Fundamentals of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fundamentals of Finance - Essay Example Photos: Interior view of one of the master bedrooms showing a spacious area within the room. The outside view of the property showing a cultivated front yard suited with garbage cans and showing spacious distance from one property block to the next. The arrangement of the apartments allows a personal parking lot to the front and a walk through pavement connecting from the main residential interstate roads. Weblink: www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-41518172.html# Purchasing Price: ?59,500 The annual cash flows expected from the investment target is ?850 per calendar month as the area has competitive rental market given that area is spacious and secluded from industrial zones, hence fore, investors in this area are driven by the market valuation of the properties as well as the location which raises the expected valuation of the property to be higher than the market price. The market price of the same property along the Greater Manchester area is set at ?650 with regards to the proximity of properties and roads, shopping malls, security of the area, and demand and supply of rental properties along the same area. However the expected rental amount from this particular property is ?850 as the property is new, all its features are functional and the seclusion from the industrial areas makes the property higher valued than its market competition counterparts. Therefore, for Mr. Priddin to invest in this property, his annual cash flows are calculated as Annual Cash Flows Expected Investment Target: ?850 Per Calendar Month (PCM) = (?850 x 12) = ?10,200 The rationale of providing rental service for ?850 per month is because; after investigating the rental prices for 2 bedroom flats and apartments around the Little Lever Bolton within the Greater Manchester area, it is found out those property rentals per calendar month range from ?150-700 with regards to conditions and luxury facilities. With regards to the presence of communal gardens and the easy access to ground floor apartments, the prices for these properties are kept higher than the market price at either the threshold of ?700 PCM or above at ?1000. With Mr. Priddin expecting a 6% return on investment, the future value of the property is calculated as Perpetuity = (Rental Price x Months in a year)/r Therefore, If Mr. Priddin is to purchase this property at ?59,500 his annual returns would be Perpetuity = (850*12 months)/r = 10,200/0.06 = ?170,000 Hence fore, the present value of the future cash flows of ?170,000 is higher than the current selling price of ?59,500 and is therefore a good investment for Mr. Priddin to invest in. A) If as a landlord Mr. Priddin would like to keep this property and rent it forever raising the rent at the rate of 4%, is it advisable for Mr. Priddin to purchase this property? Then Using P = Co*(1+g)/r-g his return on investment would be calculated with regards to the purchase price of the property C0 divided by the difference between the return on in vestment and expected less the rate of rent increase per year. P = C1/r-g P = 59500/6% - 4% P = ?2,975,000 With respect to the present value of the future cash flows of ?2,975,000 the purchase price of the property is lower and therefore the property is still worth buying. The difference between the present value of the property and the future cash f

Hiding from Reality Essay Example for Free

Hiding from Reality Essay The American Dream is exactly what it says, a dream. When people describe what they think the American Dream is, it is a utopia where there is no wrong in the world. Reality check, nothing or no one is perfect, this country will always have its faults but it’s the citizens job to make their country the best it can possibly be. Bob Herbert, a columnist for the New York Times, believes that no matter what we do this country will forever be in a sad shape, and unfortunately I agree. There are too many negatives than positives in this country and until we can switch that the United States will continue to live in distress. Major issues like the economy, budget deficits and warfare over seas are keeping the country in a constant panic, and until these are resolved the American Dream will only be a fantasy. Studies show that the economy has improved ever since the Great Recession of 2009, but it seems as if we’re at a standstill and have been for a long time now. Thousands of jobs are being created in power plants, yet some school districts just let go of half of their teaching staff for budget purposes. Information from the Pew Hispanic Center tell us that, â€Å"Foreign-born workers in the U.S. gained 656,000 jobs while native-born workers lost 1.2 million. But even as the hiring of immigrants picked up during that period, those same workers ‘experienced a sharp decline in earnings.’† The Pew Hispanic Center’s point is that the U.S. should never discriminate against the foreign-born workers, but with these statistics our country should develop an economy where anyone who wants to work can and be able to live a standard life with their families. Along with the economy, budget deficits are greatly impacting the nation. The wreckage from the recession and the new crash programs are doing nothing to help get us out of the hole we’re in today. The U.S. believes that we can continue to spend trillions of dollars on overseas warfare and somehow that money will find its way back into our economy and everything will be fine. Wrong, because of the amounts of money spent on warfare, state and local governments are challenged with having to reduce services. Examples are: cutting their work forces, hacking away at health and pension benefits, and raising taxes and fees. These services that are reduced for everyone are leaving some of the most vulnerable people- the children, the sick, the elderly and disabled- disadvantaged and incapable of living a standard life. Until we start focusing solely on America and getting back to the way it was before, we may never come out of this recession. In the end there is no such thing as a perfect society, or utopia. But that does not mean that we shouldn’t try to make improvements to help rebuild our country. Bob Herbert is right when he says this country will always be in a sad shape, that’s because as of right now there is little to no effort in rejuvenating our nation. There will always be unemployment and inflation, that’s inevitable, but things we can stop are warfare overseas and budget deficits. Reform is possible, we just have to focus solely on our nation and our nation only

William Wordsworths Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey Ess

William Wordsworth's "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" Whereas most individuals tend to see nature as a playhouse that should alter and self-destruct to their every need, William Wordsworth had a very different view. Wordsworth perceived nature as a sanctuary where his views of life, love, and his creator were eventually altered forever. The intensity of Wordsworth's passion for nature elevated him from a boy into the inspiring man and poet in which he is recognized to be today. One of the most compelling works Wordsworth ever devised was that of "Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey." The poem enlightens the reader on the awesome power and depth of nature, which Wordsworth has discovered in his trials and tribulations upon the earth. Thus, to fully understand the significance of nature in all lives told through "Lines Composed A few Miles Above Tintern Abbey" one must understand the setting and mood, as well as comprehend the rhyme scheme, and use of many diverse poetic devices that interact within the poem. One is able to gain insight into "Lines Composed a Few Lines Above Tintern Abbey" by first trying to understand the mood and setting of the poem. Although it "is a miniature of the long poem Wordsworth never quite wrote" (Robyn Young p.409) it lacked nothing as far as depth and intensity goes. Wordsworth was very skilled in such areas, although his writing may be come very complex it is said that it was a result of "the spontaneous overflow of emotion" (Gale Net). Wordsworth wrote this poem, as cited by Wordsworth without "any part of it was written down till I reached Bristol" (F.W. Bateson p.191). Wordsworth was a firm believer that man should ?find an immanent force that unites them with their physical and spiritual environments? (Jan Shoemaker p.1). As Wordsworth revisits this beloved place of his (Tintern Abbey) he is reminded of how he once perceived this sanctuary. Wordsworth attempts to compare and contrast two worlds, Brian Barbour states ?Wordsworth?s basic strategy is to a ppeal to the spiritual while remaining entirely within the natural order?(Barbour p.154). When he was a young child he came to this valley using it as his own personal playground. He never gave nature the respect and praise that it so deserved. He just saw nature through a young child?s eyes; he saw a tree in which to climb, grass in which wa... ...pt. The reader viewpoint of nature in a sense is altered, as Wordsworth is erudite about the wonders of our mother nature. One must learn to live in harmony with nature to fully understand our true character and to enjoy the gracious gifts of natural world that have so graciously bestowed upon us all. Works Cited Barbour, Brian. "Between Two Worlds." Nineteenth-Century Literature. California Press (1993): 14 7-168 Bateson, F.W. Wordsworth a Re-Interpretation. London: Lowe and Brydone (Printers) Limited, 1956. Bloom, Harold. Bloom's Major Poets. Pennsylvania: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. Bloom, Harold. Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Gill, Stephen. A Life. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989. Hartman, Geoffery H. The Unremarkable Wordsworth. Vol. 34. Minnesota: University of Minnesota, 1987. Shoemaker, Jan. Bill and Gus. [Online] http://FirstSearch.oclc.org. Jan 27, 2000. Wordsworth, William. Detroit: Gale Company, 1999. [Online] Exploring Poetry. Feb 22, 2000. Wordsworth, William. Lines Composed. [Online] http://www.library.com/poems, Feb 29, 2000 Young, Robyn V. Poetry Criticism. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale Company, 1992

Racial Profiling in America Essay -- Black Lives Matter Essays

On February 4, 1999, Amadou Diallo, an unarmed 22 year-old immigrant from New Guinea, West Africa, was shot and killed in the narrow vestibule of the apartment building where he lived. Four white officers, Sean Carroll, Kenneth Boss, Edward McMellon and Richard Murphy fired 41 bullets, hitting Diallo 19 times. All four were members of the New York City Police Department's Street Crimes Unit, which, under the slogan, "We Own the Night," used aggressive "stop and frisk" tactics against African- Americans at a rate double that group's population percentage. A report on the unit by the state attorney general found that blacks were stopped at a rate 10 times that of whites, and that 35 percent of those stops lacked reasonable suspicion to detain or had reports insufficiently filled out to make a determination. Thousands attended Diallo's funeral. Demonstrations were held almost daily, along with the arrests of over 1,200 people in planned civil disobedience. In a trial that was moved out of the community where Diallo lived and to Albany in upstate New York, the four officers who killed Diallo were acquitted of all charges. (â€Å"Persistence† 21) Racial Profiling is any police or private security practice in which a person is treated as a suspect because of his or her race, ethnicity, nationality or religion. This occurs when police investigate, stop, frisk, search or use force against a person based on such characteristics instead of evidence of a person's criminal behavior. It often involves the stopping and searching of people of color for traffic violations, known as â€Å"DWB† or â€Å"driving while black or brown.† (Meeks 17) After 9/11, racial profiling has become widely accepted as an appropriate form of crime prevention. People were s... ... as far back as any of us can remember. Racial profiling stems from racism, and fear of people who are different, ethnically and culturally, than the person making the judgments. Sadly, it spreads even further than that, and clouds the judgment of the people who are in positions of authority, even when they come from the same ethnic background. Racism, classism, sexism and all the other –isms combine to create trends such as these, which affect more than just the person being judged; it affects their families, friends, neighborhoods, communities, etc. Like all other issues that deal with the problem of –isms, the only way to change the dominant perception is to change the way people are programmed throughout life and their experiences. Until that day, no legislation or rule is going to change the way people feel about the minority, or perceived lower class, group.

