Barn Burning essay

William Faulkner is a writer of his own unique style. He was a resident of Mississippi and spent most of his days in Oxford, Mississippi. He attended college at University of Mississippi. He served in the air force during World War I and afterwards retained a job at the New Orleans Times. He was a featured writer for this newspaper and soon became famous. Even after being known as the marvelous writer of Mississippi, he had hard times getting by and supporting himself. He began to write Hollywood scripts and teach at the University of Virginia in order to keep a stable income. He has been a major influence for other southern writers and always keeps a southern aspect through out his stories. He primarily was a novelist, and what many novels he did indeed write, but he also wrote many wonderful short stories. In 1950 he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. William Faulkner is considered one of America’s greatest twentieth-century novelists (“William Faulkner,” pars. 1-4).

“Barn Burning” is one of William Faulkner’s many southern stories. It is a tale of a southern boy forced into role by society. “Barn Burning” takes place after the civil war in the late nineteenth century. It primarily involves the conflicts of a father and his son. The father lives a rebellious life style and finds himself in outrages and in return sets things on fire. The son, Sarty, is trying to overcome what’s in his blood and is in constant struggle with family ties and morality. Although the story centers on the feelings and thoughts of Abner’s youngest son Sarty, the economic implications of his entire family play a vital role in justifying his father’s behavior, which is the pivotal reason for Sarty’s controversial feelings on which the whole story is based. William Faulkner captures the life of the south during the depression in this story. The dramatic conflict can be seen in William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” through the setting, characters, and symbols.

Various English translations of the Bible essay

Millions of people around the world own a Bible, profess to read it, and follow its dictates. According to one survey, nine out of ten Americans own a Bible (Davis, xv). There are complete Bibles in more than forty European languages, 125 Asian and Pacific languages, and there are Bible translations into more than 100 African languages with another 500 African-language versions of some portion of the Bible (Davis, xv). At least fifteen complete native-American Bibles have been published. In English, there are more than 3,000 versions of the entire Bible or portions of the Bible (Davis, xv). The King James Version, first produced in 1611, and the Revised Standard Version remain the most popular translations today. The Living Bible is one contemporary, paraphrased version, and has sold more than 40 million copies since 1971 (Davis, xv).

Additionally, the underlying issue of inclusive language is at the forefront of many discussions regarding the translations of the Bible. Discussion of the various translations, the controversies over the use of inclusive language and the affect the interpretations have on theology are relevant to understanding the Bible.

Throughout history the Bible has been translated into other languages so that people could have the scriptures in their own tongue. During the third century B.C. the Septuagint was the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament completed by 70 men in 70 days (Bender, 3). The first English Bibles were made from the Vulgate translation (Bender, 3). Vulgate means “common or popular” and is a translation of the entire Bible into Latin by Jerome about 400 AD. In an attempt to make the Bible accessible to common people who didn’t understand Hebrew, Latin, or Greek, John Wycliff, an English priest, produced one of the first English Bible translations before he died in 1384. He was cast out of the church and his translation was condemned because he had made the Bible available to Englishmen in their own languages (Davis, xxii). Another translator was Priest William Tyndale. He believed that the Bible should be read by everyone and translated the Bible into English. Church officials did not approve of this translation and as a result forced Tyndale to leave England and his translations were ordered burned and labeled untrue. He was arrested and imprisoned for doing a Biblical translation. In October 1536 Tyndale was executed and burned. Today, Tyndale is known as “The Father of the English Bible” (Davis, xxii).

A College Student Life Essay

Many students enter college expecting good times, knowledge, friendships, and a new sense of direction. They soon find out that college comes with challenges and struggles because of the great demands and expectations that are put on the importance of education. College students experience a great deal of stress, especially when they are trying to balance a full time job, raise children, and have a social life. The demands of doing many different things with very little time can become overwhelming.

The daily tasks of working and meeting the demands of job obligation can leave a college student exhausted. There are a limited number of students who work full time jobs and attend college full time. Others, still work late and get up in the wee hours of the morning trying to fit all of the required tasks of school and work into one day. Students often find themselves more exhausted when they are trying to schedule tasks, because there just does not seem to be enough time in one day. Putting in long hours and worrying about class schedules adds stress to a student life.

