Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Summary

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring The Fellowship of the Ring is the first book in a trilogy of books. The main character is Frodo Baggins. Frodo is one of many unusual creatures that are not heard of normally in books called Hobbits. Hobbits are quiet, peace-loving, simple creatures. They enjoy leisure activities and generally do not like to take risks or go on adventures. Hobbits who like to do such things are looked down to by society, and are generally considered queer-folk. And this is a story about one of those hobbits and his friends. The story starts off at Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday party, Bilbo is Frodo’s uncle. Bilbo had built up a reputation of being queer, and having gold hidden in his home. He had previously gone on an adventure in the book The Hobbit. In the book, Bilbo finds a ring, a ring that later he finds, holds magical properties. And when he feels the need to go on one last adventure and leave the Shire all together, he disappears at the end of his party, leaving the ring to Frodo. â€Å"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. –Galadriel, elf queen. Gandalf, who is a wise wizard who accompanied Bilbo on his adventure in The Hobbit, fills Frodo in on what needs to be done to the ring, and that he needs to leave the Shire, possibly forever. Frodo is accompanied by: Samwise Gamgee, Frodo’s best friend; Peregrin Took, also known as Pippin; Meriadoc Brandybuck, also known as Merry; and later on is joined by Aragorn, a ranger who is known as Strider; Lego las, an elf friend of Aragorn’s; Gimli, a dwarf who befriends the group; and Boromir, a man from Gondor. They travel from the Shire to the lawn of Parth Galen, which is where the Fellowship separates. Pippin and Merry are captured by a battalion of Orcs, which Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli follow in pursuit. Boromir falls trying to protect the two hobbits, and Frodo tries to escape to go to Mordor alone, but Sam follows him and soon Frodo is glad to have him along. Gandalf had died fighting a Balrog in Moria. Frodo changes from being light-hearted and spirited to dark, and serious. The ring starts to change him, and it starts to be a burden to carry. He is constantly tempted to slip it on in times of danger. And he soon finds out that he cannot trust anyone. This book was banned and challenged, because of the black magic, and the idea of good versus evil. Personally, I do not think it should be banned or challenged. It really doesn’t have anything that stands out to me as something that no one should read, or even be restricted. I see no problem with the ideas of magic and good versus evil. This book is such a good read. The story is very thorough and detailed, giving the reader a clear image of what is happening. This book is valued as entertainment, and an adventure to experience. I loved the book, I thought it was a great read and would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, and who loves adventures, because that is what it is, a fantasy and an adventure. The ending is a major cliffhanger! It draws you in and leaves you begging for more, therefore I am going to start the sequel as soon as possible.

Patricia Bath Biography

Patricia Bath, born in 1942, faced many problems dealing with discrimination as she climbed her way to the top in her profession. During her life time she had completed many accomplishments such as, making a safer and more efficient way to help cataract patients. Patricia at an early age had begun to love science because of her mother and her father, who was also the first African American in his profession. As she was pushed by her parents to pursue a successful career, she begun to strive for and use all she had to get to that point in her profession of ophthalmology. In honor of black history month, many students have learned about many happenings that lead up to having this dedication and many people who helped contribute towards it. Patricia Bath from an early age began making decisions to later help her achieve many goals in ophthalmology, which among all others was the Laserphaco Probe. Many problems stood in Patricia’s way as she began to make her first achievements, but many believe that these obstacles just pushed her further (Lindberg, M. D. ). Throughout her life Patricia was the first African-American woman to do many things. She was the first to complete a residency in ophthalmology as an African American. In her department, she was the first female at UCLA’s Jules Stein Eye Institute in 1974. Her profession was dealing with those who had cataracts and in 1988 she really contributed in that aspect, she had created the Laserphaco Probe. The Laserphaco Probe is Patricia’s accomplishment that she is most known for. As she began to work on this device, she used it on human cadavers and through many of these tests, she made various modifications (Patricia E. Bath). The Laserphaco Probe then and now uses a laser to more efficiently, effectively, safely, and painlessly remove the cataracts from a person’s eye. Through this she was also the first African-American female doctor to ever receive a patent, much less than in four different countries (Biography Channel). The lasers on this invention vaporized the films on the eye of the patient without doing any or severe damage to the eye itself. Patricia now works as an educator to upcoming ophthalmologists at her new Residency Training Program. Ophthalmology has been her main profession hroughout her life and even after retiring from her original place of work she was elected to the Center’s Honorary staff (Lindberg, M. D. ). As defined by the (Merriam Webster) dictionary her profession is, â€Å"a branch that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. † Another milestone in Bath’s life was that she, â€Å"co-founded the American Institute for the Prevent ion of Blindness, which established that â€Å"eyesight is a basic human right† (Biography Channel). However, to get this far in life education was necessary. Bath went to a variety of colleges ranging from Hunter College to Howard University to Colombia University. Patricia Bath will forever be known as the inventor of a device for cataract surgery, or better known as the Laserphaco Probe. Though facing many obstacles throughout her life Bath overcame them and spun them in her favor to be the first to do many things. To think that this all started with the chemistry set given to her by her mother as a young girl (Biography Channel). Along with her other inspiration she did this, which was the love of humanity and passion for helping others. Bath continues to further help her profession by introducing and inducting new future successors into her field through her training program. Work Cited Page Lindberg, M.D., Donald. â€Å"Patricia Bath.† Changing the Face of Medicine. Harvard Medical School, 19 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 Feb 2013. . â€Å"Patricia Bath.† 2013. The Biography Channel website. Feb 20 2013, 01:27 http://www.biography.com/people/patricia-bath-21038525. Patricia E. Bath, MD [email  protected]

Capital Maintenance Case of Trevor v Whitworth †Free Samples

Capital Maintenance Doctrine is not a new concept and it has existed more than a decade. This is a doctrine that was first recognized in the case of Trevor v Whitworth in the year 1887. In this case, the judge argued that it is reasonable for a company to lose money in business transactions, and this is basically because of the risks involved in business (Armour 2000). However, it is not reasonable or acceptable for a company to engage in activities that will lead to a reduction of its capital. This is because it will be against the desire of investors and their reasons of investing in a company, which is capital growth.   Ã‚  Ã‚   On this basis, it is possible to assert that the intention of the capital maintenance doctrine is to protect the capital that investors have invested in a company. However, in Ooregum Gold Mining v Roper, the court was of the opinion that capital maintenance doctrine is aimed at preserving and promoting the principle of limited liability (Hannigan 2015). The reasoning of the court is that a shareholder has a limited liability, and it is limited to the extent in the value of his shares. Therefore, reducing the capital of the organization may frustrate the ability of a company to pay off its debts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Moreover, the 2001 Corporation Act supports the doctrine of Capital Maintenance, and this is depicted in section 256A of the Act, which prevents the company from engaging in any activity that may threaten the financial position and stability of the company. Examples of these activities include financing the operations of other companies, engaging in the expensive process of purchasing buyback shares, etc (Borg 2015). In as much as the doctrine of capital maintenance is useful to creditors and shareholders, the   law allows a company to reduce its capital in some circumstances. For instance, section 254 of the 2001 Corporations Act allows a company to reduce its capital, if it is a decision that is passed unanimously by its shareholders. When a company reduces the value of its capital after getting permission from the shareholders, the process must be transparent and equitable (Hanrahan, Ramsay and Stapledon 2013). Additionally, if the company becomes insolvent because of the reduction of its capital, the directors of the company would be held liable. Therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that during the process, the value of liabilities does not exceed the value of its capital. Finally, in the case of Fowlers Vocola Manufacturing Company; it is acceptable for a company to reduce the value of its capital, if it seeks to refund investors their capital. Armour, J., 2000. Share capital and creditor protection: Efficient rules for a modern company law .  The Modern   Law Review, pp.355-378. Borg, D.J., 2015. The acquisition of own shares by limited liability companies. Hanrahan, P.F., Ramsay, I. and Stapledon, G.P., 2013. Commercial applications of company law. Hannigan, B., 2015.  Company law . Oxford University Press,.  

BSc Accounting Programme -- Management Accounting -- Absorption vs Essay

BSc Accounting Programme -- Management Accounting -- Absorption vs Marginal Costing - Essay Example more value at lower cost.† In absorption costing apart from the direct costs which are allocated to the cost centers and the units produced, indirect costs are apportioned to the cost centers and the units produced on equitable basis. In the marginal costing system, the fixed and variable costs are segregated for ascertaining the effect of changes in volume on profit. The marginal cost will be very useful in taking management decisions. There are advantages as well as disadvantages in both the types of costing techniques. But, it is important to note that a good cost accounting system will be useful in identifying the unprofitable activities in an organization and inefficiencies in the system in any form. Variance analysis made by using cost accounting will be useful in highlighting the deviations from the planned performance for taking suitable management action. Absorption costing or marginal costing is used depending upon the purpose of the management activities. Wherever material, labor and expenses could be identified with the cost centers they are directly allocated to them. Indirect materials, labor and expenses which could not be directly allocated to the cost centers are apportioned to the cost centers on equitable basis. â€Å"Full absorption costing is a costing method that accounts for all costs to the units produced by the activities of an organization through cost drivers.† (Galang-Manalo & Valenzuela-Manalo, 2011, 1.8.4) Materials, labor and expenses which do not form part of the finished products are known as indirect material, labor or expenses as the case may be. These are collectively called as overheads. The overheads are subdivided into production overheads, administration overheads, selling overheads and distribution overheads. Cost apportionment involves apportionment of the indirect costs to various cost centers on an equitable basis. For example, Works Managers salary needs to be apportioned to various departments such as

Leadership and Direction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership and Direction - Essay Example These answers will provide the members of the team with added information that can be used in the decision making process. When performing brainstorming sessions that lead to lots of questions being asked one of the team members should serve the role of secretary to take notes about the topics been discussed in the meeting. The secretary should also record the entire meeting in order to document the meeting and the questions that were discussed during brainstorming. There are different types of questions that must be asked to ensure a project is appropriate for the organization. Some of the first questions that must be discussed are regarding the content and scope of the project. Is the project aligned with the organization’s mission and goals? A second very important concern is the finances of the project. Does the company have sufficient funds to undertake the project? The company must ask itself whether the firm has sufficient human resources available for the project. The firm must also ask itself if there is a need for the recruitment of new personnel for the project. During the planning phase two questions that must be asked are: The leader will know if the right questions were asked for the project based on the collective input of the entire team staff. Once the team concludes its brainstorming and question asking the leader must document the data and ask for a second opinion from other managers of the company including the general manger, controller, marketing president, COO, and CFO, and CEO of the firm. These members of the executive management team have vast knowledge about how to run a team project efficiently. Their input will validate whether the project manager performed his job adequately in regards to gathering the information necessary to proceed with the project. The project manager should discuss the meeting he or she had with the executive management team with the rest of the

