Deception

Every business was created to make a profit. Managers are instructed by business owners to do whatever they can to achieve this goal. To protect consumers from over aggressive desires of corporations to make money, the law has set out standards that the companies must adhere to. “Laws prohibiting misleading or deceptive conduct by businesses are critical to ensuring that markets operate as efficiently as possible so as to deliver the maximum benefits to consumers. ” This statement appears to be accurate given that the law punishes misleading conduct for the benefit of the public.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says that misleading or defective conduct does not have anything to do with the intent of the corporation, but rather, it is all about the consumers’ perception of the business’s representations. “If the overall impression left by an advertisement, promotion, quotation, statement or other representation made by a business creates a misleading impression in your mind—such as to the price, value or the quality of any goods and services—then the conduct is likely to breach the law (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission).

” Misleading or deceptive behavior applies to a variety of situations involving a contract or an agreement. For the purposes of this paper, misleading or deceptive behavior shall be examined in the point of view of seller-consumer relationship. Given the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s definition, from a fair man’s point of view, the law is very aggressive against the business corporations, almost taking into consideration the consumers’ side only of the circumstances. As such, the law has provided a platform wherein to judge misleading or defective conduct.

In the case of Truth About Motorways Pty Ltd. vs. Macquarie Infrastructure Investment Management Ltd. , Justice McHugh said, “What is sought to be established by the determination of a court is a violation by the respondent of a statutory norm of conduct, and the existence of a duty or liability. (Consumer Affairs Victoria, p. 3)” The law not just only relies on consumers’ representations against a business but also looks whether there are really damages, breach of duty or liability due to a person by a corporation from his claims.

The law prohibiting misleading or deceptive conduct is all about consumer protection. It essentially backs the old adage saying the “customer is always right”. With these laws, the consumers are always protected from different business tricks. For instance, the corporation cannot make aggressive representations on its advertisements. In countries where no such law for misleading or defective conduct, blatant advertising campaigns are considered to be acceptable forms of fraud. A company can easily say that a product can do miracles when it actually cannot and such statement is impossible.

Laws prohibiting misleading or deceptive conduct will limit such claims of a company on a product to keep expectations by consumers to be realistic. Giving the consumer the right to cry “Wolf! ” in almost every aspect of business negotiations can also considerably boost business ethics in the region. The corporations are well aware that they are the automatic suspect in any allegation and given that most of the time, they are the ones with means to perpetrate a good cover-up, they are simply forced to behave by the law. On the downside, the law against misleading or deceptive behavior is very one-sided.

The law should always be fair to everyone, as this is the statute among a nation that is being discussed. A customer, as much as the corporation, will want personal gain in the business dealing. He can easily go to any court claiming dissatisfaction to a particular service and lie outright and say that the business has perpetrated misleading conduct though the business has actually been very fair in the matter. With every consumer demanding remuneration from every imagined slight or injustice by a business organization, the courts will be swamped with complaints and cry for justice.

There are different examples of misleading or deceptive behavior: 1. “Knowingly making a false statement (The ‘Lectric Law Library)” – by knowingly making a false statement the company is already perpetrating fraud given that there is malicious intent in his statement. By knowingly making a false statement, the corporation is committing a crime against the person knowing that the person will rely on his misrepresentations, causing the person to lose something valuable in the trade and the corporation to gain. 2.

“Intentionally omitting information (The ‘Lectric Law Library)” – “What you don’t know won’t hurt you” is not something that will apply to this prohibition. The act of silence can lead to misrepresentation. Generally, by omitting material information that would greatly affect the negotiations is considered deceptive behavior. In a contract, all material aspects about the object must be disclosed, the same way all details of the tender of payment must be stated. Not disclosing the all information vital to the execution of the contract may be considered deceptive as one party may not have entered to the same contract knowing this information.

3. “Inviting reliance to an item that lacks authenticity (The ‘Lectric Law Library)” – this is another form of fraud because one of the parties sought out another with the intent to deceive. Upon discovery, the other party’s remedy is to press charges against the perpetrator. 4. “Using trick, scheme or device with the intent to mislead (The ‘Lectric Law Library) – again, given that the intent to deceive is present, this is another form of fraud that can easily be classified criminal behavior. The offended party must press charges upon discovery.

Should the intent not be present, misleading behavior is still punishable because the other party would not have entered into the agreement should the offending party not committed such act. Misleading or deceptive behavior applies to a variety of agreements. In my personal point of view, laws preventing such behavior lead to the overall credibility of the market. The market should be fair and square, in terms of competition. With this law, the competitors in the industry will be honest in terms of getting their products out in the market.

This benefits the consumers because no business will attempt to defraud them just to gain competitive advantage over another company that sell the same products or services. The consumers will have a clear-cut, unobstructed view of the products and services being offered by the different sellers and decide for themselves which they want best. Added to this, the sellers must simply devise ways on how not to mislead their consumers in thinking that what they offer is the best amongst the market. There will be clean and healthy competition within the industry.

As for being a consumer, I understand that the laws on misleading or deceptive behavior are essentially created to protect me from what was done before: ‘caveat emptor’. Today, the buyer need not beware because the sellers are being honest in their trade because the law disallows them to be otherwise. A buyer is benefitted because he gets the best value for his money and he can easily return a product that is not as the manufacturer has claimed it to be. Works cited: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

“Misleading & deceptive conduct. ” 2009. Web. 21 May 2010. <http://www. accc. gov. au/content/index. phtml/itemId/815335#h2_17> Consumer Affairs Victoria. “Guidelines on false, misleading and deceptive provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1999. ” 2005. Web. 21 May 2010. < http://www. consumer. vic. gov. au/CA256902000FE154/Lookup/CAV_Publications_Fair_Trading/$file/guidelines_misleadingdeceptive. pdf> “misleading conduct”. Definition. The ‘Lectric Law Library. n. d. Web. 21 May 2010. <http://www. lectlaw. com/def2/m033. htm>

Introduction Honesty is one of the basic principles for ethical business conduct. Gaining the trust of customers and investors is paramount in ensuring continued long term success and profits. For over ten years, Bernard Madoff created and grew one of the world’s largest Ponzi schemes known to date. He gained the trust of wealthy friends and prominent charity organizations, served on the chair of NASDAQ, and lived a lavish lifestyle all while keeping a dark secret from those who were the closest to him. Madoff’s deceit was worldwide.

