Training and Development Issues in Multinational Companies

Training and Development Issues in Multinational Companies 1. Introduction Nowadays Multinational corporations are more and more widespread, but a problem that they still dont have accomplished is how to retain successful employees, and most importantly how to train their employees in order to make them an efficient and successful resource of their enterprises. Some researchers estimated that around 30% of all expatriates sent to undertake overseas assignments return home prematurely (Kim Slocum, 2008; Mendenhall, Dunbar, Oddou, 1987). Failed adjustment of expatriates leads to high amount of economic and social costs for multinationals corporations. Expatriate failure is argued to be the inability of the expatriate to undertake effectively the international assignment, with the consequence of being fired or recalled to home (Tung (1982), therefore it is crucial to identify the ways to reduce and eliminate such failures. Although estimations of the costs of expatriate failure tend to vary in regards to each different country and are not based on a fixed set of criteria, they certainly cannot be neglected by multinationals (Gregersen Black, 1990). This essay aims to explore the strategic issues around training and development that are faced by Multinational corporations. In particular, a definition of what is International training and development will be given, then its importance in MNCs outlined, and the most advocated training programs explained, finally the essay concludes saying that trainees should also take in consideration expatriates spouse and children as the family support is fundamental for an expatriate to perform effectively. 2. What is International training and development? One of the most significant topics of International Human Resource Management (IHRM) is International training and development and its benefits are well recognized in the literature. (Dowling and Welch, 2004; Kamoche, 1996; Mendenhall et al., 1987; Tung, 1982). Kamoche (1996) says: The human resource refers to the accumulated stock of knowledge, skills and abilities that individuals possess, which the firm has built up over time into an identifiable expertise (p. 216). In the management literature, the two words International training and management development are always related to each other. Training has the scope to enhance work behaviour and skills, and development has the scope to gain better abilities for future work (Dowling et al., 1999). The word development in the human resource management area it involves career and abilities development, human resource and management development. Career and abilities development are related to International training and job rotation. Management development aims to identify, forecast and promote International managers. Inside Human resource development is incorporated career and abilities development and management development. Dowling and Welch (2004) argue that the issue for multinationals is how to retain and leverage their employees in order to have at disposal highly trained, internationally oriented human resources to support their strategic responses and concur to their key competencies. Multinationals are increasing their usage of training to improve and assist expatriates activities. 3. The importance of training and development in MNCs Nowadays, a successful international manager has to detain a set of specific abilities in regards to the context, such as managing responsibility skills, cultural adaptability, ability to generate subordinates, ability to demonstrate and to exhibit (Baumgarten, 1992). These skills are regarded as fundamental international ability and characteristics which can be generated with an effective international training and development program. International training is the type of training specifically set for who has been allocated an international assignment. In the international literature the group of international training that has received more attention is Pre-departure training for expatriates, as overseas failure (i.e. the return of an expatriate employee before the completion of the assigned assignment) is most of the time caused by failure to provide adequate international training for expatriates and their spouses. In order to measure the effectiveness of employees expatriation, the expatriate failure rate is a good indicator. One of the reason MNCs have to avoid expatriation failure is certainly because their cost are really high, involving direct (salary, training, travel and relocation costs) and indirect expenditure. The average direct cost per failure to the parent company goes from US$ 55.000 to US$ 80.000, depending to the assignments destination (Mendenhall and Oddou, 1986). Whereas indirect costs can be considerable and difficult to quantify, including the damage of the relationships with host countrys government, other organizations and with customers, losing market share and companys reputation, therefore also missing future business opportunities. Some research conducted