The Ethics of Gun Control Essay -- Constituton Bill Rights Right To Be

The Ethics of Gun Control The phrase "Gun Control" means different things to different people. One bumper sticker states that "Gun Control means hitting your target." However one defines gun control, the mere mention of it brings controversy. Opposing sides have for years fought over the laws that govern firearms. For the purposes of this paper "Gun Control" is defined as policies enacted by the government that limit the legal rights of gun owners to own, carry, or use firearms, with the intent of reducing gun crimes such as murder, armed robbery, aggravated rape, and the like. So defined, gun control understandably brings favorable responses from some, and angry objections from others. The gun control debate is generally publicized because of the efforts of the Pro-Gun Lobby or the Anti-Gun Lobby. The best known of the Pro-Gun Lobby is the NRA, headed by Charlton Heston and Wayne LaPierre. The Anti-Gun Lobby includes such organizations as Handgun Control, Inc., The Violence Policy Center, and the ACLU, and is commonly associated with such figures as Sarah Brady. It is doubtful that anyone would dispute that reducing violent crime is a good thing. Most pro-gun lobbyists will concede that guns are used in violent crimes, and that guns act as an enabler for criminals. It is impossible to deny that mass shootings could not be carried out without guns. This fact is generally the basis of the anti-gun movement. They argue that since guns are commonly used in the commission of crimes, and since guns are inherently dangerous because of their primary function (the primary function being the destruction of the target), that guns should therefore be outlawed. The pro-gun... ...der rate because Americans own so many guns." http://www.guntruths.com/myths/united_states_has_such_a_high_mu.htm. 28 July 1999. "Only the police are trained enough and responsible enough to carry guns". http://www.guntruths.com/myths/only_the_police_are_trained_enou.htm. 28 July 1999. "Proof Positive: Gun Control Increases Violent Crime". http://www.guntruths.com/resource/australia.htm. 28 July 1999 Reese, Charley. "American Citizens Have the Right to Bear Arms". http://www.guntruths.com/guest% 20correspondent/american_citizens_have_a_right.htm. 28 July 1999. Schultz, Daniel J. "It's Hard to Argue With the Founders". http://www.guntruths.com/schultz/it.htm. 28 July 1999. "This is America. The government is never going to turn into a tyranny." http://www.guntruths.com/myths/tyranny.htm. 28 July 1999.

How the Media Distorts Male Self-Perception Essay -- Exploratory Essay

How the Media Distorts Male Self-Perception Women are insecure. They constantly diet and scrutinize their bodies. They fall victims to the anorexically thin models appearing in the media. Why do men have it so easy? For years these questions are what women asked themselves. In a world where appearance is everything, women have been the main source of all the hype concerning the image and body. Advertisements have been criticized for years about putting the pressures of the â€Å"perfect† body into the heads of millions of women. Up until a few years ago, it was believed that only women had the eyes of society on them. Now the scales are balancing. More men are beginning to feel pressured, by the same society, to have a muscular body and to portray a perfect male image. However, some men are taking this pressure to the extremes. The media is having a negative effect on the way men view their bodies making them feel as if they need to look like the models shown, which can often result in muscle dysm orphia. Through exposure to the media, primarily advertisements and movies, the physical appearance of the male body has drastically changed, from barely seeing the torso to men in their briefs. In past decades, the male body was portrayed in a â€Å"rugged† sort of way (Luciano 4). It didn’t matter how many muscles the man had or the degree of atonement, but the way that the man carried himself. He was his own seller in a busy market. If he wanted to appear tough and manly, the way he presented and carried himself would make all the difference. For example, in the first two Rocky films, Rocky, played by Sylvester Stallone, is â€Å"beefy† yet buff (Law). He is the idol of women portrayed as ... ...s in Magazines.† Journal and Mass Communication Quarterly. Autumn 2002: 697-711. ABI/INFORM Global. Proquest Horn Lib., Babson Park, MA. 11 Feb.. 2003 . Luciano, Lynne. Looking Good: Male Body Image in Modern America. New York: Hill and Wang, 2001. Olivardia, Roberto. â€Å"Muscle Dysmorphia in Male Weightlifter: A Case Control Study.† American Journal of Psychiatry. Aug 2000: 1291-6. ABI/INFORM Global. Proquest Horn Lib., Babson Park, MA. 11 Feb 2003 . Pope, H.G.. â€Å"Muscle Dysmorphia: a New Syndrome in Weightlifter.† British Journal Of Sports Medicine. Oct. 2002: 375-8 Expanded Academic ASAP. Infotrac. Horn Lib., Babson Park, MA 11 Feb 2003

Marketing plan Essay

It is a management process through which an organisation provides its goods or services to its customers. Through marketing the organisation try to deliver and value customer, and managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organisation and its shareholders. Marketing also includes identification, selection and development of a product, determining the price of the product, selection of a distribution channel to reach the target customers, and development and implementation of a promotional strategy. Marketing is all about to meets the needs of the customers and satisfy the needs of the customers. WHAT IS MARKET RESEARCH? It is the systematic gathering, recording and analysis of data about issues relating to marketing products and services. It can inform businesses’ decisions by helping the business to understand the changing dynamics of its market. It involves finding out more about customers, competitors and the overall marketing environment. Market research also allows a company to discover who their target market is and what these consumers think about a product or service before it comes available to the public. Market research may be conducted by the company itself or by a third party company that specializes in market research. Test subjects are usually compensated with product samples and/or paid a small income for their time. There are two types of research: primary research: The research is original to the organisation conducting the research (they collected the data) Secondary research : The research came  from another source (the data had already been gathered e.g. Market research reports, trade journals, customer service records) Within these categories information can be either internal (from inside the organisation) or external (from another organisation or source outside of the organisation). The research can be qualitative and quantitative or include elements of both. Well planned market research often involves a combination as they can reveal different things about the same market. Qualitative research: qualitative research involves finding out opinions, attitudes and feelings. Often more useful than quantitative data but is more difficult to collect and analyse. Methods of collecting qualitative data include focus groups and in depth interviews. Quantitative research: quantitative market research involves finding numerical data. Quantitative data is generally collected from large samples and is easy to analyse. Methods of collecting quantitative data include written and online questionnaire. This kind of research is used to find out how customers perceive an organisations or brand, understand how changes in price, or other variables, might affect consumer spending decisions and investigate customer preferences, interests, aspiration and other variables. MARKET PLANNING It is a business document written for the purpose of describing the present market position of a business and its marketing strategy for the period covered by the business. Marketing plans usually have a life time of one to five years. The objective of market plan is to show the steps that will be undertaken by the business to achieve its objectives. The