Shakespeares Othello - Othello and Iago :: Othello essays

Othello and Iago The tragedy "Othello" by William Shakespeare is a story based upon the revenge of two characters, Othello and Iago. These two characters help to prove Murphey's Law which states that if something wrong can happen it will: for Othello it is the wrongful killing of his wife and friend, for Iago it is getting caught for his actions and finally being tortured. Many historians, actors, and readers would like to argue that Othello and Iago are very complex but at a closer look you will notice that their actions are purely based upon revenge for their iniquities. "I follow him to serve my turn upon him," said Iago (9:45). From the beginning of the story Iago has a cruel intent bent on destroying Othello merely because the job that he sought after was given to young Cassio. Exactly why his hatred burns so bright is unclear because it was not uncommon to lose a position to another soldier. With or without reasonable justification for revenge, Iago immediately starts to tear Othello apart by informing Brabantio (Desdemon's father, Othello;s wife) that she is out with a black ram and committing unjust acts. As time progresses Iago becomes more wrapped up in his lies that he even begins to believe that Othello has slept with his own wife, Emelia, and now he has even more reason to hate "the Moor", "I hate the Moor and it is thought abroad that `twixt my sheets `has done my office"( 55:429-431). Iago is so obsessed with his revenge on Othello that he does not care what happens to anyone else so long as he is happy. In the process of hur ting Othello he manages to have Roderigo killed, Cassio severely injured, his own wife Emelia is slain by his own hands, Desdemona dies at the hands of her husband Othello, and after everything Othello kills himself. Sadly Iago accomplishes his revenge but with so many casualties and then he himself is tortured and killed for his part in the great conspiracy, but before he is punished he has to see that Cassio will be the one to take Othello's place (a strange irony since it was Cassio that Iago was jealous of).

Mussolini’s Relationship with Hitler

There were many similarities between Mussolini and Hitler even though the two exhibited some differences. Having risen to power earlier, in the 1920s, Mussolini was the senior between the two and had a great influence on Hitler. Hitler saw in him a teacher who helped him shape his policies. The two however had individual characteristics that made their lives quite different. As much as Hitler went to school and graduated as a fine art student, Mussolini was self – educated (Trifkovic 1993). The latter had a larger than life approach to life and he wanted to be perceived as a superman by the people. In this way he would fake pictures portraying him as a master of various skills including a pilot, wrestler etc. On the other hand Hitler had a less colorful view of life. He was more successful in battle; being able to win majority of the wars that he staged against his enemies. In this way Germany was able to conquer other nations. As much as his friend found it easy to conquer other nations due to his early war experience and the huge army back at home; Mussolini had a difficult time in winning battles. In most of the battles he had to depend on the assistance of the Germans in order to become victorious (Carpi 1994). The two leaders were nevertheless hungry for power and were inclined to totalitarian leadership. They both had been wounded in battle and had almost taken a similar avenue to power (Hayes 1995). There election promise to restore hope and help solve the unemployment problem earned them the support and sympathy from the majority voters. In some way they did not fail as both German and Italy significantly reduced the levels of unemployment in the initial years of their leadership (Cassels 1963). The two had a hot cold relationship. Despite the signing the Pact of Steel, which called for cooperation between the two countries in matters economical, militaristic and on foreign policy issues; still there are times when one of the countries would act without due consultation with the other. Ascension to Power There is great similarity in the manner that the two leaders campaigned for political leadership and got elected to the office. There countries by the time were facing unemployment problems, hopelessness and disillusionment. The citizens were therefore anticipating for someone who would literary save them from the situation. The coming of both Mussolini and Hitler was perceived as a great relieve to the economic situation of the time. There campaign which was fierce propaganda helped to catapult the two dictators into office. This propaganda continued to play a key role in the governments and administration of the day; the citizens were totally unaware of the true information that the government was acting upon. In times of war or when the government made important decisions that directly or indirectly affected the lives of the citizens; there were totally kept in the dark (Weber 1982). The two dictators all had a similar script to help them rule over the people (Flood 1989). They were at a point of establishing a new leadership whereby the individual was the one and only decision maker. This totalitarian government did not tolerate any form of opposition either from an individual or groups. It was therefore common for those who expressed ideas or views that were opposed to the leader to either face prosecution without trial or they were simply liquidated. The two leaders had an unquenchable thirst for power. This trait seemed to have cemented their relationship as they tended to see oneself in the character of the other. Hitler had been able to learn from Mussolini the way to govern a nation with the full authority centered on one individual. In mastering the way Mussolini carried out the affairs of the nation and particularly the conduct of the military; Hitler was eventually able to come up with his own style of leadership (Flood 1989). He was however very critical to avoid the mistakes that his friend had made. So in imitating his manner and way of leadership, he was also aware of the pitfalls that come with overindulgence more so exhibitionism. Foreign Policy It is because of the thirst for power and having the same style of leadership that the two dictators had to settle for an agreement such that they will support one another in case of war. This agreement otherwise referred to as the Pact of Steel was more in favor of Hitler’s Germany that is was for Italy (Corrado 1993). There was an unquenchable thirst for power on the part of Mussolini – for he had seen a powerful ally in Germany – that made him sign the deal. Later on it came to Italy’s realization that Germany was too aggressive in a bid to try and expand its influence thus fought a number of war expecting the cooperation of Italy. At least in two instances Italy declined to get involved in the wars despite the agreement. In both the 1939 and 1940 war, the former being the German’s invasion of Poland, there had been no cooperation between the countries. In the latter case the hesitation came since Mussolini had seen the possibility of Germany benefiting entirely from the invasion. The foreign policies of both Mussolini and Hitler were primarily addressing the expansion of their empire. The two would not squander any opportunity to try and spread there influence. For instance the involvement of Italy in the Spanish war was basically as a result of hunger for power by Mussolini. In this