Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay

You make decision everyday; whether it is choosing what you make for breakfast or choosing what you want to be when you grow up. It is natural in humans to make decisions and act on what they believe is to be true. This not only applies to humans, but authors use them in their books or plays to create different types of characters. In one of the greatest works by William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are characters that make many different kinds of decisions that determine their role in the book. In the play, the protagonist Hamlet, after his father’s death, is angry about his mother’s hasty marriage to Claudius. He sees a ghost of his father one night and tells him that Claudius had murdered him. Hamlet plans to kill Claudius but he has trouble making decisions and throughout the play, his poor decision making skills bring downfall to himself and many others. Every tragic hero has a tragic flaw and Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his inability to make decisions. Hamlet’s inability to kill Claudius after hearing from the ghost, that he had killed Hamlet Senior, contributes to his stubborn indecisiveness, which brings about his own downfall. His indecisiveness leads to many character’s deaths; such as Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Laertes, Polonius and his own mother. He had many chances of killing Claudius but he constantly over thinks the situation thus delaying his major task of killing Claudius: To take him in the purging of his soul When he is fit and seasoned for his passage? No. Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed, At game a-swearing, or about some act That has no relish of salvation in ’t—. Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven (III. III. 85) This is an example of Hamlet being indecisive on whether or not to kill Claudius in the Church after the Mouse Trap play. He decides not to kill him there because he is praying and therefore will be forgiven for his sin. This results in delaying of his main task and also made more room for error; such as killing Polonius and also getting sent to England, which leads to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s deaths. If Hamlet would have decided to kill him then, he would not have created the mess he ends up making at the end. Hamlet’s inability to talk and discuss to Ophelia about what is happening, after she starts rejecting his messages, leads to losing his love and ultimately ends up to her demise. Even though they were in love, when Ophelia begins rejecting Hamlet’s messages because Polonius told her to, Hamlet tells Ophelia that she was not worth anything to him. This leads her to believing that Hamlet does not love her anymore. As a conclusion, she goes crazy and out of control; for example: By Gis and by Saint Charity,  Alack, and fie, for shame! Young men will do ’t, if they come to ’t. By Cock, they are to blame. Quoth she, â€Å"Before you tumbled me, You promised me to wed. So would I ha’ done, by yonder sun, An thou hadst not come to my bed. (IV. V. 40) This is the scene where she has become insane. She sings about how a man promised her to marry her before they went into bed together but he left her. On top of Hamlet’s rejection, Hamlet has killed her father, Polonius, so she has completely lost control of herself. She sings a very sorrow song in front of many people and also gives out fake flowers to people. After this scene, she ends up committing suicide at the lake. If Hamlet had talked with Ophelia about what was going on and why she was ignoring her messages, she would have not become insane and Hamlet and Ophelia would still be in love. Hamlet’s final flaw is his inability to decide whether life is worth living or not, which contributes to his stubborn indecisiveness, which ultimately leads to his own downfall. Hamlet is very confused about his own life and is out of his mind. He is very depressed from his father’s death and the feeling of betrayal he has from Gertrude, his mother, who remarried right after his father’s death. He does not know if life is worth living or not and this is obvious when he says: To be, or not to be–that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep– No more–and by a sleep to say we end The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to. ‘Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep– To sleep–perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. (III. I. 56) This is his famous soliloquy on the topic of life. He compares life and death and he cannot decide whether or not to stay alive or to be dead. He believes that death is the way to escape all his troubles and his depression but then on the other side, he knows he needs to complete the task of killing Claudius. His indecisiveness about his own life delays his action from doing what he really wants to accomplish. Even though Hamlet kills Claudius at the very end, as a result of his indecisive behavior, he has taken way too much time to accomplish one single task. Also, it killed many innocent people he could have prevented from killing them. If Hamlet would have not been so depressed and actually decide whether or not he should stay alive or die, he might have had a better chance accomplishing his tasks much faster and efficient. Clearly, Hamlet is very indecisive all over and his indecisiveness brought about his own downfall. His mother’s death, his love’s death and his friend’s deaths are all caused by Hamlet. If he were to be decisive and straightforward, he could have killed Claudius much faster and he also could have prevented all of the deaths that happened. Many theories attempt to explain why Hamlet takes so long to kill Claudius but out of many theories, Hamlet’s indecisiveness is the only one with full satisfactory answers. Every book or play has a tragic hero and every tragic hero has a tragic flaw and in the play Hamlet, there is no exception. These themes present in many of William Shakespeare’s plays are relevant even today. There are times when we are indecisive when it comes to difficult situations. To be able to decide and to act on what you decided to do is what we try to aim for, however, since Hamlet did not complete this, he led himself to his own downfall and also many other’s to their downfall as well.

