The Play Julius Caesar Is An Eclectic Mix Of Wise And Ignorant, Cunnin

The play Julius Caesar is an eclectic mix of wise and ignorant, cunning and na?ve, heroes and cowards. The pageantry set forth in the play exemplifies the formality of everyday Roman life and the gravity of the official duties. Each main character in Julius Caesar has a positive quality that embraces the reader and a negative quality that leads to their tragic downfall. Although the characters possess more than two qualities, their strongest, most aggressive points shine through. At the end of the play two characters are forced to penetrate each other's minds and evaluate the good and evil. One is a domineering, egotistical, selfish conspirator. He lacks the power and appraisal that his enemy, Julius Caesar has, and, therefore, uses his envy and jealousy as a drive to convert others to challenge Caesar. His opposing force is a reserved, mediocre man who's only love his the country he stands upon. The powerhouse of confidence versus the dollhouse of reservation ends in an explosion of destruction. Marcus Brutus is the most admirable character in Julius Caesar. He is the only person involved in the conspiracy against Caesar for his country. He truly believes that Caesar's ambition will ruin the fortitude of his beloved Rome. Brutus uses his hidden inner strength to survive the brutality of the conspiracy and the harsh reality of the aftermath. In the beginning of the play, Brutus appears as a quiet lamb. He follows the herd, lives by example, and keeps his thoughts and opinions disclosed from the public masses. Although he is reserved, his undying desire for a better Rome shines through like light flowing from a stained-glass window. When Cassius first confronts Brutus to become a member of the conspiracy, his lacking confidence is evident. Brutus says, "Into what dangers would you lead me, Cassius, / that you would have me seek into myself/ for that which is not in me?" (1.2.45-47). However, his self-assurance grows as the play continues and by the end he stands up for his beliefs and backs them with power. Brutus is admirable for his love and devotion to Rome. He was born Roman and died Roman. His affection for justice and honor is one of the most evident characteristics about him. The opposite of Marcus Brutus is Gaius Cassius. He is a strong-willed, cunning, jealous villain who only wants Julius Caesar dead for his own, selfish reasons. He sees Caesar as an ambitious man who is after more power and control. What Cassius forgets to do is to evaluate his own image and realize his race for personal betterment. Throughout the play, Cassius, like a cat, uses his mind controlling skills to climb his way to the top, not caring whom he pounces on in the end. He converts Brutus to his mere puppet. Cassius dreams of the thoughts and actions and has Brutus carry the negative plans out. Cassius is the most villainous character because he is actually a coward. He is too afraid to go for his goals himself, to work hard and achieve the right to be a leader. Instead, he underhandedly commits other Romans to kill an adored leader for his own selfish merit and his proclaimed "justice." Cassius is even afraid to overcome a challenge with Brutus. Even during a devilish argument in act IV, Cassius gives in to Brutus' desires (4.228-30). He is too afraid of losing his workman and too much of a coward to become the leader. Brutus and Cassius are two opposite characters. Brutus is a compassionate, reserved, humane individual. He knows his goals and desires and goes after them quietly and respectively. He does everything for the good of Rome, even when it comes to sacrificing his life. Cassius, however, is a vile, envious coward, whose mind is like a tempest, longing to thrust danger upon those more powerful than he. Although both die gruesome deaths, Brutus dies an honorable, patriotic soul and Cassius dies a disgraceful, mischievous man. Bibliography N/A

lincoln essays

lincoln essays In March 1861, when Abraham Lincoln took the oath as the sixteenth president of the United States, the country had been struggling with the question of slavery for years. Kansas was bleeding from it, laws had been broken over it and in early February, seven southern states had finally seceded because of it and formed the Confederate States of America. In Kansas, pro-slavery and anti-slavery partisans engaged in a bloody war for control of the territorial government. Prior to these events, the voters who supported Lincoln in 1860 preferred preserving the Union rather than abolishing slavery; however they both became major issues of his presidency following his election. Contrary to many beliefs, the election of Lincoln was not the result of his followers, the majority of them being Republicans, wanting to completely remove slavery. He was known as the  gGreat Emancipator h and yet he did not publicly call for emancipation throughout his entire life. Actually, Lincoln denied continuously that he was an abolitionist. In two separate debates, he refused to believe that blacks should enjoy the privileges of American citizenship. Secondly, much as he hated slavery, he accepted it fs the law of the land, which he held sacred,  gas if the Almighty had written it in golden letters a yard high h. Throughout his inaugural address in March of 1861, Lincoln gave additional evidence suggesting that as President he really had no intention of advocating emancipation. Lincoln insisted he had  gno purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with slavery in the states where it already exists h. He continued by stating he had neither the lawful right nor the inclination to do so. His speech plainly states without doubt that Lincoln fs primary motive was not to abolish slavery. Instead, during the election campaign of 1860, Lincoln fs highest priority had been to keep the country united. He felt that any decision he would make as president wou...

