Most famous plays

Most famous plays In the Prologue, line six, Shakespeare tells his audience that A pair of star-crossd lovers take their life. How far does Shakespeare prepare his audience for the tragic end of Romeo and Juliet? It is well known that the story of Romeo and Juliet is probably the most famous love story ever written. The tragic ending of the story is equally well known. Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeares most famous plays. It is the story of two star crossd lovers from conflicting families. The audience follow them as they fall in love and go to extreme lengths to be together. The story ends with the tragic death of the two lovers which brings together the two families in their grief. This storys ending differs from the typical traditional love story fairytale type ending along the lines of .. and then, they all lived happily ever after. The End. That type of ending leaves an audience feeling good at the end because it contains the feel good factor a happy ending. It is the lack of this usual type of feel good factor in Romeo and Juliet which makes it necessary for Shakespeare to prepare his audience for the comparatively harsh ending of the story. To prepare the audience for the tragic ending Shakespeare makes extensive use of the literary technique of foreshadowing in which he drops hints about the plot developments to come later in the play. By clever use of foreshadowing, Shakespeare is able to successfully manipulate the audience. The overall structure of the plays an important part in preparing the audience for the tragic outcome. Most people are aware of the notion that first impressions are important. Shakespeare takes advantage of this concept in presenting Romeo and Juliet to the audience. Shakespeare takes into consideration the strong impact of first impressions in constructing the structure the play. It is obvious that he carefully chose what order to put the events in and which bits to highlight, for maximum effect. Evidence of this can be seen in the key situations involving first impressions the plays introduction, the nature of the opening scene, Romeos first appearance and the lovers first meeting and conversation. In all of these, the sense of foreboding is always present. At the beginning of the play, the audience are likely to be open minded because they are eager to watch the play. Due to this they are likely to be more impressionable at this stage than in later stages in the play. Romeo and Juliet opens with a prologue. The obvious purpose of the Prologue is to introduce the play to the audience. However, it also has a more significant and deeper function. The chorus is the most obvious example of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet -the whole play is watched by the audience whilst knowing the plot and the ending. The Prologue sets the scene for the story and states the climax of its plot and whilst doing so gives away its ending. This starts the atmosphere of foreboding. In summary, the Prologue tells us that the stars control the lives of Romeo and Juliet, and that they are doomed to die because the stars are against them. The Prologue refers to an ill-fated couple using the metaphor star-crossd, which literally means against the stars. This is very significant since at the time that the play was written, it was a common belief that the stars controlled peoples destinies. So the Prologue itself is responsible for creating this sense of fate by informing the audience so very early on that Romeo and Juliet will die and this is done even before the play has begun! Consequently, the audience will then watch the play expecting the conditions set by the Prologue to be fulfilled. It seems that the fate from which Romeo and Juliet cant escape is in fact the structure of the play itself. To be exact, it has to be said that the Prologue is not foreshadowing since foreshadowing only hints at precise what will happen later on, whereas the Chorus in the Prologue actually tells outright what is to come rather than just hint at it. The second verse of the Chorus sonnet actually summarises the plot of the play: From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossd lovers take their life; Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents strife (Prologue 5-8) The fact that the next verse repeats the same message indicates that Shakespeare was determined to ensure that this message got impressed upon the audience very early on, in order to ensure that the foreshadowing which follows later on in the play would be heeded by them. So it is apparent that Shakespeare was intent on leading the audience to expect a tragic outcome right from the beginning. Even though it starts off as a light comedy, the overall impression created by the opening scene is that of a hostile atmosphere created by violence and conflict. The violent focus of the opening scene has a powerful visual impact on the audience. Since the play is about a conflict between love and hate, by introducing the hate in the opening scene, Shakespeare highlights the hate which is going to be opposed to the love. This does not bode well for the love story which is to follow, which the audience are anticipating. This kind of a start is unlikely to lead to a happy and peaceful ending. It seems to suggest that similar unpleasant situations may follow. Furthermore, this introduction to violence and conflict so early on serves to ensure that the audience become accustomed to unpleasant situations. So, right from the start the audience is being familiarised with the concept of conflict or threat so that the seeds of the unhappy ending are being sown. When Romeo makes his first appearance he comes across as a lovesick rejected lover who is depressed and wallowing in self pity. As he reflects on love and hate, the oxymorons he uses to describe his feelings make him seem to be in love with the idea of being in love. Why then, O brawling love, O loving hate, O any thing of nothing first create! O heavy lightness, serious vanity, Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms, Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Shakespeare has put together contradictory words to convey the turmoil that love is causing Romeo. His reflection begins with two oxymorons, setting brawling versus love, and loving versus hate. He is portrayed as being a romantic dreamer and someone who is led by his feelings. We see a man who gets deeply affected by love. His use of language stresses the confusion in his mind and the fact that love has two sides. This has the effect of creating a sense of conflict around the subject of love and this is before he even meets Juliet! Furthermore, it sets off a sense of foreboding around the subject of love. The first impression created by the lovers meeting is that despite the sweetness of the encounter, the sense of foreboding continues to linger on. This is because even whilst the lovers are