Generation X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Generation X - Essay Example urdles as well as stereotypes, the strong, appealing characteristics from the particular events, issues and people stem individuals born in generation X, making them extraordinary. Generation X is defined as the generation born in the years 1965 to 1980, immediately apparent in this generation after the baby boomers. This generation was named ‘X’ as the letter itself represents an unknown, mystery. This generation is better educated and more ethnically diverse (Rosen 4). In addition, this generation was raised at a period of increasing divorce rates, faltering economy, and two income families. From all generations, this is the only one that was pushed into early adulthood. The aspect of women liberation from traditional roles as only homemakers is broken in this generation. This is evident by several women joining the work force, leaving behind their infants. During this era women broke the traditional characteristic of being dependent to a man to being independent and self sufficient. The con of this move was the commencement of latchkey kids who had no choice, but to take care of themselves whilst their parents worked (Zustiak 32). I am a clear example of such children; both my parents worked, being the first born, I had the responsibility of taking care of my siblings. I can say that I took the role of my parents, and disciplined my siblings when they made a mistake. I lacked the emotional needs from my parents and turned out into an autonomous, self-reliant individual. The situation at home forced me to grow up faster, and also adapt parenting skills. This was a challenge, as I was struggling the balance of being a child, sibling and at the same t ime ‘a parent. This explains why individuals who are in this generation like I, demonstrate the values of resourceful, autonomy and contribution, attributes of the command of authority and structured work hours. I was raised at a time where there was the emergence of personal computers, television, and Atari

Ethical and Moral Business Management (MBA) Essay

Ethical and Moral Business Management (MBA) - Essay Example My approach at decision making therefore applies deontology with the goal of making the right decision regardless of its consequences. Morality has deeply influenced my professional practice, and decision making in the workplace context. Throughout my term as a summer trainee at Zain Telecom, I have demonstrated ethical decision making by doing what was right in each situation. Working in the Finance Department, which was one of the most critical functional units of the firm, I was responsible for sorting records and analyzing financial statements for the company. I had full accessibility to critical company information and financial records but I carried out my duties without tinkering at the information. I did what was ethically right and expected of me given my position and responsibilities for the role. I resorted to the company policy and acted in accordance with the code of conduct while handling the information. As such I displayed full integrity and responsibility with the critical financial information I was entrusted with. Because my career focuses on accounting and finance, auditing is a key component of my work. Auditing is a domain of accounting which demands ethical integrity and accountability in professional practice. During my term as a full-time Assistant Auditor at Delloite, I was exposed to financial information from a wide array of companies and organizations. Not only did I demonstrate integrity while handling information but I also did what was right by carrying out my duties of auditing the financials truly. My conduct was geared towards ensuring accurate and reliable financial information for the various clients. During my practice as an auditor, I ensured compliance with law and the ethical code of each firm. I responsibly explored the accounting system and reported only accurate information thereby reflecting aspects of Kantian ethics

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bosnia and Herzegovina Merjema Aletic Introduction The very definition of Foreign direct investment is controlling ownership in a bussiness enterprise in one country by an entity based in another country. The collapse of the former Yugoslav Federation, Croatia and Slovenia declared independence in 1991 while paramilitary origins from Serbia occupied several Bosnia and Herzegovina towns killing civil Bosniaks and Croat. In this clash of ethnic groups, BIH was confronted with serious humanitarian and social problems in which thousands of people died. The conflict lasted (1992-1995) until the Dayton Peace Agreement was signed in Paris in December 1995 between the counterparts (Malcolm 2002). With one confederation, two entities, ten cantons in the Federation, five administrative areas in the Serb Republic, a special Brcko district, plus municipalities and local government unit presents a very complex political system in the world which conceals meaningful barriers and bureaucratic obstacles that will need to overcome (Ilgun, 2009). Many aspects of the regulatory quality reforms have stagnated over a number of years, making BiH among the least competitive economies in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. To enhance the prospects of the country as a destination for foreign investment further steps were taken, especially by establishing the Promotion Agency (FIPA), privatization and incentives for foreign investors. Literature review Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays an extraordinary and growing role in global business. It has long been recognized that the benefits of FDI for the host country can be significant, including knowledge and technology transfer to domestic firms and the labor force productivity spillovers, enhanced competition, and improved access for exports abroad, notably in the source country (Demekas et al, 2005 and Botric, 2010). Due to the low domestic savings there is need for attraction of foreign direct investment for future economic growth (Botric, 2010).The consensus view in the literature is that the benefits of FDI tend to significantly outweigh its costs for host countries (Demekas et al, 2005). There are two types od FDI: Horizontal FDI (HFDI) is market-seeking investment, aimed primarily at the domestic market in the host country, when local production is seen as a more efficient way to penetrate this market than exports from the source country, and Vertical FDI (VFDI) is cost-mini mizing investment, when a multinational corporation chooses the location of each link of its production chain to minimize global costs (Demekas et al, 2005). As a result of these differences in motivation, a number of host country factors, such as market size, trade restrictions, and transport