Succession Planning of A.C. Milan Research Paper

Succession Planning of A.C. Milan - Research Paper Example The soccer team plays in Series A league. A.C. Milan was established in 1899 by Herbert Kilpin and Alfred Edwards among others. The soccer team has its entire history in the top Italian football flight with an exception of 1982–83 and 1980–81seasons popular as Serie A between1929–30 (Singer, 2010). The club’s owner is former Prime Minister of Italy with a controlling shareholding by Mediaset Silvio Berlusconi as well as Adriano Galliani, the vice-president. The soccer team is ranked as a wealthy and most valuable asset in the Italian, as well as world football. The soccer team was one of the founding members of G-14 group (now-defunct) in Europes leading football clubs as well as the replacement, European Club Association. Milans subsequent seasons of success were derived from the former player, Carlo Ancelotti. His November 2001 appointment allowed Ancelotti to take Milan to 2003 Champions League final. However, the soccer team was defeated Juventus through penalty shoot-out to secure the sixth European Cup for the club. The members won scudetto between 2003 and 2004 prior reaching 2005 Champions League final (Hastings, 2014). The focus also started with a beating from Liverpool through penalties irrespective of the lead of 3–0 during half time. Mission: â€Å"To maintain the balance of management and of accounts both to support sporting excellence and the activities associated with the expectations of our clients and our stakeholders. The economic and financial management oriented to structural sustainability must be in compliance with the provisions of UEFA Financial Fair Play† Changes in the soccer teams include movement in diversified lines of business, alternate global markets, and new technology demanding for new attitudes among soccer soccer team managers and with different competencies, talents and qualifications the A.C Milan soccer team believes in career development among the

Toyota Business Strategy In Global Environment Marketing Essay

Toyota Business Strategy In Global Environment Marketing Essay There have been two reasons of arbitrariness at work to evolve Toyota from its very humble beginning to a world renowned car maker. Firstly, the oil crisis of mid 1970s became an exogenous jolt that increased the demand for smaller and fuel-efficient vehicles in the U.S. Toyota was a making these cars and the U.S buyers who would never have bought Toyota cars , were stirred to make the purchase for the first time. Many of them got pleasantly surprised by the value offered by Toyota and became long term customers as oil prices soared. The oil crisis, in a sense, proved a welcome break and a critical incident to get entrance to the main-stream of the automobile market in U.S. The Toyota Production System can be called a paradox as on one side, all activities, production flows and connections in a Toyota plant are inflexibly scripted. Yet, its operations are extremely flexible and quite responsive to consumer demands, at the same time. It is considered that the very inflexibility of the operations which makes flexibilities reality. It is because of the operations can be regarded as constant series of controlled experiments. Upon defining any specification, it is actually making a hypothesis which can then be examined in action. This scientific method way is not forced on its workforce rather ingrained in them. It inspires them to indulge in the type of tested and experiments that are generally accepted as the basis of a learning organisation. The Toyota Production System evolved from the day to day working of the company over a long period and has actually never been written down as a manual. Toyota builds up all its working operations as experiments and i ngrains the scientific method to its workforce. The first step establishes how workers do their job. The second is how they interact with each other. The third is about the construction of the production lines. Lastly, how workers can learn to improve. Every production path, link, and action planned on these steps should have built-in tests which can indicate problems straight away. And this apparently inflexible system is made so flexible and adaptive to its ever changing environment through the repeated responses to those in built tests. This made it well positioned in the mist of 1970s oil crisis. Toyota coming from the Japan where size and fuel economy were big issues then in the U. S. But after the Oil crisis, Toyota just had want the U.S consumers were looking for in a dramatically changed environment. According to Louis Pasture, Fortune favours the prepared mind, and this small piece of fortune could have proved useless had Toyota made poorer cars. But instead, U.S consumers straight away realized its quality which was a reflection of its tradition and strategy of production excellence, of reduction in costs and defects and improvement in the quality. The use of thorough standardization to achieve a strategic flexibility is an apparent paradox at the centre of Toyotas excellent quality and efficiency through making a lot more predictable quality and timing outcomes than possible otherwise. Common architecture, standardization of the processes and reusability are the concepts and tools included in this kind of principle. Taking waste out of the product development process is absolute critical. Actually, standardization of skills, processes and designs enable for the customization of specific programme, broader individual responsibility and a JIT HR strategy, more elastic capacities for product development and quite a few other benefits. The ministry of international trade and industry (MITI) encouraged Japanese firm to enter to automobile industry despite establish competitors from the West by imposing high tariffs discouraging import and prohibiting foreign ownership. Post-war conditions put Japan into a country lacking significant capital, so that Japan had to rely mostly on producing its own technology. Toyota family vehicles are preferred and popular. Toyota needs to develop new technology to enhance their diesel engines, to make less pollution which will impact the low CO2 emission in environment, and which will be socially benefit for the world. Toyota needs consistent policies, regulations and incentives to accelerate technology and acceptance of technology. Toyota overall technology is good but its electric cars have an issue of less battery time etc. In Toyota the process of decision making is mostly done by the top level management according to the facts and findings of the research departments. Toyota got very strict organisational structure in order to achieve their high goals in international market. Firstly Taiichi Ohno was the guy who basically designed their management style and gave the Toyotas most famous concept of Toyota production system or lean manufacturing system. According to Ohno work means the production of the perfect goods only, because he thinks that if a machine is not producing the perfect goods then it is not in good working condition or maybe not working. This concept tells us that Toyota is very quality conscious. But actually now Toyota is being questioned about the quality after millions of recalls and hundreds of accidents in last four months to Toyota drivers. But actually in Toyota when the decision making is done then the workers are really pushed hard by the managers to achieve the targets. And thats why currently Toyota is facing problem with Brake override system and they had to recall millions of cars, because software problem related to brake and acceleration system and in some models gas pedal sticks with the floor pad. All competitors of Toyota are already using this brake override Technology but Toyota was slow to understand this technology but now they are saying that in future this system will be available in all Toyota upcoming cars. But honestly speaking in U.S Toyotas reputation has been reduced tremendously after some accidents due to their mistakes. And now currently at first place Toyota should do something to get the customer confidence back to prosper in future market. http://www.mainstreet.com/article/smart-spending/autos/what-toyota-should-have-done-brake-override?page=1 http://www.egmcartech.com/2010/02/26/inaba-toyota-shouldve-done-a-better-job-sharing-information-with-lawmakers/ Toyota needs to improve the knowledge management system because only then they can learn from their past mistakes and their solutions and by doing so they can make a strategy to avoid those mistakes in future. Toyota should be quick to spot new technologies those are highly recommended by different markets for the safety of the road users. Try to design products for different regions according to the needs of local people where the final product will be used. As company want to be more globalised then we should try to build a database in which everything is available for each and every individual who is working in Toyota anywhere in the world. There should be a system through which company can communicate more effectively to decrease the safety defect issues in products around the globe. Always try to consider local knowledge about the industry before designing any type of vehicle for local people and presenting or marketing it around the globe. Try to do more than competitors in every market to please the consumer, because this will contribute to brand loyalty and then people will have more confidence to buy a Toyota product. As Toyota want to compete in the international market in more countries then marketing strategy for each country or region should be different and according to the local way of thinking. Toyota should try to localise production and supply base to avoid expenses like storage and transportation. And it also enables them work more quickly and efficiently in most of the times. Find workers which are needed for the job and develop them according to the needs of the company to achieve high and efficient productivity. Toyota should always keep a look on all types of suppliers and their product quality because its directly related with the Toyotas product quality. As product designs and technologies are changing day by day thats why Toyota should not indulge itself to long term contracts with suppliers. Train and encourage innovative people working within the company to create something new and exciting for international markets according to the demand of public and international standards. There should be no compromise on the user safety of the product in any kind of circumstances. For the purpose of more globalization of Toyota supply chain management should be improved to oblige the commitments in international market. Dealers working with Toyota motors should be trained in such a way that customer service and support should be their main priority. The decisions that are concerned with the environment in which the firm operates, the entire resources, owner of company and the interface between the two are known as strategic decision. Here are some of the characteristic of strategic decision Strategic decisions play an important role for an organisation. These decisions may be related to the new resources, organising others or reallocating others. Strategic decision deal with the threats and opportunities with harmonizing organizational resource capabilities. Strategic decisions are long term decision. Strategic decisions are what is our future panning and these decisions are made very carefully. Strategic decisions are always arranged according to the organisation mission and vision. These decisions are related to the overall planning of the organisation. These decisions deal with the organisation growth that how we have to do planning for the successful future of the organisation. Strategic are always at the top most level, as these deal with the future so these decision are always uncertain and involve lot of risk. Strategic decisions are complex in nature. Figure 1 Strategic decisions are always designed to help the senior management to improve the quality of their decisions. The whole process of strategic decision gives all the participants a good grasp of modern concept of strategic analysis. However all the decision are made by the managers and the people at the senior level but strategic decision will help the managers that how to deal with the process of decision making. Cost leadership mean to gain the competitive advantage over the rivals in market. In order to gain the competitive advantage firms always try to recruit cheap labour and produce the goods at low cost. Firms try to sell their products at average price to gain higher profits than its rivals or they sell their products below the average industry price to the higher market share. However it does not mean that low cost always lead to low price of the product. If you are the only producer of the product in the market then you can produce the product at the low price and can sell the product at your desired price. Some of the organisations are very good in that strategy, such as Toyota, they are not producing high quality autos at low price level, but they have their brand name and use high quality marketing skills to maintain a premium price policy. (www.marketingteacher.com). (www.coursework4you.co.uk) Figure 1 Micheal poters generic model (1985) Just in time: Just in time mean what is needed, when its needed and the quantity needed. In order to produce a large number of products such as automobile, which consist of almost 30,000 parts, it is very important to create a detailed production plan, for example. If we work on the production plan we can eliminate so many factors like waste, inconsistencies in production and work, and unreasonable requirement and this all can lead to an improved productivity of product. Toyota use pull approach for the production like kanban card paced pull strategy to minimize the inventory level. In the pull strategy customer demands the product and pull it out from the delivery channel. This is because when the demand and the production of the product in very high and it is used to decrease the lead time. Differentiating your product what is also call a pull strategy in these days is basically a genuine pull strategy. And all thye marketing approach is diverted to this pull strategy. The just in time pioneer Toyota using pull strategy which manages there inventory level in the cost effective away and stringent possible way that does not mean that the product is made and pushed to the customer but it is produced in response to the customer. This strategy is becoming common now a days and every firm tries to follows this strategy. Toyota is using a cacr electronic to increase the communication between people, society and automobile. To achieve their goal they have dividing ITS in to five basic areas to work on. So by the managing and coordinating the relation between them the plan is main tain the high growth and development which is called as total Mobility Company. The first car that has the more complex and sophisticated function which include onboard computers and sensor which control the car function and second they are providing the multimedia for their vehicles which represent the new field for the mobile communication. Conceptual diagram of the Kanban System Two kinds of kanban (the production instruction kanban and the parts retrieval kanban) are used for managing parts. (www2.toyota.co.jp) http://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategic-decisions.htm http://tools.ashridge.org.uk/website/content.nsf/FileLibrary/4C8918B0EA4CDB988025718E00558E14/$file/STDC.pdf http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/vision/production_system/just.html Inside the mind of Toyota: management principles for enduring growth   By Satoshi Hino ..page number 327 edition 2006 Information technology strategies: how leading firms use IT to gain an advantage   By William V. Rapp..page number 149..152edition 2002 http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_generic_strategies.htm http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/generic.shtml http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/porter-generic-strategies.php As we know that Toyota is the leading automobile company but to gain the competitive advantage on its rivals in automobile industry is not so easy. There are many competitive challenges which Toyota is facing in the global market environment. Basically competitive challenges are a research offering design to help asset management, to improve the productivity and effectiveness of a business and to maintain the standard performance against competitors. Competitive challenges are confront in annual competitive challenges report on the competitive dynamics of the industry. Competitive challenges identify the inefficiencies in an organisation. It also examine the; profitability, productivity, asset growth, and product competitiveness, customer satisfaction and marketing. Senior managers are enabling to plan business strategic objectives by highlighting the areas of success and failure compared to peers. It allows you to clearly identify sales resource efficiency. http://www.greenwich.com/WMA/products_services/comp_chal/comp_chal_home visited 29/03/10 at 21.20 Toyota is great example of what happens when your competitors build a strategic advantage by setting a high standard in a critical area. For more than two decades Toyota and Honda have been the quality leaders in attracting car buyers who wants better reliability and quality in their vehicles. In Dec-2009, the economists described the problem of quality issues which Toyota is facing and how it is trying to deal with them. Akio Toyoda the president of company recognises that there is need for an innovative design to beat competitors. That may be challenge. Toyotas success has been built on its reliability and standard of quality. http://www.baldrige.com/sector/business/toyotas-strategic-challenge/ To maintain quality standards and building an innovative design is not an easy task. Toyota never compromise on quality but still having problems due to its massive production. Consequently, to establish in the global market the three main technologies, TPS (Toyota production system, TDS (Toyota development system), TMS (Toyota marketing system) should be established and strengthened. http://williamghunter.net/images/toyota_management_structure.png Management structure at Toyota In global market a firm face number of challenges these challenges the effect the competitive and determines how the firm can achieve economies of scale in multi countries environment. In striving to develop a strategy that will make it more competitive, the firm must deal with four interrelated challenges of global marketing strategy. To bring the change and be innovative is very big challenge for every firm and for Toyota as well. Rapid change pervades product development, production processes and it also builds the competitive pressure as customers more mobile and is exposed new ideas through new global media. Introducing a new model every year has become compulsory which incurs high cost and also keeps in consideration the taste, culture and infrastructure of the area. Rapid change has both positive and negative aspects. To bring a positive change you have to be very care full about the utilization of resources effectively. For instance, we know very well that Toyota launched its new model Prius and the car has a manufacture fault. It was a good change but lake of quality management and now faced a huge loss and company recalled for its 8.5 million cars because of its accelerator and floor mat problem. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8505402.stm http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=enq=four+challenges+of+global+marketmeta=aq=faqi=aql=oq=gs_rfai= Another challenge which most of the companies face is complexity of managing international operations. Technological advances enable management to control operations on a broader geographic scale but at the same time these advances add complexity, as management has to analyse tools and skills to handle the international infrastructure. As we know Toyota is already facing a quality problem because of its massive production. As we know Toyota mostly designed its all product in Japan according to the local environment and launches the same product in the international market. It increases the complexity of product. Yet it is difficult for the organization which elevates quantity its main goal instead to focus on providing the highest quality. Toyota is putting more pressure on their supplier to increase their production without listening to their possible effects on quality. This is because of in experience Toyota managers and rapid expansion. The level of complexity increase when Toyot a introduced a hybrid vehicle, the Prius with its two power sources which requires greater engineering expertise. http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/02/toyota_the_downside_of_hyper_g.html Increasing competition in global market brings another challenge to Toyota at all stages of involvement in international market. In countries such as India, China, Malaysia the threat of competition is more because, their own domestic market is opening up to foreign competition, increasing more awareness of international market opportunities. Competition can be on different basis like delivering superior quality to consumers. However Toyotas success on global market depends on knowledge accumulation and effective use of resources. Introduction of hybrid car by Toyota is one of great example of building a competitive advantage and capturing the global market. http://www.hoovers.com/company/Toyota_Motor_Corporation/crxxsi-1.html http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=enq=four+challenges+of+global+marketmeta=aq=faqi=aql=oq=gs_rfai= This challenge relates to the firms social responsibilities in the global market place. Environmental issues for example, to limit pollution of the atmosphere through the emission of gases and other toxic substances is one of the challenges Toyota is facing. To produce and design which are environmentally friendly is very challenging. Rapid change, higher competition and increased complexity in the global market make it more difficult. To become environment friendly Toyota has come a long way since they launch their first hybrid car ten years ago. http://www.design21sdn.com/organizations/196/posts/997 These are some problems which is Toyota facing from last few years. The problems started in 1998 with Toyotas luxury car Lexus and now Toyota again in trouble with its newly launched Prius hybrid car. After becoming the giant of automobile Toyota looks bit careless. But when we talk to Toyotas representatives then we found that the reality is different. After the recent scenario people have started thinking about Toyota. In the light of Toyotas recent quality failure we can easily say that Toyota is only focusing on massive production. We can say if Toyota start focusing on some current issues which company facing now then Toyota can gain its lost repute easily. References Inside the mind of Toyota: management principles for enduring growth   By Satoshi Hino ..page number 327 edition 2006 Information technology strategies: how leading firms use IT to gain an advantage   By William V. Rapp..page number 149..152edition 2002 http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/companies/toyota.php http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/02/can_toyota_hansei_its_way_out.html http://www.mainstreet.com/article/smart-spending/autos/what-toyota-should-have-done-brake-override?page=1 http://www.egmcartech.com/2010/02/26/inaba-toyota-shouldve-done-a-better-job-sharing-information-with-lawmakers/ http://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategic-decisions.htm http://tools.ashridge.org.uk/website/content.nsf/FileLibrary/4C8918B0EA4CDB988025718E00558E14/$file/STDC.pdf http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/vision/production_system/just.html http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_generic_strategies.htm http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/generic.shtml http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/porter-generic-strategies.php http://www.greenwich.com/WMA/products_services/comp_chal/comp_chal_home visited 29/03/10 at 21.20 http://www.baldrige.com/sector/business/toyotas-strategic-challenge/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8505402.stm http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=enq=four+challenges+of+global+marketmeta=aq=faqi=aql=oq=gs_rfai= http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2010/02/toyota_the_downside_of_hyper_g.html http://www.hoovers.com/company/Toyota_Motor_Corporation/crxxsi-1.html http://www.design21sdn.com/organizations/196/posts/997 http://www.fastlane.com.au/News_Toyota/vision_2010.htm http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100210132838AAHTQJm http://www.fastlane.com.au/News_Toyota/vision_2010.htm http://www.mainstreet.com/article/smart-spending/autos/what-toyota-should-have-done-brake-override?page=1 http://www.egmcartech.com/2010/02/26/inaba-toyota-shouldve-done-a-better-job-sharing-information-with-lawmakers/ www.marketingteacher.com www.coursework4you.co.uk http://www.managementstudyguide.com/strategic-decisions.htm http://tools.ashridge.org.uk/website/content.nsf/FileLibrary/4C8918B0EA4CDB988025718E00558E14/$file/STDC.pdf http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/vision/production_system/just.html http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_generic_strategies.htm http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/generic.shtml http://www.coursework4you.co.uk/essays-and-dissertations/porter-generic-strategies.php http://www.greenwich.com/WMA/products_services/comp_chal/comp_chal_home visited 29/03/10 at 21.20 http://www.baldrige.com/sector/business/toyotas-strategic-challenge/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8505402.stm http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=enq=four+challenges+of+global+marketmeta=aq=faqi=aql=oq=gs_rfai= http://www.design21sdn.com/organizations/196/posts/997

