Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring Activities --Savannah, GA Essay

Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring Activities --Savannah, GA - Essay Example The organization is undoubtedly one of the best charitable organizations in the area. The chapter is highly effective considering most of the activities the organization offers here. Its impact is widely felt through the contribution it has made to the children of this area. Firstly, volunteers are deployed through a highly rigorous process. This is done by thoroughly screening everyone coming in to offer services. This is done through interviews as well as background investigations. This way the organization is able to provide top-notch level of services to the children. In addition, most of the reports from the officials indicate that there is a notable positive effect among youth (Stone, 2009). Looking at the programs offered by the organization, I would more likely classify them as prevention measures than diversion. This is so because, the services provided by the volunteers are focused in making the young people gain good values that are generally acceptable in the society. The y are keen in coaching the youth on how to keep away from harmful behavior such as using illegal drugs and criminal activities. Although there are other programs that aims at helping this generation of kids become more diverse as far as their careers is concerned, the main goal is to bring up children of high morals (Jano, 2008). Another reported outcome of the program is bringing up self-confident young people who can easily mingle with other people. BBBS Chapter Programs / Competition The local chapter offers a variety of programs that have become so successful in achieving positive results. The mentoring programs are set up based on the needs of the children. The mentors in different programs come from all walks of life and the organization matches these experts with the requirements of the young people seeking guidance. One of the most common programs is the academic mentoring. Here, an experienced college professor participates in mentoring a student through a particular projec t. Secondly, there is the career mentoring that aims at guiding youth through career choices and along the path of career chosen. Lastly, there is the personal development mentoring that provides counseling to young people when they are experiencing personal crisis (To’angutu, 2005). This also helps children with less privileged lives. The activities of the programs mostly leave other social service organization with less to offer, due to their wide support in terms of funds and staff, the BBBS has the competitive edge. The organization has reduced expenses since they do not incur staff expenses; they also have so many experts at their disposal who mostly volunteer their services to the program (Stone, 2009). The other organizations should try to specialize with offering social services that are not covered by BBBS. This will decrease the level of competitions that would otherwise arise from offering the same services as BBBS. BBBS versus Juvenile Justice System BBBS goals di ffer from those of the juvenile justice system. The latter is determined in rehabilitation of children accused of committing criminal offences. This is very different from the goals and the role of BBBS, which is guidance and counseling. The juvenile justice system only focuses with helping the children who are on the wrong whilst the BBBS focus on every child. Another difference is that the Juvenile justice system has the interest of the community at large where they aim at

'Energy infrastructure often involves cross-border mega-development Essay

'Energy infrastructure often involves cross-border mega-development projects. International law is equipped to deal with the env - Essay Example Developed countries invest in developing countries for their own interest while this results beneficial for the host country too.1 During this entire process of launching a new energy project cross borders, the number of problems and issues are countless. Sometimes this mega energy project faces challenges and creates issues on a global level.2 These may include environmental, human, social, political issues etc. To overcome and to respond to these issues as they may threaten themselves and the world is very important. In this regard international laws are designed so as to maintain and ensure that proper scheme and strategy is being followed and that there are no threats and the project will not in any way harm the environment or humans or any other factor of that country or the world. This paper is aimed to study the effectiveness of the international environmental laws and the challenges faced by the energy mega projects cross borders. Moreover the paper will also discuss their ef fects on the environment and human lifecycle.3 Before launching or planning any energy-mega development project on cross borders, the owners, the engineers, and the project managers have to go through all these policies and laws so as to ensure that their project is in accordance with all the legal laws and regulations and will in no way harm or destroy the environment or human challenges. This will also decrease the chances of failure of the project.4 Mega Energy Projects and International Laws Mega energy projects are one of the most influential entities in the domain of economic growth for any country in the modern world. The utilization of energy in the age of industrialization has immensely increased and it has become a need to develop any country in the economic system of the world.5 The need of energy in order to maintain the development is fulfilled by several energy projects. These energy projects include dams, hydro power plants, gas pipelines and several more to its list. 6 The globalization has congealed each aspect of this world in which all the states are interlinked with each other with the relationship of dependency. Due to globalization, cross border energy projects were firstly introduced which are considered as popular diplomatic agreements among states. The cross border energy mega projects are considered to be the significant force of diplomatic alliances and economic growth for all of the agreed states involved in any certain energy mega project.7 These energy mega projects are not independent of laws on the basis of which the economic growth is evitable. International laws are those laws which involve the common consent of numerous states and nations upon it.8 It is a set of rules which is accepted and generally regarded as the binding force between the nations, even those which are involved in any kind of dispute. International law does not only work as the mediator between the disputed parties that are the public and the stake holders o f energy mega projects but also as the regulator in this diplomatic act.9 The set of international law contains numerous legislations regarding human rights, environmental laws, laws regarding sovereignty and several other laws which are based on past disputes and judicial decisions.10 Cross border energy mega projects often involves more than two states in which international law comes to play its intrinsic role to mediate the consent among the nations. The involvement

Modern Dance Essay Example for Free

