William Shakespeares Measure for Measure Essay -- Shakespeare measure

William Shakespeare's Measure for Measure The desires of the characters in Shakespeare’s Measure For Measure are not entirely clear, and are made ambivalent and ambiguous by the use of their language. Particularly in 3.1.52-153, when Isabella visits Claudio in prison, ambiguous lines and puns make it unclear whether Isabella desires Claudio’s death and whether he truly desires to be free of sin. These desires were further convoluted by viewing the current Folger Theatre production of the play. "Trade" (151) is one pun which illuminates ideas about Claudio's desires. Taken to mean an exchange, Isabella insinuates that Claudio's sin and death are like the title of the play, a measure taken for a measure, or rather a punishment that fits the crime. However, Freud's notion of the compulsion to repeat is evoked when the word is taken to mean a habit. Isabella insinuates Claudio's perpetual sinning earlier when she comments that Claudio's freedom would "offend [Angelo] still" (99) by continuing his behavior. The concept of the death drive as a desire to return to the womb also emerges when Isabella warns Claudio that accepting Angelo's offer "Would bark your honour from that trunk you bear / And leave you naked" (70-71), the image of debarking a tree becoming a form of regression. Claudio's response that he would "encounter darkness as a bride / And hug it in [his] arms" (82-3) is wholly ambivalent and ambiguous. It could be a straightforward admission to his desire for death, also showing that he readily accepts his punishment. Additionally falling under Freud's philosophy, it could instead be an admission of his compulsion to repeat: he would make love to death as his bride, just as he did to Juli... ... truly became emotional during his 15 line speech about the uncertainty of death. He was spotlighted during this passage, making it more like a soliloquy and therefore more honest. The audience was privy to his real fear of death and his desire to live, but then his pathetic supplication on his knees made my desire for him to die increase. What sin he refers to is of course unclear in the text as well as in the production, and literally holding that line above the characters’ heads made it even more uncertain who was truly the sinner: Claudio, Angelo, or Isabella? The audience was left feeling uncertain just as Claudio is about death, and Isabella is about her feelings towards whether her brother should die. Mostly this scene illuminates the universal desire for certainty, made even more apparent from the lighting change during Claudio’s soliloquy.

Cutting Down the Brazilian Rainforest Is Wrong :: essays research papers fc

Cutting down the Brazilian rainforest is not a morally just thing to do. Not only does leave the soil sterile and cut the land used for crops’ life in half, but it also eliminates the opportunity for new medicines to be found, new plants to use for treatment in the medical field, and petroleum substitutes to be collected and used, just to name a few. In addition, the presence of the rainforest helps protect us from global warming and keeps some of the rarest and beneficial animals and their homes alive. However, many people feel that the cities in Brazil are very crowded and the opening of the Amazon basin for people to live will be beneficial to the overcrowding problem. Also, by cutting down the rainforest, Brazil makes good money selling the lumber to Japan. With the construction of new roadways that lead to the Amazon Rainforest, the government was able to make money while relocating many of its inhabitants. The problem that arises from Brazil's rainforest dilemma is that the various benefits and harms of the development of forest are incommensurable and not easily weighed. They involve the weighing of differences between global and local goods - the benefits of selling lumber and creating ranches for local populations versus the possible global benefits of a potential cure for cancer or a contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gases. Cutting Down the Rainforest Rids the Land of All Nutrients and Makes it Infertile The rainforest was cut down by the original pioneers and primarily the ranchers' workforces, and then burnt during the dry season. The ash from the forest was then used to fertilize the crops or fodder they developed. The constraints of the rainforest's soil are pivotal to the much concern that arose from this technique of clearing, burning, and then planting. This technique could render worthwhile crops, but only for a short time - from between 2-3 years to 10-12 years. After this, however, the landowners are compelled to move elsewhere to carry on with their technique. This is due to the fact that the rainforest contains no topsoil, and farming and cultivation is not able to be prolonged or sustainable. The soil in the rainforest is remarkable for its lack of nutrients. Therefore, the forests are deemed to be one of the most delicate biomes in the world. The soil in the rainforest is so

