Contemporary British Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Contemporary British Drama - Essay Example In terms of productivity and impact, we can say that since Shakespeare's time, no other historical period has produced more controversial, brilliant and self-reflected plays as the drama in the last century. Changes in British society affected, influenced and are reflected in the tendencies in the theater. As intellectuals, playwrights react to the social changes, political and economic conditions, to internal governmental conflicts and depict them in their plays. In this paper, I will attempt to demonstrate that British identity seen through the eyes of contemporary drama has become unconventional. In the plays "Feel Good" by Alistair Beaton and "In - Yer - Face Theatre" by Alek Sierz Britishness is explored to its minute details in shocking and unexpected revelations. The idea about Britain and British identity that I found most significant and which is conveyed through the above plays is the total and absolute honesty, which at times borders with our own innermost moral principles. The other idea that strikes me is that even though, the plays that I choose are comedies, they dwell on current reality and biting social and political issues feed both the dramatist and audiences imaginati on. The tendency of the British modern drama is to transform and modify essential theatrical elements like dialogue, set and characterization to extremes of parody, satire, exaggerations and deconstructions. Contemporary British drama is essential, because it is part of the cultural dialogue between intellectuals and the whole nation. Plays deliver ideas, not only about the British identity, but also about its self-presentation to the rest of the world. Modern, British playwrights investigate the subtle changes in the kingdom and its socio-political quests. The contemporary British drama is wittily celebrating the class changes and recent class identifications and the formation of a different elite class. The modern age gives the opportunity for playwrights to probe into the existential social anxieties and torment the British nation. The stage is like a mirror for the nation's identity and writers use their verbal and visual resources to describe what matters for their fellow-citizens. Many of the dramatics that successfully presented their plays in the 1970s and 1980s, still continue to actively produce remarkable intellectual masterpieces. Alistair Beaton is Scottish journalist with left wing political convictions. In the last two decades besides his media presentations he succeeded as a very productive novelist and playwright. In his play "Feel Good" Beaton creates an unprecedented political farce. This play is a comic revenge on New Labour spin and the government's grimness. Alistair Beaton's play is about the clandestine panic that underlies Labour's preoccupation with spin. In short, it is about money, though behind the play lurks a deeper point that the author wants to make. Although, it was made to be a comedy, this play is best understood through its current political reality. This is something that Beaton was aiming for. The play is set in a seaside hotel on the eve

Real ID act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Real ID act - Essay Example The main advantage is security. The Department of Homeland Security gets the power to decide whether the drivers’ licenses and ID cards can be used for official purposes or not. If they are not complying with federal antiterrorist standards, the card holders will not have access to airplanes, public places, and the courthouse. This means that the security measures are on their way. Increasing incidents of terrorism these days have given rise to the need of such security so that citizens may be given full protection while they travel, work, or enjoy in the parks. Such a strict check would discourage terrorists and also illegal immigrants (Quinn, 2012). Proponents claim the new cards will not be another form of national ID cards because it is optional for a country to adopt them. They are only meant to benefit the country so that it can sort out illegal persons from its citizens. Hence, it is a matter of national security and privacy which makes the proponents of the Act state t hat it is much needed. We support this fact because a critical analysis makes us believe that American citizens have the right to be informed who lives around them claiming to be a citizen of the country, and that the drivers’ licenses contain correct information, and not some aliases, about the card holders. However, the number of critics is more than proponents. Critics claim that the Real ID Act of 2005 is invasive. The issuance of the said cards will make us a surveillance society in which everybody is doubted. The incidents of identity theft will also increase since terrorists and illegal immigrants will use their criminal ways to steal identities. The Act will also increase burden on the tax payers and the immigrants, because of such a high cost being spent on the issuance of these cards. Administrative burden will increase due to expenses. Privacy will be more at stake if drivers’ licenses