among Americans multinationals has revealed a high rate of expatriate failure and therefore it remains a recurring problem (Brewster, 1988). Table 1 shows this phenomenon (Shen and Edwards, 2004). The global environment is becoming more and more complex and in continuous change, for this reason it requires flexibility. Therefore organizations have to devise strategic responses with the help of suitably trained and internationally oriented employees. Researches find that there is positive correlation between the rigor of the selection and training process and its expatriate success rate (Tung, 1981). This means that if a company uses a more rigorous training program then it will significantly benefit and improve the performances of the expatriate in the overseas environment, therefore decreasing the failure rate (Mendenhall et al., 1987). Cultural training aims to enables personnel to adjust themselves in the foreign culture and then work more effectively in the new environment (Earley, 1987). Table 2 shows (in descending order of importance) some reasons of expatriate failure in US and Japanese MNCs (Tung, 1982). Table 2. SOURCE: Tung, 1982. From the table its important to note that the more important cause of expatriate failure is not expatriates absence of adequate technical skills, but the inability of expatriates and their spouse to adapt themselves in the new overseas environment and culture. The aims of international management development is to identify, promote and use international managers, and it is forecasted to have a important role in MNCs because it is fundamentally needed in order to develop a cross-national corporate culture and to integrate international operations. Bartlett and Ghoshal (2000), argue that multinational corporations can develop their network by creating a group of international managers from different countries. 4. International training and development programs In Multinational corporations there are mainly two different groups of international trainings. They are divided in: Pre-departure training for expatriates: before an expatriates departure for the international assignment, there will be a preparatory training course, this has the scope to ensure that the expatriate has the right capacity and knowledge to accomplish his assignment in a successful way. Post-arrival training for expatriates: Once the expatriate is arrived in his destination to fulfil his international assignment, he will be provided with on-site training, in order to familiarize with the new working environment. Training for nationals of the host-country (HCNs) and nationals of third-country (TCNs): multinationals will provide training in order to teach them their corporate culture and strategy. 4.1 Pre-departure training Most of the literature is concentrated on expatriate pre-departure training programs and their scope is to provide and develop host-countrys cultural awareness to expatriates. Once expatriates have been selected by the multinational for an overseas task, pre-departure training is the next indispensable step to be taken in order to ensure the successful and effective performance of expatriates assignment in the host-country (Dowling, Engler, Festing, 2008). Pre-departure training programs to be effective have to include different components: cultural awareness training, preliminary visits, language instruction and assistance with practical assistance (Mendenhall Oddou, 1986). 4.1.1 Cultural awareness programs Is generally known that expatriates have to feel comfortable and adapted in the host-country in order to perform effectively their task, therefore is fundamental to provide them with a well-designed cultural awareness training program. Receiving this kind of training expatriates will understand and appreciate host-countrys different culture and can behave accordingly or develop appropriate coping patterns. Without any understanding of host-countrys different culture, expatriates are likely to feel disoriented and face difficult behavioural problems during their time abroad. Therefore, cultural awareness training is considered the most common and important part of pre-departure training. Cultural awareness training programs is formed by different components which may vary according to country of destination, duration of the assignment, purpose of the expatriation, and the provider of such programs (Dowling, Engler, Festing, 2008). 