Antony and Cleopatra :: William Shakespeare Plays Literature Essays

Antony and Cleopatra The legend of Cleopatra has percolated in the world consciousness for the past 2000 years. By the time Shakespeare wrote the tragedy Antony and Cleopatra the alluring reputation of the queen had existed primarily as a biased representation of a foreign female who insinuated herself into the Roman power structure. Shakespeare’s role in perpetuating the allure of the last of the Ptolemaic rulers was the result of synthesizing the existing biases and distilling the dichotomy between the woman and the queen. Consequently, Shakespeare portrayed her not only as an alluring woman who was thought of as a wanton corrupter of Roman ideals, but as a queen who tried to do what was best for her country, and a woman who tried to do what was best for herself. Shakespeare brought all of these aspects together and molded a character that Joseph Summers describes as the â€Å"transcendent image of beauty and nobility† (135), and firmly entrenched Cleopatra into the collect ive consciousness. As suggested in the introduction to Norton’s Antony and Cleopatra, the play â€Å"presupposes familiarity not only with events dramatized in that play [Julius Caesar] but also with earlier Roman conflicts† (Cohen 847) and, I would add, the reputation of various characters. Interestingly, there is no mention of Cleopatra in Julius Caesar even though she is the mother of Caesar’s son.[1] This relationship obviously infuriated the Roman leaders and as a consequence her role with Caesar is effectively diminished and her reputation is vilified. Cicero, the great Roman orator, described Cleopatra as â€Å"unacceptably regal and arrogant† (Higgs 229), while Octavian refers to her as â€Å"the wanton daughter of the Ptolomies† (Hamer 311). Northrop Frye contends that propaganda was necessary because â€Å"she was one person the Romans were really afraid of† (Frye 123). The propaganda, as Christopher Pelling alludes, was a result of â €Å"Octavian work[ing] seduously on Italian misogyny and xenophobia† (Pelling 294). Octavian’s promulgations evoked suspicion and hostility towards Cleopatra, and their main intent was to mitigate the idea that â€Å"Cleopatra [was becoming] a legend for Romans too† (Pelling 294). There is no way they would have described her as a woman who grieved the loss of Antony so passionately that â€Å"she beat her

