Ethical Leadership in the 21st Century Essay

Leadership is a critical component of the organization’s culture as leaders can create, maintain, or change culture. Thus, leadership is significant to establishing an ethically oriented culture. The idea that corporate leaders are accountable for organizational ethics is not a new one. In 1938, management theorist Chester I. Barnard described the executive’s role in â€Å"forming morals for others† in his book The Functions of the Executive. Barnard suggested that the purpose of developing organizational morals is a distinctive characteristic of executive work going far beyond the moral challenges faced by individuals usually. Besides superior technical skills, a high capability for responsibility, and an intricate personal morality, this task requires moral ingenuity in defining an organization’s code of ethics and instilling the basic attitudes that support it. According to a report from the Business Roundtable, a group of senior executives from major American corporations, leadership is crucial to organizational ethics. To achieve results, the Chief Executive Officer and those around the CEO need to be explicitly and strongly committed to ethical conduct, and give constant leadership in tending and mending the values of the organization. † (Business Roundtable, 1988). In surveys of practicing managers, honesty and competence appear as the most important qualities identified as essential to good leadership (Barry Z. Posner and William H. Schmidt, 1992, 33). This view was echoed by Vin Sarni, former CEO of PPG Industries, a large multinational firm, in a 1992 speech to Penn State business school students. Sarni said that the title CEO stands for Chief Ethics Officer, a statement that recognizes how important it is for the organization’s leader to set the firm’s ethical standards (Trevino and Nelson, 1995). If the organization’s leaders seem to care only concerning the short-term bottom line, employees rapidly get that message too. John G. Rangos, Sr. , the founder of Chambers Development Co. a waste management firm, demanded bottom-line results. When executives reported to him in 1990 that profits would fall short of projections, he is quoted to have said, â€Å"Go find the rest of it. † And so they did, until an outside audit in 1992 found that the company had erroneously reported strong profits in every year since 1985, though it was losing money all the time. Former employees say that, in the pursuit of growth, influenced numbers were tolerated, or perhaps even encouraged. One former employee who found discrepancies in 1988 was told, â€Å"This is how the game is played. (Trevino and Nelson, 1995) Leaders symbolize significant others in the organizational lives of employees, with considerable power qua behavior role models or simply power, in the meaning of being able to force others to carry out one’s own will. Leaders’ example and decisions affect not simply the employees who report to them, but also the stockholders, suppliers, customers, the community, the country, and even the world. Considerations of the ethical component in day-to-day decisions will set the tone for others who interrelate with the company. Thus, the image of the business leader will affect how others choose to deal with the company and will have continuing effects, as all managers and employees look to the highest level for their cues as to what is suitable. Top executives must live up to the ethical standards they are espousing and imply ethical behaviors in others. Leadership can make a difference in forming an ethical or unethical organizational culture. Work on ethical and unethical charismatic leaders also highlights the significance of the leader in the ethics equation. More particularly, charismatic leaders can be very effective leaders, yet they can vary in their ethical standards. Such differences determine the degree to which an organization builds an ethically oriented culture, the types of values followers will be exposed to, and the role models with whom employees will have their most direct personal contact (Howell and Avolino, 1992, 43-54). One way to pull together the contributions concerning how organizational culture is shaped and reinforced by leadership style is to understand organizational culture as ethical climate. One could also ask to what extent the moral maturity of organizational cultures or climates, controlling reference group types, or dominating ethics types are interdependent or interacting with leadership styles. One could also ask if unethical leadership styles encourage an unethical climate or vice versa, if the effect of unethical leadership is reinforced or counteracted by the organization’s ethical climate. Ethical dilemmas will frequently result in unethical behavior if an organization’s leadership furthers an immature, indistinct, or negative ethical climate. Such unethical behavior is, of course, not only furthered by an unethical climate, but also reproduces such an ethical climate, in a system feedback fashion, being contagious and self-reinforcing (or perhaps infuriating internal or external counter reactions). In such instances, an organization’s culture predisposes its members to perform unethically. Kent Druyvesteyn, former staff vice president, ethics, General Dynamics Corporation, made a similar point concerning leaders as ethical role models. People in leadership need to†¦set the tone by instance of their own conduct. We could have had all the workshops in the world. We could have even had Jesus and Moses and Mohamed and Buddha come and speak at our workshops. But, if after all of that, someone in a leadership position then behaved in a means which was differing to the standards that instance of misbehavior by a person in a leadership position would teach more than all the experts in the world (Trevino and Nelson, 1995). Clearly, the development of an ethical corporate culture depends on the tone set at the top. The earliest and most continuing normative formulation has underlined the responsibilities of business corporations to those affected by a company’s decisions and policies. From the beginning, it has been felt that business has fiduciary duties and compulsions of performance that extend beyond the company’s legal boundaries and economic goals. This view is identical to declaring that those who own the company should run it, or hire professional managers to run it, with an eye to the interests of others as well as their own. Therefore, business owners and managers are said to have a range of social responsibilities additionally to being responsible for the normal economic functions that one expects to find in a well-organized and well-run firm (Shaw, W. H. & Barry, V. 2004). To maintain and diminish this perspective, its advocates have drawn on various economic, political, ideological, and socio cultural sources, though rarely acknowledging them as such. The business mind easily transmogrified this hoary maxim into the corporate context by adopting for executives the mantle of â€Å"steward† of the public interest, â€Å"trustee† of business resources, and â€Å"corporate statesman† anticipated to manifest a broad social vision, while not refuting their company’s economic purpose and objectives (nor, it might be added, did it disturb their power). For the most part, these attributions of moral peerage were what might be called self-coronations or simple declaration, since no visible public selection process had elevated these corporate worthies to such vaunted peaks of public influence and function. Thus capable with self-anointed, regal-like responsibilities, corporate executives everywhere were advocated to adopt an â€Å"enlightened self-interest† perspective in approaching business decisions and originating corporate policies. To act otherwise was to risk serious inroads on business-as-usual. As the Committee for Economic Development put it, â€Å"The policy of enlightened self-interest is also based on the intention that if business does not accept a fair measure of responsibility for social improvement, the interests of the corporation might actually be jeopardized. . . . By acting on its own initiative, management preserves the flexibility needed to conduct the company’s affairs in a positive, efficient, and adaptive manner. † The report averred that looking beyond today’s bottom line would pay off in the long run by reducing social costs, dampening radical antibusiness protest, and attenuation the likelihood of government intervention into business affairs. certainly, the stability and public acceptance of business itself were said to be at risk: â€Å"Indiscriminate opposition to social change [by business] not simply jeopardizes the interest of the single corporation, but also affects negatively the interest all corporations have in maintaining a climate conducive to the effective functioning of the entire business system. (Frank Abrams, 1951, p. 33). Theorists have, generally, identified four broad areas of corporate responsibility: economic, legal, moral, and social. The major premise of the four areas is found in the basic nature of the corporation, which is a surreptitiously based, economic entity with jural standing, whose members are expected to make decisions that will have a noteworthy impact on a number of constituents (Brummer, 1991). Thinkers and researchers do not always agree that a corporation has all four responsibilities. Some do not consider that corporations have a moral responsibility; others believe that moral and social responsibilities come after economic and legal ones. The economic responsibilities of corporations have been distinct in many ways. Milton Freidman, for instance, states that the economic responsibility of a firm is distinct by the corporate intervening goal. To him, a corporate overriding goal is maximum returns to investors. As long as a corporation works on the way to achieving this goal, it is deemed economically responsible (Freidman, 1970). Based on the same philosophy, Manne (Manne and Wallich, 1972) argues that the intervening goal of the corporation is to maximize shareholders’ profits. In the majority of instances, maximizing investors’ returns would lead to utmost profits, and vice versa. Herbert Simon, on the other hand, disagrees with the perception of profit maximization and strongly argues for profit â€Å"satisfying. † He contends that because executives should respond to a number of other objectives, factors, and constraints, and must do so in the framework of what he calls â€Å"bounded rationality,† they in fact seek to reach a mere satisfactory level of profit. Whether maximization or satisfying, economic responsibility proponents consider that the number one responsibility of businesses is, first, its shareholders, and then other constituents. However, the dilemma concerning the issue of harmonizing the firm’s economic association with its social orientation still lingers. A step in the direction of easing the confusion was taken while an inclusive definition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) was developed. A four-part conceptualization of CSR integrated the idea that the corporation has not only economic and legal responsibilities but ethical and philanthropic responsibilities as well (Carroll, 1979). The major point here is that for social responsibility to be established as legitimate, it had to address the entire spectrum of compulsions that business has to society, including the most elemental economic. Organizational responsiveness to social needs had its unveiling when early industrialists reacted to the social problem that industrialization was seen to have caused. Early on, economists as well as philosophers began to argue regarding the role of business in society and regarding what responsibility business has to society. Later, social theorists for instance Bell (1976), Bellah (Bellah et al. , 1985), and Wolfe (1989) continued the debate and raised it to a higher level of concept. They were not just concerned about the responsibility of the corporation as a social body but even more concerned concerning how the corporate revolution has altered social life. A recent evaluation of the literature recognizes no less than nine meanings for social accountability. The nine meanings were categorized by Sethi (1997) into three categories: social obligation, social reaction, as well as social responsiveness. Social obligation entails that a corporation engages in communally responsible behavior when it follows a profit within the constraints of law as forced by society. Consequently legal behavior in pursuit of profit is a communally responsible behavior, and any behavior not legal is socially negligent. Proponents of social responsibility as social compulsion offer four primary arguments to support their views first, they retain that corporations are accountable to their shareholders. Consequently, managers have the responsibility to manage the corporation in a way that would exploit owners’ interests. Second, socially responsible projects such as social improvement programs must be determined by law and left to the contributions of private individuals. Consequently, the government, through legislation, is best equipped to determine the nature of social development programs and to comprehend social enhancements in society. Businesses contribute in this regard by paying taxes to the government that correctly determines how they should be allocated. Third, it is a violation of management contract to give out corporate profits for social improvement programs. These actions amount to taxation without representation, according to Friedman (1970). Management is taxing the shareholders by expenditure their money on activities, which does not contribute directly to maximizing shareholders’ interests. Additionally, because managers are not elected public officials, they are taking actions that affect society without being accountable to society. Fourth, many people who subscribe to this school of thought believe that social programs financed by corporate managers might work to the disadvantage of society. In this sense, financial costs of social activities can, eventually, cause the price of the company’s goods and services to increase, and customers would pay the bill.

