snow? I will go home, Bessie decided. People will not leave me in the streets.(Isaac Bashevis Singer, The Key. The New Yorker, 1970)

Compound Tenses in English Grammar

Compound Tenses in English Grammar In English grammar, compound tense is a traditional term for a verb construction that uses more than one word to express a meaning related to time. A verb construction that uses only one word is called a simple tense.Compound tenses are made up of auxiliary verbs  (or helping verbs) combined with other verb forms. The perfect, past perfect (also known as pluperfect), progressive, and (in some cases) future are forms traditionally regarded as compound tenses in English. Examples and Observations Simple Tenses vs. Compound TensesThe distinction between simple and compound tenses corresponds to the distinction between affixes and words. A simple tense form of a verb is a single word, usually augmented by a suffix (less often a prefix). A compound tense form consists of several words, at least one of them an auxiliary. The work done by the affix in a simple tense form and the auxiliary in a compound tense form is broadly the same; it expresses some distinction in the general area of time. . . .What is potentially confusing here is the fact that English, like many European languages, uses the past participle (e.g. taken) both for the perfect (a compound tense) and for the passive voice. Note that the English passive is formed in a way quite parallel to the formation of compound tenses, i.e. with an auxiliary and a participle. But, of course, passive is not a tense.(James R. Hurford,  Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994)[W]hen the father comes in from wo rk, he eats, and finally the mother herself eats alone or with the smaller children, who probably have already eaten what they wanted with the others.(Jack E. Weller,  Yesterdays People: Life in Contemporary Appalachia. University Press of Kentucky, 1995) I wash my face, dress and go downstairs where my wife  is feeding the  baby.(Julius Lester,  Lovesong: Becoming a Jew. Arcade, 2013)Anyone who  has read the  judgments of Lord Denning or Lord Atkin will know the importance of the way the facts are presented.(Alan Paterson,  Final Judgment: The Last Law Lords and the Supreme Court. Hart, 2013)Dana  had left the office  to tend to the children, and Keith puttered around the church, unable to do anything productive. He finally left.(John Grisham, The Confession. Doubleday, 2010). Perfect Aspect and Compound Tenses The perfect is a past tense that is marked by means of an auxiliary verb rather than by inflection, like the preterite. The auxiliary is have, which is followed by a past participle. Examples are given in [40] along with their non-perfect counterparts:[40i] a. She has been ill. [perfect]   b. She is ill [non-perfect][40ii] a. She had left town. [perfect]   b. She left town. [non-perfect][40iii] a. She is said to have spoken fluent Greek. [perfect] (b) She is said to speak fluent Greek. [non-perfect]In [ia] and [iia] the auxiliary have is itself inflected for primary tense, has being a present tense form, had a peterite. These constructions thus have compound tense: [ia] is a present perfect, [iia] is a preterite perfect. In [iiia] have is in the plain form, so this time there is no primary tense, no compound tense.(Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum,  A Students Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2005) Expressing the Future With Compound Tenses Past and present are the only English simple tenses, using one-word forms of the verb. Future is expressed in English as a compound tense, with two words, using the modal auxiliary will, e.g. will come; the corresponding past tense came is just one word.(James R. Hurford,  Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994)  Bessie was baffled. How do these birds live? Where do they sleep at night? And how can they survive the rains, the cold, the snow? I will go home, Bessie decided. People will not leave me in the streets.(Isaac Bashevis Singer, The Key. The New Yorker, 1970)