Being a man of power, Madoff lured in Ponzi scheme investors all over the globe with the guise and promise of being part of an exclusive club. Regulators are now increasing testing of and instructions to financial intuitions in an effort to protect consumers from another billion dollar scheme. Issues Raised As our test book states, “When an individual engages in deceptive practices to advance his or her own interests over those of his or her organization or some other group, he is committing fraud… Fraud is any purposeful communication that deceives, manipulates, or conceals facts in order to create a false impression. (Ferrell pg. 78) There is no doubt that Madoff actively breached the trust of the companies involved in the Ponzi scheme. After his family gained awareness of his actions, Madoff admitted to his dealings and was tried and sentenced to 150 years in jail. One of the questions raised by his scheme, is did he work alone? There is proof that an accountant friend assisted, but who else looked the other way while he was pulling the wool over the eyes of millions? Who knew something was wrong, but still participated thinking they too could gain from being at the top of the scheme?

This is the promise of such schemes; those at the top get all the benefits. The estimate of losses totals over $50 billion. In order to manage that large of a sum, there would need to be a lot of paperwork somewhere, let alone, accountants and workers to control it. He couldn’t have done it without the cooperation and assistance of someone well informed who could process trades, report them and create monthly statements. Others had to help him falsify all those reports, conduct mail fraud and create multiple sets of books, while he was at country clubs attracting more investors to be at the bottom of the ladder.

However, he still claims to be the only perpetrator. Even with regulators and the SEC on the case, no one will ever know with for sure how many people actually worked for Madoff or how many investors he had or how much money he actually managed. Analysis of Regulation Since the Madoff case came into public view, a spotlight is now shining on the governing bodies of regulation. The investment world is painfully aware of what is possible when auditing regulations are negligent. Shortly after Madoff’s arrest and trial, the SEC took quick measures to ensure the safety and confidence of financial investing.

Many of the new SEC’s regulation guidelines include: Revitalizing it’s Enforcement Division, Revamping the handling of complaints and tips, Encouraging greater cooperation by ‘insiders’, Enhancing safeguards for investors’ assets, Improving risk assessment capabilities, Conducting risk-based examinations of financial firms, Improving fraud detection procedures for examiners, Recruiting staff with specialized experience, Expanding and targeting training, Improving internal controls, Advocating for a whistleblower program, Integrating broker-dealer and investment adviser examinations, Enhancing the licensing, education and oversight regime for ‘back-office’ personnel. I think one of the best things the regulating bodies can do is provide education to investors and encourage both investors and financial intuitions to demand higher standards of ethics. The SEC, and other regulators, need to stop the wait and see technique and become more proactive in their regulation tactics. I like the idea of having a better whistleblower program for anonymous complaints as well as sporadic audits and training.

Bottom line, the more people talk to and about financial practices the better. Conclusion Fraud is the opposite of being honest. As the world adapts to technology and people build relationships with their money and financial institutions, ethical problems are sure to erupt. Fraud was easy during the birth and growth period of technology and the internet, since it’s full capabilities where unknown. Bernard Madoff is not the first to use his position of power to gain the trust of the wealthy or hard working. Many still believe business is a game or war and they think each man is for himself, or no rules apply in the quest for profits and a lavish lifestyle.

Because of Madoff and his far reaching, billion dollar scheme, the times have changed and the SEC and regulating bodies are more aware than ever, of how people with knowledge can take advantage and lie to those who don’t have it. The mystery of who knew about and participated in Madoff’s scheme may never be solved, but one thing is for certain, the doors of communication must stay open between business, regulators, and consumers everywhere so we can look out for each other and hold each other accountable for unethical actions. Reference •Ferrell, O. C. , J. Fraedrich, and L. Ferrell. Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases. 9th. ed. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

In Act II Scene VI, we are exposed to seeing Malvolio in a different light. Firstly, we see he deceives himself, ultimately playing the role of the person he thinks he is capable of becoming. Then we see that Maria and her cohort are deceiving Malvolio, by playing a prank on him just so they can make a fool out of him for always being so bitter and serious; and lastly we see how they encourage this foolish act and what consequences it brings.

To begin with, we can identify that the name ‘Malvolio’ consists of two elements “Mal” and “Volio” which are Italian words, with the meaning “ill will” suggesting his disregard of others’ pleasures. I believe that Shakespeare particularly gave this character this name, as it allows us to have a greater insight of the kind of character Malvolio is from the beginning of the play.

At the beginning of Act II Scene VI we are see an intimate conversation between Sir Toby and Fabian, coming together to watch Malvolio and Maria’s prank. Sir Toby asks “Wouldst thou not be glad to have the niggardly, rascally sheep-bitter come by some notable shame? Essentially pointing out that they are pulling a prank on Malvolio and asking him if he is glad he is going to see this ‘rascal dog’ humiliated. From the very start we see a connection between deception and Malvolio, and how Sir Toby and Fabian are associated with the scheming prank as well. We also see more of Malvolio’s bitterness mentioned when Fabian tells Sir Toby, “I would exult man.

You know he brought me out o’favour with my lady about a bear-baiting here”, suggesting that he is very excited as Malvolio also told the lady of the house that he was arranging a bear-baiting once. This conversation suggests that the two other servers of the house are fed up with Malvolio’s attitude and plan to punish him in a way that will completely embarrass him. Malvolio’s attitude is fundamentally the only reason why he is connected to disguise and deception. Also, his self-loving personality convinces him he is capable of rising higher in the society, which is what leads to him playing the role of Olivia’s husband. Then later we see that his bitterness leads him into a humiliating prank pulled by Maria and the other workers of the house.

As Maria enters the scene, we discover that she’s been scheming this prank and encourages the others to go watch, as she is fully confident it will work. She informs Sir Toby and Fabian to go hide behind the box tree and, “Observe him, for the love of mockery for I know this letter will make a contemplative idiot of him.” This emphasizes how Malvolio is the central character in this scene being deceived by all the other characters. Maria also refers to Malvolio as ‘trout’ on its way to gobble up bait, “… For here comes the trout that must be caught with tickling”. This animalistic language creates a distinctive image of Malvolio. It could suggest that the bait is Olivia, and that Malvolio is so easily directed when lead by Olivia. It could also suggest that ‘tickling’ so easily catches Malvolio into complete humiliation.