using the language of love and wooing each other, the atmosphere of foreboding is ever present because of the actual references to death that they both make during that period. Another device which Shakespeare uses to prepare the audience for the tragic outcome is that he weaves an underlying thread of foreboding throughout the play. The various factors which contribute to the build up of the sense of foreboding in the play include the extensive use of dramatic irony, frequent and persistent references to fate and death, references to the darker side of love and the occurrences of violence and conflict. In the following part of this essay I will detail the various methods which Shakespeare uses to successfully weave foreboding throughout the play. Right at the start, the Chorus mentions a pair of star-crossed lovers (line 6) and thereafter there are repeated ominous hints that Romeo and Juliet are fated to die. Even before Romeo has met Juliet, as he is about to join Capulets party, he has a premonition: my mind misgives Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars, Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this nights revels and expire the term Of a despised life, closed in my breast, By some vile forfeit of untimely death (1.4.106-11) Shakespeare introduces a note of foreboding just as Romeo is about to meet Juliet for the first s time by hinting that he is going to develop into a tragic character. With the words of the Chorus still fresh in the minds of the audience, hearing these words from Romeo would remind them of the terms set by the prologue. Romeos words foreshadow what actually happens in the rest of the play. A chain of events does begin night, and that chain of events does lead to Romeos early death. Just after they have met, each lover has a similar foreboding that this love will have a fated disastrous ending. When Benvolio says to Romeo; Away, be gone. The sport is at the best, Romeo replies, Ay, so I fear (1.5.119-20), which reveals that he is worried that things can only get worse from now on. When Juliet realises that Romeo is a Montague (an enemy), she says; Prodigious birth of love it is to me That I must love a loathed enemy (1.5. 140-1)) The fact that she links this moment of meeting in terms of both birth and death does not bode well for the future of their love. Referring to Romeo, Juliet says; If he be married. My grave is like to be my wedding bed (1.5. 135). She is implying that if Romeo is married, she will be likely to die unmarried, because she will not marry anyone else. However, she is unknowingly foreshadowing her future, in which her grave does end up becoming her wedding bed. Her remark starts off the many associations of love and death in the play. So, from its very first appearance in the play, the love between Romeo and Juliet is portrayed as being doomed. When Romeo goes to marry Juliet, he throws a challenge to fate; Do thou but close our hands with holy words. Then love-devouring death do what he dare. (2.6.6-7). An Elizabethan audience would have considered this act of Romeos to be very ominous. They would have been likely to expect fate to rise to such a challenge and end up being the winner. Romeos words foreshadow what actually happens because love-devouring death arrives very soon after the wedding. When Juliet shows concern for Romeos safety, Romeo assures her that its ok if her kinsmen find him, because his; life were better ended by their hate. Then death prorogued wanting of thy love ( 2.2.77-78). Romeo means that hed much rather have her love and die on the spot, than not have her love and die later. He does get her love, and that love leads to his death. When Romeo leaps down from Juliets window and the lovers are exchanging their final farewells, Juliet has a premonition: Methinks I see thee, now thou art below, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb. Either my eyesight fails, or thou lookst pale (3.5.55-57). Sadly, Juliet is foreshadowing the fact that the next time she sees Romeo he will be dead in a tomb. Later on in the play, Romeo mentions a dream in which he; dreamt my lady came and found me dead (V.1.6). This further builds upon the foreboding nature of Juliets vision. Juliet pleads with her mother to help her avoid the marriage to Paris saying that if she wont help her then she should, ..make the bridal bed In that dim monument where Tybalt lies (3.5.198-201) Juliets implication that she would rather die than marry Paris foreshadows the fact that by the end of the play she will be sleeping with her husband in that dim monument where Tybalt lies. Juliet then asks the Friar to help her to avoid marrying Paris. She says, the Friar could, hide me nightly in a charnel-house, Oer -coverd quite with dead mens rattling bones, With reeky shanks and yellow chapless skulls, Or Bid me go into a new-made grave And hide me with a dead man in his shroud, (4.1.81-88) Juliets description foreshadows the fact that she does hide in a charnel house, and Tybalt will be the dead man in his shroud. It is not only Romeo and Juliet who foreshadow their own deaths the words used by all around them also hint at their tragic ending. At the feast, Tybalt makes a promise to himself that he will make Romeo pay for coming to the feast. He says; I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall (1.5.91-92). The word gall can mean an extremely bitter substance, and it can also mean poison. This hints that Romeos sweet love for Juliet will lead to his death by poison. The Friar reflects that there is some good in every plant and mineral, even if it is dangerous. However, theres nothing so good; but, straind (wrenched) from that fair use, Revolts from true birth (natural goodness), stumbling on abuse (2.3.19-20) So, Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied and vice (is) sometimes by action dignified (2.3.21-22). The Friar thinks that the powers of nature need to be used carefully: there can be danger in too much of a good thing, and good can sometimes come out of something bad. The Friars words reflect the nature of many of the events which follow, for example, the love (a good thing) of Romeo and Juliet brings them death ( a bad thing), and their death (a bad thing) brings an end to the feud between the Montagues and Capulets ( a good thing). There is a certain type of recurring remark encouraging the audience to associate death with Juliet, which is particularly effective in building the sense of foreboding and darkening the atmosphere of the play. Over and over again Shakespeare introduces the idea that Juliet will be the bride of Death. I think that the most powerful personification in the play is the image of Death as Juliets husband-bridegroom. It recurs in different forms. Juliet herself first speaks like this the moment after she has first met Romeo: Go ask his name. If he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding bed (1.5.134-5). After