How does Shakespeare create an effective opening to Hamlet? Essay

The key purpose with the opening of any piece of literature is to entice and enthral the reader and obviously Shakespeare having the fame and staggering success that he has had, must be well aware of this. If questions are left in the readers mind once reading the opening to this script or watching the play, they engage the audience as they want these questions answered and believe that as the play unfolds they will be. The attitudes and values of the characters that are introduced in the first act contribute greatly to the sense of suspense the audience feels. Shakespeare begins the play with the entry of two minor characters ‘two Sentinels’. By doing this the audience only get a second hand taste of what the key themes are going to be later on in the play. There is no omniscient feel to this first act, only an air of mystery. The very first line spoken by Barnardo, ‘Who’s there? ‘ even creates this sense of unknowing, and also implies that the Sentinels are on edge for some reason and perhaps even frightened. This question is then repeated by the second sentinel, Francisco, as Horatio and Marcellus answer. Again the ambiguity of the question, ‘has this thing appear’d again tonight? ‘ creates mystery and a feel of foreboding. A ghost then appears and it is absolutely clear that the sentinels are immensely frightened, ‘tremble and look pale’. The Ghost then disappears without speaking, despite Horatio’s efforts, ‘I charge thee speak’. This allows the audience to wonder what this Ghost has come to tell the Sentinels and as the characters discuss the Ghost, both the audience and characters are as bewildered at this entry of this supernatural being. When the ghost reappears it is hopeful that it will speak, however at the exact point it appears it is about to, Shakespeare again dangles the carrot under the audiences nose as a cock crows disrupting the Ghost and causing it to instantaneously disappear. The anonymity of the Ghost appearing in the first act instigates the audience to speculate over the significance of the Ghost and the anonymity of its appearance. Furthermore the appearance of the Ghost allows the audience to realise the importance of Horatio within the play, he is an educated ‘scholar’ who is clearly respected by the sentinels. However at this point it is unclear to the audience the reason for which he will play a key role in the play. Carrying on from this the setting in which this first scene is set also adds to the sense of unknowing and mystery. The scene is set outside the castle of Elsinore on a gun-platform; this suggests to the audience even at this early stage that war or battles will be present later on in the play as castles are built solely for the purposes of protect in conflict. It is also dark and night, this adds to the fear of the sentinels as they cannot see who it is that approaches them. This is clear with the opening line ‘Who’s there? ‘ spoken by Barnardo. Furthermore perhaps the dark night setting is intentional pathetic fallacy by Shakespeare, as the characters and even the audiences’ unknowing towards the Ghost is mirrored by the way in which the characters cannot see clearly and have to ask of who approaches them. This pathetic fallacy is carried on into the ending of the scene, as the cock crows and it becomes morning the sense of fear leaves the sentinels, this is shown with the semantic fields used in their speech, of ‘love’ and ‘life’. Although much is still unknown when this first scene ends many themes are vaguely introduced to the audience. Death is clearly evident with the spontaneous appearances and disappearances of the Ghost. There is a semantic field of death running throughout the dialogue, Shakespeare uses descriptive words like ‘look pale’, and also ‘dead hour’. This adds to the audiences feeling of unease as well as illustrating the characters. Also the old King Hamlet is said to be similar to the Ghost in appearance, this is a way of Shakespeare indirectly introducing the theme of the death of the King, and also as the death is obviously fresh in the mind of the sentinels and Horatio so it seems to be the case that this will be an avid theme within the play. Barnardo states when the Ghost first appears that it is ‘In the same figure as like the King that is dead’. Another key theme that is introduced is war, this is introduced through the setting itself as I have already mentioned, but also through the discussion of the guards and Horatio proceeding the departure of the Ghost. The Ghost was wearing the ‘armour he (the dead King) had on when he th’ ambitious Norway combated’. Suggesting perhaps there is still conflict going on, but Shakespeare is clever as he never explicitly lets the audience know what is going on in this first scene, grabbing their attention and interesting them further in what is commencing in the play. This first scene finishes with Horatio and the guards going to impart their news of the Ghost onto ‘young Hamlet’. This shows a great respect for Hamlet, it also implies that Hamlet is the King as the audience have previously been told that ‘Old King Hamlet’ has died. This is rather ironic as later the audience come to find out that in fact it is young Hamlet’s uncle that is now become King through an unconventional marriage. So putting this into perspective this could imply that some subjects, such as Horatio slightly resent the marriage of the Queen to Hamlets uncle. I conclude that this is an extremely effective opening written by Shakespeare as it constantly engages the audience, and makes the audience feel a need to know more of what the play is about. Intro 1para (this one) on characters DONE 1 para on setting DONE 1 para on themes introduced†¦ war, death, and mentions old king hamlet-suggesting he has only died recently as still fresh in minds. 1 para on lang n dramatic techniques Conc.

