Communication Skills in Nursing

Communication Skills in Nursing Communication is a vital part of the nurses role. Theorists such as Peplau (1952), Rogers (1970) and King (1971) all emphasise therapeutic communication as a primary part of nursing and a major focus of nursing practice. Long (1992) further suggests that communication contains many components including presence, listening, perception, caring, disclosure, acceptance, empathy, authenticity and respect. Stuart and Sundeen (1991, p.127) warn that while communication can facilitate the development of a therapeutic relationship it can also create barriers between clients and colleagues. Within Healthcare, communication may be described as a transitional process that is dynamic and constantly changing (Hargie, Saunders and Dickenson, 1994, p.329). It primarily involves communication between the nurse and the patient. If the interaction is to be meaningful, information should be exchanged; this involves the nurse adopting a planned, holistic approach which eventually forms the basis of a therapeutic relationship. Fielding and Llewelyn (1987) contend that poor communication is the primary cause of complaints by patients. This is supported by Young (1995) who reports that one third of complaints to the Health Service Commissioner were related to communication with nursing staff. Studies by Boore (1979) and Devine and Cook (1983) demonstrate that good communication actually assisted the rate of patient recovery thus reducing hospital admission times. This suggests that good communication skills are cost effective. In this assignment, I have reflected on situations that have taken place during my clinical work experience. These situations have helped to develop and utilise my interpersonal skills, helping to maintain therapeutic relationships with patients. In this instance, I have used Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle as the framework for my reflection. Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle consists of six stages in nursing practice and learning from the experiences. Description of the situation that arose. Conclusion of what else would I could have done. Action plan is there so I can prepare if the situation rises again. Analysis of the feeling Evaluation of the experience Analysis to make sense of the experience My Reflective Cycle Baird and Winter (2005) illustrate the importance of reflective practice. They state that reflecting will help to generate knowledge and professional practice, increase ones ability to adapt to new situations, develop self esteem and greater job satisfaction. However, Siviter (2004) explains that reflection is about gaining self confidence, identifying ways to improve, learning from ones own mistakes and behaviour, looking at other peoples perspectives, being self aware and making future improvements by learning from the past. I have come to realise that it is important for me to improve and build therapeutic relationships with my patients by helping to establish a rapport through trust and mutual understanding, creating the special link between patient and nurse as described by Harkreader and Hogan (2004). Peplau (1952), cited in Harkreader and Hogan (2004), notes that good contact in therapeutic relationships builds trust as well as raising the patients self esteem, often leading t o the patients personal growth. Ruesh (1961), cited in Arnold and Boggs (2007), states that the purpose of therapeutic communication is to improve the patients ability to function. Therefore, in order to establish a therapeutic nurse/patient interaction, a nurse must possess certain qualities e.g. caring, sincerity, empathy and trustworthiness (Kathol, 2003) (P.33). These qualities can be expressed by promoting effective communication and relationships by the implementation of interpersonal skills. Johnson (2008) defines interpersonal skills as the ability to communicate effectively. Chitty and Black (2007, p 218) mention that communication is the exchange of information, thoughts and ideas via simultaneous verbal and non verbal communication. They explain that while verbal communication relies on the spoken word, non-verbal communication is just as important, consisting of gestures, postures, facial expressions, plus the tone and level of volume of ones voice. Thus, my reflection i n this assignment is based on the development of therapeutic relationships between the nurse and patient using interpersonal skills. My reflection is about a particular patient, to whom, in order to maintain patient information confidentiality (NMC, 2004), I will refer to as Mr R. It concerns an event which took place when I was working on a surgical ward. Whilst there were male and female wards, female and male surgical patients were encouraged mingle. On this particular day, I noticed that one of the male patients was sitting alone on his bed. This was Mr R., a 64 year old gentleman who had been diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the pancreas, with a life expectancy of 18-24 months. He was unable to control his pain, and whilst some relief could be provided by chemotherapy, Mr R. had a good understanding of his condition and knew that there was no cure available. He was unable to walk by himself and always needed assistance even to stand up or sit down. Because of his mobility problems I offered to get him his cup of tea and I then sat with him as he was lonely. I would now like to discuss the feelings and thoughts I experienced at the time. Before I gave Mr R. his cup of tea, I approached him in a friendly manner and introduced myself; I tried to establish a good rapport with him because I wanted him to feel comfortable with me even though I was not a family member or relative. When