Cross Symbol

A cross represents many things to different people. Some view it as simply a‘t’. For others, it is their way of life. Many in America feel this way. A cross is the main symbol for Christianity, and as Christianity is the main religion in America, it can be considered a symbol of American culture. A cross is more than just a t-shaped piece of wood. A cross is the representative symbol of American culture. One morning, a long while ago, there was a man. This was before crosses had the present day meaning. He was to be crucified on a wood-shaped t contraption.It was called a cross. Forwarding to the present day, when most people think of or hear the word cross, they think of a battered old wood piece that is in the shape of a lower case t. While that is generally what a cross will come in, it can take the form of many things. It can be made of metal, wood, plastic, cardboard, or even by crossing one’s fingers. A cross can be fancy, new, battered, or old. No matter th e look of it, though, the cross always seems the same in the hearts and minds of those who cherish it.Perhaps the most thought provoking image of a cross is when Christ is on it, nails in his feet and hands, with a pierced wound in his side, his head bowed to heaven. The cross is both a symbol of happiness and sadness. One of the main reasons that pilgrims and settlers came over to the future site of the great United States of America was to avoid religious persecution in their homelands. America was the place of all things new and reborn, and what better way to practice their outcast religions. Most of the religions, however, shared one thing in common: they were all Christian-based religions.They just had different ways of practicing how to worship their Lord, Savior, and God. Being in the church-run country of England, however, was difficult because of these different practices. They united and came under the banner of one object, the cross. Many people view the cross as excludin g and not open to everyone everywhere. This is far from the truth. The cross accepts any and all who wish to worship under it and be one with the rest of the Christian nation. Those that pervert the word and message of the cross and its religion aren’t the true bearers of Jesus’ word and message.Sometimes the cross is perceived as a bat that beats the message into your head and does physical damage to them. This is far from the truth. A cross is like a pillow, that can be snuggled and used for friendly pillow fights, but it always comforts when it is needed. A cross needs to be thought less of as an animate object, and more of an inanimate object that encompasses a broad scope of items. One of these objects could be considered a pen and quill. When the founding fathers of the United States assembled in Philadelphia, they penned the words â€Å"endowed by their Creator. While Creator can have a broad variety of meanings depending on background, upbringing, and current value system, one can infer the implied meaning of what that statement was supposed to mean. America had religious upbringings. If it wasn’t for religion, America could possibly not be here today, or not be as successful as it is. The pilgrims could have stayed in England and Mainland Europe, and America may not have been settled until a much later date. In current times, many will argue that the cross is an obsolete and inaccurate representation of American culture.While it is true that church attendance and overall religiousness of the country is going down, the greater majority, even ones who don’t attend church on a regular basis, still view the cross as a symbol of greater things. It symbolizes the resolve of the American people. When in doubt, they look up, hoping for a sign of greater things to come. A cross may not be as fancy as a tasseled flag, or as popular as a roaring lion, but do those items have a deeper meaning to it? Americans have never been about bei ng the fanciest, or being the best.Americans care about what is important to them, and they fight for it. Present day fights to keep the cross and other Christian-related materials are a constant effort. Many should re-read the Declaration of Independence, and see the word Creator. It may refresh and jog their memories. The cross is one of the symbols of the American culture. Religion plays a large part in many lives in the country, and this is a representation of that. Perhaps if more people come under the wings of the cross, America can be great again.

Meningiococcal Disease essays

Meningiococcal Disease essays Meningiococcal disease is a worldwide killer that can be described as the combination of both meningitis and septicemia. It is caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Meningiococcal disease can come in many forms and usually produces an array of subtle symptoms that quickly progress until it creates a life-or-death situation. Luckily there are vaccines for almost all of the strains known to mankind and epidemics are very rare. The two key aspects of Meningiococcal disease are meningitis and septicemia. Meningitis is a condition that occurs when invading organisms leave the blood stream that they have entered the body through, break through the blood-brain barrier, and infect the meninges that cover the brain and spinal cord. These foreign invaders release toxins that cause the membranes to become inflamed. Eventually this inflammation leads to coma, and possibly death. On the other hand, septicemia occurs when the invading organisms stay in the bloodstream and begin to multiply rapidly. When they release their toxins, the walls of the blood vessels break down and blood begins to leak into surrounding tissues. This will eventually lead to a chain of deadly events, including the failure of the circulatory system, shock, organ destruction, and death. Researchers have recently discovered that there are two key proteins, thrombomodulin and endothelial Protein C receptor, that are lost during septicemia. These two proteins are in charge of activating the Protein C complex that inhibits the clotting of blood and the loss of this critical protein results in the widespread clotting that occurs during septicemia (Blood Weekly). Most of the time when one is affected by meningitis, one is also affected by septicemia, therefore creating meningiococcal disease but on the other hand, septicemia is frequently present without symptoms of meningitis (and is usually more deadly in this form). As menti...

How to Pronounce Thank You in Chinese

How to Pronounce Thank You in Chinese Being able to thank someone is one of the first things we learn to say in another language, and the word è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† therefore appears in the first chapter of almost all beginner textbooks in Chinese. This word is very versatile and can be used in most situations where you want to thank someone, so treating it as a direct equivalent of the English †thank you† works well most of the time. But how do you pronounce it? How to Pronounce è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† Even if the word è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† often appears in the first chapter of most textbooks, it certainly isnt easy to pronounce, especially if you havent had time to internalize Hanyu Pinyin yet, which is the most common way of writing the sounds of Mandarin with the Latin alphabet. Using Pinyin to learn is good, but you should be aware of some of the problems involved. There are two things you need to pay attention to: the initial †x† and the tones. How to Pronounce the †x† Sound in è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† The †x† sound in Pinyin can be tricky to pronounce for beginners, and together with †q† and †j† they are probably the hardest initials to get right for native speakers of English. These sounds might sound similar to the English †sh† and in †sheep† (in the case of †x†) or to the English †ch† in †cheap† (in the case of †q†), but that will not give you the right pronunciation. To pronounce †x† correctly, do like this: Lightly press the tip of your tongue against the teeth ridge just behind your lower teeth. This is a very natural position and this is probably what you do when you breathe normally through your mouth.Now try to say †s† while still keeping your tongue tip in the same position. To produce the sound, the tongue needs to be raised, but since you cant raise the tip (it shouldnt move), you have to raise the body of the tongue (i.e. farther back than when you say s).If you can produce a hissing sound with this tongue position, congratulations, youre now pronouncing †x† correctly! Try playing around a bit and listen to the sounds you produce. You should be able to hear a difference between this †x† sound and the †sh† in †sheep† as well as a normal s. The next part of the syllable, â€Å"ie†, usually doesnt cause much trouble for beginners and simply trying to mimic a native speaker as well as you can is likely to be enough. The tones, however, are a different matter, so lets look at how to say â€Å"thank you† without sounding like a tourist. How to Pronounce the Tones in è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† Tones are tricky because they arent used to create different words in English. Of course, we do vary the tone height when we speak English too, but it doesnt change the basic meaning of a word like it does in Chinese. Therefore, its common for beginners to not be able to hear tones properly, but this is just a matter of practice. The more you expose yourself to tones and the more you practice, the better you will become. Practice makes perfect! Tones are normally indicated by a mark above the main vowel, but as you can see in the case of è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie†, there is no mark above the second syllable, which means that its a neutral tone. The downward mark on the first syllable indicates a fourth tone. Just like the tone mark indicates, the pitch should fall when you pronounce this. The neutral tone should be pronounced more lightly and should also be shorter. You can treat the word è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ ( è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† as a word in English with stress on the first syllable, like â€Å"sissy† (I mean for stress purposes, the other sounds are different). There is an obvious emphasis on the first syllable and the second one is quite reduced. Practice Makes Perfect Simply knowing how è ° ¢Ã¨ ° ¢ (è ¬ Ã¨ ¬ ) †xià ¨xie† is supposed to be pronounced doesnt mean that you can pronounce it, so you need to practice yourself as well. Good luck!