Fast Food Disaster Essay

Fast food chains have taken over America, but this is not a good thing. Obesity has become one of the biggest problems the United States of America. Anywhere from 25 – 30% of children, and 50% of adults are obese. Where does this obesity come from? Fast food chains with processed foods, “mystery meats”, and “sugar shocked” pops are major contributors to this widespread problem of obesity. What about this food is so bad for us? It is the trans fats that are in tasty products straight from our favorite fast food chains. This world has a rising amount of the popular fast food restaurants, which contain foods packed with trans fats, and do not contain enough essential fatty acids (EFA’s). The rising popularity of fast food chains, and percentage of obese people needs to be stopped.

The Fast food industry has had a tremendous outbreak of popularity since they first came into existence. In the course of two years 25,000 fast food restaurants were built. That is an amazing number. McDonalds itself spends over half a BILLION dollars a year promoting their “culture” of eating. No company could have that much advertising money unless it was extremely popular. That is where our problem starts. The popularity of fast food has come from being a small problem to being a worldwide problem. No matter what continent you are on chances are you will find at least 1 fast food restaurant because of the never fading popularity of fast food.

Many studies have been performed having to do with McDonalds because of how popular it is. Most people would probably guess that almost everyone knows what Christianity is. However, McDonalds is more widely known. In a study done with children, the researchers found that the Golden Arch, found on McDonalds signs, was more recognized then the Christian cross. McDonalds has also created a mascot. His name is Ronald McDonald. I would be very surprised if I walked into a room of 20 American children and found that none of them know whom Ronald McDonald is or what the Golden Arch symbolizes. 96% of children know who Ronald McDonald is. That SECONDS him to Santa Clause whether they believe in him or not. McDonalds is known to most every American child.

Kids today eat too much as it is, and a lot of what they eat isn’t healthy. The large amount of advertisement from McDonalds contributes to this. If children know so much about McDonalds, you would guess that they would have eaten there. Surveys that have been taken say that most people eat McDonalds at least once a month. A study that was performed said that immigrant children coming to America, even with all their poverty and lack of good health care, are healthier then the everyday American child. Instead of eating processed foods, they eat more fruits, vegetables, and grains. Of course over time, every immigrant child will be sucked up into the contagious American way, and develop our unhealthy eating habits. The amount of obese children has increased by 50% in the last 20 years.

Almost everyone knows that fast food is bad for you. With the media highlighting every bad thing in the world it is hard to not know that. Most of us do not realize that it is not only bad for our health, but a threat to it as well. Some may know about the calories in it, which in just one meal can be enough for the day.

Very few may even know about the bad meat. So they think I wont eat the hamburger, I’ll have French fries instead. I know I used to think that, but the French fries are worse, because of the “partially hydrogenated” oils they are cooked in. Amazing isn’t it? There is virtually no way to make fast food good for you.

Ok, now I would guess your wondering what in the food is bad for you, so I will tell you that it is the trans fats. To most of you that word probably means nothing. It didn’t mean anything to me before I found out what it is. There are two types of fats: Trans fats and the essential fatty acids. The essential part of “essential fatty acids” implies that you need them. Trans fats are the bad fats. A lot of this information has been centered on McDonalds because McDonalds is the largest source of these fatal fats. Now, I know you can tell me well they changed their fries to being “cholesterol free”, but in the reality of that, in terms of your health, that means nothing. The cholesterol rating has nothing to do with whether or not they are good for you. It is all about what they are cooked in: the oils. Oils are “partially hydrogenated”. This tells us that they contain these potent Fatty acids. Most of us don’t know what “partially hydrogenated” means. That’s why we allow this to pass when we are reading labels. Trans fats are in many things whether we know that they are there or not.

What are trans fats? Trans fats were made in 1911 when Procter and Gamble made Crisco. Saying that something is “partially hydrogenated” means that hydrogen was added to a polyunsaturated fat.

Manufacturers did this to increase the shelf life of their products. When you do this the fat becomes more solidified allowing it to keep longer. However, it also keeps longer in our bodies. This causes blockages in our arteries. These blockages can eventually lead to heart attacks and various other things. Trans fats are really bad, solid fats that can seriously harm us.

