Insperation free essay sample

Inspiration for me comes to from everything that is happening around me. Not only do I believe dance is a sport, but an art. Dance is such a special art, it involves music, movement and you mind. The struggles I have, the diversity I face, the love and happiness. I am a dancer, I’m a creator. I create what I feel, what I see, the world around me is my inspiration. My emotions are the main contributor they are the inspiration for everything I do. I have such strength and determination to follow my heart. The inspiration from this is a sad start but one I chose to fight. Many around me think my idea of dancing for a lifetime is foolish; my strength comes from those who don’t believe in their hearts. I follow my heart because it is the inspiration for everything I do. Not only am I dancer but a musician. We will write a custom essay sample on Insperation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The music I write is all that is happening around me and how I deal. I hope my performances provide inspiration for those who see and experience what I do. I dance from experience, from my world and somewhere someone is going through the same exact things. With each performance I try to make people feel so I can inspire.

Bilingualism and Multilingualism

Bilingualism and Multilingualism Language is the influential aspect which determines the peculiarities of the people’s interactions in society. It is possible to discuss the usage of language for communication from psychological, linguistic, and sociolinguistic perspectives because language plays an enormous role in the formation of human identity.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Bilingualism and Multilingualism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The peculiar features of the social development influence the progress of the situation when today many people are considered as bilingual or multilingual. Economical, political, cultural and social shifts to the development of international economy and integration caused the fact that the notions of bilingualism and multilingualism which are closely connected with the phenomenon of globalization became important aspects of a modern society. To understand the peculiarities of this tendency, it is neces sary to examine the definitions of bilingualism and multilingualism and determine the features in which these notions are similar or different. The issue of defining such notions as bilingualism and multilingualism is widely discussed by many researchers nowadays. The main difference of their approaches is in the consideration of these notions as similar or different in relation to their major characteristics. In her work, Pavlenko accentuates the fact that traditionally bilingualism and multilingualism are discussed as the same notions that is why she uses use the term ‘bilingualism’ in order to study the aspects of bi- and multilingualism with paying attention only to the number of languages used by a speaker (Pavlenko, 2006). According to this idea, bilingualism should be defined as the phenomenon when people use two languages to realize their social interactions, and multilingualism is the phenomenon when people use more than two languages to complete their social n eeds (Altarriba Heredia, 2008).Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, to discuss the aspects of bilingualism and multilingualism, it is necessary to focus on the factor of the social motivation and psychological peculiarities of the ability to use two or more languages for interactions. To discuss the notions as the same, it is necessary to state that bi/multilingualism is a complex phenomenon which is influenced by social and psychological factors and also affects the structure of the languages used. This phenomenon is connected with the notion of codes. Thus, bilingualism is a result of â€Å"psycholinguistic functioning of the mind when having two codes† (Ceroz Gorter, 2011, p. 357). Nevertheless, it is also possible to notice that multilingualism is a result of using more than two language codes. The usage of two or more codes results in developing code-mix ing and code-switching during the communication process (Ceroz Gorter, 2011). The peculiar features of code-mixing and code-switching are widely discussed by those researchers who support the opinion that bilingualism and multilingualism cannot be considered as the same notions. The base for their arguments is two views known as the ‘fractional’ view and ‘holistic’ view (Perani Abutalebi, 2005). According to the first perspective, a bilingual is a person who interacts as two monolinguals depending on definite circumstances (Altarriba Heredia, 2008). The ‘holistic’ view is more general and states that the languages used are interdependent and influence each other. Thus, the person who uses them should be considered as a unique personality following definite sociolinguistic peculiarities. Focusing on these two views, sociolinguists and psychologists accentuate that code- switching as the selection of definite linguistic elements in languages t o use is more typical for bilinguals and code-mixing is more typical for multilingual persons who combine the elements of many languages in one speech to complete the conversation goal (Myers-Scotton, 2006). Moreover, it is significant to pay attention to such points as the types of bi/multilingualism and their differences. Researchers define circumstantial bilingualism as the person’s usage of two languages according to the situation of communication