Homers Relationship With Paris And Aphrodite - 1737 Words

Helen, the face that launched a thousand ships. In Homer’s epic poem, Iliad, he describes Helen of Troy as the most beautiful woman in the world. The introduction of the Iliad states that when Paris steals Helen from her husband Menelaus, a Greek Chieftain, the Achaeans band together and cross the Aegean Sea to wage war against Troy, a gracious, prosperous city in Asia Minor. Their motive is revenge . After fighting for nine years in a land that is not their own, the Greeks miss â€Å"the rich fields and glorious feasts that supposedly make combat worth-while. Both sides have trouble remembering why they are fighting in the first place† Under the leadership of Menelaus’s brother Agamemnon, the Greeks fight around Troy for ten years†¦show more content†¦In each of the three examples listed above the young women are beautiful, they are presented by their creators as vixens who use their siren ways to entice and entrap men into their seductive webs. Eventually each man falls victim to the seductress, living the rest of their days a ruined man. This is how it is presented to the audience, but is this what really happens? Like Helen, these three characters are in fact, victims of society and the men they seduce. Helen is the daughter of Zeus, prized for her beauty. Throughout the span of history she is that by which all female beauty is measured. Her beauty is not subjective but rather absolute. She is the only female in history who can rally an entire army’s response and hold them in battle for over ten years just to bring her home. Her iconic image that spans all of history has been twisted into something very different than what was presented by Homer in the Iliad. Hellen is exploited by the men who worship her, and the gods that favor her. In order to fully understand the relationship between Paris and Helen, the reader must first understand the relationship between Paris and Aphrodite. Athena and Hera are on the side of the Greeks while Aphrodite favors the Trojans. This is because of a dispute between the three about who was most beautiful. Paris, who was judge in the beauty contest, choseShow MoreRelated Expression of Self-worth in Homer’s Iliad1400 Words   |  6 PagesExpression of Self-worth in Homer’s Iliad The story of the Trojan War as played out in the Iliad is perhaps most gripping for the focus on the role of the individual; the soul is struck by the very concept of a decade-long war and a city-state razed to the ground for one man’s crime and one woman’s beauty. As such, the dynamic between Helen, Paris, and the Trojan people they have doomed is a fascinating one. For while Prince Paris is hated by all of Troy, his right to keep Helen is challengedRead MoreEssay on A Review of the Movie Troy808 Words   |  4 Pagesthe movie Troy is a movie for Hollywood that is sure to be a box office hit. Troy, based on the Iliad, has proven to be a very loose adaptation of Homers classic and one cannot help noticing the major differences between the book and the movie. One of the most noticeable differences between the book and the movie is the absence of the Gods. In Homers Iliad, the Gods played a major part in the Trojan War. Though the viewers are made aware that the characters believe in the Gods, the only GodRead MoreHector v.s Paris Rivalry in The Liad1124 Words   |  5 PagesHector and Paris. He focus on these two men that both want to become a great legacy and hero. Homer’s comparison of these to characters shows there drive to become the better man. Through all of there rivalries, which include but are not limited to family, behaviour in battle, and how they relate to the gods, Hector shows that he is the more honourable man. Hector has a family and the way that he shows his compassionate relationship with his family is more honourable then the way that Paris tries toRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s The Iliad993 Words   |  4 Pages In Homer’s The Iliad, we learn that the mother and father relationships within the family is very important, but we don’t want to overlook the brothers. For instance, in the Greek and Trojan families, it was one way to bring everyone together. The brotherhood of Agamemnon and Menelaus, and Hector and Paris illustrates their devotion. Book Six of The Iliad comprehends several illustrations of how honor strengthens the bond between both brother’s Agamemnon and Menelaus and Hector and Paris. GloryRead MoreThe Epic Poem, The Iliad by Homer879 Words   |  3 PagesHomer’s epic poem, The Iliad, is about the battles and events during the Trojan War between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles. Mortality and Immortality is the main crucial distinction between humans and gods. That being said, another interesting thing about them is how similar they are to human beings. They make mistakes, become jealous, and get their feelings hurt unlike our modern concepti on of god as infinite, omniscient and omnibenevolent. The Iliad literature on the gods does not displayRead MoreThe Eruption Of The Iliad1558 Words   |  7 PagesThroughout the epic of Homer’s The Iliad, the gods take on human characteristics, allowing their feelings guide them, intervening, through the war. Before the war began, there was a wedding feast to honor Thetis and Peleus, Achilles’ parents. The goddess Eris was not invited to the wedding. Eris was angry and threw a golden apple inscribed for the fairest and threw it into the banquet hall. All