Respond to Quote 7th Draft

English 10 Response to Quote Essay 7th Draft (removed some personal pronouns)

Actions speak to and inspire everyone, while thoughts can speak only to those few who choose to listen and think about them, according to Emily P. Bissell. Great actions are important, and speak to all of humankind. Revolutions are based on revolutionary actions, not peaceful changes. In France and in China, people took actions which inspired further revolutions. Words can be used to murky meanings, while actions usually clarify. In this global word, people speak thousands of languages, and very few have a college degree (the thoughtful few). Actions, however, speak to and inspire everyone, no matter their education, language, or county of origin.

Revolutions throughout history show people change can happen. Wealthy, educated men sitting around talking about change does not actually change anything. However, the actions of a people can change the world. Words can only help. Seeing the slice of a guillotine during the French Revolution, the peasants were thrown into a revolutionary fervor. Seeing these actions as revolutions, they went out and joined the fight for their freedom from oppression. They were inspired not by words, but by other revolutionaries in action. They started the downfall of monarchy governments around the world; three-hundred plus years later, monarchs are almost extinct. Their “great actions” inspired later revolutions like the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 In China.

In these protests, the students did not just talk about revolution, they acted. They did not sit silently around studying books, the risked their lives for their cause. The photograph of “Tank Man” or the lone person who dared to stop the Chinese tanks showed revolutionary action. Everyone still remembers this famous photograph. It does not need to be translated into different languages to be understood by all. This unknown man’s “great actions” spoke to all of humankind via this photograph. If he had written down his discontent with the Communist Party, we surely would not have remembered and been insipred by him and his actions.

Words are spoken in different languages around the world. Actions, however, speak in one. In addition, a college degree is often required to find out what people are saying, let alone what they mean. Anyone, at any ability, can deduce the meaning of actions and be inspired by them. Words confuse, while actions clarify. Words can be translated into a different language, but lose some of their meaning. Actions, however, do not. They retain their full power anywhere; they can speak to all of humankind with one message. Actions also happen to be much harder to ignore, one can’t get around them.

Words themselves have no power; they need action. Reading Shakespeare by itself is quite dry. Most people gain much by seeing the plays actually being performed. This is because when the actions are added whole scenes become much clearer. Actions put the whole story together far better then words alone can. Actions have the ability “to speak to all of humankind;” they are far more powerful the words. You need actions to complete the meaning of complicated plays, stories, and speeches, as well as to be truly motivated and affected by them.

This is because actions drill down into our heads. Words can be ignored or blown off, but powerful actions actually affect us. “Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all humankind.” Revolutions around the world would not have happened with just talking. The “great actions” or inspirations of leaders are needed to provoke change. Shakespeare becomes so much clearer when his works are performed rather then just read. Actions are better then words, especially because “great actions” have the ability to inspire all of mankind.