Sunday, April 26, 2020

Workers compensation free essay sample

Workers Compensation is essentially a form of insurance that provides wage replacement and medical coverage to employees that are injured while working. This compensation, however, is not freely given to the employees. It is instead exchanged for the employee’s right to sue his or her employer for the tort of negligence. Depending on jurisdiction, Workers Compensation can function as various types of insurance. Wages that is lost while recovering from an injury can be paid to the employee as if they were capable of working, thus functioning as a form of disability insurance. Workers Compensation can also effectively function as health insurance as well as life insurance by paying for the injured employee’s medical expenses and paying benefits to the dependents of employees killed while working, respectively. While Workers Compensation and those that work in that specialized field can be a wonderful financial asset to injured employees and their families, such benefits and professionals that work in this field were born out of necessity due to the negligence of employers towards their employees. We will write a custom essay sample on Workers compensation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While it is debatable when exactly the first Workers Compensation laws were passed, Maryland was the first state to pass a statewide Workers Compensation law in 1902 with the establishment of the Employer and Employee Cooperative Fund (Maryland state workers, 2013). A few years later in 1906, the first federal workers compensation law was passed; the Federal Employers’ Liability Act (FELA) (What is the, 2013). FELA is designed to compensate railroad workers that have been injured while working, but it does not operate the same as current workers compensation laws. Under FELA, the injured railroad worker must prove that injuries sustained while working are the fault of the railroad company; being unable to prove the railroad company’s fault in the incident results in no benefits being paid to the injured party. By 1949, all of the states in the United States had some kind of Workers Compensation laws enacted to protect employees and provide for them as well as their fami lies in a time of need (Workers compensation, 2010). For an employee to receive Workers Compensation, however, certain standards are to be met and it is up to the professionals working in the Workers Compensation field to know the laws of their jurisdiction. To be sure that these professionals know exactly what they are doing and execute their job to their best extent, special education and training is required to be completed. Training and education of Workers Compensation employees depends on the jurisdiction in which they operate in, but there are several factors and major duties that are central to every Workers Compensation employee. Workers Compensation employees mainly have to deal with the legislation of the jurisdiction in which they work, so they must know the laws of the state, this is a central factor that is common to all professionals in this field. Education and training will ensure that professionals know the purpose of Workers Compensation laws, methods of securing Workers Compensation, circumstances of injuries, perks and disadvantages of workers compensation for both the employee and employer, interaction of other workers compensation acts, how to respond to an on-the-job accident, and how to reduce on-the-job accidents. The purpose of workers compensation laws is to provide financial coverage of any medical expenses, income protection of those absent from work due to medical reasons, and compensation for permanent injury such as loss of life or limb. Methods to secure workers compensation are: through an approved private insurance carrier, state-funded insurance, and self-insurance which is usually only provided by larger companies that can guarantee coverage regardless of the event of bankruptcy.(â€Å"Workers’ compensation training,† 2008) The circumstances of an injury include, â€Å"arising out of employment,† and â€Å"in the course of employment.† â€Å"Arising out of employment† refers to the cause and origin of the sustained injury and â€Å"in the course of employment† refers to the time, place, and circumstances of the injury. A vast majority of workers compensation laws state that in order for an injury to be compensable, it must arise out of and in the course of employment. This essentially means that in order for an injury to be compensable, the injured party must have been working at their designated position during payable hours. There are various benefits of workers compensation for an employer as well as the employee. Benefits for the employer include injured employees not being able to sue for the tort of negligence and benefits payable to the injured employee is limited. Benefits to the injured employee include full medical coverage and punctual payment of medical expenses, payments are based on the injured party’s current earnings disregarding gross income, and in the event of death payments are made to the deceased’s dependents.(â€Å"Workers’ compensation training,† 2008) Unfortunately there are also various disadvantages of workers compensation for both the employer and the employee. Disadvantages for the employer include high premiums simply because of the type of work done by the employer and the premiums are based upon the employer’s accident record, an increase in paperwork due to the filing of claims and state regulations, and time spent dealing with the potential event of a fraudulent claim. Disadvantages for employees include not being able to pursue further damages through a tort action and some state’s workers compensation benefits are trumped by Social Security disability benefits.