Marketing Analysis Tools

Marketing Analysis Tools Introduction Each organizational structure has unique features that make it appealing in the competitive market. There are those organizations which employs unique and creative attributes to remain afloat while there are others who opt to use other venues of interest to attract as many clients as possible. To understand how these organizations achieve their objectives it would be crucial to understand business analysis essentials.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Analysis Tools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, in analyzing the diverse dynamics concerning external environment within the Sonko Mobile Games, the foremost approach was to understand the apposite tool to use and how effective the considered tool was. Therefore, in such a scenario pertaining SMG the apposite tool exploited is typically known as SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). SWOT analysis is a compr ehensive tool employed in assessing business ventures as well as organizational environment of the given business. It helps in drafting the key objectives of the organization. This tool is essential in that it helps in making the organization or the business analyst to concentrate on resources as well as the capabilities to the imminent competitive surroundings (Ovidiu 2000; Greenbaum 2001). Hence, strengths and weaknesses are evaluated as internal factors while opportunities and threats reflect the scope of external factors. The point of employing this analysis was to establish the manner SMG operated and utilized its resources in regard to its marketing strategies. The Scope The scope of employing this tool concerns understanding the diverse organizational challenges which the given organizations was etched. SMG as a leading provider and creator of games relating to news events had experienced unexpected challenges (Slater 2002; Weingand 2003; Lim 2002). Therefore, by employing th is tool a number of facts were examined to determine its strengths in regard to the changing marketing opportunities. Sonko Mobile Games is a continental corporation that deals with designing, developing, creating, publishing and distribution of news event games applications. These applications involve online interactive amusement games, in addition to mobile games. Over the years the organization has grown to be a leader in designer of diverse games which are exploited by a number of multinational corporations. Also their applications are widely used along such popular gadgets as Nintendo DS, personal computers, PSP (Play station Portable), iPod, and mobile phones (Kiragu 2011).  The organization distributes its products to over 40 countries globally.  By using this tool we have managed to understand the manner this organization operates.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn Mo re Therefore, SWOT analysis can be said to be the principal tool that is decisively effective in analyzing both minor and major aspects of any organizations. It should be noted that by exploiting this tool, it has emerged that SMG has a number of segments by which they create their products. These segments touch on SMG Games, sports as well as basic entertainment. Despite that SM games has one of the broadest ratio regarding research, creative and development staff, and more so it produces and markets a number of unique games application which are portable in all available platforms. On sports and news front the organization has managed to create and develop applications and games which cover a broad rage of sports activities such as FIFA soccer, golf, formula 1 racing as well as boxing among others. Another significant attribute concerns the Sims segment which has been established as an extension of the organizations games simulation, this concept is also effectively exploi ted through interactive online games (Scholtes 2000; Weingand 2002).  As is established by the aforementioned aspects SWOT analysis has been exploited as a strategic policy schedule to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats tied to an organization or a project. The usefulness of this approach can be linked to the fact that it employs the innate aspects of evaluating and stipulating the objective of the organizations including identifying the dynamics of both internal and external features that are either favorable or unfavorable in attaining its key initiative.  Another critical factor attributed to this analysis tool lies in that it has other features such as matching and converting. The significance of this attribute as far as analyzing SMG is concerned helped in identifying competitive benefits through matching the strengths along with the available opportunities (Block 2000). Alternatively the extent of converting was well thought-out in application t o conversion of each weaknesses or threats into both strengths and opportunities. Though, this analysis tool could in a way limit the scope or strategies being evaluated it proved to be highly effective (Senge 1994).  Therefore, the information which was collected in the course of using this tool reflects the significance and value of relating business aspects to the available resources. The dynamics of SWOT analysis together with the related features illustrates the strengths of this too (Bennis, et al 2001). Thus, as it was widely exploited it demonstrated that the analyzed organization had conflicting features. these features concerns the organization weaknesses which were identified as; dependence on platforms developed and created by their rivals and this has resulted in SMG having restricted capabilities in their graphic capabilities, design as well as game performance.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marketing Analysis Tools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another weakness which was imminent regards the timing of the release of their diverse products. It is apparent that a considerable ratio of their products is released during Christmas as well as during certain sporting seasons (Ould 2005). This approach has continued working negatively against this organization. Similarly this tool has established that SMG enjoys diverse opportunities which are beneficial to its operations. Some of these opportunities identified relates to creating simulated games to use for commercial and military training purposes (Wheatley 2001).  The mentioned tool has shown that it is useful to undertake periodical analysis in order to be certain of the nature of the environment surrounding your business. Also this tool has illustrated that the undertaken analysis helps in establishing the apposite focus in regard to marketing and promotional strategies (Laguna, et al 2004; Drucker 2002). Therefore, it is p aramount to assert that SWOT analysis has been explored as the decisive analysis tool employed to examine the selected organization. From the organizational and marketing scope the tool plays a critical role in assisting the organization analysts to under the diverse facets of the organization (Lorna 1999). This can be attributed to the fact that SWOT analysis provides a chance for the organizations structures to explored and examined critically. Hence, establishing the cause or as well understanding the available remedies for the emerging threats or weaknesses (Gale Research 2000; Lorna 2002). Conclusion In conclusion, SWOT analysis is a decisive analysis tool that is essential in evaluating the organizations diverse aspects. This can be illustrated by the manner SMG has been evaluated in regard to the organizations operational environment. This tool is essential in that it could be employed in future by the organizations planners in capturing factors touching on their business.  For instance, this tool provided a vivid insight into the manner the given organization was behaving in regard to market environments, changing production costs as well as social impacts on its products (Bennis 2004; Hay 1999).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More References List Bennis, Warren. (2004) On Becoming a Leader. NY: Perseus Press. Bennis, Warren; Nanus, Bert. (2001). Strategies for Taking Charge. NY: Harper. Block, Peter. (2000)Stewardship: Choosing Service over Self-Interest. NY: Berrett. Drucker, Peter. (2002) Innovation and Entrepreneurship. NY: Harper. Gale Research. (2000) Notable Corporate Chronologies. Detroit: Gale Research. Greenbaum, Thomas. (2001) Focus Group Research. New York: Lexington. Hay, Robert. (1999) Encyclopedia of Consumer Brand. Detroit: St. James. Kiragu, Peter. (2011) Market analysis objectives. Nairobi: St.Teresa Books. Laguna, Manuel; Marklun, Johan. (2004) Business Process. NY: Prentice. Lim, Kyung-Sun. (2002) How Products Are Made. Detroit: Gale Research. Lorna, Daniells. (1999). Business Intelligence. Boston: Harvard. Lorna, Daniells. (2002) Business Information Sources. Berkeley: UCP. Ould, Martyn. (2005) Business Process Management. London: BCS. Ovidiu, Noran. (2000)Business Modeling.Griffh: Griff h University. Scholtes, Peter. (2000)Making Things Happen.NY: McGraw-Hill. Senge, Peter. (1994) The Fifth Discipline. New York: Doubleday. Slater, Robert. (2002) Management Insights. McGraw-Hill. Weingand, Darlene. (2002) Marketing. Englewood: Libraries Unlimited. Weingand, Darlene. (2003)Marketing audit: Using systems analysis. Chicago: ALA. Wheatley, Margaret. (2001) Learning about Organization.NY: Berrett-Koehler.

Intercultural memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intercultural memo - Essay Example It is highly probable that we will see members of the other delegation use non verbal gestures for communication. In case you notice such a situation, please do not be offended as it is normal cultural practice in that part of the world. Negotiating Styles A prominent concern will be the negotiating style of the other delegation. Being a consanguine culture, negotiations will be slow to proceed because extensive consultation is part of the culture. Moreover, as the other delegation will be staffed largely by family members so convincing each and every member will be vital. During consultation in the Punjabi culture, especially in the families, the issue of social repercussions is eminent. For example, if a member of the other delegation feels that the deal with our company is detrimental, he may behave like a single issue voter and use social pressure to convince the other members not to deal with our company. Therefore, try not to be offensive during negotiations as the Punjabis rel y on impressions a lot. Another thing to keep in mind is that Punjabi is known as a rude language. People use high tones and volumes during communication which essentially makes the language seem rowdy.

How the films depict the discomfort of individuals within societies Essay

How the films depict the discomfort of individuals within societies that often seem oppressive.As well as the films' political social and economic messages - Essay Example This definitely gives light and a deeper discussion of the matters present in film. Two films that I shall discuss in this paper are the â€Å"Spirit of the Beehive† and the â€Å"Bicycle Thieves.† Both films are considered to be rich in socio – political and economic messages. At the same time, there will be a synthetic analysis of both the films in terms of the content. To further amplify the discussion in this paper, certain film elements like the camera angle, music and movement shall be assessed in connection with the aforementioned messages. In the film â€Å"Spirit of the Beehive†, the political context seems to be in a problematic condition. The camera has shown how a child tries to struggle between the social conditions that beset her and other people. At a very young age, it can be seen, through the lens of the camera, that the child is having a questioning of her own status. With a melancholic music, her curiosity is amplified about why such an old person is allowed to suffer in a lonely and deserted place. As the characters interact, the sharing of experience about how life is difficult already signals how things are in a despicable condition. Most of the time, there are several cuts and editing that happened to employ the political message but there is continuity present (Butler 2005, p. 24). In terms of economics, it is seen clearly, that the barren houses, deserted landscape and candle lights are already manifestations of uneven economic development. Also, the richness of honey coming from the bees, are signs of richness and hard work by the old man in the film. The camera, focused on the man, upon doing the chores on the bees and the capturing the acts of the bees, strengthen further the need to work harder and taking care of resources that can help one’s condition in a society. This is considered a long shot,

Thinking and Decision Making Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Thinking and Decision Making Paper - Essay Example As a result, the mother will use her critical thinking to decide whether the information presented to her are enough for her to get the vehicle. Logical reasoning can be applied in different work places. For example, if a company is near a given prison and the government declares that on a given public holiday, they are releasing most of the prisoners who have been serving in that prison, then the administrator of the company can decide, by means of inductive reasoning that, the company’s security need to use extreme safety measures by making regular patrols and ensuring that the alarm is on throughout the day (Starko, 2012). Close ended questions can effectively be used by teachers in school. In case of a strike, the principal may choose to prepare a list of closed ended questions in an attempt to interrogate the students on the possible causes of strike (Starko, 2012).The principal will then have a critical look at the answers the students have given. Through this, he may end up with amicable solution to the problem that caused the

