Humans Rights - World Torture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Humans Rights - World Torture - Essay Example Nagan and Atkins (2001) inform that torture was not always a defined prohibition in international, national and regional legal regimes. On the contrary, historically, social order dictated that those who were charged with the responsibility of engineering the social order were willing to â€Å"use torture as an instrument† for exercising â€Å"effective control over others† (p. 92). Complicating matters, elements of culture, religion and ideology supported the use of torture by those in power. As a result torture was previously implicitly tolerated as necessary for promoting and safeguarding the larger interest of society. As Nagan and Atkins (2001) explain: ...the predisposition to torture requires for its efficacy that it be displaced on public enemies with a religious, cultural, or ideological mechanism of overt or tacit validation of an alleged community interest (usually public order, security, or law and order) (p. 92) At common law, torture was an established part of the legal process. It was used for the administration of oaths and proof of the truth of a matter could be established by the use of torture. The trial by ordeal stands as a manifestation of the historical support of the judicial use of torture. Langbein (2006) the use of â€Å"judicial torture† under the Roman-Cannon statutory regime which permitted â€Å"the use of physical coercion by offers of the state† for the purpose of gathering â€Å"evidence for judicial proceedings† (p. 3).... 92) At common law, torture was an established part of the legal process. It was used for the administration of oaths and proof of the truth of a matter could be established by the use of torture. The trial by ordeal stands as a manifestation of the historical support of the judicial use of torture. Langbein (2006) the use of â€Å"judicial torture† under the Roman-Cannon statutory regime which permitted â€Å"the use of physical coercion by offers of the state† for the purpose of gathering â€Å"evidence for judicial proceedings† (p. 3). State officials using torture pursuant to the truth and for maintaining the social order often rationalized the use of torture in other ways. It was largely believed that the tortured would be redeemed and thus experience some form of â€Å"moral cleansing† (Nagan and Atkins 2001, p. 92). Essentially, torture found currency with states on the basis that it was necessary for discovering the truth. The pain associated with t orture was also rationalized on the basis that it benefitted the tortured by providing â€Å"moral and spiritual† benefits (Nagan and Atkins 2001, p. 92). Waisel (2010) explains that torture was legal for â€Å"long periods of history† (p. 280). Foot (2009) identifies four primary reasons that torture was historically used as a legal instrument of social control and order. Firstly, torture was used by the state pursuant to an ideology that accepted that subhuman factions existed. For instance, Greeks and Romans believed that torture was the best method for abstracting truth from slaves. Secondly, torture was believed to be the best method for obtaining the truth. Thirdly, there was

Banking Act of 1933 Glass-Steagall Act Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Banking Act of 1933 Glass-Steagall Act - Article Example Senator Carter Glass, who was a former treasury secretary, is the main man behind the act. Henry Steagall was the other sponsor. The act applies to both national banks and state chartered banks (Dept 12). Though the Glass-Steagall act, the government upheld its role to provide quality, public policy. It can be argued that the act went a long way in easing the depression. This occurred because of the measures the Act put in place to prevent further losses. For instance, limiting commercial banks investments prevented underwriting by banks. This allowed for faster liquidation of assets by banks. This led to separation of commercial banks from investment banks. In 1999, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley act repealed the provision that restricted banks and securities firms affiliations section 16 prevented the purchasing or selling of securities by national banks except when the bank acts as a customer’s agent (Dept 23). Under the act, the government tried to resolve the conflict of interest that arises with regard to granting credit. Section 32 prevented common directors and employees access to credit Four sections of the act,sections16,20,21and 32,laid out the provisions for acquiring secur ities, both directly and indirectly in case the bank needed fast access to short term credit. For instance, section 11(a) prevented Federal Reserve member banks from placing loans to dealers or brokers. The Act limited the previous enormous power of the banks. This Act prevents bank’s ability to expand greatly, which was possible to achieve by creating a barrier between banking and insurance against aggressive expansions. As a result of the bank’s risky moves, there was the provision for insurance to minimize losses. Over time, limits on insurance from 2,500 USD in 1934, continues to take place. Currently the FIDC provides insurance for safety deposits of member banks of up to 250,000 USD per depositor in each bank initially, under the act. FDIC had the mandate to regulate and supervise banks, which are non-members in a given State. Through the US treasury, and Federal Reserve an initial 289 million funded the Act. The Act through FDIC also prohibited payment of intere sts