(â€Å"Workers’ compensation training,† 2008) In some cases it is necessary for other Workers Compensation acts to become involved in a claim. The involvement of such acts depends upon the severity of the injury sustained and the size of the employer. Established acts that may necessarily be considered alongside workers compensation are the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).(â€Å"Workers’ compensation training,† 2008) In order for a workers compensation professional to determine if the ADA or the FMLA will be a factor alongside regular workers compensation, several factors based on jurisdiction must be considered. These factors include the threshold number of employees for that particular employer, employee eligibility, severity of injury or illness, and the length of absence in which the injured party will be unavailable to work.(â€Å"Workers’ compensation training,† 2008) If either the ADA, FMLA, or both become involved with a workers compensation claim, a workers compensation professional must remain conscious of several requirements. These requirements include accurate medical documentation of the injury, continuation of benefits for the injured party during leave of absence, appropriate medical clearances for the injured party to return to work, potential of â€Å"light duty† for the injured party once returning to work, and all standards to be met for full working reinstatement of the injured party.(â€Å"Workers’ compensation training,† 2008) Unfortunately injuries, severe or not, do occur in most workps laces. A workers compensation professional must be trained to be capable of handling all types of these situations. The training and education of workers compensation professionals will enable them to administer first-aid to the injured party or direct them to medical treatment, gather any and all information about the injured party from the injured and other witnesses, notify the injured party of their workers compensation coverage, accurately document the incident and notify the injured party’s family/dependents, take any further necessary steps to ensure that a similar incident will not happen in the future, and file a workers compensation claim as soon as possible.(â€Å"Workers’ compensation training,† 2008) With workplace incidents unfortunately being all too common, there are steps that can be taken to avoid said incidents. Some tactics that can be used to reduce workplace incidents include educating the workforce in safety measures that can be taken to avoid injury, establish a committee that is devoted to educating the workforce about safety, and hold managers responsible for preventing workplace accidents.(â€Å"Workers’ compensation training,† 2008) Not everyone can work in the workers compensation field, a certification is required. Certification is gained through various means based on jurisdiction and employer. A government employer may require special certification but most workers compensation professionals can gain a certification through universities/schools. There are also many workers compensation professional organizations that can be joined. Such organizations include the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds, National Council of Self-Insurers, Workers Compensation Claims Association, Workers Compensation Insurance Association, Workers Compensation Research Institute, as well as many others. Joining one of these professional organizations can allow workers compensation professionals access to various resources and receive support during workers compensation claims (Workers compensation associations, 2008). The demand for workers compensation professionals is moderate to high depending on region and the field desired to work in. A high-risk employer will have a higher demand for well-trained and educated workers compensation professionals than a low-risk employer. The average salary of a workers compensation manager is between $48,000 and $69,000 while the average salary of a workers compensation administrator is between $72,000 and $94,000 (Workers compensation administrator, 2013), (Workers compensation manager, 2013). The average salary for both listed positions is higher than that of the national average in part because of the historical successes of the field. One of the first court cases to help establish workers compensation was that of New York Central Railway Co. v. White. In this case, the injured party tried to claim workers compensation but the Railway Company felt that its 14th amendment rights to due process were being violated because of the inconsideration of fraud on behalf of the injured. The court ultimately sided with the claimant and many states soon followed suit. A more recent success was a case involving Pennsylvania State University v. Workers Compensation Appeal Board. In this case, a professor for the University met at a restaurant with a student to discuss the student’s dissertation. While at the restaurant, the professor fell and reinjured his recovering broken arm. The injuries sustained at the restaurant resulted in a fatal infection and the court sided with the claimant, rewarding the professor’s widow with workers compensation benefits. Workers Compensation is good and necessary. This establishment prevents employers from abusing employees and their rights while providing financial coverage from work-related injuries. It also helps employers to avoid unnecessary litigation from torts being filed by employees. Workers Compensation provides a great middle ground for both employers and employees to meet upon and come to an often swift and satisfactory decision that is in the best interest of all parties involved.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Human Origins The Origins of Bipedalism Essays