Task a Unit 055

Task A 1) What duty of care means in children and young people’s setting. All adults who work with, and on behalf of children are accountable for the way in which they exercise authority, manage risk, use resources; and safeguard children and young people. All the adults working within the setting have a duty to keep children and young people safe and to protect them from any sexual, physical and emotional harm. Children and young people have a right to be treated with respect and dignity. Trusted adults are expected to take reasonable steps to ensure the safety and well-being of children and young people.Failure to do so may be regarded as neglect. The duty of care is exercised through the development of respectful and caring relationships between adults, children and young people. It is also exercised through the behavior of the adult, which at all times should show integrity, maturity and good judgment. Everyone expects high standards of behavior from adults who work with c hildren and young people. When someone accepts such work, they need to understand and acknowledge the responsibilities and trust that the role brings.Employers also have a duty of care towards their employees, both paid and unpaid, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. This requires them to provide a safe working environment for adults and provide guidance about safe working practices. Employers also have a duty of care for the well-being of employees and to ensure that employees are treated fairly and reasonably in all circumstances. The Health and Safety Act 1974 also imposes a duty on employees to take care of themselves and anyone else who may be affected by their actions or failings. An employer’s duty of care and the adult’s duty of care towards children should not conflict.This means that adults should: * understand the responsibilities, which are part of their employment or role, and be aware that sanctions will be applied if these provisions are breach ed * always act, and be seen to act, in the child’s best interests * avoid any conduct which would lead any reasonable person to question their motivation and intentions * take responsibility for their own actions and behavior 2) How this contributes to the safeguarding or protection of individuals. Duty of care safeguards children by the setting doing daily risk assessments and taking precautions to avoid accidents or the spreading of infections.They must follow the correct procedures if they have any concerns for the child’s well being. They should set clear boundaries for children depending on age, stage and development and discourage any behaviour, which could result in a child being harmed or upset. Assessments and observations on children should be carried out regularly to alert you to any problems that may need addressing. Practitioners should always listen to what children have to say and take any concerns they may have seriously.

Business research project proposal--Irish Guinness Beer Proposal

Business project --Irish Guinness Beer - Research Proposal Example h popularity that studying it more closely would make sense as part of discovering other important factors that have contributed to business success of a firm. Guinness is definitely one of the companies with a strong market reputation and was meant to survive before and until today. Guinness remarkably from the start was able to clearly follow the path of consistency. It was remarkable that it started everything with a good marketing strategy and a management system that were passed on from generation to generation. Guinness started with Arthur Guinness and now his bloodline is responsible for continuing the company to be known worldwide. Effective marketing strategies may vary from one company to another. There are many factors that need to be considered in identifying which among the marketing strategies best suited the concerned company. Factors such as people, procedure, and budget played its respective roles in developing an appropriate marketing tool to be utilized. It is of interest now on how certain brands of Guinness can gain certain market share in the future considering a tough competition at present. It is of interest whether there is still a great chance for the new entrants which are willing to take the plunge into competition. Considering that a certain brands and products need to ensure production with quality and a sound management on sales, it is of interest on how can then the new entrants as well as existing company ensure their survival in a very challenging competition. It is also of great concern that to start penetrating the market, the new entrants need to ensure modern high quality of products. It is then the objective of this paper to answer the main research question. The above are all research questions this study is aiming to answer. In doing so, the proponent will take much effort in understanding the four marketing mix such as products, price, promotion and place to understand the process of survival that every entrant and key

The Role of Ethics in Professional Accounting Essay

The Role of Ethics in Professional Accounting - Essay Example Ethical behavior itself is affected by several factors. When speaking specifically about a career, one of the most influential factors on ethical behavior are gender and education. The extent to which these factors influence ethical behavior for any given career has received widespread attention in recent years. The accounting field is not left out. The task is to show that there exists a liaison between accounting and the way gender, (sex) and education affect ethical behavior. Ethical and professional accounting forms a clear financial image of a business, and allows managers to make informed decisions, keeps investors abreast of developments in the business, and keeps the business profitable.1 Operating information is relative to the day-to-day running of the organization. Pay tracks, information of the evolution of liabilities and assets, inventories on goods, follow-up of customers and suppliers; these are only a few of the day-to-day activities in an enterprise. Financial accounting information on its own part concerns information such as the evolution of liabilities and assets. This information is used by stakeholders to analyze the progress of the organization in attaining its set objectives. In this light, shareholders would want to know if they would be benefiting from the business while banks who want to know if their money would be refunded. ... Financial accounting information on its own part concerns information such as the evolution of liabilities and assets. This information is used by stakeholders to analyze the progress of the organization in attaining its set objectives. In this light, shareholders would want to know if they would be benefiting from the business while banks who want to know if their money would be refunded. All information relative to financial accounting is arranged in what is known as bookkeeping. In effect, booking can be defined as: maintenance of systematic and convenient records of money transactions in order to show the condition of a business enterprise. The essential purpose of bookkeeping is to reveal the amounts and sources of the losses and profits for any given period. Proper bookkeeping should also reveal the nature and value of the assets and liabilities of a firm, as well as its net worth at the close of that period.3 Your last name 4. Managerial information is provided to the managers of the organization in a well prepared and easy to comprehend form so as to enable them make informed decisions that would shape the future of the enterprise or organization. As a result of its importance, the accounting of an enterprise is imperatively handled by a professional (accountant) whose (professional) work 'requires specialized and theoretical knowledge, acquired through college training or comparable work experience'.4 Professional work in accounting requires the examination, analysis and interpretation of records. Examples of such work include the:modification and implementation of manual and automated accounting systems to meet the specific fiscal requirements of an agency,development and revision of policies to improve accounting control and efficiency,

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 10

Sociology - Essay Example Mass production has become a repercussion of capitalism. Pro-capitalists argue it benefits to humankind by facilitating ease of use, cheaply available and within reach consumer products. On the other hand, anti-capitalists are of the view that capitalism has many downsides. It robs the average person of his/her individuality, of culture and tradition. This can be understood from a review of the following advertisements which demonstrate that capitalism has a great influence on the individual perception and expression. The innovation of line production by Ford during the 20th century has transformed not only the American population but also the world over. It has created a consumer society which is dependent on mass produced commodities. Stuart Ewen in his book Captain of Consciousness, theorizes that line production has been a way of mass producing consumers (24). Since goods are produced in huge quantitative, they need consumers to consume them. For this reason, mass production had become a device innovated by the capitalists, to artificially create demand by reducing price, increasing accessibility and creating a culture of consumerism. Over the years the ethics and moral behind this strategy have deteriorated to a great extent, that mass production has become synonymous with immoral and unethical business practices. These perceptions are warranted. Take the following advertisement by Wonderbra for example which blatantly declares the mindlessness of consumers of today. In the above advertisement, the message communicated indicates that those who buy Wonderbras need not have the brain or the inclination to be intelligent (to read The Economist, a business magazine). These are individuals who have no aspiration to be in the business arena. This is a product for the "average mindless" individual. Moreover, the message denotes the perception that only an elite group of individuals are intelligent enough to read or

Gilles Deleuze's Postscript on the Societies of Control Essay

Gilles Deleuze's Postscript on the Societies of Control - Essay Example The authority announces various ongoing crises that need to be bring about reform within the space being considered. The individual needs to accept these mechanisms of change and the rules that go along with them. The fact that each individual passes through the systems as an independent variable that starts from zero only increases their control over the individual. It produces them even more as subject. While society is now more complex, and many people's lives are less obviously controlled than they used to be, Deleuze argues that the same systems are in fact in place. Thus while Nineteenth century people were controlled by machines such as clocks and pulleys, people are now controlled by computers in a more subtle and yet almost more pernicious manner. The easily identifiable "spaces" of school, factory, army that once existed have now been transformed into what Deleuze calls an "open circuit". This open circuit produces "coded figures" that are "deformable and transformable" - through entities such as the corporation individuals are rendered subjects wherever they go. They are controlled by the debts that they owe to these corporations rather than the physical walls of the factories that most people no longer work in. Control is no longer direct and obvious but rather indirect and diffused. As Deleuze puts it, with a hint of humorous irony, "we are taught that corporations have a soul, which is the most terrifying news in the world." It is terrifying because it shows that corporations have taken on a mystical place within society, and their power spreads like a virus through every one of its institutions. The individual cannot avoid being a subject if he/she chooses to have any contact at all within this society. Before there was a way of countering the control, of even rebelling against the raw control represented by the factor clock or the prison walls; but now the clock is found within the invisible, constantly running time of a computer and the walls have gone to be replaced by the diffused power of the modern world. Deleuze finally argues that the "control environment" of science fiction actually already exists, through the "human in a corporation, as with an electronic collar". This is an example of "the progressive and dispersed installation of a new system of domination." It is so powerful in defining the subject because it is so difficult to actual define and locate in and of itself. In the past a worker could walk out of a factory and, if he so chose, not return. The worker may leave his work today, but that would only be a way of transferring the sphere of power over him from one to another. Ultimately, Deleuze suggests that the modern form of control is like "the coils of a serpent", and these are much more complex than the "burrows of a molehill" that people once existed within. Thus the old industrial societies defined people as subject through a very obvious system that, while powerful, could be broken because it was so obvious. To stretch his metaphor, one only had to stick one's nose out of the molehill to see that there was a different world waiting upon our escape. But the coils of the serpent are everywhere, diffuse and yet omnipresent. Individuals may feel that they can define themselves as subject because