hearing of Romeos banishment she looks at the ropes which he would have used to gain access to her room, and says: He made you for a highway to my bed, But I, a maid, die maiden-widowed. Come, cords. Come, Nurse. Ill to my wedding bed, And death, not Romeo, take my maidenhead. (111.1.134-7) Her mother also encourages the audience to think in this way about Juliet. When Juliet refuses to marry Paris, an angry Lady Capulet remarks, I would the fool were married to her grave (111.5.140), Juliets father, Capulet, speaks in a similar way when he thinks Juliet is dead: Death is my son-in-law. Death is my heir. My daughter he hath wedded. I will die And leave him all. Life, living, all is deaths. (1V.5.38-40) When Romeo sees Juliet in the tomb, he thinks that Death loves her; .. Ah, dear Juliet, Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe That unsubstantial death is amorous, And that the lean abhorred monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour? (V.3.101-5) Remarks like these lead the audience to closely associate death with Juliet so that when she does finally die, they are not too badly affected. They also ensure that death is always in the back of the minds of the audience; they encourage us to expect it to be the result of the lovers affair and so impress on us the hopelessness of their situation. Throughout the play, it is made very obvious that the lovers are doomed the audience are led to believe that they do have to die. A horrible succession of coincidences destroys them. The events which contribute to the outcome of the lovers deaths, such as the feud between the two families, the series of accidents that spoil the Friars plans and the tragic timing of Romeos suicide and Juliets awakening, all seem to be the work of the cruel hands of fate. The audience are given the impression that circumstances are constantly arranged to work against them. If any one of the many coincidences had been different, then the tragedy would have been avoided. Romeo and Juliet are shown to be the victims of those circumstances. These coincidences have an important dramatic purpose: the fact that things keep going against the lovers creates the impression that an outside force of some sort is at work. The audience is repeatedly given the impression of fate as an outside force working against t he lovers. They are often portrayed as not being responsible for their fates. This view is encouraged by Shakespeare throughout the play and it leads the audience to pity the lovers. There are many suggestions in the play that the deaths were determined by fate. Throughout the play there are numerous references to the inevitability of the tragedy, for example star-crossed (Prologue, line 6), the yoke of inauspicious stars (V.3. 111). No matter how hard the lovers may try to overcome the obstacles in their way, the audience is left in no doubt that fate will win in the end. Both Romeo and Juliet make references to an outside power which they believe is shaping their lives. They speak of themselves as the innocent victims of that power. After killing Tybalt, Romeo exclaims; O, I am fortunes fool (111.1.136 Then later he refers to himself as a betossed soul (V.3.76), suggesting that he feels like a helpless ship in a storm, being blown here and there by fate. And when Juliet learns that she must marry Paris she feels upset and exclaims; Alack, alack, that heaven should practise stratagems Upon so soft a subject as myself! (111.5.210-11). She sees herself as a weak victim of the schemes of fate. On hearing the news of Juliets death, Romeo angrily cries; I defy you, stars (V.1.24) This indicates that he believes fate to be responsible for her death. As Romeo looks at the dead body of Paris, he thinks of the two of them as the victims of circumstances, both written; in sour misfortunes book (V.3.111-12) The Friar, realising that his plan had failed, tells Juliet that there was nothing he could do against the fate which seems to have worked against the lovers: A greater power than we can contradict Hath thwarted our intents (V.3.153-4). The frequent and persistent references to fate throughout the play collectively suggest that destiny will win in the end. They serve to create the impression that the lovers are at the mercy of fate. Shakespeare portrays the love between Romeo and Juliet as being ideal. However, he doesnt just show love as being ideal he shows that love has a darker side too. The references to the darker side of love create an atmosphere of foreboding and remind the audience of the words of the Prologue. When Romeo is in love with Rosaline and being moody, Benvolio teases him, saying: Why, Romeo, art thou mad? Here love is shown as a kind of madness. The Friar thinks that Romeo should control his feelings and be less hasty and impetuous. He advises Romeo to be cautious: Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast (11.3.90). Furthermore, he warns Romeo against being too passionate: These violent delights have violent ends. And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume. (11.6.9-11) His words are tragically prophetic of the deaths of the lovers. He tells Romeo: love moderately, long love doth so, (11.6.14-15) Clearly, the lovers dont follow his advice. Romeo is too passionate and rushes into whatever his feelings lead him to. He rushes into love with Juliet, rushes into marriage, he kills Tybalt without stopping to think, and after hearing of Juliets death he rushes back to Verona to kill himself. If he had slowed down, and thought about what he was doing, the deaths might have been avoided. The romantic love of Romeo and Juliet leads to their deaths because they act without thinking of the consequences. And the result is that they die. To an Elizabethan audience it would have been plainer than to a modern audience that the lovers were wrong to marry in secret without the consent of their parents. In a way even the feud is based on love. After the fight in Act 1, Romeo says: Heres much to do with hate, but more to do with love. (1.1.167) The violence of the feud is caused by the love and loyalty the Montagues and Capulets feel for their families The negative aspects of love show that love can be destructive and dangerous. This creates an air of foreboding. The occurrences of violence and conflict in the play help the audience to become used to unpleasant situations. The many different forms of conflict in Romeo and Juliet include those between: Montague and Capulet, love and hate, the bridal bed and the grave Shakespeare often uses antithesis to highlight the sense of conflict by using opposites. In this way the conflict is expressed in a more powerful way. For example, there are at least fifteen antitheses contained in Friar Lawrences first speech (11.3.1-30), as he reflects on the potential for good or evil in all living things ( baleful weeds versus precious-juiced flowers, tomb against womb, Virtue against vice, ..). Another