The Strongest Man Upon the Earth Is He Who Stands Most Alone Critical Lens Essay

According to Henrik Ibsen, â€Å"The strongest man upon the earth is he who stands most alone. † In other words, what this quote means is that the strongest man is the most independent; individuals who do not need to rely on others to survive. Individuals who stand alone are the ones who realize the strength within themselves and become powerful characters. This quote is valid because individuals who like to take actions on their own and at their own pace become the most successful.Two works of literature that support the validity of this statement are The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger and The Color of Water, by James McBride. The Color of Water, is a memoir, set in a variety of settings; from Suffolk, Virginia, to Wilmington, Delaware. It recounts the past lives of protagonists James and Ruth, and recalls the 1920s all throughout the 1990s. One of the protagonists, Ruth McBride, is characterized as an admirable and extraordinary woman and shows signs of independence t hroughout her lifetime.She managed to overcome the painful memories of her adolescent years; ranging from her father’s indecent behavior and mistreatment, to having an abortion at such a young age. She followed her heart and left behind her family and friends in search of a new life; away from the life that was so cruel to her. She showed signs of independence even â€Å"when the going got tough. † For example, after her first husband had passed away, she did not crumble under the pressure that she was facing.Instead, she married again and raised her children to be successful and educated, even during such harsh conditions. Also, Ruth was not afraid of public opinion when she had married an African- American man. This marriage caused her family to condemn her and shows that those who do not rely on others become stronger and more powerful individuals. The Catcher in the Rye, is set in New York City during the 1940s. The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is characterized a s an individual who has been independent for a great part of his life.From an early age, his parents have been too â€Å"occupied† to spend time with Holden and they did not show much interest in their children. For example, he was shipped to school and when he would get expelled; his parents paid no mind and sent him to another school. He lived away from his family for a great part of his life and because of being independent at such an early age; he later on endeared a mental breakdown and ended up in an asylum.However, being independent made Holden realize that he has a problem and that if he would not have gone to the asylum and seeked help from professions, then he would not have been able to become a stronger and more successful individual. Ultimately, The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, and The Color of Water, by James McBride, both support the validity of the quote, â€Å"The strongest man upon the earth is he who stands most alone, said by author Henrik Ibsen . As life goes on, individuals will learn and realize that isolating yourself will not get you anywhere in life; it will only hurt you.You can be in control of your own destiny and you will gain perspective on your life. Both protagonists, Holden Caulfield and Ruth McBride, teach us that to ensure a prominent future, you need to overcome obstacles in all situations. This will better you as a person and will offer you a sense of what happens in the real world. Being independent allows you to see the world from a different perspective and no matter what life throws at you; you can get up from the ground, start again, and begin leading your life to a successful future.

