Navigating controversial topics in the workplace

Navigating controversial topics in the workplace Generally speaking, most people know that conversations that dip into politics, religion, or intimate relationships are best to avoid in professional settings. Yet in the current political climate, taboo topics are becoming harder and harder to avoid, causing people to share more opinions and exercise a lot less restraint and privacy in the workplace.Regardless of who brings hot button issues into the conversation, it’s always best to be prepared to deal with them without putting your foot in your mouth or offending someone.  Here are some tips on how to keep it classy (and keep yourself out of trouble) when controversy arises at work.Always follow the rules.Your company almost certainly has some policies in place regarding religious or political expression. You might not be allowed to hang up a campaign button or bumper sticker in your cubicle, for instance, or decorate your desk with anything a coworker might deem offensive. Take a quick glance at the employee handbook now and then to make sure you’re coloring between the lines.Listen, smile, and keep quiet.Its easier said than done, but if the conversation around you turns heated, its often best to just sit back and take in the opinions of everyone around you. If you do more listening than talking on average, then you have fewer opportunities to say something you’ll regret or that will get you in trouble.Unless youre in a situation where a legitimate wrong or injustice is taking place, if you find yourself wanting to say something- and asking yourself Is this okay to say?- chances are you should probably hold that thought and keep it to yourself.Document wrongdoings.If you have a coworker (or boss!) who’s spewing offensive commentary or bullying you or someone else- or, worse, engaging in hate speech- then you’re going to want to build a case before you do anything or tattle. Have something tangible you can present to HR if that becomes your best option. Frame your concer ns in terms of safeguarding the health of the company and culture.If youre upset, say something.Rather than making assumptions or leaping to conclusions about a person’s character, sometimes it’s better to just be up-front and frank with a coworker who has offended you. This doesn’t mean leveling accusations. It means approaching that person respectfully with an olive branch and a chance to talk things through. Dont accuse- explain. Tell him or her why youre upset. Having the confidence to do this in the first place is a tricky skill to master, but this can be quite effective in neutralizing an otherwise fraught situation.Own your mistakes.If you’re the one making people uncomfortable- even unintentionally- own up to it, take responsibility, apologize, and change your behavior. Otherwise your job might end up on the line. Remember, you’re not the only one in the office whose opinions and feelings matter.The bottom lineIf a conversation arises and y ou have passionate feelings, by all means, speak up. But if you do, keep your tone and language as professional as possible. Try to diffuse rather than accuse. Ask questions rather than asserting strong statements. Keep an open mind and your emotions at an even keel- its possible to be both passionate and polite.

How to Optimize Your Content Marketing Strategy [PODCAST]

How to Optimize Your Content Marketing Strategy [PODCAST] Content marketing is an essential to today’s start-up business. It is how you and your company find your voice in a sea of similar and perhaps larger companies. But, what do you do when your online content isn’t getting the attention you need? How do you create the content that is going to get your business results? How can you make content marketing work for you and your business? Len Markidan, the guy in charge of Groove HQ’s marketing department has some basic tips to improve your content. Groove HQ got its start six years ago, but the path to success was rocky.   Len and his team tried numerous types and styles of content for their blog, but nothing was working. So the team did their homework, they looked at companies like Kissmetrics and Unbounce, then they reached out to the companies. Their outreach was a big help. What they learned from the process became invaluable. Groove HQ found an audience with their blog A Startup’s Journey to $100,000 in Monthly Revenue. If you are having trouble with your content marketing, then Len can help you get a better perspective on the situation. Groove HQ’s rough start and how Len and his team found the problems. Why the best story to tell, is your story. The winning framework Len uses to create Groove HQ’s content. How your audience can help you find the right content. The best method to create content with a team. Links: Groove HQ A Startup’s Journey to $100,000 in Monthly Revenue Blog If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud,  Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Len: Hire people that you can trust, pick a tool that you trust and just keep everybody on the same page, and then back off. You have to give each blog enough oxygen and attention to succeed, otherwise it’s going to be very obvious in your results which one youre treating as a secondary blog. We had a product, but we didn’t really have a thoughtful or effective marketing strategy at all.