British state promotion economic growth through education Essay

British state promotion economic growth through education - Essay Example Stewart suggests that poor or high educational emphasis can lead to a cycle of negative and positive growth in the economy which in turn would lead to formation of weak or strong educational systems. This analysis is based on the relationship of British economic growth and the educational policies since 1979. We discuss whether educational policies could or could not be used to promote economic growth considering R&D inputs and extent of state control. Considering the changes in the educational approach Arthur (2005) argues that character education could be related to citizenship education that provides a basic framework to morals and values. There have been many changes within the British educational policy and after a period of neglect in moral values within education during the 1960s, between 1979 and 1997, Conservative governments have attempted to reinforce moral standards by establishing state control on the school curriculum. Arthur points out that the values that are now being emphasized by New Labour seeks to promote pragmatic moral ethics and behavior and along with meeting the needs of the pupil also raises school performance and meets the needs of the new economy by promoting democratic participation (2005, 242-245). Considering the diverse and differing views on what constitutes character or morality, Arthur (2005) shows that character education can be reduced to a set of behavior outcomes which may not serve the purp ose of promoting higher ideals and ethics. The conservatives' educational policies gave full freedom to every school to set its own admission policies. The Tories believed that the free school policies would rationalize education spending and help most popular schools to expand. Regular inspection of the school and examination of management activities has been recommended by the Tories. Conservative policies however encouraged universities to focus on breaking away from government control and establish greater autonomy through endowments. Conservatives have suggested that teacher shortages show that Labour has failed to deliver on education. The focus of conservatives is to have an educational policy with reduced class sizes and greater educational autonomy. However does educational autonomy signify economic growth Jones and Thomas (2005) argue that fair access and widening participation of students are important within the UK higher education agenda. The strands of policies on government approach to access and participation have been examined by Jones and Thomas and they suggest that one aspect of government policies is based on attracting talented young people in an unreformed higher education system and the second strand suggests that there is a need for reform in such policies (Jones and Thomas, 2005, 622). The government's 2003 White Paper on the future of higher education highlights the differences between the economic and social objectives of education and also examines the notion of institutional differentiation. Jones

Analysis of Protecting the Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of Protecting the Environment - Essay Example   Protecting the environment is crucial to healthy living in the society and since humanity is the principal user of nature, it is vitally important to ensure our environment is protected well enough, to conserve our natural resources, and to control various hazards that may have adverse impacts on all living things. The conservation of our natural resources and curtailing of environmental degradation is crucially important to promote a healthy lifestyle for people in any society. This research paper attempts to discuss the importance of environmental conservation, cleanliness of habitats, and protection against environmentally caused diseases, creating awareness about the environment and methods used to safeguard against environmental degradation. ... In this review, we would be discussing the following salient features to ensure a better understanding towards protecting our environment. Problems of Air Pollution – Air pollution has always been a hazard where health is concerned because it has a great impact on all living things. (NRDC, Natural Resources Defence Council) Bernstein J.A. (2004) in his journal on ‘Health Effects of Air Pollution’ sheds light on the subject, defining air pollution to be ‘the emission of particulate toxic elements into the atmosphere by natural anthropogenic sources.’ (Zell, et al., 2010.) According to the author, pollution density is characterized by the escalating amounts of emission pollutants through sources which are man-made. These pollutant emissions come from motorized traffic, factories and from the burning of fuels. The WHO gives us the top ten causes of death by air pollution in their Fact Sheet No. 310 discussing the impact of air pollution on human health a nd the environment. (WHO, Fact Sheet, The Top 10 Causes of Death.) a) Problems of Water Pollution Water pollution is a human problem and one that needs to be streamlined. In his article on water pollution, Chris Woodford highlights the fact that water pollution has become worse, ever since the Industrial Revolution and this has impacted upon the water resources on our planet. (Chris Woodford, 2013.) In his article, he discusses the various types of water pollution and its harmful effects on all living things because of the harmful substances present in it. Woodford (2013) also states that it is vital to know if a source of water is polluted or not and this can be carried out through chemical and biological  indicators. (Chris Woodford, 2013) The other topics to be discussed in water pollution would be – a) Harmful substances that contaminate water, b) Cleanliness and Hygiene of our surroundings, c) Waste disposal and d) Planting of trees.

British state promotion economic growth through education Essay

British state promotion economic growth through education - Essay Example Stewart suggests that poor or high educational emphasis can lead to a cycle of negative and positive growth in the economy which in turn would lead to formation of weak or strong educational systems. This analysis is based on the relationship of British economic growth and the educational policies since 1979. We discuss whether educational policies could or could not be used to promote economic growth considering R&D inputs and extent of state control. Considering the changes in the educational approach Arthur (2005) argues that character education could be related to citizenship education that provides a basic framework to morals and values. There have been many changes within the British educational policy and after a period of neglect in moral values within education during the 1960s, between 1979 and 1997, Conservative governments have attempted to reinforce moral standards by establishing state control on the school curriculum. Arthur points out that the values that are now being emphasized by New Labour seeks to promote pragmatic moral ethics and behavior and along with meeting the needs of the pupil also raises school performance and meets the needs of the new economy by promoting democratic participation (2005, 242-245). Considering the diverse and differing views on what constitutes character or morality, Arthur (2005) shows that character education can be reduced to a set of behavior outcomes which may not serve the purp ose of promoting higher ideals and ethics. The conservatives' educational policies gave full freedom to every school to set its own admission policies. The Tories believed that the free school policies would rationalize education spending and help most popular schools to expand. Regular inspection of the school and examination of management activities has been recommended by the Tories. Conservative policies however encouraged universities to focus on breaking away from government control and establish greater autonomy through endowments. Conservatives have suggested that teacher shortages show that Labour has failed to deliver on education. The focus of conservatives is to have an educational policy with reduced class sizes and greater educational autonomy. However does educational autonomy signify economic growth Jones and Thomas (2005) argue that fair access and widening participation of students are important within the UK higher education agenda. The strands of policies on government approach to access and participation have been examined by Jones and Thomas and they suggest that one aspect of government policies is based on attracting talented young people in an unreformed higher education system and the second strand suggests that there is a need for reform in such policies (Jones and Thomas, 2005, 622). The government's 2003 White Paper on the future of higher education highlights the differences between the economic and social objectives of education and also examines the notion of institutional differentiation. Jones

Air Pollution a Silent Killer to Children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Air Pollution a Silent Killer to Children - Essay Example The control group was made up of children who died from causes associated with respiratory complications. The controls were pair matched to the cases in respect to gender, year of birth, and year of death after they had been selected randomly from the set of possible controls for each case. The results were that, cancer cases had considerable higher rate of 87.3% of occurrence for those residing in urban municipalities than that of controls of 80.5%. They further revealed that, the crude odds ratios were considerably higher than 1.0 for the groups with high levels of nitrogen dioxide exposure in their residential municipality. This implies that, there was a considerable trend toward an increased risk of childhood leukemia with rising nitrogen dioxide concentrations. The findings of this study are consistent with previous studies as reflected in the problem statement. This study offers further evidence of a relationship between exposure to traffic exhaust emissions and the risk of childhood leukemia. The findings of this study call further investigation of the role of traffic air pollution in childhood leukemia.

Diversity in Workforce Essay Example for Free

Diversity in Workforce Essay The Experiment I decided not to get too ambitious for the ping-pong experiment, so my list of errands for the day included dropping off a sweater at the dry cleaner’s and buying some groceries. I don’t have a ping-pong, so I ingenuously decapitate a bottle of the mouthwash. With a cheerful blue and white polka dot sock over my right hand I am ready for action. Or so I think. First hurdle is dressing. Obviously I haven’t thought it through well enough. All my jackets have zippers, and after trying one after another I give up. My husband’s pea coat will do just fine. Now boots†¦ forget the boots, nursing clogs (bright yellow) will have to do. I wish I could take a picture of the sight I make, but operating the phone is out of the question. Off I go! A few words should be said about the area where we live. It is quite a chi-chi area in downtown Ottawa – a ten minutes walk from the Parliament Hill. But as with almost any major city the streets are lined not only with trees but with homeless people. If this were San Francisco I would be leery to take my regular walks, but this being Canada the general mood is of relaxed friendliness, even if its roots are often 80 proof. As I walk down the street I realize that instead of looking and feeling different I blend right in with my out of season clogs, a manly pea coat and especially the sock over an apparently crippled appendage. All I need is a paper cup and I’d be open for business. Nobody asks anything or looks askance as I buy my Granny Smiths. Another crazy lady doing her shopping, no big deal. I step outside and immediately recoil, momentarily disoriented: all around me the throngs of the living dead in different stages of decomposition shuffle along the street. Then I remember: Halloween! There was something in the paper about a Zombie Invasion on Bank Street, but engrossed in my school work I completely forgot what day it was. I turn towards home and chug along like a sturdy tugboat, adroitly navigating the churning masses of howling zombies. All  around me there are bloodied bandages, decaying limbs, oozing body fluids. I suddenly realize that now I finally stand out in my getup. I look†¦ normal. Reflection The experiment yielded somewhat unexpected results but I as I return the cap to the mouthwash bottle the idea strikes me that I didn’t really need it to feel different. With my strong Russian accent I am pretty much guaranteed to always stand out. From the lily-white central Russia I immigrated to the USA where â€Å"We are, at almost every point of our day, immersed in cultural diversity: faces, clothes, smells, attitudes, values, traditions, behaviours, beliefs, rituals.† (Abdel-Fattah, R. n.d.). America has always been a beacon for the â€Å"huddled masses yearning to breathe free† (Lazarus, E. n.d.) and continues to have a special responsibility in the eyes of the rest of the world in upholding the ideals of democracy. Freedom of any persecution for its extremely diverse population is guaranteed by the American Constitution. As a result of this assurance the richness of the workforce arriving at the American shores – and at the disposal of American emp loyers is amazing: brains, experience, ingenuity, material resources, and business connections are just some of the treasures that can be accessed if this well is tapped and sustained (Bell, 2012, p. 13). Inside the USA the labor landscape is shifting profoundly even without considering the constant influx of immigrants. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012) stubborn recession, retiring baby-boomers and overall increasingly aging population are the reasons that more people are leaving the workforce than entering it. Desperate for workers, many companies will become more accepting of diverse employees, particularly older workers and women. The leading US advocacy group for retired people, the AARP, believes that 80% of baby boomers will keep working full- or part-time past their current retirement age. It even earned the name of Generation U (Unretired) (www.ey.com). Women, an increasingly well-educated source of talent and skilled labor, have been entering the workforce in greater numbers in recent decades. However, their talents often remain underutilized. The same applies to people with dishabilles and nontraditional sexual orientation. Their contribution to the workforce yet remains to be fully realized. Today the world is rapidly diminishing as economy is becoming global. For our  class we could have been experimenting with a miniature globe instead of a ping-pong†¦ Everything seems within reach these days. If we don’t harness the immense creative potential offered by the diverse labor force â€Å"the United States may be left behind in an increasingly competitive and global world.† (Bell, 2012, p. 522) A Personal Observation I have been working in the USA since 1998 and I have been privileged to experience tutelage of some excellent managers. California is a microcosm of racial, ethnic and gender diversity and I can testify that when it works – it works! I see a good manager of a diverse organization as a conductor of a philharmonic orchestra. So many different instruments! Chaos! Cacophony! But with patience, perseverance, hard work and trust on both ends a beautiful melody is born. And a very solid team. Sources Abdel-Fattah, R. (n.d.) Randa Abdel-Fattah quotes. Retrieved November 01, 2013 from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/randa_abdelfattah.html Bell, M. P. (2012). Diversity in organizations (2nd ed). Arlington, TX: South-Western. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012). Labor Force Projections to 2020: a More Slowly Growing Workforce. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2012/01/art3full.pdf Lazarus, E. (n.d.) The New Colossus, Retrieved November. 02, 2013 from http://www.libertystatepark.com/emma.htm http://www.ey.com/GL/en/Issues/Business-environment/Six-global-trends-shaping-the-business-worldDemographic-shifts-transform-the-global-workforce

