“I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth Essay

People can be very imaginative and picture the wildest scenes in their heads. A poem that supports this is â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,† by William Wordsworth. This poem is written from the first person view of the person lying on a couch in the house, using a pleasant and calming tone. The person pictures two main scenes: (1) nature with trees, daffodils, and hills, and (2) space with stars and the Milky Way. William Wordsworth uses figurative language such as personification through out the whole poem to bring the nouns to life. â€Å"I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud† shows how people can doze off easily have no limits to how far their imagination can go. The poet starts off with â€Å"I wandered lonely as a cloud,† showing that the narrator is dozing off. This shows how easily one’s mind can become off track and dream about something else that is more interesting to the person. Then the poet writes that the cloud â€Å"floats on high o’er vales and hills† giving the narrator a view of nature from above. The narrator sees many things such as â€Å"†¦a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils, beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze.† The first stanza itself shows that there are no limits to imagination and how easily one can doze off into dreamland. To add on to the imagination, the poet uses figurative language to help the poem to be more exciting and to give the poem life. For example, â€Å"golden daffodils† or â€Å"sprightly dance† are some figurative language that is in the poem. One very good example of a personification that is used in the poem is â€Å"And then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils,† which tells the reader that the joyous heart of the narrator is dancing with the daffodils. These are just a few figurative speeches that William Wordsworth used to make the poem livelier and pleasant. The poem â€Å"I wandered lonely as a cloud† is a poem that describes the imagination of people and that there are no limits to imagination. In this poem, the narrator first starts off in earth’s nature, then zooms out to the Milky Way in the universe. All of this imagination occurs on the couch of the narrator’s house. To add on to the imagination, William Wordsworth used figurative language to spice up or make the poem livelier. In conclusion,  people can picture the wildest pictures in their heads, with no limits to imagination.

The Importance Of Self Analysis Education Essay

The chief purpose of this assignment is to discourse the importance of Self analysis and uninterrupted ego development in context to my hereafter as a trough. Self analysis and uninterrupted ego development has been described by different writers as a broad and wide subject which the best manner to understand it is by merely understanding oneself foremost. Self analysis can be described as a procedure that leads to self consciousness. Atwater and Yammarino ( 1992 ) describes self-awareness as the ability of a individual to reflect on the feedback and seek to measure on the consequence given to the person. Besides, Goleman ( 1998 ) further explains that an person who is self-aware has a better understanding about him or herself. He stresses the importance of self-awareness as a major factor to pull offing an organisation. Harmonizing to Goleman ( 1998 ) the function of determination devising is dependent on the director. It is hence of import that a director understands himself and be cognizant of his or her emotions, personality, beliefs, to be able to construct on strengths, work on failings, make good determinations for the success of the administration. Caproni ( 2004 ) besides agree that ego consciousness must be the primary aims of an person. He farther explained that being self cognizant gives an penetration on what, how you want it and how to travel about it. As a trough, it is best to make a cheque list on him or herself before thought of pull offing other people. Baillie ( 2004 ) says holding a good cognition of one ‘s capableness is every bit good as holding the job of self-development half solved. Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell ( 2001 ) specify Self-development as an single development with the topic taking charge of his or her ain acquisition. Harmonizing to Baillie ( 2004 ) , you get to understand who you are, what you should make and how to associate with people. Development is a uninterrupted and an open-ended attempt to interrupt Forth to a new degree of possible ( Boydell and Pedler, 1981 ) . He explains constructing oneself continuously to accomplish success by reacting positively to alter. He besides stated a figure of self-development rules. One of it was that ego development involves the larning about oneself. This is of import because a director ‘s personality is reflected in his or her public presentation this in bend reflects in the administrations public presentation. Therefore larning about me and placing my development demands is a major function of success as a hereafter director in my hereafter. In another position, Mumford ( 1988 ) says the most of impor t thing is who directors are and non what they do. If direction is what people need to make and who they are, it is of great importance to understand what and who a director is? Many research plants have gone into the difference between a director and a leader. Zaleznik ( 2004 ) says a director is different from a leader been that a director is a job convergent thinker trusting on the efficiency of the people to accomplish success. It takes no exceeding feature but instead doggedness, perseverance, criticalness, tolerance and helpfulness. While a leader harmonizing to Mumford and Gold ( 2004 ) influences people to acquire work done and he or she must be enthusiastic about the occupation. However Mintzberg ( 1989 ) explains that a good director must unite interpersonal, informational and be able to do determination for the organisation. It can hence be argued that portion of the interpersonal functions is been a leader as stated by Mintzberg ( 1989 ) . Therefore a director can be seen as person who must posses ‘ leading qualities. Besides a director needs to larn more about him or herself which is through ego analysis and place ways of bettering and ref lecting on it which is a uninterrupted procedure in the organisation which leads to continuous ego development. In my future calling as a hereafter director, I would be Comparing the properties of an ideal director ( Nolan, 2009 ) with the aid of my belbin, johari window and emotional intelligence, I can state that my chief strengths are good communicating accomplishments, squad worker, co-ordinator, good hearer, patient, respectful and warm with people. In order for development, I will wish to better good communicating accomplishments and construct on my assurance in a better manner. Harmonizing to Darling ( 2007 ) , Good communicating across all degree improves public presentation and aid organizational development and Harmonizing to Goldsmith ( 2006 ) assurance is indispensable for both personal life and the concern. He suggested ways of constructing assurance: by prosecuting in more activities and believing in oneself, ne'er compare myself with others, non scared of neglecting and seeking once more, do friends with positive and supportive properties, involve myself in activities i enjoy ma king, give and accept feedback. The best attack to self development is placing the demand for one ( Boydell, 1981 ) . I have identified my failings as non been confident, deficiency of promptness which i am truly working hard on. Surprisingly my promptness has ne'er affected me in my surveies but with friends and assignment I am ever happening it difficult maintaining suitably to clip. For now and my future calling as a good director, and with aid of the provender dorsums i have gotten am working on been better, it will travel a long manner in assisting me undertake them for the intent of development in my organisation.DecisionHarmonizing to different books and diaries used above, it can hence be see and understand that ego development and uninterrupted ego development is an indispensable tool for one ‘s calling as a director in the hereafter. It can merely be achieved by the willingness of the person to execute in the organisation, holding a development program to do him or her non isolated manner from the d esired ends and aims of himself/herself and the companies ‘ end and besides cultivate the wont of contemplations. My aim is to work on my assurance, addition work experience and continuously reexamine myself to heighten development. Self Analysis Toolkit__________________ JOHARI WINDOW _______________________ Summary of critical incident ( usage detailed critical incidents from your faculty activities, residential weekend, past experiences etc ) What happened, or what did I make? At the residential when we were assigned the first undertaking †rope undertaking † , we started off as a squad but subsequently into the undertaking person came up with an thought of lone work forces should draw the rope while the ladies should keep without making anything I had to differ with him and i told him we should non know apart better still lets place everyone ‘s strengths and failings in the game by leting us to take which of us could keep or draw the rope so it would non be a gawky undertaking for us all, surprisingly even some of the work forces voluntarily said they would keep and some of the ladies said they would draw. With that thought, we were able to make the undertaking in a non discriminating mode and we identified our strength and we came out successful at the terminal.How does this reflect the findings of your chosen ego analysis toolkit?Harmonizing to the feedback I got from my facilitator at the residential in my blind topographic point on my johari window, I am seen to be a confident individual in a group undertaking, one voice out when things are been done discriminatively which I know within me that am non that confident but based on what my facilitator saw on that twenty-four hours of the undertaking it was said that I am really confident and one hold strong in my words until my message is passed across. I could non make this before because am known to be diffident but when person makes the undertaking a gender matter so i would ever hold to travel against it non for personal grounds but in order to place failings and strengths of every person and so from there we would be able to work in conformity. Besides in my johari window, the unfastened topographic point says a batch about me and I wholly agree with that and it was seen when we were working in squads. I was patient to a group member ‘s sentiment even when others were eager to acquire the undertaking done without listening to her sentiment. I listened to her thought which finally became the best solution to the job for the undertaking and in merely 19seconds we completed the undertaking and we came out successful. Looking at my emotional intelligence, my societal accomplishments subdivision, am known to be a good hearer and communicate openly with my squad members.What are the deductions for future calling or personal developmentIn my future calling as a director or as a leader, I would take advantage of my unfastened topographic point which is to be patient, a good hearer, been cheerful and many more as seen in my johari window to take my squad into a success. non burying my blind topographic point as to been a confi dent individual, I would every bit good work on been a better director or leader with confident of thoughts that I have and been able to openly voice it out. I would be patient in listening to others sentiment which ever gives a sense of belonging when it is a squad work even if we might non be able to practicalize what the thoughts are due to clip constrain be but at least his/her voice is hear but when clip is on our side all thoughts given would be actualize because we might merely be disregarding the best thought of a member that has solution to the job as seen above when person ‘s thought that was ignored became the solution to the undertaking at manus. Self Analysis Toolkit__________________ BELBIN ________________________ Summary of critical incident ( usage detailed critical incidents from your faculty activities, residential weekend, past experiences etc ) What happened, or what did I make? At the residential, when we were given the level battalion undertaking, everyone was so eager to get down the undertaking, a batch of thoughts were passed across but for me, I was confused. I had tonss of boards to construct into something but had no thoughts of what to do out of it, we had really limited clip but yet I sat down believing even if I am non a fast mind. It was deserving seeking because at that clip was when I spotted the image of the reinforced board on my facilitator ‘s manus. The image was handed to us and we started working more even as a squad.How does this reflect the findings of your chosen ego analysis toolkit?As seen in my belbin, my preferable functions are team-worker and co-ordinator ; this was clearly seen in the assorted undertakings we had to make at the residential. I might non be every bit confident as expected but in the undertaking we had to make after descrying the image we shared Ideas and with in19seconds of the 2nd unit of ammunition of patt ern we completed the undertaking. I am a individual that likes to be carried along for a better apprehension of what I am expected to make and besides as seen in my belbin I take my clip to listen to thoughts and I implement on it. The feedback I got from my facilitator was that am dying to make my undertaking when thoughts are brought up, am a good hearer and I ever want to understand the thought about the undertaking to be done. Last, she said my failing was that am non strategic and spoting which reflected on my public presentation in the 1st undertaking we had. If I was to make the undertaking once more, I would hold repeated all thoughts because it brought us success. Personally, I would develop my believing accomplishments to enable me hold the ability to animate others and be more confident of my thoughts. I would be less dying which could do me worry unduly in my undertaking.What are the deductions for future calling or personal developmentNolan ( 2009 ) says that an ‘ideal director is undertaking oriented, possess good communicating accomplishments, has general cognition, has wisdom and the ability to larn, takes duty, enjoys good relationships with others, good at being client focused and at teamwork, manages clip and emphasis makes determination, place analyse and work out jobs, motivates and influence others, delegates, sets ends, manages struggle. In my future calling as a director, I would set my preferable functions to pattern, be able to transport my squad along and holding a end to accomplish by clear uping the ends. I would be confident in myself and convey my squad together to advance squad spirit, engage in treatments that would give good consequences. Due to the feedback I got from my facilitator and my group members, I would work on my failings and better in them. I would ever listen to thoughts, be more strategic as a director which would do me animate my squad members. Self Analysis Toolkit__________ EMOTIONAL INTELIGENCE __________________ Summary of critical incident ( usage detailed critical incidents from your faculty activities, residential weekend, past experiences etc ) What happened, or what did I make? This incident is based on my past experience in my faculty activity ( concern Game ) . As a group we had to do single presentation and when my bend came because I was non confident of myself I was scared of doing the presentation, i wanted to endorse out but my squad members believed in me and because of the encouraging words of my squad members and friends i went in front and one the twenty-four hours of the presentation, I gave my best and to my surprise even the faculty coach commended on the presentation.How does this reflect the findings of your chosen ego analysis toolkit?As described in my emotional intelligence, it best describes my personality of ego consciousness as holding a great ego regard and been emotional aware of my emotions and their effects. At the residential, when we had the competition of the grid lock undertaking and my squad was the last to complete, at a point in the competition I was non happy and wanted to merely go forth or merely burst into cryings at the rate of the failure in front but been cognizant of my emotions, I decided to positive and stayed on boulder clay we finished. Besides my belbin was a clear indicant of what my least preferable function was ‘a complete closer ‘ . In the undertaking I clearly saw that attributes in me. I wanted to merely go forth and bury that we of all time did that peculiar undertaking, I was besides dying because we lacked behind and while other where making or had reached the finished clip, we were non half manner to the terminal but above all we stood together and worked closer as a squad. We co-operated and the undertaking was completed.What are the deductions for future calling or personal developmentFor my future calling, I would wish to develop the ability of pursing my ends despite the obstructions, ne'er compare myself with anybody and ever be myself and at all times be ‘CONFIDENT ‘ of myself. I have a good squad spirit but non a complete closer which was clearly exhibited when we had the competition undertaking at the residential. I would non let my personal emotions to over control me whic h about do me lost my squad spirit in the competition. A definition of emotional intelligence by Goleman ( 1998, p.317 ) as†¦ the capableness for forming our feelings and those of others, for actuating ourselves, and for pull offing emotions good in ourselves and in our relationship. With the above by Golemans ‘ definition, I would acknowledge my emotions and the effects, but ne'er let it over function me even when sometimes I might merely non be able to manage it any more but I will ever be positive and have a thrust for first-class work besides seting the feelings of others into consideration. Undertaking 3 Strength Harmonizing to my three toolkits, Is have been able to analyze my strengths and failings. The analyses reveals that my chief strengths are that, am a Good hearer, Responsible, Friendly, A squad worker, Co-ordinator, Good ego regard, Team edifice and Service Oriented. I besides have the ability to suit into a squad and besides one shy off from coercing inquiry because it makes me nervous. I have a pleasant and suiting attitude. I get on good with my co-workers which make me a friendly individual. I have involvements in pulling parts out from others and listening to the thoughts as seen in my johari window toolkit. To my surprise, my belbin and johari toolkit explicate how confident I am which I would state I was ne'er confident in anything one do but with the aid of my residential, the affection of the environment I found myself in the past 4months, seminars and presentations i have to construct my confident bit by bit to a certain degree in my life now which is why, Megginson and Whitaker ( 2007 ) suggest that rehearsing uninterrupted brooding reappraisal helps to help my acquisition and development procedure. Failing My failings in my toolkits show that, I am non a complete closer, non strategic and spoting, non serious minded, worry unduly and most times i appear indecisive. Haven know all what my failings are, one would work harder in doing my failings go my strengths and be confident when I want to do determinations in my twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours life. Judging myself, I would state that now i have merely grown that assurance to a certain degree even when my belbin analysis reveals that am a confident individual. Looking back at the clip I foremost arrived at Northumbria university, i ne'er thought of myself giving presentations, voicing my sentiment in my seminar groups because back in Nigeria when I come from, it ‘s a wholly different manner of larning and we could non even question the determinations of our talks as it is seen as been rude or the individual knows excessively much. So hence, deficiency of assurance was one of my chief failings and am happy bit by bit am ge t the better ofing it due to feedbacks one got from my facilitators, and presentation in seminars. Goldsmith ( 2006 ) believes that, assurance is really of import for one ‘s use and organisational usage as good. He farther identified ways of constructing ego assurance which I decided to indulge myself in and they include ; more activities with my co-workers, believe in myself, take duty for my ain determinations. I have decided non to compare myself with other, believe and move positively, give room for feedbacks. Boy dingle ( 1981 ) explains that, self development and ego analysis is a really good manner of understanding oneself and besides, the cognition would be helpful to the person in the procedure. IT ‘S IMPLICATION FOR MY FUTURE CAREER DEVELOPMENT In my future calling, i need to work harder in my failings, in order for me non to hold a reverse in my occupation. As a consequence of this, it would take me to taking up a leading function non merely been a squad worker. I besides aspire to be really confident in my determination devising, be punctual and be opened to new thoughts, be a good hearer and strive to be a complete closer in my responsibilities.