the goddesses claimed the apple, but Zeus delegates the decision to Paris, a prince in Troy. TheRead More The Gods in Homers The Iliad and The Odyssey Essay1393 Words   |  6 PagesThe Gods in Homers The Iliad and The Odyssey The stories told in the Iliad and Odyssey are based on stories handed down over several generations, for they preserve (as we have seen) memories of an already quiet far distant past. The two pomes show clear connection in their language and style, in the manner in which their incidents presented, and in the combination of agreement with level, which distinguish their creation. The work was written by one author but gave two diverse views on theRead More Religious Beliefs in Aeschylus Oresteia, Homer’s Iliad, and Sophocles’ Electra1659 Words   |  7 PagesReligious Beliefs in Aeschylus Oresteia, Homer’s Iliad, and Sophocles’ Electra The final and definitive defeat of the Persian army at the battle of Plataea represented the end of an age-long threat to Athens. But the victory was also a miracle, as all the odds were against the Athenians at the onset of the war. While Pericles took charge of Athens after the war and started the advance of democracy, religion also thrived. The rebuilding of the Acropolis and the construction of the ParthenonRead More Incest in Greek Mythology Essay1765 Words   |  8 Pagesthe characters in the Greek plays the opportunity to also lust after their children and relatives. While the story of Oedipus the King is the delineating play on the subject, Greek mythology is full of incestuous relationships.    The gods who inspired the love and hate relationships among families include Hermes, who used his magical use of language to lure the feelings of his brother Apollo away from jealousy to love. Hermes reward was divination, and he became the god who protected travelersRead MoreGlory And Honor : Honor And Glory1798 Words   |  8 Pagesmany Greek warriors is the fame that remains beyond physical death; the honor of individuals guided most thoughts and decisions. Glory and honor establish heroes and their identities, and are the foundations for the developments that come to pass in Homer’s Iliad. The notions of honor and glory are necessary to understanding the incentives of the heroes in the Iliad. Glory is earned by heroic actions, but in particular heroic actions that others witness and praise. Honor is similar to glory, but while

The Struggle of Weight in Tim OBriens The Things They...

The Struggle of Weight in Tim OBriens The Things They Carried The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines the word weight as a mass or quantity of something taken up and carried, conveyed, or transported. Tim OBriens war story The Things They Carried, published in 1990, explores the theme of weight and its importance to men at war in considerable depth. The opening chapter of this book, which was originally written as a short story, is comprised of a collection of lists. OBrien details for his reader both the physical objects, such as cigarettes, C rations, and packets of Kool-Aid, and the more intangible things, such as fear and silent awe, that weigh these soldiers down. With the amount of space that the author gives to†¦show more content†¦These landmark events then become all the more shocking because the reader is not expecting them. In a way, this dehumanizes the death of Ted Lavender and transforms it into just another item to be carried. This works on a larger scale as well. When the reader gets through the lists and fi nally gets into the narrative, that story becomes more engaging because of the mundane things that came before it. This style of narrative is also a good way to have your narrative come across as true and real. The reader is much more easily transported to the battlefields of Vietnam when they feel like they are sharing a cigarette with Lt. Jimmy Cross, talking about all the shit they have to carry. The secondary structural function that these lists serve is to make the reader just as weighed down as the men in the story. While reading, one must create a mental image for each item that is listed. This makes the reader just as weighed down as the characters because they share the experience of carrying all of these items. Weight, both physical and mental, has various meanings for the men of Alpha Company. As men caught in the middle of an internationalShow MoreRelatedHeroism In Tim OBriens The Things They Carried1684 Words   |  7 PagesRyan and American Sniper. However, the glorified heroism that is depicted in these films is far from the reality that is war. A more realistic rendition of war is seen in Tim O’Brien’s short story, The Things They Carried. Throughout the story, O’Brien uses metafictional characters to portray the physical and emotional burdens carried by American soldiers who were forced to conform to societal expectations upon being drafted for the Vietnam War. The literary elements O’Brien uses throughout the storyRead MoreThe Things They Carried By Tim O Brien917 Words   |  4 PagesThe Things They Carried is an autobiographical novel written by Tim O’Brien that details his time as a soldier in the Vietnam War. Considered to be â€Å"the best work of fiction ever written about Vietnam, some even think it is the best about war,† (Greenya 1) . The stories that are contained within the novel talk about themes such as loss, burdens, and the horrifying truths of the Vietnam War, the first war to take place during a more ‘modern’ era, as the