4.1.2 Preliminary visits One method for orientating the expatriates is to send them in the host-country for a short trip. If the trip overseas is well planned can provide a useful preview to expatriates and their spouse about the international assignments destination, and allow them to assess their suitability for the new environment. This kind of trip is needed also to introduce expatriates to the new business context in the host-country and provide them with more information before their departure. Preliminary visit to the host-country can assist in the initial adjustment process when used as part of a pre-departure training program (Dowling, Engler, Festing, 2008). Even if the useful adoption of preliminary visits is well known, some European multinationals do not provide it. The 1997 European study reported what one firm admitted: We do not provide pre-assignments visits where conditions are so poor that nobody would want to go. 4.1.3 Language training Language training is an important component of a pre-departure training program. However its importance is always put after that of cultural awareness training. It is generally worldwide accepted that English is the common language of the business world. The ORC Worldwide 2002 survey discovered that the adoption of language training for expatriates and their spouse, as part of the pre-departure training program is increased. In fact, results say that 59% of the sample firms provided language training before the departure of expatriates, and 74% provided language training once expatriates arrived on the assignments destination. The ability to speak the foreign countrys language is essential to perform better and improve negotiating ability; indeed Tung (1997) discovered from a survey of 400 expatriates that language competence is a critical part of the assignments performance. Language skills are not important only for task performance but also for cultural adjustment. One reason for multinational not providing language training may be the difficulty and long time required to learn even a base level of a foreign language. A solution to this problem for multinationals is to hire a large language competent staff from which they can choose the potential expatriates to send abroad, but multinationals have also to keep an up-to-date information on all employees, and make frequent tests to verify if those language skills have been maintained (Marschan, Welch, 1997). 4.1.4 Practical assistance Providing practical assistance is another component of a pre-departure training program. Practical assistance aims to help expatriates and their family to adapt themselves to the new foreign environment. Many multinationals are paying specialized assistants in order to help expatriates and their family, providing practical assistance in finding a suitable accommodation or school for their children. 4.2 Post-arrival training Some recent research studies and innovative multinational companies practices suggest that there are three main emerging topic that managers working in multinational corporations have to be aware: In-Country, Real-Time Training, Global Mindset Training; and Self Internet-Based Training. 4.2.1 In-Country, Real-Time Training The majority of multinational corporations think that pre-departure cross-cultural training alone can already give expatriate the necessary skills and knowledge to perform well in the overseas environment. But researchers in this area have analyzed the expatriation process from different perspectives and discovered that multinationals thinking is erroneous, and argued that is important to continue the cross-cultural training program in the early stages of the international assignment (Gudykunst, Guzley, Hammer, 1996; Mendenhall, 1999). Living in a totally new environment facing different culture is a complex task and pre-departure training can provide expatriate with skills and knowledge only to survive, not to excel and overcome problematic situations where expatriates dont know what they should do, because pre-departure training methods cannot cover all the specific cross-cultural situations that expatriates encounter during the international assignment. Therefore once arrived in the foreign country is important to provide expatriates with further education and training in order to make them able to process accurately the new environment around them and to undertake wise moves. In-country training suits these specific needs. Global Mindset Training Nowadays it is very important that managers especially for U.S and European firms to develop global mindset in order to help their own companies to operate in the global context even when they have tasks only at local level. Hence increasing number of companies is educating their managers about global business issues. Multinationals have several ways to do this, for instance they can utilize their internal returning managers or expatriates in terms of their overseas marÂÂ ­ket knowledge, intercultural skills, foreign language ability, and so on. Some Multinational corporations organize seminars both on formal way and on informal way and ask repatriates to share their overseas experiences relocating managers and their families to some specific regions. Then companies could also adopt the method of field experience that puts employees in contact with subcultures, in particular with poor people, within their own country during short and compressed time periods. During this time they should learn how to walk in the moccasins of the members of the subculture. This kind of experience provides them a powerful tool to broaden their horizons, to reduce subjective barriers and prejudices, and increase their interpersonal skills. All these activities enhance those competencies to develop a global leader ship and business knowledge. Self Internet-based training Companies also provide CD-ROM edutainment software to support employees and children in activities of large range in order to help expatriates to increase their productivity overseas. It is designed as self training program. For instance you can find software CD-ROM that can give you a country specific interactive guide for business travelers and ordinary dealings with different cultures under the supervision of some trainers through internet connection. Often these software are tailored with different feature to different employees family members. 