Racism in Cullens Incident and Soyinkas Telephone Conversation Essay

Racism in Cullen's Incident and Soyinka's Telephone Conversation The poem "Incident," by Countee Cullen, deals with the effect racism has on a young black child vacationing in Baltimore. The child is mistreated by a white child and disturbed in his innocence so much that after spending seven months in Baltimore, this is all he remembers. A different poem, "Telephone Conversation, " by Wole Soyinka, also deals with this issue, but from a different perspective. In this poem a man is trying to rent an apartment but the owner of the complex doesn’t want him to move in because he is African. She asks him "How dark? Are you light / Or very dark?. " Each black person in their respective poems deals with the prejudice in the best way they know how. The way they handle it shines a light on the strength and wisdom gained, while casting a negative light on the ignorance broadcast from the racist people. In America at the time "Incident" takes place, people were very much againstthe black population. This was also the case in England where "Telephone Conversation takes place, only not as much so. The white child in Incident has obviously been taught to hate or look down on this race of people. He will probably grow up to be as closed-minded and ignorant as the woman in "Telephone Conversation." It is probable that the woman in "Telephone Conversation" was taught this from her youth as well, although the poem doesn t specify this. It is also possible that it is a decision she made on her own. She is older, however, and should know better. The black man in ... ...e and identity insulted is a horrible thing, but to be able to stand strong inside yourself and know who you are is true strength and displays a sense of true wisdom. Though the young boy in "Incident" couldn't realize this at his young age, it can be assumed that he eventually did and became confident enough to write about it. These two poems show a chronology of strength and wisdom gained from the black child through the black man, and also a chronology of ignorance and racism gained from the white child through the white woman. These poems fit together greatly and each intends to send the same message, only from different perspectives. A great message about strength in one's own identity can be gained from reading each individually, but if you read them together you can really see the importance of the message intended. Racism in Cullen's Incident and Soyinka's Telephone Conversation Essay Racism in Cullen's Incident and Soyinka's Telephone Conversation The poem "Incident," by Countee Cullen, deals with the effect racism has on a young black child vacationing in Baltimore. The child is mistreated by a white child and disturbed in his innocence so much that after spending seven months in Baltimore, this is all he remembers. A different poem, "Telephone Conversation, " by Wole Soyinka, also deals with this issue, but from a different perspective. In this poem a man is trying to rent an apartment but the owner of the complex doesn’t want him to move in because he is African. She asks him "How dark? Are you light / Or very dark?. " Each black person in their respective poems deals with the prejudice in the best way they know how. The way they handle it shines a light on the strength and wisdom gained, while casting a negative light on the ignorance broadcast from the racist people. In America at the time "Incident" takes place, people were very much againstthe black population. This was also the case in England where "Telephone Conversation takes place, only not as much so. The white child in Incident has obviously been taught to hate or look down on this race of people. He will probably grow up to be as closed-minded and ignorant as the woman in "Telephone Conversation." It is probable that the woman in "Telephone Conversation" was taught this from her youth as well, although the poem doesn t specify this. It is also possible that it is a decision she made on her own. She is older, however, and should know better. The black man in ... ...e and identity insulted is a horrible thing, but to be able to stand strong inside yourself and know who you are is true strength and displays a sense of true wisdom. Though the young boy in "Incident" couldn't realize this at his young age, it can be assumed that he eventually did and became confident enough to write about it. These two poems show a chronology of strength and wisdom gained from the black child through the black man, and also a chronology of ignorance and racism gained from the white child through the white woman. These poems fit together greatly and each intends to send the same message, only from different perspectives. A great message about strength in one's own identity can be gained from reading each individually, but if you read them together you can really see the importance of the message intended.