costs, can have different effects on HFDI and VFDI. Predictable policy environment that promotes macroeconomic stability, ensures the rule of law and the enforcement of contracts, minimizes distortions, supports competitiveness, and encourages private sector development can be expected to stimulate all private including foreign investment (Demekas et al, 2005). Among the macroeconomic and political environment factors it is the political stability as the most important factor that influences investment decision. Furthermore in the case of the institutional environment, protection of investors is one of the important factors. Those can be the tax systems, lack of corruption, the ease of starting up a company, law of contract, transparency, safeguarding of property rights and efficiency of justice (Ilgun, 2009). Although Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina are slightly lagging behind the other countries, they are on a good path to make further progress in this area of reform implementation (Penev and Rojec, 2004). High poli tical risks in the region in the past decade posed one of the greatest obstacles to FDI inflow although this varied amongst countries. Private foreign capital is very sensitive to any investment risk, so that the countries with an unstable political and economic environment are almost unattractive to private foreign investors (Penev and Rojec, 2004). After the political failure, BIH has also started a wide reaching process of reconstruction and development of its political, economic, social and legal systems of the country (Ilgun, 2009). All Southeastern European countries, each to a different degree, need to make further efforts to simplify complex tax and customs laws and regulations, facilitate access to land and construction permits, strengthen the judiciary, accelerate the resolution of commercial disputes, and eliminate remaining discriminatory provisions against foreign investors. It is found that high unit labor costs, a high corporate tax burden, and, to a lesser extent, a high level of import tariffs discourage FDI (Demekas et al, 2005), while a liberal foreign exchange and trade regime and advanced reforms in the infrastructure sector encourage FDI (Penev and Rojec, 2004). Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina related to FDI The role of FDI in economic growth and development is now widely acknowledged, and all countries are actively seeking to attract it. Several forms can be used for capital investing abroad: investment in a joint venture with a local firm, acquisition of a foreign firm (mergers acquisitions) or construction of a facility (wholly owned) (Ilgun, 2009). In order to create and improve bussiness climate Bosnia and Herzegovina accelerated Economic Reform process. The aim of BH is to eliminate legal and administrative obstacles for doing business in BH, as well as create the most attractive business environment in the SEE (FIPA). Many aspects of the regulatory quality reforms have stagnated over a number of years, making BiH among the least competitive economies in the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region. BiH currently ranks 131st out of 189 economies on the Doing Business indicators for 2014 (World bank). The business environment in BiH is the least friendly in the region, as it is burdene d by a large and complex public administration system and layers of administrative approval authorities which increases costs (World bank). World bank (2013) supports BiH’s business environment reforms and includes areas such as reducing the time and cost for registering a business, streamlining procedures for obtaining construction permits, and facilitating trade across borders shown in Figure 1. Based on IAB results (2010), countries tend to attract more FDI if they allow foreign ownership of companies in a variety of sectors, make start-up, land acquisition, and commercial arbitration procedures efficient and transparent, and have strong laws protecting investor interests. For instance, studies have shown that 70% of countries miss out on foreign investment due to deficiencies of investment promotion institutions in providing potential investors with accurate and up-todate information (IAB, 2010). These policies target improving BiH’s competitiveness, helping to facilitate the country’s dialogue with the EU on accession, and promoting economic growth. The May 2014 floods are estimated to have caused around US$2.9 billion in damages and losses, the equivalent of nearly 15 percent of GDP in 2014. Figure 1. Fastest and slowest countries for starting a foreign business. BiH is in a delicate position, caught between the â€Å"middle-income trap† (too poor to be a world-class innovator and service provider, but too rich to compete for low-cost manufacturing) and legacy issues on the one hand, and having the potential and opportunities to improve the business environment and attract more investment on the other (world bank, 2013). The main goal of BH is EU membership. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a potential candidate country for EU accession and BH has signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union, which is a step toward EU membership (FIPA, 2012). Bosnia and Herzegovina has signed the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), creating a free trade zone with access to a large consumer market. Also,the process of negotiation to join the World Trade Organisation is underway. Privatization in Bosnia and Herzegovina is an overall process, through which attractive investment opportunities are opened up to foreign investors in sectors such as the energy sector and telecommunications. Bosnia and Herzegovina is accelerating the privatization process for companies of strategic importance in order to increase economic growth and enhance the volume of foreign investment. The existence of free zone as part of the customs territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is specially fenced and marked and where business activities are carried out under special conditions in accordance with the Law on Customs Policy of BH and the Law on Free Zones of BH (FIPA). Any industrial, commercial or service activity, (banking, insurance and reinsurance of property and persons, etc.), can be carried out in the free zone. The users of free zone do not pay VAT and import customs, so investment in the free zone, transfer of profit and transfer of investment are free of charge. One of t he main reasons for investing in BH is also favorable tax system. Bosnia and Herzegovina has one of the lowest rates of VAT (17%) in the region and Europe, as well as the very acceptable corporate tax rates that are also among the lowest in the region and Europe (10%) (FIPA). Bosnia and Herzegovina has Agreements on avoidance of double taxation with the following countries: Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Sri