Ebola Virus Explained Essay

Ebola Virus Explained Essay Introduction Ebola virus is one of the most virulent and lethal pathogens known to human. Ebola virus epidemics have emerged from time to time since it was first discovered in 1976 from the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly known as Zaire, but the largest known Ebola virus outbreak up to date is ongoing at the time of writing this article, in West Africa. Approximately 550 000 cases are estimated to be reported from Sierra Leone and Liberia by the 20th of January 2015. The transmission of the infection to a number of countries including Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and occasional cases being reported from USA, Canada, Netherland and India reveal the potential of the infection to get spread worldwide. Despite this disease being highly contagious, life-threatening, and no specific treatment being found, it can be prevented with the use of proper infection prevention and control measures. The study of the Ebola virus disease is important as that knowledge will pave the way for the red uction of victims, the invention of an effective drug and will also be useful in the management of a similar epidemic. Virology Ebola virus is a member of the family Filoviridae. As the name implies the virus is filamentous in shape. Marburg virus and Ebolavirus are the two main genera of the viral family which are medically important. Viruses of these two genera are studied and presented together due to their many similarities in the life cycle, the primary reservoirs, ways of transmission, clinical presentation, treatment and prevention measures. The only noted difference is that the Marburgvirus is spread by bat species adapted to open forests such as savannah whereas Ebolavirus is spread by bat species adapted to deep rain forests(1). Five subtypes of Ebolavirus namely, Ebolavirus zaire, Ebolavirus sudan, Ebolavirus reston, Ebolavirus cote d’ Ivore, and Ebolavirus bundibugyo have been identified and named after the area in which they were first discovered(1). Of these E. Zaire was the first to be isolated and studied(1) and it is responsible for the most number of outbreaks(1) including the latest outbreak in 2014 before which E. sudan accounted for  ¼ of all Ebolavirus deaths(1). Except for the slight lower fatality rate, E. sudan is more or less similar to E. zaire. The case fatality rate of E. sudan is reported as 40-60% and that of E. zaire as 60-90% (3). Transmission Ebola is initially transmitted to human as a zoonosis. Various species of fruit bats found throughout central and sub Saharan Africa as hosts (2),( 4). Contact with bats through bites and scratches or exposure to their secretions and excretions through broken skin or mucous membranes can cause the infection in humans (2), (4). The infection can also be transmitted through other end hosts. Those recorded from Africa are forest antelopes, porcupines, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys and other non-human primates. Attacks during hunting these animals or handling infected animal carcasses have resulted in the introduction of the virus to the human population from the wild (1).The outbreak of the epidemic begins with the subsequent transmission of the infection from the index case to secondary individuals. An outbreak often begins from a single introduction to a human from the wild, which involves virus variants of little genetic diversity. Records reveal that outbreaks stemmed from multiple introductions lead to distinct chains of human to human transmission with a greater diversity in the virus variants(5). EVD is highly contagious. The infection may spread in the community and in the hospital environment through direct contact with infected body fluids such as blood, secretions and excretions or tissue of an acute patient or through direct contact with contaminated materials like clothes and bed linen(1). One major reason for the rapid spread of the epidemic is the traditional funeral rituals, which include cleansing of the cadaver, removal of hair finger nails, toe nails and clothing. People taking care of infected people including health care staff also have a high risk of contracting the disease. Moreover semen of male survivors is said to remain infectious for up to 82 days after the onset of the symptoms. As long as the virus remains in the body fluids the person remains infectious. Airborne transmission of Ebola virus is strongly suspected but is not yet experimentally proven. Clinical Presentation EVD caused by different strains of Ebola virus bring about different clinical features. Incubation period of Ebola virus is generally considered as 2 – 21 days. (1, 3) Ebola virus disease shows various acutely developing constitutional prodromal symptoms which lead to a wide range of differential diagnosis including not only other viral haemorrhagic fevers, but also malaria (3), typhoid (3), cholera (1), other bacterial rickettsial and even non-infectious causes of haemorrhage. The evolution of the disease resembles that of a severe haemorrhagic fever. Patients present with high fever, temperatures being as high as 39-400C (3, 6), body aches and fatigue (3).Subsequently gastrointestinal symptoms such as epigastric pain nausea, vomits and /or diarrhoea without blood appear if fever persists until day 3 – 5 (6). After 4 – 5 days of illness (4) a macular rash may appear but it may not be clearly noticeable on dark skin (1). After this stage haemorrhage from different sites begin. Bleeding from both upper and lower digestive tract, respiratory tract, urinary tract, vagina in females can be observed (1, 3). Further petechiae on the buccal mucosa, skin and conjunctivae develop. Recurrent episodes of vomiting which prevents any oral intake of fluids and large amounts of watery diarrhoea (5 or more liters per day) (6) contributes to a massive fluid loss leading to dehydration. If fluid replacement is inadequate, prostration, severe lethargy and ultimately hypovolaemic shock follows. Hypovolaemic shock has been reported in 60% of the cases (6). Despite the high body temperatures, patients acquire cold extremities due to peripheral vasoconstriction. Rapid and thready pulses, tachypnea, oliguria or anuria can be observed (6). Simultaneously features such as asthenia chest and abdominal pains, pains in muscles and joints and headaches develop. Although in some cases cough and dyspnea occur due to pulmonary haemorrhages, other respiratory symptoms except for hiccups are uncommon (6). Conjunctival injection is a common clinical feature. Neurologic symptoms that are usually seen are hypoactive and hyperactive delirium characterized by slowed cognitive functions, confusion, agitation and rarely seizures (6). As the disease evolves internal bleeding can also start but generally by this time patients are already in a state of coma (1). It is reported that only 5% of the patients present with haemorrhage from gastro intestinal tract before death. Most of the reported deaths have occurred due to shock during the 7th to 12th day of illness. Symptoms of 40% of the patients have improved around the 10th day though symptoms like oral ulcers and thrush have developed. Most of the patients who survived up to the 13th day have shown a higher chance of ultimately getting recovered. Some patients who showed initial improvement of symptoms have developed neck rigidity and lowered levels of consciousness which are associated with late mortality. Pathology Examination of autopsies and post-mortem biopsies is extremely useful in the study of the pathology of the ebola virus disease. Due to the biosafety risk to the autopsy personnel when handling specimens, pathological descriptions of only a limited number of cases are available (7). A common finding of Haematoxilin and eosine stained tissue sections is oval shaped or filamentous eosinophilic intracellular inclusions which are formed by the aggregation of nucleocapsids of the virus. These inclusions can be detected in macrophages, hepatocytes, endothelial cells, connective tissue fibroblasts etc. Immunohistochemical stains reveal viral antigens in cells of various infected tissues including macrophages, dendritic cells, epithelial cells of sweat and sebaceous glands, interstitial and tubular cells of the kidney, seminiferous tubules, endothelial cells and endocardial cells. In addition necrotic cells and cell debris contain antigens in large quantities. Electron microscopy exhibits abundant free virus particles in alveolar spaces, liver sinusoids, and interstitial cells of the testis and in dermal collagen. Karyorrhexis and apoptosis are seen in the cells of the portal triads, macrophages of the red pulp of the spleen and in the tubular epithelial cells of the ki dney (7). Liver tissue shows the most symptomatic histopathological features including focal or widespread necrosis of hepatocytes and mild steatosis. Although usually inflammation is minimal, hyperplasia of kupfer cells and infiltration of mononuclear inflammatory cells is seen. Infected lung shows congestion, haemorrhage and intra-alveolar oedema but inflammation is not significant. Mild focal infiltrates of mononuclear inflammatory cells are known to occur in the lamina propria of the stomach small intestine and the colon. Skin biopsies reveal dermal oedema, focal haemorrhages, petechiae, ecchymoses, and macular rashes. The spleen and lymph nodes exhibit widespread lymphoid depletion due to apoptosis and necrosis. Inflammation of the kidney is not evident although acute tubular necrosis is a usual finding. Even though the endocardium of the heart contains viral antigens, the myocardium does not show any significant damage. Brain histology shows panencephalitis and perivascular infiltration of lymphocytes (7). Prevention World Health organization (WHO) has recommended a set of infection prevention and control measures for health-care workers that include precautions that should be taken at different stages of managing EVD patients Standard precautions Regardless of the diagnosis it is recommended for health-care workers to take standard precautions when handling all patients, as it is difficult to identify EVD patients during early stages of the disease. These are, Performing hand hygiene Using disposable gloves before touching materials probable of being contaminated with virus Wearing eye