Readings for Reading Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Readings for Reading Response - Essay Example at for propaganda to be popular, its intellectual level must be reduced to the point where lowest intelligence members of the society can easily understand its message. He added that the propaganda on war aims at influencing the largest number of people within the society to support the war. The fact, therefore, requires that the propaganda should be of low intellectual level. The best propaganda deeply arouses the emotions and the mental reaction of the masses towards or against some target group or factor. The propaganda, according to Hitler, aims does not satisfy or make much of the sense to the highly intelligent members of the society (Hitler, 1943). According to Hitler, the art of propaganda aims at understanding the emotional ideas of the masses and finding the best ways of capturing the masses attention. He says that most intelligent people find it hard to get the main idea in the propaganda. The rule result of propaganda is that it is to be aimed at a particular group. Its intentions should be to arouse the masses’ attention towards a specific detail and not just a general idea. Propaganda should, therefore, be simple to understand yet strong enough to arouse the emotions of a large number of people within the society. Propaganda is a tactic Hitler used to recruit more soldiers during the First World War and to depict their opponent and enemy as being evil. That is the sole purpose of propaganda (Hitler,

Arizona Tewa Kiva Speech as a Manifestation of Linguistic Ideology Essay

Arizona Tewa Kiva Speech as a Manifestation of Linguistic Ideology - Essay Example (298) He reports that Tewa were a Pueblo Indian group â€Å"which removed itself from Spanish influence in 1700 by migrating to the eastern most of the Hope Mesas† (298) In order to maintain their distinct culture they 1) resisted linguistic borrowing from other languages and 2) were the only out migrating group to retain its’ language into the present. The language preservation has been achieved through the Tewa control of â€Å"kiva† speech which is the religious ceremonial speech common to all Pueblo societies. The instruments of control are 1) regulation by convention 2) indigenous purity 3) strict compartmentalization and 4) linguistic indexing of identity. Regulation by Convention Ritual performances rely on fixed prayer and song texts with no tolerance for innovation. This is also manifested in everyday speech preferences, for example by greeting formulae. Also in traditional stories â€Å"audience members and performers alike have a tradition which emplo ys stylized non-verbal accompaniment and uses familiar story telling conventions,† for example the repeated use of â€Å"ba† as a genre making equivalent to our â€Å"so they say†. Such conventions must be followed even if narrators chose to contextualize their stories for specific audiences, or the content and narrator are non traditional in order for audience acceptance Indigenous Purity and Strict Compartmentalization. The author reports that the Tewa have a strict prohibition against the inclusion of foreign words and non kiva Tewa words in kiva ceremonies. This he contends is prompted by the â€Å"need for stylized consistency â€Å" in a conventional liturgical speech level, rather than indicating xenophobia against foreign languages. (302) By a trickle down effect the prohibition against foreign words prevails in everyday speech patterns as well. There is also a strict compartmentalization in Tewa linguistic ideology with â€Å"kiva talk† strictly segregated from both foreign influence and everyday Tewa language in order to preserve its’ sanctity. While examination of linguistic data supports the conclusion that few foreign words have been incorporated into Tewa language, there is evidence of grammatical convergence. Linguistic Indexing of Identity The author states that in Tewa society â€Å"a person’s speech behavior expresses important information the speaker’s identity†. This relates to his or her positional rather than personal identity. For example, â€Å"a conventional component of public announcements is the explicit announcement by the chanter of his mediating status as spokesman.† (306) Conclusion Kroskrity concludes by claiming â€Å"linguistic ideology presents an account which captures the cultural unity of otherwise disparate linguistic norms† and justifies the opening quote of this summary.(311) Since in Tewa society both religious and political leadership is concentra ted in kiva ceremonies, their linguistic ideology provides an insight into how power and social control are exercised. The â€Å"Father Knows Best† Dynamic in Dinnertime Narratives Introduction This article â€Å"addresses gender asymmetry in middle class European American families through an examination of a simple social activity narrating ( a story or a report) over family dinner† on the basis of the Father Knows Best dynamic where father is typically set up to be primary audience, judge, and center of family members actions, conditions, thoughts, and feelings as was the case for this well known 1950s ( 101 )TV sitcom. In spite of more recent feminist ideology, this family power dynamic appears to still prevail. Methodology The author’s study focuses on dinnertime communication patterns of 7 two-parent families earning under $40.000 per annum between 1987 and 1989.( 102 ) Each family had a 5 year old child who

The effect of calcium in reducing risk to melanoma Research Paper

The effect of calcium in reducing risk to melanoma - Research Paper Example Melanoma has three distinct categories namely cutaneous, mucosal and ocular melanoma (Dorce, 2013). Cutaneous melanoma is the most prominent and occurs on the skin precisely in the cells of the pigment. Mucosal melanoma is common in the vagina, throat, anus and canals of passages (Braeuer et al., 2014). A rare form of melanoma is the Ocular Melanoma that appears mostly around the eyes. Melanoma is treatable at an early stage but if the cancer goes unnoticed, it advances to other body parts where it becomes fatal and extremely hard to treat. Barnhill argued that some of the signs of melanoma include the development of moles on the skin (2004). Bleeding spots on the body and un-healing sores may be indications of melanoma. In women, melanoma is mostly on the legs whereas in men it’s common on the upper back. Women have turned to meals with low-calories with the aim being to get slim. As a result, calcium appears to be deficient in women thus increasing chances of melanoma. Individuals with skin that is extremely sensitive to ultraviolet radiation are at higher risks of melanoma. In addition, excessive sunburns resulting from increased exposure to the sun at a tender age may cause melanoma later on because of damaged cells that are prone to cancer. Some rare cases of cancer history in a family exist where children acquire melanoma genetically from parents (Sucio, 2014). In previous periods, surgery coupled with chemotherapy was the best options of dealing with melanoma. Doctors have recently adopted the combinations of calcium and vitamin D supplements to treat the skin cancer. Calcium has proven to be detrimental in eliminating the risk associated with a number of cancer ailments. For instance, the consumption of calcium destroys polyps that would have elevated bowel cancer. The case of melanoma is no different, as calcium and Vitamin D have made remarkable changes

High school Essay Example for Free

High school Essay Education Does the perfect high school exist? Is there a school out there in which the students are all nice and responsible, every teacher enforces learning on the classroom, and the school system always makes wise decisions? No, probably not. At least, not any school I have ever heard of. There are multiple problems affecting high schools today, usually being either issues personally affecting an individual student, or issues affecting the whole school. Some examples of these problems may be: bullying, dropping out, not studying or doing homework, getting pregnant, not being taught to a full extent, financial issues, and etcetera. Like most problems, there is always a solution that we could benefit from. One of the most major issues hurting high schools today has to do with students being lazy. Teens go to school for the majority of their day, which is typically seven hours. Once they finally get home, it is safe to assume that the last thing on students’ minds is homework. They think â€Å"I have been at school allllll day! This is my time to relax; I do not want to do school work anymore! † So instead, they choose to sit down and watch Jersey Shore or log onto their Facebook accounts. In â€Å"The Liberal Arts in an Age of Info-Glut† by Todd Gitlin, he talks about comedy writer Larry Gelbart referring to media as â€Å"weapons of mass distraction. † If you think about it, this is pretty accurate. Televisions, the internet, etc are nothing but examples of distraction. Most teenagers are not responsible enough to think â€Å"I cannot watch TV right now, I have to study,† so they usually spend the rest of their night watching TV, causing a failing grade on the next day’s test. Teens in high school are not fully matured. Obviously, if they were mature, they would realize the importance of their grades as opposed the importance of who got in a fight on Jersey Shore. Due to this fact, I think we should â€Å"Let Teenagers Try Adulthood. † In this passage, Leon Botstein supports his idea to give teens a chance at adult life. As I have mentioned, teenagers are not mature enough to make decisions that will be good for their future. So why not let them graduate at the age of sixteen in order for them to understand the significance of being a responsible, mature person? Letting them graduate earlier could more than likely help students realize that it is time to grow up and take action for their lives. And maybe then, less time will be spent watching television, and more time will be spent on productive things†¦ mainly because they would not have a choice! Another major problem in high schools is the extremely high rate of students dropping out of school early. Teens drop out of school for multiple different reasons. Some leave school to escape bullying. There is always that one kid who is bullied so much, he just cannot stand it any longer. This is usually the kid in the back of the classroom, trying to stay hidden from everyone else, not doing assignments or paying attention. Scurrilous peers tend to make students want to stay at home forever, and never come back to school. Dropping out of school may be the victim’s way of getting away. Some students drop school simply because of boredom. They get tired of doing the same thing, every day. They feel as though they are not getting anything from it. In David S. Broder’s â€Å"A Model for High Schools,† he states that â€Å"Too many students are dropping out of high school, bored or dissatisfied with what it offers. † Throughout my three years of high school, I have seen numerous issues arise. Due to these many issues, personally, I do not like high school a bit. The problem most chronic would definitely have to be teen pregnancy. I remember during my freshman year, there were about twenty different young girls roaming the halls with a baby bump. During my sophomore year, there were twelve. The majority of the young women in high school that are getting pregnant end up dropping out and totally ignoring their education in order to raise their child. Those who do not drop out still have to miss tons of days due to their pregnancy and child birth†¦ which means, these students will get very far behind in their work, and will have to catch up on their own. Now, I am not saying that these girls should not raise their children, or that they do not have a reason to be absent frequently, I am simply saying this: Do not get pregnant in the first place! Education should always come first. Once they miss that month of school, it is going to be extremely difficult for them to catch up on their work. Because of this, most students will just give up and drop out. No one wants to be stupid, have a child at 16, and have to work at McDonald’s just to buy diapers and a box of Cheerios! Although there are still many issues arising in high schools all throughout America, these are more than likely the worst. Laziness and irresponsibility, dropping out, and getting pregnant can all cause students to end up with no education whatsoever, and lead them to a life of serving customers at the local Wal-Mart.