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman, written in the years following World War II (WWII), is widely considered to be among Americas most celebrated theatrical works. Willy Loman, the plays protagonist, is a salesman whose dwindling commission can no longer afford to maintain the lifestyle his family leads. As the plot unravels, what is revealed is a contrarian depiction of the American Dream, the notion that wealth, material comfort, and the happiness they supposedly provide can be attained with hard work. The play was massively popular because it shed light on what many Americans felt was an unrealistic pressure placed on their shoulders; rather than work to be happy, Americans were working to be financially wealthy. The discontent of Willy and his descent into darkness, both moral and mental, embodied the reality of the American middle class. Life in American pop culture was a saccharine, morally whitewashed stereotype, presenting expectations to which few could live up. Pressured to work and achieve the financial successes expected in a post-war society that covets monetary excess, Willy is slowly driven into a state of emotional and mental ruin. Essentially, Willy dies doing all the right things a typical American man in the Post-War Era ought to. Scholar Gerald Weales asserts that for Miller, Willys tragedy lies in the fat that he had an alternative he did not take, [and] having chosen the wrong star he reached fro it until he died of stretching. A significant part of the plays popularity is grounded in this clash of ideology the sparring concepts of American wealth and prosperity with individuality and reality. Terry Otten writes in Temptation of Innocence in the Dramas of Arthur Miller that Death of a Salesman, probably more than any other dramatic play, provokes critical [arguments] about the viability of tragedy in the modern age and particularly in American culture. Willys descent is found in all aspects of his life, from the stock character of the nuclear family to gainful employment and the desire to achieve and earn more in life. Members of his immediate family his wife, Linda, and his youngest son, Happy, in particular reinforce the notions that drive Willy into his state of despair. Ironically, Willy can never shake himself free of the shackles he fastens to his own life by holding onto the illusory notion that he can somehow become wealthy by simply living life the way he thinks it should be lived. He still looks up to Ben, an older relative who built his wealth off African diamond mines. The only Loman to leave material gain behind is Willys eldest son, Biff, who with his work in Texas represents the agrarian icon of American life glorified before financial gain dominated the cultural zeitgeist. Consequently, Willy looks down on him to a degree, concluding that Biff can never attain the dream in his current role. Ironically, Biff is perhaps the sole character in the play to accurately observe what happens to his father, and disillusioned by Willys state, decides to seek his own path to happiness and the American Dream. The concept of the dream is something that is debilitating to Willy; the more he pursues it, the further he descends, growing increasingly delusional in his encounters with his sons. His moral fiber, a concept valued possibly even more in Protestant America than money, wanes as he takes on a mistress despite his wifes devotion. In keeping with the concept of materialism eroding the human spirit and morality, Biff, the character least associated with Willys lifestyle, is the one to gain the most from Willys suicide, a path upon which the salesman ventured in order to provide his eldest son with a life insurance settlement. At the end of the play, it is revealed that Linda has made the final payments on the house she and Willy spent their lives paying off, stating that they are finally free. Arthur Millers story of the destruction of a middle class American worker follows the structure of a classic protest play, or a stage play with a social message. Dan Vogel writes on the complexity of Willys character and the plot at large, stating that despite Willys end, his story is not necessarily a tragedy since Death of a Salesman merely tells the story of a little man succumbing to his environment, rather than a great man destroyed through his greatness; there is no question of grandeur in such a tragedy. I. R. Choudhuri notes the irony of the American Dream is what draws its audience, stating that democracy proclaims the individual in society to be free, and American democracy, in addition, approves the myth of [Willys] infinite success and happiness; and yet, these same laws and social conventions constrain and frustrate him in what he has come to believe as the birth-right of a member of the greatest open society. For Choudhuri, Millers approach to the theme of the play is drawn through undistinguished citizens, everyman-type characters whose appeal to the typical American audience is in their mundane nature. Willys circumstances are not outlandish and fantastical. He is not a Danish prince avenging the death of his father, nor is he a Moor in Venice struggling against the machinations of a society that ostracizes him. Lomans downfall is perhaps the most appealing part of the play and the component of Millers work that made Death of a Salesman so popular. Willys demise is not something out of a fairy tale it is by his own hand metaphorically and in the end quite literally. Loman cuts himself off from any help he might get from his neighbor, his sons, and his wife; unsure even of his performance as a salesman should he act the rugged individualist or play at casual charm? Willy feels deeply guilty about his past performances as a breadwinner, father, and husband. The pressure placed on Willy warps the values of the family and leaves the protagonist unsure of his identity, which leads to his destruction and ultimately made the play palatable for an audience who may very well have been a collection of Lomans. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bigsby, C.W.E. (2000) Modern American Drama, 1945-2000. Cambridge: Cambridge U P. Bloom, Harold (ed). (1991) Willy Loman. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. Bloom, Harold (ed). (1996) Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman. New York: Chelsea House Publishers. Bloom, Harold (ed). (2000) Arthur Miller. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers. McConachie, Bruce. (2003) American Theater in the Culture of the Cold War: Producing and Contesting Containment. Iowa City: U of Iowa P. Miller, Arthur. (2005) Death of a Salesman. New York: Penguin Books. Otten, Terry. (2002) Temptation of Innocence in the Dramas of Arthur Miller. Columbia: U of Missouri P.

Personal Narrative- Monocross Motorcycle Ride :: Personal Narrative Essays

Personal Narrative- Monocross Motorcycle Ride As my flesh started to be spread across the pavement, dirt, and gravel, I thought to myself "Why, why did I ride today?" I wish I could have thought of a better way to get home that day. It had been raining that afternoon and the thought had crossed my mind not to ride home, but I didn't want to leave my bike at school. The day started out like any other day, except for one difference, I decided to ride my motorcycle to school. I woke up that morning and saw it was a beautiful, bright and sunny day, so I thought, "What a perfect time to ride my bike to school." I did my regular morning routine as usual. As I was going through my closet I decided to wear shorts, a t-shirt and a vest instead of a coat, because it was such a bright and sunny day. When I went outside I heard the birds chirping and this dog barking in the RV Park. It had to be one of the most beautiful mornings I had ever seen. The sun was shinning down on me making my cold skin warm right up. After I had gotten done looking at all the beautiful colors on the trees I started my motorcycle. It started just fine and sounded like a lion giving his morning roar. I put on my helmet and started out for school. This was only my second time, driving a motorcycle on public roads, and, since it was my second time, I decided to take the back roads to school. Riding to school on a monocross motorcycle is different from anything else. Monocrosses are a mix between a street bike and a dirt bike. They have the power to climb hills, but they also have a mirror, turning lights, license plate, and other things to make it street legal. The morning ride to school went great. The bike was running perfectly and cornered well. While I was riding to school, I got the feeling like I was flying. When I started into a corner I would slow way down. Then, when I knew I could shoot out of it, I would twist the throttle as far back as it would go and would power out of the corners. When I was powering out of the corners, the engine would whine like it was screaming for me to let go.

Christmas Gifts You Love (to Hate) :: essays research papers

Christmas Gifts You Love (to Hate) Zack Imus Christmas. The most exciting and anticipated holiday of the year. A time when visions of sugar plums--or stereos, new cars, the latest computer, and various other desirable and expensive gifts--dance through our heads. Unfortunately the reality of Christmas gift-giving is often a far cry from our visions. When we're children, it seems as the holidays approach that anything is possible. But as we mature and gain experience with this annual observance it eventually begins to dawn on us that it might not always be all it's cracked up to be. By the time we've reached our late teens--when, coincidentally, the potential for receiving truly outstanding gifts is optimized--we realize that Christmas gifts are seldom what we hope for. In fact, from year to year it becomes possible to actually predict the kinds of gifts you'll unwrap on Christmas morning. Let's look at a few examples. The Necessity Gift The necessity gift is one that always seems like a really great idea to your mother or grandmother, but which is invariably a big yawn to unwrap. Let's be realistic, how excited is anybody likely to get over a dozen pairs of matching socks, a hairbrush, winter gloves or underwear? Slipper Sox, new sheet sets and toothbrushes also qualify. After unwrapping such a gift, a person is likely to exclaim: "Gosh, you shouldn't have!" And mean it. The Token Gift The Token Gift might be received from almost anyone. Though it seems like an intimate friend or close relative wouldn't stoop so low, experience proves that token gifts take up where imagination and/or money leaves off. So it's possible to receive these kinds of gifts from the most unexpected sources. One present in this category is the ever popular "soap-on-a-rope." I've never seen these marketed in June. But come early November the soap factories undoubtedly pay double-double overtime to their workers in order to meet the vast holiday demand for nameless, pungent-smelling brown soap manufactured over the top of what appears to be a six-foot-long shoe-string. A note of caution: Soap-on-a-rope should never be given to boys under the age of 12. They invariably turn them into near-lethal weapons. If disappointed enough, they might even turn them on you. Other token gifts include cheap aftershave lotion/cologne, stationery, and the ever-popular electric shaver. Though this latter might occasionally fit into the Necessity Gift category, I've never met anyone who actually uses an electric shaver. For this reason, this gift might also fit into our next category. The Closet Stuffer Gift Closet Stuffers are exactly what they sound like: gifts that are stuffed

