Zeus Robotic Surgical System Information Technology Essay

Zeus Robotic Surgical System Information Technology Essay Robots are ubiquitous today. They are found in our cars, in our houses, in our industries inside buildings and to places we neglect to notice. We trust robots to do everyday chores for us either by knowing directly or indirectly. Robots are becoming part of our lives and we have all accepted it. Today technology has advanced so that it allows for innovative robotic systems to be inserted in the medical field. New materials, ideas and technological advancements bring robotics into medicine. Robotics in medicine entails many advantages and benefits for both the doctors and the patients. But there are also some limitations in robotic surgery that cause doubt and uncertainty to people. However, as it happens with every new technological development, people need time to become familiar with it, to accept it and finally trust it. So the question is if the world is ready to accept and trust robots in health and more specifically in surgery. There will be people who are pioneers and enjoy trying something new, people who are skeptical and need to know everything about it before agreeing and people who will be afraid no matter how much proof theyre given. There cannot be an abrupt transition from classical surgeries without robots to surgeries all aided with robots. Gradually, the surgeries aided with robots will increase as peoples experience and trust increases. IT Background History of robotics Most of us when we hear the word robot we think of science fiction movies showing robots of the future, performing outstanding tasks. In fact, most of these robots seen are now everyday reality making our lives more convenient. One definition that could be given to a robot is a reprogrammable multi-functional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through variable programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks.  [1]   Robotics is the engineering science and technology of robots, their design, manufacturing, and applications. It is related to electronics, mechanics, and software. Robots could not be manufactured until the 1960s when transistors and integrated circuits were invented. Compact, reliable electronics and a growing computer industry added intellect to the power of already existing machines. In 1959, researchers demonstrated the possibility of robotic manufacturing when they disclosed a computer-controlled milling machine.  [2]   Unimate Robot picks up and puts down parts in General Electric Factory. http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/ht_2bunimate_080415_ssh.jpg The first digitally operated and programmable robot, the Unimate, was installed in 1961 to lift hot pieces of metal from a die casting machine and pile them.  [3]   Commercial and industrial robots are ubiquitous in performing jobs better, cheaper, more accurately and reliably than humans. They are also found in jobs that are too hazardous, dirty or tedious for humans.  [4]   Robotics in surgery  [5]   Robotics in medicine is a fairly new, yet advancing field. It is now introduced in medicine, in the field of surgery as it allows for exceptional control and precision of surgical devices in minimally invasive procedures. Robotic surgery has as its main goal to design robots that will be able to be used in performing closed-chest, beating-heart surgery in collaboration with the surgeons. Surgery using the Da Vinci robot http://www.phoenixville-hospital.com/specialties/robotic-surgery/Today numerous surgical robots have been adopted by many operating rooms all over the world. Surgical robots are not actually autonomous surgeons capable of performing assignments on their own, but a helping assistant of the surgeons. A number of commercial corporations have been founded in order to create surgical robotic systems. Computer Motion, Inc. developed the AESOP Endoscope Positioner: a voice-activated robotic system for endoscopic surgery. In January 1999, Intuitive launched the DaVinci Surgical System, which is classified as a master-slave surgical system as it uses true 3-D visualization. In 2001 Computer Motion, Inc built the SOCRATES Robotic Telecollaboration System as well. It includes integrated telecommunication equipment along with the robotic devices in order to provide remote surgical telecollaboration. Computer Motion merged with Intuitive Surgical, Inc., in June of 2003. They introduced the ZEUS Surgical System. Robotic Surgery Systems Robotic surgery systems are divided into three types: supervisory-controlled systems, shared-control systems and telesurgical systems. These systems differ in the sense that in each case there is a different degree of involvement of the surgeon. In some cases, the operation is carried out by the robotic system with a minimal intervention of the doctor. In other cases, the surgery is performed by the doctor with the help of the robotic system. Supervisory-controlled systems  [6]   Surgeon demonstrates a robotic surgery system at the Montefiore Institute for Minimally Invasive Surgery in New York City. http://science.howstuffworks.com/robotic-surgery2.htm Supervisory-controlled systems are the most automated systems of all. But they still need the guidance of the surgeon and an extensive preparation before the initiation of the surgery. The surgeon inputs information and programs the robotic system to follow certain instructions. However, once these robots have been programmed, and start operating there is no option for adjustments and thats why the surgeon must keep a close watch of the surgery in the need of intervention. As it is known, not all people have the same body structure and so it is not possible to have standard instructions for the robot to follow. This is done in three stages: planning, registration and navigation. In the planning stage, the surgeon captures images of the patients body. As soon as the surgeon has imaged the patient, he must determine the path that the robot will take to operate. The next stage is registration, in which the surgeon links the images obtained before with points on the patients body. In order for the surgery to be completed