Modern Dance Essay The idea of dance has always been interesting and a mystery to me. When I was younger, I used to participate in Indian dance performances for birthday parties, weddings and/or anniversaries. I was fairly decent and I remember that it gave me a sense of freedom. I loved to dance. It was a way of expressing my uniqueness. However, things changed, life moved on and the stress of it all hid those feelings for another lifetime. They remained hidden for the past four years here at UCR until now, my senior year. Now was the only time in my college career that I had time for anything other than major related, science-y courses. I was excited to take a class that didn’t involve four hour laboratory times or quizzes every week. I wanted to take a class that made me feel free. That’s when I remembered how dance made me feel when I was younger and Dance 005 seemed like the perfect fit. In the short time that I have been able to take this course, I have learned quite a lot about my body’s capabilities. Usually, when I do something physical, whether it be sports or working out at the gym, I push myself hard. With dance, I felt as if I needed to take my time, and let my gracefullness take the lead. I wanted to accomplish a different side of me. I wanted to allow myself to do something that I wasn’t necessarily used to. I felt as if my strengths were mainly the numbered combinations that we learned in class. I do well with order, direction and a planned out routine. However, on the other hand, when we would practice improvisation, I found harder to relax and â€Å"go with the flow. † I realized that I don’t work well with spontaneous, no rule moments. I still struggle with that part of the class and I believe it isn’t something that can be taken care of with one course. I also enrolled in a dance of Mexico course and I enjoy noticing the differences between modern dance and cultural dance. Viewing the live performance by Paradigm put many things in perspective. My view on dance expanded with every dance performed that night. It was interesting to see the different outlooks on the idea of dance as a whole. It can be theatrical, comedic, sad, happy, etc. It all depends on how the emotions are absorbed by the audience as a result of the performers. Writing the reflection paper on the performance helped me understand the real meaning of it all. It made me take the time to recall reactions and go into depth about how the idea of modern dance came about. Dance, to me, meant structure but walking out of the theater that night shook that assumption to its core. I learned that the modern dance movement based works upon experience, using their bodies to express emotions using many gestures. It seemed like each dance was a type of impulse control. Each performer was allowed to express any feeling that came to them within boundaries. And the boundaries were what made up the show and made it enjoyable for the audience. One idea of dance that stuck with me was when we performed our pathway dances. I think that was also my favorite part of this class so far. I enjoyed watching each dance with and without music. The music made each dance come alive in some way. I also liked the fact that the musician matched the dance with a separate tone that allowed for comedic relief during what could have possibly been a boring, simple routine. The way he described music adding to dance as a sort of parallel was also quite interesting. I don’t think I have ever heard music and art spoken in that way. This class gives an insight into a different, calmer than my usual workload, form of expression. Another idea of dance that I can take away from this course is whenever we added pedestrian movements into our dances. I loved that we could incorporate anything and everything we do in life to dance. For instance, I just recently started going to the cardio kickboxing class at the rec center. And I remember I added some of the moves I learned from that class into this class by adding a little flare and art value to them. It just goes to show that anything can be art by tweaking something just a smidge. I thoroughly enjoyed taking this class. To be brief, it was entertaining, interesting, and I can actually say I know something about the art of dance and not just how to dance. I think it’s important to have knowledge about everything in this world. No need to be an expert on the matter but a little taste of different culture never hurt anyone. And I believe that this class gives a small slice of a worldwide tradition of dance.

Literacy As Social Practice To Aid In Teaching Education Essay

Literacy As Social Practice To Aid In Teaching Education Essay The world has changed profoundly over the last two decades, and many of our longstanding notions about literacy need to be challenged. As a result, the definition of literacy is neither a singular or universal one, and it is often defined in contradictory ways. It is recognised that the teaching and learning of literacy is a major responsibility of the schools. While some children have some knowledge of literacy acquired before formal schooling, all will need the opportunities for learning to read and write that school provides. The term literacy has often been associated with the reading and writing stage of learning and it is no surprise that the way the community views how literacy is learned in schools can take vastly different viewpoints. It is important to note that the way in which it is defined will shape the kinds of policies and approaches to teaching and learning that are adopted by the field of education. Olsons definition focuses on literacy as a cognitive model, which is needed for work, education and social interaction. This view prevails that literacy is a simple, learned cognitive skill that one learns to read and write just as one learns to kick a ball, ride a bicycle or make a cake. It is clearly perceived, once the skill has been mastered. Street (1985) refers this view of literacy as the autonomous literacy where those who master this skill can use it to advantage of influence and prestige. In contrast, Street contemplates that literacy should have a more social focus, such as the assumption of it contributing knowledge according to social-cultural contexts. He defines this alternative notion as ideological literacy which refers to the social conceptions and uses of literacy. This viewpoint suggests that literacy is an aspect of defining framework of society. Street (1997) extents this notion by arguing that literacy not only varies with social context and with cultural norms and discourses, but that its uses and meanings are embedded in relations of power. This suggests that literacy is what society achieves, and society is, to some extent, what literacy contributes to it. Furthermore, another view of literacy is that of critical literacy that is informed by the work of Paulo Freire (1972), who conceptualizes literacy not as reading the word but as reading the world. This advocates the emphasis of the empowering role that literacy can and should play in reshaping the way in which one lives and works. Wallace (2001) explains that the empowering potential of literacy is articulated in difference ways to encourage new literates to use literacy as a means for educational change and for the literate person to reflect on what is wrong in their world and use the enabling power of literacy to