tragedies of the war could be broadcasted throughRead MoreEssay on The Things They Carried by Tim OBrien1253 Words   |  6 Pages The Things They Carried, written by Tim O’Brein, is a story told through the eyes of members of a United States Army troop trudging their way through the Vietnamese country side and jungles during the Vietnam War. Each man has a specific job and so they carry specific belongings that they need to fulfill that job as well as a few mementos from home. These men also carry unseen baggage that is all too real to these men, their families and responsibilities back home preying on their minds, the horrorsRead MorePsychological Effects Of War Has On Soldiers821 Words   |  4 Pagesliterature. In Tim O’Brien’s â€Å"The Things T hey Carried,† he explains the physical and mental burdens that soldiers carry. He also describes how these burdens create psychological stress and eliminate soldiers’ ability to feel normal emotion. Ernest Hemingway’s â€Å"Soldier’s Home† also discusses the negative mental effects created by war. He accomplishes this by explaining the inability of a soldier to assimilate back into society after returning home. Although â€Å"The Things They Carried† and â€Å"Soldier’sRead MoreArgumentative Synthesis The Things They Carried1783 Words   |  8 PagesArgumentative Synthesis â€Å"The Things They Carried† Tim O’ Brien, having the memories of war engraved in his mind, recalls the memories of his youth during battle in â€Å"The Things They Carried,† an intriguing collection of military accounts that symbolize his attempt to resist closure from past experiences. O’ Brien’s story reflects the difficult choices people have to make in their struggle to confront the war waging inside their bodies as well as on the ground they tread. In Steven Kaplan’s criticismRead MoreThe Truth Behind The War933 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Truth Behind the War† As I am reading The Things They Carried by author Tim O’Brien my heart becomes very heavy. The physical and emotional heaviness for the people who dedicate their lives for their country weighed on me. The war has always been a difficult understanding for me, in the sense of why do we need to prepare for war. I began to question if things could be handled differently in our society today. Pictures of what they go through on a daily bases filled my mind; killing people, watchingRead MoreThe Vietnam War in The Things They Carried by Tim O ´brien Essay796 Words   |  4 Pagessoldiers expected to ever see again. The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, portrays his experience in the war along with his fellow squad members, in their fight for survival against the Vietcong. In The Things They Carried, each character carries a physical or emotional weight, whether it be a memory, story, or object, to comfort them and guide them in their struggle to find hope during the war. Tim O’Brien, the author, carries undoubtedly the most important weight of any of the squad members. He carriesRead MoreThe Things They Carried Critical Analysis1538 Words   |  7 Pagesafter the Fall of Saigon, the Vietnam War remains an affliction for Vietnam War Veterans and their families. Millions of our youth were forced to leave their home and carry inconceivable burdens. Thus, as a Veteran, Tim O’Brien can depict thoroughly their burdens in â€Å"The Things They Carried†. His story brings us back to war-torn Vietnam and First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his platoon. Cross is the commanding officer; however, he does not concentrate on the war but on his unrequited love. As a resultRead MoreThe Things They Carried by Tim O’brien1610 Words   |  7 PagesThe Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien Plot: 1. RISING ACTION †¢ In the summer of 1968, Tim O’Brien receives a draft notice. Despite a desire to follow his convictions and flee to Canada, he feels he would be embarrassed to refuse to fulfill his patriotic duty and so concedes to fight in Vietnam. CLIMAX †¢ During their tour of duty, the men of the Alpha Company must cope with the loss of their own men and the guilt that comes from killing and watching others die. FALLING ACTION †¢ After he returnsRead MoreThe Things They Carried By O Brien Essay847 Words   |  4 PagesChelsea Ripley History 1302 The Things They Carried ABR Tim O’Brien’s interrelated stories of The Things They Carried recount the lives of fictional soldiers during the Vietnam War. Through O’Brien’s catalogs of the variety of stories, the working and reworking the details of his service and fellow soldiers, O’Brien is able to express the mental burden that they endure, to show the digression of innocence in a solider, and he is able to conclude a meaning for his life is post war. In the first

Contributions Of Mintzberg-Free-Samples for Students-Myassignment