I first asked Mr R. if I could get him a cup of tea, he looked at me and replied I have asked the girl for a cup of tea, I dont know where she is. I answered Well, I will see where she is and if I cant find her, I will gladly get one for you Mr R. In doing this, I demonstrated emphatic listening. According to Wold (2004, p 13), emphatic listening is about the willingness to understand the other person, not just judging by appearance. Then I touched MrR.s shoulders, kept talking and raised my tone a little because I was unsure of his reaction. At the same time, I used body language to communicate the action of drinking. I paused and repeated my actions, but this time I used some simple words which I though Mr R. would understand. Mr R. looked at me and nodded his head. As I was giving him his cup of tea, I maintained eye contact as I didnt want him to feel shy or embarrassed. Fortunately, using body language helped me to communicate with this gentleman. At the time I was worried that he would be unable to understand me since English is not my first language but I was able to communicate effectively with him by verbal and non-verbal means, using appropriate gestures and facial expressions. Body language and facial expressions are referred to as a non-verbal communication (Funnell et al. 2005 p.443). I kept thinking that I needed to improve my English in order for him to better understand and interpret my actions. I thought of the language barrier that could break verbal communication. Castledine (2002, p.923) mentions that the language barrier arises when individuals come from different social backgrounds or use slang or colloquial phrases in conversation. Luckily, when dealing with Mr R. the particular gestures and facial expressions I used helped him to understand that I was offering him assistance. The eye contact I maintained helped show my willingness to help him; it gave him reassurance and encouraged him to place his confidence in me. This is supported by Caris-Verhallen et al (1999) who mention that direct eye contact expresses a sense of interest in the other person and provides another form of communication. In my dealings with Mr R., I tried to communicate in the best and appropriate way possible in order to make him feel comfortable; as a result he placed his trust in me and was more co-operative. Evaluation In evaluating my actions, I feel that I behaved correctly since my actions gave Mr R. both the assistance he needed and provided him with some company. I was able to successfully develop the nurse-patient relationship. Although McCabe (2004, p-44) would describe this as task centred communication one of the key components missing in communication by nurses I feel that the situation involved both good patient and task centred communication. I feel that I treated Mr R. with empathy because he was unable to perform certain tasks himself due to his mobility problems and was now refusing chemotherapy. It was my duty to make sure he was comfortable and felt supported and reassured. My involvement in the nurse-patient relationship was not restricted to task centred communication but included a patient centred approach using basic techniques to provide warmth and empathy toward the patient. I found that I was able to improve my non-verbal communication skills in my dealings with Mr R. When he first mentioned having chemotherapy, he volunteered very little information, thus demonstrating the role of non-verbal communication. Caris-Verhallen et al (1999, p.809) state that the role of non-verbal communication becomes important when communicating with elderly people with incurable cancer (Hollman et al 2005, p.31) There are a number of effective ways to maximise communication with people, for example, by trying to gain the persons attention before speaking this makes one more visible and helps to prevent the person from feeling intimidated or under any kind of pressure; the use of sensitive touch can also make them feel more comfortable. I feel that the interaction with Mr R. had been beneficial to me in that it helped me to learn how to adapt my communication skills both verbally and non-verbally. I used body language to its full effect since the language barrier made verbal communication with Mr.R. difficult. I used simple sentences that Mr R. could easily understand in order to encourage his participation. Wold (2004, p.76) mention that gestures are a specific type of non-verbal communication intended to express ideas; they are useful for people who have limited verbal communication skills. I also used facial expressions to help encourage him to have chemotherapy treatment which might not cure his problem but would give him some relief and make him feel healthier. Facial expressions are the most expressive means of non-verbal communication but are also limited to certain cultural and age barriers (Wold 2004 p.76). My facial expressions were intended to encourage Mr R. to reconsider his decision with regard to chemotherapy treatment. Whilst I could not go into all the details about his treatment, I was able to advise him to complete his treatment in order to alleviate his symptoms. Analysis In order to analyse the situation, I aim to evaluate the important communication skills that enabled me to provide the best level of nursing care for Mr R. My dealings with Mr R. involved interpersonal communication i.e. communication between two people (Funnell et al 2005, p-438).I realised that non-verbal communication did help me considerably in providing Mr R. with appropriate nursing care even though he could only understand a few of the words I was speaking. I did notice that one of the problems that occurred with this style of communication was the language barrier but despite this