Hamlet Analysised Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hamlet Analysised - Essay Example There are only a few scenes that happen outside of it, most famously the scene at the graveside when Hamlet laments the loss of his old jester, Yorick, and then fights in Ophelia’s grave with her brother Laertes. The play is set sometime in the middle ages and there are clearly delineated family relations and moral codes of honour that drive much of the play’s action. Because most of the characters are members of the royal family they are responsible for Denmark. The family is under threat from within because of the actions of Claudius and the revenge that Hamlet seeks, but it is also under threat from the outside as the Swedish under Fortinbras are preparing to invade it. There are existential threats everywhere—and this is an important aspect to consider. Indeed, this is an important theme of the story: the threat of death that seems omnipresent. Ellsinore still has a cloud over it: the death of Hamlet’s father. It affects everyone, but Hamlet worst of all. From his first words in the play we understand the state of mind he has: He is virtually suicidal after meeting his uncle and mother, married so shortly after his father’s death. The threat from within is a theme personified by Hamlet’s suicidal feelings which are later further explored in the famous soliloquy: â€Å"To be or not to be . . .† People worry about Hamlet, but as the play continues their worry is extended to others. Ophelia, spurned by Hamlet, goes mad and drowns herself. A fear begins to grip everyone. Hamlet, anxious for revenge, kills Ophelia’s father behind the arras when visiting his mother’s room. The threat is not just at the point of the knife—it is that people are listening everywhere. Throughout the play characters are always spying on one another and reporting to others. Even Rosencrantz and Guilderstern, Hamlet’s best friends are convinced to betray him—for this they are rewarded with death

Criminal law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Criminal law - Essay Example First, stop and search is an important tool for policing in the modern age, particularly with concerns about gang violence, illicit drug use and trafficking and terrorism. Secondly, the use of police stop and search have generated significant public mistrust in the legitimacy of police practices and this is important since police legitimacy depends largely on public trust and support.4 This paper, is an exploratory study and examines and analyses police stop and search powers and the safeguards implicit in the powers from the perspective of police and the community. This paper is divided into two parts. The first part of this paper describes the law related to police stop and search powers. The second part of the paper analyses stop and search powers from the perspective of police and the public. Police Powers of Stop and Search Police powers of stop and search under ordinary criminal law are contained in three statutes: PACE, the Misuse of Drug Act 1971 and the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.5 Therefore, police stop and search powers are subject to legislative oversight. ... Moreover, stop and search powers may not be exercised on the basis of ethnic or racial profiling. This is arguably the most sensitive issue to which the reasonable suspicion test applies. As Lord Devlin stated, reasonable suspicion would arise where there are indications of guilt although there was insufficient proof.7 Thus, a person’s race, gender and so on, should not constitute grounds for stop and search as these factors do not constitute indications of guilt It can be argued however that the counterterrorism legislation, may leave open the possibility of racial and/or ethnic profiling. This legislation confers upon senior police officers much broader powers of stop and search. In particular, reasonable grounds to suspect are unnecessary.8 Constables however, may stop and search anyone that they reasonably suspect to be a terrorist.9 Again this would involve the same limitations on stop and search powers as seen with ordinary powers of stop and search. Section 44 of the Te rrorism Act 2000 permits a constable to stop and search vehicles and drivers and pedestrians in specifically authorized places under authorization by senior officers in the prevention of acts of terrorism.10 This is particularly controversial since it can be argued that under Section 44 police may stop and search individuals on the basis of a hunch and there is nothing preventing police exercising this broad power on the basis of racial and ethnic profiling. Section 44 was the subject of debate in Gillan and Quinton v UK. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHRt)ruled that the authorization powers contained in Sections 44-45 of the Terrorism Act 2000 did not contain sufficient safeguards against the protection of privacy guaranteed by Article 8 of the European