Lanka, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (FIPA). Agreements on Avoidance of Double Taxation, which mean that companies only have to pay tax in their home country, accelerate the flow of investments into the signatory countries, encourage joint ventures, create more investment opportunities, expedite the transfer of technology and constitute a legal framework to bolster economic cooperation and enhance strategic economic partnership (FIPA). With the purpose of facilitating trade, creating preconditions for the increase in exchange of goods (and particularly expor t), the creation of a favorable environment for domestic and foreign investments, Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded certain number of bilateral/multilateral free trade agreements. Bosnia and Herzegovina has signed the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), in effect as of November 2007, with the following countries: Albania, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, UNMIK/Kosovo (FIPA). BH has also signed a Free Trade Agreement with Turkey which provides additional free access to this consumer market with 70 million people. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 40 Agreements on Promotion and Protection of Investments with the following countries: Albania, Austrua, Belgium and Luxemburg, Belarus, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Netherlands, OPEC Fund, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and USA OPIC (FIPA). Foreign investors concerned about risks of transfer restrictions, expropriation, war and civil disturbances and denial o f justice, can be insured against these risks with the European Union Investment Guarantee Trust Fund for Bosnia and Herzegovina, administered by the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA, member of the World Bank Group). According to the Central Bank of BH (CBBH) annual data shown in Figure 2. And Figure 3., total amount of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bosnia and Herzegovina till December 2013 was 11,044 million BAM or 11 billion BAM (5,647 million EUR or 5.6 billion EUR). The inflow of FDI in 2013 amounted to 418 million BAM (214 million EUR). Figure 2. Foreign currency reserves, in million euro Source: FIPA Figure 3. Flow of FDI in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by years, million â‚ ¬ Source: FIPA; *preliminary data withouth reinvested earnings The biggest amount of investments in BIH was made by companies from Austria (27.1 %) and Serbia (15.6%). Croatia (11.7%), Slovenia (11.4%), Switzerland (6.8%), Germany (5.5%), Russia (5%), The Netherlands (2.5%), Italy (2.1%), USA (1.9%), Turkey (1.3%), and other countries (9.1%) follow them (Table 1). Table 1. Top investor countries in BiH, Country Amount (Million Euro) Percent Austria 1,446 27.10% Serbia 832 15.60% Croatia 626 11.70% Slovenia 610 11.40% Switzerland 364 6.80% Germany 294 5.50% Russia 268 5.00% The Netherlands 134 2.50% Italy 114 2.10% USA 99 1.90% Turkey 68 1.30% Other Countries 487 9.10% TOTAL 5,300 100% Source: FIPA – Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012), Investment Opportunities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, February 2012, Sarajevo. A part of the efforts aimed at attracting foreign investors, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliamentary Assembly adopted the Law on Foreign Direct Investments, which established political directions for favorable treatment of foreign investors and protection of their interests. Foreign investors enjoy the following benefits (APF 2009; FIPA 2012): Exemption from customs duties on investments; Unlimited right to open and keep an account in all commercial banks in the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in domestic or any other foreign convertible currency; The right of free and undisturbed foreign transfer of all income realized by investments in Bosnia and Herzegovina in all convertible currencies; Equal property rights with all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina; Protection from nationalization, expropriation, requisition, or measures with similar consequences; The right to employ foreign citizens in accordance with Bosnia and Herzegovina laws on labor and immigration. International Development Agency (IDA) and Investment Guarantee Agency (IGA) provide guarantees for protection from political risks for short term and medium term commercial transactions between Bosnia and Herzegovina companies and foreign companies, suppliers and banks. Conclusion The main advantage of FDI is its contribution to economic growth in host countries. The extent of such growth enhancing responses depends on country specific characteristics such as liberal trade regimes, accumulation of human and physical capital and macroeconomic stability (ilgun, 2009). Bosnia and Herzegovina is accelerating the privatization process for companies of strategic importance in order to increase economic growth and enhance the volume of foreign investment. BiH’s business environment reforms includes areas such as reducing the time and cost or registering a business, streamlining procedures for obtaining construction permits, and facilitating trade across borders. With the purpose of facilitating trade, creating preconditions for the increase in exchange of goods (and particularly export), the creation of a favorable environment for domestic and foreign investments, Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded certain number of bilateral/multilateral free trade agreements. Due to the good reputation and long industrial tradition of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the manufacturing sector received the largest amount of FDI (32%). A significant share of investment has been in banking sector (22%). References APF Agency for Privatization in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, (2009), http://www.apf.com.ba Botric, V. (2010). Foreign Direct Investment in the Western Balkans: Privatization, Institutional Change and Banking Sector Dominance. Economic Annals. Voolume LN, No. 187. The Institute of Economics, Zagreb. Demekas, D.G., Horvath, B., Ribakova, E., Wu, Y. (2005). Foreign Direct Investement in Southeastern Europe: How (and How Much) Can Policies Help? IMF Wroking Paper. European Department. FIPA – Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012). Investment Opportunities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. March 2012, Sarajevo. Investing Across Borders. (2010). Investment Climate Advisory Services. World Bank Group. Ilgun E., Coskun A. (2009). Foreign Direct Investments in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Banking sector example. Vol. 4. No. 2. Alatoo Academic Studies Malcolm, N. (2002). Bosnia: A short history, Pan Books, Pan Macmillian Ltd. London Penev, S. Rojec, M. (2004). Foreign Direct Investment and Investement Climate in South-East Europe. Economic Annals. Economic Institute, Belgrade. World Bank Group – Bosnia and Herzegovina Partnership: Country Program snapshoot. (2014). http://www.worldbank.org.ba 1