protection and gown before involving in procedures which have a possibility of body fluids being projected. Hand hygiene Hand hygiene must be performed using soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub solution, following WHO recommended technique, before wearing gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE) after an exposure to a patient’s body fluids after a contact with a contaminated surface or equipment after removing PPE. if hands are visibly soiled Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) PPE should be worn before entering EVD patients’ care areas according to the recommended order by WHO and removed before leaving the care area. Contact of a used PPE with any part of the face or non-intact skin should be avoided. The PPE includes, Non-sterile gloves of the correct size Impermeable and disposable gown with long sleeves Face shield Puncture resistant and impermeable closed shoes Patient placement and management Suspected or confirmed EVD patients should be isolated and if possible kept in single rooms. If not they must be placed in beds with at least 1m gap in between. Visitors must be restricted except for those who are needed for the well-being of the patient such as a child’s parent. Management of used equipment and other materials It is recommended that equipment like stethoscopes should be decontaminated and sterilized before reuse, if separate equipment is not available. Parenteral medication equipment, surgical blades, syringes and needles should never be reused. They should be disposed in puncture resistant bins. All non-sharp solid waste should be disposed in to leak-proof bags or bins. Used linen should be collected in leak-proof bags kept at the place of use. They should be washed with water and detergent, rinsed, soaked in 0.05% chlorine for 30 minutes and then dried. All bins must always remain upright and should be sealed when  ¾ full. Before being taken out of the wards the outer surfaces of these containers must be disinfected using 0.5% chlorine. Environmental cleaning Cleaners should wear heavy-duty rubber gloves, and impermeable, puncture proof boots in addition to the PPE. Water and detergent must be used to clean the work surfaces and floors of the hospital. This should be practiced at least once a day. Other contaminated surfaces and objects must be cleaned and disinfected using 0.5% chlorine. Handling of biological material Performing autopsies, post-mortem biopsies and other laboratory tests of tissue samples of EVD confirmed or suspected patients should be minimized and should only be performed by trained personnel. Full PPE must be worn during handling specimens. All specimens should be delivered in clearly labeled, leak-proof, non-breakable, containers with disinfected outer surfaces. Dead bodies must never be washed or embalmed. They should be sealed in double bags, disinfected with 0.5% chlorine and buried promptly. Some cultural and religious rituals can be adapted if needed, but handling of the body must be kept to a minimum and full PPE must be worn at all times. In case of exposure to infected body fluids All current tasks must be safely and immediately stopped and PPE must be removed safely. Affected skin should be washed with soap and water and any affected mucous membranes like conjunctiva should be washed off with a plenty of running water. The person should be checked for fever and other symptoms for 21 days. Pathogenesis Pathogenesis of Ebola virus shows a similarity to that of most of the other filoviruses which involves immunosuppression, increased vascular permeability and coagulopathy (7, 18). Ebola virus enters the host though abrasions of the skin, though mucous membranes or though injection by accident. The virus enters monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells and gets carried away via lymphatics to the circulation. It then spreads to the liver and spleen infecting tissue macrophages and fibroblastic reticular cells. The main cellular targets of the virus are macrophages, dendritic cells and kupfer cells. Ebola virus shows interaction between varieties of cellular proteins which is why the infection is characterized by broad tissue and organ tropism. Immunopathology In most of the viral infections immune system plays a major role in containing the infection from spreading. However the tissues and organs of fatal EVD cases show minimal inflammation, suggesting of impairment in the immune responses. It has been found that structural proteins of filoviruses e.g. VP24 (Virion protein) and VP35 inhibit interferon responses and thus evade the host innate immunity. As previously mentioned, apoptosis of natural killer cells and T lymphocytes is revealed in histopathology which explains the suppression of the adaptive immune responses. As in many severe infections, Ebola virus infection also causes a massive release of pro-inflammatory mediators and vasoactive substances. Even though the pro-inflammatory mediators promote inflammation and coagulation, the systemic spread of the infection is not effectively controlled. This is probably due to the vasodilation mediated by the vasoactive substances. Endothelial dysfunction and