A Study Guide for Act 3 of Hamlet

A Study Guide for Act 3 of 'Hamlet' If youve never read Shakespeare, reading Hamlet, the bards longest play, may be a daunting task, but this breakdown of all the scenes in Act 3 can help. Use this study guide to familiarize yourself with the themes and plot points of this pivotal part of the tragedy. Doing so can help you know what to look for as you read Hamlet in class or on your own at home.  If youve already read  the drama, use the guide to review any developments that you need to better understand or overlooked the first time around. If youre preparing to take a test or write a paper about Hamlet, be mindful of what your teacher has said about the play in class. Highlight any theme or plot development you think you can use to support a thesis statement or expound upon in a persuasive essay. Act 3, Scene 1 Polonius and Claudius arrange to secretly watch a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia. When they meet, Hamlet denies any affection for her which further confuses Polonius and Claudius. They decide that either Gertrude can get to the root of Hamlet’s â€Å"madness† or he will be sent to England. Act 3, Scene 2 Hamlet directs the actors in a play to depict his father’s murder, as he hopes to study Claudius’ reaction to this. Claudius and Gertrude leave during the performance. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern inform Hamlet that Gertrude wants to speak to him. Act 3, Scene 3 Polonius arranges to secretly listen to the conversation between Hamlet and Gertrude. When alone, Claudius speaks of his conscience and guilt. Hamlet enters from behind and draws his sword to kill Claudius but decides that it would be wrong to kill a man while praying. Act 3, Scene 4 Hamlet is about to  reveal Claudius’ villainy to Gertrude when he hears someone behind the curtain. Hamlet thinks it is Claudius and thrusts his sword through the arras – he has killed Polonius. Hamlet reveals all and speaks to the ghost. Gertrude, who cannot see the apparition, is now convinced of Hamlet’s madness. Wrapping Up Now that youve read the guide, review the plot points. What did you learn about the characters? What are Hamlets intentions? Did his plan for Claudius work? What does Gertrude now think of Hamlet? Is she right or wrong to have these views? Why does Hamlets relationship with Ophelia appear to be so complicated? As you answer these questions and inevitably think of your own, jot them down. This will help you remember how the scenes of Act 3 unfolded and help you categorize the information in a way that may make it easier for you to come up with an outline for an essay or similar assignment on Hamlet. Take the same approach with the other acts in the play, and you will have organized the plot developments into a very handy study guide.

Free Essays on Bravery

On September 11, 2001, the firefighters and policemen of New York exhibited chutzpah to the world. David, of the Bible, was said to be a man after God’s own heart. He too showed chutzpah when he faced and defeated the giant, Goliath. Bravery, (or chutzpah) is the quality of mind determining action that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, etc. without fear and in a bold, daring, or heroic way. Many individuals, as well as groups have displayed bravery and courage throughout history. One of the most recent and well-known examples were the fearless firefighters and policemen of New York during the events of September 11th. They did not think of their own safety and well being, but rather only thought of those in danger inside the twin towers. The extreme danger that awaited each one of them as they entered was not fully understood, but nonetheless, they were daring in their attempts to save those in peril. Another Biblical example, would be King David of the Old Testament. When he was merely a boy, he volunteered to represent his army in battle. All the other members of the army were scared of the giant named Goliath. David was brave. He fearlessly faced Goliath with boldness and determination, killing the giant. Many may feel brave, but what sets a few above others is overcoming or setting aside his or her fears to accomplish that act in a bold, daring, or heroic wa y. Next, one might wonder what it is that drives or helps a person to be heroic. Many times, people act on what is called the spur-of-the-moment. This type of courage is almost always instinctive. An example of this would be a soldier in battle who sees a fellow soldier wounded, then risks his own life to help the other soldier in need. Another example of showing bravery is a planned one. A planned act of bravery is developed when a problem is encountered. When a bank is robbed and there are hostages being held, a swat team must plan their invasio... Free Essays on Bravery Free Essays on Bravery On September 11, 2001, the firefighters and policemen of New York exhibited chutzpah to the world. David, of the Bible, was said to be a man after God’s own heart. He too showed chutzpah when he faced and defeated the giant, Goliath. Bravery, (or chutzpah) is the quality of mind determining action that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, etc. without fear and in a bold, daring, or heroic way. Many individuals, as well as groups have displayed bravery and courage throughout history. One of the most recent and well-known examples were the fearless firefighters and policemen of New York during the events of September 11th. They did not think of their own safety and well being, but rather only thought of those in danger inside the twin towers. The extreme danger that awaited each one of them as they entered was not fully understood, but nonetheless, they were daring in their attempts to save those in peril. Another Biblical example, would be King David of the Old Testament. When he was merely a boy, he volunteered to represent his army in battle. All the other members of the army were scared of the giant named Goliath. David was brave. He fearlessly faced Goliath with boldness and determination, killing the giant. Many may feel brave, but what sets a few above others is overcoming or setting aside his or her fears to accomplish that act in a bold, daring, or heroic wa y. Next, one might wonder what it is that drives or helps a person to be heroic. Many times, people act on what is called the spur-of-the-moment. This type of courage is almost always instinctive. An example of this would be a soldier in battle who sees a fellow soldier wounded, then risks his own life to help the other soldier in need. Another example of showing bravery is a planned one. A planned act of bravery is developed when a problem is encountered. When a bank is robbed and there are hostages being held, a swat team must plan their invasio...