Act II Scene VI provides a greater in-sight on how ‘self-loving’ Malvolio really is. In the beginning of this scene we see that Malvolio is playing a role in the same way Olivia and Orsino were earlier in the play. Therefore we can see that not only is Malvolio being deceived by others, but is also deceiving himself. Malvolio instantly exposes us to this role, saying “Maria once told me she did affect me, and I have heard herself come thus near, that should she fancy it should be one of my complexion”. This portrays Malvolio’s outspoken confidence, as he is convinced Maria would like a man like himself, although we are aware that Malvolio’s fantasy is a pose without possibility. Sir Toby who is listening over Malvolio’s conversation calling him an “overweening rogue” quickly supports this.

Malvolio then shifts to the possibility of being ‘Count Malvolio’ for which Sir Toby and Fabian believe is an unrealistic desire for a servant so bitter and low in the society, responding within themselves “Ah, rogue”. Although, Malvolio speaks of his strong belief in the possibility, referring to ‘Lady Strachy’ who married her wardrobe manager. This idea of Malvolio deceiving himself acts as entertainment for Sir Toby and Fabian who are simultaneously deceiving Malvolio. Both Sir Toby and Fabian show their great satisfaction saying “O, peace! Now he’s deeply in. Look how imagination blows him” which once again reinforces how unrealistic Malvolio is and how he is playing a role.

Shakespeare shows that while Malvolio continues to imagine a marriage with Olivia, Sir Toby and Fabian continuously interrupt this image with their opposing comments such as “Fire and brimstone” and “O, peace, peace!” implying that they aren’t taking this seriously because Malvolio is on his high horse.

Furthermore, we see that Malvolio is also deceived by the ‘letter’ that is supposedly written by Olivia, however is a prank planned by Maria. The clash between Malvolio and the remaining characters is the central motivation for the prank. From the previous scene, we see that Malvolio breaks up their party, although it does not seem to be Malvolio’s fault considering they were being rather disrespectful. This is what provokes Maria and her cohort into scheming revenge against Malvolio. As Twelfth night is a play that celebrates chaos, Malvolio doesn’t reflect this idea but presents himself as the puritanical, self-loving, pleasure-hating character which strongly contrasts against the alcohol-loving, pleasure-loving characters of Maria and her cohort.

Following this role of being Olivia’s husband, Malvolio finds the letter written by Maria, which matches exactly what he’s been doing. Personally I believe the irony of finding the letter after being lost in the illusion of being Count Malvolio is what makes Malvolio believe the letter is for him. This is the last aspect of deception that connects to Malvolio in Act II Scene VI. While Malvolio is sure that “This is my lady’s hand” mentioning “…these be her very c’s, her u’s and her t’s,..” Sir Andrew mocks Malvolio for what he is actually saying, almost in disbelief that he can be so easily deceived. He somehow finds a link between “M.O.A.I….” by saying that “M” is for Malvolio, concluding that the letter was meant for him. However as Malvolio reads on we see the letter is handing him exactly what he was imagining before, as Malvolio believes its from Olivia saying, “By my birth I rank above you, but don’t be afraid of my greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them” which again encourages Malvolio into believing the possibility of being Count Malvolio.

The letter specifically asks Malvolio to do everything he wouldn’t usually do, therefore it can be viewed as a disguise. Malvolio therefore disguises himself under the ‘desired’ appearance and personality Olivia tells him of in the letter, which easily convinces Malvolio that this will lead him to his desires.

Focusing specifically on the letter, it tells Malvolio to be rude, to talk about politics and act free and independent, to also wear yellow stockings and crisscrossing laces up his legs, and to remember that a happy life is waiting for him, and if he doesn’t want it he should act like his old bitter self. Although this letter is deceiving Malvolio, its also Malvolio’s connection to disguise, as he begins to follow what the letter orders to please Olivia and because this isn’t the norm for Malvolio it can be interpreted as a form of disguise.

Maria’s prank works because it plays off of Malvolio’s weaknesses, which is his self regard, his wish for a higher social rank and his delusions that Olivia might actually feel something for him. All of this is meant to teach Malvolio a lesson, and perhaps punish him for his bitterness and self-pride. It should outline his foolishness for even falling into the prank and potentially highlight to Malvolio some of his faults. Disguise and deception are closely linked in this scene, as one follows the other.

‘Bliss’ and ‘The Little Governess’ are two short stories written by Katherine Mansfield at the time of World War 1 (1914-18). They were taken from the book ‘Bliss And Other Stories’ and both depict young woman, one single and one married, who are victims of deception. Both characters in these two stories believe themselves to be safe. In Bliss Bertha accounts her happiness to the fact that she ‘doesn’t have to worry about money’; she believes that being financially stable is happiness. She has ‘modern, thrilling friends’ but she treats them as material possessions. In this way Katherine Mansfield presents happiness as superficial.

Bertha believes that having a cosy family life, and being respected in social circles promotes a sense of security. She has the protection of a good husband, and a ‘satisfactory house and garden’. However, this is all self-deception, as it does not make her safe. On the contrary, her happiness blinds her, and makes her naive. She has no inkling of the fact that her husband is having an affair. In ‘The Little Governess’ she feels safe with the old man, and with this security she feels ‘frightfully happy’. But her perception of happiness is different to what the reader sees.

A flush licked the old man’s cheeks; the old man’s perception of her is very different to hers of him. Her happiness makes her vulnerable, and completely innocent of the old man’s sexual agenda. This state of happiness that Bertha and The Little Governess enjoy is still real, even if it turns out to have blinded them both from reality. Katherine Mansfield suggests in both stories that innocence is bliss. Because they are ignorant of the truth does not make it necessarily unreal bliss. The fact that Bertha and the Little Governess discover that they have been horribly misled does not cancel out the happiness that they felt earlier.

Bertha feels sexual excitement, which is stimulated by Miss Fulton’s ‘touch of that cool arm’. Sexual feelings are uncorked and she describes it as a ‘fire of bliss’. This bliss that Bertha feels is strong, as she is innocent of what lies ahead of her. Therefore the deception does not take away the experience of the happiness, but destroy her innocence. But deception can ruin future happiness as with ‘The Little Governess’; she can never again feel happiness towards an old person, therefore with the benefit of experience she realizes her past happiness was false.

