Comparing and contrasting both versions of Romeo Juliet Essays

Comparing and contrasting both versions of Romeo Juliet Essays Comparing and contrasting both versions of Romeo Juliet Essay Comparing and contrasting both versions of Romeo Juliet Essay Essay Topic: Film For My essay I am going to compare and contrast the two different movies by two different directors made in two different decades. Although they are very different in setting, special effects and props, they still use the same story, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. But If You were to watch the two films straight after each other you would not think there were based on the same story, and here is why. Zefferellis 1968 film is a traditional adaption of the Shakespearean Play, which from my point of view was probably aimed for younger audiences in 1968 but nowadays its audience will most likely to consist of the older generation. Whereas Luhrmans version is Shakespeare for the nineties, aimed at a younger generation but just like the Zefferellis version, in years to come its audiences will probably consist of the older generation of that time. Each director achieves their aim using completely different settings, techniques, props and special effects. Both films approached the opening scenes in completely different ways and moods. Zefferellis film had quite a slow and mind-numbing beginning, in contrast to the rapid and furious opening scenes by Luhrman. The settings in the two films are completely different from each other. The 1997 Baz Luhrman Version is set in a Petrol station in downtown Verona Beach, a made up seaside culturistic city slightly similar to Miami Beach in USA, with the same social gang warfare and Political aspects. Although Verona as some similarities with Miami Beach it does have its differences. In other words Verona is a made up place in a made up world, with no exact time era but sort of reflecting todays world with the same technology, styles and everyday images of 5O clock rush hours, shops etc. A world everyone today can comprehend. The 1968 Franco Zeffirelli version is the complete opposite as I said earlier. Zeffirelli tried to keep the settings as close to the original Shakespearean play as he possibly could. The Setting is in traditional Verona which as been made to look very similar to Tudor England. Zeffirelli set the opening scene within the castle walls amongst a very crowded market square. The market square was your typical fruit and veg stalls on a cobbled castle forecourt. It was very noisy and hectic with hundreds of people gathering. In the Luhrman film the characters needed to be changed to fit in with the setting. Luhrman changed the characters by their attitude, personality and the way they dressed. The Montagues are very similar to a stereotypical seventeen-year-old adolescent of today. The Montagues seem more mischievous and less aggressive of the two gangs, more of the lad next-door type who loves fast cars, girls, partying, having a laugh and continually causing a nuisance of themselves. The reason behind my statement is in the opening scenes when the Montagues were first introduced to us, they were introduced to us in a fast car, speeding down the highway, blasting out the latest music, and screaming with laughter this suggests to me they are very light-headed. On the other hand we have the Capulets who seem the more vicious of the two, and straight away as they first appeared on film you could sense the power and tension they gave out which put the viewers on edge every time they appeared. To me they see med more like a drug dealing gang with pistols hidden in the belts and socks, walking around ready to lash out at anyone who stood in there way. Another main difference is the way the characters have been changed to fit in with each film. In the 1997 movie, Luhrman dressed his characters in the latest fashions to fit in with the settings, in contrasts to the traditional wonderful, extravagant costumes of the Zefferelli film. In the Luhrman film, the Montagues were dressed in typical beachwear consisting of brightly patterned shirts and black trousers and trainers, the sort of modern fashions of today. The Capulets wore jeans, leather jackets, boots and vest tops with a religious icon on, especially Timbalt who modelled a red vest top with a huge crucifix on, which covered most of his vest top, this to me slightly resembles the Mafia who also have lives that religion plays a big part of. This also suggests to me that they idolise their religion, just like many fans of pop groups, artists etc who parade around in their favourite souvenir t-shirt of today. One thing I liked about the Luhrman film was the use of the newsreader at the very beginning of the film. Straight away you could tell this film was going to have a modern setting. The newsreader introduced the prologue and informed us on the latest freud and the history between the two families, just like a real news report on a 6 Oclock news programme that me and you would watch today. Obviously this idea would no way work in the Zefferelli version because of the time era Zefferelli set it in as there was no televisions in the seventeenth century, so therefore there wasnt any daily televised news reports. The very first scenes start with a small television screen in the centre of a black backdrop, as the camera moves closer towards the television screen you realised that there is a newsreader, this is the same newsreader I mentioned earlier. After she has finished introducing the prologue of the play the camera quickly moves onto an overview of the city. The camera is speeding up, this only lasts for a matter of a few seconds, but during them few seconds you will of noticed several scenes of a huge statue of Jesus that towers over Verona this backs up my statement about Verona being a very Religious City. During them scenes there was music, this same piece of music