on checking accounts. There are also provisions in the Act, which allow national banks to have branches statewide depending on the state’s law (Dept 20). The Glass-Steagall Act provided the government with the opportunity of displaying its understanding of the public’s interest. The institution of the Act by the government proved beneficial in helping the public deal with the recovery period after the effects of the Great economic depression of 1929. The creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) affected the public on a personal level compared to the other reforms brought about by this Act. This is because the FDIC created a buffer for citizens making a deposit of over 5,000 USD by insuring the money deposited. This served to eliminate any unforeseen, future risks, for example, an economic depression. As a result, individuals had the opportunity of getting their money back in the event of an economic catastrophe. The FDIC also helped to reaffirm the government’s commitment in safeguarding the financial welfare of its citizens (Dept 25). The different branches of the government played an integral role with regard to

Early Italian Renaissance Essay Example for Free

Early Italian Renaissance Essay The intellectual concepts as well as the trends during a particular period in time are manifested in various ways. One means by which the situations in a specific time frame could be express is through the arts. Arts in the form of paintings, statues, and even in the construction of church or basilicas also symbolize the kind of thinking during the era that they were created. This is evident during the early Italian renaissance wherein the art forms during that time embodies the intellectual concerns of their society. According to the Columbia Encyclopedia (2007), the art forms created in this geographic part of the world that is now known as the country of Italy. The art works produced in this country have motivate the public interest and participation that is why there is a continuous production of monumental and spectacular art forms. In relation to this, Italian works of art has almost always been related with the intellectual as well as the religious events of the time. Furthermore, Italian art has been continuous source of inspiration for many people. The early Italian renaissance art is characterized by its observance of the medieval art, which gives priority to religious traditions and belief. However, it introduced a new idea, which is the importance given to the value and capability of the human person. This kind of mentality is the main idea that the renaissance period emphasized. Great artists like Guido of Siena, Cimabue, and Duccio di Buoninsegna have created many paintings that retain the Byzantine conventions that adhere to religious arts but they also established a new naturalism and a direct importance to human emotions in their art. This is greatly exemplified by the sculpture of Nicola Pisano as well as the fresco painting of Pietro Cavallini in Rome (Columbia Encyclopedia, 2007). The early Italian renaissance is the starting point wherein various art forms flourished. It was also during this time that paintings exhibit a new life and warmth that is similar to the intellectual revolution that is happening in the country in the light of renaissance. Reference ________. (2007). Italian Art. The Columbia Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 1, 2008, from http://www. bartleby. com/65/it/Ital-art. html.

Palliative Care within the Acute Care Setting

Palliative Care within the Acute Care Setting Palliative Care during End-of-life: An Annotated Bibliography Waldrop and Kirkendall (2009) surveyed employees from a 120-bed suburban nonprofit nursing home to explore how their staff recognized a dying patient and identified standards of care which would be put into place once palliative care has been initiated. Using a qualitative method to gather data, 42 employees were interviewed which included nurses, chaplains, social workers, nursing assistants, housekeepers, and administrators to provide multiple perspectives on the dying experience. The survey was done in the form of a 30-minute interview in a quiet location of the nursing home away from the nursing unit (Waldrop Kirkensall, 2009). An affiliated research assistant or investigator whom has had training in conducting interviews and qualitative data analysis conducted it. They asked the employees open-ended and objective questions about frequency and standards of care for dying patients and their families. All interviews were audio taped, transcribed by a professional transcriptionist, and labeled with a letter number combination (e.g., N[urse]-1). The transcripts were entered into Atlas ti software for data organization and management(Waldrop Kirkensall, 2009). The survey identified physical, behavioral, and social factors as the three main indicators of impending death. Physical indicators included altered breathing patterns (including apnea), anorexia, or increase in pain; behavioral indicators included mood changes and diminished activity level and social indicators sometimes included withdrawal from interaction with staff or family (Waldrop Kirkendall, 2009). During the survey the staff explained that Comfort care is initiated when patients began to exhibit these signs. At this nursing home standard order sets were not used and comfort care measures were described as being very patient individualized and holistic. Comfort care includes an interrelationship of symptom management, family care, interpersonal relationships, and