Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Conflict Of Mr. Donaldson - 911 Words

1. The first conflict is existed between Mr. Waterhouse and Mr. Donaldson. The reason of the conflict is connected with different type of decision making between these two people. Another reason is connected with Donaldson’s attitude on working. It looks like that Donaldson is a selfish person who always does anything according to his personal point of view. talking about the type of conflict, it is avoidance: Mr. Waterhouse observes all the annoying things that performed by Mr. Donaldson, but he did not react actively on it. Being on doubts regarding the future of Mr. Donaldson, he represents an example of a justification type of account-giving response on a conflict: he does not know what to do and finds justifications for his position Another conflict is observed among Mr. Donaldson and Bettina Scheri, a woman, who organizes his programs, and is a manager of Mr. Donaldson. A man seems to be very familiar and unthankful here, and the conflict tends to look as competition, at least from Mr. Donaldson’s point of view. talking about the types of account-giving responses, it looks like that Mr. Donaldson is on the way of ideological account, he does not want to cope with the problem. Probably, he thinks that he is better than his manager. 2. talking about the motivators that drive two main people in the study, Mr. Waterhouse and Mr. Donaldson, it is essential to show that both are related on Maslow hierarchy of needs. Also both people are focusing on self-actualization, butShow MoreRelatedEthical Decision Making A Good Corporate Social Responsibility938 Words   |  4 Pagesfor family and worship (Green, n.d.). Critics say that believers and employees may be happy with the policy, but the store is losing business to competitors who remain open on Sundays and for longer hours. This might be true but it is not important to Mr. Green who contends that some things are more important than money. Green’s family Christian beliefs remian embedded throughout the business with no plans to change (Green, n.d.). Ethical decision making can protect the interests of shareholders andRead MoreCase Study : Ice Cream Division925 Words   |  4 Pagesreduction plan (Bethel, 2011). This decision will have a lasting influence on the future of the organization. Even though Mr. Moore is in a leadership role, the input of direct staff members will contribute to the final decision. The input of an effective management team can guide the organization into a positive direction or internal issues can derail the organization’s progress. Mr. Moore must react in order to insure the Chattanooga Ice Cream Division thrives for years to come. Management Team AfterRead MoreDestruction of Dreams, Failure of Dreamers in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby1489 Words   |  6 Pagesthe ladder to success and being accepted by societys rich. When Gatsby finally invites the Sloans and Buchanans to his home for the afternoon, they show nothing less than utter disrespect for him. After Gatsby accepts an invitation for dinner with Mrs. Sloan, the party rebukes him behind his back. They leave without him, saying they couldnt wait. Although, Gatsby is wealthy and successful, the inherent divisions between new money and old money keep him far away from his dream of being partRead MoreWorld War I And The Great Gatsby2214 Words   |  9 Pages The 1920’s Itself Was A Firework Class issues played a great role in The Great Gatsby it is the root of all conflict and excitement. Your class would determine not just how you lived but what kind of social life you would have whether it was â€Å"old money† or â€Å" new money†. The American economy of during the roaring twenties was a time of economic progress for most Americans and where wealth became very important in your social life. The strong economy also created the right environment forRead MoreEssay on Comparison and Contrast in The Great Gatsby1769 Words   |  8 PagesGeorge B. Wilson, and Nick Carraway and Jay Gatsby. The contrast is achieved through two principle means: contrasting opposite qualities held by the characters and contrasting one characters posititve or negative qualities to anothers lack thereof. Conflict is generated when the characters sometimes stand as allegorical opposites. On the other hand, comparison of two characters is rather straightforward. This comparison and contrast is prevalent in Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby. To begin with, DaisyRead MoreJohn Q: an Ethical Analys and Review3010 Words   |  13 Pagesthe discontent at the current system and justifies the use of such force to serve one’s own end, however desperate it might be, the justification of any sort of deception and manipulation, as Mr. Archibald deceived and manipulated hostages and hospital administrators as a means to his desired end, is in conflict with the familiar categorical imperative of Kantian Deontology. This in itself is, by that theory, unethical and a deplorable action in the context of deontology. On the topic of the ethicsRead MoreReview Of Pride And Prejudice 2587 Words   |  11 PagesMontana Oltrogge Mrs. Donaldson English 2 Period 6 12 May 2016 Pride and Prejudice Book File Title: Pride and Prejudice Author: Jane Austen Publication information: Year: 