coagulopathy The virus invades endothelial cells and endocardial cells and causes injury (18). This results in internal haemorrhage, fluid and electrolyte imbalance and cardiovascular failure. Endothelial damage results in the platelet aggregation and consumption. The increased level of pro-inflammatory factors and the increased production of surface tissue factor protein in infected monocytes and macrophages promote the coagulation cascade. Due to the hepatocellular damage the production of coagulation factors, fibrinogen, protein C and S are also decreased .Collectively this results in disseminated intravascular coagulation. Other socio-economic problems related to Ebola virus epidemics When considering the current outbreak, in addition to the huge number of lives that has been succumbed to the disease, it has created many other critical problems not only in Ebola hit countries, but in other African countries as well. Agriculture has the biggest contribution to the African economy. As many farmers have died of the epidemic and many have abandoned their farmlands in the fear of catching the disease, there is a huge labour shortage in these countries and a fall of food production. An emergence of a food scarcity in the near future is predicted by experts. Chocolate producing companies and many other industries are greatly affected by labour shortage. Nigeria and Ivory Coast are major cacao producing countries but most of the workers are migrants from Liberia and Guinea. International companies like Nestle and Mars have launched education and fundraising programmes to prevent the spread of the infection among cacao workers. Many schools have been closed owing to the deadly infection surging through the country. Besides the impact on education, the feeding programme carried on by the governments for children has come to a standstill as a consequence. Tourism is another sector hit by the epidemic. Even though Africa is a large continent bigger than Europe, USA and China combined; tourists tend to see it as a single country since the Ebola epidemic has emerged. For instance, Tanzania, a famous wild life destination is an East African country, more than 6000 miles away from an Ebola hit land. It is reported that hotels of Tanzania have lost 50% of bookings for 2015 (21). Many African countries refuse to host international events and conferences due to the risk of the Ebola epidemic being introduced. For example, Morocco, the host of African Cup of Nations, which is scheduled to January 2015, requests a postponement. The government says, â€Å"There is no way we can be lenient with the health and safety of the Moroccan citizens† (24).

Resolving international disputes Essay

Differences that you should be aware of Property Law Sources of law and method of judicial reasoning Property Law Civil Law You are either the absolute owner, or you are not. 3 components of absolute ownership usus (latin term) i.e. use Right of use fructus ie. enjoyment of revenues Right to enjoy revenues abusus ie disposal Right to dispose of that thing dismemberment This does not mean that the absolute owner cannot give away certain rights of the property, as long as the rights transfer back to the owner E.g. usifruct farmer has a large piece of land and son wants to get married and have family. Farmer is not willing to divide up the farm, but offers him a part of the farm where he lets him build a house and farm on it, but after 20/30/40 years the land goes back to the father Lease if you lease an apartment from the owner of a building, or a piece of land to farm on, etc you get the right to use it in consideration of rent. In this sense, the owner is giving away one right (the r ight to use the property) as long as at the end they get the right of use back. Common Law Theory no absolute ownership of land King gives a portion of the country to the Earls. In common law, there is a difference between ownership and possession. The Earls possess it, they are holding the land for him. The Earls will provide him every year with something in return (e.g. bushels of corn, men for war, etc). Earl gives a portion of that land to the Dukes, and asks that they hold it for them, in exchange for bushels, men etc. Dukes to the Lords, all the way to the peasant/farmer. When the farmer died, he was not able to give it to his children it would go to the lord, etc up the chain and that person would redelegate it. Known as the feudal system. Leasehold is when you hold it for a limited period of time. A freehold is where you hold the land forever, and you can sell the land, leave the land to your children. The only way it reverts back to the king is if someone dies without leaving any heirs, which means it goes up the chain of ownership. 