elements used in the market planning: Description of products or service, including special features. Marketing budget, including the advertising promotional plan. Description of the business location, including advantages and disadvantages. Pricing strategy. Market segmentation. The business uses different market planning tools to do market research such as: PESTLE audit SWOT analysis SMART objectives Strategy and tactics Evaluating effectives of marketing activity Now I am discussing about how Marks and Spencer uses market research and market planning tools to contribute to their development plans. PESTLE ANALYSIS Political These factors are usually beyond the control of the organisation. However, the business needs to anticipate changes and identify the action it needs to take either make the most of an opportunity or mitigate a threat. When Marks and spencer is considered they do have political influence such as government sets regulations for them regarding health and safety. British standards such as, planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control. If the companies do not abide by these regulations they will be fined or even in some cases be forced to close down. Marks and Spencer did not abide by the British standards as they were charged for neglecting health and safety regulations after a door fell on an employee. The warehouse door was left hanging on loose fixtures. Marks and Spencer are supposed to have ignored repair requests, allowing the door to fall into disrepair. Marks and Spencer pled not guilty to this; there is still no outcome of this trial. Also according to BBC news 30th January 2006 Marks and Spencer would be the major retailer to go down the fair trade route on  both clothing and food. The fair trade policy, which they have launched will include, cut salt and fat in Marks and Spencer foods, recycled packaging and animal welfare protection. Marks and Spencer Chief Stuart Rose stated, â€Å"Customers want good value, but they care more than ever how food and clothing products are made.† Economic These factors can affect the performance of a business. Especially when national/international economy goes through periods of prosperity and recession. Currently the economic outlook is very uncertain and this is more than likely to affect retail sales, as people do not have the spare cash to spend on luxury items such as clothing and food luxuries. Marks and Spencer have been hit by this and have recently closed a number of stores and have to make job cuts of 2% of their 70000 staff. And also to show what affect the recession has had, they took the decision to have two days of 20% discounts in the run up to Christmas. They have also introduced a 20% of all wine and champagne to keep up with their competitors. Customers are happy to buy the products from Marks and Spencer but due to the current economic situation they do not spend much on shopping. Social These factors relate to the values and beliefs of society. This provides useful information for businesses targeting their services at broad segments of the population, such as newspapers and magazines. In the past few years the society has changed. The culture and the expectation of the customers have changed. In 2006 Marks and Spencer chief executive Stuart Rose wanted to stretch the company brand, for example he considered selling food online as part of a plan to become a multi-channel retailer to keep up with its competitors. Also in response to cheap clothing industry super markets have increasingly over the last few years caught up with fashion trends, helping them to challenging the high street clothing stores with their less expensive  versions. Marks and Spencer is no exception to this and they have bought their clothing ranges up to date to keep up with their customers interested. Consumer purchases are influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics. Most of the factors cannot be controlled by the marketers but they have to be taken into account by the marketers. Technological This development can affect the business in range of ways. It is one of the important aspects in the retail market. The brands of the company have to be managed carefully by the relevant managers of that company. The large companies have to be continuously being considered about their branding as it is a method they communicate with the customers and it’s way of advertising. They need to use their initiatives and new technologies to set themselves a standard among the public. For Marks and Spencer continuously to communicate with their customers they need to be heavily advertising. They have celebrity icon Myleen class as the face of Marks and Spencer who appears on the adverts on the TV and she is also on their website modelling the Marks and Spencer clothing also other girls include Twiggy, Erin o’ Connor, and Noemie Lenoir too, so their adverts appeal to women not only in their 20’s but also to the more mature lady so they are covering all areas with their advertising campaign. Legal These are the laws that the companies need adhere to. There are lots of law that different companies need to abide by. Legislation keeps on changing throughout the year. Marks and Spencer carry out retraining and update every year, they keep up to date with new laws or regulations, and with issues regarding health and safety they also ensure that their legal protection is updated. An example of legislation is the Fair packaging and Labelling Act (1996) provided for the regulation of packaging and labelling of consumer goods. Requires that manufacturers state what the package contains, who made it, and how much it contains. In Marks and Spencer website they show that they adhere to this legislation. â€Å"Packaging helps to protect the product between being produced and uses by the customer. It prevents product wastage, carries important instructions and information on ingredients and helps the product look its best in the store.† Data protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Protection Act 2000 these are the Acts to protect the rights of the customers. Since Marks and Spencer collects the information about the customers for delivery purpose customers wants to ensure that they keep their data safe. Environmental Environmental factors can relate to the social, political and legal aspects affecting a business. The government may put pressure on businesses to increase the amount of recycling. All companies, industries and organisations are being pressured to change their ways when it comes to the materials they use and how they manufacture. Marks and Spencer have established their own Green policy which they call plan A the chief executive of Marks and Spencer has today announced a 100 point five year plan to re-engineer itself to become a carbon neutral, zero waste to landfill, ethical trading, and sustainable sourcing health promoting business. SWOT ANALYSIS SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal to the business. Opportunities and threats are external elements present in the environment in which the organisation operates. Carrying out a SWOT means researching the organisation’s current and future position. It’s a way of getting information which provides the basis for developing marketing objectives or aims and ultimately strategies or plans. Strengths Strengths are the advantages for a company to run efficiently. For a company to run efficiently they need to keep up their strengths. The strengths of Marks and Spencer is that their high quality which have attracted all the customers. The customer service of Marks and Spencer is their biggest strength as their main objective apart from making profit is customer based trading. The shopping environment is strength for Marks and Spencer. The shopping environment is much more flexible and convenient to the customers. They have made their stores brighter, and use modern designing techniques in their stores to make it more attractive. The management training of Marks and Spencer is excellent. Every manager has the responsibility to do their duty and to ensure that they give the best service to the customer. Weaknesses Weaknesses are the draw backs of the