Donald Duck Mathematical Magic Trick Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Donald Duck Mathematical Magic Trick - Essay Example The Golden Mean is a special ratio equal to 1:1.61803399, which is considered to be the ratio of beauty. The Ancient Greeks used this ratio in Golden Rectangles found in many of their architectural designs like the Parthenon. In later years, the Golden Ratio was used in even more architectural and artistic designs like the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Mona Lisa painting. The Golden Mean is also known to be able to multiply itself until infinity. Infinity is another concept that we discussed in class. It means something that goes on forever and does not end. The Golden Rectangle was found in the pentagram and it can be formed from the parts of the pentagram at an infinite number of times. The video showed that when the pentagram is deconstructed, and the parts were arranged according to their lengths, the two short parts combined formed the longer part in the ratio of the Golden

Technology and Logistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology and Logistics - Essay Example In the IT landscape of an organization, a TMS usually â€Å"sits† between the order processing system and the warehouse management system of an ERP. Ideally, TMS should include both the inbound as well as outbound orders. Load Consolidation: Organizations can reduce their transportation costs by consolidating on various considerations such as routing, delivery date, capacity, customer preferences etc. This will help in reduction of both billable as well as payable freight costs. Route Planning and Scheduling: This enables an organization to find out the most efficient and cost-effective route plan. Using this functionality, an organization can assign orders and customers to routes, move orders and customers between routes, rearrange route sequences, establish balanced zones and territories, and pool equipment and driver resources according to established business rules. Freight Audit and Payment: A TMS allows calculation of full bottom-line freight costs and evaluation of rating and service options. This enables a supply chain manager to improve its freight audit accuracy. Generally, a TMS is integrated with ERP and other Financial systems of the organization to give a complete picture throughout all the departments of the organization Freight Procurement: This feature of a TMS helps organizations to manage the various types of bidding processes such as incremental bidding, multi-round bidding and expressive bidding. It facilitates online bidding from 3PLs Multi-modal Transportation: A TMS also allows an organization to choose between various modes of transportation including ocean, rail, air, road, barrage and ferry etc. and arrive at the best combination of modes to increase efficiency. Shipment Tracking and Trace: This feature allows customers as well as managers to track their consignment online. The almost real time accurate tracking enables efficient sharing of relevant

The ethics of the earlier thinkers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The ethics of the earlier thinkers - Essay Example Still others have no real faith and try to build a moral foundation out of their personal experience adding rules and content to it as the years go by. Some philosophers have talked of two worlds existing. One the world we live in and another better, more perfect world that exists somewhere else. This way of thinking is also the foundation of much theological thought too. Plato, like Descartes, believed that the mind and the soul were basically the same thing. However, unlike Descartes, Plato thought that the soul was eternal and didn’t with the body but changed its form and shape, as it was a kind of opposite. One of Plato’s most important concepts was his belief in the existence of two worlds: one a world of real things that we can see and one a world of forms, or perfect representations of these things. Plato was always about duality, both in objects and forms, but also in body and soul. For example, a spoon would exist on your table, but also somewhere else as a kind of perfect spoon. The same idea would apply to things like colours or animals. Homer, too, shared this idea. He saw the world as divided between mortals and gods. But for him it was possible to cross over between the worlds. Odysseus, for example, was able to visit the Underworld; Achilles was half-god and half-man. This concept was also shared by Aquinas, but somewhat less imaginatively. He believed that God was perfect and that we are but a shadow cast by this perfection. There is so much to write about when it comes to this subject. Morality is all around us and affects everything we do, all of our actions and all of our interpersonal relationships. Our lives are also determined by our view of the division of the world and the possible existence of God. This has been a popular concept throughout history, even if it has been overcome by ideas such as moral relativism in today’s world. For those reasons, it is very important to study and think about. I personally do not