A Change of Plans

Joey Hildreth Dr. Weston Composition 1 September 12, 2012 A Change of Plans Making a plan to do something is a normal occurrence in human life. People make plans to go see a movie, to go out to dinner, and to hang out with their friends all on a regular basis. Sometimes life can send unexpected events that can change those plans. I am sure this has happened to everyone at least once where things didn’t go exactly the way they had planned. To this day I would consider myself a good driver; however, I recall a driving experience where things did not go quite the way I had planned.I had made plans to go to Cedar Point with a friend, and we were going to meet up with someone we had met the last time we were at Cedar Point. My friend and I had both bought season passes in early June. It was the first summer that I had a car and we figured we could drive to Cedar Point once a month until it closed for the year. We had gone once with my friend’s family in late June, and anothe r time with my parents in late July. In early August we decided that we needed to make another trip up before school started and we would have a schedule to work around.Since there had been no more family trips planned, we were determined to make the drive by ourselves. I must have begged my mom to let me drive without parental supervision at least a thousand times. Only after I had promised her I would be careful, responsible, and follow the speed limit that she even considered it. After that it took many more pleads before she finally gave in. I still remember our conversation when she finally told me we would be allowed to make the trip. â€Å"Fine, but if you want to go you need to have Taylor text me every half hour so I know that you guys are still alright, and you have to call me as soon as you get there.While you’re at Cedar Point, you’ll text me every 2 hours to check in,† she said. â€Å"Alright Mom,† I replied as I hid excitement piling up insi de me. â€Å"I’m not finished yet,† she said and paused for me to pay attention â€Å"and you will leave no later than nine O’clock. If you don’t call or text, you better believe after you get home you won’t have a car either. † Saturday morning I left my house and headed over to Taylor’s to pick him up. It was no surprise to me that I had to wait for him to finish getting ready when I arrived.After the usual groans of â€Å"Come on† and â€Å"You’re a guy, you don’t need make-up, let’s go† we were finally ready to leave. We loaded our things into the car and got ready to take off. I popped in a CD I had burned that consisted of songs I knew well. I pulled out the driveway and drove off down the road; both windows down and the stereo blaring. We were nearing the halfway point when life decided to throw in an unexpected event. I was driving down a country road going 55 when I saw a groundhog crossing the street. He was near the middle of the road when I saw him and I didn’t know what to do.This was no ordinary groundhog, this groundhog was the sizeHe started to run towards the left side of the road, and then he turned around and darted back to my side. I slammed the brakes and swerved to the right. Just before my tires hit the gravel on the side of the road, I felt a slight a bump and heard a deep thud. As I realized I was going to go off-road I quickly turned the wheel to the left to try to correct myself. When I did this, my car fishtailed and threw itself into the ditch. â€Å"Oh my god! Are you alright Tay? † I asked. â€Å"Uh, yeah,† he responded with wide eyes.We both got out of the car to see what the damage was. At first everything seemed fine other than a small crack in my front bumper; until Tay pointed out that I had a flat tire. I called my mom to tell her what happened, and she was not a happy camper. I did not have a spare tire so she told me t hat she would call the American Automobile Association (AAA). Shortly after she called me back and said a tow truck was on the way. Once he arrived he loaded the car onto the tow truck, and I had quite the story to tell him about how life had thrown a change of plans to me.

