Literature Supports Trigger-Dispersion Theory :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Literature Supports Trigger-Dispersion Theory Having seen epileptic seizures and talking qualitatively about the experience with people who have epilepsy, I made five basic hypotheses about epilepsy. I collectively call these hypotheses my trigger dispersion theory of epilepsy. My five hypotheses are: 1 There is an area in the brain where abnormal firing associated with seizures begins. I will call this area the trigger area. From the trigger area, abnormal firing spreads to other areas of the brain compromising the function of the affected area. 2 There is a stimulus either external or internal which excites the trigger area. I will call this stimulus the trigger. The trigger can be very specific. 3 The first area affected after the trigger area is sensory. 4 The abnormal firing spreads from the sensory area to an area for motor control. In this paper, I will go through the hypotheses of the trigger-dispersion theory and discuss literature that supports each hypothesis. Hypothesis 1- There is an area in the brain where abnormal firing associated with seizures begins. I will call this area the trigger area. From the trigger area, abnormal firing spreads to other areas of the brain compromising the function of the affected area. During a seizure, certain cells (a seizure focus) begin to fire rapidly. In fact, nerve cells in the brain fire electrical impulses at a rate of up to four times higher than normal during a seizure (5) . This abnormal firing is spread this to other neighboring cells. In the brain of an epileptic, there is not enough inhibitory neurotransmitters to stop the spread of the abnormal firing (2) . In the 1800s, it was noted by Jackson that epileptic seizures begin in isolated parts of the body such as the thumb and from there spread to neighboring regions perhaps the arm and then to the rest of the body. He hypothesized that there were areas in cerebral cortex that controlled isolated movements and that the areas that were adjacent in the brain were anatomically adjacent as well. Therefore, a seizure began in one area and spread to the rest of the cortex. His hypothesis was later substantiated by Fritsch and Hittig's excitation experiments on motor cortex or area 4. It is a band of neural tissue on the cerebral cortex lying on precentral fissure. The body's movements are mapped out on this band giving rise to the spreading fashion that Jackson described during seizures (6) .

By the time Macbeth murders Duncan Essay

‘By the time Macbeth murders Duncan, he has already lost the battle for his soul’. Discuss this statement and examine the factors which lead to his decision to kill the king. It is the aim of this essay to evaluate and determine the validity of the above statement. I will examine the factors which lead to Macbeth’s decision to kill the king. The definition for a person’s soul is the spiritual part of them that is supposed to continue after their body is dead. People also use ‘soul’ to refer to a person’s mind, character, thoughts and feelings. ‘The battle for his soul’ represents whether this person submits to good or evil. The factors that I will look at in particular when considering what drove Macbeth to commit the murder, are the witches and Lady Macbeth. The play begins with the witches who introduce Macbeth by saying they will meet him. ‘There to meet with Macbeth’. This is an effective way to start the play, as people were very superstitious at the time. They believed in witches and they believed they were evil. One person who was very wary and curious about such matters was James I and Shakespeare had written this play for him. The gunpowder plot took place the previous year and James I was, consequently, very sensitive and concerned about future assassination attempts. Shakespeare was writing for an audience who were predominantly Christian and who believed in heaven and hell; the way some one behaved on earth would decide what happened to them when they died. The soul is very important in this play and this is why ‘Macbeth’ may have been popular as people were interested in these things. If someone lost their soul, they would be lost to God and would be condemned to hell for eternity. Macbeth talks a lot about this in his dramatic monologues. Duncan was a good honest king who had done nothing but treat Macbeth as a good friend. Duncan calls him ‘worthiest cousin’, which suggests the closeness of their relationship. Duncan is grateful for Macbeth’s bravery in battle. He says, ‘I have begun to plant thee and will labour, to make thee full of growing†. Duncan is saying he will do anything to repay him for being so brave. Duncan is a very good person, Macbeth says, â€Å"Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek hath been so clear in his great office that his virtues will plead like angel†. Macbeth knows that he was good and he still murdered him. Therefore is no excuse for what he has