Asoka Has Contributed Many Significant Contributions Religion Essay

Asoka Has Contributed Many Significant Contributions Religion Essay Asoka has contributed many significant contributions to the development of Buddhism. Asoka became the first Buddhist emperor, and he conversed to Buddhism in 261 BCE and was then known as Dharmasoka. Asoka contributed to the development of Buddhism in three important ways. First he applied basic principles of Buddhism to his rule through government and foreign policies. Second and the most significant contribution, Asoka supported missionaries, he sent them throughout the kingdom in order to spread the teachings of Buddhism. Third, Asoka was able to maintain Buddhism as a major religious tradition in the kingdom. Asoka was able to contribute interfaith dialogue; he maintained positive dialogue with people of other religions because he believed all religions are good. Asoka believed the first precept (Ashismsa) and generosity were very important in witnessing the faith. Asoka taught people about Buddhism in different ways to help them best understand all the Buddhist teachings. For ex ample Asoka taught the educated through writing on edicts and pillars, whereas he taught the uneducated through ministry, stories and paintings. Asoka strengthens Buddhism through Viharas, he built these shrines in order for the Sangha to worship in and practice their faith. Asoka established social welfare support because Asoka believed it was important to support all his people. An example of a social welfare that Asoka did was he grew medicinal herb gardens and shade areas for all the people. Most importantly Asoka believed that everyone should be treated with friendliness. Asoka has been a big part in the development of Buddhism and has contributed many important and significant contributions that are still being used and continued to be followed today. Assess the impact on Buddhism of the significant person or school of thought identified in the previous question. The contributions of Asoka to Buddhism have had a great impact on the Buddhism community. Asokas contribution of the missionaries has impacted Buddhism significantly, it allowed Buddhism to expand beyond Mauryan Empire. A positive impact Asoka had was religious tolerance, as now the Buddhism religion is being respected and is expanding to other neighbouring kingdoms. For example, Asoka sent his son and daughter to Sri Lanka with the missionaries and the impact this had was Sri Lanka converted to Buddhism. Asoka contributions impacted his kingdom significantly. Through Asoka the Sangha and Lay people were able to unite through worshiping in the temples and shires. If it wasnt for Asoka building the Viharas, people wouldnt have been able to unite together and worship their religious tradition. Buddhism is now publicly worshiped and this is due to one of Asokas contributions. Examples of Asokas contributes that are impacted by public worship of Buddhism is the stupas, temples and rock e dicts which are everywhere in the kingdom and visible to the public as they have the Buddhist teachings on them. People were impacted by Asoka as they saw him as a true witness to the faith. This is because Asoka showed how to correctly live the Buddhist life according to the ethics of Buddhism. Also Asoka influenced the people around him to adapt Buddhist teachings to their way of life, this is an ethical decision. The significant impact Asoka left on the Buddhism community is his conversion from a harsh person and a murderer to living by Buddhist ethical standards, which is a very big deal for both Asoka and his people. Through rock edicts, stupas and missionaries Asoka was able to promote Buddhist education as equal access to knowledge. The most important impact Asoka left from his contributions was the importance of social welfare as he showed his people how important social welfare in Buddhism and the care for others is. This was shown through Asokas examples of social welfare, some of these examples include, medicinal herb gardens, hospitals, planting trees and lastly treating everyone friendly and with fairness. People have witnessed Asokas ruling over the kingdom as being a true example for all people of what the lived expression of Buddhism should be through his witness to the faith and this has all significantly impacted all the people of his kingdom and other people from his neighbouring kingdoms who are now Buddhist because of him. Islam In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful,to You lone do we turn for help. Guide us along the straight path. To what extent does this quotation expresses a significant person/school of thoughts distinctive Islamic answer to the enduring questions of human existence? Islam is the submission to Allah. There is a division in adherents in Islam; the two main sects are the Sunni and the Shia. The shiites believes that the accurate leadership of Muslims after Muhammads son-in-law continues through a line of religious teachers. Sunnis support the dominance of the caliphs, which is the line of rulers elected by the people to guard the visionary legacy in the running of community relationships. Islam adherents believe that there is only one God, called Allah. The stimulus above the to you lone do we turn for help. Guide us along the straight path shows this meaning, that there is only one true god and that the adherents are to follow that one god, in order for their questions about human existence to be answered and to be lead on the correct path. The stimulus above is from the Quran, the holy book for Muslim adherents. Sayyid Qutb was a significant person who helped answer the fundamental questions by expressing his distinctive Islamic answers to the questions of human existence. Sayyid Qutb answered those questions through his new interpretation of the principal teachings. His new interpretation was that he wanted everyone in state of Hakimiyya, and this only exists under the Sharia law. Sayyid Qutbs