A Most Ambitious Experiment

Reading Log Title: A Most Ambitious Experiment Author: Mike Krath Length: 5 pages Plot – What is the short story about? Message? Hidden messages? It’s about a man named Robert who travels 20 years ahead in time to find out if he had invested his money well. He tells his wife he’ll be back in five minutes, but instead she waits for 20 years for his return. When he comes back he finds out his wife had spent all the money. He travels back in time to make sure she cannot do that again, and eventually kills her in order to check on his investment in the future and then return back five minutes before the murder. However, the future Robert kills the old Robert as soon as he arrives. Describe the setting (where does the story take place? ). Some short stories are written to highlight a special place (e. g. a city) or a special period of time (e. g. the time after the Second World War). The setting can also involve a limited group of people (social class, students etc. ). The story is set in the house of Robert and his wife. Robert goes down the basement every time he makes a time travel while his wife is waiting for him in their home, startling her when he shows up in their home 20 years later. Who is telling the story? (Who is the narrator? ) Perhaps the author has chosen a particular person to tell the story. Why? The main characters are Robert and his wife. The story is told from a third-person perspective and focus mostly on Robert’s wife as she’s is waiting for him, thinking he abandoned her. She even contacts the authorities to search for him, but after a few months the shut down the case and she legally declares him dead in order to get hold of the money he put away in a fund. What is the author’s message to the reader? Why was the story written? What is the overall meaning of the story? ) Has the story affected you? In what way(s)? I don’t know if there’s a real message behind this story. It describes much of the wife’s feelings towards Robert, as she first is worried that something had happened to him, then thinking he had abandoned her. Over the years she grows bitter and spiteful against him. Robert doesn’t seem to realize he has made her wait for 20 years and becomes angry when he finds out she spent the money. He’s also shown to take very big risks just to find out how the funds are working out: He isn’t sure of the outcome of the experiment and displays no hesitation when he kills his wife, thinking he will travel back in time before he could do that. However his plan backfires and he’s killed by his future self. Rating – give the short story a grade from 1-5 and motivate the grade, why was it good or bad? I’d give this story a rating of three. It isn’t badly written, but the story isn’t very engaging. The author could have described in more detail the feelings of the wife, or went more in-depth with Robert and the description of his character and motivations. I like the time-travelling theme and the ending, which is somewhat humorous although tragic. Vocabulary – pick five words from one or several short stories and explain them in English. 1. scowl – frown, bitter expression 2. muddled – â€Å"her mind was muddled†, i. e. â€Å"she was confused† 3. ambitious – desire for success and achievment 4. grubby – dirty or filthy 5. inquire – investigate, inspect