company. The weaknesses have to be improved with time. The price is one the weakness of Marks and Spencer. Customers prefer to buy cheap clothes rather than expensive due to the current economic situation of the country. Lack of clothing is also another weakness. When Marks and Spencer is considered they have a variety of clothing market.in fact especially ladies outwear is outmoded design and cut. In addition, comfortable younger consumers prefer purchasing brand labels, such as Next, Debenhams, and Topshop etc. Opportunities Marks and Spencer has many opportunities to expand their business. One of the opportunities of Marks and Spencer is the use of technology. In the modern world the technology has developed fast. It increases the demand for the online products. Customers are happy about adapting themselves towards the e-shopping of Marks and Spencer. The other opportunities of Marks and Spencer are that extending their market and also healthy eating. Healthy eating would catch the attention of the people as they want to make sure that the food they eat is healthy and the demand for the specific food will  increase. People want quality foods and they also want variety of foods. Introducing variety of foods would increase the sales of Marks and Spencer. Threats Although Marks and Spencer is a successful company it still has to face threats. The main threats is that their competitors. The other companies like Debenhams and Next. Changing social environment is also a threat if the environment is changed the needs of the people will also be changed. Therefore Marks and Spencer needs to change the needs of the people will also be changed. Therefore Marks and Spencer needs to change themselves according to the needs of the people. SMART OBJECTIVES All businesses set objectives, at a variety of levels. All these objectives should follow SMART objectives. Specific It is the specific aim of the company. The specific aim of Marks and Spencer is to expand their stores and to become a multi-channel retailer. They want to expand their business internationally more over their main focus is to expand in UK. Measurable It is setting objectives that believe that can be measured so that they can decide whether the objective has been achieved. They wanted to expand the business as they have thought they have expanded various food stores throughout the UK. They have expanded their stores and have been famous among the people. Achievable The objectives that are set by Marks and Spencer should be able to achievable. The objectives of Marks and Spencer are an achievable target. As they thought they were able to achieve their target. They were able to expand their business. They wanted to introduce more variety in their food products as they have said they have achieved their target. They have introduced variety in their food products in their food stores. Realistic The targets that are set should be realistic. They should be achievable. Marks and Spencer have to set targets which are based on their competitors. The targets also have to be able to manage the resources and the market. Time related The targets that are set should be realistic. They should be achievable. Marks and Spencer announced in November 2010 that they wanted to expand the business in 5 years’ time frame. As they have planned they have achieved most of their target within two years’ time. STRATEGY AND TACTICS The strategic planning of Marks and Spencer is what made them to be famous among the other company. The strategic plan was set on November 2010. It was a 5 year plan in which they have achieved most of it. As part of their strategic planning they want to put the right team to work together, they have changed their capital structure. They also want to expand their food stores throughout UK. Their main focus is UK and they want to become a multi-channel retailer. They also improved on their product therefore which enables them to stand for years. In conclusion Marks and Spencer is a successful company. Their different market plans and their research have enabled them to achieve their targets. The market research done by the Marks and Spencer has contributed to the development of its marketing plans. In macro environment Marks and Spencer follows the government policies and protects and protects the natural environment. Moreover, Marks and Spencer is influenced by the factors of economic, social and technological to set their business strategies. On the hand, in micro environment the Marks and Spencer have a good long term relationship with their suppliers and their customers. The significant strategies of Marks and Spencer are creating potential customers and maintaining the existing customers. Overall the analysis of Marks and spencer has found that its business structure follow the trend society. This easy writing has made me to know the strategic planning of Marks and Spencer which has enabled them to stand for long. P4: Use marketing research for marketing planning. INTRODUCTION 200 customers were surveyed of a local fresh sandwich bar to find out about the current range of sandwiches on offer and the standard of service. The findings include: 75% want more children’s sandwiches 82% want the shop to open longer 65% said that the staff were unfriendly 50% said that the contents of the sandwiches should be fresher 80% said that they would prefer more wraps 75% want more children’s sandwiches From the survey it could be analysed that most of the customers prefer children’s sandwiches. 150 customers out of 200 like children’s sandwiches. It also could be assumed that the children’s sandwich is more preferred due to the characteristics of the sandwich. The target of the product is mainly at small children therefore they could make the sandwich more colourful and attractive. Nicely packing the sandwich and including a toy with the sandwich also increase their sales. Providing a meal pack also would  increase more customers. One of the other important things that have to be considered is the taste of the sandwich. The children’s sandwich should be milder than the adult’s sandwich. The milder choice is because the children do not prefer spicy food. The sandwich could be improved by making it more colourful and providing a meal would also improve their sales during seasonal times. Providing offers for the meal also would improve the sales. SMART Objective: Producing more different shaped and colourful children’s sandwich by 10% in next two months 82% want the shop to be open longer It could be analysed that the majority of the people wants the shop to be open longer. 164 people out of 200 want the shop to be open longer. If the shop is open longer during Saturdays and Sundays it is more likely that the customers come to the shop. In the fast moving world people spend most of their night times by visiting various places, going for shopping therefore if the shop is open longer customers who shops late nights would go to shop. Changing the interior designs of the shop for different seasons makes it more attractive to the customers. It would help them to create a more customer base for the sandwich bar. Opening the shop longer during the weekend and during the special season would benefit the bar more. Most people are free during the week ends than weekdays so opening the shops longer will bring them more profit. And also in the night they would prefer to buy food from shops than cooking at home. If they did home delivery and opened the shop for long they would get more orders. By keeping his store open longer than other stores in the area he can potentially gain more customers from other store and perhaps find new customers who use his store nearer to closing time. SMART: Increase the opening hours of the shop till 10pm in the night from next two months. 