Louis Vuitton Case

Louis Vuitton : New product introductions vs. product availability Introduction Louis Vuitton is a part of the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy Group. Being the core business, Louis Vuitton is the most famous brand not only in the group, but also in the fashion industry. It is well-known for its quality and design. Most of the Louis Vuitton consumers are wealthy people, who expect premium products regardless to the price. Considering this fact, Louis Vuitton may implement a strategy, which ensures availability of the products at any time and provide the clients with the best possible customer service.In the past, Louis Vuitton faced the out-of-stock problem and it has not been solved yet. As a consequence, the company loses not only sales but also reduces its reputation. Managers realized that consumers’ satisfaction is one of the most important aspects for a company in order to continue being successful, gain high profits and reputation. The source of the out-of stock problem in L ouis Vuitton causes some disagreements between the company’s vice president for marketing and sales and the vice president for manufacturing and logistics.The first one states his opinion that the lack of flexibility and responsiveness is the base of the problem, while the second one blames the recent increase in new product introductions and the poor forec asting of demand. We will investigate these different problems and how Louis Vuitton can solve them by aligning the manufacturing process and marketing activities in the most efficient way. Supply Chain Strategy Consumers of luxury products have high expectations regarding the products? quality and design. Furthermore, the consumers want to be provided with a omplete shopping experience, when they purchase a Louis Vuitton handbag for 3 000 Euros or a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes for 1 000 Euros. An essential part of this shopping experience is the product itself. Therefore, Louis Vuitton? s supply chain has to be set up in making demanded products available, wherever and whenever they are demanded by a consumer. Unfortunately, Louis Vuitton is able to have around 98% of all demanded products from classic product lines available at their store . But if consumers request a product of one of Louis Vuitton? fashion lines, which are newly and less frequently introduced product lines, the rate of available products decreases roughly to 80%. Louis Vuitton products are bought due to the quality of the goods. Thanks to online stores, consumers use to easily purchase a desired good on the Internet. On the one hand, it saves consumer’s time; on the other hand, the probability of a potential out-of-stock problem is reduced, because o nce the purchase is realized, the company is able to react in a several ways to deliver the product.It can send the product from a store or from different warehouses, depending on where the consumer is located and where the item is available at that time. Moreover, Louis Vuitt on could improve its capacity strategy. Managers have to decide how to organize manufacturing in the most efficient way that a maximum number of units are produced for a time period. Currently, employees working for Louis Vuitton are divided into groups and each group is able to produce 120 hand bags per day.However, considering the out-of-stock problem, one can assume that it is not the sufficient quantity to meet the demand and a solution has to be found. In order to increase the capacity, Louis Vuitton has to increase the labor force. In that way, Louis Vuitton will be able to increase its manufacturing capacity and potentially solve the out-of-stock problem. Inventory Strategy Louis Vuitton has to decide whether to reduce the inventory in order to avoid additional costs induced by required inventory space in the stores or to increase the availability of demanded products.Undeniably, inventory must be as close to the stores as possible. This implies that if a certain product is o ut-of-stock it can be quickly delivered and satisfies consumer wants. Moreover, inventories should be kept in regional warehouses and that would also help Louis Vuitton to react in the most flexible way t o fluctuations in demand. For instance, if the store in Tokyo is out -of-stock, it would be easier to report about the problem to the nearest warehouse rather than to the main one in France. It will result in shortening the lead time. As a consequence, Louis Vuitton has to be constantly aware of the stock level.This can be achieved by the introduction of a continuous review system, which is used to manage independent demand of inventory and monitors the inventory level of any item constantly to release reorders, when the reorder point is reached. Thus, the company will be able to solve the problem once a higher than expected demand is realized. The most efficient strategy for Louis Vuitton should be larger inventories in the regional warehouses at higher prices. Sourcing Decisions Louis Vuitton is well known for being creative, innovative and looking for the excellence.Since Louis Vuitton was established in 1854, the core competencies of the company have always been des ign and quality, they perfectly correspond to the aim of Louis Vuitton to be one of the market leaders in the fashion industry. On the one hand, the classical collections have not been changed for years, and therefore being a symbol of elegance and prestige. On the other hand, fashion and collections constantly change in order to be modern. Quality is the second core competence the company uses to be one of the best brands in the industry.To provide the customers with the best, Louis Vuitton uses high quality raw materials, which is the first step to a qualified final product. Furthermore, employees involved in the manufacturing process do 80% of their task manually. It is more costly and time consuming, but is highly valued by the consumers. Considering these facts, Louis Vuitton needs to mak e the right sourcing decisions. First, the company should keep the designing and manufacturing