civil war that proved to be quite unpopular in Italy; was a way to get another member to the club of dictators. Already Hitler and Mussolini had perceived themselves as the most powerful nations in Europe. The two come up with an axis to which the other European countries revolved. According to Mussolini Italy would not miss the opportunity to spread its power and influence to other nations. In this stance Italy was backed by Germany and together they rallied their support for Franco. The two were in favor of another establishment of a Fascist dictatorship in Europe. In this war there combined force succeeded in having Franco joining the club of dictators. The effect of this war was a further alienation of Italy from the rest of Europe. It implied that the only option and way that was open to Italy was to augment its friendship with Germany. The Military The military might of Germany was not only one of the best but also the biggest. It was said to be five times more that the limit set by international standards. The significance of the great numbers of the officers was apparent. The nation went and fought many wars and was able to be successful in most of them. The military had been well equipped with sophisticated weapons and personnel that made it difficult to be defeated by any other nation. The two leaders were so much fascinated by the army such that even they themselves would always be seen in the army uniforms. In these military activities the leaders also were able to influence one another in one way or another. For instance the Nazi salute came from a direct imitation from the Mussolini army. Similarly there are a number of ideas that Mussolini borrowed from Hitler after he had visited his country and allowed to see the military. On seeing the military might of the Germans he made up his mind to maintain friendship with Hitler. Mussolini knew little about the military hence it was always divided and fragmented. There seemed to be no way to make the factions stick together and be loyal to their commander-in – chief. For a period of a decade or so Mussolini tried to consolidate and manage the military effectively. He could achieve but little success in this regard as his military exhibited weakness due to the internal divisions. This can be contrasted to his friend whose military was so compact and their loyalty was not compromised. The military was more of a cult than a professional body meant to safeguard the security of the nation. The German soldiers were simply dehumanized such that they were like automatons to follow orders that were given by their superiors. Together in Fascism Fascism seemed to have glued the two dictators together. They both found great relieve and prestige in holding absolute power. Fascism is regarded as unmasked capitalism since it has as its core value the idea of big business (Weber 1982). The two dictators were beneficiaries of the big business helping them ascend to leadership positions. It was therefore there prime role to ensure that the idea does not die with their coming into power. Fascism therefore continued to appeal to the emotions of the masses as it took on symbolism such as the hand salute, flags and creeds. Both Hitler and Mussolini exhibited these qualities and also the tendency towards racism, nationalism and sadism. Fascism detested so much the status quo and this has been the defining trait of both the dictators. Mussolini ensured that all political parties were dissolved. This gave him absolute power to rule over the state of Italy. He got to control each and everything in the country; the most powerful ministries were placed in his hands. These include defense, home and foreign affairs and corporations. Similarly he employed a lot of propaganda machinery such that the citizens are kept out of the picture. Everyone was made to believe that Fascism was the one and only system that could work in the 20th century (Griffin 2000). The other forms of government such as democracy and liberalism were to be shunned since they were outdated and could not be adopted. This manner of leadership was much akin to that of Adolph Hitler, just like his friend, he accomplished most of his goals through propaganda. A student of Mussolini, Hitler perfected the art of propaganda (Sternhell 1994). He was able to persuade the entire nation to support his goals and ideals in order to achieve a common purpose. Hitler had an entire ministry allotted to propaganda. Initially Mussolini held the policy of privatization of industries to the satisfaction of the financers. This was however a short term measure as the policy was reversed such that the government took on the control of the industries (Seldes 1935). As Mussolini struggled to ensure economic and financial independence of Italy – it was vital the country to have enough resources. This was not the case with Italy which struggled with limited resource allocation. To some extend Hitler had the resources to sustain his economy. He was able to solve the unemployment problem in the country and meet the demands of the huge army. Though the nation had been sidelined by other nations due to its aggressive behavior, still the economy did not flounder. This success story did not last for long as there were many obstacles on the way of achieving the goals that the leaders had set in mind. The Fascism ideology failed in its endeavor to bring some substantial changes in the human person and the society at large. First the two major personalities that stood for the idea actually met the most miserable of deaths. No one really wants to remember the actions of the two dictators. Similarly the goals of Fascism namely to come up with a society and human beings that are heroically moral were never to be realized. At first both Mussolini and Hitler were revered and admired by the citizen as they seem to have brought the changes that were badly needed by them and the society as a whole (Trifkovic 1993). This did not last long more so for Mussolini whom everyone soon realized his true character. The alienation of the two individuals by the civilized nations of Europe show how they were affected by their policies. However one cannot simply dismiss Mussolini as a failure who brought nothing but misery to his country. On the contrary Mussolini has been noted to have established the most stable government ever. It is as a result of his government that the nation of Italy can boast of a stable foundation. Similarly the good infrastructure of the country traces its roots back to the leadership of Mussolini. This is not to approve of his character or Fascism as a form of leadership. Any leader can take advantage of any form of leadership. In the case of Mussolini and Hitler the two used the power that had been bestowed on them to ensure that no one opposes their leadership. They systematically eliminated the individuals or groups that were not in favor of their policies. Common Tendencies Since Mussolini and Hitler were regarded as friends they were prone to show similarities in their actions. In some of their actions however the two lacked straight forwardness and tended to be some aspect of distrust. Germany and Italy both left the League of Nations, the former in 1933 while the latter – incensed by the imposition of sanctions by the league after invading Ethiopia – left in 1939. This shows how closely the two leaders influenced the behavior of one other. The attempt to try and occupy Albania by Mussolini had been noted as being synonymous with Hitler’s invasion and later occupation of Czechoslovakia and Austria. This attempt, unlike that