Free Essays - Character of Achilles in Homers Iliad :: Iliad essays

Character of Achilles in Homer's Iliad The Iliad may be seen as an account of the circumstances that irrevocably alter the life of one man: Achilles, one of the greatest warriors. Throughout the course of the poem Achilles goes through many ordeals that change his character immensely. Starting with his quarrel with Agamemnon and withdrawal from battle, to the death of Patroklos, and with the slaying of Hektor.   Achilles emotions and actions decide the fate of many warriors on both sides. Achilles struggles with anger, honor, pride, loyalty and love make the poem more that just a gruesome war story.   A large source of Achilles anger started with his fight with Agamemnon. Apollo put a plague on the Achaean soldiers that was killing them off. The only way to stop this from killing them all was to give back a priest’s daughter who had been captured. This girl â€Å"belonged† to Agamemnon and he didn’t want to give her up unless he got Achilles girl in return. This would disgrace Achilles honor but he could not let any more soldiers be killed so, he reluctantly let her go. But in return for giving up his girl he withdrew from the battle. Much of Achilles anger is a result of this occasion but the death of Patroklos later overrode his previous anger to Agamemnon.   The death of Patroklos touched Achilles in many ways that changed and shaped his character. Many emotions were a result of his death such as love, loss, anger, and sadness. Patroklos was a dear friend to Achilles and when a mix of divine intervention and Hektor cut Patroklos down grief and the desire to avenge his dear friends death consumed Achilles. This switched his anger from King Agamemnon to Hektor, the man who slew his dear friend. This anger drew Achilles to avenge the death of his friend, to kill Hektor.    The slaughter of Hektor is gruesome and horrid. Not only did Achilles kill Hektor but, he hung him by his ankles, attached him to his chariot and dragged Hector around the burial site of Patroklos. This is horrible enough but Achilles for a while refused to give Priam, father of Hektor and King of Troy, back the body of Hektor for proper burial. He was going to let it be eaten by the dogs, though the gods protected his body from this.

The Evolution of Jousting Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Evolution of Jousting Picture, if you will, a knight in shining armor charging on his noble steed down the open stretch toward his enemy. From his great helm, (Jousting Helmet) a detachable sleeve whips in the wind at approximately 30 miles per hour. Just before the two knights meet, they each brace themselves for the impact they know awaits them. The wood splinters fly, and one of the knights is knocked from his steed, spilling his life's blood on the ground. Jousting was a medieval war tactic that later evolved into a sport, testing skill in horsemanship as well as balance and accuracy. Jousting has changed in its use over the years. It was once used in battle, but is now mainly a competitive form of entertainment. Jousting was a mounted form of combat used by knights beginning in the 11th century. It was used mainly to knock the enemy from their horses so they were an easier target for the footmen and could be easily trampled by the horsemen. The point of aim during the most basic form of joust was either the four nails of the opponents shield, or the helm or throat of his armor. The church didn't like the savagery of it because the knight was a Christian warrior whose job was to protect their priests and the church; therefore, jousting was occasionally banished by some churches. It was common belief in this time period that a priest shouldn't die by the sword, so the knight was a sworn protector of them. The knights lived by a code of ethics known as chivalry. This code not only governed their daily life but also the way they fought Despite the banishments and the savagery of the joust, a form of it is still around today. The style jousting is the same today but the price is no longer blood i t is now money. It... .../www.scotfest.com/joustingterms.html JOUSTING: What was it? http://www.jousting.com/jousting.htm Knighthood, Chivalry & Tournament Glossary of Terms http://www.chronique.com/Library/Glossaries/glossary-KCT/gloss_j.htm#judicial%20duel Medieval History. About.com The Devil's Horsemen Jousting at Warwick Castle http://www.cv81pl.freeserve.co.uk/jousting.htm The Free Lancers. Styles of Jousting http://www.faire.net/freelancers/jousting.html The Free Lancers. Gath of Baal National Combat Jousting Tournament http://www.faire.net/freelancers/gath.html US Inernational Jousting Competition 2002 http://www.scotfest.com/jousting.html yahoo. search http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=armour Vale, Malcolm. War And Chivalry. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1981. The Evolution of Jousting Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers The Evolution of Jousting Picture, if you will, a knight in shining armor charging on his noble steed down the open stretch toward his enemy. From his great helm, (Jousting Helmet) a detachable sleeve whips in the wind at approximately 30 miles per hour. Just before the two knights meet, they each brace themselves for the impact they know awaits them. The wood splinters fly, and one of the knights is knocked from his steed, spilling his life's blood on the ground. Jousting was a medieval war tactic that later evolved into a sport, testing skill in horsemanship as well as balance and accuracy. Jousting has changed in its use over the years. It was once used in battle, but is now mainly a competitive form of entertainment. Jousting was a mounted form of combat used by knights beginning in the 11th century. It was used mainly to knock the enemy from their horses so they were an easier target for the footmen and could be easily trampled by the horsemen. The point of aim during the most basic form of joust was either the four nails of the opponents shield, or the helm or throat of his armor. The church didn't like the savagery of it because the knight was a Christian warrior whose job was to protect their priests and the church; therefore, jousting was occasionally banished by some churches. It was common belief in this time period that a priest shouldn't die by the sword, so the knight was a sworn protector of them. The knights lived by a code of ethics known as chivalry. This code not only governed their daily life but also the way they fought Despite the banishments and the savagery of the joust, a form of it is still around today. The style jousting is the same today but the price is no longer blood i t is now money. It... .../www.scotfest.com/joustingterms.html JOUSTING: What was it? http://www.jousting.com/jousting.htm Knighthood, Chivalry & Tournament Glossary of Terms http://www.chronique.com/Library/Glossaries/glossary-KCT/gloss_j.htm#judicial%20duel Medieval History. About.com The Devil's Horsemen Jousting at Warwick Castle http://www.cv81pl.freeserve.co.uk/jousting.htm The Free Lancers. Styles of Jousting http://www.faire.net/freelancers/jousting.html The Free Lancers. Gath of Baal National Combat Jousting Tournament http://www.faire.net/freelancers/gath.html US Inernational Jousting Competition 2002 http://www.scotfest.com/jousting.html yahoo. search http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=armour Vale, Malcolm. War And Chivalry. Athens, Georgia: The University of Georgia Press, 1981.