The Leadership Experience Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Leadership Experience - Assignment Example Vicente says that his secretary always replies his mail, and he does not seem to find anything wrong with that (Daft, 2015). Task 2 The main purpose of Chuck's communication to Vicente was to urge him to ensure that the deadline for supplying the toys that Hunter Worth had placed an order for was met. The main purpose of Chuck's communication to Michael Sato seems to have been to lodge a complaint about what seemed to him like lack of commitment and seriousness by Vicente towards meeting the deadline. While choosing his channel of communication with Vicente, Chuck should have considered the following factors. Urgency: As the matter at hand was urgent and required an immediate response, a telephone call would have been more effective.Confidentiality: By making a telephone call, he would get to speak to Vicente in person as opposed to emails that may be answered by anyone. On his communication with Sato, Chuck should have considered: Confidentiality: A call would have been more discree t. Sato is seen to have forwarded the email to Vicente's bosses, leading to conflict.Nature of relationship: Considering that Sato and Chuck were personal friends, he would have been comfortable speaking to him in person or calling him on his personal cellphone as the issue being reported to him does not seem to have been intended to be official. Task 3 If I were Chuck, I would have made a call to Vicente instead of sending him an email. This would have conveyed the message with the urgency required.

The Impact of E-Commerce Technology on the Air Travel Industry Essay

The Impact of E-Commerce Technology on the Air Travel Industry - Essay Example If I were the primary decision maker in these airline companies, I would come up with brilliant ideas to ensure that my airline company adopts a measure aimed at making it to enjoy a competitive advantage over its competitors. Having realized the inefficiencies of travel agents, I would ensure that I introduce the use of modern Information Communication Technology (ICT) in my company. This is a new innovation that would help us to realize a tremendous growth in our services. When all the activities are done in compliance with the new system, it would be much easier for the company to expand its client base and be able to reach a large number of potential clients than it could otherwise manage. In other words, I would advocate for the full adoption of SABRE system. This is an advanced technology that would be of much help to my organization. Once every activity is computerized, it becomes much easier for the airline to improve the quality of its services. At the same time, it would avail information to our clients wherever they are. Thus, it becomes much easier for them to plan their trips and make online reservations whenever they feel to do so. Automating our services would definitely put us in the right path of enjoying a competitive advantage over our rivals. Rather than advocating for the adoption of ICT, I would emphasize the role of novelty. Meaning, any changes to be effected would have to be novel and beneficial to the organization. They should be highly advanced to seal any loophole that might be experienced. If this happens, we would definitely be in the right path of out doing all our competitors before emerging as the best alternative airline in the market. In my opinion, the automation of airline services is commendable. It is a worthwhile initiative aimed at improving the quality of service delivery by the airline company. SABRE technology is one of its own kind. Meaning, it had to be

Teachers Day Essay Example for Free

Teachers Day Essay ?In our country 5th September is celebrated as Teachers day. 5th September is the birthday of a great teacher Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. When Dr. Radhakrishnan became the president of India in 1962. It would be my proud privilege if September 5 is observed as Teachers day. The request showed Dr. Radhakrishnans love for the teaching profession. From then onwards, the day has been observed as Teachers Day in India. On this day, we gratefully remember the great educationist Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, whose dream was that Teachers should be the best minds in the country. Hence, Teachers Day is very important for all our people, for our students and even for all the parents, as the teachers lay the foundation for creating enlightened citizens for the nation. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, Education is that by which character is formed, strength of the mind is increased, intellect is expanded and which enables a person to stand on one’s own feet. But in the present scenario, the privatization and commercialization of education has changed the meaning and values of education. In fact, the aim of education is not the acquisition of information, although important or acquisition of technical skills though essential in modern society but the development of that bent of mind, that attitude of reason, that spirit of democracy which will make us responsible citizens and good human beings. To produce an enlightened human being, the procedure is three fold. One is moral value system. That a student gets from his parents. Secondly, the teacher becoming a role model. Not only does the student learn, but the teacher shapes his life with great dreams and aims. Finally, the education and learning process has to culminate in the creation of professional capability leading to confidence and will power to make a design, to make a product, to make a system, bravely combating many problems. Dear Teachers: Every one of us in this planet creates a page in human history irrespective of who he/she is. I realize my experience is a small dot in human life, but that dot has a life and light. This light, let it light many lamps. My best wishes to all of you on this occasion of Teachers Day. Thank you. Dr. Krishan Kant.