of Hitler, did not bear any fruit as the Italian forces were defeated and forced to withdraw from Albania. The foreign policy of the two dictators were therefore similar to a greater extend but the political and military might of Germany was far much superior compared to that of Italy. It is for this reason that analysts were concerned that Mussolini was in fact simply a puppet of his comrade. The foreign policies of Mussolini and Hitler were meant for the achievement of power and status. There were both in favor of the expansion of their empires. To achieve this purpose the dictators employed force and diplomacy. For instance in 1935 take over of Ethiopia, Mussolini had to use force. Similarly Hitler had to threaten with the use of force in order to occupy Austria. In this way the two dictators exhibit the same manner of approach in an attempt to gain power. In brief the two fascist dictators were cut in the same cloth (Trifkovic 1993). There character though seemed to show some variation it was nonetheless the same. Everything that the two dictators did could be brought down to the thirst for power. This was mostly accomplished through wars. The Wars The civil war in Spain that lasted for three years saw the exhibition of new weapons and brought to the fore rivalries between the nations. The war simply showed who is who in the world. There were democracies on one hand comprising of countries such as Belgium, Britain, France and Holland. One the other hand there were the totalitarian regimes which included Russia, Italy and Germany. The might of these nations was to be exhibited in Spain during the civil war. Countries such as France and Britain however did not want to get involved in the crisis and therefore kept off the battlefield. This war was therefore fueled by external forces with little participation of internal forces. In participating in the war, Mussolini was acting against the will of a significant number of Italians. The war was not popular with the majority people since it was simply meant to quench the thirst for power of an individual. Mussolini wanted to have another dictator to join in Europe to join him and Hitler. In this endeavor together with Hitler they recorded huge success after General Franco won the war. Italy had been reluctant to join the First World War due to domestic policies that favored a liberal stance. By then Mussolini was allied to the socialist party thus held to the principles of the party. He later on changed his mind and joined Hitler’s faction on the battlefield. This angered the socialist party leadership thus resulting to his expulsion from the party. Similarly in the Second World War Mussolini was reluctant to join his friend as he was unsure on which side to fight. He was later to make up his mind after he had witnessed the progress in the war. Despite the fact that Hitler was more successful in war compared to Mussolini, the wars kept their relationship close and tight. The invasion of Italy to both Greek and Ethiopia – the former due to the supposed killing of her soldiers while the latter just a revenge mission on an occurrence that happened many years back – led the country to face sanctions from the League of Nations. This was very disagreeable to Mussolini thus making him withdraw from the league. He, just as his friend Hitler had come to the realization that the league could not stand on the way to acquisition of colonies. In order to understand the two leaders one has to place their actions in their respective context. It was the time when the nation’s exalted wars and there was much honor and prestige in conquering another nation. The philosophy of the time was mostly in the favor of the Germanys. This is notably Fred rich Nietzsche whom it is said to have influenced both Hitler and Mussolini with his idea of the superman. This idea was later to become the obsession of Mussolini. He wanted everyone to believe that he had extraordinary qualities. In his approach to many issues and problems that faced his country, Mussolini lacked a realistic approach. Betrayal In one way or another friendship between Mussolini and Hitler has not been smooth running. There have been ups and downs; sometimes they did cooperate while other times the two were totally on different paths. In most cases Mussolini was the victim of the betrayal as he was the lesser of the two in the relationship. In the Pact of Steel for instance the two were to stand by one another in case one declared war on another country. This was not to be as Italy was reluctant to join Germany in its attempt to invade Poland; an incidence that caused the Second World War (Trifkovic 1993). In failing to join his friend in war despite the deal that had been made earlier on, Mussolini was declaring his independence. There is also the possibility that the army was not prepared to fight at the time. The failure to abide by the Pact of Steel can also be as a result of the feeling that Hitler was opportunistic. His military was in fact more aggressive compared to that of Italy. This meant that Italy will serve as the puppet to be manipulated by Germany. Considering the character of both Mussolini and Hitler, none would be willing to accept such a demeaning position. Even with the apparent friendship between Mussolini and Hitler, the latter was said to have recommended Hitler for excommunication to the pope. This action, considering the closeness of the two, had two implications; one is that in essence it sounds factual and quite obvious. On the other hand it is shocking for the suggestion to come from ones friend. The two had cooperated in many things and continued to do so. In fact when everyone else seemed to turn his back against Mussolini, it is Hitler that came to his rescue. The incidence is therefore quite shocking as it is interesting. For no one really knew the true character of these individuals. Not even there closest friends. Nevertheless the two did cooperate in many spheres of life. If it were not for the support of the Germany military, then Mussolini will not have achieved some of the victories that were pegged to his name and regime (Cassels 1963). The most significant aspect of the relationship is the rescue that was carried out by the German soldiers. Mussolini having been arrested and imprisoned in the mountain top; it took the world by storm to see that the German soldiers were able to rescue him (Trifkovic 1993). This was a true display of friendship between Hitler and Mussolini. In fact after the rescue Mussolini was reported to have anticipated his friend’s assistance. Likewise Hitler could not afford to do nothing considering that the friend has been kept in prison. Conclusion It is apparent that for anyone to effectively discuss the actions of Mussolini he will not avoid to mention Hitler. The two cooperated in a number of ways and in carrying out the affairs that badly affected the world. Among the things that fascinated the two principles were war and the military. The obsession with both the military and war made them to always show up in the public in full military uniforms. Nothing however is more notable of the two than their thirst for power. It is primarily for the want of excessive power that the two Fascist dictators saw a similarity in one another bringing them closer together. Even though Mussolini had pioneered in totalitarian leadership, it is Hitler that perfected the practice. He learned from the failures of Mussolini thus able to avoid the pitfalls. In brief, the relationship between Mussolini and Hitler had been a friendly one till when death set them apart.