Just War Theory And The 2003 Iraq War Politics Essay

Just War Theory And The 2003 Iraq War Politics Essay The Iraq War or the second Gulf War has been commenced since 20 March 2003. Despite the troops consisted of military force of various western nations, it was actually led by the United States. Over the years, people have questioned the Bush administration whether it is justified to invade Iraq, and whether the Iraq War fulfill the criteria of the Just War Theory. As such, this essay will attempt to determine whether the invasion of Iraq by the Bush administration is justified. Just cause The reason for going to war must be just. Force may be used only to correct a grave, public evil, i.e. aggression or massive violation of the basic human rights of whole populations  [1]  . In addition to what we generally accept that force may only be used to correct a grave and public evil, Holmes (1992) stated that the criterion of just cause has been downgraded. He also stated that a war is justified in response to aggression, ie, self-defense. It also extended to cover also defense of another state against aggression, intervention to protect potential victims of grave wrong by nations, and even pre-emptive strikes against potential aggressors. Right authority War may be waged by constituted legal authority. Right intention War may be waged only in a truly just cause but not for material gain or maintaining economies. Last resort War may be waged only after all peaceful alternatives have been exhausted or are not practical. Prospects of success the goal of the war must end with peace Proportionality the anticipated benefits must be proportionate to its expected evils or harms. Besides, the just war theory also requires the moral standard to define the conduct of armed conflict (Just ad bellum):- Noncombatant Immunity Army must take reasonable measures to avoid and minimize harm to civilians. Proportionality Only necessary force is to be use to achieve the military objective, and to avoid unnecessary collateral damage civilians and their properties. Right intention the aim of the war is to achieve peace. The act of vengeance and indiscriminate violence are forbidden. Reason to Invade Iraq In the speech given by Bush on 18 March 2003 in the White House, he gave the reason for taking military action against Iraq. In this essay, I will mainly attempt to use this speech as my argument for reason for invasion to Iraq. JUST WAR THEORY VS US INVASION (Just ad bellum) 1. Just Cause In the speech given by Bush, he stated:- We have passed more than a dozen resolutions in the United Nations Security Council. We have sent hundreds of weapons inspectors to oversee the disarmament of Iraq. Our good faith has not been returned Over the years, UN weapon inspectors have been threatened by Iraqi officials, electronically bugged and systematically deceived. Peaceful efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime have failed again and again because we are not dealing with peaceful men Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. This regime has already used weapons of mass destruction against Iraqs neighbors and against Iraqs people. It has aided, trained and harbored terrorists, including operatives of al Qaeda The danger is clear: using chemical, biological or, one day, nuclear weapons, obtained with the help of Iraq, the terrorists could fulfill their stated ambitions and kill thousands or hundreds or thousands of innocent people in our country, or any other. Terrorists and terror states do not reveal threats with fair notice, in formal declarations and responding to such enemies only after they have struck first is not self-defense, it is suicide. The security of the world requires disarming Saddam Hussein now. In Bushs speech, the causes for invasion are:- Iraq possess weapon of mass destruction and peaceful efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime have failed. Iraq aided terrorist like al Qaeda, and terrorists could make use of Iraqs weapon of mass destruction to kill Americans or people of other nations. However, it seems that the Iraq invasion did not fulfill the just cause. Regarding the weapon of mass destruction, in late 2002 Iraq agreed to inspection by UN inspectors in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1441. However, the inspectors discovered no weapon of mass destruction. They only concluded that Iraq government failed to proved that all weapon of mass destruction were properly destroyed. Besides, there was no evidence that the Iraqi government had any intention to use such weapon of mass destruction (even if Iraq did have the weapon). We did not see that the United States was facing a imminent threat of attack by Saddam Hussein. Moreover, we are all aware the recent missile test by North Korea and its possession of material for making nuclear weapon. Would it justify to wage war against North Korea? Certainly not, or why the United States has not waged war against North Korea? In respect of Iraqs link with terrorists, there was no evidence that Iraqi government had any link or connection with al Qaeda (or were involved with the attacks of September 11). If the Bush administration had such evidence, it would be a just course as the invasion is an act of self-defense. Postwar finding  [2]  also indicated that CIA assessed that Iraq and al Qaeda resembled two independent actors trying to exploit each other. It also indicated that Saddam Hussein was distrustful of al Qaeda and viewed Islamic extremists as a threat to his regime, refusing all request from al Qaeda to provide material and operational support. 2. Right Authority The US Congress passed the Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq on 11 October 2002. This resolution provided the Bush Administration with the legal basis for the invasion to Iraq. Besides, UN Security Resolution 678 and 687 authorized the United States to use force in ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction. As such, US action was carried out with right and legal authority. 3. Right Intention As pointed out in Bushs speech, the intention of invasion is to protect American and other people from weapon of mass destruction possessed by Iraq and the its support to terrorists. In respect of the intention to protect people from terrorists, as I earlier reported, there was no creditable evidence that Suddam Hussein had supported the terrorist like al Qaeda. Being the chief of command, Bush should have known that the allegation of connection with terrorist was nothing more than an excuse. Scholar (Murray and Scales, 2003) argued that after the September 11 attack, the destruction of dictator Saddams government by a swift and forceful military action could establish the authority of the United States and the determination to fight against terrorism. As such, the invasion did not meet the criterion of right intention from this perspective. Regarding weapon of mass destruction, since UN Inspector stated that after the inspection in late 2003 the Iraq government had failed to prove that all weapon of mass destruction were destroyed. The right intention of protecting people from such weapon was justified. However, a number of scholars opined that the true intention of USs military act was to acquire Iraqs oil supply and to protect the oil in the Middle East. In the end, right intention is a subjective measure that depends on what was Bush thinking at the time of the invasion. Based on the circumstance, it seems that the right intention was justified as an independent UN inspection team (though may be hight influenced by US) had doubted whether Iraq had destroyed all weapon of mass destruction. 4. Last Resort Coates (1997) stated that the criterion of last resort underlines the primacy of peace over war in just war thinking. Recognition of the potential moral instrumentality of war is not to be confused with moral enthusiasm for war. .moral considerations go hand in hand with political and military ones, and the moral judgment needs to be informed by a certain realism. Deciding when diplomatic and other non-bellicose means of securing peace have been effectively exhausted, or deciding when a conciliatory approach has become counterproductive, is largely a matter of political and military judgment. Coates rightly pointed out that the idea of last resort is subjective and could be influenced by political and military judgment. Walzer (2004) emphasized the important of last resort as because of the unpredictable, unexpected, unintended and unavoidable horrors that it regularly brings. As for the notion of lastness, it is essentially cautionary, he stated: look hard for alternatives before you let loose the dogs of war. The issue we need to discuss is whether the Bush administration had exhausted all non-violence means to achieve peace before the invasion to Iraq. However, I personally think that there would not any last resort in the reality. From anti-war believer, we would never meet the criterion of last resort. As such, we have to act at some point as far as all reasonable diplomatic and non-violence means have been done. As a matter of fact, when it comes to war, anti-war believer would always say that even at the last minute, there still are alternatives (which is always the best argument against waging war). The alternatives could be economic sanctions, UN inspection, pressure from neighbor and diplomatic meeting. However, Saddam could also use such non-violence alternative to buy time, so that he could have more time to build or hide the weapon of mass destruction. One of the reason as to why the UN inspector could not find any weapon of mass destruction may be because Saddem had bought enough time from previous noncooperation with UN inspection. Since Bush administration and UN had exercised diplomatic means to warn Saddem that war would be unavoidable if he chooses not to cooperate with the United States or UN, it is justified for Bush administration to say that he had exhausted the last resort. 5. Prospects of success In general, the US-led coalition outnumbered the Iraqi army. The military technology of the US led coalition was more advance than that of Iraqi army. Bush administration knew that there was high probability of success. The invasion phase of the war, ie, from 19 March to 20 April, proved that the criterion of prospects of success was meet. The problem is whether the US invasion was likely to generate condition of lasting peace by removing the dictatorship. However, after the invasion phase, despite the Iraqi army was quickly overwhelmed, some religious radicals and Iraqis angered by the occupation have begun isolate attack against the US led coalition. This contributes one of the main reasons for US military death in Iraq after the invasion phase. Besides, US and UK government was not able to restore basic services to the Iraqi people, and the decaying infrastructure due to a decade of sanction, bombing, corruption had left major cities barely functioning. Local people claimed that their living standard was actually worse than that in Saddam regime which had contributed to local anger at the transitional Iraqi government. Even three years after the invasion, on 14 August 2007 800 civilians were killed by a series suicide bomb attacks in Iraq. More than 100 homes an shops were destroyed during this series of attacks. Isolated attacks have taken place from time to time killing US army. Besides, the invasion also creates anger by Iraqi people against United States. On 14 December 2008, at a press conference by George W. Bush in Iraq, a reporter threw his shoes to Bush screamed This is for the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq. It seems that the military act was a success during the invasion phase, peace is still very remote for Iraqi people. The worst is that the invasion also creates tension between civilian of Iraq and the United States which would not be easily solved in short period of time (taking Chinese against Japanese government for the war crime they did during WWII as an example). 6. Proportionality Being a just war, it must be proportionate. The use of force must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. We all are concerned that invasion of Iraq could have unpredictable consequences not only for Iraq but for peace and stability elsewhere in the Middle East. Wells (1996) stated that if the price of the projected war is too great in total dislocation, suffering, and death, including all human, economic, and cultural costs, in comparison to the good likely to come of it, again, considering all the likely gains, then the war is disproportionate. During the invasion phase from 19 March to 30 April 2003, 9,200 Iraqi combatants were killed along with 7,299 civilians, primarily by US air and ground forces. Coalition forces reported the death in combat of 139 US military personnel and 33 UK military personnel. The casualty rate of Iraqi is almost ten times higher than that of the coalition force. From casualty perspective, we could say that it was a disproportional war. Besides, war would definitely destroy the infrastructure of Iraq and affect the living standard given the fact that they had already lived at the edge of survival after a decade of destructive sanctions. The international communities and the countries in the Middle East were not ready to handle the problem of refugee from the Iraq. What about the good achieved by the war. The most obvious one would be the discovery or destroy of weapon of mass destruction. Since the western countries generally believed that Saddam had possessed a number of weapon of mass destruction and was intended to use. The military action protected the live of American and people of other nations. Besides, Saddam was known to be brutal dictator who killed his own people including children and women. Removing Saddam might facilitate the development of democracy and protect the right and live of Iraqi civilians. It is important to compare the benefit and detriments caused by the war. Given that the Bushs speech on 18 March 2003 did warn that it is not too late for the Iraqi military to act with honor and protect your country by permitting the peaceful entry of coalition forces to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. Our force will give Iraqi military units clear instructions on actions they can take to avoid being attacked and destroyed. I urge every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services, if war comes, do not fight for a dying regime that is not worth your own life. Besides, in the same speech, Bush also promised that as our coalition takes away their (Saddam) power, we will deliver food and medicine you need., we will help you to build a new Iraq that is prosperous and free. In a free Iraq, there will no mar wars of aggression against your neighbors,no more execution of dissidents, no more torture chambers and rape rooms. In view of all the circumstance, it is reasonable to say that the invasion met the criterion of proportionality. Based on the above analysis, the invasion of Iraq fulfills all criteria of Jus ad bellum except the criterion of just cause. The reason the invasion of Iraq failing to meet the requirement of just cause is because there is no weapon of mass destruction found in Iraq and Iraq had no connection with Terrorists. However, if the Bush administration, based on the intelligence provided by CIA prior to the invasion, truly believed that Iraq had weapon of mass destruction (and was intended to use it) and there was evidence to suggest Iraq had aided al Qaeda, then it would be reasonable to say the invasion fulfills the criterion of just cause. JUST WAR THEORY VS US INVASION (Just in bello) 1. Noncombatant Immunity Coates (1997) states that the moral reasoning associated with the principle of civilian or, more exactly, noncombatant immunity is one of the most strongly contested areas of just war theory. Since moral guilt or innocent can be established only by reference to the intentions, state of mind and subjective disposition of an individual, the distinction could not be used as a means of discriminating between legitimate and illegitimate targets of attack. This means the criterion of noncombatant immunity is a subjective measure of a persons mind. In a democratic government like the United State, targeting civilian or noncombatant during a war would be a crime. I would quite confidence to say that the US-led coalition force did not violate the criterion of noncombatant immunity. But there is always collateral damage. People estimated the number of civilian causality since 2003 ranged from 91,676 to 100,083  [3]  . The large number of civilian causality or collateral damage gave a worrying reality that noncombatant immunity is very difficult to uphold in a war. Those Iraq civilian killed may be because the coalition army truly believed that their live were in danger and is was an act of self-defense. Besides, there were the human right abuses during the war and in particular at Abu Ghraib prison. Captured Iraqi army was tortured by US army in order to have intelligence. Those Iraqi soldiers were prisoners and could no longer cause any harm to the US, and strictly speaking, they were noncombatant. I consider such act by US is a violation to noncombatant immunity. Nonetheless, those violations to noncombatant immunity are isolated cases during the entire war. From the proceeding currently undertaking against US soldiers committing war crime, it shows that the US government is determined to uphold the requirement of noncombatant immunity. In respect of proportionality and right intention, their arguments are basically the same as the cases in jus ad bellum, and I would not repeat here. CONCLUSION The US led coalitions invasion of Iraq met all the requirement of the just war theory except the just cause. The Just Cause Theory is a subjective theory. Whether a war is just depends on the state of mind of the person who wages war, and we could only assess the circumstantial evidence. I guess that we would never know whether the Bush administration knowingly accept the false intelligence that Iraq had weapon of mass destruction and connection with terrorists or the Bush administration simply misled by incredible intelligence from CIA or other government agencies. It would a just war from Bushs perspective, if he was deceived by incredible intelligence. It is very difficult to assess whether a war is just, particularly for those war waged by powerful nations who could exert influence to its alliances or even the United Nation. I therefore suggest that an independent organization should be create who could have access to documents relating to the decision to wage war. This organization should also have judiciary power to conduct proceeding to decide whether a war is just. It can publish country for waging a unjust war and any wrongdoing during a war. Without an independent organization, nations will continue to wage war using the subjective side of the Just War Theory to justify their action. ******