1813 Publisher: Signet Classics Location. New York, New York Biographical information about the author: State at least ten facts you have found either from the book or through internet research. Jane Austen was born in Hampshire, England to George and Cassandra Austen, on December 16, 1786. Her parents had been married for manyRead MoreChildren and Their Imgainary Play2148 Words   |  9 Pagesword â€Å"imaginary’ is misleading however because the majority of imaginary situations are not taken place in ‘fantasy worlds with monsters and fairies’ but rather, children are trying to make sense of situations drawn from their memory or experience (Donaldson, 1987). These are, but not always, examples of their environment in and outside the classroom. Ariel explains another view of imaginary play that it is â€Å"a kind of mental activity rather than a genre of external behavior† (2002). Children placeRead MoreAgency And Stakeholder Theories To The Enron Debacle6344 Words   |  26 Pagesnexus of contracts between principals and agents† (Shankman, 1999:320). CULPAN AND TRUSSEL 63 The essence of agency theory, known as the agency problem, rests on the assumptions that: â€Å". . . (1) the desires or goals of the principal and the agent conï ¬â€šict and (2) that it is difï ¬ cult or expensive for the principal to verify what the agent is doing . . .† (Eisenhardt, 1989: 58). A second difï ¬ culty, the problem of risk sharing, arises because the principal and agent typically have different attitudesRead More Nick Carraways Epiphany in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby2859 Words   |  12 Pagesinvolved. Nick watches as Gatsby’ s father, Mr. Gatz, arrives at Gatsby’ s house after Gatsby has been killed. Mr. Gatz, who has not been a part of his son’s life, walks around his son’s house and admires the material possessions that his son had accumulated over the years. He shows Nick a picture of his son’s house which he keeps in his wallet, and describes the immense pride which he has for his son as he peruses his son’s possessions. At one point, Mr. Gatz states, â€Å"He [Gatsbyj had a big future

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

An Analytical Look At The Proposed Death Of God - 1649 Words

Paige Medlin Mrs. Powell English 1020 20 April 2015 An Analytical Look at the Proposed Death of God As of 2013, fifty-four percent of Americans still had a belief in God, although in some other minorities, that number was larger (Gallup). Despite this, there was a time when some of the greatest minds of the time felt as if God had no modern purpose in human’s lives. One such example of this was that of Friedrich Nietzsche, who went down in history as the man who declared God â€Å"dead†. Though this might seem like a hypothetical call to atheism, he was instead showing how the people of the world had come to outgrow a need for God with the coming of the renaissance (Lawhead 454). However, the contradictions found within Nietzsche’s argument†¦show more content†¦He hypothesized that this gradual turning away from God would be such a gradual process that people would not realize that it was even happening until the idea had almost been exterminated (Frame 45). Nietzsche then proposed that there are no absol utes or standards for us to live by and therefore, God could not be real since he would have created those very standards into being (Lawhead 454).Because of this, Nietzsche said, people would never be able to take full responsibility for themselves and still leave room for God (Frame 49). Instead, he favored the idea that the true origin of morals could be found in the human flaw to desire a state of being viewed as powerful (Lawhead 456). Although he denied God’s existed and felt that morals came from a thirst for power, Nietzsche was quoted as saying that Jesus came â€Å"not to ‘redeem men’ but to show how one must live (Lawhead 455).† While Nietzsche contends that there is no way to take liability for human actions until the shed themselves of God, it could be reasonably argued that Christianity is, in and of itself, a way of taking on the responsibility for their actions. In today’s society, Christianity is the harder life to live - anyone can do what they want; people do not need justification for what they do and often view good and bad as the difference between what benefits them and

Monday, December 9, 2019

Accounting Developments in Poland free essay sample

The total area of Poland is 312,679 square kilometers (120,726 sq mi), making it the 69th largest country in the world and 9th in Europe. Poland has a population of over 38 million people, which makes it the 33rd most populous country in the world. WBO, 2010) Historical Background A national accounting chart for Poland did not exist before the 1930s although an accountants’ Association was already established in the year 1907. However, there has been evolution on the Poland’s accounting system over the decades. This is largely due to the reason that they have long undergone a major change in their historical background. The effects of World War II had far-reaching implications for most of the world and Poland is not an exception.The history hit Poland on 1 September 1939 when the World War II entered Poland and this has made begins of an era of Communist rule for Poland. The period up to Second World War was