Essay Strength

English 8

Mr. Salsich

April 19, 2011

TS Power to move things out of the way

CM people/things

CM always room for more strength/ physically/ emotionally

CS strength in JC

TS strengths, significant

SD Cassius

CM age brings wisdom

CM grey hairs purchase good oppinions

SD Portia

CM standing up to Brutus

CM letting him know she's human

SD lack of strengths in brutus

CM giving into the idea to destroy his friend

CM giving into strength of others, wife, cassius

 Cooper Feltes

English 9

Mr. Salsich

April 20, 2011

The Power Within:

Power, Strength, and How We Use It.

Every person on this earth has the power to exert strength upon others, using that power to lead, to fight, or to stand up to others. Power does not just stop at moving things out of the way; it consists of having the emotional strength to tell people what’s really on your mind, and be unafraid of what they have to say back to you. No matter how much power you have mustered in your body or mind, it seems that there is always room to learn how to use it. The characters in Shakespeare's play, Julius Caesar, each have their own way of using their energy, sparing its use in some places, and greatly using it in others.

Each character in Julius Caesar has their own level of strength. One example is the character Cicero, experienced and cut out for the job, who is leading a conspiracy against their ruler, Caesar. Cicero, with “his gray hairs,” shows strength in leadership, one of the most notable and honorable types of power. With Cicero's age comes much wisdom, wisdom that will strengthen his group to bring down Caesar. Brutus, on the other hand, does not seem to have yet found his inner power. Brutus succumbs to the overwhelming devotion and power of others, namely Cicero and Caesar, but never lets himself unleash the power within. He gives in to the idea of killing his long-time friend and master, exposing his sparing use of strength to many others, including Porsia. Porsia, Brutus' wife, at one point in the story, stands up for her own strength like Brutus had never seen-- stabbing her leg to show her power. Porsia, before this, stood up for herself by asking Brutus if she was only needed to “talk with [him] sometimes, or “comfort [his] bed”. Brutus, after this display of raw vigor, realizes how strong she really is, and seemed to have given up some of his power. All of these characters have their own type of strength and power, using it in their own way.

The strength of the human mind and body is not used equally from person to person. Shakespeare’s character, Brutus, doesn’t seem to be able to unleash the power within. Porsia and Cicero, strong, conducted, and able, on the other hand, can very easily control this power, saving it for situations that need it most. All of these characters have their own way of using their strength, which gives each of them a special personality.

Self-Assessment:

I believe that this is an okay essay. I particularly like my use of special effects, especially the adjective appositives. One weak point I see is the repeated use of strength or power. I really hope I did not overuse these words, for this would make my essay sound totally repetitive. I really need to work on using synonyms to decrease the use of the same word.
Personal grade: A-