change that world. Furthermore, Wallace views this potential as a means to reshape approaches to English language teaching, not just for first language learners, but for the majority of users of English who are second language English speakers. She proposes that the variety of labels given to English in its worldwide role be replaced by what she calls literate English, one with which it is not a reduced or simplified model of English which restricts communication to basic patterns of interaction, but a global English that should be elaborated to serve global needs. Luke and Carrington (2002) discuss this further with the notion of literacy as cultural capital by suggesting how to construct a literacy education that addresses new economic and cultural formations providing our students with the ability to think critically and globally in a world that, increasingly, will require a politically and socially active citizen (NOTE, 2007). Models of Literacy In the minds of many in the community, an important function of schooling is that it teaches literacy with the teaching of literacy this is often held to be the most important thing that schooling provides. As a result, literacy remains high on the educational and political agenda at national and international levels and continues to be contested and debated. There appears to be three main models of literary which have implications for policy-making, teaching and learning; autonomous, social and critical literacy. The first is the cognitive or autonomous model, which has dominated educational policy for the last two decades especially in the UK with the introduction of the National Curriculum which then was preceded by the National Literacy Strategy (NLS) in the late 90s. Both of which attempted to transform literacy teaching in the primary and secondary school. Goodwyn and Findlay (2003) are encouraged by the aim of the NLS to demystify subject teaching and to involve all subject specialist in helping pupils become literate within each subject. However, the emphasis on the autonomous literacy model is a failure to acknowledge the ever changing nature of literacy. This skills-based view of a universal or aptitude represents the meaning of literacy in terms of limited mental operations. Therefore, if we view literacy teaching and learning as a matter of mastering certain important, but essentially basic technical skills in control of such things as the spelling and writing system, and perhaps h ow to shape simple written sentences. Literacy becomes a relatively simple and unproblematic matter, learned in the early years and then used and reused in whatever ways appear appropriate. According to Street (1995), such traditional definitions of literacy are based an autonomous model, autonomous because it is extracted from its social, cultural, and historical context. When treated as a technical skill or mental operation independent of social context, literacy is associated with consequences that have no relation to the social situations in which it is embedded. In addition, Street (1995) explains, it gives limited attention to social structures within which the concepts and specific cultures are forms. Therefore, in an autonomous model, literacy is separated from its social context and considered an independent variable making it possible to associate literacy with symbolic elements such as progress, social mobility and economic stability (Gee, 1996). In our society, the benef its for being literate has taken on mythic qualities as Street suggests this literacy myth raises false expectations for those who do become literate in comparison to the illiterate who are branded as too lazy or, even worse unable to learn. This situation enables government to shift focus away from social problems onto individual shortcoming (Street, 1996) The second model of literacy is one that avoids the pitfalls of the literacy myth by capturing the complexity of literacy practices in the social contexts that make them meaningful. Street (1996) calls this an ideological model of literary, which concentrates on the social practices of reading and writing and the ideological and culturally embedded nature of these practices. In addition, the ideological model maintains a wariness of claims for literacy and distinguishes between these claims and the actual significance of literacy for the people involved. Literacy in the ideological model looks beyond a technical definition of literacy to consider literacy practices. Rather than limiting literacy to events that involve reading and writing, Street broadens the scope to literacy practices which take into account the behaviour and the social and cultural conceptualizations that give meaning to the uses of reading and writing. This concept of literacy practices gets us away from the liter acy myth by re-inserting social and cultural context and arguing that whatever benefits come from literacy also come from the contexts in which it is embedded. The third model critical literacy is one that as Wallace (2001) explains is powerful to the extent that it offers a vantage point from which to survey other literacies. Like the ideological model, critical literacy is understood as social action through language use that develops us as agents inside a larger culture. However, it takes us beyond this in providing an active, challenging approach to reading and textual practice by the analysis and critique of the relationship among texts, language, power, social groups and social practice. It shows us ways of looking at written, visual, spoken, multimedia and performance texts to question and challenge the attitudes, values and beliefs that lie beneath the surface. It has been suggested that critical literacy links with our modern lifestyles of a rapidly changing globalised world. Changing societal structures, increasing social and cultural diversity and the marketing of ideas and products through multimedia mean that we need to think a bout literacy for lifelong learning in new ways. The way that information is received today hadnt been invented twenty years ago. The world is becoming increasingly accessible because of instantaneous communications; the corpus of print literature is expanding almost exponentially because of the number of works either being written in English not just by authors from United States or the British Commonwealth but by major authors outside these regions. The consequence is that the technology is not only bringing global English (Wallace, 2004) into daily contact, the nature of digital communication is aiding in the demise of a standard English.   