History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 3

History - Essay Example Even though well documented sources for this time period are lacking and a lot of the available information is believed to have a mythical and folktale nature, nevertheless, the Vikings were present and have managed to leave their mark on Scotland during this historical period. Also- called the era of the Dark Ages in Europe Vikings were often called Scandinavian warriors or Norse, due to their primary origins. The Vikings nation was known with its polygamy meaning that men had more than one wife (Flow of History, 2007). Thus plenty of children were born and soon enough the nation had to expand. The younger ones were determined to find new lands, in far better and warmer places. Adventure was in their blood. Soon Northern Europe had plenty of Vikings in their lands (Flow of History, 2007). In the early ninth century Vikings occupied, Italy, France and England, later on even Byzantium, they were so brave to travel that even reached North America. Having the best sailing ships, fearless Vikings soon invaded many lands. A remarkable body of Scottish Gaelic oral tradition has survived into the twentieth century, some part of which relates to the Vikings and other Norse themes. Its content cannot, however, be taken at face value as a straightforward form of historical sources material. For instances, the heroic ballads and legends containing a ‘Viking’ element are set within a marvelous and magical world. (Graham-Campbell & Batey 2005, p. 46) In the late 8th century huge ships arrived at the coast of North Britain and Scotland. Viking warriors were said to raid and plunder what is now Edinburgh in the 793 AD (Barett, 2003). Many of the associations with the Vikings include terror and savage. Many preserved paintings from this period depict Vikings and their horrible invasions and attacks which still carry a significant