From Victimization to Independence in The Color Purple by...

The novel The Color Purple by Alice Walker, won the American Book Award in fiction in 1983 (Slomski). Celie was raped and impregnated by the man she considered to be her father twice at the age of fourteen, and then later married off to a poor black farmer. The man who Celie is sold to treats her as if she is a servant, not as his wife. Mr.___ believes that women are supposed to serve men, while they enjoy life. Mr.__’s other beliefs about women are that they should obey their husbands, work, and not be seen or heard (Averbach). Women in this time period were seen as children. They did not deserve to be respected and needed to be controlled by a man. Celie endures over thirty years of physical and mental abuse by her husband. Celie†¦show more content†¦Celie feels isolated and ashamed, she tells God about â€Å"her life of brutality and exploitation at the hands of men she has encountered† during her life (McDowell 143). Celie’s stepfather marries her of f to a man who also beats her â€Å"He beat me like he beat the children. Cept he don’t never hardly beat them. He say Celie, git the belt...It all I can do not to cry. I make myself wood, I say to myself, Celie you a tree. That’s how come I know trees fear man† (22). Celie does not fight back against her husband when he beats or raises his voice at her. Celie has just learned to accept and ignore the way that he mistreats her. Celie believes that if she fights back it will not do anything but make matters worst. Celie survives her victimization, by recognizing that fighting back causes more problems instead of solving them (Harris). Celie will take any abuse to her mind and body as long as she is allowed to stay alive (Harris): â€Å"I don’t say nothing. I think about Nettie, dead. She fight she run away. What good it do? I don’t fight, I stay where I’m told. But I’m alive† (21). This causes Celie to â€Å"continues to believe that others are responsible for her destiny and that she can only have as much space as they will grant her† (Harris). The abuse Celie has gone through has resulted in her not having any self-confidence and judging herself harshly, which has led her to believe that since she is ugly, and that sheShow MoreRelatedAlice Walkers Themes of Womanism, Community, and Regeneration1968 Words   |  8 PagesLi Mrs. Harper English 6H 7th February 2011 Alice Walkers Themes of Womanism, Community, and Regeneration Alice Walker is considered one of the most influential African American writers of the 20th century, because of her raw portrayal of African American struggles and the injustices towards black women. She was the first African American female novelist to win both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for The Color Purple. Her work is appealing and powerful because â€Å"WalkersRead MoreLiterary Analysis: The Color Purple Essay1388 Words   |  6 Pagesstory- a story from which inspiration flourishes, providing a source of liberating motivation to its audience, or a story that simply aspires to touch the hearts and souls of all of those who read it. One of the most prevalent themes in historical types of these kinds of literature is racism. In America specifically, African Americans endured racism heavily, especially in the South, and did not gain equal rights until the 1960s. In her renowned book The Color Purple, Alice Walker narrates the journeyRead MoreSexual Assa ult Against Women Essay953 Words   |  4 Pagesbut it has a physically and psychologically effect on the victim in many ways. For the last couple of decades, sexual assault, rape, and child molestation has become the focal point of public concerns today. According to a 1993 National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice, about 500,000 rapes or sexual assaults occur each year (Statistics, March 2010). The Department of Justice states that, â€Å"rape crimes have risen nearly three times as fast as the total crime rate†Read MoreRacial Segregation And Racial Equality Essay1834 Words   |  8 Pagesstrengthened the cause for equality, integration, and tolerance among all people, which is something their bigoted minds cannot comprehend. Toni Morrison and Alice Walker use their own struggles with racism and sexism to articulate the prejudice and oppression black women face in an American culture dominated by white men in The Bluest Eye and The Color Purple. Pecola and Celie, both young black women, exemplify this oppression not only through extreme sexual violence but also in a lack of freedom, equality

Compensation Walmart- the Increase in Turnover Rates and...