2 types of ownership Real Beneficial Origin and Concept of Trust William the Conqueror said I am Law, but there were problems with this as the king could not see every subject. Eventually, he became busy with other things (wars, etc) therefore he set up a system of courts. They did not have to see everybody, unless they issue a writ. System of writs a court order telling someone that someone complained about you therefore you have to show up at court on x  day. You only had a writ for certain problems. Trespass (tort) When someone caused you or your property personal injury Habeas corpus (produce the body) When someone grabbed a relative of yours and wrongly imprisoned them. This came about because of the idea of Where there is a remedy (ie. a writ) there is a right, but if you did not have a writ to cover a specific problem, then you did not have access to the courts lead to a parallel system of justice called Equity lead to new legal concepts such as the TRUST Trust you are too rich and do not want to be taxed. Therefore, you give some wealth to the friend who is going to hold it for you until the children are of age and you have died. The problem arises when the friend does not give it back. They have no writ therefore cannot take it back through court. When the friend goes to court, they argue that the land was given on a condition of trust (the friend was trusted by the father to give the property back). In addition to the possibility of someone being the absolute owner, they can also be the owner subject of a trust. Trust difficult to define, Underhill gave one of the best definitions under 5 parts An 1 equitable obligation, 2 binding a person (trustee), 3 to deal with property over which he has control (trust property), 4 for the benefit of persons (beneficiaries), of whom he (the trustee) may be one, 5 any one of whom may enforce the obligation Equitable obligation obligation created under the law of equity which was established by the courts of equity Who has the obligation The trustee What is the obligation To deal with the trust property over which he has control For what purpose For the benefit of the beneficiaries What is the consequence if the trustee does not deal with the property The Trustee can be sued by any one of the beneficiaries How a trust works There are 2 ways to set up a trust The settler gives trust property to one or more trustees for the benefit of one or more beneficiaries (essentially a gift) Can be through a will or agreement (intervivos trust) involving the settler or the trustee By way of declaration of trust a person simply declares that he is hold ing certain property in trust E.g. someone wants to set up a business, but does not want it known that they are the shareholders. Therefore, someone else holds that position, but signs a contract that states that all income goes to them, and they will exercise the wishes of the settler. Examples of trusts wills, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT), endowments You may set up a family trust for tax planning  purposes. You can spread your income across the beneficiaries of that trust. Shareholder agreements, where sometimes money is put into a trust. There are wide personal business and tax-planning purposes to trust. differences between civil law and common law ownership In Common Law, a property can have two owners. The real owner (whose name appears as the owner) or the beneficiary owner In civil Law, you are the owner, or you are not. Only one type of ownership. 2 Sources of law and method of judicial reasoning both systems have 3 sources Judicial Precedent ie. Court decisions Legislation Doctrine ie. scholarly writings articles or books that are written to explain the law, and very often to criticize it th e difference between the two systems is the weight and importance of each source Common Law JUDICIAL PRECEDENT (most important) Court Structure Supreme Court Court of Appeal Trial Court Each court is bound by its earlier decisions. Trial Court is bound by its earlier decisions unless overturned by the Court of Appeal, same thing for Court of Appeal with Supreme Court, etc (stare decisis stand by the past). The Supreme Court is also bound by its own precedents The Supreme Court has overturned its own precedents, such as the decision that people cannot be segregated but equal, as in the case with discrimination. Principal known as stare decisis stand by the past Abortion example of Row vs Wade (or something like that) How do you know when a judgement is a precedent To know that, you have to analyse the precedent Conditions for decision to be binding Decisions divided into two parts Ratio decidendi the reason for the decision for arriving at the decision (only this is the precedent) Obiter dictum other reasons that the judge has for coming to his/her conclusions It is often not clear which is the obiter dictum and which is the ratio decidendi. The facts have to be almost identical. What happens when they find a precedent they do not like They could try and find differences between the case then and now. What then happens is that if the judges can distinguish between it, they make judge-made law, which is an area of contestation and disagreement. Judges are not supposed to make the law. Legislation In the common law system, legislation is not as important as judicial precedent. If a court interprets a law in a manner in which the parliament doesnt like, parliament can pass a law countermanding that. Catch ( legislation is subject to judicial interpretation, and this means that the rules regarding stare decisis apply to interpretation. Therefore, when you  are