example of contrasting antitheses is the speech in which Capulet grieves for Juliet (1V.5, 84-90). He powerfully contrasts the happy preparations for the intended wedding with the mourning rites for her death. The first two lines set festival versus funeral: All things that we ordained festival, Turn from their office to black funeral Sometimes Shakespeare uses a special kind of antithesis called an oxymoron in which two contradictory words are placed next to each other. For example, Shakespeare uses the oxymoron sweet sorrow in order to effectively express Juliets conflicting emotions when she and Romeo are about to part, Parting is such sweet sorrow The oxymoron sweet sorrow intensifies the conflict felt by Juliet at being sad to leave Romeo (sorrow) and yet excited (sweet) because she will be seeing him again. It allows a lot of information to be conveyed to the audience with a few words. It allows Juliets conflicting emotions to be conveyed to the audience in a very powerful way with just a few words. After hearing of Tybalts death, Juliet strings together a list of oxymorons (111.2.75). Shakespeare uses the verbal conflict in these words of opposite meanings to very effectively reflect Juliets emotional conflict: she loves Romeo and yet is appalled at what he has done in killing Tybalt. To express the confusion of her feelings, when Juliets fears that Romeo is dead, she puns on the pronoun I, the vowel i , the eye and the word ay(111.2.45-50). Her lines very effectively convey that if Romeo is dead then she too stops existing as a person as an I. In Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare makes skillful use of language to influence the audience. He uses vivid words and phrases to create imagery which helps to stimulate the audiences imagination to stir up mental pictures which are emotionally charged. For example, Chorus uses powerful metaphors to suggest what will become of the lovers in referring to them as star-crossed and their love as being death-marked. Shakespeare also uses imagery to deepen the dramatic impact of particular moments or moods. All of Shakespeares imagery uses metaphor, simile or personification. Those which refer to death have a particularly powerful affect on the audience. This is because death is such a feared subject by everyone that its mention immediately has a strong impact. When I was watching the play, the personification which affected me in the most powerful way was that of the image of Death as Juliets husband-bridegroom. The atmosphere of the play plays an important part in influencing the audience. The general mood changes throughout the play, going from romantic to comic to violent to tragic. Apart from letting the audience know that its a tragedy in the Prologue and thereafter frequently reminding them of that fact, the general mood is kept relatively light in the first two acts. However, Act 3 starts with violence and death and then from thereon the atmosphere gets bleak as the events accelerate towards tragedy. The bleak atmosphere helps to make the tragic event more acceptable because it prevents the tragedy from having a shocking effect on the audience. One of the methods which Shakespeare uses to appropriately vary the atmosphere of the play is by using the scene settings to create certain moods. The settings of a scene help to give each scene the right type of atmosphere. The final scene is set at night in a graveyard and tomb. Its a suitably gloomy and morbid setting for the tragic ending of the play and it helps the audience to anticipate and accept the tragedy. Shakespeare also uses language to create atmosphere. For example, Juliet reflects on the conditions inside the tomb before she takes the potion; Where bloody Tybalt, yet but green in earth , Lies festering in his shroud, where, as they say, At some hours in the night spirits resort (4.3.42-44) This death-fixated language and imagery very effectively creates a really spooky and morbid atmosphere which is very appropriate at that point in the play. In Romeo and Juliet everything happens in one week between a Sunday and a Thursday. Since the coincidences happen within this very short time-frame, it gives the audience the impression that events are speeding towards tragedy. This makes the situation feel increasingly desperate which creates tension in the play. Events seem to happen in a rush, sweeping Romeo and Juliet along with them. The audience get drawn in by the terrible logic of how things go wrong and cant help being swept along with them because there is a sort of morbid fascination in watching it happen. Due to the fact that every thing in the play seems to happen at great speed, I felt as though I was rushed along and the death of the lovers didnt have as strong a sad impact on me as it would have had if the pace had been slower. I felt as though I wasnt given enough time to feel bad. In order to soften the impact on the audience of the plays tragic conclusion (so that they dont end up feeling thoroughly depressed and/or traumatised), Shakespeare prepares the audience for the eventual outcome well before they arrive at that sad point. Throughout the play there are numerous references to the inevitability of the tragedy. From the very beginning of the play, throughout it, and right to the end, Shakespeare uses a variety of methods to make it blatantly obvious that his intent with this play is that of a tragedy and he uses a lot of dramatic irony to convey this. This is necessary to ensure that when the audience do eventually encounter the dreadful outcome, they dont become overwhelmed, although they may be saddened. He ensures that by the end of the play the audience have come to terms with the fact that that the lovers will die they were introduced to that concept from the start of the play, and thereafter frequently and persistently reminded of it. They are able to accept it and deal with it comfortably because they have been well prepared for it. The fact that the play did not end with the deaths of Romeo and Juliet made the tragedy more acceptable to me. This is because their deaths were not in vain. The Prince had tried to stop the feuding, but failed. The Friar hoped that the marriage of the lovers might unite the families, but his scheme went wrong. So, neither the Church (the Friar) nor the State (the Prince) were able to end the feud. But the love of Romeo and Juliet was able to end the feud. Their love was so great that it united their families. So, the play ends not with the deaths of Romeo and Juliet but with an end to the feud as a result of their deaths. The deaths of Romeo and Juliet will bring peace to Verona. I dont think that I would have enjoyed the play if it had ended with the deaths. It would have been too negative. I like fact that the play ends on a positive note that of love healing old wounds. It seems that the Friar was right sometimes, something good can come out of something bad.

