The Janissaries from the Ottoman Empire Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Janissaries from the Ottoman Empire - Essay Example The head of the Ottoman Empire was the Sultan and he was vested with powers that were absolute, though with the understanding that he ruled with the expectation of being just. This concept is the foundation of much Middle Eastern thought, reinforced by Islamic tenets of fairness. Both Turkish and Persian traditions bequeathed the Sultan with the role of the protectorate of the rights enjoyed by all citizens, with a special focus on those at the bottom of the class system. Because of this, the Sultan received his authority in the belief that it was the only way to ensure that corruption could be avoided (Hooker 1996). This fidelity to both the authority and fairness to the Sultan was a key element in the evolution of the Janissaries. A significant portion of the training of Janissaries involved indoctrinating them to believe they were a family and the Sultan was their father. Until the late 1380s, Janissaries consisted prisoners and slaves. Sultan Selim I transformed the conscription by filling their ranks with non-Muslim youths. The training was highly disciplined that obeyed Islamic laws such as celibacy and not being allowed to wear beards (Greene). The Janissaries were an essential element of the Ottoman Empire throughout its major wars and battles from the 1453 capture of Constantinople to the wars against the Austrian-Hungarian Empire several centuries later. In the beginning it was the Sultan himself who very often led his Janissary troops into battle. As they began to assert their dominance in battle, their reputation and favor increased, along with the desire of many to join them. While this was an advantage in the arena of recruitment, it also quickly proved to be something less then desirable to the Sultan and his political advisors. The Janissaries slowly began to realize that their reputation could bring them an even better life, as well as more power. Over the course of the next few centuries there the evolution of the Ottoman Empire was marked by a series of uprisings and revolts that all served to increase the power of the Janissaries. The first revolt by the Janissaries did not take place until 1449 when they demanded better pay. The success of this revolt doubtlessly set the stage for future revolutions. In fact, this rebellion created the precedent whereby each new Sultan was expected not only to extend a reward to each Janissary, but also to raise pay. A later insurrection in the 16th century resulted in Sultan Selim II bestowing permission for Janissaries to marry. The Janissaries had achieved such a position of power by the 1700s that entire Ottoman bureaucracy was dictated by their desires. Any mutiny by the corps could result in a change of political policy. Coups directed by Janissaries had the effect of replacing Sultans who were not specifically sensitive to their demands. A key, and ultimately fatal, mistake by the Janissaries was moving to block modernization of the military in an effort to hold onto their own power (Gerolymatos 152). In 1807 a Janissary revolt deposed Sultan Selim III, who had tried to modernize the army along Western European lines. His supporters failed to recapture power before Mustafa IV had him killed, but elevated Mahmud II to the throne in 1808. When the Janissaries threatened to oust Mahmud, he followed suit and had the captured Mustafa executed and

As I Lay Dying: Styles Used By William Faulkner :: essays research papers

As I Lay Dying: Styles Used By William Faulkner -Darl's Section (p.128) Most authors have certain styles that result in bringing across certain ideas. In As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner uses a subtle and discreet narrative manner to bring forth important pieces of information that adds to the story, and important themes. In one of the chapters narrated by Darl, this is shown very well In this chapter Darl uses a flashback to let us get a more in-depth look at the Bundren family; to let us see why it is so "dysfunctional." In this chapter we learn more about the relationships within the family, and more about Addie, about whom we previously have not learned much. We see how keen Darl's sense of intuition is, and we learn an important family secret. Darl is often used as an objective speaker, although he is indeed involved with the situation he is speaking about. In this chapter he recalls Jewel's purchase of his horse. This is a strong clue that Jewel is not Anse's son, since Anse is extremely lazy and would never work as hard as Jewel did for a horse. We also see the tension between Anse and Jewel. We see the lack of respect Jewel has for Anse. It is rather ironic when Anse says "He's just lazy, trying me" (p. 129) Since Jewel has been working really hard, and it is Anse who is lazy. Furthering on Jewel and Anse's relationship, I feel that it is fairly evident that Jewel knows that Anse is not his father. This is illustrated in the following section on page 136: "Jewel looked at Pa, his eyes paler than ever. 'He won't never eat a mouthful of yours' he said. 'Not a mouthful. I'll kill him first. Don't you never think it. Don't you never.' "The antagonism Jewel holds toward Anse is enormous, and this scene intensifies it showing that Jewel knows the truth or at least has a fair idea. We also see that Darl knows, and how he knows. At the end of the chapter, he sees his mother crying over Jewel when he is sleeping. He could see her anguish and almost feel it. His empathy and intuition led him to discovering the truth, and he also confirms his knowledge of Dewey Dell's pregnancy. We see the strength of his intuition and how it affects the rest of the family. The fact that Darl knows probably heightens the rivalry between the two brothers. In this chapter we see the way the family was before Addie's death and