Humorous Wedding Roast for Groom Who Plays Football and Likes to Drink :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Humorous Wedding Speech for a Groom Who Plays Football and Likes to Drink On behalf of the bridesmaids, I’d like to thank you, Victor, for those kind words. It was a pleasure keeping you company at the altar this morning and I’m always pleased to see more of the competition getting married off – especially with all these lovely bridesmaids around. When I started thinking about doing this speech, I found it curious that all the wedding speeches I've heard, without exception, blatantly and disgracefully set out to demolish the character of the groom. Well frankly, Victor’s worthy of better treatment that - and there’s no better way to point people in the right direction to view Victor’s worth than via his passions. And in recent weeks, Victor’s single passion has been to provide Robin the wedding she’s always dreamed of – and he’s spared no expense. I mean, just look at this venue. I can well understand why they decided this was the place to get married – packed full of history and romance. In fact, right in the corner of the room there’s an old underground escape passage that takes you right out of the building - its true! It’s the corner Robin was repeatedly glancing at during the ceremony. At school, I remember, Victor had two passions: music and soccer (football). He dreamed of playing the guitar like Jimi Hendrix and playing soccer like David Beckham. Unfortunately, he ended up playing the guitar like Beckham and playing soccer like Jimi Hendrix – a very stoned Jimmy Hendrix on crutches. Eventually, he did improve and it’s been a lasting passion ever since. He actually became quite a good player and when I joined his football club I was fortunate enough to play along side him at centre back, where he taught me everything I needed to know about how to avoid tackling, heading and scoring goals. But being new to the team I couldn’t understand why, after each game in the changing room showers, Victor always wore a Gimp mask. And as everyone here who went on his stag (bachelor’s party) will testify, that’s another passion that still lurks deep. After leaving school, Victor appeared to develop a passion for horticulture. To quote his mother, ‘Victor’s collection of moldy plates was very impressive, he had a regular penicillin factory under that bed of his.’ He also developed a passion for driving - especially driving fast cars. Humorous Wedding Roast for Groom Who Plays Football and Likes to Drink :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches Humorous Wedding Speech for a Groom Who Plays Football and Likes to Drink On behalf of the bridesmaids, I’d like to thank you, Victor, for those kind words. It was a pleasure keeping you company at the altar this morning and I’m always pleased to see more of the competition getting married off – especially with all these lovely bridesmaids around. When I started thinking about doing this speech, I found it curious that all the wedding speeches I've heard, without exception, blatantly and disgracefully set out to demolish the character of the groom. Well frankly, Victor’s worthy of better treatment that - and there’s no better way to point people in the right direction to view Victor’s worth than via his passions. And in recent weeks, Victor’s single passion has been to provide Robin the wedding she’s always dreamed of – and he’s spared no expense. I mean, just look at this venue. I can well understand why they decided this was the place to get married – packed full of history and romance. In fact, right in the corner of the room there’s an old underground escape passage that takes you right out of the building - its true! It’s the corner Robin was repeatedly glancing at during the ceremony. At school, I remember, Victor had two passions: music and soccer (football). He dreamed of playing the guitar like Jimi Hendrix and playing soccer like David Beckham. Unfortunately, he ended up playing the guitar like Beckham and playing soccer like Jimi Hendrix – a very stoned Jimmy Hendrix on crutches. Eventually, he did improve and it’s been a lasting passion ever since. He actually became quite a good player and when I joined his football club I was fortunate enough to play along side him at centre back, where he taught me everything I needed to know about how to avoid tackling, heading and scoring goals. But being new to the team I couldn’t understand why, after each game in the changing room showers, Victor always wore a Gimp mask. And as everyone here who went on his stag (bachelor’s party) will testify, that’s another passion that still lurks deep. After leaving school, Victor appeared to develop a passion for horticulture. To quote his mother, ‘Victor’s collection of moldy plates was very impressive, he had a regular penicillin factory under that bed of his.’ He also developed a passion for driving - especially driving fast cars.

Glass Menagerie :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ?The Glass Menagerie?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the ?The Glass Menagerie?, two themes are used so that the characters can deal with their painful facts of life. ?Illusion? and ?Escape? are the two themes which all the characters use. Tom Wingfield uses both of these themes to try and live a good happy life. Tom is capable of maintaining a life outside of his home, at his job, and going out of town. Tom is not a business man, he prefers more of a literature and reading environment to sustain his fantasies. Amanda Wingfield is another character that uses illusion and escape to deal with the painful facts of life also.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Wingfields are distinguished and tied together by their similarly weak relationships to reality. However, the illusions to which they concede are not exclusively a characteristic of theirs. The outside world is just as open to illusion. Tom also finds illusion in the movies he watches, Tom think?s that other viewers at the movies he attends are substituting on-screen adventure for real-life adventure, which fullfils his illusion rather than real life. Amanda's relationship to illusion is the most complicated in the play. Unlike her children, she is partial into the real world values and longs for social and financial success. Yet her attachment to these values is exactly what prevents her from perceiving a number of truths about her life. Amanda's retreat into illusion is in many ways more pathetic than her children's, because it is not a willful constructive imagination, but instead a wistful distortion of reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tom shows ?escape? because of not having a father, In the beginning of the movie, The Merchant Marine Service and the fire escape outside the apartment, haunts Tom. The play takes an unclear attitude toward the moral implications and even the effectiveness of Tom's escape. As an able bodied young man, he is locked into his life not by outside factors but by emotional ones. By his loyalty to and maybe even love for Laura and Amanda. Escape for Tom means the restrain and denial of these emotions in himself, and it means doing great harm to his mother and sister.