interdisciplinary cooperation in which each member of the healthcare team participates in the care of the patient, according to their scope of practice (Waldrop Kirkendall, 2009). The survey revealed that health care employees deliver comfort care in different ways and it identified the need for more comparison studies in other nursing homes to explore standards of care in other facilities because this was just one study of one nursing home. By further comparing nursing homes which use different models of care comfort care standards and or improvements can be made. This survey was conducted in a nursing home setting but its results reflect on hospital end-of-life care. At the present time the standard of care for dying patients in a hospital setting consists of pre-printed order sets which are not individualized to the specific needs of the patient. This study promotes use of the holistic, individualized care approach to ensure a more satisfying and comforting dying experience. Level of evidence: VI Single descriptive qualitative/physiologic study Jarabek, B.R., Cha, S.S., Ruegg, S.R., Moynihan, T.J., McDonald, F.S. (2008). Use of a palliative care order set to improve resident comfort with symptom management in palliative care. Palliative Medicine, 22, 343-349. Jarabek, Cha, Ruegg, Moynihan, McDonald, (2008) began a study within the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota hypothesized that standard palliative order sets within a hospital setting would enhance physician comfort with managing 4 aspects of end-of-life care: pain, secretions, agitation, and dyspnea. A 5-question, pre-intervention web-based survey regarding physician comfort in diverse aspects of palliative care was given to 144 internal medicine resident physicians before the release of the palliative order set, which would later be used within the hospital. Each question included a 5-item Likert response scale, ranging from 1, very comfortable to 5, very uncomfortable(Larabek et al., 2008). Three months later an educational email was sent to all house staff and faculty addressing end-of life-care along with the initiation of the order set, which consisted of physical ailment provisions. Another 3 months was spent allowing staff to use and or work with the order sets at which point a post-intervention survey was performed. Results of the post-intervention survey were that 88% had utilized the palliative order sets and 63% stated that they felt increasingly comfortable with palliative care (Jarabek et al., 2008). There was an overall 10% increase in resident comfort regarding the 4 aspects of palliative care with the initiation of order sets, but no change in social or communication-related comfort (Jarabek et al., 2008). The survey concluded that palliative order sets can increase physician comfort in providing care to patients during end-of-life, but it also revealed that the order sets do not address the psychosocial needs of the patient when providing comfort care. Although physicians find comfort in having order sets as guidelines for end-of-life care, they are only guidelines and open communication needs to be initiated between the health care team and the patient to ensure all the comfort care needs of the patient and family are met in a holistic way so that they may have a peaceful dying experience. Level of evidence: Teno, J.M., Clarridge, B.R., Casey, V., Welch, L.C., Wetle, T., Shield, R., Mor, V. (2004). Family perspectives on end-of-life care at the last place of care. Journal of the American Medical Association, 291(1), 88-93. Teno, clarridge, casey, welchl wetle,shield, mor (2004) evaluated 1578 adult patients with different, chronic illnesses end of life experiences by surveying the decedents loved ones and determining whether their perspectives on quality end-of-life care were influenced by the environment where the patient spent their last 48 hours of life. A survey was devised from a conceptual model for patient-focused, family-centered medical care and the calculation of scores and psychometrics of the measures were taken from an online tool formulated by Brown University. Within 9 to 15 months from the time of death a close family member or informant whom was listed on the death certificate was surveyed and was asked about the quality of care their loved one received during their last 48 hours of life. Five different domains were used in the survey, including whether healthcare workers provided patient physical comfort and emotional support, supported collaborative decision-making with the physician , treated the patient with respect, attended to family needs, and provided coordinated care with other healthcare workers or facilities (Teno., et al. 2004). Teno et al. (2004) concluded that 69% of the decedents site of death and last place to receive care was in a hospital or nursing home setting, 31% home, 36% without nursing service, 12% home nursing, and 52% home hospice. The survey showed that family perceptions of the quality of care were different according to where their loved one last received care. Families of patients who were in nursing homes or had home health had a higher rate of unmet needs for pain (Teno., et al. 2004). Over half of the families in hospital or nursing home settings reported unmet emotional needs. In addition, 70% of families receiving home health care reported inadequate emotional support in comparison to 35% in families who utilized home hospice care. Patient and family respect was also a concern to families and varied in different settings. Only 68% of nursing home residents families felt they had been treated with respect and consideration compared to the 96% of families receiving hospice care (Teno et al., 2004). Survey participants felt that physical symptom management was adequately managed so it was comparably equal throughout all patient settings. Although families did not experience a difference in pain or dyspnea management in comparison to other nursing services families who used hospice services overall, 71% reported excellent care (Teno et al., 2004). Kolcaba, K.Y., Steiner, R. (2004). Efficacy of hand massage for enhancing the comfort of hospice patients. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, 6(2), 91-102. Kolcaba, Dowd, Steiner, and Mitzel (2004) identified the need for comforting interventions for patients at end of life that are simple, easy to learn and administer, and require minimal effort on behalf of the patient. Bilateral hand massage is a good intervention because it is noninvasive, easy to do, does not take long, and relies on caring/healing touch( Kolcaba., et al. 2004). The purpose of their study was to determine empirically if a bilateral hand massage provided to patients near end of life twice per week for 3 weeks was associated with higher levels of comfort and less symptom distress. 31 adult hospice patients from 2 hospice agencies participated in the study. Each patient was English-speaking and expected to remain alert and oriented for the duration of the trial, 13 months. Data collectors who were unknown to the patients called the homes of the patients, explained the study, and then scheduled an appointment for a research visit. Data was collected at the patients homes and at the hospice centers(Kolcaba., et al. 2004). After informed consent, participants were randomly divided into the treatment group (with 16 patients) and the comparison group (with 15 patients). All participants were asked to complete a modified General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ), tailored for end-of-life patients, once a week for 3 weeks. After completing the questionnaire each week, the treatment group then received the hand massage intervention twice a week for 3 weeks. The comparison group received the intervention once at the end of the study period. The study concluded no significant difference between the treatment and comparison groups in regard to enhanced comfort or decreased symptom distress over time (Kolcaba et al., 2004). However, comfort did increase some in the treatment group even as the patient approached death. The study also revealed that the hand massage seemed to allow more time for therapeutic or face to face communication allowing the patients to talk about how they feel and their feelings on transitioning to death, and patients receiving the intervention reported it to be a personalized experience something they could engage in that feels good, and family members were appreciative of the care and attention their loved one was getting (Kolcaba et al., 2004). Because this intervention is easy to learn and requires minimal time for the caregiver to do and minimal effort for the patient it is an excellent intervention that can even be taught to the family. This study identifies interventions that can be used withi n the hospital setting and any other setting to enhance comfort during end-of-life. Nurses and family members can use this intervention to increase communication by using caring touch, which provide psychosocial care and therefore holistic comfort for the patient. Bakitas, M., Lyons, K. D., Hegel, M. T., Balan, S., Brokaw, F. C., Seville, J., Hull, J. G., Li, Z., Tosteson, T. D., Byock, I. R., Ahles, T. A., (2009). Effects of a palliative care intervention on clinical outcomes in patients with advanced cancer. The Journal of the American Medical Association. 302 (7): 741-749. Bakitas, Lyons, Hegel, Balan, Brokaw, Seville, hull, Li, Tosteson, Byock, Ahles, (2009) using project ENABLE combined with a nurse-led intervention with ongoing assessment, coaching, symptom management, crisis prevetion, and timely referral to palliative care and hospices hypothesize that patients newly diagnosed with advanced cancer if exposed to this intervention right away would become informed, active participants in their care, and would experience an improved quality of life, mood, and have better symptom relief. The study protocol and data and safety monitoring board plan were approved by the institutional review boards of the Norris Cotton Cancer Center and Dartmouth College in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and the Veterans Administration (VA) medical center in White River Junction, Vermont. All patient and caregiver participants signed a document confirming their informed consent.(Bakitas., et al (2009). Participants completed baseline questionnaires when they were enrolled and th en completed a follow-up one month later. Using a stratified randomization scheme patients and their caregivers were randomly assigned to the interventions or usual care group. One of 2 advanced practice nurses with palliative care experience conducted 4 structured educational problem solving sessions first one lasting 41 minutes and sessions 2 through 4 approx 30 minutes each and at least monthly telephone follow-up sessions until the participant died or the study ended (Bakitas., et al.2009) The advanced practice nurse began all contacts with an initial assessment by administering the Distress Thermometer, an 11-point rating scale recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. It identifies sources of distress in the 5 