Laurence Olivier Essay

The original classification of Shakespeare’s plays – ‘Comedies’, ‘Tragedies’, ‘Histories’ and ‘Roman plays‘ – don’t adequately describe all of Shakespeare’s plays, and scholars have come up with more names to do so. The most widely used categories are ‘Romance Plays’, ‘Problem Plays’, and Shakespeare’s ‘Tragicomedy Plays’. The plays in those categories have much in common, but there are enough differences to prevent some of them to fall into all three. The Winter’s Tale, for example is a play that does have the features of all three, however. A tragicomedy is a play that is neither a comedy nor a tragedy, although it has the features of both. Tragedies are usually focused almost exclusively on the central character, the tragic hero (although Shakespeare’s tragedies can sometimes be a double tragedy, with two tragic heroes, like Romeo and Juliet). The audience has insights into his mind and goes deeply in, as he does in Macbeth or Hamlet. Comic plays, on the other hand, remove that focus and the concerns are diversified so that the action is made up of the stories of several characters, particularly pairs of lovers. The shadows in human emotions are usually minor in the comedies: they are such things as misunderstandings, playful deceptions and so on. Plays that fall between the two stools of tragedy and comedy are sometimes referred to as ‘Problem Plays. ’ so the whole area of classification is a very difficult one. It shouldn’t be necessary to classify them but scholars need a language in which to talk about the plays. The Merchant of Venice can be seen as a tragicomedy. It has a comic structure but one of the central characters, Shylock, looks very much like a tragic character. The play has a comedy ending with the lovers pairing off but we are left with taste in the mouth of the ordeal of Shylock, destroyed by a combination of his own faults and the persecution of the lovers who enjoy that happy ending. The feeling at the end of the play is neither joy nor misery. The play has a decidedly comic structure but there is also a powerful tragic story. It can therefore be called a tragicomedy. Shakespeare’ tragicomedies usually have improbable and complex plots; characters of high social class; contrasts between villainy and virtue; love of different kinds at their centre; a hero who is saved at the last minute after a touch-and- go experience; surprises and treachery. The Winter’s Tale and Cymbeline are two plays that fit that tragicomical pattern. Shakespeare’s plays generally accepted as tragicomedy plays are: * Cymbeline * The Winter’s Tale Shakespeare’s Tragedy plays One of the main features of Renaissance art is that it was inspired by classical art and philosophy. This is evident in the work of such artists as Michelangelo who, caught up in the spirit of Humanism that was sweeping across Europe, focused on the human form. Focusing on the human form during Mediaeval times would have been impossible as it would have been a distraction from the necessary focus on God. The essence of Humanistic art was that human beings were created in God’s image so it was possible for Michelangelo even to portray God – as a beautiful and physically powerful man with realistic human features, presented as perfection – in fact, the human form at its most beautiful. Artists became anatomists, going as far as buying human bodies for dissection. The result was a new realism in the representation of human beings in art. Shakespeare is, in a way, the Michelangelo of literature. That he could, in one play, Othello, written four hundred years ago, represent what we can recognise as a modern psychopath and a modern alcoholic, in Iago and Cassio respectively, is incredible. Iago is a fully realised physochological character just as the David is a fully realized man physically. Greek drama was an important model for Renaissance drama after the flat, unrealistic morality plays of the mediaval centuries. The Greek philosopher, Aristotle, defined tragedy and asserted that it was the noblest and most serious, dignified and important form of drama. Many of the plays of the Renaissance resembled those Greek tragedies. In several of Shakespeare’s plays there is a central protagonist who undergoes a harrowing experience as he is brought down from his lofty height, ending up dead. There is also a special feeling created in an observer of those Shakespearedramas, similar to the feeling described by Aristotle as the effect of tragedy on an observer. Critics thus thought of those Shakespeare plays as tragedies and that notion has remained with us to  this day, although many of those interested inShakespeare are now thinking differently about the plays. There are still teachers, though, who teach the ‘tragedies’ as though they were Aristotelian tragedies and miss a great deal of what those plays are doing. In his Poetics Aristotle outlines tragedy as follows: The protagonist is someone of high estate; a prince or a king. He is like us – perhaps a bit different in his level of nobility so that we can both identify with him and admire him as a man as well as respect him for his high estate. The protagonist has a ‘tragic flaw’ in his character which makes him contribute to his own destruction. This can take the form of an obsession. The flaw is often part of his greatness but it also causes his downfall. The flaw causes the protagonist to make mistakes and misjudgments. That in turn begins to alienate him from his supporters so that he becomes isolated. He begins to fall from his high level. He struggles to regain his position but fails and he comes crashing down. He eventually recognises his mistakes, but too late. An important aspect is the suffering he undergoes, which the audience observes and identifies with. We experience ‘pity’ and ‘terror’ as we watch what seems to us an avoidable suffering. At thend the air is cleared by the restoration of the order that existed before the events of the story and we experience what Aristotle calls ‘catharsis’ – a feeling of relief and closure. Using the term ‘tragedy’ about Shakespeare’s plays invites attempts to fit them to the Aristotelian pattern but none of them fits. Othello seems to conform to the pattern but when one thinks about it, Othello, superficially resembling a tragic hero, doesn’t even seem to be the main character in the play. It can be seen as a modern psychological drama about a psychopath who manipulates everyone around him just for fun – just because he has nothing better to do – and destroying other human beings gives him pleasure or is necessary because they get in his way. Othello may seem to have a fatal flaw – too trusting, gullible – but so do all the other characters, because Iago has deceived them all with his psychopathic charm and a deliberate effort of making himself appear trustworthy. Every misjudgment Othello makes is the hard work of Iago. Easily manipulated? Jealous? Does he have all those ‘tragic flaws’ as well? The feeling at the end is not quite Aristotle either. Perhaps it is more of a disgust for Iago than pity for Othello, who comes across as more stupid than tragic. And to make things more complicated, our feeling of pity is directed more to Desdamona. And yet some teachers miss the meaning of this play by their insistence on teaching it as an Aristotelian tragedy. Antony and Cleopatra is sometimes called a ‘double tragedy’. While Othello appears to fit the Aristotelian pattern because of the huge charisma of Othello at the beginning of the play Antony and Cleopatra cannot fit it in any shape or form. In tragedy the focus is on the mind and inner struggle of the protagonist. The emotional information comes to the audience from that source. In comedy the information comes from a variety of sources and the comic effect is produced by a display of many different points of view, coming at the audience from different angles. That is exactly what happens in Antony and Cleopatra , so we have something very different from a Greek tragedy. What we have is a miracle – a tragic feeling coming out of a comic structure. So what is Shakespearean tragedy? Perhaps there is no such thing. And yet we can identify a tragic feeling and even a cathartic effect in some of the plays. We must be very careful not to insist on fitting them to any pattern because that wouldn’t help us understand the plays. We must look elsewhere for our understanding of them. Moreover, all of Shakespeare’s plays have elements of both tragedy and comedy, sometimes very finely balanced, creating effects that Aristotle could never have dreamt of. List of Shakespeare’s Tragedy Plays * Antony and Cleopatra * King Lear * Macbeth * Othello * Romeo & Juliet * Titus Andronicus. Shakespeare’s Comedy Plays Early Greek comedy was in sharp contrast to the dignity and seriousness of tragedy. Aristophanes, the towering giant of comedy, used every kind of humour from the slapstick through sexual jokes to satire and literary parody. Unlike tragedy, the plots didn’t originate in traditional myth and legend, but were the product of the writer’s creative imagination. The main theme was political and social satire. Over the centuries comedy moved away from those themes to focus on family matters, notably a concentration on relationships and the complications of love. Such a universal theme was bound to survive and, indeed, it has travelled well, from Greece through Roman civilization and, with the Renaissance preoccupation with things classical, into Renaissance Europe, to England and the Elizabethans, and into the modern world of the twentieth and twenty first centuries, where we see Greek comedy alive and well in films and television. Shakespeare’s comedies (or rather the plays of Shakespeare that are usually categorised as comedies), just as in the case with he tragedies, do not fit into any slot. They are generally identifiable as the comedies of Shakespeare in that they are full of fun, irony and dazzling wordplay. They also abound in disguises and mistaken identities with very convoluted plots that are difficult to follow (try relating the plot of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to someone! ), with very contrived endings. Any attempt at describing these plays as a group can’t go beyond that superficial outline. The highly contrived endings are the clue to what these plays, all very different, are about. Take The Merchant of Venice for example – it has the love and relationship element. As usual there are two couples. One of the women is disguised as a man through most of the text – typical of Shakespearian comedy – but the other is in a very unpleasant situation – a young Jewess seduced away from her father by a shallow, rather dull young Christian. The play ends with the lovers all together, as usual, celebrating their love and the way things have turned out well for their group. That resolution has come about by completely destroying a man’s life. The Jew, Shylock is a man who has made a mistake and been forced to pay dearly for it by losing everything he values, including his religious freedom. It is almost like two plays – a comic structure with a personal tragedy imbedded in it. The ‘comedy’ is a frame to heighten the effect of the tragic elements. The Christians are selfish and shallow and cruel beyond imagination and with no conscience whatsoever. This is the use of the comic form to create something very deep and dark. Twelfth Night is similar – the humiliation of a man the in-group doesn’t like. As in The Merchant of Venice, his suffering is simply shrugged off in the highly contrived comic ending. Not one of these plays, no matter how full of life and love and laughter and joy, it may be, is without a darkness at its heart. Much Ado About Nothing , like Antony and Cleopatra (a ‘tragedy’ with a comic structure) is a miracle of creative writing. Shakespeare seamlessly joins an ancient mythological love story and a modern invented one, weaving them together into a very funny drama in which light and dark chase each other around like clouds and sunshine on a windy day, and the play threatens to fall into an abyss at any moment and emerges from that danger in a highly contrived ending once again. Like the ‘tragedies’ these plays defy categorisation. They all draw our attention to a range of human experience with all its sadness, joy, poignancy, tragedy, comedy, darkness, lightness, and its depths. Shakespeare’s Comedy Plays * All’s Well That Ends Well * The Comedy of Errors * As you Like It * Cymbeline * Love’s Labours Lost * Measure for Measure * The Merry Wives of Windsor * The Merchant of Venice * Twelfth Night * Two Gentlemen of Verona Shakespeare’s History Plays Just as Shakespeare’s ‘comedies’ have some dark themes and tragic situations while the ‘tragedies’ have some high comic moments, the Shakespeare’s ‘history’ plays contain comedy, tragedy and everything in between. All Shakespeare’s plays are dramas written for the entertainment of the public and Shakeseare’s intention in writing them was just that – to entertain. It wasn’t Shakespeare, but Shakespearian scholars, who categorised his plays into those areas of tragedy, comedy and history – as well as ‘problem‘ and ‘Roman‘. Unfortunately, our appreciation of the plays is often affected by our tendency to look at them in that limited way. Most of the plays have an historical element – the Roman plays, for example, are historical but scholars don’t refer to those Roman plays (Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus etc.) ashistory plays. The plays that we normally mean when we refer to the ‘history’ plays are the ten plays that cover English history from the twelfth to the sixteenthcenturies, and the 1399-1485 period in particular. Each play is named after, and focuses on, the reigning monarch of the period. In chronological order of setting, these are King John, Richard II, Henry IV Parts Iand II, Henry V, Henry VI Parts I, II and III, Richard III and Henry VIII, although Shakespeare didn’t write them in that order. The plays dramatise five generations of’ Medieval power struggles. For the most part they depict the Hundred Years War with France, from Henry V to Joan of Arc, and the Wars of the Roses, between York and Lancaster. We should never forget that they are works of imagination, based very loosely on historical figures. Shakespeare was a keen reader of history and was always looking for the dramatic impact of historical characters and events as he read. Today we tend to think of those historical figures in the way Shakespeare presented them. For example, we think of Richard III as an evil man, a kind of psychopath with a deformed body and a grudge against humanity. Historians can do whatever they like to set the record straight but Shakespeare’s Richard seems stuck in our culture as the real Richard III. Henry V, nee Prince Hal, is, in our minds, the perfect model of kingship after an education gained by indulgence in a misspent youth, and a perfect human being, but that is only because that’s the way Shakespeare chose to present him in the furtherance of the themes he wanted to develop and the dramatic story he wanted to tell. In fact, the popular perception of mediaval history as seen through the rulers of the period is pure Shakespeare. We have given ourselves entirely to Shakespeare’s vision. What would Bolingbroke (Henry IV) mean to us today? We would know nothing of him but because of Shakespeare’s plays he is an important, memorable and significant historical figure. The history plays are enormously appealing. Not only do they give insight into the political processes of Mediaval and Renaissance politics but they also offer a glimpse of life from the top to the very bottom of society – the royal court, the nobility, tavern life, brothels, beggars, everything. The greatest English actual and fictional hero, Henry V and the most notorious fictional bounder, Falstaff, are seen in several scenes together. Not only that, but those scenes are among the most entertaining, profound and memorable in the whole of English literature. That’s some achievement. Finally, although adding this at the end of the article and leaving it in the air, several questions are begged: what we see in the plays is not mediaval society at all, but Elizabethan and Jacobean society. Because although Shakespeare was writing ‘history’, using historical figures and events, what he was really doing was writing about the politics, entertainments and social situations of his own time. A major feature of Shakespeare’s appeal to his own generation was recognition, somethingShakespeare exploited relentlessly. List of Shakespeare’s History Plays, Henry IV Part 2,Henry V,Henry VI Part 1,Henry VI Part 2,Henry VI Part 3,Henry VIII,King John,Richard II,Richard III. 2) Tragedy; Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello. King Lear Play: Overview & Resources The King Lear play is set in the BCE period, somewhere in England, usually thought of as being what is Leicestershire today. The action in the first two acts shifts among the castles of Lear, Gloucester, and those of Lear’s two daughters, Goneril and Regan. The rest of the action takes place in the frozen countryside, mainly on a blasted heath with violent weather, symbolising the state of Lear’s mind. Date written: 1603-1606 Genre classification: King Lear is regarded as a Tragedy Main characters in King Lear: King Lear is the king of pre-Christian Britain. He has three daughters – Goneril, Regan andCordelia. The Earl of Gloucester is a senior duke in Lear’s kingdom. He has two sons, Edmund, an illegitimate son and Edgar, a legitimate son. The Earl of Kent is a fiercely loyal nobleman, sticking by Lear in spite of Lear’s atrocious treatment of him. The Fool is the court jester, developed well beyond the jesters that appear in Shakespeare’s and other writers’ earlier plays. King Lear themes: This is a play about family – a thorough exploration of family relationships, particularly filial ingratitude, where the cruelty and disregard for their father by Goneril and Regan are contrasted with those of the love and loyalty of Cordelia in spite of the ruthless treatment she has experienced at her father’s hands. There is also a deep exploration oflegitimate versus illegitimate offspring. Good versus evil is presented through the evil of the two older sisters against the saintliness of the youngest. Other themes are those of old age and authority. and attitudes to those; pain, justice, and the ever present theme in Shakespeare’s plays: appearance and reality. King Lear Plot Summary The Earl of Gloucester introduces his illegitimate son, Edmund, to the Earl of Kent at court. Lear, King of Britain, enters. Now that he is old Lear has decided to abdicate, retire, and divide his kingdom between his three daughters. Each will receive a portion of the kingdom according to how much they love him. Goneril, Duchess ofAlbany, the oldest, and Regan, Duchess of Cornwall, the second, both speak eloquently and receive their portion but Cordelia, the youngest, can say nothing. Her declaration that she loves him according to a daughter’s duty to a father enrages him and she is disowned. One of Cordelia’s suitors, the Duke of Burgundy, rejects her once she is dowerless but the King of France understands her declaration and takes her as his wife, while the Earl of Kent is banished for taking Cordelia’s part against the King. The kingdom is shared between Goneril and Regan. Lear tells them that he intends to live alternately with each of them. Meanwhile, Edmund is determined to be recognised as a rightful son of Gloucester and persuades his father that his legitimate brother, Edgar, is plotting against Gloucester’s life, using a deceitful device. Edmund warns Edgar that his life is in danger. Edgar flees and disguises himself as a beggar. Goneril becomes increasingly exasperated by the behaviour of Lear’s hundred followers, who are disturbing life at Albany’s castle. Kent has returned in disguise and gains a place as a servant to Lear, supporting the King against Goneril’s ambitious servant, Oswald. Lear eventually curses Goneril and leaves to move in with Regan. Edmund acts as a messenger between the sisters and is courted by each in turn. He persuades Cornwall that Gloucester is an enemy because, through loyalty to his King, Gloucester assists Lear and his devoted companion, the Fool, when they are turned away by Regan and told to return to Goneril’s household. Despairing of his daughters and regretting his rejection of Cordelia, Lear goes out into the wilderness during a fierce storm. He goes mad. Gloucester takes them into a hut for shelter and seeks the aid of Kent to get them away to the coast, where Cordelia has landed with a French army to fight for her father against her sisters and their husbands. Edgar, pretending to be mad, has also taken refuge in the shelter and the Fool, the mad king and the beggar are companions until Edgar finds his father wandering and in pain. Gloucester has been blinded by Regan and Cornwall for his traitorous act in helping Lear. Cornwall has been killed by a servant after blinding Gloucester but Regan continues to rule with Edmund’s help. Not recognised by his father, Edgar leads him to the coast and helps him, during the journey, to come to an acceptance of his life. Gloucester meets the mad Lear on Dover beach, near Cordelia’s camp and, with Kent’s aid, Lear is rescued and re-united with Cordelia. Gloucester, although reconciled with Edgar, dies alone. The French forces are defeated by Albany’s army led by Edmund, and Lear and Cordelia are captured. Goneril has poisoned Regan in jealous rivalry for Edmund’s attention but Edgar, disguised now as a loyal knight, challenges Edmund to a duel and wounds him mortally. Seeing no way out, Goneril kills herself. The dying Edmund confesses his crimes, but it is too late to save Cordelia from the hangman. Lear’s heart breaks as he carries the body of his beloved daughter in his arms, and Albany and Edgar are left to re-organise the kingdom. Hamlet Play: Overview & Resources for Shakespeare’s Hamlet Shakespeare sets his Hamlet play in the cold, dark isolation of Elsinor a bleak, snow-covered region of Denmark. It’s the royal court of the King of Denmark. The atmosphere is established on the cold, windy battlements of the castle. Most of the action takes place in theinterior rooms and corridors of the castle and one scene is set in a nearby cemetery. Date written: 1601 Genre classification: Hamlet is regarded as one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Main characters in Hamlet: Hamlet, the son of the recently murdered King is the heir to the throne. Hehas had the crown stolen from him by his father’s villainous brother, Claudius whom thelate king’s widow, Gertrude – Hamlet’s mother – has married. Hamlet’s father’s ghost tellshim on the battlements that Claudius murdered him. Hamlet is continuously spied on by Polonius, the garrulous Lord Chamberlain of Denmark. His eavesdropping results in his being accidentally killed by Hamlet. Ophelia is Polonius’ daughter. Led on to a possible relationship by Hamlet, then rejected, she commits suicide by drowning. Her brother, Laertesseeks revenge by plotting with Claudius to kill Hamlet. Other characters are Hamlet’s friend, Horatio, in whom he confides, Rosencranz and Guidenstern, Hamlet’s fellow university students, who spy on Hamlet for Claudius, a troupe of strolling actors and a pair of gravediggers. See a full list of characters in Hamlet. Hamlet Themes: The play falls into the genre of the Revenge Tragedy, which was very popular in the Jacobean era with its taste for violence and intrigue. Revenge is the most obvious, and one of the main, themes of the play. Although explorations of the idea of appearance and reality are present in all Shakespeare’s plays, it’s more fully developed in Hamlet, with all it’s plotting, intrigues, deceit and hypocrisy. Other themes are the question of what a human being is; death and mortality and suicide. In common with several other Shakespeare plays, there is a clear Christian parallel. Hamlet Plot Summary Prince Hamlet’s student friend, Horatio, goes to the battlements of Denmark’s Elsinore castle late at night to meet the guards. They tell him about a ghost they have seen that resembles the late king, Hamlet. It reappears and they decide to tell the prince. Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, having become king, has now married Hamlet’s widowed mother, Gertrude. In the court, after envoys are sent to Norway, the prince is dissuaded from returning to university. Hamlet still mourns his father’s death and hearing of the ghost from Horatio he determines to see it for himself. Laertes, son of the courtier, Polonius, departs for France, warning his sister, Ophelia, against thinking too much of Hamlet’s attentions. The ghost appears to Hamlet and tells him that he was murdered by Claudius. The prince swears vengeance and his friends are sworn to secrecy as Hamlet decides to feign madness while he tests the truth of the ghost’s allegations. He rejects Ophelia, as Claudius and Polonius spy on him seeking to find a reason for his sudden strange behaviour. Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, former student friends of Hamlet, are summoned by Claudius and their arrival coincides with that of a group of travelling actors. The prince knows these players well and they rehearse together before arranging to present Hamlet’s choice of play before the king and queen, which will include scenes close to the circumstances of the old king’s death. At the performance Hamlet watches closely as Claudius is provoked into interrupting the play and storming out, resolving to send the prince away to England. Hamlet is summoned by his distressed mother and, on  the way he spares Claudius whom he sees kneeling, attempting to pray. To kill him while he is praying would send his soul to heaven rather than to the hell he deserves. Polonius hides in Gertrude’s room to listen to the conversation, but Hamlet detects movement as he upbraids his mother. He stabs the concealing tapestry and so kills the old man. The ghost reappears, warning his son not to delay revenge, nor to upset his mother. As the army of Norway’s King Fortinbras crosses Denmark to attack Poland, Hamlet is sent to England, ostensibly as an ambassador, but he discovers Claudius’s plan to have him killed. Outwitting this plot Hamlet returns alone, sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths in his stead. During Hamlet’s absence Ophelia goes mad as a result of her father’s death and she is drowned. Hamlet returns and meets Horatio in the graveyard. With the arrival of Ophelia’s funeral Hamlet confronts Laertes who, after attempting a revolt against Claudius, has taken his father’s place at the court. A duel is arranged between Hamlet and Laertes at which Claudius has plotted for Hamlet to die either on a poisoned rapier, or from poisoned wine. The plans go wrong and both Laertes and Hamlet are wounded, while Gertrude unwittingly drinks from the poisoned cup. Hamlet, in his death throes, kills Claudius, and Horatio is left to explain the truth to the new king, Fortinbras, who returns, victorious, from the Polish wars. Macbeth Play: Overview & Resources The main source for Shakespeare’s Macbeth play was Holinshed’s Chronicles. Holinshed in turn took the account from a Scottish history, Scotorum Historiae, written in 1527 by Hector Boece. Shakespeare, flattering James 1, referred to the king’s own books, Discovery of Witchcraft and Daemonologie, written in 1599. Some of the main ideas of Macbeth are Nature, Manhood and Light versus Dark. In Macbeth, the murder of a king by one of his subjects is seen as unnatural and the images ofthe play reflect this theme, with disruptions of nature, like storms – and events such as where the horses turn on their grooms and bite them. In Macbeth Shakespeareexplores what it is to be a man. Lady Macbeth accuses Macbeth of being unmanly because of his hesitation in killing Duncan, but Macbeth says that it’s unmanly for a man to kill his king. Shakespeare plays with that paradox. Duncan is a good king and a good man, and he is surrounded by images of light. Macbethand Lady Macbeth turn their surroundings into a picture of hell, blanketed in darkness. Those images of light and dark interact throughout the play. Traditionally, there is a curse on Macbeth. Actors and productioncrews perpetuate the superstition by avoiding using the play’s title, Macbeth, which is considered bad luck. It has to be referred to as â€Å"The Scottish Play†. Date written: 1605 Read the full Macbeth text Genre classification: Macbeth is regarded as a tragedy. Macbeth Characters: The hero, Macbeth, the Thane of Glamys and later Thane of Cawdor, murders the king, Duncan, and is elected as king in his place. Lady Macbeth, his wife, is his co-conspirator in the murder. Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalblain, themselves in danger, flee. Banquo, Macbeth’s friend, is also murdered by Macbeth. Macduff, the Thane of Fife, suspects Macbeth and his whole family is massacred. Macduff is the man who finally kills Macbeth. There are three witches, who plant the idea of murdering Duncan in Macbeth’s mind, and they lead him on to his destruction. Their queen is Hecate. Other characters are the Scottlish noblemen, Lennox and Ross, and the English general, Siward and his son, Young Siward. See a full list of Macbeth characters. Themes in Macbeth: The main themes in Macbeth are ambition and guilt. Macbeth’s ‘overweening ambition leads him to kill Duncan and from then on until the end of the play he suffers unendurable guilt. Another theme is that of appearance and reality. Of all Shakespeare’s characters, Macbeth has the most difficulty in distinguishing between what is real and what is not. Macbeth Plot Summary King Duncan’s generals, Macbeth and Banquo, encounter three strange women on a bleak Scottish moorland on their way home from quelling a rebellion. The women prophesy that Macbeth will be given the title of Thane of Cawdor and then become King of Scotland, while Banquo’s heirs shall be kings. The generals want to hear more but the weird sisters disappear. Duncan creates Macbeth Thane of Cawdor in thanks for his success in the recent battles and then proposes to make a brief visit to Macbeth’s castle. Lady Macbeth receives news from her husband of the prophecy and his new title and she vows to help him become king by any means she can. Macbeth’s return is followed almost at once by Duncan’s arrival. The Macbeths plot together and later that night, while all are sleeping and after his wife has given the guards drugged wine, Macbeth kills the King and his guards. Lady Macbeth leaves the bloody daggers beside the dead king. Macduff arrives and when the murder is discovered Duncan’s sons, Malcolm and Donalbain flee, fearing for their lives, but they are nevertheless blamed for the murder. Macbeth is elected King of Scotland, but is plagued by feelings of guilt and insecurity. He arranges for Banquo and his son, Fleance to be killed, but the boy escapes the murderers. At a celebratory banquet Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo and disconcerts the courtiers with his strange manner. Lady Macbeth tries to calm him but is rejected. Macbeth seeks out the witches and learns from them that he will be safe until Birnam Wood comes to his castle, Dunsinane. They tell him that he need fear no-one born of woman, but also that the Scottish succession will come from Banquo’s son. Macbeth embarks on a reign of terror and many, including Macduff’s family are murdered, while Macduff himself has gone to join Malcolm at the court of the English king, Edward. Malcolm and Macduff decide to lead an army against Macbeth. Macbeth feels safe in his remote castle at Dunsinane until he is told that Birnam Wood is moving towards him. The situation is that Malcolm’s army is carrying branches from the forest as camouflage for their assault on the castle. Meanwhile Lady Macbeth, paralysed with guilt, walks in her sleep and gives away her secrets to a listening doctor. She kills herself as the final battle commences. Macduff challenges Macbeth who, on learning his adversary is the child of a Ceasarian birth, realises he is doomed. Macduff triumphs and brings the head of the traitor to Malcolm who declares peace and is crowned king. Othello Play: Overview & Resources The Othello play begins in Venice where there is a wealthy, well ordered, well behaved community, controlled by strong laws and established conventions.

