Political Comedy In The Government Inspector

Political Comedy In The Government Inspector The Government Inspector was written by Gogol in 1835 during a time when government surveillance and censorship was at its height. Tsar Nicholas was in power and his fear of revolution forced a lot of writers at the time to limit what they intended to show and in some cases stop altogether in works they were producing. The play has since been interpreted in many different ways but Gogol tells us he simply hoped to collect into one heap everything à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ that was bad in Russia à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and laugh at the whole lot in one go  [1]  . The outcome of the play is no doubt comical, but Gogol himself was very interested in politics and I do not think he set out to denounce the system completely but to pick fun at it, among other things in Russia. There are a lot of characters and events in the play which could be interpreted as having underlying meaning to them. It does appear therefore that Gogol was satirising the imperial bureaucracy of Russia by highlighting the corruption and deception that are so apparent in the story. Gogol employed the use of humour in the story for many possible reasons. One reason was to cloud the real message that he was trying to send out, so that he could get The Government Inspector past the censorship regulation that were put in place by tsar Nicholas and enforced by the third section. The fact that The Government Inspector was allowed to be preformed at the time, despite its apparent mockery of the political system and the hidden messages was surprising. It becomes clear throughout the play that Gogol is criticising more how people treated one another. The final tableau at the end is used to show the audience that the characters in the play resemble them, and that people needed to rethink thei r moral values. It seems that Gogol thinks that the corruption and deceit which occurs in the play is happening all around him in real life, as he tells us through the governor theres nobody who hasnt got some sin on his conscience.  [2]  I believe that Gogol chose to write a comedy but on serious issues, in order to shed some light on the wrongdoings, but also to entertain his audience. The protest that arose after its first night at the Alexandra Theatre in St Petersburg in 1835 was not welcomed by Gogol, who fled from the clamour and went to Rome  [3]  . There remains much debate on Gogols intentions in creating The Government Inspector, but nevertheless by making these serious issues and denunciations of the government comical it helped him get his play past the censors and onto the stage. The political humour is presented in many forms in The Government Inspector. Many of the characters in the play provide the audience with much comedy and not one is depicted as being without fault; indeed there does not seem to be a hero. Instead Gogol presents to us very corrupted town officials, vain, naÃÆ' ¯ve women and the deceitful Khlestakov who is mistaken as the government inspector sent to the country from St. Petersburg. This mistaken identity is particularly humorous, especially when the governor greets Khlestakov in the inn where he is staying following his bankruptcy as a result of gambling. We quickly gather that the governor has the most to fear from an inspector, for his corruption is deep and his neglect of the townspeople is often highlighted. Despite this Gogol tells us in his notes that he has come up on hard work from the lowers rank of the service,  [4]  and we can infer that he is not especially a bad man. In acquiring position and status, and perhaps se eing how other men have benefited from it before him, he has been spoiled by greed and luxury. Gogol, renowned for his realism, would have been speaking directly to his audience, criticising their behaviour and their apparent readiness to give into temptation. The governors sycophantic behaviour towards Khlestakov at their first meeting in the inn is comical, and made more so by Khlestakovs belief that he has come to arrest him for not paying his bills. The use of dramatic irony throughout the play is key to the effectiveness of the humour, but also the ridiculing of the audience, who are essentially laughing at their own ignorance and folly. The town officials are portrayed by Gogol as fraudulent simpletons, and the effortlessness in which Khlestakov is able to deceive them only highlights this. It can be inferred from this therefore that Gogol is suggesting that perhaps many officials were incompetent and interested only in bettering themselves like the governor. The character of the postmaster is one who is very obviously depicted as abusing his station, as it is revealed that he often opens and reads the mail as a form of entertainment. Like many of the others he accepts bribes but is characterised as being ingenuous to the point of naivetà ©.  [5]  This character may also be representing the current state of government censorship, as he is disregarding peoples privacy and human rights by reading their private correspondence. Interestingly, it is the postmaster who uncovers Khlestakovs real identity later in the play, as he reads a letter that Khlestakov has composed to a friend revealing the whole charade in mos t mocking and humiliating language. Khlestakov, although deceiving the townsfolk, is portrayed by Gogol in a much better light than the governor and his and web of associates, including his narcissistic wife and immature daughter. The governor, it is revealed, has ignored his responsibilities in the town, taking bribes from various people and therefore allowing all the wrongdoing to continue. It would seem that this disregard of equality and justice is more offensive to Gogol than Khlestakovs taking advantage of their foolishness. Indeed Khlestakov is presented more as an opportunist than a malevolent deceiver. This criticism directed at the failure of the people in higher ranks to look after those below them is initially hidden from the audiences immediate understanding by the use of comedy. In this way the comedy utilised in the play could be seen as serving as a smoke-screen, making it more light-hearted by protecting the real messages of corruption and inequality. It became apparent to me in my study of the play that Gogol was asking his audience to examine their own moral code by presenting them with such dishonest and shady people and events and mocking the intense bureaucracy of the Russian Government at the time of writing. I found the main message was to be introspective of yourself and re-evaluate your moral code, for the characters represent the people who hold the power to protect those below them in rank, but in their greed have become the ones who others need real protection from. Gogols derision of the Russian bureaucracy is made most obvious in Act five when the governor, upon realising that he has been duped by Khlestakov, asks the audience directly What are you laughing at? Youre laughing at yourselves!  [6]  Essentially The Government Inspector serves the audience as a warning about the future of humanity if the government and its officials continue to treat the people they are supposed to be helping with disregard and unfai rness. In addition, the epigraph of the play sums up Gogols ridiculing of the political structure in nineteenth-century Russia; If your face is crooked, dont blame the mirror.  [7]  He is saying to his audience that it is your responsibility to be a good person and to uphold your morals, and you can not blame anyone else when you are also taken advantage of and humiliated, like the governor and his other roguish associates are in the play. There are many examples in the play of Gogol using humour to criticise the contemporary political system. The title itself does not suggest a comedy because Gogol chiefly has a serious point to make, but he achieves the humour by creating ridiculous characters and placing them in laughable situations. It is made even more comical because the themes which are being displayed are so normal in human existence that many can relate it to their own experience. A good example of this is shown by the character of Anna, the governors wife. Gogol describes her in his notes as a provincial coquette and the audience sees her flirt outrageously with Khlestakov throughout the play, believing him to be a man of power and money. She is vain and uppity and these features provide the audience with much humour. For example in Act Four, after she allows Khlestakov to surround her with false flattery despite her being married, she declares to her daughter that she stands as the kind of example she ought to be following.  [8]  Her vanity and foolishness is also demonstrated in a humorous way when she believes her daughter is to be married to a high ranking government official; she tells her overwhelmed husband that she always knew she would be related to someone as great but he would not because he has have never seen decent people.  [9]  Clearly this statement holds a double-entendre, as Annas own statement encompasses herself, pointing out that neither her, nor any of the people in the governors company are decent people. The fierce satire of the Russian bureaucracy in the nineteenth century was a common theme for Gogol in his works, and The Government Inspector, interpreted by many in this genre, was only permitted to be staged thanks to the interference of Tsar Nicholas. Although realising that everybody caught it, most of all me,  [10]  he managed to observe the light-hearted nature of the play, supposing it to be harmless. It was original in its time of publication as there was no sole character who would wholly entice the sympathy of the audience, as they were all presented as individuals who were flawed by their own making. As a result of Gogols explicit criticism, the reactions following its performance were explosive despite the tsars approval. Many members of the audience, the majority of whom would themselves have been civil servants, were personally offended by the overt similarities between themselves and the visibly corrupt characters on stage. Gogol imposed upon himself a state of ex ile and fled to Rome in the late 1930s following the uproar caused by his play and the themes he chose to incorporate in it. In addition to the play being interpreted as a political comedy, The Government Inspector was seen as a piece of didactic literature, to ask the people to put an end to their own venality. This satirical approach towards the imperial bureaucracy can also be seen in many of Gogols other works, particularly in The Nose. In this story the protagonist Kovalyov wakes to find his Nose has assumed a life of its own; it refuses to be re-attached to Kovalyovs face because it now holds a higher rank than him. His vanity is highlighted throughout the play, and his greatest fear in losing his nice is that he might not be able to advance up the social spectrum. Indeed, In the outwardly crazy story lurks a serious idea: what matters is not the person but ones rank.  [11]  Again we can see evidence of an official most concerned in bettering his own position. The only character who Gogol describes without criticism is Ossip, Khlestakov servant, who we are told is cleverer than his him and therefore quicker on the uptake  [12]  than any of the other characters. He is the only serf in the play, yet he shows much more intellect than any of his superiors, and is the one who warns Khlestakov to leave before he is foiled. In his private life Gogol was similar to Dostoevsky in his beliefs in politics and religion and I do not think that he set out with the intention of denouncing the role of government. Clearly however the provincial town that is depicted in the play has been neglected by the powers from the city, and the corrupt officials have been allowed to take advantage of the people under their authority. This thought in particular peaks in scene Four, when the townspeople come to appeal to Khlestakov and tell him of the many offences the governor has committed, believing that he will be able to help them receive justice. Gogol was more concerned about the role of the individual, and the dumb tableau which appears at the end of the play, capturing the fear and surprise of the characters, helps to convey this message. Gogols instructions to hold the tableau for almost a minute and a half  [13]  would have forced the audience to really examine what was been shown to them, and then perhaps exami ne themselves in relation to it. The play therefore was intended more as a teaching tool, revealing the lack of spiritual guidance and morals in his characters than a complete mocking of politics. The use of comedy in the play was to make the performance more enjoyable for an audience and to avoid it seeming like a lecture or a sermon. In addition to this, the comedy allowed the play to advance past the censors in Tsar Nicholas reign. Gogol produced an exposer of grotesque in human nature  [14]  in The Government Inspector, and it was met by enthusiastic praise and virulent obloquy confirming his own literary vocation.  [15]   Word Count: 2, 231

absolutism Essay -- essays research papers

Absolutism as Primary Form of Government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Absolutism became the primary form of government for many Europeans in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It appealed to so many for reasons the same as other governments. â€Å"Absolutists contended that social and political harmony would result when subjects obeyed their divinely sanctioned rulers in all aspectsâ€Å" (Text 594). Absolutists rulers felt God gave them their ability to teach the masses the proper ways to live.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Absolutist rulers had several main goals for successive reign over the people. The first being to eliminate or weaken the national representative assemblies. Next rulers looked to gain support from small local and provincial assemblies. The nobility was always dependant on the king, meaning the king chose his nobility freely, without influence from any outside source. Lastly, nobility was in control and responsible for collecting taxes and other benefits for the king. â€Å"Despite it’s pretensions to represent a political theory, absolutism was fundamentally a mechanism designed to assist ambitious monarchs in their determination to increase their own power through conquest and display† (Text 598).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Louis the fourteenth was considered the quintessential absolutist because he truly assumed and embodied absolute control over France. He had very specific rules for politeness that were strictly applied t...