In the majority of cases plastic surgery not only improves the Essay

In the majority of cases plastic surgery not only improves the external appearance of the person, but it also makes the individual more confident and happier - Essay Example Hence, beauty is regarded by today’s generation as necessary and not a choice. However, not everyone is fortunate to be born with natural external beauty. Nevertheless, the tremendous advancement in the area of medical science has a solution to this problem. Presently, if one has an adequate amount of financial resources one can improve their physical appearance. The method of cosmetic surgery can provide one with an improved external appearance and possibly a better life. Cosmetic surgery is a surgical specialty of medical science that deals with a variety of corrective treatments (Gail, 2000). The objective is to enhance ones outward physical appearance by changing particular features. In the 1990s, people could not even think beyond particular kinds of hair transplant or methods of face-lift or lips enhancement. Presently, one can choose from different beautifying procedures that can improve almost all parts of one’s body, beginning from the head to the feet. With the fast paced advancement in this area of medical science it is not beyond the bounds of possibility to acquire the alluring lips of Beyonce, as it is also not impossible to get the buttocks of Jennifer Lopez. With the assistance of certain surgical methods such as Rhinoplasty or nose surgery, Blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery one can become the owner of an enhanced external appearance. Non-facial cosmetic procedures have likewise become important in defining beauty. Liposuction and breast implants are some of the well known cosmetic procedure that promises one to give an improved outward appearance. Other modern procedures likewise include different kinds of facial implants and chemical face peels that help one maintain a youthful appearance or correct hereditary imperfections. The bottom line is that self confidence is huge factor of success and a beautiful appearance adds to one’s confidence. That is why there is little reason why one should not grab the

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

History of Mathematics - Essay Example For instance, with the use of sequence, one may be able to solve how many pairs of rabbits will be produced annually assuming that each pair reproduces a new pair monthly with the new pair becoming productive starting from the second month (Boyer & Merzbach 256). Furthermore, the sequence may be applied to phyllotaxy or growth patterns of plant leaves as they spiral up the stem or trunk. With the sequence, the plant may not have to be stripped to determine the age or rings of the trunk ("Wikipedia"). The Dark Ages refers to the period in the Middle Ages to the first few centuries after the fall of Rome when knowledge including those pertaining to mathematics is said to deteriorate. This is evidenced by the textbooks used by Church schools in the Middle Ages were based on the primitive works of Cassiodorus and Isidore of Seville and featured limited coverage of arithmetic of Boethius. The only use of mathematics identified was for ecclesiastical calendars and growth in mathematical knowledge is limited to the representation of number by means of the fingers. (Boyer & Merzbach 249) This period is dubbed as the Dark Ages to reflect the loss of enlightenment provided by classical learning and prevalence of ignorance and barbarism (Hirsch, Kett & Trefil).

Community Outreach Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Community Outreach Program - Essay Example There are various avenues available to Coney Island Hospital in its effort to ensure that this program is accessible to all members of the community. The program will require its medical providers to alter their regular treatment schedules in the hospital to go conduct door to door health checks in patients’ home. The providers will begin in areas with low-income people as they are the ones most likely to be affected by diseases due to their inability to afford medical care. In order to do it safely, door-to-door program would better be conducted during morning hours. However, if the hospital is willing to hire night security, night visitations could be carried out as well. The disadvantage of conducting a daytime campaign is the act of having to travel to different residences in order to visit people who may not be home. Night time visitations have the advantage of having the majority of people indoors and therefore more effective. Door to door campaigns are one of the most e ffective methods of reaching out to everyone in the society as they give people or the populace targeted the privacy in their homes. These campaigns are however not cost-effective as extra expenses are incurred when medical personnel are dispatched to go on door-to-door visitations. The transport costs are an added expense which is not the case with in-hospital treatments. This method is also extremely time consuming and will require more than six months to be successfully completed. The source of funding of the program must be considered carefully as it is a crucial for the success of this outreach project. Due to the enormous cost of the program, one option is involving the State of New York to fund the program since it is a community project aimed at benefiting the residents of Coney Island. Moreover, as the services offered at a medical checkup are generally of a basic level, Coney Island Hospital will request medical student volunteers to come and assist in the work as part of their internship program as they get training from their supervisors. The checkups that do not call injections or prescription of medicine can be performed by them upon training thus saving time for senior staff who will do the more sophisticated work. The students should be those of senior level who are already familiar with checkup procedures so that the hospital does not need to invest more funds in training. This will give them an opportunity to acquire hands-on experience as well as add credit to their coursework if the hospital is willing to collaborate with universities from the area or to get staff from the medical reserve corps to

Terrorism Surveillance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Terrorism Surveillance - Essay Example However, there are concerns arising that are focused on the states intrusion into people’s privacy and have stirred up a major controversy. One can, hence, wonder just how far the government should go with their surveillance and are there any regulatory measures that can see to it that people’s privacy is upheld. The following essay will focus on the threats that the new surveillance technologies have posed to innocent individuals. Also, it will give insight on whether or not these technologies can be regulated, whether or not giving up some liberties for general safety is necessary and if the same measures should be applied locally and internationally. Lastly it will offer an analysis on the probability of the measurements being used by authoritarian regimes in the future. Electronic surveillance, when employed as a means for law enforcement, national security, domestic relations or industrial espionage has a potential of restricting and, in due course, negating the citizens right to be let alone. The history of the random uses to which the technology has been used on the domestic level, suggests that individuals such as the American citizens, are vastly susceptible to violations on rights to individual privacy. The United States’ first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, ninth, fourteenth and the eighteenth amendments, to some lengths, forbids arbitrary as well as unlawful invasions to privacy. Shortly after the 9/11 terrorism act, the United States Congress passed some security measures that were well intended but in various ways violate the citizen’s privacy. For example, the PATRIOT Act exceedingly increased the federal governments power to collect and analyze personal information related to the United States’ citizens. While the su pporters of the motion indicate that the wider surveillance bodies are expected to disclose and eliminate terrorism plans, the opponents argue that the extended powers violate

Obesity in children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Obesity in children - Essay Example Obesity and overweight increase the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes in addition to psychological problem. Obesity results from ingestion of too much energy through food as compared to the total expenditure. Various genetic and medical factors increase the risk of obesity. Various programmes all over the world are working towards reducing the prevalence of obesity and overweight in children. Obesity and overweight in children has become a recognizable major health issue which might define as â€Å"an epidemic disease† in health field. The statistics on childhood obesity are alarming.See figure 1. According to reports by the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of overweight children below five years of age, in the year 2010, was over 42 million and around 35 million of these were from developing countries (WHO, 2014). In the past thirty years, childhood obesity has more than tripled in adolescents and doubled in children (CDC, 2013). The percentage of obese children in the 6-11 years age group in the United States increased from 7% to 18% from 1980 to 2010 (CDC). Over the same period, percentage of obese adolescents in the 12-19 age groups increased from 5% to 18%. Childhood obesity is among the most serious public health issues of the twenty first century. It is a global issue. It was earlier thought to be confined to high-income developed countries but has steadily been affecting urban populations in middle and low income countries as well. Overweight and obesity in children are likely to persist in adulthood. Obesity is the fifth leading risk factor for global deaths – each year, around 2.8 million adult deaths are linked to overweight and obesity. According to estimates, 23% of ischemic heart disease burden, 44% of diabetes burden and 7-41% of cancer burden are attributable to obesity and overweight (WHO, 2014). Representative data on childhood obesity is available for many developed

Developing educational leadership in study circle Essay Example for Free

Developing educational leadership in study circle Essay As previously mentioned, Study Circle leaders are highly look upon as respectable individuals in the program. Even though the leader is just a representative or could be consider as equal among others, it could not be deny that their role is crucial in the success of the Study Circle. According to Blid (2000), there are two main functions that can be used to identify a leader. One is the ability to secure that studies progress smoothly and two, the ability promote a positive social climate during meetings. The first characteristic of the leader implies that he is willing to set aside his personal time to ensure that the program would run smoothly and effectively. However, the Study Circle was created to work collectively and each member is expected to be responsible for their own progress so it doesn’t mean that the Study Circle leader should do everything. He is just their in order to guide the participants in accordance with the program. Most of his organizational functions could be consider as presidential or secretarial work (Bjerkaker, 2003). The second functions or commonly known as the social and emotional role of the leader is consider as an important tool in developing a positive atmosphere of cooperation and respect wherein everyone would feel at ease while learning (Blid, 1990)). A Study Circle leader may be the key to an inspiring first meeting or a failure leader would cause the Study Circle to lose some of its members or participants. In order to carry out those two functions, Kindstorm (2002) cited some tasks that would help them perform their task. They are the following: 1) Helping the participants in strengthening their self-confidence; 2) Developing team spirit so that participants would feel welcome and secure; 3) Putting the participants own development in focus and ask the right questions; 4) On the process of knowledge, applying common views from time to time will help the participants to apply what they have learn in different situations of their everyday life; 5) Preventing competition by promoting cooperation among the participants; 6) Encouraging the participants to discuss solutions and ask questions among other through dialogues; 7) Making different options very clear; The leader will always play a crucial role in the interplay of the group. He/she, for an instance, need to face problems that could inhibit the members from participating in activities or learning from the program. The course subject that the Study Circle will tackle will be in accordance to the leader’s general knowledge. On the other hand, Study Circle leaders are considered as unpaid work since it is look upon as part of their engagement in a voluntary organization (Persson, 2006). However there are some who get paid but most of them are either retired or were specifically hired for the job due to certain circumstances. Most Study Circle leaders do have ordinary employment and their only few who are consider as full time Study Circle leaders and most of them are teachers. Methodology Introduction A multiplicity of concepts and ideas may bring confusion in terms of meanings. Clarity of key concepts, ideas and how could they be applied after the study would be an important parts in determining whether they are qualitative or quantitative. The purpose is to generate information about the application of the research design and its method to the current study. Research Design By focusing on textual data and spoken word rather than relying in numerical data and statistical method, qualitative research is meant to describe human experiences in various subjects and topics. The multiple perspectives of each participant are the direct source of data for this research design. By analyzing frequent phrases, patterns or statements from the participants, the researchers are in the process of developing a theory or foundation needed for the study. Furthermore, this procedure may often produce additional information that could start further research. In order to carry out their goal, the researchers should observe and jot down notes during the process of the research (Patton, 2002). According to Patton (2002), qualitative design is very tedious and time consuming. Researchers are force to adapt to the participants conditions and situations in order to extract the information they needed without jeopardizing the content and value of the data. However, analysis of data could pose as a major threat to the success of the study. After being influence by the participant’s environment, interpretation of this data could be subject to biases and personal opinions of researchers (Myers, 2002). However, the risk of taking this design lies in its descriptive reports and explorations of human views that could offer the future readers of the study a better understanding of the problem. Research Method While the Study Circle shall be used as a method, the characteristics of Focus Group Discussion to capture multiple perspectives of different participants at the same time will be useful in this study. Similar to the Study Circle, by assembling group of people to discuss certain topic, focus group discussion could generate social interactions between these people that are not acquainted with each other (Heiskanen, 2008). By generating interactions among them and seeing it evolve, various ideas and concepts are generated at the same time. Ideas and concepts are being generated through a communal process wherein participants could share and elaborate their viewpoints about the subject and concern topics. Furthermore, researchers could understand how participants handle, react and approach the issue being presented to them by observing, recording and analyzing the interaction and discussion of the group (Heiskanen, 2008). Multiple ideas and concept necessary to form the foundation of the school-community framework could be supplied by focus group discussion while minimizing time and cost for the research. Furthermore, the concept of Study Circles and focus group discussion are parallel with each other, thus preventing overlaps of information.