Shakespeares Macbeth Essay Example for Free

Shakespeares Macbeth Essay In Shakespeares Macbeth, which character or characters bear most responsibility for the death of Duncan? Discuss. Shakespeares drama Macbeth was first performed in 1603 and appears to celebrate the accession to the English throne of King James I, who was believed to be the descendant of one of the plays characters, Banquo. The plot originates from the ancient Scottish story of King Macbeth of Scotland. Macbeth is the Thane of Glamis, and holds the position of general in the kings army. He is tempted with the prospect of becoming king himself by three witches he meets on a heath. This creates an internal moral dilemma which is exacerbated after he writes to his wife, informing her of his experiences. This compels her to exert pressure upon him, and give orders and ultimatums; and so on the surface Macbeth appears to be a victim of external forces. With this in mind I intend to examine these characters in turn to see who bears the greatest blame for the death of King Duncan. This play was intended for King James Is attention. We know this through the use of Scotland, James homeland, as a backdrop to the story and the characterisation of his ancestor, Banquo. The characters of the three weird sisters are intended as a reference to King James obsession with witches and witchcraft. In his treatise Daemonologie (1597) he wrote of them as demonic supernatural beings who served a purpose as tempters. According to him, their purpose was the damnation of their victims soul. Their role as tempters in the play relates to James belief that God may test people, even the best (God will permit so to be tempted or troubled), and this demonstrates that the witches motives for targeting Macbeth was not merely a cruel trick but may be seen as part of a greater design in which he is to be tested by God. This demonstrates that even a hero must be subjected to temptation (and euen some of the best, that their patience may bee tryed before the world). Though the witches are malevolent, they could possibly be instruments of God (rather than the Devil as suggested in Act 3 Scene 5, where the character of Hecate comes to direct the witches; however, this character is probably a later interpolation by another writer, as the Folio was printed seven years after Shakespeares death). Macbeths subsequent failing through succumbing to temptation and killing Duncan is not the fault of God nor the witches, but himself. This illustrates the ubiquitous nature of temptation, and shows that all people are plagued with their own demons of desire; however these demons cannot be blamed for leading their victims astray because the responsibility lies with the person who chooses not to resist temptation. We must deal with the possibility that the witches possessed Macbeth, and that he may not be responsible for his actions. The frequent use of the word rapt, which comes from rapture, suggests the transportation of the soul. This is seen in the play when Banquo comments on Macbeths appearance upon being told he is to be the new thane of Cawdor; (Look, how our partners rapt). However his subsequent actions prove he is capable of free will (We will proceed no further in this business) and that he is therefore responsible for his actions. In conclusion, Macbeth is capable of making choices, and he chooses to commit regicide for personal gain. This was not forced upon him by the satanic tempters, they are not controlling him. One character who does attempt to exert control over Macbeth however is his wife, Lady Macbeth. In the next paragraph we will examine the way in which she attempts to do this and to what extent she is responsible for the tragedy. Lady Macbeth was first told of the witches prophecy in a letter from her husband. Her first reaction is to doubt her husbands ability to achieve it, (Thou wouldst be great, Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it). Her use of the word illness refers to her suspicion that Macbeth does not possess the necessary ruthlessness to enable him to become king. This establishes her as the dominant partner in their marriage, which extends to her taking the lead in the plot to supplant Duncan with Macbeth. Her invocation of evil spirits is an invitation to Satan to purge her of her humanity (And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty) so to as better enable herself to conspire to murder. Lady Macbeth is aware that her husband has great affection for her (he calls her My dearest partner of greatness and my dearest love), and uses this to her own advantage when she persuades Macbeth to follow through with her plan when he has doubts (We will proceed no further in this business). She achieves this by calling into question his love for her (Such I account thy love) and uses this supposed implantation of doubt in his character as a tool by which she can control him. When she uses the word desire for his ambition (As thou art in desire), she is attacking his masculinity and insinuating that if he does not do this he is not really a man. There are two elements of desire she refers to, the ambition to become king, and also implying sexual desire by which she is challenging his masculinity and provoking a reaction. Macbeth takes the bait (I dare do all that may become a man), meaning he is now resolved to proving to her that he is a man. She says she will not consider him a man until he fulfils his promise (And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man). This also demonstrates her use of flattery to coerce him to her will. Another emotional tool Lady Macbeth wields to her advantage is the memory of hers and Macbeths deceased child. (How tender tis to love the babe that milks me, / I would dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you / Have done to this.) She uses this memory as a shock tactic, evoking the raw anger and passions that stem from losing a child, to show Macbeth that had she promised to do something she would honour that promise, and so must he. We know that Macbeth has no children from a conversation Macduff has with Malcolm, telling him that Macbeth has no children. Therefore we must deduce the Macbeths have suffered a bereavement, for Lady Macbeth previously mentions the feelings of motherhood. From this we see Lady Macbeth does play a substantial role in the killing of Duncan, however she argues she was justified to take this course of action because her husband Macbeth wants her to, or else he wouldnt have sent the letter. What beast wast, then, / That made you break this enterprise to me?). His letter to Lady Macbeth could possibly be his subconscious mind, anticipating his inhibitions, and so constructing an external force, in the form of Lady Macbeth, to impede any change of mind or unwillingness to kill Duncan. Earlier pre-Freudian commentators thought that Lady Macbeth was over-reacting to Macbeths remarks on the witches. However in the light of Freuds theories on the unconscious mind (that your statements reflect your deepest preoccupations), Macbeths mentioning of the witches prophecy in his letter to his wife could be interpreted as an invitation to her to help him realise it. It seems that Macbeth would not have killed Duncan without the pressure from his wife. However his initial openness to believe that the witches prophecies are true (Tell me more), are indicative of his underlying aspirations to be king. Banquo, who was himself prepared to indulge in their stories, and even invited them (Speak then to me) harboured no such allusions of entitled greatness. He quickly tries to relinquish the witches promises, dismissing them as tricks (The instruments of darkness tell us truthsto betrays in deepest consequence). Shakespeare was constrained in his ability to portray Banquo as anything less than chivalrous because of his historical relation to James I, who believed him to be a distant ancestor. However, Shakespeare was able to use Banquo as a dramatic contrast to Macbeth. In Act 2 Scene 1 Banquo was able to resist his temptations by the calling of heavenly powers to help banish the traitorous thoughts from his mind. In contrast Macbeths own willingness to believe in the witches so fervently is an indicator of an already formulated plan to deprive Duncan of his throne. Throughout the play Macbeth continuously abdicates responsibility for his actions (I go, and it is done; the bell invites me), preferring to concentrate on his end goal rather than the suffering he is causing in the present. Macbeth says of the hallucinated dagger Thou marshallst me the way that I was going, which demonstrates his belief that fate (represented through the instrument of murder, the dagger) is compelling him to commit these acts of evil by leading his hand for him. (If it were done when tis done, then twere well / It were done quickly). Here he shows he takes no pleasure in his actions and wants them over as soon as possible. The audience understands that this is just a coping mechanism that allows him to carry out these evil deeds; however his ability to remain apathetic and dissociated with his actions does not allow him to escape ultimate responsibility. Shakespeares attempts at dealing with issues of responsibility and motivation in his characters bring up some initially unexpected conclusions upon penetrating the surface. The most telling of these is perhaps Macbeth himself, whose conflicted aspirations of greatness, greed and apathy in the face of suffering are indicative of the worst of human nature. Another character who demonstrates a number of human qualities is Lady Macbeth, who has often been misrepresented as the figurehead of greed and self-interest in the past. In fact she could possibly be seen as the victim of an indecisive husband who uses her to carry his burdens of self doubt and insecurity. The witches initial roles as catalysts of events through their indiscriminate torture of Macbeth are in fact, when considered within the context of James Is book Daemonologie, sent by God as judges to test Macbeth. The underlying message of the play is the uncomfortable responsibility that we must all take responsibility for our own actions, and that however much wed like to be able to pass blame, we cant.