strongly influenced by the German system at that time. We will write a custom essay sample on Accounting Developments in Poland or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page And the rules of the uniform German General Plan of accounts were in force. This system was, however, changed after the Russian occupation and a centrally planned economy was introduced. Since 1989 when Poland moved away from Russian dominance, the accounting system was also changed.This change was undertaken gradually because already at this stage it was recognized that the process of change and the guiding principle of legislation would stretch over a considerable time span needing numerous changes, corrections and adaptations. (McGee, 2008) Poland under the socialist ruling (1942-1989) The exposure of Poland to German, Russian and Western European accounting practices was caused by the breakout of the World War II and successive events in circumstances far from being called facile.In early of the 40s, Russia exerted major influence due to its self establishment within the Polish boarders and the German Reich’s mandatory accounts schedule was required in the other half of the country. A brief independence period of 1944 to 1945 was a time when individually drawn accounts by accountants employed in business entities were developed and utilized. However, the story from the year 1946 to 1956 is that, of strict legal regulation of accounting principles and methods. Yet again, when the times are tough the Polish spirit looks for areas that can be exploited.Major contributors to accounting of that period and great thinkers ahead of their time were Stanislaw Skrzywan, Tadeusz Peche and Jozef Skowronski. S krzywan as early in the year 1947 prepared the most comprehensive definition of registry based accounting. Starting from the year 1946, Uniform Plans of Accounts (UPA) were introduced as the methods to deal with accounting. The first UPA which is based on German solutions was obligatory for state-owned industrial and trade enterprises and used as a model in development of Plans of Accounts for new enterprises created in remaining sectors of economy.However, because of its shortcomings of â€Å"excessive flexibility† in defining the economic content of accounts, it has been considered as a failure in satisfying the uniformity needs of socialist economy. As a result, in the year 1950, Poland developed its very own UPA which the solutions enacted are said to be very advanced. This is due to the fact that they allowed for the preparation of various national income balances for macroeconomic purposes, and constituted a basis for central planning methodology.However, it was again deemed unable to be exercised in a way to cater for the transitory requirements into a centrally planned sys tem from a free-market and thus lead to a replacement by Soviet Framework Plans of Accounts in the year 1951. This resulted in significant changes in the principles of construction of Accounting Plans. In the year 1956, the socialist-communist ruling in Poland was lessened and it has created certain level of autonomy for state-owned enterprises and enabled the management and other personnel to participate in profit distribution. Consequently, Institute of Audit Experts was established in 1957.The appointed State Authorised Accountants (SAA) was to serve the purpose to verify the accounts of state owned enterprises with a view to ascertain appropriation of profits and also the achievement of the centrally planned targets. Three years later the longest UPA in operation (1960 -1975) was implemented based upon the previous Uniform Plans of Accounts, Branch Accounting Plans and Enterprise Accounting Plans 15. This change has allowed firms to devise accounting systems to meet their individual needs. The last Uniform Plan of Accounts was enacted in the year 1976.This gives strong grounds to believe that the accounting body, in a system based on rigid law regulations was still capable of developing a broader perspective, professional view and ability to use professional judgment. It is visible that under socialist ruling management accounting was the main area of growth since ‘nominal profitability’ and improvement of internal ‘efficiency’ were the main objectives of the practitioners. No specific or detailed rules were provided for cultural and historical events and the nature of codified law affect IFRS adoption, acceptance and operation in Poland.Therefore, despite being thought of as one of the close to ‘zero base’ countries, Polish accounting once again proves an outlier to the rule. Even so, the effort to regain independence has once again forced a shift in accounting practice. (Moczarska, 2009) Independence years leading to EU accession (1989 – 2004) After the year 1989, the Polish Ministry of Finance developed a framework for regulating the accounting system. In this process, the Ministry revived the commercial code of 1934 as the framework developed by the plan economy was useless in the new situation.Be cause of lack of professionals the state acquired a dominant position in defining the process to reform the new system. The Ministry used the accounting system that was previously seen as an instrument of administrative control over state enterprises to become a tool for control and monitoring of privatization