Tata Motors Going Global

TATA MOTORS—GOING GLOBAL The wave of liberalization, privatization and globalization, which started sweeping India since the early 1990s, gave Tata Motors (established in 1945) a new direction in the path of globalization. The Tata Motors firstly, realized that if it wants to grow then it cannot afford to keep its business connected solely to the fortunes of one country. Secondly, with the dismantling of import restrictions in the near future or it the rupee begins to gain ground then India may not continue to have the low-cost manufacturing advantage which it has enjoyed so far. In that scenario, a transnational presence across countries that could offer greater cost advantages for manufacturing, will pay off. Thirdly, the automotive business is highly competitive and the competitiveness depends on economies of scale, quality and efficiency which could directly improve if the organization enters the foreign markets. The question that came in the minds of the senior management at Tata Motors was— â€Å"Should we remain an exporter of vehicles, which we have been doing since 1961 or should we venture into the international automobile market as a company that can match the best in the business? The answer was to widen its foreign campaign to more than just exports. As a result, recognizing the need to integrate its international strategy with its domestic one, the company split its previously independent international business arm into the two business units—the Passenger Car Business Unit (PCBU) and the Commercial Vehicle Business Unit (CVBU). T he company’s passenger car range comprises the hatchback Indica, the Indigo Sedan and the Marina, its station wagon variant, in petrol and diesel versions. The Tata Sumo, its rural variant, the Spacio and the Tata Safari (the country’s first sports utility vehicle) are the company’s multi-utility offerings. The company’s Commercial Vehicle Business Unit (CVBU) has over 130 models of light, medium and heavy commercial vehicles ranging from two tonnes to 40 tonnes, buses ranging from 12-seaters to 60-seaters, tippers, special purpose vehicles, oil-road vehicles and defence vehicles. Dr. V. Sumantran, Executive Director, PCBU, says, â€Å"The company has now embarked on a road where we have made exports an integral part of our business. We do not think of sales outside the country as a separate activity. It is now integrated within the mission of each of its businesses. † Ravi Kant, Executive Director, CVBU, says, â€Å"In a cyclical business such as ours, it is important that we hedge against cyclicality. International business offers an opportunity as different countries go through peaks and troughs in demand at different points in time. Our capacity utilization is more effective and risks of downturns can be mitigated. † The two units have classified different markets in terms of size, growth opportunities, product segments and target volumes. After analysis of markets the company has decided to focus on 15 to 20 key countries, where the company will have a significant presence in terms of volumes and market shares, against being present as an exporter in 70 countries. Says Praveen Kadle, Tata Motors Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Affairs, â€Å"Tata Motors does not plan to be all over the world. Supply will follow demand and the company will need to address the markets tor different vehicles as stand-alone projects. For example, the compact- sized Indica will be marketed in countries where the company perceives a substantial market for it, like it did in Europe. The same goes for our commercial vehicles business. † The implementation of new business strategy involves three stages—product upgradation, sales and distribution processes, and deeper penetration into foreign markets. Tata Motors has taken a number of initiatives to strengthen both product reliability and durability. Through its subsidiaries and joint ventures, the company is engaged in engineering and automotive solutions, automotive vehicle components manufacturing and supply chain activities, machine tools and factory automation solutions, high-precision tooling and plastic and electronic components for automotive and computer applications, and automotive retailing and service operations. The company also draws on the resources of leading international design and styling houses like the Institute of Development in Automotive Engineering, SPA, Italy and Stile Bertoni, Italy. The company has been successful in Sri Lanka and Malaysia where the installation of a sales process system and face-to-face customer meets through road shows and service workshops have started giving results. In order to enter foreign markets the company is following three routes. The first is the traditional method of exports, at which the company has been quite successful, notching up export revenue of Rs. 969 crores in the first nine months of FY 2004—05, recording a growth of 41 per cent from sales in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The second is the setting up of assembly operations in foreign markets. Tata Motors first used this strategy when it set up its first assembly operation in Malaysia in 1974. Since then, the company has successfully used it for expansion into Malaysia, Bangladesh, Senegal, South Africa and Ukraine by way of setting up assembly operations there through its distributors. The third is the route of acquisition and alliances. Tarn Motors entered into a tie-up with MG Rover, U. K. , to supply 1,00,000 Indica to be badged as City Rover. Highlighting the importance of the tie-up, Dr. V. Sumantran, points out that the Rover agreement has been an important step in helping Tata Motors to gain very quick access to a fairly large market. ‘Working alone in this area would have taken us much longer to create a distribution network. The exposure that the company and the products have received through the agreement validates the belief that we have arrived at a significant milestone in promoting the Tata brand,† elaborates Dr. Sumantran. It acquired Daewoo Commercial Vehicles, S. Korea, in 2004, keeping the synergies in mind which are quite significant—a presence in the 250 to 400 HP range of trucks is what the Korean company brings to the table, as this complements the existing product range of Tata Motors which delivers vehicles up to 210 HP. The process gave not just a manufacturing asset base, but access to the market through an already strong brand identity. In 2005, it acquired a 21 per cent stake in Hispano Carrocera, a reputed Spanish bus and coach manufacturer, with an option to acquire the remaining stake as well. Hispano’s presence is being expanded in other markets. Today, Tata Motors is India’s largest automobile company, with revenues of Rs. 20, 483 crores (USD 4. 7 billion) in 2004—05, and is the world’s fifth largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer. Its immediate goal is to achieve a 20 per cent contribution to its overall revenue from its international businesses by 2006. The leading global auto majors, for whom anywhere from 30—50 per cent of their business accrues from overseas sales, Tata Motors is still a long way off, but Mr. Kadle believes that with its aggressive growth strategy a contribution of around 35 per cent maybe achievable in the next five-six years. Questions 1. What are the objectives that drove Tata Motors towards globalization? 2. What are the entry strategies that are being followed by Tata Motors in order to capture the foreign markets? 3. Discuss the logic behind the entry strategies that are being followed by Tata Motors. 4. In your opinion to what extent Mr. Kadle’s belief of overseas sales contributing 35 per cent of overall revenue, in the next five-six years, appears attainable?