The Enlightenment Essay -- History Historical French Essays

The Enlightenment Throughout Europe and the new American colonies in the 18th century there was a great movement in thought. This trend that preceded the French Revolution is known as the Enlightenment. Revolutionary writers and thinkers thought that the past held only darkness and ignorance, they began to question everything. Enlightened thought entered, or intruded, into all aspects of life in the 1700s. Governments were drastically reformed, art and literature changed in scope, religion was threatened, the study of science spread, nature was seen in a new light, and humanity evolved greatly. This new way of thinking was propelled by curiosity and observations of society and nature. The Enlightenment was a desire for human affairs to be guided by rationality rather than by faith, superstition, or revelation; a belief in the power of human reason to change society and liberate the individual from the restraints of custom or arbitrary authority; all backed up by a world view increasingly validated by science rather than by religion or tradition. 1 Several individuals have been credited and blamed for leading and contributing to the Enlightenment. These thinkers not only changed their views, but also spread revolutionary ideas to others. These philosophes, Evangelists of science, felt that it was their duty to open peoples’ eyes to new thought. They used every media available to them including word of mouth, pamphlets, letters, journals and books. Philosophes were tired of people accepting anything they were told, consequently a large opponent of the Enlightenment Era was the Church. Knowledge gained through observation of nature slowly replaced blindly accepted religious explanations. The Enlightenment wa... ...am, they could harness it with the steam engine. Thus, emerged the Industrial Revolution, which would never have been possible had humans not owned the knowledge gained from the Enlightenment. Literature Cited 1. Dorinda Outram, The Enlightenment (New York, Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge ,1995), 3. 2. Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment and Frank M. Turner, The Western Heritage, Second Brief Edition, Volume II: Since 1648 (Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall, 1996), 397. 3. Outram, 58. 4. Kagan, 401. 5. Britannica Online, â€Å"The Enlightenment†, wysiwyg://176/http://www.britannica.com/†¦ article/5/0,5716,108605+8+106072,00.html, 21. 6. Roy Porter, The Enlightenment, (London, The MacMillan Press Ltd., 1990), 3. 7. Kagan, 403. 8. Outram, 62. 9. Jonathon Weiner, Time, Love, Memory (New York, Vintage Books, 1999), 5.

Breaking Binaries in The Odyssey: An Exploration The New Woman in The Penelopiad Essay