Instant messaging, text messaging, and other technological forms of communication are creating new writing practices that often undermine traditional, standard English for the sake of faster, more effective communication. English is becoming more complex than ever, and our students will need to be flexible and efficient users of a vast array of discourses that isolated, drill-oriented grammar lessons simply will not teach. We need to be able to make meaning from the array of multimedia, complex visual imagery, music and sound, even virtual worlds that confront us each day in addition to written and spoken words. Changes in society are occurring so rapidly that we need to take time to think about whether they will have positive or negative effects upon our ways of living. Conclusion Lonsdale et al (2004) imply that the meaning of literacy has changed over time from an elementary decoding of words to a range of more complex and diverse skills and understandings. There is a need for these changes to be understood, against a background of economic, social, political and cultural. Literacy as a social practice should be considered in context, rather than the convention of literacy as an individual, cognitive skill. The new skills are premised on the idea that much higher order skills such as critical thinking are now needed by all students. Goodwyn et al (2003) suggest that students once needed literacy to be told what to do; now they need it to know what to do without being told. Street (1985) implies that Ideological literacy requires that we view literacy as much more than the ability to decipher or encode messages on paper. We have to view literacy in the dynamic contexts of politics, social change, development, education, religion, philosophy, confrontation, and even war. Practitioners of critical literacy have forcefully made the point that literacy is a mechanism of political control as well as a tool for liberation. These views of literacy are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they represent points on a continuum between action and system. At one extreme, autonomous literacy is viewed as something isolated from everything else, as a personal skill or characteristic. At the other extreme, it is seen almost as a primal element in the construction of reality. (SIL, 1999) The teaching of critical thinking plays a central role in the teaching of critical literacy. As the world becomes more complex, increasingly flattened, and, one might argue, ever more interesting and challenging, our students must be prepared to enter it as competent, thoughtful, and agentive readers and communicators. In order to prepare them effectively, we as literacy educators must make changes to literacy curricula that traditionally view knowledge making and communication as straightforward, text-based, and individualized, a perspective that was only appropriate before the recent explosion in communicative technologies and resulting economic, social, and cultural realities. To prepare students who can be active and effective world citizens able to make thoughtful decisions and solve global problems, we must first help them to be critical, meta-aware thinkers and communicators. (NOTE, 2007) A consequence of these views of literacy has been that specialists in the field have become more aware that literacy, in both theory and practice, is more than a simple technical skill. Literacy, by itself, does not lead to health, wealth, happiness, and national development. Literacy is but one element in the development process. The other elements must be included if developmental aspirations are to be attained. (SIL, 1999) Word count: 2063

Hiding Behind the Words :: Writing Education Self Analysis

Hiding Behind the Words As I look back at the first paper I wrote for this class, I see lots of things I needed to improve on. I was simple minded in many of my ideas that I wrote about. Throughout the paper I only elaborated on a few thoughts and ideas. It all could have been summed up in two paragraphs. My opening paragraph talked about my whole paper. "A university education is important to me. By getting a degree in geography I hope to improve my knowledge and increase my chances for a good job. Not only will I gain knowledge but also gain the experience of university life as a student. By receiving my education I will prepare myself for a job and improve my communication with other people." After the first paragraph I bullshitted through the rest of the paper. I had repetition over and over again. For example in paragraph three I wrote, "I have chosen my major in Geography because I find it interesting and hope to obtain a job in the field." This repetition can be seen in the opening paragraph above. It also is in the last paragraph, "Bemidji University will have prepared me with the knowledge I need to obtain a job in Geography." If I were to make a revision on the paper I would need to cut down on the repetition, this is not the only example throughout the paper. My first paper was also written in the official style and the five theme essay. I stated my theme in the first paragraph and everything form there on pertained to the theme. I did not elaborate on other things that make a university education important to me. I needed to reconstruct my thoughts and dig deeper to find the real meaning behind my university education. As I read this paper again it was plain, simple and not very interesting to read. It was simple in a way that everyone probably has the same thoughts and could write it just like I did. To make it more interesting I could leave the theme, and change the voice and style within the paper. The voice in the paper pertained to the normal student who wrote about their education. It was plain and did not express any real values I had toward my education. Sure I want to graduate, get a job, and have fun, but doesn't everyone want to do this? Hiding Behind the Words :: Writing Education Self Analysis Hiding Behind the Words As I look back at the first paper I wrote for this class, I see lots of things I needed to improve on. I was simple minded in many of my ideas that I wrote about. Throughout the paper I only elaborated on a few thoughts and ideas. It all could have been summed up in two paragraphs. My opening paragraph talked about my whole paper. "A university education is important to me. By getting a degree in geography I hope to improve my knowledge and increase my chances for a good job. Not only will I gain knowledge but also gain the experience of university life as a student. By receiving my education I will prepare myself for a job and improve my communication with other people." After the first paragraph I bullshitted through the rest of the paper. I had repetition over and over again. For example in paragraph three I wrote, "I have chosen my major in Geography because I find it interesting and hope to obtain a job in the field." This repetition can be seen in the opening paragraph above. It also is in the last paragraph, "Bemidji University will have prepared me with the knowledge I need to obtain a job in Geography." If I were to make a revision on the paper I would need to cut down on the repetition, this is not the only example throughout the paper. My first paper was also written in the official style and the five theme essay. I stated my theme in the first paragraph and everything form there on pertained to the theme. I did not elaborate on other things that make a university education important to me. I needed to reconstruct my thoughts and dig deeper to find the real meaning behind my university education. As I read this paper again it was plain, simple and not very interesting to read. It was simple in a way that everyone probably has the same thoughts and could write it just like I did. To make it more interesting I could leave the theme, and change the voice and style within the paper. The voice in the paper pertained to the normal student who wrote about their education. It was plain and did not express any real values I had toward my education. Sure I want to graduate, get a job, and have fun, but doesn't everyone want to do this?

