Web-Based Training Design for Human Resources Essay Example Essay Example

Web-Based Training Design for Human Resources Essay Example Paper Web-Based Training Design for Human Resources Essay Introduction IntroductionThecurrentemergenceoftheWeb-basedtrainingdesignasthenovellearningmediumiscertainlytheblessingfornotonlytrainingbutalsoeducationfields.TherapidgrowthofimportanceoftheWeb-relatedservicesandinternetforideas-sharing,instructions,traininganddecision-makingarerecognizedworldwide.Web-basedservicesofferadynamic,flexible,andopenlearningenvironmentwithpropositionsforcountlessapplicationsrelatedtotrainingandeducation.Arapidgrowthintheinformationtechnologyandnoveldevelopmentsandimprovementsinlearningscienceoffersopportunitiestodevelopweb-designed,engaging,efficient,affordable,interactive,affordable,easilyaccessible,andlearningenvironments.AvarietyofresourcesandattributesoftheWebmakeitpossiblefortheinstitutionstoprovidetraining,learning,andresourcesconsideringconstraintssuchastimeandplace.UnderstandingWeb-basedtrainingdesignforhumanresources(HR)isessentialforvariousinstitutionsthatprovidetheWeb-relatedservicessuchaslearningthroughtraining.DesigninganddeliveringWeb-basedTraining(WBT)ne edsthoughtfulinvestigationandanalysisofhowtomakeuseoftheWeb’spotentialinperformancewithdirectivedesignprinciplesandotherrelatedcriticalissuestoavarietyofdimensionsoftheWeb-basedlearningenvironmentinvolvinginterfacedesign,pedagogical,resourcesupport,managementresource,institutionalandethical(Khan,2001).LiteraturereviewWeb-BasedTraining(WBT)isatermthatregardsanytrainingofferedthroughacomputer.TheWBThasbeeninexistenceforalongperiodbutcurrentlyhasgrowninuseandpopularity.WBTwasinexistencebeforetheinventionofthefirstpersonalcomputer.Inthe1950sand1960s,organizationssuchasuniversitiesandgovernmentbegandevelopingtrainingbytheuseofthecomputers.ThefirstWBTapplicationwastheearly-warningair-defensesystemthatwasintheessenceofTrainingSimulationSystem(TSS) (Ladd,1990).Aspersonalcomputersdecreasedpriceandsize,theuseoftheWBTcontinuedtogrowrapidlywiththepotentialtodeveloptheeffectivenessofWBT.Figure1showstheevolutionoftheCBTComputer-BasedTrainingdesignthatledtotheevolutionoftheWeb-BasedTraining Design.Figure1:EvolutionofComputer-BasedTrainingAnearlyissuefortheCBTthatisnotcompletelyresolvedinofferingaccesstoallusers.Largeandexpensivecomputersmadeithardtoaccesstraining,andearlyCBTdesignersfoundcreativeapproachestoofferaccesstotheparticipants.Forexample,inthe1960s,KentStateUniversity(KSU)deliveredWBTtonursesattheirlocalhospitalsbybuyingthetrailerandsemi-trucktotransporttencomputerterminalsunswervinglytohospitalsthatneededtotakepartintraining(Ladd,1990).Surprisingly,computershavereducedinsize.However,asWBThasrapidlygrowninpopularity,theproblemofaccesspersiststobeofinterest.OrganizationshavenotconstantlyhadtheuniformmechanismstodelivertheirCBTandarestillcarryingoutresearchonthecreativeapproachestoofferuniformaccess.Also,distancelearningevolvedduetotheevolvementoftheWeb-BasedTraining.Distancelearninghasitsfoundationsinassociationcoursesandcaninvolveanyprogramwherelearnersrequirenotbeingphysicallypresentintheroom.Duringthetimewhenorganizationresources,funding,andstaffarelessening ,andtravellimitationsareescalating,attentiontoadequatestrategiesofHumanResource(HR)trainingisessential.TheliteraturereviewhasbeenconductedsoastocontactthedeliveryanddevelopmentoftheHumanResourcetrainingforthedifferentorganizations.TheliteraturereviewwasgatheredandtheideassummarizedfromdifferentperceptionssuchastherevolutionoftheWBTinvolvingtheWeb-BasedTrainingDistanceLearning(WBTDL)andComputer-BasedTraining(CBT).Also,theliteraturehighlightshowthetrainingaredesignedsoastobenefittheHumanResource.TheWeb-BasedLearningEnvironmentandtheWBTcomponentsandfeaturesconnectedwiththeWBTenvironmentsarediscussedsoastounderstandthebenefitsoftheWBTdesignfortheHumanResource.AnalysisWeb-BasedTrainingDesignIndesigningtraininginaWeb,wearerequiredtoexploreavarietyofissuesincludingtheeightdimensionsoftheWeb-baseddesignlearningenvironmentthatcanassistusthinkaboutvariousknowledgefeaturessuitableforourtargetHumanResource.ThecompetenciesofvariousresourcesandattributesofWebmustbeexaminedtoobservehowtheyseehowth eycanbeappropriateutilizedtodevelopvariousWeb-BasedTrainingfeatures.Also,understandingtheeightdimensionsoftheWeb-baseddesignlearningenvironmentisessentialfortheWeb-BasedTrainingDesign.TheeightdimensionsaregiventheFigure1below. Web-Based Training Design for Human Resources Essay Thank you for reading this Sample!

Dutch Rvolt essays

Dutch Rvolt essays The Dutch Revolution is a truly complicated aspect of early modern European history. The Netherlands was Spains meal ticket. Spain relied heavily upon the economic power that the Netherlands supplied them with. However, how is it that when the Dutch revolted that the much more powerful Spain could not defeat the cause? Spain was the most powerful state after the Renaissance in Europe. Yet the Dutch were able to successfully revolt against Spain because of Philip IIs poor judgments, decisions, management, and his alienation of the Dutch people. Philips planning was weak and his attention span was short. He released pressure on the Netherlands on a few occasions to divert his attention elsewhere. These diversions gave the Netherlands the hole they were looking for and the ability to take the upper hand on more than a few instances. An additional key aspect to consider while discussing the revolt in the Netherlands is the amount of time it took. The revolt is often referred to as the Eighty Years War. Wars during the early modern Europe always came down to money; whoever had the most money usually was victorious. In the case of the war in the Low Countries, the Dutch economy was prospering while the government of Spain was running the economy into bankruptcy. Although the economies were on two different paths, they were fairly equal for a time and it caused a stalemate for almost eighty years (Wedgwood 67). It all began when Philip Habsburg inherited the Low Countries from his father Charles V in 1555. He alienated his subjects and lost control of his territories by the 1560's. He alienated his Dutch subjects in five different ways: first, he demanded extreme and heavy taxes; secondly, he visited the provinces in 1559 and was to never re-enter the Low Countries; thirdly, he put into power the hated Archbishop Granvelle; fourthly, he started an unpopular program of ecclesiastical reform; and finall...

