Graduation Speech: Happiness is Success :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

A few months ago I was sitting in the guidance center waiting for some transcripts. I was having one of those "high-stress, low-patience" days and I was just in a very bad mood. As I waited, I noticed a little book on one of the coffee tables called "What happiness is." Cynically curious, I picked up the book and fingered through it. Each page was different quote about what happiness is, and as I read each one, I started to slowly lift out of my bitter mood. The first one I read was "Happiness sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." - John Barrymore. I could buy that, I was starting to feel a little better. The next one I read was "All who would win joy must share it, happiness was born a twin." - Lord Byron. Now that felt good to read my present mood. Eagerly, I read the third one. "Happiness is going to the 20 year reunion and finding that the boy elected most likely to succeed, didn't." Needless to say, I felt a little disenfranchised by this one. Having won that category in the yearbook this year, I felt a sudden added pressure. I was now indentured for 20 years to try to succeed in order to keep all of you from being happy. It was a lose-lose situation for all of us. For a time after, my thoughts often drifted to that 20-year reunion. How was I going to be successful? How was I going to insure I fulfilled my high school yearbook's prophecy? How was I going to be a success? Immediately, my thoughts drifted to money. Success to most Americans immediately means big houses, hot cars, bling-bling. I had no guarantees to myself that I would be a success. There was nothing I could do but continue to work hard, stay up late writing papers and hang posters my entire life for dances. I didn't necessarily want this. So I began to question what success is to me. And it's more than the cliche of happiness. What success is to me, could be radically different than what success is to anyone else in this room. It's up to me to define it for me. It's up to me to decide what I have to do in my life to make it a success. We all set our own expectations.

A Woman of No Importance

The purpose of this essay is to analyze, explain, inform, and suggest. An analysis of the various gender/sexuality, social status, religious, and governmental power struggles that existed in the play is presented. Explanation of various leadership styles is given.Information on whether or not the analyzed power struggles were evident in England and America. Suggestions about why these two countries differed are given. The review begins with a discussion on the â€Å"First Act†.First ActIn the â€Å"First Act†, there was discussion on how some American states are as big as the entire countries of England and France. Also, conversation between Lady Caroline and Miss. Worsley (Hester) was about how Lady Caroline thought that Miss. Worsley had not right to be so particular over the people that others invited her to meet.This was because Miss. Worsley was considered as a foreigner and Mrs. Allonby (the lady that Hester did not know if she would like or dislike) was considere d to be royalty (Wilde 1893). As a result, this scene suggested that everyone in England is not treated equally. In fact, this inequality later manifested itself in a number of conversations between various characters in the play. However, unfair treatment between men and women in England is not the only conversation in the play.The discussion shifted to how society perceived working individuals in both England and America. In England, workers never had the opportunity to become acquainted with high society. In fact, the high society members of England were considered more important and respected than those who held jobs (Wilde 1893).This provides an indication that England’s power was one of a hierarchy where those at the top make all the decisions for the lower class levels to follow. In America, the play portrayed the people with the jobs as those who were highly respected in society (Wilde 1893). This showed a power shift to the working class because this class had purcha sing, bargaining, and selling power to keep the economy moving forward.At one point, Hester stated, â€Å"Mr. Arbuthnot has a beautiful nature!’ ‘He is so simple, so sincere.’ ‘He has one of the most beautiful natures I have ever come across.’ ‘[I can say that] it is a privilege to meet him (sic)’† (Wilde 1893, First Act).This statement is reminiscent of stereotyping. It indicates a power of persuasion that people are often able to portray themselves as having a good personality. However, in reality, they have faults and other faulty characteristics that would cause others to think of them in a different manner. Also, the fact that women had to conceal their feelings in England’s society, made it difficult for people to know their true personalities.Lady Caroline said, â€Å"It is not customary in England†¦for a young lady to speak with such enthusiasm of any person of the opposite sex.’ ‘English women co nceal their feelings till after they are married.’ ‘They [are allowed to] show them then’† (Wilde 1893, First Act). This passage suggests that England does not consider it lady-like for a woman to express interest in a man until after marriage.In America, this would not have worked because women were able to have friendships with men they did not intend to marry. Furthermore, some American women engaged in sexual activities with men before marriage. The play portrayed the differences between how England women and American women are treated when it comes to this issue throughout each scene (Wilde 1893).In another discussion, Lady Hunstanton expressed an interest in the fact that Lord Illingworth did not marry lady Kelso because she either came from a large family or her feet were too big (Wilde 1893, First Act). This suggests that royalty in England chose spouses based upon their appearance and whether or not they would fit into high society. In America, for the most part, people got married based upon the amount of love and respect they had for each other and not for the size of one’s family or feet.At some point, Kelvil entered into the discussions. The passage where he talked about â€Å"I find that the poorer classes of this country display a marked desire for a higher ethical standard† (Wilde 1893, First Act) is reflective of how many of America’s working poor strive hard to achieve the American Dream.However, at the same time, when Kelvil said, â€Å"Women are always on the side of morality, public and private† (Wilde 1893, First Act) he is placing gender constraints on the political views of women. Yet, when Lady Hunstanton indicated, â€Å"†¦that dear Lord Illingworth doesn’t value the moral qualities in women as much as he should† (Wilde 1893, First Act) she was placing limitations on the values and beliefs of high society England.That is why when Lord Illingworth enters the scene he voiced his displeasure in being talked about behind his back (Wilde 1893). In America, people are talked about behind their backs all the time. This gives no party more power but often causes conflicts to occur that are hard to resolve. Rather than a win/win scenario occurring, these conflicts often create avoidance issues and that is a lose/lose scenario type. Perhaps this is why England women are expected to conceal their eagerness towards men.While other conversations are noted, the discussions shifted to how American women should stay at home and stop traveling to England to find husbands (Wilde 1893). This shows a belief that England did not want its citizens marrying other cultures. At this point, the discussions are nearing politics.Lady Hunstanton pointed out that no country has good politics. As the conversation continues, Kelvil said, â€Å"You cannot deny that the House of Commons has always shown great sympathy with the sufferings of the poor† (Wilde 1893, Fir st Act). This suggests that the poor in England must struggle to survive due to little assistance from England’s government. Not too long after this, the conversation shifts to England’s East End and how it needs fixing. The problem is that slaves are amusing the higher society, according to Lord Illingworth (Wilde 1893, First Act).Later on in the scene, conversation turned to debt. Lord Alfred talked about how everyone he knows is in debt (Wilde 1893). This is reflective of America’s society today. Many people do not get the things they want unless they can charge those items to credit cards and then pay them off later on. In the play, discussion was about how Americans were always well dressed and did their shopping in Paris for clothes (Wilde 1893). So, even in early centuries, Americans went into debt to make sure they looked and felt good.In fact, the fine apparel and good looks were not reflective of the plain look that was discussed in the play. Mrs. Allo nby said, â€Å"Curious thing, plain women are always jealous of their husbands, beautiful women never are!† (Wilde 1893, First Act). This suggests that plain-looking women in England had low self-esteem issues. In America, it is possible for any type of woman to fear her husband will cheat on her.Later on in the scene, Lord Illingworth indicated, â€Å"One can survive everything nowadays, except death, and live down anything except a good reputation† (Wilde 1893, First Act). This means that anyone with a good reputation is highly respected even after death. It also suggests that everyone has something to live for and that is to have a good reputation when they die.Second ActAs the â€Å"First Act† ended, the â€Å"Second Act† came in with a strong discussion on a woman’s place in society. Mrs. Allonby made known her belief that women should stick by their husbands and not let them be alone. Lady Caroline talked about how a women’s place in society is to look after her husband. She also said that bachelors should be forced to marry within 12 months time. In addition, Lady Caroline made a reference to women as property and Mrs. Allonby pointed out that people should not be discussed in that type of manner (Wilde 1893).In a sense, human property is slavery. Earlier in the play, it was discussed that this was a problem in England (Wilde 1893). However, America went through its own trials with slavery as well. Fortunately, when the right government came along, slavery was abolished in America and many African Americans have contributed greatly to the world. In particular, Martin Luther King, Jr. helped end slavery and for that, he has his own nationally observed holiday.The discussion on men in the â€Å"Second Act† is of major significance. This is because the type of man that each woman wanted was their Ideal Man.   