Davis Surname Meaning and Origin

Davis is the 8th most common surname in America and one of the 100 most common last names in both England and Wales. Surname Origin: Welsh,  English Alternate Surname Spellings:  Davies (Welsh), David, Davidson, Davison, Daves, Dawson, Dawes, Day, Dakin What Does Davis Mean? Davis is a common patronymic surname with Welsh origins meaning son of David, a given name that means beloved. Fun Facts In the United States, Davis is one of the ten most common surnames. The variant Davies, however, is barely in the top 1,000 most common last names. In Great Britain, this surname popularity is reversed. There, Davies is the 6th most common surname overall, while Davis is the 45th most common surname. Where Do People Named Davis Live? According to WorldNames PublicProfiler, the Davis surname is most commonly found in the United States, especially in the southern states of Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It is also a common surname in Australia, the United Kingdom (especially southern England), New Zealand, and Canada. Forebears ranks Davis as the 320th most common surname in the world, with the highest numbers found in Jamaica, Anguilla, and the Bahamas, followed by the U.S., Liberia, and Australia. Famous People with the Surname Davis Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America.Miles Davis, influential American jazz artist.Angela Davis, political philosopher and black power activist.Captain Howell Davis, Welsh pirate.Sammy Davis Jr., American entertainer.General Benjamin O. Davis,  leader of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.William Morris Davis, father of American geography. Sources Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia. Avotaynu, June 1, 2004. Cottle, Basil. The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. (Penguin Reference Books), Paperback, 2nd Edition, Puffin, August 7, 1984. Davis Surname Definition. Forebears, 2012. Hanks, Patrick. A Dictionary of Surnames. Flavia Hodges, Oxford University Press, February 23, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. 1st Edition, Oxford University Press, May 8, 2003. Hoffman, William F. Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings. First Edition, Polish Genealogical Society, June 1, 1993. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Hardcover, Bilingual edition, Avotaynu, May 30, 2005. Rymut, Kazimierz. Nazwiska Polakow. Hardcover, Zaklad Narodowy im. OssoliÅ„skich, 1991. Smith, Elsdon Coles. American Surnames. 1st Edition, Chilton Book Co, June 1, 1969.