Political Economy in the Asia Pacific

The political economy of countries can be considered interdependent, as they influence each other and experience change simultaneously. This interdependency affects the level of economic wellbeing of countries, including the economic conditions and stability of a country. The political economy of a country encompasses the political, legal and economic systems influencing the country’s economy. Jevons (1880) described political economy as the wealth of a country and the reasons contributing to differences in wealth between countries (p. 7).The political system of a country heavily influences the way in which a country operates, and often affects other countries that it actively deals with. Differing legal systems, laws and regulations of countries can also impact other countries. Similarly, the economic systems and changes in a country’s economic position can impact other countries, and at times, their economic wellbeing. Whilst the political, legal and economic systems of some countries are interdependent, disruptions to interdependency must also be considered when assessing those countries’ reliance on each other.Several factors can hinder their interdependency, including comparative advantage not being followed, a strong focus on regionalism and inefficient free trade agreements. Political decisions imposed by Governments can affect the political economy and often the wellbeing of countries. Government decisions, including laws and policies, affect society as a whole (Hill, Cronk, & Wickramasekera, 2011, p. 236). There are two main forms of political systems: democracy and totalitarianism.Democracy is a system where the citizens govern the country through their elected representatives (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 245). Examples of democratic countries in the Asia Pacific business region include Australia and Thailand (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 2008) (U. S Department of State, n. d. ). Totalitarianism refers to a system where one person or political party has control over all citizens, restricting political freedom (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 245). Totalitarianism is seen in China and North Korea (Jianming, 2010, p. 2) (Lim, 2009, p. 10-114). These differing political systems can affect economic relations between countries. An example of this is the view that democratic countries are more willing to trade and participate in international business with other democracies, than with totalitarianism countries. Democracies share similar values and laws on intellectual property rights. It is also believed that peace is more prevalent in democracies, enabling a higher ease of trade (Rosendorff, P. 2000). We see this in Australia’s preference for trade with the US rather than with China.In September 2010, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade reported that Australia had an ‘economic relationship’ (measured on trade in commodities, services and two-way investment) with the US worth over AUD$860 billion, compared to less than AUD$100 billion with China. The strength of the economic relationship between Australia and the US is believed to relate to each countries’ strong democratic values and from the US and Australia being strong allies, due to similar political practices (Sheridan, 2011). The varying political decisions and policies made by Governments can also impact other countries.With globalisation being so prominent today, the interdependency of a country’s political decisions is apparent. Globalisation dramatically increased after World War II, with many of the worlds’ major trading countries lowering trade barriers, including tariffs and quotas, after years of favoring local industries (Griffin & Pustay, 2010, p. 38). According to Friedman (2000) globalisation is defined as ‘the inexorable integration of markets, nation-states, and technologies†¦in a way that enables individuals, corporations and nation-states to reach around the wor ld farther, faster, deeper, and cheaper than ever before’ (p. ). This integration of economies suggests that Government decisions affect the economic wellbeing of other countries. An example of this is the recent temporary ban of live cattle exports by the Gillard Government in Australia, in response to perceived animal cruelty towards Australian cattle in Indonesian abattoirs. David Farley, CEO of the Australian Agricultural Company, Australia’s largest beef company, reported that the ban cost the company up to AUD$8 million. He also stated that Australia’s reputation in the international trading market was damaged by the temporary ban (O’Brien, 2012).The political decision to temporarily ban live exports to Indonesia caused financial loss for the Australian cattle industry and affected Australia’s political relations with Indonesia, with the Indonesian Government stopping imports of live cattle from Australia in December. Bayu Krisnamurthi, the D eputy Agriculture Minister of Indonesia, commented that Australia had discriminated against Indonesia by imposing new standards of animal welfare, as the same standards were not imposed on other countries importing live cattle.He threatened to file a claim with the World Trade Organization if discrimination occurred (Vasek & AAP, 2011). Whilst live exports to Indonesia has resumed, their imports are down by 50 percent and relations between Australia and Indonesia are affected. The incident damaged Australia’s economy and forced beef prices to rise in Indonesian markets (Nirmala, 2012). This illustrates the interdependency of Australia and Indonesia, with disruptions to trade affecting the political economy of both countries.It is evident that the political risk of Australia and Indonesia has increased. Political risk is the likelihood of political groups (Government and non-government groups) causing changes in a country’s ability to successfully participate in busines s activities, which may affect profits and goals of local and international businesses (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 266). Animals Australia and the Gillard Government both contributed to the live cattle export ban (Animals Australia, 2011), which in turn affected the profits of Australian beef companies.Businesses in the beef industry (or similar) may re-consider business dealings with Australian beef companies as they re-assess the political risk of trading with Australia. This may also result in Australia seeking markets elsewhere to sustain a profitable beef industry. As Governments implement differing political systems and decisions, other countries are affected, often in an unfavorable way. The differing legal systems between countries can impact dealings between countries and international businesses.The legal system of a country reflects the rules and laws imposed to manage society and behavior (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 253). A firm conducting business in a foreign country must ensu re the laws of the host country are followed, as well as continuing to meet the legal requirements of the home country (Griffin & Pustay, 2010, p. 78). Four main legal systems are prominent today: common law, civil law, religious law and bureaucratic law (Griffin & Pustay, 2010, p. 79). Common law is present in many countries is the Asia Pacific business region, including Australia, India, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Malaysia.Common law is based on judges’ decisions, creating legal precedents which assist in creating new laws and making future judgments (Griffin & Pustay, 2010, p. 79). Civil law is a legal system based on laws that have been set in a code system. It is different to common law, as judges do not have flexibility to interpret the law as the laws are already prescribed in the code system. Civil law is currently present is Japan (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 254). Religious law, or theocratic law, is a legal system that is based on the rules of a particular religion.Reli gious law is not common in the Asia Pacific region (Griffin & Pustay, 2010, p. 79). Bureaucratic law is a legal system where decisions are made by the country’s bureaucrats, often without taking the laws of the country into consideration. Communism and other forms of dictatorships are regularly compared to bureaucratic law. China is an example of a country where bureaucratic law is imposed (Griffin & Pustay, 2010, p. 81). It is apparent there are strong differences between the legal systems of countries in the Asia Pacific, which can affect businesses operating internationally.For example, in a recently merged Australian and Chinese company, King & Wood Mallesons, Stuart Fuller, the company’s chief executive, stated that China’s Ministry of Justice requirement for all lawyers to pledge allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party will not affect the company’s business dealings or clients (Sainsbury, 2012). However, this could affect lawyers who have not prev iously worked under the Chinese Communist Party, as they are pledging to uphold communist laws, which differ from Australian laws and values.This could also affect the perception of the company by international clients, whose values may differ from that of the Chinese Communist Party. Hence, it is evident that differing legal systems potentially influence operations between international businesses. New laws can also influence business dealings between countries. Indian companies have expressed concerns over the Australian carbon and mining taxes that are set to be implemented in 2012. Naveen Jindal, Indian parliamentarian and head of Jindal Steel and Power, believes the taxes will deter Indian companies from investing in Australian mining (and similar) companies.He stated, â€Å"The carbon tax is as much of a concern to Indian companies as it is to Australian companies† (Doherty & Ker, 2012). Thus tax laws in one country can also affect another country’s economy, with a potential loss of investment opportunities and profits for both parties. It can also be seen that while a law designed for one purpose (in this case, the taxes are to help stop climate change) (Clean Energy Future, 2012) it can ultimately affect another area of a country’s economy – in this case, foreign investment.There have been circumstances where legal requirements imposed for one purpose have actually been seen as an ‘excuse’ for deterring trade or investment. In 2009, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council, on behalf of the biggest palm oil producers in the world — Malaysia and Indonesia – filed a case against the European Union (EU) for introducing sustainability criteria for palm oil imports. The Council believed that the criteria was actually a barrier to the trade of biofuel, based on the EU wanting to continue support for home-grown rapeseed oil, currently subsidised by the EU (Junginger, Dam, Zarrilli, Mohamed, Marchal & Faaij, 2011, p . 028-2042). It can be recognised that the EU may have been wishing to protect the home industry and jobs, which generally results in increased costs for consumers (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 109). In disguising the true intentions of laws, a country’s trading relationships can be affected. Thus differing legal systems, laws and requirements can affect, and often hinder the progress, of international business dealings. The economic position of one country can impact other countries and international businesses.Economic systems can be described as the system by which a country organises how and what should be produced, whom to produce for and how funds should be distributed (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 203). There are three main economic systems: market economies, command economies and mixed economies. A market economy is when production activities are privately owned, and the quantity to be produced is based on supply and demand and is determined by an individual or business for profi t making purposes (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 304).In a command economy, the Government determines what goods and services are sold, the prices that items are sold for and the quantities to be produced (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 304). A mixed economy is a combination of both market and command economies, with both private and state ownership controlling the production of goods and services (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 305). It is believed that a country’s economic system directly relates to its’ economic development and wellbeing and some argue that market economies provide greater opportunities for economic development and growth, hence creating a stronger economy (Hill et al. 2011, p. 306-307). This can be seen when comparing Malaysia and Singapore as the country’s systems greatly differ. When the ASEAN and China agreement was put into effect in January 2010, the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) called for a limit of 10 percent in annual growth of the amount of imports from China. This was due to protection of Malay’s as manufacturers found it difficult to compete against cheap Chinese products (Ng, F. , 2010).This shows Malaysia’s economic system reflects command economy characteristics, as there is control over what is imported, which in turn could limit profits due to restrictions. Singapore is evidently more of a market economy. Singapore is considered a very ‘open’ country in relation to trade, therefore depending on international trade (Global Trade, 2012). The World Bank has stated that Singapore is the easiest country to conduct business with, with the openness of trade and aim to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) being contributing factors (The World Bank, 2009).Since signing a free trade agreement with the US, Singapore has imposed competition laws that restrict anti-competitive regulations. The Ministry of Trade and Industry in Singapore stated that by encouraging c ompetition, they would be able to encourage the ‘efficient functioning of the markets’. This move resulted in foreign lawyers and barristers to pursue work opportunities in Singapore (Sawyer, D. , 2006). By comparing Singapore and Malaysia, it can be viewed that market economies (such as Singapore) have greater potential for economic growth.Currency fluctuations can affect countries with interdependent economies when a change in the value of one currency affects other currencies. Indonesia’s economy was considered to be competitively growing from 1966 – 2007, based on the country’s commitment to lowering poverty through rural development and increased production in the rice industry. However, the Asian Financial Crisis from 1997-2000 caused poverty in Indonesia to rise, while GDP drastically decreased (Fatah, Othman & Abdullah, 2012, p. 291-299).The high economic growth of Asian countries directly contributed to the crisis, mainly through an increas e in investment, excess capacity, high levels of debt and increased imports. As borrowing and investments grew, companies were unable to service their debts (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 176). When the Thai Baht fell by 55 percent in 1998, other Asian currencies were deeply affected, including the Indonesian rupiah, which decreased 76 percent in 6 months. The decline of the Indonesian economy forced the Government to accept a loan of US$37 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Hill et al. , 2011, p. 177). The consequences of rapidly expanding Asian economies and the impact of decreasing currencies on each country was evident during the Asian Financial Crisis. The economic interdependency between countries had a negative