Aristotle Life Of Contemplation Is The Best One Philosophy Essay

Aristotle Life Of Contemplation Is The Best One Philosophy Essay In the writings of Aristotles Nicomachean Ethics and the Book X, he discusses the idea of contemplative life how happiness can be established through virtue. In this paper, I will argue the reasons Aristotle has provided in establishing his theory that a contemplative life is the best life to live, and provide reasons as to why I believe his arguments are compelling enough to be considered truthful. To establish an understanding on Aristotles ideas about contemplative life, we must first recognize the relations he makes between pleasure and virtue. Aristotle refers to the ences to virtue are in relation to virtues linked to the soul instead of the body. He divides the soul into three parts, the nutritive soul, the desiring soul and the reasoning soul. Of the three parts of the soul, only the reasoning soul is unique to humans and thus sets us apart. Reasoning is what sets us apart from all other animals, which leads Aristotle to conclude that reasoning is the function of human life. He goes on to state that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦evidently happiness must be placed among those desirable in themselves, not among those desirable for the sake of something else; for happiness does not lack anything, but is self-sufficientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ And of this nature virtuous actions are thought to be (Aristotle, p.46). Aristotle begins by stating that pleasure à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ is thought to be most intimately connected with our human nature à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it is thought, too, that to enjoy the things we ought and to hate the things we ought has the greatest bearing on virtue of character (Aristotle, p.43). Aristotle starts to discuss what would be accepted as a good pleasure and a bad pleasure, and believes that there are certain lives we would reject because they are bad no matter how much pleasure it may bring. He continues to conclude that pleasure is due to activity and since no one is continuously pleasedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ human beings are incapable of continuous activity (Aristotle, p. 45). Aristotle comes to the conclusion that If happiness is activity in accordance with virtue it should be in accordance with the highest virtue (Aristotle, p. 47), this brings about the question of what the highest virtue is. Based on his earlier conclusions, pleasure is related to activity and virtue, so the highest virtue must produce the most pleasure; Aristotle believes that the function of man is reasoning and thus continues to conclude that the greatest virtue would be to fulfill the function of man. This concludes that the highest virtue would be reasoning and thus a life of contemplation would be the best life. Aristotle continues to support this conclusion, firstly, this activity is the best (since not only is reason the best thing in us, but the object of reason are the best of knowable objects); and secondly, it is the most continuous, since we can contemplate truth more continuously that we can do anything. And we think happiness has pleasure mingled with it, but the activity of philosophic wisdom is admittedly the pleasantest of virtuous activities (Aristotle, p.47). He believes that contemplation is not only the highest virtue but it is self-sufficient, which he believes is another reason why contemplation is the best type of life, it does not rely solely on intrinsic values that other lives depend on. And the self-sufficiency that is spoken of must belong most to the contemplative activity. For while a philosopher. As well as a just man or one possessing any other virtue, needs the necessaries of life, when they are sufficiently equipped with things of that sort the just man needs pe ople towards whom and with whom he shall act justly, and the temperate man, the brave man and each of the others is in the same case, but the philosopher, even when by himself, can contemplate truth, and the better the wiser he is; he can perhaps do so better if has fellow-workers, but still he is the most self-sufficient. And this activity alone would seem to be loved for its own sake; for nothing arises from it apart form the contemplating, while from practical activities we gain more or less apart from the action (Aristotle, p.47). Aristotle switches focus to the life of the Gods. He states, We assume the gods to be above all other beings blessed and happy (Aristotle, p.48). Aristotle continues in saying that the gods have no need for the things humans fuss about. He sees these actions as trivial and unworthy of the gods (Aristotle, p.48). Still the gods live and must do something to occupy the time, he does not believe that they sleep, and such if they do no worry about human worries and are not in a state of constant sleep Aristotle concludes that they must be in a state of contemplation. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if you take away from a living being action, and still more production, what is left but contemplation? (Aristotle, p.48). Aristotle argues that the life of reason and contemplation will be the happiest, since the Gods are the happiest of us all, and they a life of contemplation. Therefore the activity of God, which surpasses all others in blessedness, must be contemplative; and of human activities, therefore, that which is most akin to this must be most of the nature of happiness (Aristotle, p.48). When examining Aristotles reasoning behind his belief that the contemplative life is the best life, his explanation for the belief that pleasure is linking to the fulfillment of the function of humans reasoning and thus contemplation is very well thought out and the ideas are very plausible. Aristotles belief is further strengthened by his explanation of the gods and their way of life. Aristotles explanation of mankind and the life of contemplation are very convincing. Hes idea that the functional character of humans is reason, seems to be true, since it is indeed what separates us from all other animals (as far as we know). If that is the difference in which separates humans from animals, and that pleasures are drawn from virtues, then Aristotles link between the function of humans and the highest virtue leads to a contemplative life. It would seem only logical that best life for a human to live would be a contemplative life that is self-sustaining. Aristotle believes that since the gods live a contemplative life that we should as well. He explains that the gods have no need for things that humans worry about, will not the gods seem absurd if they make contracts and return deposits, and so on? Acts of brave men, then confronting dangers and running risks because it is noble to do so? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the circumstances of action would be found trivial and unworthy of the gods (Aristotle, p.48). Aristotle continues to point out that since they do not part-take in these actions that they would only be lift with the action of contemplation. This action would be most worthy of the gods since contemplation is seen as acquiring wisdom, and since the gods are wise and powerful, it would only make sense that the wise are continuously contemplating. Since humans fear gods, we push ourselves to please them, use the gods as an example of how to live ones own life. Therefore it would only be logical that if the gods lived a life of contemplati on, that as the followers of god one would try to live a life of contemplation as well.