successfully, the points must be positioned precisely according to the patients body. The final stage is navigation, which is the actual surgery. In this stage the surgeon places the patient and the robot so as the movements of the robotic system to follow the programmed instructions. When all preparations are complete, the robot is activated and the surgery is carried out. Shared-control robotic systems  [7]   Shared-control robotic systems are a helping hand for the surgeons. The operation is carried out only by the surgeon who uses the robotic system manually in order to have greater efficiency. The robotic system monitors the surgeons actions during the operation and provides support and stability by active constraint.7 Active constraint is the process of labelling regions of the patients body with one of the four possibilities: safe, close, boundary and forbidden. Surgeons label safe regions the regions that are appropriate for the robot to be and to operate. For instance, a close region can be found in orthopaedic surgery in orthopaedic surgery, near the soft tissues. Many orthopaedic surgery tools can damage the soft tissue and so the robot limits the area that the surgery is safe to take place. This is done using haptic technology  [8]  , which is the science and physiology of the sense of touch. This means that as the surgeon approaches the boundary region he will start feeling a resistive force and as he proceeds to the forbidden region the force is getting larger and once he enters the forbidden region the robotic system stops operating immediately. But in order for the robotic system to know which are those regions, the surgeon must program it first as it is done with the supervisory controlled systems. Telesurgical systems  [9]   Telesurgery is a field of telemedicine that was developed in recent years and holds great interest. Today it can be seen as a two way transmission of picture and sound, allowing the communication between surgeons of little experience and surgeons of great experience to cooperate no matter the distance separating them. Also it is understood, this technology needs highly advanced software in order for the simulation to be feasible in the remote surgery room. For this purpose, systems of virtual reality are required that allow the surgeons that are in a different room or city or country to have an actual image of the operating room and of the procedure. Robots with camera will provide a better quality of the images as they will be in colour and enlarged. Da Vinci Surgical System  [10]   The Da Vinci Robot is probably one of the most well-known robotic surgery systems in the world. It is a robotic system that is used in minimally invasive surgery, which means that the robot makes a petite aperture in the patients body that brings many positive results. Da Vinci Surgical Robot http://womenshealthinstitute.net/di%20vinci.htm http://www.saintbarnabas.com/ services/robotics/specialties.html During the surgery, the surgeon sits in a console inside the operating room and handles the surgical tools of the robot. After the patient has been anaesthetized, three apertures are made on the patients body allowing the rods to enter. On the screen the surgeon observes the 3D image that the camera is transmitting through the patients body and which is handled by joysticks. The camera sees every movement of the robot and can be activated or deactivated any time from a button.  [11]  Every surgical arm is connected with a surgical tool and there is camera in the end of the main arm. One of the rods has a camera on it while the others have surgical tools able to cut, remove or stitch the tissues. The robotic system uses the same stitches and materials used in the traditional surgery. The surgeon can bend and rotate the arms like the human wrist guaranteeing increased percentage of success and important benefits much for the patient as for the surgeon. The Da Vinci robotic system includes a lenses system of three-dimensional view, which can make the surgical field as 15 times larger. Also, the camera allows the surgeon to go closer at the point of surgery than the human vision can and so the surgeon can perform the operation in a smaller scale than the conventional surgery allows. Zeus Robotic Surgical System  [12]   The robotic surgical system Zeus was the first system to be used in 1999 to perform the first full endoscopic robotic surgery bypass with a beating heart. It consists of three basic parts: An ergonomic control console the central control computer Robotic arms, which move with the movement of the surgeons hand. Zeus Robotic Surgical System http://joshuagough.blogspot.com/2007/07/surgical-robots-r2d2-to-rescue-visible.html The surgeon sits comfortably in the surgical seat and handles the tools that are placed inside the patient. After the surgeons movements have been digitalized they are filtered, thinned and transmitted to the computers control station, which transfers those movements through an electromechanical interface to the robotic arms and to the tools. In addition, Zeus robotic system enhances the optical field of the surgery by enlarging it and also with the help of AESOP robotic system the surgeons hands are free to handle the surgical tools. AESOP Robotic Surgical System  [13]   AESOP Robotic surgical system was developed by Computer Motion Inc. The period when it first came out, the surgeon could control the robotic arm remotely, manually or with a foot pedal but the most recent edition of AESOP 3000 is controlled with voice commands. AESOP Robotic surgical system http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/technology/images_videos/iv_pages/27AESOP.html The robotic arm contains and moves a camera which is used in MIS surgeries for the observation of the surgical field. The camera is placed at the edge of the robotic arm and is inserted in the patients body through an aperture of about 2cm. The robotic system AESOP is the surgeons third arm. By using simple commands such as AESOP, move up or AESOP, move left, the surgeon tells the robot to move the camera as he wishes. Every surgeon records his voice and has a voice card that is inserted into the system whenever he