In the Homeric Epic, women are cast into one of two dichotomous roles: that of the wise and faithful or that of the foolish and disloyal. However in Atwood’s The Penelopiad these roles are deconstructed such that they become fluid as opposed to concrete—such that the women do not wholly occupy one role or the other but rather move on a balance beam between the two, sometimes leaning nearer to one lateral or the other but never resting on the end points of either side. In the unfettered world of The Penelopiad, woman are granted the voices that they are denied in The Odyssey; they are free to weave their own epic stories of cunning, captivity, danger, victory, and failure. The Penelopiad therefore gives rise to a â€Å"new† woman who is not bound by Homeric conventions that confine reader to a singular understanding of The Odyssey and its characters; rather Atwood unveils a myriad of possibilities, explanations, and motivations behind the events of The Odyssey as they are imagined by Homer. Our minds are opened to realities and potentials either unconsidered, or considered but immediately abandoned for lack of emphasis, by the readers. We are made to ponder what seem to be obscurities and minor inconsistencies in The Odyssey that upon deeper exploration and analysis serve to completely revolutionize the conventional reading of The Odyssey in terms of the female characters. Atwood accomplishes this impressive feat by exploring the â€Å"dark alleyways† that lead us to alternate, but plausible, conclusions as evidenced by the expressions of the muted cast of The Odyssey—Penelope and the twelve hanged maids. The Odyssey presents Penelope as being wholly wise. She is the appropriate counterpart for the wise and cunning Odysseus. She is revered by the other characters for her wisdom. She is not made to appear foolish because one cannot be both wise and unwise in a dichotomy. In The Penelopiad she exhibits an even more fierce display of her wisdom, but also admits her foolishness and poor decisions. For example, she tells us that she knew Odysseus was still alive because he had not yet appeared to her in a dream, and admits that she had recognized Odysseus upon his arrival but placed the bow to be sure. She tells also that she had asked the prettiest and most faithful of her maids to entice the suitors and learn of their plots by any means necessary. Yet she fails to consider what Odysseus would think after returning home and hearing, or worse observing, the behavior of the maids. Moreover, when she knows that he has returned she sets her mind to proving her wisdom and faith by telling â€Å"the beggar† of her woes she had suffered in his absence and of the shroud. She also pranks him by setting Eurycleia to wash his feet knowing that she would recognize the scar and laughing to herself at how they tried to cover it up, and she tests him with the bow. But not once did she consider her maids. Nor did she think that she to tell Eurycleia of her activities with the maids knowing how faithful she was to Odysseus and how he would trust her judgment. Nor did she consider the possibility of their being raped or seduced when she set them upon the suitors to be her spies. Such folly and unwise decisions conflict with the Penelope we come to know in The Odyssey, but all is revealed in The Penelopiad. Coral Howells notes, in her piece â€Å"Five Ways of Looking at The Penelopiad,† that, â€Å"Penelope’s is not the only voice here; her tale is frequently interrupted by the voices of her twelve hanged maids, those nameless slave girls who have nothing to say in The Odyssey† (Howells 5-6). Similar to Penelope’s plight in The Odyssey, the maids are cast in a dichotomous role—that of the whore and disloyal servant. They are painted as scandalous, ungrateful, spiteful woman who abuse the household of their master Odysseus with their disrespect for the queen and her son, as well as their interactions with the suitors. Eurycleia is all too willing to, â€Å"report in full on the women†¦who are disloyal†¦who are guiltless† (Homer 406). And despite Odysseus dismissal, she was in fact later called upon to expose the disloyal servants for the whores that they were, according to The Odyssey that is. The possibilities are opened in The Penelopiad. For example, the women are condemned in the Odyssey for having sexual relations with the suitors. This behavior is attributed to their role as whores and unfaithful servitude without any consideration of other possibilities or circumstances. In The Penelopiad, they maids speak of being, â€Å"dirty girls† by occupation. They say, â€Å"If our owners or the sons of our owners or a visiting nobleman or the sons of a visiting nobleman wanted to sleep with us, we could not refuse. It did us no good to weep, it did us no good to say we were in pain† (Atwood 13-14). In a later chapter Penelope remarks, â€Å"It is not unusual for guests in a large household or palace to sleep with the maids†¦but it was irregular for servants to be used in this way without the permission of the master of the house†¦However there was no master of the house. So the suitors helped themselves to the maids in the same way they helped themselves to the sheep† (Atwood 116). Therefore, their behavior should have been considered in the same way that Penelope’s was: dutiful and loyal to their master. Penelope tells the reader that giving visitors to pick of their servant girls was a part of good hospitality—a very important convention in the Homeric epic—and the master of the house happily obliges them in their choice (Atwood 116). Considering this, by sleeping with the suitors, the girls were continuing in the same behavior that would have been promoted and even expected if Odysseus were home. Despite this reality the maids are placed in the category of the whore, therefore their actions must be presented as indicative of their role. The dichotomous classifications of women in The Odyssey would not allow them to be both promiscuous and faithful. They are limited to obscurity, being minor characters, â€Å"neglected to the margins of the narrative;† they serve no other purpose than to fulfill their role in the epic convention and suffer what most readers of The Odyssey would consider a much deserved fate (Howells 6). However in The Penelopiad the maids become the majority, holding the voice of commendation or condemnation, a voice previously denied to them in the epic. Mihoko Suzuki finds that Atwood uses parody and burlesque to expose the Odyssey’s unfair representation of women and their lack of complexity due to the placed upon them by the epic. She argues that Atwood uses her modern examining of the Penelope and her maids to, â€Å"allow agency, intelligence, and voice to female protagonists who may not be equivocally amiable.