Manipulation in Macbeth

Mac-nipulation In William Shakespeare's play â€Å"Macbeth†, manipulation is a very effective device. The main character Macbeth is a puppet controlled by the words coming from the three witches and Lady Macbeth. The four troublemakers provide Macbeth with the motivation and confidence he needs to kill Duncan and perform other dark actions. Macbeth is very ambitious; there’s no doubt about this. However, there is no sign of him changing from a loyal man to a power hungry man. That is until outside influences begin to interfere with his life.The people with the greatest impact on Macbeth are his wife, Lady Macbeth and the witches. However, he then learns to manipulate others himself. In the end, all the treachery is revealed and he realizes that he has been a pawn in this whole scheme of achieving absolute power. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband on two occasions. â€Å"Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be, what thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness, to catch the nearest way: thou woulds’t be great:† (I, v). First she flatters Macbeth and soothes his early fears of committing these dreadful acts.During the party she uses her most powerful persuasion, as she begins to question Macbeth’s honor and manhood by saying that he is less of a man if he fails in killing Duncan. Macbeth feels so much shame that he’s convinced that it is right for him to take action. If it weren’t for Lady Macbeth’s harassment, Macbeth would have never gone down this awful road that has an inevitable dead-end. However, the witches are at the roots of all this manipulation. The witches are the first to raise the possibility of Kingship and persuade Macbeth to act on it. â€Å"All hail Macbeth; hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!All hail Macbeth; hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail Macbeth; thou shat be King hereafter. †(I, iii) The witches are polite towards Macbet h. They all hail to him, showing respect and flattery. They then offer him a truth, that he is the Thane of Cawdor. When the witches tell Macbeth of the two other prophecies he begins to think to himself of the possibilities of actually becoming King of Scotland. He wonders why the witches said that the prophecies were bad when they are such good news. Once again the witches offer half-truths to Macbeth and he is easily persuaded that he’s invincible and almighty. Be Bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn/ the power of man, for none of woman born/ shall harm Macbeth. † (IV, i). Macbeth believes that he is unconquerable because of the visions from the witches. The manipulation of the bloody Child gave Macbeth a false sense of security. Macbeth thinks that there is no person that has not been born of a woman, which is what makes him think he is even more unbeatable. This is the second and last time that Macbeth hears from the witches. Just like the first time, he reac ts on impulse to them and winds up being murdered by Macduff, who was born from a cesarean section.Macbeth’s first attempt at manipulation was unsuccessful. â€Å"If you shall cleave to my consent, when ‘tis/ it shall make honor for you. † (II, i). Macbeth is trying to get Banquo to join him because he suspects Banquo may know about the murder of Duncan. Banquo is decent and doesn’t trust the witches’ prophecies so he chooses not to join Macbeth. Banquo shows his courage by standing up to Macbeth and doing what is right, not what is easy. Because Macbeth has failed to manipulate Banquo he decides to have him killed by two henchmen.In addition, he tells them to kill Banquo’s son, Fleance because the witches manipulated Macbeth into believing that Banquo’s sons were the next in line to be king. Therefore, he also becomes just as much as a threat to Macbeth as Banquo is to him. Secondly, Macbeth attempts to appeal to the murderer’s sense of honor in the hopes of trying to get them to side with him. â€Å"Do you find your patience so predominant in your nature, that you can let this go? Are you so gospell’d, to pray for this good man and his issue, whose heavy hand hath bow’d you to the grave and beggar’d yours forever? † (III, i).Macbeth explains to the murderers that it has been Banquo that has betrayed them all along and he convinces them that Banquo is the true enemy. Here Macbeth uses the same tactics his wife used on him and he is successful in manipulating the murderer’s to go out and commit this murder for him. Macbeth is offering truth and lies to the murderers, as the witches did to manipulate him into killing Duncan. Although Macbeth does succumb to his wife and the witches’ persuasive methods, he becomes as good at manipulation as they do, maybe even better. However, in the end, manipulation is shown to be, no more than falseness and deception. Jakob Jubert Manipulation in Macbeth Mac-nipulation In William Shakespeare's play â€Å"Macbeth†, manipulation is a very effective device. The main character Macbeth is a puppet controlled by the words coming from the three witches and Lady Macbeth. The four troublemakers provide Macbeth with the motivation and confidence he needs to kill Duncan and perform other dark actions. Macbeth is very ambitious; there’s no doubt about this. However, there is no sign of him changing from a loyal man to a power hungry man. That is until outside influences begin to interfere with his life.The people with the greatest impact on Macbeth are his wife, Lady Macbeth and the witches. However, he then learns to manipulate others himself. In the end, all the treachery is revealed and he realizes that he has been a pawn in this whole scheme of achieving absolute power. Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband on two occasions. â€Å"Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be, what thou art promised: yet do I fear thy nature; it is too full o’ the milk of human kindness, to catch the nearest way: thou woulds’t be great:† (I, v). First she flatters Macbeth and soothes his early fears of committing these dreadful acts.During the party she uses her most powerful persuasion, as she begins to question Macbeth’s honor and manhood by saying that he is less of a man if he fails in killing Duncan. Macbeth feels so much shame that he’s convinced that it is right for him to take action. If it weren’t for Lady Macbeth’s harassment, Macbeth would have never gone down this awful road that has an inevitable dead-end. However, the witches are at the roots of all this manipulation. The witches are the first to raise the possibility of Kingship and persuade Macbeth to act on it. â€Å"All hail Macbeth; hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!All hail Macbeth; hail to thee, Thane of Glamis! All hail Macbeth; thou shat be King hereafter. †(I, iii) The witches are polite towards Macbet h. They all hail to him, showing respect and flattery. They then offer him a truth, that he is the Thane of Cawdor. When the witches tell Macbeth of the two other prophecies he begins to think to himself of the possibilities of actually becoming King of Scotland. He wonders why the witches said that the prophecies were bad when they are such good news. Once again the witches offer half-truths to Macbeth and he is easily persuaded that he’s invincible and almighty. Be Bloody, bold, and resolute; laugh to scorn/ the power of man, for none of woman born/ shall harm Macbeth. † (IV, i). Macbeth believes that he is unconquerable because of the visions from the witches. The manipulation of the bloody Child gave Macbeth a false sense of security. Macbeth thinks that there is no person that has not been born of a woman, which is what makes him think he is even more unbeatable. This is the second and last time that Macbeth hears from the witches. Just like the first time, he reac ts on impulse to them and winds up being murdered by Macduff, who was born from a cesarean section.Macbeth’s first attempt at manipulation was unsuccessful. â€Å"If you shall cleave to my consent, when ‘tis/ it shall make honor for you. † (II, i). Macbeth is trying to get Banquo to join him because he suspects Banquo may know about the murder of Duncan. Banquo is decent and doesn’t trust the witches’ prophecies so he chooses not to join Macbeth. Banquo shows his courage by standing up to Macbeth and doing what is right, not what is easy. Because Macbeth has failed to manipulate Banquo he decides to have him killed by two henchmen.In addition, he tells them to kill Banquo’s son, Fleance because the witches manipulated Macbeth into believing that Banquo’s sons were the next in line to be king. Therefore, he also becomes just as much as a threat to Macbeth as Banquo is to him. Secondly, Macbeth attempts to appeal to the murderer’s sense of honor in the hopes of trying to get them to side with him. â€Å"Do you find your patience so predominant in your nature, that you can let this go? Are you so gospell’d, to pray for this good man and his issue, whose heavy hand hath bow’d you to the grave and beggar’d yours forever? † (III, i).Macbeth explains to the murderers that it has been Banquo that has betrayed them all along and he convinces them that Banquo is the true enemy. Here Macbeth uses the same tactics his wife used on him and he is successful in manipulating the murderer’s to go out and commit this murder for him. Macbeth is offering truth and lies to the murderers, as the witches did to manipulate him into killing Duncan. Although Macbeth does succumb to his wife and the witches’ persuasive methods, he becomes as good at manipulation as they do, maybe even better. However, in the end, manipulation is shown to be, no more than falseness and deception. Jakob Jubert