A Very Brief History on the Existence of God Essay -- Philosophy, Des

The subsequent essay will provide a brief overview on the existence of God from Renà © Descartes through Immanuel Kant. First, section (1), examines Descartes’ proof for the existence of God. Section (2), explores G.W. Leibniz’s view on God’s existence in addition to his attempts to rectify the shortcomings of Descartes’ proofs. The remainder of the essay then examines two additional philosophers, David Hume in section (4) and Immanuel Kant in (5), who contend that God’s existence cannot be rationally proven. (1) As a devout Catholic, Descartes undeniably believed in God. He makes his faith clear in the letter of dedication preceding Meditations on First Philosophy. Here, Descartes writes that we must â€Å"believe in God’s existence because it is taught in the Holy Scriptures, and, conversely, that we must believe in the Holy Scriptures because they have come from God† (Descartes, 1). Nevertheless, in the beginning of the Meditations, Descartes casts doubt on everything -including religion- in his search for absolute certainty. In the Third Meditation, he doubts the existence of God before providing his first rationalistic proof for the existence of God. In offering the proof, he first questions â€Å"whether there is a God† (25). However, even though he questions God’s very existence, Descartes maintains his innate idea of God. After some deliberation, he concludes that because he has an innate idea of God, (which is not fabricated by the mind or drawn from the senses), it must be God who endowed him with his innate idea. Descartes likens his innate idea of God to the â€Å"mark of a craftsmen impressed upon his work† –similar to a stamp which says ‘Made by God’. Additionally, Descartes reasons that because he exists as a thinking thing and ... ...od to exist. As the above has illustrated, both Descartes and Leibniz believed that the existence of God could be proved via reason. But, Hume and Kant, which will be subsequently covered, did not believe argumentation or reason could establish the existence of God (3) David Hume attacks both Descartes’ and Leibniz’s methodology for establishing the existence of God in the following: â€Å"there is an evident absurdity in pretending to demonstrate a matter of fact, or to prove it by any arguments a priori. Nothing is demonstrable, unless the contrary implies a contradiction. Nothing, that is distinctly conceivable, implies a contradiction. Whatever we conceive as existent, we can also conceive as non-existent. There is no being, therefore, whose non-existence implies a contradiction. Consequently there is no being, whose existence is demonstrable† (Bailey, 79).

Describe an event, achievement, or experience of which you are particularly proud but will not show up on a resume Essay

Hardship. We all go through it at least once in our lives. It visits us all from time to time and in many different ways. It can come disguised as a marriage trouble, an illness, a financial calamity, or even as a long-distance relationship. Hardship is never a pleasure for us but whether we like it or not, we all must face it. So the question now is: how well we respond to it. Among the many hardships that I have faced in my life, the hardest one was not the irritating illness called the â€Å"singer’s nodules† which I had since I was nine and still suffer from, nor the separations within my family. The hardest one was the language barrier I had to cope with in America. Since my family moved to America from Korea in 2005, my responsibility in the family has become increasingly determined because no one in my family spoke English. I was not fluent in English but I knew I had to master it so that I could help my family. But for the meantime, from sending a bill to renting an apartment room, everything was my job because I was the only one who could speak some English. However, the true yearning to learning English was derived when I was denied of need: a friend. It seemed to me then that there was no way to make a friend in America without knowing English. It seemed that the most important thing here is to be in the popular group. Being in a non-popular one meant rejection. So just imagine the isolation I endured due to the language barrier. It was such a cruel punishment just for being unable to communicate. If I had one wish that could be granted during those days, it would have been to be completely fluent in English so that I could be in the popular group. I studied hard to learn the English language but I still could not understand the nuances nor the inside jokes among popular kids in school. I studied harder and harder to fulfill my dream of being in the popular crowd but the language barrier always hindered me. And that barrier never seems to break. It was only about a year later when I realized that my motivation to learning English was wrong and immature. I participated with one of my â€Å"non popular† friends in many community services in the local area and I realized that a student like me, one who does not speak English well, can help make a more positive environment. I used to think that I am useless because I do not speak the language well. But now I see that I am wrong. Upon that realization, which also became a motivation, I started to study English in order to help other people who are struggling and no longer to be in the popular crowd. I started to stay up all night to study English. I started to refuse to answer any question that my family asked in Korean. I forced them to speak English at home. I covered the walls with English words I did not know. I wrote English phrases on the bathroom tiles and on the shower curtain so that I could study while taking a shower. I put my English notes inside a zip-lock for waterproofing so that I could study in the bathtub. I literally watched the movie â€Å"You’ve Got Mail† more than a hundred times. And I even memorized funny stories and wrote letters in English to communicate with the people in the nursing home and the pregnancy care clinic. My new attitude towards learning the language not only gave me many true friends who actually care about me but it also drastically improved my English oral communication skill so much so that people now say that I do not have the language barrier anymore. The thing I take most pride in, but will not show up in my resume, is having overcome the language barrier and having overcome it by helping others. Being a non-English speaker in America never means that one has to be useless and aloof. With hardwork, with the right attitude, and with a right heart, one can overcome anything.