† (Suzuki 270). She goes on to argue that that, â€Å"through their debunking, light-hearted burlesque Atwood makes a more serious point; the maids function as a tragic chorus, commenting on the actions of the hero, Odysseus (and in a later chorus, Penelope)† (Suzuki 272). Atwood allows the women to occupy identities other than that of the dichotomous prudent and honorable wife and foolish dishonorable harlot. Howells argues that Atwood’s project in The Penelopiad, â€Å"Atwood’s project is to retell The Odyssey as herstory† (Howells 8). And in doing so, Atwood addresses many of the unanswered questions in The Odyssey by allowing. In her re-envisioning of The Odyssey she takes the poem out of the context of the Homeric Epic to speak plainly and bluntly about the true events of The Odyssey, or at least some quite plausible possibilities. Shannon Collins notes that The Odyssey is, â€Å"A recitation of a blind poet, who recounts the stories told by a famous liar and adventurer, the poem contains narrative nested within narrative† (Collins 57). Likewise, Howell mentions that, â€Å"It seems that Atwood is using Penelope to tell another story within it: the story of the hanged maids† (Howells 6). The stories have in common therefore that they are both metafictional, true to Homeric epic convention, however as Collins says, â€Å"In the Greek epics, women do not star in their own tales so much as play supporting roles in the adventures of others† (Collins 57). Therefore, casting Penelope as the narrator is essential to Atwood’s formation of the ‘new’ woman we find in The Penelopiad. We find in Homers interpretation that the women are described only by other characters but not given the opportunity to speak about themselves. This can have a profound effect on the facts of the story—on what is deemed important therefore which facts are told and untold—and also on how those facts are communicated. The values, beliefs, frustrations, and insights of a person or group often influence not only the tone and mood of the story—that is to say what is impressed upon the reader—but also the details of the major events as well. For example, Homer paints Odyssus as a cunning, brave, and well deserving hero with amazing exploits while Penelope paints him as a boastful, short-legged, tricky liar with amazing stories. Collins argues therefore that, â€Å"each of the women characters also has a story to tell, though their versions may be different from the official one. Our own stories are by necessity different than the stories told about us by others. The story- tellers may claim to tell an objective truth, but who can know the truths of our own individual stories† (Collins 57)? Although Atwood explains that, â€Å"Writing The Penelopiad allowed me not only to revisit an ancient and powerful tale, but to explore a few dark alleyways in the story that have always intrigued me,† she ultimately leaves the reader in the same predicament as the Odyssey; true to the epic, we are left with many questions (Atwood 58). Who’s telling the truth about the shroud, the suitors, and the slaughter: Penelope or the maids? Was it Eurycleia who perpetrated the slaughter of the maids on her own accord out of jealousy? If Penelope was so wise and indeed recognized Odysseus as she says, why didn’t she tell him the ‘spies’ at the same time she told him about the shroud? Unlike Homer however, she also opens our minds to new possibilities—perhaps Odysseus’ exploits were over-exaggerated fables adaptations of the truth in which battles with Cyclops were merely bar fights and goddesses were merely high-priced whores. Atwood’s widely imaginative, but strongly conceivable, answers to the unanswered questions of The Odyssey are some of the reasons I and many other readers fall so deeply in love with The Penelopiad. The means by which she develops these new possibilities give voices, first-hand interaction, and real humanity to the women of the Odyssey. They become real people—real women with real emotions, desires, grievances, and pain—as opposed to the simple manifestation of the roles that they play in The Odyssey: the faithful wife, the disloyal servant. Of course they serve a specific purpose to the plot and themes of The Penelopiad ad they do in Homer, they are not locked into being the muted puzzle pieces that they are in Homer. Atwood, Margaret. â€Å"The Myth Series and Me.† Publishers Weekly 252.47 (2005): 58. Academic Search Alumni Edition. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. . In this brief articles, referenced quite frequently in literary criticism and examination of The Penelopiad, Atwood divulges her motivations behind the creation of the The Penelopiad and her thoughts about the re-telling of classic myths. Particularly, she admits that one of her intentions in The Penelopiad is to respond to, or provide answers to, some of the mysteries of The Odyssey. Atwood, Margaret. The Penelopiad. New York: Canongate, 2005. Print. Collins, Shannon C. â€Å"Setting the Stories Straight: A Reading of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad.† Carson-Newman Studies 11.No. 1 (2006): 57-66. Library.cn.edu/. Carson-Newman College. Web. Collins comments on the art of storytelling as depicted in The Odyssey and The Penelopiad. She evaluates the stories told by Penelope, Odyseus (in the Odyssey which are commented upon, or rather revised by Penelope in The Penelopiad), and the maids. Her arguments provide support for the voices of the women of The Penelopiad existing only outside the confines of the Homeric Epic as women, namely the maids, are not given the opportunity to weave their own stories in The Odyssey but are endowed with voices in The Penelopiad to do just that—to tell give an â€Å"herstorical† account of The Odyssey. Mihoko, Suzuki. â€Å"Rewriting the Odyssey in the Twenty-First Century: Mary Zimmerman’s Odyssey and Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad.† Approaches to Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. By Kostas Myrsiades. New York: Peter Lang, 2010. 239-54. Analyzing Atwood’s works from a feminist perspective, Suzuki offers valuable insight to the critical nature of The Penelopiad. Particularly interesting are her comments on the voices of the women in The Penelopiad that we do not hear in the Homer’s The Odyssey.