The Life and Role of a Knight in The Middle Ages :: essays research papers

The Middle Ages - The Life and Role of a Knight A Knights life was a hard life, you could only become one in a few ways, one being the most common passing a life-time test. Knights were sworn to protect Churches, the weak and battle all evil. When a boy was eight years old, he was sent to the neighboring castle where he was trained as a page. The boy was usually the son of a knight or of a member of the aristocracy. He spent most of his time strengthening his body, wrestling and riding horses. He also learned how to fight with a spear and a sword. He practiced against a wooden dummy called a quintain. It was essentially a heavy sack or dummy in the form of a human. It was hung on a wooden pole along with a shield. The young page had to hit the shield in its centre. When hit, the whole structure would spin around and around. The page had to get away quickly without getting hit. The young man was also taught more civilized topics. He would be taught to read and write by a schoolmaster. He could also be taught some Latin and French. The lady of the castle taught the page to sing and dance and how to behave in the king?s court. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, a boy became a squire in service to a knight. His duties included dressing the knight in the morning, serving all of the knight?s meals, caring for the knight?s horse, and cleaning the knight?s armor and weapons. He followed the knight to tournaments and assisted his lord on the battlefield. A squire also prepared himself by learning how to handle a sword and lance while wearing forty pounds of armor and riding a horse. When he was about twenty, a squire could become a knight after proving himself worthy. A lord would agree to knight him in a dubbing ceremony. The night before the ceremony, the squire would dress in a white tunic and red robes. He would then fast and pray all night for the purification of his soul. The chaplain would bless the future knight's sword and then lay it on the chapel or church's altar. Before dawn, he took a bath to show that he was pure, and he dressed in his best clothes. When dawn came, the priest would hear the young man's confession, a Catholic contrition rite.

Film Analysis: “Elizabeth: the Golden Age” Essay

Queen Elizabeth I was one of the most memorable, most discussed and most written about monarch not only in England, but in Western history (Dobson and Watson 2; Rozett 103). She was the only monarch that historians attributed an entire era of English history after. The film â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age† is an example of the Queen’s popularity in literature. Although much of the film had accurately depicted the life of the Queen as to the reason why the Elizabethan period of England was synonymous to the period of peace and prosperity, there were a number of discrepancies between the information shown in the film against data retrieved from historical records. This paper would be presenting these discrepancies as well as an insight on Queen Elizabeth I’s view towards marriage and psychological profile. The film â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age† was set in the year 1565, when Spain was considered as the most powerful Empire in Western history and was under the rule of King Philip II. In order to achieve his goal to spread the Catholic faith across Europe, Philip II began what he considered as a holy war. This war had allowed him to conquer all the European countries, except for England which was still under the rule of a Protestant Queen, Elizabeth I. Although not directly stated, the film implied that it was in the year 1585 that Philip II decided it was time to purify England from the clutches of the devil ruled by a whore (â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age†). The film depicted King Philip II clearly as someone who extremely despised Queen Elizabeth I in her entirety. However, Campion and Holleran stated that when Queen Elizabeth I ascended the throne in 1558, King Philip II in fact proposed marriage to the Queen. Although she politely declined is marriage proposal, she accepted the advice and protection that King Philip II offered to her (2). Meanwhile, in a meeting with her political advisers, Queen Elizabeth I was warned that her country was now divided by religion. Half of the country was now practicing the Catholic faith with the other half practicing the Protestant faith. They recommended to the Queen that measures must be taken against the English Catholics. This was because her advisers saw the English followers of the Catholic faith as a threat to Elizabeth I’s reign because of two reasons. The first was that since they were practicing the Catholic, this meant that they had allied themselves with both the Pope and the kingdom of Spain, who has been considered in the film as England’s greatest enemy. The second was that the Catholics no longer recognized Elizabeth I as their ruler. Rather, their loyalty had shifted to Mary Stuart, the Queen’s cousin and whom they regarded as the rightful Queen-in-waiting. Queen Elizabeth I responded to her advisers that she would not punish her people because of their religious beliefs and assured them that she had been told that the people still revered her as their Queen (â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age†). The division in England, brought about by religious beliefs, had been a problem that did not occur during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. Instead, this division was an issue that the Queen inherited from her predecessors, Mary Tudor and her father, Henry VIII. According to historical records, Henry VIII rejected the papal authority in 1534 and assumed the title of Supreme Head of the National Church. With the ascension of Mary Tudor to the throne in 1553, she sought to reconcile the English Church with the Church of Rome. Initially, Elizabeth I was considered to be moderate when it came to religious affairs since she was more concerned in keeping her throne, maintaining the peace and the promotion of the prosperity