5. Trainees: Who should be trained? The support of the expatriates family is of critical importance for any international assignment to be successfully completed. From this point of view, is clear that multinationals have to train all family members of the expatriate in order to receive a high and effective performance of the assignment. According to a survey conducted by Organizational Resource Counsellors (ORC), 47% of multinationals offer training program to the entire family of the expatriate, 33% offer to their employee and spouse, and 20% offer training only to the expatriate employee. Different researchers have analysed this phenomenon and argue that the most important and common reasons for which expatriate cannot perform effectively their international assignment is the inability of their spouses to settle well and live in the host culture (Black, Gregersen, Mendenhall, 1992; Adler, 1997; Kohls, 1994). While expatriate are sustained by the workplace with familiar routines and job tasks, the situation of his or her family members is quite different. The spouse is left alone and has to face difficult challenges in a new international environment such as how to deal with relocation logistics, to establish the household, to settle the children at school, to negotiate with the local services, and to become part of a social network. Obviously the level of difficulty depends on spouses level of confidence and skills. According to findings of a research made by Bennett Associates and Price Waterhouse, most of the times all expatriates are married and the accompanying spouse is female, and they have to face the dual-career dilemma situation at the time of the international relocation. When the accompanying partner is in front of this situation, she or he may feel ambivalent about the move and worried about how to find employment once arrived abroad. So all training programs should take in c onsideration these issues and help the spouse in order to have a positive growth and development during the time abroad. Therefore is very important that the spouse feel that he or she is also an active part in the international assignment (Lublin, 1999). Training programs should also include young family members, supporting them to adapt in the new environment. All these programs should be tailored according to different needs of children, and they are particularly useful in case of strong difference between childrens culture and host-country ones. In most major business centres there are international schools that help expatriate community, trying to facilitate their transition from their own countrys environment to the new foreign countrys environment. In other cases, when is not possible to find this kind of international schools, children have to put more efforts in facing new education system, social norms, and the challenges posed by a new language. 6. Conclusions One of the most important issues of International Human Resource Management is International training and development and this is well known by all researchers. From the literature and study done in this field, researchers argue that most MNCs do not provide sufficient or adequate International training for expatriates and their families. It is argued that Multinationals have reported high percentage of expatriate failure and consequently they do not have many effective international managers in the international arena. Researchers said that the components of each different international training has to be decided in regards to the country of destination, the type of task, the duration of assignment and the purpose of expatriation. Pre-departure training and post-arrival training are the most supported in the literature. Therefore, MNCs should provide effective International training and development to expatriates and their family, Host-country nationals and Third-country nationals, in order to gain better economic performance and to be successful in such a competitive environment.

Norwegian cruise line