Renaissance Drama in England

Renaissance Drama in England From Medieval to Renaissance Drama ? Mystery plays -> ? Historical (chronicle) ? Miracle plays -> plays ? Tragedies ? Comedies ? Morality plays -> ? Interludes -> Other public â€Å"spectacles†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The Elizabethan Drama ? The Elizabethan era saw a great flourishing of literature, especially in the field of drama. ? The Italian Renaissance had rediscovered the ancient Greek and Roman theatre, and this was instrumental in the development of the new drama, which was then beginning to evolve apart from the old mystery and miracle plays of the Middle Ages. The Italians were particularly inspired by Seneca (a major tragic playwright and philosopher) and Plautus (comic cliches, especially that of the boasting soldier had a powerful influence on the Renaissance and after). ? However, the Italian tragedies embraced a principle contrary to Seneca's ethics: showing blood and violence on the stage. It is also true that the Elizabethan Era was a very violent age. As a result, representing that kind of violence on the stage in scenes of high ? physical realism? was probably more cathartic for the Elizabethan spectator. Lady Macbeth by John Singer Sargent,1889Elizabethan Drama and Acting – Main Features ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The plays had 5 acts; Physical realism; Issues borrowed from the ancient Greek drama (the chorus); Allegorical characters borrowed from the Medieval moralities; Issues borrowed from the Italian drama (the pantomime); Exaggerated feelings (love, hatred, revenge); Props and settings were simple; Costumes were rich and in accordance with the fashion of the time; There was no curtain; Women were not allowed to perform. Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd ? Examples: Gorboduc (or Ferrex and Porrex) by Sackville ; Norton, TheThe Elizabethan Playhouse ? The establishment of large and profitable public theatres was an essential enabling factor in the success of English Renaissance drama—once they were in op eration, drama could become a fixed and permanent rather than a transitory phenomenon. The crucial initiating development was the building of The Theatre by James Burbage, in Shoreditch in 1576. The Theatre was rapidly followed by the nearby Curtain Theatre (1577), the Rose (1587), the Swan (1595), the Globe (1599), the Fortune (1600), and the Red Bull (1604).The Elizabethan Playhouse ? The public theatres were three stories high, and built around an open space at the centre. ? Usually polygonal in plan to give an overall rounded effect (though the Red Bull and the first Fortune were square), the three levels of inwardfacing galleries overlooked the open center, into which jutted the stage— essentially a platform surrounded on three sides by the audience, only the rear being restricted for the entrances and exits of the actors and seating for the musicians. The upper level behind the stage could be used as a balcony. Usually built of timber and plaster and with thatched roofs , the early theatres were vulnerable to fire, and were replaced (when necessary) with stronger structures. When the Globe burned down in June 1613, it was rebuilt with a tile roof. The English Renaissance Drama ? 1. The early tragedies ? 2. The early comedies ? 3. The plays of the ? University Wits? ? 4. William Shakespeare’s plays the â€Å"university wits† The decade of the 1590s, just before Shakespeare started his career, saw a radical transformation in popular drama. A group of welleducated men chose to write for the public stage, taking over native traditions.They brought new coherence in structure, and real wit and poetic power to the language. They are known collectively as the â€Å"University Wits,† though they did not always work as a group, and indeed wrangled with each other at times. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? John Lyly (1554-1606) Thomas Lodge (c. 1558-1625) Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) Robert Greene (1560-1592) Thomas Nashe (1567-1601) George Peele Thomas Kyd Thomas Kyd (1558 –1594) ? ? ? Th. Kyd was the author of The Spanish Tragedy, and one of the most important figures in the development of Elizabethan drama.The Spanish Tragedie was probably written in the mid to late 1580s. The earliest surviving edition was printed in 1592; the full title being, The Spanish Tragedie, Containing the lamentable end of Don Horatio, and Bel-imperia: with the pittifull death of olde Hieronimo. However, the play was usually known simply as â€Å"Hieronimo†, after the protagonist. Kyd is more generally accepted to have been the author of a Hamlet, the precursor of the Shakespearean play (Ur-Hamlet). Christopher Marlowe(1564 –1593) ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?The foremost Elizabethan tragedian before William Shakespeare, he is known for his magnificent blank verse, his overreaching protagonists, and his own untimely death. Marlowe’s most important plays in which he created his tytanic characters are: Dido, Queen of Carthage (c. 1586) (possibly co-written with Thomas Nashe) Tamburlaine, part 1 (c. 1587) Tamburlaine, part 2 (c. 1587-1588) The Jew of Malta (c. 1589) Doctor Faustus (c. 1589, or, c. 1593) Edward II (c. 1592) The Massacre at Paris (c. 1593) Marlowe is often alleged to have been a government spy killed upon the orders of the Queen.William Shakespeare and His Contemporaries ? According to some critics of his time, Shakespeare was vulgar, provincial and overrated. ? Robert Greene (1558 –1592) is most familiar to Shakespeare scholars for his pamphlet Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit (full title: Greene's Groats-worth of Wit bought with a Million of Repentance), which most scholars agree contains the earliest known mention of Shakespeare as a member of the London dramatic community. In it, Greene disparages Shakespeare, for being an actor who has the temerity to write plays, and for committing plagiarism. ? â€Å"†¦ or there is an upstart Crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his Tygers ha rt wrapt in a Players hyde, supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blanke verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes fac totum, is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a countrey†. William Shakespeare and His Contemporaries ? ? Francis Meres, one year younger than Shakespeare, described himself as â€Å"Maister of Arte of both Universities†; in 1598 Meres published a work which has proven most valuable in dating Shakespeare's plays, for he mentions many of them, and in the most laudatory terms.In Palladis Tamia, Wits Treasury, Meres begins by praising Shakespeare's poetry the two narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece, and the Sonnets – then compares Shakespeare to Plautus in comedy and to Seneca in tragedy: Shakespeare was â€Å"not of an age, but for all time. † ? These are the words of Shakespeare's great friend and contemporary, Ben Jonson. The quotation comes from Jonson's poem, To the memory of my belove d, found in the First Folio of Shakespeare's works, published in 1623. Ben Jonson (1572-1637) William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) ? There is no simple explanation forShakespeare’s unrivaled popularity, but he remains our greatest entertainer and perhaps our most profound thinker. He had a remarkable knowledge of human behavior, which he was able to communicate through his portrayal of a wide variety of characters. ? His mastery of poetic language and of the techniques of drama enabled him to combine these multiple viewpoints, human motives, and actions to produce a uniquely compelling theatrical experience. SHAKESPEARE’S EARLY YEARS English playwright William Shakespeare was born in a small house on Henley Street in Stratford-uponAvon in April 1564.The third of eight children, William Shakespeare was the eldest son of John Shakespeare, a locally prominent glove-maker and wool merchant, and Mary Arden, the daughter of a well-to-do landowner in the nearby village of Wilmcote. The young Shakespeare probably attended the Stratford grammar school, the King’s New School. Shakespeare’s Birthplace Stratford upon Avon On November 27, 1582, a license was issued to permit Shakespeare’s marriage, at the age of 18, to Anne Hathaway, aged 26 and the daughter of a Warwickshire farmer.The couple’s first daughter, Susanna, was born on May 26, 1583, and twins Hamnet and Judith who were named for their godparents, neighbors Hamnet and Judith Sadler followed on February 2, 1585. Anne Hathaway? s Cottage Charlecote Park, Sir Thomas Lucy? s Property Sometime after the birth of the twins, Shakespeare apparently left Stratford, but no records have turned up to reveal his activity between their birth and his presence in London in 1592, when he was already at work in the theater. Shakespeare? s biographers sometimes refer to the years between 1585 and 1592 as â€Å"the lost years. Speculations about this period abound. An unsubstantiated report claims Shakespeare left Stratford after he was caught poaching in the deer park of Sir Thomas Lucy, a local justice of the peace. Another theory has him leaving for London with a theater troupe that had performed in Stratford in 1587. SHAKESPEARE IN LONDON ? Shakespeare seems to have arrived in London about 1588, and by 1592 he had attained sufficient success as an actor and a playwright to attract the venom of Greene, an anxious rival. SOME OF SHAKESPEARE’S CONTEMPORARIES HENRY WRIOTHESLEY RICHARD BURBAGE WILLIAM KEMPECRISTOPHER MARLOWE ? In 1594 Shakespeare became the member of Lord Chamberlain’s men and was active in the formation of famous theatre, the Globe. London – The Globe Theater (rebuilt in 1997) London – The Globe Theater (rebuilt in 1997) Shakespeare’s Last Years Shakespeare's company erected the storied Globe Theatre circa 1598 in London's Bankside district. It was one of four major theatres in the area, along with the Swan, th e Rose, and the Hope. After about 1608 Shakespeare began to write fewer plays. In 1613 fire destroyed the Globe Theatre during a performance of Henry VIII.Although the Globe was quickly rebuilt, Shakespeare? s association with it – and probably with the company – had ended. Around the time of the fire, Shakespeare retired to Stratford, where he had established his family and become a prominent citizen. Shakespeare? s daughter Susanna had married John Hall, a doctor with a thriving practice in Stratford, in 1607. His younger daughter, Judith, married a Stratford winemaker, Thomas Quiney, in 1616. ? Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 – the month and day traditionally assigned to his birth – and was buried in Stratford’s Holy Trinity Church.He had made his will the previous month, ? in perfect health and memory.? The cause of his death is not known, though a report from the Holy Trinity’s vicar in the 1660s claims that he ? died of a fever â₠¬ ¦ contracted after a night of drinking with Ben Jonson and Michael Drayton, friends and fellow writers?. ? England’s greatest playwright, William Shakespeare was buried in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. His epitaph reads: ? Good frend for Iesvs sake forbeare, ? To digg the dvst encloased heare. ? Blest be ye man yt spares thes stones, ? And cvrst be he yt moves my bones.Trinity Church – Stratford-upon-Avon Shakespeare Authorship Debate ? The Shakespeare authorship debate continues to rage unabated. ? The traditional camp (Stratfordian's) maintain that the famous Bard was indeed a poet, playwright and an actor. ? Critics known as â€Å"Oxfordian? s† argue that a more likely contender may have been Edward De Vere (1550-1604), Christopher Marlowe, Sir Francis Bacon, Derby or even Queen Elizabeth herself! Shakespeare’s Works and their chronology (apud Halliday) ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1589-1590 1. Henry VI 15 90 – 1591 – 2.Henry VI 1592 – 1593 Richard III Titus Andronicus Venus and Adonis 1592 – 1598 Sonnets 1593 – 1594 The Comedy of Errors The Taming of the Shrew The Rape of Lucrece 1594 – 1595 The Two gentlemen of Verona Love? s Labours Lost 1595 – 1596 Romeo and Juliet Richard II A Midsummer Night? s Dream 1596 – 1597 King John The Merchant of Venice 1597 – 1598 1 Henry IV 2 Henry IV 1598 – 1599 Much ado About Nothing Henry V The Merry Wives of Windsor ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1599 – 1600 Julius Caesar As You Like It Twelfth Night 1600 – 1601 Hamlet 1601 – 1602 Troilus and Cressida 1602 – 1603 All? Well that Ends Well Othello 1603 – 1604 Measure for measure 1604 – 1605 Timon of Athens 1605 – 1606 King Lear Macbeth 1606 – 1607 Antony and Cleopatra 1607 – 1608 Coriolanus 1608 – 1609 Pericles, Prince of Tyre 1609 – 1610 Cymbeline 1610 – 1611 The Winter? s Tale 1611 – 1612 The Tempest 1612 – 1613 Henry VIII (1613 – 1614) The Two Noble Kinsmen The First Folio ? The â€Å"First Folio† is of major importance to William Shakespeare as it is the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays. The copperengraving picture of William Shakespeare is signed Martin Droeshout on the title-page of the „First Folio? 