Moral Hazard and the Financial Crisis Research Paper

Moral Hazard and the Financial Crisis - Research Paper Example In the present business phenomenon, moral hazards have emerged as a major issue of concern which needs enthusiastic initiatives to develop awareness among the industry participants. Moral hazards normally occur when people file more claims or stick longer to a particular claim irrespective of the consequences likely to occur due to such perseverance causing massive disruptions to the smooth functioning of the industry operations (Butler and Gardner 1). Contextually, it has often been argued that moral hazards have been one of the fundamental reasons for the recent financial crisis where various operations conducted by the financial institutions were observed to disregard their ethical responsibilities towards the various community groups. As stated by Dowd (1), policy measures adopted by financial institutions practicing free markets were the underlying causes to the financial crisis witnessed in 2008. Based on this context, the paper will intend to discuss the moral issues related w ith the occurrence of the financial crisis in 2008 signifying the importance of ethical concerns when designing and implementing policy measures at a country-level. Theoretical Explanation of Moral Hazards as a Cause of Financial Crisis Moral hazards are said to occur when the interests and rights of one party is compromised for the benefits or interests of the other party(s) engaged in the process In the current day context, critiques often argue that moral hazards have today become a persistent and unavoidable occurrence in the financial system of any country that in turn severely affects the stability of any economy. It is worth mentioning in this context that moral hazards are the apparent consequences of intentional or unintentional ethical misconducts by decision makers associated with the various business dimensions. However, in common instances, unethical behaviors conducted at the organizational level by company executive are scrutinized for the critical assessment of the f inancial and social positioning of a particular brand. Although in the context, ethical misconducts may also occur at country level policies fundamentally those which are directed with the intention to manage industry operations in monetary terms (Nowak and O’Sullivan 147-150). In the country-level assessment, occurrences of moral hazards have often been considered to play a prominent role in financial crisis situations. Historic evidences have also revealed that moral hazards within the policy making dimension have caused serious disruptions in the regular business functioning in a particular economy (Isard 193-200). These evidences can be further assessed from two perspectives, i.e. the social perspective of moral hazards and the economist perspective of moral hazards. From a social perspective, moral hazards are criticized as the fundamental causes of systematic risks in the business context. It is in this context that socialists have often depicted their concern towards t he role played by moral hazards in causing industrial threats for systematic risks which is recognized as an initial

Invention of a New Product Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Invention of a New Product - Essay Example When customers are changing the cartridges, they might fill them with wrong colors, which destroys the product and the quality of the printed colors. This has been the basis of the product design as Xerox Multi-Color Cartridge is created to allow the customer to feed primary colors to the same cartridge, which mixes them to provide the best quality printing as per the customer specifications. Customers value their documents and do not want to stain their clothes with colors. Therefore, the problem of having to deal with different cartridges have to be solved. This has been giving the users problems and a risk of losing the cartridges due to mixing colors. As a result, the Idea of the product has been developed to solve the problem of having to mix-up the cartridges and using the wrong colors for cartridges. The customers use for offices, commercial purposes, and at home Xerox products. The Xerox Multi-Color Cartridge is a product targeted to customers who use printing and photocopy machines for commercial purposes. This market segment consists of people in need of the highest quality of printing and highly class of tidiness for customer material. They also do not have time to keep refilling different cartridges with different colors. Xerox is among the most successful companies in the world dealing with printing and document processing machines. The Xerox Multi-Color Cartridge stands a chance of being highly successful, as people, who associate Xerox with high quality, will purchase it. Product pricing is a delicate aspect for the product introduction process. Xerox Multi-Color Cartridge will be priced higher than all other cartridges in the market. This pricing strategy is known as skimming, where the high prices is meant to imply high quality and attract customers from the high end of the market (Gebhardt 1). Like any other products in the market, Xerox Multi-Color Cartridge faces competition from rival

History of each instrument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of each instrument - Essay Example The standard flute had six holes and one key divided into three sections. This changed when Theobald Boehm changed the flute in the 1830’s. He developed a cylindrical flute with 15 tone holes, 23 keys, and levers. Keys were also arranged where almost all holes opened naturally. The Boehm Flute has remained unchanged and is used to this day. The oboe is also in the woodwind family. The first reed instrument was made by Egyptians. Initially barley straws pressed flat and then placed into a small pipe were the first oboes. Romans had instruments of similar make. By the 12th century, a short double-reed instrument made its appearance. The 14th century saw the instrument change. Finally in the 17th century the instrument was made into the modern oboe. The Hotteterre family made the first oboe with three sections and six keys and hole. This oboe was improved on with more key mechanisms, with the used of nine keys. Another woodwind is the clarinet. One of the first instruments resembling a clarinet was found in Greece, Persia, and India. It was a round pipe with one reed. The Celts made a clarinet out of animal bones with seven holes. These instruments evolved into the 16th century to instruments with eight finger holes/two keys called a chalumeau. John Christopher Denner changed upon the instrument in the late 17th century by adding a special key. More keys were added through the Boehm system of keys in the 19th century. This version is still used today. The Bassoon is in the woodwind family. The forerunner of the bassoon was created by B.C. Egyptians. Barley straws were pressed flat, and then placed in a small pipe. Later holes were added. The Romans had a similar instrument called a tibiae. The shawm was formed in 12th century Europe. This was a short double reed with a conical bore and a wide bell. This came from the East to Europe. The 16th century was when Alfranio Canon of Ferrara