The Philosophy of Action in Hamlet

‘Words, words, words’: Hamlet’s philosophy of action Central to any drama is action. What distinguishes drama from other literary forms is the very fact that it is acted upon a stage, that voice is given to the words and that movement creates meaning. It is, therefore, puzzling that the most seminal dramatic work in the English language contains, arguably, precious little of what many might describe as dramatic action. Nevertheless it has moved, enthralled and, what is more, entertained generations of theatre goers across the centuries and is still regarded as one of Shakespeare’s most popular play.It has divided critics: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe regards as central to the play Hamlet’s inability to act[1] whereas T. S. Eliot reduces the work to ‘an artistic failure’. [2] If Tom Stoppard is to be believed, even the characters are at odds with this apparent lack of drama as Stoppard’s Rosencrantz asks ‘is it too much to expe ct a little sustained action?! ’[3] If then, we are to acknowledge that action is central to drama, it is important to remember that such action is usually derived from conflict.When regarding Hamlet through this basic philosophy, the play is in every way dramatic. The play is concerned with conflict. We have international conflict, familial conflict and internal conflict and it is these conflicts that drive the play. This is confirmed within the opening line ‘Who’s there? ’(I. i. 1)[4] Immediately we are plunged into the state of paranoia that envelops Elsinore, the question is confrontational and, furthermore, directs us towards the international conflict between Denmark and Norway. The drama of the play, however, is not as simple as this.For instance, we must also consider the dramatic structure of a play and apply this to Hamlet; a structure that goes from equilibrium to conflict and then on to a new equilibrium. It is impossible to relate this to the play; for who would agree that the Elsinore, at the start of Hamlet, is in a state of equilibrium? Indeed, as Stephen Ratcliffe points out, the catalyst for all action in the play does not occur within the play[5]. The murder of Hamlet’s father has already happened when Barnardo delivers that famous first line, a line which itself suggests a response to something that has happened offstage.Ratcliffe goes on to discuss that the line could almost be a response to a ‘knock knock’ joke but more seriously that it: begin[s] the play in response not only to some implicit, unspoken physical action- some motion or noise in the dark, [†¦] but to an implicit action not performed on stage – some motion of the Ghost of Hamlet’s father which Bernardo, who speaks this line, must imagine he has seen and/or heard. [6] Ratcliffe also suggests that the action not performed on stage does not happen at all.Alarmingly, he refutes Claudius’s confession of frat ricide in Act III, arguing unconvincingly that Old Hamlet’s murder had never taken place. [7] In spite of this he does raise an interesting issue that is concerned with the question as to why – when in Western literature dramatic narrative is defined by cause and effect – does Shakespeare place the primary cause off stage and beyond the gaze of his audience? We are left to imagine the dramatic possibilities of opening the play with the alarming and visually striking image of a brother’s murder.If Shakespeare’s decision to leave this exciting and sinister event in the wings confounds us, what, then, are we to make of the climax of the play? If we are to return to the classic dramatic structure of a play, we expect to see rising action leading to a climax that, in turn, leads on to the falling action culminated by the denouement. Hamlet gives us no such structure. There is no climax in the classic sense or if there is it appears in the final scene, n ot where one would expect. There is, nevertheless, one possibility that the climax may appear earlier in the play and that would be, in the traditional sense, in Act III.The murder of Polonius in Act III, scene iv might be regarded as the turning point of the play in the same way that Mercutio’s death in Romeo and Juliet is seen as such. It is at this point that we see Hamlet at a height of passion, ‘How now? A rat! Dead for a ducat, dead’ (III. iv. 23). The use of the word ‘rat’ shows Hamlet’s contempt for his supposed victim, the repetition of ‘dead’ embellishes his determination to kill, and the ducat is the small price Hamlet values the life he has just taken. The consequences of this action feed into every other event that is to happen: Claudius’s resolve to kill Hamlet, Ophelia’s eath and Laertes’s act of revenge which brings about the play’s final dynastic collapse. Once again, though, Shakespear e ‘removes’ the audience from the action, having the murder take place ‘offstage’. Polonius is murdered behind the arras and this takes us away from the immediacy of the action. There is no huge build up with a climactic duel as there is in Romeo and Juliet; we are not even given the drama of remorse that is evident in Macbeth. For these reasons, it is impossible to consider the death of Polonius to be the dramatic climax of the play, merely another cause leading on to another effect.This shortage of ‘action’, though, is illusory. A. C. Bradley comments on this when he suggests a hypothetical reaction to the play: What a sensational story! Why, here are some eight violent deaths, not to speak of adultery, a ghost, a mad woman, and a fight in a grave! [8] Hamlet does have a dramatic conclusion, of that no one is in doubt, but this has come after a series of procrastinations from the titular hero. All other action is kept firmly offstage. One mig ht hear Bradley go on to say ‘Treason, pirates, war, the storming of a castle and a regime change! The latter two were included in Branagh’s film version strongly alluding to the storming of the Iranian embassy in 1981 an event that was intensely exciting and dramatic for any that can remember it. For Shakespeare, however, such extravagant action appears to be superfluous to his play and is, therefore, not of importance. As a consequence, it would appear redundant to continue analysing what is not in the play, as Ratcliffe has done at length[9], and to focus on what Shakespeare does give us. What Shakespeare does give us is words, ‘words, words, words’(II. i. 192) and it is through these words that he provides the action. It is here where I must agree with Ratcliffe when he suggests that, in Hamlet, it is the language that is of importance and not the action. [10] It is necessary, then, to look at the power of language within the play and how Shakespeare fa cilitates it in order to sustain a dramatic structure. Firstly, as mentioned above, the catalyst for all the action in the play happens off stage but is delivered to the audience, and Hamlet, through the words of the ghost. We know that these ords are to hold significance as we have shared Horatio’s anxiety for the ghost to ‘stay and speak’ (I. i. 142). The appearance of the ghost is not enough. It is, therefore, the words that are spoken to Hamlet in conjunction with the apparition that help to creates the first piece of dramatic action in the play: Now, Hamlet, hear. ’Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, A serpent stung me – so the whole ear of Denmark Is by a forged process of my death Rankly abus’d – but know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown. [†¦]Ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, With witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts- O wicked wit, and gifts that have the power So to seduce! – won to his shameful lust The will of my most seeming-virtuous queen. (I. i. 34-46) What is striking about this scene is how it is dominated by the ghost and how little Hamlet actually says. If it were one of the lesser characters, it could be assumed that they were struck dumb and in awe of the presence of a spectre but, even this early in the play, we know enough about Hamlet to realise that this would not be the case for him.He mentions a few lines earlier that he is not afraid, saying ‘I do not set my life at a pin’s fee’ (I. iv. 65), so why now is he so quiet? Surely Shakespeare feels that Hamlet, like the audience, should be still with trepidation at the drama that is unfolding before them. In this short passage of the ghost’s speech we have incest, adultery, witchcraft, treachery, not to mention murder. Here we see Shakespeare using the power of words to create the action upon the stage, words that, like Ra tcliffe points out, enter through our ears as did Claudius’s poison. 11] Later on in the play we will see words used as poison, again by Claudius, when, in true Machiavellian style, he corrupts the mind of the vengeful Laertes. When discussing the power of words we must look at the play-within-a-play sequence of Act III, an aspect of the play which has been discussed at length by the critics but also one that brings into question another facet of action, that of acting. Hamlet is an extremely self-conscious play, bringing comedy into a highly dramatic moment in Act I, scene v when Hamlet asks the ghost ‘Canst work i’th’ earth so fast? (l. 170): this is an obvious comment on the crudeness of Elizabethan stagecraft. Earlier in the same scene Shakespeare has commented on the possibility of a bored audience when Hamlet comments on ‘this distracted globe’ (l. 97)[12] and, when Polonius states that when he played Caesar ‘Brutus killed me. â₠¬â„¢ (III. ii. 103) Jenkins points out that the actors playing Hamlet and Polonius were likely to have played Brutus and Caesar respectively in an earlier play and therefore are about to ‘re-enact’ the murder. 13] If we look at Hamlet’s instructions to the players: Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it as many of your players do, I had as lief the town-cryer spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, whirlwind of your passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness.O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise. I would have such a fellow whipped for o’erdoing Termagant. It out-Herods Herod. Pray you avoid it. (III. ii. 1-14) Again, we have a very self-conscious speech where there seems to be an in-joke upon the acting style of the actor who plays Polonius, if not intended by Shakespeare it could certainly be performed as such.There is also the awareness of audience as well in the comments about the groundlings which is rather a brave joke which, had they been enjoying the play, would have gone down in good humour. It might also be considered that Shakespeare followed up the joke by including the dumb-show that followed! If we look closely at the instructions, however, we notice the emphasis on the words rather than the action. The opening imperative is ‘Speak the speech’ and interestingly ‘as I pronounced it’ not as I acted or showed it which seems strange to say when instructing actors.It is true that in the restricted views of an Elizabethan playhouse an audience would go to hear a play but this would not be the case in a private cou rtly performance. Also we must remember that Hamlet is only concerned with one member of the audience; someone who, one might assume, would have the best view of the play. Hamlet’s instructions are followed by references to the tongue and mouth where the words must inevitably come from and then the simile of the town cryer again placing stress on verbal communication.Hamlet requests a limit to the ‘action’, the body movement – the acting- so that it is the language that is of paramount importance. In such a self-aware moment of the nature of acting and drama in the play are we not to assume that this is coming from Shakespeare as much as Hamlet? The players’ sequence has significance because here we have on stage the mechanics of Hamlet. There is the murder of Gonzago/Hamlet acted out on stage, the betrayal of Lucianus/Claudius and the union between the Lucianus/Claudius and Queen/Gertrude.Here Shakespeare gives us what we were denied in the first a ct the event which sets the whole play in motion. Not only that but by having Lucianus as the nephew to Gonzago we are also witnessing the events that are about to happen on stage or, at least, those that we expect to happen. Interestingly enough, though, is that Shakespeare has included a dumb-show as if to appease the groundlings despite his earlier comments but it is not through watching this that Claudius reacts but rather the words of the players that follows.At the line ‘On wholesome life usurps immediately’ (III. ii. 254) Claudius can no longer remain seated for he cannot deny the words, something that has been discussed and embellished by Ratcliffe. [14] The question as to why Claudius does not react to the dumb-show can be resolved in performance by choosing to have Claudius showing signs of discomfort throughout until he can finally stand it no more as in Olivier’s film version. There is nothing in the text, however, that suggests that this is how it sh ould be performed. The king questions Hamlet, Is there no offence in’t? ’ (III. ii. 227) and in this dialogue there is nothing to suggest that he is suffering from any anxiety regardless of how this line has divided