Lady Stutfield desired a man with a square chin. Mrs. Allonby told her that Ernest was that type of man. However, Lady Caroline reflected,The Ideal Man! Oh, the Ideal Man should talk about us as if we were goddesses, and treat us as if we were children. He should refuse all our serious requests, and gratify every one of our whims. He should encourage us to have caprices, and forbid us to have missions. He should always say much more than he means, and always mean much more than he says. (Wilde 1893, Second Act)This type of man would possess charismatic leadership qualities. A charismatic leader is able to get others to follow him because of his personality.On the other hand, Mrs. Allonby wanted another type of man. Mrs. Allonby’s Ideal Man â€Å"†¦should persistently compromise us in public and treat us with absolute respect when we are alone† (Wilde 1893, Second Act). A person who compromises creates a win/lose scenario. Basically, the thing that is compromised works in the best interest of the one doing the compromising. In this sense, transformational lead ership qualities are evident. This type of leader does whatever he can to get others to come on board with his ideas. In fact, transformational leadership exists in America. Remarkably, due to the effective leadership styles that both men and women have as reflective of Miss. Worsley’s explanation, her conversations take on new meanings as they come to light in the play.Miss. Worsley said, â€Å"†¦true American society consists simply of all the good women and good men we have in our country† (Wilde 1893, Second Act). This implies that a high standard of ethics, humanitarian, and utilitarian exists. As a result, these men and women represent the universal leadership style. In this type of leadership, the leader is an active listener and among other qualities, looks out for the best interests of all parties that are involved.Lady Hunstanton saw England as being too artificial when it comes to social class (Wilde 1893). This suggests that the upper class in England has their noses held high in the air and considers their class to be the best that England has to offer. In fact, Miss. Worsley (Hester) later supported this by stating, â€Å"Oh, your English society seems to me shallow, selfish, foolish† (Wilde 1893, Second Act).Third ActIn the â€Å"Third Act†, Lord Illingworth talked about how mothers are selfish people. Yet, this is a different type of selfishness than that discussed by Miss. Worsley. Lord Illingworth referred to the fact that mothers want to hold onto their children and not let them live their own lives. He also discussed the fact that people want to live in the best society. Unfortunately, the only way for them to get there â€Å"†¦one has either to feed people, amuse people, or shock people—that is all!† (Wilde 1893, Third Act). Basically, this statement sums up how all three types of classes can coexist. For example, kings feed people, court jesters entertain, and the educated poor shock. On e could say that this was the type of country that England was.Lord Illingworth also talked about the history of women, the types of women, and religion in the â€Å"Third Act†. Women were considered to be tricky. However, one can argue that the reason why women are considered by Lord Illingworth to be â€Å"The tyranny of the weak over the strong† (Wilde 1893, Third Act) is because they need to be strong. Women are the ones who bear the pains of childbirth to bring leaders (kings, presidents, lords, etc.) into the world.That is why Lord Illingworth’s depiction of women as either plain or coloured is wrong (Wilde 1893, Third Act). Women come from a variety of backgrounds and they are more than just white and black. Thus, another thing worth noting as discussed by Lord Illingworth in the â€Å"Third Act† is religion. In terms of religion, Lord Illingworth said, â€Å"The only difference between the spirit and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future† (Wilde 1893, Third Act).In America, there are many different perceptions of what constitutes as a saint and a sinner. The notion that all individuals have a past, present, and future devalues Lord Illingworth’s statement. As a result, the discussion on the secret of life has new meaning. Mrs. Allonby said, â€Å"[It is]†¦never to have an emotion that is unbecoming† (Wilde 1893, Third Act). Kelvil said, â€Å"[It is]†¦to resist temptation (Wilde 1893, Third Act). Lord Illingworth pointed out, â€Å"There is no secret of life† (Wilde 1893, Third Act). These statements suggest that philosophy was evident in England and that it was openly discussed by members of high society. Of course, this brings the play to the final act.Fourth ActIn the â€Å"Fourth Act†, talk between Gerald, Mrs. Allonby and Lady Hunstanton was about how Gerald wanted to stay close to his mother, Mrs. Arbuthnot. Yet, Lady Hunstanton believed t hat by Gerald staying at home, he is being lazy (Wilde 1893). In American society, many people believe that the children should take care of their parents when the parents reach old age. Based upon the conversation