Art, Music, Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art, Music, Religion - Essay Example This can be through word art or poetry, sculptures, a beautiful painting among others. Consequently, it is the greatest illusion imposed on the wills of mankind as an alternate reality. Hence, it is suffice to say that art has a profound and immeasurable impact on the lives of human beings. Foremost, art is the expression of life and consequently enhances our awareness and appreciation of nature and the gift of life. The artistic visual impression of nature’s scenery such as the sun, rivers and wild animals, enhance the intrinsic value of life and elucidate a sense of nurturing and care by human beings. Second, art is a tool for communication that is used to convey special messages of a social, economic or religious connotation. Hence, it is the voice that reaches beyond the canvass, provokes thought and shapes the perception of people pertaining to the message conveyed. Third, art impacts on the moods of people by eliciting both positive and negative emotions. For example, vi sual or musical art can stir positive emotions such as happiness, optimism or peace of mind. While some darker form of art, such as those expressing war or hunger, can provoke negative emotions such as depression, anxiety or anger. Consequently, these emotions can affect the daily life of a person in a positive or negative way. Furthermore, art contributes in the building of local and global relations. This is because art is a universal language since the information being conveyed is the same all over. Moreover, the participation in art calls for interaction as people meet in experiencing it or developing it. Consequently it results in the building of interpersonal relations. 2. Art in Puerto Rico Graffiti is a form of street art that involves scratching or scribbling and is derivative of the Italian word graffiato (DeAngels, 2010). It is used to convey messages to the wider public, through the artistic writings or paintings, via public and private surfaces such as buildings and st reets. Historically, evidence shows that graffiti existed in ancient civilizations in the form of figure sketches and inscriptions. These were evident from the ruined walls of sepulchers in places such as Pompelli and Catacombs. In the modern period, the use of graffiti in the early 1970s was associated with youth in New York from the Puerto Rican and black communities. These youth incorporated the use of tags by spray painting public city buildings, subway trains and buses. However, the famous revolutionary graffiti artist referred to as the, â€Å"father of controversial graffiti†, was Jean-Michel Basquiat. He was the son of a Puerto Rican mother and Haitian father who inspired the spread and growth of graffiti to Puerto Rico. The messages conveyed by his art at the time by the graffiti related to issues such as wealth inequalities, racial segregation and discrimination among others. Consequently, Jean-Michel Basuaiat’s art work cast graffiti into international recog nition and inspired the youthful generation in Puerto Rico. Presently, graffiti is used in Puerto Rico as a creative tool for expressing thoughts, ideas and opinions of a political meaning or otherwise. Moreover, the graffiti in Puerto Rican cities such as Old San Juan and Santurce, display beauty and angst that have formed played a part in its culture. The government on its part can control graffiti by distinguishing it from the illegal version of it known as tagging and reigning in on the culprits. The tagging form of art is mostly gang related and driven by the motive of vandalism, controversy to public value and vulgarity. This is opposed to the creativity and beauty in expression in expression of graffiti that the

National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Research Proposal

National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) - Research Proposal Example Boubyan Bank, international Bank of Qatar, and Turkish bank are the associates of NBK. NBK is the first bank in the Middle East to set up an International Advisory Board. NBK plc is a subsidiary of the bank. It has two offices, one in London and the other in Paris. The bank provides retail services related to trade and finance and private as well as corporate banking services (National Bank of Kuwait, n.d.). Research Objective The objective of research is to determine the factors that led the bank to become one of the largest profitable banks in that part of the world and to determine the influence of consumer loyalty on the financial performance of the organization. The objective will also be to analyze how balanced scorecard can be made effective to identify the causal relationships between the perspective of the customers as well as the financial perspective. Research Question The following are the questions that are to be addressed. Is the bank operating at its efficiency level? Can the consumer level initiatives in the balanced scorecard affect the financial level? Which factors can be held responsible for attracting customers to the bank? How the managers taking the help of HR can manage the organization in a better fashion? To support the perspective of the customer, what are the characteristics that the division head of the organization desires in the approach of Balanced Scorecard? Is the future of the bank secured? Literature Review One of the objectives of the organization is to sustain with strong financial position. A trend of adoption of western practices of management like Balanced Scorecard is creeping up. It is based on the organizational structure and goes beyond the usual conventional accounting system. The interaction between the customer and the bank is categorized into three different levels. The first category is comprised of the services that do not require any human interaction like the online banking services. The second category invol ves the interactions of the customer service representatives. A combination of the first and second category constitutes the third category. It is believed that the bank did not have to suffer terribly in the crisis period, but some are of the opinion that the business was negatively affected. The bank used its image to help the members maintain the relation with the customers. However, with increasing competition in the markets, the members are putting in more effort to hold or attract customers in the bank. If the balanced scorecard was implemented properly, then such a situation could have been avoided. The conceptual framework identifies the utility of building strong relations with the customers and its impact on the financial performance of the bank (Dash and Tripathy, 2004, p. 10). A few more additions in the framework will help to drive the behavior of customers to achieve loyalty. The experienced leaders should deal with the task of communicating the strategic objectives an d initiate instant decisions. Three research strategies can be used in order to achieve the objective of the project-descriptive, explanatory and exploratory (Khazal, 2010). The scale and time of the project must be taken in consideration when determining the appropriate methods. The portfolio of retail loans of the bank is maintaining good quality, and it is anticipated to depict fair performance in the near future as well. The bank does not share great exposure to financing the buying of shares. The

Case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 33

Case Study Example The virtual project teams at TRW are based on trust, fairness and respect among the members. The project teams also comprise members with different education, skills and experiences thus are also to collaborate in attaining the goals. However, due to lack of face to face meetings, the virtual teams may take long to resolve conflicts or build consensus. TRW teams may fail due to distractions and lack of engagement during the virtual meetings (Forsyth 56). The steps of TRW’s GRPI model corresponds to the two perspectives of group development described in this chapter. According to Tuckman’s stages model, group development starts with the forming stages whereby group members learn about each other and objectives of the group. The second stage is storming stage whereby group members engage with each other and build group cohesion. The third stage is norming stage whereby the members will lay the rules, the communication channels. The fourth stage is performing stage whereby group members implement the objectives of the group while the last stage is the adjournment stage whereby the project ends. TRW’s GRPI model corresponds to Tuckman’s stages perspective since the first stage is explaining the goals of project to all members and developing a common vision for the project which is similar to forming stage. The second step is outlining the goals of each member, the task and responsibilities which is similar to storming stage of Tuckman’s perspective. The third step of GRPI model is determining channels of communications, schedules and meeting times and agendas which are similar to norming stage whereby group members lay rules of the group including communication mechanisms. The last component of GRPI model is defining how to manage any interpersonal conflicts thus this is similar to performing stage of Tuckman’s group development perspective

Sport and Exercise Are Good for Your Health Essay Example for Free

Sport and Exercise Are Good for Your Health Essay Introduction The saying ‘sport and exercise are good for your health’ appears at first to be an irrefutable fact. However in this assignment I am going to look the information and facts that agree with this statement, and then compare and contrast with the information that disagrees. To begin it would seem logical to define the words in the statement to gain better understanding of their meaning. Sport has several meanings, such as ‘one being a good sport’ by showing honesty and respect even when defeated but for the purposes of this essay sport will be defined as â€Å"an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others† (Oxford Dictionaries, 2008). Exercise is defined as â€Å"activity requiring physical effort carried out for the sake of health and fitness† yet interestingly has a second meaning that could be very relevant to the above statement; â€Å"an activity carried out for a specific purpose† (Oxford Dictionaries, 2008). Good is defined as â€Å"to be desired or approved of, and health â€Å"the state of being free from illness or injury† or a person’s mental or physical condition† (Oxford Dictionaries, 2008). The definitions of each of these words show sport would involve exercise; or rather sport is applied exercise in pursuit of a goal or result. So for the purposes of this assignment I will compare and contrast them concurrently. Sport Exercise are good for your health? Good health it would be fair to say is a desirable commodity or feature of a person. The link between physical activity and wellbeing is not a new idea or argument to promote exercise. Since the beginning of historical records the Chinese have practiced Tai Chi and other forms of physical activity to prevent diseases. Up to 1500 years ago the Roman physician, Galen was prescribing exercise to maintain good health (Brian J. Sharkey, 2006, p.14). This topic was raised by Dr Steven Blair and Harold Kohl at the American College of Sports Medicine in 1988. A study had been conducted on 1000 men to analyze the ‘all-cause’ death rate for sedentary or inactive men and those who were active. The results of the study have shaped the way we think about health and exercise to this day. They showed that a sedentary male was 5 times more at risk than an active male. (Dr Steven Blair, 1988). The study also showed that between the active males there was a trend that as the level of fitness increased the risk reduced. It has been ascertained by the above study that a sedentary lifestyle puts an individual in greater risk of developing a condition that can lead to premature death. Besides fatality a lack of exercise can also have implications to one’s health while they are living. The following areas have been highlighted by the UK National Health Service as areas that leading an active lifestyle can improve, prevent or reduce an individual’s risk of falling victim to; weight control, heart disease and stroke, cancer, mental health, immune system. (NHS National Health Service, 2008). Obesity is defined as â€Å"very fat† (Oxford Dictionaries, 2008), however has been specifically defined as an individual with a BMI score of 30 plus (National Institue of Health, 2008). The following table shows the dramatic increase in the percentage of the population with obesity since 1960. (Kopelman, 2000, p.637) â€Å"A combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise is the best way to maintain a healthy body weight† (NHS National Health Service, 2008). The NHS (2008) also state that being overweight and obese leads onto various other health related problems such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and osteoarthritis. Exercise also has mental implications on an individual’s health. Dramatic changes have taken place as we have emerged into the 21st century. There have been radical shifts towards technology, life expectancy has increased thanks to advances in medicine, the family and societal support networks have changed. There is support that this has contributed towards to the increase in stress and depression in today’s society (Garfinkel PE, 2000). As with the obesity epidemic exercise has been proven to improve an individual’s mental state. When carrying out any form of strenuous exercise the pituitary glan d in the brain releases chemicals called endorphins. Exercise can lead to an improved mood, a feeling of euphoria often called the â€Å"runners high† (Peak Performance, 2008). It has also been proven to increase neurogenesis, the creation of new neurons in the hippocampus in the brain. Studies have shown that humans begin to lose nerve tissue at approximately 30 years of age. The effect exercise has on the brain increases neural connections, creating a denser network so we are able to process and store information. It has also been shown to initiate brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF that acts as a protective response to stress and improve synaptic plasticity which improves the efficiency of signal transmission between neurons. This transfer is generally considered the basis for learning and memory (McGovern, 2005). Looking at the information presented there is far more support to show exercise is more beneficial than it is detrimental to an individual’s health. The negative implications could become apparent when an individual does not fully understand the way the body reacts or responds to exercise. The saying â€Å"too much of a good thing† (Shakespeare, 1623) comes in to play when planning a programme of exercise. An individual needs to take into account what effect the programme will have on his/her body and lifestyle. To achieve the best possible performance an athlete must be optimally trained so a good compromise is being achieved between achieving their potential and not fatiguing and reducing performance capacity (Richard B Kreider, 1998). The athlete who is subjected to overtraining would experience some of the following symptoms; decreased performance, prolonged recovery periods, loss of coordination, abnormal T wave ECG pattern, increased respiration frequency, chronic fatigue, muscle damage, muscle soreness and tenderness to name but a few. It can also lead to much more severe conditions such as anorexia and bulimia (Richard B Kreider, 1998). As the above information shows too much exercise and training can lead to a fatigue and reduction in an individual’s health. Sport and exercise can also have negative implications when an athlete suffers an injury during the pursuit of their chosen sport or activity. There are vast arrays of injuries an individual can pick up from partaking in exercise or sport. Anything that is used to perform the exercise can be injured for reasons such as poor technique, poor warm up or cool down procedure, lack of stretching, ill fitting or lack of required equipment, collisions including those with equipment, fixtures or other players. Most sports injuries are not the result of sudden catastrophe but occur because the individual has overused the muscles and over trained and according to research sports injuries could be reduced by up to 25% if athletes and participants took appropriate preventative action (Mac, 1997). Conclusion Taking into account all of the information the support for the statement â€Å"sport and exercise are good for your health† far outweighs the support to show it is not. The information shows that to partake in an active lifestyle is healthy; to not heed the warnings relating to overtraining and poor technique is irresponsible and can lead to a greater risk of suffering a sports injury and possibly chronic fatigue. The positive factors show that partaking in regular moderate and or strenuous exercise will help maintain a positive state of mind, improve your ability to concentrate, process and store information. It enables you to maintain a healthy, balanced weight as long as you ensure you follow a healthy diet. It reduces your risk of suffering heart disease, strokes, cancer and osteoporosis and can combat depression and stress. Exercise appears to be the wonder drug for the masses, but it is not without its perils. To fully optimise its positive effect on an individual’s life it is extremely wise to fully educate yourself on the consequences and implications it may have before embarking on a training programme to avoid putting yourself at unnecessary risk. But to lead a sedentary lifestyle and not exercise, you put yourself in even greater risk. You decide. Reference List Brian J. Sharkey, S.E.G., 2006. Fitness and Health. 6th ed. Leeds: Human Kinetics. Dr Steven Blair, H.K., 1988. Survey of physical activity habits as related to measured physical fitness. American Journal of Epidemiology, 127(6). Garfinkel PE, G.D., 2000. Mental Health Getting beyond the stigma and catagories. Bulletin of the World Health Organisation, 78(4), pp.503-05. Kopelman, P.G., 2000. Obesity as a medical problem. St Bartholomews The Royal London School Of Medicine Insight Review Article, 404, p.637. Mac, B., 1997. Injury Prevention. [Online] Available at: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/injury.htm [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. McGovern, M.K., 2005. The Effects of Exercise on the Brain. [Online] Serendip Available at: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web2/mmcgovern.html [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. National Institue of Health, 2008. Overweight and Obesity. [Online] Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. NHS National Health Service, 2008. Why is exe rcise good for me? [Online] Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/1142.aspx?CategoryID=52SubCategoryID=141 [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. Oxford Dictionaries, 2008. Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Peak Performance, 2008. Endorphins. [Online] Available at: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0430.htm [Accessed 10 Feb 2010]. Richard B Kreider, A.C.F.M.L.O., 1998. Overtraining in Sport. Illustrated Edition ed. Leeds: Human Kinetics. Shakespeare, W., 1623. As You Like It. Comedies, Histories Tragedies ed. London: Folio.