65% said that the staff were unfriendly It could be seen that most of the staff working are unfriendly. It is important that staff are friendly to the customers. If they treat the customers well only they would like to come to the bar. The customers are satisfied and would feel happy and they would prefer to go to the bar for the good service provided by the staff. They could raise morale to staff by staff recognition scheme. The staff may be given different shifts or rotating jobs for staff therefore they do not get bored. They could also give good training to the staff about how to deal with the customers. The work could be shared between the staff to reduce the stress. They can also recruit new staff by replacing new staff with high quality and of much potential. SMART: providing training or recruiting all the staff by 10% in next three months. 50% said that the contents of the sandwiches should be fresher In the fast moving world people prefer healthy and fresh foods. The bar could introduce new fresh foods like salads. They can ask their suppliers to supply the necessary materials every day in the morning. They can keep the sandwich fresh by covering it with a foil paper. Keeping the sandwich in coolers will make the sandwich fresh. Preparing the sandwich on the spot will keep the food products fresher than already made sandwich. People would be happier to buy fresh products. Including salads and vegetables to the sandwich will make the sandwich more a healthy food and it would provide calories to the people. They could also have more employees to serve the customers so that the sandwich is served freshly and on time. SMART: Supplying healthy and fresh sandwiches to the customers by 10% in two weeks’ time. 80% said they would prefer more wraps In the modern world people are exposed to variety of food choices. They are not only exposed to the home food but they have choices of food from all around the world. Therefore they are very specific in what they want. Therefore for the bar to improve on their business they could introduce wraps. They could introduce chicken wraps and vegetable wraps. When supplying vegetable wraps they should supply it with fresh ingredients. They can include salads, onions, tomatoes and etc. The wraps could be on the spot by the staff and served to the customers. The bar could offer meals to the customers. SMART: Introducing 3 different varieties of wraps in one month time by 5%. Overall customers are happy about the sandwich bar. They are quite satisfied with the products offered by the sandwich bar. This market research finding helps them to know their target market and to set their market strategy and also to develop their market plan. From the basis of the research we can do a SWOT analysis for the bar. This would help them to know the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths of the bar are their product they are making for the children. The children sandwich is their main strength. 200 customers is a large amount of customers which shows they do have a strong customer base. The weaknesses of the bar are that the staff were unfriendly to the customers. The customers also want fresh supply for foods. If they could improve on them they would succeed in their business. The opportunities of the bar are that widening the choice of food products to the customers. more children’s sandwiches will bring more customers in with young children is an opportunity for them to make more profit. Making more wraps so that there is a larger selection of food available in store bringing more customers through the door therefore increasing sales and profit. The threats the bar could have is that their competitors. The competitors might overtake them if they do not provide good service to the customers. Any new shops that are opening can be a potential threat and steal customers from his store because they may give better service, products or their prices may be lower. Supermarkets around the shops are also a threat to the  bar because they sell sandwiches at lower price than the sandwich bar. Overall, from the outcome of the research it can be seen that the people are quiet happy and satisfied with the products and services offered by the restaurants. The bar could also set SMART objectives as part of their market plan to improve on their sales and profit. Overall this easy writing has helped me to learn how a research could help to develop their market plan and how they could improve on them.

Essay About Politics

In Regeneration Pat Barker utilises the character of Burns as a way of presenting the extent to which the society have managed to damage the young soldiers. Burns is a fictional character used as an extreme case in Craiglockhart Hospital that presents the emotional destruction that all soldiers feel and further enhances the strain from society on Burns individually shown in the actions he uses to demonstrate a severe deterioration.It is clear that the war is continuously playing on the mind of Burns in this extract by the militaristic imagery he uses when describing, what to other members of society, would be simply a normal walk around. On the bus journey first of all he describes the rattle of branches on the bus windows as sounding like ‘machine-gun fire’, which depicts the constant reminder he faces of the front line. The reaction of Burns trying not to be caught ‘crying out’ having heard these sounds suggests just how stressful being reminded of war in any way can be.Throughout this extract Burns also shows the discontent he feels and the struggle he faces to do the simplest of tasks such as walking up a hill. Barker refers to Burns’ struggle as ‘climbing the hill between trees’. The clever use of ‘climbing’ suggests the physical struggle he faces but also draws parallel with the feeling of climbing in and out of trenches on the western front that he formally faced, therefore hints at the idea that being reintegrated into British society was as much a â€Å"war† as it was when fighting on the western front.Again Pat Barker manages to show Burns facing the mirrored difficulties of war when he is ‘slipping and stumbling’ in ‘his mud-encumbered boots’ just like if he was in the harsh conditions of war. However we know that actually the ‘ploughed field’ he was walking through was nowhere near as difficult to travel through as in the western front which high lights how he has got far worse since returning which could possibly be due to the added pressure of society that he has been unable to adapt to life back home.Another key indicator that displays the pressure that has affected the character of Burns is the physical strains he faces. He depicts the discomfort with human contact so he ‘tensed, not liking the contact’ which indicates the disconnection he feels from society. Barker also further illustrates the dissatisfaction with life in general with his very pessimistic reflection on the day at the beginning. Looking at his room window he envisaged a ‘blurred landscape’ and the ‘sky and hills’ dissolved ‘together in a wash of grey’.The ‘grey’ and ‘blurred’ landscape that would have realistically have held much greater detail in rural Scotland- where Craiglockhart was located- shows the insignificance of the surrounding world for these struggling soldiers. Th ese dull adjectives simply underline the feeling of being fed up that Burn would have felt having being withdrawn from war and now has understood that he no longer has much meaning in life due to the societal pressure forced upon him.The feeling of being fed up that Burns portrays is seen through his dislike for spending time with others in the ‘common room’. He describes the talk as ‘facetious tones’ describing how he does not care what people have to say as it does not wish to spend time socialising with others due to the domino effect that he feels alienated from society. The men appear to sit around the ‘common room’ and talk about ‘the war, the war, the war’ showing how annoyed he is that this is all people talk about.The repetition of ‘the’ shows that this was the single most important thing of the time and this has left Burns feeling annoyed that he would rather just disconnect himself from everyone instead of f eel pigeonholed to only talk about such a distressful topic. As Billy Prior mentions later on in the novel this club ‘will be the club to end all clubs’ whereas Burns clearly does not comply with this. Physical strain on him. Paranoid- everything is against him. Possibly signs of disconnection from society leaving him emotionless. Conclusion. Print bibliography and photocopy extract.