impact on other economies, affecting their economic wellbeing as their economic position declined. Although the political economy of countries is generally interdependent, there are factors that deter interdependency from completely occurring. For interdepende ncy to function best, comparative advantage should be allowed to operate.David Ricardo developed the theory of comparative advantage in the 19th century and suggested that a country should produce and export goods and services that it is relatively more productive at producing than other countries, and import goods and services that are more productively made by other countries (Ricardo, 1817). Through their comparative advantage, countries benefit economically from participating in trade. This also suggests that free and open trade between countries is positive for economic progression (Hill et al. , 2011, p. 65).However, this theory is not always practised since Government political decisions can prevent its effectiveness. On 22 March, 2012 automaker Holden received a AUD$275 million government subsidy to continue to operate its Australian factories, in order to maintain jobs (Straits Times, 2012). According to Chris Berg, â€Å"Less than half of one per cent of the labour force works for the car industry and car manufacturers are not particularly central to the economic structure, cars are not†¦hard to buy from overseas and their manufacturing is not particularly high-tech† (Berg, 2012).Thus Australia is not following comparative advantage in the car manufacturing industry, with the reliance of Government subsidies helping to continue production and maintain jobs. This can be compared to Thailand, with car manufacturing production hugely increasing due to low labour costs (Bangkok Post, 2011). As export demand has increased, production has increased, with an 11 percent rise in the last year (Bangkok Post, 2012). Surapong Paisittanapong, spokesperson of the Automotive Industry Club under the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), commented, â€Å"We're confident that total auto production this year will reach 2. million units† (Viboonchart, 2012). Perhaps Australia ought to increase its imports from Thai car manufacturers rather than providi ng subsidies to Australian companies, assuming Thai cars are cheaper than the overall cost of producing an Australian car. Although countries can be seen as interdependent, barriers are often imposed to protect local industries and jobs, discouraging the comparative advantage theory and potentially affecting economic progression and wellbeing. Another factor that contributes to countries not reaching full interdependency is the focus on regionalism.Regionalism is a method of opening trade amongst neighboring countries and is viewed positively as not only extending markets to neighboring countries, but as strengthening regional security and delaying globalisation. By forming close regional communities, countries can form trade agreements and other mechanisms that protect the region from the threats of globalisation, and still prosper economically through increased local business between countries in the region (Moshirian, 2009, p. 2-8).However, this push for regionalism may be obscur ing some Asian countries’ economy’s ability to achieve higher profits, as the countries are still heavily reliant on other countries in different regions. We see this in the ASEAN official data release 2010, which shows that Singapore still exports 27. 97 percent of its’ total exports to countries in the EU (ASEAN Community in Figures (ACIF), 2010). This reliance demonstrates that partner countries are often unable to consume each other’s goods and therefore must export goods to other markets, outside of their own region.Whilst regionalism is still a form of interdependency between countries, the focus is on increasing business between neighbouring countries rather than all countries. Another exception to the interdependency of countries is when free trade agreements (FTA) are not efficient. The increase in free trade agreements since the end of the cold war across the world, predominantly in the Asia-Pacific, suggests countries depend on each otherâ€⠄¢s business for economic growth (Suominen, 2009). The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) began as a forum in 1989, before becoming a regional trade agreement (RTA) in 1993.APEC’s main goal is to establish free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific (APEC, 2012). However, trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific region have favored the manufacturing sector, with low tariffs and more freedom to trade, as compared to the agriculture sector, which has seen a high degree of protectionism from Governments in order to protect industry and jobs. This suggests that APEC’s goal is not entirely being reached (Suominen, 2009). Whilst FTA’s are effective in theory, Government intervention suggests that complete free trade is not apparent, thus obstructing the interdependency of countries to a certain extent.It is evident the interdependency of countries can be attributed to the political economy, that is, the political, legal and economic systems and position, of a country. Decisions made by Governments often affect other countries, and at times have adverse implications. A country’s legal system can both restrict and open up opportunities for other countries. Growing regionalism in areas such as Asia means there are closer economic ties between countries in the immediate region. The fluctuating strength of one economy can affect its regional partners, particularly in relation to currencies and interest rates.Whilst there are clearly benefits to be gained from a strong interdependency and reliance on other countries, there are also factors that hinder complete interdependency. When countries do not follow comparative advantage, or engage in inefficient free trade agreements, some of the potential benefits of interdependency can be lost. Often governments interfere in markets for their own political, legal and economic reasons, and the perceived opportunities that should flow from regionalism and other frameworks such as FTA’ s are not realised.

The Battle of Passchendaele - World War I

The Battle of Passchendaele was fought July 31 to November 6, 1917, during World War I (1914-1918). Meeting at Chantilly, France, in November 1916, Allied leaders discussed plans for the upcoming year. Having fought bloody battles earlier that year at Verdun and the Somme, they decided to attack on multiple fronts in 1917 with the goal of overwhelming the Central Powers. Though British Prime Minister David Lloyd George advocated for shifting the main effort to the Italian Front, he was overruled as the French commander-in-chief, General Robert Nivelle, desired to launch an offensive in Aisne. Amid the discussions, the commander of the British Expeditionary Force, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, pushed for an attack in Flanders. Talks continued into the winter and it was ultimately decided that the main Allied thrust would come in Aisne with the British conducting a supporting operation at Arras. Still eager to attack in Flanders, Haig secured Nivelles agreement that, should Aisne Offensive fail, he would be permitted to move forward in Belgium. Beginning in mid-April, Nivelles offensive proved a costly failure and was abandoned in early May. Allied Commanders Field Marshal Douglas HaigGeneral Hubert GoughGeneral Sir Herbert Plumer German Commander General Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin Haigs Plan With the French defeat and subsequent mutiny of their army, the onus for carrying the fight to the Germans in 1917 passed to the British. Moving forward with planning an offensive in Flanders, Haig sought to wear down the German army, which he believed was reaching a breaking point, and retake