So happiness for her does exist, but it is transient, it cannot last forever. At the time in which ‘Bliss and Other Stories’ was published, there was no substantial schooling available to women, and they often lead sheltered lives. This meant that women were dangerously ignorant of the ways of the world. In the Little Governess, the lady at the Governess Bureau understands this and advises her to be a ‘woman of the world’, and that it’s ‘better to mistrust people’. This shows that young women were not educated about the ways in which a woman should act, and were thoroughly naive about people’s thoughts and deeper intentions.

In ‘Bliss’ Bertha does not know what to do when she discovers that her husband is having an affair. ‘Oh what is going to happen now? ‘ she cries at the end of this powerful story. She feels paralysed. Although she describes her husband’s smile as a ‘hideous grin’, which implies something ugly and unchaste, she does feels reproach towards Harry for his infidelity. However she cannot express any feelings of anger, but only complete confusion and shock. She is ignorant of what to do in this situation, and she is fearful of causing a scandal. Bertha is not the one in control.

Whilst she is perplexed and vulnerable, her husband is ‘extravagantly cool and collected’. Though in ‘Bliss’ Bertha describes some things in her life as ‘material’ or ‘superficial’ happiness, (perfect house, friends husband etc. ) she also feels a deep seated, unexplained impulse of happiness at the core of her being. However, there are also constricting views in society that cause her to feel anger that she cannot express fully. She cannot stand still and ‘laugh at nothing- at nothing simply’ for fear of being thought ‘drunk and disorderly’ which dents her happiness slightly.

She says: ‘how idiotic civilization is! ‘ and feels that it is like a straight jacket constricting her and preventing her from experiencing her happiness more fully. Bertha cannot really let go, and tries to conceal her bliss by resorting to a more conventional prose when talking to a servant. Later she ‘throws off her coat’ revelling in her euphoria. Bertha’s happiness seems to be completely uncontrollable, she describes it ‘like a fire’ and has ‘fear for fanning it higher’ which implies that it could lead to some kind of chaos.

Bertha looks in the mirror and sees herself with ‘big dark eyes’, which implies her sexual excitement, as her pupils expand. Katherine Mansfield promotes this sense of oppressed sexual feelings by describing fruit with ‘smooth’ skin and ‘stained pink’; which gives a sense of erotic colours and enriched senses. Later she thinks she is ‘getting hysterical’ which hints at Freudian ideas of ‘sexual oppression’, which were popular at the time. Bertha has not recently enjoyed sex with her husband, and has probably never had pre-marital sex, which is another way in which Katherine Mansfield explores happiness, with ‘sex as bliss’.

Bertha also obtains sensual pleasure from hugging her child. She describes physical happiness in her ‘exquisite toes’ and her ‘neck as she bent forward’. Which illustrates Bertha’s want of sensual pleasure. It is telling that when Bertha is hugging a simply mundane object like a cushion ‘passionately, passionately’ it seems to enlarge the sexual and sensual happiness that she is feeling and ‘fans the fire in her bosom’. It is ironic that the first time Bertha Young desires her husband she cannot have him because of his affair with Pearl Fulton.

This powerful force, which whispers ‘blind and smiling’ in her ear, makes her more vulnerable as she desires him. She wonders if this feeling of bliss ‘had been leading up to’ desiring her husband for the first time. Here Katherine Mansfield attributes some of the bliss Bertha is feeling to sex. Another story by Katherine Mansfield called ‘Pictures’ depicts a single woman struggling to find a job to support her, and using happiness as a kind of professional tool for keeping reality at bay. Miss Ada Moss is constantly fantasising in order to keep hopelessness and desperation from taking over.

Even though her life is falling apart she still answers people in her ‘cheerful way’ in order not to draw attention to herself and to keep up appearances. Her greatest fear perhaps, is to be found out to be desperate, and the only way to prevent this is to pretend to everyone and to herself that nothing is wrong. Katherine Mansfield uses different styles of writing in her stories in order to convey a sense of happiness to the reader. She vividly describes ordinary things extra ordinarily like the recurring image of the pear tree so that they become metaphors.

She also uses a simile to describe the pear tree’s ‘flowering beauty’ ‘like the flame of a candle’. She goes on to imply that the pear tree is becoming Bertha, by ‘dropping in silver flowers’ from her ‘hair and hands’; which makes this happiness seem like ‘blissful treasure’ dropping heavily from Bertha. The last line of ‘Bliss’ again returns to this image of the pear tree, and describes it as ‘just as lovely as ever’; which seems a revelation, that with Pearl Fulton, Harry and Bertha’s lives being entangled and confused, the tree still remains.

Bertha’s life is shattered but the tree is still there, the same as ever. Katherine Mansfield also uses slightly unexpected verbs like ‘the blush licked the old man’s cheek’ (from ‘The Little Governess’), in order to let the reader have a small insight into what the characters true agendas’ really are. She also uses the Pathetic Fallacy to reflect the character’s inner happiness, as in ‘The Little Governess’ the ‘pink clouds in the sky’. Overall Katherine Mansfield represents happiness in a number of different ways.

Through material happiness in ‘Bliss’, to innocent and naive happiness in ‘the Little Governess’. Through fantasising happiness in ‘Pictures’ to sexual or sensual oppression, and sex as happiness in ‘Bliss’. Katherine Mansfield portrays happiness as not false, but as transient. In all three of her stories the character’s happiness is slowly or suddenly crushed by outside interference. Bertha and the Little Governess believe that their happiness will last forever. They are both naive, sadly mistaken, and have to learn that perfect happiness does not exist and cannot last forever.

Throughout the works of Shakespeare, tragedy has always been a vital foundation and a key to his immense successes. His fine mastery of the art became legendary amongst the audiences that watched his various plays. Romeo and Juliet is a prime example of the tragedy he could combine into a stage performance. An Irish poet named Oscar Wilde who was a novelist, dramatist and critic in the late eighteen hundreds once wrote, “There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it. This has an exact correlation to the play Julius Caesar where the tragedy lies in the greed of a man who wants too much. This particular play is based entirely upon dreadful choices leading to demise. The character Brutus in particular is a key personality to the structure of the play in his fall from honour. Being a man of utmost glory and loyalty becomes his biggest weakness. In Act 1 Scene 2 we are presented with the pressure that Cassius weighs upon Brutus’ mind. In lines 79-80 the truth of Brutus’ troubles become clear.

