Air France KLM Business Report

Air France KLM Business Report Air France-KLM is an international airline company and a member of the skyteam airline partnership. The company was formed on May 2004, following the merger of Air Frances and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM), thus creating the worlds largest airline group by earnings and second largest worldwide cargo operator in terms of revenue-tonne kilometers. The company operates under two major networks hubs, Paris-CDG and Amsterdam-Schiphol. The Companys three main businesses are passenger transportation, cargo operations, engineering and maintenance. The company counts more than one hundred thousands employees all over the world. Passenger transports being the major business of the company with more than three hundred destinations worldwide. The majority of the employees are based in France and the Netherlands. Both Air France and KLM continue to operate flights under their distinct brand names as subsidiaries of Air France-KLM. List of Acronyms AF Air France NWA Northwest Airline CSR Corporate Social Response SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats MRO Maintenance Repair and Overall CDG Charles de Gaulle IT Information Technology E M Engineering and Maintenance IMS Information Management System GDP Domestic Growth Product Table of Contents Executive Summary i List of Acronyms ii CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1 CHAPTER 2 Organisational structure 8 CHAPTER 3 Organisational culture 10 CHAPTER 4 -Leadership and management 12 CHAPTER 5 Teamworking and Mentoring 13 CHAPTER 6 Resourcing and Training 14 CHAPTER 7 Communication skills 15 CHAPTER 8 Performance and Motivation 15 CHAPTER 9 Management systems 17 CHAPTER 10 Management of change 18 CHAPTER 11 Future Directions 19 Conclusion and Recommendations 20 References 21 Appendices 22 CHAPTER 1 Introduction AIR FRANCE KLM AIR FRANCE KLM is the combination of two big airlines such as Air France and KLM. Since their merger in 2004, KLM works closely with Air France within the AIR FRANCE KLM holding company. In terms of financial turnover, AIR FRANCE KLM is the worlds largest airline partnership; it also transports the most passengers and is the worlds second-largest cargo transporter. Air France and KLM carry more than 71 million passengers per year. They operate more than 594 aircraft enabling them to fly to 236 destinations worldwide with 2,500 daily flights. The two airlines world networks can be combined, forming a vast network organized around the two major hubs of Amsterdam-Schiphol and Paris-CDG. The head offices are located at Amstelveen and Paris. Alitalia AIR FRANCE KLM and Alitalia agreed to strengthen their partnership in January 2009 by AIR FRANCE KLM taking a minority stake in Alitalia. The agreement gave AIR FRANCE KLM greater access to the Italian market. SkyTeam Alliance SkyTeam is a global airline alliance which includes AirEuropa, Air France, Alitalia, China Southern Airlines, , Delta Air Lines, Aeroflot, Kenya Airways, KLM, Korean Air (including Northwest Airlines), CSA Czech Airlines, Tarom and Vietnam Airlines, Aeromà ©xico. Air France and KLM are members of the SkyTeam alliance. Income Over the fiscal year 2009-2010 the turnover of Air France-KLM was 20.9 billion euros. Together, the two airlines have over 107.000 employees. For more information on AIRFRANCE KLM Finance, please go to www.airfranceklm-finance.com. Shares The Air France-KLM shares are listed in Amsterdam, Paris and New York. Aim Air France-KLM comprises a holding company which controls two airlines, Air France and KLM, each of which retains its own separate identity and brands. The group is the worlds largest air transport group in terms of revenue, second largest in terms of air traffic (in passenger-km) and cargo (ton freight-km), and third largest in terms of maintenance revenue. Both airlines run their own operations from their respective hubs Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol. Passengers Passenger transport is the largest of the groups three core businesses, generating around 80% of its revenues (as of 31 March 2008), with 74.8 million passengers carried. Cargo Cargo was the first fully-integrated commercial activity at Air France-KLM in 2005. Client companies now have a single point of entry, and a full, simplified offering with flights departing from both hubs and benefiting from both networks. Air France-KLM Cargo ranks first worldwide among air freight carriers (excluding integrators). Maintenance The combination of Air France Industries and KLM Engineering Maintenance allows the group to offer a comprehensive range of aircraft maintenance and overhaul services with complementary areas of specialization. Maintaining the two fleets accounts for two-thirds of the groups maintenance operations, further supplemented by maintenance repair and overall (MRO) operations for 150 third-party airlines. Mission and Vision The mission of Air France KLM is to provide its customers a high quality service adaptable to their changing needs. The overall vision is to become the worlds biggest and leading airline company. Company Background Air France Air France founded on 7 October 1933. The background of the company has been striking by a number of milestones, including investing the acquired capital of UTA in early January 1990 and the combination with Air Inter in 1997. Air France and Delta Air Lines joined forces with Aeromà ©xico and Korean Air to launch the Sky Team alliance in June 2000. Air Frances main hub at Paris-Charles de Gaulle is Europes number one in terms of connecting opportunities. KLM Meanwhile KLM was first founded on 7 October 1919 being the oldest airline still operating under its original name. The recently background has been marked by the formation of a joint venture with Northwest Airlines (NWA) in 1989 and its achievement of the investment of Kenya Airways in 1996. KLM has Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as its home base. Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have become the largest European airline group Since May 2004 but each airline has retained its individual identity, trade name and brand which mean three businesses, two airlines, and one group SWOT Analysis Mullins (2007) explained that, in order to evaluate the nature of the business environment and its strategic capability an organization may undertake a SWOT analysis focuses on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats facing the organization. STRENGTHS Strengths are those positive aspects or distinctive attributes or competencies which provide a significant market advantage or upon which the organization can build. Against a backdrop of increased Liberalization which serves to intensify competition, the profitable growth strategy plays to the groups strengths, the following are the air France KLM group strengths. A modern fleet the groups chief asset Guaranteeing energy and economic efficiency and greater safety levels, the groups aircraft fleet is its chief asset when it comes to meeting the challenges of sustainable development. The dual Roissy Schiphol hub and a balanced network The Air France and KLM route networks complement each other extremely well. The dual hub concept is central to group strategy and is designed to make the most of this. The benefit of dual brand strategy Air France and KLM took an original approach to the merger, choosing to retain the two brands while developing a unified strategy. Air France and KLM each enjoy strong brand identities and are extremely complementary. Enhanced competitiveness thanks to cost control To maintain its competitiveness, the group launched Challenge 10,designed to save 1.4 billion euros by 2009-10, through a 3% cut in unit costs. The plan is four-pronged: Process optimization and productivity gains; Fleet modernization, which will generate fuel and maintenance cost savings; Purchasing, and optimizing group synergies; External distribution costs. The development of high growth areas The groups ambition is to seize growth opportunities in countries driving global economic growth, mainly Brazil, Russia, India and China. In the years ahead, the Air France-KLM group plans to grow by 4.7% per year in terms of available seat-km on its long-haul network. WEAKNESSES Weaknesses are those negative aspects or deficiencies in the present competencies or resources of the organization, or its image or reputation, which limit its effectiveness and needed to be corrected to minimize their effect. International economic instability Faced with soaring oil prices, international economic instability, and signs of waning demand, air transport has entered a period of great uncertainty. Our Group can count on its strategic assets, the quality of its fuel hedging and its resolute policy of cost control to meet this challenging period of turbulence and low visibility OPPORTUNITIES Opportunities are favorable conditions and usually arise from the nature of changes in the external environment. The organization needs to be sensitive to the problems of business strategy and responsive to changes. Sustained demands In an increasingly global society, the demand for mobility is also increasing. Air transport is a key factor in a countrys economy. Over the last 20 years, air transport has grown twice as quickly as gross domestic product (GDP). In 2008, the rapid development of emerging countries is stimulating growth in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. This will compensate for the slowdown in the US economy. As for the future, IATA forecasts an increase in global capacity of around 5% per year by 2011. A key contribution to the economy Air transport carries over 2 billion passengers annually. Tons of cargo shipped by air each year represent 35% of the total value of export trade in manufactured goods. By connecting people, businesses and goods around the world, air transport makes an essential contribution to global economic activity. Both directly and as a promoter of growth in other industries. THREATS Threats are the converse of opportunities and refer to unfavorable situations that arise from external developments likely to endanger the operations and effectiveness of the organization. Air France KLM like any other organizations is faced with a number of threats, these includes Increased pressure Growth in European low-cost carriers has been strong for some years and Middle Eastern carriers are planning considerable expansion: Gulf carriers plan 20% seat growth per year for the next three years. This represents stiff competition for European airlines on traffic between Europe and Asia or Australia. Development limited by infrastructures Europe is experiencing air traffic congestion, leading to significant delays, increased costs and CO2 emissions. This is partly a result of the fragmentation of airspace and of the air traffic control process. There is considerable room for improvement. For 10 million flights a year, it is estimated that the actual route flown is 5% longer than ideal. For some routes, such as Amsterdam-Zà ¼rich, it is even 20%. The annual cost of fragmented European skies is estimated at 3.4 billion euros. A sector subject to heavier taxation Air transport is subject to strict regulation, mainly regarding security, safety and infrastructure. The sector is also subject to high charges, among them airport or navigation charges, plus dedicated fees to finance security. Moreover, air transport is the only means of transport to finance soundproofing measures, as it does in numerous European countries. Climate change awareness General