The government of Nazi Germany greatly resembled the Party, the government in 1984. Both operated similarly and had similar aims. Anything either government did was an action for maintaining power. Both the Nazis and the Party maintained similar ideologies, controlled mass media, educated children in their beliefs, had a secret police force, and had forced labor camps. Both governments used each of these methods maintain power and control over the people.
Nazis and the Party had very similar ideologies. Although Nazis eliminated people because of their religion (Sauer 683) and the Party eliminated people because of their anti-Party feelings (Orwell 187), they both tried to eliminate anyone who did not agree with them. This practice was essential for controlling the masses and holding on to power. Retaining power is much easier for a government when the entire population that government rules agrees with its philosophies. No one would attempt to remove the current government from power if he or she agreed with that government.
Control of the media was another very effective means of controlling a population. The Nazis established a ministry of propaganda on March 13, 1933 (Sauer 678). This office controlled all media, such as books, newspapers, and films (“Modern World History: Nazi Germany”). The Ministry of Truth was an essential factor in perpetuating the beliefs of the Party and did the same as the Nazis’ propaganda ministry (Orwell 39). By controlling any and all mass media, both governments more easily controlled the ideas of the people. If someone were never exposed to a certain idea or belief by the media, most likely he or she would not imagine that idea on h…
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…Times 20 October 2001: Overseas News 21.
“Modern World History: Nazi Germany.” British Broadcasting Corporation. 27 November 2001 .
Orwell, George. 1984. New York, New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1949.
Sauer, Wolfgang. “Germany.” Encyclopedia Americana. 2001.
OUTLINE
The government of Nazi Germany greatly resembled the Party, the government in 1984, as both were very power-hungry governments.
I. System of government
A. A. Nazi and Party ideology
B. B. Propaganda and control of media
II. Children
A. Education of children
B. Youth organizations
III. Prisoners and concentration camps
A. The Gestapo and the Thought Police
B. Disappearance and re-education of people
C. Concentration and extermination camps
Essay on Justice vs. Morality in Measure for Measure and Merchant of Venice
Justice vs. Morality in Measure for Measure and Merchant of Venice
There are many similarities shared between Shakespeare’s plays, “Measure for Measure”, and “The Merchant of Venice”. The underlying theme of each work is well defined by the phrase “Justice without the temperance of mercy, is power misused”. I will support this claim by drawing upon some of the characters and situations that are consistent in each story.
In each story a man’s life depends on the interpretation, and sanctioning of justice. In the, “Merchant of Venice”, Antonio (who I believe represents mercy), had sealed a bond with Shylock offering a pound of his flesh for the loan of three thousand ducats. Unfortunately he forfeits this bond, (Merchant III,ii) “Sweet Bassanio, my ships have all miscarried…. my bond to the Jew is forfeit….”. Shylock (who to the strict letter of the law represents justice), is unyielding to any type of compassion and desires nothing other than what he feels is justice, (Merchant III,iii) “I’ll have my bond… beware my fangs. The Duke shall grant me justice…”. In, “Measure for Measure”, it is Cladio (representing mercy), whose life hangs in the balance of law and morality. Cladio has slept with Julietta out of wedlock, (Measure I,ii) “I got possession of Julietta’s bed… she is fast my wife… Save that we do the denunciation lack…”. For this crime Angelo (who in place of the duke, representing justice), much as Shylock, desires that Cladio’s sentence be carried out exactly as stated by the law, (Measure II,i) ” ‘Tis one thing to be tempted, Escalus Another thing to fall… Sir, he must die”.
In both cases the guilty parties have committed a crime punishable by death, additionally each man also r…
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… of the law, and by not yielding to human decency and compassion, Shylock would have been given his just deserts. The same was true for Angelo who desired Cladio’s head as the unaltered law required. It certainly seems to me, that Mr.. Shakespeare was simply stating that in within the realms of these plays’ one could easily say that “Justice without the temperance of mercy, is power misused”.
Works Cited
Black, James. “The Unfolding of Measure for Measure.” Shakespeare Survey 26 (1973): 119-28.
Leech, Clifford. “The ‘Meaning’ of Measure for Measure.” Shakespeare Survey 3 (1950): 69-71.
Shakespeare, William. Measure for Measure. The Arden Shakespeare. Ed. J.W. Lever. London: Routledge, 1995.
Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice. The Riverside Shakespeare. Eds. G. Blakemore Evans and J. J. M. Tobin. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997.