In the heat of conversation he says “What means this shouting? I do fear the people choose Caesar for their king”. This is the turning point in the play as the stepping stones begin to fall in place and Brutus reveals to the viewers his deep down uncertainty to the decision of Caesar being crowned emperor. Cassius is a very influential force in the corruption of Brutus. The real change of heart for Brutus arrives in Act 2 Scene 1 when he receives the letter (lines 46-47). The play begins to see him question his values and reasons.

The true torment of all he has lived for, the honour he based his life upon becomes clear and treachery looms close by. Though the letter is simple and only two lines, it sparks the questions needed to be raised in order to get beneath the unwavering loyalties that he is shown to carry. In the lines that read, “Brutus, thou sleep’st: awake’. Such instigations have often been dropp’d where I have took them up” (lines 48-49), and, “Shall Rome stand under one man’s awe? What Rome? ” (line 52), it is apparent that the few words the letter carried have created doubt in Brutus’ mind.

The fact that Brutus is so appealing to the audience is a mixture of emotions stirred within each person watching the play. It is comprehendible and probable that Shakespeare’s ambition was to connect this character to the everyday temptations and conscientious objecting that every person goes through. Although this has been extremely dramatised, people can familiarise with Brutus’ predicament as they have at least once in their lives faced a temptation for which they have most probably given in to.

In Act 1 Scene 2, lines 82-89 it provides the loose fibre in the strength of Brutus’ loyalty, but also shows the torment inside of this character facing the brutal reality of his own thoughts and feelings, a classic example being, “I would not, Cassius; yet I love him well”. It presents the fractured reasoning of the human mind; the inability to come to a threatening conclusion against all that has been previously believed, a sympathy that everyone has subconsciously acquired through a relation to their own similar experiences. The flaw in the character of Brutus is his own deep thirst for honour.

Though this is important in order for the play’s theme to coincide with the historical Roman context, it is also a weakness inside the characters personality that was intentionally added to bring the play to a rise in calamity. The character Cassius uses this weakness to an advantage. The deceitful cunning that the he possesses alone pushes Brutus into seeing a whole different side to his own glory. He begins to build a frame for his motives and starts to press upon himself a false story of the higher nobility. This is entirely proven in the eulogy he gives at Caesar’s funeral.

He speaks of himself in such a manner that he even fools himself into believing he’s done nothing wrong, specifically shown in Act 3 Scene 2, lines 20-28 where it says, “If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more”. This signifies the fact that Brutus is completely tricked into thinking he did the right thing. Although being far more intelligent than to believe that Cassius is truly trying to bring Rome to justice, he starts to consider the possibility that the treacherous character may have a point.

Once again Act 2 Scene 1, line 52 comes into play where he sees a different light on Caesar. Instead of seeing him as a proud but honest ruler, he looks upon him with the eye of Cassius and sees an over ambitious ruler with a hunger for power. This weakness was a calculated imperfection on the part of Shakespeare. It is evident that his goal was to produce the suitable factor to manipulate in order to make tragic hero and effectively utilise that status to get the audiences emotionally involved in the play.

To finalise Brutus’ “tragic hero” status, the last component was to have the character die a dramatic death. As most people in Shakespeare’s lifetime where in the age where they began to appreciate the lifestyles and arts of Ancient Rome, they were well aware of the battle standards and were all to familiar with the classic death on the battle field when a soldier lost his honour. So it was only justice to have Brutus follow the same fate at the end of the play in order to hit home on the audiences’ interests.

The clarity of Brutus’ misconduct becomes obvious to him when he sees the blood spilt on his behalf and realises the end is near, presented in Act 5 Scene 5, lines 1-51, especially in the line where it says, “Sit thee down, Clitus. Slaying is the word; it is a deed in fashion. Hark thee, Clitus. ” (lines 4-5). With this consequence, the audience will be in a deep sympathy because by this stage they have grown to like this character and feel sorry for his poor decisions if Shakespeare’s methods are convincing and will be enthralled in the drama of his exit, admiring the characters honour even after his descent from valour.

In conclusion, the character Brutus is shown as a tragic hero due to a range of reasons. If Shakespeare’s in depth and intelligent understanding of sympathy and personal familiarities wasn’t shown through the play then the audience would not feel the same emotions and therefore would not have experienced the sorrows or have empathized with Brutus’ predicaments that he got himself into.

Shakespeare plays on the audience’s personal tragedies and faults by adding a character mislead by treachery and blinded with the pursuit of an honour that was false from the start. If the audience was not moved by the play, then the character would become wooden and the effect would be obsolete. Brutus’ human faults of being vulnerable to deceit and cunning are what make this character so lifelike. The tragedy of this deluded character killing himself at the end of a series of bad consequences brought forth by deception is what makes him such a ‘tragic hero’.

1. The original Macbeth takes place in the 11th century Scotland, while Scotland, PA takes place in the American 1970s. Thousands of historical events and many generations set these two time periods apart. Yet, while the time p seems immense, noting really changed in human nature. People undoubtedly were and remain social creatures who intensively struggle for their rights, and, in extreme circumstances, power.

Of course the setting of Medieval Scotland and modern America contrast each other, but what doesn’t change is the characters’ drive. Both in the play and in the movie, Macbeth wants recognition and rewards for his work, whether it will be a throne or a boss chair. Macbeth and his lady want to emancipate themselves from subjection and be the ones to take control. Thus the issues of social struggles are visible throughout both versions. Another human quality revealed is the abuse of power. In the original Macbeth, the lovers become absolute, despotic rulers of Scotland.

They throw feasts, rejoice in their glory, and, unfortunately, often forget about their subjects. Although the film couple does not obtain this much control, its excessive pride does shine through. Pat used to complain about her boss, but once she herself took the position, she didn’t change any of the things she disliked not so long ago. She couldn’t remember an employee’s name, annoyingly calling him ‘Richard,’ and wore beautiful clothing, while the employees wore ugly, orange uniforms. Additionally, in both versions, Macbeth falls under pressure. In persuading her husband, Lady Macbeth uses her eloquence to achieve her greedy means, while Bet cunningly employs her charming looks. Macbeth also lets the witches/hippies guide him, albeit he suspects that they aren’t the best advisors.