I continued by using appropriate communication techniques to aid the conversation. Although it was quite difficult at first, the use of non verbal communication skills helped encourage him to speak and also allowed him to understand me. The situation showed me that Mr R. was able to respond when I asked him the question without me having to wait for an answer he was unable to give. Funnell et al (2005, p 438) point out that communication occurs when a person responds to the message received and assigns a meaning to it. Mr R. had indicated his agreement by nodding his head. Delaune and Ladner (2002, P-191) explain that this channel is one of the key components of communication techniques and processes, being used as a medium to send out messages. In addition Mr R. also gave me feedback by showing that he was able to understand the messages being conveyed by my body language, facial expression and eye contact. The channels of communication I used can therefore be classed as both visual and auditory. Delaune and Ladner (2002 p.191) state that feedback occurs when the sender receives information after the receiver reacts to the message, however Chitty and Black (2007, p.218) define feedback as a response to a message. I n this particular situation, I was the sender who conveyed the message to Mr R. and Mr R. was the receiver who agreed to talk about his chemotherapy treatment and allowed me to assist. Consequently I feel that my dealings with Mr R. involved the 5 key components of communication outlined by Delaune and Ladner (2002, p.191) i.e. senders, message, channel, receiver and feedback. Reflecting on this event allowed me to explore how communication skills play a key role in the nurse and patient relationship in the delivery of patient-focussed care. Whilst I was trying to assist Mr R. when he was attempting to walk, I realised that he needed time to adapt to the changes in his activities of daily living. I was also considering ways of successful and effective communication to ensure a good nursing outcome. I concluded that it was vital to establish a rapport with Mr R. to encourage him to participate in the exchange both verbally and non-verbally. This might then give him the confidence to communicate effectively with the other staff nurses; this might later prevent him from being neglected due to his age or his inability to understand the information given to him about his treatment and the benefits of that treatment. I have set out an action plan of clinical practice for future reference. If there were patients who needed help with feeding or with other procedures, I would ensure that I was well prepared to deal patients who werent able to communicate properly. This is because, as a nurse, it is my role to ensure that patients are provided with the best possible care. To achieve this, I need to be able to communicate effectively with patients in different situations and with patients who have differing needs. I need to communicate effectively as it is important to know what patients need most during there stay on the ward under my supervision. Whilst I have a lot of experience in this field of practice, communication remains a fundamental part of the nursing process which needs to be developed in nurse-patient relationships. Wood (2006, p.13) states that communication is the key to unlock the foundation of relationships. Good communication is essential if one is to get to know a patients individu al health status (Walsh, 2005, p.30). Active learning can also help to identify the existence of barriers to communication when interacting with patients. Active learning means listening without making judgements; I always try to listen to patients opinions or complaints since this gives me the opportunity to see the patients perspective (Arnold, 2007, p.201). On the other hand, it is crucial to avoid the barriers that occur in communication with the patients and be able to detect language barriers. This can be done by questioning patients about their health and by asking them if they need help in their daily activities. I set about overcoming such barriers by asking open-ended questions and interrupting when necessary to seek additional facts (Funnell et al, 2005, p.453). Walsh (2005, p.31) also points out that stereotyping and making assumptions about patients, by making judgements on first impressions and a lack of awareness of communication skills are the main barriers to good communication. I must not judge patients by making assumptions on my first impression but should go out of my way to make the patient feel valued as an individual. I should respect each patients fundamental values, beliefs, culture, and individual means of communication (Heath, 300, p.27). I should be able to know how to establish a rapport with each patient. Cellini (1998, p.49) suggests a number of ways in which this can be achieved, including making oneself visible to the patient, anticipating patients needs, being reliable, listening effectively; all these factors will give me guidelines to improve my communication skills. Another important factor to include in my action plan is the need to take into account any disabilities patients may have such as poor hearing, visual impairment or mental disability. This could help give the patient some control and allow them to make the best use of body language. Once I know that a patient has some form of disability, I will be able to prepare a course of action in advance, deciding on the most appropriate and effective means of communication. Heath (2000, p.28) mentions that communicating with patients who have an impairment requires a particular and certain type of skill and consideration. Nazarko (2004, p.9) suggests that one should not repeat oneself if the patient is unable to understand but rather try to rephrase what one is saying in terms they can understand e.g. try speaking a little more slowly when communicating with disabled people or the hard of hearing. Hearing problems are the most common disability amongst adults due to the ageing process (Schofield. 