African Americans from 1865 Essay

African Americans have fought a great battle to become a part of society in America. Since being taken from African as slaves in the 1600’s there has been a continuous battle for equality since. Since the end of slavery Black Americans have had many accomplishments along with hardships. In this paper I will discuss some of the Major events in African American history beginning with the end of slavery which has lead to the America we know today. In 1865 Congress passed the thirteenth Amendment stating† Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction† this was the outlawing of slavery and resulted in the established the Freedmen’s Bureau to assist former slaves. President Lincoln and other Republicans were concerned that the Emancipation Proclamation, which in 1863 declared the freedom of slaves in ten Confederate states then in rebellion, would be seen as a temporary war measure, since it was based solely on Lincoln’s war powers. The Proclamation did not free any slaves in the border states nor did it abolish slavery.[1] Because of this, Lincoln and other supporters believed that an amendment to the Constitution was needed. In many parts of the South, the newly freed slaves labored under conditions similar to those existing before the war. The Union army could offer only limited protection to the ex-slaves, and Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson of Tennessee, clearly had no interest in ensuring the freedom of southern blacks. The new president’s appointments as governors of southern states formed conservative, proslavery governments. The new state legislatures passed laws designed to keep blacks in poverty and in posit ions of servitude. Under these so-called black codes, ex-slaves who had no steady employment could be arrested and ordered to pay stiff fines. Prisoners who could not pay the sum were hired out as virtual slaves. In some areas, black children could be forced to serve as apprentices in local industries. Blacks were also prevented from buying land and were denied fair wages for their work. This became the beginning of the Reconstruction. The Freedmen’s Bureau was designed to help former slaves make the transition from slavery to freedom after the civil war. It was a federal agency mostly involving blacks of the old confederacy ( Lowe, 1993). The Freedmen’s Bureau Bill, which created the Freedmen’s Bureau in March 1865, was initiated by President Abraham Lincoln and was intended to last for one year after the end of the Civil War.[2] The Freedmen’s Bureau was an important agency of the early Reconstruction, assisting freedmen (freed ex-slaves) in the South. The Bureau was part of the United States Department of War. Headed by Union Army General Oliver O. Howard, a Civil War hero sympathetic to black s.the Bureau was operational from 1865 to 1872. It was disbanded under President Ulysses S. Grant. Their responsibilities included introducing a system of free labor, overseeing some 3,000 schools for freedpersons, settling disputes and enforcing contracts between the usually white landowners and their black labor force, and securing justice for blacks in state courts. The Bureau was renewed by a Congressional bill in 1866 but was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, who thought it was unconstitutional. Johnson was opposed to having the federal government secure black rights. Congress passed the bill over his veto. Southern whites were basically opposed to blacks having any rights at all, and the Bureau lacked military force to back up its authority as the army had been quickly disbanded and most of the soldiers assigned to the Western Their responsibilities included introducing a system of free labor, overseeing some 3,000 schools for freedpersons, settling disputes and enforcing contracts between the usually white landowners and their black labor force, and securing justice for b lacks in state courts. The Bureau was renewed by a Congressional bill in 1866 but was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson, who thought it was unconstitutional. Johnson was opposed to having the federal government secure black rights. Congress passed the bill over his veto. Southern whites were basically opposed to blacks having any rights at all, and the Bureau lacked military force to back up its authority as the army had been quickly disbanded and most of the soldiers assigned to the Western frontier. The Bureau was able to accomplish some of its goals, especially in the field of education. frontier. The Bureau was able to accomplish some of its goals, especially in the field of education. There is much more African American has to overcome and many victories and defeat, In the process of fighting for equality in 1909 The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is founded in New York by prominent black and white intellectuals and led by W.E.B. Du Bois. For the next half century, it would serve as the country’s most influential African-American civil rights organization. In 1910, its journal, The Crisis, was launched. Among its well known leaders were James Weldon Johnson, Ella Baker, Moorfield Storey, Walter White, Roy Wilkins, Benjamin Hooks, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Julian Bond, and Kwesi Mfume. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the association led the black civil rights struggle in fighting injustices such as the denial of voting rights, racial violence, discrimination in employment, and segregated public facilities. Dedicated to the goal of an integrated society, the national leadership has always been interracial, although the membership has remained predominantly African American. The Harlem Renaissance flourishes in the 1920s and 1930s. This literary, artistic, and intellectual movement fosters a new black cultural identity. After the American civil war, liberated African-Americans searched for a safe place to explore their new identities as free men and women, they found it in Harlem. Also known as the New Negro Movement was a literary, artistic, cultural, intellectual movement that began in Harlem, New York after World War I and ended around 1935 during the Great Depression. The movement raised significant issues affecting the lives of African Americans through various forms of literature, art, music, drama, painting, sculpture, movies, and protests. In 1939 the NAACP established as an independent legal arm for the civil rights movement the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, which litigated to the Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the case that resulted in the high court’s landmark 1954 school-desegregation decision. The organization had also won a significant victory in 1946, with Morgan v. Virginia, which successfully barred segregation in interstate travel, setting the stage for the Freedom Rides of 1961. 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case: strikes down segregation as unconstitutional. Linda Brown, an eight-year-old African American girl, had been denied permission to attend an elementary school only five blocks from her home in Topeka, Kansas. School officials refused to register her at the nearby school, assigning her instead to a school for nonwhite students some 21 blocks from her home. Separate elementary schools for whites and nonwhites were maintained by the Board of Education in Topeka. Linda Brown’s parents filed a lawsuit to force the schools to admit her to the nearby, but segregated, school for white students. The Board of Education’s defense was that, because segregation in Topeka and elsewhere pervaded many other aspects of life, segregated schools simply prepared black children for the segregation they would face during adulthood. The board also argued that segregated schools were not neccessarily harmful to black children; great African Americans such as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and George Washington Carver had overcome more than just segregated schools to achieve what they achieved. The request for an injunction put the court in a difficult decision. On the one hand, the judges agreed with the expert witnesses; in their decision, they wrote: Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children†¦ A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn. [8] On the other hand, the precedent of Plessy v. Ferguson allowed separate but equal school systems for blacks and whites, and no Supreme Court ruling had overturned Plessy yet. Because of the precedent of Plessy, the court felt â€Å"compelled† to rule in favor of the Board of Education. [9] The Supreme Court struck down the â€Å"separate but equal† doctrine of Plessy for public education, ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, and required the desegregation of schools across America. The Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision did not abolish segregation in other public areas, such as restaurants and restrooms, nor did it require desegregation of public schools by a specific time. It did, however, declare the permissive or mandatory segregation that existed in 21 states unconstitutional. [13] It was a giant step towards complete desegregation of public schools. Even partial desegregation of these schools, however, was still very far away, as would soon become apparent. The next year 1955 A young black boy, Emmett Till, is brutally murdered for allegedly whistling at a white woman in Mississippi. Two white men charged with the crime are acquitted by an all-white jury. They later boast about committing the murder. The public outrage generated by the case helps spur the civil rights movement (Aug.). Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was visiting relatives in Money, Mississippi on August 24, 1955 when he reportedly flirted with a white cashier at a grocery store. Four days later, two white men kidnapped till, beat him, and shot him in the head. The men were tried for murder, but an all-white, male jury acquitted them. Till’s murder and open casket funeral galvanized the emerging civil rights movement. Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat at the front of the â€Å"colored section† of a bus to a white passenger (Dec.1). She was arrested and convicted of violating the laws of segregation, known as â€Å"Jim Crow laws.† Mrs. Parks appealed her conviction and thus formally challenged the legality of segregation. In response to her arrest Montgomery’s black community launch a successful year-long bus boycott. Montgomery’s buses are desegregated on Dec. 21, 1956. 1963Martin Luther King is arrested and jailed during anti-segregation protests in Birmingham, Ala. He writes â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail,† which advocated nonviolent disobedience. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom is attended by about 250,000 people, the largest demonstration ever seen in the nation’s capital. Martin Luther King delivers his famous â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech. The march builds momentum for civil rights legislation (Aug. 28). Despite Governor George Wallace physically blocking their way, Vivian Malone and James Hood register for classes at the University of Alabama. Four young black girls attending Sunday school are killed when a bomb explodes at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, a popular location for civil rights meetings. Riots erupt in Birmingham, leading to the deaths of two more black youths (Sept. 15). 1964 President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act, the most sweeping civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the nation’s benchmark civil rights legislation, and it continues to resonate in America. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. An act to enforce the constitutional right to vote, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States of America to provide injunctive relief against discrimination in public accommodations, to authorize the Attorney General to institute suits to protect constitutional rights in public facilities and public education, to extend the Commission on Civil Rights, to prevent discrimination in federally assisted programs, to establish a Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity, and for other purposes. Passage of the Act ended the application of â€Å"Jim Crow† laws, which had been upheld by the Supreme Court in the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson, in which the Court held that racial segregation purported to be â€Å"separate but equal† was constitutional. The Civil Rights Act was eventually expanded by Congress to strengthen enforcement of these fundamental civil rights References Of Du Bois and Diaspora: The Challenge of African American Studies. Michael A. Gomez Journal of Black Studies , Vol. 35, No. 2, Special Issue: Back to the Future of Civilization: Celebrating 30 Years of African American Studies (Nov., 2004), pp. 175-194 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4129300 The Freedmen’s Bureau and Local Black Leadership Richard Lowe The Journal of American History , Vol. 80, No. 3 (Dec., 1993), pp. 989-998 Published by: Organization of American Historians Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2080411 Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America. by Studio Museum in Harlem Review by: George C. Wright The Journal of American History , Vol. 77, No. 1 (Jun., 1990), pp. 253-261 Published by: Organization of American Historians Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2078660 Harlem Renaissance. by Nathan Irvin Huggins Review by: Charles T. Davis American Literature , Vol. 45, No. 1 (Mar., 1973), pp. 138-140 Published by: Duke University Press Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2924561 Mary, E. Q. (2000). African-american history and culture / african-american history and culture: An on-line encyclopedia. The Booklist, 96(12), 1130-1132. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/235465516?accountid=32521 Horne, G. (2006). TOWARD A TRANSNATIONAL RESEARCH AGENDA FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY IN THE 21st CENTURY. The Journal of African American History, 91(3), 288-303. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/194472189?accountid=32521 Dr. martin luther king, jr.’s ‘letter from a birmingham jail’. (1997, Jan 16). Sentinel. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/369387622?accountid=32521

Act 3, Scene 4 provides a great opportunity for visual spectical Essay Example for Free (#3)

Act 3, Scene 4 provides a great opportunity for visual spectical Essay Macbeth (632) , Drama (623) , Fleance (115) Haven't found the essay you want? Get your custom sample essay for only $13.90/page ? Act 3, Scene 4 provides a great opportunity for visual spectical. Discuss how â€Å"The Banquet Scene† has been realised on screen and consider the effectiveness of its portrayal. Shakespeare was born in 1564 when Elizabeth the First was Queen of England. Shakespeare did not go to university when he left school; instead, he worked. He married Anne Hathway when he was eighteen and she became the mother of his daughter, Susanna, and also of twins. Although there are many public documents concerned with his career as a writer and a businessman, Shakespeare has hidden his personal life from us. A nineteenth century poet, Matthew Arnold, addressed Shakespeare in a poem and wrote: â€Å"We ask and ask – Thou smilest, and art still†. There is not even a portrait of the world’s greatest Dramatist. I am going to look at the banquet scene, in my opinion, one of the most important scenes in â€Å"Macbeth†; it shows many sides to both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. The scene opens with the couple welcoming all the guests to their Banquet, the atmosphere is warm and jolly, and everyone is joking and enjoying themselves. The atmosphere becomes more sombre when one of Banquo’s murderers arrives with news for Macbeth. Although Banquo is â€Å"safe†, Fleance on the other hand has † ‘scap’d â€Å". Macbeth tries to â€Å"Act like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t† in front of his guests, but this does not last for long, the guilt gets the better of Macbeth and causes him to hallucinate. The Lords were all very confused, and so, Lady Macbeth tries to cover-up for her husband by telling them all that Macbeth suffers from an illness, which causes him to behave in such a manner. â€Å"Sit, worthy friends – My Lord is often thus, and hath been from his youth†. â€Å"The fit is momentary – upon a thought he will be well again†. The two productions I am going to look at are Roman Polanski’s 1971 Production along with Gregory Doran RSC production. In Gregory Doran’s production, Macbeth’s house resembles a prison. The front foyer is very bare, with lots of different entrances: this is trying to show us that Macbeth is imprisoned in his world of guilt. Macbeth is dressed as a soldier, which gives me the impression he is at war, maybe Doran is trying to put across the fact that Macbeth is trying to fight against all of the evil. Roman Polanski dressed Macbeth in beautiful robes; Macbeth is also wearing his crown. This makes me think Macbeth is in total control of everything. Both producers hold the Banquet in a large, dull, cold room, this symbolises the fact that Macbeth has nowhere to hide; it also creates a tense atmosphere. In Polanski’s production, Macbeth sees Banquo and he goes mad! â€Å"Avaunt! And quit my sight! Let the earth hide thee!† He continues to rant and rave at this ghost of Banquo, whom only Macbeth can see. He frightens and startles not only the lords, but also Lady Macbeth. We know this by the look of worry on her face. She then pulls her husband aside to try and help him see sense. He sees what she is trying to say and returns to normality, but this only lasts for a matter of moments, and then Macbeth resumes to his fit of madness again. Macbeth is gradually loosing control. While Macbeth moves back, Banquo continues to advance. As both men keep moving, the camera becomes Banquo. We see high angle shot of Macbeth; it seems as though Banquo is looking down upon Macbeth and that he is now the one in control. Lady Macbeth tries to make excuses for her husband’s behaviour by saying â€Å"Sit worthy friends: My lord is often thus, and hath been from his youth: pray you, keep seat: the fit is momentary: upon a thought he will be well again†. We then see a long shot of the lords at the table; they all look very puzzled and confused. By this time, Macbeth is in a corner, on the ground with Banquo towering over him, he moves in closer and closer, then Banquo is cut, and Macbeth is left sitting on the ground, a trembling wreck. Gregory Doran’s RSC Production is very similar to Polanski’s. He also shows Macbeth being overpowered by Banquo. When Lady Macbeth pulls Macbeth aside to try and snap him out of his â€Å"fit†, he is unable to look her in the eye, he keeps watching the ghost of Banquo. He realises what his wife is trying to say, and so he returns to his normal self again. The way that Macbeth is changing personalities so suddenly in this scene reminds me of a schizophrenic, it’s almost as though he has some kind of mental disorder. Macbeth tries to laugh it off and composes himself. However, this only lasts for a moment. When Macbeth sees Banquo again, he drops his chalice, and the white wine spills onto the floor. This is an interesting observation because all the other products I watched used red wine, a sign of evil and danger, but white reminds me of innocence. Maybe Gregory Doran feels that Macbeth was innocent and this is why he uses white wine rather than red. He may feel it was the witches, or maybe Lady Macbeth’s influence that encouraged him to do all those evil things. Personally, I feel it was Lady Macbeth that caused him to go through with Duncan’s murder, but yet again, how many could be talked into murder without desiring it themselves? Act 3, Scene 4 provides a great opportunity for visual spectical. (2017, Oct 14).