Gender Differences in Mental Rotation Experiment

Gender Differences in Mental Rotation Experiment Abstract Mental rotation involves mind when it tries to recognize objects in the surrounding and figuring out what the altered objects really are. The aim of this experiment was to determine reaction time of different angles of rotation and influence of gender differences. The task involved comparing three letters, some letters appeared the same and others were difficult to tell during rotation. I also noted that, the more an image is rotated from the point of origin, the longer it takes for an individual to realize if the letters are the same. Neither the position nor the axis on the object being rotated is the degree in which it is rotated and the speed of the rotation. Matching the letters required a lot of time as the speed of rotation increases. The experiment also showed that, females are faster than males. Keywords: Mental rotation, experiment, females, males, mind, gender, memory Mental rotation Introduction Mental rotation involves moving objects in the brain. These objects are stimulus (Cohen, 2012). As they rotate physically they also move mentally. The differences that may occur in different genders may be as a result of picture vividness. Images may appear very bright seeming like real life because it is clearly bright or detailed. In this study females got the higher score because they have habits in thinking and their way of thinking is quite different from men. This experiment was aimed at determining the length of time that could be taken to determine whether the letters were the same or quite different. For each pair, I tried to redo it by closing one eye and tried it again when all eyes are open to identify any difference. According to the theory of Paivio and Harshman (1987) females always tend to remember first because they use more imagery, colorful images which they have developed a habit in. As compared to males, reported use of images is a way of solving problem and gives them the ability to visualize objects. For instance, females do well in images that view regularly provided that they are colorful hence drawing their attention, whereas males might do well in manipulation of images. Males perform well on arts like drawing; while female perform well on some tasks requiring visual memory. Female have the tendency of reporting events and use of imagery. These images are stimulated by the verbal accounts of events. According to Paivio and Harshman (1987), this theory indicates that female tend to have more pictorial imagery as compare to males. By applying commonsense, people may differ in image viewing and image control. Some individuals may be having eye complications (Johnson, 1990). This has a very big difference on individuals. It all depends on how the images are perceived. The finding of this experiment therefore indicates that, individual differences in imagery are multidimensional and image ability might be multidimensional. In conclusion, mental rotation is depends on the mental rotation speed of different people. There is need for research in future to focus on the effects of the various socio-cultural and biological factors, as well as competent mental effects that influence individuals’ mental rotation and the strategies to acquire competent mental rotation. It is also hypnotized that, gender also determines on the ability of mental rotation. Method Participants: Participants were 10 competent students. This group consisted of 6 females and 4 males with age range from 20-45. Participation was open and voluntary to anyone. There were more females than males. Materials: There were 10 trials of different lettered objects to the participants before being rotated. This was to determine if the objects were similar both on the left and right view. Participants were given different letters on computer screen for 10 trials. The objects were being shown randomly and the participants were to make a comparison by clicking on the mouse to accept by pressing a button of true or false. The mean time was measured in seconds. Participants were also asked to give more information on gender and age and their effects on the rotation. It came to my realization that young people tend to have a sharp memory than the old people hence they are more skilled in mental rotation. Procedure: For each trial, the entire 10 participant were shown two different presentations of the objects. The object on the left was the standard version and the shape on the right was a reflected version of the shape on the left. The object on the left was shown in the upright way appearance while the object on the right was rotated in each trial; participants were to rotate the right object mentally then draw a conclusion if the objects were similar. That is, if the right objects were identical to the left objects. Participants were also asked if the left object was identical to the right one or otherwise. The task of participants was to complete the 10 trials, and to mentally see if they could recognize objects in their upright position after being rotated. Results: The results showed that, the bigger the rotation of the angle, the longer it takes for the participants to make decisions on whether the two objects have any similarities. As the object on the right was reflected, the vision of the object on the left participants first rotated the shape mentally to the right position. Individuals with inability were faster and more accurate in identifying the images. After mentally rotating the imagery they responded whether or not the shape was identical to the first shape. The results from the table also showed that if a shape has been rotated to instance 240 degrees, physically it will take longer for an individual to compare a shape which has been rotated 60 degrees. From the group, females were the most of the participants and they were showing a higher reaction and quicker response than males. This clearly showed what sex difference influence mental rotation. Discussion As already mentioned that mental images are analogue representations of physical objects, this finding supports the result of Harshman and Paivio and (1987) on reaction time. The results provide supports for the hypothesis that as angle of rotation goes, the reaction time of participant increases. This information supports the hypothesis which has been supported in this study. As the angle of rotation becomes bigger, it takes the participant longer time to make a decision. According to the findings, participants mentally rotate the second objects to its upright position first then compared with the standard version of the object. After mentally rotating the imagery, they respond whether or not the shape is identical to the first shape. The results show that females have higher reaction time than males. The results showed that, it took females longer to decide â€Å"males are more proficient on paper and pencil tests requiring mental rotation or transformation† (Harris, 1978; Maccoby Jacklin, 1974) now that there was an equal number of a female participant to that of the male participants. The limitation of having a bigger number of female participants was eliminated by balancing the number. The results supported the hypothesis that gender differences influences the way an image is perceived. As predicted, the females scored higher than males on the mental imagery test because female perceive objects differently. This findings supported by earlier studies in which female needed more time to rotate the shape mentally than males. I also found out that, the ability to rotate objects mentally might relate to individual differences in specific kinds of imagery abilities. Also from the research mental rotation is activated by different coloured shapes. The coloured objects tend to take a shorter time than the dull objects. The setting for this experiment was at school. This enabled us get different results from the previous ones. The environment where the task completed made this study a success because there were very few distractions. All the concentration of all participants was sufficient in conducting this research. The environment was conducive and it enhanced the findings about mental rotation. Additional advantage of this study was the limited range of age group, which enabled us to establish the differences and how different people with different ages perceive objects in their brains. Differences in age may influence how long it might take a participant to make the decision that the object is real or similar to another. The overall result of this study is that, as the angle of rotation goes upwards the reaction time of the participants increase. This is because the image must first rotate mentally then decides the shape is mirror or not. In conclusion male participants are not a good simple of representations. Aged people are also not good in mental rotation. References: Cohen, M. 2012. Changes in Cortical Activities During Mental Rotation: A mapping study using functional magnetic resonance imaging Retrieved on May 29, 2014 from, http://airto.bmap.ucla.edu/BMCweb/BMC_BIOS/MarkCohen/Papers/Rotate.pdf Harshman R.A. Paivio, A. (1987). â€Å"Paradoxical† sex differences in self-reported imagery. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 41, 287-302 Johnson A.M. (1990). Speed of mental rotation as a function of problem solving strategies. Paivio, A., Harshman, R. A. (1983). Factor analysis of a questionnaire on imagery and verbal habits and skills. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 37, 46l-483

The Master Speed by Robert Frost Essay -- Robert Frost Poem Master Sp

'The Master Speed' by Robert Frost Throughout the poem The Master Speed, Frost addresses the idea that marriage is a sacred bond that must be treasured all through our lives. The main reason for the apparent matrimony theme was due to the engagement of Frost's daughter. Because of this great influence over his life, Frost reiterated the advice to his daughter to stay at 'the master speed'; in order to fully enjoy the rest of her life as well as her future commitment. By this Frost suggests that one should not rush through life but instead take in life, nice and slow so that it may be savored. Frost first presents this idea by metaphorically discussing the spectacular abilities his daughter possesses but refuses to use. In the first quatrain, the poet suggests that his da...

Subarctic phenomena :: weather

Subarctic phenomena Aurora Borealis The aurora has long fascinated people in northern latitudes. The aurora was subject to much mythology amongst Northern cultures. The first attempts to research the scientific origin of the aurora took place in the 18th century, when it was concluded that the aurora is related to magnetism. The aurora occurs in the high latitude regions of the arctic and antarctic. The auroras of the north and south are related and named aurora borealis and aurora australis. The aurora is primarily seen in the sparsely populated high latitude part of the northern hemisphere, though on occasion can be seen in lower latitudes. The aurora australis is not seen as often as the aurora borealis, because it takes place in a very sparsely populated part of the globe. Solar Wind Solar wind is a plasmic-like substance that originates and the Sun. Solar wind travels approximately 200 to 1500 km per second. Solar plasma consists primarly of ionized hydrogen and helium, which travel as protons and electrons. The protons are positively charged and electrons negatively charged and carry magnetic energy. Magnetosphere Earth (and other planets with a magnetic field) has magnetosphere around its atmosphere. The magnetosphere is a non-spherical area around the planet consisting of ions and electrons (plasma). The solar wind coming from the Sun is deflected by the magnetosphere. Notice the shape of the magnetsophere in the diagram below, that the magnetosphere facing the Sun covers a much smaller area than the other side of Earth. The shape is determined by the flow of solar wind and Earth's magnetic field. How the aurora is formed Auroras are formed when solar wind approaches Earth and is deflected by the magnetosphere. Since the plasmas in the solar wind and in the magnetosphere conduct electricity, and the moving solar wind causes a change in the magnetic field an electric current is induced in the plasmas. The phenomenom itself occurs at Earth's ionosphere, which occurs when the electric current flows through the ionosphere between the north and south poles. When this happens, the ionosphere acts as an ohmic resistor in which there is a voltage difference between the two poles (up to 200,000 V during the most intense auroras). Ice Fog What is it? Fog in the general sense of the word a cloud that is very close to the ground (such that it decreases visibility). Fog consists of water droplets suspended in air and occurs when water vapor is condensed.

Hamlet Essay: The Unlike Characters of Gertrude and Ophelia

Hamlet -- the Unlike Characters of Gertrude and Ophelia      Ã‚  Ã‚   The Shakespearean tragedy Hamlet features two ladies who are very unlike in character. Queen Gertrude, denounced by the ghost as faithless to King Hamlet, is pictured as evil by many, while Ophelia is seen as pure and obedient and full of good virtues. Let’s explore these two unlike people.    Rebecca Smith in â€Å"Scheming Adulteress or Loving Mother† presents an unusually â€Å"clean† image of the present queen that is not consistent with that of the old queen presented by the ghost:    Although she may have been partially responsible for Claudius’ monstrous act of fratricide and although her marriage to Claudius may have been indirectly responsible for making a â€Å"monster† of Hamlet, Gertrude is never seen in the play inducing anyone to do anything at all monstrous. . . . When one closely examines Gertrude’s actual speech and actions in an attempt to understand the character, one finds little that hints at hypocrisy, suppression, or uncontrolled passion and their implied complexity. . . . She speaks plainly, directly and chastely when she does speak [. . .]. (81-82)    The biggest difference between the two ladies is perhaps the moral difference. Who can deny that the Queen has done some very serious sinning? Who can deny that Ophelia is a shy, obedient, innocent daughter? Lilly B. Campbell comments in â€Å"Grief That Leads to Tragedy† on Queen Gertrude’s sinful state:    Shakespeare’s picture of the Queen is explained to us by Hamlet’s speech to her in her closet. There we see again the picture of sin as evil willed by a reason perverted by passion, for so much Hamlet explains in his accusation of his mother:    You cannot call it love, fo... ...Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Rpt. from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    Smith, Rebecca. â€Å"Gertrude: Scheming Adulteress or Loving Mother?† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from â€Å"Hamlet†: A User’s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996.    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wilson, John Dover. What Happens in Hamlet. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Animal Testing Controversy