and other socio-environmental factors which influenced the necessity to learn the second language (De Bot, Lowie, Verspoor, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Bilingualism and Multilingualism specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Circumstantial multilingualism can develop on the base of previous bilingualism under the definite living circumstances. That is why it is almost impossible to determine any strict differences in these types. Sequential bilingualism is based on the fact bilinguals develop some proficiency in their native language and then learn the second language. Thus, their knowledge about the native language can influence their acquiring the second language. The next stage after acquiring the second language can be multilingualism when a person studies languages sequentially. Thus, there are no obvious differences in sequential bilingualism and sequential multilingualism. The only fact which can influence the peculiarities of multilingual persons’ interactions is the ability to learn languages more effectively with using the knowledge about the first two or more languages (Wei Moyer, 2008). Passive bi/multilingualism is characterized by a person’s knowing two or more languages, but active usage in communication of only one of them (Paradis Navarro, 2003). Thus, the peculiarities of circumstantial, sequential, and passive bi/multilingualism cannot be considered as decisive for determining the differences in usin g the notions. Those researchers who develop the idea that bilingualism and multilingualism are similar notions accentuate the fact of ‘soft boundaries’ between languages which are typical both for bilinguals and multilingual persons (Ceroz Gorter, 2011). Nevertheless, the other linguists argue that because of predominantly circumstantial character of bilingualism, ‘soft boundaries’ between languages are more typical for the multilingual practice (Myers-Scotton, 2006). To determine the differences and similarities in the notions of bilingualism and multilingualism, it is possible to provide the general definition which is based on the opinion that a multilingual person differs from a bilingual only in the number of languages he knows. Moreover, multilingualism can also include the concept of bilingualism as the certain type of the phenomenon.Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, according to the ‘holistic’ view with focusing on such aspects as code-mixing and ‘soft boundaries’ between languages, it is possible to define a multilingual person as a man who uses more than two languages for realizing everyday social interactions. The main peculiarities of multilingual persons is the effective usage of more than two languages as the combination of codes (code-mixing) in order to achieve the goal of communication in spite of environmental factors. Multilingual persons differ from bilinguals in such aspects as the intensity of interdependence of the languages used, forming a unique personality from the psychological and sociolinguistic perspectives, and the usage of two or more languages and their combinations depending on their effectiveness according to the communicative goal. References Altarriba, J. Heredia, R. R. (2008). An introduction to bilingualism: Principles and Processes. USA: Psychology Press. Ceroz, J. Gorter, D. (2011). Focus on multilingualism: A study of trilingual writing. The Modern Language Journal, 95(iii), 356-369. De Bot, K., Lowie, W., Verspoor, M. (2007). A dynamic systems theory approach to second language acquisition. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 10, 7–21. Myers-Scotton, C. (2006). Multiple voices. USA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Paradis, M. Navarro, S. (2003). Subject realization and crosslinguistic interference in the bilingual acquisition of Spanish and English: What is the role of the input? Journal of Child Language, 30, 371–393. Pavlenko, A. (2006). Bilingual minds. USA: Multilingual Matters Ltd. Perani, D. Abutalebi, J. (2005). Neural basis of first and second language processing. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 15, 202–206. Wei, L. Moyer, M. G. (2008). The Blackwell guide to research methods in bilingualism and multilingualism. USA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Choose a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Choose a topic - Essay Example These movements not only struggled to receive formal recognition by the Kennedy administration through legislation, but also needed equal access to all benefits of the burgeoning American economy. Consequently, this essay intends to explain how assassination of Martin Luther king Jr. was a major blow to black movements in America and parts of the world characterized by racial discrimination and segregation. Evidences to support arguments in the essay are quoted from two primary sources namely Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail written in 1963 and Robert F. Kennedy’s Speech on the Assassination The black movements were at their prime in mid-19th Century, a time when racial discrimination and segregation was at its worse. During this period, Martin Luther King was the pioneer of the strategy and vision of a non-violent campaign by black movements against racism. His strategy argued that it was the moral responsibility of people to break unjust laws. As he notes, â€Å"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gain saying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known.† (The King Center 1). Moreover, Assassination of Martin Luther King was a sad occurrence to white people alike. White people also participated in civil rights movements in the 1960s when they expanded their grievances to include equality of all in society. During the 1960s, many whites were also discriminated in accessing the benefits realized from the expanding American economy. As a result, the readily joined Martin Luther King Jr.’s strategy of the nonviolent campaign, and this is noticeable in