Lady Macbeth: the Slayer of King Duncan

Lady Macbeth: The slayer of King Duncan In the 7th grade I was suspended from school for being an â€Å"instigator. † I would cause disputes by persuading individuals who didn’t like one another, to hate one another. I’d gradually use my dynamic lingo to provoke the victims in the so called scuffle to get to that final step where they’d lose it and fight. I got what I wanted by manipulating the ones who were vulnerable and unsure what to do when placed in a troubling situation. Understanding the consequences, I received the same punishment as if I was in the fight myself.That same exact concept could be used to express how Lady Macbeth is more responsible for slaying King Duncan herself. Throughout the story the audience notices how manipulative and depraved Lady Macbeth can be. She has such a huge impact on how Macbeth thinks and on the actions he makes. Just like any other committed wife, she wants the best for her husband. She wants him to chase his glo rious ambition, but fears he may not have enough determination to carry out the devious act in order to become the new â€Å"King of Scotland. † We soon learn that Lady Macbeth will do anything he assist her husband in achieving this glorious ambition.On page 311-312, Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 10-15: Lady Macbeth states, â€Å"That which cries, thus thou must do,† if thou have it, and that which rather thou dost fear to do, than wishest should be undone. Hie thee hither, that I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valor of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round, which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem to have thee crowned withal. † This reveals the first step in Lady Macbeth’s plot to slay King Duncan, which is confirming her own opinion on the letter placed before her eyes.These lines allow the audience to visualize who she is as a person and also allows the audience to make a prediction on what move she will make next. Afte r she prays to the spirits to take the feminine features out of her, so she could be a stern and heartless human being, Macbeth returns. This is the exact moment when she begins her act. On page 314, Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 63-65: Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"Only look up clear, To alter favor ever is to fear, Leave all the rest to me,† which basically declares that Lady Macbeth is entirely aware and up to date on what’s going on.She assertively enlightens Macbeth on how to disguise himself of his uncertainty and second thoughts about killing the king and is willing to accommodate Macbeth with anything else he needs assistance with. The second step in her scheme is now in the process of being complete. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are reunited and now Lady Macbeth is preparing her husband mentally to perform the assassination by giving him confidence and tips on how to remain unexposed to suspicion. However, later in Act 1 it is clear that Macbeth didn’t take the advice p rovided by Lady Macbeth earlier in Scene 5.On pg. 316, Act 1, Scene 7, Lines 31-35: Macbeth adds, â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business he hath honored me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions from all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss not cast aside so soon. † Macbeth has decided he will no longer continue with this atrocious plot to murder King Duncan. It could over been over right there. King Duncan could have finished his meal, slept in peace and harmony, and returned home in the morning. Finally, Lady Macbeth slays King Duncan.After Macbeth claims that he will not go through with this dirty business any longer, Lady Macbeth ups her game. Lady Macbeth replies with, â€Å"When Duncan is asleep—Whereto the rather shall his day’s hard journey Soundly invite him—his two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince that memory, the warder of the brain, shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason A limb eck only: when in swinish sleep Their drenched natures lie as in a death, what cannot you and I perform upon The unguarded Duncan?What not put upon his spongy officers, who shall bear the guilt of our great quell? † She improvises and takes matters a step further. Not only did she provide a new and improved plan to her husband, but assured him that going through with this to strive for his ambition will bring him and herself promising awards. At the end of the act, Macbeth is certain that he will carry out with murdering King Duncan due to the dynamic lingo of Lady Macbeth. In conclusion, an instigator is someone who deliberately foments trouble.Throughout the story the audience can confirm that Lady Macbeth was in fact more responsible for the murder of King Duncan. Her plan of attack contained the three steps which were establishing an opinion, preparing the victim mentally (Macbeth), and providing a plan for execution of the task. Each of these steps contributed to the sati sfaction of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth’s dreams and desires (Lady Macbeth’s intention from the beginning). Lady Macbeth is an instigator and more responsible for slaying King Duncan the Macbeth is.