2002, p.21). In summary, my action plan will show how to establish a good rapport with the patient, by recognising what affects the patients ability to communicate well and how to avoid barriers to effective communication in the future. Conclusion In conclusion, I have outlined the reasons behind my choosing Gibbs (1988) reflective cycle as the framework of my reflection and have discussed the importance of reflection in nursing practice. I feel I have discussed each stage of the cycle, outlining my ability to develop therapeutic relationship by using interpersonal skills in my dealings with one particular patient. I feel that most parts of the reflective cycle (Gibbs 1988) can be applied to the situation on which I have reflected. Without the model of structured reflection I do not feel I would have had the confidence to consider the situation in any depth (Graham cited in Johns 1997 a, p.91-92) and I fear reflection would have been remained at a descriptive level. I have been able to apply the situation to theory; as Boud Keogh Walker (1985, p.19) explain that reflection in the context of learning is a generic term for those intellectual and effective activities whereby individuals engage to explore their experiences in ord er to lead to a better understanding and appreciation. Boyd Fales (1983, p.100) agree with this and state that reflective learning is the process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, trigged by an experience that creates and clarifies meaning in terms of self and which results in a changed conceptual perspective. However, I personally believe that the reflective process is merely based on each individuals own personality and beliefs as well as their attitude and approach to the life. Appendix Mr R., a 64 year old gentleman, was an inpatient on a surgical ward. Earlier that day his consultant had directly informed him that he had inoperable cancer of the pancreas with a life expectancy of 18-24 months. Some relief might be offered by chemotherapy, but there was no cure. Mr R. was understandably shocked, but had suspected the diagnosis. At that time he remained in the care of the specialist nurse. Later in the day, as I was passing through the ward, I notice Mr. R. alone on his bed. Prescriptive A prescriptive intervention seeks to direct the behaviour of the client, usually behaviour that is outside the client-practitioner relationship. My first intervention was to open the conversation and demonstrate warmth. I provided information myself and gave Mr R. the choice of staying on his own or engaging with me. By shaking Mr R.s hands I was attempting to provide reassurance and support as well as communicating warmth in order to reduce his anxiety and promote an effective nurse-patient relationship. Practitioner: Hello Mr. R, I am one of the nurses here this  morning with Dr. M. Is there anything I can get you or would you rather be on your own? (Shook hands). Mr. R: NO, I remember you from this morning, come and sit down. Ive asked the girl for a cup of tea, I dont know where shes got to. Practitioner: Well give me a minute and Ill bring you one in. Do you take sugar? Mr. R: I suppose I shouldnt, then why worry. Two please. Practitioner: (Returning with a cup of tea) Here we are, dont blame me if its horrible, I got it from the trolley. (I smiled at Mr.R. and tried to establish eye contact, then sat down in the chair next to him). Mr. R: Thanks, thats just what I need. 2. Informative An informative intervention seeks to impart knowledge, information and meaning to the patient. My intention was to reinforce the nurse-patient relationship by smiling and attempting to establish eye contact as well as using facial expressions to put the patient at ease and establish a good rapport. By making Mr. R a cup of tea it created a pleasant response in a time of crisis. Practitioner: Jane (specialist nurse) was here this morning, what did you think about what she had to say? Mr. R: Oh yes she was very nice, mind you Im an old hand at this, I looked after my wife when she had cancer. Mr. R: She was riddled with cancer, but we kept her at home and looked after her. She could make a cracking cup of tea (Mr.R. smiles) Practitioner: (smiles and nods) When did she pass away? 3. Confronting A confronting intervention seeks to raise the clients consciousness about limiting behaviour or attitudes of which they are relatively unaware. By meeting the patients needs at that time I felt the urge to continue to show a display of warmth and develop the relationship further. Mr. R: It will be two years next month that she died. Practitioner: You must miss her. Mr. R: Theres not a day goes by that I dont talk to her. Goodness knows what she would make of all this, its brought it all back. 4. Cathartic A cathartic intervention seeks to enable the client to discharge/react to a painful emotion primarily grief, fear and/or anger. Mr. R spoke emotively and angrily by using such words as riddled and cancer. He spoke loudly and angrily with congruent non-verbal cues. Practitioner: Has what youve been discussing with Jane reminded you of your wifes death? Mr. R: Yes, (patient covers his face with his hands). Practitioner: What is it about what youve heard that is worrying you, do you think you can tell me? 5. Catalytic A catalytic intervention seeks to elicit self-discovery, self direct living, learning and problem solving in the client. Mr. R had a broad scope in which to discuss any concerns he may have had, but his response only concerned his wife, not him as his wife was the one who suffered from cancer. Mr. R: (Pause)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..Im an old hand at this and I dont want any of that chemo. Practitioner: What is it about the chemotherapy you dont like? Mr. R: My wife had it and we went through hell. Practitioner: You went through hell Mr. R: The doctors made her have the chemo and she still died in agony. 