Application of Auditing Theory and Practice

Auditing is part of organizational management, it is explained as the process of examining the financial reports of a business enterprise as presented in the business annual reports, an independent person or an organization performs the audit process. The progression and development of organizational performance is accomplished by conducting audit and understanding the auditing theory and related practices  (Arens, et al., 2012). Auditing is also outlined as the systemic and unbiased examination of organizations books of accounts, statutory information, documents and vouchers of an organization to visualize how some distance the economic statements further to non-economic disclosures present genuine and fair view of the business enterprise  (Eilifsen, et al., 2013). Auditing and compliance practices try ensure that the organizational financial books are effectively maintained as required by the international auditing standard board, and if they are maintained under the regulation provided by the existing laws. Auditing independence is outlined as the independence of the external and internal auditor from other parties and individuals who may have economic and financial interest in the business enterprise that is being audited. According to Arens, Elder, & Mark 2012, the auditors indepence requires integrity and essential audit measure to the auditing procedures. The study reveals that, some factors may affect the integrity and auditing measures and process of an auditor  (Arens, et al., 2012). On the other hand, the auditors integrity is also affected by the business risk, these risk influence the decisional making process of auditors and top organizational management. However, auditing practices compel the auditor to put into actions and measures which might be crucial even as performing the practices. Auditing planning is the strategic management degree for auditing, it carried out at the beginning of the audit process this is to make sure that the correct attention is fermented to important areas, to sure that the capacity issues are promptly identified and viable solutions are generated to lessen the impact  (Elder, et al., 2011). The main purpose of encouraging the audit planning is to ensure that all the audit work are fully finished and coordinated. Clarke & Johnson (CJI) is an audit company this is identified for proving the first-rate services in the audit business enterprise; Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) is commercial enterprise that provides travel service. Both corporations have taken into consideration the importance of market segmentation and diversifying their enterprise operation far from their nearby market. Clarke & Johnson (CJI) Company is re-engaged by Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) to offer audit services before submitting their 30 June 2015 financial report to the stakeholders. The factors affecting the integrity and auditing approach used by the auditors could affect decision-making process  (Gay & Simnett, 2000). Qualified and non-qualified audit opinion is the relevant concepts that are used to draft the audit report. This is a primary factor affecting the independence and the decisions to be reached by an auditor.   The size if the audit firm implies the size of the business enterprise to be audited and the particular auditing firm. According to this case study, Clarke & Johnson (CJI) Company is an audit firm that has been providing audit services to small market the company is also to provide its services to Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) that performs its business activities in Asia, Europe and U.S market. The larger the audit firm the lesser the impact of impairments, the smaller the audit company there will be more factors that will affect the independence of the audit company  (Eilifsen, et al., 2001). This is amongst the dangerous threats which might the independence of the audit company. The advising threat implies that, some stakeholders may have the economic and financial interest in the company to be audited. According to the case study, Clarke & Johnson (CJI) Company and Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) have been collaborating for years this could build some interest between themselves  (Jackson, 2016). Therefore, the auditor is compelled to present audit opinion that favors the stakeholder who has economic and commercial interest. The threats regarding the referrals from the customer impacts the independence of an auditor. Clarke & Johnson (CJI) Company is an audit firm that has been offering audit services to Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH); Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) may make many referrals to the auditor, and thus affecting the audit process and of the Clarke & Johnson (CJI) Company. The organizational control has an excessive impact on the audit opinion to be made with the aid of the usage of the auditor, the organizational pinnacle ought to affect this critiques in view that they may pressure the auditor to utilize the referrals made. Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) and Clarke & Johnson (CJI) Company had been participating for more than one years. Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) may want to refer the accounting department to make adjustments to company book of accounts, those changes and adjustment made are ought to affect the findings of the auditor and thus the audit independence is automatically affected. The success of every operating business organization is determined by the extent and how the company is involved in the audit practices. The independence of the auditors should not be influence since they impose some negative effects to the findings that are used as the basis of the audit opinion which is the primary element of audit report. The size of the firm is categories to be the threat that affects the auditor independence, the organizational management of Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) should consider the size of the firm that will perform the audit practices. Consequently, Clarke & Johnson (CJI) Company should ensure that they create and implement policies that will limit threats affecting their independence. Advising threats is a fatal component that influences the independence of an auditor. The relevant audit opinion to be utilized by an auditor ought to be based totally on the instantaneous findings. The auditors are advocated not to provide any economic or financial cautioned to their clients because their findings after the recommendation will have an impact on the audit opinion  (Knechel & Salterio, 2016). Multiple referrals could also affect the auditor's opinion. According to the case study both business enterprises have been in business for a number of years, Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) could make referrals to the finance department to make the adjustment to some vouchers and documents, this is to present the interest of some management individuals. Clients are advised not to make any referrals to any departments, the exact finding of the auditor portrays that the organization needs to implement on some applicable measures. According to Gay, & Simnett, 2000, audit planning is strategic control measure for auditing, it conducted at the beginning of the audit procedure this is to make sure that the right interest is fermented to essential organizational areas. This is to ascertain that the potential problems are promptly recognized and viable solution are generated to reduce their impact, to make sure that all auditing work is completed and coordinated. While developing and creating the audit practices, there are some elements that may affect the auditing procedures  (Lyon & Maher, 2005). Clarke & Johnson Company and Luxury Travel Holidays LTD (LTH) are now taken into consideration to function in new markets. New markets are bounded and guided by means of commercial laws and regulations which are surpassed through the federal governments  (Knechel & Salterio, 2016). Consequently, the organizations that operate outside their nearby market are affected by the legal processes that are used to regulate the business enterprises when it comes to their commercial activities. U.S Common Laws are the examples of the commercial law that are used to guide organization business activities U.S and European market  (Johnstone, 2000). Economic threat is the primary external environmental factor that impacts the operations business corporation in international markets. They incorporate elements such as GDP and unique country financial improvement quotes. Some markets are affected by down-tuning economic developments, currencies also affect the activities of a business organization. For instance, U.S currency is a globally accepted currency, it is used in the international market for the exchange of goods and services  (Sadgrove, 2016). According to Jackson 2016, the declining in product demand is a marketing factor originating aftermarket segmentation and diversification. Operating in an expanded marketplace place create a room for more corporations to create products and services which resemble the ones produced by using the existing organizations  (Jackson, 2016). Companies operating in the broader market are advocated to ensure that they produce quality products and services that meet the competitive market they operate in. According to Johnstone 2000, financial dangers chance contains those monetary aspects that stand up because of lack of monetary management procedures and measures. The economic worldwide marketplace has experienced many issues that have affected the operation of commercial enterprise companies, mainly Crampton and Hasaad and Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) corporations  (Johnstone, 2000). The research conducted by Knechel 2007 concluded that the financial contributes to the economic failures of a company that operates internationally  (Knechel & Salterio, 