looking in the common law system, and you are wondering what does this legislation mean, you look at any court judgements/precedents in order to understand its meaning and application. Additionally, from a business point of view, there is very little legislation on very important aspects of business law. (e.g. you find it on leases, contracts of sale, etc but other types of contracts such as agency, etc there is no legislation, and therefore strictly jurisprudence applies. Additionally, to a large extent there is no legislation regarding torts As a source of law, it can supersede jurisprudence, but does not feature as much. Doctrine Scolarly writings For historical reasons, doctrine is less important and less abundant than it is in the civil law system. They try to summarise the law and put it in a rational form. CIVIL LAW Judicial Precedent (Jurisprudence) Not as important as in common law because a) There is no concept of stare decisis (Courts are not formally bound by higher courts, they just carry more weight. Another level can just choose to overrule) (2) Legislation Originally, the first code of laws that was developed in the western world was developed by the Roman Empire. This was different for a huge number of places because it covered such a wide expanse. When Napoleon ruled, there were even differences within France itself He created a different set for France and the rest of the Empire, The Law of Paris, and codified it into one document, and in 1804 it became law. It dealt with things such as family law, property law, contract law, civil liability, etc A code does the following in regards to each area that it deals with, it sets out general broad principles then sets out certain principles within. They are so broad that it covers the subject matter. For example, in civil law under Quebec, civil liability is anyone that is capable, is liable for any damage he/she causes through a wrongful act to a third party. Once you have this principle you have rules of application (e.g. what is the liability of parents if their children does wrong) (3) Doctrine Doctrine is much more important than in the Common Law system. Before, in Common Law system, if you wanted to become a lawyer you didnt have to go to school, just work with lawyers and read books. Example Abraham Lincoln never went to school he studied on his own and ended up becoming a lawyer with the help of those he worked with. Ended up becoming one of the most renowned layers in the USA before h e went into politics. Difference between the two Civil law ( would read Justinian coda and make  annotations and commentaries and some would start publishing codes. When Napoleon made some laws, books came out analysing the books and laws. Judges read the laws and doctrines as a basis for their judgements (today there is more doctrine in the Civil Law system than common law) Common ( Lets see what the judgment says Civil ( lets see what the doctrine says LEGAL SYSTEMS SPREAD BY COLONIZATION AND CONQUEST Common Law Includes India, England, USA Why common law is different around the world English Common law applied to the Colonies, so far as it was adapted by its institutions and circumstances. This means that you apply the English Common Law as far as needed, then you apply a chain of precedents As colonies gained independence, they established a cut-off date after which British precedence would not apply to them Over time, jurisdictions formed their own supreme Courts under their own state of appeal. After a certain date, Canada said that their Supreme Court judgements were right, and people could not go to the British House of Lords for an over ruling, and this happened everywhere. Civil Law Formed out of Spain and all of her colonies, Germany, Italy, Portugal and its colony Brazil, and each country has its own civil code. The rules in France are not the same as the rules set out in Quebec, however the sources, the role, all of that is similar. Quebec Situation Was both a French and British colony. The French King was given a choice keep Quebec, or keep the islands of St Pierre and Miquelon. He decided to keep the islands. In 1774, the Quebec Act was adopted by parliament. In 1774, the 13 colonies started to push for independence. They adopted the Quebec Act, which was intended to protect the religion, language and culture. It created a hybrid system of Common Law and Civil Law. It said that local Quebec Law (Civil Law) will govern property, contracts, family law, civil liability. Basically, in Quebec, what was used was old Roman law and the custom of Paris. Under the Quebec system, the court system became a British system. The result was that Common Law heavily influenced civil law. July 1866, the Civil Court of Law in Canada codified the Civil Law in Quebec (like Napoleon and France). Much of the Civil Code of Canada was taken by the Napoleonic Code. Unlike what you would call the traditional Civil Law System, stare decisis was used in Quebec. If you read a judgement from a Court of Quebec and one outside Quebec, you would question whether it is not a Common Law system. This is because they are a Civil Law system, but they reason  similarly to the Common Law system.