the Belgian ports that were supporting Germanys campaign of unrestricted submarine warfare. Planning to launch the offensive from the Ypres Salient, which had seen heavy fighting in 1914 and 1915, Haig intended to push across the Gheluvelt Plateau, take the village of Passchendaele, and then break through to open country. To pave the way for the Flanders offensive, Haig ordered General Herbert Plumer to capture Messines Ridge. Attacking on June 7, Plumers men won a stunning victory and carried the heights and some of the territory beyond. Seeking to capitalize on this success, Plumer advocated for immediately launching the main offensive, but Haig refused and delayed until July 31. On July 18, British artillery began a massive preliminary bombardment. Expending over 4.25 million shells, the bombardment alerted the German Fourth Armys commander, General Friedrich Bertram Sixt von Armin, that an attack was imminent. The British Attack At 3:50 AM on July 31, Allied forces began advancing behind a creeping barrage. The focus of the offensive was General Sir Hubert Goughs Fifth Army, which was supported to the south by Plumers Second Army and to the north by General Francois Anthoines French First Army. Attacking on an eleven-mile front, Allied forces had the most success in the north where the French and Goughs XIV Corps moved forward around 2,500-3,000 yards. To the south, attempts to drive east on the Menin Road were met with heavy resistance and gains were limited. A Grinding Battle Though Haigs men were penetrating the German defenses, they were quickly hampered by heavy rains which descended on the region. Turning the scarred landscape to mud, the situation was worsened as the preliminary bombardment had destroyed much of the areas drainage systems. As a result, the British were unable to press forward in force until August 16. Opening the Battle of Langemarck, British forces captured the village and surrounding area, but additional gains were small and casualties were high. To the south, II Corps continued to push on the Menin Road with minor success. Unhappy with Goughs progress, Haig switched the focus of the offensive south to Plumers Second Army and the southern part of Passchendaele Ridge. Opening the Battle of Menin Road on September 20, Plumer employed a series of limited attacks with the intention making small advances, consolidating, and then pushing forward again. In this grinding fashion, Plumers men were able to take the southern part of the ridge after the Battles of Polygon Wood (September 26) and Broodseinde (October 4). In the latter engagement, British forces captured 5,000 Germans, which led Haig to conclude that enemy resistance was faltering. Shifting the emphasis north, Haig directed Gough to strike at Poelcappelle on October 9. Attacking, Allied troops gained little ground, but suffered badly. Despite this, Haig ordered an assault on Passchendaele three days later. Slowed by mud and rain, the advance was turned back. Moving the Canadian Corps to the front, Haig began new attacks on Passchendaele on October 26. Conducting three operations, the Canadians finally secured the village on November 6 and cleared the high ground to the north four days later. Aftermath of the Battle Having taken Passchendaele, Haig elected to halt the offensive. Any further thoughts of pushing on were eliminated by the need to shift troops to Italy to aid in stemming the Austrian advance after their victory at the Battle of Caporetto. Having gained key ground around Ypres, Haig was able to claim success. Casualty numbers for the Battle of Passchendaele (also known as Third Ypres) are disputed. In the fighting British casualties may have ranged from 200,000 to 448,614, while Germany losses are computed at 260,400 to 400,000. A controversial topic, the Battle of Passchendaele has come to represent the bloody, attrition warfare that developed on the Western Front. In the years after the war, Haig was severely criticized by David Lloyd George and others for the small territorial gains that were made in exchange for massive troop losses. Conversely, the offensive relieved pressure on the French, whose army was being struck by mutinies, and inflicted large, irreplaceable losses on the German Army. Though Allied casualties were high, new American troops were beginning to arrive which would augment British and French forces. Though resources were limited due to the crisis in Italy, the British renewed operations on November 20 when they opened the Battle of Cambrai.

Boy with Dyslexia and ADHD in Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

This book begins with Percy Jackson, a 12 year old boy with dyslexia and ADHD, as he began to suspect that his life was not what it seems when his class took a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and his teacher, Mrs. Dodds transformed into one of the three Furies of Greek legend and attacked him. Percys Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner, threw him a magic sword named Anaklusmos, or Riptide, and killed her. When Percy came out from the battle, nobody remembered Mrs. Dodds and his best friend Grover Underwood began to act strangely, saying cryptic comments about Percy being in danger. Percy’s home life was far from perfect. He struggled to understand why his mother, who obviously loved him, took such pains to send him away every year to a different boarding school. When Percy and his mother went for a weekend retreat to the beach, their time together was interrupted by a storm and a horrible wailing in the middle of the night. Grover appeared at their door and revealed himself as a satyr. He has been keeping an eye on Percy until Percy was old enough to attend Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for training demigods. Grover told Percy that monstrous forces were now after him and they had no choice but to flee to Camp Half Blood. On the way, they were attacked by the Minotaur. Percy defeated it, but not until it knocked out Grover and squeezed Percy’s mother until she disappeared in a shower of gold. Heartbroken and assuming his mother was dead; Percy pulled Grover to safetyShow MoreRelatedGreek Mythology And The Lightening Thief1940 Words   |  8 PagesAncient Greece, mythology). The author Rick Riordan was born on June 5, 1964, and grew up in Texas. After graduating in 1986, Rick Riordan chose teaching for a career. For 15 years Rick taught English, 4 history and Greek mythology at middle school level.(Rick Riordan) Riordan’s son, Haley who was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia held a keen interest in a subject his father taught, Greek mythology. Then in the second grade, Haley would often request upon Rick to tell him stories inspired by GreekRead MoreClassical Influences On Modern Films And Literature1171 Words   |  5 Pagesauthors incorporate Greek mythology in contemporary literature can also affect our lives tremendously. In 2005, American novelist Rick Riordan published The Lightning Thief, the story about Percy Jackson, a boy with dyslexia and ADHD who discovers himself to be the son of the sea god Poseidon. Originally a reserved kid who was always skeptical about his abilities, Percy eventually gains confidence after various victories against mythical monsters and successfully prevents a war among the gods. Riordan’sRead MoreAncient Greece And Rome Vs. Rome1179 Words   |  5 Pagesauthors incorporate Greek mythology in contemporary literature can also affect our lives tremendously. In 2005, American novelist Rick Riordan published The Lightning Thief, the story about Percy Jackson, a boy with dyslexia and ADHD who discovers himself to be the son of the sea god Poseidon. Origin ally a reserved kid who was always skeptical about his abilities, Percy Jack eventually gains confidence after victories against mythical monsters and successfully prevents a war among the gods. Riordan’s