between Gerald and Lady Hunstanton, some England citizens believed that a son wastes his life by trying to be near his mother (Wilde 1893).As this conversation simmers down, Gerald strikes up a conversation with his mother and tried to get her to marry Lord Illingworth which happens to be Gerald’s father. This twist of events indicates that not everything goes well in England. Mrs. Arbuthnot and Lord Illingworth were not married when they had Gerald. As a result, Mrs. Arbuthnot paid a high price and Lord Illingworth did not.This is a sure sign that women were punished for deeds done in their bodies out of wedlock. Yet, the men were not (Wilde 1893). In America, the fathers are forced to pay child support. Thus, this implies that men held all the power in England wh ereas there were equal opportunities in America for both men and women.Towards the end of the play, Mrs. Arbuthnot got into a heated conversation with Lord Illingworth over Gerald (their son) and marriage to him. Mrs. Arbuthnot told Lord Illingworth that he was not needed in Gerald’s life and that she did not want to marry him.In addition, Mrs. Arbuthnot warned Lord Illingworth to stay away from them. At this point, Lord Illingworth exchanged a few more words with Mrs. Arbuthnot and then leaves. Gerald and his wife-to-be, Miss. Worsley comes back into the house and asked who had been there. Mrs. Arbuthnot replied, â€Å"A man of no importance† (Wilde 1893, Fourth Act).ConclusionConsequently, there seems to be a shift in the power struggle between Lord Illingworth and Mrs. Arbuthnot. In the past, Lord Illingworth had gotten the best of Mrs. Arbuthnot through a number of ways, including not marrying her and not supporting their child. However, Mrs. Arbuthnot finally stoo d up for herself and spoke her mind. Lord Illingworth suggested that she would not be able to stay in England like that. However, Mrs. Arbuthnot told him that they did not plan on staying there anyway. As a result, this suggests that strong-minded England women had to find other countries to leave in order to both have and enjoy the freedoms that they deserved.ReferenceWilde, Oscar. A Woman of No Importance. 1893. Emotional Literacy Education and Mark Zimmerman. 21 May 2007   

How Corruption Has Proven Detrimental Effect On Business...

While exchange based politics has existed in some form or another in most democracies for hundreds of years, this abuse of asymmetrical information is much more flagrant in Brazil. This abuse of power stems from two factors. The first being that the average voter cannot always monitor their representative, the second being that the interests of the politicians and the voters don’t always coincide (PubAuditsOutomce, 2). In accordance to the Bologna and Ross (Corruption entrepreneurship) study, the effects of corruption on the number of establishments in any given municipality have proven to be negative and statistically significant. Over time, corruption has proven to be detrimental to business and economic growth and has long lasting†¦show more content†¦Strong institutions at the municipal level have proved to have the strongest business growth. In addition to the lack of business growth is the lack of investment caused by corruption. It has been determined that â€Å"corruption is strongly negatively associated with the investment rate, regardless of the amount of red tape† (Mauro, P. 1995. â€Å"Corruption and Growth.† The Quarterly Journal of Economics 110: 681-712). This only further proves the point that adding corruption to an inefficient bureaucracy only makes the economic situation worse. Mauro further claims that â€Å"there is evidence that institutional inefficiency causes low investment.† Thusly, Brazil’s unintentional combination of corruption and bureaucratic pathologies can significantly reduce investment. While it’s simple to measure the amount of money misappropriated by the government though the use of audits, it’s much more difficult to determine precisely the investment potential that was lost due to corruption. Since the impeachment of Collor, eighty seven perc ent of private firms â€Å"indicated that bribes and nepotism are frequent in government procurement† ((Abramo 2004). Additionally, sixty two percent of private firms surveyed indicated that they were solicited for bribes when submitting bids for public works (Kroll and Transparencia Brasil, 8). Similar results indicate that bribes were alsoShow MoreRelatedCorruption Of Corruption And Corruption1445 Words   |  6 PagesHow can countries that are seen as corrupt function today? Why has corruption not constantly and consistently fallen and proved to be an inadequate way to rule? The role of corruption in today’s countries has proven to be weak, yet has held as a way of life for many around the world. As money and greed increase worldwide, the desire for these things increases as well. Learning what works, and what doesn’t is essential to the upkeep of many countries and their well-being. Does the increase of theRead MoreCorruption Is A Universal One1431 Words   |  6 PagesThe problem with corruption is a universal one, but this challenge is particularly egregious in new and developing democracies. 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Raymond Carver Cathedral Essay - 781 Words