Most children do not get enough EFA’s, essential fatty acids. These acids help us in so many ways. They are the fat that we need to live on. They are necessary for hemoglobin production, circulation, cell membrane, immune function, and brain development. Lacking them can cause heart, mental, skin, and other disorders. This shows that it is “essential” to have essential fatty acids. EFA’s are important to us because they keep us living and if children are lacking them it will lead to big problems.

Trans fats are in almost everything you can buy at fast food restaurants making them highly dangerous. We all need to do something to help this. This world has a rising amount of the popular fast food restaurants, which contain foods packed with trans fats, and do not contain enough essential fatty acids (EFA’s). The popularity of fast food restaurants many never change. Therefore we should attempt to make our fast food restaurants healthier. That doesn’t mean make the French fries cholesterol free! That means change how things are cooked and what they are cooked in. By changing what they are cooked in we can get rid of many of the trans fats, and possibly add some EFA’s. In that way we would make the food healthier decreasing obesity levels, and hopefully change the amounts of trans fats in most foods. Trans fats are virtually taking over not only the fast food restaurants, but also the world.

Spirituality Essay

That goal is to strive for better life, good health, better jobs, a good spouse, good crops, a better car, etc. For this better life we look up to a higher power to help us to reach our needs. In the American Heritage dictionary the definition of spirituality is, “ relating to or consisting of spirit, Ecclesiastical; sacred”. Most cultures call this spirit, “ God”. Gods in all cultures, from the earliest recorded evidence, have the same characteristics. Gods must be perfect, they are the omniscient originators of the universe, they are the principle objects of faith and worship, and they are of supernatural powers. I have chosen a portrait from the magazine, Christianity Today, December 9th, 2002. The faces have eyes to show us that they see where they are going, but the faces are without features because they represent that all mankind is included in the goal of reaching a higher power with the help of the higher power. Evidence has been found that suggests that since the very earliest civilization, humans have looked to a higher power. There has to be some sense of guidance from someone that is trustworthy, someone who has never made a mistake, and someone who judges, punishes, and rewards human behavior. In early Mesopotamia, in the order of the governmental hierarchy, the diviners would interpret signs in the universe that they considered signs from the Gods. Events such as floods and droughts, winning and loosing wars, good crops and bad crops. These things would be signs to let them know if the Gods were pleased or angry. The diviners would converse with the high priests that would advise the kings. The kings were looked at as second in power under the Gods. Their life centered on pleasing their Gods for they lived in fear of making their Gods angry. In all beliefs, it is important to worship and look up to the Gods. The Mesopotamians built Ziggurats, which are temples to worship their Gods. It was expected of them to prepare big feasts for them. This was pleasing to the Gods and they were rewarded with an abundance in their crops, or winning a war, or in some way that was very important to them. The Mesopotamians worshiped their Gods out of fear, not love or mercy. They believed that the deity interfered with human behavior. There was a sense of belief but not salvation, and they believed that when they died they went to a place where there was neither reward nor punishment.

The Egyptian government was a theocracy. The Pharaoh was the leader of the people and must obey the laws of the Gods for the benefit of his people. Some rulers claimed to be divinities. His behavior set a guideline to benefit his people. Proper ethical and moral behavior prepared them for an abundance in the next life. The Egyptians believed that they had to pass a test of one of their Gods to be reborn into the after life. The spirit had to pass judgment and prove that the soul was free from sin, there was confession and then the heart was weighed against the feather of Maat, goddess of truth. If the scale balanced he or she would be admitted to the afterlife, if not they would be devoured into death. Egyptians would spend their whole life preparing for death. They lived a good clean life, and built elaborate tombs called pyramids to be buried in when they died. Everything of value would be buried in these tombs with them, even their slaves because they believed that these material things would pass with them. The Egyptians would build temples to worship their Gods.