Running The British Economy Essay examples -- Economics Macroeconomics

Running The British Economy Introduction ============ A study of economics in terms of whole systems especially with reference to general levels of output and income and to the interrelations among sectors of the economy is called macroeconomics. Macroeconomics is concerned with the behavior of the economy as a whole—with booms and recessions, the economy’s total output of goods and services and the growth of output, the rates of inflation and unemployment, the balance of payments, and exchange rates. Macroeconomics deals with the increase in output and employment over long period of time—that is economic growth—and with the short-run fluctuations that constitutes the business cycle. Macroeconomics focuses on the economic behavior and policies that effect consumption and investment, trade balance, the determinants of changes in wages and prices, monetary and fiscal policies, the money stock, the federal budget, interest rates, and national debt. In brief, macroeconomics deals with the major economic issues and problems of the day. In this software of running the British economy we will observe different outcomes in the British Economy by changing these four variables. They are 1. Government Expenditure 2. Tax Rate 3. Value Added Tax (VAT) 4. Monetary Cash Flow Through this assignment I have given a chance to run the British Economy for five years. In order to understand this assignment we first have to understand what these above four variables are? Explanation Government Expenditure ====================== It covers what so ever government spends in purchasing goods and services in order to perform their factions properly. This includes spending on such items such as defense e... ...es, which are 6.79. And by this all economy get a boast. People started getting better off and government got success keeping the interest of investor in economy. Balance to payment went down to 5, which is not bad. Bibliography Books 1. Diulio, Eugene A. Theory and Problems of Macroeconomic Theory. London. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1974. 2. Fischer, Stanley. Dornubusch, Rudiger. Macroeconomics. USA. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1990. 3. Glahe, Fred R. Macroeconomics Theory and Practice. USA. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc. 1992. Websites 1. http://star2.vub.ac.be/~dvermeir/mirrors/ingrimayne.saintjoe.edu/econ/ISLM/ISLM.html Accesses on: 15/12/2004 2. http://users.ox.ac.uk/~scro0519/macro.pdf Accessed on: 15/12/2004 3. http://www.wabash.edu/dept/economics/Faculty%20Work/ISLM.pdf Accessed on: 16/12/2004