If There Is Nothing Lurking in the Darkness, Then Illumination and Exposure Are Pointless

Charles Brockden Brown’s novel Wieland is famous as the first American Gothic novel. It was published in 1798, at the very end of the Eighteenth Century and just fifteen years after the end of the American Revolution. While the novel was written in a time still dominated by Enlightenment-era thinking, the novel questions many of the assumptions of the Enlightenment. The realizations of the limits of the Enlightenment become apparent as the book progresses. The novel offers the characters Wieland and Pleyel as opposites in the novel, the former representing religion and the latter representing rationalism. Wieland is a novel that interacts with epistemology, that is, the study of knowledge; and the two characters are prime examples to focus on. The Enlightenment was characterized by the belief that the universe is a logical and orderly place and the hope that humanity would uncover the laws that govern it. Multiple scientific discoveries led to achievements in politics, the arts, and religion; but as the work proceeded, the importance of religion seemed to decline. As the years went on and questions remained unanswered after the American Revolution, it became assumed that not everything was as logical as it seemed at the spark of the Enlightenment. Another factor that added to the â€Å"burning out† of the Enlightenment was the French Revolution. Americans saw what a bloodbath the revolution in Europe had been and realized that the American Revolution could have just as easily been as bad. The combination of the limits of the Enlightenment with the near-missed massacre led writers to adopt a dark and opposite side of the reasonable thinking of the Enlightenment: the Gothic. This movement became the exploration of the extremes of emotions and limits of human understanding, so it included many mysterious happenings. Gothic literature typically contains old ruins, inexplicable occurrences, and overall dark environments. The main purpose of Gothic work was to respond to the shortcomings of the Enlightenment. In Brown’s Wieland, the characters Wieland and Pleyel are colleagues who share different views on life. Wieland, the brother of Clara the narrator, is a man of religion and emotion while Pleyel, the beloved of Clara, is a man of reason. The novel begins with the story of Wieland’s grandfather, which is disgustingly Gothic. The son of an esteemed family, Grandfather Wieland eventually marries the daughter of a merchant, which is the first conflict for the Wieland family line. The next Wieland (father to Clara) is a very religious man who develops an obsession for his temple. His constant brooding over the need to be in his church leads him to â€Å"spontaneously combust† one evening at his beloved establishment. Grandfather Wieland seems to curse the family by betraying his noble line, and his son is the victim of an unexplainable, possibly divine occurrence; Brown is using the most blatant Gothic references he can. At the end of this stained family tree is Wieland, Clara’s brother. He is a man of religion just like his father, however his character is not a true Calvinist like his father was. Wieland hears voices from an unknown source, and due to his outstanding faith, he attributes them to God. His connection with this formless voice leads Wieland to trust in his own religious mysticism. Positive that he hears, knows, and properly understands God’s will; Wieland accepts the divine orders given to him and murders his wife and children. Carwin tells Wieland that it has been him the whole time throwing his voice and playing with Wieland’s head, but Wieland does not let himself be deterred from his heavenly task to kill Clara by the â€Å"demon† Carwin. It is not until Carwin throws his voice again that Wieland is persuaded into believing that he has acted out of madness. Only by hearing the shapeless voice does Wieland accept that he has done wrong and believe that he is insane; he does not believe Carwin when he reveals the truth because he is so certain that God has been speaking to him, but when he truly understands (because â€Å"God†/Carwin speaks to Wieland), he decides to kill himself. Pleyel is Wieland’s closest friend, even though he has no connection with religion. His opposition provided Wieland and him with an extensive amount of room to discuss their personal beliefs. Having spent his youth abroad, Pleyel is a man of reason who allows his knowledge of the world to rule his decisions. Clara even states that Pleyel rejects â€Å"all guidance but his reasons,† confirming his Enlightenment-ness even further. Even though he and Wieland are unlike each other, they both offer views on the Enlightenment. A moment in the novel in which Pleyel parallels with Wieland’s character is when the former hears Carwin throwing his voice to give the illusion that Clara and Carwin are together and have been intimate with each other. Being the man of reason that he is, Pleyel decides that since he heard Clara and Carwin speaking it is only logical to conclude that what he hears is reality. He then takes it upon himself to court another woman since Clara â€Å"evidently† is not the virtuous woman he thought she was. Pleyel does not trust Clara after hearing Carwin’s biloquism, but if he truly loved her then he would take her word over what he heard. Unfortunately, Pleyel trusts that his own mind is able to discern the truth over Clara’s heart and runs away from the reality he cannot handle. He trusts that his reasoning is greater than his emotions and ignores his own feelings for Clara, which leads him to marry another woman before he finally ends up with Clara years later. Charles Brockden Brown’s Wieland is a Gothic novel of epistemology. It is unlike anything else that has been read this semester as it is one of the earliest Gothic novels written. The ancestral curse that befalls the Wieland family when Grandfather Wieland taints the noble bloodline is first carried to his son, whose only gratification is in his temple, who spontaneously combusts; and is then carried to his grandson who believes and trusts so firmly in his faith that he cannot differentiate between a biloquist and God’s actual orders and kills his family and himself. These â€Å"supernatural† occurrences are key in Gothic novels, even though Wieland and Clara are the only two characters who fall for them. Pleyel, on the other hand, relies on his senses and instead of trusting what seems to be true (like Wieland), he trusts (what he concludes) has to be true. The ongoing tug-of-war of knowledge throughout the story between Wieland’s faith and Pleyel’s reason comes to an end when Wieland, the man of religion, murders his entire family because of his mistake of certainty. Brown is offering his take on the post-Enlightenment stance on religion through the tragic flaw and downfall of Wieland; while at the same time showing how the limits of human understanding in Pleyel cause him to not believe Clara and marry another woman first. Even though both men lose their (first) wives, Pleyel manages to repair his relationship with Clara and marry her. This must be the victory of reason over religion. By embracing the dark side of the Enlightenment that was virtually untouched before and during the Eighteenth Century, Brown’s Wieland attributes religious mysticism to madness and shows the flaw of the Enlightenment to be the power of human emotions.