Benjamin Franklin :: Biography Biographies Benjamin Franklin Essays

Benjamin Franklin In his many careers as a printer, moralist, essaylist, civic leader, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, and philosopher, Benjamin Franklin Became both a spokesman and a model for the national character of later generations of Americans. After less than two years of formal schooling, Franklin was pressed into his father's trade. At the age of 16, Franklin wrote some pieces in a courant,"Silence Dogwood." Though penniless and unknown, Franklin soon found a job as a printer. Aafter a year he went to England, where he became a master printer, sowed some wild oats, astonished Londoners with his swimming feats, and lived among the famous writers of London. In 17227, Franklin began his career as a civic leader by organizing a club of aspiring tradesmen called the JJunto, which met each week for discussion and planning. Franklin began yet another career when in 1740 he invented the Pennsylvania fireplace, later called the Franklin stove, which soon heated buildings all over Europe and North America. He also read treaties on electricity and and began a series of experiments with his friends in Philadelphia. Experiments he proposed, first tried in France in 1752, showed that lightning was in fact a form of el! ectricity. Later that year his famous kite experiment, in which he flew a kite with the wire attached to a key during a thunderstorm. His later achievements included formulating a theory of heat absorption, measuring Gulf Stream, designing ships, tracking storm paths, and inventing bifocal lenses. In 1751, Franklin was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly, causing the beginning of nearly 40 years as a puublic official. At home from 1762 to 1764, Franklin traveled throghout the colonies, reorganizing the AAmerican postal system. He also built aa new house on Market Street in Philadelphia, now reconstructed and open to visitors, and otherwise provided for his family. From April 1775 to October 1776, Franklin served on the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety and in the Continental Congress, submitted articles of confederation for the united colonies, proposed a new constitution for Pennsylvania, and helped draft the Decclaration of Independence.

Self Discovery Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Self Discovery â€Å"What are you going to do after you get your degree?†Whenever I announce my occupation, this trite, well-intentioned question never fails to follow. I am a student, a senior at Metro, studying Literature and History. Not only a student, I am a mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend and female. No, I don’t bring in a paycheck, but my life is fulfilling, gratifying, deserving and challenging. Will I teach, write, join the downtown business crew again, or become a clerk in the bookstore? Maybe I will. Whatever I do, I know I will strive to be a bit more patient, observing the tiniest of details, attempting to be more considerate and understanding of people, honoring their backgrounds and culture. While studying English and History, I have obtained a clearer sense of being. I have repeatedly professed that my family and faith prioritize my life, however, I often found that the chaos of establishing a career and pursuing the ‘American Dream’ clashed with those values. Caught in a whirlwind, life was centered around the present, focusing on the future, without the time or necessity to reflect on the past. The study of liberal arts has opened new windows to the past in my mind, allowing the wisdom and thoughts of many great people circulate and stimulate my efforts, giving credence to many of life’s blessings and insecurities. The struggles, discoveries, confessions, and pronouncements of those who are forged in history often apply to modern day life relationships. A fellow classmate, very intuitively, remarked that my writing always reflects back to my personal life. The impact of history and literature on my life, explains the gift I have found in my studies. Socrates (469-399 B.C.), a professional teach... ... and to idle, but I will try to keep an open mind! The study of literature requires critical reading, understanding the background of the author, being cognizant of the historical culture in which the author wrote to fully comprehend the statement being made. I believe when I finally nail the hole on the study wall when hanging my degree next to that of my husband and daughter, I will apply the skills learned in my Liberal Arts education to my every day life and acquaintances. WORKS CITED Hollister, C. Warren. Medieval Europe – A Short History. USA:The McGraw-Hill Co., 1998. Thoreau, Henry David. â€Å"Walden.† The Norton Anthology – American Literature. Ed. Nina Baym. USA:W.W. Norton & Co. 1998. 1768-1820. Woolf, Virginia. â€Å"A Room of One’s Own.† The Longman Anthology – British Literature. Ed. David Damrosch. USA: Addison-Wesley Ed. Publ., 1999. 2465-2499.

Au Revoir Les Enfants Essay

Throughout the book â€Å"Au Revoir Les Enfants† Louis Malle highlights at several points the typical associations which the majority of people have when discussing the role of the Germans during the war. However Malle approaches the topic from a more complex angle thus forcing the reader to question the general stereotypes and examine the varying attitudes of both the French and Germans, by portraying them in certain situations in which they adopt a sometimes unexpected attitude. During a scene in the beginning of the book whilst the boys are out in the village they encounter a group of German soldiers, Malle exposes this situation in order to immediately draw attention to the general hostility and fear which is evoked by the Germans. â€Å"Quelques soldats allemands.. les à ©là ¨ves restent debout, intimidà ©s..† The pupils reaction to the soldiers demonstrates the stereotypes associated with them, feelings of fear and uncertainty. During the forest scene, where Julien and Jean become lost during a game the author uses the fall of night in order to pre-empt that something bad is going to happen. â€Å"La nuit commence à   tomber.† As Julien and Bonnet begin to panick, and try find their way home the appearance of two German soldiers envokes a sense of danger and terror. When the soldiers discover the two boys, it is the immediate assumption of both the reader and the personnas that they will be cruel and sinister characters. The way Malle describes the boys as being cornered by the two soldiers suggests that they are cold and unthoughtful before they have even acted. The presumption that the soldiers are callous characters is based purely on the stereotype of Germans during the war. â€Å"Julien et Bonnet sont coinces entre deux soldats..† However, as the scene unravels we discover a different side to the two German soldiers, when they take Julien and Bonnet in their car to return them to the school they cover them with a blanket which demonstrates compassion and warmth. â€Å"Ils partagent une couverture et grelottent.† Furthermore, when they arrive at the school the soldiers are presented as having a sense of humour which softens their characters and sharply contrasts to the usual stereotypes about German soldiers, as being cold and aggressive. â€Å"Est-ce que vous avez perdu des enfants?† At this point in the book, Malle has succesfully introduced to the reader a controversial theme which demands a lot of thought and consideration, as we are made aware that not all German soldiers had the same principles. Continuously, it must be taken into account that the attitudes of the French differed during the war also, and it would be unfair and blatantly wrong to assume that the Germans were simply â€Å"bad† and the French were â€Å"good†, which is a common misconception. The restaurant scene is essential in under lining the way in which Malle does not see the French and Germans as merely â€Å"black and white† but instead evaluates each of their characteristics and exploits them thoughout many scenes in order to highlight the common misjudgements made by many people. Whilst Julien, his older brother Franà §ois, Bonnet and Mmm. Quentin have lunch they witness the French police randomly persecute a quiet, well dressed man and at first, politely request to see his papers. â€Å"Vos papiers monsieur† However, quickly their tone changes and they become aggressive and rude as they realise that the man is a jew. â€Å"Dis donc toi, tu ne sais pas lire?