The Life of Benedict Cumberbatch Essay - 683 Words

Have you ever seen the BBC series â€Å"Sherlock†? What about â€Å"Tinker Tailor Soldier†, or â€Å"Hawking†? One man appearing in all of those programs has become very well known over the course of the past few years. Even today, he acts in many series and movies. His name is Benedict Cumberbatch, and his tale is an interesting and humbling one. Benedict Cumberbatch was born on July 19 in 1976. Benedict was never a very well-behaved child. His parents had sent him to Harrow, one of the most prestigious and expensive boarding schools in Britain, Brambletye School, Manchester Unversity, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic art. While at Harrow, he misbehaved so much that his headmistress reported to his parents with the words â€Å"Ben is slightly†¦show more content†¦Benedict Cumberbatch had a breakthrough when he acted as â€Å"Stephen Hawking in the television movie Hawking (2004)† (Kad). Cumberbatch also starred as Sherlock Holmes in the hit BBC television show series â€Å"Sherlock†. While filming a show called â€Å"To the Ends of the Earth† for BBC in 2005, Cumberbatch almost met his death when the tire of his car blew. He and some other actors in the car were ambushed by South Africans as they tried to change the tire in the darkness of the night. They were stripped of their weapo ns/valuables. Then, they were forced to go into an execution position. When Benedict had tried to stand up, he was ordered to go into the trunk. However, he lied that he was claustrophobic and was allowed to get out. Then, he was taken away from the other actors and tied up. After that, he and the other actors were forced to lie face down on the ground. â€Å"After three hours shivering face down on the ground, the petrified victims ran for help and called the police. Benedict says: â€Å"I’ve still got a scar where I was tied up. It was terrifying. The next morning I woke up as a free man with the sun on my face and I cried. I thought I’d never feel its warmth again† (McCaffrey). Benedict moved on to other projects after his ordeal, including auditioning for â€Å"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug†. It has been an interesting ride for Cumberbatch up to this point. In a recent TIME Magazine, â€Å"stepping into the populist limelight† â€Å"has been quite crazy† (Davis). InShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Benedict Cumberbatchs Black Box By Jennifer Egan828 Words   |  4 PagesWhen I was listening to Benedict Cumberbatch read â€Å"Sherlock Holmes Rediscovered Railways Mysteries Other Stories† during my one hour lunch break I realized that this was a perfect time to listen to it. My one hour lunch is dreading at times and I find myself quite bored. I was able to focus on the stories on my lunch break rather than laying down in my room. As you can imagine listening to it in my room quickly turned into a lullaby. However, Benedict Cumberbatch’s voice made the story pretty interestingRead MoreThe Imitation Game Essay967 Words   |  4 PagesThe Imitation Game (2014) - Available on Netflix The Imitation Game, directed by Morten Tyldum, is a biographical drama based on the true story of Cambridge mathematician Alan Turing, portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch. Alan joins, and eventually leads, a team of cryptanalysts in an effort to decipher the Nazi’s â€Å"unbreakable† Enigma code and gain advantage in the war. Members of the team contest as Alan conceives a device that could allow the code to be translated much faster than by physical computationRead MoreWhy I Don t Do You Do It?902 Words   |  4 Pagesgrade, not winning a competition, being stood up, there are a million reasons, some of them crippling in their pain. Stay with me, I have a point. I belong to an online community. It is full of wonderful, strange people, from all different walks of life, and it has been the best teacher I have ever had. I have learned more from this board, these people, and about human nature and altruism than anywhere else. I have also learned, first hand, about the capacity to care for another human being withoutRead MoreThe Ideology Of