Buddhism Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Buddhism Reflection - Essay Example It is because of this evolution and varying schools of thought that causes confusion when it comes to better understanding the underlying factors connected with the quest of man to achieve self-salvation. To begin with, most of the schools of thought are united in the idea that there are 4 Noble Truths that can guide the way of life of a person who is hoping to achieve Nirvana or a Buddha like status of self-salvation. These four truths include (â€Å"Buddhas Four Noble Truths†) : Acknowledging the above mentioned truths of Buddha is the beginning of enlightenment of a person. Through meditation, self-examination, and self-reflection, one can discover at what point of life he is at in relation to the four truths and in the process, help him analyze how he might move forward from his current point of being. Only by growing as a person, through the achievement of the four truths can a person claim to have achieved self-salvation. Regardless of which school of thought you subscribe to in Buddhism, be it the India or Chinese based school of proselytyzing, the goal of each school is the same, personal salvation. A sense of salvation that comes from within a person who, through the altering of his way of life, has finally managed to free himself from the constraints of the material world in order to achieve a higher sense of intellectual and spiritual achievement. This particular sense of salvation can only be reached by the person once he accepts that our world is not permanent and hence, should not be clung to. This will then allow a person to clean his thoughts and actions in an effort to achieve a Zen like status in life. The Four Noble Truths that guide the path of a Buddhist is what also helps him decipher how he can improve himself in order to benefit others. Buddhism, in my opinion, once viewed from the point of view of a symbiotic, sentient relationship between human beings, leads us to

Research Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 7

Research Proposal - Essay Example Two middle managers, a labour union leader and thirteen low-level permanent employees were selected using two-stage random sampling technique. Two standardize and validated instruments (questionnaires and interview guides) were used to generate background information and data for analysis. The result of the survey indicates 68.5% believe informal mechanism is more effective in improving individual performance while 54.3% believe it is most appropriate for teamwork. In contrast, 51% low-level employees believe formal mechanisms improve individual performance while 30.1% believe it improves teamwork. Both middle managers and low-level employees believe that a combination of informal and formal control mechanisms is most effective in enhancing employee performance and productivity. However, 79.5% of the middle managers believe a combination that emphasizes formal mechanism is more effective. This is in contrast to low-level employees’ perception (93.4%) that a combination of info rmal and formal strategies that gives prominence to informal interactions among employees is more effective in enhancing employee performance. This contradictory perception of the combination of mechanisms suggests the need for further research into the relations between different combinations of mechanisms and employee performance at individual and team levels. The environment organizations operate is fast changing politically, economically, socially and technologically. These changes are impacting on the way organizations are designed to accommodate resultant changes in relationships among employees. It is the responsibility of management of organizations to continuously respond to these changes in environment and relationship among employees. Traditional rigid methods of dealing with employee relations vis-Ã  -vis performance and productivity are giving way for newer flexible methods. The