It must be admitted that Scotland, PA did lose some of Macbeth’s themes by switching the time setting. For instance, there are no battles between Norway and Scotland, no problems with the tyrannical ruler, no loss of followers, and no strong social dissatisfaction. However, the unrest and struggle between the subjects and the state can still be observed, only in the form of the workers versus the Duncan’s restaurant. It can even be argued that the narrowing of the population circle serves well, because the struggles of the workers are easier to follow.

2. Macbeth is a noble work of literature that for many centuries was accessible only to the elite or educated people. By adapting the play into a film that contains things familiar to everyone, the creators of the film gain a larger audience. Now, the viewers don’t have to relate the events to history or have any background information on the beliefs of the age. Keeping the work up to date also makes it easier for the audience to relate to it, while the themes of revenge, manipulation, guilt, and fate are well preserved.

Additionally, for people who are familiar with the actual play the movie is particularly interesting. It is entertaining to parallel the events of the play with those on the screen. On the one hand, some details are cut out or diminished. For instance, instead of the commander’s acclaim of Macbeth’s performance on the frontline, the viewers see a scene in which Joe throws two troublemakers out of the restaurant. On the other hand, some events are completely new to the plot. For instance, the play avoids the actual killing of Duncan, while the film clearly shows how he gets boiled. If in the play the murder was intentional, in the movie the murder is shown as a result of Macbeth’s carelessness. Other events are interwoven strictly with the original plot. For instance, Pat’s guilt manifests itself as a burn that cannot heal, and the viewer immediately recalls Lady Macbeth’s famous sleepwalking. The alterations in the plot somewhat dilute Shakespeare’s tragedy, but yet keep it recognizable.

Of course the “descending” of Macbeth to such level is open to criticism. For instance, conformists and lovers of classics would argue against such a rebuilding of Shakespeare’s work. They might view the cutting out of important scenes and Shakespearean language and addition of too many kisses and curses as a bad reflection of modern culture. Also, if in the play there are slight hints on Macbeth’s intellectual level, in the play he is openly displayed as a dummy. I would also agree that this is a wrong interpretation of his character, that doesn’t look in the depth of him inner conflict. From my own standpoint, I would say that it has to be kept in mind how much time passed between the two versions. I would appreciate the way this film finds an inventive approach and risks standing out from the rest of the interpretations.

3. Scotland, PA completely revolutionizes the play by turning it from a tragedy into a comedy, and thus missing some of the play’s serious issues. The film is also visibly low budgeted and should probably be viewed as an experiment. Nonetheless, through comical approach the film serves a purpose of social criticism. Morrissette satirically comments on fast-food, small towns, and culture of the 1970s. The viewer recognizes the people, the shops, the cars, and many other aspects of the 70s, but this recognition comes through a new light. By watching the events unfold from a side, the viewer sees how the lack of opportunities in the 70s created the most appropriate atmosphere for greed, lust, and dishonestly to proliferate. Since the film is an overall comment on human greed and desire for leadership, it can be viewed as a subliminal message about , who covered up the Watergate break-in that led to his resignation.

However, from a positive side, the viewer gets acquainted with the goodness of the age. For instance, the witty slang of 70’s Middle America, the clothing, and the sneaky fellows introduce the culture of the time. Also, the soundtracks play the Bad Company’s songs, which were extremely moving and valuable to the youth of the 70s. The youth itself is very well portrayed with Malcolm as a rock ‘n’ roller, and Donald an enigmatic gay teenager. The progress and innovation are also showed in how Macbeth invented the “drive-thru” in the restaurant. This is the time when some of the major corporations begin to arise and attract customers. For example, in the matter of a few weeks after it underwent the renovations, the restaurant skyrocked in its popularity.

4. Many students have trouble following the events in Macbeth and interpreting Shakespeare’s complex language. The dark comedy Scotland, PA relates the story in an understandable manner, but spares students of the real Shakespearean classic. The adaptation is oversaturated with its own whimsy, which obliterates most of the drama in the play. Shakespeare’s dictions, allusions, and symbols, which are essential to the play, are completely obliterated. Instead, the addition of the references to the 1970s forces one to view the play as “American-made.” By over-simplifying the play and giving it new cultural references, the creators leave only superficial plot references to the tragedy. Thus the highly intellectual ideas that Shakespeare incorporated in his work are lost along the way.

Very clever writing and great casting make this a comedy that is fun to watch even if one is not familiar with the source material. However, the adaptation can supplement the understanding of the play, but absolutely cannot take its place in the school’s curriculum. The witches as three hippies, Duncan as a hamburger joint owner, Banqo as a hamburger seller, and Macbeth and his wife as self-advantageous couple undoubtedly may help the youth to perceive the characters’ relationships. However, their original connections and motivations are not demonstrated in-depth. For example, the desire to become a King is much more powerful than desire to become a restaurant’s owner. Similarly, predictions given by supernatural beings are much more convincing than those given by the three hippies on marijuana. Thus the power Shakespeare invested in his play is indeed undervalued and “dumbed-down.”

5. It sure was an original decision to give Macbeth a new birth by bringing it into the American 1970s. Although low-budgeted, the film literally re-builds the 1970s. This is partly achieved through shooting the film in a Canadian suburb that resembles the 1970s’ streets. The shooting in the Nova Scotia, whether planned or serendipitous, adds a nice touch to the film production and even more unexpected irony to the modern interpretation of Macbeth.

The switch of the settings may seem dramatic, but the Moorissette’s underlying message is that human nature applies to every historical period and section of society. One can be a dignified man in 11th century Scotland, a homeless guy in American 1970s, or any other person in any other place and time, but the humiliation and power games will always exist. The adaptation proves that although Shakespearean epoch passed, his work is still appreciated in America.

6. On the one hand, Macbeth has always been considered one of the literary world’s most celebrated tragedies. It is possibly the darkest and most gruesome of Shakespeare’s plays. Scotland, PA steals all of the play’s seriousness by turning it into something sloppily simple and funny. If the original version centered on characters’ development, the reworking was unable to create characters of even the slightest interest and fully show how they change after their gruesome actions. The result is a lifeless film, which is only saved by its setting and soundtracks. The film will most likely be enjoyed by someone who knows absolutely nothing about Shakespeare, because those who know the original work would view Scotland, PA as a silly parody. Also, although much gets cut out, the added details get unnecessarily overcomplicated and the film gets unexciting.