Previous Research Experience Essay

Research can be said to be the systematic discovery of knowledge. According to Davitz (1985), â€Å"Research as an activity is vital in society because of the ever increasing problems, opportunities and challenges that people face in day to day life. † Also, the need to generate new knowledge, explore new opportunities and the general curiosity motivate people to carry out research. Research is basically a process whereby people carry out activities that are based on applying the intellect in investigation of particular phenomena. Scientific research is the application of empirical and verifiable methods to understand phenomena around the world in terms of matter and its properties. Research can be undertaken both at the undergraduate level and at the postgraduate level. Undergraduate research is done at the level of bachelor’s degree and it involves coming up with a dissertation on a particular subject. Students choose on a topic that has been studied by other people and try to analyze it by searching for shortages in knowledge in terms of the chosen topic. The concept of Post graduate research entails â€Å"embracing well versed and distinct proposal and includes more intense and systematic investigation based upon the work established by other people in a particular area† (William, 1996). I generally do not have first hand field experience, but I believe the learning that I have passed through has prepared me appropriately to carry out research. As an undergraduate student, I did various courses that I believe prepared me on the basic and fundamental aspects of carrying out research. As a researcher there are various skills that one should have for him or her to be able to effectively carry out the research. According to Eisenberg and Berkowitz (1994) â€Å"six effective skills of a good researcher include ability to define problem under study, seek variety of information, and make use of that information through presentation and evaluation† 1994). I was able to learn these skills through research methods courses that I undertook at the undergraduate level and which I think I can effectively apply in a practical research environment. Moreover, I believe in the importance of always applying ethical principles when it comes to research environment since it is only through them that a research work gains credibility. The need for credibility in research can be enhanced through appropriate application of ethical principles that I think I have been able to inculcate in my mind. I can therefore say that I fully understand the ethical requirements that are necessary when it comes to science research. Am also versed in the preparation of research proposals that serve as sources of research summaries. This is so because of the teachings I learnt and the experiences that I learnt in class during my undergraduate level. I also understand the challenges that researchers face when carrying out their research activities. These challenges consist of time constriction, deprived populace and sample assortment, limited resources in terms of funding and lack of objectivity on the part of the researchers†(Sutton, 2006). These are the challenges that are mostly constraining research activities in most academic institutions and the industry. My knowledge of these challenges is an added factor because am ready to carry out the research with the knowledge of the challenges that I expect to get in the research field. Therefore, am fully prepared to tackle research challenges that may occur on the research environment. In addition to the above, I have done other activities that I think are relevant and that they can come in handy during my research. I have participated in various social activities at the university during my undergraduate level and in the community in general. These forums include sports, leadership positions and community activities. Through these social activities, I have been able to develop the necessary communication skills and which will come in handy in research during stages like collection of data where I might be needed to interview people. Thus I believe the communication skills I learnt will come in handy during the research process itself. I have also done various short term assignments that included application of numerical skills in carrying out those assignments. Through these assignments, for example, by working as a stores clerk, I have been able to develop numerical competencies that I can comfortably apply to research areas like data analysis and interpretation. Am therefore in a position to comfortably engage in research activities at the graduate level. I also have the necessary competencies when it comes to writing of reports and general writing. I’m able to write reports coherently, concisely without missing the point or making citation mistakes. Report writing is part and parcel of research and therefore it is a valuable attribute when it comes to doing research. Therefore with the writing skills that I have gained am sure that I can be able to carry out research more effectively and also write high quality reports that can stand up in the professional, educational and social environment in general. I have been able to access a lot of information on the research process through various literatures that has sharpened my knowledge regarding the research process. These materials have been a valuable source of information as regarding access to various research samples that have been done by other researchers. With access to a large variety of research materials by other research scientists who have done research in diverse fields, through these I have been able to get the basic requirements of research that can serve as an important foundation for future intensive office or field research. The general information that I have been able to get from these sources has been valuable and that carrying out research will be just be a practical extension of the vast information that I possess when it comes to research. Conclusion Research is a very crucial aspect in the day to day life of citizens. Scientific research is the most appropriate because of credibility that can be associated with it. The changing world and the increasing complexity of social problems and coming up of new phenomena’s means that more than ever people have to engage in more and more research so as to come up with stand grounds to these issues. Application of scientific research is becoming more crucial in the economic, social, political and environmental spheres of mankind. Thus there is need for increased attention to scientific by policy makers, higher institutions of learning and even individuals, and this should be done with adherence to ethics that guide research. Therefore, as a person who has been exposed to various theoretical and practical applications in research, and then I think I have the necessary prerequisites to undertake research.

