Ignorance is the parent of hatred. And while the modern world has progressed in leaps and bounds since the Elizabethan period, hatred and intolerance still plague the planet. An example of contemporary religious intolerance is the fearful situation in Myanmar. In fact, Buddhists are currently discriminating against several religious minorities. An incident involving the burning of a Muslim man in March of 2013 during a riot further illustrates the somber situation in Myanmar. Terrifying statistics show that violence from militant Buddhist monks killed more than 43 people that March, and displaced at least 12,000. One reason for this amount of discrimination is hatred, which has roots in fear and ignorance. Backing up this idea is Greg Withrow,
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Examples of the expression of male friendship in the sixteenth century included admiring “embraces, declarations of love, and physical and emotional intimacy” (Bowers). However, one reason that society threatened this bond was the all-consuming fear of the sodomite. Blurry but vitally important, one should never cross the line between strong, platonic male friendship and homosexual desire. For sodomy, particularly in the Elizabethan period, was comparable to murder because it was blasphemy against the church. In fact, anyone convicted of sodomy under the Buggery Act of 1533 ceded their life. Decisively, Alan Bray states “The image of the masculine friend was an image of intimacy between men in stark contrast to the forbidden intimacy of homosexuality” ( 42). Sinful in Elizabethan times, but not anymore; in 2012, 3.8% of American adults considered themselves queer. An incident involving best male friends of the era is Antonio from The Merchant of Venice being willing to die for Bassanio. In essence, strong, platonic relationships became instigated and strived for by all men. In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, a “pound of flesh” means, quite literally, what it asserts; if Antonio defaults on his loan, the unfortunate man will owe Shylock a pound of his flesh. In later times, this expression has come to refer to a harsh penalty and is entirely
Examples of the expression of male friendship in the sixteenth century included admiring “embraces, declarations of love, and physical and emotional intimacy” (Bowers). However, one reason that society threatened this bond was the all-consuming fear of the sodomite. Blurry but vitally important, one should never cross the line between strong, platonic male friendship and homosexual desire. For sodomy, particularly in the Elizabethan period, was comparable to murder because it was blasphemy against the church. In fact, anyone convicted of sodomy under the Buggery Act of 1533 ceded their life. Decisively, Alan Bray states “The image of the masculine friend was an image of intimacy between men in stark contrast to the forbidden intimacy of homosexuality” ( 42). Sinful in Elizabethan times, but not anymore; in 2012, 3.8% of American adults considered themselves queer. An incident involving best male friends of the era is Antonio from The Merchant of Venice being willing to die for Bassanio. In essence, strong, platonic relationships became instigated and strived for by all men. In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, a “pound of flesh” means, quite literally, what it asserts; if Antonio defaults on his loan, the unfortunate man will owe Shylock a pound of his flesh. In later times, this expression has come to refer to a harsh penalty and is entirely