1623). Famous Quotes ? Juliet: â€Å"What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. † Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2) Juliet or The Blue Necklace (1898) by John William Waterhouse Famous Quotes ? Hamlet: There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Hamlet Act 1, scene 5, 159–167 Ophelia (1894) – John William Waterhouse Famous Quotes Hamlet: What a piece of work is a man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in act ion how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! he beauty of the world, the paragon of animals – and yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so. Rosencrantz: My lord, there was no such stuff in my thoughts. Hamlet Act 2, scene 2, 303–312 John William Waterhouse Ophelia – blue dress (1905) Famous Quotes ? Jaques: All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. ? As You Like It Act 2, scene 7, 139–143John William Waterhouse Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May (1909) Famous Quotes Macbeth: ? To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. Macbeth Act 5, scene 5, 19–28 John William Waterhouse The Magic Circle (study) (1886) Famous QuotesProspero: ? †¦We are such stuff As dreams are made on; and our little life Is rounded with a sleep. ? The Tempest Act 4, scene 1, 148–158 John William Waterhouse Miranda – The Tempest (1916) Famous Quotes Hamlet: ? To be, or not to be, that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep, No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to: 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish'd.To die, to sleep; To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there's the rub: For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, When we hav e shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause—there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life†¦ Hamlet Act 3, scene 1, 55–87 Sir Laurence Olivier (1907 – 1989) as Hamlet Shakespeare, Our Contemporary Hamlet's Soliloquy ? Since first performed in the early 1600s, the title role in William Shakespeare's Hamlet has remained a favorite of many actors because of the emotional complexity of Hamlet's personality. Nowhere is this complexity more apparent than in Hamlet's famous soliloquy in Act III, Scene 1.The soliloquy is a monologue in which a character reveals inner thoughts, motivations, and feelings. Shakespeare used the technique often, and his soliloquies are poetic and rich in imagery. In Hamlet, a play about a man whose mind may be his fatal flaw, the form reaches its highest level. The Structure of Shakespearean Tragedy as devised by Andrew Cecil Bradley ? Andrew Cecil Bradley (1851–1935) was an English literary scholar, best remembe red for his work on Shakespeare ? The outcome of his five years as Professor of Poetry at Oxford University were A. C.Bradley’s two major works, Shakespearean Tragedy (1904), and Oxford Lectures on Poetry (1909). Bradley's pedagogical manner and his self-confidence made him a real guide for many students to the meaning of Shakespeare. His influence on Shakespearean criticism was so great that the following anonymous poem appeared: I dreamt last night that Shakespeare’s Ghost Sat for a civil service post. The English paper for that year Had several questions on King Lear Which Shakespeare answered very badly Because he hadn’t read his Bradley. (Hawkes 1986 as cited in Taylor 2001: 46)CONSTRUCTION IN SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDIES ? As a Shakespearean tragedy represents a conflict which terminates in a catastrophe, any such tragedy may roughly be divided into three parts. ? A. The first of these sets forth or expounds the situation, or state of affairs, out of which the conflict arises; and it may, therefore, be called the exposition. ? B. The second deals with the definite beginning, the growth and the vicissitudes of the conflict. It forms accordingly the bulk of the play, comprising the Second, Third and Fourth Acts, and usually a part of the First and a part of the Fifth. ? C.The final section of the tragedy shows the issue of the conflict in a catastrophe. ? The application of this scheme of division is naturally more or less arbitrary. The first part glides into the second, and the second into the third, and there may often be difficulty in drawing the lines between them. A. The Exposition ? ? ? The role of the exposition is to introduce us into a little world of persons; to show us their positions in life, their circumstances, their relations to one another, and perhaps something of their characters; and to leave us keenly interested in the question of what will come out of this condition of things.We are left thus expectant. This situation is not one of conflict, but it threatens conflict. For example, in â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† we see first the hatred of the Montagues and Capulets; and then we see Romeo ready to fall violently in love; and then we hear talk of a marriage between Juliet and Paris; but the exposition is not complete, and the conflict has not definitely begun to arise, till, in the last scene of the First Act, Romeo the Montague sees Juliet the Capulet and falls in love with her.Sir Frank Dicksee – Romeo And Juliet, 1884 Some Shakespearean â€Å"Tricks† ? ? ? When Shakespeare begins his exposition he generally at first makes people talk about the hero, but keeps the hero himself for some time out of sight, so that we await his entrance with curiosity and sometimes with anxiety. On the other hand, if the play opens with a quiet conversation, this is usually brief, and then at once the hero enters and takes action of some decided kind. For instance, compare the beginning of Macbeth to that of King Lear.In the latter the tone is so low that the conversation between Kent, Gloster and Edmund is written in prose (although they are of noble extraction). At the thirty-fourth line it is broken off