Just as it was in antiquity, today people are still worshiping a God of some kind. Spirituality has withstood the test of time. It is such an important part of our lives. We have built temples to worship our God in. We have churches, or synagogues, or cathedrals, some sort of building for every different type of faith. People of all walks of life look to a higher power for guidance. If there was nothing to strive for we would wander aimlessly in the world, and we would be without order. If we didn’t have anything to work for there would be no meaning to life. People have to have something to believe in. This has been proven by the fact that throughout time, from the very beginning, there has been worship of some form, and it is still with us today.
In the Christian faith we believe that our God created the heavens and the earth. He created mankind to live on the earth with all other living creatures that are beneath our level of intelligence. We follow a book as our guide, and we communicate with him by prayer. The Bible tells us that God sent us his son to die for us so that we may have an ever lasting life. We have only to believe in our God and accept him as our savior and we will have eternal life in a place where there is no evil or suffering . We ask that he come into our heart and be our savior and we will have a spiritual relationship with him. He has said that if we do this all of our sins will be forgiven and we will enter into his kingdom when we die. There are no rituals that we must do, and it is free. It doesn’t cost a thing because our God sent his son, Jesus, to die for us on the cross and wash away our sins. When Jesus left us to go back up to heaven, he left with us a Holy Spirit to be the presence and power of God. We live by the guidance of this Holy Spirit and by the gifts the Holy Spirit has given us. We are not forced to do anything in this relationship, we are just asked just cooperate.

When we die, we will go to heaven where our God has prepared a home for us. A place where there is no sickness, and no strife, hunger or pain. We will continue to worship God for eternity.

In the three examples, I have presented the similarities in spirituality. There are numerous other types of worship out there from all different cultures, to numerous to mention. We all have the same idea. We all have the need to believe in something greater than ourselves, we all worship a higher power and look to them for guidance in our world. All of mankind have a common goal and that is to worship a God that will lead us and lift us up to a place where we want to be. A God that will give us love, peace, hope, and faith. This gives us something to believe in, a guideline to follow. We all see where we are going and it is open for every one to join in. When Jesus comes we will all be united in a kingdom with one God and this will complete the cycle.

Learning Science Essay

In today’s world education is the most powerful thing a person can have. It is your education, your diploma that will get you to where you want to go. No one can take it from you or use it against you. It is your weapon. There is nothing better then to have a conversation with an educated or learned man. And science is a big part of education. It is with science that man went to the moon. Because of science we are able to do so much in today’s world. Because of science, knowledge and discovery we are able to indulge in all our the luxuries and activities that we so often take for granted. As we progress through time, science continues to grow rapidly.

There are a huge number of fields of science. Some of them include astronomy, astrophysics, biology, chemistry, meteorology, physics, psychology, zoology, geology, computer science and many more. And these many fields continue to develop and discover new things everyday. The scientists who work and apply themselves in these fields work in a variety of places such as universities, hospitals, business industries, government agencies, independent research organizations and scientific associations. Science is important for many reasons. It is important because it helps and drives the development of technology. Through science we progress and develop new ideas and thoughts. It is important because it improves the quality of life.

Through science we are able to discover new medicines and cures and other things like transportation. It is important because it helps you make informed opinions and ethical educated decisions about scientific and other issues. It is important because it helps you understand how the world operates. With science you are able to answer questions about the world, how things work and why. And it is also important because it helps us react to our surroundings safely. These reasons help enforce the importance of science and explain why learning science is important.

My understanding of science is that it is an attempt to understand the nature of existence. And although one might not be interested in science, or keen on learning it. There is no harm in enriching your knowledge and providing yourself with necessary useful information.
“It is through science, that we have become.” Fahd Altobaishi.

Racism Essay

Racism has had a huge impact on America for many years, and still continues to impact people. In “Learning to Read and Write”, Douglass shows how knowledge affects our place in society. He also shows race plays a role in class structure and education. This is because the class structure is slavery, which is based on race, and slaves are forbidden education.

In the text, there are many different ways that race and class interact. Generally, the blacks were the poor slaves. They had no freedom and could not advance economically due to the lack of education. The fact that they were forbidden education kept them superior to whites. The whites were much better off economically than whites. They had more money and more power over blacks. The education they were provided allowed them to advance in society. The society in the text believes that blacks do not deserve the same opportunities as whites. Education has an important role in society and can affect who you become. The different treatment received by blacks and whites lead to this gap in society. Despite this gap in society due to education, race and class structure interacted in many ways.