Strategic Planning and Key Performance Indicators Essay Example for Free

Strategic Planning and Key Performance Indicators Essay Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) help organisations understand how well they are performing in relation to their strategic goals and objectives. In the broadest sense, a KPI can be defined as providing the most important performance information that enables organisations or their stakeholders to understand whether the organisation is on track or not. KPIs help to reduce the complex nature of organisational performance to a small number of key indicators in order to make performance more understandable. This is the same approach we use in our daily lives. For example, when you go to your doctor he might measure blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart rate and your body mass index as key indicators of your health. With KPIs we are trying to do the same in our organisations. Organisations clearly understand what indicators are required for learning and improvement and focus on those. They then separate out the external reporting indicators if they are not relevant internally to avoid confusion and data overload. They then create the right set of goals / objectives to drive high-performance. KPIs are there to give us information which helps us to make better informed decisions. Words, numbers, star ratings are all valid forms of measurement. What matters the most is that you measure the relevant things that will help you answer the questions that matter the most in your organisation. The word ‘indicator’ tends to be used rather than ‘measure’ and therefore a performance indicator ‘indicates’ a level of performance, rather than a measurement of it. When setting KPIs a good starting point is to come up with the questions you want to have an answer to before you start designing KPIs. One or two so-called Key Performance Questions (KPQs) should be identified for each strategic objective. KPQs will help you collect the information required which in turn will allow you to design the right performance indicators to help you answer your KPQs. KPIs can be used to set organisational salary platforms. Once organisational goals and targets are set then KPIs can be structured for certain management positions to attain a bonus if these performances are reached within a set time period. This is used to assist reaching the targets and goals of the organisation.

YEOs Marketing Strategy Analysis

YEOs Marketing Strategy Analysis Company Background YEOS PRODUCT (M) BHD is involved in the industry of canned foods and drinks. They also produce noodles. Having a new logo in the New Year represents the improvement of the organization to face new challenges in the modern era. YEOS PRODUCT (M) BHD have been working hard in this food and beverage industry and currently are very strong in it. YEO HIAP SENG Malaysia started with introduction of Schweppes canned drinks in 1985. The year before, they were the first organization in Malaysia to create and pack drinks using the brand name of Fizzi. These carbonated tropical fruit flavors drinks are packed in 325 ml cans. During the same year, YEO HIAP SENG also made history by becoming Malaysias first organization to sell mixed fruit juices. The juices were 100% pure under the brand name Junior Juice. Another innovation done by YEO HIAP SENG was from their research and development department which successfully produced the first non-fried instant noodles in this country as well. With all the success until today, YEO HIAP SENG is still looking forward to greater success. As a public relations consultant hired by YEO HIAP SENG, I have the responsibility to produce a public relation plan and the budget allowed maximum is RM 300, 000 per annum. The objectives, stakeholders, messages, detailed public relation activities as well as costing will be discussed further in the following paragraphs. Stakeholder Campaign Objectives To reach a sales of RM 8,000,000 in year 2013. To build a strong brand image among Malaysians. To persuade the consumers to consume our product. To create an awareness among our brand in Malaysia. Communication Message Product Situation Analysis Yeos emphasizes in producing curry canned food. Curry canned food are the company most favorable products categories in total. These categories of products including chicken curry, beef curry, lamb curry and mutton curry with potatoes. All these products are the company main income. The company main targets for this category of products are housewife, students, food hawker and restaurant. Yeos chooses housewife consumer as its target market because they are the decider in using spice in their cooking for her whole family. Consumer in this segmentation normally ages 30 78. However, to be more competitive, Yeos expanded its products to variable. These products are canned drinks and cintan mee. These products contribute side income to the company. Due to these products are not the company main incomes; therefore these products are quite competitive. But they still need to go on producing refining these products to be conservative. Category that purchases company products the most is at the age range from 39 63 years old, 38%. Follow by ages category of 26 -38 years old, whereby the purchases percentage is 28%. Meanwhile for 39 63 years old and 63 years old purchaser consists of 19% and 15%. Competitor Situation Analysis Today the market competition is not only rife but also growing more intense from year to year. These developments explain the current talked about marketing warfare and competitive intelligence systems. It is because market has become so competitive, understanding customers are no longer enough. Companies should start paying keen attention to their competitors. Successful companies design and operate system for gathering continues intelligence about competitors. It would seem a simple task to a company to identify their competitors. It would seem a simple task for a company to identify its competitors. However, the range of a companys actual and potential competitors is much broader. A company is more likely to be buried by its latent competitors than its current ones. The most challenging thing for Yeos is facing giant competitor such as Alagapas, Besta and Adabi. These companies have huge capital and have branch in every state in Malaysia. This makes it almost impossible to penetrate. Market Situation Analysis There are two main parts of market situation analysis, which is microenvironment analysis and macro environment analysis. A company should know its position in market, its competitors position and the threats to the company. The most important thing is how the market environment affects the company. Market Analysis From the research conduct Yeos has notice a few potential market segmentation. Target Market Housewife Students Food Hawker Restaurant Table 1: Market Segmentation From Table 1, Yeos chooses housewife consumer as its target market. Housewife prepares meal for her family everyday; she is the one who decides what to cook and what ingredients to use. They are using the salted soya bean to make the food more delicious. With the products that produce by Yeos such as canned foods are the simplest food to be prepared. We focus in the curry which is the famous foods for the Asian people. Due to this reason, we can say that housewife is the decider in using some canned foods in her cooking for her whole family. The most famous products are sardine in tomato sauces, chicken curry, chicken kurma, beef curry, lamb curry and cuttlefish in soya sources and others. Consumer in this segment normally ages from 30 78. This segment focused on canned foods such as tuna flakes in vegetables oil, tuna with sliced chili and tuna with chili and basil leaf, which are mostly favorable by housewife. Meanwhile, students who that staying outside is one of the consumer that hit the list of market segmentation because they are expanding fast. Most of it serves their meal by eating the canned foods. They are potential for chicken curry, sardine in tomato sauces and the most favorable is the tuna canned food which provide in different type of taste. Food hawker nowadays is expanding faster as to the economy downturn recently. More and more people tend to involve in food industry. They will sell sandwiches in morning and afternoon. They are potential for tuna flakes in vegetables oil, tuna with sliced chili, tuna with chili and basil leaf and sardine in tomato sauces. Restaurant is well known in this region for serving local and foreign food. As major attraction to consumer restaurant have serve local food. As a conclusion, restaurants are potential customer of company in using most of companys product. Three Year Strategy Year 1 I also suggest the organization to promote the products to the market through advertising. The two main areas of focus are magazine and newspaper. Magazine YEO HIAP SENG can publish in daily magazines their advertisements. Magazine is a very good tool to brief potential readers about the company. Many magazine readers are around Malaysia, and some even read it daily as a part of their activities. Most of the other people read magazines during their free time. Newspaper Newspaper will be a better choice compared to magazine. This is because the amount of newspaper readers is more than magazine readers. Through newspaper, YEO HIAP SENG can publish their potential products with pictures, location, profile and information regarding the product. It is very easy for YEO HIAP SENG to reach their target market through newspaper because almost everyone reads newspaper in Malaysia. Year 2 Exhibition Exhibition will be held in many famous places around Malaysia like KLCC, Midvalley, Bukit Bintang and Pavillion. Exhibition is a part of PR strategy to get more attention of the consumer. Seminar Seminar can also be held at school and university areas. Examples of famous places are Pay Fong Highschool, Inti University College and Nilai College. These places have many students and able to accommodate up to 1000 places for attendee. Year 3 Brochure Brochures will be printed in three languages and they are Mandarin, English and Malay language. Special designs that can catch attention will be used and the print will be in tri-fold brochure, tri-fold result in six panels and three panels on each side, the size (3panels x 2sides) of 3.67 x 8.5. Thick gloss paper with four colour process will be used so that the quality can be seen and also giving a good impression. The estimated print out copies will be around 10000 copies after consideration of the target market. For year 1 strategy, the total amount of budget forecasted is Rm 280, 000 which is just about the allocated budget of Rm 300, 000. The second year strategy is only Rm 200, 000 only for exhibition purposes. In the final year three, the budget is only Rm 124, 000 which is getting lower and lower because the first and second strategy are not repeated. Commercial Partner And Sponsorship Much consideration was taken before choosing our potential commercial partner and sponsorship. Guinness Anchor Berhad (GAB) was chosen because it is the market leader in the beer and stout industry of Malaysia. This company started business in 1989 with the partnership between Malayan Breweries and Guinness Malaysia Berhad. On the similar year, it was listed in the KLSE as well. As a related industry, they can truly assist our company in sponsorship to achieve greater success. This is an ideal reason to seek them as sponsor for the organization of ours. Control And Evaluation Analyzing the effectiveness of the public relation plan is another important part of evaluation test. It used to estimate whether the media that we use reach to our target market effectively. Our company marketing department staff will do a research for advertising ROI (Return On Investment). It is a strategy that uses to measures the relationship between output (sales) and input (budget, money spent on message creation and delivery). By doing this research we will know whether the tools used in the public relation plan is efficient enough (Allen, 1999). All of the measurement and evaluation activities will help us to learn which way is the most effective way to reach our target audiences. Therefore, we can increase the performance of the public relation plan in the future. Summary Absolutely, marketing is most powerful and crucial division in one company. Marketing and sales staff should work together to achieve their mission. Market opportunity is a big factor in shaping a companys strategy in its campaign. Indeed, managers can not properly tailor to the YEO s situation without first identifying each company opportunity, appraising the growth and profit potential each one holds and crafting strategic initiatives to capture the most promising of the companys market opportunities.