is used during the introduction of the characters and works very well in building up tension straight away to the film. After the overview of the city, the words In Fair Verona in bold appear across the screen, again against a black backdrop the camera freezes for several seconds then continues to view the city and again p aying special attention to the statue of Jesus with lots of close ups. Luhrman keeps the modern theme alive still by using different types of medias to stress the recent conflict between the two families, as many newspaper headlines and Magazines covers slide across the screen, again stressing the hatred and conflictations between the two. As the music continues to build up tension, the cast of the film begin to appear, they appear with their character name as the camera takes a close up on them and freezes for a few seconds then continues to the next person. This is very similar to the beginning of many American soap operas for example Dynasty. In Dynasty there characters were introduced in the same way. When the Montagues were first introduced to the viewers there are in a car, the camera follows the car along the highway. Also the music changes to a more modern style. The first shots of the Capulets were of their feet. The camera focuses on a close up of Abras steel-heel boots putting out a cigarette end. Cowboy music starts to creep in as the tension begins to build up again. When the two gangs begin to fight the camera does an extreme close up on Abras Pistol as he opened his jacket so his gun was on full show. Then the camera pointed straight at Benvolio who was also holding a hand pistol, Luhrman also brought in some small amounts of humour because as Benvolio screamed put up your swords the camera did a close up of the gun so the viewer could read Sword 9mm. When Timbalt, the capulets leader arrived on scene, there was a lot of close ups involved especially on Benvolios face as you could sense the fear within his face as Timbalt pointed his gun at him. Unlike The Luhrman Version, Zefferllis film is very slow starting. The camera focuses for several seconds on the city of Verona a traditional Tudor like town a bit like what London would of looked like in the seventeenth century, then the camera slowly glides across the city, the graphics are very dated and the colour is sort of grey, old looking and broody. There is traditional Shakespearian music playing in the background which is not building up any sort of tension, whereas the music being used in the beginning of Luhrmans did. Most Of The shots were long or medium shots, the only real close ups were of Timbalt. I think the reason behind this was to show the importance and the strength of his character within the play. The shots of the fighting were as though you were there in the peak of it all. The first shots of the Capulets were of there feet, I also believe the reason behind this was similar to the reason behind the extreme close-ups of Timbalt, which was to show his characters importance and strength within the play. This is the end of my essay; my favourite of the two films would probably be the 1997 Luhrman version although I could understand what the characters were saying more clearly in the Zefferellie version. The Luhrman version kept me from falling a sleep where as the Zefferelli was very boring and slow. It was also something I could comprehend, because of the modern settings and styles in the movie. The Luhrman movie was full of tension throughout the introduction and kept you on the edge of your seat at all times. He also brought in some humour, although it was very mild it was better than nothing, and I think the bit where the nuns were hitting one of the Montagues over the head worked very well and fitted in nicely with the modern theme. I also liked the music at the beginning, im not sure exactly who it is composed by, but I think it played a huge part in building up the tension.

Welfare Reformation essays

Welfare Reformation essays This week we offered a plan to end welfare as we know it-a plan that will encourage personality and help strengthen our families through tougher child support, more education and training, and an absolute requirement to go to work after a period of time. -Bill Clinton, radio address, 6/18/94 The welfare system is in deep distress. From the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the current reigning of Bill Clinton, many a bills have been brought for to reform it. Originally, Roosevelt established the system as a type of government stripend to financially challenged individuals; however, it was not intended to act as a dependent income for them (Tucker 45). Even though many changes have been made over the past three years, it has not made much of an impact on the problems at hand (Pear). Officials discovered that many welfare recipients misuse the benefits. Studies have shown that the welfare system should begin by providing job placement, ending benefits for illegitimacy, and educating the young. First, the aspect of job placement is directly related to the misuse of welfare. In order to succeed at rising employment rates, current wages have to increase dramatically. A welfare check ranges form $5.53 to $17.50 an hour; in a like manner, minimum wage is less than an hourly welfare check (Tilly 8). People desire the higher money of a welfare check to that of a low-paying job (Tweedie 117; Tanner 18). This dependency on receiving the check causes many problems not just with the current generation, but future generations will also be similarly affected. These children are acquiring the habits of their parent or parents, thus creating a permanent underclass (Tucker 45). Economic incentives for staying on welfare should be abolished. People should no longer be allowed to remain on the system for extended periods of time. In accordance with the lesser incentives, the government should place more emphasis on rai...