principal teachings to his adherents include Jihad, Jahiliya/Hakimiyya, and submission to the will of Allah which is very important (away from western influences), centrality of Allah through Tawhid (oneness) and Aquida (belief in god) and lastly Sharia law. Sayyid Qutb had a radical practice of Islam which he influenced his adherents to follow. He expressed to the adherents that it was important to have modest life styles of living, and living free from negative influence of the west, namely sexual freedom and materialism. By the adherent following Muhammads way of life, they are helped by Allah and guided to the right path. Sayyid Qutb answered the questions of human life through his philosophy. His philosophy was Hakimiyya, Jahiliya, Jihad, and in order to be in the state of Hakimiyya adherents need to overcome Jahiliya by Jihad. Sayyid Qutb philosophy answers those questions as they express the importance of submission to Allah and he showed adherents how to live to God. The stimulus means to be submitted to Allah, and to only believe in the one true God. Sayyid Qutb was born in Musha, Egypt in 1906, and in 1916 he attended a school in his local village. In 1919 Sayyid Qutb dropped out of school for two years, and he then moved to Cairo in 1920 where he finished his high school education. In 1929 he attended Dar Al-Alum University. Between 1939-1948 Sayyid Qutb worked as a university teacher, he also wrote many articles that reflected the Liberal values. In 1948, Sayyid Qutb, he went to America, achieved a Masters Degree education, and he also wrote a book Social in Islam building an Islamic idea of Tawhid. In 1949 he wrote another book called In the shades of the Quran, which was a commentary on the Quran. An example from the book In the shades of the Quran is There is nothing hindering people to seek the mercy of Allah. All they have to do is to seek it directly from Allah without mediation or intercession except heading to Him in obedience, hope, confidence and submission.  [1]  This quote from the book helps adherents understa nd how important the submission to Allah is, and also in the stimulus above it helps adherents find answers to their questions about human existence. Sayyid Qutb joined Islamic brotherhood. In 1954 Sayyid Qutb was first arrested and jailed for conspiracy to overthrow the ruling Egyptian government through the use of lesser Jihad which he encouraged. He was released from prison in 1964. A year later in 1965 he published another book called the Milestone. In this book he criticised the west because he didnt like the way they were living, and because of that his philosophy about. An example of a quote from the book Milestone is ..as a family is the basis of the society, and the basis of the family is the division of labour between husband and wife, and the upbringing is the most important function of the family, then such a society is indeed civilised  [2]  . In this quote Sayyid Qutb is emphasising that Islam and the Islamic style of living encourages this kind of family. By becoming this family adherents are living the right way of life according to Allah. Sayyid Qutb was rearrested and jailed again on charges of conspiracy aga inst the ruling government, which was implemented through Milestones. In 19966 Sayyid Quote was executed by hanging. As shown in the stimulus above, Sayyid Qutb is an example to the adherents on the right way of life and the right path to take. Sayyid Qutbs philosophy is all about Hakimiyya, and the way to achieve it, his philosophy also consists of Jahiliya and Jihad. He wanted all of the adherents in society to be Hakimiyya, which means for adherents to accept the Sharia and live under it, Hakimiyya is the goal in life. In reference to the stimulus above by being in the state of Hakimiyya you submitting to Allah and following the one true God. Jahiliya is thesubmit to materialism and sexual freedom. In Jihad, there is greater Jihad which is individual struggle to submit to the will of Allah and lesser Jihad which is holy war, and the use of military means. Sayyid Qutb mostly focused on the greater Jihad. His philosophy is all about being in the state of Hakimiyya and overcoming Jahiliya. Sayyid Qutb lived his philosophy and he showed the right way to live to the submission to the will of Allah, in reference to the stimulus this is important in order of walking the right path. Sayyid Qutb has impacted many people, both followers of his philosophy and opposers of his philosophy. The impacts his left on his followers include he brought a new and more relevant understanding of Islam and how it should be lived and he died as a martyr for Islam. He is a model of living his Islamic principles, in spite of the personal consequence even death. Opposers of his philosophy believe that he is a poor example of what Islam should be, also there were protests against him and many Muslims didnt want him known as a significant person. His radical views are seen as examples to other people as there are many radical groups that exist today and follow his philosophy. In reference to the stimulus, Sayyid Qutb is seen as a person who was able to answer the questions about human existence to all adherents. People who follow his philosophy see him as a good example on the way to live to the submission to the will of Allah, and praying to the only true God. Sayyid Qutb has radically interpreted the Quran and he has affected many adherents. His philosophy, Hakimiyya, Jahiliya and Jihad, has answered all the questions that each adherent asks themselves about the existence of life. The meaning behind the stimulus is that there is one true God, and adherents should only follow that one God, also that they should live to the submission of Allah. The Tawhid gives adherents their beliefs and encourages them to live the proper way of life and following in Muhammads footsteps. Sayyid Qutb is a significant person who was able to distinctively answer the enduring questions of human existence.