awareness of the reality of climate change continued to increase in 2007. This was coupled with local environmental constraints that have always affected air transport activities. Air transport accounts for between 2 and 3% of all man-made CO2 emissions. In Europe, its relative contribution will increase due to growth in traffic and the expected reduction of emissions in other industries. In the past 40 years, the sector has made considerable progress, reducing CO2 emissions per passenger by more than 70%. Summary In spite of its merger Air France KLM is still operating under its identity and brand name with their home bases located at Amsterdam airport Schiphol for KLM and Paris-Charles de Gaulle for Air France. The main core duties of the group are to transport passengers, cargo and engineering and maintenance. As any other organization Air France KLM has the opportunities to grow much bigger and become the first largest airline company in the world. CHAPTER 2 Organisational structure The pattern of relationship between various positions in the organization and among members of the organization is referred as structure. Organization is essentially a group of people with a common objective or goal to archive. The structure can either be formal i.e. documented or informal i.e. unofficial. Mullins (2007) defined, Organization Structure as the division of work among members of the organization, and the co ordination of their activities so they are directed towards the goals and objectives of the organization. It is the relationships among positions in the organization and among members of the organization. It makes possible the application of process of management and creates a framework of order and command through which the activities of the organization can be planned, organized, directed, and controlled. It defines tasks and responsibilities, work role and relationships, and channels of communication. Essentially there are various types of organizational structures depending on the nature of organization, such as centralized, complex, stratified and formalized structures. An effective structure is the one that coordinates various parts of the organization and different work areas. Meanwhile the structure of the organization can either be tall i.e. with a long hierarchical chain of command where the freedom and responsibility of the subordinates is restricted or flat i.e. with a short chain of command, there is more effective between management and workers but employees may have more than one manager. However both of two structures above are highly affected by the number of employees who reports direct to a certain manager that is Span of Control. Hellriegel et al (1998) explained, that span of control refers to the number of employees reporting directly to one manager. When the span of control is broad, relatively few levels exists between the top and bottom of the organization. C onversely when the span of control is narrow, more levels are required for the same number of employees. Although there is no correct number of subordinates that a manager can supervise effectively, the competencies of both the manager and employees, the similarity of tasks being supervised and the extent of rules and operating standards all influence a managers span of control. Consider the Air France and KLM corporate and social responsibility (SCR) organization structure CHAPTER 3 Organisational culture According to Hellriegel et al (1998), the organization itself has an invisible quality a certain style, a character, a way of doing things that may be more powerful than the dictates of any one person or any formal system. Armstrong M (2006) defined, organizational culture as the pattern of values, norms, beliefs, attitudes, and assumptions that may not have circulated but shape the ways in which people behave and get things done. Values refer to what is believed to be important about how people and organizations behave; norms are the unwritten rules of behavior. To understand the soul of the organization requires that we travel below the charts, rule books, machines, and buildings into the underground world of corporate cultures. Indeed there are several ways in which organizational cultures are formed, maintained and changed. Meanwhile there is a very possible relationship between organizational culture and performance, the relationship between organizational culture and ethical b ehavior, the challenge of managing a culturally diverse work force and finally how organizations socialize individuals to their particular cultures. There are several types of organization cultures, these includes labels of baseball team, club, academy and fortress. Organizational culture represents a complex pattern of beliefs, expectations, ideas, values, attitudes and behaviors shared by the members of an organization. More specifically, organizational culture includes routine behaviors, norms, and dominant values held by organization. Essentially the issue of cultural differences and cultural compatibility in mergers between Air France and KLM has gained much attention among the two companies. Since the two companies operate under its brand name and culture, the effects of cultural clashes on the result of a merger and their employees are numerous. Cultural differences may result to poor or low productive behavior among the employees, such as low level of commitment, trust and cooperation between the groups of employees from the two merging companies. Loss of productivity caused by luck of trust and cooperation is particularly frequent in case of top managers. This is because cultural clash is strongest when the contact between the opposing cultures is greatest; and executives is the people involved in the merger from its beginning till its end. This is a very bad sign for