In the 1980s, we saw an entertaining TV serial, â€Å"The Love Boat†, that shows us how beautiful the yacht is and what romance the passenger might have. In addition, almost a century ago, in 1912, we also witness that the Titanic, the biggest passenger ship in the beginning of 20th century sank during the journey between Paris and New York, in which 1,503 people lost their lives. From the two stories above, we learn that yacht or cruise line have been in the business for decades.Their target markets, as their luxurious ships suggest, are those who enjoy a journey in the sea and are willing to pay a considerably high price for the comfort. To meet such customers’ demands, the cruise line owner should provide a first-class service including the workers, foods and beverages, entertainments, and the cruise line itself. According to one report, the cruise line industry is a fifteen billion dollar worldwide business and it continues to grow at a rapid pace. Between January 2 001 and December 2005, the cruising industry adds their fleet with over fifty ships.While there are tens to hundreds cruising companies, in this paper, we will only focus the discussion on Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL). Concerning the NCL, we will discuss about background of NCL, its offerings and differentiation strategies, global cruise market, pricing competition, competitors, and financial analysis. At the end, we will provide conclusion that describe the competitiveness of Norwegian Cruise Line in the cruising industry. 2. Norwegian Cruise Line.2. 1 Company Background Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is a 40-year old cruse line that originates from Miami, Florida in the U. S. Unlike other cruise line companies, NCL asserts that they offer distinctive services that guests/customers would not get from other cruise line companies. The so-called freestyle cruise line becomes the company’s tag line and perceived quality. The company’s business principle is to encourage innov ation in all aspects of cruise line services. That principle guides the company to record several awards and ‘the first company’ records in some aspects as following: ? The First Caribbean cruise ? Provide the First Internet cafe at sea.The First cruise line that has children's programs ? The First. cruise line to provide Freestyle Cruising ? The first cruise line that has WiFi connection ? Provide the first bowling alley at sea (NCL Corporation, 2007 – Our Company) 2. 2 Offerings and Differentiation strategies In order to keep alive in Cruise industry that has hundreds of players (cruise lines), a company may have to be perceived different from the rests. The situation also occurs for Norwegian Cruise line, a Miami (Florida – USA) cruise line that becomes one of well-known cruise line in the U. S. due to unique offerings.The unique offerings called Freestyle where guests can choose services they want. The freestyle services come in many forms such as free style dining where customers can select 13 different restaurants on a single ship, freestyle fund where guests can experience many kinds of entertainment and fun activities like bowling, jogging, hiking, surfing, and spa, to name a few (NCL Corporation, 2007 – freestyle) 2. 3 Global Cruise Market Hospitality industry is a business dealing with the provisions of food, beverages, and accommodation.According to one research, the industry is found to be the fastest growing industry in the world surpassing manufacturing and banking. In addition to airlines and restaurants business, one of branches in hospitality industry is Cruise Lines industry. Burke (2000) said that the cruise industry had maintained good performance within the past decades for two reasons: ? Cruise lines industry always show astonishing records in the number of passengers who sail the cruises.In 1998 alone, the number of passengers was over five million passengers with occupancy rates about 91 percent. ? The i ndustry continues maintains astounding growth rate about 10 percent per annum (Burke, 2000) The Cruise Industry started in 1960’s as a merely leisure cruising. During its first years, the industry grew enormously. By the 1980’s the larger cruise companies already constructing larger ships and the smaller companies trying to compete by acquiring second hand ships.In the 1990’s the cruise companies built â€Å"post-Panamax† ships, the ships weigh over 100. 000 tons and apparently too large to pas trough the Panama Canal. The largest market for the cruise industry is from the North America where Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) exists. The other prospective market is European. In 2001, The North American Market consists of 7 million cruise passenger (72 % of world demand), 1. 9 million passenger originated from Europe (20 % of world demand) and 800. 000 passenger (8 % of world demand) are from Asia. For the last 5 years, the industry has grown faster than any oth er types of vocations.Continuous growth from years to come is expected to be 8 to 20 % of current market (‘Commission’, 2002). 2. 4 Pricing Strategies of of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Competitors 2. 4. 1 Carnival Corporation (CCL) CCL is a company operating in the cruise ship industry. It provides cruise vacations leisure travels and sightseeing packages to customers worldwide. During 2004 the company has built 11 new ships. By February 2005, the company owned 77 cruise ships operating under 12 cruise brands (Eidam, 2004).