Slavery By Drew Gilpin Faust1094 Words   |  5 Pagesall the slaves were freed, there would be widespread unemployment and chaos. And by comparison with the poor of Europe and the workers in the Northern states, that slaves were better cared for† (ushistory.org). But in a section from, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, written by himself, Douglass describes some of the brutality that he had witnessed. â€Å"The overseer’s name was Plummer. Mr. Plummer was a miserable drunkard, a profane swearer, and a savage monster. He alwaysRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie 12 Y ears A Slave 1051 Words   |  5 Pages 12 Years a Slave is a drama film about a free African American man, Solomon Northup, who was kidnapped and sold to slavery. The movie was released in 2013 starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Brad Pitt. 12 Years a Slave has earned three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe. The movie is based off of a memoir written in 1853 by Solomon Northup. The film is for people who are fascinated with history and enjoy dramatic scenes. However, it is also a movie that informsRead MoreDoes Art Imitate Life Or Is The Reverse True?1202 Words   |  5 PagesDoes â€Å"Art imitate Life† or is the reverse true? Mimesis. Noun. (art, literature) the imitative representation of nature or human behaviour (dictionary.com). In Plato’s Republic the term â€Å"mimesis† is imitation but Plato discounted imitation in art and poetry as being â€Å"thrice removed from truth† (Jowett). Plato believed the original idea to be the truth and the imitation that comes after to be inferior. Aristotle, on the other hand, wrote in Poetics that tragedy is the imitation of action (Butcher)Read MoreThe Imitation Game Essay1018 Words   |  5 PagesImitation Game’ portrays the oppression they receive from the expectation of being unable to do the things men can and having restricted lifestyle pathways, though they are aware of it. During the movie, we see that Alan Turing’s (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) close friend Joan (played by Kiera Knightley) is aware of this prejudice and is restricted by the patriarchal structure that the Hut 8 has. We can see this is because she i s a â€Å"woman in a man’s job, and I don’t have the luxury of being anRead MoreEssay about Amazing Grace or Disgrace?1215 Words   |  5 Pagesinhumane. But in the eighteenth century, most of the western society accepted slavery and the slave trade. It took heroic efforts be brave, dedicated political leaders to eventually turn the tables. Amazing Grace is a historical film that depicts the life and work of British politician and abolitionist campaigner William Wilberforce. The film takes place in Britain between 1780 and the early 1800s, during which Wilberforce was working to write and pass a bill to abolish the slave trade. While watchingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Scarlet And A Study 2330 Words   |  10 Pagescommon to both literary works. First, the paper will provide a summary of the two works and then explore a common theme presented in the novel and the show. In part one of A Study in Scarlet, the novel begins with Watson explaining about his personal life as a doctor and military officer and how he suffered in a war. Watson meets with Sherlock Holmes and becomes friends (Doyle 8). Holmes was too scientific and tended to be more cold-blooded. He was not passionate about obtaining definite as well asRead MoreThe Lord Of The Rings Essay1438 Words   |  6 PagesThe friendships between the characters creates love for friends. There is also romantic love between Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) and Arwen (Liv Tyler), an elf and a human. Aragorn is trying to take back his kingdom. After the defeat of Sauron (Benedict Cumberbatch and Sala Baker), Aragorn was crowned the King Elessar, The first High King of the Reunited Kingdom. The plot of Aragorn is only one of many subplots. There is also the plot Pippin and his friend Meriadoc Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan). Pippin

The Character of King Richard II in William Shakespeares...