operates, in order for the robot to identify the commands. Usually the system works well. The robot may sometimes not recognize the tone of the voice of the surgeon is different from the recorded voice. But there is a support system with which the surgeon can handle manually if something like this happens. SOCRATES Telecollaboration System  [14]   Socrates telecollaboration system was the first system to be approved (October 2001) for the new-founded category telesurgery robotic systems. It consists of advanced telecommunication equipment that is connected with medical devices and robotic systems. The system gives the surgeon who is at a remote location the opportunity to work with another surgeon who may be in an operating room across the globe. The system provides real time view of the surgery. In collaboration with Zeus robotic system, Socrates is the first fundamental step that marks the start of minimally invasive telesurgery. In 2001 Socrates robot along with Zeus robotic system performed the first translantic surgery. On September 7th, 2001 a group of surgeons in New York performed a cholecystectomy surgery on a patient located in France with the help of doctors that were there. The console and the robot were connected with fiber optic wires. This surgery was first tested on six pigs.That was the first complete telesurg ical process that was performed by surgeons 7000 away from their patient. The patient left the hospital 48 hours after the operation and returned to his social activities a week later. Advantages and Limitations  [15]   Advantages The advantages of robotic surgery are listed below: Tinniest incisions result in: Faster recovery Shorter hospital stay and reduced costs Less pain and fear Less blood loss Cosmetic benefit Reduced risk of infection or complications Less anesthesia required Better sterilization Robot immune to radiation and infections. No muscle tremor or fatigue. Elimination of need for personnel resulting in lower costs for the hospitals. Shorter return to everyday activities(1-2 weeks) Telesurgery: The ability to perform surgery from a different operating room. A 3D camera provides an enhanced view. Robots reach places that surgeons alone couldnt before. Can be designed for a wide range of scales. Surgeons dont get tired quickly as theyre seated and have less eye strain and they have the ability to control their natural flinching or nerves more effectively. Limitations However some of its disadvantages and concerns are: Robotic systems have highly complex software and it is very difficult to program and debug them. Costs including the robotic systems ($750.000-$1 million), the maintenance and the training of surgeons are considerably high. Since the need of personnel will be minimized, some surgeons will be left unemployed. Telesurgery is based by a large percentage on the transmission of information between two locations. The more the distance between the two locations the more the time delay is inserted. This increased the period between the action and the result and after a certain point this makes surgery impossible in real time. Synchronization during telesurgery is very critical and is not easy to attain. Telesurgery is highly dependent on the security and reliability of the network. Robotic Surgery in Greece  [16]   The first robotic navigation system used in a surgery procedure in Greece is the Vector Vision II system in Ygeia (see www.ygeia.gr) hospital in Athens. In February 2003 the robotic surgical system Aesop 1000 was used to perform the first laparoscopic operation in the General Hospital of Crete, Greece. Aesop 1000 is being improved in the labs of University of Crete and will be released as Aesop 2000 and Aesop 3000 and soon is expected to be used in more complex operations and surgeries. In addition, the school of medicine in the University of Athens offers advanced courses on robotic surgery. The course aims to teach basic robotic surgery skills such as instrument manipulation, camera control among others. This is done using the Da Vinci surgical system.  [17]   In November 8th,2006 the opening day of the Da Vinci robotic system took place in the Athens Medical Center Hospital. The president of the Hellenic Scientific Robotic Surgical Association Prof. K. Konstantinidis explained the fundamental principles of the Da Vinci robot to Greek ministers and the establishment of the Hellenic Scientific Society of Robotic Surgery. The first total hysterectomy in Greece was successfully carried out with the latest-generation Da Vinci Robotic Surgery System at the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Centre of Athens HYGEIA. the operation was broadcasted in real time during the daily conference held at the Hospital on Tuesday, July 1st 2008, titled Robotic Surgery in Gynaecology.  [18]   Survey analysis A survey was conducted during October and November 2009 in Athens about robotic surgery, in which 73 people answered (ages 14-50). The survey included a questionnaire and it was distributed by email. Robotic surgery in Greece is in its infancy so it is quite reasonable to see that 72% of the people asked knew nothing about robotic surgery. Social Concerns Safety Safety is the prime concern of patients and doctors. People today have trouble trusting robotic devices in general and in the case of their healthcare the issue of trust is intensified. First of all, there is always the possibility of errors happening as total safety is a fallacy. Robots are programmed by humans who in turn are not infallible and are prone to make mistakes. In the case of robotic surgery a fault could have serious health injuries or death. Thus, the probability of errors must be kept at a very low level and in the case of a malfunction the system must be programmed to shut down immediately. Afterwards, the surgeon will have to take over complete the operation manually. So, it is obvious that the presence of a human doctor is mandatory and critical. There are many things that can go wrong which experts must take under serious consideration. Some problems resulting in system failures can be flawed design of the system, malfunction of software and hardware  [19]  or misinterpretation and inadequate specification. In order to eliminate the possibility of errors, mechanics must undergo heavy testing and reasoning about infinite scenarios. Also surgeons must prepare the robotic system cautiously so as not to forget anything which can backfire. They also need to have contingency plans like converting the robotic surgery to open surgery.  [20]   The increased testing and reasoning is time-consuming and usually involves high costs. Even though safety is a big issue, 41% of the people asked would go through a robotic surgery. This can be considered a good percentage as 65% of the people asked believed that robotic surgery is safe and reliable. Reliability and knowledge Nowadays most people dont trust robots very easily. The reason for this is the lack of information and the fear that these robots/machines can harm them in a physical level or in a professional level. As it can be seen from the figure above 88% of the people asked have heard of robotic surgery but 56% of the people asked claimed to know very little about it. As it is stressed in a website about robotic surgery, and prostate cancer surgery in particular, most people worry about the side effects it could have on them such as sexual dysfunction and impotence.  [21]  Another concern was the fear of the robotic system and the probability of errors, but most people do a little research before resorting to robotic surgery. This way they minimize their worries and concerns. However, there still are people who despite the evidence dont trust robots with their health. Therefore, robotic surgery needs time to become known and trusted by the people. This percentage of 56% must be minimized and increase the percentage of knowledge. In the future, as robotic surgery will start being implemented into hospitals, there will be many surgeries done, successful or not, which will enhance robotic surgery by correcting the errors, the failures and any problem that may arise. This way, patients who had successful operations will spread the word and people will become more aware and acquainted with this new technological development. Elevating concerns, resolving problems Robotics in surgery is a great helping tool, which holds many benefits and advantages for the surgeons and the patients. However, since it is still at an early stage of development there are problems in need for resolutions. One great concern is the reliability and safety in delicate surgical procedures. We cannot deny that machines are made from humans, who are not infallible and thus tend to make mistakes. Whether the surgery is done by a plethora of surgeons or by a single surgeon and a robot there is definitely the possibility of error. As with every new technology, people need time to get familiar with it and to start trusting it. Thus robotic-aided surgery just needs time to advance and to become more well-known. People who go through robotic surgery procedures will spread the good news. The media will start making more coverage of the issue as they learn about more cases. As mentioned by many patients in the Da Vinci website, they were very pleased with the surgery and the recovery time which proved to be shorter than expected.  [22]   Furthermore, the training of surgeons may take a while but it does not compare having to do a 6-hour surgery above the patient, getting tired and stressed with a 4-hour surgery sitting in the robotic device some metres away from the patient. The surgeon will tire less and will finish the surgery in less time. As far as the costs are concerned, patients in the Da Vince website did not worry about the costs so much because they were dealings with their health. And most people will do anything for their well-being.  [23]   Future Robotic surgery has made quite a progress and development but it still has a long way to go. Many obstacles will be dealt with time and undoubtedly some new concerns may appear. Questions such as malpractice liability, credentialing, training requirements and license granting will have to be resolved in the future. Most people on the survey (49% to be exact) answered that robots could have negative implications on employment as robots will do most of the work that humans currently do and many of related jobs will be reduced. However, as mentioned in the advantages chapter, new fields are inserted into robotic surgery such as telemedicine, which shows that new needs for personnel emerge. Also it is quite interesting to note how the people asked are divided into three groups based on their answers concerning robotic surgeries in the future: There is a 64% of the people asked who have a positive outlook on robotic surgeries in the future and a 36% who are quite intimidated and afraid of this potential change. Part of this comes from the lack of information about robotic surgery and from the fact that it is still in an early stage. As far as robotic surgery is concerned, there is much to be done until it can reach its full potential. Even though, these robotic systems have enhanced dexterity significantly, they still need to advance the full potential in instrumentation or to integrate the full range of sensory input. Most people when hear about robotics, they think of automation. The possibility of automating some tasks is both exciting and controversial. Future systems might entail the ability for a surgeon to program the surgery and merely supervise as the robot performs most of the tasks. The possibilities for improvement and advancement are only limited by imagination and cost. Conclusion Robotic surgery may be at an early stage, but that does not mean that it has not demonstrated its potential and significance, particularly in areas previously inaccessible by traditional procedures. However, it still remains to be seen if robotic surgery will replace completely conventional instruments in less technically demanding procedures. Robotic technology will bring major changes in surgery by enhancing and expanding laparoscopic procedures, advancing surgical technology and thus bringing surgery into the digital age. Not to mention, it possesses the potential to expand surgical treatment beyond the limits of human ability. The benefits of robotic