Hamlets Intellect - To be or not to be? By: -

William Shakespeare exploits Hamlets wit and intellect from the very moment he walks on stage. This is done through his dialogue with the Kings counsel; Polonius. Hamlet insults him with phrases that could potentially have double meaning and he does so whilst also reading a book which leaves Polonius perplexed as to whom Hamlets words are directed to and he persists on making sense of them. I feel as if this draws the audience into the play and introduces them to Hamlets calibre of thought, height of wit, and ability to make even an advisor look like a fool.

After Hamlets banter session with Rosencratz and Guildenstern, Hamlet becomes more serious and starts to reflect on his own melancholy state. He refers to both his parents as "uncle-father and aunt-mother" and this, in my opinion, is a perfect summation of how emotionally attached he feels to both of them - calling them aunt and uncle shows that he feels no nuclear family connection to them. This also shows that at times he feels mad but at other times he feels sane. He is psychologically stretched to two different extremes of mental well-being and cause of all this is the idea that his father might want vengeance. Hamlet decides to settle this by commanding the actors re-enact the alleged murder scene and hope for a response from Claudius. Players and actors were expected to perform for the royalties during Shakespearean era; an idea that has been nicely interweaved with the storyline. In his soliloquy, Hamlet compares his indecisiveness to bad actors.

 Like Hamlet, Fortinbras is the grieving son of a dead king, a prince whose uncle inherited the throne in his place. But where Hamlet has sunk into despair, Fortinbras has devoted himself to the pursuit of revenge. Here, it is important mainly to note that Fortinbras’s uncle has forbidden him to attack Denmark but has given him permission to ride through Denmark on his way to attack Poland. It is notable that Claudius appears indifferent to the fact that a powerful enemy will be riding through his country with a large army in tow. Claudius seems much more worried about Hamlet’s madness, indicating that where King Hamlet was a powerful warrior who sought to expand Denmark’s power abroad, Claudius is a politician who is more concerned about threats from within his state. This highlights where the kings priorities lie and the fragility of his relationships within his own household.

 

5 Reasons why you would dine at an Arabs house By: -

5 Reasons why you would dine at an Arabs house

From tens to hundreds of varieties of dates to the reputable sauce that is the hummus, the Arab dining table is one that should not be let amiss if given the chance - nay, I daresay: if one hasn't attended a true Arab feast, then they have not seen what it is like to dine. You might consider my declaration hollow, but after reading the reasons I have listed, I hope you perceptions change and you're left craving for an invitation..or you might just walk into an Arabs house uninvited and that brings me to my first point:

1) "Here comes my guest!"

Originally amongst the Bedouins, the subtitled phrase is what was exclaimed when a stranger was spotted from afar by a family member and thus they had "claimed" the guest. Said stranger guest would then be welcomed by a generous meal...even if it means the host family goes without it. This custom has carried out to many Arabs living in urban cities now because one thing that should never be ignored about these humble people is that they take their tradition to the grave. So if you do decide to show up at the house of a traditional Arab, don't be surprised when you're invited for the something more than your regular Mac.

2) "We wish for no rewards nor thanks from you"

  It would be common courtesy for one to feel obliged to return the generous favour of dining through a gift or perhaps even inviting the host family over to your own house  for dinner. However, the subtitled phrase has been extracted straight out of the Holy Quran[76.8-9]. What needs to be noted here is that Islam has been the prime religion of most Arabs for the past 1400 years and so it is so interwoven into their culture that often you hear even the Non-Muslim Arabs use Islamic phrases is common speech. What needs to be taken from this is that regardless of the religion of the Arab, there are several common traditional beliefs that have been derived from Religion and this is a key one of them. So when you do dine at your Arab acquaintances' house, don't be too consumed about the burden of a gift or favour in return.

3) Short visits don't even count.