Succubus Dreams CHAPTER 12

â€Å"I can't believe you keep coming back,† Dante told me when I showed up at his shop the next day. To no one's surprise, the place was empty. â€Å"Me either,† I admitted. I never felt welcome here, yet I didn't feel I had anywhere else to go. â€Å"How do you stay in business?† â€Å"Beats me. I don't suppose you're here to give me the best night of my life? You missed your El Gaucho chance, though.† â€Å"I'm here because I had another dream.† â€Å"You're using me, succubus.† He sighed and sat down at the chintzy table. â€Å"Okay. Give it to me.† Settling down across from him, I recapped the latest dream events. â€Å"Not really much in the way of new developments,† he pointed out afterward. â€Å"You got, like, thirty more seconds of plot.† â€Å"Does it mean anything?† â€Å"Hell if I know.† I narrowed my eyes. â€Å"You are the worst dream interpreter ever.† â€Å"Nah.† He rested his chin in his hand, elbow propped on the table. His expression was typically lazy. â€Å"I'm a very good interpreter. There's nothing to interpret in your dream, though, unless it's just your subconscious lamenting your infertility. Which is likely. It also suggests you have bad taste in music. Is ‘Sweet Home Alabama' really playing each time?† Now I sighed. â€Å"The dreams clearly aren't prophetic either since we know it's impossible for you to have a kid.† He drummed his fingers on the table, face thoughtful. â€Å"You sure you might not adopt or something?† â€Å"She was mine,† I said firmly. â€Å"My own flesh and blood. I could feel it.† â€Å"Okay. Far be it from me to argue delusional maternal instincts. But like I said, it doesn't really matter. The content, I mean. What matters here, I guess, is the energy loss.† I could have hugged him. â€Å"Finally, someone fucking thinks that's important.† â€Å"It's a pattern now. Can't really blame it on anomaly anymore.† â€Å"So what's it mean?† â€Å"You sure you want the opinion of the worst dream interpreter ever?† â€Å"Good grief! Get on with it.† â€Å"If you were human, I'd say without a doubt that you were being preyed on.† I flinched. â€Å"What? What do you mean?† He reached across the table and caught my hand, flipping it over absentmindedly while he thought. I was too caught on the word preyed to care about him touching me. Little Kayla's words popped into my head. They're monsters. They swoop in the air and go in people's dreams. â€Å"You and I both know there are plenty of supernatural beings walking the world. Some walk the dreamworld and don't really have humans' best intentions at heart. Not that you do either. And honestly, some aren't too different from you. They crave human life and energy, and they can suck it out of dreams.† â€Å"But they can't do that to me?† â€Å"Mmm.† He let go of my hand. â€Å"I don't see how. You don't make your own energy. You steal it too. But who knows?† I shivered. The idea of some creature – some parasitic creature – latching on and sucking out my life made me ill. I was fully aware of the hypocrisy, however, seeing as I did the exact same thing all the time. â€Å"So†¦what kind of creature might be capable of doing that?† â€Å"Dunno. Not my specialty.† â€Å"But you're a dream expert! Shouldn't you know about dream†¦creatures?† â€Å"Supernatural creatures are Erik's thing, not mine. You should ask him.† â€Å"You're the worst dream interpreter ever.† â€Å"So I hear.† His earlier seriousness flitted away. â€Å"So†¦are we going to have sex now?† I stood up. â€Å"No! Of course not.† Dante threw his hands up. â€Å"What more do you want? I actually gave you useful information this time. And it's not like you couldn't use the fix – small or no.† â€Å"It's more than that,† I said. Suddenly, I hesitated. â€Å"I†¦I know you now.† â€Å"What's that supposed to mean?† â€Å"If you were some anonymous guy, there might be a chance. But now you're like a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Friend wasn't quite the word I was looking for. â€Å"†¦an acquaintance.† He appeared genuinely baffled for once. It was almost amusing. â€Å"I'm really not following this, succubus.† â€Å"I've got a boyfriend, remember? When I have anonymous, casual sex, it's not really cheating. But if I do it with someone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦you like?† Was it my imagination, or was there something hopeful in his eyes when he asked that? â€Å"No, I don't think I like you. But I don't exactly dislike you either. The point is, you aren't anonymous. It would be cheating.† He stared at me for several moments, and whatever glimmer of hope I thought I'd seen was definitely gone. â€Å"No wonder succubi are so good at passing as human women. You've certainly got the head games and complete lack of rationality down.† â€Å"I've got to go.† â€Å"You always have to go. Where to now? Some anonymous guy?† I rose. â€Å"No, I'm going to find Erik and see if he can actually give me useful information.† â€Å"I did give you useful information!† â€Å"Debatable.† â€Å"Well, let me lock up, and we'll see what Lancaster has to say.