The Labour Intensity Gap between the U.S. and Canada Essay

The Labour Intensity Gap between the U.S. and Canada - Essay Example Two of the most significant factors are its productivity and labour employment. Although the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the basis of prosperity, there are various issues that contribute to its results. However, for countries like the United States and Canada, an expected zero prosperity gap since both countries are regarded as two of the most prosperous countries in the world. But research results found that there has been a huge prosperity gap between the US and Canada. In 2004, Canada has a 15 per cent prosperity gap when compared to the United States because Canadians invest to achieve a 15 per cent shortfall, according to a report from the Ontario Institute for Competitiveness & Prosperity and the Rotman School of Management. (â€Å"More Investment†) The intensity gap – the difference in hours worked by workers in Ontario and its North American peer jurisdictions is the second most important factor after productivity in explaining Ontario’s prosperity gap. (â€Å"Institute†) Over the 1977-98 period, productivity growth in U.S. manufacturing surpassed that of Canadian manufacturing--according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics international comparisons program, U.S. manufacturing productivity grew by 3.0 percent per year over the period, while Canadian manufacturing productivity grew by 2.0 percent per year. Of particular interest is the way this differential or gap has grown since the early 1990s. From 1992 to 1998, for example, productivity growth in U.S. manufacturing increased al a rate more than twice that of Canadian manufacturing productivity--4.1 percent per year for the United States versus 2.0 percent per year for Canada. (Sherwood, 2001) The gap in productivity performance between the U.S. and Canadian manufacturing sectors is illustrated in Chart 1. The two lines represent each countrys output per hour relative to its own performance in 1977. This is the first

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

History - Essay Example This implies an assumption that colonial powers could and should simply take for themselves what they needed from civilizations that were less well developed industrially. The exercise of power is quite blatant, since it denies the rights of the other nations, and speaks of a duty to â€Å"civilise inferior races† (Ferry: 1884, no page number). The terminology of empire casts the conquered lands as â€Å"savage wilderness† (Beveridge, 1898). In contrast, the colonizers are lauded as saviors: â€Å"it is ours to save that soil for liberty and civilization.† (Beveridge, 1898). This kind of rhetoric stresses the incompetence of conquered lands in governing themselves, and the positive contribution that colonial powers will make on the lives of the conquered peoples. These ideas show just how arrogant and condescending the western powers were, and how little they were able to appreciate different ways of living than their own. The notion of cultural supremacy is take n for granted in the political texts mentioned, but it also creeps into arts and literature as well.