Free Essays on Shakespears Mid Summer Nights Dream

William Shakespeare, born in 1594, is one of the greatest writers in literature. He dies in 1616 after completing many sonnets and plays. One of which is â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream.† They say that this play is the most purely romantic of Shakespeare’s comedies. The themes of the play are dreams and reality, love and magic. This extraordinary play is a play-with-in-a-play, which master writers only write successfully. Shakespeare proves here to be a master writer. Critics find it a task to explain the intricateness of the play, audiences find it very pleasing to read and watch. â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† is a comedy combining elements of love, fairies, magic, and dreams. This play is a comedy about five couples who suffer through love’s strange games and the evil behind the devious tricks. This play begins as Theseus, the Duke, is preparing to marry Hippolyta. He woos her with his sword. Hermia is in love with Lysander. Egeus, Hermi a’s father, forbids the relationship with Lysander and orders her to marry Demetrius. Demetrius loves Hermia, but she does not love him. On the other hand, Helena is in love with Demetrius. To settle the confusion, Theseus decides that Hermia must marry Demetrius or become a nun. In retaliation to her father’s command, Hermia and Lysander run away together. Amidst all the problems in the human world, Titania and Oberon, the fairy queen and king, continually argue about their various relationships that they have taken part in. (Scott 336) Titania leaves Oberon as a result of the arguments. Oberon is hurt and wants revenge on Titania. So he tells Puck, Oberon’s servant, to put a magic flower juice on her eyelids while she is sleeping. This potion causes the victim to desperately in love with the first creature that they see. Oberon’s plan is carried out, but the potion is also placed on Lysander’s eyes. Lysander awakes to see Helena, who is aimlessly walking through the woods, and inst... Free Essays on Shakespears Mid Summer Nights Dream Free Essays on Shakespears Mid Summer Nights Dream William Shakespeare, born in 1594, is one of the greatest writers in literature. He dies in 1616 after completing many sonnets and plays. One of which is â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream.† They say that this play is the most purely romantic of Shakespeare’s comedies. The themes of the play are dreams and reality, love and magic. This extraordinary play is a play-with-in-a-play, which master writers only write successfully. Shakespeare proves here to be a master writer. Critics find it a task to explain the intricateness of the play, audiences find it very pleasing to read and watch. â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† is a comedy combining elements of love, fairies, magic, and dreams. This play is a comedy about five couples who suffer through love’s strange games and the evil behind the devious tricks. This play begins as Theseus, the Duke, is preparing to marry Hippolyta. He woos her with his sword. Hermia is in love with Lysander. Egeus, Hermi a’s father, forbids the relationship with Lysander and orders her to marry Demetrius. Demetrius loves Hermia, but she does not love him. On the other hand, Helena is in love with Demetrius. To settle the confusion, Theseus decides that Hermia must marry Demetrius or become a nun. In retaliation to her father’s command, Hermia and Lysander run away together. Amidst all the problems in the human world, Titania and Oberon, the fairy queen and king, continually argue about their various relationships that they have taken part in. (Scott 336) Titania leaves Oberon as a result of the arguments. Oberon is hurt and wants revenge on Titania. So he tells Puck, Oberon’s servant, to put a magic flower juice on her eyelids while she is sleeping. This potion causes the victim to desperately in love with the first creature that they see. Oberon’s plan is carried out, but the potion is also placed on Lysander’s eyes. Lysander awakes to see Helena, who is aimlessly walking through the woods, and inst...