Compound Tenses in English Grammar

Compound Tenses in English Grammar In English grammar, compound tense is a traditional term for a verb construction that uses more than one word to express a meaning related to time. A verb construction that uses only one word is called a simple tense.Compound tenses are made up of auxiliary verbs  (or helping verbs) combined with other verb forms. The perfect, past perfect (also known as pluperfect), progressive, and (in some cases) future are forms traditionally regarded as compound tenses in English. Examples and Observations Simple Tenses vs. Compound TensesThe distinction between simple and compound tenses corresponds to the distinction between affixes and words. A simple tense form of a verb is a single word, usually augmented by a suffix (less often a prefix). A compound tense form consists of several words, at least one of them an auxiliary. The work done by the affix in a simple tense form and the auxiliary in a compound tense form is broadly the same; it expresses some distinction in the general area of time. . . .What is potentially confusing here is the fact that English, like many European languages, uses the past participle (e.g. taken) both for the perfect (a compound tense) and for the passive voice. Note that the English passive is formed in a way quite parallel to the formation of compound tenses, i.e. with an auxiliary and a participle. But, of course, passive is not a tense.(James R. Hurford,  Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994)[W]hen the father comes in from wo rk, he eats, and finally the mother herself eats alone or with the smaller children, who probably have already eaten what they wanted with the others.(Jack E. Weller,  Yesterdays People: Life in Contemporary Appalachia. University Press of Kentucky, 1995) I wash my face, dress and go downstairs where my wife  is feeding the  baby.(Julius Lester,  Lovesong: Becoming a Jew. Arcade, 2013)Anyone who  has read the  judgments of Lord Denning or Lord Atkin will know the importance of the way the facts are presented.(Alan Paterson,  Final Judgment: The Last Law Lords and the Supreme Court. Hart, 2013)Dana  had left the office  to tend to the children, and Keith puttered around the church, unable to do anything productive. He finally left.(John Grisham, The Confession. Doubleday, 2010). Perfect Aspect and Compound Tenses The perfect is a past tense that is marked by means of an auxiliary verb rather than by inflection, like the preterite. The auxiliary is have, which is followed by a past participle. Examples are given in [40] along with their non-perfect counterparts:[40i] a. She has been ill. [perfect]   b. She is ill [non-perfect][40ii] a. She had left town. [perfect]   b. She left town. [non-perfect][40iii] a. She is said to have spoken fluent Greek. [perfect] (b) She is said to speak fluent Greek. [non-perfect]In [ia] and [iia] the auxiliary have is itself inflected for primary tense, has being a present tense form, had a peterite. These constructions thus have compound tense: [ia] is a present perfect, [iia] is a preterite perfect. In [iiia] have is in the plain form, so this time there is no primary tense, no compound tense.(Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum,  A Students Introduction to English Grammar. Cambridge University Press, 2005) Expressing the Future With Compound Tenses Past and present are the only English simple tenses, using one-word forms of the verb. Future is expressed in English as a compound tense, with two words, using the modal auxiliary will, e.g. will come; the corresponding past tense came is just one word.(James R. Hurford,  Grammar: A Students Guide. Cambridge University Press, 1994)  Bessie was baffled. How do these birds live? Where do they sleep at night? And how can they survive the rains, the cold, the snow? I will go home, Bessie decided. People will not leave me in the streets.(Isaac Bashevis Singer, The Key. The New Yorker, 1970)

How Do We Know What We Know Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

How Do We Know What We Know Quiz - Essay Example It helps in expounding cultural, economic and political life of different societies. When one explore different areas, the experience acquired living among different people provide concrete information than the written sources in the media. The media provides insight information on activities and way of living in different communities. The media briefly outline what is one expect when were live among these communities. These social realities supplement the information we have, what we think we know and having common sense, we can derive the fact about the social, economic and spiritual life of any given society on earth. Amueshas, also called Yaneshas is an ethnic group in the Peruvian Amazonian forest. According to the media sources, Amueshas is a small group that is almost 2.9% of the registered indigenous inhabitant of the Amazonia of Peru (speedlook.com, 2015). The media sources state that Amueshas communities are located high altitude borders of River Picis, Cacazu, and Yurinaqui. Amueshas are dominant in Yaneshas communities. Their language group is Arahuaco. The westerns arrived in this region in the 16th century as missionaries and meet this group. The western intermingled with them and established a stable co-existence with this group. Western attempted to colonize these communities by consolidating them in towns and possessing their properties. Amueshas grouped itself and formed trade union that help to regain lost possessions’. The invasion of the white resulted in the change of life habits of Amueshas. They were hunting for obtain a daily meal, but this have changed. This group ha s diversified into agriculture and other forest activities as a source of income. Their tradition is one way that would help in knowing their way of life before the colonial era. The way this group has preserved it language would personal experience on customs. Expert authorities have always considered the minority groups in the Amazon forest as hunters. The