On the other hand, Scotland, PA stays on the task. It has many parallels with Macbeth and enhances some of its themes. Major themes from the original work: revenge, guilt, self-doubt, fate, and prophecy still exist in this manipulated adaptation, even in a new light. These themes are revealed straightforward through peculiar, funny, and incredibly well-conceived approach. The adaptation is also educational, for it shows an interesting piece of American history. For teenagers like me, the setting in the 1970s is very exciting to see because this is the time of our parents’ youth. So looking at contrasting young characters – bold, rebellious Malcolm and gentle Donald – it is interesting to think about to which extreme our parents appealed. Also, the portrayal of vegetarian lieutenant McDuff and suspicious Banconi captivate the reader. Actors who played these two characters, in my opinion, showed the best effort and understanding of the actual characters in Macbeth.

With both its drawbacks and its wonderful additions, Scotland, PA causes a lot of mirth and leaves the viewers with positive impressions.

Insights into Indian English Fiction and Drama Edited by Capt. Dr. Arvind M. Nawale Access -An Academic Consortium Publication ISBN No. 978-81-921254-3-5 Aspects of Campus Novel in Makarand Paranjape’s The Narrator: A Novel Shridevi P. G. The Narrator: A Novel is the well-known critic Makarand Paranjape’s debut novel, published in 1995. It is a mishmash of several stories woven together and presented to us from view-points of several writer-narrators or character- narrators.

This novel has attracted considerable interest in the academicians because of the unique narratology of the novel which is different from the rest of the Indian novels written in English. The novel is experimental, and breaks away from the conventional methods of story-telling used in Indian English Fiction. Throughout the narrative, the readers notice that there is little attempt to create an illusion of realism or naturalism. 1 With the use of multivoiced and polyphonic narration, as in the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata, the writer tries to relocate himself with the ancient Indian tradition of the narratology. The story of the novel can be divided into three main threads: The first is the story of Rahul Patwardhan, lecturer in English at Asafia University, Hyderabad who is suffering from creative schizophrenia since his childhood and, in the process has a libidinal alter ego, Baddy. The second is the story of Badrinath Dhanda, who comes out of Rahul through emanation. The final thread is that of the movie script, Manpasand. Campus novel is a kind of novel which originated in the West but is emerging as a very prominent sub-genre in Indian English Fiction.

As David Lodge, a well-known practitioner of this sub-genre opines, Campus Novel is mainly concerned with the lives of University professors and junior teachers. 3 The present paper attempts to explore the aspects of campus novel in this novel. The novel centers around Rahul Patwardhan who is a lecturer in English at the Asafia University, Hyderabad. His reputation as a lecturer is displayed when he meets his Head of the Department in the novel. The Head of the Department does not doubt him when he lies; asking for leave for four days on the pretext of illness and reading accepts it.

This is because, this type of aberration was a recent development in Rahul’s character, and is therefore unknown to the Head of Department. The author presents the characteristics of a good lecturer through Rahul Patwardhan’s character. He is responsible about his duties as a lecturer: …. tomorrow was Monday. I had to teach. It was the beginning of a new week. I couldn’t afford to have a very late night today. But meeting him tomorrow would screw up Tuesday’s schedule. [TNAN 67] His anxiety to complete the syllabus is also depicted in the novel.

He abstains from listening to the gory details of incest when Badrinath is narrating his story. When Badri goes on describing how the ugly women are better partners then the beautiful ones, Rahul is unable to contribute his view as he is a loyal husband to Neha and thus had slept only with her. It is the curiosity generated in him by his literary sensibility or on humanitarian inclination that he expresses his wish of meeting prostitutes. He thinks, What were these women like? What did they feel? What was the meaning of their lives………I was interested in getting to see them at close quarters.

I told myself I didn’t want the sex, but only the experience of meeting a prostitute, of talking to her, getting to know her. [ TNAN 168] Rahul immediately revolts at Badri’s mention of co-habition with college girls. “For heaven’s sake, Badri, I teach them myself”. “You never know”, he continued, “you may even meet one of your students! ” “Please, Badri, stop it”. [TNAN 168] This conversation indicates Rahul’s strong professional ethics. He has also followed certain principles in life which are unfortunately jettisoned after his acquaintance with Badri.

He leaves a lot of food on his table, much against his principle of not wasting food He starts lying and finds people believing it easily He consumes beer He cohabits with a prostitute. This shows that he had been morally corrupted to a certain extent. This task of corrupting Rahul had been attempted several times by Baddy but all of them had been found fruitless. But years later Badri proves successful in this. The Novel sketches Rahul’s academic progress and his strict regimen for his Ph. D. , degree quite conspicuously. He would religiously enter the library every morning and work till the evening, often skipping his lunch.

Sometimes, I wondered if I would ever get out of the library alive. I mean, I was losing all sense of time. I thought to myself that one day they would find my bones in the musty corridors, resting somewhere among the shelves full of books. [TNAN 75] He describes his guide as a ‘cool guy’ whose motto was “Do what you like, but show me the final draft within five years”. [TNAN 75] The under note of sarcasm does not go unnoticed in this line which highlights the negligence or failure of some guides to train their research scholars. The procedure of Ph. D. degree is also briefly explained.

He says, “My five years in Hyderabad passed. I submitted my thesis in October 1986; the viva was held next year in April”. [TNAN 75] The whole description of this kind reminds one of Saros Cowasjee’s novel Goodbye to Elsa where similar kind of description of the research methodology is found. Rahul also writes an introductory guide to fiction entitled “Indian English Fiction – Theory and Practice” the first 500 copies of which are sold out in six months and it then goes into second edition. The relation between colleagues also forms an important aspect of the campus.

Here this is displayed through Rahul’s relationship with Raghavan. Their addressing each other with abusive words indicates their intimacy. Both were doing doctoral research. Though Rahul is younger of the two, he had got the job before Raghavan and thus was technically senior to him and which made Raghavan grumble. “We were, in a sense, rivals, but had never stopped being friends”. [TNAN 148] One interesting point found here is the absence of professional jealousy which is very common among colleagues and which is found in most of the campus novels like M.