2016). Inherent audit risk is the risk that involves the material misstatement in the financial statement of an institution arising due to errors and omission (Kachelmeier, et al., 2014)made as a result of failing to implement on specific controls and measures. The impact of inherent audit to a business organization are felt when the companies operating in specific market fails to implement on the existing financial measures and controls  (Ricchiute, 2001). These risks are perceived to be generated when the business organization failed to make application estimation while making complex transactions. The control risk comprises the threats originating from the fabric misstatement existing within financial reporting of the company, this fabric misstatement is experience due to failure to work under the financial policies and measure of the organization  (Bell, et al., 2001). Crampto and Hasaad and Mining Supplies LTD (MSL) are advocated to have the applicable financial internal control measure, this measure is relevant in preventing and reducing frauds originating from the internal business transactions  (William Jr, et al., 2016). According to Bell, Landsman, & Shackelford 200, the detection risk is that risk that arises when the external auditor fails to come over the cloth misstatement in the financial information of the company, vouchers, assets and other relevant documents  (Bell, et al., 2001). While implementing the audit planning, the auditor is encouraged to focus on the relevant financial and documents of the company and provide the solution to the financial misstatement. The business organizations are advocated to make use of the audit measures that will reduce the fabric misstatements in the financial statements and asset documents of an enterprise that ought to be audited. Eilifsen, Knechel, & Wallage 2001, concluded that, while mitigating the dectecion risks, the audit company is recommended to increase and take the variety of sample transactions  (Eilifsen, et al., 2001). In conclusion, auditing is explained as part of the managing a business organization, it is the independent examination of the company financial reports, this is to assure that the financial information of the business organization shows true and fair view of the company. The audit opinion is a relevant element of audit report as presented by the external auditor. Some aspects affect the independence of an external auditor, these aspects comprise multiple referrals, size of the firm and advising threat. Business risk is defined as the primary factors that affect the business organization, especially those which are operating in the international market. Legal risk, financial risks, economic risks and declining in the product demand are the examples of the business risk addressed in the paper. Inherent risk, detection risk, and control risk are the examples of audit risk affecting the auditor practices. Arens, A. A., Elder, R. J. & Mark, B., 2012. Auditing and assurance services: an integrated approach:. Boston: Prentice Hall.. Bell, T. B., Landsman, W. R. & Shackelford, D. A., 2001. Auditors' perceived business risk and audit fees: Analysis and evidence.. Journal of Accounting research,, 39(1), pp. 35-43. Eilifsen, A., Messier, W. F., Glover, S. M. & Praw, 2013. Auditing and assurance services.. s.l.:McGraw-Hill.. Eilifsen, A., Knechel, W. R. & Wallage, P., 2001. Application of the business risk audit model: A field study. Accounting Horizons. s.l.:s.n. Elder, R. J., Beasley, M. S. & Arens, A., 2011. Auditing and Assurance services. s.l.:Pearson Higher Ed.. Gay, G. E. & Simnett, R., 2000. Auditing and assurance services in Australia.. Sydney: Mcgraw-hill. Jackson, R. A., 2016. Business at risk: keynote speakers for this year's IIA International Conference identify emerging risks facing organizations. Internal Auditor,. In: s.l.:s.n., pp. 40-46. Johnstone, K., 2000. Client-acceptance decisions: Simultaneous effects of client business risk, audit risk, auditor business risk, and risk adaptation. Auditing:. A Journal of Practice & Theory, 19(1), pp. 1-25.. Kachelmeier, S. J., Majors, T. & Williamson, M. G., 2014. Does Intent Modify Risk-Based Auditing?. The Accounting Review. s.l.:s.n. Knechel, W., 2007. The business risk audit: Origins, obstacles and opportunities.. In: s.l.:s.n., pp. 383-408. Knechel, W. R. & Salterio, S. E., 2016. Auditing: assurance and risk. s.l.:Routledge. Lyon, J. D. & Maher, M. W., 2005. The importance of business risk in setting audit fees: Evidence from cases of client misconduct.. Journal of Accounting Research, 43(1), pp. 133-151. Messier, w. f., 2014. An approach to learning risk-based auditing.. Journal of Accounting Education, 32(3), pp. 276-287. Ricchiute, D. N., 2001. Auditing and assurance services.. s.l.:South Western Educational Publishing.. Sadgrove, K., 2016. The complete guide to business risk management.. s.l.:Routledge. William Jr, M., Glover, S. & Prawitt, D., 2016. Auditing and assurance services: A systematic approach.. s.l.:McGraw-Hill Education.