† The way in which they begin reffering to the man as â€Å"tu† as opposed to â€Å"vous† conveys their blunt and unnecissary hostilities, treating the man with rudeness and disrespect. Malle makes it apparent to the readers at this point that it is not possible to form judgements of people based on things as simple as their occupations, nationality or beliefs. Typically we assume that the French police would have been generally sympathetic and â€Å"good†, whereas here Louis Malle provides a clear example of quite the opposite. When the situation in the restaurant becomes heated and it looks like the French police are going to become violent and aggressive, a German voice is heard and rather unexpectedly the German soldier takes control, and stands up for the jewish man demanding for the young French policemen to stand down and leave him alone. â€Å"Une voix allemande couvre la brouhaha. † The stark contrast in this situation between the German soldier and the French police, the typical sterotype is reversed and Malle clearly expresses the way in which the characteristics of both the French and Germans can differ, thus it is not acceptable to categorise people in groups according to their nationalities. Throughout â€Å"Au Revoir Les Enfants† Louis Malle clearly exposes the use of different situations in order to exploit the misconceptions made by a vast amount of people, and he captivates the readers by presenting the characters from a different angle, and not simply in â€Å"black and white.†

Dementia Awareness Unit Essay

1. Explain what the term Dementia means 2. Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia 3. Explain why depression, delirium and age related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia 4. Outline the medical models of dementia 5. Outline the social models of dementia 6. Explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability 7. List the most common causes of dementia 8. Describe the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia 9. Outline the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia 10. Identify prevalence rates for different types of dementia 11. Describe how different individuals may experience living with dementia depending on age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability 12. Outline the impact that the attitudes and behaviours of others may have on an individual with dementia 1. Explain what the term Dementia means Dementia is a term used to describe the symptoms that occur when the brain is affected by specific diseases and conditions. Dementia is a syndrome do to disease of the brain, usually of a chronic progression nature in which there are multiple disturbances of higher cognitive function. Symptoms of dementia include loss of memory, confusion and problems with speech and understanding. 2. Describe the key functions of the brain that are affected by dementia The key function of the brain affected by dementia are: impairment of memory thinking, and orientation, learning abilities, language and jugement.The resulting disability depends on the interaction between the underlying disease process, the individual and the social environment. 3. Explain why depression, delirium and age related memory impairment may be mistaken for dementia. Dementia often is developing slowly and is not always obvious in the early stages. There are symptoms similar to dementia seen in other illnesses and  sometimes it can be difficult to tell apart dementia from the usual forgetfulness seen in normal ageing. Also there are many other reason why people become forgetful, depressed, anxious, mood changing. Symptoms can be related to some medicines and drugs, vitamin deficiency, thyroid problems. 4. Outline the medical models of dementia Medical model relates to clinical approach, how the changes occur within the brain, managing the condition with medication, etc Dementia as a clinical syndrome is characterised by global cognitive impairment, which represents a decline from previous level of functioning, and is associated with impairment in functional abilities and, in many cases, behavioural and psychiatric disturbances. 5. Outline the social models of dementia Social model is more about the person, how it affects individuals, seeks to understand the emotions and behaviours of the person with dementia by placing him or her within the context of his or her social circumstances and biography. Looking at a person with dementia as an individual, with his or her own history and background, care and support can be designed to be more appropriate to individual needs. 6. Explain why dementia should be viewed as a disability Dementia is not a normal part of the aging process; it is a disease of the brain that leads to disability of cognitive function, behavioural or motor deficits. People with dementia are not able to live alone, they are a risk for them and for others; they need continuing supervision, carers who are trained to meet their needs. Dementia is progressive, which means the symptoms will gradually get worse. 7. List the most common causes of dementia Dementia it is a big umbrella term used to cover different conditions that cause dementia. There are many different types of dementia, the most common are Alzheimer’s disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy body dementia, Alcohol related dementia, Front temporal dementia. All types of dementia are characterized by abnormal neurodegeneration, which is brain cells dying daily. This leads to cognitive, behavioural or motor deficits. One of the ways to categorized dementia is by where the damage to these cells is occurring in the brain. Alzheimer’s disease cause loss of brain cells, neurons, cause by what are called plagues and tangles in the brain. Plagues comprise of protein, known as amyloid which attach themselves to cells in the brain and ultimately destroys them. Tangles are bundles of abnormal fibres which consist in protein called tau.Alzheimer disease can be seen throughout the brain but is particularly noticeable in the temporal and parietal lobes. It also changes in the brain neurotransmitter system, the chemical messages which allow communication between brain cells breaks down. Vascular Dementia usually is due to a thrombosis, a cloth forming in a vessel which then leads to areas of brain cell death. Lewy body dementia. People with this type of dementia have brain plagues like someone with Alzheimer’s but have fewer tangles and instead have Lewy bodies which are pink staining structures found in neurones brain cells. Front temporal dementia is a degeneration of frontal and temporal lobes of the brain parts there are controlling the behaviour, emotional responses ore language skills. It is a rare form of dementia affecting younger people under the age of 65. Alcohol related dementia caused by atrophy of the brain associated with alcohol consuming. 8. Describe the likely signs and symptoms of the most common causes of dementia Alzheimer’s disease: Slow onset, Memory problems, poor concentration, word finding difficulty, impaired reasoning, increasing frequency and severity of symptoms, problem initiating new ideas, failure to recognise people, places, objects. Vascular dementia: Patchy brain impairments, abrupt onset, insight present, depression common, aphasia can be more prominent, personality changes. Lewy body dementia : memory loss, low attention spam, confusion, lost sense of smell, hallucination, delusion, slowness of movement, shaking of hands and legs, shuffling, sleep disturbance, loss of facial expression. Front temporal dementia: Apathy, routines and obsessions, speech fluent intact, little insight, loos of social awareness, neglect of responsibilities, poor judgement and impaired reasoning. 