surgery outweigh the costs. Bibliography Online (World Wide Web) Sources Pearl Tesler, Universal Robots: The history and workings of robots, 10 October 2009 Wikipedia, Robotics,16 July 2009 History of robotic surgery, Overview of Major Surgical Robotic Systems and Companies,17 July 2009 William Harris, How Haptic Technology Works, 4 September 2009 http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/haptic-technology.htm Youtube, Robotic surgery demonstration, July 24, 2007, 7 September 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NZLpWrJGgk Youtube, Robotic Surgery, April 05, 2007,15 September 2009 Youtube, Robotic Heart Surgery, February 12, 2007, 19 September 2009 Youtube, Robotic Heart Surgery Allen Raczkowski, MD, February 03, 2009, 25 September 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LezbxU5P1uc Robotic Surgery in Greece,22 April 2009,8 October 2009 http://roboticsurgery.gr Robotic Surgery, Simulation assisted training in Robotic Surgery,15 January 2010 Robotic Surgery ROBOTIC SURGERY IN TELEMEDICINE HYGEIA S.A.: The first total hysterectomy in Greece with the da Vinci  ® S Robotic System,1 July 2008,20 January 2010 http://www.kapetanakis-center.gr/www_eng/news/010708.pdf Robotic Surgery blog, Robotic reliability, 2 March 2007,17 January 2010 http://www.njurology.com/RoboticSurgeryBlog/robotic_surgery_basics/ Da Vinci Surgery, Patient Stories, 25 January 2010 http://www.davincistories.com/search-stories/search-stories-result.html?start=15condition=Prostate%20Cancer Works-research papers ΆÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ­Ãƒ Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± ÃŽÃŽÂ ¹Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦,ÃŽÂ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¬ ÃŽÃŽÂ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¬ ÃŽÂ £Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã†â€™Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ®ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± (da Vinci, Ze ,Hermes). ÃŽÂ  Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ²ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ »ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ®ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ± ÃŽÂ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ à Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ­Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡.( Despoina Xisaroglou ,Robotic Surgical Systems, Problems and perspectives (accessed July 23rd,2009) Caroline GL Cao Gary Rogers, Tufts University, Robotics in healthcare, (accessed June 12th ,2009) Sunitha M.V, Robotic surgery, seminar report, August 2008 (accessed July 10th, 2009) ÃŽâ€Å"ÃŽÂ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ·Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ ΑΠ¸ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ½ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ Ã†â€™ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡(Grinis Athanasios), ÃŽÂ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ · à Ã¢â‚¬ ¡ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¿Ãƒ Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ³ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ºÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ® (robotic surgery) (accessed September 13th,2009)

How does Act One prepare the audience of Macbeth for the remainder of the play? Essay

William Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a play rich in imagery with vivid words and phrases that conjure up emotionally charged mental pictures. The way in which William Shakespeare uses contrasting scenes, especially in Act One only makes these images more vibrant. The many soliloquies in Act One illustrate the ways in which Macbeth’s mind is tormented, however, it is also these soliloquies that make the audience feel sympathetic toward Macbeth and therefore make the play more tragic when Macbeth’s character flaws. This emotional hold towards the protagonist created in Act One, makes Macbeth one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays not only to modern audiences but also to the 17th century audience. The First Scene prepares the audience for the rest of the play as it shows the witches or the weird sisters in an evil light; this thought is amplified by the use of thunder and lightning. The language that the weird sisters use also readies the audience for the remainder of the play. The weird sisters speak in riddles and prophesise future events. For example they predict that they will meet again â€Å"When the hurly-burly’s done, When the battle is lost, and won†. For a 17th century audience, where people believed it possible to summon the devil with such riddles, the apprehension that the audience already posses will amplify thus creating an anxious atmosphere within the playhouse. Nevertheless this prophecy gives the audience an insight into the remainder of the play and adds suspense as the witches use mysterious and menacing words, thus enticing the audience to continue watching. At the end of the scene the weird sisters chant ambiguous words such as â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair† this again gives the audience the impression that possible strange and supernatural events are to come, therefore further drawing them into the play. The quote also infers that later on in the play it will be hard to distinguish between good and bad or, alternatively â€Å"fair† and â€Å"foul†. Shakespeare would have been aware that the reigning monarch at the time of the plays release, James I had a strange fascination with supernatural events and witches, even participating in the infamous Pendal Witch Trial. By pleasing the monarch in this way it would have helped William Shakespeare’s promotion of the play, therefore helping to popularise it. Another prediction that the witches make is in Act One, Scene Three where they predict great things for Macbeth; â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor† â€Å"All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter† This prediction is very important for the foundations of the play, as it prepares the audience for murder and scandal and makes