6. Supportive A supportive intervention seeks to affirm worth and value of the clients person, qualities, attitudes and actions. It is done to encourage the client to say more and to explore the issue further. Support is provided by non-verbal means like giving warmth, supportive posture and maintaining eye contact. I wanted to convince Mr. R that I was interested in what he had to say and help him believe that he was worth listening to that his opinions really mattered. Practitioner: Do you think the same thing will happen to you? Mr. R: Yes, thats the one thing Im worried about. Practitioner:.em, if Im honest with you chemotherapy treatment is not a subject I know a lot about. (Pause), would you like to see the specialist nurse again? She can go over things with you and explain your options. Mr. R Well if she doesnt mind, Im just not sure the chemo will be worth it. Learning outcomes From this experience, I have learned the importance of:- Practice in accordance with the NMC (2004) code of professional conduct, performance, when caring for adult patients including confidentially, informed consent, accountability, patient advocacy and a safe environment. Demonstrating fair and anti-discriminatory behaviour, acknowledging differences in the beliefs, spiritual and cultural practices of individuals. Understanding the rationale for undertaking and documenting, a comprehensive, systematic and accurate nursing assessment of physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs. Interpreting assessment data to prioritise interventions in evidence based plan of care. Discussing factors that will influence the effective working relationships between health and social care teams. Demonstrating the ability to critically reflect upon practice.

British Petroleum Essay

2. Introduction BP is one of the largest multinational corporations in the world. According to CNN (2011), BP is the fourth largest multinational corporation in the world and employs over 80,000 people and making annual revenue of $392 Billion. BP has massive influence on the global economic climate and has the operation capacity to affect stakeholders. This essay will analyse BP’S current stance using Porters five forces. It will also establish who are the most important stakeholders and suggest strategies that can be used in future. 3. Porters Five Forces This looks at he external factors that can affect which include new entrants, buyers, suppliers, substitutes and competition and can affect productivity of a business as seen in appendix A. 3.1 Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants into the oil and gas industry is relatively low. This is a result of the high capital costs and technology, distribution channels, economies of scale, regulations and geopolitical barriers and the high levels of expertise required for exploration and extraction. (Mascarenhas, 1997) This makes it relatively easy for the oil and gas industry to fend of potential entrants; however the investment in relation to profit returns with suitable environmental and technical environment is relatively high. 3.2 Rivalry Rivalry in the oil and gas industry is relatively high because of the resource based nature of the business. There is severe competition to locate and secure drilling licenses between the major players and the cost of expedition and production is relatively high. The main source of competitive advantage in his industry is to cut down the costs of production per unit produced. 3.3 Substitutes for Oil and Gas Products The threats of substitutes for oil and gas products are low and come from  wind, nuclear, hydroelectric and biomass. Wachsmith et al (2013) states that solar power, wind power and other substitutes for oil and gas products are not yet efficient enough to challenge oil and gas products as they can be affected by environmental factors. Other substitutes such as Nuclear power can cause devastating harm to the environment in the event of unprecedented spillages and reparations would be extremely costly. However, BP is currently embarking on projects to diversify the range of their energy production sources into wind power and biofuels which yield less carbon emission.(BP, 2014) 3.4 Buyers Buyers are both industrial and individual consumers. Consumer power is relatively low because suppliers have an incentive to keep supply low in order to control oil prices. Also OPEC has the power to limit the amount Oil in the market and can alter this to the benefit of the producer to achieve the highest possible price. (Radetski, 2012) The consumer is the price taker. 3.5 Supply Supplier power in the oil and gas industry is high. This is because of the constraints attached to the supply of the output by OPEC and countries resource management levels. (Radetski, 2012) This enables suppliers to control oil prices to an extent while working in unison to the regulations of overseeing organisations and countries of operations they can decide to seize BP’S output if terms and conditions of resource exploitation are not met. 4. Stakeholders The major BP stakeholders are suppliers, environmental organisations, countries of operation and oil production governing organisations. 5. Conclusion This essay has given a short account of BP’s stakeholders using Porters five forces as a model and identified the major stakeholders. This study has shown that suppliers, countries of operation and governing bodies play a  major role in the success of BP. These finding suggest several courses of action for BP which include: †¢Abiding by the rules and regulations of both countries and governing organisations. †¢Maintaining a frugal means of production and investing in more efficient methods of production †¢Maintain good relationship with government to secure more oil blocs. †¢Caution should be taken when mining to reduce hazardous environmental effects as they will call for reparations and damage government relationship. 6.Appendices Appendix A: Porters Five Forces (own source)