The Character of King Richard II in William Shakespeares Play Shakespeare wrote ‘King Richard II’ in the 16th/17th Century, about 200 years after Richard was on the throne. His initial intent was to point out key factors within the Elizabethan monarchy. Queen Elizabeth was compared to King Richard because of her lack of an heir, her inclination towards heavy taxes and the indulgence of her favourites. Elizabethan critics viewed the play as being politically dangerous towards Queen Elizabeth’s monarchy. Richard is presented , by Shakespeare, as being a man who pays more attention to his appearance rather than the duties and responsibilities of a king. Shakespeare also shows two key sides to†¦show more content†¦Shakespeare shows contrast between two key characters: King Richard and Henry Bolingbroke. We see that through the course of the play, that it is due to Richard and the path that he chose, whilst on the throne, that lead to his downfall and the rise of Bolingbroke. Richard’s poor ruling as a King lead to many of his people losing favour with him and, when Richard goes away to Ireland, these downtrodden ‘subjects’ are quick to take favour with Bolingbroke when he returns to England to fight for Richard’s crown. There are small, but key, issues which arise through Shakespeare’s writing. One of which is the argument over the divine right to rule and the legal right to rule. Richard sees himself as ‘God on Earth’ and feel s that he should be allowed to rule for this reason. In this sense, Richard can be seen as a modern day martyr, he rules over the country in the name of God and dies in Christ’s honour. Controversially, the people of Elizabethan England would have argued that there should be a legal right and that the currents King or Queen’s first born child should become the next heir to the throne. One major factor in the deposition of Richard, is his banishing of Bolingbroke. Whilst Bolingbroke is away, we seeShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Evolution of Shakespeares Henry V1621 Words   |  7 PagesEvolution of Shakespeares Henry V Foremost among the characters William Shakespeare develops in his series of historical plays is, undoubtedly, the character of Henry V. Henry, also at times referred to as Harry or Hal, develops through the course of four plays: Richard II, I Henry IV, II Henry IV, and Henry V. From the brief mention of Henry in Richard II to the full focus upon him in Henry V, a dramatic change clearly takes place: the playful carousing youth portrayed in the first play developsRead More Richard II in William Shakespeare Essay696 Words   |  3 PagesRichard II in William Shakespeare The plays of William Shakespeare are generally easy to categorize, and the heroes of these plays are equally so. However, in the history play Richard II, Shakespeare’s king is more ambiguous than Hamlet or Romeo– there is no clear cut answer to whether Richard II is a tragic hero... or simply a tragedy. Historically, Richard II was crowned at a very young age, forced into the role of monarch, and thrust without hesitation into the murky world of political intrigueRead MoreAltering Reality1114 Words   |  5 Pageswriting is William Shakespeare. In Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, many similarities and contrasts of historical accounts are used to fuel the drama’s storyline. This is very apparent amongst the play’s characters, events, and settings. Shakespeare begins his historical references with the use of well-known historical characters. Two of the play’s main characters are two rivaling Scottish kings, Duncan I and Macbeth. Shakespeare does an excellent job in using contrasts of the actual kings, in TheRead MoreBiography of William Shakespeare Essay762 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare was born on April 23rd 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon and died on April 23rd 1616; he was 52 years old when he died and was buried in the Stratford church. His father was John Shakespeare and died in 1601; his mom was Mary Arden and died in 1608. He married to Anne Hathaway the daughter of a farmer. They got three children: Susanna who was born on 1583 and two twins a boy which is Hammet and a girl which is Judith. Susanna was the eldest child and she didn’t have any education, sheRead MoreBolingbrokes Revenge1099 Words   |  4 PagesBolingbrokes Revenge Introduction: William Shakespeares historical tragedies offer a window of insight into the human dramas that underscored the affairs of nobleman. These tragedies tended to bring personification to courtly disputes, wars between kingdoms and battles for succession. In the case of Richard the Second (or Richard II), which is estimated to have been produced in 1595 and which gave prequel to the trilogy of plays regarding two King Henrys, Shakespeare composed a tragedy whichRead MoreAnalyse How the Central Values Portrayed in King Richard Iii Are Creatively Reshaped in Looking for Richard.1683 Words   |  7 PagesAn honest tale speeds best, being plainly told.