Drama Analysis of Hamlet by Shakespeare

Drama Analysis of Hamlet by Shakespeare In the play Hamlet, William Shakespeare who is one of the most influential writers in history has elaborated the contemporary themes in society into a piece of literature as revealed in the drama. Due to his universal way of creating themes, he has been able to influence the western literature. In the contemporary theatre of the western, they still view Shakespeare’s work being relevant. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drama Analysis of Hamlet by Shakespeare specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Shakespeare therefore uses the stylistic device of a play within a play to pass his information to the audience as well as helping him develop his plot. Shakespeare has in this case therefore used the main actor Hamlet in portraying this device. Hamlet who is a character in the play is again seen in another play within the play, which he acts in order to be in a position to kill Claudius. Hamlet is a play that depicts a vi vid drama of melancholy and insanity as well as famous of its ghostliness. In this play, Shakespeare has used various elements of literature to develop the plot of the play. In this case, the writer has used characters, settings, symbols, themes, characterization and other elements of literature in the development of the plot. The writer has used these elements correlatively to achieve his plot. Themes are used to develop characters in the play. For instance, the writer has used the theme of betrayal to develop the main character Hamlet in the play hence the development of the plot. The writer used the name of the play as the name of the main actor while other characters in the play helped in development of the predominant theme in the main character. Therefore, four main characters have greatly contributed by playing major roles. Hamlet experienced character development through the betrayals of Ophelia with whom he is romantically involved. Gertrude is his mother and Claudius†™ wife while Gildernstern and Rosencrantz were his friends from the University of Wittenberg. When the scene begins, there is a very close relationship between Hamlet and the mother, which later fades off when Gertrude remarries his uncle Claudius two months after his father’s death. This culminated the distrust in women since his mother was the most important female in his life. He therefore uses mockery phrases like â€Å"such dexterity to incestuous sheets† and â€Å"frailty, thy name is woman†. Such phrases illustrated how disgusted and disappointed he was towards his mother and women as well as depicting how isolated he was as a young man.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The theme of madness has also played major role in the development of the plot. Insanity was used in many revenge tragedies like in the first revenge tragedy of Shakespeare, Titus Andronicus. Unlike in the case of Hamlet where the madness is ambiguous, other revenge tragedies in the character have been unambiguous. In the source of Shakespeare’ plot in Hamlet, the main protagonist feigns his madness to be in the position to revenge without being suspected by the king (Claudius) whom he plots to kill. In the play, Hamlet’s madness tends to distract him from accomplishing his mission as it is depicted in the play as being with very little interest in accomplishing the mission of the ghost even after proving that Claudius is guilty (act 4 scene 2). Hamlet therefore acts like a mad person in the play since he is aware in a bizarre manner that he should act as a mad man to accomplish the role of revenge in Hamlet. He knows the role that he is supposed to play even though to some extent he does not attain it satisfactorily. This in return built Hamlet as a character who wants to revenge. Ophelia is another character who plays the part of a ma d person but in her case, she is innocently mad. Ophelia loses her senses of self-knowledge and composure completely and therefore insane. Suicide is another theme that has been used by Shakespeare to develop the plot in Hamlet. The play has been shaped using Ophelia as well as Hamlet. Hamlet deeply contemplates about the issue of suicide and this is seen in his soliloquies. He keeps on asking himself questions about the act of murder. Hamlet had the fear to kill because of his social as well as religious morals. He views suicide as a crime in the societal view and even before God who gives life. He also had the fear of what happens to the person after he has departed from this world and going to the world of the deaths. Ophelia’s death also arouses many issues where some people say that she died a natural death while others say that she committed suicide. According to Hamlet’s mother, Ophelia’s death was accidental because she drowned while on the other hand, the priest and the gravediggers said it clearly that Ophelia killed herself. This therefore left the people feeling that Gertrude’s narration was just a story to cover up the whole issue of murder since it was viewed as an immoral act in the society (act 5).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Drama Analysis of Hamlet by Shakespeare specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In Hamlet, Shakespeare has used women characters in the development of the plot. In the play, women are seen to play minor roles but very essential in development of the plot. In the play, Gertrude and Ophelia are the two women in direct relationship with the main protagonist. The writer develops the theme of love in the play using Gertrude who is the main protagonist’s mother. This is seen when Gertrude tries to stop the death of his son because Hamlet never loved her as a mother. This is because; he felt that her mother was involved in the mu rder of his father. She is concerned about the well-being of her son, which proves the reason why Claudius could not inform her about the plot of killing his stepson. Ophelia is portrayed as loving because after the death of her father she became insane. This is evident when she started using abusive language in public without fear as she used to behave in the previous scene, where Hamlet could abuse her and she could not respond due to the fear she had as woman who was under the power of a man. The theme of patriarchal is built around the two women to show how they were not allowed to make decisions on their own. For example, in the case of Ophelia, she is forced by the father (Claudius) and her brother Laertes not to love Hamlet because the brother feels that Hamlet is playing with her feelings. Trying to satisfy the wants of the father and brother, Hamlet blames her and even insults her, but since Ophelia does not have power to explain to him what was underlying the whole issue , she ends up suffering. The husband on the other hand see Gertrude as a less repressed person but Claudius married her so that he can be able to promptly take over the throne after Hamlet’s death and pretend that he is good just like the previous king by remarrying his wife. Ophelia has been used to develop the stylistic device of symbolism in the play towards the development of the plot. The symbolism of her language in the play increases the range of meanings depicted in the play. For example, Ophelia is emotional after hearing about the death of her father and throws flowers in every place around her as a sign of purity (act 4 scene 4). On the contrary, this symbolizes her deflowering as a person, on the other scene of her madness.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lastly, the two characters have contributed in the development of the plot and again helped the writer to portray the fate of his heroes in the play. When Ophelia rejects Hamlet, Hamlet’s disgust his mother’s remarriage, taints the opinion about all women hence making him an isolated man. The madness death of Ophelia fortifies her brother’s determination of revenging on Hamlet, which results to the final catastrophe in the play. Gertrude cared for his son but could not control the tragedy from taking place. The writer has used Hamlet who is the main character in the play to build other themes hence the development of the plot. After the death of Hamlet’s father, Hamlet plots on how to kill Claudius after the spirit confirmed to him that Claudius is the one who killed his father. However, in the play Hamlets avenge on Claudius. â€Å"†¦ I, his son, do this same villain send to heaven, why, this is hire and salary, not revenge† (Act 3 scene 3 7 8-84). Honor is another theme portrayed through Hamlet the main protagonist. This theme is best depicted when Hamlet takes order from the ghost to revenge on Claudius as if the order came from God. â€Å"†¦ With wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge† (1.v.35-37). The writer develops the plot using Claudius, Hamlet’s brother the king who later marries Gertrude his brother’s wife. In the play, he is Hamlet’s major avenger who is portrayed as lustful because he took his brother’s wife, Shrewd. He takes the throne that does not belong to him and allows his son revenge on Hamlet. Due to these characters, he stands out as a man with contrasting characters from other men in the play. The ideas of Hamlet are just, honest and full of revenge but Claudius ensures that his power is maintained. In conclusion, the writer has also used other elements in correlation like the setting of the play to bring out the meanin g in Hamlet. Shakespeare therefore does not present various elements of literature as single entities in the play but he uses his concept of unity to express them as a single entity. Therefore, in this case, he uses characters in the play to develop themes and stylistic devices as well as using the themes to create the characters hence the clear development of the play.