The Perseverance of Odysseus Essay -- The Odyssey, by Homer

In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus goes through many trials while trying to return home from the Trojan War. On his voyage home, he must visit the Land of the Dead, evade the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis and when he does arrive home, participate in a tricky reunion with his wife, Penelope. All of these examples show that Odysseus has extreme determination and perseverance. Perseverance is an excellent quality that few possess which can spark achievement. In the â€Å"Land of the Dead†, Odysseus has to make a complicated potion to bring out the profit Teiresias. While waiting for Teiresias to come, he has to hold back the ghosts of the dead. While holding them back, he sees his dead mother. Odysseus did not know she was dead, and grieved, but still held her off to accomplish his obligations. While in the land of the dead, he sees his fallen shipmate, Elpenor. Elpenor tells him that he must backtrack back to Aeaea Island to bury his body and give him an honorable funeral. Odysseus promises to do this and he later does. The strength that he has to hold back ... The Perseverance of Odysseus Essay -- The Odyssey, by Homer In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus goes through many trials while trying to return home from the Trojan War. On his voyage home, he must visit the Land of the Dead, evade the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis and when he does arrive home, participate in a tricky reunion with his wife, Penelope. All of these examples show that Odysseus has extreme determination and perseverance. Perseverance is an excellent quality that few possess which can spark achievement. In the â€Å"Land of the Dead†, Odysseus has to make a complicated potion to bring out the profit Teiresias. While waiting for Teiresias to come, he has to hold back the ghosts of the dead. While holding them back, he sees his dead mother. Odysseus did not know she was dead, and grieved, but still held her off to accomplish his obligations. While in the land of the dead, he sees his fallen shipmate, Elpenor. Elpenor tells him that he must backtrack back to Aeaea Island to bury his body and give him an honorable funeral. Odysseus promises to do this and he later does. The strength that he has to hold back ...