A Case Study: Employee Behavior

The MBA Toolbox defines influencing as, â€Å"changing another person’s attitudes without using force or authority† (p. 1). When force or authority is used the implication is that the influence is unethical. Influence is achieved ethically by engendering trust. For managers and executives influencing behavior should be thought of as an ongoing, two-way, process. Jeanne Lewis of Staples, Inc. was able to ethically influence her organization by adapting her own style and by listening to and learning from her employees at all levels of the organization.It is impossible to institute effective change within an organization without being well-connected to the organization itself. The Harvard case study about the career of Jeanne Lewis shows that it is possible to change a corporation through interpersonal relationships, dialogue and patience. The Company Despite the ill-fated merger with Office Depot in 1997, Staples Inc. was a company that exhibited a track record of consist ent growth by the time Jeanne Lewis was hired into the marketing department. Strong leadership from the top had characterized Staples rise to prominence.Despite Staples’ track record of success, Jeanne Lewis sensed the need for change within the organization. As she moved through various positions in the company she only became more convinced of this. If Staples was going to meet its’ aggressive goals a more integrative organizational approach was needed. But how could she put her ideas forward? Upon Todd Krasnow’s exit, Lewis would be the new leader. Krasnow was universally respected, and any change from his philosophy could meet with resistance. Promoting ChangeEthical and effective change within an organization is a function of trust. Jeanne Lewis understood this. She also saw influencing change as a process. Gaining influence by dishonest means could have been done in an instant, but Lewis knew this would benefit no one in the long run. Lewis influenced peop le first by being open and honest, and second by putting herself in the shoes of her employees. When the time for change came, they were ready to go along with her because they trusted her commitment to them and the company.Jeanne Lewis did not try to propose significant organizational change as soon as she had the idea. She paved the way for change over a number of years. She learned every detail she could about the operation of the company, and became well liked and respected. One co-worker in Suesse’s case study Jeanne Lewis at Staples, Inc. , describes Lewis this way: Jeanne’s charm could be disarming. She worked really hard and her personality motivated you. She tended to manage tightly at first then loosened the reins. She challenged us a lot and invited us tochallenge each other. (p. 4) Jeanne’s personality and open nature engendered trust among those who worked with her. But it was also clear to everyone that she knew the business, and could succeed in a ny position within it. This feeling was not earned overnight. Lewis had strived to learn the details others might not have. Another co-worker describes her this way: I think she was able to influence people and get respect because she had great insight, and she combined it with a great natural personality. (Suesse, p.5) Conclusions The MBA toolbox defines influence in practical terms this way: †¦to influence you have to prove to other people that accepting your proposal helps them to solve their problems or achieve their objectives. (p. 1) This simple definition masks a complex, and very human, process. Influence can be achieved in ethical or unethical, honest or dishonest, ways. The ramifications of unethical influence can extend far beyond what is expected. The recent corporate scandals show the destruction that can take place.The ethical and financial downfall likely started as the result of one person exerting influence, unethically, over another. The case study of Jeanne L ewis shows the value of trust within an organization. Trust comes from ethical behavior. Gregory Perry in An exploration of Factors Influencing Ethical and Unethical Behavior in Negotiations, highlights this factor: Trust between parties is viewed as an integral- if not central feature of the effective and productive work relationships†¦ Highly ethical behavior can build relationships and reducetransaction costs between parties. (p. 2) Influencing an organization by ethical means takes more time than doing it unethically. It is a process of gaining trust similar to that in any relationship. Jeanne Lewis influenced her organization ethically by gaining the knowledge to know how her changes would affect others, remaining open to suggestion and gaining trust. Comparing the experience of Jeanne Lewis at Staples to other companies rife with unethical behavior, however, shows that the effort is well worth it for everyone involved.Sources DuBrin, Andrew. (2003). Leadership- Research F indings, Practice and Skills (4th Ed. ). New York: Houghton Mifflin. MBA Toolbox. (2006). Chapter 2: Influencing Persuading. Retrieved 9/27/2006 from: http://www. mbatoolbox. org/stories/storyReaders$12 Perry, Gregory M. (2005). An Exploration of Factors Influencing Ethical and Unethical Behavior in Negotiations. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics; Apr ’05. Suesse, Jennifer. (2000). Jeanne Lewis at Staples, Inc. (A) (Abridged). Boston: Harvard Business School.