Assignment scenario Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Assignment scenario - Essay Example While the nurse has factual justification for the enforcement of her recommendation, is it possible that her apparent commitment to the health and welfare of the patient cannot be achieved by the disregard of her wishes? DEONTOLOGY One might argue that to care for the body in a way that yields emotional distress is self-defeating; What then, are the rules by which we can standardize the 'goodness' of an action or philosophy? Deontological ethics (deontology) is an obligation-centric ethical theory. Duty and rule-adherence are essential in that ethics, when anchored by rules and obligation connect the person with his or her duties. Deontologists may also follow a belief of moral absolutism, outcomes themselves become irrelevant; only duty, rule-adherence that can give us a basis for final moral arbitration. Combining these views, actions yielding positive outcomes but not resulting from strict adherence to a pre-existing code of conduct cannot be morally justifiable - regardless of ho w good it seems in retrospect. Ergo, if compelling the compression bandages is following a pre-ordained obligatory behavioral code, then the outcome of preventing swelling and sores is irrelevant, as is the outcome of the widow's displeasure. So long as the Nurse acts according to a protocol. The case of Ruth Symonds as pertaining to the implementation of Modern Medical Ethics. TELEOLOGY By contrast, Teleological beliefs and philosophies are outcome-based, or outcome justified. This principle can extend not only to philosophies as they inform decision making, but the natural sciences as well. Hanke, (2004) A tiger has stripes because stripes are needed for a tiger to live and hunt in the way that tigers live and hunt; therefore striped tigers are inevitable. But this does not inform the investigator as to the ultimate origins of behaviors or adaptations, and thus would not permit future investigators to extrapolate that observation into further predictions. It would then become nece ssary to devise an explanation whereby the root causes of the tigers' need for stripes and the consequences thereof are elucidated in terms of differential survival outcomes; before said stripes ever appeared. In the writings of Aristotle, the premise of teleology is expounded upon as a unifying meta-principle that he uses to apply holistic meaning to the forms seen within nature. All that exists must be whole and functional within the purvey of ultimate purpose; a purpose which he held to be human benefit. Schindler, (1986) But subsequent generations of scientific thinkers would be able to demonstrate the incompleteness of that presumption. While it is true that wheat may be very beneficial for human consumption, and that oxen may be advantageous as a source of cheap, brute force for human-guided industry, what of disease? The Smallpox virus is perfectly adapted to infect and proliferate amongst humans, and can only survive inside of a human being; does humankind exist solely for t he benefit of the Smallpox virus? Broader considerations like this must be kept in mind for anyone that adopts a presumptuous, just-so opportunistic teleology. It is difficult to entirely purge this kind of circularity from the field of biology, but attempts are being made by some biologists to remove assumptive references to a 'blind watchmaker', that presupposes final

Types of Mythology Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Types of Mythology Worksheet Essay How are knowledge, belief, myth, and religion related to one another and how are they distinct from one another? Use an example from your life or popular culture to explain this relationship. Knowledge is made up of facts, truth, stories, and more. Belief is â€Å"the assertion that something is true without necessary proof, evidence or facts to back it up.† Myth is a fictional story, tends to have a hero or event to justify a social preamble. Religion is a combination of beliefs, and myths that helps draw attention of followers. Myths Directions: Choose two examples for each type of myth and identify the pieces of literature, such as a Shakespeare play, in which the examples are found. Greek Myths Myth 1: Daphne and Apollo Literature it’s found in: Parthenius’s â€Å"Erotica Pathernata† Myth 2: Trojan War Literature it’s found in: Homer’s â€Å"Iliad and the Odyssey† Answer the following questions: Describe Greek myths. Transform the original stories â€Å"from {their} initial frame of referene into another that is more acceptable† (Powell, 2002, p.19) How have the above pieces of literature helped society to understand the universe? It helped us understand that there are truths that are within human reasoning because â€Å"dealing with especially with the soul’s fate after death, but also with the nature of being and of the perfect political order† (Powell, 2002, p. 18-19). Physical Allegory Myths Myth 1: Homer’s Story Literature it’s found in: Iliad (Powell, 2002, p. 19) Myth 2: â€Å"The Contest of Poseidon and