Concept of Maqasid Al-Syariah Essay

1. In directly meaning Maqasid Al-Syariah can be define as the objectives of Islamic law. However, in linguistic meaning Maqasid is define as follow, a goal or as an inspiration meanwhile Al-Syariah is define as the law that God reveal to Muhammad involving all aspects of life such as family institution, in finance or it can say the way of a Muslims live their life. In together term Maqasid Al-Syariah carriers the meaning based on its constituent part, of the goal and objectives which are reason for legislation of the rule of Islam. As we known all law in Islam has wisdom behind them and not randomly legislated or without purpose. These terms are back bone to this concept. They are Illah and Hikmah. Illah; in linguistically has two meaning. A sickness and a reason or causes. In definition Illah is a law that exist because of the reason or it impact in bad ways. As an example is prohibition of drinking alcohol is due to it give bad effects to our health and mental stability. Allah prohibits us to drink Alcohol in order to avoid us losing our insanity and doing something immoral without our awareness. Hikmah; in linguistically means wisdom or intend. This mean Islamic law has it intend even though it is not clear why Allah make a rule like that. There are some rules in Shariah for which the reason for their legislation is not clear or apparent. We do not say that there is no reason, rather which it is hidden from us and Allah with His wisdom chose not to disclose it. As an Example prayer five times daily. That not to say there are no benefits. Only Allah knows best. 2.Sources of Islamic Law Several of sources Islamic law used by Islamic jurisprudence to clarify the Shariah. There are two main sources that can be consider as the core of Islamic law which is Al-Quran and Sunnah.However in some circumstances of jurisprudence different methods are used to judge the level of authencity which is comprise of Ijtima’ and Qias. The Quran Muslims believe the Quran to be the direct words of Allah, as revealed to and transmitted by the Prophet Muhammad. All sources of Islamic law must be in essential agreement with the Quran, the most fundamental source of Islamic knowledge. When the Quran itself does not speak directly or in detail about a certain subject, Muslims only then turn to alternative sources of Islamic law. The Sunnah Sunnah is the traditions or known practices of the Prophet Muhammad, many of which have been recorded in the volumes of Hadith literature. The resources include many things that he said, did, or agreed to — and he lived his life according to the Quran, putting the Quran into practice in his own life. During his lifetime, the Prophet’s family and companions observed him and shared with others exactly what they had seen in his words and behaviors — i.e. how he performed ablutions, how he prayed, and how he performed many other acts of worship. People also asked the Prophet directly for rulings on various matters, and he would pronounce his judgment. All of these details were passed on and recorded, to be referred to in future legal rulings. Many issues concerning personal conduct, community and family relations, political matters, etc. were addressed during the time of the Prophet, decided by him, and recorded. The Sunnah can thus clarify details of what is stated generally in the Quran. Ijma’ (consensus) In situations when Muslims have not been able to find a specific legal ruling in the Quran or Sunnah, the consensus of the community is sought (or at least the consensus of the legal scholars within the community). The Prophet Muhammad once said that his community (i.e. the Muslim community) would never agree on an error. Qiyas (analogy) In cases when something needs a legal ruling, but has not been clearly addressed in the other sources, judges may use analogy, reasoning, and legal precedent to decide new case law. This is often the case when a general principle can be applied to new situations. (See the article Smoking in Islam for an example of this process at work.) 3.Type and categories of riba and gharar The Islamic economic system as part of spiritual activities obtains its general rules from Al Qur’an and Sunnah. Therefore, its values consist of what is allowed and leaves out what is forbidden. Some values that are forbidden in Qur’an and Sunnah are Riba (Usury) and Gharar (Uncertainty). These values are the biggest differences between Islamic economics and Capitalism and Socialism economic systems. The following is the explanation of Riba and Gharar: A. Riba (Usury) Riba is literally translated from the Arab language and means ‘an increase, growth, augmentation or accretion,’ (Khir, Gupta, & Shanmugam, 2008, p.28), and ‘addition and expansion,’ (Al-Harran, 1993, p.16) although not all of increasing is forbidden in Islam. And as syari’ah term, it means ‘the premium’ that is paid by the borrower to the lender together with the principal of loan due to some condition and because of its addition time to maturity (Chapra, 1992). According to this definition, many scholars agree that the riba refers to ‘interest’ used commonly in economic conventional system. Types of Riba: Scholars have divided riba into two types: 1. Riba Duyun. This type of riba occurs in a loan or debt. Any kind of addition or increase above the amount of principal whether the addition or increase are inflicted by the lenders or willingness of the borrowers. Riba Duyun is divided in two types: a.RibaQardh This is all increments above the amount of the principal of the loan whose amount is imposed proportionately at the beginning of the lending agreement. The addition above the amount of the principal and is due in a certain amount of time based on the loan. b.Riba Jahiliyyah This occurs when the increment of the principal increases as the time of loan increases. At first, there is no such fix increment, but when the borrowers want to postpone the loan or to extend the time to maturity the lenders will compel the increase of the loan. However, this addition is due to the time of maturity and can also happen along with the riba qardh above. According to this explanation riba qard and riba jahiliyyah refer to ‘interest’ because they are associated with the ‘addition or increase’ and the ‘extension’ of time to maturity. For example: Loans from the banks, credit card etc. 1. Riba Buyun Riba buyun occurs in trading transactions. This kind of riba occurs in trading of two of the same product but in unequal amounts; or the same product in equal amounts but there is a postponement in delivery. Types of Riba Buyun are: a. Riba Fadhl Riba fadhl is products that are exchanged in different amounts, number, measurement or weight without the postponement in delivery of the product or the payment. According to Khir, Gupta, & Shanmugam (2008) it is also called Riba of Excess (p.31). Riba fadhl can happen in the purchase and sale of different products, but the quantity or the amount of products that is exchanged are different. The difference in the quantity or the amount is unjust and dishonest which is prohibited in Islam. Riba fadhl can be avoided if the goods exchanged are equal in amount, number, quantity, and measurement. b. Riba Nasi’ah (Riba Yad) According to Khir, Gupta, & Shanmugam (2008), this is a kind of riba happens in trading in same weight, measurement and number of products, but the delivery of products, or the payment of money are delayed. However, Chapra (1992) stated that Nasi’ah come from nasa’a means ‘to postpone, defer, or wait’ (p.35), and refers to the time the borrower returns the loan with the addition. And he argues that this is interest in a conventional system. Although there are some explanations and definitions about types of riba, basically the meaning is same; because in concluding knowledge, scholars is usually referred to as Ijma’ Ulama (the teaching from Scholars who have well known about their knowledge in Islamic Jurisprudence). Motivation in prohibition of Riba: Islam is very concerned with human prosperity. Therefore, it would not forbid something without any explanation for the prohibition. Although riba does not just refer to interest, but the term of riba is used to explain interest. The following is the reason why riba is prohibited in Islam: 1. An interest based system damages equity. Interest will force the borrowers to pay additional money above the principal; while the borrowers do not have a positive profit from their loan used in business. Therefore, the interest rate will increase the money of rich people. 2. Interest based systems dissuade people to open a new business. Interest rates will cause people to hesitate in finding something new or in opening a new venture because the new business does not yet have a positive return. On the other hand, the owner must pay definite payments to the lenders. 3. Interest based systems set profit to one side and ignores the other side. Much like banks, they are just concerned about their returns and don’t care about loss or profit of the borrowers. 4. Interest based systems depress investment activity. Interest will increase investment costs. 5. Interest based systems add securities to the lenders rather than participate in development. For example: For safety lending reasons, banks tend to provide loans to the most profitable business or company that have been in existence for a long time and are less concerned with small enterprises that are new in the market.