I Disagree with Nietzsche, We Should Embrace Life, Not Destroy It Essay

I Disagree with Nietzsche, We Should Embrace Life, Not Destroy It Admittedly, the philosophy of the late nineteenth century German Friederich Nietzsche had a profound impact on my world view. I concur with his belief that humans should occupy themselves with living in the reality that is, and not to be preoccupied with fantastic illusions of working towards a great afterlife. Granted, I am still very young, but from what I can see, humans have no universal nature nor do any set of underlying human morals dictate what is right and wrong. And as much as people would like to believe, unfortunately, we do not have free will. Every action carries the weight of a punishment or reward, so in essence, people do things either in fear or in hope of attaining one of these outcomes, therefore, humans do not have free will. So, then what is the meaning of life? To live each day as if it is heaven itself is all anyone can really do; accepting and embracing the reality of your life is the source of meaning. Whether God exists or not is irrelevant, the only th ing that is within the control of humans is the power to embrace life. As 1950’s Beat poet Allen Ginsburg stressed, people should be concerned with "living in and inhabiting the human form." Living means to not let outside forces take away your pursuit of life, once this thirst for life is taken, you are simply existing, waiting to die. To understand this position on life, take the following hypothetical situation. A woman has a terminal disease; in one year she will be dead. But she does have two options, she can simply live out the year in a hospital bed, weak and sickly from her disease, and die in one year. Or, the alternative choice is that she can take a pill which will... ...e. Because what we choose in life determines the degree to which we live. And at the very core of every person lies the drive to live. As humans with a high degree of cognitive intelligence, we are a part of nature, not above it; our high intellect should serve as a tool to understand this fact. To Nietzsche, humans must destroy everything, so that a new and more pure humanity centered on life can rise. I do agree that we must abandon the traditional illusions that have prevented humans from embracing life, but living in pursuit of destruction is not necessarily the answer. I believe that we must not let human made and human imposed notions of right or wrong control how we live, but living for the sake of destruction is not living. We must live to find an inner and individual satisfaction. Therefore, all life choices should be made with the intent of embracing life.