Term paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Term paper - Essay Example ber of Filipinos who play the guitar, it truly is the most common instrument in the country’s music industry, one musical contribution left by the Spaniards. As Professor Samuel Tan noted in his book â€Å"A History of the Philippines†, as the Philippines experiences neocolonialism in the coming of the US, Filipinos have come to embrace this new culture and tailor it to their current lives. The strength on the US influence spreads on two elements of music—rhythm and lyricism. Since the US introduced rock ‘n roll, R&B, and blues, Filipinos have come up with their own variations in musical style as they adopt it to their own culture. The rhythm could be rock ‘n roll, but with Tagalog lyrics; or famous Filipino singers with their own versions, or â€Å"covers† as it has been called, of hit singles in America. All these contribute to the richness of the Philippine music as mà ©lange of various influences in the country’s past. One of the leading forces that continue to shape the current Philippines music industry today is a quintet known as â€Å"The CompanY†. Critically acclaimed as the Philippines’ premiere vocal group, The CompanY, with a capital Y at the end of the group’s name is a quintet that started in the industry since 1985. For twenty-one years, the group has garnered most of the prestigious some 36 musical awards in the country. Its five members have had excellent background in music—they are theater actors, vocal instructors, composers, and members of some of the most prestigious internationally-awarded choral groups in the Philippines such as the Philippine Madrigal Singers, University of the Philippines Concert Chorus, University of the Philippines and Ateneo College Glee Club. The CompanY, as claimed in the group’s website, keeps their music from being confined into a single category; with their songs, they exude their vocal prowess and the range of musical possibilities their capabilities could carry by trying on virtually almost all

What is the impact of culture on your professional practice Healthcare Essay

What is the impact of culture on your professional practice Healthcare - Essay Example One of the most significant factors that shape these features is the cultural differences. The culture a person has and embraces is usually shaped by their descent or origin. This unique feature makes them fit to be described descendants of a particular culture. A culture may be defined as a unique way of living embraced by a specific group of people. In some cases the culture is greatly associated with race. A race is defined as a group of people who share the same origin or come from a particular geographical location. Culture is also closely associated with ethnicity which is an association to a particular ethnic group based on cultural similarities. In the modern society circles, different cultures have migrated across the globe which creates cultural diversification in many societies. Cultural diversity refers to the incorporation of more than one culture in one society. The many cultures caused people to learn how to respect and incorporate other cultures in their societies. Th e medical decisions arrived at in an institution should be done with respect to the collaborative of the client or his significant other. The greater significance in culture diversities is the fact that organization and institution have to learn how to relate to the diversified society in terms of culture. McEwing & Richardson public institution have embraced organizational cultures that tend to cater for the different cultures that are present in the society.... tution to ensure that it incorporates tools that will be able to serve the society regardless of the culture diversification trend (Leninger, 2002; 98). Different cultures hold onto diversified health care beliefs. For instance Cambodians believe illnesses have spiritual causes (Dayer-Berenson, 2010; 225). Some cultures do not embrace the administering of the modern medicine. In some cases, some cultures require their own to cater to their medical needs. In an argument by Leninger & McFarland (2002; 111), one significant medical issue cultures disagree is on medical euthanasia. In most cultures that sacredly embrace religion, medical euthanasia is one service that can never be embraced (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2008; 76). In reflecting on my own social and cultural background, my cultural setting does not embrace complicated healthcare beliefs. In my cultural setting, the versatility of our cultural beliefs does not have special recommendation from health care practitioners. Howe ver, specific persons hold specific beliefs that differ from the rest of the group. For instance, a person may hold on onto the belief that they cannot be attended by a practitioner of the opposite sex. In such a scenario, the healthcare institution should be able to respect that decision. Importance of culturally appropriate healthcare Cultural appropriateness is a compulsory requirement in healthcare institutions. In an argument by Holland & Hogg (2010; 154) considering the fact that immigration has become a significant activity across the globe, healthcare organizations must have necessary tools to ensure all cultural requirements are effectively addressed. One importance of this trend in health care institution is the promotion of social harmonious living. If every person in the society