Athena† Literature it’s found in: Poseidon Answer the following questions: Describe physical allegory myths. A physical allegory myth is when gods represent a physical element. A good example of this is Hades who controls the underworld, or Poseidon who controls water. According to Powell (2002), â€Å"the mythical conflicts of two gods are the allegorical expression of a basic cosmological principle concerning the opposition of fire and water† (Powell, 2002, p. 19). How have these pieces of literature helped society to understand the universe? It has helped society understand a cultural linkage from the past to today in a philosophical aspect with nature because Powell (2002) stated that â€Å"these physical allegorical interpretations attempted to explain a cultural inheritance from a distant, preliterate past in the light of sophisticated philosophical thought about forces in nature† Historical Allegory Myths Myth 1: Apollo and Hephaestus representing fire Literature it’s found in:† Iliad† Myth 2: Aphrodite representing desire and Hermes representing reason Literature it’s found in: â€Å"Iliad† Answer the following questions: Describe historical allegory myths. Historical allegory myths tend to reveal history other than the science of the origin and the development of what we know about the universe. According to Powell, â€Å"the deification of dead Hellenistic rulers made more plausible the notion that great humans of the past had, with the passage of time, became more than human† (Powell, 2002, p. 22). How have these pieces of literature helped society to understand the universe? It helped us understand how a society can rise against adversities’, nature, and man. In many ways, it enables us to understand people evolved over time. Powell wrote â€Å"Zeus was said to have traveled the earth teaching arts of civilized life, banning such reprehensible religious practices as cannibalism and founding temples† (Powell, 2002, p. 21). Moral Allegory Myths Myth 1: Odysseus hides his treasure in cave of nymphs on Ithaca Literature it’s found in: â€Å"Odyssey† Myth 2: Apollo kills the Greeks with his arrows Literature it’s found in: â€Å"Iliad† Answer the following questions: Describe moral allegory myths. Moral allegory myths are stories that offer advices about bad or good behavior as Powell stated that the moral myths â€Å"give us hints about the moral world beyond† (Powell, 2002, p. 24). This means it allows us to find truths about how people behaved in any stories. How have these pieces of literature helped society to understand the universe? It helped society understand the universe because it helps us see things differently and figure out what is not perfect and what is perfect because according to Powell, â€Å"the material world in which we live, reported to us by our senses, is nonetheless to some extent modeled after the perfect rational world† (Powell, 2002, p. 23) Medieval and Renaissance Myths Myth 1: Song of Solomon Literature it’s found in: The Bible Myth 2: Three sisters representing 4 stages of intoxication – too much wine, the forgetfulness it causes, lust and sheer madness. Literature it’s found in: Story of Liber of Mythologies of Fulgentius (Powell, 2002). Answer the following questions: Describe medieval and Renaissance myths. It is used heavily in classical mythology because in retrospect, there are morals in any classical (traditional) stories but was used in mythological stories. A good example of this would be the bible, according to Powell who wrote, â€Å"the allegorical method whereby moral meanings were drawn from old stories was also applied extensively to the Bible† (Powell, 2002, p. 24). How have these pieces of literature helped society to understand the  universe? It has helped us focus on acceptable oral meanings of nature and the universe. For example, â€Å"Apollo is explained as an allegory for the moral that chastity, like the laurel, remains as cool as a river, and always blooms, but never bears fruit† (Powell, 2022, p. 25). Theories of Enlightenment Myths Myth 1: Man being created by God Literature it’s found in: the Bible Myth 2: Fables Literature it’s found in: â€Å"The Origin of Fables† (Powell, 2002, p. 27) Answer the following questions: Describe theories of Enlightenment myths. Traditional thought, particulary thoughts associated with religious institutions were â€Å"subject to reexamination, usually with a notable lack of sympathy† (Powell, 2002, p. 27); this transition, they were seen as examples of simple, monosyllabic language from previous cultures. How have these pieces of literature helped society to understand the universe? It helped us understand the cultures of many different groups, and the evolutionary development of cultures especially early civilizations to today. References: Powell, B. B. (2002). A short introduction to classical myth. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Microsoft Versus the Department of Justice Essays -- Computers Microso