the audience more knowledgeable about what’s to come, than some of the characters. It is this dramatic irony that allows the audience to be able to make predictions about subsequent Scenes. The portrayal of the protagonist Macbeth at the start of the First Act is one of a heroic, valiant servant to King Duncan. The Captain describes him as â€Å"For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name†. This rather glowing report gives the audience the impression that Macbeth is a loyal servant to the King, however the irony is that by the end of the Act he is plotting to commit regicide against Duncan. This contrast in character between courageousness and treachery makes the play gripping and exiting. The very first line that Macbeth says is â€Å"So foul a fair a day I have not seen† these words seem to echo the chants of the weird sisters in the first scene. This seems to indicate that even having not met each other the witches have a supernatural influence on Macbeth, maybe in his mind and it shows that the weird sisters and Macbeth resemble each other, even at this early stage in the play. The words also hint that conflict and insecurity exist in his mind even though he has just won a great battle. This gives the audience a view into Macbeth’s early thought processes, and this consequently readies them for the reminder of the play. When talking about killing the King, Macbeth uses less brutal euphemisms such as â€Å"the deed†, â€Å"this blow† and â€Å"my intent† this infers that Macbeth is not all evil and he wants to think as little about the proposed murder of Duncan as possible. This gives the audience the impression that he is not going to be the main villain in the play and suggest that there will be an external influence that pushes him to carry out the murder, as observed by Aristotle in which he lists the ingredients for a tragedy. However the end of Act One prepares the audience for evil things to originate through Macbeth, as in Scene Seven he struggles with his conscience. Evidently bad things do come through Macbeth in the lat er Acts, in fact in Act Three he says; â€Å"I am in blood stepp’d in so far, that, should I wade no more, Returning were as tedious as go o’er†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This tells us that Macbeth has done many terrible deeds and that if he were to go back and right his wrongs it would be as tedious as to go forward and carry on the tyranny. Thus his only option is to go forward to try and claim more glory. This terrible quandary that Macbeth finds himself in could be a bit of early political propaganda that William Shakespeare has slipped into the play to satisfy James I. The purpose of this subtly placed propaganda was to put-off any people who were scheming to commit regicide, at a time where there were many plots to kill the king; non-more famous than Guy Fawkes’ â€Å"Gunpowder Plot†. In the play when Macbeth does kill Duncan unnatural events follow, such as Duncan’s horses eating each other. Ross recalls the event and says that the horses â€Å"Turned wild in nature† and â€Å"flung out†. This indicates to audiences that killing the King will provoke God to inflict unnatural events upon the earth, therefore inferring that Kings do have a divine right, a view that was firmly believed by James the First. Lady Macbeth is portrayed as a scheming villain who is behind Macbeth’s murder of the King. The first thing that Macbeth’s â€Å"dearest partner of greatness† says is all about how to cause the downfall of Duncan for Macbeth’s and her own personal gain. She is portrayed as rather a manly figure who has an overpowering role over Macbeth. An example of Lady Macbeth’s male instincts is seen in Act One Scene Five when she calls on the sprits to â€Å"unsex† her and make he become more manly to assist her plan for Duncan’s murder. â€Å"†¦.unsex me here And fill me from the crown of the toe topful Of dearest cruelty; make thick my blood† This quote suggests to the audience that Lady Macbeth will be an evil unremorseful and ruthless character throughout the entire play; however ironically later in the text she becomes more conscious of her actions and Macbeth has more control over here. When her conscience returns she hallucinates and believes that she has blood on her hands. This is a massive contrast to what she told Macbeth when he was clearing the blood from his hands after Duncan’s murder; â€Å"A little water clears us of this deed†. This contrast suggests that she is regretting her earlier actions and is indeed being tormented by them. In the First Act King Duncan is perceived as a gentle, ideal king. For example when talking of Cawdor’s treachery his words are full of personal regret and he has no malice in them. His language is also full of gratitude for the service Macbeth and Banquo have performed. However ironically because he is so fond of Macbeth he rather naively does not see his murder coming and he is easily fooled by Macbeth’s and Lady Macbeth’s welcoming looks and flattery. To back up this point an example of flattery towards the King is when Lady Macbeth repeatedly refers to him as â€Å"Your majesty† which reinforces the idea of loyalty towards the King. The use of language by Lady Macbeth gives the audience the impression that she has a mischievous and cunning mind hence setting then up for later Acts. To conclude, at the start of Act One William Shakespeare cleverly misleads the audience into believing that the characters have sound morals, but as the play progresses we see this to be a faà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ade. The plot becomes exiting for the audience as there earlier assumptions are proved incorrect in later acts. Also William Shakespeare’s use of juxtaposing scenes, which contrast with each other, often ironically prepares the audience for unexpected and surprising events in the play. The themes of greed, power and conspiracy found in Act One of Macbeth prove to be as relevant for a modern audience as they were for a 17th century one. They have the effect of an audience questioning the limits they would go to, to fulfil there own desires. However by the end of the play these questions should have been answered.