Is Going Green an Empty Fad or a Powerful Tool for Competitive Essay

Is Going Green an Empty Fad or a Powerful Tool for Competitive Advantage for Modern Organization - Essay Example Several techniques like utilizing the energy of sun and wind, saving water, using laptops, fluorescent bulbs, conserve power cost, planting trees, taking ayurveda medicines etc,. Pharmaceutical medicines should be replaced by natural remedies and medications so that home remedies like using of natural herbs can cure the ailments in a healthier method. Green living is a easy method which everyone can adopt in their daily life. One can plant trees to defuse carbon dioxide, recycle the mobile battery, use biogas as a fuel, use solar cooker, solar fan and build eco-friendly houses. (Martin, 2010) Benefits of going green Going green will soon be identified as a cost of business. Turning to Eco-friendly can reduce the cost because it is noted that companies reduce what they use .Thus the development generates increased revenues from better products and can also make new business. Business going green is not just an empty fad because fad always has followers and can change within a short term. But green living will sustain in the lifestyles of people. With various awareness programs people today are enough conscious about the green living and they not only preserve the environment but also contribute towards it. Living green does not suggest to build eco-friendly houses which can be expensive but it suggest to utilize the natural energy like installing skylight roofs or using low watt bulbs, gardening, saving bills by investing solar panels or using of smoke free vehicles. (GGI, 2010; ANERN, 2010).For industries to acquire a leadership role in the world fight the requirement of greener tomorrow has increased drastically. Industries are nowadays being recognized and awarded foe taking actions to go green. Subsequently India’s top companies and industries are adopting ecological sustainability in the business practice. Various industries like automobiles, IT, Thermal power stations, and banking sectors are adopting green technologies in their business for healthier improvement in their business. Under are few examples of the industry which have adopted green technology:- Energy sector: Energy sector played the major role in focusing on green technology .For instance. Suzlon Energy, one of the greenest companies with world’s third largest producer of wind-turbine having a factory in Pondicherry, which works with wind energy.  It focuses on the best practices to fuel stable growth  and expansion in markets. (Thambi, 2010) Another company, Origin Oil, a Los Angels based company with emerging leader in growing biomass and pollution absorbent.  Ã‚  It is aiming at transforming algae through growth and extraction process. Algae are a source of renewable oil which is one of the competitors of petroleum and it can use as diesel, plastics fuel and gasoline. It is believed that the changing technology will lead to much modernizat ion in the future. (OriginOil, 2010).ONGC’ a India based company has also launched green projects among the local society .The project regarding the Mokshada Green Cremation saved 70% of wood and the burning time per resources. (India Syndicate, 2009) FMCG Sectors Lately FMCG sectors also were not left aside in

Dehydration of Methylcyclohexanol Essay Example for Free

Dehydration of Methylcyclohexanol Essay A common Sophomore Organic Chemistry laboratory experiment that has great potential for further research is the acid catalyzed dehydration of simple alcohols. The classic dehydration of 2-methylcyclohexanol experiment that was introduced in Journal of Chemical Education in 1967 Taber(1967)JCE:44,p620. The rather simple procedure of distilling an alcohol with an aqueous acid has spawned several investigations that have resulted in formal journal articles. At the same time, the experiment has retained its popularity in the Sophomore Organic Chemistry laboratory curriculum. In one line of inquiry it has been observed that a mixture of 2-methylcyclohexanol diastereomers gives rise to a mixture of three isomeric alkenes