Security Management Essay Example for Free

Security Management Essay Instructions to candidates: 1. There is no time restriction set for this paper and you may refer to your course text. 2. Clearly print your name in the blank spaces provided on the answer sheet. 3. Read each question carefully, and circle the option letter of your selected answer on the question paper; then transfer your answer to the answer sheet by putting an X through the appropriate answer box or by writing in the answers (if the question requires it). 4. Please answer all the questions and check your answers carefully. 5. On completion submit the answer sheet to Perpetuity Training, 148 Upper New Walk, Leicester, LE1 7QA by the date required. 1. Very generally it is agreed that terrorism is defined by a group which: A. Wishes to kill its political enemies and influence potential allies B. Wishes to politically and ideologically influence others by the use or threat of use of, violence C. Wishes to promote religious ideologies through the use of force or the threat of force. D. Wishes to resist government oppression through the use of irregular warfare 2. It is argued that the term terrorism derives from the reign of terror after the French revolution. In what year was the French Revolution? A. B. C. D. 1564 1694 1794 1894 3. Historically, terrorist groups (although most organisations do not like being referred to as terrorists!) have tended to adhere to either a politically left or right wing ideology. But what do we mean by the term ‘ideology’? A. B. C. D. Right wing beliefs Left wing beliefs Religious beliefs Systems of belief 4. What is state terrorism? A. B. C. D. Terrorism directed against the state The state’s definition of terrorism Terrorism only directed at governments Terrorism committed by the state 5. Modern Terrorists differ from their historical predecessors mainly in: A.  B. C. D. The sophistication of their ideologies The sophistication of their targets and timing The sophistication of their attack and planning Their sophistication of their demands 6. What is an IED? A. B. C. D. An improvised explosive detonation An immediate explosive detonation An improvised explosive device An in-car explosive device 7. Which of the following is not normally part of an IED? A. B. C. D. The Timer The Donator The power supply The delivery platform 8. When conducting a terrorism risk assessment we need to consider: A. B. C. D. Assets, threats and vulnerabilities Origins, tactics and membership Aims, abilities and determination Specialty weapons and tactics 9. Who said ‘The war on terror resembles the great clashes of the last century between democracy and totalitarianism’? A. B. C. D. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher President George W Bush Prime Minister Tony Blair President Barack Obama 10. What is a hard target reconnaissance? A. B. C. D. An examination of the intended target by the terrorist prior to the attack The selection by the terrorist of a difficult target The final briefing to the terrorist attack group before the attack The terrorist debrief after a difficult operation 11. What is defence/security in depth? A. B. C. D. A form of maritime security Impenetrable security measures Environmental security measures Interlocking layers of security 12. The 1996 Manchester bombing was an attack carried out by the Provisional IRA in Manchester, England. The bomb targeted the citys infrastructure and economy and caused widespread damage, estimated by insurers at: A. B. C. D.  £7 million  £17 million  £70 million  £700 million 13. In which year was the UK Terrorism Act passed? A. B. C. D. 2005 2006 2007  2008 14. In what year did the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism (CECPT) come into force? A. B. C. D. 2005 2006 2007 2008 15. One of the most powerful pieces of counter terrorist legislation enacted was in the US, where The Homeland Security Act (HSA). In which year did it come into force? A. B. C. D. 16. 2000 2001 2002 2003 What is the ISPS? A. B. C. D. The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code The Internal Ship and Port Facility Security Conditions The Internal Ship and Port Facility Security Code The International Safety and Port Facility Security conditions 17. The ISPS applies to all vessels over: A. B. C. D. 300 gross weight tonnes 400 gross weight tonnes 500 gross weight tonnes 600 gross weight tonnes 18. Port facilities serving ships where the ISPS applies require an ISC. What is the ISC? A. B. C. D. International Safety Charter International Security Certificate International Shipping Charter International Sailing Certificate 19. Which of the following is not a key document that should form part of an organisation’s security methods and techniques? A. B. C. D. Business Continuity Plans Major Incident Plans Security Procedures Terrorist Attack Plans 20. What is ISO 27001? A. The introduction of an information security management system B. The introduction of an intermodal supply chain security management system C. The introduction of a risk management system D. The introduction of a terrorist security system 21. What is ISO 3100? A. The introduction of an information security management system B. The introduction of an intermodal supply chain security management system C. The  introduction of a risk management system D. The introduction of a terrorist security system 22. What is ISO 28001? A. The introduction of an information security management system B. The introduction of an intermodal supply chain security management system C. The introduction of a risk management system D. The introduction of a terrorist security system 23. Every physical security system should have an OR what is an OR? A. B. C. D. Optional Requirement Operational Requirement Operating Regulation Operator’s Regulation 24. It is logical that in order for an organisation to be prepared for a terrorist attack there need to be adequate levels of: A. B. C. D. Fire extinguishers and smoke alarms Access control and swipe cards Training and awareness Profiling and reporting 25. Who said ‘Kill one, frighten ten thousand’? A. B. C. D. Lao Tao Sun Tzu Confucius Kuan Ti

Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai Summary

Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai Summary The concern of psychological reality by Anita Desai is clearly reflected in one of her masterpieces Fire on the Mountain. The novel mainly deals with the loneliness and isolation as well as the resultant anguish and agony in the deserted life of an old widow. The novel narrates the story of Nanda Kaul who live in Carignano, a desolate and haunted house in Kasauli, away from the world of bags and letters, messages and demands, she had wanted to be left to the pines and cicadas aloneWhatever else came or happened would be an unwelcomed intrusion and distraction. Nanda Kauls happy isolation is threatened by the irritating letter from Asha, her daughter announcing the arrival of Raka, the grand-daughter of Asha and Nanda Kauls great grand-daughter. The unexpected arrival of Raka comes in the way of the desire to live like a recluse, far from the society. She does not want to involve herself in any responsibilities anymore, for all she wants is to be alone, to have Carignano to herself, stillness and calm are all that she wishes to entertain. But Ashas letter has made her apprehensive and she ponders painfully: Now, to bow again, to let that noose sleep once more round her neck that she had thought was freed fully, finally, Â ¦now to converse again when it was silence she wished. The novel deals with Nanda Kauls determined detachment and non-involvement which is brought about by the unhappy conjugal ties which is seen in Desais earlier novels like Cry, the Peacock, Voices in the City, Where Shall We Go This Summer, Bye Bye Blackbird, etc,. Her fierce desire to live alone is the result of her busy but, empty live as the wife of an ex Vice Chancellor of Punjab University. She played the role a dutiful wife and almost everyone envied her. But the inner reality of her life is revealed to us when we learned that her relationship with her husband was an unhappy one. She led her life as he wanted her to live out of a sense of duty. Her life as a Vice Chancellors wife though crowded and full of social activity was meaningless and unsatisfying. Although her busy schedule lacked warmth and understanding, she carried on because of her obligations to her husband and children. Once she discharged her duties she does not want any disturbances. Discharge me, she groaned, I have discharged all my duties. Discharge. She has done away with everyone and everything and becomes a recluse. Emotional deprivation is at the root of Nanda Kauls disillusionment with human bonds. Her husband did not love her as a wife and treated her as some decorative and useful instrument needed for the efficient running of his household. She enjoyed the comforts and social status of the wife of a dignitary but deep down she felt lonely and neglected. Her husband extra marital affair with Miss David had been a source of agony throughout her life. She now believes every attachment to be the preface of a new betrayal and all socialization as fake. Her bond with her husband did not involve her self. It was full on the surface but empty at the core. The painful memory of the days when her husband went to visit Miss Davids home haunts her even in the isolation at Carignano and on such occasions she lost her composition and harmony. Feelings of anguish and distrust of humanity also re veals itself as she learns the death of Ila Das, her friend who was brutally raped and murdered. The traumatic married life of Nanda Kaul is clearly sketched in the lines nor had her husband loved and cherished her and kept her like a queen-he had only done enough to keep her quiet while he carried on a life-long affair with Miss David. And her children were all alien to her nature. In her earlier novels, the incompatibility of temperaments or psychic complexes cause dissonance in the marital ties. But in Fire on the mountain an extra marital affairs disturb the conjugal relationship of Nanda Kaul and her husband. This deeply affects her outlook on life and makes her distrust all attachments and affairs. The conflict between the need to withdraw in order to preserve ones wholeness and sanity and the need to be involved in the painful process of life is shown vividly in the novel. This wavering between attachment and detachment reflects the need for a meaningful life. Nanda Kaul meets with a measure of success until she is drawn out of herself by Rakas effortless withdrawal who seem to be totally absorbed in a world of her own and ignores Nanda Kaul completely when compared with the latters flawed experiment. Raka only wants to be left alone to pursue her own secret life amongst the rocks and pines of Kasauli. Nanda Kaul wants to penetrate Rakas secret world as if Rakas total withdrawal is a challenge to her because withdrawal does not come naturally to her. In her desire to win Rakas affection and attention she builds an imaginary world around her father but this is of no avail. This action of Nanda Kaul also shows the unsatisfying condition of her own childhood and family life. Psychological experiment of the writer in the novel can also be seen on the portrayal of Rakas character. Psychologists attach great significance to the parent-child relationship, because, according to them the patterning of emotion takes place particularly during childhood. They argue that the prevailing quality of the experience the child has with his parents particularly the mother during early childhood is of paramount importance. Childhood is the most formative period of ones personality and socialization of the child begin in the family in the company of his parents who are the first individuals with whom the child interacts. Child learns the patterns of behavior which the parents set out to teach him in order to make him an acceptable member of the society. The emotion of the child depends largely on the quality of the emotional interaction that prevails between the child and his parents. Anita Desais characters have strange childhood, and their experiences and interactions du ring this formative period when combined with their congenital hypersensitivity contribute towards their inability to establish and maintain harmonious inter-personal relationship in later life. Commenting upon her solitary and introspective characters childhood, she observes I agree that the experiences of childhood are the most vivid and lasting ones. Based on this we shall study the parent-child relationship in Fire on the mountain and show how far the childhood interaction affects and moulds them in the ability to relate themselves with others. Another aspect of the novel deals with the result of a stifling home environment upon the tender psyche of Raka, the great grandchild of Nanda Kaul and the only child character in the novel. She is not a normal child and shuns all tenderness viciously. Unlike children of her age who gets