Christian man Essay

Miller re-defined what a hero is 1949. He did this because up until this point it was Aristotle’s definition that writers followed when writing a tragic drama. Aristotle wrote that it was only a character with nobility from birth could become a hero. This means that only a character that is a King or a nobleman could become a hero. Aristotle also said that a hero is a character that overcomes a conflict with a higher power, usually the Gods. However Miller wrote in 1949 that a hero could be any character that ‘to secure one thing – his sense of personal dignity. ‘ This shows us that Miller thought that any character could be a hero as long as he had the willingness to become one. Miller also seemed to think that rather then a hero fighting a higher power he could fight against his own society (which may include fighting a higher power) to ‘gain his ‘rightful’ position in his society. ‘ Miller argued that the common man could become a hero. He said that he â€Å"believe that the common man is as apt a subject for tragedy in its highest sense as Kings were. † This basically meant that commoners were as suited to be heroes as Kings were. This completely re-defined who heroes were and who they could be. This opened up the range of different characters that writers could introduce in a tragic play and therefore led to more of this type of plays being written. Miller also defined a hero as a flawed character who is broken down to his raw core and then he is built back up again (in the eyes of the audience) through his heroic actions. This new definition shows us that Proctor is the ideal character for a hero in the play. He is an honest, working man and he has sinned but he is ready to end his sinning and become a true Christian man. We can see this by the way he is ashamed of his sin with Abigail and the way that he tells her that it is over. The audience can now see that he is trying to regain his dignity and pride. The audience can also see, by the end of Act 1, that Proctor is the main individual that may become a hero throughout the play. This leads the audience to forge assumptions of Proctor’s future actions and reactions. After the conversation between Proctor and Abigail, in Act 1, of their relationship and previous affair the audience has preconceived ideas of Elizabeth and her relationship with Proctor. The first we hear of Elizabeth is at the beginning of Act 1 when Abigail is talking to Parris. She says that Goody Proctor is a ‘bitter woman, lying, cold, sniveling, woman. ‘ This is all brought about because Goody Proctor dismissed Abigail from her services, secretly for her affair with John, however Abigail says it is because she would not be a slave for Goody Proctor. This is the first the audience hears of Elizabeth and at this point they do not know of the affair between Proctor and Abigail so they have no reason to question Abigail’s information of Elizabeth. Also up until this point in the play Abigail has been admitting to her misdeeds. Again this gives the audience no reason to question what Abigail says. The opinion of Elizabeth given to Parris from Abigail suggests that Elizabeth is mean as she was spreading rumors of Abigail. The audience knows that at the time in which the play was set young girls had many rules of conduct that they had to follow, shown in the way that the girls will be punished for dancing. If Abigail hates a woman so much that she talks of her in such a ruthless manner to an adult then the audience may conclude that Elizabeth is an evil character. This depends on the audience’s thoughts of Abigail. I think that they would perceive Abigail as a bad character. I think this because of what has been revealed about Abigail. At this point we know of her affair (‘I know how you clutched my back behind your house’ and ‘I know you, John’) and of the potion she drank to kill Goody Proctor (‘You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor’). Both of these facts give the audience the idea that Abigail is a troubled, evil character. ‘Evil character’ is supported by the way that Abigail threatened the other Girls in Act 1, ‘I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you’ she said. When the audience learn of the affair between Proctor and Abigail they assume that the relationship that Elizabeth and Proctor is not a loving one. They would argue that if it were a loving relationship then Proctor would not have engaged in an affair. When Abigail and Proctor are arguing over Elizabeth Abigail says ‘you bend to her John. ‘ This makes the audience think that Elizabeth is threatening and has great power over John, this is seen as a very bad quality. In the 17th century the man in a marriage was the boss and the threatening character, to see a woman being portrayed like this is quite shocking to the audience. Elizabeth is expected to be an unloving and gossiping character by the audience. These two characteristics are shown by the way that John had an affair and when Abigail says that Elizabeth is ‘blackening her name. ‘ Both of