Macbeth- ‘Film Proposal’ Rationale

I was given the brief that, if I was a director how would I compose work on Macbeth on Act One, Scene Three of the play? I would begin by thinking on how I will present the following to the audience: the setting, the atmosphere, themes, characters and camera shots. I would decide to try and set the scene around 1000 AD and to do this I think that there should be no bright colours used. Traditional requirements need to be employed such as the transport would be by horse, and food which has been home produced e.g. chickens. To create the atmosphere I would require a large variety of types of music. For example, a sad atmosphere I might use soft music from a flute, the typical Scottish bagpipes might create a happy atmosphere, while during the witches' scene the sound of thunder could be heard in the background. In the third scene there are five different types of characters. I think that Macbeth and Banquo should both look strong and not cleanly shaven and I think that Macbeth should be very dirty, this would emphasize how ‘brave' (1.2.16) and ‘noble' (1.3.67) he is. Both Macbeth and Banquo's clothes should be torn in places and looking exhausted. Macbeth could have a bearded? Ross and Angus need to have a clearer appearance and both should be cleanly shaven. All four of these characters should all speak very clearly to remind the audience the time of the setting of the play. I would like the three witches to look extremely ugly with facial hair i.e. moustache, long fingernails, long scruffy hair and warts. The uses of masks could make them look very unattractive. They should speak very ‘crockery' and very slowing and abnormal. I would want to highlight a number of themes, one of them being the theme of supernatural. This theme is brought up during the witch's scene at the beginning of scene three. I would like the audience to believe that they are inhuman and ‘weird' (1.3.30). I will create this theme by making the witch's unclear with the use of smoke therefore things which are unclear in that sense are abnormal/supernatural. I will also use special effects to make the three ‘witches vanish' (1.3.77). Their general appearance as described above will make them look extremely mythical. I think that I would need to highlight the theme ‘light against dark', this is what he says to other characters (light) and what he expresses to the audience what other characters can't hear (dark). This theme is used a number of times during the play and is used twice during the third scene. Macbeth hides his excitement and a clear example of this is when Macbeth quotes to Ross, ‘Why do you dress me in borrow'd robes?' (1.3.107-108), this robe symbolizes his new title: Thane of Cawdor. While on line 117, Macbeth, aside, appears to be very excited by new potential titles and quotes, ‘Glamis and Thane of Cawdor: The greatest is behind.' (1.3.116-117), this statement is only expressed to the audience.

Online Dating

Online Dating â€Å"Are you ready to find the love of your lifer, â€Å"Experience the difference†, â€Å"Someone special is already waiting for you† are all different things you might hear on an online dating commercial, but is it really as good as they say? According to a study conducted by the Washington Post and PC World not even 20% of the connections made on these websites turn into committed relationships. Conventional dating is much safer and efficient than online dating in finding someone one actually wants to be with.Online dating may seem easier than conventional dating, but is that actually true? When diving into the world of online dating one cannot be completely sure that they are actually talking to that person. It could be someone acting as another person, or even a sex offender. Over 10% of all online dating users are considered to be sex offenders according to Reuters. Anyone can set up an online dating account whenever they please, and that can turn out to be dangerous because one never truly knows who they are connecting with.Conventional dating on the ther hand is usually much safer and there are multiple benefits to it that online dating doesn't have. The obvious benefit to conventional dating is that one is with that person face to face. It is very difficult to lie about height, weight, and age if the conversation is face to face, unlike online dating. According to a study most men lie about their height, weight, and income while women usually lie about their weight, physical build, and age. The odds are that your date will not be lying about their physical appearance on a face to face date.