Macbeth †Hero or “Hellhound” Essay

William Shakespeare the author of Macbeth was born in April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He is generally regarded as the greatest playwright ever to have lived. During the time of Shakespeare (which was the Elizabethan times) the theatres in which his plays were performed were very basic. They had no scenery or sets so they used simple items such as a stool, which would represent an indoor scene. He theatres were also very small, the fortune theatre only being 80ft square. The stage had three tiers; the main stage where most of the scenes would be performed, the tiring house which was used for scenes such as the witches’ cave in Macbeth and the gallery (upper stage) which was used for scenes such as the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. People in the Elizabethan times were extremely religious and believed in a â€Å"chain of being†. This is a hierarchical society that is divided into three sections, Heaven, Hell and Earth. They believed that everybody was born into a level and this could not change or chaos would ensue. Due to this belief the killing of king – known as regicide was regarded as the worst crime in the world as the king was god’s messenger on Earth. Macbeth was written for King James in around 1605. Because of whom it was written for Shakespeare had to change the character of Banquo to a â€Å"good guy† as it was one of James’ ancestors (Shakespeare actually borrowed the idea for the play from Ralph Holinheads’ chronicles). The play is about a Scottish nobleman ‘Macbeth’ who becomes king by murdering the previous king. The world is then thrown into disarray until eventually ‘Macbeth’ himself is killed and the true successor to the throne is crowned when order is restored. There are many themes in Macbeth many of which recur throughout the play. These include masculinity. Lady Macbeth always questions ‘Macbeth’s’ manhood whenever he doesn’t want to go through with something, which leads to ‘Macbeth’ doing whatever she wants him to. Linking with this is femininity, during the play Lady Macbeth refers to this when she calls for the spirits to â€Å"unsex† her. There is also the theme of darkness, which creeps up a few times during the course of the play. ‘Macbeth’ says to the stars as he is about to murder Duncan, â€Å"hide your fire, let not light see my black and deep desires.† Lady Macbeth also asks for darkness when she says, â€Å"come thee thick night, and pull thee in the dunnest smoke of hell.† Evil is regularly associated with darkness and these references show that there is an evil side to ‘Macbeth’ and Lady Macbeth. Perhaps the most important theme in the whole play however, is fate. Every character except from ‘Macbeth’ accepts fate and the fact that they don’t have any control over it. In the first scene ‘Macbeth’ is said to â€Å"disdain fortune† and later on in the play the witches lead ‘Macbeth’ to believe that he can have complete control of his destiny, which, he later realises he cannot. The ‘tragic hero’ is a character used quite often by Shakespeare. The tragic hero is a character who is noble, brave and good but always has one fatal flaw. In ‘Othello’ the fatal flaw is jealousy and in Macbeth the fatal flaw is ambition. The tragic hero’s fatal flaw will inevitably result in their death, hence the name ‘fatal flaw’. I am now going to work through the play discussing the question ‘Macbeth’-Hero or â€Å"Hellhound†. The play starts with thunder and lightning, which is seen as a reference to the Gunpowder Plot, which occurred around the same time as the play. The Elizabethan audience would recognise this and see the relevance because in both the case of the Gunpowder Plot and the play the intended victim was the king. The meeting of the witches is the first scene in Macbeth. This shows that the witches are a very important part of the play and they will be very influential during its course. The audience will know to be afraid of the witches because of the society of the time. To the Elizabethans witchcraft was a fact of life. We also discover that the witches are definitely a source of evil when they say, â€Å"fair is foul, and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air.† This shows that the witches are trying to disrupt the natural order, which, according to the chain of being will throw the universe into chaos. In the second scene we learn of ‘Macbeth’s’ bravery in battle. This where he is said to â€Å"disdain fortune† which shows us that he doesn’t believe in fate. We also find ‘Macbeth’ is a very strong fighter and that; he and other people believe that he is unbeatable in battle. An example of this is when the captain says, â€Å"yes as sparrows eagles: or hare the lion.† This is a reference to ‘Macbeth’s’ fighting ability and the fact that he is as scared as a lion would be of a hare. When the opposition army is refreshed and with new troops the captain says, â€Å"As cannons overcharg’d with double cracks, so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.† This shows the audience how ‘Macbeth’ but will make them wonder is he too bloody and over the top? ‘Macbeth’s’ first words in scene three are, â€Å"so foul and fair a day I have not seen.† The audience will pick up on this as it links in with what the witches say at the beginning of the play. The audience may also be a little disturbed by the way that ‘Macbeth’ seems to be acting now. The witches know what ‘Macbeth’s’ name is and this startles ‘Macbeth’ and the audience. They say â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Glamis.† The audience will now begin to realise just how powerful the witches are as this is little known information. They then say â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee Thane of Cawdor.† Of course by now the audience will know that the Thane of Cawdor is a traitor but they don’t know how the witches have this knowledge. This will scare the audience and make them wary of the witches’ behaviour. Banquo mentions to ‘Macbeth’ that he should be happy by this news, â€Å"Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear things so fair?† This shows us that the witches have also startled ‘Macbeth’. Does this mean that ‘Macbeth’ can’t be too evil as he is scared of the witches or he is just shocked because he has already thought of murdering the king? Banquo also says that ‘Macbeth’ seems â€Å"rapt withal† so we wonder if he is deep in thought or under a witches spell. If ‘Macbeth’ is in fact under the witches’ spell then his actions throughout the rest of the play can’t really be seen as his fault. Banquo seems to be aware that the witches are evil although ‘Macbeth’ isn’t. â€Å"Cannot be ill. Cannot be god.† Is he just reassuring himself or is he really not aware that the witches are bad? ‘Macbeth’ thinks of murdering the king and is scared by his thoughts: â€Å"Why do I yield to that suggestions whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, and make my seated heart knock at my ribs, without the use of nature.