these traits would have been frowned on in the 17th Century, Elizabeth was expected to be quite, loving and obeying as a wife in this time period. This shows us how what others say can affect the audiences opinions. This is very important. If Elizabeth and Proctor had an unloving relationship when John dies at the end of the play the audience would be not quite as attached to him. If he had an unloving and hard time in his home life some may see him dying as a blessing. When Elizabeth is introduced in Act 2 for the first time she is singing to her boys. This suggests that she is a caring mother, she is singing which is a loving trait. She is introduced as a calm, caring mother making the audience take notice because they immediately think that their perceived idea of her is completely wrong. Her singing shocks the audience because they may have expected her to be shouting and ruling the house as Abigail’s comments had suggested in the previous scene. However there is still some credibility in the suggestion that the character is unfeeling as she has not spoken to Proctor. Her first line to Proctor is an accusation ‘What keeps you so late? ‘ This keeps alive the idea that though she may not be evil she still seems cold. It will be thought by the audience that if the Proctors had a strong, loving relationship Elizabeth may have welcomed Proctor, kissed or hugged him. In the first snippet of their long conversation at the beginning of Act 2 there are many more accusations made between the couple, and even if the inquiry is not made an answer is provided. For example when Proctor comments on the stew ‘It is well seasoned. ‘ Just before Proctor sits down to dinner with Elizabeth he re-seasons the stew without her knowing. This symbolizes many different things about the Proctors. Firstly I think the seasoning of the stew symbolises the couple marriage. I think it shows the audience the lack of heat, passion and ‘seasoning’ that the couple seems to have between them. Also, I think that John seasoning the stew shows his love for Elizabeth and wanting to please her. I think that he seasons the stew so that he can make an honest compliment to her later about it; he knows that the compliment will please her. The audience may feel that when Proctor is eating the stew the atmosphere is uneasy. Proctor’s comment of the stew may suggest that Elizabeth is asking for his acceptance. Though when Proctor kisses her after his meal it says in the stage directions that she accepts it but he is left disappointed. This suggests that though she wants his approval she does not wish for his tenderness. This shows the audience that though Elizabeth is a fragile character (she needs Proctor’s acknowledgment and approval of her cooking) she is not necessarily a loving, affectionate character. Elizabeth shows how fragile she is throughout Act 2; for example when John questions her over letting Mary go into Salem – she says Mary ‘frightened all of her strength away. ‘ The kiss in Act 2 leaves the audience with speculation over the couples relationship. However it has a much more important role later in the play. In Act 4 when Proctor dies there is another kiss shared between the Proctors. The audience can compare this to the kiss in Act 2 to confirm any variation in the relationship between the couple. If it is even less affectionate the audience will feel that if Proctor dies he is not leaving a lover behind and there will be less hope that he will not die. However if it is more passionate the audience will think that the couple are much closer and the relationship has blossomed in that last 3months. They will be seen as a much bigger tragedy for Proctor and Elizabeth to lose the new stronger relationship that they have obviously not had for a very long time. This shows us how important the kiss in Act 2 is. At the end of Act 2 Elizabeth is accused of being a witch and is taken to the jail. Proctor promises to get her out of jail and bring her back home. This is where the hysteria that the play accelerates. Act 3 starts with the court hearing of another woman who has been accused like Elizabeth. The hearing is very biased and the judge seems convinced in his verdict from the beginning giving the impression that the court hearing is simply for show and that it is realistically impossible for the ruling to be in favour of the defendant. This makes the audience worry that Elizabeth will have an unfair trial and she will hang for her ‘sins. ‘ We see the first accusation made in the scene quite early on. It is made from Judge Hathorne to Martha Corey (the defendant) ‘I am innocent to a witch. I know not what a witch is. ‘ ‘How do you know then, that you are not a witch? ‘ Here we see how a witch is prosecuted, this makes us think of fragile Elizabeth and wonder of how she will cope under the strain of court. Here we also see the power used by Hathorne. He uses accusations to make him seem in control and that he holds the power. Proctor and his friend storm into the court and the judge sends them out but then goes to talk to them for disturbing his courtroom. Proctor tries to use Mary Warren’s confession to lying to the court to free Elizabeth but soon realises that the only chance of saving his wife’s life is to prove that Abigail is lying. The only way he can do this is by proving that she has a reason for wanting Elizabeth dead, to take her place. Proctor confesses to lechery and Danforth says that if Elizabeth will confirm that Abigail and Proctor had an affair he will let all the accused go free. This will prove that Abigail had an evil aim that she was trying to accomplish by accusing women of witchcraft. Elizabeth is brought in and Miller makes this part of the play a semi-climax. There is a lot of tension because