Internet mini case Essay

Williams-Sonoma (WSM) was a specialty retailer of products for the home. The company’s products were sold through two channels: the retail channel and the direct-to-customer channel. The retail segment comprised four retail concepts: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, and Hold Everything. The direct-to-customer segment sold though eight retail catalogs: Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Bed + Bath, PB Teen, Hold Everything, West Elm, and Williams-Sonoma Home (which incorporated elements from the previously separate Chambers) as well as through four e-commerce sites. The catalogs reached customers throughout the United States, and the four retail businesses operated 522 stores in 42 states and Washington, DC. The retail segment accounted for 58.9% of total sales; the direct-to-customer segment accounted for 41.1% in fiscal 2003. Charles E. Williams, Director Emeritus of the company in 2003, founded Williams-Sonoma in 1956 to offer high-end culinary and serving equipment in an upscale retail environment. The company entered the direct-to-customer channel in 1972, with the introduction of its flagship catalog, â€Å"A Catalog for Cooks,† which marketed the Williams-Sonoma brand. In 1983, the company internally developed the Hold Everything catalog to offer innovative and stylish storage solutions for home and home office. The success of the catalog led to the opening of the first Hold Everything retail store in 1985. In 1986, the company acquired Pottery Barn, at that time a marginally successful retailer and direct-to-customer merchant featuring a large assortment of casual home furnishings and accessories including furniture, lamps and lighting fixtures, rugs, window treatments, linens, dinnerware, and glassware. In 1989, Williams-Sonoma created Chambers, a direct-to-customer merchandiser of high-quality, premium-priced linens, towels, robes, soaps, and accessories for bed and bath. This case was prepared by Professor Maryanne M. Rouse, MBA, CPA, University of South Florida. Copyright  © 2005 by Professor Maryanne M. Rouse. This case cannot be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the copyright holder, Maryanne M. Rouse. Reprint permission is solely granted to the publisher, Prentice Hall, for the books, Strategic Management and Business Policy – 10th and 11th Editions (and the International version of this book) and Cases in Strategic Management and Business Policy – 10th Edition by the copyright holder, Maryanne M. Rouse. This case was edited for SMBP and Cases in SMBP – 10th Edition. The copyright holder is solely responsible for case content. Any other publication of the case (translation, any form of electronics or other media) or sold (any form of partnership) to another publisher will be in violation of copyright law, unless Maryanne M. Rouse has granted an additional written reprint permission. In early 1999, the company launched both its Williams-Sonoma Internet wedding and gift registry web site and its Williams-Sonoma e-commerce site. Later that year, the company launched a separate Pottery Barn Kids catalog to offer well-made, stylish children’s furniture and decorative accessories. (Pottery Barn Kids was one of the first concepts to market in what is expected to be a major growth segment during the next decade, as birthrates in the United States. are expected to surpass rates achieved at any time in the past 30 years. Birthrates among older women are soaring, and older moms tend to be wealthier and more willing to splurge on their children.) Pottery Barn Kids stores were opened adjacent to Pottery Barn stores across the United States, and by September 2004, there were 78 stores. Edward Mueller, Williams-Sonoma CEO, expected Pottery Barn Kids to be the primary growth vehicle for the company over the next several years. Williams-Sonoma launched its Pottery Barn web site and created a separate Pottery Barn Bed + Bath catalog in 2000. In 2001, the company added a Pottery Barn Kids web site, and a Pottery Barn online gift and bridal registry, and it opened five new retail stores in Toronto, Ontario. In line with its related diversification growth strategy, Williams-Sonoma tested a new catalog in summer 2002, under the West Elm brand. This new brand targeted young, design-conscious customers seeking to furnish first homes/apartments/lofts with quality furniture and accessories at affordable price points. West Elm product categories included furniture, decorative accessories, and an extensive textiles collection. In 2003, Williams-Sonoma expanded its catalog mailings for West Elm, added a web site, and opened its first retail store. Williams-Sonoma launched PB Teen with a catalog and web site in late April 2003. PB Teen was intended to fill the market space between Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids with hip, exclusively designed furniture, rugs, lighting, bedding, and accessories promoted with its catalog, interactive web site, special sales campaigns, and contests. The company’s newest concept, Williams-Sonoma Home, was introduced in third quarter 2004 to tap into what company Chairman William H. Lester noted had been an empty space between the Pottery Barn demographic and designer home furnishings. Lester hoped to position this brand extension as an upscale furniture concept that would be more classic and less fashion-forward than Pottery Barn. Dave DeMattei, Williams-Sonoma’s President of Emerging Brands, noted that the look of casual elegance was â€Å"aspirational,† using an industry term for a product that helps a consumer trade up without necessarily spending top dollar. This new home collection, put together by Steven Brady, former President for Home Design at Ralph Lauren Home, featured down-plumped sofas ranging from $2,200 to $5,800 and $3,000 leather headboards as well as crystal lamps, cashmere throws, and the upscale linens formerly featured in the company’s Chambers catalog. (The company planned to fold the Chambers catalog into the Williams-Sonoma Home catalog.) Although some industry watchers questioned whether consumers would be willing to buy somewhat pricey furnishing sight-unseen, the company’s alliances with decorators, who would get trade discounts, were expected to help overcome initial resistance. The first Williams-Sonoma Home retail stores were expected to open early in 2 005. Retail Stores As of September 2004, Williams-Sonoma operated a total of 522 retail stores located in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Toronto, Ontario: 242 Williams-Sonoma, 176 Pottery Barn, 82 Pottery Barn Kids, 7 Hold Everything, 1 West Elm, and 14 outlet stores. The company leased rather than owned its retail space. As of September 2004, the company’s gross leased square feet totaled 4,292,000, with 2,705,000 â€Å"selling† square feet. Lease terms ranged from 3 to 23 years. The average square feet per retail location increased from 7,660 in 2002 to 8,200 by August 2004, as the company replaced older, smaller Pottery Barn stores with larger stores carrying a wider variety of merchandise, including furniture. Direct-to-Customer Operations The direct-to-customer segment sold a variety of products through eight catalogs and e-commerce web sites. The company sent its catalogs to addresses from its proprietary customer lists as well as to names it received in exchange (or purchases) from other mail-order merchandisers, magazines, and other companies. The direct-to-customer business complemented the retail business by building customer awareness of the brand and acting as an effective promotional vehicle. Williams-Sonoma also used its catalogs and e-commerce sites as a cost-efficient means of testing market acceptance of new products. As of 2004, of the eight merchandising concepts, the Pottery Barn brand and its extensions had been the major source of sales growth in this segment for the previous several years. A good deal of Pottery Barn’s success was attributed to its ability to create a â€Å"lifestyle brand.† A brand gained â€Å"lifestyle† status via style, innovation, and appeal to customers who wanted to lead a particular style of life; in short, it allowed the company to reach a higher level in terms of the connection it made with the customer. Facilities/Locations Williams-Sonoma leased centralized distribution facilities in Olive Branch, Mississippi (2,152,000 square feet), and Memphis, Tennessee (1,515,000 square feet), and call centers in Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, and Camp Hill, Pennsylvania (approximately 36,000 square feet in each location). Distribution centers served both the company’s retail locations and fulfillment operations. The company also leased office, warehouse, design/photo studio, and data center space in California, New York, and Florida. In February, Williams-Sonoma purchased headquarters offices in San Francisco. Suppliers The company’s sourcing strategy included relationships with manufacturers in over 40 countries. Approximately 58% of merchandise purchases were from non-U.S. vendors, most of which were located in Europe and Asia. Substantially all of the company’s foreign purchases of merchandise were negotiated and paid for in U.S. dollars. Any event causing a sudden disruption or delay of imports from foreign vendors, including the imposition of additional import restrictions, restrictions on the transfer of funds and/or increased tariffs or quotas, or both, against home-centered items could increase the cost or reduce merchandise availability. No supplier accounted for more than 4% of Williams-Sonoma’s total purchases. Finance In fiscal 2003 (fiscal year ended February 1, 2004), Williams-Sonoma reported a 16.7% increase in net revenues over the prior year, the highest pretax operating margin and earnings per share in the company’s history and an increasing return on assets. Williams-Sonoma’s profit for the quarter ended August 1, 2004, jumped 55% as sales surged at the company’s Pottery Barn and outlet stores. Revenue for second quarter 2004 increased 19%, to $689.6 million, with direct-to-customer sales up an impressive 27%. Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids drove second quarter retail growth with same-store sales increases of 10.2%; however, same-store sales at the company’s Williams-Sonoma stores slid 1.6%. The closing price for Williams-Sonoma stock on October 14, 2004, was $36.33. (Note: Williams-Sonoma’s annual and quarterly reports and SEC filings are available via the company’s web site, www.williams-sonomainc.com, and www.wsj.com ) The Industry The specialty retail business was highly competitive and characterized by a number of challenges, including: Anticipating and quickly responding to changing consumer demands Maintaining favorable brand recognition and effectively marketing products to consumers in diverse market segments Developing innovative, high-quality products in colors and styles that appealed to consumers of varying age groups and tastes Competitively pricing products and achieving customer perception of value Providing strong and effective marketing support Specialty retail exhibited the low entry barriers characteristic of fragmented industries, barriers that may be all but eliminated with the increased popularity of the Internet. Favored products for online shopping included computers, books, CDs, electronics, toys, and housewares. Over time, industry analysts expected catalog retailing to merge with e-tailing as web sites become electronic catalogs. For successful companies with strong brand names, the combination of stores and web sites would be a powerful one; however, expenditures for e-commerce sites would hurt profitability in the short run. Competitors Williams-Sonoma’s specialty retail stores, mail-order catalogs, and Internet web sites competed with other retail stores, other mail-order catalogs, and other e-commerce web sites that marketed similar lines of merchandise. The company competed with national, regional, and local businesses as well as traditional furniture stores, department stores and specialty stores. The substantial sales growth in the direct-to-customer industry within the past decade had encouraged both the entry of new competitors and an increase in competition from established companies. Direct competitors included such national companies as Crate & Barrel, Restoration Hardware, Pier 1 Imports, and Bombay Company, as well as regional companies such as the Door Store, Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium, Home Elements, and Expressions. Crate & Barrel A counterculture story of the 1960s, Crate & Barrel opened its first store in Chicago’s Old Town in 1962 and mailed its first catalog in 1967. Privately held Crate & Barrel prided itself on designing beautiful store displays that were difficult to copy and worked diligently to find products from smaller, out-of-the way factories that made beautiful products that consumers could afford. Although the company had significantly fewer brick-and-mortar locations (84 retail and outlet stores) than the Williams-Sonoma retail concepts with which it competed, Crate & Barrel marketed nationwide via its catalogs and web site. Restoration Hardware Restoration Hardware grew from just 20 stores in 1997 to 104 at the end of 2001, barely 37 behind Pottery Barn in brick-and-mortar locations; however, the company had had a difficult time managing growth. Its aggressive expansion between 1998 and 2000 cost it two years of profits and sank the value of its stock to as low as $.50 a share in December 2000, from $37 a share in 1998, the year it went public. The closing price for its stock on May 19, 2002, was $10.19. Both Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn sold high-dollar, vintage-style furniture and home furnishings and had many other characteristics in common, including significant growth in direct-to-customer sales. Industry observers estimated that while Pottery Barn targeted the wealthiest 20% of Americans, Restoration Hardware targeted the wealthiest 10%. Whimsical nostalgia had been a big seller for Restoration Hardware for several years, with such items as retro tools, steamer chairs that could have come straight from the set of Titanic, shot glasses decorated with optometrists’ eye charts, and down-filled â€Å"foot duvets† proving hugely popular with shoppers. Restoration Hardware’s not-so-secret weapon in the battle for upscale customers could well have been Gary Friedman. In spring 2001, Friedman, who managed Pottery Barn’s explosive growth in the 1990s, was named CEO of Restoration Hardware after having been passed over for the top job at Williams-Sonoma. Pier 1 Imports Pier 1 Imports comprised three chains of retail stores operating under the names Pier 1 Imports, The Pier, and Cargo. Products offered included a wide variety of furniture, decorative home furnishings, dining and kitchen goods, bath and bedding, and other specialty items for the home. During the fiscal year ended February 28, 2004 (fiscal 2003), it operated 1,015 Pier 1 stores in the United States and 68 Pier 1 stores in Canada, and it also supported 8 franchised stores in the United States. In addition, it operated 29 stores located in the United Kingdom under the name The Pier and 40 Cargokids stores located in the United States. Pier 1 also supplied merchandise, and it licensed the Pier 1 Imports name to Sears Mexico and Sears Puerto Rico, which sold Pier 1 merchandise in a store-within-a-store format in 20 Sears Mexico stores and in 7 Sears Puerto Rico stores. The Bombay Company The Bombay Company’s retail stores and catalog emphasized classic traditional furniture, wall decor, and accessories. Furniture included both wood and metal ready-to-assemble furniture designed for the bedroom, living room, dining room, and home office. Functional and decorative accessories included lamps, jewelry, baskets, candles, scents, ceramics, frames, and desktop items. Wall decor included prints and mirrors. On January 31, 2004, the company operated 415 stores in 42 states and 56 stores in 9 Canadian provinces, as well as 46 outlet stores. The company viewed the outlets as an opportunity to increase sales to a different customer base, to assist in the orderly clearance of merchandise, and to further capitalize on its strength in designing and sourcing proprietary products. Accessories, the broadest category offered by the company, accounted for 43% of sales in 2003, while large furniture accounted for 31%, and ready-to-assemble products 14%, with wall decor accounting for the remaining 12%. Door Store The privately held Door Store operated nine retail locations in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Its products included contemporary and traditional case goods and upholstered furniture; it competed with both Pottery Barn and Hold Everything. The company’s product strategy was to anticipate trends in furniture and to make quality furniture available to style-conscious customers at â€Å"prices almost too good to be true.† The Door Store also marketed via its web site and shipped nationwide. Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium This privately held franchise kitchen and housewares concept, with headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas, had store locations in regional and upscale malls in Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. In addition to retail sales, the company marketed nationwide via catalogs and its web site. The Rolling Pin competed with Williams-Sonoma. Other Competitors Other competitors across retail concepts included local and regional furniture and specialty stores, department stores, and direct-ship manufacturers. Williams-Sonoma’s expansion from the kitchen into the rest of the home with its flagship brand via the new Williams-Sonoma Home concept was expected to reorder a landscape dominated by traditional retailers such as Ethan Allen and Room & Board and by â€Å"tastemakers† such as Martha Stewart for Bernhardt and Ralph Lauren Home.