A personal performance manifesto based on the 21st century

A Manifesto is a document that seeks to pass certain information about a certain issue as viewed by somebody.   Personal performance Manifestos as such, are therefore documents that consists of an Individual’s views, about how an artiste presentations should be created and presented.Performance Manifesto history   can be traced back to the early 1910’s when groups of artists   which included futurists, Dadaists and the likes, used them   to express their views on what art really   was and what it encompassed.There after performance manifesto have been recurrently used with main embassies associated to avant-garde Modernism.   Thus rise in the use of personal performance manifesto can be also associated to the emergence of internet technology which has created a potential world wide audience.According to Tristan Tzara (A historical artist), A performance manifesto is like a communication made to the whole world, whose main pretension is on the discovery of an instant cure for political, social, astronomical, economical artiste and literary syphilis. (Lee   Scivner ).   Performance of artiste presentations since their start hundreds of years back has undergone a series of transformation.This has been occasioned by things like, changing level of technology and preferences of people among many other reasons.   Performance of hundred years back is very different with contemporary performances in many aspects ranging from the styles, genres among many other aspects.However, these changes are not enough to satisfy the needs of the contemporary society.   Worse still the rapid change have caused some other valuable aspects which were common in historical performances to be ignored. Due to the above two reasons personal performance manifestos have been on the increase especially from critics and friends of theatre.A keen scrutinization of majority of this performance manifesto shows a uniform, a similar and a common argument, that the c ontemporary society is becoming more informed day by day and hence needs retirement and competency in general theatric performance.To begin, it would be fair to say that the contemporary society is dying to see a performance that is socio-political, economic, and erotical, mystical, that does not just make people amused for exchange of their hard-earned cash.The contemporary society needs performances that grows up not knowing it is performance at all, a performance given the chance of having a string point of zero.(Harron, C. and Wood, P (2006) Art in Theory, 1900 – 2000 an anthology of changing ideas. 2 ed. USA Blackwell Publishing).The above things can only be achieved by doing away with bourgeois sickness, commercialized culture, work of dead performance, imitation, artificial performance, Abstract performance, illusionist performance and Mathematical performances.   Inn addition all people including both materially and morally (Fluxes manifestation by George Meckonaz à ¢â‚¬â€œ 1963).Once more contemporary society is desperate for performance that will integrate many cultures of the world.   We are living in a world full of socio-political and economic injustices and therefore any avenue which seeks to take us away from these injustices is highly welcomed.In many instances performances have been staged with the main aim of addressing these injustices but sincerely speaking it has not been enough.   Therefore there is a great need form performance which will integrate the diverse cultures in view of addressing the above injustices which in most cases are brought about by cultural differences.Art, Music and Poetry the three mean genres of performance need to be fully recognized by the relevant authorities.   It is only by due recognizers that the quality of performance will be improved. This is because potential and practicing performances will start taking their work seriously and therefore give a performance which is in line with 21st Century performance expectations.   The relevant authorities have included Ministries in charge of social affairs and governments.The above views and opinions about the fate of performance in respect to 21st century expectations do not mean the state of performance as of now are pathetic.   This is only an eye opener to the stakeholders in the performance industry so that they can pull up their socks and live to the standards of the changing world.As a matter of fact contemporary performance can be said to be among the very many sectors which have struggled to stay in level with changes of time and technology.   It is not a surprise therefore new styles of performance have sprouted all over.For instance in Music new styles have come up with the latest being hi-hop music.   Contemporary artists (sculptors, painters) Writers, Poets are also doing a commendable job but t is imperative that they put more efforts in their work to stay in level with the 21st Century demands.Another area sensitive to performance industry is production of artistic works.   This is where contemporary performance is failing as compared to historic performances.   With emerging technology it is obvious production of artists work is done with care and without any problems arising, but it is sad to not that unscrupulous   pirates are making use of improvement in technology to come up with illegal publications of these artistic works without the consent of the artists producer.This needs to be done away with once and for all, so as to let the real beneficiaries of royalties coming from the sale of their music.This manifesto also covers the improvement of performance instruments and equipments as another key method of taking performances in general to a higher level in relation to 21st Century.   