United States v. Martha Stewart Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

United States v. Martha Stewart - Case Study Example Prior to and in course of the case proceedings, Martha Stewart was the chairperson of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Peter Bacanovic on the other hand was licensed by NASD to sell securities as a securities broker with the title "Financial Advisor" at Merrill Lynch & Co, Inc. ImClone systems is a biotechnology company in the US whose then-chief executive officer, Samuel Waksal, was Stewart's friend and a client of Stewart's stockbroker, defendant Peter Bacanovic. Subject to the cases on December 25, 2001, ImClone and Martha Stewart learned of the food and drug administration rejection of ImClone application for approval of Erbitux and announced the rejection of the application on December 28, 2001 after ImClone Chairperson December 27, 2001, sale of 3,928 shares of stock (FindLaw, 2012). This move and announcement prompted the Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York to start investigations into trading treads of ImClone especially the sale of the stock before the announcement of application rejection on Erbitux to the public. The investigations led to the indictment of Martha Stewart and Peter Bacanovic.

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 2 SS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT 2 SS - Essay Example The Bendigo bank in Tambellup and Cranbrook is one such kind of social enterprise, rising from humble beginnings to give the two communities their identity. The creation of the community bank is attributable to two individuals, Vicki Brown and Jan Pope, after facing several challenges; they rode on motivating points to spearhead the creation of this bank in their respective community. Overcoming the Feat: Challenges and Motivations they faced. They were motivated by the lack of proper banking services that catered for the needs of the rural community, while listening to a certain show; they reaffirmed Louise Petschler’s concern over poor banking in the country. According to the latter, banking services had deteriorated to the extent that they had failed to provide fair and affordable basic services, additionally, they were providing these at high costs and with poor customer services while closing community branches. CHALLENGES The initiative by Vicki and Jane is typically a c ommercial interest although with a social context, they face numerous legal, financial, management and development challenges that a typical commercial business faces. However, due to the unique communal premise that the business is built upon, they face a considerably different set of challenges than a typical business faces (Fayolle and Harry 8). The key challenges that Vicki Brown and Jan Pope faced were stakeholder participation, balancing of their key objectives, raising finance, and recruitment of professional staff and expert advice Stakeholder participation The key stakeholders in this initiative were the 700 and 1100 members of community for the two towns Tambellup and Cranbrook respectively. Furthermore, the Bendigo Bank was an important participant in the process, this because the community bank would be a franchise of their own establishment. The process of convincing people to contribute money to investing in an enterprise that was yet to be created proved to be a daunt ing task to the two and the steering committee that was in charge of the launch. They were apprehensive that the failure of the business would subject to guilt and a lot of burden. The rural community who were to be bank’s customers was concerned about the confidentiality of their financial information; this was expeditiously addressed by the concerned parties. Pessimism that the locals had over the future of the bank coupled with the show that ABC was running at that time concerning failures of local initiatives. Balancing Key Objectives Vicki and Jan had noted that the agricultural communities in their small towns were being inconvenienced as they were forced to travel long distance to undertake this important service. The lack of facilities in the area affected several businesses in the area and not merely these two major sectors of the area’s economy; an estimated $26,000 was being lost per week to other towns. Any community initiative must strive to balance two ke y objectives, achieve the social purpose for which it was initiated and operate as a sustainable commercial entity (Kickul and Sophie 219). The problem the two initiators faced were the way in which to balance these two objectives. On the other hand, they worried that if the bank performed the first function

Older Population as a Vulnerable Group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Older Population as a Vulnerable Group - Essay Example The research paper â€Å"Older Population as a Vulnerable Group† investigates the difficulties faced by older adults, who belong to the vulnerable group mainly because of their limited physical mobility, cognitive impairment, and weakened social networks. The explosive technological developments in the field of medicine over the last few decades have significantly improved health status of people, particularly in economically developed countries like the U.S and the UK. Those developments and innovations were capable of increasing the life expectancy of people, and this situation in turn resulted in a phenomenon called population ageing. The older population is a vulnerable group, and this group’s vulnerability is a combination of three factors like health status, cognitive ability, and social support. Older people are likely to be affected by issues like loneliness, stress, and depression. Therefore, they are increasingly exposed to deception and fraud. Population agei ng is a process where a country’s median age rises due to increasing life expectancy and/or decreasing birth rates. In economically developed countries like the UK and the U.S, rising life expectancy is the major cause leading to population ageing. Recently, even less economically developed countries have also improved their life expectancy and significantly contribute population ageing. Growing life expectancy is the prime cause of population ageing in the world except in 18 countries which are ‘demographic outliers’ according to the United Nations.... The Department of Health indicates that an individual over 85 is approximately three times more expensive to health care as compared to a person between the ages of 65 and 75 ("More than 10 million people..†). Although the UK government has framed extensive mechanisms to ensure rapid and quality care for the older population, the needs of a notable percent of aging people still go unnoticed. Causes of vulnerability The fast growth of the older population raises great challenges to the wellbeing of the old age people because they are exposed to various vulnerabilities. It is identified that older population is increasingly prone to vulnerabilities like exploitation, abuse, and negligence by others. Referring to the words of Kim and Geistfeld, older population constitutes a vulnerable group and they are â€Å"more susceptible to unscrupulous business practices than younger groups† ("What makes older adults vulnerable...). The authors continue that the older population ofte n becomes the target group for fraud because one can easily convince them. Scholars indicate that older individuals’ loneliness increases their vulnerability to fraudulent business transactions to a considerable extent. Psychological practitioners suggest that old age people are greatly in need of social interactions, and this is the reason why older consumers could be easily convinced by telemarketers. Majority of the older people have little market knowledge, and this weakness increases their susceptibility to fraud. It is awful to see that many of the old age people are not aware of the risk of losing ownership once payments are not made in time. Furthermore, they do not know whom they should contact in case

Market-Based or Government Control Research Paper

Market-Based or Government Control - Research Paper Example America's diverse healthcare problems, such as a fully nationalized healthcare system and improving the current market-based healthcare system (Shi & Singh, 2007, p.ix). This paper seeks to explore the issues surrounding PPACA. A number of authors argued against PPCA because they assert that it is a socialist intervention that does not fit the market-run socio-economic model of modern society and it is a costly and unconstitutional infringement on individual choices and corporate rights. ObamaCare is fundamentally socialist and does not fit into the market-run socio-economic model of modern society. Williamson (2011) described PPACA as socialist because it is based on a ç” °entral planning model, with socialist features of Ã¥ ¦ ¬ncome-redistribution, economic leveling, the co-opting and nationalization of private enterprises, and the elevation of an elite planning class(p.237). He did not believe that a socialist model can resolve the underlying issues of high medical and insurance costs in the nation, and for him, it will only replicate the 1970s British healthcare issues of poor implementation and poor results. Sultz and Young (2008) highlighted the characteristics of American healthcare that evade an effective socialization process. First, the healthcare system is too large to be managed by the state alone: å… ¸he U.S. health care system is the worlds eight largest economies, second to that of France, and is larger than the total economy of Italy(p.xvii). Se cond, the healthcare system is too complex, because of its labor-intensive levels and the changing, varied roles of healthcare professionals and employees who interact with evolving medical technology and patient preferences (Sultz & Young, 2008, p.xvii). Sultz and Young (2008) argued that the size and complexity of the American healthcare system shaped problems of limited health care access, inconsistent quality, and increasing costs (p.xviii).

Report for toyota Lab Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

For toyota - Lab Report Example The local network endeavors to facilitate the progression of a company by compliance with ten global compact principles. They also tries to create opportunities for multi stakeholder related engagement and also collaborative action (United Nations Global Compact, 2010). Toyota Motor Corporation is a leading name in the global automobile industry. The environment related principles stated in global compact principles have been maintained quite efficiently by Toyota is their global venture as well as in their local networks. Their efforts to comply with the environment related principles have contributed to their rise towards the zenith of automobile industry. The environment principles in the global compact predominantly encourages companies to support a precautionary approach towards the environmental challenges along with undertaking greater environment related responsibility, and also encouraging to develop environment friendly technologies. Toyota based on their independently developed ‘Toyota Way’ has made a commitment towards environment. Their environment friendly approach has been incorporated in all of their business operations and throughout their entire life cycle of any product developed by them. The strategy called sustaina ble mobility has been utilized by Toyota to for managing and developing vehicles as well as technologies. Toyota, as a leader in the environmentally prepared technologies, has always looked to make the world ‘green’. Toyota looks to raise the industry standards by developing innovative fuel technologies and vehicles in future. Their main aim is to create vibrant and mobile society along with maintaining harmony with the global environment (Toyota, 2010). Toyota also plays major role implementing their global environmental standards in the local networks. The evidence to this can be

Business plan for SBA music in developing new services Assignment

Business plan for SBA music in developing new services - Assignment Example SBA Music is operating in an environment mainly influenced by two associations which represent the Record Companies in Australia – ARIA, which licenses the right to copy music, and PPCA which licenses the right to play recorded music in public (SAB). Their initiative to push tariffs up is likely to impact negatively on other musical suppliers and this is likely to affect the B2B music market within Australia. For SAB there are various factors that affect its operations such as social demographic as well as economic. Their products are tailored to appeal to a wide range of audiences and through improved technological advances the organisation can capitalise on both computer and mobile software. It is a force to reckon with especially with its highly organised programming team which is always on top when it comes to supporting local artists. The market for SBA Music is diverse and very wide according to information obtained from the website. The target market ranges from the you ng to the older generations and they produce and mix music to be played in various outlets including the retail shops, bars, restaurants, hotels and even hair saloons. These are also distribution channels and products should be tailored to appeal to different target groups on the basis of age.