Military leaders role Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Military leaders role - Essay Example For Clausewitz, by the time he was writing his book "On War," his thoughts on war had evolved towards notions like "War is a continuation of politics with an admixture of other means" and that there could be different ways and means of warfare. Here the concern is particularly towards his views on the practical uses of military history to and his "critical analysis" where he distinguished carefully between the historian and the military critic, despite his admission that both roles were often complementary.According to Clausewitz for a military historian, there had to be a use of the critical analysis which would involve the tracing of effects back to their causes which would be essentially an investigation into what military steps were taken and whether they were effective at a tactical, operational, strategic and political level. Before I revisit Clausewitz on his notions of a military leader it would be fair to discuss what Machiavelli and Sun Tzu have to say about the military le ader's role in defining national interests and military objectives in war. Machiavelli Machiavelli is much known for his book "The Prince" in which he has described how a prince or in other terms a military leader can keep his control on his jurisdiction.For him, control is particularly a difficult matter for a new prince whose status is not established by lineage or popular consent amongst the masses. The new prince or military leader would have a hard time creating a stabilized framework of power. Many times the prince will have to do carry out unpleasant, perhaps evil things to carry out his task. Machiavelli has refrained from discussing the ideal price or leader.Instead, he gives examples as to which of the military leaders/princes were successful in establishing their rule and most of these examples are drawn from his own analysis of history. As a renaissance writer, he uses an amount of classical historical examples. At first sight, his ideas seem  to hard to swallow as he seems to endorse any evil act by such rulers to gain power and control. A more profound understanding of his views,  however, indicates that he has actually qualified such measures with restrictions like the  philosophical view that any evil action can be justified if it is done for a good purpose. The work faced much negative criticism even in its time and was banned by the Catholic church. For Machiavelli, a good military leader would know how to use good and evil as instruments of power. Essentially he was trying to promote a more practical approach lined with pragmatism. However, realism is a bitter medicine and many people including myself find the idea of an undemocratically elected military leader abhorrent and dysfunctional. Such a military leader would invariably not be able to strike any balance between good or evil and keep tilting towards evil whenever his survival is threatened. An example is the current military crisis in South Asia particularly Bangladesh and Paki stan.  