African Americans in the Reconstruction Era Essay

The Reconstruction era was put into effect by Congress in 1866 and lasted until 1877. Reconstruction was aimed at reorganizing the Southern states after the Civil War. The reconstruction plan granted the means for readmitting the southern states into the Union, and tried to come up with the methods by which whites and blacks could live together in a non-slave society. America’s position as a country was established on principles of freedom but those beliefs were weakened by slavery. At the end of the Civil War, many blacks felt that they were entitled to start collecting the benefits that had been denied for so many years. Being able to vote, own land and have a voice in political affairs were all goals that they believed were reachable. The white, however, saw reconstruction as an embarrassing, revengeful annoyance and did not welcome it. Reconstruction was meant to give the blacks a chance for a new and better life. Many of the African Americans stayed with their old masters after being freed, while others left in search of opportunities through education and land ownership. The Southern white conservatives did not want blacks to own property, have political power, or have the right to vote in elections. In addition, the whites strongly believed that they were superior, and they worked hard to make sure legal limitations were in place to prevent the blacks from gaining any type of equality or power. President Johnson’s reconstruction plan included the black codes, which stated that the African-Americans were required to have a curfew and carry identification on their persons at all time. These regulations also bound the ‘freedmen’ to their plantations. The freed slaves merely wanted the opportunity to continue the family-based shared work methods contrary to having to accept the individual piecework structure. Former slaves wanted to be able to continue to live on the land their ancestors had farmed. African american’s lives were improved in many ways during the era of Reconstruction; one way their lives were enhanced was the establishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau. The Freedmen’s Bureau was an organization developed by Congress that assisted African-Americans to acquire an education and provided necessities of life such as food and clothing. It was important for African-Americans to become educated, because it would prevent them from being dominated by white supremacists and helped them obtain well-suited jobs. During the years after the war, white teachers who were mostly from the North, missionary organizations, churches and schools worked hard to give the emancipated population the opportunity to learn. Former slaves of every age took advantage of the opportunity to become literate. Grandfathers and their grandchildren sat together in classrooms seeking to obtain the tools of k to gain their freedom. During Reconstruction, blacks were often seen not heard. It was usually the white man’s word over the black man’s word. Even if there was a crowd of people that saw what happened, unless they were black, the people sided with the white man. However, when the situation involved a white man getting hurt or killed for supporting the black community, that’s when the government stepped in to put an end to it thus leading to the Civil R A of 1875. Many regulations were passed to help blacks during this period. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 prohibited segregation in public facilities and various government amendments, which gave African-Americans even more guaranteed rights. With government guidelines, the newly dubbed freedmen were still discriminated against by most people and were soon to be segregated once again under government decisions. The Reconstruction, although short-lived, showed the first real attempts of inclusive freedom for African-Americans. Gains were taking place, for instance, in citizenship, voting, education and politics. Consequently, the failure of Johnson’s reconstruction caused the Congress to propose its own plan, the 14th Amendment. The Amendment was designed to prohibit state governments from restricting the rights of former slaves after the Civil War. However, it had been used to grant all the personal liberties and rights conveyed in the Bill of Rights. Among other things, this prohibited ex-Confederate leaders from holding political office, and also gave the freedmen their citizenship. The rejection of the 14th Amendment paved the way for the Reconstruction Act of 1867; this dismantled all Southern governments and launched military control over the South. The Reconstruction Act guaranteed freedmen the right to vote under new state constitutions and required the Southern states to approve the 14th A With the addition of African American votes in the southern elections and the help of â€Å"Carpet  Baggers† and â€Å"Scalawags,† the Republican Party gained almost complete control over the South. Throughout this time, the ranking of freedman was significantly increased, and by 1868; many state legislatures had African American delegates. All of America, as well as the South, had to be rebuilt, and, despite the South’s hostile resistance, African-Americans were slowly and gradually becoming part of this nation. The long-awaited citizenship for Blacks was confirmed in 1868, by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. By 1870, the 15th Amendment had been added to the Constitution, which gave blacks the right to vote. The 15th Amendment forbids the states from denying the right to vote to any person on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Whites both wealthy and poverty-stricken were ruthlessly and completely against the emancipation. The poor people feared the competition in the labor force, and the rich encouraged an attitude to keeping a strong separation in the blacks and the whites. In the early years after the Reconstruction started, there was some violence towards blacks. As the years went on the violence increased, and Terrorist groups were formed. One such group known as the Ku Klux Klan better known as the KKK, surfaced to torment and commit violent acts against blacks and strong white Republicans. Because of the ratification of the 13th Amendment ending slavery in the south, the KKK emerged with a cause that has yet to be put to rest†¦the rise of white power. The KKK was formed mostly to restore slavery to America and to reinstate the Caucasian race as the most superior race in the world. A former Confederate general and Freemason, Nathan Bedford Forrest, founded the KKK in 1866 because Negroes were being allowed to enter the brotherhood of freemasonry. He held this office while he was simultaneously Sovereign Grand Commander of Scottish rite, Freemasons, and Southern Jurisdiction. Members of the KKK were very violent and used harsh actions to get their point across, but their actions were supported by their strong belief in their religion and the culture in which they were brought up in. The KKK did things based on what they believed according to their culture and how they were raised; Which, at that period of time made them extremists. Although slavery was abolished, racism was not. Because the government started recognizing African-Americans as more than just slaves, the KKK decided they would have to take matters into their own hands. They began their protest by lynching, taring and feathering, whipping, beating, and killing African-Americans in the south. Since Blacks had been given rights, the KKK felt it was their duty to prevent the former slaves from using them. Racist Groups such as the KKK operated mainly in the South; however, discrimination against the African Americans was also an issue of a smaller degree in northern cities. The KKK would destroy any black polling booth and shoot, intimidate, and kill any black person trying to vote; especially in Mississippi. KKK members went on â€Å"night rides. † On â€Å"night rides,† the KKK members dressed in white robes and went to houses belonging to empowered blacks and used threats toward family and loved ones to instill fear into their hearts has a means of control. The KKK would threaten these blacks with what would happen if they voted or took positions of power. At the end of the 19th century and the Reconstruction era, many of the whites used violent behavior to scare the African-Americans from white neighborhoods. The Whites organized protective associations, so homes in white neighborhoods could never be sold to a black man. This was also very noticeable in the makeup of many of the northern cities; these cities had well-known residential neighborhoods for African Americans. In conclusion, during this time, a country that was so well-known for its freedom, opposed in large the very definition of the word. After the Civil War, America saw a great many changes regarding civil rights and black suffrage. Many laws were passed to give African Americans more rights. Since the Reconstruction era, we as a country have come a long way. With the utilization of great leadership like Lincoln, education and recognizing our shared humanity, we could decrease the gap of equality.