Animal Testing Controversy When shopping at a store, no one ever thinks when he or she buys makeup, cleaning products, deodorant or lotion, that it has potentially hurt an innocent animal. In fact, millions of animals die every year due to a chemical drug. Those animals harmed never got a chance to live a normal, animal life; instead, they were put into cages and locked up for years at a time. While animal testing can be used to ensure the safety of certain drugs for humans, potentially killing or harming the animal being tested deems this practice wrong because it is immoral to kill or injure an innocent animal.An animal being subjected to testing is not fair; that animal did nothing wrong to deserve to be treated as an experiment. Like humans, animals are creatures living and breathing on this world too. How is it acceptable that creatures almost equal to us humans are treated like scum? Stated in the article â€Å"Controversy of Animal Testing† by Ian Murnaghan, â€Å"One key argument against animal testing involves the inability of animals to consent to the tests. Humans†¦ can make an informed decision to consent while animals have tests forced upon them, with no choice. As Murnaghan said, animals do not have the choice to decide whether they’ll be tested on or not, for they are obviously unable to speak. However, given the opportunity for an animal to have a voice, the likelihood that they’d reject the proposal of a test is highly likely. During an animal test, it may involve pain, suffering and discomfort. Although researchers try their best to minimize the pain, they aren't able to completely prevent any from happening. For the reason that an innocent animal is suffering against their free will, animal testing should be eliminated for the testing of drugs and other substances.All beings respond differently to various kinds of drugs and chemicals applied on them for testing. Since they react in so many different ways, it is very hard to conclude any results from the data they receive. As Murnaghan says in the article â€Å"Using Animals for Testing: Pros Versus Cons,† â€Å"the reaction of a drug in an animal's body is quite different from the reaction in a human. The main criticism here is that some believe animal testing is unreliable. † Like Murnaghan stated, it is almost pointless to even test animals on certain drugs and chemicals because they all have different responses to everything.For instance, morphine, which is a commonly used drug for pain relief, calms humans, whereas for cats, it excites them. Varied reactions from a drug emphasizes that humans and animals are different creatures, therefore, why test on animals expecting results related to how humans will react? That simply does not make sense. While researchers may search for drug and chemical questions through the testing of animals, the results are figured to be invalid due to the fact that our bodies are composed differentl y, thus deeming animal testing as unnecessary and wrong.Not only are animals harmed and potentially killed while being tested on, but their living conditions are inhumane and unfair. Arrays of cages are what researchers keep animals in. Small animals, like hamsters, rats and mice, are typically kept in clear or white plastic boxes about the size of a shoebox. Animals a bit bigger, such as guinea pigs, live in larger boxes about twice the size of a shoebox but more than one animal lives in a box. Larger animals like dogs, cats, and primates usually live in wire cages. Should these animals be kept in these circumstances their entire lives?Heartbreakingly, most animals stay in their cages all the time except when they are being used in experiments. What kind of life is that? On one hand, strict laws insure that the cages are warm, clean, and big enough. However, they are still kept in cages; a cage can never be as interesting, stimulating, or open as a natural habitat. On the PETA webs ite, a startling image is locked into the reader’s mind, â€Å"Imagine living inside a locked closet without any control over any aspect of your life. You can't choose when and what you eat, how you will spend your time, whether or not you will have a partner and children, or who that partner will be.You can't even decide when the lights go on and off†¦ This is life for an animal in a laboratory. It is deprivation, isolation, and misery. † In no way, shape, or form is it fair for an animal to be kept in a cage their entire life. Humans aren’t treated and put into cages for their life span, why should animals? Back to a point made in a previous paragraph, animals are living, breathing creatures on this earth too; they deserve reasonable living conditions while being put into these terrible situations.Although many people disagree in the act of animal testing, others are set in the fact that it’s beneficial to our society and movement in improving mode rn science. By testing on animals, it can find drugs and treatments to advance health and medicine for humans. In the article â€Å"Using Animals for Testing: Pros Versus Cons,† Murnaghan writes, â€Å"They see humans are superior to animal life and this belief thus justifies the use of animals in testing. While animal suffering should be minimized, they also cite that it is preferable for an animal to suffer as opposed to a human. Researchers view animals as test subjects and conclude that humans are higher in the circle of life; therefore choosing animals for testing is the best choice for society. Those doing the experiments are not motivated by cruelty towards the animal but by a powerful desire to push the boundaries of medical research and develop therapies for diseases. The fact that hurting animals is benefiting humans is the sole reason researchers and people deem the practice as right. Another reason this practice is believed right is animal testing helps to ensure the safety of drugs and many other substances humans use or are open to regularly.Drugs can carry substantial dangers with their use but animal testing lets researchers measure the safety of drugs prior to trials on humans. Thus, human lives are saved due to them not being harmed from the tests and the drugs tested. The price paid was to the harm of the animals, but with the gain of quality of life to humans, the world moves on. Even though there are some aspects of animal testing that are right and that benefit humans, a creature on this earth is still being harmed. If animals are alive and breathing just like humans, then they should be treated like them too.Animals are subjected to spend their whole lives in a lab taking the abuse of medical procedures and operations. It is wrong that animals are the ones who take this abuse, especially, like stated earlier, when they are given no alternative choice or route. If a human would have a choice in this situation, an animal should too because any life has value, and animal testing shames that. Being confined to a miserable life with numerous tests that are commonly painful is not a lifestyle that any living thing should be forced to pursue. An animal has to waste its life, well-being, and health for human benefit.These conditions are not something that any human would choose to undergo, and animals would not either, which is why animal experimentation is wrong. However, without animal testing, humans would be exposed to things that could cause harmful damage or disease. Still, there are other ways that these products and medicines can be tested other than using innocent animals. In an article in the NY times, companies state that they are taking actions in finding new ways to test, â€Å"small companies, like Entelos, supply computer simulation programs for virtual testing.Such software incorporates hundreds of variables to simulate how humans who suffer from conditions like asthma, obesity or Type 1 or 2 diabe tes will react to a new drug. † By using new forms of testing, animals are used less in the lab for experiments and more in their own environment, living normal, animal lives. Those companies finding new ways to test their products should be commended. Testing products before they are released is the safe action to do, therefore, other ways to test those products is very important in the act in saving animals from being harmed from testing.Animal testing has been taking place for hundreds of years and it’s no less immoral today than it was then. It leads to lasting damage to animals, and in many cases, death. Animal testing is wrong because they have no say in what happens to them, the bodies of animals and humans are different, therefore testing on an animal to find results for a human is unnecessary, their living conditions are horrid, and lastly, there are now other ways to perform tests for products using technology.Animal testing is unfair, immoral, and selfish for anybody to do, no matter what the purpose may be. It may be said to save lives; however, it kills more than it saves. Works Cited â€Å"Cruelty to Animals in Laboratories. †Ã‚  Peta. org. N. p. , n. d. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. . Feder, Barnaby J. â€Å"Saving the Animals: New Ways to Test Products. †Ã‚  The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Sept. 2007. Web. 13 Oct. 2012. . Murnaghan, Ian. â€Å"Controversy of Animal Testing. †Ã‚  Controversy of Animal Testing. N. p. 14 Dec. 2010. Web. 7 Oct. 2012. . Murnaghan, Ian. â€Å"Using Animals for Testing: Pros Versus Cons. †Ã‚  Using Animals for Testing: Pros Versus Cons. N. p. , 1 July 2011. Web. 7 Oct. 2012. . Suzy Woodell October 15, 2012 Period 2 College English |B |I believe I did well on blueprint because I organized my paragraphs with | | | |TREAC, sometimes adding my own twist and writing style to it, which I | | | |think helped me get my views across better. | |C |I think I did well on content and develo ping my ideas because I analyzed | | | |my view and ideas on it well and tried my best to really get what I | | | |wanted to say on paper. | | |D |With diction, I think I truly tried my best in using a broad vocabulary, | | | |so I think I did pretty well on it because throughout my essay, I use a | | | |variety of words and articulate vocabulary without using too much of it. | | |It has the right balance. | | |E |Throughout my essay, I believe I did well with using a variety of | | | |sentence lengths, top 20 leads, and I even have a repeat key. Therefore,| | | |because of those reasons, I deserve a good grade on this because my | | | |sentences vary and useful leads are used. | | |F |I think I did alright on formalities.I have trouble with punctuation. | | | |Even when I try my hardest to fix it, I never know if it’s right. | | | |Although, I don’t think I spelled anything wrong, so that’s a plus. | | | |However, I only think I deserve an okay grade on this is because I | | | |probably have some punctuation errors that need to be fixed. | | ———————– B+ A B A B+ C+

Villains of the Christian Bible

In the first half of the ancient epic of Beowulf, the eponymous protagonist portrays the traditional and conventional ideals of a morally righteous hero: good, seemingly fearless, bold and daring, loyal to his nation, strong in body and spirit, and willing to become a martyr for justice. As a king in the latter portions of the epic, Beowulf is also ideal. Beowulf is a great warrior himself, and thus could be respected without reservations by his greatest soldiers. Beowulf’s reputation as a warrior preserved the peace in his own country.Most importantly, Beowulf is a hero-king, willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of his country (as he did in his fight with the dragon). He was also one to avenge unjust deaths. He is willing to risk himself for what he believes to be moral, good, and just. Part of Beowulf’s heroism also lies in his adherence to his moral code, which is strongly tied to his religious convictions. However, Beowulf’s morals and values might not s eem as such from a modern perspective, because Beowulf’s morals and values are strongly tied to the mixed Christian and pagan ideals of the time.There are many references to religion (and thus morality) in the epic. It has strong Christian elements, such as the description of Grendel’s mother as having descended from Cain, one of the early villains of the Christian Bible. However, the epic also has a generous helping of pagan concepts. Beowulf frequently calls upon God, but also speaks of Wyrd, the â€Å"ruler of all. † Pagan practices, such as cremation and drinking of blood, are also depicted. From a modern perspective, Beowulf is a pagan tale with some Christian aspects.