Essay on Oedipus and Othello - 1793 Words

The role of the gods/fate in human affairs is a central theme in most works of literature. In Greek literature, particularly, the will of the gods is commonly attributed to human experiences. In Oedipus the King, for instance, the oracle’s message that Oedipus will kill his father and marry his own mother suggests that he was a puppet in the hands of the gods, who manipulated the events that led to his fall. However, the character’s fate is not entirely attributable to the work of the gods. In the play, Oedipus meets his fate due to his determination to unravel the mysteries surrounding the king’s death, despite warnings by the prophet Tiresias and his wife/mother, and his quest to prove the oracles wrong in their declaration that he is†¦show more content†¦When he learns from the oracle Delphi that he will kill his father, Oedipus runs away from Corinth to avoid the prophecy’s fulfillment. Unknown to him, he embarks on a journey that brings him c loser to fulfilling the prophecy that he will defile his mother’s bed and murder the father who engendered him (951-954). It is while he is on the run from his foster father that he comes face to face with his fate; he meets and kills King Laius, his own father, at the three crossroads. Oedipus’ obsession to unravel mysteries is a factor in his fall. In fact, an ignorant Oedipus would have been far better off than a knowledgeable Oedipus (Will 44). During his stay in Corinth, a visitor calls him a bastard. His curiosity takes him to an oracle to seek an explanation, where he learns about his fate. On the other hand, Oedipus would not have embarked on this journey for ‘self-discovery’ if he had dismissed the drunkard’s remarks. Oedipus, as king of Thebes, learns from his wife that they had disposed off the son who was to kill his father; therefore, there was no possibility of the prophecy’s fulfillment. Regardless, he becomes even more determined to dig deeper. He states that he will start afresh and, once again, unravel the mystery (159-160). Indeed, Oedipus takes a step closer to his fate with every piece of information he gathers. Thus, his unyielding desire to unravel truths that could have been better left buried, leads him to t he tragic revelation about hisShow MoreRelatedOedipus and Othello Essay573 Words   |  3 Pagesconsciousness. In tragic plays catharsis is the emotion that makes the audience feel pity, fear, and a sense of relief instead of hopelessness in the end of the play. In the tragedies Oedipus the king by Sophocles and Othello the moor of Venice by Shakespeare we feel these same emotions towards Oedipus and Othello. We pity them as the audience is faced with their tribulation. We fear because failure can hit anyone and it shows that we humans are easily susceptible. In the end the audience comes toRead MoreEssay on Pride in Oedipus and Othello1727 Words   |  7 PagesPride in Oedipus and Othello   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In literature, the tragic heroes Oedipus and Othello allow the pride they have to cause their own demise by putting too much emphasis on the lives they have created for themselves. Oedipus, who blinds himself after finding out he has killed his birth father and married his birth mother, refuses to believe he has truly fulfilled his fate because he is so proud of what he has accomplished since he left Corinth. Othello demonstrates his pride by believing thatRead MoreCompare And Contrast Oedipus And Othello1816 Words   |  8 PagesWhen asked to think of a classic play that shaped the whole of literature, some of the most common answers will include Oedipus by Sophocles and Othello by William Shakespeare. Both of these texts are held in high regard as some of the greatest writing of our time, not only for their command and use of language but for their intricately woven storylines and tragic endings. Both title characters were written as tragic characters, and as s uch their stories result in unhappy endings for all involvedRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Oedipus Rex And Shakespeare s Othello And Oedipus 2344 Words   |  10 PagesThe definition of a tragedy is a narrative poem or story that describes the downfall of a good man. Both Othello and King Oedipus Rex Fall into this class of literature, even though they were written by two totally different authors and in two utterly different time periods. These two works share several comparisons to every different, while having an honest quantity of variations similarly. Pride is characterized as one of the seven deadliest sins. Most pleased individuals will never see themselvesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Oedipus And Othello 982 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus and Othello are two of the most known tragic heroes throughout all of literature. While there are some noticeable differences between the two there are also many similarities between the two characters. With the amount of similarities betwe en the two plays Shakespeare must have been inspired by Oedipus and Sophocles when he was writing Othello. Oedipus the king’s main conflict is based around Greek mythology in that from the time Oedipus is born it is prophesied by the Gods that he is goingRead MoreA Comparative of Shakespeares Othello and Oedipus Rex1511 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s Othello and Oedipus Rex In Shakespeare’s work Othello: The Moor of Venice, Othello’s over trusting nature was revealed when his trust in false accusations about his wife Desdemona’s unfaithfulness causes him to kill her and himself, conveying Othello as a tragic hero. Oedipus, the main character in Oedipus Rex, is characterized as a tragic hero when he tries to run away from his fate and finds out that the cause of his fate was his attempt to escape it. Oedipus Rex and Othello share a commonRead MoreComparison of Othello and Oedipus the King Essay525 Words   |  3 Pages *INTRO*The character Oedipus in the play Oedipus the King by Sophocles, and the character Othello in the play Othello the Moor of Venice by Shakespeare are both tragic characters. Oedipus ends up killing his father, and marrying and having children with his mother, whereas Othello ends up mistrusting and killing his wife. These two individuals have similarities and differences in several aspects such as the roundness of their characters, the retribution that they incur upon themselves and uponRead MoreComparing the Downfalls of Sophocles Oedipus and Shakespeares Othello1262 Words   |  6 Pages Oedipus and Othello were both honorable and heroic men that became the victims of tragic downfalls that can be compared and contrasted with each other. Sophocles, the writer of Oedipus the King, and Williams Shakespeare, the writer of Othello, were both enormously influential playwrights of their respective generations and their legacy continues today. The two playwrights made their masterpieces during different eras; Sophocles life coincided with the Golden Age of Greek tragedy and ShakespeareRead MoreEssay on Pride and the Tragic Hero in Oedipus Rex and Othello1217 Words   |  5 PagesPride and the Tragic Hero in Oedipus Rex and Othello   Ã‚  Ã‚   Pride is one of the seven deadly sins. Most proud people will never consider themselves to be truly proud until they come face to face with the consequences of their pride. Sophocles and Shakespeare both address this dilemma in their plays Oedipus Rex and Othello. Through their nobility, their tragic flaws, the fall these flaws cause, and the suffering and wisdom they derive from these falls, Oedipus and Othello reveal the true characterRead MoreTo What Extent are ‘Othello’ and Oedipus Rex Perfect Examples of Tragedy1149 Words   |  5 Pages‘Othello’ was written between 1601 and 1603. It was first performed in the Elizabethan courts during the Christmas season. The idea of a ‘perfect’ tragedy is the idea that the tragedy is faultless; it does what is expected; so makes the audience feel empathy and sympathy for the characters who suffer. There are two different types of tragedy: classical tragedy and Shakespearean tragedy. The tragic hero in this play is the main character, Othello. Othellos misfortune comes about because of his