Todd(1994)JCE:71,p440; Feigenbaum(1987) JCE:64, p273; Cawley (1997) JCE:74l, p102. Explaining the presence of the three alkene products requires an intense synthesis of information communicated in a typical SOC textbook. The continued popularity of this experiment is corroborated by the observation that Googling the phrase â€Å"Dehydration of 2-Methylcyclohexanol† on January 13th, 2008 returned no less than 20 hits for online student handouts and/or guides for this SOC laboratory experiment. Moreover, this experiment provides fertile ground for experimentation and innovation that has not yet been fully explored. At Dominican University, the SOC students performed this experiment during the Fall 2007 semester with not only the dehydration of 2-methylcyclohexanol (Aldrich 153087) but also the 4-methyl (Aldrich 153095) and 3-methyl (Aldrich 139734) positional isomers. The reaction products were submitted to GC-FID analysis. As predicted from the Journal of Chemical Education articles, three methylcyclohexene products were observed. Their relative abundance measured by peak height was 80, 16, and 4%. The alkene products represented by these peaks apparently correspond to 1-methycyclehexene, 3-methycyclehexene, and methylenecyclohexane respectively. [pic] The dehydration of 4-methylcyclohexanol produce two products, that can be distinguished by our current GC column, at 90 and 10% with retention times that match 3-methycyclehexene and 1-methycyclehexene respectively. My current theory is that the retention times 3 and 4-methycyclohexene could not be distinguished with GC column and temperature program. However, there is still the issue of how 1-methycyclehexene is produced from 4-methylcyclohexanol. [pic] The dehydration of 3-methylcyclohexanol yields two products, that can be distinguished by our current GC column, at 80 and 20% with retention times that match 3-methylcyclohexene and 1-methycyclehexene respectively. [pic] Samples of 1-methyl and 3-methyl cyclohexenes purchased from Aldrich chemical confirmed two of compound assignments for the dehydration of 2-methylcyclohexanol. Obviously, it remains to separate the 3 and 4-methylcyclohexene by GC. There are several advantages of studying the dehydration of methylcyclohexanols in the first semester of Organic Chemistry: 1) The experiment involves reactions that are typically studied during first semester: E1, E2, and the 1,2-hydride shift. It is a time-tested protocol that has been run in hundreds of labs by thousands of students. 2) Analysis of the experiment involves the understanding of all three mechanisms mentioned previously and how they may compete with each other. In other words, it is a simple experiment that demands a rather involved interpretation of results. 3) It shows that textbooks â€Å"rules† such as the Zaitzev’s rule in this case, are not necessarily rules as such, but rather astute observations of general trends that can vary experimentally depending on the reactant and the reaction conditions. 4) Analytically, we are observing/measuring the presence of 3 known methylcyclohexene and methylenecyclohexane products that can be separated and detected by Gas Chromatography. I believe that the product mixtures can also be analyzed by NMR. 5) The reaction lends itself to an inquiry format that involves the study different reactants and reaction conditions on the ratio of products. In fact, this experiment, in my opinion, is an ideal candidate for a multi-institution collaborative study that combines and interprets student data. want to pursue point #5 further by first grappling with the current literature concerning the â€Å"Evelyn Effect.† The JCE article by David Todd, â€Å"The Dehydration of 2-Methylcyclohexanol Revisited: The Evelyn Effect† observes a kinetic effect that can be explained by proposing that in a mixture of cis/trans 2-Methylcyclohexanol the cis isomer reacts much faster than the trans isomer to give predominately 1-methylcyclohexene. The formation of 1-methylcyclohexene from cis-2-methylcyclohexanol would involve an â€Å"E2-like† anti-elimination of proton and the protonated alcohol. The dehydration of the trans isomer would go through a E1 mechanism that requires the formation of a carbocation before elimination of a proton. A follow-up study by Cawley and Linder: â€Å"The Acid Catalyzed Dehydration of an Isomeric 2-Methylcyclohexanol Mixture† involves a detailed kinetic study. Students began with a 36.6/63.4 cis/trans mixture of 2-methylcyclohexanol with a cyclohexanol impurity (% impurity was not reported). They performed thy typical reaction+distillation and collected fractions at 4, 8, 16, 24, and 28 minutes. They also collected a 0.1 mL volume of the sample of the reaction mixture at each of these time intervals. These fractions were analyzed by 1H NMR and GC for composition. The cis/trans