In the â€Å"Cathedral,† Raymond Carver tried to portray two different aspects of blindness; one is a person who physically unable to see the world due to lack of eyes and other aspect concerns about narrator’s and his wife’s blindness who are not blind physical but socially and emotionally. In this story, there are various metaphors of blindness. One example of which is a blind person helping the other person (who is not visually impaired) to draw cathedral even though he hasnt seen one. Blindness is not a physical inability of a person; its beyond than that. In the â€Å"Cathedral,† Robert wasn’t the one that was blind however, the narrator was blind. According to the narrator, blindness is an inability of a person to see the†¦show more content†¦Ability to see is the only thing that matters to the narrator and he didnt even try to see the things beyond the surface, thats why he doesnt really know his wife well. Robert, on the other hand, is the one who has the ability to â€Å"see† on a much deeper level than the narrator. In the story, the only conversation happened between the narrator and his wife were mean trades in which the narrator does minimal more than irritate her. Robert understands narrators wife more profoundly than the narrator despite the fact that Robert cant physically see narrators wife. Robert can feel the things by touching them. Robert did not let blindness define or limit him to â€Å"see† with his eyes he found another way to visualize what the narrator was witnessing through his other heightened senses (i.e. touch, movement) not inhibiting him as an individual. Robert was able to make a picture of a thing or a person in his mind by simply touching it that’s why he asked to touch the face of narrator’s wife. Even at the end, when the narrator was trying to describe a cathedral to Robert, he asked the narrator to draw cathedral with him, so that Robert can visualiz e cathedral by movement of his hand. Instead of Robert, the narrator was blinded by his own thoughts. In the end of the story, He said, â€Å"My eyes were still closed. I was in my house. I knew that. But I didn’t feel like I was inside anything.† At the point whereShow MoreRelated Raymond Carvers Cathedral Essay6977 Words   |  28 Pages In quot;The Compartment,quot; one of Raymond Carvers bleakest stories, a man passes through the French countryside in a train, en route to a rendevous with a son he has not seen for many years. quot;Now and then,quot; the narrator says of the man, quot;Meyers saw a farmhouse and its outbuildings, everything surrounded by a wall. He thought this might be a good way to live-in an old house surrounded by a wallquot; (Cathedral 48). 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There is a fair amount of preconceived judgment made by the narrator in regards to an old friend coming to visit his wife. At the beginning of the story the narrator refers to the old friend as â€Å"the blind man† (Carver 455) and makes it clear that he â€Å"wasn’t enthusiastic about his visit.†Read MoreEssay on Cathedral by Raymond Carver1290 Words   |  6 PagesThe story of Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, shows that you do not have to see someone or something in order to appreciate them for who or what they are. It is about a husband, the narrator, and his wife who live in a house. The wife, whose name they do not mention, has a very close friend who is blind. His name is Robert. Roberts wife dies, and comes to their house to spend a couple of days with the narrato r and his wife. 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Happiness is the ultimate reason for living. It is not relevant just to a single person but it is important for the whole global community. Hope is that great thing in life that gives strength to people to live life, evenRead MoreAnalysis Of Raymond Carver s Cathedral 1340 Words   |  6 PagesRaymond Carver’s characters were considered to be very much like him: â€Å"’on the edge: of poverty, alcoholic self-destruction, loneliness† (Mays 32). His short story â€Å"Cathedral† is about a young couple, who have a visitor coming to stay with them. This visitor, Robert, is the wife’s friend, and he is blind. The narrator, the husband, has never met someone who is blind, was bothered by that. To him, being blind meant constantly needing help from others. His depiction of blindness was what he has seen

Assignment On Steeple And Swot Analysis - 1483 Words

Part 3: Critically analyse task 6, 7 and 9 from the workbook Task 6 and 7: STEEPLE and SWOT analysis Strategic analysis tools or strategic frameworks are developed to direct organisational tactics and match faculty abilities with market chances so that the faculty can achieve a strategic planning and a unified set of goals including continuing analysis and evaluation (Tomlinson, 2011). Most institutions can adopt one or more strategic frameworks to drive faculty development by providing critical external and internal factors using STEEPLE and SWOT analysis, respectively to formulate the strategy. However, errors and potential limitations of strategic frameworks can occur, if organisations have inabilities of managerial and administrative such as lack of skill and experience to create an effective strategy (Tomlinson, 2011). According to the STEEPLE analysis framework, this framework is used to categorise and determine the factors of macro environment and external influences that may affect the performance of organisations and future activities in both the short and long term (Grant, 2008). STEEPLE is an acronym for social, technological, economic, environmental, political, legal and ethical considerations so a strategic project team needs to analyse and identify the potential impact of these composing factors such as changes, trends and movements in order to maximise efficiency of the organisation (Jones Murray, 2008). 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Sustainable Value Chains-Free-Samples for Students -Myassignment