areas of practical problems physical problems, family problems, spiritual, emotional problems or religious concerns. If distress intensity was higher than 3, the advanced practice nurses then identifies the sources of distress and checks to see if the participant would like to problem/solve to take care of their issue. The nurse then covers the assigned module for that session. The participants clinical teams are responsible for all medical decisions and inpatient care management, however the advanced practice nurse was readily available by telephone for the participants and they could also facilitate ancillary resources. The participants also were able to participate in group shared medical appointments (SMAs), which are led by certified palliative care physicians. The usual care participants were allowed to use all oncology and supportive services without restriction. Follow-up questionnaires were mailed every 3 months until the patient died or study completion in December 31, 2007. Quality of Life was measured with a 46-item tool called the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy for Palliative Care. It measures the participants physical, social, emotional, and functional well being along with the concerns of a person whom has a life-threatening illness. Of 1222 screened, 681 were eligible and were approached and 322 were enrolled (47% participation rate). There were a total of 134 participants in the usual care group and 145 participants in the intervention group. A systematic review of specialized palliative care identified 22 trials (16 from the United States) between 1984-2007 with a median sample size of 204, half exclusively with cancer patients. There was lack of evidence due to contamination, adherence, and recruitment etc. The trial addressed these issues and contributed to the increasing evidence that palliative care may improve quality of life and mood at the end of life. In our study, intervention participants higher quality of life and lower depressed mood may be attributed to improved psychosocial and emotional well being. Mood is a determinant of the experience of quality of life and suffering despite a mounting burden of physical symptoms(Bakitas., et al. 2009). However, while patients in the intervention group had improvement in these outcomes, we conservatively planned our original target trial enrollment of 400 based on a significance level of .01. Statistical inferences based on this stringent critical value would lead to the conclusion that there were no statistically significant differences between groups in quality of life or mood(Bakitas., et al. 2009). The study concluded that compared with participants receiving usual oncology care those receiving a nurse-led, palliative care-focused interventions that takes care of the patient holistically provided at the same time with oncology care had higher scores for quality of life and mood, but did not have improvements in symptom intensity scores or reduced days in the hospital (Bakitas., et al. 2009). Level of evidence- Summary The research presented reveals while palliative care order sets provide a helpful guideline or tool which reassures health care providers in giving consistent good quality care, patients care needs should be assessed and individualized orders and interventions should be implemented to ensure a peaceful and comforting dying experience. Hospice care settings have been shown to provide excellent holistic care for dying patients and they have also been shown to show compassion to the family as well. The comfort interventions from these facilities can be modified for application in the hospital for use in the acute care setting. Holistic comfort care interventions include hand massage, music therapy, or the utilization of a visual analog scale the faces to measure comfort. These are some of the ways hospitals can utilize the findings from this research into daily practice to ensure quality holistic patient comfort is achieved and ultimately a peaceful death.

Developments in Iraq After United States Involvement Essay -- essays r

Ask anyone about the current issues in Iraq and you will hear a multitude of answers, questions, remarks, backlash, and support for our countries involvement. Sure some things could have been done better, some things could have been avoided completely, but when you talk to someone who has personally witnessed 184 women setting themselves on fire in protest to the way men are treating them you can’t help but admire the change today. With the help of US and various foreign countries, Iraq is rebuilding itself from the ground up, repairing itself from previous dictatorship. There are three major concerns in Iraq, political freedom (including freedom of religion), women’s rights, and better education. These issues are far from being resolved, but they have also moved far from where they were before. According to President Bush, the US is looking to help â€Å"build a government that answers to its people and honors their country’s unique heritage.† In doing so US troops are helping train military forces and elect leaders, who interestingly enough 85 are women, this coming from a country that dismissed women’s rights. Iyad Allawi, Iraq's Interim Prime Minister believes â€Å"that the unity of the country will be enhanced [and] will be strengthened by the process of an election.† The new government will consist of a 275 member Transitional National Assembly, a Presidency council, provincial councils and a Kurdistan National Assembly. Currently Iraq is working under a Interim constitution, b...