9. Outline the risk factors for the most common causes of dementia The main factor is old age; over 80 years old it is more likely to develop dementia. The risk factors can be: Unhealthy diet (excess of fat, animal protein, high processed food), obesity, smoking, misuse of alcohol, high blood pressure, lack of exercise, cardio- vascular diseases, and genetic background. A healthy lifestyle may reduce the risk of developing the disease. 10. Identify prevalence rates for different types of dementia Both man and woman get dementia. Dementia affects mainly older people but it can affect younger people. In UK there are about 750.000 people with dementia and 18.500 people under age of 65. Over 17.000 people got Alzheimer; it represents 40-50% of people with dementia. About 10% of people with dementia are known as mixed dementia. Vascular dementia, the second cause after Alzheimer affects about 20% of all dementia. Lewy bodies’ dementia affects about 19% of all dementia and it is believed to increase. Fronto-temporal dementia is one of the rarer types, affecting men and women under 65. It is the second cause for dementia in younger people (under 65) and is the third most common cause for this group of age. Korsakoff syndrome is diagnosed in about one in eight people with alcoholism. Present in about 2% of general population, it is affecting mainly man between 45 and 65 Parkinson dementia represents around 2% of all causes of dementia in the UK. 11. Describe how different individuals may experience living with dementia depending on age, type of dementia, and level of ability and disability Depending of the type of dementia, age, personality, environmental, individuals can experience different challenges despite of the pattern of the disease. Dementia is classified in three stages: early dementia, moderate dementia, severe dementia. In earlier stage a person with dementia can appear more apathetic, louse inters on activities, not interested to try new things, be unable to adapted  to changes, poor judgements, blame others to steal things, became more forgetful to recent events ,be more irritable if they fail on something, have difficulty handling money. In this stage the symptoms are not so evident and can be easily related to old age or tiredness. In moderate stage the symptoms are more evident and disabling. A person became more forgetful, confuse about space and time, lost if it is an unfamiliar surroundings, forget familiar names or confuse one family member to other, wonder around on streets having disturbing nights, behave inappropriate, seeing or hearing things there are not there, become very repetitive, neglected on hygiene or eating, become angry, upset or distressed through frustration. In these cases a person is not able to live alone, will need supervision and assistance becoming a risk for him/her and others. Severe dementia, the person became severely disable and need total care and supervision. Memory is very poor, they can’t remember things even for a minute, louse the ability to understand or speech, became totally incontinent, did not recognise friends or family, need assistance in all ADL’s, being very disturbed at night, restless and aggressive, having difficulty walking, having uncontrolled movements, in time immobility will became permanent. Most people with dementia suffer some memory loss. Depend of the type of dementia, level of their disability, background, there can be some difference. For example in Alzheimer’s disease difficulty in functioning are regular, in Vascular dementia they may have patchy in what they can and cannot do or have some damage in specific areas or functioning and none in others. In Lewy Body dementia, people will have fluctuation in their cognitive state, memory functions tend to be better preserved. They can also have more prominent visual and auditory hallucinations, paranoid and depression may be common. In Front temporal dementia, in early stages the memory remains intact but the personality and behaviour will change. They can behave inappropriately, lose inhibition, language problems. Some abilities remain; even many are lost as the disease progress. The person still keeps their senses of touch and hearing and their ability to respond to emotion. A person with dementia may not be able to communicate their wishes and needs; they may not be able to tell if they are in pain; because of this they will use their behaviour to communicate. The behaviour of a person with dementia is a big challenge for carers. It will not always be clear what the person is trying to tell, it is up to the carer to try and find out what the person needs. Because a person with dementia is forgetful, confuse, became frighten not knowing where he/she is, not recognise the people, surroundings, he/she can show challenging behaviour. They can become aggressive, they can hurt themselves or others, shouting, wondering and usually trying to go out. Their personality can change and it is frustrating for family who know their beloved, a nice, calm person can become totally different. Although some symptoms are common to many people with dementia, each person’s experience with the disease will be different. Dementia it is a disability; a person with dementia will need someone to be with them all the time to meet their needs, to protect them for becoming a risk for them and others. 12. Outline the impact that the attitudes and behaviours of others may have on an individual with dementia Because behaviour, in my opinion, is the most challenging when caring for a person with dementia, carer has to be well informed about their client. Attitudes and behaviour of others may have a big impact in evolution of the disease. The behaviours shown by people with dementia happen for a reason The person with dementia’s behaviour may be related to something in their past life, a job or a role such as being mother or father. They may be trying to tell you that they are lonely and miss their family. Or they could be telling you that they want to feel useful. Provided person centred care is of the outmost importance, therefore is essential to have prior knowledge of the client’s past for example hobbies, family structure. A well structured plan of care for staff to follow is  essential, to treat the client as a human being is crucial and not as someone with dementia. Many people with dementia have a fragile sense of self-worth; it’s especially important that people continue to treat them with courtesy, however advanced their dementia. A surrounding can influence person behaviour; a person with dementia can show bad behaviour just because he is trying to tell you something about their environment. It can be a noisy room, a cold room, they does not know where they are. The client with dementia should be safeguarded and protected from the conflictual situation, noisy environment, pain or unpleasant experiences which may trigger a challenging behaviour. The attitude of the people around, the way they speak or behave may influence the mood of someone with dementia. It is best to stay calm, provide reassurance and distract the person attention to something pleasant for him. The carers and family must understand that the person’s behaviour is not something he can control, or something he means it. Understanding, tolerance, encouragement and kindness while preserving the dignity of the person is the best way to cope while carrying for a client with dementia. It’s very important that people with dementia are treated with respect, to remember that a person with dementia is a unique and valuable human being, despite their illness.