Question: You are required to write a report discussing Value Chain analysis. Answer: Introduction Strategic Planning refers to the process to define the business strategies of the organizations. Strategic planning plays an integral part in organizational decision-making and it provides the business with necessary direction to achieve its objectives. One of the major parts of strategic planning is Value Chain that helps to add value to the customers. Value Chain Analysis Definition Value Chain Analysis is described as a major strategic tool used by the organizational managers for the analysis of the internal activities of the companies. The main objective of value chain analysis is to recognize the most valuable activities in the organizations (Fearne et al. 2012). Primary Activities There are five primary activities in Porters Value Chain. They are Inbound Logistics like receiving, storing and distributing inputs; Operations that the transformation activities; Outbound Logistics like collection, storage and distribution system; Marketing and Sales that are done to persuade customers; and Services that are done to maintain the value of products (netmba.com 2017). Secondary Activities There are four secondary activities in Porters Value Chain. They are Procurement that is done to get the necessary resources for operation; Human Resource Management that involves recruitment, hiring, motivation and others; Technological Development that are related to management and procurement of information; and Infrastructure that are the support system of the companies. Cost Advantages There are five steps under coat advantage. First step involves the identification of primary and secondary activities. Second step gives importance to each of the activities. The third step involves identification of cost driver for each activity. Step four identifies links between the activities. Fifth activity involves the identification of risk reduction opportunities. Differentiation There are three steps in differentiation advantages. First step involves the identification of value creating activities. Second stage involves the evaluation of differentiation strategies to improve value of the customers. In the third stage, the best sustainable differentiation is identified. Technology In Porters Value Chain Analysis, the activities of technological development are related with the management and processing of organizational information. In addition, it also helps to protect the knowledge base of the companies. The major objectives of this are the minimization of technological costs, to stay up to date with current technologies and to maintain technical excellence (marketingteacher.com 2017). Linkage between Activities Four steps can be seen here. In step one, high-quality assembling process helps in the reduction of costs and defects for quality control and support activities. In step two, plants are located near to the suppliers for the reduction of distribution and purchasing costs. In step three, few models are used for the reduction of assembling costs. In step four, warehousing costs are increased by high order sizes (tutor2u.net 2017). Outsourcing Businesses have the option to outsource the rest of value chain activities in which they are not specialized. Thus, a thorough value chain analysis helps in the outsourcing decisions of value chain. In order to take value chain outsourcing decision, businesses are required to identify the strengths and weaknesses of various value chain activities. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be seen that value chain helps in adding values to the products and customers of the companies. As per the above discussion, there are various aspects of value chain analysis and the organizational managers are required to consider all these factors into consideration while taking value chain related decisions. References Fearne, A., Garcia Martinez, M. and Dent, B., 2012. Dimensions of sustainable value chains: implications for value chain analysis.Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,17(6), pp.575-581. Marketingteacher.com. (2014).Value Chain Analysis. [online] Available at: https://www.marketingteacher.com/value-chain-analysis/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2017]. Netmba.com. (2017).Value Chain Analysis. [online] Available at: https://www.netmba.com/strategy/value-chain/ [Accessed 7 Nov. 2017]. tutor2u. (2017).Value Chain Analysis | tutor2u Business. [online] Available at: https://www.tutor2u.net/business/reference/value-chain-analysis [Accessed 7 Nov. 2017].

The portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice Essay Example

The portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice Paper This play is set in the city of Venice about the year 1596. Venice was the main trade center in all of Europe. They traded all sorts of cargo, like human cargo (slaves.), silks and spices. The law of Venice was extremely strict and if anyone disobeys the law they would be in deep trouble. Venice is full of mixed people, wealthy people, poor people, kind people, loyal people and unloyal people. Venices main religion is Christianity. The main Christian in this story is Antonio. Antonio is a merchant who loans people money without charging interest. Venice has also got Jews (or the Hebrews). The Jews came from a place called Israel. The powerful Romans ruled Israel. At first the Jews were allowed their religion but then the Romans tried to crush it. The main Jew in this story is a man called Shylock. Shylock also loans money but has to charge interest. Shylock A villain who deservers his fate? Shylock has a deep obsession with money. Shylock cares more about money than anything else in the world even more than his daughter. When his daughter ran away with a Christian it made him intensively mad. But what was more shocking to him was that she took lots of his money and his wifes precious turquoise. The turquoise is a valuable ring that he cared about a lot. When Shylock found out that his daughter had ran away he had very mixed feelings. This was because at the same time he found out another one of his archenemys (Antonio.) ships had gone down. But then he said, I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewel in her ear. These two lines tells us and the audience how low he would sink for money. We will write a custom essay sample on The portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The portrayal of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Shylock also hates the rich and the tremendously famous Antonio. The main reason he hates him is because Antonio will not charge interest on his loans, He lend out money gratis. He hates Antonio for doing this because it brings down rate of unsance here with us in Venice. This means that Shylock has to charge very little interest so he can stay in business, this hurts Shylocks pocket. Shylock tells the audience his true feelings about Antonio. He says I hate for he is a Christian. When this speech is being said Shakespeares audience would have flipped in anger. The audience might have thrown stuff and definitely booed . But if this play was show now-a-days the audience would still be angry but not as much as Shakespeares time. At times Shylock can be really mean and harsh. Like when he was asked to come and eat with the Christians he didnt take it at all nicely, he said I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you and so following; But I will not eat with you, drink with you nor pray with you . I think this speech Shylock just said was totally unnecessary but after the way he has been treated its completely understandable. When he was about to leave to go to dinner he told Jessica not to look at what was happing at the dinner and lock up my door . He even said not to look at any Christians, nor thrust your head into public street, To gaze on a Christian fools with varnished faces . All these thing he says to Jessica is more bitterness towards to Christians. There Shylock is also not nice to his Christian servant Lancelot. He treats him like he has no self respect and only rarely dose he call him buy his real name he normally calls him fool . And Shylock said to Lancelot that he wasnt allowed to speak unless he said so, Who bids thee call? I did not bid thee call. I think and so would the audience that no matter how much you hate someone they at least should have the right to speak whenever they like. I dont actually think that Jessica really loves her father Shylock, because if she did she wouldnt have ran away from her father. And the thing is that she didnt just ran away with anyone she ran away with the kind of people that Shylock hates most, a Christian. She didnt even tell her father the truth and stuck up for the servant instead. When Shylock asked what Lancelot said to Jessica, Jessica replied, His words were farewell, mistress, nothing else . But what Lancelot had really said was, Mistress, look out at window for all this: There will come a Christian by will be wroth a Jewà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s eye . This is one of many speeches that the audience knows what is really happening and the actors dont. Shylock can also be a tremendously cunning and sly man. For example when the merchant Antonio came to ask Shylock for the 3,000 ducats Shylock at first wasnt sure. But then his brain clicked in and he found a cunning idea that will enable him to get his revenge that he has been waiting so long. He had tricked Antonio into signing the most dreadful bond in the entire world. If shylock didnt have his money back he would take 1lb Of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken . At a point like this the audience would be shocked at how a man like this came be so evil. He tricked Antonio into the bond be saying that he was being kind and that he was showing kindness . Shylock made Antonio think that paying a 1lb of his flesh is better than paying extra interest. He also made him think that there was no way that he couldnt afford to pay him back so there was no way that he would have to give a 1lb of his flesh. This is another one of Shakespeares amazing parts were the audience knows the truth about Shylocks true feelings and Antonio and Bassanio have no idea whats going on. This brings a sense of excitement to the audience, which would stop them from falling asleep, and would stop them from walking out of the place were the play is being shown. Shylock at times is a very cruel and vindictive man. Like when he hears the awful news that all of Antonios ships have gone down and that he would be able to have his 1lb of flesh, he was delighted. But then at the same time he had got some bad news. He found out that his daughter had ran away with a Christian and she had taken most of his money. But as soon as he heard the bad news he forgot about and started talking about how his bond came true. But soon it all got to his head and he became obsessive with how he is going to kill the Christian he hates most Antonio. When he gets to the court he comes