† This quote from William Shakespeare’s King Richard III is a seed from which Al Pacino’s docu-drama Looking For Richard grows, both texts demonstrating the intrinsic relationship between contexts and the composition of texts. As 21st century students, we see Pacino’s creative reshaping emphasise inherent values withi n the original text, from dynamic perspectives to interpretational understandings, presented in an ‘honest’ and ‘plainly told’ compositionRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Influence On The Course Of World History1440 Words   |  6 Pagescenturies could hit Orbit and sum of Shakespeare’s wit† (â€Å"nosweatshakespeare†). This quote above was said by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous essayist inspired by Shakespeare’s works. William Shakespeare was a renowned author, poet, actor, and playwright. He has contributed to many components of life today such as; founding modern English language, contributing to literature, contributing to modern theater, and contributing many of his works to modern English. William Shakespeare has greatly impacted theRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare: Greatest Playwright of All1554 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeare: Greatest Playwright of All William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a British poet and playwright, he was well known as the greatest writer of all time, he was often called the Bard of Avon.Although many facts of his life remain unknown, his poems and plays are unique and have timeless theme that touch everyone’s heart, and are still widely studied and performed in today’s society. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, England enjoyed a time of prosperity and stability that ledRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare: Greatest Playwright of All1568 Words   |  7 PagesWilliam Shakespeare: Greatest Playwright of All William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was a British poet and playwright, he was well known as the greatest writer of all time, he was often called the Bard of Avon.Although many facts of his life remain unknown, his poems and plays are unique and have timeless theme that touch everyone’s heart, and are still widely studied and performed in today’s society. During the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, England enjoyed a time of prosperity and stability that ledRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Life Experiences997 Words   |  4 Pages Kemal 1 Ayesha Kemal Mrs. Holcombe Period: 7 10/05/14 Shakespeare’s Life Experiences William Shakespeare was born on April 26, 1564 to John and Mary Shakespeare. As a child Shakespeare grew up in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in the United Kingdom. He grew up attending a school called King Edward VI School, where he learned to read, write, and use proper grammar. He continued to attend school until his family had some economic hardships and he was unable to attend university. Instead he got married

Harry Potter the Commodity Fetishism Free Essays

Amalia Rodrigues Film Survey Prompt 1 Harry Potter the Commodity Fetishism There are few things in this world that manage to seep into every crevice our lives as humans; the air we breathe, the people we interact with, and in our contemporary culture, the buying and selling of commodities. The masses have adopted a â€Å"give the people what they want† attitude that results in the commodification of everything thinkable. â€Å"Even as a negation of that social purposiveness which is spreading through the market, [art’s] freedom remains essentially bound up with the premise of a commodity economy† (Adorno Horkheimer 1238). We will write a custom essay sample on Harry Potter the Commodity Fetishism or any similar topic only for you Order Now There may have been a time when art was an escape from the domination of commerce, when people created things motivated by passion and emotion rather than by the prospect of dollar signs; no longer does that time exist. In film, the studio system has become a monopoly, and the structure of films, a formula. Though some would argue that there are a myriad of genres that give variety to the industry, Adorno and Horkheimer would counter that a menu is still not a choice, and that the monopolization of the film industry takes away from a world of choices and freedoms. The industry has morphed into a total administration of art, undoubtedly integrating our pleasure in the theater with the machinery of global media firms. A textbook example is the franchise of the Harry Potter films, which more than most any series of films, proliferates the sins of hyper commercialism. A commodity is defined as something that has use value, or utility, by satisfying a particular need or desire, created to be exchanged for a profit. It must have some sort of utility, or it will not be desired by a prospective buyer. â€Å"So far as it is a value in use, there is nothing mysterious about it, whether we consider it from the point of view that by its properties it is capable of satisfying human wants, or from the point that those properties are the product of human labor† (Marx 1). This could be virtually anything, being that everything today has a price put on it by society. We are constructed through our relationship with and use of commodities in our everyday lives. As a people, we have become obsessed with the commodities we surround ourselves with, constructing our identities through the material goods that inhabit us. Commodity fetishism replaces relationships