Hamlet Philosophy Essay

Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is an Elizabethan tragedy. Hamlet, a young Prince of Denmark, suffers a dilemma between the unrelenting ambition of revenge and clashing moral standards. This is very much a play about revenge, but the reason that it continues to intrigue literary and theatrical audiences for almost 400 years, is because of the underlying philosophical meanings. Hamlet is more a philosophical play than it is a play about revenge. Throughout the play, Hamlet analyzes the uncertainty that death brings, questions the final arbiter in judgement and defies society’s belief in the great chain of being. Hamlet is surrounded by death. However, he is the only character that confronts death philosophically. Despite the revenge he is planning, Hamlet considers taking his own life. He strives to extract revenge upon Claudius, but the more guidance he seeks, the more lost and indecisive he becomes. Hamlet seriously questions if life is worth living from his life crisis. This is seen in Hamlet’s most famous soliloquy, that is said at the kingdom of Elsinore, before being spied upon by Claudius and Polonius. â€Å"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. There’s the respect / That makes calamity of so long life. / For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, / Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, / The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, / The insolence of office, and the spurns /That patient merit of th’ unworthy takes, / When he himself might his quietus make / With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear, / To grunt and sweat under a weary life, / But that the dread of something after death, / The undiscovered country from whose bourn / No traveler returns, puzzles the will / And makes us rather bear those ills we have / Than fly to others that we know not of? / Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, / And thus the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought, / And enterprises of great pith and moment / With this regard their currents turn awry, / And lose the name of action. â€Å"(3. 1. 57-89) In this soliloquy, Hamlet speculates if suicide is preferable; but it soon occurs to him that death is not a way out, because it is not possible to know what fate comes after death. Hamlet contemplates that the journey to death may lead to an eternal sleep, but it may not; the next life may in fact be worse that the life we are aware of. It is the uncertainty death brings that inhibits people from ending their lives. Furthermore, Hamlet also questions the final arbiter in judgement. This is seen when Hamlet discovers the treachery of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s visit, and reveals his depression . â€Å"Why, then, ’tis none to you: for there is nothing / either good or bad but thinking makes it so: to me it is a prison. â€Å"(2. 2. 249-251) Hamlet is referring to how there is no final arbiter in judgement, but that people with differing morals and ethics decide to believe in desired opinions that correspond to their beliefs. This observation that Hamlet makes can be compared to the philosophy of existentialism, which holds that â€Å"The starting point of philosophical thinking must be the experience of the individual. † (Existentialism) Hamlet is referring to how there is no definitive truth but only subjective truth, and society’s accepted values will favour one kind of truth, no matter how flawed it may be. Lastly, Hamlet’s fascination with death leads him to draw his own conclusions on the moral beliefs of society. Hamlet challenges the great chain of being; the religious hierarchal structure of all matter and life on earth. Upon his obsession with death, Hamlet asks Horatio for guidance on his perceived speculations at the cemetery about Alexander the Great. â€Å"No, faith, not a jot. But to follow him thither with / modesty enough, and likelihood to lead it, as thus: / Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander / returned into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make / loam: and why of that loam, whereto he was converted, / might they not stop a beer barrel? / Imperious Caesar, dead and turn’d to clay, / Might stop a hole to keep the wind away: / Oh, that that earth which kept the world in awe, / Should patch a wall to expel the winter’s flaw! â€Å"(5. 1. 201-210) Hamlet realizes that death is the inevitable fate of everyman; that the fate of everyman is a journey into dust. Death eliminates the differences between all people, regardless of how distinguished or insignificant they may be. Hamlet concludes that the great chain of being is false and everything in it, ultimately crumbles into dust, just like the bones in the cemetery. Hamlet is more a play about philosophical ideas and speculations, than it is a play about vengeance. There have been an exorbitant amount of tragedies produced, but Hamlet remains the most produced and analyzed Shakespearean play of all time because of all of the philosophical meanings and interpretations. Hamlet philosophies over death, judgement and the great chain of being. The most prominent philosophical idea in Hamlet is the mysteriousness of death. Interestingly, in Hamlet’s soliloquy â€Å"To be, or not to be: That is the question†¦ † (3. 1.57-89), it is addressed as the question, not a question. This can be interpreted as the most important question a person may ever have to face in life. Indeed, Hamlet is Shakespeare’s philosopher. Perhaps Shakespeare was attempting to philosophically question society’s motives in life, similar to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a theory of successive human motivation. References â€Å"Existentialism. † n. d. Wikipedia. 06 December 2012. . Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Toronto: Harcourt Canada Ltd. , n. d.