Public International Law

In addition to our syllabus, more of the oral and reporting which is usual in the class will take place. The lessons I learned from my English summer class are not that quite easy to analyze but with the help of our professor, it is more easy to understand because he taught very clearly. The PAP style syllabus which Is about the avoidance of plagiarism help me to know Its Limitations and rules that I should follow for us to know the Limit of exceeding in the line. Actually, there are many different ways to credit the author that you get your sources from, whether it is a book, magazine, newspaper or online research.Back in high school, whenever we are gathering information from different resources, we were always task to do the bibliography properly. Now in college, there were similarity in acknowledging the authors and the creditors, the deference is that when we are studying the PAP styles, it shows how broad the topic Is and how important to follow all the formats that were given In the syllabus. And It is not only we are studying the format in gathering from the book, but there were different given circumstances and example which is very helpful for me.Before, in other subjects when we are task to do some home works and there should be acknowledgements we Just copies the link of it, the thing is back then we didn't know that when we get from the online sites, there are still formats to follow which I knew now already and I'm not Joking that I actually already memorized how to credit the authors or even If here's not, the format of It are now clear In my mind and maybe In the future, the PAP style which we tackled is very helpful for us not to be accused for popularizing.Other lessons we learned, in the reporting area in particular the Narratives conventions and devices, teaching us on how to sequence properly the stories and the importance of order. Second, the Logical fallacies are a fallacy in logical argumentation. For example, Bandwagon Is a cause that has suddenly become fashionable or popular. Suggesting that simply because a lot of others are doing It, you should too.Last example is the Hasty generalizations, which draw a conclusion from insufficient evidence. In the end, the last topic in all the reporting is the writing process, which is a several steps to go through to make up to an essay. First to the last steps are the preprinting, writing, revising, editing and publishing. For me, the importance of reading is very helpful whenever I write reflection papers or essays. Actually It has a significant number of benefits.Beforehand, I'm really not Into instructor would always say to us that for us to be fluent and good in English, we should read every day for us to widen our vocabulary and ideas that will refreshed our minds, and it expands our knowledge and discoveries which is a great help. Since reading is keeping your brain active, it will lessen your forgetfulness which results in better writing skills. So whenever I write some paper works, the ideas and imaginations is more broad that results in composing a good sentences and paragraphs.When the writing process was tackled in the reporting, I listed it down because if you like to be a good composer or a writer, the process and orders are very important to follow. And, following these steps is not only necessary to achieve a good grade; it would also develop your writing skill, and make you able to think in a more organized way. After all, writing is not only a product, rather, a process also. To sum it up, all the topics that we discussed really helped me. Maybe until before or after I graduate I can still use all the lessons I learned. Public International Law In addition to our syllabus, more of the oral and reporting which is usual in the class will take place. The lessons I learned from my English summer class are not that quite easy to analyze but with the help of our professor, it is more easy to understand because he taught very clearly. The PAP style syllabus which Is about the avoidance of plagiarism help me to know Its Limitations and rules that I should follow for us to know the Limit of exceeding in the line. Actually, there are many different ways to credit the author that you get your sources from, whether it is a book, magazine, newspaper or online research.Back in high school, whenever we are gathering information from different resources, we were always task to do the bibliography properly. Now in college, there were similarity in acknowledging the authors and the creditors, the deference is that when we are studying the PAP styles, it shows how broad the topic Is and how important to follow all the formats that were given In the syllabus. And It is not only we are studying the format in gathering from the book, but there were different given circumstances and example which is very helpful for me.Before, in other subjects when we are task to do some home works and there should be acknowledgements we Just copies the link of it, the thing is back then we didn't know that when we get from the online sites, there are still formats to follow which I knew now already and I'm not Joking that I actually already memorized how to credit the authors or even If here's not, the format of It are now clear In my mind and maybe In the future, the PAP style which we tackled is very helpful for us not to be accused for popularizing.Other lessons we learned, in the reporting area in particular the Narratives conventions and devices, teaching us on how to sequence properly the stories and the importance of order. Second, the Logical fallacies are a fallacy in logical argumentation. For example, Bandwagon Is a cause that has suddenly become fashionable or popular. Suggesting that simply because a lot of others are doing It, you should too.Last example is the Hasty generalizations, which draw a conclusion from insufficient evidence. In the end, the last topic in all the reporting is the writing process, which is a several steps to go through to make up to an essay. First to the last steps are the preprinting, writing, revising, editing and publishing. For me, the importance of reading is very helpful whenever I write reflection papers or essays. Actually It has a significant number of benefits.Beforehand, I'm really not Into instructor would always say to us that for us to be fluent and good in English, we should read every day for us to widen our vocabulary and ideas that will refreshed our minds, and it expands our knowledge and discoveries which is a great help. Since reading is keeping your brain active, it will lessen your forgetfulness which results in better writing skills. So whenever I write some paper works, the ideas and imaginations is more broad that results in composing a good sentences and paragraphs.When the writing process was tackled in the reporting, I listed it down because if you like to be a good composer or a writer, the process and orders are very important to follow. And, following these steps is not only necessary to achieve a good grade; it would also develop your writing skill, and make you able to think in a more organized way. After all, writing is not only a product, rather, a process also. To sum it up, all the topics that we discussed really helped me. Maybe until before or after I graduate I can still use all the lessons I learned.

Importance of Religious Beliefs to Ethical Attitudes in Business

For effective functioning market system, moral and ethical aspects are always necessary; regulations by its own cannot control people behavior given the complexity of our current financial system. The destructiveness of unethical behavior was shown in many examples around the globe, one of the most recent examples is the unethical behavior contributed to the Global Financial crisis of 2008. Below I will be discussing the role of religiosity as a determinant of ethical attitudes towards business; in fact most religions indicate disapproval of unethical actions and underpin ethical behavior. There are some researchers who failed to find a strongly positive relationship between religious beliefs and ethical attitudes,claiming that ethical attitudes can be related to commitment to moral self-improvement and not to religiosity. In contrast, there are studies that initiated the existence of that positive relationship among religion and ethical manner; for instance it has been found that business students for whom religion is â€Å"very important† have stronger ethical values when reacting to hypothetical business scenarios. To better study the ethical attitude of business professionals, surveys were done and resulted that as a whole, business professionals who considered their religious faith to be highly important to them are significantly less accepting of ethically questionable behavior, there are some other predictors of respondents’ perception of acceptability, such as age, gender and size of the firm. In our previous point, research into the relationship between religion and business ethics involved a very large sample of business professionals which makes it superior to other researches – discussed in the same article-conducted by taking a small size sample and are focused on students whose experience in facing ethical issues and challenges in workplace is very limited. But once again , even those â€Å"small size sample† surveys have similar outcomes , which states that persons for whom their religion identity is extremely important – people with intrinsic religion orientation – will tend to suffer distress if they depart from the ethical traditions of their religion and likely to hold on more strictly to ethical standards. So both theoretical and empirical work indicates that religion is an important determinant of ethical attitude. When I first read the article, I was a bit confused regarding the role of religion as a determinant of ethical manner, as I witnessed many cases where people who have no religious beliefs act ethically and according to a highly acceptable manner. My judgment is: This relationship (between religion and UNETHICAL behavior) is not always negative. However, the relationship between religion and ethical mind-set will always bepositive , and here is the trick! Bear in mind,that am talking with reference to true religious people and not who identifythemselves religious but have no actual faith of what religious morals and values states. Living in a Muslim society, I canrecall many practices whichhave demonstrated that positive relationship,including people commitment to â€Å"zaka† for instance. Moreover, One of the most obvious cases which I have seen in my professional experience- As I am working as a stock trader in one of the biggest brokerage houses in Bahrain- when a religious investor, trading for his own personal brokerage account refuses to be engaged in a transaction which deals in stocks of any company involved in â€Å"liquor† business, as it is considered â€Å"Haram† forbidden in Islam. In my ownpoint of view, there will always be a relationship between religion and ethical standards. Thatis, individuals expressing religious affiliation will eventually have stronger ethical beliefs and therefore actions. After all, I believed that being religious is like being always highly motivated and committed to act in an ethically acceptable manner, also religious individuals find it harder and embarrassing to justify unethical business behavior and will always be searching for more fair alternative. It is also useful to know that all major religions discourages unethical behavior in â€Å"business transaction† in particular, not only Islam, as most of the religions stress the same core values. But as I previously mentioned,that doesn’t mean individual who has no religious beliefs will necessarily act unethically? No, absolutely that is not always the case. Despite the fact that some individuals who are not religious enough can be motivated by their commitment and morality,that doesn’t lead me to agree to the point addressed in the article that discusses the weakness and inconsistencyof the positive relationship between religious qualities and favorable attitude toward corporate social responsibility. Finally, I started thinking a bit wider about the difficulties faced by a religious individual to conduct business activities in a moral and ethical manner, but at the same time operating in such a complex environment having many different influencing factors. Every day, individuals face ethical matters at work and seldom know how to deal with it ,dueto several factors influencing humans behavior. In some societies, legal interpretations are based on contemporary and transient values and standards, unlike Islamic society where values and standards are directed by shari’ah and a set of â€Å"fiqh† judgment. Additionally,an individual works for any organization will be influenced by the extent of commitment of the organization’s leader to ethical conduct. And as people come to work with different values and from different backgrounds, different factors can shape ones ethical behavior such as personal values and moral,relativesinfluence, peer influence and persons’ life experience. Besides that, some people are behaving unethically in certain situation only because they possibly see no way out! In conclusion, I have to say that it is essential for someone to have those religious beliefs in order to behave according to the satisfactoryethical standards. But the main concern is , How is it achievable for a religious individual to conduct business activities in a moral and ethical manner, but at the same time operating in such a complex environment having all those different influencing factors affecting individuals attitude? Scholars have to consider and study closely all several factors influencingpeoples’ manner, making it harder to follow their believed values.

UK islamic funds performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

UK islamic funds performance - Essay Example However, despite this permission, the development of Islamic banking sector could not take place and it was only during 20th century that it started to take its roots. It was only after some Middle Eastern countries took the lead when this sector started to develop. The real development of this sector started in later years of last century when countries like Malaysia started a parallel Islamic Banking system focusing on the need for having an alternative system of banking unlike traditional banking system which is based upon usury. UK is , nowadays, also considered as one of the leading markets for the Islamic banking and other financial products. This study therefore focused on the examination of the performance of UK based Islamic mutual funds between the period of 1999-2009 and comparison with the market benchmark. This study also attempted to explore the impact of financial crisis on the Islamic funds and made a comparison of the impact of crisis on other funds also. Some of the research questions probed under this study therefore include the assessment of under and over performance of Islamic funds, an assessment of the riskiness of Islamic funds as well as the key drivers of returns generated by Islamic funds. Different performance measures such as Sharpe Ratio, Jensen’s Alpha, Treynor’s ratio and information ratio were used to assess the performance of the funds. Results indicate that UK Islamic funds perform similarly as the market benchmarks with the exception of few which tend to outperform the performance index. Results also indicate that Islamic funds can serve as effective hedges for the equity investors because of their inherent nature of being risk averse. The overall results therefore indicate that Islamic funds do not offer any abnormal risk adjusted reward to the investors and can only provide good investment opportunity specially during bursting period

Performance Apprasial Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Performance Apprasial Management - Assignment Example Biasness must also be avoided and the necessary actions from the appraisal should be communicated effectively and efficiently to the concerned parties. Companies that have done appraisal well have always been associated with better performance and high employee motivation (Schuler 2006). To achieve the process, employees must be handled as rational people and should not be intimidated. Reasons for appraisal There are various reasons why organizations engage in employee performance. First, it is through evaluation that the organization and employees get to know of the feedback of their performance (Schermerhorn 1993). Research has shown that if employees obtain feedback on their performance, they get to feel appreciated and are therefore ready to continue with their positive performance or improve their efficiency through taking corrective actions. Appraisal also makes employees get motivated. Motivation is the urge of doing or not doing something. If appreciated through giving feedba ck and when employees are challenged of the gap that can be filled to increase efficiency, they get motivated and their commitment to the organization increases (Grote 1996). As a result, the employees’ turnover will reduce and organizational continuity will be enhanced. Another reason for appraisal s to help peg employee rewards. Organizations’ that undertake appraisal get to determine the rewards and bonus on performance. Promotions and retentions will always be based on the appraisal results (Smith & Hornsby 1966). Moreover, appraisals are aimed at identifying the employees training needs and the employees that need to be taken for further training. The employers will therefore be geared at matching the skills required in performance and those in possession by the employees. This will prevent organizations losses and breakages and increase output. In addition, employees’ appraisal is aimed at improving the interaction between the employee and the supervisor h ence creating team building (Lingham 2007). The employees interaction will be enhanced and strong relationship will be created between the employees and supervisors. Appraisal also helps in the revision of employee policies (Smith & Hornsby 1966). Companies like PepsiCo and diamond international that have employed performance appraisal have realized improvements in their performance and high employee morale. In PepsiCo for instance, employees who have achieved exceptional performance are rewarded with bonus and their promotion guaranteed (Armstrong & Appelbaum 2003). These employees are always retained and preferred in cases where the company needs to improve their production of their staff. The same applies in Diamond international where employees, efforts are recognized and rewarded (Schermerhorn 1993). In these companies, there has been increaseproduction and low employee turnover. Through performance appraisal, corrective actions are made and company’s’ products im proved (Alvi 2011). Performance appraisal is therefore value additive when properly done and implemented. Trends in Performance Appraisal Currently, the appraisal methods have tremendously changed to conform to the new organizational structures and objectives (Bhatia 1981). The first trend in employee evaluation is the linking of employees’ performance to the general organizational objectives (Lingham 2007).

Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Response - Essay Example This theory is evidenced in the case study by the fact that the executives of Enron and Merrill Lynch both thought it was fine to sidestep accounting rules that they viewed as lesser than the rules they felt were of a greater importance. Unfortunately, none of them felt bound to obey a greater law, so their disregard for law and acting in an immoral manner knew no bounds. From a utilitarian perspective, this deal would have been morally acceptable on several grounds. First, all of the parties involved would have benefited from the deal. Enron would have been able to use the proceeds of the â€Å"sale† to Merrill Lynch to help maintain their stock price. This would be good for everyone that owned Enron stock. Merrill Lynch stood to ear a 15% guaranteed return on their investment. These two principal partners would have been the most immediate beneficiaries of the transaction. But other beneficiaries would have included those employed to continue construction on the barges, local business and families that depend on the income and patronage of these employees and the beneficiaries of the electricity provided by the barges. This basic resource could improve the standard of living to many thousands of families in Nigeria. The only â€Å"downside† would be the breaking of some arcane accounting rules. From a utilitarian standpoint, this was a good deal because many people benefited from the transaction and no one was really hurt. The possibility of an inflated price for Enron stock is inherent in this deal, but the overwhelming utility of the transaction benefited the most possible people. Deciding if virtue theory has anything to do with this transaction is difficult. While I see the clear relationship between the character (or lack thereof) in the individual players and the outcomes caused by this deal, I do not see how virtue theory could be applied to this scenario. The reason I say this is,

Lessons Learned of the Vietnam War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Lessons Learned of the Vietnam War - Essay Example The Vietnam War serves as one of the most dominant and influential international conflicts appeared after the Second Great War (Mahajan, 2003) on the horizons of the world, encompassing the Far East in its fold, and leaving an indelible impact of its horrible consequences in the entire region as well as on the rest of the world at large. Started during the climax of Cold War (Arora 2002) between the then two strategic Super Powers i.e. the USSR and USA, the war lasted for twenty long years from 1955 to 1975, and ended in the heavy losses of men and material of the invaded Vietnam as well as the complete humiliation and degradation of the invader USA eventually. Although, the American administration and forces applied every possible strategy and even military brutality on the country, particularly the Mai Lai catastrophic massacre (Fallows 2009) , yet the defensive state, along with its forces and masses belonging to this small Far East state of Vietnam, did not surrender one single i nch of their territorial boundaries; at last their exemplary fortitude, unflinching will-power and unabated determination forced the US military might to surrender and hence paved the way for the cessation and exit of the American troops from their country at last. The Lessons America Learnt:The analysts, since the aftermath of the Vietnam War onward, remained engaged in making investigations of the causes behind the failure of the US mission in a country, which apparently looked a very easy target, though turned out to be a hard nut to crack; even its population, economic position and military force was far lesser in comparison with the American might. Consequently, discovering the chronicles of events that turned the US invasion over Vietnam as nightmare for her had turned to be a moot point to be discussed at every forum for the future years to come. One of the most fatal mistakes committed by the invading country was sending a huge army of almost 3 million US men and women thous ands of miles away from their fatherland in order to fight a foreign soil just for stopping the advancement of communism from entering the northern part of Vietnam (Anghie 2007).5 Actually the US foreign strategy remained revolving around creating certain impediments on the way to the advancements of Communist Russia; in order to keep an overwhelming majority of the world sovereign-states under the US influence and economic subjugation as well.6 Consequently, protection of her economic system capitalism served to be the most vital issue for the Americans, for the security of which the US leadership dragged the military personnel into a certain inferno, which cost the lives of over 2.5 million people on both the warring sides eventually (Kalyvas & Kocher 2003). Hence, the Americans fought a fruitless war hundreds of miles away from their home in order to tame a small Asian state by wasting a huge amount of dollars for a useless pursuit. It is therefore the USA has assured the least c hances of the occurrence of deaths

MGT230. Leadership and Organization Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT230. Leadership and Organization - Coursework Example Transformational leaders involve their followers with a common of achieving great returns (Bertocci, 2009). They create the realization of the importance of specific outcomes and new approaches in which they can achieve those outcomes. Transformational leaders are grounded in ethical foundations, and it converts followers into leaders while leaders transform into moral agents (Day, 2014). Leaders can be classified as either transactional or transformational depending on how they relate to their followers to achieve the organizational goals (Nongard, 2014). Whether political or business leaders their traits inherent in each leader and as such they influence the outcome of the organization and the relationship between the leaders and their followers (Daft, 2009). This document examines the outstanding leadership qualities of the former U.S. president John F. Kennedy. President John F. Kennedy had an ability to handle problems that could not be perceived by any other person. He was determined and dedicated to his work as the president of the United States (Bass & Riggio, 2006). He formed a team of followers and delegated tasks the followers that resulted in team performance instead of individual achievement. Furthermore, he created a culture of open communication by breaking the barrier of traditional bureaucracy by encouraging open communication where people would be free to share with one another irrespective of their background (Bass & Riggio, 2006). He had diverse personality and talent. He respected everyone irrespective of their positions and had acute judgment of the people who would fit in particular positions and nurtured their talents in order to make them more productive in the society. Therefore, one can argue that President John F. Kennedy was more of a transformational leader than transactional leader (Bass & Riggio, 2006).

Construction Law Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Construction Law Report - Essay Example The presence of the discovered iron anvils projects upon the overall construction work schedule in terms of projected period cost implications and required work force. Adding to this is the projected influence upon contractual terms of the agreement, represented in the form of signed binding agreements amongst pertinent project stakeholders. As Martin and Law elude, this would necessitate legal input from construction law, and specifically contract law. It is based on the fact that construction law legally requires both project owner and contractor to act in good faith, with regard to the performance of project contractual obligations. According to the contract – JCT SBC 2011 (with quantities without sectional completions) – terms and conditions are set upon the basis of the construction-time frame, expenditure (estimated overhead) and aspects pertaining to workforce present.The constructor’s obligations with respect to the time for completion of works under the construction contract depends on express provisions stipulated in the contract or, in cases where the terms are not express, then the obligations will be based on terms implied by the English law and in other instances the terms implied for business efficacy purposes. Construction contracts often provide for the payment of liquidated damages for certain types of the breach, for example, breaches concerning delays. The inclusion of clauses on liquidated clauses of the delayed nature has advantages for all parties on the contract.

The Impact of Performance Management Research Paper

The Impact of Performance Management - Research Paper Example Performance management also refers to a sequence of steps through which businesses align their employees, resources and systems with organizational priorities, strategic goals and objectives. Essentially, performance management is the complex science, which guarantees the management of behaviors and results, which are principal elements of performance. Organizations initiate performance management through supposed strategic tactics directed at enhancing organizational effectiveness via the enhancement of managers’ and employees’ performances. This is through the enhancement of the capabilities of both teams and individuals. This paper will study the issue of performance management, discussing its negative effects. The appreciation of the adverse effects of performance management encourages organizations to learn from its experiences, enhance them and sustain employees’ interests in the reviews. Performance management exposes employees and managers to undue pressu re, which ultimately results in poor levels of performance and dwindling organizational successfulness. Traditional points of view consider performance management on account of performance assessment systems having immense, positive effects on business performance. However, there is relatively little evidence to defend this hypothesis. There is a growing appreciation for the adverse consequences of performance management to both organizations and employees (Godener & Soderquist, 2004). One of the most prominent negative effects of performance management is the bureaucracy associated with the compilation of reports for regular assessments. The preparation of such reports takes at least two days, which is the normal quantity of time, invested from middle and senior managers for performance management purposes, in a month. The complexity of performance management is also a significant hurdle since it disconnects employees from the entire process of performance management. Measures such as composite measures and performance indexes, which managers use in performance management, may not be universally ideal. The negative impacts of performance management also include decreased departmental and organizational performance. The implementation of performance management has an adverse effect on the organization’s immediate performance, particularly with regard to employees’ performance. This situation emerges as a result of lack of proper training of employees and managers, especially in terms of formal change management. In addition, performance management results in diminished organizational performance when the review process fails to address the changes in the organization’s culture. Performance management demoralizes employees. This is because employees consider performance reviews as management-based tools used to get back at them, thereby, subjecting the employees to extreme levels of subjectivity. Performance management produces particularly adverse effects when the process fails to address employees’ fears and clarify the essence of the process and its benefits to employees. Furthermore, performance management results in low productivity due to inadequate management commitment to the process and a notable lack of consistency regarding performance management in different organizational departments. In addition, performance management, which is a two-way communication process, could degrade communication. When managers fail to appreciate

Cost Accounting and Cost Accounting System Assignment

Cost Accounting and Cost Accounting System - Assignment Example 2008). The most important feature of a cost accounting system is the regularity with which relevant cost information is provided to users. There are two types of cost accounting systems the job order cost and process order systems. Job order cost system operates by provides I cost information in regard to each quantity of product/ service in batches. It is mostly applicable in factories with wide variety of product/service lines e.g. accounting firms and apparel manufacturing industry. Secondly, process order cost system refers to the process of accumulating costs by department or process in a factory. It is applicable mostly in cases of continuous productions such as oil refineries and food processing industries. Several companies use both types of cost accounting systems due to the diversity of their product/services pressing and the need for a cost system that provides relevant decision making information. In addition, it enhances flexibility and accuracy contributing to a more effective operational and strategic