Question: Henry Mintzberg made Significant Contributions to the ideas about Organizational Structure and Managerial Roles. Describe and Discuss his Contribution in both of these areas and state why they are Important. Answer: Introduction Henry Mintzberg is a prominent management thinker who has constantly advocated the process of real-world training provided to the managers through real management experience. He has written many books regarding business management issues that contribute to the business strategy. Henry Mintzberg theories provided that managers are not robotic paragons of efficiency that usually peoples considered them to be; he concentrated on various management topic in his books to gain deep understanding regarding business structure and role of managers. Mintzberg research and ideas have significant contribution in assessing managerial responsibilities and organisational structure. Mintzberg has written 15 books, and he is best known for his work on organisational practices such as recognising five types of organisations, simple structure, professional and machine bureaucracy, division procedure, and adhocracy. This report will focus on analysing the significance of the ideas and theories contribut ed by Henry Mintzberg regarding managerial roles and organisational structure. Further, the report will evaluate the importance of contributions made by Henry Mintzberg in studies regarding management and business Henry Mintzbergs Life Henry Mintzberg was born on 2nd September 1939 in Montreal, Canada; currently, he has been a professor for 40 years at McGill University which is situated in Montreal. Mintzberg studied mechanical engineering and collected an undergraduate degree from the Faculty of Engineering of McGill University. Mintzberg went to MIT Sloan School of Management for completing his masters degree and Ph.D. in management in 1965 and 1968 respectively. Currently, he teaches management studies to students at the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University (Matheson, 2009). Mintzberg frequently writes on topics relating to business and management strategy; he has written 15 books and more than 150 articles. Mintzberg stated his views on what is wrong with modern management education in his book called Managers Not MBSs in 2004. Mintzberg provided that acclaimed management schools like the University of California or Harvard Business School are focused on statistics, and they teach management like science using numbers and diagrams. Mintzberg argued that postgraduate programs of management should be based on practical knowledge with real-world experiences of practicing managers, rather than depending on books and personal insights and experiences of students (Mintzberg, 2012). Mintzberg has highlighted his views on traditional MBA programs in his other work as well such as Managing (2004), The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning (1994) and The Nature of Managerial Work (1973). According to Mintzberg, leadership is like swimming; a student cannot learn about it by reading books. Contributions of Mintzberg The articles and books written by Mintzberg have a significant contribution to managerial roles and organisational structure. Following are few examples of the contribution made by Mintzberg. Organisation Structure Mintzberg provided five basic organisational structures that applied over every corporation; the structures are based on different characteristics, method of performance, and environmental conditions of a corporation (Lunenburg, 2012). Following are five organisational structure provided by Mintzberg: Entrepreneurial The entrepreneurial is a loose organisational structure that is led by creative or entrepreneurial minded leaders; the start-up corporations are a prime example of entrepreneurial structure. The owner tightly controls this structure; it consists of one or few top managers who lead entire operations (Tengblad, 2006). Machine Mintzberg considered it as a bureaucratic organisation that works like a machine; it includes large corporations and government agencies with rigid and formalized procedures and routines. A tight vertical structure is situated in a machine organisation that allows specialisation in operations, but it limits new perspectives and creative ideas. Professional Mintzberg provided that professional organisations have a similar level of bureaucratic environment like Machine; the difference between them is competent and highly professional workers that are the center of the company who drive its economic performance (Shafritz, Ott and Jang, 2015). Divisional The division structure is common in corporations with multiple products lines and business units; in many cases, the companies divide their product and business divisions to improve efficiency in each division. Innovative The structures mentioned above are suitable for traditional organisations, but in new enterprises, innovate structure allows for cutting-edge leadership style. This structure decentralised the decision-making procedure which increases efficiency in business judgements and increases the risk of conflict and uncertainty (Mintzberg, Ahlstrand and Lampel, 2013). Managerial Role Mintzberg has been a critic of traditional management studies, and he presented his views in many of his readings such as Managing (2004), The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning (1994), Managers not MBAs (2004) and The Nature of Managerial Work (1973). Mintzberg provided ten different roles of successful managers, and he divided them into three categories: interpersonal, informational and decisional roles. Following are the ten roles of successful managers as per Mintzberg: Figure 1: Managerial Role (Source: Medium, 2016) Interpersonal Roles Figurehead: these leaders fulfill ceremonial duties, such as attending employees wedding, going on lunch with an important client and greeting visiting dignitaries (Mintzberg, 2009). Leader: performing the role of leaders such as motivating and encouraging subordinates to improve their productivity. Liaison: communicating and interacting with people outside the