Two Leaders S. Jobs and R. Branson Essay Example for Free

Two Leaders S. Jobs and R. Branson Essay This project report is based on comparison made between two leaders knows as CEO of Apple Company Late Steve Jobs and CEO of Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson. In this project report both Leaders have been compared and contrasted according to their leadership qualities, skills, attitudes, personalities and value system owned by each of them. According to this given project report comparison made between both the leaders shows that Richard Branson is considered as an effective Leader because he is participative and charismatic in nature. He possesses several leadership, managerial and entrepreneurial skills and qualities. Sum up, according to analysis of given project, this report provides some recommendations regarding the Leadership styles and qualities to be followed in organizations. * There is no single style of leadership to be followed by leaders because leaders must change their styles according to required situation. * An effective leader has qualities such as honesty, loyalty, responsibility, excellent communication, enthusiasm, motivation, competence and etc. * Successful Leaders are required for managing conflicts, framing appropriate decisions, thinking strategically, empowering employees, and designing team based structures (Mind Tools Ltd 2013). * Steve Jobs and Sir Richard Branson both applied similar approach of being a transformational leader and valued factors such as quality and innovation for creating a successful and sustainable business. * Steve Jobs Late CEO of Apple Company was an autocratic and transactional leader. He was having excellent communication and technical skills for applying it to new technologies but he lacked interpersonal skills with him. * Richard Branson CEO of Virgin Group is considered as participative, charismatic, and leader. He possessed skills such as interpersonal, communication, negotiation and persuasion for diversifying several brands under a single virgin group. * Sir Richard Branson is compared and contrasted according to certain attributes such as personality, values, emotions and leadership qualities and is found more effective as compared to Steve Jobs. Table of ContentsPage No 1.0Introduction Leaders are typically thought to be individuals who create a strong influence on others. For an example in global business environment Leaders have been creating difference with their qualities and styles followed by them. The effective Leaders have qualities such as honesty, responsibility, loyalty, enthusiasm, determination, creative, adaptability, good communication, empathy, competence, respect and acting as a source of motivation for the followers. In an era of globalization Leaders are creating an edge over their competitors by applying leadership Qualities. 1.1Aim The aim of this project report is to compare and contrast two global Leaders such as Steve Jobs and Richard Branson. It will highlight similarities and dissimilarities between two leaders and their leadership styles. Among two leaders, best Leader and his Leadership qualities followed by him to lead the organization is being explained in this report. The effective leadership skills and qualities making them successful are described in detail. The factors that can make a successful Leader, manager and entrepreneur in any situation are explained in this project report. In this project Report, Steve Jobs and Richard Branson have been defined as Leaders from Business perspective. Both the Leaders have been compared and contrasted according to their Leadership qualities. Among the two Leaders one of an effective Leader is identified by comparing and contrasting the leadership qualities. 2.0 Who is a Leader? To begin with the discussion, Leaders need to be defined in detail. A Leader is one who leads from front and has got an ability to influence others for getting the work done successfully (Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012). In an organization Leaders are required for managing the conflicts, framing appropriate decisions, thinking strategically, empowering employees, and designing team based structures. Leaders possess knowledge, skills and expertise regarding several fields. Several Leadership styles can be followed by Leaders such as participative, directive, charismatic, transformational and transactional style. Participative leaders are those who support the employees by providing them resources and helping them. Directive Leaders are autocratic in nature and want the employees to complete their task in given time frame. Charismatic Leaders are those who can inspire employees to follow his instructions. They are the vision creator for an organization. Transformational Leaders are those who can create self interest within employees for achieving the objectives. Transactional Leaders want employees to achieve the set goals and targets. This report is provided fair analysis of Leadership qualities and styles followed in Business environment globally. There is no single style of leadership which is considered the best one. According to situations Leaders must have an ability to adapt particular leadership style (MGR Consulting 2006). However, there are many examples which highlights that Leaders are developed in organization by implementing Leadership development programs. 3.0Discussion 3.1Two Leaders as Steve Jobs and Richard Branson In this project report the two Leaders Steve Jobs and Richard Branson are being explained. Steve Jobs was the Late CEO of Apple Computers Inc (Leadership with You 2012). He was born on 1955 at US and was a Board Member at Walt Disney Company. He was innovative and critical thinker in nature which helped him to climb the ladder of success. He created one of the most valuable companies of world. Steve Jobs loved to experiment with electronics products which helped him to create a niche market for apple products. Apple is a leader in I-pod and I-phones which attract the youths. The competitors of Apple used re-positioning strategies immediately after launching of their products. Richard Branson is the chairman of Virgin Group and was born on 1950 at United Kingdom. He started his career by recording and latter he owned Virgin Airlines. He is being addressed by giving title as â€Å"Sir† listed in the list of wealthiest entrepreneur’s of Britain. Virgin is one of the most reputed brands existing in more than thirty countries of world, and it is diversified into several segments. Steve Jobs Richard Branson both are treated as global leaders for following their respective leadership qualities and styles. 3.2 Compare and Contrast Two Leaders The two leaders know as Late CEO of Apple Steve Jobs and owner of Virgin Group Sir Richard Branson is being compared and Contrasted in this paragraph. * Comparison between two Leaders Steve Job was autocratic in nature and wanted to work with likeminded people. He wanted himself to be involved in each and every detail for getting expected result from his employees (Richard Hughes, R Ginnett, Gordon J Curphy 2009). He was a transformational and transactional leader too. He acted as transactional Leader, by creating vision for Apple Company and encouraging all employees to link their performance for achieving set goals and targets. He acted as a transformational leader by focusing all around Apple’s technology and motivating employees to create self interest for making it one of the most valuable and appreciated Brand all across the Globe (Conceivably Tech 2012). He carried such as personality which will be remembered in terms of technology for many years. Richard Branson and Steve Jobs worked with passion and dedication to get effective results for creating things which could make them feel proud. Sir Richard Branson also worked with people for creating difference in similar manner as Steve Job created. He believed in creating something which worth for quality similarly as Steve Jobs did for Apple. Richard Branson and Steve Jobs acted as transformational Leader for striving best qualities among their people. In brief both Leaders positioned their organization all across the globe by providing superior quality of product, services with strong Brand Image. * Contrast between Two Leaders The difference between both the Leaders and their Leadership styles are being listed with bullet points. * Steve Jobs was an autocratic Leader and followed an Authoritarian Leadership style. He believed in getting excellence from his employees whereas Richard Branson is participative and delegative in nature. * Steve Jobs had a personality to be centre of attraction for getting any activity being done at Apple whereas Richard Branson provides complete autonomy to his employees for getting things done in a better manner. * Steve jobs acted as a good communicator where as Richard Branson believe in listening others for avoiding mistakes (Finnie, Scot 2011). * Steve Jobs believed in holding power in his hand whereas Sir Richard Branson believe that distribution of power is effective for diversifying the business. * Steve Jobs used concept of firing and forcing for employees to deliver the desired outcome whereas Sir Richard Branson believe that an organization is created and developed by people. * Jobs believed that Business can be managed with great ideas whereas Richard Branson stated that fun should be created, employees should be rewarded for their ideas. According to skills, qualities and attributes required by the Leaders, effectiveness of Richard Branson as a Leader will be explained in this project report. 3.3One of the Effective Leader’s According to both Leaders, Sir Richard Branson can be considered as an effective leader. The leadership qualities possessed by him are being researched and explained in detail. Richard Branson is the figurehead of Virgin Group. According to researchers, the three factors which highlight the leadership traits of Richard Branson are smile and work with friendly approach, enjoy fun at work, and appreciate the ideas of employees. According to (Paul Beeston 2010) there are certain attributes which is being possessed by Richard Branson. They are segmented below. Personality: Richard Branson Personality states certain attributes such as he is a charming, caring, sensitive, frank and enthusiastic Leader. Values: He applies attributes to value system for growing the business at Virgin Group. It includes factors such as quality, working in team, competition, reliability, fun and innovation. Emotions: He is emotional and applied attributes by being good listener, encourager, and communicator. Leadership Attributes: Richard Branson is a charismatic, participative and transformational leader who could create vision of Virgin Group and diversified it by being participative. He applies principle of time management and valued contribution of employees at Virgin Group. He is having and ability to find right talent and create an environment where he can fit them. According to Branson, Learning takes place by committing mistakes and negotiation takes place by persuading others. He is a true motivator for employees at Virgin group by encouraging informality. He believes in building interpersonal relationship, accepts the challenges by experimenting things. Therefore from the above attributes which are being highlighted it can be stated that Richard Branson is more effective as compared to Steve Jobs while applying Leadership qualities. However Richard Branson we will explain the skills being possessed by Steve Jobs and Richard Branson in this project report 3.4 Skills Demonstrated by Both the Leaders. The leaders need to demonstrate certain skills for marking their presence as Leaders in Business environment. To grow the business effective communication should take place. Steve Jobs had a good communication and an entrepreneur skill. He acted as a good team Leader and implemented strategies upon the team members. He worked with perseverance skill and focused on providing quality products. He had innovating skill and technical skills which was applied for designing new technologies to make apple a reputed brand all across the globe. According to him Continuous Learning is required for a Leader and his employees of Organization to create a valuable Brand. He believed in hiring loyal people which shows that he was ethical and loyal towards Apple Company. However, Steve Jobs lacked to build better interpersonal relations because he had autocratic leadership skills. He had entrepreneurial skills which helped him to bear the risk at Apple (Mansueto Ventures LLC 2013). Virgin Group is on e of the most reputed companies of the world. Richard Branson applies several skills to manage the business which is diversified into more than 300 brands. He is a good listener and values employee’s contribution a lot. He believes in learning from the past mistakes so that time could be saved from committing a new mistake in future. People management skill is being applied by him for empowering the employees at Virgin Group. He applies interpersonal skills to build relationship with customers, stakeholders, and suppliers of virgin group. He possesses additional skills such as being flexible, selling skills, negotiation and appropriate leadership skills. However he also applies leadership and management skills by being participative, charismatic and transformational. Thus it can be demonstrated that both Leaders possessed different skills to manage the business in global environment. However Richard Branson has got more skills which helped virgin group to grow immensely. 3.5 Reasons making successful Leader, Manager’s Entrepreneur Nevertheless, there are certain factors which affect the business environment such as changing customer demand frequently, technology, and fluctuations in the economies. To cope up with such factors organizations need to develop leaders for sustaining and growing their business by accepting the challenges. Steve Jobs and Richard Branson both became successful leaders in their respective areas by creating ideas and vision for their companies, giving respect to customers, stakeholders and employees, communicating transparently, implementing appropriate decisions during critical situations, assuring accountability, supporting the team based working structures, enforcing the learning attitude among themselves and their employees, and adapting changes made in terms of technologies (Donald Patterson 2009). According to Henry Fayol managers are those individuals who have an ability to plan, organize, coordinate and control the flow of activities for achieving the organizational goals. Steve Jobs and Richard Branson acted as Managers to become successful and created an edge for their organization by coaching and counseling their employees, delegating the work appropriately, valuing each other to motivate the employees, developing and following a proper corporate culture, managing the time, and analyzing the risks with analytical skills (Management Advisory Service UK Ltd 2011). As an entrepreneur Steve Jobs and Richard Branson have qualities such as an ability to take higher risks, enjoy the work, act as a promoter, know their customers, experimenting with technologies, creating an edge over others, grabbing the opportunity, negotiating with stakeholders, and managing the time effectively. As an entrepreneur Richard Branson states that he admired Steve Jobs a lot. According to him, one should hire employees according to need. When there is an unnoticed opportunity to everyone, there are high chances of converting it to the vision in reality (The Branson Centre of e ntrepreneurship 2011). Thus these were the reasons which made Steve Jobs and Richard Branson as successful leader, manager and entrepreneur in their respective business. 4.0 Conclusion From the above report it can be concluded that Leaders have an ability to lead from the front by creating influence upon their employees in an organization. In an era of globalization business has to undergo several changes in terms of demographics, technology, culture and economic changes. To cope up with existing and emerging challenges leaders need to implement the successful qualities such of leaders, managers and entrepreneurs. In this project report Steve jobs CEO of Apple Company and Richard Branson CEO of Virgin group are being compared and contrasted. They have been compared in terms of their leadership qualities, styles being followed, skills implemented by them, personality, values, and emotions with respect to certain attributes. Steve Jobs was considered as autocratic and self centered Leader who focused more on technical skills whereas Richard Branson is considered as charismatic, participative and transformational leader who has strong interpersonal skills for managing the business. Steve Jobs focused more towards work whereas Richard Branson enjoys fun at work. Thus according to leadership, managerial and entrepreneurial qualities possessed by both the Leaders, Sir Richard Branson is considered as an effective Leader because he has ability to diversify business into several segments under a single virgin Group. 5.0 Recommendations However, perfect and effective leaders are those who have an ability to accept the critics and move ahead by managing several changes. The recommendations are listed in bullet points. * There is no single style of leadership which is considered the best one. There are several qualities possessed by leaders and styles must be changed according to required situation. * An effective leader has qualities such as honesty, loyalty, responsibility, excellent communication, enthusiasm, motivation, competence and etc. * Successful Leaders are required for managing conflicts, framing appropriate decisions, thinking strategically, empowering employees, and designing team based structures (Mind Tools Ltd 2013). * Steve Jobs and Sir Richard Branson both applied similar approach of being a transformational leader and valued factors such as quality and innovation for creating a successful and sustainable business. * According to this project report, Steve Jobs CEO of Apple Company was an autocratic and transactional leader. He was having excellent communication and technical skills for applying it to new technologies but he lacked interpersonal skills with him. * Richard Branson CEO of Virgin Group is considered as participative, charismatic, and leader. He possesses skills such as interpersonal, communication, negotiation and persuading for diversifying several brands under a single virgin group. * Sir Richard Branson is compared and contrasted according to certain attributes such as personality, values, emotions and leadership qualities and was found more effective as compared to Steve Jobs. Although Richard Branson admired Steve Jobs a lot but he states that fun should be created to bring new ideas into business. 6.0 References R. L. Hughes, R.C. Ginnett, G.J. Curphy, 2012, Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience, 7th edn, McGraw-Hill Irwin, New York. Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012,†Leader†, viewed on 11-01-2013, http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/leader MGR Consulting 2006,†Why we need Leaders†, Accessed on 11-01-2013, http://mgrconsulting.com/Newsletters/eNewsletter_06_02.pdf Leadership with You 2012,†Steve Jobs Leadership Case Study†, Accessed on 11-01-2013, http://www.leadership-with-you.com/steve-jobs-leadership.html Conceivably Tech 2012,†Defining Leadership: Sir Richard Branson†, viewed on 11-01-2013, http://www.conceivablytech.com/9668/business/defining-leadership-sir-richard-branson Richard Hughes, R Ginnett, Gordon J Curphy 2009, Leadership: Enhancing the Lessons of Experience† Journal of Education for Business†, vol.6, pp-189 Finnie, Scot 2011,Steve Jobs’ Indelible Mark,† Finnie, Scot 2011†, vo l.45, no.19, pp 49 Paul Beeston 2010, Belief Model for the Leadership of Richard Branson,† Change in Mind Ltd†.