of England. Furthermore, Elizabeth I herself accepted three different religions during her lifetime: Anglo-Catholic, Catholic, and Protestant. This was why she did not see the English Catholics as a threat and refrained herself from imposing severe punishments. She did, however, encouraged religious uniformity by setting an example. She had also pressured her subjects to abandon their resistance to the established Church of England (Campion and Holleran 11-14; Cole 2; Taylor-Smither 63). Sir Francis Walsingham revealed to Queen Elizabeth I in the film that an assassination plot called the â€Å"Enterprise of England† was discovered masterminded by the Spanish monarchy. The plot included two armies were situated along the coasts of Sussex and Norfolk. They were waiting for the order to assist Mary Stuart to assassinate Elizabeth I and to put Mary Stuart on the throne of England. When she learned about the assassination attempt, Queen Elizabeth I confronted the ambassadors of Philip II to England. This caused the ambassadors to end their office in disgrace and to view her as the center of an international Protestant conspiracy inciting a rebellion both in the Netherlands and in France (Doran â€Å"Elizabeth I and Foreign Policy, 1558-1603† 8; â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age†). Upon the discovery of the assassination plot, Mary Stuart had given the order to execute the assassination plot on the Queen. While she was in church, one of the supporters of the Enterprise of England managed to get through the guards at the front of the church and tried to kill the Queen with the use of a pistol. However, the pistol used was unarmed, and the Queen survived the assassination attempt. The assassin and the other members of the Enterprise of England were captured, imprisoned and tortured. Later, Sir Walsingham then confronted Mary Stuart with regards to the assassination attempt on the Queen and her involvement to the plot. She was then presented the orders she had given out to the members of the Enterprise of England to proceed with the assassination of the Queen. Mary Stuart was tried for treason and was executed by beheading. It was only after the execution of Mary Stuart that Sir Walsingham realized the true intention of Spain. Through the execution of Mary Stuart who was both a Catholic and an ally of Spain, England provided Philip II a reason to wage war against England (â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age†). Although this served as the climax of the entire film, it also contained the most of the discrepancies on historical documents and records except for Mary Stuart’s involvement in the assassination attempt on the life of Queen Elizabeth I. This did not come as a surprise since there have been numerous documents and literary works where the events of the life of Queen Elizabeth I were re-arranged. An example of this was the biography made by Sir Walter Scott entitled Kenilworth where he changed the events so that Amy Robsart, the first wife of Robert Dudley which occurred in 1560 would coincide with the entertainment spectacle at Kenilworth which occurred in 1575 (Rozett 104). Mary Stuart, who was also known in history as Mary, Queen of Scots, became the Queen of Scotland after her birth in 1542. She married the Dauphin of France and became the Queen of France when he ascended the throne in 1559. Her reign as Queen of France was only short-lived, since her husband died a year later his ascent to the throne. She then returned to Scotland to assume her place as the Queen of Scots upon the death of her mother. Her succeeding marriages were met with such scandal. Of these marriages, the most scandalous was her marriage to the Earl of Bothwell, who had been considered as the alleged murderer of her second husband. Her marriage to the Earl of Bothwell resulted to a national uprising where she was defeated in 1567. She was then forced to sign a document on the threat of death to abdicate her throne and title of the Queen of Scotland. She tried to regain her title by raising another army which was also defeated. She then sought protection on her life in England and her cousin, Elizabeth I. Outraged by the actions done by the Scottish lords against her cousin, Elizabeth I protected her cousin and detained her as a prisoner (Campion and Holleran 2-3; Perry 145-46). Since the death of Mary Tudor and Elizabeth I’s ascension to the English throne, Mary Stuart had expressed publicly her legitimate claim to the English throne since her mother was the eldest sister of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I’s father. Even though she was a prisoner in England, she remained to be a threat to Elizabeth I. When reports were brought to Queen Elizabeth I’s attention that her cousin was involved in assassination plots against her, Parliament moved for Mary Stuart’s execution. Initially, Elizabeth I did not consider this option since there was no evidence that proved the allegations against Mary Stuart. That all changed upon when Sir Francis Walsingham discovered the assassination plot against the Queen called the Babington plot. To gather evidence regarding the involvement of Mary Stuart on the plot, he ordered Mary Stuart to be moved to a house where she could be more closely monitored and appointed a new jailer who was less sympathetic to Mary Stuart. Soon, Mary Stuart began to receive news from Europe which were smuggled to her through waterproof packages inserted in the bungholes of beer kegs. Unknown to Mary Stuart, Sir Walsingham had already intercepted these messages and had managed to decode them before Mary Stuart and her confidantes received them. It was here that Sir Walsingham discovered that the plotters of the assassination of the Queen were headed by a rich and idealistic Catholic squire named Anthony Babington and that there were sixty thousand Spanish and English soldiers ready to rescue Mary upon receiving her approval. She approved the assassination and her rescue in writing. Sir Walsingham presented to Elizabeth I the directions and approval written by Mary Stuart in her own handwriting as evidence and proof of the