† Again Banquo says, â€Å"look how our partners rapt† so again we wonder if he is under a spell or just deep in his thoughts. The way that this idea of ‘Macbeth’ being â€Å"rapt† could be Shakespeare’s way of telling the audience that ‘Macbeth’ is being controlled by something more powerful than just his mind or ambition. In the next scene Duncan announces that the successor to the throne will be his son. ‘Macbeth’ also declares his loyalty to the king when he becomes thane. The audience will already know that ‘Macbeth’ has had thoughts about killing the king and therefore will see this as ‘Macbeth’ being very two faced. ‘Macbeth’ also says in this scene: â€Å"the Prince of Cumberland: that is a step, on which I must fall down, or else o’erleap for of in my way it lies. Stars hide your fires let not light see my black and deep desires.† This reveals a lot about ‘Macbeth’s’ current train of thought. He is basically saying that the Prince of Cumberland is in his way and must be overcome. ‘Macbeth’ also becomes quite scary in this speech when he says the part about â€Å"Stars hide your fires†. This will symbolise to the audience that he is moving into darkness from light or more worryingly from good to bad. In scene five Lady Macbeth is introduced. She offers quite a lot of insight into ‘Macbeth’s’ character that hasn’t been mentioned before. She says, â€Å"Yet I do rear thy nature is too full of the milk of human kindness.† This is a feminine quality; she is basically that ‘Macbeth’ is not masculine – bloody enough. She also says that he is, â€Å"without the illness that should attend ambition.† This means that his ambition is pure but does not having that â€Å"illness† mean that ‘Macbeth’ doesn’t have a conscience? She says that he wants to do things the right way, â€Å"holily†, â€Å"wouldst not play false† and also that ‘Macbeth’ fears to do things. This shows us that Lady Macbeth has, perhaps, a confused idea of masculinity and femininity and also good and evil. Lady Macbeth’s behaviour echoes that of the witches as she calls upon the spirits to â€Å"unsex† her. We can also links with ‘Macbeth’ when she says, â€Å"come thee thick night, And pull thee in the dunnest smoke of hell.† Here she is calling for darkness like her husband did previously. ‘Macbeth’ arrives home at their castle and tells Lady Macbeth that Duncan will be staying for a night, to which Lady Macbeth says, â€Å"O never shall sun that morrow see.† This is a clear indication that she too wants the king to die. She tells ‘Macbeth’ to â€Å"look like th’ innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t.† ‘Macbeth’ says â€Å"we will speak further.† This shows the audience that ‘Macbeth’ hasn’t yet decided whether or not to kill the king. In scene six the king arrives at ‘Macbeth’s’ castle. In scene seven ‘Macbeth’ argues against killing the king by saying, â€Å"he’s here in double trust.† This means that it should be ‘Macbeth’s’ duty to protect the king and not try and kill him. He also says to Lady Macbeth, â€Å"we will proceed no further in this business.† Lady Macbeth retaliates to this by saying that ‘Macbeth’ is a coward and she follows it up by saying something extremely shocking. She says that she has had children but would rather rip the baby from her and kill it then break her vow to kill the king. This shows to us that it may not just be the witches who are proving to be a bad influence on ‘Macbeth’s’ mind. This causes ‘Macbeth’ to change his mind. Lady Macbeth outlines a plan to kill the king. Her idea is to get the king’s guards so drunk they fall asleep then Duncan will be unguarded. Once Duncan has been killed she will pour blood on the guards to make it look like they murdered him. ‘Macbeth’ ends the scene by saying, â€Å"I am settled.† He has decided to kill the king. We wonder whether this was perhaps his intention all along or was it Lady Macbeth’s intervention that pushed him to do it? In Act two scene one ‘Macbeth’ starts on his mission to kill the king. A dagger appears before him. There are lots of interpretations about what this means. Is ‘Macbeth’ going mad and just imagining it? Is the dagger really there? Is it a witches’ spell making him see it? Some versions of Macbeth actually show the dagger appearing before him while some don’t, as if it is in his mind. In scene two ‘Macbeth’ kills the king and is in a terrible state. He says, â€Å"I could not say amen.† This could be evidence that he is under a spell because if he was just evil it wouldn’t bother him that he couldn’t say amen. He also says, â€Å"me thought I heard a voice cry, sleep no more.† This shows that ‘Macbeth’ is both hearing and seeing things. This will make the audience wonder if ‘Macbeth’ has truly gone mad or if he just feels guilty about it. In scene three we see the chain of being has been disrupted and chaos is ensuing when it is said, â€Å"some say the earth was feverous, and did shake.† Also in this scene Macduff finds the king dead. ‘Macbeth’ kills the servants. Is this ‘Macbeth’ being careful and cautious or just bloody? In the first scene of act three we realise that Banquo suspects ‘Macbeth’ of getting in to the position he is in more by foul play than coincidence. â€Å"I fear thou play’dst most foully for ‘t.† We wonder whether Banquo suspects ‘Macbeth’ because he knows that ‘Macbeth’ is capable of doing this. ‘Macbeth’ says, â€Å"to be this is nothing but to be safely this.† ‘Macbeth’ is pondering whether he should kill Banquo, after all he saw the witches and he knows what ‘Macbeth’ is doing. He also says, † come fate, into the list.† ‘Macbeth’ is personifying fate again, which links with when he is said to â€Å"disdain fortune.† This is very important because it shows that ‘Macbeth’ is now acting against the witches as he has decided to kill Banquo and his son. This time however ‘Macbeth’ gets â€Å"murderers† to kill Banquo. Is this because he is too scared? Does he still feel some loyalty to Banquo? Or is he just being more devious? He says to Lady Macbeth, â€Å"Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chick.† This is a huge step for ‘Macbeth’ because the murder is all his own planning and no witches or wife are persuading him. He also says, however, â€Å"O, full of scorpions is my mind, dear wife.† This shows that, again, ‘Macbeth’ is showing some remorse. This shows us that ‘Macbeth’ does not become purely evil immediately. In scene four Lady Macbeth says ‘Macbeth’ is â€Å"womann’d.† In Shakespeare language this means that it is good to be kind, good to be scared. Theses are all necessary parts of being a hero, not a villain. In this scene Banquo’s ghost appears before ‘Macbeth’. We wonder again, as with the dagger, is this a spell, a hallucination or just his guilty conscience playing tricks on him. ‘Macbeth’ says â€Å"I will to-morrow (And betimes I will) to the weird sisters, more shall they speak.† ‘Macbeth’ is going to see the witches. He knows that he has gone too far and cannot be good again. He has â€Å"embraced evil.† â€Å"For know I am bent to know the worst means the worst.† The audience will now wonder whether this is ‘Macbeth’ being brave or just purely evil. In scene five the queen witch says that ‘Macbeth’ isn’t linked with the witches. The audience will wonder is the witch lying? And also is this good or bad? If ‘Macbeth’ is linked with the witches then they can be blamed for his actions but, if what the witches are saying is true then ‘Macbeth’ is responsible for his own actions. Act four scene one. The witches produce apparitions as they talk to ‘Macbeth’. The audience will link this with the dagger and Banquo’s ghost and will now believe that the witches are the cause of these images. The witches’ first warning to ‘Macbeth’ is clear. â€Å"Beware Macduff, beware the Thane of Fife.