Merchant of venice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Merchant of venice - Essay Example Thus, it can be argued that Shakespeare was not being anti-Semitic when he placed a Jew as a usurer in his play, rather that he was using historical fact as a basis for writing his play. To have written anything else would have been entirely out of historical context. Shakespeare, the greatest dramatist of all time, was not concerned with the issue of anti-Semitism, rather he used the fact that Shylock was a Jew as a tool, through which he was able to explore the issues he wished to discuss in this play – the play, read in this way, is not itself anti-Semitic, rather, it is a play about anti-Semitism, about the similarities and differences one encounters when dealing with people of different religions. Throughout all of Shakespeare’s writing, he uses characters as tools with which to build his story, and entertain his viewers/readers - The Merchant of Venice is no exception to this rule, and so according to this reading of Shakespeare’s motives, this interpretation of the play can be argued to be valid. Shakespeare’s creation of a character as multi-faceted as Shylock is a testament to his skills as a writer – at times we sympathize with Shylock, at times we simply cannot understand his methods or motives; this is because Shakespeare wanted to create a ‘larger than life’ villainous character, who would entertain us through his actions. He is an eternally fascinating character, he keeps us, the viewer/reader, captivated. The fact that Shylock is a Jew is incidental to the drama; Shakespeare wanted to design a character through which he could develop the action of his play, and it is testament to Shakespeare’s skills as a dramatist that he created such a memorable character, that leaves the reader asking so many questions. At times we dislike Shylock, at times we sympathize with the things he is going through; at all times, he arrests us with his depth and his evident selfishness; he is captivating as a

Race to the Top Strategy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Race to the Top Strategy - Coursework Example In his time in office, President Obama has provided unparalleled support for the education system in America. The Race to the Top Strategy was enacted through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) formulated to sustain job creation, stimulate economic growth and invest in important sectors such as education. The ARRA acts as a foundation for education reforms by supporting strategies which lead to better results for students, long-term benefits for schools and increased effectiveness. The â€Å"Race to the Top† education program provides funds to K-12 public school systems to improve the education system in general (White). The ARRA allocated $91 billion to the program whose main objective was to act as an incentive to encourage states to make positive developments in education (White). These developments include improving high school graduation rates, making significant student achievement and ensuring that students are well prepared for accomplishments in college and in their careers. The following criterion is followed when awarding funds to schools in all states: Formulating and employing high standards and quality assessments The administration encourages states to work together towards a system of conventional academic principles that prepares students towards a college education and careers (White). These are used to assess the students’ thinking skills and critical knowledge. Hiring and retaining good teachers and leaders in schools The program emphasizes on teacher assessment, retention, and compensation to promote and reward efficiency (White). This means that public schools are being pressed to relate teacher compensation to student examination scores. Maintaining data systems that improve instruction and informed decisions The objective of the program is to make data easily accessible to all stakeholders. A data-based approach to assessing the curriculum is effective and minimizes teacher and school district discretion in a ddition to local preferences and state differences (White). Demonstrating and maintaining education reforms The administration aims at advancing collaboration among all stakeholders in the education sector to close achievement gaps and improve students’ performance. The Race to the Top Strategy is in two phases. The first phase started in October 2009 and 10% of the funds were allocated to an initial group of states in 2010 (Colorado the Official State Web Portal). The second phase award proposal for 90% of the funds was in spring in the year 2010 (Colorado The Official State Web Portal). The implementation will take place over a four year period and is expected to improve the overall education system in America. Differences between the Race to the Top Strategy and previous strategies by past Presidents: Bill Clinton and Bush school reform strategy The main difference between Obama’s and Bush’s educational reforms lies in the strategies adopted by the two presid ents. President Obama’s signature education strategy is Race to the Top that is based on the allocation of funds using the test scores of students.