Indigenous People of the Congo Essay -- Anthropology, Mbuti, Culture

The Congo is the home to a nomadic group of hunters-gatherers known as the Mbuti. The Mbuti are one of the oldest indigenous people of the Congo region of Africa. The Mbuti is an egalitarian society, and the band is their highest form of socialization. Bands are based on principles of teamwork and sharing. The bands are composed of about fifteen to sixty families. The Mbuti reside in the Ituri forest, a tropical rainforest in the northern part of the Congo River Basin. The forest is named after the Ituri River. The Mbuti have lived in the rainforest for more than six thousand years. According to Turnbull (1968), â€Å"The first recorded reference to the Mbuti dates back to a story of an expedition to the area by Egyptians around 2250 B.C. where the Mbuti were referred to as people of the trees.† The Mbuti see the forest as mother and father and themselves as its children. The Mbuti life cycle consists of birth, puberty, marriage, and death. Each transition corresponds with the defining child, youth, adult, and elderly age groups. Mbuti make three very significant transitions in life from childhood which includes birth, to youth including puberty, to adulthood containing marriage, and finally old age which eventually leads to death. The roles and duties found within each age group are important because personal identity is defined by Mbuti’s role in society. The term BaMbuti refers to all the different cultures within the Ituri forest. The forest region has rivers and lakes, and also has a high amount of rain. The dry season is short, and lasts one to two months. The country’s capital and larges... ...d propagating the Catholic faith and took Congolese to Portugal for study. The first missionary group arrived in 1491 and consisted of Franciscan and Dominican priests (Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2007) The Congo king was baptized and a large church was built at the royal capital, which was renamed San Salvador. The King’s son was concerted and sent away for training to eventually put the Catholic Church in power for many years. However, the Yaka invasion of the 16th century shook the kingdom. Toward the end of the century, traders who began buying and selling slaves drove missionaries out of the country. In the 19th century when the Belgians arrived there was not a trace left of this once influential kingdom or the two and one-half centuries of Catholic evangelism and church planting (Riddle, & McGavran, 1979).

Catharsis in As You Like It Essay

Literature is meant to teach. Its purpose is to shed light upon the soul and offer up the best and worst of humanity. All the stories we read, all the characters we relate to and begin to understand, they all have a tale to tell and a lesson to be learned. This is precisely what makes literature so vital to the human spirit. It is here that we enter the world of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It , a story set in a fantastical forest. As we follow the true love of Orlando and Rosalind and the brotherly betrayal by Oliver and Duke Frederick, readers begin to have a spiritual renewal, a cleansing of their spirit, while observing the conflicts that take place. As You Like It is a play where characters seek out truth and simplicity in the Forest of Arden, a mystical place that offers a chance for time to stop and the mind to mend. We come to believe, through the text, that there is an element of evil, but that it only exists in the court and society outside the forest. William Shakespeare involves â€Å"his characters in issues and events which force decisions literally touching the emotional strings of tragedy† (Champion 447) but without the death, destruction, and despair typical of that genre. The characters are safe to experience a new type of living while in the confines and safety of the wood and hopefully restore a balance they all so dearly strive for. The concept of catharsis was first discussed by Aristotle in his treatise Poetics , which was primarily a work on the aesthetics of poetry. He believed that â€Å"the poet’s aim is to produce pleasure in the spectator by eliciting from the representation the emotions of pity (for others) and fear (for oneself)† (â€Å"oetics†). He was in firm disagreement with his teacher Plato on the validity of catharsis, believing that the purging of emotions is beneficial. Although most readers associate catharsis with tragedy, especially works like Macbeth and King Lear , it is easily found in Shakespeare’s comedies. William Thompson, in his essay â€Å"Freedom and Comedy†, explains the differences between these two genres: â€Å"Comedy offers a way out, a rebirth; tragedy also offers a way out, but it is a way through evil, through