Talking About Future Events in Spanish

Talking About Future Events in Spanish It would be natural to assume that if you want to talk in Spanish about something that will happen in the future, that you would use the future tense of the verb. However, as in English, there are other ways of telling about future events. The difference is that in Spanish, those other ways of expressing the future are so common that the future tense frequently is used for purposes other than discussing the future. Here, then, and are the three most common ways of telling about future events. Using the Present Tense As in English, and especially in colloquial use, the present tense can be used when discussing an upcoming event. Salimos maà ±ana, we leave tomorrow (or, we will leave tomorrow). Te llamo esta tarde, Im calling (or, I will call) you this afternoon. In Spanish, the time period needs to be indicated (either directly or by the context) when using the present tense to refer to the future. The present future is used most often for events that are happening in the near future and that is certain or planned. Ir A and  Infinitive   A very common way of expressing the future is to use the present tense of ir (to go), followed by a and the infinitive. It is the equivalent of saying going to ... in English and is used in basically the same way. Voy a comer, I am going to eat. Va a comprar la casa, he is going to buy the house. Vamos a salir, we are going to leave. This usage of ir a is so common that it is sometimes thought of by some speakers as the future tense, and in some areas, it has all but replaced the conjugated future tense for talking about the future. This way of expressing the future has the advantage that it is extremely easy to learn. Simply learn the present indicative tenses conjugation of ir, and youll have it mastered. The Conjugated Future Tense When used to talk about the future, the conjugated future tense is the equivalent in English of saying will followed by the verb. Saldremos maà ±ana, we will leave tomorrow. Comerà © la hamburguesa, I will eat the hamburger. This use of the future tense is probably more common in writing than in everyday speech.

Analysing a poem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysing a poem - Essay Example The poem falls into the anthology entitled To Be of Use published in 1973. Barbie Doll ironically presents the famous doll of Mattel Toys in to the status quo of the women in the present American society. Barbie was an icon of every American in the 1960 with its green eyes and tall and slim shape. Piercy in this poem takes the pathetic condition of the women in the world as a general. The women are attributed to socially stereotype from her childhood to death. The poet, Marge Piercy uses the various images like doll, GE stoves, lipsticks, fan belt, pink, white nightie, etc., to describe the status of women at different ages. The theme of the poem is the presentation of women as stereotyped by the other gender in the society. At childhood itself she is become stereotyped with the gifts she get. She lives a life not for her but for the needs of others. The name of her is not relevant and so the poem presents the woman without a name. Throughout the poem it can be seen that the woman li ves with the different images attributed on her. The poem is surrounded with different images. The title of the poem, Barbie Doll represents the common notion of idealizing the female body with a doll, Barbie and demands for social concept of her nature. The poet considers that she is a doll for others even from her birth. The poetic presentation of the doll attributes to the nature of a girl- to be a doll for others. The images like stove and irons tell what type of a life is presented to her in the near future. She will have to work in kitchen and do the works for the males. The lipsticks are helping her to color herself with sexual attributes. â€Å"The color of cherry candy† (4) is having an excessive sexual impulse. She is a figure of attraction in the make world. In all the layers of her growth she is presented as a consumer product. The attaining of puberty is mentioned as â€Å"the magic of puberty† (5) in the poem as this stage brings many changes