vertical chain of command that include entities such as government, suppliers, and other corporations. Informational Roles Monitor: analyse and assess organisational environment to collect new information. Disseminator: communicating privileged and significant information straight to subordinates. Spokesperson: interacting and sharing information with individuals outside the organisation, for example, suggesting product modifications (Mintzberg, 2013). Decisional Roles Entrepreneur: improving the efficiency of a division by initiating new projects after analysing Disturbance Handler: responding involuntarily and quickly to the pressure that is significantly serious. For example, workers strike, default by the supplier on a contract and bankruptcy of a major Resource Allocator: take difficult decisions to correctly distribute organisatioanl resources and decide on who gets what. Negotiator: negotiate with inside and outside entities to ensure accomplishment of the organisational mission, vision, and objectives. Importance of Mintzbergs Contributions The theories and ideas provided by Mintzberg have a significant impact in the recent organisational environment. Modern corporations apply the theory of Mintzberg for analysing their organisational structure; the management can formulate specific policies for companys growth and sustainable development after evaluating its organisational structure. Mintzberg provided that there is no right organisational structure instead, management should analyse its organisational environment and variety of corporate attributes to adopt suitable organisational structure (Mintzberg, 2006). The evaluation of organisational structure is important because management can evaluate such information to address organisational challenges. For example, a corporation with machine structure can adopt innovative structure to promote and support new development ideas. The evaluation of organisational structure provide critical information such as how distinct activities are performed and coordination between dif ferent divisions; this information can help management understand the problem faced by a particular division and come up with an appropriate solution to address such issue. Mintzberg stated that leadership is like swimming, students are required to physical experience it rather than read books about it. Mintzberg stated that managers did not sit and formulate future policies, instead, they engage in everyday issues and spend a short period of time in each given task (Vecchio, 2007). The traditional approach considered leaders as extraordinary individuals who motivate and inspire their subordinates; Mintzberg provided a realistic approach by stating the leadership is a practice like medicine or advocacy which requires hands-on involvement to accomplish tasks. Modern organisations are significantly influenced by the theory of Mintzberg because it provides a realistic approach towards leaders. Most of the modern entrepreneurs implement the role of successful managers provided by Mintzberg into their leadership style to effectively manage their business (Gentry, Harris, Baker and Brittain Leslie, 2008). Mintzberg provided an example of Enrons Jeffery Skilling and Fords Robert McNamara to support his views; while studying at Harvard Business School, both were top in their class, but still, they were poor leaders (Nothhaft, 2010). According to Mintzberg, leadership is a job of processing organisational information, by talking and listing to different entities. Many modern successful leaders have shown the qualities of Mintzberg leadership styles, and they have used such roles to expand their corporations efficiency such as Richard Branson, Brad Smith, and Jeff Bezos. In modern companies, it is important to evaluate the managerial role and organisational structure because it assists in finding issues and formulate policies to address such problems (Mintzberg, 2009). Therefore, the theories provided by Mintzberg are significantly important in many areas of a corporation. Conclusion From the above observations, it can be concluded that the theories and ideas provided by Henry Mintzberg have assisted many modern leaders and organisations to improve their efficiency and achieve estimated goals. Mintzberg has divided the organisational structure into five parts based on their characteristics; modern organisations can evaluate their organisational structure to examine the challenges faced by them and formulate appropriate policies to address such issues. Mintzberg criticised the traditional method of management education is his books and stated they management is a practice that can only be learned by real-life experiences. He provided ten roles of effective leaders that are necessary to be fulfilled by a leader to operate its organisation effectively. Many modern leaders implement these roles into their leadership style to improve its efficiency. The contributions of Mintzberg are considered important in modern era because effective leadership style and efficient o rganisational structure lead to corporations growth and sustainable development. References Gentry, W.A., Harris, L.S., Baker, B.A. and Brittain Leslie, J., 2008. Managerial skills: What has changed since the late 1980s.Leadership Organization Development Journal,29(2), pp.167-181. Lunenburg, F.C., 2012. Organizational structure: Mintzbergs framework.International journal of scholarly, academic, intellectual diversity,14(1), pp.1-8. Matheson, C., 2009. Understanding the policy process: The work of Henry Mintzberg.Public Administration Review,69(6), pp.1148-1161. Medium., 2016. Mintzberg Model: 10 Different Roles of a Successful Manager. [Online] Medium. Available at: https://medium.com/taskworld-blog/mintzberg-model-10-different-roles-of-a-successful-manager-77f9d87b773c [Accessed on 23/11/2017] Mintzberg, H., 2006. Developing leaders? Developing countries?.Development in Practice,16(1), pp.4-14. Mintzberg, H., 2009. The best Leadership is good Management.BusinessWeek: Online Magazine. Mintzberg, H., 2009.Managing. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Mintzberg, H., 2012. Managing the myths of health care.World Hospitals and Health Services,48(3), pp.4-7. Mintzberg, H., 2013.Simply managing: What managers doand can do better. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B. and Lampel, J.B., 2013.Management? It's not what you think!. Pearson UK. Nothhaft, H., 2010. Communication management as a second-order management function: Roles and functions of the communication executiveresults from a shadowing study.Journal of Communication Management,14(2), pp.127-140. Shafritz, J.M., Ott, J.S. and Jang, Y.S., 2015.Classics of organization theory. Cengage Learning. Tengblad, S., 2006. Is there a new managerial work? A comparison with Henry Mintzberg's classic study 30 years later.Journal of management studies,43(7), pp.1437-1461. Vecchio, R.P. ed., 2007.Leadership: Understanding the dynamics of power and influence in organizations. University of Notre Dame Pess.

The nobility in eighteenth century Europe Essay Example

The nobility in eighteenth century Europe Paper From the outside the nobility may have appeared to be a monolithic institution, powerful and united in defence of its interest. 1 But in reality there were many divides within the nobility, such as the divisions between the old and new nobility or the rich and poor. Frictions between such groups have been held largely responsible for the erosion of power and prestige of the nobility within the eighteenth century, and some commentators such a Doyle have gone as far as claiming that their internal divisions left the nobility powerless, in other words paralysed. To find out if this was indeed true the internal divisions have to be looked at in greater detail and these must be balanced against the number of other factors that united rather than divided the nobility. Many of the divisions in noble society were caused by non-structural conflicts between individuals, families or parties. 2 However many other troubles were drawn along structural lines. Probably the best example of this was the divide between the rich nobles and the poor nobles. The ethos of nobility meant implied that nobles live off their own states, in a life of decadence, but this was far from the case for the majority of the nobles in Europe, as honourable birth and status provided no guarantees against poverty. 3 This was particularly the case in Eastern and Southern Europe where the nobility was extremely large and extensive. 4 Often this resulted in them having to work and, in extreme cases, live as commoners. The poor nobility deeply resented this and were envious of the richer nobility who flaunted their wealth, wasting huge sums on money on their own pleasure and vanity. We will write a custom essay sample on The nobility in eighteenth century Europe specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The nobility in eighteenth century Europe specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The nobility in eighteenth century Europe specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The richer nobles were equally distaining. They saw the poorer nobles as an insult to their elevated class and felt that their failure degraded their position. Similar rivalries were present between the old, traditional nobility and the new nobility. Nobles liked to believe that they came from a long line of noble ancestors, but in reality this was rarely the case as the turnover of nobility was usually quite fast, as newcomers were able to be ennobled during the eighteenth century in every country except Venice, Genoa and Russia who officially operated closed door policies starting in 1758. Traditionally, there were two main ways that the nobility could be ennobled; firstly wealthy nobles and entrepreneurs could buy into the nobility. Louis XIV, for example periodically put titles on the market at times of great financial need. Thus, in France it was widely accepted that while not every nobleman was rich, every rich man was noble. 6 Or, secondly they could become noble by assuming t he noble lifestyle and hence acting like the nobility. During the eighteenth century a third means of status gain emerged, in the form of gaining administrative posts. This created a division between nobles of the crown those who conducted royal administration and nobles of the sword, who were the older nobility, whose royal function was principally military7. The nobles of the sword saw themselves as inherently more important than nobles of the robe, as they believed in the old connection between military valour and honour. They were hugely frustrated that the administrative nobles, while coming from supposedly inferior blood lines, were at the controls of government, while they had little influence in governmental affairs. Also it was obvious that these administrative posts had been secured by wealth, which the rich nobles despised and the poor nobles envied8. Along the same lines as the rift between the old nobility of the robe, and the newer one of the sword was that of the court versus country nobility. Traditionally, great magnates had lived in the country on their landed estates, and ruled over their dynasties. But the eighteenth century brought a centralisation of governance, and the nobles of the country were left increasingly isolated. It was the metropolitan noble, many of whom were relatively new to the nobility, who gained from this. Their estates were undoubtedly less grand, but they were at the centre of influence and were more able to influence their monarchs and the distribution of patronage. 