The interaction of Frederick Douglass, the slave, and the poor white boy is just one way they interacted. Unlike most whites, this young boy had very little money and was unable to feed himself. Frederick Douglass had a better like than most slaves, and even some white people, but he wanted to gain knowledge to further advance in society. Even though this poor white boy had no money or food, he still had the opportunity to get an education and eventually advance in society. Even blacks that had more money than most whites could not get an education. Frederick Douglass would give food to the poor white boy in exchange for knowledge that he could not get anywhere else. The poor white boy would tell him words that Frederick Douglass could not otherwise read. This shows how a poor white was still seen higher in society than a black male that had money and was well fed.

There was also interaction between the slave and the master. The master was white and naturally had supreme power over the slave. The slave was black who was destined for a life of serving whites. The whites did not allow the advancement of blacks in society. They wanted to keep the blacks inferior. This shows how race affects your place in society, and despite that, blacks and whites manage to interact in society.

The differences between blacks and whites lead to they different places in class structure. The lack of education that blacks were given kept them at the bottom of the class structure. Whites were given education, and therefore were higher in the class structure. Even though blacks and whites held different places in class structure due to slavery, they still managed to interact in society.

Essay on Obesity

Many of Americans are oblivious to their addiction to fast food and the health risks that are involved. Fast food companies make it easy for the general public to skip the old fashioned home cooked meal and go out for an inexpensive, fast, and (for the kids) fun meal. Fast food companies are being blamed for their role in contributing to the growing epidemic of obesity in Americans because of high calorie foods, high fat beverages, and super-sized servings.

The fast food community does not realize what they are eating and what health problems can arise from eating fast food. According to Andrew Martin of the Washington Bureau, “Hardee’s restaurants recently scrapped almost its entire menu to focus on hefty sandwiches called Thickburgers–including the Double Bacon Cheese Thickburgers, weighing in at two-thirds of a pound and 1,148 calories.” (“Obesity” 1) Fast food companies do not warn fast food eaters of the many calories that are in just one hamburger. In a recent lawsuit against Burger King, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and KFC, a 56-year-old New York maintenance worker named Caesar Barber argued that “because of eating fast food five times a week the high fat, grease, and salt he became sick with obesity, high-blood pressure, two heart attacks, and diabetes” (“Food” 1).

Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University’s Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, says “fast food is in the same league with cigarettes” (“Food“ 2). Meaning that once people start eating fast food, it is hard to stop. On the other hand, Walter Olsen, a legal advisor for the fast food company executives, says “Most people are aware that eating double cheeseburgers is not the same as celery” (“Food” 2). Fast food companies blame the eater for not having boundaries when eating their food (“Food” 2).

High fats in fast food causes problems for obesity in Americans also. Sodas at a fast food restaurant are easy to pick up on the go because have lids, they are inexpensive, and they taste good. According to Sally Fallon, “each can of [regular] soda contains the equivalent of ten teaspoons of sugar…” and shocking enough “diet sodas are sweetened with aspartame, a substance that causes blindness and obesity in laboratory rats” (“We Are” 5). Water sounds like a better option between these two choices. When a restaurant advertises that a product is made from natural ingredients, this does not make it a healthier item on the menu (“We Are” 6). Fallon suggests just because a fast food item has the words “natural” or “artificial” on it does not mean that it is healthy or not. Fallon added that “these flavors contain compounds, such as MSG, that can be toxic, especially in a body that is poorly nourished” (“We Are” 7).

People everywhere have heard this question after every order at the drive though window at you local fast food restaurant: “ would you like to super-size that order?” or “go large for only $0.39 more?”. Obviously, super-sizing an order will have that much more calories and high fat, which will help in the growing epidemic of obesity even more. “In a recent survey by Sandelman & Associates, nearly two-thirds of respondents believed the quantity and nutritional value of fast food contributed in some way to the nation’s obesity problems” (Martin, Chicago Tribune 2). The founder of the super-size idea is David Wallestein, a theater executive, who wanted his costumers to but more popcorn in his theater realized that most people did not want to seem greedy and buy two bags at once so making it bigger would make them buy more popcorn (“Obesity” 3). Fast food companies caught on quick and decided that serving larger amounts would be more profitable because savings on packaging materials would help to profit them (3). Food is cheap compared to the cost of the packaging materials (3).