Compensation: The Increase in Turnover Rates and De-motivated due to Low Compensation Name(s): Sukhraj Bhangoo, Nida Aamir, Warda Shafiq, Course: HRM2600 Date: Novemeber 12, 2010 Compensation is a form of pay and rewards received by employees on the basis of their performance. Compensation divides into two parts: direct and indirect compensation. Direct compensation includes employee wages and salaries, incentives, bonuses, and commission. Indirect compensation includes employee recognition programs, rewarding jobs, organizational support, work environment and flexible work hours to accommodate personal needs (Belcourt et.al, 370). â€Å"Wal-Mart† is the biggest retail and grocery chain in the world. Currently,†¦show more content†¦As one possible solution to achieve a fair distribution of bonus funds and to prevent turnover, Wal-Mart should implement a performance appraisal system. Performance appraisal is the process by which organizations evaluate employee performance based on preset standards. The main purpose of appraisals is to help managers effectively staff companies and use human resources, and, ultimately, to improve productivi ty. Health care incentives are a form of direct compensation. The issue raised in the article, U.S. News: Trade Group Challenges Wal-Mart on Health Care --- Federation Urges Members to Take a Stand Against Companys Support of Plan Requiring Employers to Help Pay for Insurance is that Wal-Mart requires its employees to contribute to their own health insurance, or seek other alternatives such as welfare. The month after Wal-Mart announced its support of a centerpiece of President Barack Obamas $1 trillion plan to extend health-care coverage to nearly all Americans, the action was going into a dispute (http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=71did=1784367831SrchMode=3sid=1Fmt=4VInst=PRODVType=PQDRQT=309VName=PQDTS=1289253857clientId=5220aid=2, 11/2/10). The new expensive health insurance put pressure on Wal-Mart’s profit gains and to compensate, Wal-Mart reduced labour costs: The most liberal proposal to have companies help pay for the health-care overhaul, currently under consideration in the House, would require all but theShow MoreRelatedNordstrom Versus Walmart: Differences in Compensation and Benefits and the Effect on Organisational Performance3011 Words   |  13 Pagesslightly less, around $10.75 per hour. She will make $19,000 a year, calculated over an average working week. Pat will make over $90,000. 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Verhulst Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA John Wiley Sons, Inc. Associate Publisher Executive Editor Senior Editoral Assistant Marketing Manager Marketing Assistant Production Manager Senior Production Editor Freelance Development Editor SeniorRead MoreArticle: Performance Appraisal and Performance Management35812 Words   |  144 Pagesused basically for promotion of employees. However performance appraisal is more comprehensive term for such activities, because its use extends beyond ascertaining eligibility for promotion. Such activities may be training and development, salary increase, transfer, discharge, etc. besides promotion (Prasad, 2005). 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General Anxiety Disorder - 2770 Words

General anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent, debilitating disorder recognized by the DSM-5. Some of the symptoms that are associated with GAD are restlessness/ feeling keyed up, being easily fatigues, difficulty concentrating/ having a blank mind, irritability, muscle tension, and disturbed sleep. Excessive anxiety, the most common mental health problem experienced in average youth, causes individual distress and functional impairment throughout children’s lives (Gross Hen, 2004). Anxiety is also a mental status that is elicited in anticipation of threat of some kind. Sensations of anxiety are a normal part of human experiences, but excessive or inappropriate anxiety can become an illness. High levels of anxiety can be accompanied by a set of behavioral and physiological responses including avoidance, vigilance and arousal from a stimuli or stimulus. Children and adolescence of both genders usually experience anxiety symptoms at different levels of intensity that frequently afflicts their everyday life. Anxiety has been treated with drug therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), relaxation training and even systematic desensitization. To diagnose general anxiety disorder, one would look for many presenting symptoms, characteristics, and treatments. The DSM-5 has been changed many times in the past, dating back to 18th century. During the 18th century, anxiety was mostly perceived as physical symptoms that produced anxiety profiles as a result of underlyingShow MoreRelatedGeneral Anxiety Disorders and Treatments Thereof1914 Words   |  8 PagesGeneral Anxiety Disorders and Treatments Thereof Blake C Blanchard Southwestern Oklahoma State University Abstract One of the most common disorders in our society today is generalized anxiety disorder. 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AGL Energy Limited - Comparative Analysis Of Financial Free Sample

Question: Discuss about the Comparative Analysis of Financial for AGL Energy Limited. Answer: Introduction Ratio analysis is the financial statement analysis, which helps to gather a quick suggestion regarding the financial performance of the firm in several key areas. Ratios can be of different types depending on the liquidity, profitability, market performance, and solvency of the specified firm. In this report, two companies named AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited of the same industry (energy sector) have been selected to analyze the financial condition of both the firms by comparing and contrasting the ratio values and their trends. In order to analyze the trends and ratio of both the firms, the historical value of last two years 2014 and 2015 of both the firms have been gathered from their respective annual reports. Company Background Genesis Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited was founded in the year 1999 and it is a public type company enlisted in both NZX and ASX as GNE. It belongs to the energy sector and is the predecessor of the company named Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (Genesis Energy 2016). The particular company deals with LPG, electricity generation, natural gas and electricity retailing company. Genesis Energy Limited is the largest natural gas as well as electricity retailer in New Zealand as in the financial year 2013-2014, the firm had a market share of 42% and 26% respectively (Genesis Energy 2016). AGL Energy Limited AGL Energy Limited was founded in 1837 as the Australian Gas Light Company; however, later it was founded as AGL Energy in the year 2006. It is a public company enlisted in ASX and is head quartered in North Sydney (Agl.com.au 2016). AGL Energy Limited belongs