Asian phiolosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Asian phiolosophy - Essay Example So, at one point, something is in one status and at the other time, it is in another status (Morgan 71). All things survive due to the varying nature of situations. A person does not live in the stage of insufficiency every time. In the second stage, a person exists in the stage of abundance. This involves transition from the stage of void to the stage of abundance. There is also a stage in which people exist between insufficiency and abundance. This is the hub track on which all things exist. This is due to the fact that nothing can be absolutely in the status of abundance or void. Normally, a person or a thing will be in between the status of insufficiency and abundance. This Tien Tai reality is based on the teachings of White Lotus Sutra of human existence and the nature of fact. This sheds light on the interrelationship of human survival. According to Tien Tai beliefs, these stages of reality guide human beings on how they conduct themselves (Morgan 78). They form the basis of ju dgment between excellence and evil deeds of a human being. People strive to live according to the teachings and the doctrines of the community in which a person exists. Those realities are the guiding principles among the Asians since they define the customs of their community. They determine individual freedom in what they do and what they perceive. There is no person who likes to live a deviant life. Without guiding principles between what the society wants and what an individual does, people will never know what they are expected to do. Therefore, knowing the truth and abiding by it give an individual peace of mind and physical liberty. The doctrines of the Asian culture recognize realities which guide individuals in their existence. They distinguish between void living and abundance living (Morgan 79). This poses a difference between physical living and spiritual life. Once people get to understand the realities, they are able to live according to the customs. This gives them li berty in their existence. Without proper comprehension of the reality of living, people cannot accept the teachings and therefore, they cannot have the real meaning of life (Morgan 81). For people to be at liberty with their actions, they should learn the reality envisaged in the teachings of Buddhism. Question Two According to Shen-hsiu teachings, a person exists in righteousness and must put efforts to improve his or her spiritual being. This process involves several stages as a person moves from one status to another (Jorgensen 74). The teachings emphasize that the transformation of a human life is not a one moment event but is a continuous process. It is a whole life occurrence which involves both the physical body and the mind. This means people must always be conscious of their actions and must endeavor to make them upright. Their memories will help them distinguish between morally upright and morally wrong episodes. On the other hand, intelligence should guide people in choos ing what actions they should take. People should make it a practice to watch their actions and thoughts failing which they will not be able to maintain wholesomeness. According to the teachings of Hui-neng, a person’s existence is either in the void or in the abundance (Jorgensen 85). The change from one state to another occurs at once after a person has realized the truth. He emphasizes that in the first instance, a person exists

Tegan & Hrad cases Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tegan & Hrad cases - Case Study Example The second point is that Hrad Technika agreed to take the project on a fixed return basis, which means that Tegan had managed one of the fundamental risks of project management, which is cost. The third issue was Hrad Technika delivery record, which had been above par before the A/P project. These reasons gave Tegan strong reasons to feel safe with Hrad Technica. The other options, such as developing the system locally did not have such strong incentives as at the time of commissioning the project. There was the risk that the project would consume more time and resources compared to outsourcing it. The first trade off is that there is a serious risk that the company will developed biased plans. Being a participant on both sides of the bidding process gives the company undue advantage and makes it hard for it to develop an objective requirements analysis. The second tradeoff is that there would be loss of detail in the development of the requirements. This comes from the self-confidence the bidding company has that may make them feel some details are not necessary to include in the requirements analysis. In this case, it is evident that Hrad Technica underestimated the cost and the duration it would take to develop the project when it developed the requirements analysis. The third Risk is that the bidding company may end up fitting the requirements analysis to their capabilities. They will interpret the needs of the client company in light of their capabilities, and not necessarily in the context of the needs of the client company The final risk will be lack of ownership of the project by the client company. The clients company can disown any problems that accrue from the implementation of the project even if they are genuine simply because of heightened expectations that the company that developed the needs requirement understands their needs well enough. On the other hand, such an arrangement can end up in the development of

How does Willy Russell us the separation of the twins in Blood Brothers to good dramatic effect? :: essays research papers

Blood Brothers is about two twins separated at birth, into an Upper class family and a lower class family. The Twins eventually find out they are twins when it is too late. Their separation is used to good dramatic effect to keep the audience in suspense for what’s to come. When you are of a lower class you tend to be superstitious. For example, because of the little opportunities and low fortune a person of a lower class has they tend to believe in fate and bad luck. This is a dominant theme which is introduced at the beginning of the play and runs throughout it. Mrs Lyons says to Mrs. Johnson, â€Å"They say that if either twin learns he was one of a pair they shall both die immediately!† She threatens Mrs. Johnson and plays on her superstitious beliefs by making her believe that if Eddie and Mickey or anyone ever found out the truth, the twins shall both die. This creates good dramatic effect because the audience are shocked that their friendship has now changed and frightening for Mrs Johnson. Class difference is displayed very clearly in Blood Brothers, in particular the difference in wealth between the two families. Eddie’s parents ensure that he has a comfortable upbringing and is able to study at university and receive a qualification, resulting in a highly paid job. This is completely dissimilar to Mickey. He comes from a poor family which meant that he was stuck in a dead end job in a factory. â€Å"I bleeding hated it, standing there all day never doing anything apart from putting cardboard boxes together.† This reflects Mickey’s frustration and highlights the lack of opportunities open to him, which adds to the dramatic effect of the play because it prepares us for trouble in the future. A good example of dramatic irony in the play is when Eddie and Mickey decide that as they are such good friends they will become blood brothers. â€Å"Hey, we were born on the same day. That means we can be blood brothers.† The audience knows that they were actually brothers, whereas the children were unaware of their relationship. As the blood brothers go through life Mickey starts to realize that he will never be as good as Eddie or receive the opportunities Eddie is given; this is the message of the play. Our futures are determined by circumstances beyond our control; in Mickey’s case his upbringing and culture determine his lifestyle.