9 This they used to better their own needs and their power in relation to the great magnates. This is highlighted by a magistrate in late eighteenth century declaring the court nobility has, at all times, been the most pronounced and most dangerous enemy of other nobles. 10 Religion could also be a factor for division. In England and Ireland after the defeat of the Catholic aggressors in 1691, Catholic nobles were deposed and by 1703 only 14% of Irish land was owned by Catholics. 11 Similarly, during the seventeenth century the Habsburg nobility had been divided over religion, with the upper nobility retaining Catholicism, while the lesser nobility adopted Protestantism. But how far did these divisions lead to the weakening of the nobility? During the eighteenth century there was an apparent sift of power from magnates to a more absolute state. Kamen summarises this well Thanks to divisions among the elite, the state was able to slowly extend its authority and encourage the creation of a national loyalty that transcended local allegiances headed by nobles. 12 However, monarchs and governments were never able to infringe greatly on noble power as they feared the strength of a rebellious nobility and needed the nobilitys support to consolidate their own power. For example, the English Parliament failed, in 1701, to pass legislation banning nobles from governing. 3 But the most potent threat to the nobility was undoubtedly the politicisation of the peasantry and the rise of the middle class. Since the enlightenment, European society had been witness to an ever-increasing, secular group who questioned the rights of nobles to rule. They were supported by religious leaders, as many started to declare nobles undeserving of their titles and ungodly14. Many of the peasantry, tired of being at the undesirable end of the class system, found this very attractive and, led by the middle classes, attempted to take advantage of the nobles division. This clearly happened in France, where the conflicts between the aristocracy, as well as the economic success of an extremely large bourgeois population led to the French Revolution, the disposition of the aristocracy and French nobles leaving the majority of the 83 French governmental departments. 15 But, elsewhere in Europe, while there were revolts and rebellion, the nobility were never deposed. Even though there was, present, this cascade of distain16 existed amongst the nobility of the eighteenth century, there were a number of unifying factors. Many nobles were installed with the notions of nobility and, recognising each others membership strengthened their own position. 17 This was further strengthened by writing such as Montesquieus Spirit of Law (1748), which outlined the nobilitys role in society18. Similarly, nobles were often reluctant to question other nobles legitimacy, in case this provoked these nobles or the peasantry to start posing similar questions against them. The nobles in this period came to recognise the united nature of their supreme social status. They were sure that unless the lower classes were under control, they would instinctively rise and revolt. 19 Noble families were also brought together by matrimonial alliances. 20 As a result of primogeniture, second and third sons were often unable to find a wife of the same social class, and therefore if they inspired to marry within the nobility, they had to marry into a lower level. But, by the end of the eighteenth century the distinctions between the noble factions were decreasing, as the groups started to merge. A form of noble exchange was created as bureaucrats desired to gain land, while the landed nobility desired to gain office and governmental influence21. It was also becoming increasingly apparent to the old nobility that in the ever expanding economy, no longer could they look down on the virtue of work. For them to survive they had to start taking part in some sort of enterprise. 22 There is little doubt that the nobility of the eighteenth century were greatly weakened by their internal divisions, leading to a greater centralisation of power and state control, but paralysed is too extreme a description. It is not easy to assess the strengths of the nobilities in most European countries, as only in France was the nobility properly tested, but the fact that elsewhere the middle classes and peasant masses where unable to sustain any national revolts shows that the nobility was far from paralysed. They had their divisions, but they also had many unifying factors; the common sense of nobility and the privileges that nobility entailed, were too great to create too permanent splintering. This was compounded as the century progressed and the noble groupings became blurred, leading, in general, to a frictional but robust noble class.