K. Naik’s Corridors of Knowledge, Ranga Rao’s The Drunk Tantra, Rita Joshi’s The Awakening –A Novella in Rhyme. Students are the inevitable and the most significant aspect of campus novels. Even in this novel, the behavior and misadventures of students are pictured in an amiable way. Rahul presents two sets of students – his classmates when he was studying and his students, after he becomes a lecturer. Rahul joins Tambaram College, which had a history of 150 years but had become a semiwild campus with the kind of behavior of the students.

Music and drugs were the two things which dominated the college. “Bunking classes, acting wild, breaking rules, and doing the unconventional thing were considered hip. There was nothing worse than being a good boy; it was the most despicable way to live”. [ TNAN 55-56] The students think of themselves as the lost generation, India’s equivalent of the hippies. The senior students spent most of their time smoking and listening to music. The mention of a ‘drunken brawl’ among students is made in such a way that it is not very uncommon in colleges. In one such quarrel a student was stabbed.

An instance of suicide committed by a student is also pictured. He had consumed downers and jumped off the top floor of the International Students’ Hostel because he had stolen a large sum of money from one of his friends and had blown it all on drugs. With these instances the novelist seems to be indicating the lack of discipline and control among the students. The novelist then describes the drinking bouts of the students and the way they acquired booze. The first of the two ways of getting booze was through someone in the Air Force Station which was quite near the college.

When this became much difficult by the Commanding Officer’s instructions, the students were left with the second and the more strenuous way. The students would travel five long hours to Pondicherry and would lounge about the beaches the whole day, drinking and chattering continuously on all sorts of topics. They would then take the night bus back with one or two bottles of rum with them. They would try to trick the cops by using a very cheap bag and keeping it away from themselves. So that even in a surprise check they wouldn’t get caught.

And if by chance they get caught redhanded, they would simply give it away to the cop so that he would let them go. The students did not even hesitate to start ‘visiting’- a word used by the author for visiting a prostitute. And they were available right outside the college gates after dark. About affairs, the writer says that only rich guys could afford them by giving expensive gifts to the ‘chicks’ from the women’s college. Love affairs are an indispensable aspect of the campus and so forms one of the aspects of campus novel. But most of the campus novels exhibit a very frank treatment of sex. few examples are- Saros Cowasjee’s Goodbye to Elsa, K. M. Trishanku’s Onion Peel, Rani Dharker’s The Virgin Syndrome, etc. The Narrator also depicts sex quite freely. The novel abounds in extramarital relationships, child abuse, incest, sodomy, mental adultery, voluptuousness and pure love. Rahul’s students are brought in only in one scene but this one episode reveals a lot about the students of the present generation. When Rahul enters 15 minutes late to the class, giving the reason that he had a late night, some students titter taking his words as an indication of a private encounter.

Many students had left for coffee not to return to the class. Their lack of patience and audacity is expressed in the words-“Oh Sir, they went of for coffee when you didn’t show up until ten-fifteen”. [TNAN 96] and today’s teachers also seem to accept this kind of behavior. The novel can also be considered Crit-Fiction. “Crit-Fiction” is a kind of novel which is written by a lecturer or a professor. In the recent years many professors have started writing novels. A few examples of such Indian writers are Manju Kapoor, M. K. Naik, Amitav Ghosh, Anita Desai, Meena Alexander and others.

As Elaine Showalter puts it, the novelist before writing his novel should create or imagine a world which has some kind of logical relation to the real world, within which he can explore the themes that interest him through the narrative. The university or college provides such a world ready-made – a small world which is a kind of microcosm of the larger world. An author’s writing will be realistic if it is inspired by his experience. The author Makarand Paranjape has been able to write about the campus so lucidly because he was a professor and has the first-hand information about the aspects of campus.

It is quite interesting that in the novel The Narrator, the protagonist, Rahul Patwardhan is also a lecturer and he too is a writer. Finally one cannot afford to overlook the very unique and exalting theme of the novel which is the difficulty of writing a work of art. Rahul had such an extensive knowledge about the narratology or the art of the narrative, that he had become an inhibiting influence on Baddy, the other half of his split personality, as he shot down Baddy’s attempts of writing narratives. I knew too bloody much about the theory to let even my imagination do the actual writing. TNAN 75] He discusses his difficulty with Dr. Jenny O’Sullivan, a visiting British Council scholar, who had come to visit Hyderabad, researching on a book to be set in India. I am too critical; I cannot get to put pen to paper without scratching out what I’ve written. [TNAN 258] By O’Sullivan’s suggestion, he finds out the solution: Every attempt at creation is founded upon a similar act of deconstruction. Writing, thus, is a cruel activity. ……Before one writes one had to give birth to a writing self.

This is the self which will then invent characters, situations, and themes. [ TNAN 269] The novel The Narrator: A Novel has many aspects of campus novel in it like the kind of life lead by a lecturer, his loyalty and involvement in his academic pursuits, his struggle to produce substantial literary works, his relations with his colleagues and students; the behavior of the students, their misadventures; the lavish lifestyles of students who are not disciplined either by the parents or the authorities in the college, their love affairs etc. re delineated in a very conducive way. The protagonist’s views both as a student and then as a lecturer are involved in the novel. Makarand Paranjape has been able to throw sufficient light on all these aspects of campus life as he has been a professor and very well-acquainted with the campus. So with the points discussed so far, The Narrator: A Novel can be considered a campus novel. Works Cited 1.

Rahul Chaturvedi, “Self as Narrative in The Narrator: A Novel: A Narratological Perspective”, The Criterion: An International Journal in English, ISSN 0976-8165 Vol. II. -Issue 1, 2011. 2. http://www. makarand. com/reviews/ReviewsofTheNarrator. html. 3. http://is. muni. cz/th/66512/ff_b/Bakalarska_prace_24. 4. 2006. doc 4. Makarand Paranjape, The Narrator: A Novel, (New Delhi: Rupa & Co. 1995), Hereafter cited as TNAN with page nos. in parentheses. 5. Showalter, Elaine- Faculty Towers: The Academic Novel and its Discontents; Oxford University Press, 2005.