Hamlet Essay

Hamlet represents many things: tragic hero, over-thinking educated man, and poor friend. He is also a revolutionary, a philosopher, and a dreamer, and reconciling these good qualities with the bad proves as maddening for the audience as it does to Hamlet himself. However, what is often lost in the shuffle of Christian theologies in the play is the fact that nihilism as a persistent force, guiding Hamlet’s actions (or inaction, as the case may be) and serving as the catalyst for tragedy. Nihilism serves in the play as a kind of spiritual nether region into which men like Hamlet can find themselves being pulled into. It represents something that, to Hamlet and those like him, comes across as something off a salvation: it represents an opportunity to free one’s self from the need to act, and instead welcomes someone to become completely absorbed in the world of contemplation. This seems ideal for Hamlet the student, but when he is asked to take action by his spectral father, he is torn between his true nature and that which others expect of him. Unable to believe in himself, Hamlet becomes unable to believe in anything at all, which forms the crux of the play’s tragic moral dilemma. Whether Hamlet was intended to be a nihilist or the work nihilistic in nature is a question ripe for debate. According to Donald Wehrs, Placing the threat of nihilism at the heart of tragedy, Shakespeare seems to anticipate, if not inaugurate, Romantic and Modernist vocations for literature—offering literature as the site where significance after the debunking of myth and metaphysics may be reclaimed (68).† According to such a reading, one of the purposes in the narrative of Hamlet is the debunking of mythology. This would reconcile some of the odder features of the play—for instance, the very non-Catholic ghost of King Hamlet (himself seemingly a remnant from the notions of purgatory) juxtaposed with very Catholic concerns of whether Claudius will ascend to heaven or descend to hell based on the exact moment that he is killed: he can’t be killed, according to Hamlet, when he is â€Å"fit and season’d for his passage. However, Wehrs points out that nihilism is the threat, and not the goal: Hamlet’s tale is not nihilistic simply for the sake of riveting storytelling, but because it reveals that when lives unravel (as they do in all tragedies), a belief in nothingness effectively leaves nothing behind; no substance lurking behind the shroud of life. Why, then, the debunking? Why bother lampooning the absurdity of certain metaphysical notions/superstitions while still adhering to the Christian belief structure? The answer is as simple as it is striking: through the story of Hamlet, Shakespeare attempts to create a system of morality that is independent of religion of spiritual affiliation. After all, Hamlet is shown as someone torn between moralities, weighing the social responsibility of honoring his father’s request for revenge with the spiritual responsibility of avoiding bloodshed and murder. He is a man torn apart by his multitude of beliefs, not his lack of beliefs†¦the famous â€Å"to be or not to be† speech represents a descent into nihilism, but it is an abyss that he was driven into by trying to follow the often-arbitrary dictates of what is right and what is wrong. It is no coincidence that the best intentions of Hamlet consign many more souls to death than the deliberate machinations of Claudius. According Tzachi Zamir, some of Shakespeare’s tragic characters (such as Macbeth) are able to resolve nihilistic navel-gazing by virtue of action. Hamlet, on the other hand, is â€Å"more interested in escaping† (537) the physicality of the world: his philosophical nature lends itself more readily to the nihilism that he stumbles into. This is found in the â€Å"to be or not to be† speech, as Hamlet notes â€Å"With this regard their currents turn awry / And lose the name of action. † It is interesting to note that the nihilistic Hamlet causes more death and destruction than other tragic characters who have a spiritual belief structure in place: Claudius, as written above, is a cold-blooded murderer, but also a repentant man who does not let his life be consumed by forces beyond his