Analysis of Hamlet by William Shakespeare :: William Shakespeare Plays Hamlet Essays

Analysis of Hamlet by William Shakespeare The play begins on the outer ramparts of Elsinore castle. It is late and Francisco, a guard, is on duty waiting for Bernardo to relieve him from his watch. Francisco is nervous because the previous two nights he and Bernardo have seen a figure who appears to be the ghost of the recently deceased king wandering around. Bernardo approaches, accompanied by Horatio (Hamlet's only friend and confident). Even though Horatio dismisses the idea of a ghost, the guards start to retell the previous nights' encounters. As the guards begin, the ghost appears before them- much to Horatio's surprise. The guards urge Horatio to speak with the ghost. Because Horatio is a student, they feel he should be able to communicate with the ghost, and their previous attempts to talk with it have failed. Horatio's attempts also fail. The scene ends with Horatio stating that he will go and inform his friend Hamlet of these incredible events.Text: Act I, Scene i Act I, Scene ii: This scene opens in contrast to the first scene. The first scene takes place on the dark, cold isolated ramparts; this scene begins in a brightly lit court, with the new king, Claudius, celebrating his recent wedding to his new wife, Gertrude. Everyone in the court appears happy and joyful, except one character who is sitting off to the side. He is dressed in black, the colour of mourning, and does not like what he sees. The lone figure is Hamlet, the main character of the play. He is wearing black because it has been only two months since his father, Hamlet senior the ghost on the battlements, died and he still is mourning his father's death. To further upset Hamlet, Claudius' new bride is Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. Hamlet is upset because his mother married Claudius so soon after becoming a widow. To add to all the injustices Hamlet is feeling at this time, Claudius is also related to Hamlet. Hamlet's uncle is now his step-father and Gertrude's brother-in-law is now her husband. Claudius conducts several pieces of business during the beginning of this scene. He first tries to take measures to prevent a war with Norway, then discusses Laertes' request to leave court and go back to school. Claudius agrees with Polonius, Laertes' father, that Laertes' plan of going back to school is a good one. He gives Laertes permission to go. This familial scene brings Claudius' mind to Hamlet.

Doctor Zhivago Essay -- Doctor Zhivago Essays

Doctor Zhivago    Boris Pasternak's Nobel Prize winning novel, Doctor Zhivago, is exceedingly successful due to its strong characterization and profound believability. The historical period matches flawlessly with the serious mood evident throughout Pasternak's work. The tone of this novel bleeds into the style and flow of Doctor Zhivago. Exceptional development of these traits makes Zhivago a triumphant effort.    The book begins with the introduction of several primary characters. Introduced as a child, Yurii A. Zhivago, lives his life in front of the reader. The long period covered gives the reader a variety of life experiences to identify with. As more of Yura's family life is revealed, a link between the story and the reader is constructed. Conversations in the story illustrate the feelings and ideals of the characters in Zhivago. One such conversation is between Nikolai Nikolaievich and Ivan Ivanovich. The two discuss philosophy, relating to their ideals and not those of the state or past theorists such as Solovi_v and Marx. The ideals expressed in this discussion are not just the characters', but an idea held by the author. Nikolaievich states "that man does not live in a state of nature but in history...It is the...exploration of death with a view to overcome it." (13) Pasternak's belief is people create to overcome their mortality; Pasternak has done so by creating Zhivago. The author lives on in the characters that he created. Through the story, different types of life are lived by the characters and the reader. Exploring the life of the rich and the poor, living while at peace and in war causes a variety of characters and emotions to be evoked. This vast array causes a few problems. The primary difficulty i... ...chnique creates a fully developed world in which the characters exist. The book opens with a funeral, that of Zhivago's mother, and it ends with a funeral for Zhivago. The story is assembled in a balanced manner. The symmetry in the novel adds another unique element to its style. The method in which Zhivago is told is at times annoying but overall it is a part of why the book as a whole succeeds.    In following the life of Zhivago, the effects of the Russian revolution on Russia's society are made evident. The strong characterization, believability, powerful imagery, and writing style all help construct a link between the story and the reader. The successful development of this bond draws the reader in the lives of the characters. This union that Pasternak creates is the basis of a universally readable novel, a union that makes Doctor Zhivago a success.    Doctor Zhivago Essay -- Doctor Zhivago Essays Doctor Zhivago    Boris Pasternak's Nobel Prize winning novel, Doctor Zhivago, is exceedingly successful due to its strong characterization and profound believability. The historical period matches flawlessly with the serious mood evident throughout Pasternak's work. The tone of this novel bleeds into the style and flow of Doctor Zhivago. Exceptional development of these traits makes Zhivago a triumphant effort.    The book begins with the introduction of several primary characters. Introduced as a child, Yurii A. Zhivago, lives his life in front of the reader. The long period covered gives the reader a variety of life experiences to identify with. As more of Yura's family life is revealed, a link between the story and the reader is constructed. Conversations in the story illustrate the feelings and ideals of the characters in Zhivago. One such conversation is between Nikolai Nikolaievich and Ivan Ivanovich. The two discuss philosophy, relating to their ideals and not those of the state or past theorists such as Solovi_v and Marx. The ideals expressed in this discussion are not just the characters', but an idea held by the author. Nikolaievich states "that man does not live in a state of nature but in history...It is the...exploration of death with a view to overcome it." (13) Pasternak's belief is people create to overcome their mortality; Pasternak has done so by creating Zhivago. The author lives on in the characters that he created. Through the story, different types of life are lived by the characters and the reader. Exploring the life of the rich and the poor, living while at peace and in war causes a variety of characters and emotions to be evoked. This vast array causes a few problems. The primary difficulty i... ...chnique creates a fully developed world in which the characters exist. The book opens with a funeral, that of Zhivago's mother, and it ends with a funeral for Zhivago. The story is assembled in a balanced manner. The symmetry in the novel adds another unique element to its style. The method in which Zhivago is told is at times annoying but overall it is a part of why the book as a whole succeeds.    In following the life of Zhivago, the effects of the Russian revolution on Russia's society are made evident. The strong characterization, believability, powerful imagery, and writing style all help construct a link between the story and the reader. The successful development of this bond draws the reader in the lives of the characters. This union that Pasternak creates is the basis of a universally readable novel, a union that makes Doctor Zhivago a success.   

Christian Gospel Essay

This is an inspiring story of how a man of God grew into a man of great influence. Examining his life and ministry from the wise and humble perspective that has made him one of the world’s most beloved and respected leaders, in this memoir, Graham looks back at age 78 on his lifetime of personal relationships, ministry, leadership, and experiences. He chronicles such events and stories as his boyhood in North Carolina, his first steps in ministry, details of evangelistic trips and revivals, and meetings with world and local leaders. Billy Graham’s gift has been to appreciate that in matters of faith there is no approach too simple, no argument too crude, no question too basic. The most striking thing to notice about Graham’s career concerns the most important matter, his view of God. Here the question is whether Graham’s strategies of access and ecumenicity undermine his message. The charge that perhaps they do arises from two ways in which Graham has seemed to reduce the Christian Gospel to a utilitarian device existing for other, more ultimate purposes. In the first instance, it is possible to glimpse pressure on his message from the moral calculus, singularly American, of republican citizenship. This calculus suggests that in a republic the good health of the polity depends upon the morality of the citizenry; that the best thing for personal morality is religion; and that, since Christianity is the best religion, it is positioned to do the most for America. Especially in the first part of his career, Graham was prone to statements that seemed to make the destiny of the United States loom larger than the fate of the Christian Gospel. â€Å"I seriously doubt if the old America is going to exist another generation unless we have a turning to Christ. † Some who share Graham’s beliefs would agree with him, but also wonder if he was making the penultimate into the ultimate. In the second instance, Graham throughout his career has spoken of Christianity, again in his words, as â€Å"alone† pointing â€Å"the way to individual peace, social harmony, life adjustment, and spiritual satisfaction. † For a Christian, true enough again. But priorities seem disarranged when sermons conclude as, for example, one did in New York in 1957: â€Å"All your life you’ve been searching for peace and joy, happiness, forgiveness. I want to tell you, before you leave Madison Square Garden this night of May 15, you can find everything that you have been searching for, in Christ. He can bring that inward, deepest peace to your soul. He can forgive every sin you’ve ever committed. † The charge that may be laid against the utilitarian drift of Graham’s Christian message is the charge that so troubled Martin Luther as he struggled to find a merciful God nearly five centuries ago. The heart of Luther’s spiritual dilemma was the fear that his supposed search for God was really a search for his own ease of soul, the fear that he was seeking God primarily for what God could do for him. Luther may have been overly scrupulous, but he could tell idolatry when he saw it, and tell it most clearly when he saw it up close. Billy Graham claims for himself neither Luther’s theological acumen nor his penetrating powers of self-analysis. Yet what rescued Luther from himself was also what has preserved the authenticity of Billy Graham’s message. The reason that Graham’s message, though admittedly soft at the edges, remains solid as a rock is that at its center is the Cross. In the early 1950s Graham solidified early practice by dedicating himself to the saving work of Christ as the heart of his message: â€Å"I made a commitment never to preach again without being sure that the Gospel was as complete and clear as possible, centering on Christ’s sacrificial death for our sins on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead for our salvation. â€Å" At the close of his memoirs, as at the close of so many sermons, Graham restates the appeal for conversion that is the trademark of his career. As he makes that appeal in this book there is his customary attention to what the Gospel does for us. But under girding all, from first to last, is an equally full sense of what the Gospel does to us: We are not here by chance. God has put us here for a purpose, and our lives are never fulfilled and complete until His purpose becomes the foundation and center of our lives. . . . When you [open your heart to Jesus Christ], you become a child of God, adopted into His family forever. He also comes to live within you and will begin to change you from within. No one who truly gives his or her life to Christ will ever be the same, for the promise of His Word is true: â€Å"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation† (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). We have seen this happen countless times all over the world, and it can happen in your life as well. Open your life to Christ today. If in the hands of Billy Graham, the Gospel bends, nonetheless, it does not break. To conclude that Graham has remained faithful to the message that God saves sinners for His own purposes, as well as for theirs, is the highest accolade a fellow-believer can bestow on this remarkable man. But Graham, of course, has become more than just a rallying point for Christian believers. Graham’s apparently bottomless kindness, combined with the lightning pace of his narrative—so many visits, so many good friends, so many celebrities—means that Just As I Am is not a particularly challenging book. It is, nonetheless, worth reading carefully, both because Graham is the genuine article and because many of its details and much of its tone are in fact quite useful for attempting a more complex assessment of his career.