Literacy Practices Contain Elements English Language Essay

Literacy Practices Contain Elements English Language Essay In this essay I will attempt to give some of my own examples of literary practices and why I consider them to be creative, linking them to examples from the study material and where relevant build on my knowledge of Carter and make reference to a few of his ideas and theories and weigh them out in said discussion. I shall start off by first explaining what literacy practices are and where we can find them and conclude by giving some examples of my own personal experience. Literacy practices is the way in which people interact with texts and the meanings these hold for them and how these are tied up with individual identity, personal relationships, community membership, religious practices and political manoeuvring. They are influenced by affordances and constraints with technological and socio-historical/cultural factors. These will change and shift as part of technological advances and changes in the social world e.g. in the recognition of social space in households (Cruickshank 2001). Some examples of literacy domains are home, work and social networks and examples of literacy practices are letter reading, filing, writing, diary writing, list making, newspaper reading and even filling a lottery slip. A further relevant term named multiple literacy i.e. is a diverse range of competences which include text literacy, media literacy, information literacy, computer literacy, visual literacy, multicultural literacy, emotional literacy, etc. The essay will also show that creativity is dependent and emergent from the creative literacy practices through which texts are constructed and that the way such a text is read is also considered creativity. There are several examples of literary creativity in everyday life. However I shall mostly be using my own examples and explaining why I find them literary and/or creative. An autobiography is something that most of us think of as creative writing because it is a memory of somebodys past life. One writes about these memories perhaps first by writing letters, then a short story until eventually it emerges into a fully fledge book of its own. But literacy doesnt necessarily have to be a word; it might as well be a sign that we associate something with, like a McDonalds or restaurant sign which children will instantly associate it with. This so-called understanding of environmental print is recognised by children long before individual letters are known, so a child will recognize a McDonalds burger bar sign much earlier before it can actually read the word as a whole. This phenomenon is called emergent literacy and children will notice words, colours, signs, and numbers and gradually begin to recognise their true meaning and start to experiment by copying or trying to describe them on a piece of paper with coloured pens, etc. Carter (1999) identified three models of literariness: The inherency model, which embeds particular properties of language. Literary language is regarded distinct from more practical uses of language which highlights language itself. The socio-cultural model views literariness as socially and culturally determined, e.g. drawing attention that conceptions of literature will vary historically and culturally. Eagleton (1996) There is nothing distinctive about literary language; any text can be seen as literature if it is defined as such. And finally, the cognitive model, which relates literary language to mental processes. Linguistic repetition derives from a basic human drive to repeat and is a kind of cognitive argument, (Tannen 1989) whereas Cook (1994:4) believes that literary texts have an effect on the mind and help us to think in new ways and refresh and change our representations of the world. Gibbs (1994) states human language and human understanding often are metaphorical and that literary metaphor will carry on and extend everyday metaphorical notions. Carter believes creativity is commonly regarded as a process that will result in solution or identification of problems, usually a result of a process of divergent and innovative thinking. (Carter, 2008. p.48) The answer to where we find creativity in language is a broad expression in my opinion, because there are so many places where we would find language creativity in everyday context. However for the sake of example I have decided to give the example of language creativity made by young children because they are still learning how to use language properly and by doing so come up with expressions which really could be considered creative. So to answer where we find creative language we do not have to look far, we simply have to speak with small children because as they are still learning the rules of correct language grammar, they tend to invent new forms of grammar or more correctly, adopt and transmit it into their sentences. For example using flyed instead of flew or biccik instead of biscuit. This is a term I picked up from my younger cousin when he was around 2 years old. Creativity will nearly always depend on the intentions and inferences of the participants is a statement from Carter. (Carter, 2008) Further he feels that creative language use cannot be described as being evaluated by wholly formalistic definitions and depends on elements such as relationships, nature of external task, changing social contexts and speech genres. (Carter, p.167, 2008) He also suggests creativity is seen as a social and interactional act as much as it is a distinctive individual act. (p.44) Furthermore there is also the proposal that repetition is a resource by which conversationalists together create a discourse, a relationship and a world (cited in Carter, 2008, p.101) and it is suggested that spoken language use may be more closely connected with expressions of feeling and identity, than written text. (Carter, 2008, p.112) According to Carter it is important to recognize creativity in context. He feels that while creativity in language can occur in the most situations, it will still remain probabilistic because a brochure may be informal but it can also be creative. (Carter 2008) The above has illustrated two points of view from two different people. One of them is Cooks view and the other is Carters view; and at this stage I will attempt to discuss these ideas and try to demonstrate them in my answer. To recapitulate, Cook sees language creativity as a tool for survival whereas Carter sees it as a process of problem solving. There are 3 areas of language play: Pragmatic Function, Linguistic and Semantic. Pragmatic is the effect of language choice e.g. solidarity, enjoyment, Linguistic is the look or the sound of words e.g. patterning, repetition and Semantic carries inversion of meaning like puns. Literacy activities are a non-specialist way to simply refer to peoples interactions with texts. Even today we relate to people who are able to read and write as literate. Literacy events are social interactions where literacy plays an important role, e.g. discussing a letter from a tax office, reading a bedtime story or helping a friend with a crossword puzzle. They are ways in which people use and interact with texts in particular context and the meaning it holds for them like the frequent email circulation of jokes among groups of friends and the importance of this for the people involved, for example writing Open University assignments plus the meaning and significance of the activity for the student doing the writing. Why are we creative with language? This is not a straightforward question because there may be various reasons why we are creative with our language, it will depend wholly on the situation we find ourselves in, whether it is among close friends and family or in a work environment or even in our free time. And throughout the years we have come up with new words for certain activities like the word texting or tweeting. In a sense this can also be seen as language creativity and a literacy practice because up to a few years ago there was no Twitter and text messaging has only recently become as normal as the email which cant be thought out of our everyday lives anymore. But as everything can be considered as creative, what can be considered literary? Literary language can sometimes be axiomatic and may carry forms of moral injunctions even though it may not direct us to form certain constative speech acts in response to the text. Carter showed two examples in his book, the first being an instructional handbook for motor car repair and the second taken from a well-known novel published in the 1950s in Britain. In the instruction manual medium dependence is not a common characteristic of common literary language even though there may be special cases to the rule. This concludes why we are creative with language; so that firstly we can get along with other people that may not be as articulate or creative with language as we are and as mentioned earlier in the essay, so that the language evolves. Even though some people might argue that language is a god given ability which must be treasured, we cannot argue that throughout our history as many cultures and the outlook of life have changed, so has our language. Take the example of the English language: from becoming a Germanic dialect which came from the Scandinavians at around 1066 which eventually developed into Old English and eventually to the language we speak now, a lot of creativity has been changing ideas which make up the modern English language. In fact English as it is spoken today did not even come close to sounding the way that is sounds now. One could even say it was incomprehensible. And on top of that, next to sounding completely different it also had a completely different alphabet with letters that are no longer used today a rune-like alphabet with extra letters in order to illustrate certain sounds like sh. As we have seen, it is mainly because of creativity that we speak the language we speak today. From the moment we are born we are bombarded with literacy and the correct form of speaking the way that is considered by society to be literary. I have shown some examples of language creativity in young children and given some of my own personal examples and linked them to the question. I have also tried to link the ideas to Carter and how they fit in with his theories and have given some examples of new literacy activities which have become a part of everyday life in the 21st century, such as tweeting. Facebook and Twitter have in that sense become new literacy tools for this age and time. And in the age of the tablet, our literacy practices have made another step to the future. Tablets have made some of the commonest everyday things redundant, like newspapers. Instead of holding a traditional newspaper in our hands which we will eventually put in the paper bin at the end of the day, we can read it on our tablet. And news updates are certainly swifter because instead of having to print it, one types it on the computer and when its done, uploads it directly to the internet for everybody accessible to a computer and Wi-Fi can read. It is very possible that there will be new forms of literacy which will find their way into our everyday lives like the email, Facebook or Twitter. What that may be I, nor anybody else can tell yet but we will recognize it when it comes. We may not immediately recognize it as a new form of literacy but Rome was not build in one day. Give it some time and i n a few years it will become the most normal thing in the world. This essay has shown some of my own examples of literary practices from my personal experience and whether they fit in with the ideas of Cook and other theorists. I have shown how literacy has changed from printed newspapers to being read on tablet devices and how young children become literate by inventing seemingly correct grammar and vocabulary forms in order to express their thoughts. In conclusion it can be viewed that there are many literacy practices which are worthy to be considered creative. Whether it is a childs recognition of a restaurant sign or the creativity of new words in the process of becoming a literate person and even the solving of a crossword puzzle, all of them require us to have at least some knowledge of literacy. By continuously practicing these activities, there is a chance that it will survive for the use of later generations. If we teach our children to be inspired by these activities then we can have a little hope that literacy shall be passed down for the future generations to come. Required word count for essay: 2.000 words Complete word count of essay: 2.036 words