Abortion Essay

The topic that I am going to discuss throughout this essay is abortion and whether it should be banned in this country. Abortion is a widely discussed issue, which has many arguments both for and against. People who support in banning abortion are called “Pro-life”, and they believe in the sanctity of human life. People who are against banning abortion believe that if you do this you are taking away the right of the individual to make decisions about their own body. These people are called “Pro-choice”. My opinion is that I think abortion should always be an option available to people. I don’t believe it should be used as contraception though, but no woman should have to carry an unwanted child.

One of the most important reasons to me which led me to my opinion of abortion is the question of what if the mother of the child is not capable of looking after the child and caring for it, or cannot afford expenses of having a baby. I believe that abortion should be allowed in this case because if the child cannot be cared for perhaps because of a lack of money then it may be neglected or if it is born into a deprived family it may be resented because of the amount of care it needs which could lead to abuse.

In addition, the next most important question, which led me to form my opinion, is, what if a baby is going to be born with a fatal birth defect? In cases such as this, then what is the point of going through the pain of pregnancy? I believe that if a child will be born with down syndrome or any other comparable condition, its is still a person and has a right to life, it may not be the “perfect” child, and also may be more difficult to care for but it is still a child and this is part of the risk of pregnancy. If the child’s birth could be a threat to the life of mother or child though, then I think that abortion should be an option.

Also, if abortion is banned women would risk their lives going for “back street abortions”; which could prove very dangerous for potential mothers, because of the risk due to the lack of medical qualifications of the people carrying out this procedure, which could be very basic.

On the other hand, the ‘Pro-life’ lobby does have good arguments also. If a child is unwanted it could be put up for adoption; although admittedly in later life the person may want to find their real parents which I think any child has a right to do; but adoption is admittedly a much more palatable option than getting rid of the child completely. This gives the child a life and where there’s life there’s hope.
Also, every life has potential for greatness; so should we risk the loss of this? Everyone has a right to a life and happiness and should we control who does and who doesn’t have this opportunity?

I don’t have arguments to be used against these points. They are valid points, but I still feel that the positive benefits of having abortion as an option out-weigh the bad, and out-weigh the good points of not having abortion.

The most important reason to me, that led me to my opinion of abortion is, what if a woman was made pregnant through rape? In cases such as this should a woman have to carry a child that was caused through no fault of their own? Is it fair for the woman to go through the pain of pregnancy because of a horrific assault that will live with her for the rest of her life? Is it fair on the child to be a product of such a dreadful act?
I think abortion should be an option in this type of case. It would be horrible for the woman to give birth to an unwanted child, and for the child to grow up knowing he or she was the product of a brutal assault. No woman therefore should have to carry such an unwanted child.

In conclusion to the points I have made for and against abortion then, I do not think that abortion should be banned. I think it should be an option for all women so long as they have a reason for doing so; but I do agree that after the 24th week of pregnancy, when the foetus starts to develop and look more like a baby, abortion should not be allowed. Although I do also worry that, who are we to take away life from someone? Despite this though I think abortion should be an option and it should really be up to the patient whether they wish to make this choice or not.

Hamlet Essay

In William Shakespeare’s renowned play, Hamlet, the title character has many different states of mind and personality changes. However, he consistently shows throughout the play evidence of misogynistic behaviour. Because Hamlet feels so betrayed by the actions of his mother, he begins to associate this betrayal with the actions of all women, which in turn causes him to treat Ophelia cruelly and unfairly. Hamlet’s misogyny is shown in how he speaks to and about his mother, how he cruelly addresses Ophelia, and in how he refers to women in general. Hamlet shows many times in the play that he has a high disrespect for women, and uses his low opinion towards the female gender as a stereotype for all women. This, by definition could easily be interpreted as misogyny.