the audience are pleading for Elizabeth to claim lechery on John, knowing that it is one of the Ten Commandments. Miller makes this moment dramatic using stage directions. This is a part in the play where Miller is very particular about where each character is and how the stage must be set out. The first directions are give as dialogue from ‘(to Abigail) Turn your back. (To Proctor) Do likewise. Now let neither of you turn to face Goody Proctor. No one in this room is to speak one word, or raise a gesture aye or nay. ‘ This series of speech shows that seriousness of the court and also the power of Hathorne. Proctor has been told not to speak but the audience hope that he will do the exact opposite. At this point in the play the audience know that Proctor loves Elizabeth and that he would do anything for her, however they are not aware of the strength of Elizabeth’s affections towards her husband. If Elizabeth’s morals come above her love for Proctor she could tell the court that he committed lechery and in this bizarre sequence of events this could save her life. This moment in the play may be seen as a build up to the confession and execution of John Proctor. These moments may be seen as similar because it is at both these points in the play where the audience is wishing for the Proctors to not follow their morals and confess to a crime. Tension is built up at both of these points, however there is a considerable amount more of strain in Act 4, this is because the consequences are clear. In this scene the consequences are clear if Elizabeth prompts lechery upon her husband, she will save not only her and her husbands lives but she will put an end to the witch trials. Firstly tension is caused here by the pure fact that Elizabeth can not rely on her husband to give her answers, after all it was his crime and she may fear that if she tells the truth he will suffer for it. This is shown by the many attempts that she makes to look at Proctor for guidance. Each time Danforth stops her until she sees that it is impossible to receive an answer from her husband. Repeatedly Elizabeth strays from the subject to try and show how her husband is a good man but again she soon realises that she can no come to a faint conclusion. This is shown when Danforth asks her directly, after interrupting her many times, ‘Answer my question! Is your husband a lecher! ‘ This shocks the audience because up until this point Danforth has remained relatively calm because he is seen with such great power that no one dares deceive him. Elizabeth angers Danforth because she seems to be more concerned of the wellbeing of her husband then acting in the court. At this point Elizabeth sees no other option then to give an answer and the audience feel that should break her personal morals and say that Proctor did not commit the crime of lechery. The audience thinks this because so far Elizabeth has tried to defend Proctor with irrelevant information that he is not a drunkard and that he is not slovenly. This shows that in her mind she is debating of which answer to give and though the audience suspect that she will tell a lie they are pleading with the play that she does not. Millers directions of when she gives her answer to the enraged Danforth is ‘(faintly): No, sir. ‘ At this moment time seems to stop because all of a sudden there is uncertainty in the future of all of the characters; whether Danforth will reverse his demands and believe Proctor, whether Abigail will crumble under the pressure and what will happen to Proctor. At this point Miller restarts time quickly and it seems that in a matter of minutes Mary (a character that had been forgotten in this Act) crumbles under the increased pressure of Abigail and accuses Proctor of being involved with the devil. This is the very end of Act 3 and at this point Proctor breaks down and lets all of his thoughts and emotion run wild by screaming every words that he thinks for all to hear. This is all shown in his last lengthy speech of Act 3. ‘A fire, a fire is burning! I hear the boot of Lucifer, I see his filthy face! And it’s my face, and yours, Danforth! ‘ This shocks the audience because like Danforth Proctor has kept himself quite controlled and also like Danforth he explodes with rage. It is very relevant when he likens himself and Danforth as being both images of the devil. Though they may seem complete opposites (Danforth is condemning people to death and Proctor is trying to save these people) their characters are very similar. They both fight extremely hard for what they believe to be right. This similarity gives the audience hope that Danforth may be lenient in Act 4 when Proctor has pain and difficulty in confessing.

Art As A Form Of Self Expression - 1378 Words

Art can be a form of self-expression and a way to communicate ideas and thoughts with other people. Each time when an art work is being viewed, a resonance between the art itself the viewer is created. Art allows the artists to express themselves and communicate with the world through their own imaginations and crafts. Artists has their own styles and they often use art crafts to blend colors to create incredible visual effects. Art is not always easy to understand. It can be a very literal representation of certain objects, but it can also be abstract. Art is determined by its context. Art can be inspirational, pushing the viewers to explore the world through the eyes of the artists. By looking at a work of art, people gain better understanding of the world in artists’ perspectives. First, art is the unique. Art is the self-expression created out of the artists’ own imaginations. No two artists in the world would share the same imaginations. 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