UPOWER your Way to an Effective Timed Essay

Every student has to write a timed essay at least once in their academic career. Timed essays, essay exams or in-class essays bring all your essay writing skills to play as they require you to put together an effective piece of writing in a limited amount of time. Although the task may seem daunting at first, it becomes easier if you follow a few simple steps outlined below. The Preparation Any piece of academic writing requires practice to master and timed essays are no exception. The key to mastering the art of writing a killer timed essay is to ace the following three main components of timed-essay writing: Outlining: All good essays come from good outlines. An outline helps you organize your thoughts in a systematic order. It provides you with an effective roadmap for your essay and helps you keep on track and focused. Prior to a test, practice giving outlines to three or four essay type questions that you think might appear on the test. Study Subjects: If you have a grasp on the subject matter at hand, you will be more likely to write an effective timed-essay. So, study for the essay as you would for any other exam. Take notes, read the material provided and attend lectures to sharpen your knowledge on the subject. Time Management: Most essay exams are a combination of short and long essay questions. Therefore, time management in these exams is all about distributing your time to each question based on the type of writer you consider yourself to be; single-draft writers work well under pressure, they should attempt short essay questions first and then move on to longer ones. Multi-draft writers work better in an environment with no time limits and revise each paragraph after writing it, they should attempt longer questions first and then move on to the shorter ones. The Power of UPOWER The UPOWER acronym stands for the different steps to write an effective timed essay. Understand the prompt: Underline key words and phrases of the prompt. You can rewrite the prompt to make more sense of the basic premise of the question. If a single prompt has multiple parts, try to ponder on them individually and then decide whether it would be more effective to tackle them separately or with one holistic answer. Pick a side: Most prompts necessitate the development of a main thesis or claim. Analyze the prompt to see if it provides you with a claim to defend or refute, if not, then establish one. If the answer doesn’t come to you right away, jot down a list of possible claims and choose the one you are most comfortable with. Outline: Make lists, idea maps or choose another way to make an outline for your essay. The outline should include your main thesis point and multiple supporting references. Write a thesis/introduction: Your introduction should basically include the main thesis point that you want to argue. However, if you have time, you may include a brief overview of the supporting evidence you will be presenting and a creative ‘hook’ to keep readers interested. E>vidence and Ending: Support your thesis statement with strong and relevant supporting evidence. Use a clear topic sentence or sub claim in each paragraph so as to remain on track. Use your time efficiently by only including viable sub claims. After completing the main body of the essay, add a conclusion. Remember, you may give a short conclusion but never leave your essay without one. Revise: After completing your essay, give it a test read. Check if your essay is fluid and consistent and if the body of your essay stays true to the thesis statement. Tweak away any misspellings or grammatical mistakes and that’s about it! Remember to always keep an eye on the clock. Aim to finish your exam well before time, but if you are short on time, jot down your remaining main ideas as graders may follow your line of thinking and like it enough to reward it.