companies, since motivation and commitment of the top managers has a major influence on the motivation of other subordinates. Cultural differen ces mainly influence employees of the merging companies, but perceived cultural distance may also influence potential foreign investors and shareholders who may want to avoid direct ownership because of high information costs and the difficulty in transferring management techniques and values. Organization cultural aspects may be beautiful both for the investors, who find the business models of the foreign partner a considerable advantage and for the managers who expect more opportunities for themselves by working for the partner firm, which they perceive to be high prestige worldwide leader firm and which corporate culture better addresses their expectations. In this situation managers are willing to adopt new culture. Whether cultural differences hinder or facilitate the integration process, their meaning is undeniable. Only some of them notice the complexity of the international mergers where not only two different organizational cultures come together, but organizational culture s which are deeply nested in national cultures. Common cultural differences embrace differences in communication styles, planning and decision making practices, negotiation strategies, and management or leadership styles. All of them are shaped by both national and organizational cultures, considering the role managers play in the merger and post-merger integration process, it is at the top management level that national cultural differences play the most important role in the life of merging organizations. That is why Air France KLM before making any decisions and signing any contracts should conduct an in depth cultural audit of the future partner. It is important to realise that cultural distance and cultural differences do not necessarily have to mean troubles. Cultures do not have to be the same; it is sufficient if they are complementary. Consequently, the major advantage of such a cultural due diligence is that it raises awareness of issues that should be managed during the i ntegration process. CHAPTER 4 -Leadership and management As Hellriegel et al (1998), defines leadership as the process whereby a person influences others to achieve a goal, i.e. is a process of creating a vision for others and having the power to translate the vision into reality. The ways in which leaders attempt to influence others depend in part of the power available to them and in part on their competencies. Leaders draw on five sources of power to influence the actions of others: legitimate, reward, coercive, referent and expert. Vision, empowerment, meaning through communication and self understanding are the competencies that help leaders become more effective. Mullins (2007) defined; management is active, not theoretical. It is about changing behavior and making things happen. It is about developing people, working with them, reaching objectives and achieving results. Indeed, all the research into how managers spend their time reveals that they are creatures of the moment, perpetually immersed in the nitty gritty of making things happen. Air France-KLM is now introducing a new combined executive management structure on a functional basis, replacing the separate management structures in Air France and KLM. In place of the Strategic Management Committee, which had supervised the development of Air France and KLM over 2004 to 2007, the business is being managed from 2007 through an Executive Committee whose members has a group level responsibility and can come from either Air France or KLM while retaining their responsibilities at a company level. CHAPTER 5 Teamworking and Mentoring As defined by Katzenbach and Smith (1993) cited in Armstrong M (2006), A team is a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. For example, after KLM and Air France merged, management decided to create teams of people from both companies to exchange information about particular topics. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢The most valuable part is the intangible part, teaming up the guy from IT with the guy from marketing, with the network planning guy, who normally dont speak together. CHAPTER 6 Resourcing and Training According to Bratton Gold (2007), human resource planning is the process of systematically forecasting the future demand and supply for employees and the deployment of their skills within the strategic objectives of the organisation. Armstrong M (2006) said, people resourcing is concerned with ensuring that the organization obtains and retains the human capital it needs and employs them productively. It is also about those aspects of employment practice that are concerned with welcoming people to the organization and if there is no alternative, releasing them. It is a key part of human resource management. Mullins (2007) explained that, one of the major areas of human resource management function of particular relevance to the effective management and use of people is training and development. Few would argue against the importance of training as a major influence on the success of the organization. Staffs are crucial, but very expensive resource. In order to sustain economic and ef fective performance it is important to optimize the contribution of employees to the aims and goals of the organization. The purpose of training is to improve knowledge and skills and to change attitudes. It is one of the most important potential motivators which can lead to many possible benefits for both individuals and organization. Since the combination of Air France KLM, each company has kept its own set of policies, especially for Human Resources issues, while developing new common policies in some other areas. Air France-KLM rates as the