Human Origins The Origins of Bipedalism Essays Human Origins The Origins of Bipedalism Paper Human Origins The Origins of Bipedalism Paper Essay Topic: Sociology Upright walking is far more complicated than many people think. It requires a number of highly specialized adaptations that have taken millions of years to evolve. It is part of what defines the human race, because there is no other organism on the planet that shares this group of skills. An understanding of the origins of bipedalism is therefore the key to answering many questions about human nature. To understand the evolution of bipedal locomotion, one must first look to our non-upright past. Although we know very little about the common ancestor of apes and hominids, we can still gain some idea about how it might have moved. Similarities in the bone structure of ape and human wrists, arms and shoulders lead some scientists to believe that our common ancestor was most likely a knuckle walker.i From this conclusion, we can examine the morphological distinctions between the two forms of locomotion by comparing humans and knuckle walking apes. One major morphological difference between apes and humans is the bicondylar angle of the femur. The human femur is angled inward about 10Â °. In gorillas, the angle is only about 1Â °. This greater bicondylar angle is specially adapted for bipedalism. It allows humans to keep their center of gravity more directly over the legs while walking. The lack of this angle in gorillas is due to the fact that their weight can shift to their arms and back to their legs while walking.ii The morphology of the foot has also changed to accommodate bipedal walking. The foot of an ape has a large gap between the last toe and the other four and is relatively flat on the bottom. Humans have gained a reinforced heel and an arch to absorb shock. The toes have become aligned to point forward, allowing for a smoother ending to the propulsive phase of the stride.iii Other adaptations for bipedalism pertain to the location and function of muscles. The gluteus maximus in apes is located at the side of the hip, in order to pull the thigh outward. In humans, it is at the back of the illium, pulling the thigh back during the propulsive phase while walking and running.iv Skeletal changes that have occurred due to bipedalism include the flaring out of the illium, the s-shaped curvature of the vertebral column, and the repositioning of the foramen magnum. The iliac blades are shorter and wider, forming a basin that cups and protects the organs. Additionally, they can better support the direct pressure of upright posture. The s-shaped spine centers the weight of the upper body over the pelvis. This is in place of a quadrupeds straighter spine. The foramen magnum is repositioned from the back of the skull to the base of the skull. This change allows humans to look forward while upright.v All of these changes occurred over the course of many millions of years. We understand how they occurred, but there are many different theories that attempt to explain why. Some of the most compelling come from Peter Wheeler, C. Owen Lovejoy, and Kevin Hunt. Wheelers thermoregulatory theory proposes that bipedalism originated because an upright stance allows the body to cool more effectively than that of a quadruped. The theory is based on the idea that at noon, in an open area such as the seashore or the savannah grasslands of Africa, an upright individual would be exposed to more wind and less sun than a quadruped. The wind would facilitate cooling through sweat evaporation, allowing the individual to be much more efficient. This would allow upright individuals to exploit the midday niche while facing little competition from quadrupeds, who are more susceptible to overheating.vi Lovejoys behavioral model for bipedalism centers on the theme of a family. Instead of both parents taking care of their offspring and getting food for the family, bipedalism would allow one parent to travel long distances while carrying food. The other parent would be left to take care of the offspring, increasing the chance of survival. The larger area that can be exploited by a bipedal individual allows for more available food for that individuals family. This also increases the survival rate of their offspring, essentially selecting for bipedalism.vii Lovejoy backs his theory up by connecting it to human sexual behavior. He claims that the monogamous mating structure of this model accounts for the elimination of any sort of mating season in humans. Mating seasons exist so that mating can coincide with a time when energy and resources are not needed for offspring. Since bipedalism allows families access to more resources, copulation can occur at any time.viii Hunts postural feeding hypothesis suggests that bipedalism originated in quadruped feeding activities. Essentially, the terrestrial quadrupeds that could stand up were able to get the most food. His hypothesis is backed up by studies of chimpanzee behavior. According to Hunt, Eighty per cent of chimpanzee bipedalism was during feeding.ix Hunt claims that retained morphological aspects of arm hanging helped the early quadrupeds reach for food. He explains evidence that these traits, including long arms and fingers, were present in australopithecines.x Although these theories all seem to be solid and well based, they each contain at least one implausible aspect. Wheelers thermoregulatory theory does not apply to enough geographical situations. This limitedness only becomes worse when the areas he proposes are considered rationally. For example, even the African savannah had tall vegetation. Bipedal hominids that walked by some dense shrubs or even tall grass would be blocked from the wind. Additionally, the bipedal advantage only lasts for a few hours in the middle of the day. The benefits do not last long enough to really affect the efficiency of an individual. It is therefore unlikely that the thermoregulatory theory was entirely responsible for bipedalism. Lovejoys theory is the most probable of the three. His claims make a lot of sense because of how he ties in other aspects of human development to bipedalism. The only problem that isnt addressed in his article is how women developed bipedalism. According to his theory, males went out to provision for the family while females stayed behind and took care of the babies. Hunts theory makes interesting points, but it conflicts with more sound evidence that early hominids and apes evolved from a knuckle-walking quadruped. It is also much more vague than the other theories. Many other theories exist that attempt to explain the shift from quadrupedal locomotion to bipedalism. Each offers compelling evidence to support its claims. Additionally, each is flawed in one way or another. Without new evidence, we may never know the true origin of our most unique characteristic.