Fool Chapter 11

ELEVEN A SWEET AND BITTER FOOL Goneril dumped me on the floor as if she'd suddenly found a bag of drowned kittens in her lap. She snapped open the letter and began reading without even bothering to tuck her bosoms back into her gown. â€Å"Milady,† said Oswald again. He'd learned from that first whipping. He acted as if he didn't even see me. â€Å"Your father is in the great hall, asking after his fool.† Goneril looked up, irritated. â€Å"Well, then, take him. Take him, take him, take him.† She waved us away like flies. â€Å"Very well, milady.† Oswald turned on his heel and marched away. â€Å"Come, fool.† I stood and rubbed my bum as I followed Oswald out of the solar. Yes, my backside was bruised, but there was pain in my heart as well. What a bitter bitch to cast me out while my bum still burned with the blows of her passion. The bells on my coxcomb drooped in despair. Kent fell in beside me in the hall. â€Å"So, is she smitten with you?† â€Å"With Edmund of Gloucester,† said I. â€Å"Edmund? She's smitten with the bastard?† â€Å"Aye, the fickle whore,† said I. Kent looked startled and folded back the brim of his hat to better see me. â€Å"But you bewitched her to do so, didn't you?† â€Å"Oh, yes, I suppose I did,† said I. So, she was only immune to my charms by means of dark and powerful magic. Ha! I felt better. â€Å"She reads the letter I forged in his hand even now.† â€Å"Your fool,† Oswald announced as we entered the hall. The old king was there, with Captain Curan and a dozen other knights who looked like they'd just returned from the hunt – for me, no doubt. â€Å"My boy!† Lear called, throwing his arms wide. I walked into his embrace, but did not return it. I found no tenderness in my heart at the sight of him, but my anger boiled still. â€Å"Oh joy,† said Oswald, his disdain dripping like venom in his voice. â€Å"The prodigal git returns.† â€Å"See here,† said Lear. â€Å"My men have yet to be paid. Tell my daughter I will see her.† Oswald did not acknowledge the old man, but kept walking. â€Å"You, sir!† roared the king. â€Å"Did you hear me?† Oswald turned slowly, as if he'd heard his name carried in faintly on the wind. â€Å"Aye, I heard you.† â€Å"Do you know who I am?† Oswald picked a front tooth with the nail of his small finger. â€Å"Aye, my lady's father.† He smirked. The rascal had cheek, that I will give him, that or a burning desire to be catapulted cod over cap into the afterlife. â€Å"Your lady's father!† Lear pulled off his heavy leather hunting gauntlet and backhanded it across Oswald's face. â€Å"You knave! You whoreson dog! You slave! You cur!† The metal studs on Lear's glove were beginning to draw blood where they struck Oswald. â€Å"I am none of these things. I will not be struck by you.† Oswald was backing toward the great double doors as Lear worried at him with the glove, but when the steward turned to run Kent threw out a leg and swept him off his feet. â€Å"Or tripped, neither, you tosser!† said Kent. Oswald rolled into a heap at the foot of one of Goneril's guards, then scrambled to his feet and ran out. The guards pretended they'd seen nothing. â€Å"Well done, friend,† said Lear to Kent. â€Å"Are you the one who brought my fool home?† â€Å"Aye, he is, nuncle,† said I. â€Å"Rescued me from the darkest heart of the forest, fought off brigands, pygmies, and a brace of tigers to bring me here. But don't let him talk his Welsh at you, one tiger was vanquished in a sluice of phlegm and mortally beaten with consonants.† Lear looked closely now at his old friend, then shivered – guilt's chill claws scuttling across his spine, no doubt. â€Å"Welcome, then, sir. I thank thee.† Lear handed Kent a small purse of coin. â€Å"Earnest payment for your service.† â€Å"My thanks and my sword,† said Kent, bowing. â€Å"What is your name?† asked Lear. â€Å"Caius,† said Kent. â€Å"And whence do you hail?† â€Å"From Bonking, sire.† â€Å"Well, yes, lad, as do we all,† said Lear, â€Å"but from what town?† â€Å"Bonking Ewe on Worms Head,† I offered with a shrug. â€Å"Wales – â€Å" â€Å"Fine, then, join my train,† said Lear. â€Å"You're hired.† â€Å"Oh, and allow me to hire you as well,† said I, removing my hat and handing it to Kent with a jingle. â€Å"What's this?† asked Kent. â€Å"Who but a fool would work for a fool?† â€Å"Watch your tongue, boy,† said Lear. â€Å"You'll have to get your own hat, fool,† said I to the king. â€Å"Mine is already promised.† Captain Curan turned to conceal a smile. â€Å"You call me a fool?† â€Å"Oh, should I not call you fool? All your other titles you have given away, along with your land.† â€Å"I'll have you whipped.† I rubbed my burning bottom. â€Å"That is the only legacy you have left, nuncle.† â€Å"You've become a bitter fool in your absence,† said the king. â€Å"And you the sweet one,† said I. â€Å"The fool who makes a jest of his own fate.† â€Å"The boy is not altogether fool,† said Kent. Lear turned on the old knight, but not in anger. â€Å"Perhaps,† said he, weakly, his eye drifting to the stones of the floor as if searching for an answer there. â€Å"Perhaps.† â€Å"The lady, Goneril, Duchess of Albany!† announced one of the guards. â€Å"Craven hose-beast!† I added, relatively certain the guard would forget that part. Goneril breezed into the room, no notice of me, she went right to her father. The old man opened his arms but she stopped short, a sword-length away. â€Å"Did you strike my man for chiding your fool?† Now she scowled at me. I rubbed my bum and blew her a kiss. Oswald peeked through the doors to the hall, as if waiting for the answer. â€Å"I struck the knave for being impudent. I but asked him to fetch you. My fool has only just returned from being lost. This is not a time for frowns, daughter.† â€Å"There're no smiles for you, sire,† said I. â€Å"Not now that you've nothing to offer. The lady has only bile for fools and those with no title at all.