Microsoft Versus the Department of Justice In today’s high-tech ultra-fast paced world, there can be no debate as to the importance of personal computers. Personal Computers control virtually every aspect of our daily lives. Businesses, regardless of their size, have local area networks, company Intranets and high-speed wide area networks. Billing, inventory and invoicing would be impossible without help from our Personal Computers. Stocks, bonds and commodities are traded in the markets around the world entirely by computer. The Banking industry relies enormously on Personal Computers for every transaction. Communicating without email, fax transmissions and other forms of computer aided information transfers would be unimaginable. The media would be unable to produce news and information for the masses in the timely manner we know today. Law enforcement agencies, from local police, to field agents of the F.B.I. depend on computer databases for crucial information. Air traffic controllers rely on their computer s to safely land and route thousands of planes into airports around the world everyday. Even the military depends on computers to defend our very own borders and interests. With the important role that Personal Computers serve in society today, is it really a good idea to have one company exclusively control the technology running virtually every aspect of our lives? Ninety percent of all computers sold worldwide are IBM or IBM compatible clones. Microsoft's infamous operating system licensing agreements required all personal computer makers to pay Microsoft a royalty on every computer they manufactured, even when no Microsoft product was loaded on the machine.(Kaphing 1) This forced the Personal Computer makers into only using the Microsoft operating system. They could not choose a different Operating System even if they so desired, because at that time all of the Personal Computer clone manufacturers were small start up companies, having very limited capital. They couldn't afford to pay both Microsoft and another company for a different operating system. In 1994 The United States Justice Department barred Microsoft from engaging in this sort of extortion, but it was already too late, the Operating System monopoly had been realized. After the 1994 decision, Microsoft resorted to a new anti-competitive tactic. Yet another ... ... and largely as a result of that barrier, Microsoft’s customers lack a commercially viable alternative to Windows. Microsoft possesses a dominant, persistent, and increasing share of the world-wide market PC operating systems. Every year for the last decade, Microsoft’s share of the market for Intel-compatible PC operating systems has stood above ninety percent. For the last couple of years the figure has been at least ninety-five percent, and analysts project that the share will climb even higher over the next few years. Even if Apple’s Mac Operating System were included in the relevant market, Microsoft’s share would still stand well above eighty percent. It was proven in court that many of the tactics that Microsoft has employed have also harmed consumers indirectly by unjustifiably distorting competition. The actions that Microsoft took against Navigator hobbled a form of innovation that had shown the potential to depress the applications barrier to entry sufficiently to enable other firms to compete effectively against Microsoft in the market for PC operating systems. That competition would have conduced to consumer choice and nurtured innovation.

From Julius Caesar to Hamlet Essay

The comparison between Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Hamlet in terms of how implied, or latent elements and themes in one were transmitted and developed in the other can lead to unveiling the transformations Shakespeare was envisaging with the writing of Hamlet. In the Introduction to the 1987 Oxford University Press edition of Hamlet, G. R. Hibbard stated that â€Å"Hamlet was written after, but not long after, Julius Caesar, which can be dated with unusual accuracy as having been compose in the late summer of 1599† (4). From the arguments that Hibbard gives to support his argument (that there are two allusions in the text of Hamlet to Julius Caesar) we can see the strong connections between the two plays. In a way, both Julius Caesar and Hamlet represent thresholds in the development of Shakespeare’s dramatic art.   However, Hamlet moves in a different direction.   If Julius Caesar is set in a distant past and can only hint to the humanist themes in Shakespeare’s world, Hamlet shifts the tone of Shakespeare’s plays to a more private and Elizabethan center of interest. This paper argues that the themes and motifs that were merely suggested or hinted to or implied in Julius Caesar and which were elaborately developed in Hamlet   are significant in determining the specificity of Shakespeare’s later historical tragedies. The analysis of devices, motifs and themes in the two plays will illustrate this argument. The device of foregrounding is employed in Julius Caesar in the first act as a warning sign to Caesar from the Soothsayer. It is a clear and unmistakable omen of Julius Caesar’s death, especially given the drama’s historical grounding. This device is used in this play only to trigger the conflict – the death of Caesar will generate the actual drama. Because of its lack of ambiguity and its limited dramatic span, the foreshadowing in Julius Caesar does not have the same impact as it does in Hamlet. In Hamlet, the device of foreshadowing becomes a trigger for the play’s resolution and also represents the dramatic subtext which drives the whole chain of events towards the tragic end.   