sector leader on human resources issues and actively addresses all of the challenges relevant to its business Overall, Air France KLMs performance on human resources issues remains stable compared to the last rating. Alongside the environment of the recent merger, severe competition and tough boundaries, the major labour relations issues for the company are to develop employability and staff mobility, essentially through training and proactive social exchange of ideas. Other critical issues for the company entail promoting non discrimination, diversity, and equal opportunities, and safeguarding health and safety in the workplace. CHAPTER 7 Communication skills Cook et al (1997) describes that, communication begins when one person sends a message to another with the intent of evoking a response. The effective communication occurs when the receiver interprets the message exactly as the sender intended. Effective communication is essential for the functioning of any organization. Managers need to transmit orders, and polices, build cooperation and team spirit, and identify problems and their solutions. It is believed that managers have traditionally spent the majority of their time communicating in one form or another. Communication within an organizations may take place through several ways, these includes; meetings, face-to-face discussions, memos, letters, e-mails, reports, etc. Recently, however, more and more employees find that an important part of their work is communication, especially now that service workers outnumber production workers and research as well as production processes emphasize greater collaboration and teamwork among workers in different functional groups. Moreover, a sea change in communication technologies has contributed to the transformation of both work and organizational structure. For these reasons, communication practices and technologies have become more important in all organizations, but they are perhaps most important in knowledge-intensive organizations and sectors and, as such, are of great significance to science organizations and to public sc ience management. The study of organizational communication is not new, but it has only recently achieved some degree of recognition as a field of academic study. It has largely grown in response to the needs and concerns of business. The first communication programs were typically located in speech departments, but most business schools now include organizational communication as a key element of study. The study of organizational communication recognizes that communication in organizations goes far beyond training managers to be effective speakers and to have good interpersonal communication skills. Moreover, it recognizes that all organizations, not just business organizations, have communication needs and challenges. CHAPTER 8 Performance and Motivation Armstrong M (2006) defined; a motive is a reason for doing something. Motivation is concerned with the factors that influence people to behave in certain ways. All organizations are concerned with what should be done to achieve sustained high levels of performance through people. Giving close attention to the individuals can best be motivated through such means as incentives, rewards, leadership and importantly, the work they do and the organization context within which they carry out that work. Essentially motivation can take place in two ways; such as people can motivate themselves (intrinsic motivation) by seeking, finding and carrying out work that satisfies their needs and secondly people can be motivated by management (extrinsic motivation) through such methods as pay, praise, promotion and punishments such as disciplinary action. In terms of career management, AF-KLM has put increased emphasis on developing careers for older employees. Extensive means are put in place to deal with health and safety issues, although key performance indicators are not disclosed on a group-wide basis, but separately for Air France and KLM. Air France KLM is one of the few companies who show transparency on how to deal with atypical working hours. Air France-KLM has an above average performance compared to its sector peers on Business Behaviour issues. The Group scores very well on its product safety and security commitments and has thorough commitments and implementation measures on responsible contractual agreements, making its management of client issues among the best in the sector. The Groups performance in terms of passenger satisfaction has been stable over the past three years. Air France-KLMs approach to suppliers issues (embedded in its Procurement Charter for Sustainable Development) and anticompetitive practices is similarly comprehensive, although AF-KLM faced a minor allegation related to anti-competitive employment legislation. Overall, the Groups performance improved slightly compared to last rating, and remains far above the sector average. CHAPTER 9 Management systems Since both Air France and KLM introduced Integrated Management Systems (IMS), which cover quality, environmental management, and food safety concerns. Air France was awarded comprehensive certification for its IMS. The Air France and KLM maintenance business units use their complementary approaches and their multi-skilled workforces to offer customers a unique, customized portfolio of services, in-line maintenance. The constant dialogue with third-party airlines and the combined experience of Air France and KLM ensure that their maintenance departments have in-depth knowledge of the sector and its needs. Customers are also invited to take part in regular satisfaction surveys. Not only that, also Air France KLM promotes environmental friendly solutions which they promote among customers. CHAPTER 10 Management of change Hellriegel et al (1998) explained, many sectors of the economy, organizations must have the capacity to adapt quickly and effectively in order to survive. To a certain extent all organizations exist in a changing environment are themselves constantly changing. Increasingly organizations that emphasize bureaucratic or mechanistic system are ineffective. Organizations with rigid hierarchies, high degrees of functional specialization, narrow and limited job descriptions, inflexible rules and procedures, and impersonal management cant respond adequately to demands for change. Organizations need designs that are flexible and adaptive. They also need systems that both require and allow greater commitment and use of talent on the part of employees and managers. Organisational change can be difficult and costly. Despite the challenges, many organizations successfully make needed changes. Adaptive, flexible organizations have a competitive advantage over rigid ones. Thus managing change has become a central focus of effective organization worldwide. There are so many pressures for change, these includes global market, the spread of information technology and computer networks and changes in the nature of the workforce employed by organizations. Thereby, we conclude for the organization to exist there must be innovation process to constantly integrate with the new technologies worldwide. Air France KLM has managed to cop with those technological changes at various aspects so as to comply with customer needs, these includes the revolution of electronic ground services. Air France KLM satisfied the demand autonomy and transparency expressed by passengers. The company is extending the use of the current technologies, i.e. mainstreaming electronic ticketing, extending check in at self service kiosk. The spread of e service offers the company genuine opportunities to reduce the cost and improv

Affirmative Action :: essays research papers

Affirmative Action Paper Q: What is a Definition of Affirmative Action: Affirmative action- a plan to offset past discrimination in employing or educating women, blacks etc. (Websters New World Dictionary.) The phase "affirmative action" was used in a racial discrimination context. Executive Order No. 10,925 issued by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. The order indicated that federal contractors should take affirmative action to ensure job applicants and employees are treated "without regard to their race, creed, or national origin." A person could define this statement as an order to imply equal access and nothing else. Q: What is the History of Affirmative Action? Affirmative action was implemented with the idea and hope that America would finally become truly equal. The tension of the 1960's civil rights movement had made it very clear, that the nations minority and female population was not receiving equal and social economic opportunity. The implementation of affirmative action was America's first honest attempt at solving a problem it had previously chose to ignore. The history of affirmative action has its roots in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and stems from the United States Supreme case of Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas. In 1969, the department of Labor exposed widespread racial discrimination of the Construction Department so President Nixon decided to incorporate a system of "goals and timetables" that provided guidelines for companies to follow and comply with affirmative action regulations. Which brings us to today Q:What caused the lawsuit. After applying to the University of Michigan Law School, Barbara was waitlisted then rejected. Similarly, Jennifer and Patrick were waitlisted then rejected by the University's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. After learning that race played a large role in the University's admissions policies, all three realized that they would have been admitted had they been of a preferred race — black, Hispanic, or Native American. The three sought legal representation to vindicate their right to be free of racial discrimination. Q: What wad the Plaintiff’s Point of View? The three named plaintiffs and the class of rejected applicants they represent seek primarily injunctive relief to ensure that future applicants will be judged as individuals without regard to race. It is unfair to be judged by the color of your skin†¦ NO MATTER WHAT COLOR YOU ARE!!! WHITE IS A COLOR TOO Q: What is the Defendants Point of View? . That the University should remain off limits to the majority of working class and most middle class youth, but that it should be made â€Å"diverse† through the selective admission of a small percentage of minority students, who are given preference over qualified white students.

Discussing Hamlet Essay

At various times, Shakespeare has been seen by critics as presenting Hamlet as a sensitive poet, unable to endure the cruel pressures of the world, a man driven by sexual desire for his mother, and a representative to a corrupt political regime. Which would be your interpretation and why? The character of Hamlet can simply be described as he who â€Å"embodies all that man represents in earth†- as ‘Toril Moi’ so eloquently points out. My interpretation, like Toril’s, is that simplicity is an element that lacks in tremendous proportions in Hamlet; he is a complex and three-dimensional character to an infinite extent. So much so, his complexity allows him to assume an ‘antic-disposition’ and also appear truly insane at the same time. It is evident that Shakespeare adopted the ‘Senecan’ classical revenge tragedy style of plot, which clearly sets out the characteristics of Hamlet: As the son of the dead king/father, it was obligatory to avenge his father’s death, however hindering this act is the hero’s hesitation, which