The Easter Vigil: The Primary Liturgy. Which Shows The Church As A Sac :: essays research papers

Every year, on the day before Easter, one of the biggest and most important masses of the year happens on that night. The mass is called the Easter Vigil. The Vigil brings out the true and full nature of the Catholic Church and all of its people. It celebrates Jesus Christ, as he rises from the dead and ascends into heaven. Since this mass is so large, it is split into four parts. The first, the Service of Light, and is the most solemn part of the mass the Church celebrates. The second part is the Liturgy of the Word, in which you listen to a reader who reads from the books of the Bible such as Genesis and Exodus. The third part of the celebration is known as the Celebration of the Rites of Initiation. At this point people become part of the Church and receive such sacraments as Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation. The fourth part of the vigil is the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the Eucharist is the climax of the Easter Vigil. The Easter Vigil is the biggest mass in the Church and it requires four parts in the Service of Light, The Liturgy of the Word, the Celebration of the Rights of Initiation, and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, but also requires much more faith and concentration to fully appreciate it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first part of the Easter Vigil is the Service of Light. The Service of Light is the most solemn time during the Easter Vigil and where the people of the Catholic Church show the most respect. All the lights in the Church are turned off. The minister carries the paschal candle slowly into the Church. As the candle is shared with the rest of the congregation, the atmosphere is very dark and glum. As the minister brings the candle towards the altar, the following response is sung by the pastor and by everyone else in the Church. The Deacon or the Celebrant sings â€Å"Christ our Light† and everyone responds, â€Å"Thanks be to God†. This is done three times and after this the choir sings the Exultet. The focus on signing is of the risen Jesus Christ. After, the paschal candle reaches the altar; it is placed on a stand next to the lantern. This marks the ending of the first part of the Easter Vigil, the Service of light.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second part of the Easter Vigil is the Liturgy of the Word.

Childhood Shyness and Childrens Literature Essay -- Teaching Education

Childhood Shyness and Childrens Literature Understanding the Distress of Children Who Suffer from Shyness Almost everyone has felt shy at some point in his or her life. Feeling uncomfortable or anxious in a new social setting is not uncommon or something to be overly concerned about; however, there are many people whose lives suffer because of their shyness. Shyness can have many harmful effects on a person’s emotional and social well being (Bruch, 1999). Even though research on shyness has mainly focused on adults, shyness can be just as difficult, if not more difficult, for children. Because social and emotional development are so important during the school years as children are meeting and interacting with their peers, we see it as very important for teachers to be in tune with these types of developmental needs. Children’s literature is a great way to bring up and discuss emotional and social issues. We found some wonderful children’s books that teachers can use in the classroom to discuss shyness, how it affects people, and how to make others feel better w ho are shy. If you have ever known a truly shy child, you probably know how difficult being shy can be for that child. It can be very painful to see a shy child â€Å"desperately wanting to be accepted by other children yet not knowing what to do to gain their approval, or else too frightened to take the risk of trying to reach out to them† (Zimbardo, 1981, p. 4). A women expresses difficulty with having been a shy child: Growing up is painful at best, but excruciating for the shy. When others could not understand the reason for my lack of zest for life, I knew all along that my shyness was the real problem. I was terribly envious of anyone who seemed comfortable with people. Anyone who could express their thoughts verbally . . . (Zimbardo, 1981, p. 4). A child who is suffering from this much pain needs to be of concern. Anything that makes a child unhappy, such as being unpopular, not feeling comfortable around peers, and not being able to communicate thoughts or feelings directly, is hazardous to a person’s psychological well being (Kemple, 1995). Unfortunately children who suffer from shyness frequently go unnoticed by teachers and parents. Shy children are usually well behaved, quiet, and follow the rules they are supposed to (Zimbardo, 1981). Teachers may mistake a... ...ultz, S. (1999). Social anxiety. U.S. News & World Report, 24, 50-54. Seid, R. P. (1999). Dying of shyness. Joe Weider’s Shape, 18 (7), 42-44. Zimbardo, P. G. (1981). The Shy Child. U.S.A, Mexico, Toranto: McGraw-Hill Book Company. Zimbardo, P. G. (1977). Shyness what it is what to do about it. Reeding, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Children’s Books Bechtold, L. (1999). Buster: The Very Shy Dog. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Co. Brown, R. (1998). The Shy Little Angel. New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books. Glaser, L. (1993). Stop That Garbage Truck. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Co. Henkes, O. (1993). Owen. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books. Johnston, M. (1996). Let’s Talk About Being Shy. New York, NY: PowerKids Press. Levete, S. (1996). How Do I Feel About Making Friends? Brookfield, CT: Cooper Beech Books. Lester, H. (1999). Hooway For Wodnay Wat. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co. Mathers, P. (1991) Sophie and Lou. USA: Harper Collins Publishers. Raschka, C. (1996) The Blushful Hippopotamus. New York, NY: Orchid Books. Wood, A. (1995). Orlando’s Little-While; A Scrapbook. New York, NY: Child’s Play International LTD.

A Worn Path :: Essays Papers

A Worn Path In the short story A Worn Path, by Eudora Welty there is only one main character Miss Phoenix Jackson, who is in barking on a journey that would lead her to the desired destination. Phoenix's personality would change as she gathered more land with her persistent walking, passing through many different settings. Although the change in scenery is blately obvious it is sometimes what we over look, when trying to examine the characters attitude, or morals in different situations. The attitude change in Miss Jackson is noticeable as she lumbers through the pines, crossing the stream, and again while sitting at the doctor's office. When Phoenix is walking early in the morning she is amongst the pine trees that seems to engulf her, she shows her determination as she lumbers along the trail. With the motion in her step going from side to side in a manner that would sagest the pace that she is keeping, although is a slow in general, may be a little quicker then she would normally be maintaining. This would be so that she could return before the sun goes down with the medicine for her little grandson. She knows this trail very well and walks with confidence, persistently taping the ground with her cane, possible not even looking at where it is her feet are landing. Upon the way she stops to scold and warn the foxes, and other small animals she was visualizing to stay out of her way that she had a far walk and that she must be getting on her way. She says this with a tone in her voice which I imagine to be a voice that a older women uses when they mean business and must finish what they set out to do. Phoenix waves her cane much like someone would at a horse, to persuade it to continue on the path. As Phoenix approaches the stream it becomes obvious that the spirit and imagination inside of her is that of a child. It almost appears that Phoenix has reached the fountain of youth, which releases the child inside of her. She takes a large first step raising her knee high walking onto the log that resemble that of a marching band, while holding the small cane straight out as if to point the direction.

Differences Between PR and Advertising

Public relations is planned and conducted in a business-like way. PR deals with many different groups of people known as publics and relates to all the communications of total organization. It’s not a form of advertising, its purpose is to tell not selling product yet it is playing a role of spreading knowledge about a new product or service, informing and educating people,and creating understanding to the prescribed objectives. Sometimes, it is also the beginning to play an important brand-building role. However, advertising is a form of communication that is intended to convince the target market to purchase or take some actions upon products,ideas or services. It’s mainly presents the most persuasive selling message to the public by using attractive layout,colourful illustration,creative scriptwriting skill,and themed video-making or ‘copy platform’ in an advertisement. Thus,it is higher cost than PR. Besides, advertising didn’t build up market knowledge about the new and unknown product or service to the public while PR does. For instance, a company pays for the advertisement space about its latest product or service so that the company can creative control what goes into the advertisement and how long the advertisement runs for. It could be design become more attractive to fascinate buyers to buy it. And it will be bringing the hard-selling message to motivate market buyers with using those buzz word as ‘Act now! Buy this product! ’ to purchase it. Whereas, the PR for the company will create understanding through knowledge, inform its own exclusive products or services to the public clearly and it helps to build up market knowledge as well. Then,those buyers would be more understanding about the company brand than just knowing their products by its packaging or advertisement. Yet, the company has no control on how the media presents,must it writing in a no-nonsense news format and the press would only be released once.