At I essentially am not in madness Essay

â€Å"That I essentially am not in madness, But mad in Craft† Consider the importance of pretence and acting in Hamlet. Do you entirely agree with Hamlet’s claim? The idea of a character feigning madness is commonplace in great literary works; many authors use it to show the sanity of a character. Shakespeare has used this idea throughout the play, Hamlet. In this masterpiece, there is much debate around the protagonist, Hamlet, and whether his madness was real or feigned: literary scholars have debated this for more than four hundred years. Shakespeare uses a theme of madness in this play to illustrate how one must use deception in order to deceive others to reach the truth. Thus, in this play, the tragic hero contemplates his own moral judgements and in the process is considered mad. Hamlet claims to feign his madness, as he says to Horatio and Marcellus in Act 1 Scene 5, â€Å"How strange or odd some’er I bear myself- As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To Put an antic disposition on. † This quote illustrates how Hamlet intends to pretend to be mad in order to reach the truth within this court, which Hamlet describes as, â€Å"out of joint,† which once again highlights the disordered state of affairs. However, society has an even greater effect on Hamlet because his madness could be a sign of his inability to determine between right and wrong and to make appropriate decisions in the context of his society. Towards the opening of the play, in Act 1 Scene 2, Hamlet says to his mother, Gertrude, â€Å"Nay it is. I know not what ‘seems’. † Thus, Hamlet is saying he does not what it is to pretend because he only knows what it is to be. This quotation is ironic because it is the crux of the scholarly dispute: if Hamlet only knows what it is to be, then his madness must be genuine. In Shakespearian society, it was commonly believed that when an individual told a lie they ended up believing it so strongly that they eventually started to live that lie. In this way, Hamlet is a young man who has suffered a series of unfortunate circumstances that could have propagated a descent into madness. Initially his attempt to feign madness could be considered as a method by which he can camouflage his inability to find an emotional catalyst to thrust him into a frenzied state of revenge: his response to the ghost’s revelation is relatively passive considering the repercussions it will have within the court. Thus, it would seem that perhaps his feigning of madness actually manifests itself in reality, as Hamlet struggles to distinguish between all the lies he is forced to tell and enters the spiralling mendacity within the court. In contrast to Hamlet, Ophelia subsequently develops a certainly genuine sanity due to the death of her father. Throughout the play, Ophelia is manipulated by Shakespeare, as a symbol of innocence because she is not part of the scheming, manipulative court; thus, her madness illustrates the effect on the innocent by those manipulating power. Ophelia herself says, â€Å"I was the more deceived,† talking with Hamlet of their love. Her madness may also be, to some degree, a product of her seemingly unrequited love for Hamlet. In Act 3 Scene 1, the parted lovers each illustrate their frustrations with the world and their argument may be responsible for sending both further into madness. Ophelia says, â€Å"O, what a noble mind is here o’erthrown,† which alludes to Hamlet’s emotional unbalance that has been poignantly reflected via Shakespeare’s change from his regular verse for Hamlet’s preceding tirade. This could be demonstrative of a whirlwind within Hamlet’s mind that causes him to abandon all rhyme and reason both mentally and in his expression of his thoughts. His rudeness and the confused emotions, which he presents before Ophelia may also lead to her later insanity and therefore, Hamlet may feel some guilt that further enhances his own mental instability. Hamlet’s claim in Act 3 Scene 4 to his mother, â€Å"That I essentially am not in madness, But mad in Craft,† would suggest that Hamlet still retains his purpose and motivation and has not started to live his lie. However, it could also be the ramblings of a lost and confused man, caught up in a spiral of emotions. The use of the word â€Å"craft† implies Hamlet’s cunningness in his approach to revenge. He appears to think he has manipulated himself so that he retains the upper hand: this can be reinforced by Shakespeare’s use of a play within a play in Act 3 Scene 2. The concept of a play within a play reinforces the idea of pretence and seeming. Hamlet’s directions to the players serve to illustrate the subtle balance acting and being. Hamlet feels that the â€Å"purpose of playing† is â€Å"to hold as ’twere the mirror up to nature: to show virtue her feature. † Therefore, acting in Hamlet’s eyes would be replicating emotions exactly, as though they were real. This is where Shakespeare manipulates the audience because Hamlet’s definition of successful playing may, also, therefore, be reflected in his pretence of madness. In order to feign madness, he must reflect nature exactly and it is here where the distinction becomes blurred because Hamlet himself is treading a fine line, as he attempts to sustain a pretence and thus, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether or not he is in fact still pretending as the play progresses. Shakespeare’s choice to make Hamlet conduct his own play is clearly an attempt to demonstrate Hamlet’s manipulative abilities and to a certain degree to still suggests that he has retained his sanity because it allows him to gauge the response of King Claudius before engaging in revenge. Therefore, this would suggest that Hamlet is a sly and slightly devious character, perhaps as much so as the rest of the court: however, fundamentally, it might indicate that he is acting logically and methodically via the theatre as his chosen medium. This innate subtly of his manipulation would suggest there is a certain â€Å"craft† to his revenge that is carefully calculated and thus, it is only his method which may seem extreme and it is not a reflection of his sanity. A defining scene that stimulates much scholarly dispute is Act 3 Scene 4, where the ghost reappears to Hamlet in the presence of his mother. The source of the dispute lies in whether on this occasion the ghost is real or simply a figment of Hamlet’s imagination because it is evident that Gertrude cannot see the ghost, â€Å"This is the very coinage of your brain. This bodiless creation ecstasy Is very cunning in. † Shakespeare could here be using Gertrude as a mouth piece, to lead the audience into believing Hamlet is now no longer feigning his madness. However, an important contrast with Ophelia’s madness is that she rambles and appears to have no rhyme or reason in the words she utters, whereas Hamlet maintains purpose and retains his factors of motivation, such as his resentment towards his mother and women in general. This scene is poignant in leading the audience towards their interpretation of Hamlet’s mental disposition and it is important to recognise that this can also be manipulated by the actors themselves and the way they perform this scene. It is a very emotionally charged scene and the use of dramatics and theatrical stage devices will have a certain influence on how Hamlet’s madness is perceived. In conclusion, Hamlet is an unbalanced individual thrown into a state of turmoil, as he has had his fears confirmed by the appearance of his father’s ghost. However, it would seem that Shakespeare, perhaps intentionally, has left a large degree of the interpretation of Hamlet’s â€Å"antic disposition† to the audience and to the artistic licence of the actors. Whilst this may not have been Shakespeare’s intention, as he is renowned for his perfectionism and influence on the performances of his plays, it has created a play that is still subject to much literary discussion and intense analysis, in order to settle one of literature’s greatest disputes: one that is likely never to be settled. However, by studying the text it seems that Hamlet is feigning his madness throughout the play but his exuberance and authenticity progresses along with the play. It is an insight in a mind filled with a whirlwind of emotions and Hamlet’s use of a play would appear to simply reflect his preference to use words rather than actions, as can be seen my many of the play on words he uses in his speech. Hamlet himself says that acting must be an accurate reflection of nature and therefore, Ophelia’s insanity may have provided inspiration, rather than sending him even further into his own madness. The most influential aspect of the play that has lead to this personal response is the contrast between Hamlet and Ophelia’s madness. Throughout the play he maintains a high level of thought and emotional complexity and responds to all the actions of those around him, which would suggest that he is not in a world of his own created by insanity. Instead he is continually able to refute allegations of insanity when he wants be listened and adhered to, â€Å"My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time, And makes as healthful music. It is not madness That I have utter’d. † Thus, it is difficult to reach a resounding decision on his â€Å"antic disposition† due to Shakespeare’s accurate portrayal of a complex web of emotions; however, ultimately, it would seem he desired to reflect the potential for confusion of emotions whilst maintaining the coherency of his tragic hero. Bibliography â€Å"Hamlet† by Shakespeare, edited by Roma Gill, M. A. Cantab. , B. Litt. Oxon. Published by Oxford University Press, 2002. Aniela Baseley 13Fo English Coursework 2005/6.