Merchant of Venice – Shylock

Shylock is â€Å"The Merchant of Venice† In William Shakespeare’s â€Å"The Merchant of Venice,† there are many themes, symbols and words alike which take on a complex and dual nature. Not only can lines in the play be interpreted by the audience in multiple ways, they are meant to have multiple meanings. This duality can be seen in the characters as well. Shylock is portrayed as both a victim and a villain and our sense of him evolves as his character is revealed to us as â€Å"The Merchant of Venice. We are first introduced to Shylock in Act I Scene III when we learn about his job as a moneylender. During this period of time, Jewish people were very limited in the jobs they could obtain; they were looked down upon by, and on the fringe of, society. While the Christians could lend money, it was immoral and against church rule for them to charge any type of interest, it was usurious. However, there was nothing to forbid Jewish lenders from making a living by cha rging interest. They did so to survive and were despised for such an â€Å"immoral and disgraceful† practice. Bassanio goes to Shylock for a loan to be given in Antonio's name. Upon Antonio’s entering, Shylock displays his disdain for Antonio in an aside, â€Å"How like a fawning publican he looks! / I hate him for he is Christian, / but more for that in low simplicity / he lends out money gratis†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1. 1. 41-45). His hatred is dual in nature; Antonio lends money without interest threatening the existence of his job as a moneylender. Also, Antonio is prejudiced against the Jews and has humiliated and insulted Shylock publicly for both his lending practices and his religion. This is revealed when Shylock asks Antonio why he should lend money to someone who has, â€Å"†¦rated me / About my moneys and my usuances†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1. 3. 117-118) â€Å"You call me misbeliever, cutthroat dog / And spet upon my Jewish Gaberdine†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (1. 3. 121-122). Shylock could not retaliate the prejudice, and had to tolerate the abuse, â€Å"Still have I borne it with a patient shrug / for sufferance is the badge of all our tribe† (1. 3. 119-120). This portrays Shylock as a person who is victimized and helpless against the prejudice and racism present in that society. Antonio asks that Shylock see the loan not as a lending of money to a friend, but â€Å"rather to thine enemy, / Who, if he break, thou mayst with better face / Exact the penalty† (1. 3. 145-146). Shylock is now given power over the fate of the loan, Bassanio’s desired pursuit of Portia and the choice of bond for the loan. It is a chance for Shylock’s to seek retribution not only from Antonio personally, but on a larger scale Christian society as a whole. To further advance his position, he speaks to Antonio as a friend, â€Å"I would be friends with you, and have your love, / Forget the shames that you have stained me with† (1. . 149-150). Shylock’s cynically toned change of heart toward Antonio makes it clear his feigned friendship may, quite probably, be motivated by ulterior interests. At this point, there is a substantial shift in the character of Shylock from being that of a victim to that of a villain. Shylock is not interested in receiving m ere interest on the money he lends, he wants a redemption and revenge for himself and his people which no amount of money will satisfy for him. The selfish, greedy, usurous Jew many want to make Shylock out to be is no longer being guided by a monetary beacon. He is now seemingly overtaken by a cruel morbid desire for revenge. He has become passionately cunning, malicious and vengeful, â€Å"†¦let the forfeit / Be nominated for an equal pound / Of your fair flesh, [possibly as opposed to his slightly darker Jewish flesh] to be cut off and taken / In what part of your body pleaseth me† (1. 3. 160-163). He reveals the depths of his discontent and his desire for vengeance when he says, â€Å"I will have the heart of him if he forfeit† (3. 2. 125-126). It is not long before Shylock receives news from Tubal that some of Antonio’s fleet has come upon misfortune and he has no choice but to break his bond. Shylock declares, â€Å"I am very glad of it. I'll plague him, I'll / torture him, I am glad of it† (3. 1. 115-116). The arrest of Antonio for failure to timely pay his bond solidifies what is lawfully owed to and bought and paid for by Shylock. There is no doubt that Shylock has every intention of collecting this bloody bond, his obsessive hatred for Antonio becomes apparent, â€Å"I’ll have my bond. Speak not against my bond. I have sworn an oath that I will have my bond†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (3. 3. 5-6). Shylock has transformed from discriminated repressed Jew to despised money lender to murderous vengeful sinner. During the trial scene, Shylock clearly enjoys the forthcoming bond which is due to him, he whets his knife on his shoe in the courtroom so that he can, â€Å"cut the forfeiture from [Antonio]† (4. 1 . 124). Shylock is unyielding in his desire. The pound of flesh is worth more to him than ten times the amount of ducats owed. More so, he rejects any appeal to the divine sanction of ercy, and believes to have his bond is lawfully and morally â€Å"right. † Shylock asks the Duke, â€Å"What judgment shall I dread, doing no wrong? † (4. 1. 90) and states, â€Å"I crave the law† (4. 1. 213). Even though he is legally entitled, Portia tries to appeal to his moral obligation to show mercy. He is not moved by this, and readies to collect his bond. At this point, the law is turned on Shylock. Portia tells Shylock he may have his bond, but that, â€Å"This bond doth give thee here no jot of blood†¦if thou dost shed / One drop of Christian blood, thy lands and goods / Are by the laws of Venice confiscate† (4. . 319-324). Shylock, realizing his desired pound of flesh will not be his bond, agrees to accept the payment of the ducats. To this, Portia replies, à ¢â‚¬Å"The Jew shall have all justice. Soft, no haste! / He shall have nothing but the penalty. † Further, Portia declares, â€Å"It is enacted in the laws of Venice, / If it be proved against an alien / That by direct or indirect attempts / He seeks the life of any citizen†¦the offender’s life lies in the mercy of the Duke. † Shylock is forced to his knees to beg the Duke for Mercy. He is again, the â€Å"Jew dog. † His life as it is a physical existence was spared. Shylock, would choose death over the mercy shown to him by the Duke and Antonio, he asks the court to, â€Å"Take my life and all† (4. 1. 389). In granting him to keep half of his goods, Antonio takes his identity, his religion, his heart and soul. Antonio seeks that Shylock, â€Å"presently become a Christian; / The other, that he do record a gift, / Here in the court, of all he dies possessed / Unto his son Lorenzo and his daughter† (4. . 403-406). Life and Christianity have defeated Shylock, they have taken his daughter and given him a Christian son to which he is bound to leave everything he owns. Shylock has been stripped of any power he may have once, if fleetingly, had. He has been broken down and stripped of his â€Å"merciless† religion. He is no longer villainous, he is piteous. Shylock evolved and transformed as a character, before us as an audience just as our feelings, perceptions and sympathies for him.

Prison Crowding Essay

Prison overcrowding is referred to as one of the major social problems in the United States. The problem of prison crowding has also touched Great Britain, some European countries, and finally, the developing world. During the 14 years between 1980 and 1994, the U. S. prison population has grown 172 percent (Bleich, 1999); more than 30,000 state prisoners spend their days and nights in country jails, waiting for new cells. The consequences of prison overcrowding are reflected in the whole set of broad social phenomena, from prison violence to higher rates of recidivism. The late 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s have been characterized by the growing number of prisoners in the U. S. â€Å"The United States produced a rate of growth in the nation’s prison population that scholars and legal commentators have repeatedly characterized as ‘unprecedented’† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). The number of prisoners was growing so fast that prison officials failed to develop effective systems and supervising networks that would maintain social and criminal stability across all correctional facilities at the federal level. The reasons and causes of prison overcrowding are numerous and require different approaches; but with financial and social resources being limited, federal authorities are unprepared to meeting the social challenges of prison overcrowding in the U. S. Organizational instability in prison system produces numerous adverse effects, including the development of dysfunctional psychological responses among younger prisoners and the system’s inability to satisfy the basic needs of prisoners. The causes of prison overcrowding are different and numerous: mandatory minimum sentencing, denial of parole, a variety of â€Å"zero tolerance† criminal policies, drug wars, and even trivial acts’ criminalization lead to the prisoners’ population increase (Bleich, 1999). Poverty and homelessness are the two indirect causes of prison overcrowding. The absence of effective anti-recidivism programs results in the growing number of prisoners in all types of correctional facilities. However, the discussion of prison overcrowding issues should start with the evaluation of psychological problems inmates face in crowded cells: â€Å"there is growing evidence that the Post Incarceration Syndrome is a contributing factor to high rates of recidivism. The cruelty of guards and staff remains a primary problem; those in prison are subjected to verbal violence and ridicule for anything from sexual preference to gender identity† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). These violent attitudes significantly contribute into the growing levels of recidivism; many of those who have been imprisoned for the first time are sentenced for the second and the third time before their first imprisonment term comes to an end. Objectively, prison overcrowding forms a kind of a vicious circle, with violence, assaults, disciplinary penalties and recidivism in its center. The problem would not be so complex, if not for the growing social tensions between the inmates, the prison staff, and the rest of the American citizens. Prison overcrowding leads to the development of dysfunctional behaviors among prisoners, to the growing amount of unsatisfied needs, and to excessive application of force and violence needed to maintain social order in prisons. These threatening tendencies lead to the disruption of the traditional social structures, where the â€Å"imprisoned† gradually replace â€Å"socially free† population, further increasing the level of society’s criminalization in the country. Dysfunctional behaviors are particularly problematic among younger prison population; young prisoners are more susceptible and vulnerable to the changes which occur in prison; recent researches have proved young prisoners’ vulnerability to â€Å"restricted conditions, since there is neither the space, the facilities, nor the resources to provide inmates with a full range of training, work, and educational opportunities, when there are too many prisoners to cope with† (Ekland-Olson & Barrick, 1983). Young prisoners are more sensitive and volatile in their aggressive reactions to the new type of prison environment; as a result, they are more likely to be punished by prison officials through segregation units, isolated housing unites, or similar administrative measures. In these violent contexts, young prisoners risk committing another crime, thus contributing into the growth of recidivism in the American prisons. Dysfunctional psychological responses and the growth of â€Å"young recidivism† are not the only consequences of prison overcrowding; by filling prisons and jails above their capacity, prison officials fail to satisfy even the basic needs of prisoners. Health, nutrition, and social needs of prisoners are simply neglected, raising their sensitivity to various types of social threats, including health epidemics, aggression, and violence. Beyond normal sleeping and eating conditions, prisoners need vocational training, education, and meaningful jobs. Prisoners require extensive work experiences that will further help them adapt to real-life conditions beyond the prison walls. Prison overcrowding deprives prison officials of effective and reliable needs assessment and screening instruments and strategies, which could be universally applied to improve the prisoners’ well-being. The current prison system in the U. S. does not guarantee that prisoners’ basic civil rights will be followed while they are being imprisoned. Unfortunately, thousands and thousands of prisoners are still in need of treatment and counseling for different types of mental and physical health disorders (Bleich, 1999). As a result, by the time these prisoners are released on probation they are likely to face social rejection and negligence, leading recidivism and violence. Intimidation and force remain the two most effective instruments used to maintain order in prisons. A crowded prison can be compared to a â€Å"boiling cauldron of inmate hostility, ready to erupt instantaneously into a riot† (Cavadino & Dignan, 2002). In the absence of other relevant governing mechanisms, violence seems the easiest universal method of keeping prisoners’ behaviors under control. â€Å"For example, in maximum security prisons in California, guards armed with rifles are strategically positioned inside mainline housing units and authorized to respond to inmate disturbances with lethal force† (Gaes & McGuire, 1995). Violence and intimidation are further aggravated by the lack of appropriate staff resources that could potentially maintain stability and organizational order in prisons and jails. Violence and the lack of professional staff negatively impact the quality of relationships between prison officials and inmates, making the crisis of control and legitimacy the central social element of prison overcrowding in the U. S. (Cavadino & Dignan, 2002). In the light of the abovementioned issues, the natural question is whether overcrowding can be minimized and avoided, and what should be done to improve the quality of life in prisons. Researchers and professionals suggest that probation reform may change the situation in the American prison system. â€Å"Forty percent of prison intakes are from probation violations, and half of those violators are put into the prison system because of technical violations† (Hicks, 2006). By reducing probation sentencing terms and simplifying supervision rules, prison officials are likely to resolve the majority of issues related to prison overcrowding and its social consequences. Federal authorities and criminal justice professionals are to reconsider the criteria applied to zero tolerance policies and juvenile delinquency, to minimize the portion of young population in prisons. Ultimately, the basic needs of current prisoners should be assessed and addressed, to ensure that ex-prisoners are able to adapt to the changing real-life conditions and to return to regular work and life performance after being released from prison (jail). Conclusion Prison overcrowding leads to the development of distorted and dysfunctional social visions in the American society. Violence and intimidation remain the two widely accepted instruments of maintaining order in prisons. Young prisoners are particularly vulnerable to aggression and violence in jails. The reduction of probation sentencing terms and supervision rules simplification may resolve the majority of social issues related to prison overcrowding in the U. S. , but federal authorities still lack appropriate resources that could be used to simplify the organizational structure of prison system in the country.