activities sourced in, because these activities are the most important regarding Lou is Vuitton? creation of value. Second, I think distribution activities can be sourced out. The company should use firms, such as TNT, DHL, UPS, etc†¦ Louis Vuitton can choose among a variety of distributors in each country and select the most reliable one, which provides good delivery and service for a given price level. Warehouses are another part of the supply chain which can be sourced out. Renting a warehouse implies a smaller investment for Louis Vuitton and enables them to be more flexible.The out-of-stock problem that Louis Vuitton is facing can be solved by placing warehouses in regions with high population. Moreover, according to the fact that the company requires high quality raw materials, but not all of the existing suppliers offer sufficient qua lity; one possible solution is the implemen tation of the single sourcing. This means that Louis Vuitton depends on only one firm for all items needed for producing their leather goods. However, this can be extremely risky, because of the probability of un expected situations such workers’ strike.Another solution may be the multiple sourcing strategy. This implies that Louis Vuitton relies on many suppliers, but the associated risk with this type of strategy is that many firms become familiar with the core competencies of Louis Vuitton and it is possible to use these competencies for their own businesses. Finally, the most suitable sourcing strategy in the case of Louis Vuitton seems to be the dual sourcing strategy. It means that Louis Vuitton uses two suppliers, which serve the needs of the firm proportionally.Both of them are willing to have the leader position on behalf of higher revenues. This situation is advantageous for Louis Vuitton, because it can assure that because of the competition between the suppliers, they will be always supplie d with premium quality raw materials on a particular pric e level. Logistics One of the main aspects of the logistics system is the distribution. Most companies aim at minimizing their distribution costs and Louis Vuitton is not an exception. This is the reason why the company uses the multimodal solution.Therefore, Louis Vuitton combines transpor tation by sea, air and road. The advantage of cargo ships is that they can transfer big quantities on long distances. Moreover, Louis Vuitton operates in different continents and thus it is of great importance to ship in a cost effective way. The water transport provides efficient services at low prices. However, in specific situations such as rush orders, it is more rational to use airfreight. It can increase the costs but it guarantees that the company avoids the out-of-stock problem and satisfies customers? and consumers? wants.The distribution system, on its side, has a great impact on the location of wareho uses. For instance, the main centralized logistics warehouse in Cergy Pontoise is located near Paris, in France. The capital of France facilitates t he headquarters of Louis Vuitton as well as it is a city with high demand in fashion products. These are maybe some of the reasons why Louis Vuitton chose to situate its central distribution center. But, shipping from France to other countries may imply long customer lead time, which is the required time between the customer’s order and the delivery of this product.To shorten it Louis Vuitton could benefit from spot stock warehousing. Shortening the lead time is one of the most important aims of the companies, because of the fact that goods are available in the stores just at the time consumers demand them. One way for Louis Vuitton doing that is to decrease the overproduction of goods with lower demand. The second possible solution is the implementation of more frequent shipments of smaller quantities. This could be more effecti ve in combination with an improved forecasting system.It has the potential to reduce costs by not keeping fewer goods in stock, which are not highly demanded. Moreover, to avoid the out-of-stock problem, Louis Vuitton should interact and understand the preferences of the consumer. Louis Vuitton could do it via tracking the last purchases. In this way the company can recognize if a certain customer is willing to buy goods from the classical or from the modern collections. And Louis Vuitton can progressively improve its forecasting activities in order to know which collections have to be produced and which inventory has to be increased.Conclusion To improve the alignment between manufacturing and marketing, Louis Vuitton has to consider several factors. First, giving the present out-of-stock problem combined with the expected growth rates, the company has to increase their manufacturing capacity, based on the expected growth rate for the overall industry and for the different regions as well. In order to achieve that, they should add more labor force. More groups of workers will lead to increased production and therefore increased inventory in the warehouses.This would result in greater availability of products in retail stores and solve the out-of-stock problem. In addition, larger inventory of product enables Louis Vuitton to be responsive to increasing demand in peak times as well as providing the opportunity to focus on the production of newly introduced products and the satisfactions of its demand. Furthermore, Louis Vuitton should consider decreasing the introduction of new fashion lines in order to avoid disruptions of manufacturing and su pply chain activities caused by changes in the manufacturing process due to newly introduced products.Second, by improving the forecasting tools, Louis Vuitton should be more accurate in estimating the future demand for specific products. Moreover, Louis Vuitton should forecast more often and for shorter time periods. L ouis Vuitton should continue to insource the leather good production and use the dual sourcing strategy for purchasing raw materials. Finally, the group should introduce marketing tools in order to interact more with the consumers and to forecast the demand.