† I froze. â€Å"What do you mean ‘we'?† Dante grabbed some keys from behind the counter. â€Å"You've piqued my curiosity. I want to see how this turns out. Besides, you owe me for my help, seeing as you won't put out.† â€Å"‘Help,' indeed,† I muttered. He walked to the door with me. â€Å"Did it ever occur to you that in spite of how unuseful you think I am, I'm still kind of concerned about what happens to you?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"It actually hadn't.† But I let him go with me over to Arcana, Ltd. When we stepped inside, we found Erik unpacking a box of books. He smiled without looking up, having sensed me. â€Å"Miss Kincaid, always a – † He stopped when he noticed Dante. For the first time in our friendship, I saw Erik look angry. It was disturbing. Frightening, even. â€Å"Mr. Moriarty.† Dante nodded his greeting. â€Å"Always nice to see you.† The expression on Erik's face showed the feelings weren't mutual. He straightened up from his work and walked over to the counter. Crossing his arms over his chest, he peered at both of us. â€Å"What can I do for you?† No cordial host or tea chats today. The air between the two men suddenly felt thick and oppressive. I spoke uncertainly. â€Å"We†¦that is, Dante thinks he has an answer to my dream problems.† Dante laughed, wearing his trademark smirk. If he bore Erik the same animosity, he was hiding it well. â€Å"I wouldn't call it an answer, succubus. More like a theory.† â€Å"I've had the dream again,† I told Erik. â€Å"More than once now. And I still keep losing my energy. Dante says it could be some kind of†¦dream creature preying on me.† I stumbled over the words. The concept was still too ludicrous. â€Å"But he didn't know what kind. He said you might know.† Erik shifted his eyes from Dante to me. I could tell the old man was still unhappy about us being there together, but he cared about me too much and couldn't stop himself from helping me. I wondered at what point over the years I had earned such regard. And how. He sighed and gestured us to the table. We all sat down, but no tea was offered. â€Å"Something like that going after a succubus is hard to imagine,† Erik said at last. â€Å"That's what I thought,† said Dante. His lighthearted mask had slipped a little. He looked much as he had in the store, thoughtful and curious. He reminded me of a mechanical engineer I'd once known. The guy couldn't help himself when it came to fixing some technical problem. Give him something in pieces, and he had to analyze it and figure it out. Dante might give me a hard time, but his nature, corrupt or not, couldn't stay away from this. Erik's eyes studied me, hard and intent. I was an intriguing puzzle for him too. â€Å"If I had to pick†¦I'd say the symptoms most match Oneroi.† I'd heard of them. They'd been in the Greek myths I'd grown up with. â€Å"Dream spirits?† Dante considered. â€Å"More than spirits. They're the children of Nyx and Erebus.† I shuddered. I'd heard of them too. Nyx and Erebus. Night and Darkness. Primordial entities of chaos. They were powerful and dangerous. The world had been born of chaos, true, but it was also a fact – even science agreed – that the universe was always trying to move back toward chaos. Nyx and Erebus were destructive – so much so that they were now locked away, lest they tear the world apart. The possibility that their children could be sucking away my life made me feel sick again. Dante was still turning this theory over in his head. â€Å"Yeah, that'd be the closest. But they still don't match one hundred percent.† â€Å"Nothing does,† admitted Erik. â€Å"I've never heard of anything attacking a succubus.† â€Å"What do Oneroi do exactly?† I asked. The two men exchanged glances, each waiting for the other to explain. Erik was the one who stepped up. â€Å"They visit mortals in their dreams and feed off the emotions such dreams stir up. Victims of Oneroi wake up drained and sick.† More irony. Legend said that succubi visited men in their dreams too and took their life. â€Å"That's what's happening to me,† I argued. â€Å"Why couldn't it be them?† â€Å"It could be them,† agreed Dante, â€Å"but like we said, the details don't fit. Oneroi can seize control and shape what you dream. But the dreams they stir up are usually nightmares. Fear and other dark emotions tend to be more intense – they offer more for the Oneroi to feed off of. Your dreams are short, and they're†¦fluffy.† â€Å"Fluffy?† â€Å"Well, I don't know. Not nightmares. They're intriguing to you. They bring out emotions – fascinated, happy emotions. They're giving you visceral reactions, I suppose, but not the type that the Oneroi usually go after.† â€Å"And,† continued Erik, â€Å"there's also the fact that you aren't an ideal choice for them. You're inefficient. You're a conduit, a link to the mortal world and their energy. If Oneroi are stealing from you, they have to wait for you to get your power from someone else first. Far simpler for them to take directly from a human.