Most of artistic performances require the accompaniment of instruments. As such, therefore latest instruments and equipments need to be invented and pt into constant use.   Many are time when potential performers are limited to the option of producing their items.   This is sometimes due to lack of enough funds to access the equipments.There is dire need also to change the mode of presentation of performances..   A new mode or language of presentation should be introduced so as to help save the audience of the usual common place methods of performance presentation.Lastly it is important that the actors and the audience collaborates and share ideas as to what really needs to be addressed in the contemporary performances.   This will enable actors and artists to come up with only those performances that are morally upright and help the contemporary society in solving mysteries of nature.This manifesto is not in any way exhaustive as to what needs to be done or not in contemporary performances to meet the 21st century demands.   Therefore the above listed views and opinions may be challenged but of importance to note is that they were arrived at after a careful scrutization of the current and historical performance trends.   They are practically possible to implement and therefore result driven.A Critical Reflection of the above Personal Performance ManifestoOnce again it is in order to note that the writing of Manifestos is not a practice which has started just the other day as explained above.Manifesto writing has been with us over the last one hundred years.   Critics and artists write manifestos so as to relay a message of dissatisfaction of a previous practice and therefore put forth a correctional course of action.   In relation to the above manifesto for the 21st century it is crystal clear that the previous practices employed in performance industry needs to be overhauled if the 21st century demands and expectations are to be realized.The manifestos recommendations are therefore not in any way hollow, they are commonplace†¦. Yes but greatly serves to put the level of performances in the right track towards the 21st cent ury expectations.The Manifesto talked of performances that are in themselves informing.   It is just sad to note that even today people continue staging performances which are substandard despite many efforts by other people who are determined to take performance industry a level higher.This point seeks to bring out the difference between what contemporary performance should give its audience as compared to the historical performances when things were very different from what they are today.In respect to Karen Finley who is currently based in New York, performance need also to take a different dimension if they will continue being used as a tool for informing, educating and also entertaining.Karen has pushed beyond the boundaries of normal practices and natural acts and as a result her works have drawn a lot of attention.Although this much attention led her in to waling along the corridors of justice following low suits filed against her work by politicians it is a nice piece of w ork for the 21st century.

President Nixon s The War On Drugs Essay - 2295 Words

President Nixon first declared the â€Å"war on drugs† on June of 1971. This came after heavy drug use during the 1960s. New York in particular, had a rise in heroin use. After Nixon’s declaration, states began decriminalizing the possession and distribution of marijuana and other drugs. Many small drug offences led to a mandatory fifteen years to life. This Drug War has led to an increase of incarceration rates since. One of the earliest laws that followed Nixon’s announcement were the Rockefeller Drug Laws that to not only failed to deter crime but also lead to other problems in the criminal justice system. With the Rockefeller Drug Laws came heavy racial disparity of those incarcerated for drug related crimes. Although the Obama Administration has begun reforms, the new President Elect Trump’s views may bring all the efforts back down. Nixon’s declaration had pushed law makers and politicians across the states to implement more punitive drug laws . Prior to the Nixon’s declaration, New York’s governor Nelson Rockefeller â€Å"had backed drug rehabilitation, job training and housing† to combat the city’s drug problems (Mann, Brian. â€Å"The Drug Laws That Changed How We Punish†. NPR.). After Nixon declared a national war on drugs however, Rockefeller’s political views shifted. According to Joseph Persico, Rockefeller’s closest aid, Rockefeller turned to Persico and said, â€Å"For drug pushing, life sentence, no parole, no probation†. When Rockefeller Launched his campaign, he called for aShow MoreRelatedPresident Richard Nixon s The War On Drugs1335 Words   |  6 PagesStarting in 1971, President Richard Nixon declared the War on Drugs. He stated, â€Å"America’s public enemy number one in the United States is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all-out offensive.† The War on Drugs aimed to fight against a supply and demand epidemic that had America at its knees. 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