attracted to fairy tales, adventure stories, the colorful and gay aspect of the world, Raka possesses a weird imagination and is drawn to uncanny places and things. After getting to know her character, we are not surprise when the care-taker of the burnt-house rightly thinks of her as the crazy one from Carignano. She as a child loves privacy and seclusion and her rejection of Nanda Kaul is complete when she feels restless to go out for her usual roaming in the presence of the former. Without informing her great grandmother she roams around all alone in the ravine or visits the lonely burnt house on the hill. She does not care for Nanda Kaul :She ignored her so calmly, so totally that it made Nanda K aul breathless. Raka is an abnormal child in comparison to other children. She never makes demand and seems to have no need of anything. The only thing she ever wanted was to be left alone and pursue her own secret life amongst the rocks and pines of Kasauli. Solitude never disturbs her and she is therefore happy during her stay in Carignano. One day while coming back from her daily excursions, she gets late and stumbles into the club building. Out of curiosity to know what is going on inside she inquires Ram Lal, the servant of Nanda Kaul, who told her about fancy dress balls. However, what Raka sees there is like a nightmare for her and therefore is disappointing. The perverted acts of the people dressed in the most bizarre fashion remind her of her own father and his wild behavior at home: Somewhere behind them was her father, home from a party, stumbling and crashing through the curtains of night beating her mother that made Raka cover under her bed clothes and wet the mattress in fright. The b ehavior of her parents in front of her has a deep influence on her tender mind. They have no time or inclination to cater the emotional needs of their child. Her father is a drunkard who always abuses and beats his wife. The mother is in such unhappy condition that she cannot do anything for her child. Consequently, Rakas traumatic experience deprived her of a childs trust and feelings of joy in the company of others. When Nanda Kaul tries to attract the child towards herself by narrating the stories of her childhood, Raka twists restlessly in her stool, her interest lost in this talk of belonging rather than happenings. Since in her parents home Raka has not been the center of attention like other normal children, she is not interested in stories about people and relations. She is, therefore happy in Kasauli with its charred house on the ridge, with its fire-blasted hilltop where nothing sounds good, but the creaking of the pines in the wind. The chaos in the life of her parents ma kes Raka averse to belongingness. From all the evidences we can get the impression that the seeds of neurotic drives are sown during ones childhood. The quality of interactions between Raka and her parents, and the disturbing home environment combined together to exert a lasting influence on her tender psyche. Anita Desai calls her a natural recluse and compares her with Nanda Kaul who was a recluse out of vengeance for a long-life of duty and obligation. However, we cannot say that Raka is a born recluse. She is a victim of a broken home. She becomes an introvert because of the abnormal circumstances around her. She has witnessed enough of the ambiguity of life and has seen bitterness, distrust and violence. Raka is a victim of emotional deprivation. Her embarrassing loveless childhood fills her heart with distrust and suspicion. As a result, she turns her back upon human beings and their so called safe, cozy and civilized world and develops a strong fascination for the ugly, lonely, rugged and desolate aspects of nature. Anita Desai though believing that childhood impressions shape the personality and attitude of the individual, she also states that even adult life contains many traumatic experiences. In this light we can explicate the inordinate desire for seclusion and non-involvement in the case of Nanda Kaul herself. Her love for privacy is not something inherent in her. In fact, her desire for seclusion is due to the unhappy relationship she has had with her husband and children. She initially, resent Rakas arrival because it reminds her of the past memories of her selfish children and faithless husband. Her relationship with her husband was nothing beyond the obligation they have for each other. After a long life of disorder, she has reached a state of elegant perfection. The thought of having a child around her at this stage is very undesirable for her. Even when Raka reaches Carignano she tries to keep aloof as the former arrival reminds her of her past life of duties and involvement. But Nan da Kauls strong resolution to be alone in Carignano begins to crumble in the presence of Raka. She once again looks for someone to care for her. Her inner self forced her to reach out to others, to love and be loved. In reality, she is filled with tenderness for Raka. All her life she has tried to feel wanted and be loved. Her efforts have been to get positive response from her family for her devotion, but all in vain. Despite all the betrayals and disappointments she received from her husband and children, she feels irresistibly drawn towards Raka as she longs for love. Fire on the mountain is largely concerned with the problems of being related. The psychological aspect of the novel is best portrayed in the relationship of the characters. Nanda Kaul and Rakas suffer at the hands of those who are related to them. They seem to develop hatred for all human contacts and cherish to live an unattached, uninvolved existence. In Nandas case the desire for seclusion is a mask to hide her intense longing for fulfilling emotional bond. Anita Desai has added a new dimension by writing a novel like Fire on the Mountain to the Indian fiction in English probing deep into the bottomless pit of human psyche, she brings the hidden contours into much sharper focus. She always emphasizes on character delineation and for exceptional characters in exceptional circumstances aiming at final essence of subjective life and consciousness. The charm of her art lies in her characters, independent, agonized frustrated and combating with angry defense. She has procured an important place for herself in the Indo-English fiction writings by shifting the refrain of her fiction from outer reality to inner reality and by carrying the flow of the mental experience of its characters she adds a new dimension to it. In a way she has presented the potentials of the post independent writers in English. It is true that Desai has her limits but she compensates her material in intensity what she lacks in variety. Desais unquestionable existential a nd psychological concerns have distinguished her from other novelist of her generation. We can say she unravels the subconscious of her highly sensitive protagonists.