Should You Protect Yourself from Ticks in the Winter

Heading outdoors in January? Dont forget your DEET. While winter weather may mean most bugs are dormant, theres one important arthropod you should still take steps to avoid. Blood-sucking, disease-carrying ticks may still be active in winter months. Some Ticks Bite in the Winter Some ticks are still looking for blood in the winter and may bite if you give them the chance. Generally speaking, as long as temperatures stay below 35 °F, ticks remain inactive. On warmer days, however, ticks may be out looking for a blood meal. If the ground isnt completely covered with snow and soil temperatures reach 45 °F, ticks will likely search for blood hosts, including you or your pet. If you live in an area where winters are mild, you should definitely be concerned about protecting yourself from ticks year-round. But even in regions where winters can be harsh, you should keep ticks in mind when going outdoors on milder winter days. While dog ticks are rarely seen after the first frost of the year, deer ticks are known for coming to life when the weather is mild. What Are Ticks and How Do They Find You? Ticks are arthropods in the class Arachnida, the arachnids. Ticks and mites are cousins of spiders, scorpions, and daddy longlegs. But while most other arachnids are predators or scavengers, ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites. Some tick species live in close proximity to their hosts and complete their entire life cycle on that host species. Others, including most ticks that feed on humans, will take blood meals from different species during each stage of their life cycle. Ticks locate potential hosts by detecting movement and carbon dioxide. Ticks cannot jump, fly, or swim. They use a technique called questing to locate and attach to a blood host. When searching for a blood meal, a tick will position itself on vegetation and assume a stance that allows it to immediately grab onto any passing warm-blooded animal. Why You Should Protect Yourself From Ticks Ticks are remarkably effective at transmitting diseases to their hosts, unfortunately. Among arthropods, only mosquitoes carry and transmit more human diseases than ticks. Tick-borne diseases can be difficult to diagnosis and treatment. Ticks carry bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, all of which can make their way into your body when a tick feeds on your blood. Diseases transmitted by ticks in North America include: Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus, American boutonneuse fever, tularemia, Colorado tick fever, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, relapsing fever, and tick paralysis. How to Protect Yourself From Ticks and Tick Bites in the Winter If air temperatures rise above 35 ° F, you should take  precautions to avoid tick bites, just as you do in summer months. Use a tick repellant as directed, wear long pants and tuck your pant legs into your socks, and do a thorough check for ticks as soon as you return indoors. Pets that go outdoors can carry ticks back home, too. A recent study funded by Cornell University suggests that deer ticks rely on leaf litter to insulate themselves from the cold during the winter months. Raking your leaves in the fall and eliminating leaf litter from your yard may help reduce the population of ticks in your yard and protect your pets and your family from tick bites in the winter. Sources Encyclopedia of Entomology, 2nd edition, edited by John. L. Capinera.Physicians Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance, 6th edition, by Jerome Goddard.Leaf cover appears to help deer ticks survive winter, Maine researchers report, Joe Lawlor, Portland Press Herald, June 6, 2016.  Accessed online December 19, 2016.Seasonal Information - Frequently Asked Questions, Tick Encounter website, University of Rhode Island. Accessed online December 19, 2016.

The Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare - 1739 Words

Shakespeare s, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is a tragic play about the revenge Prince Hamlet is told to take on his uncle, Claudius, by the ghost of Hamlet s father, King Hamlet. According to the ghost of King Hamlet, Claudius had murdered his own brother by pouring poison into his ear while he was sleeping. Claudius also seized the throne and married his deceased brother s widow, Prince Hamlet s mother. Finding out the real reason of his becoming an orphan, from his ghost father, Hamlet sets out to take revenge of his father s murder. In acting with all the passion of an avenging son, Hamlet is thought to be insane by all those around him. All of this is just a presentation of lunacy, by Hamlet, and it becomes predictable, making it a sure sign that it is simulated and not real insanity. All his thoughts, words, and actions, are explained as being a part of his feigned madness, for the achievement of a specific goal. In Act 1 Scene 5, after Hamlet meets and speaks to the ghost of his father, he finds out that his father, The King of Denmark, was killed by his own brother. In order to take revenge for the death of his father, Hamlet figures that, â€Å"put[ing] an antic disposition on will be the best way to stealthily gather information and recompense his father’s death. These words are the first declaration that Hamlet makes, that he will, from now and on, act mad, in order to fulfill the vow that he made with his ghost father. In Act 2 Scene 2, PoloniusShow MoreRelatedThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1427 Words   |  6 PagesWhy has Hamlet’s rage led him to a death that