Wal Mart Is A Monopoly - 821 Words

Wal-Mart, the largest retail companies in the world (Farfan), plays a crucial role in American economics. No matter, I am at home or on campus, even when I was traveling in other states in America, there is always a Wal-Mart market nearby my location. Due to the super big market power Wal-Mart has, and people’s negative impression of large enterprises, there is always a debate about whether Wal-Mart is good for America or not. Some people believe Wal-Mart makes the small retailers fail, and its workers have low wages and benefits; while others argue that Wal-Mart creates more jobs to the local, provides lower prices to consumers, and encourage American economic growth. Inspired by an article about whether Wal-Mart is a monopoly I read in my economics class, I am curious about the economic impact of Wal-Mart. My exploration began with a word record of the debate ‘Is War-Mart good or bad for America’ from the Independent Institute.com. This debate was between Rich ard K. Vedder and Ken Jacobs. According to Vedder, on the one hand, Wal-Mart isn’t a job destroyer, conversely, every new War-Mart store employs typically 300 or 350 workers right by itself which is exclusive of any other synergies, or other stores that may open up at the same time when War-Mart opens up in the community (Jacobs and Vedder). On the other hand, War-Mart has enormously increased productivity in retail trade. Between 1987 and 2004, labor productivity in the War-Mart part of the retail tradeShow MoreRelatedBusiness Analysis : Wal Mart s Monopoly2148 Words   |  9 Pages Wal-Mart’s Monopoly in Business Joe Pacifico Cabrini College Abstract The purpose of this essay is to discuss monopolies in the world of business. In business a monopoly would involve a particular company that has the ability to consistently dominate as well as control a specific industry. Currently, there are a select few corporations in America that have consistently been able to appeal to a variety of different target audiences by providing an assortment of product mixes forRead MoreDifferentiating Between Market Structures Essay1105 Words   |  5 Pages30, 2012 Differentiating Between Market Structures Retail sales are indicators of microeconomic conditions presented in a given area at a particular place in time. Since Sam Walton opened his first Wal-Mart store, Wal-Mart has been making ripples throughout the micro economies of America. Wal-Mart’s market structure is typical of most of our nation’s largest corporations in that they are an oligopoly (Brown, 2010). According to Colander (2010), â€Å"An oligopoly is a market structure in which thereRead More Wal-Mart is a Menace to Society1039 Words   |  5 Pagescontroversial supermarket chain in existence: Wal-Mart. From the buyers perspective, Wal-Mart is just a generous business chain which has extremely low prices. But upon closer inspection, the wickedness of Wal-Mart and the company practices become apparent. I think Wal-Mart has a negative impact on society. Wal-Mart mistreats employees, follows unfair business practices, and hurts small businesses. First, Wal-Mart mistreats their employees. Wal-Mart is known to have the lowest prices out of anyRead MoreWal Mart And Its Effect On Society1517 Words   |  7 Pagesdream? What would be the point of dreaming that dream? Wal-Mart makes dreams for many locally owned businesses nothing but a lie. Wal-Mart, like many monopolies use their enormous power to influence, and take advantage of society in whatever way they see fit. The American Society has adopted subjective vision, either because they care not to look further than the inexpensiveness of their product or the owner are blinded by their profits. Wal-Mart takes advantage of a system by exploiting cheap laborRead MoreDifferentiating Between Market Structures Of Wal Mart1498 Words   |  6 Pagesin determining pricing and output to maximize profits. Retail sales are indicators of microeconomic conditions presented in a given area at a particular place in time. Since Sam Walton opened his first Wal-Mart store, Wal-Mart has been making ripples throughout the micro economies of America. Wal-Mart’s market structure is typical of most of our nation’s largest corporations in that they are an oligopoly (Brown, 2010). According to Colander (2010), â€Å"An oligopoly is a market structure in which thereRead MoreThe Adverse Effects of Opening a New Walmart Store in a Small Town: An Argumentative Essay1129 Words   |  4 PagesThe list of ways they could harm or cause civilians discomfort is endless. Wal-Mart, the leading retail company in the world has become a target to public resentment and wariness on part of small businesses. The paper supposes a scenario where Wal-Mart is opening a new store in a small town. It will predict the reactions of the residents and the small business owners and prepare a counter argument. Introduction Wal-Mart is a US based Multinational and owner of the largest chain of national, internationalRead MoreWal Mart Effect On Consumers And The Market1572 Words   |  7 PagesThe Wal-Mart Effect When it comes to grocery stores Wal-Mart obviously dominates the market. When arriving at one of their â€Å"supercenters†, you can tell from the outside of the store and the grand size of their parking lots that any of the given stores probably brings in more customers in one day than many other competitors do in one week. In the book The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman, Wal-Mart’s effect on consumers and the market as a whole is explained through many different economical meaningsRead MoreIs Wal-Mart Bad for America?862 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1962, Wal-Mart opened their first store in Rogers, Arkansas. In 1970, Wal-Marts first distribution center and home office in Bentonville, Ark. open and Wal-Mart went public on the New York Stock Exchange. Just nine years from that, Wal-Marts annual sales exceeded one billion dollars. In 1988, Wal-Mart super centers opened across the country. In a merely three years from that, Wal-Mart opened their own store in Mexico Ci ty, Mexico; making Wal-Mart an international corporation. Not even sixtyRead MoreHistory And Background Of Wal Mart Essay954 Words   |  4 Pagesresearch paper will present the history and background of Wal-Mart. The review will describe and evaluate the resources that will provide additional understanding of the corporate operations and its management strategies. A SWOT analysis will be provided which will identify specific areas that can impact the outcome of the organization’s success and potential hazards. Upon conclusion, recommendations will be presented that will help Wal-Mart continue its competitive advantage. This paper will utilizeRead MoreHello Walmart1027 Words   |  5 PagesHello, Wal-Mart? Ashford University BUS644 Operation Management Dr. Ronald Beach November 26, 2011 Hello, Wal-Mart? It is very common for everyone that lives in a small town to get all their groceries at Wal-Mart. During the last 50 years of creation, from a small town on Arkansas, Wal-Mart became the biggest retail company of the world. At this time, this company is one of the major employers of the world and has more than 4,000 stores just in America. It is very difficult for a small