Interest groups in the U.S. politics Essay

The United States is a democratic country, which supports non-violent political and social movements, seeking different improvements in the U. S. domestic and international policies. That is to say, the requirements of interest groups are not always met, because whereas various types of interest groups are acknowledged, there still exist those factions, which have narrow social base and whose political presentation is limited in scope, as a rule, to financial interests of their members. For instance, the sugar lobbies (such as SIG) represent the opinion of 10, 000 -15,000 farmers, who call for the restriction of import of sugar and for the special social programs for sugar farmers. Such factions are usually intended as those with narrow interests and their founders and members lobby these interests in special moments and periods, when the atmosphere becomes more conductive for promotion –for instance, when they find out that the imported sugar does not fir into the international quality standards, or before the elections (Elhauge, 2002). Special interest groups are usually distinguished from â€Å"constituency-representing organizations, which have a broad social base, address a wide range of issues, and balance members’ interests with a strong commitment to the commonwealth† (Etzioni, 1990, p. 172). These organizations might pursue such non-financial interests as those related to social status, value issues in addition to financial ones, for instance the Urban League represents the interests of urban residents and seek environmental, social and political changes in large cities. â€Å"While the public views interest groups as threatening pluralistic democracy, the conventional wisdom of political science has seen them as beneficial† (ibid). In fact, it is possible to assume from the present situation, that the most beneficial activity is related to the constituency-representation. Furthermore, special interest groups are likely to bring problems to larger factions, due to dynamic interactions between political parties, movements and non-profit organizations. Small factions pursuing narrow goals are also more likely to use ‘black PR’ technologies, directed to changing public attitudes towards certain political parties and either to increase or to decrease loyalty rates. On the other hand, the eradication of small ‘narrowly-specialized’ factions is neither possible nor useful, as the statement that competing factions (Mcwilliams, 1988) are likely to reduce each other, is valid only for small groups, whose interests are temporary. On the contrary, constituency-representing organizations are more likely to produce long-term programs including political, economic, social and cultural dimensions of human life. â€Å"The balance between interest groups and the shared polity is maintained most effectively when the pro-community forces rise up, but not higher than, the level they are able to contain but not suppress interest groups† (Mcwilliams, 1988, A9). Moreover, the role of factions is viewed in the context of the historical development of the United States. Over the last three decades, the American political institutions have become less integrated, and the power of factions has increased. On the other hand, due to the growth of their number, it is much more difficult nowadays to maintain the balance between the main political course and the consent between the state and narrower interest groups (Etzioni, 1990). It would be also important to mention the functions of interest groups. First of all they serve as a supplementary force that intensifies the public opinion representation, especially during the electoral process. Moreover, they make the political process more receptive comparing to the electoral process, which is intended as a domination of majorities, while factions are more likely to have goals, which are cohesive with the main wishes of social and national minorities; and thus they serve as a mediating force standing between the person and the state. Interest groups are known to improve the disproportionate separation of the legislative and the executive branches, because their propositions of legislative changes are logically supplemented by similar propositions for the executive branch. Another important cultural function is associated with the growth of political consciousness and political culture as well as the amount of political information in media, which represents a number of standpoints. At all times interest groups and political parties served an indicator of public consciousness and diversity as well as intensified political antagonism, especially in the most critical periods: for instance, during the Vietnamese military invasion, Carter’s position were actually weakened by interest groups, including the most peaceful youth movements, dissatisfied with the resolution of Iranian hostage crisis. As a rule, interest groups arise in the most conductive atmosphere (liberal or democratic regime), in which human rights and freedoms are declared. Political, economic and social factions can originate from professional unions or leagues (like social workers’ professional organization), which seek to represent the opinions of their professional group or their customers’ viewpoint (for instance, social workers nowadays initiate law enforcement and the adoption of certain legal acts as well as get directly involved in lobbyist activities). The discontent with government policies is another important recondition for the arousal of an interest group: political activity is actually determined by the existing economic and social policies, so it’s easy to predict, for instance, the activation of industrial unions, when under the pressure of ecological groups, the U. S. government or certain local authorities put additional taxation on enterprises, dealing with toxic substances or with oil and natural gas. It is also important to note that interest groups will exist as long as the democratic system exists, because it is impossible to satisfy the needs of the whole society with respect to its diversity. Consequently, those concerns, which have already been satisfied, are likely to be replaced by new demands. This means, human needs are immeasurable and never-ending, whereas material resources are limited, so the U. S. government today can provide only partial gratification of political claims. Furthermore, the issue of representation is also quite contradictory: on the one hand, the growth of diversity among political parties signifies positive dynamics in this sense, on the other hand, due to the increase of public consciousness, the diversity in worldviews has grown disproportionably to the number of existing factions, so that even small groups (families, local communities) seek social or economic support, but in this case we cannot speak about true representation, since their influence is insufficient to initiate the changes at legislative or executive levels. The representation of each citizen’s interests is a utopia, as at the present time only large (more than 100,000 members) interest groups can achieve representation, can be heard, if speaking figuratively. Furthermore, it is important to note that the complete representation is inhibited by the demands of the epoch, to which self-respecting factions are supposed to adjust. For instance, the ISN movement, whose leaders several years ago (in 2000-2001) called for the changes in the U. S.immigration policy and were representing the viewpoints of national and ethnic minorities, who live and work in the country (Elhauge, 2002), has changed its directions and now are trying to create more constructive basis for the U. S. foreign policy. On the one hand, it is associated with the events of September 11, which were close followed by the violations of Muslim minorities’ human rights. On the other hand, political changes forced this faction to make a more profound inquiry into the current state of affairs and to find the most acute concerns of the society. Similar dynamics can be noticed in a number of special and constituency-representing interest groups which removed irrelevant concerns and posed new questions, such as those related to women’s rights, ethnic minorities’ human rights, social security and intellectual property. As one can assume, certain interests remain overlooked or underrepresented, whereas the most ‘fashionable’ sociopolitical trends (gender equality) are overstated and therefore prioritized. Works cited 1) Elhauge, E. Does interest group theory justify more intrusive judicial review? Yale Law Journal, 2002, Vol. 110 2) Etzioni, A. Special interest groups versus constituency representation: Research in social movements. Conflict and Change, 1990, Vol. 8. 3) Mcwilliams, R. The best and the worst of public interest groups; from lifting up the poor to shaking down the elderly, Washington Monthly, March 1988, Vol. 20.