Strategies to Motivate Employees

Strategies to Motivate Employees INTRODUCTION Motivation of employees in the workplace is one of the fundamental responsibilities of a manager, in order to achieve high levels of productivity, to satisfy the ever changing customer needs, and to withstand the increasing global competition. Management motivates the organizational members to make the most of the scarce resources by distributing awards to outstanding employees and perhaps punishing those showing unacceptable performance. Steers (1987) stated that â€Å"A comprehensive theory of motivation at work must address itself to at least three important sets of variables which constitute the work situation, i.e. the characteristics of the individual, the characteristics of the job and the characteristics of the work environment†. (Blue†¦) Motivation is a tool, often used by the managers to catalyze the avidness of the employees to work without pressure. Various motivational theories have been used since decades to stimulate the workforce in achieving extraordinary results in all fields of work. To motivate the employees, the managers should understand that different people have different set of needs and understanding, and therefore, should be able to use the right mix of motivational theories depending on different individuals, different societies, and different organizational levels. Use of analogous motivation methods may lead to frustration, resentment and a perception of inequity for employees from a diverse culture. (cited from CULTURAL VALUES IN RELATION TO EQUITY SENSTIVITY WITHIN AND ACROSS CULTURES, KENNETH G. WHEELER) Taking this into consideration the managers should apply their knowledge of the various motivational theories to improve the workplace performance. It would depend on different societies, different individuals, and different organizational or job levels. There is not probably a universal motivator for all mankind, nor is there a single motivating force for any one individual. It is a problem of what mixture of needs for what kind of people in what kind of society. In Hong Kong, for example, there is no doubt that money is a predominant motivator with regard to both the lower level need satisfaction and the fulfilment of status and achievement goals. Employee motivation or motivation of organizational members is one of the critical functions of a manager, because there is a persistently increasing pressure for increased productivity in order to meet competition, to best utilize the scarce resources, and to provide goods and services to more and more people at less and less cost Organizations motivate their workforce to perform effectively by offering them rewards for satisfactory performance and perhaps punishing them for unsatisfactory performance. Motivation is the catalyst that spurns employees eagerness to work without pressure. To motivate is to provide employees with a motive to do some tasks. It is to cause or provoke somebody to act either positively or negatively. Motivation has been used by effective managers to prompt ordinary people to achieve uncommon results in all fields of endeavours People work because they have goals to achieve which surpass financial gains from their employment. Maslow (1943) said that people work to survive and live through financial compensation, to make new friends, to have job security, for a sense of achievement and to feel important in the society, to have a sense of identity, and most especially to have job satisfaction. All employees that have job satisfaction are high performers in their respective workplaces. Theories of Motivation Motivational theories are broadly segregated based on two grounds. The one dealing with the scientific approach such as Equity and Expectancy theory are called process theories and those showcasing the inner drive of an employee that motivates them to work such as Maslows (1954) hierarchy of needs and Herzbergs (1959) two factor theory are called content theories. The below mentioned section will highlight more about these theories. MOTIVATION THEORIES Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow (1954) presented the hierarchy of needs and divided them into two groups; deficiency and incremental needs. The deficiency needs includes the biological, safety, belongingness and social needs whereas the incremental needs comprises of the esteem and self actualization needs (Citation: Huitt, W. (2004). Maslows hierarchy of needs. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved [date] from, http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/regsys/maslow.html. Return to:). Maslow proposed that as an individual develops they work towards achieving these needs, arranged in a certain hierarchy and unless the deficiency needs are satisfied the growth needs will have less or no relevance (http://home.ubalt.edu/tmitch/642/Articles%20syllabus/steers%20et%20al%20future%20of%20wk%20mot%20Ac%20Mgt%20rev%202004.pdf). According to Maslows â€Å"Needs Hierarchy Theory†, â€Å"as the person satisfies a lower-level need, the next higher need in the h ierarchy becomes the primary motivator and remains so even if never satisfied† (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p. 140). An urge to satisfy these needs motivates an employee to bring out the best performance in all endeavor of work. Although Maslow theory of Motivation received a lot of attention , however most of Maslows work has been criticized by people who applied the theory practically for work motivation( hall and nougaim 1968, cited in The Individual In The Economy: A Text Book Of Economic psychology by S.E.G. Lea, Roger M. Tarpy, Paul Webley). Also there is lack of evidence that the level of hierarchy precedes each other and will increase the importance of the next one if the latter is satisfied (wabha and Bridwell , 1974 cited in The Individual In The Economy: A Text Book Of Economic psychology by S.E.G. Lea, Roger M. Tarpy, Paul Webley). Finally there is an increasing evidence that Maslows â€Å"Hierarchy† of â€Å" Needs† are quiet unique and they cannot be applied universally because an individuals need will vary with location, values and beliefs (Haslam, Powell, and Turner, 2000, p. 319 339, Locke, 2000, p. 408-429 cited in McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p. 141). Davis and Filly comme nt, â€Å"†¦the exact order of priority may vary somewhat between persons†¦.† (Davis and Filly, 1963, cited in Dye, Mills, and Weatherbee, 2005, p. 1377).an example is required EQUITY THEORY Adams (1963, 1965) developed a motivation model based on to the comparison of oneself with others in context to the output input ratio at work. Equity is achieved when the input and output ratio is the same for different individuals. The employees of a firm try to compare their own ratio with that of others (Adams, 1963, p. 422-436, cited in McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p. 154). Thus get either get motivated if they think that the results are rational or else they get de motivated if they think that there is a lack of fairness in the work outcome. The major challenge lies with the managers to allocate a right mix of input and output considering a diverse global workforce so as to maintain equity in the organization. For instance, Dutch researchers found that pay inequity leads to negative behavior and frustration (Van Dierendonck et al, 1994; Van Y Peren et al, 1992) whereas Australian studies show that the situation results in lower job satisfaction (Carr et al., 1996). EXPECTANCY THEORY Expectancy theory suggests that an individual acts through self interest and adopts a pathway of actions which he perceives will maximize the chances of desirable results for themselves (Isaac, Wilfred, and Pitt, 2001, p. 212). The theory is based on three components; valence, expectancy and instrumentality. Vroom (1964, p. 15) defined valence as an â€Å"affective orientations toward particular outcomes†. Expectancy refers to a momentary belief of an individual that a stated level of performance will follow a particular outcome. Finally, instrumentality is related to an individuals expectations that â€Å"if she or he behaves in a certain way, he or she will get certain things† (Nadler and Lawler, 1997, p. 218). Expectancy theory is thus grounded on the fact that the work performance is directed towards individual behaviors that people perceive, will lead them to the desired outcomes (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p. 146). HERZBERGS â€Å"TWO FACTOR THEORY† Herzberg ‘s (1959) Motivation- Hygiene or two factor theory suggest that the intrinsic and the extrinsic aspects of a job are different from each other. The theory breaks job satisfaction into two factors: Motivation and Hygiene factors. Motivators relates to the intrinsic factors such as responsibility, recognition, achievement and the work profile. On the other hand hygiene factors are associated with the extrinsic factors such as remuneration, working environment, policies of the organization and position ((Manolopoulos, 2008, p. 66). Herzberg(1959) suggest that job satisfaction and dissatisfaction are two different independent variables. According to the theory job dissatisfaction is an outcome followed by lack of hygiene factors. However, even their presence dosent motivates or satisfies the work force. On the other hand motivation factors acted as elements to enrich an individuals job. Motivation factors had long term positive effects on the workforce performance whereas hygiene factors had a short term impact on the attitude and performance of the employees (Gawel Joseph E. (1997). Herzbergs theory of motivation and Maslows hierarchy of needs. Practical Assessment, Research Evaluation, 5(11). Retrieved August 18, 2009 from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=5n=11 . This paper has been viewed 290,800 times since 11/13/1999..)eg is required. However, questions have been raised about the application of Herzbergs theory on diverse workforce. A few of the motivation factors may lead to dissatisfaction and a few of hygiene factor may result in satisfaction (Gardner, 1977, p. 197). It is totally based on individuals or groups requirement. Implementation of Motivational Theories It is an important aspect of a managers job profile to keep the employees motivated towards the organizational goals. A manager should understand the needs of both the organization and the employees and should try to align them so as to get favorable results. Despite having a lot of Motivation theories , managers still face a lot of problem in motivating their employees and one major factor behind this is the global workforce having altogether different values and beliefs