† â€Å"Quiet, boy,† said the king. â€Å"You see,† said Goneril. â€Å"Not just your all-licensed fool, but your whole train treats my palace like a tavern and a brothel. They fight and eat all day, drink and carouse all night, and you care for nothing but your precious fool.† â€Å"As it should be,† said Jones, albeit softly – when royal ire is raging, even the spittle sprayed from their lips can rain down death on the common puppet or person. â€Å"I care for much, and my men are the best in the land. And they have not been paid since we left London. Perhaps if you – â€Å" â€Å"They will not be paid!† said Goneril, and suddenly all the knights in the hall came to attention. â€Å"When I gave you all, 'twas on the condition of you maintaining my retinue, daughter.† â€Å"Aye, Father, and they shall be maintained, but not in your charge, and not in their full number.† Lear was growing red-faced now, and shaking with anger as with palsy. â€Å"Speak clearly, daughter, these old ears deceive.† Now Goneril went to her father and took his hand. â€Å"Yes, Father, you are old. Very old. Really, really, extraordinarily, mind-bogglingly – † She turned to me for a cue. â€Å"Dog-fuckingly,† I suggested. † – dog-fuckingly old,† said the duchess. â€Å"You are feebly, incontinently, desiccatedly, smelling-of-boiled-cabaggely old. You are brain-rottingly, balls-draggingly – â€Å" â€Å"I'm fucking old!† said Lear. â€Å"We'll stipulate that,† said I. â€Å"And,† continued Goneril, â€Å"while you, in your dotage, should be revered for your wisdom and grace, you piss on your legacy and reputation by keeping this train of ruffians. They are too much for you.† â€Å"They are my loyal men and you have agreed to maintain them.† â€Å"And I shall. I shall pay your men, but half will stay here at Albany, under my charge, under my orders, in soldiers' quarters, not running about the bailey like marauders.† â€Å"Darkness and devils,† cursed Lear. â€Å"It shall not be! Curan, saddle my horses, call my train together. I have another daughter.† â€Å"Go to her, then,† said Goneril. â€Å"You strike my servants and your rabble makes servants of their betters. Be gone, then, but half your train shall remain.† â€Å"Prepare my horses!† said Lear. Curan hurried out of the hall, followed by the other knights, passing the Lord Albany as he entered, the duke looking more than somewhat confused. â€Å"Why does the king's captain exit with such urgency?† asked the duke. â€Å"Do you know of this harpy's intent to strip me of my train?† asked Lear. â€Å"This is the first I've heard of it,† said Albany. â€Å"Pray, be patient, sire. My lady?† Albany looked to Goneril. â€Å"We do not strip him of his knights. I have offered to maintain them here, with our own force, while Father goes on to my sister's castle. We shall treat his men as our own, with discipline, as soldiers, not as guests and revelers. They are out of the old man's control.† Albany turned back to Lear and shrugged. â€Å"She lies!† said Lear, now wagging a finger under Goneril's nose. â€Å"Thou detested viper. Thou ungrateful fiend. Thou hideous – uh – â€Å" â€Å"Slag!†[32] I offered. â€Å"Thou piteous prick-pull. Thou vainglorious virago. Thou skunk-breathed licker of dog scrotums. Do jump in, Albany, I can't go on forever, no matter how inspired. Surely you've years of suppressed resentment to vent. Thou leprous spunk-catch. Thou worm-eaten – â€Å" â€Å"Shut up, fool,† said Lear. â€Å"Sorry, sirrah, I thought you were losing your momentum.† â€Å"How could I have given preference to this villainess over my sweet Cordelia?† asked Lear. â€Å"Doubtless that question was lost worse in the wood than I, seeing as it has only caught up with you now, sire. Shall we take cover against the impact of the revelation that you've awarded your kingdom to the best liars of your loins?† Who would have thought it, but I'd felt more charity toward the old man before he realized his folly. Now – He turned his eyes skyward and began to invoke the gods: â€Å"Hear me, nature, dear goddess hear. Convey sterility onto this creature, Dry up her womb And never let a babe spring from Her body to honor her. Instead create in her a child of spleen and bile. Let it torment her, and stamp wrinkles in her youthful brow Let it turn all of her mother's benefits To laughter and contempt, that she may feel How sharper than a serpent's tooth It is to have a thankless child!† With that the old man spat at Goneril's feet and stormed out of the hall. â€Å"I think he took that as well as could reasonably be expected,† said I. I was ignored, despite my positive tone and sunny smile. â€Å"Oswald!† called Goneril. The smarmy steward slithered forth. â€Å"Quickly, take the letter to my sister and Cornwall. Take two of the fastest horses and alternate them. Do not rest until it is in her hand. And then take you to Gloucester and deliver that other message as well.† â€Å"You have given me no other message, lady,† said the worm. â€Å"Yes, right, come with me. We shall draft a letter.† She led Oswald out of the great hall leaving the Duke of Albany looking to me for some sort of explanation. I shrugged. â€Å"She can be a whirlwind of tits and terror when she puts her mind to a purpose, can't she, sir?† Albany didn't seem to notice my comment, somewhat forlorn, he looked. His beard seemed to be greying with worry as he stood there. â€Å"I don't approve of her treatment of the king. The old man has earned more respect. And what of these messages, to Cornwall and Gloucester?† I started to speak, thinking it a perfect opportunity to mention her newfound affection for Edmund of Gloucester, my recent session of bawdy discipline with the duchess, and a half-dozen metaphors for illicit shagging that had come to mind while the duke mused, when Jones said: â€Å"Sex and cuckoldry You've mastered those jokes For a more challenging jape A new seal should be broke.