† I suddenly realized I'd forgotten something. â€Å"One other weird thing happened†¦more than the energy loss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I explained about waking up feeling cold and wet. â€Å"I guess that's kind of weird,† said Dante, â€Å"but I don't know that it's really related to this.† â€Å"Well, except later that day, I read this article about a guy who went crazy and tried to swim across the Sound. He thought it would help his family – and it did because he drowned and they got his insurance money. When I read the article, the wet and cold feeling came back. It was like†¦for a second, I was him. I felt exactly what he'd felt. Like I was drowning too.† â€Å"Empathy,† said Dante. â€Å"You read it and imagined what it must be like.† â€Å"No.† I frowned, trying to bring the feeling back. â€Å"I†¦I felt him. I knew it was him I was feeling. That guy. The same way I knew the girl was my daughter. It was in my gut.† Dante looked annoyed. â€Å"Would have been helpful to know this earlier.† â€Å"I forgot. I didn't really see it as relevant until now.† â€Å"Have you ever had anything like this happen before? Knowledge of something you didn't experience?† â€Å"I don't think so.† Erik glanced at Dante. â€Å"Clairvoyance?† â€Å"I don't know. Unlikely. Too many variables. None of them mesh.† Dante turned his gaze back on me. â€Å"Have you talked to your own people about this?† I shook my head. â€Å"Jerome's been gone. I mentioned the first dream before he left, but he didn't seem very concerned.† â€Å"Well, I don't know what to make of it,† Dante said. â€Å"Nor I,† said Erik kindly. â€Å"But I will look into this for you.† â€Å"Thanks,† I told him. â€Å"I really appreciate it.† We stood up, and like that, the momentary truce between Erik and Dante vanished. Erik looked stormy once more. Dante appeared smug and condescending. â€Å"Miss Kincaid,† Erik began stiffly. â€Å"You know I have nothing but the highest regard for you, and I am more than happy to assist you in any way you need. I also recognize that Mr. Moriarty can also offer you help. But I would prefer it if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦if you don't bring me around anymore,† finished Dante. He saluted. â€Å"Noted, old man. Meet you at the car, succubus.† He turned and walked out of the shop. Erik's mood didn't vanish with Dante's departure. I could still sense the fury radiating from him. Erik had said Dante was corrupt, but really, so was I. Erik didn't have this kind of reaction around me. There was something I was missing here. â€Å"I'm sorry,† I told Erik. â€Å"I didn't know it would bother you so much.† â€Å"You couldn't have known,† he replied wearily. â€Å"And after all, I was the one who directed you to him.† â€Å"I'll keep him away,† I promised. I thanked him again and went out to meet Dante. He leaned against my car, his thoughts obscured by a lazy smile. â€Å"Why does Erik hate you so much?† I asked. Dante glanced down at me. â€Å"Because I'm a bad man who does bad things.† â€Å"There's more to it than that,† I said. â€Å"And you don't seem that bad. The worst things you've done are trick customers and offer useless information. Although†¦well, you actually were pretty helpful just now. But like I said, I don't think you're as bad as your reputation implies.† â€Å"How would you know?† I shrugged. â€Å"Instinct.† In one swift motion, Dante snaked his hand behind my neck and pulled me to him. I put a hand on his chest and started to push him away and then stopped. There was a warmth in his body, the eagerness of a man who'd been deprived of something for a very long time. To my surprise, I felt arousal burning in me – a yearning of my own to touch someone who wasn't all business. I experienced that feeling a lot, and it usually got me into trouble. My succubus nature woke up, wondering if energy might be on its way. And despite my lofty talk earlier about not sleeping with people I was acquainted with, I suddenly wanted him to kiss me. I wanted his energy – just a taste. His mouth moved toward mine. I started to close my eyes and part my lips – then, abruptly, he stiffened. Releasing me, he stepped back. I opened my eyes, staring in astonishment. â€Å"What the hell?† I asked. â€Å"You backed off. And after all the grief you've given me about sleeping with you.† â€Å"You're drained and hungry, succubus,† he said. â€Å"It'd be like taking advantage of a drunk girl.† â€Å"Right. And you've never done anything like that.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I'm not eighteen anymore.† He opened the car door. â€Å"Are we going or not?† I studied him a bit longer, thinking again I saw that hope and compassion from earlier. I was starting to wonder if a lot of his cattiness was just bravado, hiding the same insecurities everyone in the world had. I kept my psychoanalysis to myself, however, and joined him in the car. We drove back to his shop, our usual flippant banter obscuring anything serious that might have happened.