Teotihuacan Place of the Gods essays

Teotihuacan Place of the Gods essays Teotihuacan, the name of the magnificent and dramatic urban center about thirty-three miles north-east of modern day Mexico City, has been variously translated from the Nahua language of the Aztec people as the dwelling place of the gods and the place where men become gods. (Baldwin) Names of the city and buildings all come from the Aztecs. It is believed that their religion was composed of a female deity, the Great Goddess, who dominated cave and mountain ritual, divination, and may have also had solar associations. While a male god, the Storm God, presided over water and violent weather. (Miller, M) Around 100 BCE the city started to form from clusters of agricultural villages, and by 200 CE Teotihuacan was growing rapidly into a very large city and civilization. It reached its peak by about 500 CE where the population possibly reached anywhere from 125,000 to more than 200,000. There were more than 500 workshops for objects of wood, ceramic, and obsidian. Obsidian was one of the areas strategic resources. (Miller, R) Due it its size, structure, and all around magnificence Teotihuacan was the first truly urban Mesoamerican civilization. Teotihuacan was formatted in a type of grid shape. (See picture 1 and 2) It was centered on what was called Miccaotli(Miller, M) or the Avenue of the Dead which runs from north to south. (See picture 3 and 4) The now dry San Juan River bed transverses the avenue from east to west. This river may have been one of the main water supplies and a good reason for the rise of such a massive civilization. This ceremonial center of the city is about 1.2 miles long and is spanned by the cities three major structures. At the north end is the Pyramid of the Moon. Beyond the summi ...

Catharine Beecher Biography

Catharine Beecher Biography Catharine Beecher was an American author and educator, born into a family of religious activists. She spent her life working to further the education of women, believing that educated and moral women were the foundation of family life in society. Catharine Beecher Fast Facts Born: September 6, 1800 in East Hampton, New YorkDied: May 12, 1878 in Elmira, New YorkParents: Lyman Beecher and Roxana FooteSiblings: Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Ward BeecherKnown For: American activist who believed that educated and moral women were the foundation of an upright society. She worked to further educational opportunities for women in the nineteenth century but opposed womens suffrage. Early Life Catharine Beecher was the eldest of 13 children born to Lyman Beecher and his wife, Roxana Foote. Lyman was a Presbyterian minister and outspoken activist, and was the founder of the American Temperance Society. Catharines siblings included Harriet, who would grow up to be an abolitionist and write Uncle Toms Cabin, and Henry Ward, who became a clergyman whose activism included social reforms and the abolitionist movement. Like many young ladies at the time, Catharine, who was born in 1800, spent the first ten years of her life being educated at home. Later, her parents sent her to private school in Connecticut, but she was dissatisfied with the curriculum. Subjects like mathematics, philosophy, and Latin were not available in girls schools, so Catharine learned these on her own. After her mother died in 1816, Catharine returned home and took over the running of her fathers household and supervision of her younger siblings; a few years later she began working as a teacher. By the time she was 23, she and her sister Mary had opened the Hartford Female Seminary to provide educational opportunities for girls. Corbis via Getty Images / Getty Images Activism Catharine believed that it was important for women to be well-educated, so she taught herself all sorts of subjects that she could then pass along to her students. She learned Latin from her brother Edward, the headmaster of another school in Hartford, and studied chemistry, algebra, and rhetoric. She presented the novel idea that young women could learn all of these subjects from a single teacher, and soon her school was in high demand. She also believed that ladies benefited from physical activity, which was a revolutionary concept. Catharine disdained the poor health that was brought on by tight corsets and poor diets, so she developed a calisthenics plan for her students. She soon began writing about her curriculum, to serve as a guide for other teachers. Catharine felt the primary goal of education should be to provide a basis for the development of the student’s conscience and moral makeup. Catharine Beecher. Black Batchelder  / Schlesinger Library / Public Domain As her students grew up and moved on, Catharine shifted her focus to the roles that they would eventually play in society. Although she strongly believed that child-rearing and running the domestic aspects of a home were a source of pride for women, she also felt that women were entitled to respect and responsibility outside of their roles as wives and mothers. In the 1830s she followed her father, Lyman, to Cincinnati, and opened the Western Female Institute. Her goal was to educate women so they could become teachers, which had traditionally been a male-dominated profession. Catharine, who never married, saw women as natural teachers, with education as an extension of their roles as the guides of domestic home life. Because more men were leaving the world of education to go into industry, training women as teachers was a perfect solution. After a few years, she closed the school due to a lack of public support. The Beechers were not popular in Cincinnati because of their radical abolitionist views, and in 1837 Catharine wrote and published Slavery and Abolition with Reference to the Duty of American Females. In this treatise, she argued that women needed to stay out of the abolition movement because of the potential for violence, and instead needed to focus on creating moral and harmonious home lives for their husbands and children. This, she believed, would give women power and influence. Her work A Treatise on Domestic Economy for the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School, published in 1841, promoted the responsibility of girls schools to teach not only intellectual pursuits, but also physical activity and moral guidance. The work became a best-seller, offering helpful suggestions on how to manage domestic life. Women needed a solid educational foundation to manage their homes, she felt, using this as the foundation from which they could change society. Front page of Miss Beechers Housekeeper and Healthkeeper. Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons Although Catharine felt women needed to be educated, she also believed they should stay out of politics, and was opposed to women earning the right to vote. Legacy Over her lifetime, Catharine opened numerous schools for women, wrote dozens of essays and pamphlets for causes in which she believed, and lectured around the country. Through this work, she helped gain respect for the role of women in society, and encouraged women to find employment as teachers. This helped to change the way society looked at education and careers for women. Catherine died on May 12, 1878, while visiting her brother Thomas. After her death, three different teaching universities named buildings in her honor, including one in Cincinnati. Sources Beecher, Catharine E, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. â€Å"The Project Gutenberg EBook, A Treatise on Domestic Economy, by Catherine Esther Beecher.†A Treatise on Domestic Economy, by Catherine Esther Beecher, Project Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/files/21829/21829-h/21829-h.htm.â€Å"Catherine Beecher.†Ã‚  History of American Women, 2 Apr. 2017, www.womenhistoryblog.com/2013/10/catherine-beecher.html.Cruea, Susan M., Changing Ideals of Womanhood During the Nineteenth-Century Woman Movement (2005). General Studies Writing Faculty Publications. 1. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/gsw_pub/1Turpin, Andrea L. â€Å"The Ideological Origins of the Womens College: Religion, Class, and Curriculum in the Educational Visions of Catharine Beecher and Mary Lyon.†Ã‚  History of Education Quarterly, vol. 50, no. 2, 2010, pp. 133–158., doi:10.1111/j.1748-5959.2010.00257.x.

Coca Cola Company Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Coca Cola Company - Coursework Example Now they have 500 brands and 3500 beverage products in over 200 countries all around the world. The annual report of 2010 described that the Coca Cola Company gained volume and value share globally in total non alcoholic ready to drink beverages. This growth is because of their commitment to offer beverages tailored to specific market and consumer needs around the world. And this is because of their long term strategy to profitably grow their business in a sustainable way. ANALYSIS OF THE STRATEGY The analysis of the strategy of The Coca Cola Company is provided on these points; 1. Sustainability and Road map to Success. The strategy of The Coca Cola Company is the sustainable growth for meeting their short term commitments while investing to meet their long term goal. The business strategy has suffered if it looks like as an artificial exercise but The Coca Cola Company has clear strategy and it covers all required aspects. 2. Strategy Remain Same with the Changes in Technology. Sou nd strategy starts with having right goal of superior profitability. The Coca Cola Company has the strategy of broaden their family of beverage brands for profitable growth. And focus on the highest potential areas across the market. The strategy must have continuity of what you are trying to deliver to customers and about which customer you have to focus. The Coca Cola Company is delivering carbonated soft drink to the customers and they serve their customers with consistency and continuity to generate growth all channels and direct investments to highest potential areas across the market. 3. Continuity in Strategic Direction and Continuous Improvement. The ability to change constantly and effectively is made easier by high level continuity. (Hammonds 2001). The Coca Cola Company has clear strategy about profitability and the customers and their market. And they realize that they have to improve their brand in order to sustain in this global age. 4. The Myth of Inflection Points. S ometimes environment and needs of the customers do shift far enough so that continuity does not work but The Coca Cola Company believe that non alcoholic ready to drink business is the best business and it grow with the passage of time. So the inflection points can not force them to revisit their core strategy. 5. Great Strategies are not Complex. The essence of the strategy is choice, trade off and fit. The Coca Cola Company is producing non alcoholic ready to drink beverages. Trade off is a situation that involves losing one quality or aspect of something in return for gaining another quality or aspect. The Coca Cola Company does not lose the quality of one product in order to gain the quality of another. They also have some same products with same formulas as they have 125 years ago. And they are also producing many new products and also they are improving their quality. The Coca Cola Company better know the needs and desire that changes with the passage of time and they fulfill all those needs with improving the quality of all of their beverage products. The Coca Cola Company is starting with the three or four pieces of strategy and then they elucidate their strategy over time. They do not give all answers up front and it is the antidote to complexity. 6. Chief