death. Comedy avoids evil; tragedy confronts it† (216). Tragedy is a necessary element in a comedy; without out it there would be no conflict, thus no harmonious resolution for the end of the play. The moral lessons are not always as clear in As You Like It , as compared with the tragedies, but the same cathartic process takes place nevertheless. It is precisely through the mishaps and misfortunes of comedic characters, and the optimistic end they all experience, that gives the reader a â€Å"purification of †¦ emotions by vicarious experience† (â€Å"Catharsis†). The themes and actions of As You Like It reinforce, in a cathartic process, that evil, hate, and wrong-doing can be overcome with love, simplicity, and the generous nature of the human spirit. HBO’s As You Like It A fine example of the night and day relationship between brothers, and the spiritual renewal with both character and audience, is exemplified with the Dukes. At the beginning of the play the reader is informed that Duke Senior, the rightful ruler, has been usurped by his brother, Duke Frederick, and banished to the woods. Charles, a wrestler within the court, says that Duke Senior has â€Å"many young men flock to him every day and / fleet the time carelessly, as they did in the golden / world† (13; I. i. 116-118). We are given a comparison between the evils represented within the new court and the timelessness of the Forest. Duke Frederick, the usurper, continues his path of paranoia and wickedness when accusing his niece, Rosalind, of being her father’s spy. He commands: â€Å"Mistress, dispatch you with your safest haste, / and get you from our court† (37; I. iii. 40-41). Frederick not only wants his wronged niece out of court for fear of spying, but also because Rosalind is pitied by the people, and is a constant reminder of Frederick’s actions against his beloved brother. He rightfully wants to lead without his â€Å"good† brother overshadowing him in his subject’s eyes. All of the action up to this point is showing conflict and tragedy to the audience in preparation for the happy resolution of these events, giving a realistic depth to the problems faced, and allowing the audience to relate on a personal level. On the other hand, in the forest, Duke Senior is happy and content. He opens Act Two with a rousing speech championing simplicity and joy: Now, my co-mates and brothers in exile, Hath not old custom made this life for sweet Than that of painted pomp? Are not these woods More free from peril than the envious court? Here we feel not the penalty of Adam, (49; II. i. 1-5) How striking it is that after being overthrown and having his life shattered, Duke Senior finds joy, happiness, and freedom within the Forest of Arden – that the â€Å"penalty of Adam† does not touch him there. It gives hope to the readers – which changes in circumstances, that evil done by intimates, can still transform into something more valuable. To be cliche, yet appropriate, as one door closes, another opens. William Thompson theorizes that â€Å"comedy is a play about freedom, a play in which evil is mastered† (218). Here is the first instance of comedic catharsis, of evil being faced head on and destroyed – it is the spiritual renewal of Duke Senior’s soul after seemingly tragic events that would and does break other men. Another instance of the cathartic elements between brotherly conflicts occurs with Oliver and Orlando. The play opens with Orlando bemoaning his current affairs to his faithful family servant – â€Å"He [Oliver] keeps me rustically at home †¦ for call you / that keeping for a gentlemen of my birth that / differs not from the stalling of an ox† (7;I. i. 6-9). He is angered by the Elizabethan tradition that gives the eldest son the whole inheritance, and offers nothing to the siblings. While speaking with Oliver, during a physical altercation, Orlando accuses: My father charged you in his will to give me good education. You have trained me like a peasant, obscuring and hiding from me all gentlemanlike qualities (11; I. i. 65-69) Orlando simply wants to feel worthy of others, to have the confidence and ability of interacting at the upper echelons of society, something that a great majority of reader’s relate to. Themes of insecurity echo throughout the character arc of Orlando. Larry Champion explains that â€Å"the comic experience is frequently one of self revelation† (429) which can not occur until the brothers find themselves in the safety of the Forest. Oliver is commanded to enter the forest and find his brother, one who he tried to kill and admittedly one who he has â€Å"never loved my brother in my life† (91; III. 1. 