done. The King is Macbeth’s guest so he should protect him, not attack him. There are different reactions from Macbeth and Banquo to the witches’ predictions. Banquo believes that Macbeth will become king because he has already become Thane of Cawdor, just as the witches had predicted. He thinks that it is very strange how the witches are helping them. Furthermore, he believes the witches will be kind to them and have their trust only to betray them later. He is clearly surprised and remains sceptical as to their intentions. The different reaction by Macbeth is apparent when he is shocked at first after hearing what the witches have to say. He truly believes that he will become king as two of the predictions have proved accurate. Things can only get better for Macbeth, or so he believes. Macbeth’s opinion of the witches remains undecided and he does not really know what to think about the ‘weird sisters’. There are conflicting beliefs that he has. Firstly, he believes they are not good, but if they were bad why did they give him such success? It seems that he is beginning to trust the witches when he considers the success that they have given to him. Banquo, on the other hand, instantly distrusts them and believes ‘†¦to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths’. As soon as Lady Macbeth receives Macbeth’s letter about the witch’s predictions she begins to plan the murder: ‘Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here and fill me from the crow to the toe top full of direst cruelty.’ She wants to be filled with cruelty and wants evil spirits to posses her. She wants to lose her femininity and become manly so she is capable of the greatest cruelty. She hopes to lose her soul so she does not feel guilty. The factors that lead Macbeth to kill the king are the witches, Lady Macbeth and his own personality. The witches led Macbeth to the murder when they greeted him and said ‘All hail Macbeth, that shall be king hereafter.’ In the time of the play it was believed that witches could take demonic possession of people and make them do what they wanted. Macbeth sees a dagger just before the murder of Duncan. Some people may say that it is the witches that put the image in front of him to drive him into murdering. However, Act 1, scene 1 suggests that there are limits to the witch’s powers; they cannot kill. They talk about a lady who did not give them nuts so they want to get her back, and also her husband who is on a boat. ‘I’ll give thee wind.’ ‘I’ll drain him as dry as hay. They say many things that they will do to him but they do not mention killing him and this proves that death is not in their power. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth have a good relationship, they seem to get on extremely well together and when they are apart they miss each other. Later in the play Lady Macbeth begins to take control and becomes rather dominant. She can persuade him to do anything. Macbeth decided that he did not want to go through with the murder but Lady Macbeth talked him into it by calling him a coward and using harsh words. ‘And live a coward in thine own self esteem’. She says this after Macbeth refuses to proceed any further with the murder. She is taunting and humiliating him. When Macbeth talks himself out of committing the murder, ‘We will proceed no further in this business,’ Lady Macbeth makes him change his mind by calling him a ‘coward’. She tells him, ‘When you durst do it, then you were a man’. The implication being that he is no longer acting like a man. She tells him that if he breaks this promise, he will break all other promises including those made to her, ‘Such I account thy love’. Nevertheless, she claims that she would rather dash out the brains of a baby then break such a promise. Shakespeare utilises extremely strong imagery to emphasise just how important it is for her. In Macbeth’s dramatic monologue he gives many reasons as to why he does not want to go through with the murder. Many thoughts are running through his head such as the fear of Duncan returning as something bad in his next life. Additionally, he believes something bad will happen if he goes through with it. ‘To plague th’ inventor. This even handed Justice’ He is going against the deed of killing the king. ‘Strong both against the deed: then, as his host’. He is a kinsman, therefore he can not kill somebody on the same side as him and this suggests that it is not like him at all and he does not want to take his life. When Lady Macbeth enters he does not tell her these reasons but gives different ones altogether. He says the king has been honouring him recently and people have high opinions of him. Consequently, he wants to remain popular with people. Macbeth must kill Duncan so that he can be king and take his place. The witches told him that he would be king, but not necessarily by murdering him. Initially the murder has been devised entirely by Macbeth and not recommended by anyone else. As Macbeth states, ‘If