process. Subsequently, the Polish legal accounting document of greatest authority, the Commercial Code, 1934 remained during socialist times and was re-enacted in 1989 with minor changes and as such remained in force until superseded in 2000 by the Commercial Company Code.Alongside the Code, the decrees of Minister of Finance were regulating the accountancy in Poland between 1991 and 1994, when in 1994 the Act on Accounting was introduced. On the 15 January 1991 the Decree on the Principles of Accounting was issued as the first official document directing the now free-market economy of Poland. It was based on delegations derived from Act on Financial Management of State Enterprises (January 1989), Cooperative Law (December 1982), Act on Tax Obligations (December 1980) and Budgetary Law of Janua ry 1991. The cultural shift and arket pressures prompted birth of the first truly comprehensive regulation of the independent Poland which is the Act on Accounting, 1994 (CPAA). This document was noticeably modeled on the 4th Directive (Formats and Rules of Accounting), 7th (Consolidated Accounting), and 8th (Qualifications and work of Auditors) EU Directives. As it is visible the concepts and notions included in the Accounting Act also relate to the last issued decree of 1983. Therefore, for accounting 1994, it determined the Western oriented direction in line with socio-political movement with simultaneous.The next important regulation is the Decree of Minister of Finance of August 1995 which resolved amongst other the issue of auditing the budgetary sector. Noticeably, solutions unique to Poland, feeding from West, East and within were developed. Very important requirements of this act, were recognition of only ‘acquired goodwill’ and use of ‘purchase method’ only when accounting for mergers and acquisitions. In these respect it can be noted that the solutions offered in IAS 38 IFRS 3 Business Combination.Additionally Poland already then was strongly recommending the cost method, which the current IAS 40 requires, even though the solutions at the time (ED 40) were recommending the equity method for long term i nvestments measurement. Moreover already then, not in line with either EU 4th Directive or IAS 7 at the time, Poland was one of the few in Eastern Europe countries requiring the Cash Flow statement presentation, which now is a requirement as in IAS 1 and IAS 7. The changes it introduced touch on 27 areas and are said to generally focus on two stands.The last document introduced was the Accounting Act 2000 (NPAA) which was in force from January 2002 onwards. This Act bought changes on 27 areas and are said to generally focus on two stands. In short, entrance to the EU has pushed Poland to introduce an accounting system in line with the accounting systems used in the EU. These accounting systems provide a key instrument which is harmonization of the financial reporting systems with the European Directives and with the International IAS. (Moczarska, 2009) IFRS adoption (2005 to present)In the year 2005, the compulsory introduction of IFRS for all listed companies is arguably the most crucial and important st eps that affects the accounting in Poland. As a candidate of EU in 2004, Poland is forced a shift in accounting practices for public listed companies into the use of EU approved by IAS and IFRS. ? Summary of the governmental acts regulating accounting in Poland from 1934 to 2000 Culture and Classification In accounting, the importance of culture and its historical roots is now increasingly being recognized.In multiple studies, it has been proven that culture is crucial in all aspects of information sharing and underlies ethical and decision making issues. (Finch, 2010) Culture may be defined as ‘the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another’. Each human group shares its own societal norms, consisting of common characteristics, such as a value system which is adopted by the majority of constituents. Values are defined by Hofstede (1980, p. 19) as ‘a broad tendency to prefer certain states of affairs over others’. It is these definitions that have been widely adopted in accounting research to develop a cultural framework to investigate international accounting differences. Hofstede’s work on culture represents the most extensive research on national cultural differences to date. From attitude surveys collected from approximately 116,000 IBM employees across 39 countries, Hofstede identified four underlying value dimensions along which each country can be positioned. These societal values include individualism versus collectivism, large versus small power distance, strong versus weak uncertainly avoidance, and masculinity versus femininity.Across these dimensions, Hofstede’s framework provides quantitative measures for each of the sample countries. This broad sample of quantitative data has attracted many researchers studying cross-cultural differences because the measures are seen as reliable for use as independent variables in statistical analysis. Some of these empirical studie s will be examined later in this paper. Hofstede indicated that Poland respondents score high in power distance and uncertainty avoidance, average in individualism, and are moderately above average in masculinity. Finch, 2010) From the literature and practice, Gray (1988) identified