13-14). With both brothers in the forest the concept of healing enters the audience’s mind, who understands that all will have to be well in the end, for this is still a comedy in nature. Oliver, while sleeping in the woods, is threatened by a snake and lioness. Orlando comes upon the scene and â€Å"twice did he turn his back and purposed so, / but kindness, nobler ever than revenge / †¦ made him give battle to the lioness† (165; IV. iii. 134-137). Oliver continues the tale saying that â€Å"When from the first to last betwixt us two / Tears our recountments hand most kindly bathed† (165; IV. iii. 148-149). The brothers have reconciled in the face of danger, their angers forced upon the beast within the magical forest. The healing in the play must cure the brothers de Boys for this comedy to make sense. If it did not, then Orlando and Oliver would simply be shallow impersonations of Edmund and Edgar from King Lear , offering little hope, little renewal to the audience, who would no doubt see pieces of themselves and their kin in Orlando and Oliver. It is the revelation of how the conflicts resolve themselves that offer up the cathartic healing. Perhaps the most optimistic cathartic elements of As You Like It occur during Orlando’s quest for â€Å"worthiness† of Rosalind. There first meeting offers hope against the backdrop of a courtly wrestling match. Orlando is fighting to save his honor and win from his brother the right to be educated as a gentleman, for he is very aware of his status. After winning the match Rosalind gives Orlando a token of her love, â€Å"Wear this for me – one out of suits with fortune, / That could give more but that her hand lacks / means† (32; I. ii. 244-245) for which Orlando is unable to respond. He is not, in his own mind, educated and worthy of her. This predicament will cause distress and drive the comedy in the following scenes, for â€Å"the comic hero recognizes a restraint upon his freedom, but he is no reforming philosopher †¦ and the closest evil †¦ is his own impotent and limited body† (Thompson 219). The reader is now set upon a course where the progress and growth of Orlando, as a worthy man, will meet head on with his true love in Rosalind. Deeper into the play we find Orlando caring for his elderly manservant Adam. They are fleeing the wrath of Oliver, in an unknown forest, hungry and tired. Orlando comes upon Duke Senior, and his men, brandishing a sword, commanding â€Å"Forbear, and eat no more† (79; II. vii. 92). Adam is dying of hunger and Orlando is desperate, he explains that â€Å"The thorny point / Of bare distress hath ta’en from me the show / Of smooth civility† (79; II. vii. 99-101). Orlando can not contemplate a world where this show of force would be inappropriate – he is in survival mode, having released his primal nature in the woods. Duke Senior, being entirely at ease in the magical forest, speaks lainly: â€Å"Your gentleness shall force / More that your force move us to gentleness† (79; II. vii. 107-108) and asks Orlando to â€Å"sit down and feed, and welcome to our table† (79; II. vii. 110). His lack of worldly knowledge coupled with the devastating effect of betrayal from his kin, leads Orlando to a world that he believes is savage, dark, and treacherous. What we all hope for is the shedding of his guard an d the reconciliation with Rosalind in true love giving the audience and reader a strong sense of faith. His acceptance of Duke Senior’s kindness is a first step to renewing a new faith in man. It is through the next three acts that the reader will watch the growth of Orlando. From his interactions with Jaques, to the practice wooing of â€Å"Ganymede†, Orlando gains the confidence needed to properly wed Rosalind. The audience finds this story of true love inspiring, proving that gentleness and persistence will be rewarded. By the end of Act Five all conflict has been resolved. The Dukes are reconciled, with Frederick entering the wood to find a religious monk. Oliver is married to Cecilia, being a changed man, and the better for it. The two young lovers Phebe and Silvious are forever wed, although immature in love. And of course Orlando, through his trials and tribulations, becomes worthy of Rosalind’s hand. Although we know that comedies end with happiness and we expect no sharp plot deviations, it is within the journey a character takes, and the manner in which adversity is handled, that a catharsis takes place. We are left with lessons learned, stored in the collective memory bank of experience what may ensue when you take, or don’t take, action. Put simply, catharsis is the emotional understanding of what may transpire at any given moment. Through the vicarious experience with a character, the shared feeling of their passion and pain, we are given the opportunity for growth without any of the real world consequences that may follow – this is the benefit, genius, and grace of a cathartic moment with literature.