The Alchemist Essays

The Alchemist Essays The Alchemist Paper The Alchemist Paper Love in Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Magical realism in other words, is combination of magic and existent events written in a book. Alchemy is also a combination of magic, and science which main goal is to convert less valuable metals to gold or silver. By definition, alchemy is a way of studying and experimenting with matter that includes elements of chemistry, philosophy, and spirituality. Before the development of modern chemistry, alchemists tried to understand the changes they saw in metals and other materials that were exposed to fire and acids. People today still practice alchemy, but modern alchemists primarily seek spiritual transformation, and base their studies on philosophy. †(1) The process of trying to make gold or silver out of cheaper metals is called transmutation. This process was practiced by almost one-hundred percent of all alchemists ever known in history. Alchemists and metal-smiths used similar techniques as well, but alchemists often saw themselves as trying to speed up or perfect the work ings of nature. Some alchemists searched for the philosophers stone, which they thought could greatly speed up the transmutation process. Many alchemists believed that they could perfect and purify materials only if they themselves were spiritually perfected and purified in the process. Ancient societies in Egypt, India, and China practiced alchemy. Egyptian writers produced a number of written works on alchemy from approximately 200  B. C. to A. D. 200. Scholars in Arab built on these works from the 640’s to about 1200 A. D.. When alchemy reached Europe around 1100 A. D. t grew rapidly, especially in noble courts. At its peak in the 1600’s, a number of famous scientists practiced alchemy, including Robert Boyle of Ireland and the very famous, Isaac Newton of England. In the late 1700’s, many educated people began to ridicule alchemy as pseudoscientific, or falsely claiming scientific merit, and deceptive. Alchemists based their ideas on the ancient Greek belief that matter co nsists of four elements: water, earth, air, and fire. Alchemists also believed that all metals could be reduced to a single type of matter, thus being able to transform into each other. In the 700’s, Arab alchemists thought that the qualities of all metals could be explained through sulfur, a well known element which burns in hot fires, and mercury, a liquid at room temperature that has a metallic shine. In the early 1500s, the Swiss physician Philippus Paracelsus, thought that sulfur, mercury, and salt gave metals their distinctive qualities, thus able to distinguish each and every one of them. Alchemy played a key role in the development of modern day science. The theories of alchemy gave rise to a modern chemical theory and something interesting, or eye catching, to learn about. Modern experimental techniques developed from such alchemical practices as studying nature in a laboratory, observing experiments and keeping records, other wise known as data, and measuring the ingredients and products of chemical reactions. Alchemy plays a huge role in the novel, The Alchemist, in such a way that, in the prologue there is an alchemist that picks up a book that someone in the caravan had brought. He begins to leaf through the pages and finds a story about Narcissus. The alchemist knew the legend of Narcissus, a young child who knelt daily beside a lake to contemplate his own beauty. One morning, he was so fascinated with himself that he fell into the lake and drowned. At that very spot were he fell in a flower grew, which was called the Narcissus. When Narcissus died the goddess of the forest appeared at the lake, she asked the lake if Narcissus was really beautiful. The lake said that it did not know because it was too busy staring into Narcissus’s eyes to view it’s own beauty. The story is what sets up the excitement of the novel. During the novel, a boy named Santiago was having dreams about a hidden treasure, and seeks a gypsy for help. She is the first one Santiago consults about his dream. She is mysterious and yet religious as can be attested by the Sacred Heart of Jesus picture on her wall. She tells Santiago that because it was a child who took his hands in the dream and led him to the pyramids, so he must go. However, before she tells him anything, she makes him promise that he will give her one-tenth if he finds his treasure. Some people who were associated to alchemy were gypsies. Many gypsies were involved in basket making, copper work, and the mending of China ware. The term gypsy has several overlapping meanings. Initially the word was used to refer to the Romani People, who appeared in England at about the beginning of the 16th century. † (3) In the book, the gypsy Santiago encountered, was some what of a fortune teller. She would, or tried to decide someones fate, or destiny. Historical gypsies, or true Romany, tended to go from door to door selling pegs and fortune telling. True Romany fashioned anything from wood and excelled in palmistry and astrology. They also learned to travel the highways and byways from place to place selling products of trade. Another gypsy trait was the involvement in the planets natural gifts. Most gypsies relied on roots, berries, vegetables, green foods and nature’s herbs for medicine. Gypsies believed that all of nature’s products all contained a direct message from the sun. Along with environmental remedies for medicine gypsies use organic materials to make simple spells and rituals which they believe harness the power of nature and the elemental spirits. Though many gypsies perform these spells, most Romany people would profess a belief in an official religion of the country, which is why many are born-again Christians, they try to teach us to take the joy in the moment. Fate is something that unavoidably befalls a person. It is the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed. † (2) It is basically something that is out of your hands, something that the lord will only control. By relating different terms that are related to the novel The Alchemist our understanding of the novel should be more clear. Magical realism, alchemy, gypsies, and fate can relate to each other by many different ways. Although they don’t have many themes in common it is possible to transmit the purpose and the relations about them. We don’t really know how the work of fiction is going to end but we hope that all the variety we found in these terms would reflect on the novel. (1) Alchemy. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 18 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. . (2) Fate. Collins English Dictionary Complete Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. . (3) Gypsy. Dictionary. com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 26 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 Jan. 2011. . (4) â€Å"Magic Realism. † Alberto Rios Definitions. 23 May. 2002. Web. 26 Jan. 2011.