Mary Rowlandson’s “The Captive” Essay

In the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries of America, many settlers and colonists were taken captive by the Native Americans, commonly known as Indians. The Native Americans had many reasons and motives for capturing the settlers or colonists. Captives were often taken to be traded, ransomed, or â€Å"adopted,† which Native Americans did to replace tribal members who had passed or who had been killed. Two very famous captivity narratives are those of James Smith and Mary Rowlandson, whose stories are very different due to their captors, gender, and religion. James Smith was 18 years old when he was captured by the Indians just miles above Bedford. Smith was captured by three Indians, one was a Canasatauga and the two others were Delawares. With the exception of being flogged, Smith’s experiences with the Indians were not terrible. He was essentially treated as an Indian. This stems from the fact that he was adopted by the Natives. James Smith was given man y freedoms. Smith was very trusted by the Indians. They allowed him to hunt with them or on his own, they expected him to act as an Indian, and they also trusted him to take care of them when needed. Smith also had the option to leave whenever he pleased. He did not have to remain with the Indians for the four years, 1755-1759, that he did. These experiences are very different compared to those of Mary Rowlandson. Mary Rowlandson’s hometown of Lancaster, Massachusetts was destroyed by the Indians in King Philip’s War and she was taken captive during the destruction. Mary Rowlandson was captured in 1676 and remained a captive for three months before the requested ransom was paid. Rowlandson had very different experiences from James Smith with the Indians. At her capture, she witnessed the Indians killing or harming many in her family. Rowlandson, herself, suffered a gunshot wound. James Smith was also harmed when first captured by the Indians; however, he had been aided by French doctors. Mary Rowlandson dealt with her gunshot wound on her own. She also had to carry her sick child for six days before the child passed away. Rowlandson was not able to read freely in front of the Indians, she was not given a fair share of th e food, and was often forced to find other Indian tribes to spend the night with, or to receive food from. Rowlandson was sometimes allowed to go and meet with family members who were with neighboring tribes. Compared to James Smith’s experiences, Mary Rowlandson had it tough when she was a captive of the Indians. Gender had a major effect on how the captives were treated. Native Americans often captured women because they were easier to capture, could bring in more ransom, and the Indians also believed that the women would be easier to control. Mary Rowlandson had to make clothes for others in order to either trade with them or to get money that she could then use to obtain food with. James Smith, on the other hand, was able to go out and hunt for the food he needed. The food that he and his fellow Indians gathered was evenly divided amongst the tribe. Rowlandson, however, was treated better by some tribes than the one she was being held captive in. Some Indians from other tribes would offer her food or opportunities to get money or goods that she needed. This was likely due to the fact that women had more powers and were more respected in some Indian tribes. Smith was expected to help and fend for himself while Rowlandson was often provided with food, though it was not a fair share and was often not of the same value that Smith’s was. Overall, Mary Rowlandson was treated disrespectfully, unfairly, and as though she was inferior. Rowlandson had to fight harder to live, as her food was often stolen and her religion, her greatest hope and strength, was frowned upon during her captivity. Religiously, Mary Rowlandson was affected more than James Smith. Mary Rowlandson was very religious. Rowlandson was married to a minister of Lancaster. Mary Rowlandson’s faith and religion were the only things that kept her going during her captivity. The only thing she had to look forward to was reading her bible, though she had to do it secretly because once, her mistress caught her reading it, grabbed it out of her hands, and threw it ou tside. Rowlandson recovered her bible, but from then on she read it more secretly. Mary Rowlandson believed that all of the trials that she survived and the blessings that she received were from God. Rowlandson wrote of leaving her captivity, â€Å"I have been in the midst of those roaring lions and savage bears that feared neither God nor man nor the devil, by night and day, alone and in company, sleeping all sorts together, and yet not one of them ever offered the least abuse of unchastity to me in word or action; though some are ready to say I speak it for my own credit; but I speak it in the presence of God, and to His glory. God’s power is as great now as it was to furnace. Especially that I should come away in the midst of so many hundreds of enemies and not a dog move his tongue.† Mary Rowlandson often quoted bible verses, one being Psalsms 27: â€Å"Wait on the Lord.† Rowlandson used this particular verse to persuade another captive against trying to escape and run away. and metaphorically related her experiences to stories of the bible .Mary Rowlandson depended upon her religion to survive her captivity. Without, her faith, religion, and God, Mary Rowlandson would have had no hope, no reason to go on, or no encouragement to persevere through her captivity. James Smith was not extremely religious. Unlike Mary Rowlandson, James Smith did not depend upon religion to survive his captivity with the Indians. The Indians that Smith was with did not mind him practicing his own religion and they did not force their religion upon him. James Smith was, towards the end of his captivity, traveling with an Indian by the name of Tecaughretanego and his son Nunganey. After Smith laughed at Tecaughretanego’s religious ceremonies, Tecaughretanego said to him, â€Å"Brother,–I have somewhat to say to you, and I hope you will not be offended when I tell you of your faults. You know that when you were reading your books in town I would not let the boys or any one disturb you; but now, when I was praying, I saw you laughing. I do not think that you look upon praying as a foolish thing; I believe you pray yourself. But perhaps you may think my mode or manner of praying foolish; if so, you ought in a friendly manner to instruct me, and not make sport of sacred things.† Smith learned a lot about the Indians’ religion through his experiences with them and learned to respect their beliefs. Though the experiences of James Smith and Mary Rowlandson were very different, neither story will ever be forgotten. Perhaps that was their purpose for recording their exploits. The differences in their stories can be attributed to their sex, religion, and captors. Had Mary Rowlandson not been female, religious, or captured by the Indians she was, her story may have been very different. Also, for James Smith, had he not been male or taken by the Indians he was his story would have been completely altered. The qualities, beliefs, and characteristics of Mary Rowlandson and James Smith were essentially what saved their lives.