rate constants for the dehydration of reaction were determined to be 8.4/1.0 – much less than 30/1 ratio reported in 1931 by Vavon and Barbier. An intriguing study! It would be very interesting to have the raw (student) data on this one. Very little is said about the product ratios in the distillate fractions, they just report that they obtained 2.1% methylenecyclohexane and not the 4% previously reported. The dehydration of methylcyclohexanols provides a fecund problem to explore. The key is to develop methods to determine the distribution of alkene products in terms of % total alkenes. There are four possible positional isomers: I. methylenecyclohexane (Aldrich, Acros, 1192-37-6); II. racemic 3-methyl-1-cyclohexene (Acros, 591-48-0); III. 1-methyl-1-cyclohexene (Aldrich, Acros 591-49-1) IV. racemic 4-methyl-1-cyclohexene (Aldrich, Acros 591-47-9). Two of the alkene positional isomers contain an asymmetric carbon. The obvious place to start is by studying how the alcohol structure affects the product distribution of alkenes. There are 5 positional isomers of methylcyclohexanol: I. cyclohexanemethanol (Aldrich 100-49-2); II. 1-methylcyclohexanol (Aldrich 590-67-0); III. racemic cistrans 2-methylcyclohexanol (Aldrich 583-59-5) IV. racemic cistrans 3-methylcyclohexanol (Aldrich 591-23-1) V. cistrans 4-methylcyclohexanol (Aldrich 589-91-3). Three of the alcohols are present in cis and trans diastereomer pairs: cis 2-methylcyclohexanol (Aldrich 7445-70-1) trans 2-methylcyclohexanol (Aldrich 7445-52-9) cis 3-methylcyclohexanol (5454-79-5) trans 3-methylcyclohexanol (7443-55-2) cis 4-methylcyclohexanol (Aldrich 7731-28-4) trans 4-methylcyclohexanol (Aldrich 7731-28-4). In addition there are 4 entaniomer pairs among the alcohol starting materials. Most of them are commercially available, for a price. [pic] Besides the structure of the alcohol, what other variables may be explored? 1) One variable for this reaction that could be investigated is the nature of the catalytic acid. Aqueous acids, such as the 85% H3PO4 typically used for this experiment, contain some water which is also product of the reaction. I may also add that, the amount of acid is not always in catalytic proportion to the substrate. In my current protocol 0.075 moles of acid is used to dehydrate 0.2 moles of alcohol. Non-aqueous acids may give different results. Acidic resins are an interesting substitute for aqueous acids. For example, John Ludeman and Kurt Field of Bradley University presented a poster at the 2006 ACS Great Lakes Regional Meeting on the use of Dowex 50WX2-100, Amberlite IRC-50S, and Amberlyst 15, for the dehydration of alcohols. 2) Another variable would be the reaction conditions. In the current paradigm, the alkene is distilled away from the reaction mixture. Presumably, it is being distilled away as it is formed. An ad-hoc observation is that students seem to get somewhat different product ratios if they distill is carefully or if they â€Å"crank up the heat† and distill it quicker. What if the reaction mixture was refluxed to equilibrium before distillation? Would we see more thermodynamic products? 3) Reaction conditions could be changed in other ways too. Microwave irradiation is currently being explored as an alternative to heating reactions. Possibly, sonication could also be performed on the alcohol. 4) Another avenue to explore may be different strategies to push the reaction towards the products other than distilling off the alkene. For example, removing water with molecular sieves may be tried. The last installment of this series will explore the logistics of â€Å"dehydration of methylcycohexanols† as a collaborative experiments. The most straightforward collaboration would be to perform the â€Å"dehydration of methylcycohexanols† experiment in the same way and compare the relative yield of alkenes as measured by GC from different starting alcohols. Comparisons could be made with past data or concurrently collected data from different institutions. This may be seem fairly straightforward, but there will most likely be discrepancies that could will need to be explored. One aspect to make note of would be the source and composition of the methylcyclohexanols used a starting materials. Sigma-Aldrich has †¢ 1-methylcyclohexanol #M38214; †¢ 2-methylcyclohexanol #66320, #215295, #178829, #24113, #153087, †¢ 3-methylcyclohexanol #139734; †¢ 4-methylcyclohexanol #66360, #104183, #104191, #153095; †¢ as well as just plain methylcyclohexanol #66370. An experimental variable that is hard to control is rate of heating. Students who crank up the hot plate to get done quickly (even though they were told not to) may get different results than those students who go slowly and maintain an even temperature. Different GC columns and methods may also give results that need to be corroborated.