allegations made against Mary Stuart. After protecting Mary Stuart for nineteen years, Elizabeth I was compelled by law to transfer Mary to Fortheringhay Castle where she was tried and was found guilty on the crime of treason. She was executed by beheading in 1587. The betrayal brought by Mary Stuart to attempt to assassinate her, Elizabeth I’s outlook towards Catholics began to change and saw them as traitors and a threat to her life. This resulted in her implementing sterner laws against Catholics were enforced with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment, torture and death (Campion and Holleran 11-14; Taylor-Smither 63; Thomas 147-48). King Philip II launched his Spanish Armada against England a year after the execution of Mary Stuart. This decision was not influenced by the execution of Mary Stuart. Rather, it was a result of the declining relationship between the two countries. Between the years of 1565 and 1566, many members of the Spanish nobles had demanded Philip II to forego the Spanish Inquisition because they viewed his measures against Protestantism as an attempt to extend Spanish control over the ecclesiastical affairs as a drive to undermine traditional privileges of Spain. This Inquisition was temporarily placed on hold due to the constant threats of the Turks to Spain. The moment the Turks signed a series of treaties with Spain, it gave King Philip II the opportunity to once again pursue his goal to expand Spanish rule over Europe (Doran â€Å"Elizabeth I and Foreign Policy, 1558-1603† 6-10). The relationship between Spain and England had begun to deteriorate as a result of a number of events that had occurred between King Philip II’s courtship to Queen Elizabeth I and the war between Spain and England. Among these events were the voyages of Francis Drake around the world which were secretly supported by Elizabeth I. On top of the products from the New World, Drake also looted the Spanish galleons he came across of which the Queen accepted a portion of when he returned from his journeys in 1580 (Doran â€Å"Elizabeth I and Foreign Policy, 1558-1603† 9). The Spanish Armada greatly outnumbered the English army because the population of England was significantly lower than that of Spain which resulted in fewer able men to be enlisted in the army. Also, the military technology of the English army was far behind than any other European countries and it was impossible for Queen Elizabeth I to maintain an army financially because during the four decades of her reign, most of the financial resources were allotted to the maintenance of the blend of politics, socializing and ceremonies that the Queen accomplished through travels around the kingdom (Cole 1; Doran â€Å"Elizabeth I and Foreign Policy, 1558-1603† 7; Frye 100; Thomas 160). As the Spanish Armada drew near, Elizabeth I gathered her small army and encouraged them with a short oration which is now known as the â€Å"Oration at Tilbury Camp. † This short speech was considered by most writers and historians accepted as one of the best speeches composed by a monarch in England’s history. The most striking line in the speech which was mentioned in the film, although reworded, was â€Å"I [†¦] come to lay down for my god, and for my [kingdom], and for my people, [my] honor and my blood in the dust [†¦] I know I have the body [†¦] of a weak and [feeble] woman, [but] I have the [heart] and [stomach] of a [king], and a [king] of England too [†¦]† (â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age†; Frye 98; Green 424-26). Perhaps what made Queen Elizabeth I such an enigma for many historians and writers was her decision to remain unmarried, which is why she has been referred to in history as â€Å"the Virgin Queen. † Her decision to remain unmarried stretched down to her ladies-in-waiting and her courtiers such that, in order for them to be married, they must first seek the approval of the Queen. Those who married in secret would have to face the fury of the Queen and might even have to face imprisonment. Such was the case in the movie when she lashed out against Bess, her favorite lady-in-waiting and Walter Raleigh when she discovered they had not only married without her consent, but were expecting a child. Although there are no documentation discovered regarding the encounter between Queen Elizabeth I, Walter Raleigh and Bess, there are numerous accounts on the outbursts of anger the Queen exemplified upon the discovery of the secret marriages of the members of her court. The most documented was the incident between Queen Elizabeth I and one of her ladies-in-waiting named Mary Shelton. When Elizabeth I discovered Mary Shelton’s marriage to James Scudamore, she exploded and demanded why Mary Shelton or James Scudamore did not seek her approval before they got married. One eyewitness stated that Mary Shelton was hit profusely by the angered Queen and was attacked by the Queen with a candlestick which caused Mary Shelton’s finger to be broken (Doran â€Å"Monarchy and Matrimony† 5-6; â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age†; Hammer 80-81). Historical records provided two reasons on why Queen Elizabeth I decided to remain unmarried throughout her reign. One is that it was her own decision in order to be able to concentrate all her attention to the affairs of the kingdom. This was evident in the speech that she had made at Parliament in 1559 when the members of Parliament presented her a petition to marry. She responded to this petition by stating that she was already married to her husband, the Kingdom of England. This being the case, she did not see any reason why she should still marry a man. Another reason historical records presented in connection to her choosing to remaining unmarried were her cousin, Mary Stuart and the circumstances surrounding her cousin’s marriage. As mentioned earlier, Mary Stuart’s marriage to her third husband led to a civil uprising in Scotland. After being defeated in the civil uprising, the Scottish lords forced Mary Stuart to abdicate the throne of Scotland and her title as Queen of Scotland. Queen Elizabeth I saw her cousin’s marriage as the primary