Creative Writing Coursework: Armageddon

The room was dim. The stone walls were damp and cold. In fact, the entire place was damp, the floor and the ceiling; the place was a dump. The smell of damp, urine and excrement was present, there was another smell lingering too, an unusual smell. It was the sickly stench of dried blood. In the room five men were seated around a large table, glaring at each other. Brandon Cole walked through the darkness. After finishing work he had decided to take the short route home. Brandon wrapped his arms around him. It was cold. The sound of Brandon's footsteps echoed through the narrow road. Brandon could see nothing – it was pitch black, he squinted to try and see through the darkness. Brandon continued walking down the stone road, he felt something squelch beneath his feet, he muttered irritably to himself and grabbed his lighter from his pocket. He flicked the lid back and the lighter burst in to light, like a tiny explosion. The small flame did hardly anything to improve Brandon's vision against the darkness. Brandon bent down placing the lighter by his foot, squinting again. The smell hit him and Brandon recoiled quickly, the smell invaded his nostrils and for a fleeting second Brandon thought he was going to vomit. He spoke out loud ‘Bloody dogs, crapping everywhere' he placed his foot down on the floor and began scraping it, wiping away the filth. Brandon stopped and pulled a cigarette from his pocket pushing it between his lips. He lit it and inhaled deeply, he left it a second then breathed out a long stream of silvery blue smoke. Brandon began walking again, he turned a corner and heard a small noise behind him, and Brandon spun around quickly. Probably that flaming dog, he thought. As Brandon turned back he saw the figure standing before him, saw it lunge forward, felt it bite his neck. Brandon tried to shout for help but his throat felt constricted. Brandon swallowed hard and felt the teeth sink deeper into his neck. Brandon looked up and saw a shooting star. Make a wish. He blacked out. The five men in the room eyed each other silently. The room was deathly silent. Each of the men was dressed in black suits, their faces pale. A tall man sitting at the head of the table finally broke the silence ‘How is the training programme coming along?' he asked, his thick Russian accent was extremely noticeable. Silence. The Russian man lowered his head and sighed. The silence seemed almost palpable. A deafening roar and then a huge thud on the table finally broke the silence. The Russian man glared around the room, silence enveloped over the room once again. An American man sat on the side of the table began to speak ‘Sir, the training plan is failing abysmally. We apologise.' The American man held the Russian man's gaze for a few seconds. The American man knew the Russian man as Boran Yelstof. He was 27 years old, his hair was jet black and his eyes were a very pale grey colour. In the darkness of the room Boran could barely be seen. From the shadows Boran Finally said ‘What about the other club?' The American man smiled ‘Sir, that plan is going well. In fact it's happening right next door now.' He said these words slowly and confidently. Boran smiled bearing gleaming white teeth; they seemed to penetrate the darkness of the room. Boran stood up ‘Take me to the club. Now!' The American man rose quickly and stumbled backwards. He turned and walked quickly to the door. It was almost time. Brandon woke up he felt a searing pain in his neck and placed his fingers on the wound. He hissed in pain as he touched it. He could taste his own blood in his mouth, it was congealed and some of it was dry. Brandon spat the pain in his neck intensified as the large mucoid spittle that was mixed with blood exited his mouth and landed on the floor. Brandon placed a hand on his aching head and spat again. He massaged the bridge of his nose. He ran his tongue across his teeth to get the worst of the blood off them, Brandon felt a sharp pain on his tongue and felt blood begin to trickle from it. He placed his finger in his mouth to see what had caused the accident. His eyes opened with horror as he felt two sharp fang teeth. He shut his eyes and want filled his mind. Want for only one thing. Human blood. The room was dull green in colour, on the floor lay cardboard mats selotape held them down. Water could be seen leaking through the walls and the odour of damp was clearly present in the room. Boran looked around. Men were stood around the cardboard mats, cheering mindlessly. In the circle two men were fighting, the sound of blood splattering on the floor could be heard above the cheering. The sound of clenched fists smashing against bone could be easily heard. Boran smiled. Boran walked into the middle of the circle. The cheering stopped suddenly. Boran smiled, kicked off his shoes and took his tie off. He pointed to a stocky man from the crowd. Boran studied him carefully; the half-light made it difficult to see. From what he could see Boran saw the man had blonde hair; he had grey eyes and looked pretty strong. Boran pointed at the man at motioned for him to come into the circle. The man walked slowly and cautiously into the centre of the circle and stood opposite Boran. Boran raised his fists ready to fight. The blonde man clicked his fingers and raised his own fists. A whistle sounded and the fight began. Without hesitation Boran forced his fist down as hard as he could on to the blonde man's nose, the snap of bone filled the room. The blonde man stumbled back; blood erupted from his broken nose. Boran looked at his hand, blood was dripping from it, Boran stared at it looking deeply as if expecting an answer from the crimson fluid, and eventually he licked it, tasting the liquid. Boran smiled as the crowd roared on. The blonde man lashed out at Boran, trying to hit him but before he could Boran drove his fist into the man's jaw. Once again he heard the snap of bone, the blonde man fell down in a heap. Boran raised his hand to silence the crowd and silence came quickly. Boran looked around the room and after what seemed like an eternity Boran began to speak ‘Fellow friends. You are all alike, all feed on one thing. You are all vampires' the words echoed through the dim room. Boran continued ‘Tomorrow I will post assignments through your doors. They must be completed, if you fail to complete them then†¦' the sentence trailed off and Boran looked at the blonde man, his hair was red with blood now. Boran walked away, slipping his shoes on as he passed. As Boran opened the door to leave he turned and smiled ‘Continue'; the deafening roar of cheering filled his ears once again. ‘You kill the master, you kill them all' the English accent filled the room ‘the problem is that no one knows who the master is'. Tyler Freeman stood up; it was boiling in the small confines of the room. Tyler walked to the window and pulled it up, the air came in and Tyler sighed as the cool breeze hit his face. The sun was high and Tyler looked up at it for a second, he lowered his gaze and saw green lights dancing in front of him, he shut his eyes and rubbed them, trying to get the green flashes out of his head. The other men in the room were silent. Boran sat in the darkness he couldn't go outside. The day was always so boring; it was like being grounded. Boran closed his eyes, each assignment had been written. Boran sighed; he was trying to sleep. He could do with a few hours of rest, yet sleep seemed to avoid Boran lately. He had heard of hunters living around the area he was staying, they were his only fear, it wasn't because they could kill him it was simply because the vampire hunters could expose the vampire race, it would be awful. Boran looked at his watch, it was 1:47pm, he sighed. Boran stared at the dull, damp walls, at the concrete floor and at the large wooden table. He shut his eyes again. He knew it was going to be a very long day. Brandon was sat at home, he glanced over at his wife and smiled ‘Beth, come over here' he said. Beth walked slowly over to him and sat on his knee. He smiled again. Brandon moved forward and placed his mouth on Beth's, she responded quickly and fiercely, she probed her tongue into his parted lips. Brandon opened his mouth fully, pushing his tongue further into Beth's mouth. Beth felt a sharp pain on her tongue and withdrew it quickly. She felt the blood oozing slowly from it. Brandon opened his mouth fully exposing the gleaming white fangs. Before Beth even had a chance to scream Brandon was upon her, he drove his sharp fangs into Beth's neck ripping off skin and tearing muscle. Blood pumped from the wound and Brandon drank it, enjoying the taste. Brandon stood up, blood dripping down his chin. He stared across at the mirror no reflection stared back. Brandon smiled revealing bloodied teeth once again. Tyler had found the note on his desk about fifteen minutes ago yet he read it out loud like it was the first time he had seen it. Scrawled on the note were the words: NEST – ABONDONED WAREHOUSE -CALDICOT ROAD 7pm TONIGHT. TYLER, BE THERE! -ANON. Tyler knew of the warehouse, he remembered playing there as a kid. But who could have sent the note? The question gnawed at his mind and finally Tyler slammed his hand down on the desk and cursed. He knew he had to check it out. Tyler looked at the letter again and sighed. He would need to get a party together by at least five that evening. Tyler slipped the letter back into the envelope; he wondered who was telling him where to go. Another scared him too; the letter was written in blood. Boran had given up on sleep and instead decided to give his minion's the assignments. He looked at the one on top of the pile. Boran had written As you know I am Boran, the master. I, like you am a vampire. Yet I am different, I am the master. I can control you. I do not work you hard so I feel you should thank me. I am asking you a favour, as I am worried. As you know hunters live in this part of the world and I have reason to believe that hunters are here searching for us. I ask you to become one of my army; you will be treated well and with respect. So, if hunters do come in search of us we will be ready – or at least I hope we will be. I am asking for your help and I hope you will be bold enough to help me. Thank you Boran. Boran smiled, he knew his followers would do this for him, they would do anything for him. They were mindless drones in his eyes. Boran smiled and slid the note under the door; he had only three left. Boran looked around the corridor as he posted the letters; it was the same dark green as the rest of the place. Boran looked at the wall, at where his shadow should've been. He laughed, a shadow was something he had never had, Boran had been a vampire in the womb – He was the only one that existed, that was how he had become the master. He remembered standing over the last master's deathbed, he could remember the exact words spoken to him ‘You are a pure bred vampire, you will be the next master. Boran, you will change history. You will hold Armageddon in your hands, I hope you will do us proud. Boran lowered his head, as of yet it had not come and Boran wondered if it ever would. Boran stared at the dull green glow of the light. It would soon be time – it had to be. Brandon looked at the clock, it was 5:30pm. Next to Brandon was his wife. Beth sat unmoving. Brandon knew she was resting. He smiled thinly; her blood had been amazing. A large crimson stain was soaked through the floor, Brandon licked his lips and smelled the coppery odour of her blood, he smiled and licked his lips. Beth stirred and Brandon glanced over at her, she was beautiful, her long brown hair, her deep blue eyes – everything. Brandon stared at the steady rise and fall of her chest; it seemed to intrigue Brandon. Suddenly, Beth woke up and began gasping for air, she screamed and it seemed to penetrate the stillness and silence of the room, like a knife being scraped down a chalkboard. Brandon looked at Beth and shouted ‘Beth, what's wrong?' a hint of fear sounded in his voice. Beth looked at him and pulled her tee shirt up revealing her flat stomach. Slashed across with perfect precision was: Come to the abandoned warehouse in Caldicot rd at 6:45 tonight. Beth, Brandon – do not be late! Your Master Boran. Beth looked at Brandon and he saw tears streaming down her cheeks, he swallowed hard and pointed at her stomach. Beth looked down. The words had disappeared. Tyler looked around the room and noticed it was fully metal. The fluorescent lights cast a cold, bright glow over the room. The room was big, as Tyler paced the room he could hear his footsteps hitting the cold, metal floor. He looked at the group of men standing before him, he didn't know any of them but that didn't matter. Tyler faced them ‘You know the rules: Don't play hero, kill all vampires without hesitation and kill a member if the are bitten', Tyler raised his eyebrows ‘Got it?' he said. The five men all said ‘Yes sir' at the same time. Tyler ran an eye over each of each of them, checking they were properly equipped, Tyler nodded approvingly, there were no faults with any of the men. Tyler grabbed the four wooden steaks that lay on the table, his gun that was also on the table, fifteen boxes