Why there is an Increase in the Rate of Incarceration free essay sample

The escalated rates of incarceration are attributed to the fact that the American society has become more punitive. According to Wacquant, the American society is considered to be â€Å"five times more punitive that it was a quarter of century ago†. Imprisonment would be used as an effective institutional means to restore law and order. This would be achieved through the repression of dependent and deviant groups of people that were made up of immigrants and the poor. Increased incarceration was thus consideration to bring about repression and control within the country and avoid dominance by the immigrants (Wacquant, 2010). Social revolution against discrimination was a cause for the increased incarceration. This is because the revolution was accompanied by increase in crime as the minor groups protested against exploitation. Rebellion from the different groups of people where each group sought recognition escalated into the break down of the social structure. Drug abuse, sabotage and strikes took the toll as profits and quality declined heavily. We will write a custom essay sample on Why there is an Increase in the Rate of Incarceration? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The legal framework ceased to be effective as obedience was not considered to be important. As a result there was need to reinforce the anti-crime unit and the only way that seemed plausible was through a prison industrial-complex that would see to it that every law offender was kept behind bars, hence increasing the rate of incarceration. Increased immigration was associated with increase in crime. A study by the United States Immigration Commission asserted that different kinds of races and nationalities exhibited different criminal characteristics. Crime and criminal behavior was deemed to be inherent among the blacks. According to Wacquant, the blacks took advantage of their freedom from slavery to engage in crime. As a means of enhancing the servitude and exploitation of the blacks while at the same time ensuring order, they were imprisoned. During this time more blacks were found in prisons and the main purpose for their imprisonment was so that they could continue offering their services of labor cheaply to the local farmers and businessmen (Wacquant, 2008).   Economic crisis is another factor that leads to increased incarceration as the well-to-do group adopts measure to ensure public safety. An economic crisis coupled with social instability, were reason enough for the adoption of harsh measures so that this group would safeguard its position in the society. As a result there was an increase in spending to ensure public safety. This led to the allocation of more funds on the penal state as compared with the welfare state. The issue of racial segregation did not bring about much concern for as long as crime was confined within the different races. For a long time, crime within the black fraternity was not given much consideration for as long crime within the blacks was confined within this community. They lacked legal representation and political leaders hence; little commitment of resources within the black communities among others, that were considered to be second-class. However, with time, black crime spread over to the white communities. It is then that the law was employed to the fullest. This saw a massive number of black people in jail. Increased incarceration was seen as a move to restore peace and calmness in America. President Nixon saw this as the most effective way through which crime would be dealt with in America. Crime was on the rampant increase in the United States by the time Nixon was elected as president. Social inequality was a critical factor that was considered as having the potential to result into a political rebellion by the immigrants against the Americans. An increase in drug abuse and a drift from the cultural norms and values brought about the need of an effective remedy that would see to it that law and order became restored and maintained. Therefore, incarceration was adopted. Conclusion Law and order is very crucial in every society. Incarceration is one way through which law and order can be maintained. However, it is important for this kind of action to be taken up with all fairness without the intention of exploiting some individuals or groups of people.