Moore Medical Corporation – Analysis to It Investments

CASE ANALYSIS Document Version: 1. 0 Moore Medical Corporation Analysis to IT investments Dilip IT for Business Managers Business Background †¢ Moore Medical Corporation founded in 1947 is a distributor of medical supplies. The company had built its business model taking care of specific groups of practitioners such as podiatrists and emergency medical service personnel. †¢ Moore provides more than 8500 products and the company had divided its customers into six groups. Moore has a strong tradition of accurately maintaining customer orders. †¢ Moore’s current IT infrastructure and spending was above the industry average implementing most of the latest technologies like ERP, telemarketing and e-commerce. Case Issues and Results Issue – 1: Linda Autore, the CEO of Moore Medical, Inc was unsure if she needed to spend any of the company’s funds on CRM software. Solution and Analysis: It is definitely true that CRM provides an integrated record of all customer contacts through all channels, assembling an optimal schedule of appointments for sales people which would lead to a better consistency of Moore’s interaction with its customers; however from the analysis of the case I see that Moore has currently a tradition of accurately and quickly filling customer orders which had no problems. From the technology perspective it is definitely great to get a company like Moore to be updated with CRM but however looking at the current problem that Moore faces I believe it’s not worth wasting an investment in CRM. Issue – 2: Moore has spent $7 million in implementing the ERP; however Moore’s ERP implementation was not very satisfying since it was not fully utilizing the information retained in the system and was also inferior to what had been in place previously. Solution and Analysis: ERP is an excellent database system provided it has been implemented with respect to the company’s requirements. From the case I see that Moore’s ERP was unsuccessful and had shortcomings that were required to be fixed immediately. ERP covers all areas from finance, logistics to marketing and also Moore’s latest e-commerce website. I believe an additional investment of $600,000 to purchase the ‘Bolt on’ software is necessary to realize the $7 million investment made in the ERP. Issue – 3: One of the major problems faced with Moore in their ERP systems was their poor implementation of demand planning. Moore’s performance on the â€Å"Perfect Order† was way below their expected goal of 90% as shown in Exhibit 5. Solution and Analysis: It is mentioned in the case that 84% of the non-perfect orders are due to demand planning issues. Even if the company spends $300,000 on each of the four models which are in consideration to solve the forecasting issue the company would spend only $1. million. It must be noted that this additional cost will help the company in increased revenues, reduced costs and better customer satisfaction. Issue – 4: Is Company’s decision to move to personal e-commerce a right choice? Solution: From the available information and looking at exhibit 7 I believe the traffic and income generated towards personal e-commerce has been increased substantially in six months since the start of the new website. However my suggestion to Moore is that it withdraws from yahoo is a phased manner. Relevance and analysis From the analysis of Moore Corporation I believe they have made relevant investments in IT infrastructure; however the company lacks a strategy to implement them. I believe the company needs to prioritize their requirements from their business point of view. Here I believe CRM is an important tool to improve customer relationships but however they need to set their prior projects right before setting their eye on CRM. Their initial priority is to set right the ERP which would set right the demand planning issue also. Setting the ERP right would help also help in achieving good revenue from e-commerce applications. IT is definitely a solution to a particular problem, such as customer acquisition and retention, increased revenues and provides employees an efficient tool; however the goals of IT should be linked to the corporate strategy. Investing blindly in IT without a strategy will not derive the desired result.