Throughout the play, the leading character of Hamlet behaves in a misogynistic manner towards the women in his life. However, many things he says in passing also involve misogynistic content. Hamlet appears to have a slight obsession with women being promiscuous to the point that he includes this in his analogies. “Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words.” (Act II, sc. Ii, l.583). Even though Hamlet could have easily used another analogy in it’s place, he seemed to feel the need to mention ‘whores’ there. In discussion with Ophelia, Hamlet mentions how he believes that women are two-faced. “God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another.” (Act III, sc. i, l.144-150). Although Hamlet believes that Ophelia is deceitful, it is the word “yourselves” that proves to be misogynistic. Hamlet is referring to the actions of all women, not just Ophelia or his mother. Hamlet also believes that all women are out only to deceive men like himself. “It is but foolery but it is such a kind of gain-giving as would perhaps trouble a woman.” (Act V, sc. ii, l.206-207). He refers to ‘gain-giving’ as meaning a feeling of anxiety or misgiving, which he is associating with women. It is proved several times in the play that Hamlet has a high disrespect for all women that he continually mentions in casual conversation.

After the death of his father, and his mother’s hasty remarriage, to his uncle, Hamlet begins to show feelings of hatred and contempt towards his mother. Many of the things he says about her, or in reference to her could easily be seen as misogynistic. He refers to her actions as if they are typical of all women. In Act III, while conversing with Hamlet about the play that is being put on, and Hamlet is impatient with the introduction of the play. Ophelia assures him that it will be brief, to which Hamlet replies, “As woman’s love.” (Act III, sc. ii, l.108). Although Ophelia has done nothing to betray Hamlet in any way and is still very much in love with him, Hamlet assumes that her love will not be long-lasting simply because Gertrude’s love for Hamlet’s father did not last any length of time after his death. In a soliloquy early into the play, Hamlet mentions what he considers to be his mother’s betrayal to him and his father and utters, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (Act I, sc. ii, l.146). ‘Frailty is apparently referring to his mother’s ‘moral weakness’ which in Gertrude’s case, could very well be true, but it his reference to all women having moral weaknesses and being distrustful that shows misogyny. Similarly, when Hamlet finds out the truth regarding his father’s death from the Ghost, he includes the line, “O most pernicious woman!” in his soliloquy (Act I, sc. ii l.106). It is assumed that he is using the word ‘pernicious’ as being fatal or tragic, reiterating that he considers women to be evil and whose purpose is to destroy men. It is evident in many cases that Hamlet feels betrayed by his mother and seems to use these feelings against all women.

It is evident throughout the play that Hamlet holds bitter feelings towards women as a result of the actions of his mother, Gertrude. These feelings are clearly shown by the way that he talks to Ophelia on countless occasions. Although at times he ears to be in love with her, he thinks that she is untrustworthy and deceitful. “That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty.” (Act III, sc. ii, l.108-109). Even though Ophelia has done nothing to betray Hamlet he constantly belittles her. Hamlet believes that Ophelia is a whore and can only be saved by religion, and does not deserve to be happy with a man. “If thou dost marry, I’ll give plague for thy dowry: be chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, go: farewell, or, if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know what monsters you make of them.” (Act III, sc. i, l.135-140). Although Ophelia has not acted in a promiscuous manner, Hamlet believes that all women are whores because he thinks that his mother has acted like one. And although Ophelia has professed her love to Hamlet, he believes that she is being deceptive with her feelings towards him. “I could interpret between you and your love if I could see the puppets dallying.” (Act III, sc. ii, l.242-243). Even though Ophelia appears to truly love Hamlet he refuses to believe that her intentions are sincere. Throughout the play, Ophelia remains to be innocent, naпve and in love with a man who constantly insults her. However, Hamlet’s opinion of women has been jaded by his mother and therefore he treats Ophelia terribly and in a misogynistic manner.

Hamlet proves many times in the play that he does indeed not hate just the women in his life, but apparently all women in general. Several of the misogynistic things that he says are not about the specific women that he is involved with, but about the entire female gender. It appears that his outlook on women was drastically altered by what he considers to be his mother’s deception and promiscuity and therefore has taken a discriminatory and misogynistic view on women.