by the entrance of Lear and his court, and without delay the King proceeds to his fatal division of the kingdom. William Dyce – King Lear and the Fool in the Storm (c. 1851) ? This tragedy illustrates another practice of Shakespeare's. King Lear has a secondary plot, that which concerns Glouchester and his two sons.To make the beginning of this plot quite clear, and to mark it off from the main action, Shakespeare gives it a separate exposition. ? In Hamlet, though the plot is single, there is a little group of characters possessing a certain independent interest, – Polonius, his son, and his daughter; and so the third scene is devoted wholly to them. B. The Conflict ? The construction of a Shaksepearean tragedy is based on the fight between two opposing sides i n the conflict. They are of almost equal strength and it is difficult to guess which of them is to win.They are victorious in turn, until the conflict reaches its climax. In some tragedies the opposing forces can be identified with opposing persons or groups. So it is in â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† and â€Å"Macbeth†. But it is not always so. The love of Othello may be said to contend with another force, as the love of Romeo does; but Othello cannot be said to contend with Iago as Romeo contends with the representatives of the hatred of the houses, or as Macbeth contends with Malcolm and Macduff. ? Thomas Stothard, The Meeting of Othello and Desdemona (c. 1799)Ups, downs and suspense ? ? ? There is, all through the tragedy, a constant alternation of rises and falls in this tension or in the emotional pitch of the work, a regular sequence of more exciting and less exciting sections. The sequence of events within the conflict, is also based on the principle of alternation. L et us call the two sides in the conflict A and B. All through the conflict we shall find a regular alternation of smaller advances and withdrawals; first A seeming to win some ground, and then the counteraction of B being shown.And since we always more or less decidedly prefer A to B or B to A, the result of this oscillating movement is a constant alternation of hope and fear, causing suspense. Dagnan-Bouveret Hamlet and the Gravediggers ? ? ? ? ? ? ? In Hamlet the conflict begins with the hero's feigning to be insane from disappointment in love, and we are shown his immediate success in convincing Polonius. Let us call this an advance of A. The next scene shows the King's great uneasiness about Hamlet's melancholy, and his skepticism as to Polonius's explanation of its cause: advance of B.Hamlet completely baffles Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who have been sent to discover his secret, and he arranges for the test of the play scene: advance of A. But immediately before the play sce ne his soliloquy on suicide fills us with misgiving; and his words to Ophelia, overheard, so convince the King that love is not the cause of his nephew's strange behavior, that he determines to get rid of him by sending him to England: advance of B. The play scene proves a complete success: decided advance of A.Directly after it Hamlet spares the King at prayer, and in an interview with his mother kills Polonius, and so gives his enemy a perfect excuse for sending him away (to be executed): decided advance of B, a. s. o. This oscillating movement can be traced without difficulty in any of the tragedies. C. The Catastrophe ? The oscillating movement continues right up to the catastrophe. ? There is a critical point in the action, which proves also to be a turning point.It is critical sometimes in the sense that, until it is reached, the conflict is not, so to speak, clenched; one of the two sets of forces might subside, or a reconciliation might somehow be effected; while, as soon as it is reached, we feel this can no longer be. It is critical also because the advancing force has apparently asserted itself victoriously, gaining, if not all it could wish, still a very substantial advantage; whereas really it is on the point of turning downward toward its fall. This crisis, as a rule, comes somewhere near the middle of the play. ?Alexandre-Marie Colin. The Three Witches from â€Å"Macbeth,† 1827. This movement is most clear in Julius Caesar and Macbeth. In the former the fortunes of the conspiracy rise with vicissitudes up to the crisis of the assassination (III. i. ); they then sink with vicissitudes to the catastrophe, where Brutus and Cassius perish. In the latter, Macbeth, hurrying, in spite of much inward resistance, to the murder of Duncan, attains the crown, the upward movement being extraordinarily rapid, and the crisis arriving early: his cause then turns slowly downward, and soon hastens to ruin.In both these tragedies the simplicity of the const ructional effect depends on the fact that the contending forces may be identified with certain persons, and on the fact that the defeat of one side is the victory of the other. Octavius and Antony, Malcolm and Macduff, are left standing over the bodies of their foes. ? Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more: it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.Charles Kean and his wife as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, in costumes aiming to be historically accurate (1858). ? This is not so in Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, because here, although the hero perishes, the side opposed to him, being the more faulty or evil, cannot be allowed to triumph when he falls. Otherwise the type of construction is the same. The fortunes of Romeo and Juliet rise and culminate in their marriage (II. vi. ), and then begin to decline before the opposition of their houses, which, aided by accidents, produces a cat astrophe, but is thereupon converted into a remorseful reconciliation.Hamlet's cause reaches its zenith in the success of the play-scene (III. ii. ). Thereafter the reaction makes way, and he perishes through the plot of the King and Laertes. But they are not allowed to survive their success. Frederick Leighton – The Reconciliation of the Montagues and Capulets over the Dead Bodies of Romeo and Juliet, 1853-5 The Play Scene in Hamlet by Daniel Maclise (1806-70) ? http://elizabethan. org/compendium/home. html ? http://www. elizabethan-era. org. uk/elizabethan-england. htm ? http://www. britainexpress. com/History/Elizabethan_life. htm