Acer Case

Acer. Inc | Taiwan’s Rampaging Dragon | 9/26/2012 | How would you account for Acer’s outstanding start-up? What caused this company to outpace scores of other Taiwanese PC companies? Acer is a company that was founded by Shih, his wife and a couple of other people. It was founded in the 1976 and the electronic market at that time was still small. This time cellphones where not yet even invented so the market was pretty good for a starter. This is I believe one of the reasons why Acer’s startup was outstanding.One of the other many reasons is because of their willingness to try everything that came their way. They dared to do everything, from providing engineering to publishing trade journals. They were not hesitant and were very hungry to succeed. Acers CEO Shih was also a very charismatic leader, transferring very important philosophies to his employees hence creating a strong foundation. He paid his employees modest salaries and offered them equity. The employe es in turn felt a sense of ownership and this had a very good impact on their performances.They were very loyal and followed Shih’s leadership. Shi did not only offer key employees equity but also delegated substantial decision-making responsibility to them. Empowering his employees in such a way only made them more loyal and committed to the company. Shih also believed and valued his employee’s education and created an environment where people were ready to learn and improve themselves. Joint ventures also cut down costs and developed good relationships with suppliers. The whole work environment was like a family and everyone there was very comfortable and happy.When employees are happy, the company’s customers are also happy. All of these reasons and more made Acer then known as Multitech outscore the other Taiwanese PC companies. After a strong decade of growth, why did Acer’s growth and profitability tumble in the late 1980’s? How do you evalua te Leonard Liu’s performance? Acers was founded in the mid 70’s and at that time the market was small. At the end of the 80’s there was a lot of competition and Acer had to struggle with these forces. Its competitors were producing PC’s at very low prices and Acer had to match that.One of the other reasons why Acer struggled is because it had expanded rapidly. This growth caused a shortage in management and some outside help ‘Paratroopers’ had to be brought in. Because of Acers overseas expansion these newcomers were supposed to help with the transition since they knew something about the international market. This however caused confusion in the company because of the culture clashes. The family culture was intruded by outside cultures and the working environments were no longer splendid. As mentioned before, happy employees lead to happy customers.Unhappy employee’s in turn lead to unhappy customers. Acer was also struggling financia lly. Expansion needs resources and these were not available. In order to solve this Acer had to go public and create equity by selling its stock on the market. As if this was not enough, Acer also had to deal with rebranding. This took up a lot of Shih’s valuable time. I look at Leu in different ways. First of all; he was just a man given a big responsibility and was trying to do the best he could. Some of his transformations were in the long run effective.He reorganized the company and this was very effective. Leu also gave some responsibility to the managers for the outcomes of their work, this made them work harder and they were careful in their decision making. However this changed the whole atmosphere in the company, the culture was changing and this was not appreciated. Culture is something one cannot change overnight but Leu tried to do that and it backfired. He tried to change everything overnight and this was never going to work with a company like Acer that was happ y with their current culture and comfortable with it.Leu also spending a lot of money did not help and employees in the end lost faith in him. How effective was Shih in rebuilding Acer in the early/mid 90’s? What do you think of his new business concept (â€Å"fast food† model, Uniload, Smiling Curve, etc. ) and his new organization model (Client-Server, 21 in 21, etc. )? Is this a visionary framework for Acer’s future competitiveness, or a random series of ill-conceived top-down initiatives? Shih came back with some lessons learnt. Some of which came from Leu despite him leaving in a bad way. He found Acers organization was better and this helped him achieve his goals.He brought in new philosophies which lifted up the company and he communicated his ideas to Acer employees making sure they got the message and then acted upon it. The philosophy like ‘fast food businesses’ helped Acer to lower its costs and in the end make more profits. I believe thr ough these philosophies Shih managed to get the attention of its employees and the message was therefore well communicated. Despite these strategies being vague I believe they were visionary. Acer needed to be redeemed to its old position and be given back its power. Its employees needed to be encouraged and be motivated to work.These strategies did the trick and created a turnaround for Acer. As Stan, what action would you take on Aspire? Should he approve its continued development? Should he allow AAC to continue to lead the project? With all of the changes Acer underwent, I would say Aspire was a good innovation and it is a chance not to pass. Aspire is a revolutionary innovation and if Shih lets it go, it will go to his competitors and he will loose out on a good opportunity. Him blessing this innovation will mean that he does what he preaches. He was always encouraging his employees to use their knowledge and skills and do something innovative.This was a chance to prove that he would support those innovations. I also think since AAC came up with the innovation they should be the ones to lead the project. This may even be an opportunity for Acer to expand deeply into other regions. Should Aspire become a global product? If so, who should manage the worldwide? Of course Aspire should go global!!! If the product is successful in one region they could try it in other regions and see how it performs there. In my opinion Taiwan should manage it because it is after the mother company and they have more experience in managing new products.