Individual as a member of a community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual as a member of a community - Essay Example However, in analyzing the subject critically, the theories of cultural relativism versus the subjectivism create a remarkably engaging perspective and understanding into the issue in the discussion (Chaffee, 2011). Thus, in discussing the subject of same-sex marriages, the ethical theory relating to the subject for the greater understanding and evaluation of the issue is cultural relativism. Additionally, from a metaphysical perspective, the theory to consider is naturalism versus the theory of idealism. Politically, the subject remains form the point of Kant’s philosophical analysis in defining the concepts of society from the knowledge of the external world. The society consist of individuals with personalized opinions whose amalgamation results in the collective expected course of beliefs as well as what they consider the social norm and accepted code of conduct. The society stands from the grounds of the individual opinions as they approach from the perspective of objectivism and subjectivism, viewing the issue and analyzing it from the point that it relates to the situation at hand. This factor leads to the collective and agreed concept and point of perception of the issue in consideration. Traditionally, the society holds that man and woman as entities created for each other; thus, the proceedings leading to the emergence of the subject of same sex relations remains a taboo in view of various societies. This collective agreement passes down the lineage of history from generation to the next forming the social basis of the norms regarding the issue in the discussion. Additionally, the societies we live in consist of highly religious composition. The world exists from the perception that God, the all Supreme Being created the universe and all that is in it owes allegiance to the statutes that God prescribes fit for the common good of the entire population. Religious perspectives, whether

Group portfolio Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Group portfolio - Research Paper Example However, the organization sticks to its beliefs that successful companies move with the time while still devoting to developing a healthy and dynamic enterprise. One of the core cultural values that Haier group has is the rights and wrongs sense whereby the product users are considered always to be right while the company need to regularly improve itself (Sprague, 2002). The culture acts as the driving force, hence forming value for the customers; the employees work their best to meet the customer’s needs in addition to generating a wide variety of choices that they can choose from. The workforce has a mind-set, whereby, they feel the need to persistently advance themselves, which they perceive to be the only way they can continually refuse, dare and outdo themselves in order to realize their innovative character through change. The organization, in addition, has an adaptive culture that has led to its growth, whereby it maintains its pace with the social growth while maintaining an awareness of any changes occuring in the world. Its innovative character enables the firm to uphold a competitive benefit in the ever-changing market. Tha t is to say, the more radical the world changes the quicker the speed of customer’s variation, hence, the more lasting the inheritance turns out to be (Lin, 2005). In addition, the organization has employed the concept of two spirits, innovation and entrepreneurship, which are considered to be the genes for the company’s consistent culture. The genes ensure that all members of the workforce maintain their value in addition to guiding them in their individual development. It is also mandated for every employee to have the entrepreneurship and innovation spirits. Entrepreneurship is considered to be the spirit of pioneering work in which the company persuades all employees to have it (Yi, Jinsheng and Xian, 2002). They are encouraged to transform from being