How does Shakespeare invoke a sense of evil in Macbeth? Essay

Narrating the climactic downfall and eventual death of a Scottish thane, â€Å"Macbeth† is widely regarded as one of Shakespeare’s four great tragedies, alongside â€Å"Hamlet†, â€Å"Othello† and â€Å"King Lear†. â€Å"Macbeth† is typical of the other three tragedies through several key factors, the first of which is the qualities of the protagonist. As with the other tragedies, Macbeth is a notable man of high status who bears many heroic qualities, including extreme valour and honour. However, much like with Othello and his jealousy, Macbeth is undone by his greed and ambition, his fatal flaw, or â€Å"harmartia† in the Greek. These flaws play a role in the hero’s fall from grace and eventual death, and these occurrences imbue the audience with a sense of loss and waste; thus the genre is deemed a ‘tragedy’. If the protagonist was solely brought down by his own flaws the piece would cease to be a tragedy, as there would be no sense of loss or waste upon the hero’s demise, as they would appear to be malevolent and deserving of their downfall. Instead, Shakespeare also incorporates external factors contributing to the downfall; in the case of â€Å"Macbeth†, Lady Macbeth and the Witches are used, coaxing Macbeth into regicide. If the protagonist were to be influenced too heavily by the separate circumstance then the hero would begin to appear as a puppet, completely corrupted and controlled. A fine balance is found during Shakespeare’s four great tragedies between character-based flaws and external circumstances’ influencing the hero’s actions, and subsequently the feeling of tragedy is massive. This is perhaps a defining factor as to why these four tragedies have received so much acclaim, after all a tragedy is defined by the effect it has on the audience. â€Å"Macbeth† however makes one large departure from the generic formulae in that throughout the play Shakespeare conveys a sense of concentrated evil, not seen in the other tragedies. Concentrated evil is achieved through various characters in the play including the witches, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Indeed, evil is commonplace throughout â€Å"Macbeth†, with children being slaughtered and various assassinations. Shakespeare’s acclaimed inclusion of the witches is a prominent factor in the suggestion of evil throughout the piece. Indeed, immediately in the first scene, you are instantly submerged into this dire, supernaturally influenced world, plagued by the presence of these malevolent witches. Consequently, the sense of evil is evoked right from the opening of the curtains. An aspect of the witches which grabs our attention immediately is the intermittent rhyme and riddle of their dialogue. As the second witch answers â€Å"when the hurley-burley’s done, when the battles lost and won† this unconventional rhyming speech supplements the witches’ already alien nature, as well as adding confusion as to what these riddles portend. Also, as the witches chant in unison â€Å"†¦hover through the fog and filthy air† it seems they share a magical link by which they may indulge in the same evil thoughts. This, for the audience of the time, would be a disturbing piece of imagery. At times what the witches say may be paradoxical, adding to the dialogue’s riddling nature, for example when they drone â€Å"fair is foul and foul is fair†. The aberrant speech style of the witches is used by them throughout the play, with the exception of ‘Act 3, Scene 5’ which will be discussed later. It is also evident from this first scene that the witches have an unholy alliance or affiliation with the future and time. The third witch proclaims â€Å"that will be ‘ere the set of sun† displaying her knowledge of future events, and so augmenting the witches already supernatural, malevolent image. With this development the sisters seem all the more potent as with their knowledge of the future comes also the ability to meddle and pervert it. Displayed also is the witches’ association with the elements as the first witch questions â€Å"in thunder, lightning or in rain?†, as though they have a slight mastery over the elements. The thunder and lightning of the scene is more evidence of their power over the elements. We see the witches’ use of familiars when the first witch says â€Å"I come, Graymalkin†, a tool with which the sisters may communicate to the devil. Again, the application of this familiar, in this case a cat, adds further to the witches’ malevolent aura, and the sense of concentrated evil. Over the years, different directors have added various features in order to maintain the scene’s originality. For example, Polanski’s version saw the witches on a beach burying a severed arm, whilst, in contrast Frain’s version depicted the witches as children on a council estate. As the play progresses, the witches’ spiteful, vindictive nature becomes ever more apparent, as they display their malevolence during various scenes. Notable for exhibition of evil is Act 1, Scene 3 in which the sisters describe how they deprived the hapless sailor of sleep, stating â€Å"sleep shall neither night nor day, hang upon his penthouse lid†. This shocking image is made doubly repulsive by how the witches seem to be thoroughly enjoying the whole scenario. Moreover, in the same scene, the witches brandish a severed â€Å"pilot’s thumb†, another revolting image, which is indeed evident of their malicious nature. An example of them dabbling in the dark arts is seen in Act 4, Scene 1 where they brew the vile potion, chanting the theatrically legendary lines â€Å"double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble†. With repulsive detail, they describe the ingredients of the potion, one such being a â€Å"liver of blaspheming Jewâ €  and a â€Å"finger of birth-strangled babe†. This horrific concoction is indicative of their very nature: vile and against society and nature. Due to these malevolent acts, the witches are often referred to as and associated with, agents of evil, for example in Act 4, Scene 1 Macbeth refers to them as â€Å"you secret, black, and midnight hags!†. Another example can be found in Act 1, Scene 3 where Banquo calls the witches â€Å"the instruments of darkness†. They influence the characters to such an extent that they refer to them with such titles; this is further evidence of the witches’ concentrated malevolence. It must not be forgotten also that the witches were the ones who originally ensnared Macbeth with promises of greatness, which were partially accountable for him committing regicide. This can be seen in Act 1, Scene 3 as the third witch greets Macbeth, saying â€Å"All hail Macbeth that shalt be king hereafter†. Had the witches not tainted the noble Macbeth, he may have never fallen and so the evil of the witches can be held partially responsible. The witches can be seen meddling once more during Act 4, Scene 1 where they blind Macbeth into believing he is nigh on invincible with several prophecies. And so, Macbeth becomes complacent, fooled by the witches’ misleading prophecies. Their malevolence is clear to see through their misguiding of Macbeth, as well as the other example given. The witches are depicted as having a haunting physical presence, both through their actual physical appearance and through their chilling language. In terms of their physicality, the witches are only described once during the play by Banquo in Act 1, Scene 3. He describes them as being â€Å"withered and so wild in their attire†, telling directly of their abnormal manifestation. Also, Banquo tells of how the witches â€Å"look not like the inhabitants of the earth†, showing how they are supernatural to such an extent that even their appearance makes us question whether they of this world. Disturbingly, the witches’ appearance is so distorted that their very gender is ambiguous, as Banquo describes how their sex â€Å"man may question†. Their strangeness in appearance would immediately show to the audience the witch’s malevolence, as well as encouraging a sense of foreboding towards them. Along with their appalling appearance is their unorthodox and seemingly corrupting language. As discussed before, their language generally is spoken like a rhyming chant, further supporting their supernatural image. Implementing this chant-like dialogue enhances the threat which the witches impose on the audience, such as during Act 4, Scene 1 where a witch drones â€Å"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes† , far more chilling then a non-rhyming alternative. As the play progresses, Macbeth’s mind seems to be defiled by the witches, so far that at times even his language seems tainted and so echoes theirs at regular intervals. For example, during Act 3, Scene 4 Macbeth cries â€Å"It will have blood they say, blood will have blood† and in Act 4, Scene 1 he declares â€Å"I conjure you by which you profess†. Both these quotations bear a resemblance to the dialogue adopted by the witches and as such it seems as though Macbeth is either tainted by their influence or just obsessed with them. This is further suggestion of their evil, as their malevolence is such that their influence seems to have corrupted Macbeth’s mind. In complete contrast, during the scene of ‘dubious authorship’ (or Act 3, Scene 5), the suggestion of evil through the language is comparatively tame and the established speech conventions adopted by the witches are neglected. Shakespeare cleverly omits the witches’ usual language style in order to highlight their angst at having angered Hecate. Rather then using the typical chanted rhyming style, instead what little the witches do say is blunt and concise, as when a witch says â€Å"come, lets make haste; she’ll soon be back again†. Aside from the lack of rhyming, the witches’ speech lacks its usual dark and evil content; for example a witch simply questions â€Å"why how now, Hecate, you look angerly?† This is heavily altered from their previous dialogue, for example during Act 1, Scene 3 when a witch declares â€Å"like a rat without a tail, I’ll do, I’ll do and I’ll do†. This quotation contains various dark themes, for example the disfigured rat, and is vastly different from the dialogue seen in Act 3, Scene 5. The speech in this scene also lacks the usual complexity used in other scenes, instead adopting a far more concise and simple language. However, because the witches make no reference to evil during this scene, this does not mean that their characters become less malevolent in nature. This is because they make no reference to evil as they are so fearful for their own safety, thus they still seem as vindictive and malicious as ever, only with self-preservation as a priority. â€Å"Macbeth† includes various themes which were relevant to the audience at the time; thus the play bore a higher significance to them, one such being the inclusion of the weird sisters. James I, King of England at the time, had a particular obsession with the hunting and executing of witches, caused by having nearly been killed during a storm, which he believed to have been caused by witches. This hate for witches filtered through the kingdom, meaning the persecution of witches or witch sympathisers was commonplace. James’s paranoia went so deep that he even wrote a book entitled â€Å"Daemonologie† inciting hate towards witches and other like creatures. Thus witches were widely regarded as a threat to the contemporary Renaissance audience and so when Shakespeare included the â€Å"three weird sisters† in â€Å"Macbeth† the audience became more emotionally invested in the performance. Also, the prevailing theme of regicide, central to the play, w ould hold significance to the somewhat paranoid king, thus further immersing him in the drama. Although the witches are certainly responsible for triggering the eventual decision to commit regicide, it must be acknowledged that Macbeth himself is culpable and so may be considered partly malevolent. Highlighting his drastic choice of evil is his initial potential and heroic virtues described in Act 1, Scene 2. The Captain exclaims â€Å"brave Macbeth- well he deserves that name† telling us how his comrades admire his valour and respect his courage. We are then told how Macbeth fought â€Å"disdaining fortune†, thus fighting unafraid against the odds. Macbeth is then likened to â€Å"valour’s minion†, symbolising just how courageous and brave he is; that he is the darling or minion of courage. And so with these references, we expect great things from this protagonist when he arrives on stage. It is because of this description that Macbeth’s fall into darkness and evil seems all the more pronounced; that a celebrated soldier, of such audacity, c an fall into such a concentrated crucible of evil, killing a virtuous king, his best friend and even a helpless family. Also augmenting the perceived concentration of evil in â€Å"Macbeth† is the fact that he knows full-well the evil of his actions. Indeed, just before killing Duncan during Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth tells Lady Macbeth that he no longer wishes to kill Duncan, stating â€Å"we will proceed no further in this business†. Therefore, it is discernable that he