one could describe as Hamlet’s cowardice. Eventually, Hamlet killing Claudius fulfils the revenge tragedy. Hamlet is therefore a revenge tragedy in plot, but not in central character. In my opinion, it is more intriguing to use the vengeance theme as a carrier to express the unimaginable depth of emotion contained in Hamlet. This emotion is caused by human experience of dealing with death, pursuing revenge, inaction, action, failure in love, and finally the oppressive affect on man (Hamlet) by a nation of corrupt power. Hamlet is a dexterous courtier and scholar, yet in times of extreme pressure he averts from his calm-courtier ways and behaves erratically, leading to fatal ends, such as the unnecessary killing of Polonius. The genuine despair of Hamlet limits his capacity for action and increases his self-abasement and self-disgust, constantly questioning the value and purpose of his life- hence being unable to endure the cruel pressures of the world. Hamlet thinks too precisely under the weight of thought, which as he says himself â€Å"makes cowards of us all†- This hesitation eventually leads to the downfall of Hamlet! I would define the ‘sensitivity’ in Hamlet as a deep philosophical nature wherein is contained a boundless range of emotion, which is depicted more so in the seven soliloquies in the play. We see Hamlet’s first soliloquy in act 1, scene 2, and expect to see a true sensitivity of Hamlet, as Shakespeare intended soliloquies to reveal a character’s true feelings, void of lies and deception. The opening lines of the soliloquy immediately introduce poetic antithesis: ‘O, that this too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew†. It is evident here that Hamlet is plagued with melancholy, wanting his ‘solid’ pain to dissolve, in other words he is suicidal. This suicidal behaviour implies that he is unable to endure the cruel pressures of the world, as he welcomes death to terminate all his problems. The reason he gives for not committing suicide is religious, that God condemned it in his sixth commandment, however he wishes that the â€Å"Everlasting had not fix’d His Canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! â€Å". Some critics say that he used religion here to serve as an excuse for avoiding the action of â€Å"self-slaughter†, however I believe in Hamlet’s belief and faith in religion, as he swears upon the language of the church, â€Å"Hic et Ubique† when promising his purpose to his father’s ghost, which I believe Hamlet would have taken very seriously. The bleak, grim words of the soliloquy, such as â€Å"stale†¦ Unprofitable† express of his depression and distaste of life. Hamlet in my opinion is also very unhappy with the state of Denmark, metaphorically representing it as an â€Å"unweeded garden†, that is a diseased and corrupted pit: â€Å"rank and gross†. After the internal insight of depression and woe in Hamlet, we see the reason behind his piteous state- that cannot be due to Claudius killing his father because he doesn’t yet know that! It is in equal measure the death of his beloved father, and the revulsion of Claudius’ and Gertrude’s hasty marriage into â€Å"incestuous sheets†. Hamlet absolutely abhors Claudius, describing him as a â€Å"bloat-king† and a â€Å"Satyr†- simply a beast in modern terms, which is in contrast to the vast admiration for his deceased father, the â€Å"Hyperion†- the beautiful sun God. The fact that Hamlet’s true father was a â€Å"hyperion†, that he was â€Å"so loving to my mother† and that â€Å"she would hang onto him† with great happiness, implies that Hamlet idealised his parents’ marriage. However, the betrayal of his mother to the ideal of marriage at an insincere instant, â€Å"unrighteous tears† at an â€Å"O most wicked speed†, badly bruised Hamlet’s opinion of women, degrading their honour and purity. The poet Hamlet uses personification to express his disgust to womankind in general: â€Å"Frailty thy name is woman! â€Å". This disgust in women is what I believe caused Hamlet’s bitter rejection for Ophelia, not because Hamlet is insensitive, but because his fragile sensitivity was taken advantage of and bruised. Hamlet later continues to express his disgust in women by using similes referring to women in a negative way to describe a bad situation: â€Å"Like a Whore unpacked†¦ â€Å"

Impact Of Our Daily Lives Steve Jobs Essay - 1423 Words

Eighty-Seven percent of Americans use the Intranet, many of us rely on it (Anderson, Monica). Children are become more accustomed to the use of computers, and smartphones. Almost a staple in today’s society, computers can access vast amounts of information in seconds. Where would so many of us be if we didn’t have our computers, or smartphones? In a world so increasingly dependent on technology. I would like to take a step back, and reflect on one of the critical people in the evolution of our daily lives Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in San Francisco, CA. He was put up for adoption at a young age, and was adopted by Clara and Paul Jobs under the condition he attend college(Editors, Biography). Jobs grew up with his now father experimenting with electronics in their garage. Always fascinated by electronics, Steve later meets Steve Wozniak. The two become friends as they discuss how they pranked people with the use of electronics (Moisescot, Romain). Around this time in life Jobs attends College, but he only attends classes that interest him. With little money, Steve Jobs drops out of college only six months after enrollment (Editors, Biography). Trying to find a path in his life Jobs embarked on a journey to India to seek enlightenment (Deja). After returning, Jobs runs into Steve Wozniak and they talk about a computer board Steve Wozniak designed. Jobs being an entrepreneur convince Wozniak they should sell these computer