LITERATURE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

LITERATURE - Essay Example Marduk is our next hero from Enuma Elish: The Babylonian Creation Epic. Marduk was born in Apsu, the region of fresh water beneath the surface of the earth. Ea, one of the gods created him and Damkina, his lover bore him. He suckled the teats of goddesses; he was powerful from the start. When Anu, his father’s begetter beheld him, he rejoiced. He made his grandson so perfect that his godhead was doubled. For were his eyes, four were his ears. When his lips moved, fire blazed forth. His four ears were enormous and likewise, they eyes. They perceived everything. Highest among the gods, his form was outstanding. His limbs were very long, his height outstanding. Our third hero is Jesus – God made man in The God of Job. In a mysterious manner, he is believed to b e whole god and whole man. His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived him through the power of the Holy Spirit of God the Father Almighty. All this happened to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: â€Å"The Virgin shall be with child and give birth through a son and they shall call him Emmanuel†, a name which means â€Å"God is with us† We can see by now that our three heroes of the Creation are all gods. But where as Jesus (Emanuel) is described as being kind and compassionate to his people, Marduk took advantage of his own, and the men of Uruk became anxious. The dramatic action and dialogue of the Babylonian Creation Epic can be compared to epic writing from the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Homeric epics, which treat human conflicts against a background of divine violence. The introduction of Enkidu into the epic of Gilgamesh was for the purpose of taming Gilgamesh, who, conscious of his own power, was taking advantage of the people of Uruk. The valiant Enkidu, a human counterpart of Gilgamesh himself, served as some kind of a check-and –balance so that,

Management of information technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Management of information technology - Essay Example That same ability raises the specter of nightmarish Orwellian scenarios in which consumer purchasing behavior is captured in databases that are manipulated by corporations and government as a tool for spying. RFID utilizes a tag containing a computer chip that stores data relating to the tagged item, such as color, size, brand, warranty information, etc. Tags can also be affixed to pallets and cartons to identify contents of shipments during the distribution process. An antenna in the tag transmits and receives data through radio waves, which are picked up by a reader (Carlson 2006). In one type of RFID system known as passive, a signal is sent out by the reader creating a magnetic field, which is broadcast by its antenna to create a sensitive detection zone. When a RFID tag enters this zone it picks up the reader’s signals, which turn on the microchip’s transmitter, thus informing the reader of its presence. Passive RFID is a short range system in which the reader must range from one inch to a few feet from the tag in order to engage a signal (Kasavana 2006). Another type of RFID technology is known as active. This is a longer range system because both the tag and reader have power supply units and are capable of sending and receiving signals. The transmission range may be up to one hundred feet due to this mutual transmission. The data on active RFID microchips can also be rewritten (Kasavana 2006). Active tags are far more expensive than passive tags (up to $40 as compared to 15 cents for passive tags) and are therefore less attractive and appropriate in a commercial retail environment (Carlson 2006). Nevertheless, given their long range scanning potential, active RFID has a broader range of potential applications. It also drives greater concerns regarding potential abuse. RFID is considered to be more effective at inventory tracking than traditional bar codes for several reasons. First, it is

Ethical manner Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical manner - Research Paper Example s of administration, which focus on individual employees and understanding of their behaviours before employment of strategies that are specific to such behaviours and thus effective in enhancing sustainable organizational development. One of the unethical issues that exist yet avoidable in the article is carelessness in the presentation of the work. The authors show negligence and make careless errors especially in terms of grammatical arrangements and issues of punctuation. On the other hand, subjectivity is an avoidable unethical issue in the research. As such, it is important for the researchers to be objective by avoiding any form of bias in the design of the study, data analysis, interpretation of data, and personal decisions (Resnik, 2011). It is also important to disclose any financial or personal interests to avoid negative influences of such aspects on the research process or findings. One of the parties that are likely to face injury in the study is the employees within the hotels. As such, since the study reviews the behaviour of these employees and their effect on organizational success, in response to the management, the exposure of identities of some of the employees that are believed to be negatively responding to management in their performance may risk dismissal from their jobs. On the other hand, some of the managers that may be marked as using poor management skills by the study may ruin their reputation especially before the organizations’ governing bodies and thus affect their relationships with top most management and even the employees. Carelessness in the presentation of data could lead to poor interpretation of the data and thus alter the initial intention of the study (Resnik, 2011). This could lead to initiation of interventions in the wrong variables. In addition, careless presentation of data could lead to questioning of the credibility of the paper, an aspect that would lead to neglecting of the content of the study by all

Music Education for Chinese Pupils Dissertation - 1

Music Education for Chinese Pupils - Dissertation Example Chinese music has evolved since ancient times under the influence of religious, philosophical and ideological doctrines (Reimer, 1989). In Confucian treatises the concept of the cosmological nature of the music was developed, its social and political role was highlighted. Music in Confucianism was regarded as one of the means of governance, as well as a significant factor in educating people and in achieving social harmony. According to the ideas of Taoism, the music was to facilitate the natural expression of psycho-emotional reactions of man, its fusion with nature. The school music education, which was developed during one of the most complex, saturated with global cataclysms, the period in the history of the country, gradually became a public system, marked by both significant achievements and serious shortcomings. Nowadays the assessments of achievements of challenges facing China’s school education are prerequisites for successful reform. Music became a compulsory subject in secondary schools of China in 1912. In accordance with the suggestions for the educational course of the country, made by Education Minister Tsai Yuanpey (1912), the role of arts education plays the significant role in shaping the personality, thus, particular attention should be paid to music teaching in secondary schools. This document determined a new status of the given subject. The lessons of music education ceased to be selective subject and moved into the category of compulsory in both junior and secondary schools (Mingyue, 1985). Further development of mus ic education in the Chinese school was influenced by the Movement of May 4, 1919, which was initiated by the university intelligentsia.

Cambodia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cambodia - Essay Example This was a strategy to strengthen their rule in their territory. The modernization of the monetary system in Cambodia by introducing the tax system to the natives would be necessary (Corfield, 2009). The surrounding waters facilitated most of the transportation activities in the colonial territory. The water from the sea was used for irrigation activities on the rice plantation. Industries relied on water for running most of their activities such as rubber processing. Additionally, the colonizers constructed watchtowers for guarding their territories on the surrounding waters. The impacts of colonial activities are still evident in the modern day Cambodia. As such, the natives are educating themselves based on the teachings of their colonizers. Cambodia is trading in rubber and corn as it was during colonialism (Corfield, 2009). The colonization process developed the infrastructure in use today during their rule in Cambodia. Cambodia is still trading with the French. Moreover, the country exports rice as one of their main cash crop as it was in the past. If the area were to be colonized, it would be better to commercialize trade throughout Cambodian colonial territory. Restriction on relationship with the Chinese will be eliminated for the benefit of the entire masses. Nationalism should be introduced in line with the principles advocated for by the traditional monarchs (Corfield, 2009). This will minimize the resistance that the colonizers faced from the natives. It is expected that Cambodians will adopt some of the aspects of life introduced to them by the colonizers to suit their own

Music Education for Chinese Pupils Dissertation - 1

Music Education for Chinese Pupils - Dissertation Example Chinese music has evolved since ancient times under the influence of religious, philosophical and ideological doctrines (Reimer, 1989). In Confucian treatises the concept of the cosmological nature of the music was developed, its social and political role was highlighted. Music in Confucianism was regarded as one of the means of governance, as well as a significant factor in educating people and in achieving social harmony. According to the ideas of Taoism, the music was to facilitate the natural expression of psycho-emotional reactions of man, its fusion with nature. The school music education, which was developed during one of the most complex, saturated with global cataclysms, the period in the history of the country, gradually became a public system, marked by both significant achievements and serious shortcomings. Nowadays the assessments of achievements of challenges facing China’s school education are prerequisites for successful reform. Music became a compulsory subject in secondary schools of China in 1912. In accordance with the suggestions for the educational course of the country, made by Education Minister Tsai Yuanpey (1912), the role of arts education plays the significant role in shaping the personality, thus, particular attention should be paid to music teaching in secondary schools. This document determined a new status of the given subject. The lessons of music education ceased to be selective subject and moved into the category of compulsory in both junior and secondary schools (Mingyue, 1985). Further development of mus ic education in the Chinese school was influenced by the Movement of May 4, 1919, which was initiated by the university intelligentsia.

Engineering ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Engineering ethics - Assignment Example The National Society of Professional Engineers that is based in the United States of America put forward guidelines to do with Professional Behavior and Standards of Ethics to be upheld by Engineers in 1946. These Rules involving Professional Conduct and Canons of Ethics that were supposed to be followed by Engineers evolved to the current Code of Ethics, implemented in 1964. These appeals eventually resulted to the formation of the Board of Ethical Review in 1954. Cases in engineering that involve ethics are very hard to solve due to the fact that they lack appropriate answers, but the 500 professional engineering consultants and advisors from the Board of Ethical Review have assisted in passing judgment on such cases and also shedding some light to the ethical matters engineers face in a day to day basis. Presently, subornation and administrative dishonesty is being dealt with by a number of professional organizations and commercial groups all over the world.  Nevertheless, different matters have come up, they include:  offshoring,  viable progress, and environmental conservation, that the engineering business is required to deliberate on and look into. When looking into engineering ethics one ethical predicament is the fact that an engineer is required to put forward the name of any engineer going against the engineering Code of Ethics to the proper authority. This is due to the fact that this engineer going against the engineering Code of Ethics or standards may pose a conceivable risk to civilians from a customer or business not adhering to the engineers instructions. Looking at the first ethical standards required by the engineering Code of Ethics, this responsibility supersedes the obligation to a customer and/or employer. An engineer could get into trouble by having their license annulled, even in the case that refusal to report that kind of a threat to the relevant authorities does not lead to any loss of human life or injuries. In most instances, this