A Doll’s House

A Doll's House, by Henrik Ibsen, portrays the lives of people who are dreadfully bound in their social settings. Nora is considered the typical example of feminine standards during this period. In the play, she is considered powerless and bounds herself to patriarchal expectations, which signifies women's social role as wife and mother. The plot format, characters, and theme play a vital role in contributing to the social hierarchy of this play. A Doll's House is written in three acts; instead, of the traditional five-act plays. The plot construction of this play is characterized by exposition, complication, and resolution. For example, in act one exposition takes place when Nora's character is exposed. She is determined to take care of her family; however, is also extremely conceded and completely dependent upon her husband, Torvald despite the way he treats her. The main events take place one after another with complication along with rising action occur in act two; the last act involves the steps to resolution as soon as the catastrophe takes place. â€Å"Listen, Torvald. I have heard that when a wife deserts her husband's house, as I am doing now, he is legally freed from all obligations towards her. In any case, I set you free from all your obligations.†(act III, 79) In Act III, Nora, finally, has the courage to leave her husband which leads to the resolution taking place.During this play, the audience is exposed to a variety of characters which result in the story being told from different perspectives. Nora is the protagonist of the play, and as the play goes on the audience views a mature in her. Torvald sees Nora as easily controlled like a pet or child. However, as the play goes on Nora emerges as a fully independent woman who abandoned her marriage and the burden of motherhood. Torvald is seen as unsympathetic and stiff throughout the play; as well as avoiding interaction with his children. Dr. Rank is introduced to the audience and is seen as corrupt when he expresses his desire for Nora. At the beginning of the play, Nora borrowed money from Krogstad without her husband's knowledge. Krogstad is the ultimate description of corrupt, he saw a chance to save his job at the bank when it becomes jeopardized by blackmailing Nora. All the characters described play a role in contributing to the social hierarchy of the play. A Doll’s House INST 2608-02 A Doll’s House response paper The two main characters in A Doll’s House that I am going to focus on are Torvald and Nora. They are a married couple living in a middle class home with three children and maids. Torvald has secured a position with a bank, after the New Year he will â€Å"get a big salary and earn pots and pots of money. † (Page 8) Nora has kept a large secret from Torvald regarding money borrowed to take a trip to Italy so Torvald could recuperate in a warm climate from an illness. The story centers on Nora trying to keep the secret from Torvald.Krogstad loaned the money to Nora and she forged the signature of her father as the co-signer on the contract. The plot thickens when Krogstad shows up at Nora’s house to blackmail her. Torvald refers to Nora as a little bird and talks to her like she is a lovely little doll. â€Å"What do we call little birds that like to fritter money? † (Page 9) Nora plays right along with all t he references to a lovely bird that needs her husband to approve everything she does. I was annoyed with their relationship because of the way he treated her and because she allowed it to happen.Nora is a strong, smart and independent woman, who allows her husband to dominate. She acted this was because society expected this of woman. She did not think for herself in fear of the men becoming angry. When Torvald discovers Nora’s secret and realizes he may be ruined by the blackmail of Krogstad, he turns on her. â€Å"I’ve really had my eyes opened, in all these years. You who were my pride and joy, a hypocrite! A liar! Worse! A criminal! † (Page 58) Nora realizes Torvald would not sacrifice his integrity for her. She proclaims that thousands of women sacrifice their integrity for men and she could not live with a stranger any longer.I was elated she made the decision to leave and stand up for what she believes. Nothing Torvald said would change her mind. She real ized her father had treated her like a doll and now her husband was doing the same thing. Nora walked away from everything in order to gain her independence and find out what she believed to be the truth. This took a very strong woman, because women were to be at home and raise the children. They were to look pretty and do as they were told. They were not to think or give opinions. Nora sacrificed everything to be free.