Primary and Secondary Sources

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES What is Primary Sources? * Primary sources  are original  materials. Generally, primary sources are not accounts written after the fact with the benefit of hindsight. * Information for which the writer has no personal knowledge is not primary, although it may be used by historians in the absence of a primary source. * Primary sources provide first-hand testimony or direct evidence concerning a topic under investigation. They are created by witnesses or recorders who experienced the events or conditions being documented. Often these sources are created at the time when the events or conditions are occurring. Examples of Primary Sources: * archives and manuscript material * photographs, audio recordings, video recordings, films * journals, letters and diaries * speeches * scrapbooks * published books, newspapers and magazine clippings published at the time * government publications * oral histories * records of organizations * autobiographies and memoi rs * printed ephemera * artifacts, e. g. clothing, costumes, furniture * research data, e. g. public opinion polls What is Secondary Sources? * Offer an interpretation or analysis  of the primary source materials. * Second hand accounts of historical events. Secondary sources are works of synthesis and interpretation based upon primary sources and the work of other authors. They may take a variety of forms. The authors of secondary sources develop their interpretations and narratives of events based on primary sources, that is, documents and other evidence created by participants or eyewitnesses.  ¦ Examples of Secondary Sources: * articles, * biographies, * books, * textbooks, * Reports on events, etc. THINGS TO ASK WHEN EVALUATING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES: * How does the author know these details (names, dates, and times)? Was the author present at the event or soon on the scene? * Where this information does came from? Eyewitness accounts? Reports written by the others? * Are the author’s conclusion based on a single piece of evidence, or have many sources been taken into account? SOME TECHNIQUES FOR TESTING THE AUTHENTICITY OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES: * Check the currency of secondary sources. * Make certain primary sources are housed in a reputable archive and/or have been indexed or catalogue by experts in the source’s discipline. * Research the authority and credentials of journal article author. Cross check to see if others researches agree with your critique. HOW CAN I TELL IF SOMETHING IS A SECONDARY SOURCE? As with any research, examine the document or article carefully for accuracy and credibility. Use the following questions to help you determine whether or not you are using a credible secondary source. AUTHORS: * How does the author know what he/she knows? * Does his/her knowledge stem from personal experience or having read about and analyzed an event? * Does the author cite several other (published) reports? CONTENT : Why is the information being provided or the article written? * Are there references to other writings on this topic? * Is the author interpreting previous events? * Does the information come from personal experience or other’s accounts? CURRENCY: * Is the date of publication evident? * Is the date of publication close to the event described or was it written much later? Sources: * http://www. yale. edu/collections_collaborative/primarysources/primarysources. html * http://www. mitchellteachers. org * http://www. slideshare. net/stellacomans/primary-and-secondary-sources-7878126

Realist Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Realist Theory - Essay Example The theory infers that the system is continually changing to create adjustments to nations such that new systems are created or older are being restored. Therefore, the balance of power theory involves a specific power distribution between states of a system such that no single nation has too much or less of the other . This paper analyses this context and provides a historic case outlay on the application of this theory, the implications of the test results for the case and identifies if the theory is applicable to the case (Marshall, 1970). Over the years, the term balance of power has been used in different areas of history, politics and science each bringing foreword a different meaning from the other. This is due to the difference in the meanings that are portrayed by various states on the term power. To some, power means the use of political force, the superiority of economy or diplomatic coercion to create a desirable outcome by a state. To others, power refers to the ability of a state to impose its will on another despite the resistance raised while others view this concept as the ability of a state to influence the behavior of one or more states through policy implementation (Stanley & Fidler, 1991). The paper seeks to compare and contrast two segments on balance of power relating to the classical and the modern era of political thought which forms the major variable. The balance of power theory is used to illustrate different cases with the major being the Persian Gulf War . Here, the U.S is unwilling to destroy and entirely dismember Iraq due to the balance of power concept which prevented the interruption of the powers of the Middle East. The two concepts raised in the theory is effective in understanding the conduct of international relations and preservation of the international nations system. My conclusion about the performance of the theory here