chance will have me king, why chance me crown me, without stir’. He is saying that if he becomes king that is good but he will not do anything to make himself king. As he admits, his only motive for the killing is ‘Vaulting ambition’. I will now consider the nature of Macbeth’s sin. The crime that has been committed is truly evil, but I do not believe that Macbeth is necessarily evil. The fact that Macbeth believes that he will never be forgiven indicates he is genuinely remorseful. The only reason Duncan was murdered was for Macbeth’s personal gain. Macbeth had no real reason to kill him, as the king was a dear friend. There are many reasons that suggest that Macbeth should never be forgiven for this. The murder was in cold blood and it had been planned and not committed in the heat of the moment. Macbeth did not want to go through with it but Lady Macbeth induced him to do so. This is why I believe Macbeth is not evil because he was driven to it. After the murder the grooms were smeared with blood to make it seem as if they had committed the murder. In the morning Macbeth murders them too pretending that he has acted out of ‘violent love’ for Duncan. He does this to get himself out of trouble and to avoid suspicion. Therefore, the grooms cannot deny committing the murder. Macbeth has killed the king. At the time, there was a belief that kings were put onto the throne through God’s power (divine right) and so an attack on the king’s power was seen as acting against God’s wishes. This is the reason for him to go to hell as God has disowned him. Macbeth says, â€Å"He’s here in double trust: first, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed; then as his host, who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself.† Macbeth knows that what he has done is wrong as he should be looking after his guest. After the murder, Macbeth is unable to say the word ‘Amen’, â€Å"But wherefore could not I pronounce ‘Amen’ I had most need of blessing and ‘Amen'†. He feels that God has deserted him as ‘Amen’ means ‘god with us’. He is trying to keep his Christian faith but he believes he is losing his soul and that he will be doomed to eternal damnation. Macbeth feels that he cannot sleep because only the good sleep. After the murder has been committed Lady Macbeth is calm and does not feel any guilt at all. The fact that she is not sorry suggests that she is evil. ‘Wash this filthy witness from your hand†¦smear the sleepy grooms with blood’. She gives him orders as she does not want to get caught and she wants somebody else to get the blame. If I were in the audience, I would be thinking that Macbeth is now behaving unlike himself. He is acting guilty about the murder and he wishes that he never committed the crime. This is dramatic because it shows that he must really want to be king if he kills even though he does not want to and this shows how desperate he really must be. Christians believe that if someone is truly sorry for a sin they have committed and repent, they can be forgiven and, in that case, their soul would not be forfeit. After the murder I strongly believe that Macbeth is extremely sorry for what he has done. ‘I had most need of blessing’. This means that he still wants God’s blessing even after his terrible sin. ‘I am afraid to think what I done’, which suggests that it is so unlike him to do this that he is scared to look back, he does not want to believe what he has done. â€Å"To know my deed ’twere best not know myself† he would rather not know himself after what he has done as he is so ashamed. ‘Wake Duncan with thy knocking, I would thou couldst’ He wishes that Duncan could be wakened with knocking which means he regrets the murder. I do not believe that Macbeth has lost his soul as he feels sorry for what he has done and feels very guilty he also has many regrets. As Macbeth is so worried about the murder he has committed one would not think that he would kill anymore, but he does. He arranges the murder of Banquo, his best friend, and tries to have his son Fleance killed. This is because Banquo suspects that Macbeth has killed Duncan as he heard the witches’ predictions. He has Fleance murdered because the witches said Banquo’s descendants would be king. Macbeth seeks out the three witches to predict the future, even though he knows that they are evil. ‘To the weird sisters. More shall they speak. For no I am bent to know by the worst means, the worst’. He also wants to know what else must be done for him to be king. The audience may have thought that he is turning evil and is just looking for trouble and they will probably be worried about what will happen next. He arranges the murder of Lady Macduff and her children because she has fled to England to join the other side to be against Macbeth. He wants to hurt her for turning against him. Now Macbeth is beginning to lose his soul as he keeps on killing and he does not feel guilty anymore. He finds that he must keep on doing more and more wrong in order to stay in his position. ‘I am in blood stepped so far that I should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er.’ He has gone far enough and there is no point stopping as he has done a lot to get where he is. It will be far easier for him to carry on then to stop. It is possible that the witches have sensed a potential for evil in Macbeth and that is why they have chosen to use him. It is Macbeth who has ‘horrible imagings’. He fought in battles so he killed a lot of people there. We learn many contradictory things about Macbeth. He is a very strong man as he fights in the king’s battles and wins. He is described as ‘Brave Macbeth’ and ‘Noble Macbeth’ by the captain, this is because he is very loyal, brave and honourable. However, Lady Macbeth says he is ‘too full o’th’ milk of human kindness’ and implies that he has a good heart. Macbeth has been violent in battle. ‘†¦He unseamed him from the nave to th’ chops and fixed his head upon our battlements’. He had fought a lot in battle and killed a lot of people but after the murder he can not handle all the guilt. His personality has changed. He admirers Lady Macbeth when she is at her most evil, saying she is ‘undaunted mettle’. This is because she does not give up and pursues with her target. Macbeth is frequently associated with dark and night, asking for darkness to cover his feeling. ‘Stars, hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires’. Goodness is represented by light and evil is represented by dark. For example, Macbeth using the cover of darkness to hide his crimes, ‘Come, seeling night, scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day’. He is ashamed of what he is thinking. Macduff says of him ‘Not in the legions of horrid hell can come a devil more damned in evil to top Macbeth’. He thinks Macbeth is filled with evil. The name of his follower, Seyton is perhaps a pun of Satan. I do not believe that Macbeth is evil. The witches made him think a lot and this led him to do things he would never normally do. It was the witches who gave him the idea of being king and this is where things started to become bad. Macbeth goes to visit the witches again after the murder who tell him that no person can kill him that is born from women. He now thinks he is invincible. In my opinion, it is here that he loses his soul given that he carries on killing without feeling any guilt. It seems that Macbeth was not only an instrument of evil, but also the victim.

Kill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee - 935 Words

The power of childhood innocence reveals the true incompetence of the world around us in a brutal yet fanciful way. In To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee creates the unjust rape trial of Tom Robinson to shed light upon how the power of childhood innocence reveals the true racially-based corruption of the time period. Through the eyes of a child named Scout and the focus on two other child protagonists, Dill and Jean, Lee highlights the way a child views the world versus those jaded by the depravity of humanity. Harper Lee focuses upon the characterization of Scout, Dill, and Jean to present the idea that childhood innocence is blinded from the true evils of society. The characterization of Scout shows how naive childhood innocence can shield children from the harsh harms of racism. Before the court case, the three kids went to town to see where Atticus has departed with a light bulb. After searching through the town, they come across Atticus in front of the county jail sitting and reading a newspaper whilst protecting Tom Robinson inside the jail cell. Shortly after the kids’ arrival, a mob of Maycomb citizens drives up to the jail cell in an attempt to hurt Tom Robinson. Before anything got out of hand, the kids run in front of Atticus and unknowingly disrupt the entire mob. Scout gives a monologue with such quotes as, â€Å"Hey, Mr. Cunningham. How’s your entailment getting’ along?† (Lee, 129) and â€Å"Entailments are bad†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lee, 129) The oblivious declarations made by Scout helpShow MoreRelatedKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1049 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird: How a Story could be based on True Events in Everyday LifeDaisy GaskinsCoastal Pines Technical Collegeâ€Æ'Harper Lee was born in Monroeville, Alabama. Her father was a former newspaper editor and proprietor, who had served as a state senator and practiced as a lawyer in Monroeville. Also Finch was known as the maiden name of Lee’s mother. With that being said Harper Lee became a writer like her father, but she became a American writer, famous for her race relations novel â€Å"ToRead MoreTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1000 Words   |  4 Pagesworld-wide recognition to the many faces of prejudice is an accomplishment of its own. Author Harper Lee has had the honor to accomplish just that through her novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, a