Hamlets Tragic Flaw

Procrastination is an action or rather an inaction, because when you procrastinate, you are avoiding completing a task. â€Å"Emotionally, Hamlet’s procrastination produces in him a growing rage that leads to his killing of Polonius (3. 4) †¦. Set in motion the incidents that lead to the bloody climax† (Boyce). This quote illustrates the topic of the following essay. It clearly outlines why the inability to act is ultimately the tragic flaw of the character Hamlet. Firstly, Hamlet’s procrastination ultimately leads to the premature death of many characters throughout the play.In act 3 scene 4, while confronting his mother, Hamlet hears a noise from behind a curtain. Thinking it was Claudius spying, Hamlet passes his sword through the curtain and stabs Polonius. Polonius calls out â€Å"O, I am slain! †(3. 4. 22), then falls and dies. Hamlets Procrastination led to this because his emotions are being built up so, that when he hears the slightest thing that may be Claudius, he reacts in a violent way. That is not a good thing, because the death of Polonius will lead to two other events that will eventually cause three other characters to die.Moreover, in the final scene, three more characters die. Claudius has a cup of poisoned wine for Hamlet, but Gertrude unknowingly drinks it and immediately starts to die. Just before she passes, she exclaims â€Å"No! No! The drink, the drink – O my dear Hamlet – the drink, the drink! I am poisn’d (dies)† (5. 2. 299-300). After Gertrude dies, Hamlet and Laertes fight more violently, and Laertes cuts Hamlet. In a brawl, Hamlet gets a hold of Laertes’ sword and stabs him. When Hamlet realizes the sword is poisoned, he turns and stabs Claudius.Hamlet says â€Å"†¦the point envenomed too†¦ (stabs the king)†¦ Follow my mother! (Claudius dies)† (5. 2. 311-317). After Claudius dies, Laertes says to Hamlet â€Å"†¦he is justly served†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (5. 2. 318-322) then dies. He says this to reassure Hamlet that he did the right thing. Hamlet’s procrastination led to the climax of the play, because if he would have killed Claudius sooner, he would have discovered that Hamlet knows about the murder and he never would have called the sword fight, and none of this brutality would have occurred.Secondly, Hamlet’s procrastination is causing other characters to plot against him. After Hamlet killed Polonius, Claudius plans to ship Hamlet away to England and make Polonius’ death look accidental. When he reveals his plan, he is talking to Gertrude and says â€Å"O Gertrude, come away! / The sun no sooner shall the mountains touch, / But we will ship him hence: and this vile deed / We must with all our majesty and skill, / Both countenance and excuse! † (4. 1. 28-32). He is simply telling Gertrude that Hamlet will be on a ship to England before the sun rises.He also adds that they must both â€Å"co untenance and excuse† the death of Polonius to protect their identity. Furthermore, when Laertes hears of his father’s death, he returns to Denmark, and he and Claudius plan to kill Hamlet and make it look like an accident. The king devises a plan and tells Laertes â€Å"to thine own peace†¦ he shall not choose but fall†¦ even his mother†¦ shall call it accident† (4. 7. 61-68). Laertes is not fully satisfied with the kings plan and he says to Claudius â€Å"My Lord, I will be ruled; / The rather if you devise it so / That I might be the organ† (4. 7. 69-70).Laertes and Claudius devise a plan in which Laertes will kill Hamlet to avenge his father’s death, and Claudius will not need to worry about Hamlet revealing the truth of King Hamlet’s murder. Lastly, Hamlet’s procrastination allows time for events to unfold, ultimately bringing about his own death. Claudius caught on that Hamlet knows what happened to his father, so Claudius has Hamlet fight Laertes in a fencing match. We find out about this plan when a lord comes to invite Hamlet to the match. The lord entered the room where Hamlet was and said â€Å"My Lord, his majesty†¦ if your / Pleasure hold to play with Laertes† (5. . 186-190). Hamlet accepts the invitation to the match. The purpose of the fencing match is for Laertes to get revenge on Hamlet for killing Polonius. This will also serve as a means for Claudius to eliminate Hamlet so that he will not reveal the truth about King Hamlet’s murder. Furthermore, unbeknownst to Hamlet, the match is rigged. When Claudius tells Laertes that he is to kill Hamlet in the fencing match, Laertes responds â€Å"I will do’t†¦ I will anoint my sword. / I bought an unction of a mountebank, so mortal†¦ if I gall him slightly, / It may be death† (4. 7. 140-148).He says this because he wants to inform the reader that he will poison his sword to ensure Hamlet dies if h e cuts him even slightly. This shows how determined Laertes is to get revenge on Hamlet for killing Polonius. Therefore, the tragic flaw of Hamlet is ultimately procrastination. There are many examples throughout the play supporting this fact. If the other characters would have procrastinated the way Hamlet did, the play would have been much heavier with subplots and underlying moods and feelings. Based on this play, most people would think twice before putting off any large tasks that they may need to accomplish.

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