critics. [15] So once again we see that it is words that have more power, more effect and more significance than mere actions. In looking at the philosophy of action in the play one must recognise that the play is essentially a revenge play and that all action must stem from the concept of revenge. Michael Mangan defines the revenge play as a play which: harts the protagonist’s attempts to [revenge]: this may involve a period of doubt, in which the protagonist decides whether or not to go ahead with the revenge, and it may also involve some complex plotting (in both senses of the word) as the protagonist decides to take revenge in an apt or fitting way. The revenger, by deciding to take revenge, places himself outside the normal order of things, and often becomes more and more isolated as the play progresses – an isolation which at its most extreme becomes madness. [16] It would appear, from this definition, that Hamlet is, indeed, a revenge play but who is it that seeks revenge?I would argue that it is not Hamlet for, as Catherine Belsey notes, ‘[r]evenge is not justice’[17] and we are reminded throughout the play that Hamlet seeks justice. For instance, Hamlet does not act rashly for he states: Give me that man That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart (III. ii. 71-73) This might suggest that Hamlet holds reason close to his heart. Here we see that contrary to popular belief Hamlet is not a man that is ruled by passion but that is not to say that he is not passionate.If Hamlet were ruled by passion he would not have devised such an elaborate ploy to confirm the guilt of the king but would have acted straight away. Gone would be the procrasti nations and Hamlet could have roused up the populace as easily as Laertes does in Act IV, as Bradley points out[18], and Claudius would have been dead by Act II. Many critics that have argued this case seem to suggest that Shakespeare’s reason for prolonging the action was to fill out the five act structure of the play. [19] We are given three possible revenge heroes in the play: Hamlet we can discount, Fortinbras and Laertes.Shakespeare has provided these two characters to put Hamlet’s inability to act into stark contrast. Through Fortinbras we see the noble prince revenging the death of his father through careful planning and sharp resolve and in Laertes we see a rash young man whose desperate bid for revenge only quickens his own demise. It is important to note that even with the careful planning Fortinbras still shares Hamlet’s prolonging of the act when we consider that Denmark’s defeat of Norway was at the time of Hamlet’s birth some thirty y ears previous.Hamlet, however, does not seek revenge. He could have easily been able to exact it when he says ‘Now might I do it pat’ (III. iii. 73). The semantics of the word ‘might’ suggest that he has no intention of committing the murder. ‘Will’ or ‘must’ would imply a more decisive move yet Shakespeare gives us a Hamlet who is questioning his actions. His decision to spare Claudius whilst at prayer further indicates that it is justice and not revenge that Hamlet desires.Claudius points out to Laertes that ‘No place indeed should murder sancturise’ but Hamlet delays his action because he wants justice – a death for a death- like for like. Significantly, Hamlet is a revenger who is unable to act as Calhoun states he is unable to ‘play the role’,[20] or to use Ted Hughes’s metaphor: Like the driver of a bus containing all the characters of the drama, he hurtles towards destruction, in slow motion, with his foot jammed down hard on the brakes. [21] Having established the substance and value of words in Hamlet it is necessary to return to the question of dramatic climax in the play.It has always been recognised that it is a dramatic impossibility to act Hamlet on the stage in its entirety and it is not unknown for students of the text to skip through sections when reading but one thing always remains and that is the soliloquies. Within the play we have the most beautiful speeches composed in the English language and it is one of these that, I believe, forms the climax of the play. The climax of language that we are given in the play does follow the classic dramatic structure coming in Act III and at the risk of sounding cliched I would suggest that it is the ‘To be or not to be’ speech.It is in this soliloquy that we have the nub of the play rests and that is Hamlet’s internal conflict on how he should act. It has long been considered to be the musin gs of a troubled mind contemplating suicide and whilst no one will argue that Hamlet’s is not a troubled mind is he really deliberating the end of his own life? I would argue no. Shakespeare has already given us such ruminations earlier in the play with ‘o that this too too sullied flesh would melt’ (I. ii. 129) and I find it difficult to accept that a dramatist of Shakespeare’s calibre would not have developed his main character by the third act.In fact, I would argue that after confronting the ghost and hearing the charge against Claudius, Hamlet has been given new meaning to his life and that all thoughts of suicide have faded. ‘To be or not to be’ should read as ‘To do or not to do’ or ‘To act or not to act’ for it is in this speech that we witness Hamlet’s thoughts on whether to proceed with the killing of Claudius. Not once in the speech is there an ‘I’, nowhere does Hamlet refer to himself. His examples of the ‘whips and scorns of time’ (III. i. 70) save one do not seem to be justifications for taking one’s own life:Th’oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of dispriz’d love, the laws delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th’unworthy takes (III. i. 71-74) Apart from unrequited love, for which many have taken their life, these seem to be the wrongs that are urging Hamlet to seek justice against Claudius. I might take this further and suggest a reading of the soliloquy where Hamlet knows that Claudius is eavesdropping, something that seemed to me implicit in Brannagh’s film. Through this reading we can see that Hamlet is acting a role for us as an audience but specifically for Claudius and Polonius.He is diverting attention from his true thoughts of murder whilst also confirming his ‘antic disposition’ (I. v. 180). In addition to this it explains why he apparently forgets the ghost of his father as he claims ‘No traveller returns’ (III. i. 80) as it would not be practical to reveal the truth at this stage. Also, the speech concludes that it is conscience that prevents him and the fear of the unknown when prior to this he has stated that it was because that God has ‘fix’d / His canon ’gainst self-slaughter’ (I. ii. 131-132).Arguably, this could be a variation of the same rationale yet there is a distinct change in tone which suggests a difference in attitude. Therefore, it is within this soliloquy where Hamlet reaches his decision which he reveals to Ophelia (and Claudius) when he says that ‘all but one – shall live’ (III. i. 150). One might argue that the opening line of this speech, ‘To be or not to be’ (III. i. 56), uncontrovertibly suggests that Hamlet is, indeed, reflecting on suicide but, once again, this is another self-conscious reflection upon the nature of drama.For Hamlet, the character in the play Hamlet, must act in order to ‘be’ and as a revenge hero, that act is the murder of Claudius. While Claudius is alive, Hamlet’s mind and soul are troubled and only through the act of revenge with ‘a bare bodkin’ can he bring about his ‘quietus’ (III. i. 75-6). Words, therefore, are the focus of this play. It is Shakespeare’s longest and in it we are given a character who ‘â€Å"comes alive† only in language’[22], it is through words that the dramatic action, except the final scene, takes place upon the stage.In terms of drama, the play is at odds with its form in that the driving action of the plot precedes the start of the play. We are given a revenge hero who is unable to live up to that title and only seems to spring into what one might call action when he has been hit by Laertes poisoned rapier and he knows that he is about to die, something which he poin ts out twice in the scene. Indeed, in performance, the final scene can be played as equally low-key as it can be played dramatic. In a self-conscious play such as this it seems clear that Shakespeare understands the power of words.To a dramatist, all action that can be created on a stage is a representation – one that is created through words. Crucially it is through language that the world of Elsinore is created and all those that exist within it exist through the words that they speak. It is, therefore fitting that Hamlet’s dying words are ‘the rest is silence’ (V. ii. 363) for he knows that without language he is nothing. Through Hamlet Shakespeare gives us a world where action is secondary to language because, in drama, one creates the other. 3967 words (exc. footnotes) 4338 words (inc. footnotes) Bibliography Primary SourcesShakespeare, William, Hamlet, ed. Harold Jenkins, The Arden Shakespeare, 3rd series (London and New York: Routledge, 1994) Stoppa rd, Tom, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (London: Faber & Faber, 1967) von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, ed. and trans. Eric A. Blackall (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1995) Secondary Sources Belsey, Catherine, ‘Revenge in Hamlet’, in Hamlet: Contemporary Critical Essays, ed. Martin Coyle (London: Macmillan, 1992), pp. 154-159. Bloom, Harold, Hamlet: Poem Unlimited, (Edinburgh: Canongate, 2003) Bradley, A. C. , Shakespearean Tragedy, 3rd edn. London: Macmillan, 1992), pp. 84-166. Calhoun, Jean S. , ‘Hamlet and the Circumference of Action’, Renaissance News, Vol. 15, No. 4. (Winter, 1962), 281-298. Dickson, Andrew, The Rough Guide to Shakespeare, (London: Rough Guides, 2005) Eliot, T. S. , ‘Hamlet’ in Selected Essays (London: Faber & Faber, 1951), p. 141-146. Fernie, Ewan, ‘Terrible Action: Recent Criticism and Questions of Agency’, Shakespeare, Vol. 2, No. 1 (June, 2006), 95-11 8. Hughes, Ted, Shakespeare and the Goddess of Complete Being (London: Faber & Faber, 1992), pp. 233-239. Jump, John D. , (ed. ) Hamlet: A Selection of Critical Essays (London: Macmillan, 1968), pp. 2-32. Kettle, Arnold, ‘From Hamlet to Lear’, in Shakespeare in a Changing World, ed. Arnold Kettle (London: Lawrence & Wishart, 1964), pp. 146-159. Mangan, Michael, A Preface to Shakespeare’s Tragedies (London and New York: Longman, 1991) Ratcliffe, Stephen ‘What Doesn’t Happen in Hamlet: The Ghost’s Speech’, Modern Language Studies, Vol. 28, No. 3/4. (Autumn, 1998), 125-150. ——————–, ‘‘Who’s There? ’: Elsinore and Everywhere’, Modern Language Studies, Vol. 29, No. 2. (Autumn, 1999), 153-173. ———————– [1] Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship, ed. and trans.Eric A. Blackall (P rinceton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1995), p. 146. [2] T. S. Eliot, ‘Hamlet’ in Selected Essays (London: Faber & Faber, 1951), p. 143. [3] Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (London: Faber & Faber, 1967), p. 86. [4] William Shakespeare, Hamlet, ed. Harold Jenkins, The Arden Shakespeare, 3rd series (London and New York: Routledge, 1994), subsequent references are to this edition. [5] Stephan Ratcliffe, ‘What Doesn’t Happen in Hamlet: The Ghost’s Speech’, Modern Language Studies, Vol. 28, No. 3/4. (Autumn, 1998), pp. 125-150. [6] ——————–, ‘‘Who’s There? : Elsinore and Everywhere’, Modern Language Studies, Vol. 29, No. 2. (Autumn, 1999), p. 153. [7] Ratcliffe, ‘What Doesn’t Happen in Hamlet: The Ghost’s Speech’, pp. 135-139. [8] A. C. Bradley, Shakespearean Tragedy, 3rd edn. (London: Macmillan, 1992), Lecture III, p. 93. [9 ] Ratcliffe, ‘What Doesn’t Happen in Hamlet: The Ghost’s Speech’ pp. 125-150 [10] Ibid. , p. 129. [11] Ibid. p. 131 [12] Having opened my Christmas presents and receiving Bloom’s Poem Unlimited after I had written this essay, I feel obliged to cite him for what I assumed to be an acute and original observation.If only Father Christmas hadn’t been so efficient, I could have at least pleaded ignorance! Harold Bloom, Hamlet: Poem Unlimited (Edinburgh: Canongate, 2003), p. 10 [13] Jenkins (ed. ), Hamlet, p. 294 [14] Ratcliffe, ‘What Doesn’t Happen in Hamlet: The Ghost’s Speech’, pp. 131-132. [15] Jenkins explains how the line has been used to show Claudius’s calm attitude to the play and to prove his unease in Jenkins (ed. ), Hamlet, p. 301. [16] Michael Mangan, A Preface to Shakespeare’s Tragedies (London and New York: Longman, 1991), p. 67. [17] Catherine Belsey, ‘Revenge in Hamlet’, in Haml et: Contemporary Critical Essays, ed.Martin Coyle (London: Macmillan, 1992), p. 154. [18] Bradley, Shakespearean Tragedy, p. 98. [19] Notably the anonymous critic in ‘Extracts from Earlier Critics, 1710-1945’ in Hamlet: A Selection of Critical Essays, ed. John D. Jump (London: Macmillan, 1968), p. 22. [20] Jean S. Calhoun, ‘Hamlet and the Circumference of Action’, Renaissance News, Vol. 15, No. 4. (Winter, 1962), p. 288. [21] Ted Hughes, Shakespeare and the Goddess of Complete Being (London: Faber & Faber, 1992), p. 236. [22] Ewan Fernie, ‘Terrible Action: Recent Criticism and Questions of Agency’, Shakespeare, Vol. 2, No. 1 (June, 2006), p. 96.