is that it is effective in analyzing the case and that it gives a clear basis on relations amongst states. The theory has a great performance in the case as it infers the effectiveness of balancing power and how this theory is applied in solving international disputes. The theory independent variables relate to issues that constitute a state such as power, balance and sovereignty that enables a state to be independent while the dependent variables are the states and the relations based on the theories. Others may relate to the classical and modern views of politics which are harmonized by the realism concept. The link among the two variables are that they both belong with the realism school of thought. In the classical view, states are created to prevent war. It claims that the society despite the corruption shelters men from harm but only if it is established and enforced in law (Stanley & Fidler, 1991). A democratic government established though the power of the people are perceived to be legitimate . Based on this concept, the function of the government is to implement the law s formulated, promote patriotism through education and promote wealth distribution to enhance cohesion (Micheal, 2000). The classical concept maintains that the balance of power prevents nations from breaking apart . The balance ensures that no particular state or an alliance of nations is allowed by unwritten laws to obtain more power, such that it overwhelms the rest and that this balance is independent. The modern era of

ITM 301 Mod 5 CBT Principles of Information Systems in Business and Essay

ITM 301 Mod 5 CBT Principles of Information Systems in Business and Organizations - Essay Example So these are very effective in improving organizational performance (Jackson, 2006). Groupware applications are also decision support systems that include Collaboration tools with additional facilities regarding this type of decisions. They provide time management, project management systems, workflow systems, knowledge management systems and lot of other facilities that useful for organization decision making. You only have to load the project related data, these system analyze time line, resources, and other planning related factors to predict the required results (Adams. et al, 1992). How an organization can choose a groupware application for its working and making its infrastructure more efficient and managed? There are many factors that are needed to elaborate before the choice of groupware application. They include organizational structure and its working design. There are also many difficulties with groupware systems like these are relatively complex systems. The main problem is every person is different from other; dealing with all type of people in a single application is really a big challenge. So groupware applications are designed in such a way that they can address all people requirements (Adams. et al, 1992). The problem in many cases is that groupware systems are relatively complex, made up of numerous elements that can be assembled in different ways by different people at different times. Unfortunately, only there are few improvements, but its not always clear in advance what they are, and because systems tend to be implemented in small steps, its often hard to arrive at optimal configurations for these technologies (Jackson, 2006). The reciprocal nature of systems and organizational design processes is that deigning/planning done by a system is more rigid and inflexible as compared to human designed situations. In this case it is complicated that human can

Evaluate the role of theory in explaining corporate risk management Essay

Evaluate the role of theory in explaining corporate risk management practice - Essay Example There has been a vivid changes occur in the functions of risk management in corporations. In the past risk management was known as the activities connected with the purchase of insurance. Treasurers also carried out the duty of risk management, but their focus was on prevarication interest rate and foreign exchange risks. With the passage of time, corporations have taken into account other types of risk. On the other hand, corporations started to pay more attention to operational risk and reputation risk. Presently, strategic risks have been added to the categories of risks. The duties of the board in examining risk measures and setting restrictions for these measures are greater than before at many corporations. With the help of hedging, organizations can get rid of their experience to many risks at low cost. For example, a foreign exchange hedging program that makes use of forward contracts has usually very low transaction costs. If the hedging is inexpensive, then there is no good economic explanation for an organization not to hedge economic risks if it faces the risk of cash flow deficits that could force it to give up important projects. Many corporations face risks that they cannot beneficially arrange in the capital markets or other urbanized risk transfer markets. We can better explain it with the help of an example, an organization that discovers a mode to develop its business beneficially cannot hedge economically many of the risks from doing so. The organization recognizes the risks from the development superior than anybody else. If it finds a technique to hedge these risks, its hedging costs will be increased because possible counterparties will want to be compensated for trading with an improved knowledgeable party and for building models to judge the risks they would hedge. Agency theory is one of the most instructive, practical, and