Sample Turnaround Times for Three Histoprocessing Methods

Sample Turnaround Times for Three Histoprocessing Methods Introduction Turnaround time for any pathological laboratory is very important which depends upon the preparation and diagnosis of the histopathologic material. The rapidity advantages the clinician to treat acutely ill patients and influence the work practice of the pathologist. With the advent of modernization tissue processing is modified from the point of tissue removal to embedding for instant histopathological diagnosis by various techniques or methods. After the surgical removal, the tissue undergoes preparatory protocol for preparation of sections which usually involves impregnation with a suitable supporting medium. The stages of tissue processing include fixation, dehydration, clearing, impregnation and embedding for designated durations of time to ensure completion of the procedure. Culling 1974, Bancroft Gamble 2002 The reproducibility and relatively low expense attached to the most commonly employed method continues to recommend it as a valuable tool after nearly 100 years of existence. But with the demand of faster or early reporting, newer techniques like rapid manual and microwave processing are getting introduced. Each of them is unique with their own set of advantages and disadvantages. The conventional tissue processing is reliable and cost effective but time consumption, reagent toxicity and delay in providing diagnosis are the major disadvantages. The rapid manual tissue processing has major disadvantages like the use of noxious chemicals, greater degree of tissue distortion and shrinkage which led to exploration for new short processing schedules. The microwave tissue processing eliminates the use of noxious chemicals, causes lesser distortion of tissue and has shorter processing time but the cost involved in instrumentation is very high. (Panja et al. 2007) Microwaves were invented by Percy Spencer in 1945 which work on the principle of producing heat by oscillating or exciting polar molecules. The microwave irradiation forces dipolar molecules of proteins to rotate through 180Â ° at the rate of 2.45 billion cycles per second (Srinivasan, Sedmak Jewell 2002, Bancroft Gamble 2002). These excited molecules due to kinetics cause collision with adjacent molecules resulting in transfer of rotational energy. This friction causes production of heat within the material itself leading to accelerated diffusion of processing fluids hence faster processing is possible. The advantages associated with microwave processing led to the production of commercially available microwaves specifically designed for tissue processing, however, the cost involved in these is very high (Leong 2004, Rohr et al. 2001). Domestic microwaves are readily available, affordable and had been used for tissue processing with good results earlier by some authors. Thus, the aim of the present study was to compare and analyse the efficacy of three histoprocessing methods and to determine the impact on turnaround times of tissue processing by these three methods. Materials and method In the present study, 60 specimens were selected randomly. The soft tissue specimen fixed in 10% NBF for 24h were included in the study and hard tissues like cartilage, bone and tooth were not included in the study. The gross features of the specimen were recorded and tissues were cut into three pieces of approximately same size to be processed by three methods. The sections obtained after processing were subsequently stained with HE by routine and microwave staining method. The stained slides in each group processed by three techniques were randomly numbered for a blind study and circulated among four observers referred as O1-O4. The observers graded each parameter on the format given in appendix D by following specific criteria as given in appendix C. Methodology Microwave tissue processing The microwave oven was calibrated as the microwave energy is non uniform within the chamber. Thus, hot and cold spots were detected in the chamber with the use of thermal paper sheet instead of the use of extra water load as suggested by various authors. The cold spot provided the most consistent results every time. The technique was self-standardized by trial and error method in the LG domestic Microwave (Model no. MS-285SD). The microwave was operated at the maximum output power of 40% (approximately 360 W) with rotating tray and ring removed. The cut piece from a fixed tissue sample was placed in a plastic tissue cassette and water washed in running tap water so that tissue was free of formalin. The tissue was irradiated in 200ml of 100% methanol and 200ml of 100% isopropyl alcohol for dehydration at cold spot for 2 cycles of 10 minutes each respectively in the microwave. After dehydration tissue was impregnated in 200ml of molten paraffin wax for 2 cycles at cold spot of 10 min each and was embedded in paraffin wax. Conventional Tissue Processing The cut piece from a fixed tissue sample was placed in a metal tissue cassette and water washed in running tap water so that tissue should be free of formalin. The tissue was dehydrated in 70% alcohol (one change), 90% alcohol (one change) and 100% alcohol three changes of 1 h each respectively. After dehydration tissue was cleared in two changes of xylene of 1 h each. Finally, tissue was impregnated in 2 changes of molten paraffin wax for 1 h each and was embedded. Rapid Manual Tissue Processing The cut piece from a fixed tissue sample was water washed in running tap water so that tissue should be free of formalin, after that tissue was wrapped in filter paper and dehydrated in 95% alcohol, 100% alcohol for 20 min on a stir plate. The dehydrated tissue was cleared in xylene for 20 min on a stir plate 20 min on a stir plate. Tissue was impregnated in 2 changes of molten paraffin wax of 1h each and was then embedded. The microwave processed tissue were stained as given in table no. ____. Conventional and rapid manual processed tissues were stained as given in table no.___________. Statistical Analysis The values obtained from different observers after assessment of sections processed by the three techniques were subjected to statistical analysis by Kruskal Wallis Test. One way ANOVA (Analysis of variance) was used for comparing mean shrinkage in tissues processed by the three histoprocessing methods. The P value Results All observers were assumed to be reliable as the Cronbach’s reliability test was statistically significant. Complete concordance was found amongst all pathologists in most of the cases. Hence, observer 1 was randomly selected for further analysis. The histopathological evaluation of the epithelium, fibrous tissues and glandular tissue revealed that the nuclear cytoplasmic contrast was good and cellular outline was distinct in tissues processed by microwave assisted technique followed by conventional processing and rapid manual processing techniques. The stroma was good with distinct cellular outline. The secretory products can be easily appreciated and the RBCs, inflammatory cells were intact. The results were statistically non-significant as observed by Kruskal Wallis test. The colour intensity of the tissues graded by four observers revealed that the microwave sections were crisper and there was a good contrast between the hematoxyphilic and eosinophillic areas. Though some slides were not visualised up to the mark, all the three histoprocessing methods were comparable to each other. One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant value on comparison of the tissue shrinkage processed by the three techniques. The dimensions of the tissues were recorded before dehydration and paraffin embedding. The mean percentage of shrinkage in rapid manual technique was significantly higher as compared to the other two techniques whereas statistically non-significant value was obtained on comparing conventional and microwave method of tissue processing. Discussion Microwaves are electromagnetic waves(Microwave Processing Techniques for Microscopy) which causes oscillation and excitation of polar molecules which are usually dipolar molecules of proteins in tissues. The excited molecules cause collision with adjacent molecules due to kinetics producing friction and causes production of heat within the material itself. The heat produced enhances the rate of diffusion of fluids to permeate into the tissues. The rise in temperature decreases the viscosity of processing fluids that facilitates diffusion. Therefore it is theoretically possible to fasten the tissue fixation and processing. This has resulted in a substantial reduction in the basic steps of histoprocessing, thereby reducing turnaround time and providing same day diagnosis. The applications of microwaves are extensive which includes tissue fixation, stabilization of large specimens, tissue processing for light and electron microscopy, histochemical and immunohistochemical staining. Microwave tissue processing technique was introduced by Boon and Kok in 1985 (Leong 2004) but the potential application of microwave energy was first recognized by Mayers in 1970 who successfully fixed tissue with a microwave generator (Kok, Visser Boon 1988). Boon et al. (1986) reported that it was possible to produce significant acceleration of tissue processing by using microwave radiation. Visinoni et al. (1998) first described the tissue processor that completed the processing in 30-120 min, thus reducing the processing time from 24 h to just 1-2 h providing early reporting and easy patient management. Thus, the aim of the present study was to compare the cytoplasmic and nuclear details as well as staining characteristics of tissue sections processed by conventional, rapid manual and microwave techniques. The noxious chemicals used in conventional tissue processing were replaced in microwave tissue processing. In the microwave processing in contrast to conventional tissue processing, isopropyl alcohol was replaced by methanol as dehydrating agent and xylene by isopropyl alcohol as intermediate agent. Molten paraffin wax remained the impregnating and embedding medium for both the techniques. The reagent selection was in consonance with Babu, Malathi and Mangesh (2011) who also used methanol, isopropyl alcohol and molten paraffin wax for microwave tissue processing. Microwave radiation produced when enter the chamber it is reflected by the chamber walls until these gets absorbed by the material placed inside the chamber (Wong 2011). However, the spreading is not even throughout the chamber leading to formation of hot and cold spot zones. (Kok, Boon Smid 1993, Thostenson Chow 1999, Rutgers 2013). Hence, hot cold spots should be detected to achieve consistent results. Various authors have described methods for detection of hot and cold spots. Microwave processing was self-standardized by trial and error method in which the hot and cold spots were detected by using a damp thermal paper Kok, Boon and Smid (1993). All the procedures in the microwave were carried out in the cold spot zones as suggested by Sharp and Paperiello (1971), Benard (1974), Rangell and Keller (2000) in their respective studies. Microwavable plastic tissue cassettes were used for microwave tissue processing which are cheap and reusable as metallic utensils are contraindicated in the microwave because the electric fields of the waves produced by microwave magnetron are completely reflected at the same frequency by metals which can lead to sparking. (Vollmer 2004). In the present study, the staining protocol for microwave was followed as given by Babu, Malathi and Mangesh (2011) which included the stains used to be accelerated in the microwave. Kayser and Bubenzer (1990) used domestic microwave oven for acceleration of the various stains which also included HE stain. Valle (1986), Moorlag, Boon and Kok (1987) and Mathai et al. (2008) modified various special stain protocols for microwave and concluded that microwave did not produce any deleterious effects on staining. In our study, the three pieces of tissue processed by three techniques sectioned by a soft tissue microtome and stained as per their respective protocols were evaluated. We adopted the criterion for evaluation of tissue sections given by Kango and Deshmukh (2011). The overall quality of the tissue sections processed by microwave and manual methods was comparable. The microwave processed sections had same or similar cytoplasmic and nuclear details with good erythrocyte integrity and lymphocytic appearance than the manual methods. Similar results are given by Mathai et al. (2008), Morales et al. (2002), Bhuvanamha et al. (2013), Panja et al. (2007), Boon et al. (1986), Kok et al. (1988). We also observed that the stroma in some cases was slightly more condensed focally in microwave processed tissue sections which is similar to the findings reported by Boon, Kok and Ouwerkerk-Noordam (1986) This lead to the erroneous categorization of these cases as indistinct in studies by Kango and Deshmukh (2011). Since our criterion was adopted from the above mentioned study we also placed focal condensation of stroma as indistinct. In contrast Kok, Visser and Boon (1988) refuted the importance of focal condensation of stroma in diagnostic pathology. The colour intensity of the tissues graded by four observers revealed that the microwave sections were crisper and there was a good contrast between the hematoxyphilic and eosinophillic areas. The microwave processed tissues showed an increased reaction to HE. The sections stained were slightly more eosinophilic as compared to the manual techniques. Similar findings are reported by Hopwood et al. (1984), Boon et al. (1986), Chaudhari, Chattopadhyay and Dutta (2000), Leong and Price (2004), Panja et al. (2007), Mathai et al. (2008), Babu, Malathi and Mangesh (2011). Hopwood et al. (1984) suggested that this eosinophilia could be easily corrected by altering the stain composition or staining time in eosin. In contrast Leong Price (2004) observed that eosinophilia of the cytoplasm was advantageous as it produced good nuclear cytoplasmic contrast and enhancement of the cellular features. The dysplastic features i.e. hyperchromatism, pleomorphism of tumor cells and mitotic figures were easily appreciable in the microwave processed tissue sections of malignancy. There was also an easy appreciation of the giant cells in the tissues of Central Giant cell Granuloma and tubercular lymphadenitis processed by microwave processing technique. Rapid processing of histopathologic material is becoming increasingly desirable for intraoperative consultations and timely diagnosis. We found positive impact on turnaround time in microwave method as the time taken for block preparation from fixed tissue was 1h as compared to conventional method (9h) and rapid manual method (3h). In some cases, proper diagnosis could not be reached as the size of the tissue was small and the sample was not representative of the site. Similar difficulties were also encountered by Suri et al. (2006), Kango and Deshmukh (2011) in their respective studies. As assessed in our study, the effects of the three methods of histoprocessing on cytoplasmic and nuclear details of epithelial, fibrous and glandular tissue showed no statistically significant variation. The microwave technique was comparable or slightly better than the manual methods. Conclusion The applications and versatility of microwave processing methods are unattainable with conventional procedures. The method reported herein reproducibly yields similar histologic quality to that provided by conventional processing. It has many advantages including feasibility, safety and elimination of noxious chemicals that might be used for improvement in the practice of the histopathology laboratory, permitting the preparation of diagnostic material within a day. Domestic microwaves are easily available and cost effective but have certain notable disadvantages like uneven heating and inability to record and maintain temperature within the chamber. Further exploration in the field is required for development of cost effective microwave histoprocessors for histopathology which provide similar histologic material for rapid diagnosis and reporting. References