to the energy as well as utilities sector and its key products are coal seam gas and hydroelectricity, energy, natural gas generation and wind power (Agl.com.au 2016). It has been found that AGL Energy has more than 3.8 million residential as well as business consumers across South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and New South Wales. Profitability Ratio: Return on Assets: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Return on Assets (Net income/ Average Total Assets) 0.013768 -0.027937551 0.013502342 0.029761905 Table 1: Showing the Return on Assets (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) The return on assets of AGL Energy mainly declined from 2014 to 2015 indicating low sales generated from operations. However, the return on assets of Genesis Energy mainly increased, which indicates an effective deployment of management function. After the effective comparison of both the company it could be concluded that based on ROA Genesis energy could be identified as the most valuable stock for investment. Christensen and Nikolaev (2013) argued that during an economic crisis the overall valuation of the company assets and revenue could be hampered, which projects a low ROA of the company. Net Profit Margin: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Net Profit Margin (Net Income/ Net Sales) 0.020415808 -0.036591928 0.024475524 0.050529355 Table 2: Showing the Net Profit Margin (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) With the help of table 2, net profit margin of AGL Energy could be identified as weak compared to Genesis Limited. This reduced net profits margin of AGL Energy could be because of the declining sales or increasing administrative expenses incurred by the company to conduct its operations. Moreover, the rising net profit margin of Genesis Limited could be helpful for investors to receive higher dividends. Stahl et al. (2012) stated that with the help of net profit margin investors are able to identify the overall administrative expenses incurred by the company to generate sale, which might be helpful in achieving sustainable growth. Liquidity Ratios: As commented by Healy and Palepu (2012), liquidity ratios help in vivisecting the capability of a firm in order to write off its existing debts and obligations. Hence, these ratios help in gauging the cash availability of an organisation to convert its assets into cash. Current Ratio: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Current Ratio (Current Assets/ Current Liabilities) 1.457648546 1.405013709 1.44534413 1.119354839 Table 3: Current ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) According to the above table, it has been found that the current ratio of both the firms has experienced a marginal decline in the subsequent years. This depicts the increase in the liability base of both the organisations in contrast to the average current asset base (Hoberg, Phillips and Prabhala, 2014). Therefore, it could be inferred that both the organisations are suffering from poor liquidity position as far as the current ratio is concerned. Quick Ratio: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Quick Ratio [(cash + cash equivalents + short-term investments +current receivables)/ Current Liabilities] 1.29 1.242 1.064 0.861 Table 4: Current ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) According to the above table, it has been evaluated that the quick ratio of both the organisations has declined over the consecutive years. In case of AGL Energy Limited, the ratio has been high compared to the ideal standard and vice-versa for Genesis Energy Limited. This implies that the former organisation has focused on accumulating higher inventory compared to that of the market demand. The latter firm, however, has been struggling to meet off its existing debts and obligations. Capital Structure Fan et al. (2012) mentioned that the process through which the business entity gathers external finance through the various sources of fund has to evaluate by the management of the business enterprise. The debt equity ratio as well as the equity ratio for both the business entities has to be computed . Debt to Equity Ratio The debt to Equity ratio calculates the amount of finance coming from creditors as well as the investors (Refer to Appendix). AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Debt to Equity (Total Liabilities/ Total Equity) 0.44323 0.4572 0.4819 0.4827 Table 5: Debt to Equity Ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) It can be stated that the ratios of both organizations can be considered healthy in the context of the global market. Robb and Robinson (2012) mentioned that this indicates the strong financial health of the company. In the context of AGL Energy Limited, the debt to equity ratio of the organization was 0.44 in the year 2015. The debt to equity ratio in the context of the Genesis Energy Limited has enhanced from 0.481 in the year 2014 to 0.482 in the year 2015. Therefore, the liabilities of both the firms have shown substantial growth. Equity Ratio The equity ratio is the financial ratio that indicates the portion of equity that facilitates the financing of the assets of the company (Refer to Appendix). AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Equity Ratio (Total Equity/ Total Assets) 1 1 1 1 Table 6: Equity Ratio of AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) From the table, it can be stated that the equity ratio of both the organizations have shown consistency in growth for both 2014 and 2015. From the equity ratio, it can be identified that both the organizations have shown similar trends, and have delivered consistent business performances over a period of time Market Performance: In the words of Loughran and McDonald (2014), the market performance portrays a vivid description of the organisational performance in the target market. Therefore, in order to dissect the market performance of both the firms, the ratios related to dividend per share and earnings per share have been taken into consideration. Dividend per share: This ratio helps in gauging the percentage of the actual net profit, which is distributed to the stockholders on the part of the organisation. AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Dividends per share (Sum of dividend/ No. of outstanding shares) 0.591 0.68 0.079 0.8 Table 7: Dividend per share of Genesis Energy Limited and AGL Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) According to the above figure, it has been inherent that both the organisations have increased their dividend payout to the shareholders over the subsequent years. In case of AGL Energy Limited, the dividend payout has increased from 0.59% in the year 2014 to 0.68% in the year 2015. However, this ratio has been high in case of Genesis Energy Limited, since the same has increased from 0.079 in the year 2014 to 0.8 in the year 2015. The possible reason behind such increase is the rise in net profit, which