moving and inspirational story about a young girl learning the difference between the good and the bad of the world. In the small town of Monroeville, Alabama, Nelle Harper Lee was born on April 28, 1926. Growing up, Harper Lee had three siblings: two sisters and an older brother. She and her siblings grew up modestlyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1290 Words   |  6 PagesHarper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird during a rough period in American history, also known as the Civil Rights Movement. This plot dives into the social issues faced by African-Americans in the south, like Tom Robinson. Lee felt that the unfair treatment towards blacks were persistent, not coming to an end any time in the foreseeable future. This dark movement drove her to publish this novel hopeful that it would encourage the society to realize that the harsh racism must stop. Lee effectivelyRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee873 Words   |  4 PagesIn the book, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates that â€Å"it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird† throughout the novel by writing innocent characters that have been harmed by evil. Tom Robinson’s persecution is a symbol for the death of a mockingbird. The hunters shooting the b ird would in this case be the Maycomb County folk. Lee sets the time in the story in the early 1950s, when the Great Depression was going on and there was poverty everywhere. The mindset of people back then was that blackRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee963 Words   |  4 Pagesgrowing up, when older characters give advice to children or siblings.Growing up is used frequently in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Harper Lee uses the theme growing up in To Kill a Mockingbird to change characters opinion, develop characters through their world, and utilizes prejudice to reveal growing up. One major cause growing up is used in To Kill a Mockingbird is to represent a change of opinion. One part growing up was shown in is through the trial in part two of the novelRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1052 Words   |  5 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee takes place in Maycomb County, Alabama in the late 30s early 40s , after the great depression when poverty and unemployment were widespread throughout the United States. Why is the preconception of racism, discrimination, and antagonism so highly related to some of the characters in this book? People often have a preconceived idea or are biased about one’s decision to live, dress, or talk. Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee examines the preconceptionRead MoreHarper Lee and to Kill a Mockingbird931 Words   |  4 PagesHarper Lee and her Works Harper Lee knew first hand about the life in the south in the 1930s. She was born in Monroeville, Alabama in 1926 (Castleman 2). Harper Lee was described by one of her friends as Queen of the Tomboys (Castleman 3). Scout Finch, the main character of Lees Novel, To Kill a Mockinbird, was also a tomboy. Many aspects of To Kill a Mockingbird are autobiographical (Castleman 3). Harper Lees parents were Amasa Coleman Lee and Frances Finch Lee. She was the youngestRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1695 Words   |  7 PagesIn To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee presents as a ‘tired old town’ where the inhabitants have ‘nowhere to go’ it is set in the 1930s when prejudices and racism were at a peak. Lee uses Maycomb town to highlight prejudices, racism, poverty and social inequality. In chapter 2 Lee presents the town of Maycomb to be poverty stricken, emphasised through the characterisation of Walter Cunningham. When it is discovered he has no lunch on the first day of school, Scout tries to explain the situation to MissRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1876 Words   |  8 PagesThough Harper Lee only published two novels, her accomplishments are abundant. Throughout her career Lee claimed: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Fiction, and Quill Award for Audio Book. Lee was also inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. This honor society is a huge accomplishment and is considered the highest recognition for artistic talent and accomplishment in the United States. Along with these accomplishments, herRead MoreKill A Mockingbird, By Harper Lee1197 Words   |  5 Pagessuch as crops, houses, and land, and money was awfully limited. These conflicts construct Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mocking Bird. In To Kill a Mocking Bird, Lee establishes the concurrence of good and evil, meaning whether people are naturally good or naturally evil. Lee uses symbolism, characterization, and plot to portray the instinctive of good and evil. To Kill a Mocking Bird, a novel by Harper Lee takes place during the 1930s in the Southern United States. The protagonist, Scout Finch,