Summary of Stoicism

Summary of Stoicism Free Online Research Papers Stoicism is one of the most influential and important traditions of the Hellenistic world. The Stoic doctrine was taught by the first recognized Stoic, Zeno of Citium. He founded the school of Stoicism around c. 300 BC. at Athens and was significant throughout the Greco-Roman world until at least AD 200. This school produced a number of remarkable writers and personalities. Stoicism focused on freeing oneself of suffering through developing an understanding of natural law and involves improving the individuals’ spiritual well-being, along with overcoming destructive emotions. Stoicism’s prime directives are virtue, reason, and natural law. Stoics believe by mastering passions and emotions, it is possible to conquer the disagreement of the outside world and find peace within oneself. The Stoics define philosophy as a practice or exercise in concerning only what is beneficial to their way of life. For the Stoics, nothing passes unexplained. There is a reason for everything in nature and they live constantly with nature. Stoics considered that through any stage of development it was God who molded and dominated passive matter in term of â€Å"progress†. They believed that the Law of Nature was God’s material presence in the Universe and he is also the reason and soul behind animate creation. The Stoics concluded, only by putting aside passion, unjust thoughts, and indulgence and by performing what you have to do with the right nature; people can achieve true freedom and rule as lords over their own lives. Cites ? The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright  © 2001-05 Columbia University Press. www.bartleby.com/Stoicism. ? Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. Copyright  © 2004 by The Gale Group, Inc. www.answers.com/Stoicism ? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism ? plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism ? www.utm.edu/research/iep/s/stoicism.htm Research Papers on Summary of StoicismComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoThree Concepts of PsychodynamicResearch Process Part OneCapital PunishmentUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresGenetic EngineeringThe Spring and AutumnEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenAnalysis Of A Cosmetics AdvertisementInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Learn About the History of Life Savers Candy

Learn About the History of Life Savers Candy In 1912, chocolate manufacturer Clarence Crane (Cleveland,  Ohio) invented Life Savers as a â€Å"summer candy† that could withstand heat better than chocolate. Since the mints looked like miniature life preservers, he called them Life Savers.  Crane did not have space  or machinery to make them so he contracted with a pill manufacturer to press the mints into shape. Edward Noble After registering the trademark, in 1913, Crane sold the rights to the peppermint candy to Edward Noble of New York for $2,900. Noble started his own candy company, creating tin-foil wrappers to keep the mints fresh, instead of cardboard rolls. Pep-O-Mint was the first Life Saver flavor. Since then, many different flavors of Life Savers have been produced. The five-flavor roll first appeared in 1935. The ton-foil-wrapping process was completed by hand until 1919 when machinery was developed by Edward Nobles brother, Robert Peckham Noble, to streamline the process.  Robert was a Purdue-educated  engineer. He took his younger brothers entrepreneurial vision and designed and built the manufacturing facilities needed to expand the company. The primary manufacturing plant for Life Savers was located in  Port Chester, New York. Robert led the company as its chief executive officer  and primary shareholder for more than 40 years, until selling the company in the late 1950s. By 1919, six other flavors (Wint-O-Green, Cl-O-ve, Lic-O-Rice, Cinn-O-Mon, Vi-O-Let, and Choc-O-Late) had been created, and these remained the standard flavors until the late 1920s. In 1920, a new flavor called Malt-O-Milk was introduced. This flavor was not received well by the public and was discontinued after only a few years.  In 1925, the tinfoil was replaced with  aluminum foil. Fruit Drops In 1921, the company began to produce solid fruit drops. In 1925, technology improved to allow a hole in the center of the fruity Life Saver. These were introduced as the fruit drop with the hole and came in three fruit flavors,  each packaged in their own separate rolls. These new flavors quickly became popular with the public. More flavors were quickly introduced. In 1935, the classic Five-Flavor rolls were introduced, offering a selection of five different flavors (pineapple, lime, orange, cherry, and lemon) in each roll.  This flavor lineup was unchanged for nearly 70 years, until 2003, when three of the flavors were replaced in the United States, making the rolls pineapple, cherry, raspberry, watermelon, and blackberry.  However, orange was subsequently reintroduced and blackberry was dropped. The original five-flavor lineup is still sold in Canada.   Nabisco In 1981,  Nabisco  Brands Inc. acquired Life Savers. Nabisco introduced a new cinnamon flavor (Hot Cin-O-Mon) as a clear fruit drop type candy. In 2004, the US Life Savers business was acquired by  Wrigleys. Wrigleys introduced two new mint flavors (for the first time in more than 60 years) in 2006: Orange Mint and Sweet Mint. They also revived some of the early mint flavors (such as Wint-O-Green). Life Savers production was based in  Holland, Michigan, until 2002 when it was moved to  Montreal,  Quà ©bec,  Canada.