The Influence Of Martin Luther King Jr Cultural Studies Essay

The Influence Of Martin Luther King Jr Cultural Studies Essay Martin Luther King, Jr., a Baptist preacher born months before the crash of 1929 that led the Great Depression, is perhaps best known for leading this country to end segregation. After years of nonviolent struggle, including boycotting buses in Montgomery, and a march on Washington, King gave a speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial that changed the world. Many scholars believe that Kings speech was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi. I believe the inspiration came from sources much closer to home. The Declaration of Independence, by Abraham Lincoln, and the Bible are the sources that I believe to have fundamentally inspired Martin Luther Kings speech, I Have a Dream. As a child raised in a middle-class neighborhood, King had more privileges than most of his peers. He was heavily influenced by his father, a preacher, and his mother, a teacher. He had mild run-ins with segregation in his childhood. He was forced to attend school separate from his childhood friends and eventually, he and his friends were no longer allowed to play together. From the research of his life, there appears to be one event that made a lasting impression upon King. After a speech competition in Valdosta, Georgia, King had received a second place prize, but his victory was short-lived. During the long bus ride home, the blacks were made to stand so that white riders could sit. It seemed that even though the Civil War ended in 1865, over 80 years later the black man was not much further along than in the days directly following the war. It makes me wonder were Lincolns efforts on the part of the slave all in vain? On August 28, 1963, King began his speech with the same four words as Abraham Lincolns Gettysburg Address; perhaps this was to remind us of Lincolns shared vision. Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. This reference to Lincolns speech is perhaps more meaningful since King was speaking in front of the Lincoln Memorial during this address. History states that Lincolns authority and position were granted to him by the Declaration of Independence. In that document, our founding fathers declared, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. By reminding the listeners, including the millions watching his speech on television, King hoped to jump-start his audiences minds in to agreement with him by joining his argument with those of the founding fathers and Abraham Lincoln. King uses the agreement with the founding fathers and Lincoln to strengthen his civil and legal argument as basis to his premise that things were not yet as they should be. To strengthen his moral argument further, and perhaps most interestingly, King seems to have numerous biblical references within the text of his speech. This should not be that surprising, given that he had been the son of a preacher and preacher himself since the age of 17. However, it seems important that the first opportunity for a black man to address the nation for all of the wrongs done to his people, that King decided to quote from the bible. King chose to take the high road in this speech. He could have ridiculed America for its treatment of black men and women, but instead he reminded us all to relinquish the cup of hostility by saying, Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. This phrase reminds us of Jeremiah 2:13: For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water. He reminds us of our history, our past release from captivity, referring to slavery, but he is encouraging us not to choose hatred and return to bondage. Kings words, It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. refer to the promise of Psalms 30:5: For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. While it seems that the Lord has been angry with us, by allowing our continued oppression, King says to America, he reminds us that we are not finished. That although the chains of captivity may have been lifted by Lincoln, they are not yet removed. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream, refers to Amos 5:24, But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream. Kings then offers up a vision that all the listeners and viewers by television can grasp, I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together, is almost a direct quote of Isaiah 40:4-5: Every valley shall be exalted, and very mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. King closed his speech by applying the inspiring words of Galations 3:28, And when this happens, . . . we will be able to speed up that day when all of Gods children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, Im free at last. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped right a nation. Given the chance to cast stones, he chose instead to cast a vision. A vision that one day men and women in America would actually one day be equal and free to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. This vision is not new. Our Biblical history tells us that Jesus cast the same vision before us thousands of years ago. Throughout the bible, God gave his people a choice between life and death. By standing on the promises of the Declaration of Independence, the actions of Abraham Lincoln, and the tenets of the bible, Kings speech, I Have a Dream speech simply reminded us to choose life, to appreciate life, and to respect our brothers and sisters no matter their race or creed.