might have resulted from the higher amount of sales in the Australian market. Thus, the amount of dividend for both the firms has increased over time due to the higher income earned over the subsequent years. Hence, it could be inferred that both the firms have increased their dividend payouts; however, Genesis Energy Limited is enjoying a competitive advantage. Earnings per share: AGL Energy Limited Genesis Energy Limited 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) 2014 ($Million) 2015($Million) Earnings per share [(Net income Preferred Dividends)/ Weighted average common shares outstanding] 0.33 0.23 0.1 0.12 Table 8: Earnings per share of Genesis Energy Limited and AGL Energy Limited (Source: Genesis Energy 2016 and Agl.com.au 2016) Based on the above graph, it has been evident that AGL Energy Limited has experienced a decline in its share earnings possibly due to the indifferent motive of the investors to invest in the organisation. However, the scenario has been opposite in case of Genesis Energy Limited, since the company has experienced an increase in its earnings per share. Therefore, Genesis Energy Limited is enjoying a competitive advantage over AGL Energy Limited as well. Comparing AGL Energy Limited and Genesis Energy limited: Both AGL and Genesis energy are from the energy sector and the ratio comparison effectively helps in evaluating the overall performance of companies. In addition, with the help of liquidity, profitability, market performance, and capital structure the overall performance of both the companies are effectively evaluated. Moreover, Genesis energy limited is mainly identified as the most valuable stock, which could provide investors with adequate invested return. Ally (2013) stated that with the help of ratios investor are able to identify the most favourable stock, which might help in providing higher return from investment. Conclusion It can be concluded that Genesis Energy limited and AGL Energy Limited require more improvements in order to run the businesses successfully in future. It has been noted that both companies need to put more effort on their profitability, solvency and liquidity ratios for improving their financial conditions. Recommendations The investors should invest more in AGL Energy Limited as Genesis Energy has a relatively poor solvency situation. Additionally, it has been found that AGL Energy has a better financial position in liquidity and market performance ratios. Reference and Bibliography: Agl.com.au. 2016.AGL Energy Limited. [online] Available at: https://www.agl.com.au [Accessed 26 Aug. 2016]. Ally, Z., 2013. Comparative analysis of financial performance of commercial banks in Tanzania.Research Journal of Finance and Accounting,4(19), pp.133-143. Callen, J.L., 2015. A selective critical review of financial accounting research. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 26, pp.157-167. Christensen, H.B. and Nikolaev, V.V., 2013. Does fair value accounting for non-financial assets pass the market test?.Review of Accounting Studies,18(3), pp.734-775. Fan, J.P., Titman, S. and Twite, G., 2012. An international comparison of capital structure and debt maturity choices. Journal of Financial and quantitative Analysis, 47(01), pp.23-56. Genesis Energy. 2016.Power Company - Electricity Companies - Genesis Energy NZ. [online] Available at: https://www.genesisenergy.co.nz [Accessed 26 Aug. 2016]. Healy, P.M. and Palepu, K.G., 2012.Business Analysis Valuation: Using Financial Statements. Cengage Learning. Hoberg, G., Phillips, G. and Prabhala, N., 2014. Product market threats, payouts, and financial flexibility.The Journal of Finance,69(1), pp.293-324. Kirkham, R., 2012. Liquidity analysis using cash flow ratios and traditional ratios: The telecommunications sector in Australia.The Journal of New Business Ideas Trends,10(1), p.1. Loughran, T. and McDonald, B., 2014. Measuring readability in financial disclosures.The Journal of Finance,69(4), pp.1643-1671. Robb, A.M. and Robinson, D.T., 2012. The capital structure decisions of new firms. Review of Financial Studies, p.hhs072. Stahl, F., Heitmann, M., Lehmann, D.R. and Neslin, S.A., 2012. The impact of brand equity on customer acquisition, retention, and profit margin.Journal of Marketing,76(4), pp.44-63.

Issues in Cognitive Development

Steps in Language Development While debate is still ongoing about how children acquires language, with naturists arguing that individuals are born with biological inclination for language, and behaviorists projecting that children develop language by emulating the sounds heard within the immediate environment (Maitland 135), consensus seems to have been reached among the two groups on the major steps involved in the development of language in children. This section aims to elucidate the steps involved.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Issues in Cognitive Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There exists broad consensus that humans can communicate from birth, as can be demonstrated by the newborn’s cry alerts when faced with a distressing situation such as pain or wetness. However, it is only after the fourth month from birth that the infant is able to turn these cry alerts, coos, and gurgles into so me form of bubbling, explained as the generation of phonemes which are not in any way related or limited to the child’s exposure to the immediate environment. After the lapse of ten months from birth, the baby is able to narrow down these phonemes to those of the language or languages spoken in the immediate environment (Maitland 134). At the turn of their first birthday, most toddlers progress from bubbling into the use of a holophrase, which can be explained as the usage of one word to communicate meaning. For instance, the baby may point indoors and say, â€Å"Go!† At the turn of their second birthday, most children are able to put together two-word sentences known as telegraphic speech. Available literature demonstrates that this speech is mostly typified by the use of a verb and noun, such as â€Å"go toilet† or â€Å"eat bread† (Maitland 134). Language development theorists are in agreement that it is between two and three years of age that the chil d is not only able to expand the vocabulary exponentially, but the sentences generated increase in length and intricacy. By their third birthday, the young children begin to follow the rules of grammar without necessarily sticking to any conventions of instruction. For instance, a 3-year-old child may say, â€Å"I goed to the shop.† Such sentence construction, although coming from a 3-year-old child, indicates the use of the general rule, also called overgeneralization or over-regularization, that we form the past tense by adding (-ed) to the word or phrase. The ‘overgeneralization’ or ‘over-regularization’ of language witnessed among the 3-year-olds demonstrates that children apply grammatical rules without necessarily making any appropriate exceptions (Maitland 134). However, as time goes and language development becomes further entrenched, young children achieve the capability to express more abstract notions, concepts and ideas that goes beyond t he physical realm around them, not mentioning that they also attain the capability to express their own feelings.