was destined to happen? Simple, his absolute motive was to seek revenge for the death of his father, who was once the King of Denmark. In this tragedy, Hamlet wanted to put on this image of an insane man. This would mislead the people around him from his intentions of killing King Claudius, who is strangely his uncle and â€Å"father† simultaneously. Claudius takes the throne for Denmark after pouring poison down King Hamlet’s ear without leaving any evidenceRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1483 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet is a misfortunate play that exhibits Prince Hamlet’s internal and external conflicts which show the ultimate purpose of the story. Revenge is perhaps the greatest theme in Hamlet, and is shown by the conflicts Prince Hamlet has with his family, friends, and a girlfriend as well as within his self. The anguish Hamlet feels towards his new father and his mother is magnified by the discovery that they were both involved in his father, the king’s, murder. ThisRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1131 Words   |  5 PagesTragedy, according to American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, is a drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, tragedy is no short supply. Shakespeare takes the reader on a journey of epic proportions through the struggles and conflicts, internal andRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1543 Words   |  7 Pagesplay, The Tragedy of Hamlet, seems to have a domino effect. As Hamlet tries to get his revenge, he brings ruin upon the kingdom. Hamlet is self-doubtful; he doubts himself to a point where he does not know what is true in his life. He constantly contradicts himself, causing many people, whose death was unintended, to die. In Williams Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, in order to portray Hamlet’s tragedy, Shakespeare uses soliloquies, metaphors, symbolism, and anti-thesis. Shakespeare utilizesRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare Essay822 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1604, William Shakespeare finished one of the most famous plays of revenge in English history. This play has left a plethora of questions, most left unanswered even after the hundreds of scholars who have analyzed it. The complexity and multiple facades of the characters, the use of many themes, and the symbols in this play have been construed into a delicate tale; Shakespeare purposely left out many details in order to shroud this piece in mystery. In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Shakespeare s vagueRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare2594 Words   |  11 PagesJulian A tragedy is a dramatic work that is about a character whose tragic flaw leads to his downfall and to the demise of many of the other characters. William Shakespeare was a playwright during the Elizabethan Era who was made famous for his literary works of tragedies, comedies and sonnets. One of Shakespeare?s most renowned tragedies is Hamlet. In this classic tragedy the protagonist, Hamlet, pursues revenge and seeks justice against the antagonist, Claudius, for the murder of King Hamlet. As aRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1146 Words   |  5 Pages How certain can one be that they will see tomorrow? How certain can one be that they will see the next second? In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, all of the characters face uncertainty at some point in the story. The character of Hamlet is, for lack of a better term, a laggard; he procrastinates like no other, making him an uncertain character in his entirety. His most famous line is â€Å"To be , or not to be? That is the question.† The entire scene is about Hamlet’s uncertainty about suicideRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare Essay1334 Words   |  6 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Hamlet, each character stands out in unique ways. Madness is one of the crucial themes as Shakespeare depicts the chaotic turbulence in the Hamlet family and the court of Denmark. Though she is generally read as a minor character, Ophelia’s madness reveals the struggle of the female character that attempts to have a voice of her own. Ophelia’s life certainly seems tragic based on Aristotle s definition of tragedy, which says that â€Å"A tragedy is the imitationRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare Essay1829 Words   |  8 PagesThe tragedy of Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare is one of the best tragedies ever written. The term hamartia, coined by the philosopher Aristotle in his writing Poetics, can be d efined as â€Å"tragic flow,† to miss the mark â€Å"leading to a mistake† (American Heritage Dictionary). Aristotle points out that: tragedy is an imitation not only of a complete action, but of events inspiring fear or pity as well as the tragic hero must not be an utter villain or a perfect man, but he must be, then: theRead MoreThe Tragedy Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare1931 Words   |  8 Pages William Shakespeare is an English Poet known for his famous dramatized writings. Shakespeare was born in the United Kingdom in April. Here are some of his legendary texts: â€Å"Macbeth†, â€Å"Julius Caesar†, and â€Å"Hamlet†. â€Å"The Tragedy of Hamlet† was written during the sixteenth century and was performed in 1609. Shakespeare writes this tragedy to reveal the roles of women during the Middle Ages. Back then females were referred as noblewomen and were expected to do the following: run households, take care