In Act 1 Scene 1, we witness the apparition of the ghost of Hamlet’s father. This episode is marked by the use of special imagery and allusions. Horatio gives the decisive argument in identifying the ghost with tthe murdered king. The ghost figure is clearly employed in this first act as a means of   foreshadow ing not only the conflict of the story but also its resolution: â€Å"This bodes some strange eruption to our state† (The Tragedy of Hamlet 148). The image of Fortinbras is another ominous motif by which Shakespear alludes to the later developments in the play. Moreover, the reader is given a preliminary explanation of the Medieval code of honor, by which the king’s son has to avenge his father’s death. The story of Fortinbras and his father parallels and motivates the complex relationship between Hamlet and his own father. Duty is presented as a crucial motivation, which determines the hero’s actions and even consciousness. Another element which is only suggested in Julius Caesar is the characters’ ambivalence – no character is essentially â€Å"evil† or â€Å"bad†. Brutus, before deciding to join the conspirators, condemns this act: They are the faction. O conspiracy Shamest thou to show thy dangerous brow by night, When evils are most free? O, then by day Where wilt thou find a cavern dark enough/ To mask thy monstrous visage? Seek none, conspiracy;† (Julius Caesar, Act 2 Scene 1). Brutus is therefore shown to have a moral conscience, a conscience dramatically and fatally opposing his actions. The paradox of a noble man’s evil actions might find its explanation through an analysis of Hamlet’s soliloquy at the end of the first act. Hamlet’s soliloquy and corruption in the forth scene points to a specific image idea Shakespeare had about the human mind and behavior: it appears that the seeds of evil can be ingrained in the most noble of spirits or, conversely, that goodness can be the host of evil. This feature is presented in fatalistic and deterministic terms and becomes another motivation for the tragic resolution: So, oft it chances in particular men That for some vicious mole of nature in them As, in their birth – wherein they are not guilty [†¦] Oft breaking down the pales and forts of reason Or by some habit that too much o’er-leavens [†¦] Shall in the general censure take corruption From that particular fault (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 181) The chain of events leading to the fatal ending is thus linked to the dictum of â€Å"blind fate†. By foregrounding the ambivalence of human nature, Shakespeare gives a more complex perspective on his characters’ motivational resorts and transcends the limitations of a completely â€Å"good† or a completely â€Å"evil† model. In another scene, the King admits to his having murdered Hamlet’s father. He is presented as having pangs of guilt – â€Å"May one be pardoned and retain th’offence?† (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 273): O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven. It has the primal eldest curse upon’t – A brother’s murder. Pray can I not. (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 272). Cluadius’ questions show the character in a new, humanizing light, which eliminates the image of the stereotyped villain. Many of the elements that are only latent, or implied, in Julius Caesar, are to be fully found in Hamlet’s soliloquies. The motif of Brutus’ suicide, for instance, which is not fully developed in the play, becomes one of the themes of reflection in Hamlet’s soliloquies. Hamlet’s considerations on suicide, on the other hand, elaborate much on this theme. There are several acceptions which are discussed in the protagonist’s soliloquies and they are testimony to Shakespeare’s insight of the human mind: For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, [†¦] To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will. (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 240-241) Moreover, in another passage, Hamlet gives another interpretation of his own reluctance to commit suicide, which is presented in light of the protagonist’s fear of God and social status: The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of disprized love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes,† (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 240). Closely linked to this theme, there is the notion of the vanity of existence which is only implied in Julius Caesar through the foregrounding of the emperors’ rise and fall and in the parallels drawn in this respect among Julius Caesar, Mark Anthony and Brutus. However, this theme is not fully problematized in the play – probably because it does not come in agreement with the historical and philosophical repertoire of Ancient Rome. In Hamlet, however, this theme becomes predominant and one of the character’s privileged objects of reflection. The â€Å"What is a man† soliloquy hints to the vanitas vanitatum of Renaissance and humanist philosophy of the finitude of man and of the ultimate insignificance of all earthly possessions. Moreover, Hamlet’s soliloquy incorporates another one of the humanist concerns, which was that of the perfectibility of man’s spirit and destiny through God-given language and thought: What is a man If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more (The Tragedy of Hamlet, 298).   To conclude, this paper has illustrated the ways in which themes and motifs which were latent in Julius Caesar are given prominence in Hamlet, especially through the protagonist’s soliloquies. In a way, it is the very shift from the predominance of the oratorical speech and its dialogic character in Julius Caesar to the primacy of the soliloquy and its monological quality in Hamlet that provides the key for understanding the reasons behind the amplification of devices and themes from one play to the other. With Hamlet, Shakespeare’s historical tragedies become more intimate and, at the same time, more openly philosophical and universal.