† The second apparition is a bit more cryptic. â€Å"for none of woman born shall harm ‘Macbeth’.† The witches know that they are tricking ‘Macbeth’. At first ‘Macbeth’ decides not to Macduff as he thinks he can’t be harmed by him but then changes his mind to be on the safe side. This is another example of one of the many times ‘Macbeth’ goes a bit over the top by killing people. The third apparition tells ‘Macbeth’ that he will be safe until the wood marches up to the castle. This makes ‘Macbeth’ feel safe as he thinks, that the wood can’t march and that everyone is woman born. The audience however, will know not to trust what the witches say. In act five scene two we see some peoples’ opinions of ‘Macbeth’. â€Å"Tyrant, mad and valiant fury† are all mentioned. The audience will know that ‘Macbeth’s’ reign is likely to come to an end. In scene three ‘Macbeth’ learns that the English are marching into Scotland. ‘Macbeth’ says, â€Å"I’ll fight till from my bones, my flesh be hack’d!† This is another point in the play where ‘Macbeth’ is very bloodthirsty and over the top. In scene five ‘Macbeth’ hears a scream. Lady Macbeth has died. He says: â€Å"I have almost forgot the taste of fears, the time has been, my senses would have cool’d to hear a night-shriek, and my fell of hair would at dismal treatise rouse and stir as if like were in lit.† This isn’t a good sign as it shows that ‘Macbeth’ has gone too far. He also says: â€Å"She should have died hereafter, there would have been a time for such a word, tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in the pretty face from day to day.† This shows that ‘Macbeth’ is accepting that he will be defeated and wants death now. ‘Macbeth’ also learns that Burnham wood is coming to the castle. He says, â€Å"at least we’ll die with harness on our back.† The audience will wonder of this is noble and heroic or is he really mad? It also shows that ‘Macbeth’ â€Å"disdain fortune† once again. In scene seven ‘Macbeth’ realises that he has been tricked by the witches when he says, â€Å"they have tied me to a stake, I cannot fly, but bear like I must fight the course.† The audience may now feel a little bit sorry for ‘Macbeth’, as all that he can do now is fight. â€Å"Turn hell hound, turn.† Macduff yells to ‘Macbeth’ to which ‘Macbeth’ replies no. He decides that he doesn’t want to kill Macduff as he has already killed all of his family. Is this ‘Macbeth’ showing some compassion to Macduff by not fighting him or is it just arrogance? ‘Macbeth’ realises what the witches were talking about when Macduff says he was born by caesarean section – not born of a woman. Even though he now knows this he still wants to fight. The audience will wonder if this is ‘Macbeth’ trying to â€Å"disdain fortune† once again. Macduff kills ‘Macbeth’ in the fight, as the witches predicted. Malcolm says, â€Å"this dead butcher.† This isn’t really a very good description of ‘Macbeth’ as he perhaps had good reason to kill some of the people that he did and some of his other murders could be seen as ‘Macbeth’ being cautious rather than bloody and over the top. When the king’s named successor returns to the throne, the chain of being is back in order and the play ends. ‘Macbeth’ has been killed and order has been restored.

High school Essay

It was once thought that when a person gets out of high school, he is invisible. He can do whatever he wants, achieve all his dreams and aspirations, and become the person that he always envisioned himself to be. It probably never daunted him that he will become independent and responsible for the consequences of his actions; he would have treated those like simple challenges anyway. Obstacles that he needed to conquer in order to make him a stronger person and to reach his destination. And all this he would achieve, amazingly with the help of the environment. The environment does not literally translate to the trees, the suburbs, or the urban metro that we have come to know as an environment. It essentially means much more than that. It is how a person adapts to where he is. It is how he makes things work to his advantage, and at the same time not harming those around him. It is how he makes his life work, whatever the given circumstance. There are several ways on how to mold the environment and make it a part of the learning experience that will help an individual achieve his goals, find better jobs, and have self-satisfaction. It is important to note that a student has to realize the importance of getting a college degree. He will realize that the environment is competitive enough to require it. It is through what he experiences that he will come to know the importance of getting into college and in learning through the environment, he will realize that he has succeeded Time management is one of those ways on how the environment plays a key role in a person’s learning experience. As much as every person would want to control time, there are instances wherein it will always spin out of control. The heavy traffic, the weather, the floods, the mode of transportation – these are all elements that we cannot predict and therefore we cannot control. Due to the unpredictability of these factors, one must always manage his time wisely, with allotment for situations like this. Being organized, following a routine and a flow of tasks also says that a person is disciplined. He has the strength to say no to distractions because he knows that he has allotted an ample time for everything, even for play. And temptation is one of the numerous obstacles that humans go through in dealing with their daily lives. The environment’s role in being able to overcome obstacles is that when we look hard enough, the answers are just out there, around us. It is magical that we sometimes have the answers right in front of us and yet we fail to recognize them. Everybody knows that we will never be given problems that we cannot solve. In trying to solve our problems, we get to know and discover ourselves more; the things that make us stronger, the emotions that make us weak. In discovering these unknown side of ourselves we create more options, we get to know more. If a person once said to himself that getting a college degree is not worth his time, effort, and money, this may not hold true if he was faced with an employment problem. The environment today is competitive enough to want more from its employees, and these employers do compensate for this. It is during the toughest times that we get to see the real attitudes of the people. Those who strive to outshine the rest will not just settle for a high school diploma, but for a higher one. Everybody’s goal in life is to become successful in whatever his or her endeavors are. It may be as small as finishing a 5-kilometer run or as big as running for the presidential seat, what we all want is success. For the individual whose environment shapes him to become the next big CEO, more qualifications have to be met. A college degree or an MBA will definitely make him go places and put an edge to his resume. It is not only in this career path that a higher education will prove to be useful, in fact, in all career paths, a higher education is