Research Investigation Essay Example for Free

Research Investigation Essay A research investigation on what specific skills an actor would need learn in order to convincingly portray the role of Silvio in Carlo Goldoni’s, A Servant of Two Masters. Carlo Goldoni wrote the comedy â€Å"Arlecchino servitore di due padroni†, which translates into modern English as The Servant of Two Masters, a commedia dell’Arte-style play. The performers of Commedia were often illiterate, and as such there was no point to write down scripts and record the performance, it was improvised and modified, preserving the aspects the audience found amusing and excluding those that were less successful. In this way, Carlo Goldoni’s writing down of the play strictly goes against commedia traditions, as it is not the way things were done when it was originally staged. Despite performing all their plays in Italian for the first twenty or so years, Commedia troops had phenomenal success, perhaps because the slapstick nature of their comedy mingled with its vulgar humor was relatively easy to follow. The themes of the play, including love, romance, deception and the status between masters and servants, combine to create an enjoyable and greatly comical performance. The play also scrutinizes social boundaries that were once present. Such as, the idea of a woman being dressed as a man this was much more controversial in the 1700’s and especially a woman who defeats a man in combat, as Beatrice (comes to Venice dressed as a man in search of her beloved Florindo, She is also a part of the first lover couple along with Florindo) defeats Silvio. Smereldina (the maid of Clarice, she is an extremely feisty and slightly bitter character who wants more than anything to find a man and get married) also confronts Silvio and scorns him, which is something unparalleled in that time, a woman of the serving class reprimanding a man of status. The play also explores the lengths people will go to for the sake of love, the hopelessness of Florindo (a man banished from his home in Turin for his murder of Federigo Rasponi, and the lover of Beatrice who comes in search of him) and Beatrice’s relationship to find each other, as well as commenting on the importance of never giving up hope, because as they are about to kill themselves they find each other again. This is also reflected in the many difficult predicaments Truffaldino (the servant of both Florindo and Beatrice, he is a mischievous, hungry man who is seeking ways to better himself, he is comic relief and also the main protagonist) finds himself in, as no matter how hopeless his situation looks, he keeps on envisaging himself getting out of his tricky situations and eventually he does get out of trouble. The behavior by those of the dominant class of the servants is a very noticeable theme of the time period, and an important social observation. The serving class of Truffaldino, Smereldina and the Porter (she carries the bags places at different times during the play and has a fairly rough time of it, carrying very heavy loads only to be ridiculed and left unrewarded for her labor) are regarded with little respect and trust throughout the entirety of the play. As the early performers of this play were more than likely lower class individuals, this play is an insightful parody of their own difficulties. Commedia dell’Arte is an Italian theater style, characterized by masked performers and improvised scenes based on simplistic scenarios. Carlo Goldoni categorized four elemental types of stock characters in Italian comedy: Pantaloon, a miserly Venetian merchant, easy to anger, disrespected by everyone and a born loser; Dottore, a pedantic lawyer-type from Bologna; Brighella, a serenading servant who enjoys thieving, and bragging; and Arlecchino, a basically thoughtless servant permanently in despair over unreturned love. A Servant of Two Masters is set in Venice in the 1700’s, and would have been performed by a travelling troop of commedia actors. As such, they would have had very limited set facilities, and their performances staged outdoors, meaning they would have to allow for surrounding noises such as wind when performing. Throughout this research investigation it will be delving into what specific skills I must learn in order to convincingly portray the role of Silvio in Carlo Goldoni’s, A Servant of Two Masters. There is a catch when one decides to take on the task and portray the role of Silvio in The Servant of Two Masters and that is that the comic instincts of a skilled actor need to conquer a tendency to be a servant to the text. It has been said that commedia is the riskiest form of comedy. That being said, it is worth the risk. When the flash of inspired improvisation hits an actor it is like a whirlwind and time seems to be in a complete interruption while a phenomenon takes place. Fortunately Goldoni’s writing is so perfectly composed and clinging to fundamental Commedia dell’Arte form that it allows one to understand how to perform below, within and around the text itself. Focusing on the lovers, they are the sons and daughters of characters who are also high on the social ladder; this is where Silvio finds himself in The Servant of Two Masters. The lovers in this play (Silvio and Clarice) are not only infatuated with each other they are extraordinarily infatuated with themselves. More often than not, they are only with one another because the other person makes them look better. They argue often, making a big melodramatic show out of their blubbering and attempting to top the others grief; yet they immediately make amends when they receive a flattering remark about their appearance. They speak in a distinguished, pretentious and flowery language: â€Å"If I could think that you desired my blood to avenge my supposed cruelty, I give it you with all my heart. But, oh God! Instead of the blood of my veins, accept, I beg you, that which gushes from my eyes.†(Goldoni 53) Silvio is traditionally costumed in the latest Italian fashions (since Italy is where Commedia originated) The Lovers elegant costumes were usually of the same color, just in case another couple of lovers was in the play too. This only reaffirms how much they were made for each other. Just like couples who wear matching outfits today. Given that Silvio is wealthy, he wears expensive clothes and jewelry, made of luxurious fabrics. Both Silvio and Clarice usually hold some kind of prop in their hand, most likely a letter to swoon over, or a handkerchief but this is of course the director’s choice. There is always a mirror somewhere on their body, being in a purse or pocket, or even hanging as a necklace around the actor’s throat. This is useful for admiring oneself, or in Silvio’s case for seeking out Clarice and adorning her through it. Unlike what most know Commedia dell’Arte to be known for the lovers do not wear masks. Rather, they wear quite a bit of makeup which in turn subsidizes as their mask. The term dreamer is a key way to understanding the lovers movement. Their feet are firmly on the ground, in a somewhat Ballet style position, but they lack firm contact with the earth because they lead with their chest and are heart heavy. Their arms are held out to their sides and curved. Their whole manner is very elegant and balletic, as they do not walk so much as glide. They never touch; to do so would cause them both to faint and or run away. It is sexually arousing for them to get very close without touching. They aren’t the brightest individuals so walking is somewhat of a challenge causing them to wobble, due to the uncertainty of their lack of contact with the ground. The posture that Silvio undertakes is that of compelling pride. His chest is naturally expanded and thrust out so that his heart essentially leads him, sometimes seeming to literally pull him across the stage. He points his toes while standing (like that of a ballet dancer), and when moving, he takes light, quick steps, giving himself a floating appearance. Overall, they simply lack contact with the ground. Their hand movements and gestures are very grand, expansive and expressive. Actors use the same dancing trainers as the wealthy individuals whom they are imitating in order to put emphasis on the absurdity of melodramatic behavior. There can be two sets of lovers in a Commedia dellArte play. The First set of lovers, usually more intelligent and serious, and the Second Lovers which in A Servant of Two Masters is Silvio and Clarice, usually whimsical and slightly silly. The second lovers in Goldonis A Servant of Two Masters are Clarice and Silvio. In research of the lovers when things are not going their way, they throw tantrums, pout, hurl insults while crying and whining. Their manner of dress and movement is highly stylized (more so than the First Lovers), making Silvio quite a narcissus. Silvio exists very much in his own world- and in his own world within that world. Self-obsessed and very selfish, he is more interested in what he is saying himself and how it sounds than in what his beloved Clarice is saying. He is primarily in love with himself, secondarily in love with love, and only without any doubt in love with his beloved. What he learns, if anything, from the tribulations of A Servant of Two Masters is the need to reverse these sickening priorities. Even though most of Silvio’s declarations would melt a heart of stone, there always seems to be a comic side to everything he says. One wonders if the explanation does not lie in the fact that love often robs the lover of all sense of his own logic, even though he may be the most rational of living men under ordinary circumstances. He does, however, come off better than most other Commedia characters: there is no viciousness in him, and less to be accused of – except for his vanity and narcissism. He represents the human potential for happiness, which is something that everyone is striving for. â€Å"Sir, I beg you, let everyone do as they will; do not be so put out about it. Now that I am happy, I want all the world to b e happy too. Is anyone else going to be married? Let them all get married†! (Goldoni 54) I have become conscious of the fact that the character of Silvio must be played as one that is over confident. He is very certain of himself and of his actions. He believes he is entitled to Clarice and is willing to fight to protect his property. Silvio is also quite protective, or even overprotective of those things which are important to him, or that he sees as belonging to him. He wishes to keep Clarice all to his own and have her within an area he feels he can keep safe. While he is protective of others, he himself shows little regard when placing himself in jeopardy. This is shows how dim witted his character truly is. The idea of defeat does not enter his mind and he is always on the front foot, unwilling to let others determine his actions, he is a very rash character. Patience is a virtue, apparently. Silvio often lacks any sense of patience which makes him a very irritable, anxious, angry and difficult to be around type of character. His shortage of patience makes him a rat her ignorant character. Silvio is always quick to act and often makes mistakes because of his unwillingness to listen to the advice or opinions of others. He is a man of action, and he needs for things to be occurring or he quickly loses any potential interest. He is quick to do battle regardless of the consequences, which shows how stupidly in love he truly is. His unwillingness to listen to an entire situation and process his next appropriate action, often get him into irresponsible situations. â€Å"†¦That wretch shall die, and my ungrateful Clarice shall see her lover wallowing in his own gore†. (Goldoni 26) Despite his quick anger and his tendency to solve his problems with violence, he is inconspicuously charming. Even though his unwillingness to listen too much besides the sound of his own voice, he is really just eager to please his lover Clarice. He has swept Clarice off of her feet and is the heartthrob of Venetian women. Some people settle down, and some people are just settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than the feeling of butterflies, which is exactly how Silvio feels towards Clarice. He is never slow to put himself in harm’s way. He is quick to action and has little caution for his own well-being when engaging in any sort of fight, or in anything else he does. He is a man to be admired when he is at his finest, even though he is willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. â€Å"I don’t care how old you are’ I have a mind to run you straight through the body†. (Goldoni 24) Through researching the character of Silvio it would be necessary to portray him as a man who struggles to hold himself in the position in which his status in society places him. He strives to be suave, cool and collected, but somewhat fights to maintain focus and is very quick to act, his actions usually end in anger and much turmoil. He is a powerful physical presence, and is one of formidable fighting skill, but is emotionally immature on many levels. His love for Clarice is one of his few genuinely mature emotions, and it is his motivation through the play. He is prone to rash, spontaneous actions, as well as to throwing tantrums such as a moody child would when things don’t go his way. This effectively suited the comedic aspect of the play while not deteriorating from the romantic story between Clarice and Silvio. â€Å"When we love we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too†. (Jeaulo Coelho)