cause of her cousin’s downfall and feared that should she marry, the same events might happen to her (Doran â€Å"Monarchy and Matrimony† 2; King 30-33; Taylor-Smither 61). Psychologists have also presented studies to explain Queen Elizabeth I’s decision to remain unmarried. Based on their findings, psychologists concluded that Queen Elizabeth I was a damaged human being, based on Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality. This damage occurred during her childhood when she witnessed not only her father, King Henry VIII, accusing her mother, Anne Boylen, of the crime of adultery, but also she witnessed her mother’s execution by beheading after she was tried and found guilty of the crime. This childhood memory affected Queen Elizabeth I’s personality such that she began to embody the traits of males. It also caused her to identify with males in terms of being dominant and exemplifying traits of fearlessness and being aggressive. Because of these personality traits that Queen Elizabeth I adopted and portrayed, it would make it impossible for her to become a wife and a mother because the personality traits that a wife and a mother during this period included being submissive to her husband and to the needs of her children. Psychologists have also noted her uncontrollable and sudden bursts of rage and mood swings. An example of this was seen in the film when she found out that her favorite lady-in-waiting, Bess, not only married Walter Raleigh, but also is expecting a child. This was also evident in historical records when she attacked her lady-in-waiting named Mary Shelton and James Scumadore upon learning that they married without first seeking her approval for their union. These events led modern-day psychologists to conclude that Queen Elizabeth I was suffering from clinical hysteria. This hysteria was brought about by the unconscious anxieties that she was experiencing as a result of her witnessing her mother’s trial and execution as well as by feelings of jealousy. This jealously was exemplified in the film when Queen Elizabeth I confided to Bess that she was envious of Bess because although she was a Queen, there were many things that her lady-in-waiting may enjoy which she, as a Queen, can never experience (Doran â€Å"Monarchy and Matrimony† 5-6; â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age†; Hammer 81). In general, the depiction of the life of Queen Elizabeth I in the film â€Å"Elizabeth: the Golden Age† was acceptable, if not accurate. It showed the two sides of the Queen. On one hand, she was a fearless leader devoted to her country and her duties as Queen that she would rather sacrifice personal joys such as being married in order to concentrate on her obligations to her kingdom. She also proved that, in period where women are considered as inferior to men, a woman did not need a man by her side in order to rule a country. Her experiences during her childhood allowed her to develop important characteristics that a leader during this period must possess – dominance, ruthlessness, aggression and fearlessness. On the other hand, the film also depicted the Queen as an emotionally weak human being. The same childhood experiences that helped her develop her admirable qualities also caused her to become clinically hysterical based on the findings of modern-day psychologists. Her condition caused her to exemplify sudden emotional outbursts of rage which affected the lives of those who served her court with her outbursts at times causing harm to those who have remained loyal to her. However, the re-arrangement done in the film with regards on the timeline and reasons for events to occur may have provided confusing information for the viewers of the film since these events have been re-arranged just as Sir Walter Scott had done centuries before in order to correlate the events presented in the film to each other even if historical records showed otherwise. It can only be assumed that the re-arrangement and changes on the relationship of the events that occurred during the timeline presented in the film may have been done in order for the film to become more exciting to view and to highlight more on the positive qualities of the Queen which made her the most popular monarch of Western history. Works Cited Campion, Edmund and James V. Holleran. A Jesuit Challenge: Edmund Campion’s Debates at the Tower of London in 1581. New York: Fordham University Press, 1999. (4) Cole, Mary Hill. The Portable Queen: Elizabeth I and the Politics of Ceremony. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1999. (2) Dobson, Michael and Nicola J. Watson. England’s Elizabeth: an Afterlife in Fame and Fantasy. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2003. (1) Doran, Susan. Elizabeth I and Foreign Policy, 1558-1603. New York: Routledge, 2000. (4) Doran, Susan. Monarchy and Matrimony: the Courtships of Elizabeth I. New York: Taylor & Francis Routledge, 1996. (3) Elizabeth: the Golden Age. Dir. Shekar Kapur. Perf. Cate Blanchett, Geoffry Rush, Abbie Cornish, and Samantha Morton. 2007. DVD. Universal Studios, 2008. (7) Frye, Susan. â€Å"The Myth of Elizabeth at Tilbury. † Sixteenth Century Journal. 23. 1 (1992): 95- 114. (2) Green, Janet M. â€Å"’I Myself’: Queen Elizabeth I’s Oration at Tilbury Camp. † Sixteenth Century Journal. 28. 2 (1997): 421-45. (1) Hammer, Paul E. J. â€Å"Sex and the Virgin Queen: Aristocratic Concupiscence and the Court of Elizabeth I. † Sixteenth Century Journal. 31. 1 (2000): 77-97. (2) King, John N. â€Å"Queen Elizabeth I: Representations of the Virgin Queen. † Renaissance Quarterly. 43. 1 (1990): 30-74. (1) Perry, Maria. The Word of a Prince: A Life of Elizabeth I from Contemporary Documents. Rochester, NY: Boydell and Brewer Ltd. , 1990. (1) Rozett, Martha Tuck. Constructing a World: Shakespeare England and the New Historical Fiction. Albany, NY: University of New York Press, 2003. (2) Taylor-Smither, Larissa J. â€Å"Elizabeth I: A Psychological Profile. † Sixteenth Century Journal. 15. 1 (1984): 47-72. (3) Thomas, Jane Rush. Behind the Mask: the Life of Queen Elizabeth I. New York: Houghton- Mifflin Trade and Reference, 1998. (2)