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Applying Piaget’s Vygotsky’s Theoretical Concepts to Classroom Experiences Both Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky can be termed as the leading lights in the psychology of cognitive development due their classical works, which have been well documented in literature. It is indeed true that their theoretical concepts can be, and continues to be, used in modern classroom settings. This section aims to discuss five concepts from the theories of both Piaget and Vygotsky, and illuminate how these concepts can be applied to classroom experiences. Jean Piaget was a prominent psychologist of the 20th century mainly interested in aspects of developmental psychology, particularly in respect to how individuals acquire, retain, and develop kno wledge (Wittrock 41). Today, his concepts and theories are used by teachers across the world to enhance students’ learning experiences. In his theory of cognitive development, Piaget came up with the concept of assimilation and accommodation to denote two corresponding processes of adaptation through which awareness of the external world is internalized in the individual. In assimilation, what an individual perceives in the external world is incorporated into the internal world without necessarily changing the structure of the internal world, while in accommodation; the internal world is obliged to accommodate itself to the evidence and facts with which it is confronted, thus triggering an adaptation (Wittrock 43). This concept can be applied in modern classroom experiences by encouraging teachers to take an active, mentoring role towards students so as to enable them share in their learning experiences instead of pushing information to passive and sometimes uninterested stud ents. By observing children to have a comprehensive understanding on their growth and developmental patterns, Piaget came up with the concept of maturation to imply the children’s mounting capability to understand their world and those around them (McInerney 587). This concept further implies that children cannot comprehend or perform certain activities or duties until they are psychologically mature enough to be able to engage in those activities. This assertion has been overwhelmingly used by contemporary educators to form the basis for scheduling the school curriculum with a view to making sure that only those activities or learning tasks that children within a specific age-group can understand are indeed included in the curriculum.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Issues in Cognitive Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In his theory of cognitive development, Lev Vygotsky came up with the conce pt of the zone of proximal development, which was aimed at explaining the idea that development should be defined both by what a child can be able to achieve independently and what the child can be able to achieve when he or she receives assistance from either an adult or a more competent peer (Slavin 47). This concept, along with the two levels of development, is useful for teachers in modern classroom settings to the extent that they can use it to objectively evaluate where the child is at a given moment in terms of learning outcomes, as well as where the child ought to be. In the context of curriculum development, educators and teachers can employ Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development concept to design a developmentally suitable curriculum, where learning activities are designed on not only what the learners are capable of doing on their own volition, but also on what they are capable of learning with other peers who are more proficient (Slavin 47; McInerney 590). Vygots ky’s concept of proximal development further suggests that educators in modern classroom settings must make sure to expose the children to instruction and activities that fall inside the zone of proximal development if effective learning is to take place (Woolfolk 156). For example, if a child is unable to recognize the sounds in a word or phrase even after been exposed to repeated prompts, the child may not be able to take advantage of the instruction in this type of skill. Additionally, extant literature demonstrates that instructors can employ this concept to, among other things, design instruction in such a way that it is capable of providing practice in the zone of proximal development for individual learners as well as for groups of learners (Woolfolk 159). For example, instructors can employ suggestions, clues and prompts that in the past assisted children during evaluation to form the basis for instructional activities. Vygotsky’s concept of cooperative learnin g can be used in the modern classroom setting to plan learning activities by bringing together children who are at different learning levels to assist each other to learn. What’s more, Vygotsky’s concept was later developed in 1976 by Wood, Bruner Ross to operationalize the concept of scaffolding. In its most basic form, the scaffolding concept represents the supportive interactions that take place between an adult and a child with the view to assist the child to accomplish an activity that is beyond his or her independent efforts (Slavin 88). In the modern classroom setting, the concept of scaffolding has been used by teachers to assist learners graduate from assisted to unassisted success at various learning tasks.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In a school biology class, for example, the instructor might utilize scaffolding by first providing learners with exhaustive guidelines that are needed to perform an experiment on osmosis, and afterwards provide them with concise outlines that they can use to structure further osmosis experiments. With time, the teacher might request the learners to perform the experiments exclusively on their own. Works Cited Maitland, Laura Lincoln. 5 Steps to a 5AP Psychology, 2010-2011 Edition. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 2010. Print. McInerney, Dennis M. â€Å"Educational Psychology – Theory, Research, and Teaching: A 25 –Year Retrospective.† Educational Psychology 25.6 (2005): 585-599. Web. Slavin, Robert E. Educational Psychology: Theory Practice. 8th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn Bacon, Inc., 2005. Print. Wittrock, Mike C. â€Å"Learning as a Generative Process.† Educational Psychologist 45.1 (2010): 40-45. Web. Woolfolk, Anita. Educational Psychology. 11th ed. Upper Sad dle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print. This essay on Issues in Cognitive Development was written and submitted by user Cann0nball to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.