Bora Bora Outline Essays

Bora Bora Outline Essays Bora Bora Outline Paper Bora Bora Outline Paper Melissa Martinez Topic: Bora Bora General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform the class about fun things to do in Bora Bora. Thesis Statement: Fun things to do and attractions to visit in Bora Bora. Organizational Patterns: Spatial Pattern Introduction I. Attention Getter A. Im pretty sure everyone wants to visit somewhwere they can call paradise, I know I do and the place I would love to visit one day is Bora Bora. II. Central Idea: Im going to share with you fun things you can do while on your trip at Bora Bora. III. Credibility Statement: I never heard of Bora Bora untill I watched Keeping up with the Kardashians as they took a family trip there and they did many fun things I would like to try. IV. Preveiw: Bora Bora Island which is part of the Society Islands of French Polynesia is located in the Southern Pacific Ocean. It is approximately 160 miles northwest of Tahiti and about 2,600 miles south of Hawaii. Something intresting to know about Bora Bora is that after the bombing of Pearl Harbor the United States entered World War II and the U. S. hose Bora Bora as a South Pacific military supply base, and an oil depot, airstrip, seaplane base, and defensive fortifications were constructed. Known as Operation Bobcat, it maintained a supply force of nine ships, 20,000 tons of equipment and nearly 7,000 men. Seven massive naval cannons were set up at strategic points around the island to protect it against potential military attack. Transition: Now I will share with you the fun things you can do in Bora Bora. Body I. Reef Discovery Bora Bora A. What is Reef Discovery? Its another way to discover the nature of Bora Bora! You follow your professional guide through unforgettable snorkelling at the best coral gardens, a little walk on a beach of an unspoiled islet and the amazing barrier reef. They also offer whale watching during the summer season from July to September. The tour is usually three to four hours long and you can have up to 6 people on the tour with you. 1. Bora Bora You get to discover the beauty of Bora Bora with a complete lagoon tour by boat, providing different stops for pictures and explanations about the island formation, the lagoon, the reef and its evolution. . Coral Garden After your tour of Bora Bora you go to the Coral Garden for snorkleing. You get to interact with many tropical fish. And whats nice about it is that your tour guide takes amzing photos of you and who ever you go with and give you a copy of your pictures in a CD. 3. The Aquarium During the second snorkeling tour, located on the south of Bora Bora, you will swim in the middle of a natural pool of turquoise and c lear water and be surrounded by hundreds of tropical fish. It is the famous aquarium of Bora Bora. 4. Reef and Motu During the tour, you will stop in a beautiful bay surrounded with hundreds of coconut trees and discover the untouched nature of the motus. Your guide will take you for a short walk through an endemic thick forest. From there you will reach an unspoiled beach covered with white sand and corals facing the ocean and the island of Taha’a. The experience will finish with a short walk on the unique reef of Bora Bora. Transition: There are other ways to look at tropical fish such as looking at them by a submarine. II. Bora Bora Submarine A. Dive and cruise in total immersion along the outer side of the Bora Bora barrier reef. Down at 100 feet, you get to discover the reef and its nearly 700 species of tropical fish. Transition: My last activity is shrk and ray feeding. III. Shark and Ray Feeding A. Experience the thrill of watching the reef sharks and rays being fed by hand. Board a motorized outrigger canoe, and depart for a memorable experience in the blue lagoon of Bora Bora. Encounter Black Tip Reef Sharks and discover the wonders of the underwater world of the Lagoon of Bora Bora by snorkeling near the barrier reef. You will encounter the famous Black Tip Reef Sharks of Bora Bora. Your guide will jump in the water to attract and feed the reef sharks with his bare hands. You may watch this show either underwater or from the boat. Watch this fascinating and unique experience through your snorkel mask. Transition: Now I will summarize the three activites you can do in Bora Bora. Conclusion I. First is the Reef Discovery, second its Bora Bora submarine, and lastly its the shark and ray feeding. Year-long pleasant weather and stunning scenic beauty make Bora Bora the ideal destination for families and couples. If you are lookin for an electrifying beach experience. Bora Bora is your answer.