knows the consequences of his actions and so when he does eventually commit the crime it seems all the more malevolent; he knows what he is doing yet he continues nonetheless. Furthermore, throughout the play, particularly at the beginning when he is less corrupted, Macbeth uses euphemisms to hide the shocking alternative word and to an extent to stop himself hearing the reality. In Act 1, Scene 7 Macbeth says in a soliloquy â€Å"if it were done when it is done, then ’twere well† referring to the murder of Duncan as ‘it’. Again, this adds to the evil of the final crime as it is clear Macbeth knows exactly what he is doing, and the malevolent significance the murder bears. Macbeth shows, through these two media, that he has a conscience which he is choosing to ignore and so more responsibility for the crime can be placed on him, as the witches clearly didn’t influence him to the extent where he didn’t know what he was doing. Another contributor to the evil present in â€Å"Macbeth† is the heinous nature of all of the murders; first a gracious and fair king, then his long standing best friend and comrade (Banquo), then an attempted assassination on Banquo’s helpless son, and finally the murder of Macduff’s innocent family. A sensational aspect is present in each of these murders making them seem all the more shocking and repulsive. Due to the vile nature of each of these murders, the concentrated evil present in â€Å"Macbeth† becomes all the more obvious. Also, the necessity of some of the murders is questionable; for example, what was the need to murder Macduff’s innocent family? The murder of Macduff’s family seems entirely out of spite, rather than an actual requirement. With these grim murders, Macbeth is perceived to be host to an even greater concentration of evil, especially in the later stages of the play were he is arguably unaffected by his malicious ac tions. An inner evil is conveyed through the mental torture Macbeth experiences in the later stages of the performance, which defiles his mind and his sanity. Evidence of the inner torture Macbeth experiences is seen in Act 3, Scene 4 where the ghost of Macbeth’s former friend Banquo haunts him, unseen to all else. Gory to behold, this apparition is most likely an embodiment of Macbeth’s guilt at having killed his former friend, as we see Macbeth shout; â€Å"thou canst not say I did it†. This attempt to relieve himself of the blame is really only confession of his guilt. Moreover, the evil blighting Macbeth’s mind can be seen again through his inability to sleep. In Act 2, Scene 2 Macbeth tells his wife of how â€Å"Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep†, evidence of his disability. Due to the evil things he has done, Macbeth’s mind has become contaminated and so he is tormented, to the point where he can no longer sleep. Indeed, at one point Macbeth even professes to Lady Macbeth about his inner torment, saying â€Å"full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife† in Act3, Scene 2. In any case, the change in Macbeth’s thoughts as the play progresses is easily discernable; and so an inner evil corrupting his thoughts is arguably present. Throughout the play, Macbeth always appears to be preoccupied with the witches and this may be partly the reason for the corruption of his mind. Often, in his dialogue he refers to the sisters and genuinely seems beset by their deceitful words. For example, in Act 3, Scene 1 Macbeth tells a servant of how Banquo â€Å"chid the sisters when they first put the name of king upon me†. References such as this towards the witches are commonplace in Macbeth’s speech and it seems he has developed an indissoluble link with them, resulting in his obsession with them. This link can be seen also, as mentioned previously, in Macbeth’s dialogue, which often echoes that of the witches. Even the first words Macbeth utters are akin to lines of the witches, where he remarks; â€Å"so foul and fair a day I have not seen†; paradoxical language similar to theirs. At one point, during Act 2, Scene 1, Banquo even questions Macbeth as to whether his mind still lingers over the witches and he replies â€Å"I think not of them†. Macbeth certainly seems influenced by the witches, and we even see that just before the killing of Macduff’s family he visits the sisters. It is possible that the witches are also responsible for Macbeth’s inability to sleep mentioned above, as we know that they have engaged in such acts previously on the unfortunate sailor. Further influencing and at times controlling the actions of Macbeth is his wife, Lady Macbeth. More so in the early stages of the play, she can be found cleverly manipulating her husband, playing upon his weaknesses to ensure he secures his place as king. As Macbeth tells her how he no longer wishes to kill Duncan in Act 1, Scene 7, she responds â€Å"art though afeard†, questioning his masculinity and classifying him a coward. Had she not guided Macbeth in this sequence, it is questionable whether he would have proceeded with the murder at all. In the same scene she also plans out the detestable details of the murder, and so in this case she can be considered the main agent. This is certainly indicative that there is a concentration of evil present in Lady Macbeth, even if its manifestation is less pronounced than her husband’s. Additionally, in order to provide her with the inner strength to commit the murder, during Act 1, Scene 5 she attempts to conjure up evil ministers, declaring â€Å"come you spirits that tend on moral thoughts†. This act is testimony to her evil; that she would be willing to affiliate herself with damned spirits in order to kill an innocent old man. Also, Lady Macbeth is so eager to kill the king that she is even willing to reject her femininity. In a soliloquy during Act 1, Scene 5 she utters â€Å"unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe top full of direst cruelty†. This unnatural (and chilling) denial of her sex shows how willing she is to commit murder. Through all these ill plans towards Duncan and despite bearing the knowledge that his life may well end that night, in Act 1, Scene 6 Lady Macbeth shows just how devious she is as she acts the part of a welcoming hostess, telling the king â€Å"your majesty loads our house†. At this stage in the play Lady Macbeth’s subtle nature of evil is clear to see. Finally, as with her husband, it is obvious that Lady Macbeth registers the enormity of the crime through her pang of conscience before the murder and continues nonetheless. It is true that during Act 2, Scene 2 she tells Macbeth of how â€Å"had he not resembled my father as he slept, I had done it†. This is evidence of her conscience, although she still lets her husband kill Duncan, ignoring her inner sense of right and wrong. Because of this, Lady Macbeth gradually becomes insane and descends into a hell of her own making, famously saying during Act 5, Scene 1; â€Å"hell is murky†. Shortly after these w ords Lady Macbeth commits suicide, relinquishing her life because of the evil she is aware she has committed. Contributing in a different way to the evil atmosphere found in â€Å"Macbeth† is the adept language implemented by Shakespeare, which persistently evokes the intended malevolence. A dramatic way in which Shakespeare conveys evil is through the use of disease imagery, for example â€Å"canst thou not minister to a mind diseased†. Particularly to the audience of the era, disease was exceptionally feared as it was often fatal due to the lack of medical knowledge, and for this reason the inclusion of these references conjured markedly strong dark thoughts. The idea of disease by definition is that of spreading corruption and defilement, and this it seems is reminiscent of the spread of evil in â€Å"Macbeth†, and so such references are therefore a reminder of the irresistible contagion caused by a tyrannical king. Similarly, the theme of concealment is also used throughout, regularly conveying a distressing sense of the unknown as well as the ominous threat of hidden evil. At one point Duncan tells of how â€Å"there’s no art to find the mind’s construction in the face†, a chilling image of how there is no method by which a person can read another’s intentions based upon their external make-up; this is bitterly ironic given that Macbeth is tricking Duncan all along. In disguising intention, evil can remain hidden – disguise imagery therefore reminds the audience of a character’s hidden intent. Given this overlapping theme of disguise and deception, the audience are always aware of a malevolent atmosphere in â€Å"Macbeth†. Another common method of evoking the sense of evil is Shakespeare’s regular reference to night and blackness. This brand of imagery plays upon humanity’s primitive fear of the unknown; thus in making regular references to darkness Shakespeare ensures that an evil presence is always felt. The play boasts many memorable teaming references to darkness; a typical one can be found in Act 1, Scene 5 where Lady Macbeth proclaims â€Å"come thick night and pull me in the dunnest smokes of hell†. Aside from the obvious reference to hell Shakespeare cleverly refers to darkness to evoke the feeling of deception and hidden evil, as well as the primitive evil of the darkness on its own. On the same note, the theme of cancelling out light is integrated as well as when Macbeth notably says in an aside â€Å"stars hide your fires, let not light see my black and deep desires†. Perhaps the most obvious pattern in â€Å"Macbeth† in terms of sinister language is the regular reference to predatory animals. Animals can often portend omens which in â€Å"Macbeth’s† case translate into dire events; however at times in Shakespeare’s application they can also just conjure up dire images. On occasion the characters allude to animals related to ill omens; for example when Lady Macbeth says â€Å"the raven himself is hoarse†, the raven being the bird of ill omen. Or in other cases the reference may just be made in terms of sinister imagery, like when Macbeth says â€Å"full of scorpions is my mind†. At times the imagery also contains biblical-related animals; for example when Lady Macbeth tells her husband â€Å"look like the innocent flower but be the serpent under it†. In this case the serpent is a sinister use of imagery as it is related with the biblical ‘fall’ and so is often an animal linked with male volence in literature. Shakespeare’s choice of regularly adding emphasis on blood further exaggerates the evil perceived by the audience, as well as darkening the image of the play. In particular, the murder of Duncan conjures many references to blood, for example Macbeth says â€Å"will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand?† In this manner, emphasis is added on Macbeth’s bloody hands, questioning whether even all the ocean’s waters will clean them. Likewise, the spots of blood described on Lady Macbeth’s hand are also highlighted, to the point where she believes her hands are still blood stained several days after the murder, crying â€Å"out damned spots! Out I say!† The explicit references to blood add to the sinister content of the play through their dire implications; blood after all symbolising pain and suffering. A debatable topic within â€Å"Macbeth† is whether the main source of evil in the play extends from external supernatural sources or from Macbeth himself. However, as mentioned previously, if Macbeth is regarded as being influenced too heavily by the witches, he begins to seem like their puppet- easily manipulated. If Macbeth is seen as to be too easily manipulated this draws from his heroic status; how could such a strong character be so easily turned against his will? As such, I feel Macbeth is just as responsible for the atrocities as the witches. The tyranny brought about by this combined concentration of evil affects the whole kingdom, even at times supernaturally, for example after Duncan’s death Lennox tells of how â€Å"the night has been unruly: where we lay, our chimneys were blown down†. As you can see, the disruption brought about by the death of the king is even portrayed to affect the weather. This idea used by Shakespeare in which everything is affected by the death of the king is in conjunction with the ‘chain of being’. The concept of this was a large hierarchy in which God was placed at the top and below him was ranked king; below this was all other organic life. Regicide means that everything below Duncan in the ‘chain of being’ would be disrupted, and would only return to order once the rightful king was restored. This happens in â€Å"Macbeth†: once the rightful king, Malcolm, takes the throne, then the disruption is purged and order returns over the whole kingdom. However, in spite of the regained regime, the final impression of Shakespeare’s masterpiece is that of lingering evil; the witches are still to an extent at large and who is to say the process will not repeat itself again with them partially corrupting yet another star-crossed victim. â€Å"Macbeth† is a play in which evil reigns and flourishes throughout and so it seems only fitting that the final impression masterfully created by Shakespeare should be that of lingering evil.