Loneliness Essay -- Journalistic Essays

To be lonely is an easy thing, being alone is another matter entirely. To understand this, first one must understand the difference between loneliness and being alone. To be alone means that your are not in the company of anyone else. You are one. But loneliness can happen anytime, anywhere. You can be lonely in a crowd, lonely with friends, lonely with family. You can even be lonely while with loved ones. For feeling lonely, is in essence a feeling of being alone. As thought you were one and you feel as though you will always be that way. Loneliness can be one of the most destructive feelings humans are capable of feeling. For loneliness can lead to depression, suicide, and even to raging out and hurting friends and/or strangers. The second major problem with loneliness is that it can be a very difficult feeling to lose, especially if it has already progressed into depression. There are, of course, drug therapies, but unless the problems are hormonal or chemical in nature, they will not serve the purpose of treating the longer term problem. The proper treatment of ...

Henry T. Ford Essay -- essays research papers

Henry T. Ford (1863-1947) Henry Ford once said: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young';. - Henry Ford Henry T. Ford, pioneering automotive engineer, is mostly credited forinventing the automobile. The fact is he did not, he used what was developed and studied in the automobile industry to develop his own ideas and revolutionized the automotive industry. His creativity made possible for him to develop the assembly line that sparked the auto production. Henry Ford Henry Ford was born near Dearborn, Michigan, on July 30, 1863. His family had nothing to do with the automobile, they were simple farmers. Henry lived on the farm that was run by his father who was an Irish man, and his mother who was Dutch, his mother died when he was 12. After his mother death he helped out around the family farm in summer and in winter attended a one-room school. From the young age he was fascinating my moving mechanical things. Form the young age he was fascinated by watches and clocks. He went around the countryside doing repair work without pay, for him all mattered was to play with the machinery of the watch. From his personal experience on the farm he was fascinated my farm machines that reduced the drudgery of farm chores. We can notice there was a lot of a kid in him, and to go around or making his chores easier he invented his own farm machines. His fascination with machines grew as he grew older. At the age of thirteen, for the first time he saw a coal-fi red steam engine that was rolling along a long rural road. From that point he grew more fascinated about machines that moved about a roads without any manpower. At the age of sixteen, and against the wishes of his father, he left the home farm for Detroit, where he found work as a mechanic’s apprentice. He was faced with low paying jobs. Working for $2.50 in mechanics shop then moved to watchmaker were he worked for four hours and was paid $2 a week. Steadily he worked him self up in Edison Illuminating Company, and became a chief engineer there. In 1884 he took charge of a farm his father gave him. At twenty-four he married Clara Bryant and settled at his farm. But Ford did not stay long at the farm after two years he went back to Detroit and worked as a n... ... a 1941 ford company became the only major manufacturer of automobiles in the Detroit area that had not recognized any labor unions. At hearings before the National Labor Board ford was found guilty of repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act. Ford was forced to negotiate a labor contract with a union after a strike was successfully held at the main plant at river Rouge, Michigan, in April 1941.During the W.W.II era Ford was granted government contracts for which he manufactured war materials like: parts for the bombers and later, the entire airplane. By the end of W.W.II (1945) one of his plants manufactured more than 8,000 planes. Henry ford died on April 7,1947, in Dearborn. Ford left a personal fortune at $500 to $700 million, giving large shares of the money to Ford Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The Ford Motor Company was taken over by grandson of Henry Ford, Henry Ford II who carried his ownership until his death in 1987. “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether this happens at twenty or at eighty. Anyone who keeps on learning not only remains young but becomes constantly more valuable, regardless of physical capacity.'; -Henry T. Ford