Newsletters versus Blogging

Newsletters versus Blogging While I hate giving away my age, years ago newsletters were fresh and new. The goal was to direct people to your website, and from there you sell your wares. Were talking 15-20 years. Few people could do newsletters, and there were few email delivery services that could handle a newsletter. Most people didnt want to pay for what an email could do anyway. That was the time period that FundsforWriters was born. It was cool to be in magazines. After a few years, when I had graduated to four newsletters, and the Internet was becoming popular and THE place to be. . . when Amazon was fledgling but strong. . . folks came up with a blog. Blogger.com exploded in popularity, and everybody decided they needed a blog. The argument arose whether you needed a blog or a website. The clock ticked on. . . blogs got creative with WordPress, websites incorporated blogs, and social media stepped up its game. Newsletters became passe. Everyone was everywhere, so what was the need? Podcasts, YouTube, SoundCloud, etc. came alive, and audiobooks took off. It was more attractive to see and hear someone. The trend was to become more interactive. Then suddenly blogs were history. . . and newsletters came back to life. I laughed the entire time, because I knew they would. Newsletters could be personal without intrusion. Some people dont have time to listen to talking heads. /Â  . The goal now is to attract people to your newsletter via blog. Listen. . . if you had jumped on every bandwagon spouted over the last 20 years, youve have bounced all over the place trying to be seen, heard, read, and followed. Youd be frustrated. You may or may not have a substantial readership because you were inconsistent. The lesson is. . . decide what works for you and work it to its fullest. Remember your focus. And understand that trends come and go, but your dear name is precious. Protect it

Persuasive Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Persuasive Memo - Essay Example However, it has come to our attention that the company is currently suffering some heavy blows brought about by the crisis being experienced worldwide. As much as we would like to continue paying for your AeroFitness membership fee of $300 per year, I grieve to inform you that we have to cut on some expenses to keep the company going. It has been studied that the allowance for employees’ membership for the said program will give the company great financial help and will greatly benefit employees as well in this time of need. Therefore, I seek your understanding of this situation and I assure you that this sacrifice will just be minimal compared to what can happen if the company continues to pay for the program. Should you like to continue with the program, I solicit your full consideration in personally handling the said fee. I appreciate your open-mindedness in this matter and I look forward for your continued exemplary performances despite this

The Idea of Realism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Idea of Realism - Essay Example The essay "The Idea of Realism" will examine the idea of realism in the context of modern art. Realism is an artistic movement that was popular in France. In attempting to ‘accurately’ reflect life in all its objective detail, artists taking a Realist approach often worked to find the most ‘common’ people of the fields and villages and depicted them in their most humble and menial tasks. The ideas behind realism can be better understood by comparing the writing of two influential artists of the period, Gustave Courbet and Ferdnand Leger. Gustave Courbet held that â€Å"painting is an essentially concrete art and can only consist in the representation of real and existing things†. The chief technical concern of Courbet seemed to be an abandonment, to some extent, of the ‘rules’ of art in favor of a more natural flow of line and form. By retaining these rough elements of the painting, Courbet felt he was more accurately representing the mom ent and the emotion of the moment during which the piece was created or the scene was witnessed. As he continued to attempt to portray the ‘real’ of life by focusing upon the humble peasantry, he began to identify himself more and more from their perspective. By 1850, his ideas regarding what was real were becoming more defined as he wrote to a friend, â€Å"†¦ in our so very civilized society it is necessary for me to live the life of a savage. I must be free even of governments. The people have my sympathies, I must address myself to them directly†.