Lysistrata Of Aristophanes Essays -- essays research papers fc

The Lysistrata of Aristophanes Aristophanes was a satirist who produced Lysistrata around 413 BC when the news of Athen’s warships had been destroyed near Sicily. For twenty-one years, while Athens was engaged in war, he relentlessly and wittliy attacked the war, the ideals of the war, the war party and the war spirit. This risked his acceptance and his Athenian citizenship. Lysistrata is probably the oldest comedy which has retained a place in modern theatre. It primarily deals with two themes, war and the power of sexuality.. Lysistrata (an invented name meaning, She Who Puts an End to War) has summoned the women of Athens to meet her at the foot of Acropolis. She puts before them the easy invitation that they must never lie again with their husbands until the war is ended. At first, they shudder and withdraw and refuse until, with the help of the women from Sparta and Thebes, they are impelled to agree. The women seize the Acropolis from which Athens is funding the war. Aft er days of sexually depriving their men in order to bring peace to there communities. They defeat back in an attack from the old men who had remained in Athens while the younger men are on their crusade. When their husbands return from battle, the women reject sex and stand guard at Acropolis. The sex strike, portrayed in risqué episodes, finally pressure the men of Athens and Sparta to consent to a peace treaty. Ancient Greece in 431 BC was not a nation. It was a collection of rival city-states that were allies with each other or with leading military powers. Athens was a great naval power, while Sparta relied mainly on its army for superiority. In 431 BC, these alliances went to war against each other in a conflict called the Peleponnesian War. The war, which went on for 27 years, is named for the Peloponnesus, the peninsula on which Sparta is located. As the war began, Sparta and Athens each took advantage of their military strengths. Sparta ravaged Attica, the territory a round Athens, while the Athenian navy raided cities in Peloponnesus. This strategy lasted for two years. Meanwhile, Pericles’ death in 429 BC left the democracy open for hostile factions and reckless leaders who pursued their own advantages. Chief among these leaders was Alcibiades, who was as irresponsible as brilliant. By 425 BC, Sparta’s hopes for victory were bleak, and its leaders were ready to ask... ... to succeed. Ending the war would be so easy that women could complete the task. Aristophanes is not one of the most profound or exalted of Greek poets, but he is the most creative. Others deal with the world as it is, glorifying it or justifying its flaws, discovering hidden values in it and suggesting how they may be realized. Aristophanes erases the present and constructs another. He rids history and its constraints. If war has become tiresome he makes a private treaty and fetches the goddess of Peace. If Athens has become tiresome, he builds a new one in the sky. As Lysistrata shows, he is more moved by sympathy for the innocent sufferers of war than anger against the warmongers. Although caustic and good-humored, he intended to show the power lust and civil war amongst the Greeks. Works Cited Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. 18 September 2000. *http://www1.cc.va.us/hurst/eng251cr/* Arkins, Brian. Classics Ireland. "Sexuality in Fifth-Century". 15 September 2000. *h ttp://www.ucd.ie/classics/94/Arkins94.html/* Hadas, Moses. Lysistrata. The Complete Plays of Aristophanes. New York, 1962. 287-328 Peleponnesian War. 16 September 2000. *http:/www.library.thinkquest.org/*