It is a customary belief that brief visits from guests in which tea or coffee is offered only count as a "stop-by" and not even a real visit. Two things should be noted here; when you are offered "tea" from an Arab, never only expect tea. It will surely be accompanied by extra sweets and perhaps even varieties of tea. Secondly, if you do decide to "stop-by", you will be forced to return for a "proper visit", and at this point it is customary for the Arab to express that it is due to the fact that they couldn't enjoy the company of the guest for long enough. So if you do feel hungry in between that awkward time amid lunch and dinner, feel absolutely free to pay a visit to your Arab friend.

4) Food.

Enough with the side-hospitality; this is the real deal. Arab food can be quite interesting to a guest who is not accustomed to the different spices and textures. Some common Arab dishes that have only recently become popular here in America include Hummus, Shawerma, stuffed grape leaves (dolmas), Baklava, Falafel, Taboula, and Cuscus. Yet, these dishes are not the only types of dishes. Arab food is quite diverse. There are many concoctions of ingredients that make up Arab cuisine.  Wheat makes up bread and pastries. Rice is consumed at almost every meal. Vegetables, such as zucchini, eggplant and onion are cooked with chicken, lamb or beef to produce a semi-stew or kabob. Olive Oil and lemon with a hint of garlic is used to season salads. Beans, yogurt and vegetables are turned into dips and sauces, which are then drizzled over more rice and bread.  The sight, let alone aroma is tantalizing. Oh, and don't feel shy about trying everything out because the host will show great disappointment if their guest hasn't sampled everything and will not stop suggesting, or even forcing, things in your plate until it is blatant that you are stuffed till your throat.

5) "My home is your home"

As soon as you lay foot into the household of your Arab friend, you are bound to be engulfed by antique furniture and Religious imagery of some sort. For reasons that are beyond my intellect, Arabs always manage to create a very welcoming household that invites a guest without demanding their presence. I've left this point to the very last because its veritable impact can only truly be felt after one has stepped foot into the house. Building on from this traditionally devised yet unintentionally created inviting atmosphere, the subtitled  phrase is in fact a traditional greeting offered by the hosts to any guests. The impact this has, along with the atmosphere of the surroundings, truly makes on feel like the place where they stand is where they belong. And if that's how you are left feeling by the end of the evening, then you have felt the full impact of Arab hospitality.
 

Having quantified the aforementioned points, I would highly recommend that one pays a visit to a traditional Arab dinner at least once in their life; oh, and mind you, I'm not an Arab. The only reason I'm so familiar with the formalities is because I've lived a major part of my life in arguably the heart of it all - Saudi Arabia. And with that, I bid you farewell in the traditional manner:

"May peace be upon you"

*Note: This applies to traditional Arab values and mostly every Arab I've ever met but isn't necessarily thoroughly representative.

 

 

What is science fiction and should it be taught in schools? By: -

Science fiction is a genre that combines supernatural scientific speculations with a sense of realism that the audience can relate to. The most redeeming quality of this type of literature is its ability to provoke thought. Yes; simply to make you think. Think about bounteous possibilities without any inhibitions, think about the consequences of these scientific application, and think about how the world could, with the help of science, be a much better place. This is why I think Science fiction should be taught in schools; it encourages this type of thought process in students.

Another quality of Science fiction texts/films is that all the supernatural and unrealistic scientific fantasy is always underpinned by some sort of logic and reasoning. This incorporates the idea that these scientific events could perhaps be a reality if practically considered. The portrayal of the modern industrial society in a sci-fi artwork hundreds of years ago would've seemed far-fetched and even unrealistic to many, but someone must have thought...why not? Why can't we have a world in which the tedious and monotonous jobs of labour are carried out by machines? And that very question is the reason why science fiction should be incorporated into our curriculum. The core academic science subjects fills our heads with practical knowledge, but where do we expect the ideas, the drive, the vision to come from? Sci-fi is the answer.

As a final notion, I would like to say that it is a mark of an intelligent mind to be able to toy with ideas without believing them. Science fiction encourages us to do that. Todays  youth will be the leaders of tomorrow and who wouldn't want motivated, open-minded and ambitious leaders?