four accounting value dimensions that can be used to define a country’s accounting (sub)culture namely professionalism versus statutory control, uniformity versus conformity, conservatism versus optimism, and secrecy versus transparency. The first two dimensions relate to authority and enforcement of accounting practice at a country level whereas the second two relate to the measurement and disclosure of accounting information at a country level.According to Gray (1988), the culture framework considers Poland to have a high degree of uniformity and low degree of professionalism in context of authority and enforcement. This would indicate that the Poland prefers uniform accounting standards. Also, Gray (1988) indentified Poland as a coun ting secrecy and conservatism in the context of measurement of disclosure. This indicates that the accounting practice in Poland require low levels of disclosure in financial statement and take more on conservatism in terms of valuation adapting to the changing business environment through the use of professional judgment. Finch, 2010) Gray (1988) extends Hofstede’s model by overlaying accounting values and systems and their links to societal values and institutional norms. Gray posits that accountants’ value systems are related to and derived from the unique societal values in each country. Essentially, accounting values, in turn, affect accounting systems, therefore cultural factors directly influence the development of accounting and financial reporting systems at a country level.Gray introduced four propositions that hypothesis relationships between Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and his accounting value dimensions. Gray argues that shared cultural values within a country lead to shared accounting values, which in turn influences the nature of a nation’s accounting system. However, Gray never conducted the hypothesis or empirical tests to support his framework. Since there is no hypothesis done to support his framework, other accounting researchers have been carrying ou t studies to prove the validity of his framework. Thus, the greater international convergence of financial reporting was achieved. Also, since Poland’s accession to the EU, investors’ interest and confidence in doing business in Poland has significantly increased. As such, Poland may probably attract more multinational companies to invest in their countries. This is because the multinational companies can enjoy benefits of getting cheaper resources and lesser restrictive barriers to trade yet able to gain profitable return. In short, the accounting practices in Poland play a vital role in determining the development of their own accounting systems.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The Merchant of Venice By William Shakespeare Essay Example For Students

The Merchant of Venice By William Shakespeare Essay William Shakespeares The Merchant of Venice was performed outstandingly on the 20th of September 2007. The play was performed at The Globe Theatre with fantastic direction from Rebecca Gatwart. The play is magnificently thrilling even for those who have not yet read the play. It is a brilliant understandable version of the play, which does not stray very far from the true script.  The play is set in Venice where Bassanio seeks three thousand ducats from his close friend Antonio, which he hopes to spend on travel to Belmont to woo the beautiful, rich heiress Portia. But Antonio is not in the position to lend his money as all his merchandise it at sea. He asks the Jewish usurer Shylock for a loan despite the fact they both dislike each other. They are agreed to a bond whereby if Antonio does not repay the money within 3 months time Shylock will be free to take a pound of flesh from anywhere on Antonios body he wishes to. Bassanio goes to Belmont where he marries Portia. Meanwhile, back in Venice, Antonio is having some problems with his boat and is unable to play Shylock back what he is owed. Antonio fears for his life while Bassanio tries to come up with a way to save his endangered friend. We will write a custom essay on The Merchant of Venice By William Shakespeare specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Shakespeare includes many key themes within the play, which provide the basis for most of the plot. One of these themes is mercy verses justice. There are many places in which this theme is highlighted within the play. One of the main parts that express the theme is the trial scene. Antonio is preparing to be killed and Shylock is being begged for mercy. Shylocks view on justice and mercy is An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Shylock is someone who intends on seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. He thinks that people should be treated how they treat others. So when Shylock is about to take Antonios flesh and is being offered a lot of money and the chance to be merciful, he decides to stick to his bond. This frames Shylock as a merciless, cruel and cold-hearted man. This is when Portia steps in, disguised as a lawyer, with a way to turn Shylocks bond against him. Shylock is given a harsh penalty for attempting to kill Antonio and once again the theme of mercy verses justice is highlighted. It seems highly hypocritical of Portia to have expected Shylock to have mercy on