† â€Å"What?† said I. Whenever Jones has spoken before it has been in my own voice – smaller and muted sometimes, from the art of throwing it, but my voice alone, unless Drool is mimicking the puppet. And it is I who works the little ring and string that move Jones's mouth. But this was not my voice, and I had not moved the puppet. It was the voice of the girl ghost from the White Tower. â€Å"Don't be tedious, Pocket,† said Albany. â€Å"I've no patience for puppets and rhymes.† Jones said: â€Å"A thousand rough nights To call the lady a whore, Only today may a fool, Jest the land into war?† And like a shooting star cutting brilliant across the ignorant night of my mind, I saw the ghost's meaning. I said: â€Å"I know not what the lady sends to Cornwall, good Albany, but while I was this last month in Gloucester, I heard soldiers talk of Cornwall and Regan gathering forces by the sea.† â€Å"Gathering an army? Whatever for? With gentle Cordelia and Jeff now on the throne in France, it would be folly to cross the channel. We've a safe ally there.† â€Å"Oh, they aren't gathering forces against France, they are gathering forces against you, my lord. Regan would be queen of all of Britain. Or so I heard said.† â€Å"You heard this from soldiers? Under whose flag, these soldiers?† â€Å"Mercenaries, lord. No flag but fortune for them, and the word was there is coin aplenty for a free lance fighter in Cornwall. I have to be off. The king will need someone to whip for your lady's rude announcements.† â€Å"That doesn't seem fair,† said Albany. He had a spark of decency in him, really, and somehow Goneril had not yet been able to smother it. Plus, he seemed to have forgotten about accidentally hanging me. â€Å"Don't worry for me, good duke. You have worries of your own. Someone must take a hit for your lady, let it be this humble fool. Pray, tell her I said that someone must always hit it. Fare thee well, duke.† And merrily I was off, bottom stinging, to let slip the dogs of war. Hi ho! Lear sat on his horse outside Castle Albany, howling at the sky like a complete lunatic. â€Å"May Nature's nymphs bring great lobster-sized vermin to infest the rotted nest of her woman bits, and may serpents fix their fangs in her nipples and wave there until her poisoned dugs[33] go black and drop to the ground like overripe figs!† I looked at Kent. â€Å"Built up a spot of steam, hasn't he?† said I. â€Å"May Thor hammer at her bowels and produce flaming flatulence that wilts the forest and launches her off the battlements into a reeking dung heap!† â€Å"Not really adhering to any particular pantheon, is he?† said Kent. â€Å"Oh, Poseidon, send your one-eyed son to stare into her bituminous heart and ignite it with flames of most hideous suffering.† â€Å"You know,† said I, â€Å"the king seems to be leaning rather heavily on curses, for someone with his unsavory history with witches.† â€Å"Aye,† said Kent. â€Å"Seems to have steered his wrath toward the eldest daughter, if I'm not mistaken.† â€Å"Oh, you don't say?† said I. â€Å"Sure, sure, that could be it, I suppose.† We heard horses galloping and I pulled Kent back from the drawbridge as two riders, leading a train of six horses, thundered across. â€Å"Oswald,† said Kent. â€Å"With extra horses,† said I. â€Å"He's gone to Cornwall.† Lear broke with his cursing and watched the riders take out across the moor. â€Å"What business has that rascal in Cornwall?† â€Å"He carries a message, nuncle,† said I. â€Å"I heard Goneril order him to report her mind to her sister, and for Regan and her lord to go to Gloucester and not to be in Cornwall when you arrive.† â€Å"Goneril, thou foul monstress!† said the king, clouting himself on the forehead. â€Å"Indeed,† said I. â€Å"Oh, evil monstress!† â€Å"To be sure,† said Kent. â€Å"Oh, pernicious monstress, perfect in her perfidy!† Kent and I looked at each other, knowing not what to say. â€Å"I said,† said Lear, â€Å"most pernicious monstress, perfect in her perfidy!† Kent mimed a set of generous bosoms on himself and raised an eyebrow as if to ask, â€Å"Boobs?† I shrugged as if to say, â€Å"Aye, boobs sounds right.† â€Å"Aye, most pernicious perfidy indeed, sire,† said I. â€Å"Aye, most bouncy and jiggling perfidy,†[34] said Kent. Then, as if coming out of a trance, Lear snapped to attention in his saddle. â€Å"You, Caius, have Curan saddle a fast horse for you. You must go to Gloucester, tell my friend the earl that we are coming.† â€Å"Aye, my lord,† said Kent. â€Å"And Caius, see that my apprentice Drool comes to no harm,† said I. Kent nodded and went back across the drawbridge. The old king looked down to me. â€Å"Oh, my pretty Black Fool, where from fatherly duty did I stray that such ingratitude should rise in Goneril like mad fever?† â€Å"I am only a fool, my lord, but making a guess, I'd say the lady may have in her delicate youth required more discipline to shape her character.† â€Å"Speak plain, Pocket, I'll not hold harm against you.† â€Å"You needed to smack the bitch up when she was tender, my lord. Instead, now you hand your daughters the rod and pull down your own breeches.† â€Å"I'll have you flogged, fool.† â€Å"His word is like the dew,† said the puppet Jones, â€Å"good only until put under light of day.† I laughed, simple fool that I am, no thought at all that Lear was becoming as inconstant as a butterfly. â€Å"I need to speak to Curan and find a horse for the journey, sirrah,† said I. â€Å"I'll bring your cloak.† Lear sagged in the saddle now, spent now from his ranting. â€Å"Go, good Pocket. Have my knights prepare.† â€Å"So I shall,† said I. â€Å"So I shall.† I left the old man there alone outside the castle.