always a better credential. Becoming a lawyer, a physician, an engineer, or a nurse may put you through the worst, sleepless nights you have ever had, but the end game is always a win. While one may not always understand why people want to have success and always feel like achieving a desire or attaining a goal, it is important that they know that they are working hard for themselves. There is nothing better than knowing that you have worked hard for something and you got what you wanted in the end. Reaping the fruits of your labor brings a sense of pride and self-satisfaction to one’s self. Everything that one has to work hard for, the stress of the environment, the pressure of achievement, overcoming these is necessary in order to achieve lifetime goals. In conclusion, working on lifetime goals allow people to see how hard work and studying can pay off for the future. The changing environment affects everyone differently. Employer’s at times allow employees to work on their studies while they are at work and offer the students reimbursements for their college work. For students who finish their degree, it will open many doors for them in advancing at their current professions. Students that complete their degree will have a sense of pride and accomplishment that was taken by them for all of their hard work and effort. The environment of each student is different. The variation of the stressful environments is different for each student. Some have family stress and some have work stress. Time management is a determining factor in each of these areas. It is crucial that the student completes all required materials when the assignments are due. When students look back and realize what they have accomplished they will know that they bettered themselves by working in this new environment. References: Jewell, D, (2008). One vision many paths. ProQuest Database, 16(9), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://proquest. umi. comezproxy. apus. edu Khalifa, M. & Lam, R. (2002). Web based learning: Effects on Learning Process and Outcome. Academic Search Premier Database, 45(4), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from, http://apus. agent-graphics. com. ezproxy. apus. edu Littky, D (2004). The big picture: Education is everyone’s business. APUS online library, Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apus. edu/ehost/detail .Ramey, S. & Ramey, C. (2008). The Learning environment, learning process, academic outcomes and career success of university graduates: The transition to school. Academic Search Premier Database, 33(4), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://web. ebscohost. com. ezproxy. apus. edu/ehost/detail Williams, K. (2006) Introducing Management: A Development Guide. APUS online library, Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://apus. agent-graphics. com. ezproxy. apus. edu Zygmunt-Fillwalk, E. (2006). Encouraging School Success through family Involvement. Proquest Database, 82 (4), Retrieved December 28, 2008, from http://proquest. umi. comezproxy. apus. edu.

Admission to Physical Therapy Graduate Program

In all aspects of my life, perhaps the most significant inspiration that has shaped my life becoming the person I am today and gave me direction is experience itself who has taught me well. I had a tough childhood with my parents and my first marriage was unsuccessful.However, the outcome made me a stronger, more responsible and compassionate individual developing a heart for others in need. My loving and forgiving grandmother imparted to me values that have served as my guiding principles through the years. I always give my best in everything I do no matter how insignificant that may be.I believe in the saying do unto others as you would have them do unto you because true happiness to me is caring for others. This is the very reason why I worked so hard to complete my education by all means despite many obstacles so that I could be of great service to many when I finished my graduate program.Pursuing my college education was quite a struggle. I have to joggle raising two boys and st udies as well as financial resources. As a stay-home mother, I took initiatives to continue schooling whether on-line or on-site at Mountain State University and Chattahoochee Technical College maintaining very high marks. Due to lack of funds, I stopped during the fall of 2005 until April 2006.With much dedication, I moved on with my studies in May 2006. I thought then that it was impossible but I did it because I was determined, committed and focused. Currently, I am senior at Charter Oak State College finishing my undergraduate studies with a 3.90 GPA at the same time doing my required 80-hour observation.Besides my family, realizing my education would be my other great accomplishment more so when I graduate from this program. I am motivated to undertake this study because I believe that this is a good foundation to sharpen not only my intellectual purpose but my capabilities that will propel me to more achievements in life and a career in physical therapy.Ever since growing up I have uncovered my desire to help others probably because I have an outgoing personality. When I started college, I wanted to be psychologist. However, I have a neck problem that needed to be addressed through physical therapy. During my treatment, I just fell in love with whole process and like what I saw. The therapist was truly concerned about my pain and tried to make me strong and healthy again. There were these exercise equipment that help the patients strengthen their weak areas.Fitness and health are part of me. I play golf once a week at the same time goes fishing, horseback riding and hiking. I joined the Country Music Marathon last April with a time of four hours and three minutes, which landed me at the top 7% overall and top 3% in the women’s. I feel that I am a healthy person and could promote the benefits of nutrition and exercise to a lot of people. There is a shortage of physical therapist. I believe I would make a great therapist.While searching for a gradua te school that would meet my goals, I was excited to find the holistic approach of Alabama State University in Montgomery to physical therapy. I have devoted my undergraduate studies to prepare for this so that I can finally practice what I have learned. By adopting the tools and methods the university will provide, I can correctly interpret the theories and practices of physical therapy that are both insightful and sound.After graduation, I intend to pursue this career either in government or private to support my family and help those in need of physical rehabilitation making sure they get the necessary care and attention. When I gained enough knowledge and experience, I plan to set up my own therapy sessions at home during my free time to serve nearby patients.Though school may be over, I will still continue educating myself through research on-line to further expand my knowledge. I really enjoy what I do because I want to be a good example to my children and hopefully give them better education. All the hardships are nothing if you love your family.ReferenceAlabama State University, Montgomery. (2006). Physical Therapy. Heath Sciences. Retrieve August 15, 2006, from http://www.alasu.edu/Health_Sciences/default.aspx?id=16