between people with relationships between humans and objects. The eruption of the Harry Potter phenomenon occurred in the late nineties and has only flourished since. The author of the series, J. K. Rowling, created a world that nobody had seen before, a world of magic. This world, along with the lovable characters involved, are what our society seamlessly bought into. The masses fell in love with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, leaving them vulnerable to the impending commercial goods that the media conglomerates would soon overwhelmingly develop. And, no doubt, the Potter-inspired merchandise began to flow like lava as the movies were produced one by one, each one more successful than the next. Mindlessly, readers and viewers were sucked in by the new world of witchcraft and wizardry that leaves ceaseless possibilities for immense revenue. To quote Adorno and Horkheimer, â€Å"The culture perpetually cheats its consumers of what it perpetually promises. The promissory note which, with its plots and staging, it draws on pleasure is endlessly prolonged; the promise, which is actually all the spectacle consists of, is illusory: all it actually confirms is that the real point will never be reached, that the diner must be satisfied with the menu† (Adorno Horkheimer 1230). When adopting the premise of Harry Potter from words in a book to the big motion-picture screen, the film makers undoubtedly had dollar signs flashing in their pupils. Such a fantastically huge foundation was built and the only direction to move was up. Before Harry could say â€Å"abracadabra† (or something to that effect) stores began to overflow with anything and everything with the name â€Å"Harry Potter† plastered on the side. Hats, mugs, T-shirts, video games, costumes, the signature round glasses, not one item from the series has gone unnoticed by the conglomerates who are so devoted to squeezing every ounce of profit out of poor Harry’s wand. Even the earwax jellybeans that Dumbledore so foolishly consumes out of his bag of â€Å"Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans† are readily available at your local superstore. There is simply no escaping the pure immensity that is the Potter revolution. Children are hosting Harry Potter themed birthday parties, adults are tattooing the dark mark on their bodies, college students are starting quidditch teams and tournaments, and families are taking road trips to the newly developed â€Å"Harry Potter World† in Universal Studios. This latest installment of the Harry Potter craze allows fans to live in the world they see on screen, drink butter beer, and purchase wands from Olivander’s; all of this for the low, low price of a hefty wad of cash straight into the pockets of the already multi-billion dollar industry. And yet, somehow our society does not mind being conned into purchasing such unnecessary yet desirable items, directly depicting the idea of commodity fetishism. Massive consumerism based on obsessions drawn from movies and franchises such as Harry Potter happen day to day, year to year, generation to generation. It has become so naturalized in our society to buy into our every impulse of consumer products that we cannot help but be blinded by our desires for such vain items. In a way, we, as consumers, are being exploited similarly to the way that house elves like Dobby are exploited in the Harry Potter series. We are born into our exploitation, and in some ways seem to enjoy it, as the elves seem to enjoy their dirty work. As a population, we can only hope to be as lucky as Dobby, to find a sock in an old diary, and be set free from manipulation. How to cite Harry Potter the Commodity Fetishism, Essay examples

Learning a New Language free essay sample

All methods are good but, in my opinion, the best way to learn a new language is to attend a class. Similar to other methods studying in a class has positive and negative sides. When we go to a class, we can get an education from professional teachers, who have been working on their subject and storing knowledge for many years. Therefore, our chance to be successful and obtain good level rises dramatically.Another advantage is that we can ask any incomprehension, different from learning y ourselves, when we cannot ask a teacher about difficult aspects of studying. In addition, teachers can control strictly and force us to study. Teachers can encourage us to do new steps and help in developing abilities, too. They give some fine hints that are not maybe so important but very useful, in fact. I think these are very effective in learning a language. Nevertheless, this method has disadvantages as well. We will write a custom essay sample on Learning a New Language or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Going to a class can expensive.As the better the course the more expensive it is. In addition, courses has definite timetable. It means we cannot study whenever we want. Also, we should not exclude the fact that there are some kind of language centers which gain confidence of people and take their money, but do not give education at promised high levels. Therefore, we should be careful. In conclusion, I think advantages are weightier than disadvantages, so it is a very good idea to attend a class when learning a new language.