prepared for everything. And he amazed the whole courtroom by bringing his own pair on scales and his own knife. This proved to everyone in the audience what a disgusting and evil man he really was. And to top of his evil ways, while the court case was in action Shylock was sitting on the floor sharpening his knife on his leather shoe. All pleads of mercy towards Shylock were turned down. Even after Portias humungous speech about mercy he still said no. In the speech she basically said that mercy is a blessing form god and if you show mercy you will receive mercy. It is an attribute to god himself . But Shylock still wanted to go through with the dreadful bond. When Portia (Balthazar) asked Shylock if they could at least Have by some surgeon, Shylock, on your charge, To stop his wounds, lest he do bleed to death . But Shylock was on a roll being so cruel and mean; all he said was Is it so nominated in the bond? . This answer that Shylock just gave is a big time villain answer. Bassanio offered money to Shylock to spare Antonios life but Shylock refused all the money that was offered and said If every ducat in six thousand Were in six parts, and every part a ducat, I would not draw them; I would have my bond . Then even Antonio gave up arguing with Shylock about sparing his life. He said it was like telling the tides not to rise and not to fall. You may as well go stand upon the beach And bid the main flood bate his usual height . Shylock is quite often not a very nice man. He hates every Christian that he comes across and even the ones that he doesnt know. Shylock is so heartless, vicious, nasty and cruel that he would go ahead and kill a man while he still alive, just because he comes from a different religion. Shylock a villain who deserves his fate? Shylock is treated terribly by the Christians is especially by the evil merchant Antonio. Antonio dished out lots of verbal abuse but he still went to Shylock, and asked for money. Antonio had called Shylock misbeliever, cut-throat dog . Antonio didnt just use verbal abuse he also did disgusting things like, spit upon my Jewish gaberdine . Antonio had also mocked Shylock when he was doing bad and when he was succeeding in life and work, laughed at my losses, mocked at my gains . Another reason why the Christians hated Shylock is because he is a Jew. In the time when this play was set all the Christians hated Jewish people, and Jewish people hated Christians. In Shakespeares time the audience would have also hated shylock and would have agreed with all the insults the Antonio and his friends gave to Shylock. But the audience of the 21-century would have a totally different point of view. The insults that were most used against Shylock were, dog and devil . These words were used in the play to make the audience think the Shylock is an evil man and that he shouldnt be liked or trusted. All the abuse thats Shylock took made him madder and madder making him hate the Christians. He hated them so much that he wouldnt even let his daughter look at them. To gaze on Christians fools with varnished faces . When Antonio came to ask for the money Shylock first wasnt sure but then he found out that he could use it as a way of revenge. He said that if the money was not paid back pound of your fair flesh, to be cut off and taken . And this made Shylock turn into a mental man. When the court case had started everything had gone to shylocks head and he turned into a totally different man. And his desire for revenge became unnatural. Shylock is never shown mercy. At the court case Shylock was asked repeatively to show mercy. Then must the Jew be merciful . Portia also asked that if you be merciful then people shall be merciful to you. She also said that mercy is a blessing from God. It is an attribute to God himself, And earthly powers doth then show likest God . But when it was Shylock in trouble nobody showed even the slightest bit of mercy. It was even worse when first he was able to keep half of his wealth, which is quite merciful, but then the Christian Antonio blew the mercy thing by making Shylock turn into a Christian. He presently become a Christian . By saying this it canceled out any mercy that they might have shown. Turning Shylock into a Christian is the worst thing you can do and is defiantly not merciful. Shylock now has to turn against everything he believes and against everything hes taught. Especially Portia treated shylock terribly at the end of the court case. She the one saying to be merciful but then she turned into an evil monster. She had taken all his pride and said down, therefore, and beg mercy at the duke . Everything was taken away form Shylock and there was no way he could have been treated any worse then they did that day. My personal views. When I got asked the question is Shylock a victim or villain I thought that he is mainly a victim. He was a victim throughout over 2/3 of this play and he wasnt a villain a lot. When we first started reading the play I felt extremely sorry for Shylock. The Christian Antonio and his friend always took the mick and called him dog . When Antonio asked Shylock for 3,000 ducats, Shylock said to him Fair sir, you spat on me Wednesday last, You spurned me such a day, another time You called me dog: and for these courtesies Ill lend you thus much monies . I think that this speech is excellent I love the way that he put he words, which makes it down to the point while being sarcastic. What he says is, you called me dog, spat on me and for this I shall lend you money. Antonio had also called him misbeliever, cut-throat dog . When I first heard this speech I felt like killing Antonio, from all the info we had so far I got the impression that Shylock is capable of every day life until the evil Antonio suddenly pops up and ruins everything. I think that the punishment that was given to Shylock is way to harsh. The punishment is that half is wealth shall go to the city of Venice and the other half shall be his until he dies when it shall go to Jessica. But even worse is that Shylock has to become a Christian. I think that turning Shylock into a Christian is the most horrific thing you can do. Shylock will have to go Church, eat with Christian people and change his whole way of Jewish life. In the early scenes he told us how much he hated Christians and that he would never dine with Christians as long as he lived. So turning him into a Christian is making him turn against everything and everyone he ever loved and believed in.