Cloister Walk essays

Cloister Walk essays Norris, Catholic Tradition, and Notre Dame In The Cloister Walk, American poet Kathleen Norris takes the reader through her experiences with life in a Benedictine monastery. She writes 75 short tales, each one dealing with a different observation.. One thing that appealed to me about this book is that Kathleen Norris isn't a catholic, nor is she very into church. Her experiences at the monastery help her better understand herself, as well as others. This paper will attempt to link my experiences with those of Kathleen Norris's and the Catholic Tradition. Kathleen Norris moves into the St. John's monastery and her book is based on her nine months there. She has a very poetic personality, and goes to the monastery in search of expanding her mind. She doesn't expect to find religious knowledge or to improve her relationship with God. "The monastic life," she says, "has this in common with the artistic one: both are attempts to pay close attention to objects, events, and natural phenomena that otherwise would get chewed up in the daily grind." There are a few main topics with which she pays special attention too, those of celibacy, community living, the liturgy, and time. Each of these topics relates very nicely to my experiences here at Notre Dame, as well as to different aspects of the catholic tradition. Norris has this to say about celibacy. "Celebate people have taught me that celibacy, practiced rightly, does indeed have something valuable to say to the rest of us. Specifically, they have helped me better appreciate both the nature of friendship, and what it means to be married." Although I cannot relate to the marriage aspect of this statement, I can relate to the friendship part. For 19 years of my life, I chose to remain celebate. The friendships that I formed in this time with members of the female sex have been very powerful. I can honestly say that I have experienced love without the physical part of...

Potential Role(s) of HR And HR Professionals In Contemporary Essay

Potential Role(s) of HR And HR Professionals In Contemporary Organisations - Essay Example After receiving applications from the prospective candidates, HRD will only sort out those applications and importantly will come up with various selection processes, according to the job description. Some of the selection processes that are normally followed in contemporary organisations include written exams, objective type exams, personality judgment tests, assessment centres, personal interviews, etc. (Robertson and Smith 2001; Armstrong, 2006). Through, these processes, the three main aspects of skill level, knowledge and even experience levels, will be analysed and judged by the HR professionals in relation with the management team. â€Å"Skills, experience, and knowledge have economic value to organisations because they enable to be productive and adaptable† (Jackson and Schuler 2003). Thus, recruited optimal employees will have adequate skill and knowledge, which can be aptly tapped by the organisation, leading to better performance. In essence, if HR professionals imp lement a specified set of employment as well as work practices, it is going to lead to better performance. (Boxall and Purcell 2008). When one focuses on Southwest Airlines HRD’s recruitment processes, it exhibits apt qualities. HR professionals inside SW Airlines conducts the recruitment process in such a foolproof manner that only one out of four applicants would be personally interviewed, after going through various process, and importantly less than 3% would actually be hired. (Hunter 2006). During the recruitment process, apart from focusing on their academic qualifications and skill levels, HR professionals in SW looks for key subtle human assets... This paper approves that HRD will bring expert coaches from outside, who will focus more on human resource element than on the technical aspects, thereby facilitating wholesome development of the employees. In the computer chip manufacturing company, Intel, a mentoring program has been in place for many years and it showing more than expected results. Experienced employees who have agreed to play the role of mentors complete an on-line questionnaire in which they list any of their two dozen top skills, based on which the struggling employees will be paired as mentee. As this program, facilitated by HR professionals, gives importance to not only sharing information but also sharing of skills sets and practical experience, it benefits the employees, thereby making them organisation or â€Å"work-ready†. Another key role of HR professionals, which can lead to effective employee management, is conducting the appraisal process and then aptly rewarding the correct employees. This report makes a conclusion that it is clear that HR or HR professionals form an indispensable part of organisational functioning starting from recruitment till rewarding. It seems HR aspect or HR professionals get involved during all the important organisational processes and decisions, which determines the performance as well as success of the organisation at large. Their maximum involvement and their employee-centric focus leads to effective employee management, which in turn makes them contribute optimally to the organisation, thereby placing the organisation on the path of success.

Company Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Company Summary - Essay Example Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling. Microsoft has been known for its planning, organising, leading and controlling functions. Considering the most essential element of management – Planning, it has been seen Microsoft has a very strong planning process. The company’s planning is done only by the top management and all plans require to be consented by the board of directors and most essentially by Bill Gates. The plans are generally developed by the top level and then are passed down to the various departments of the company, where each of the plans is implemented. The second essential management function is organising. This function is another very essential element of the business and here the company require establishing the functions and assigning them to the respective teams. This is an essential element as it brings teams together to work towards the same goal. Microsoft pays a lot of attention to this and this is clear from the fact that the company is spread worldwide and the only focus of across the world is to ensure complete organisational success. Leading forms the third main aspect of the managerial functions of any business. The ability to motivate and lead the company to reach heights of success is where Microsoft and Bill Gates have been recognised to be the root cause for the immense success that the company faces. Bill Gates is the current chairman of Microsoft Company and has been ranked to be the wealthiest person in the world. He has been known to be one of the biggest revolutions in the computer industry. Bill Gates has built a strong image for himself and has grown to be recognised as the best entrepreneurs in the world. He has set down examples, is admired by many as well as has been criticized for his style of business (Lesinki, 2006). There have been mixed views on his style of working and he has been criticized of being anti