Queen Elizabeth I Essay

The play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ was written by William Shakespeare in 1594. From the theme and context of the play, I can conclude that it was probably written for a wedding. It would be similar to the epithalamion written at weddings at this time, but a more elaborate version. Many of the lines rhyme and it all has the feel of poetry: some beautiful and some seeming supernatural and spell-like. It canvasses all aspects of marriage through plot, characters and symbolism, touching on both light and dark areas. The tragic side is shown more through references that actually spelling it out; Pyramus and Thisby is one example of a union which ended in catastrophe. However, despite this, the main idea of marriage is perceived as harmonious; all is shown in a ‘comic’ frame, with a humorous touch and a happy ending. This would be an appropriate feel for a wedding play because it gives the concept of marriage an idyllic feel, telling the newlyweds what they want to hear: that marriage is a good idea. If you search the play in depth, you will find that not only is it about the union of people in a marriage, but also about the unity of opposing forces in nature and bringing harmony from chaos. It is also, in an even broader sense, about the Elizabethan ideals about God and the universe. To clarify exactly what these ideals were and how ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ defines them, I must start at the beginning with the story of Adam and Eve. Elizabethans believed in everything fitting into its natural place. After studying the sky, they thought the universe was made up of spheres, one containing the stars, one containing planets and so on. They thought the Earth was at the centre of the universe; the spheres they believed in were a way of dealing with the fact that different bodies in the sky moved in different ways. It was thought that these spheres made the world harmonious, but humans couldn’t see the true beauty of it because of Adam and Eve. The legend goes that Eve was tempted by the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. This, apparently, caused the whole human race to fall from God’s grace. Now, the relevance of this to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and the theme of marriage is that when this happened, it meant man kind could not the ‘music’ of the spheres; they were only told by God that everything had its place. Even the evil in the world has a reason for being there. Humans cannot see quite how everything fits in because of their sin. They do not fully understand why some things happened because they can’t see the ‘big picture’. This was illustrated by the ‘Great Chain of Being’. God came at the top of this chain, with angels under Him. Then came nature (represented by Oberon and Titania), people (shown in all the human characters), and below them animals, plants and rocks. Humans came between animals and Angels, a relationship personified by Bottom. He is a typical human, not very bright or beautiful, but just a normal working class person. He then has a link with both the animal and angel world; he is turned into an ass and he has a relationship with Titania. This establishes the link between animals, angles and humans, and also tells you about the human nature. They are always trying to find something greater that themselves (for example fairies or angels) but to the greater beings, they must look as animals do to us – far beneath them and having little or no brains. Also exhibiting the same way of thinking was the fact that men came above women in the category of humans. If you were to sum up the play with one idea, this is the single idea addressed most eloquently. Many events in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ suggest the superiority of men, through the media of imagery, plot and characters, which will be tackled later. The Elizabethan idea of the cosmos is also addressed by the union of opposites connected with marriage. Their idea of the universe is that everything joins together perfectly and everything has its place. Things which may not seem to have a purpose will have been created by God for a reason; we just don’t know what that is. The prime example is the joining of a man and a woman in marriage. It may seem to make more sense to join two women or two men, as these will have more in common, but this play is trying to say a little of both the male and female persona is needed to make the match united. They are like opposite forces, but marriage brings them together. It is as is they have only half of the qualities needed to bring harmony and they must be brought together in marriage to make a ‘whole’. The same is also being expressed through the union of other opposite forces. There are many contrasting pairs which link hand in hand in this play: night and day; sleeping and waking; supernatural and mortal; discord and harmony; passion and reason; and ultimately female and male. These pairs are all the exact opposite of each other; and yet Shakespeare is presenting the notion that we need each half of the pair to make the world harmonious.