Importance of Open Innovation in Firm Development

GAME THEORY essays

GAME THEORY essays One of the most famous and most thoroughly studied examples of game theory is the Prisoners Dilemma. In this situation, the police have caught two people and charged them with a crime. The police separate the prisoners into different rooms and give them the option of confessing. The police tell the two prisoners that they have enough evidence of the crime to send them to jail for X amount of years. However, if one prisoner confesses fully to the crime and testifies against the other but the other doesnt, then the prisoner who confessed will get get a much lighter sentence than X and the prisoner who did not confess will get a heavier sentence than X. However, if both of the prisoners confess and testify against the other, then the police have enough evidence to convict both prisoners for a slightly heavier sentence than X. Since neither of these prisoners knows what the other one is saying, we can use a decision tree to determine the dominant strategy for these people. (see fi gure A on attached sheet) In this dilemma, the dominant game strategy for the prisoners is to confess. Although the strategy for these games seems very predictable, there is a paradox that arises. The police are also a player in this game. The police have evidence to put these criminals away for only X years but if the prisoners confess, then they have enough evidence to put them away for slightly more than X years. In this situation, the police want to do all they can in their power to make these criminals confess to the crime. The actions by the authorities have to be included in the outcome of the game. The way the authorities can change the outcome of the game is to penalize the prisoners if they do not do what the authorities want. Therefore the only two actions that the authority can perform are to penalize or not penalize the prisoners. However, the dominant strategy of the authority and the impact of their actions are determ...

Finance (Corporate) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Finance (Corporate) - Essay Example This meant to give each proposal a chance to convince the capital budgeting committee for approval. The initial project concerned expanding an existing Match My Doll Clothing line, which had a demonstrated record of accomplishment in the earlier period. The subsequent project initiated a fresh initiative referred to as New Doll Film/DVD, which applied an online software permitting users to tailor a doll’s characteristic to the customers’ specifications. This required calculation of the Net Present Value (NPV) of both ventures to discover which project is more lucrative. Simulation Process Finance Simulation process involve accessing simulation platform. Click prepare tab to access simulation summary, which gives New Heritage Doll Company assignment summary and how to play tab for procedure. Simulation process involves comparison of the following parameters between chosen projects. Theses include NPV, payback period, IRR, profitability index and project milestones and ri sks.    Compare revenue by division, operation profit by division and total assets by division. Compare I/S and B/S in regards to Company consolidated, production consolidated, retail consolidated and licensing consolidated. Further, compare cashflow statement, financial analysis, project details and financial history. Balance sheet Finally decided on the projects to propose as Match My Doll Clothing and New Doll Film/DVD According to projects details they compare as follows. Project comparison The following discussion leads to project chosen for each year and reasons. The market is always divided into two major segments: video games and traditional toys and games. The second segment was additionally divided into child/preschool toys, sports toys and dolls outdoor, and other toys and games involve arts and crafts, action figures, plush toys, vehicles, and youth electronics gargets. The America market for games and toys was dominated by large international enterprises that benefit from economies of balance in production, design, and distribution. Revenues were exceedingly seasonal; the largest selling period in the United States during winter holiday period (Project Analysis Services, 2011, Pg 1-2). The observable fact of age compression; the propensity of younger kids to obtain dolls that had conventionally been intended for older ones, reduced growth in the baby doll segment hence hindering profitability. Competition is always a risk factor and a constraint in any business. New Heritage Doll Company is not exempted; other doll producers are vigorous and they targeted similar demographics and marketing media is similar. Lasting branded name for a doll is rare to come up with. Financial committee also reluctant to finance projects due to licensing proposals and conflict of interest, which posses a risk in regard to profiting (Studymode, 2009, Pg 1-2). Net Present Value is considered through measuring of the following parameters. Operating projections applied to build up cash flow forecasts and then to work out    Net Present Value, payback period, Internal Rates of Return and other investment metrics. The cash flows debarred all financing charges and non-cash objects such as depreciation, and were computed on an after-corporate-tax base. The New Heritage’s company tax rate stated as 40%. Discount rate stated to have been set at 8.4% - for mild-risk scheme. NPV calculations incorporated a terminal