control. Macbeth readily admits that the violent murder that begins his own tragic downfall will send him to hell, but he cannot help himself. In this spectrum of morality, Shakespeare seems to be implying that good actions can be tainted (following Aristotle’s Poetics, his tragedies almost always feature glorious characters being brought low) and bad actions can be redeemed (the counterpoint of Shakespeare’s tragedies are, of course, the comedies, in which everyone is a case of mistaken identity or two away from true love and happy marriage). Hamlet seems to perceive this on some level: â€Å"â€Å"I must be cruel, only to be kind. † The worst sin, then, becomes inaction: Hamlet’s inaction is a result of his inability to believe in anything, and it seems to clog up the very gears of Hamlet’s world: it is unsurprising, then, that the entirety of that world grinds to a halt from this disruption. Worse still, he tethers the inaction to his ability to reason, when in truth, it is only reasoning that can save one from nihilism. As Grace Matthews points out, â€Å"Hamlet, a religious young man, vacillates between faith and atheism, he becomes vulnerable to the deception that evil offers us†¦ it is only by resisting succumbing to nihilism through thinking that we can protect our spirituality and live meaningfully as a result. † Hamlet’s sin is not thinking; Hamlet’s sin is overthinking. Perhaps the most strident voice in declaring that Hamlet is a nihilist play is that of Harold Bloom. According to him, â€Å"Shakespeare invented what Nietzsche, and Dostoevsky, and others afterwards started to call nihilism. It’s a pure Shakespearean invention. † He links this rather explicitly with the character of Hamlet himself: â€Å"I’m not sure that until you have the representation you call Hamlet, that you have anywhere†¦someone who changes every time he or she speaks, and who does it by this weird thing of overhearing oneself, which I can’t find before Shakespeare.† For Bloom, the notion of Hamlet being nihilistic lies in his personal inability to create an identity for himself: his mind is tugged by reason in one direction, by honor in another direction, and by loyalty in yet another direction. As cliche as it may sound, Hamlet is unable to believe in anything else because he is unable to believe in himself. Aside from the obviously bloody consequences, how does this further the notion that Shakespeare intended this to be a negative thing—a nihilism to be avoided at all costs, instead of an existential safety blanket for individuals to hide themselves in? The answer to this is the fact that Hamlet is portrayed as less than a person throughout the entirety of the play. In point of fact, his spectral father actually displays much more personality and substance than his son does. Hamlet’s identity is in reflection: he can be a jocular young man with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, an educated conspirator with Horatio and an angered son with his mother. Without them, though, Hamlet is unable to be anyone at all. Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a play, and his Hamlet as a character, will remain the center of debate for centuries more to come. However, it is important that the discussions of fate and philosophy—the very kind that Hamlet would have delighted in at Wittenberg—do not overshadow the small things that comprise his tragedy. Shakespeare dangles both Lutheran and Catholic theology in front of both Hamlet and the viewer, but does not advocate one over the other. Rather, both serve as a warning for the only real spiritual evil: the inaction of nihilism. Ironically, it is only through the use of reasoning that one can overcome the temptation of nihilism†¦the temptation of surrendering all responsibility and simply succumbing to the ebb and flow of the tides of the world. However, through Hamlet we see that an overabundance of reasoning can actually cause this effect: if one overlaps spirituality and secular education, then everything is thrown into disarray, and the moral compass is not simply broken†¦one’s entire sense of a true moral north is thrown right out of the window. In its place is a path that can lead only to heartbreak, bloodshed, and chaos.