Antonio when she showed no mercy towards him. Because of this, it is hard to decide whether Shylock should be viewed with pity or anger. Another key theme is love and hate. There are many examples within the play that show how these two strong feelings can affect our lives. One of the most obvious is the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio. They would literally do anything for each other. Antonio sacrifices his own life for the happiness of Bassanio. Bassanio says he would do the same for Antonio. He also says, Life itself, my wife, and all the world are not with me esteemd above thy life. They have a strong compassion for each other and neither could live without the other. When this love is compared with the other types of love in the play, it seems the strongest. There is romantic love shown in the play between Portia and Bassanio, Nerissa and Gratiano, and Jessica and Lorenzo. Bassanio only really sought Portia because she was rich and Nerissa and Gratiano got married after only knowing each other for a short while. It is clear that Bassanio and Antonio value their love for each other more than the couples. Shakespeare highlights how love can cause problems. Because of their friendship, Antonios life is threatened. .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a , .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a .postImageUrl , .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a , .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a:hover , .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a:visited , .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a:active { border:0!important; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a:active , .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua2200c7a2d599eed6a9b59a61a2a893a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Shakespeare And His Theater EssayOn a totally different level, it often seems as though Shylock loves his possessions more than his own daughter. When he is told of his daughter fleeing with much of his possessions he says I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! Also, hate is an obvious factor of the play. There is a strong hatred between Christians and Jews. Launcelot (Shylocks servant) talks of leaving his master and refers to him as the very devil incarnal. There is a clear hatred between Shylock and Antonio as Shylock mentions an ancient grudge. This hatred leads Shylock not being merciful towards Antonio and seeking his full revenge. Value and worth is another key theme within the story. There are times when it seems that the women in the play are valued equally, or less so, to possessions. Portias dad left a request in his will for each man who wishes to marry her to have to want to marry her for the right reasons. He does this with a small trial where there are 3 caskets, one of led, one of silver and one of gold. Each casket has something written on it and if the correct casket were chosen then the suitor would be worthy or marrying Portia. The led casket is worth the least, however it is the one that grants the marriage. It could be said that it is as though Portia is being given away like another object left in her fathers will. Also, Shylock seems to value his daughter below his money and possessions. Shylock was played by John McEnery. He seemed to fit into his character naturally. There was no one part in the play where he seemed out of focus and he was always 100% in character. John McEnery was spot on with is body language. He didnt rely on the script to express his emotions and thoughts. If at any point he was told to freeze in his position, it would be clear what emotion he was expressing, however, it was not overdone. At points in the play when Shylock felt powerful, for example, when he thought he was going to be given the right to kill Antonio, he expressed the feeling of power through his body language. His head was held high and he was stood straight, it was clear that he felt he was in the right. However, at points in the play when Shylock was feeling humiliated and angry, like when he was being spat at or discriminated against as a Jew, his shoulders were hunched over in embarrassment as if he felt low, but the anger and bitterness could be seen in his face. John McEnery developed a perfect and distinctive walk for Shylock. The gestures he used were very distinguishable and different to those of the other characters in the play. Every word spoken by him could be heard clearly. McEnery used his voice as another tool for expressing the emotions of Shylock. When he was angry, he almost spat out his words. Towards the end, when practically everything he had was taken from him, Shylocks voice grew softer and it sounded as though he was in pain and there was nothing he could do about it. The feeling of hopelessness was conveyed brilliantly and caused much of the audience to sympathize with Shylock. Shylock was played so that he fitted with the action tactfully. He did not pull focus when he was not the centre of attention but he was still always in character. He blended into the performance enough so that he wasnt forgotten and wasnt always being focused on. The character of Shylock was very convincing. There was not one point in the play where he would have been thought of as John McEnery rather than Shylock.