boards. WithShow MoreRelatedWhat Makes A Baby Boomer?911 Words   |  4 Pages Today, there are many Baby Boomers that live in the world. Most of these people have impacted a lot of people currently. This is because of many things they have introduced to us and or gave us. There are many people that can be shown to be very important to our culture and or history, but first of all, what is a baby boomer? During the end of World War Two, there was a so called â€Å"baby boom†, and this had influenced many different countries. But, it mostly it affected western countriesRead MoreBoys and Girls, by Alice Munro, Brother Dear, by Bernice Friensen, and A Cap for Steve, by Morley Callaghan1306 Words   |  6 PagesDreams are something all humans share in common and they manifest the realization of our lives. They have a great influence over our essence and can provide colossal amounts of courage and strength to accomplish our greatest desires. However, when we do not have dreams to fight for our lives become meaningless and sorrowful, nevertheless this is the situation many people face throughout their lives. Broken dreams have become a popular theme among writers because a connection can be made with theRead MoreHistory Of Apple Inc.1427 Words   |  6 PagesApple Inc., formerly Apple Computer, Inc., was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who vision was to change the way people viewed computers. Jobs and Wozniak both college dropouts wanted to make computers user friendly and small enough that the consumers can have them in their homes or offices. The two incorporated the company on January 3, 1977 in Cupertino, California. Apple I started out in Jobs’ garage, him and Wozniak sold them without a monitor, keyboard, or casing. TheRead MoreThe Success Of Super Bowl Commercials By George Orwell969 Words   |  4 Pages Thousands of Americans gathered to watch the 1984 Super Bowl, a tradition that had become a trademark in our societal culture. However, what those viewing did not know was that they would soon witness a revolutionary advertisement that would impact pop culture around the country every year following that moment. Apple would discover the success of Super Bowl commercials by referencing to one of the most beloved yet feared works of recent American history: â€Å"1984†. By alluding to the novel â€Å"1984†Read MoreMarketing Campaigns And The Workforce1032 Words   |  5 Pages Businesses today are faced with many challenges in order to be competitive in our global economy. These companies need to follow the laws and legislation while incorporating and managing diversity into their marketing campaigns and the workforce. In 1976, Apple was founded by two college dropouts. The founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs used their talents to build what is now a world renowned company with some of the most innovative technology devices. In 1980, the company went public andRead MoreThe Work Of Steve Jobs1631 Words   |  7 Pages Steve Jobs, though mostly known for being the co-founder and CEO of Apple, was also the founder of another computer software company called NeXT, as well as the man who brought Pixar, a computer based production company, into light. Mainly through Apple, Steve revolutionized the way society manipulates technology. If you have seen Pixar produced films, such as â€Å"Toy Story† or â€Å"Monsters, Inc.†, Jobs had a direct impact on those films. Steven Paul Jobs was undoubtedly the most significant person inRead MoreEssay Title: Computer Revolution1594 Words   |  7 PagesIt is not very often that such a small inorganic object can drastically change our lives forever . Such a device that changes the way we work, live, and play is a special one, indeed. For over fifty years, a revolution has been taking place in the United States and the world. The personal computer has changed the way many people think and live. With its amazing versatility, it has found its way into every area of life, and knowing how to operate it is a requirement for todays world. If there wereRead MoreThe Undocumented Teenagers And Future Generation Of Children1003 Words   |  5 Pagesundocumented teenagers and future generation of children will have a positive impact on our society. They will serve as powerful role models due to their hard work and determination to become successful. Our future depends on future college graduates, and they are well prepared and determined to attend and make great contributions to our future. How many people have heard someone say that illegal immigrants are taking all the jobs? That they are taking advantage and not contributing to society like a USRead MoreHolding Social Media Accountable For Violence. Today’S1291 Words   |  6 Pagesdecapitations, rapes, bullying in schools, gang threats, and even murders to be broadcasted live. Seemingly more of such violence is occurring and being distributed over these social platforms. For instance, the recent live murder of an innocent man by Steve Stephens. A breakdown, or crime, for a moment of notoriety on a live feed is appalling in the least. How could social media, such as Facebook, allow a live airing of a murder and hold it as acceptable, or part of a first amendment right to freedomRead MoreApple Has Seen Dramatic Ups And Downs In The Technology1141 Words   |  5 PagesApple has seen dramatic ups and downs in the technology market since Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple on April 1st, 1976 (Hill and Jo nes, Apple in 2008). The current state of Apple is much like we saw it back in 1976, new and providing one of a kind products. Today those product are devices such as the iPhone, IPod, iPad, and the MacBook’s. Apple is dominating in select environments such as in education, a world of digital photography and music. They state on their website under education