of ammo and a large silver samurai sword that hung on the wall. Tyler sucked in a deep breath and lowered his gaze, looking at his feet. ‘Let's go' he ordered, a note of determination in his voice. But there was something else in his voice too Fear Maybe? Tyler felt his stomach somersault and shut his eyes for a brief second. He reached for the door. Boran opened his eyes and looked at his watch, it was 6:17pm, he had to prepare, he had to see who was willing to join his army. Boran rubbed his eyes, he had dropped off for a short time, he was still worrying about the vampire hunters, Boran feared for what might happen. Boran realised what he had to do, the task would be difficult but he must do it. Boran looked up at the wall, a small calendar was there, and he studied it. It was Thursday, Boran lowered his head – he was leaving Friday, he wondered if something was going to happen before then. He hoped it wouldn't, Boran looked at his watch -Friday couldn't come soon enough. Beth and Brandon were sat in the car; the drive would take about ten minutes. Luckily it had become quite cloudy and it was beginning to get dark, the light hurt both Brandon and Beth's eyes. Beth rubbed her stomach, she was aware of a pain the came every now and then; it was like someone kicking her there. She frowned and brought her hand away slowly. Brandon cast her a cursory glance but focused on the road when he realised she was ok. Beth looked at the clock, it told her that it was 6:30pm. Tyler checked each of his team again, they were ready, so was Tyler. ‘Mr. Freeman, what time do we leave, sir?', the voice came from the youngest looking of the men, Tyler reasoned he could be no more than twenty-two ‘Ten minutes' Tyler said. The van was small and the compartment where Tyler and his party were sat had everything, computers, video cameras, and phones. Tyler looked at the machinery and he spotted something. He bent down to see the object and he finally realised that it as a walkie-talkie. Tyler grabbed it and noticed many more lay beneath a small cloth, he picked up five and passed them to each man in the group ‘These might come in handy' said Tyler in an unmoving tone, he attached the two-way to his belt and checked his watch, it was 6:40pm. Tyler opened the back door of the van ‘Let's go' he ordered. The five other men followed Tyler. Across the street a car pulled up. Boran was stood still, behind him were the rest of the nest. Stood next to him was the American man, Boran looked at him ‘Matthew, you must protect me. Ok?' The American man looked at him and nodded, he looked forward again and shut his eyes a bead of perspiration ran down his face. One word roared through his mind TRAITOR! Beth looked at Brandon and sighed ‘Are you sure this is right?' she asked. Brandon smiled ‘I'm sure' he replied. Brandon looked across at the van parked on the other side and frowned ‘Wonder what that is, it looks pretty high-tech' Beth shrugged. Brandon sucked in a deep breath; his stomach felt like it was somersaulting with nervousness. Beth frowned as a large pain in her stomach came and Brandon looked at her ‘You ok?' he asked, Beth looked at him and nodded. She rubbed her stomach, ‘It's probably nothing' she told him unconvincingly. The clock on the dashboard read 6:42pm ‘Give it a minute' said Brandon. Boran felt a presence; a single bead of perspiration ran down his head. A knock on the door made him jump and he cursed. Silence. Another knock, Boran raised his hand to silence the already quiet men. Boran heard voices from outside the door and felt nervous. He noticed that some of the men had begun to move, they had been standing for quite a while, Boran clicked his fingers to silence the men again, it worked. Another knock came at the door and Boran felt his left knee begin to shake. The door crashed down and made a huge noise, it was intensified by the echo that it caused. Both Boran and Tyler's mouths dropped open as they saw each other ‘Master's of the opposite sides' Boran said trying to smile and look unafraid. Tyler glared at him ‘Armageddon' he whispered. In an instant Tyler raised his gun and he fired off three rounds, the recoil hurting the palm of his hand. The first bullet hit Matthew in the chest and he screamed in agony as the bullet tore through him, he managed to gurgle two words ‘I'm sorry', blood began to spill over his lip. The second bullet hit him in the side of his face and Tyler heard the crack of bone then saw his face rip off because of the force of the bullet. The third shot missed and hit the wall blasting a huge hole in it; plaster and brick flew off in chunks from the wall hitting Boran and some of his followers. ‘Boran, I could kill you so easily. Just one shot.' Tyler chuckled to himself/ Boran felt the anger rising within him and he clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white with rage ‘Tyler, you know what is supposed to happen when the two masters meet', Tyler glared at Boran and finally stated ‘A fight to the death'. Boran smiled ‘That's right Tyler. What Else?' Tyler stared at Boran for what seemed be an eternity and managed to say ‘Armageddon.' Boran smiled and whispered ‘Who too Tyler?' Tyler stared down at the floor ‘To the side that loses' Tyler met Boran's icy glare ‘But it's only hearsay, it's never been proven!' he said this defensively, as if it would make Boran reconsider. Boran slipped off his shoes ‘Tyler, there's only one way to find out. Fight me to the death.' Tyler raised his gun and shot at Boran, the shot hit him in the elbow and he bellowed in pain as his lower arm was ripped away, he fell to the floor gripped his arm, it was pumping blood. Boran screamed one word ‘Attack!' The entire army ran towards the five men. Tyler was about to fire again when he felt a large hand grip his shoulder, he turned his neck and raised his arm. It smashed the vampire in the face and it fell backwards. Tyler turned around and raised his sword, he brought it down with an amazing force on to the vampire's head. Tyler heard the satisfying crack of bone and felt the blood of the vampire hit his face. He ripped the sword out of the vampire's skull and swung it around him, it hit another vampire and chopped it completely off at the waist, the legs remained upright for a second then fell into a heap on the floor. Tyler jumped into the shadows and gripped the two-way. He pressed the small button on the side of it. Tyler spoke calmly into it ‘Requesting backup in Caldicot Road warehouse. Quickly, this is a code blue emergency', there was a hiss of static then a voice from the other end ‘Ok Tyler, I got that. Over and out.' Tyler clipped the two-way back on to his belt and reached for his gun. He could hear the gunfire of his partners. ‘At least they aren't dead yet' muttered Tyler. The gun was light and Tyler looked at it, he knew the technical specs of the gun very well and eventually found the button he sought. He pushed it and smiled, the gun was programmed to rapid-fire. Tyler stood up and raised the gun. He pulled and held the trigger. Brandon and Beth heard the gunfire from the warehouse and looked at each other. Brandon placed the key back in the ignition and started it up. Beth locked her door; she looked out of the window and saw people running from the gunfire yet nobody ran out of the warehouse. The deafening sound of gunfire drowned out the sound of screams and Beth closed her eyes, trying to ignore the sounds. The car began moving and Beth felt a sharp pain in her stomach, was it a warning to go back? She ignored it and the car drove on. Tyler felt the recoil of the gun against the palm of his hand. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes. He moved the gun from side to side hoping it was hitting something. Tyler heard the click of the gun showing that the magazine was empty. Tyler quickly ducked and slammed in another one. Immediately he stood up and began firing again. Bodies were scattered across the floor and blood was spattered on the walls and ceiling, it was pumping from the bullet-ridden bodies oozing on to the floor. Tyler heard screams in the distance but kept his finger pulled down on the trigger. Tyler felt the gun stop firing and ducked back into the shadows, he reloaded but stayed down for a second this time. He heard sirens in the distance and smiled. Boran had managed to get away and now he stood in the filthy infirmary wrapping what remained of his arm. Boran saw a rat scuttle across the filthy floor of the infirmary. Boran rubbed the perspiration from his pale face. Was it over, or was it just beginning? Boran clenched his only fist and swiped at the mirror that was in the room, as it cracked he saw the room reflected at least twelve times, but no reflection. Boran walked out of the room, sweat was soaking his back and armpits. One word raced through his mind and refused to leave. Armageddon. The firing had stopped; the agonising wails of pain had stopped. Tyler came up from the shadows and saw twelve men; it was the back up team. ‘Hey guys. They all dead?' Tyler pointed in the direction of one of the vampires. The twelve men of the backup team looked at Tyler ‘Hey Tyler, what the hell happened here?' Tyler looked at the men ‘What does it look like?' Silence. Tyler looked at the spot where Boran had been lying ‘Oh Christ' he murmured. Tyler heard the massive crash of the door and raised his gun. He fired three rounds at the figure that stood in the doorway and each shot hit it. The figure began walking towards Tyler. Finally the dim light spread across the beings face ‘Boran' Tyler muttered. Boran smiled ‘Hello Tyler' he whispered. Tyler threw his gun away ‘Fine, a fight to the death!' Both men ran at each other and as Boran lashed out with one powerful fist Tyler fell to the floor, ducking from the fatal blow. Boran cursed and stopped himself from running. Tyler pulled himself up and grabbed one of the wooden steaks from his belt. Tyler heard Boran running up behind him and shut his eyes tight. In one swift movement Tyler was up and had spun his whole body round, the wooden steak came around in his hand, it ripped through Boran's skin, muscle and bone and finally pierced his heart. Boran felt one moment of searing pain and then it subsided to nothingness, Boran could feel himself slipping away in to unconsciousness. In to death. Boran opened his mouth and blood began to trickle from it, running down his chin and splashing on the floor, like tiny crimson pools. Boran tried to speak but found it almost impossible, he could only focus on one word. He coughed up more blood and tried to speak again ‘A†¦Ar.' Tyler glared at him coldly and finally whispered ‘Armageddon.' Darkness enveloped the earth; it was like the entire world had been covered by a huge blanket. People stared up in both disbelief and fear. Vampires everywhere began to fall, wither away and slide in to oblivion, into an eternal sleep. The darkness seemed to grow greater and an icy wind ran chills through the soul of everybody. The darkness seemed impenetrable. The body of Boran fell to the ground and Tyler opened his own eyes. An icy chill ran through him. It was over. ‘We've won. The world is ours.' The twelve men looked at each other confusedly, not understanding what Tyler was saying. Tyler looked outside and the darkness began to dissipate, blue skies took over the world again. The darkness faded away into nothingness. One thought was on Tyler's mind. Who had sent him the note? The thought hit Tyler suddenly and he gasped. He bent down at the body of Boran and pushed his hand in to Boran's bloodied pocket. Nothing. Tyler walked over to Matthew and searched his pockets; inside one of the trouser pockets was note, it was written in blood; Tyler smiled at the words scrawled on it. I AM A TRAITOR. I AM SORRY! -ANON. Tyler knew it was the same man. The guy had been a right hand man and a traitor. Tyler laughed. The man who he had first shot and killed had actually helped him. Tyler heard movement behind him and raised his gun, ready to fire. The members of his own party came from the shadows ‘Hey Sir. We dived back here when you nearly shot us. Sorry.' Tyler laughed and walked off. One word boomed through Tyler's mind. Armageddon. The body of Beth Cole lay on the operating table. She, like many others had died when the darkness had come. Beth was different though. She had been pregnant. When the doctors had found her a case had taken place, Beth was hooked up to a life support machine to keep her baby alive. Although her brain was dead technology could keep her body working normally. She had been lying on the bed for two months and the doctors had taken tests that showed the baby would be perfect. The tests had proved to be right, the baby had been born less than thirty minutes ago and it was fine. Beth Cole had given birth to a perfectly healthy baby boy. The doctors were stood around Beth's bed waiting for the leading doctor to pull the plug that would stop her body from working, finally he did. The body of Beth Cole was taken the morgue. Her baby lay in his incubator waiting for attention. More tests needed to be run on him and he could not wait for those to be completed. He was thirsty and wanted only one thing, he wanted to taste the sweet flavour of human blood. The baby began to cry.