Monday, March 2, 2020

Lesson Plan Step #8 Assessment and Follow-Up

Lesson Plan Step #8 Assessment and Follow-Up In this series about lesson plans, were breaking down the 8 steps you need to take to create an effective lesson plan for the elementary classroom. The final step in a successful lesson plan for  teachers is Learning Goals, which coming  after defining the following steps:   ObjectiveAnticipatory SetDirect InstructionGuided Practice  ClosureIndependent PracticeRequired Materials and Equipment An  8-step lesson plan is not complete without the final step of Assessment. This is where you assess the final outcome of the lesson and to what extent the learning objectives were achieved. This is also your chance to adjust the overall lesson plan to overcome any unexpected challenges that may have arisen, preparing you for the next time you teach this lesson. Its also important to make note of the most successful aspects of your lesson plan, to ensure that you continue to capitalize on strengths and continue to push forward in those areas.   How to Assess Learning Goals Learning goals can be assessed in a variety of ways, including through quizzes, tests, independently performed worksheets, cooperative learning activities, hands-on experiments, oral discussion, question-and-answer sessions, writing assignments, presentations, or other concrete means. However, its important to remember that you may have students who better display their mastery of a topic or skill through non-traditional assessment methods, so try to think about creative ways you can assist those students in demonstrating mastery. Most importantly, teachers need to ensure that the Assessment activity is directly and explicitly tied to the stated learning objectives  you developed in step one of the lesson plan. In the learning objective section, you specified what students would accomplish and how well they would have to be able to perform a task in order to consider the lesson satisfactorily accomplished. The goals also had to fit within your district or state educational standards for the grade level. Follow-Up: Using the Results of the Assessment Once the students have completed the given assessment activity, you must take some time to reflect on the results. If the learning objectives were not adequately achieved, you will need to revisit the lesson in a different manner, revising the approach to learning. Either you will need to teach the lesson again or youll need to clear up areas that confused several of the students. Whether or not most students showed understanding of the material, based on the assessment, you should note how well students learned different parts of the lesson. This will allow you to modify the lesson plan in the future, clarifying or spending more time on areas where the assessments showed the students were weakest. Student performance on one lesson tends to inform performance on future lessons, giving you insight into where you should take your students next. If the assessment showed the students fully grasped the topic, you may want to proceed immediately to more advanced lessons. If understanding was moderate, you may want to take it slower and reinforce the takeaways. This may require teaching the entire lesson again, or, just portions of the lesson. Assessing different aspects of the lesson in greater detail can guide this decision.   Examples of Types of Assessments Quiz: a short series of questions with right and wrong answers that may not count towards a grade.Test: a longer or more in-depth series of questions that probes for more understanding of the topic and may count towards a grade.Class discussion: rather than a quiz or test that is scored, a discussion helps identify understanding. Its important to make sure all students are able to demonstrate mastery here, so that no one is lost in the shuffle.  Hands-on experiment: Where the subject matter is appropriate, the students apply the lesson to an experiment and record the outcomes.Worksheet: Students fill out a worksheet, especially for math or vocabulary lessons, but it also could be developed for many topics.Cooperative Learning activities: Students work in a group to solve a problem or have a structured discussion.Illustrations or Graphic Organizers: These can include Venn diagrams, K-W-L (Know, Want to Know, Learned) charts, flow charts, pie charts, concept maps, character traits, c ause/effect diagrams, spider web, cloud chart,T-chart, Y-chart, semantic feature analysis,fact/opinion chart, star chart, cycle chart, and other appropriate graphic  organizers. Often the subject will determine which works best as an assessment tool. Edited by Stacy Jagodowski

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Examining Insurance Policies Part 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Examining Insurance Policies Part 3 - Essay Example Premises medical coverage is intended on paying for minor injuries, which might happen in individual’s airport facility. The coverage helps in avoidance of litigation for minor claims (Diederiks-Verschoor and Butler 247). The coverage would help Mike’s students incase an injury occurs during the training. The limits of the medical coverage range from 1000 to 5000 US dollars individually. Products and completed operations policy offer liability protection for property damage and bodily injury which arises after selling the aviation products or services that the organization offers. The policy only covers when an accident occurs while delivering a product or service by another person (Diederiks-Verschoor and Butler 252). Hangar-keeper liability covers any damage to an aircraft if it is not fully owned or leased to you and while the aircraft is under your care, control and custody, mostly likely when servicing for maintenance, storing or fueling. The cover pays for all damages that a person is legally responsible. Off-Premise’s liability extends from Premises Coverage that includes other necessary or incidental locations to one’s operation. In-Flight Hangar-keepers is an extension of Hangar-keepers liability covering for damage to non-leased or non-owned aircrafts flown by any other pilot (Grothaus 20). Personal injury coverage pays for legal defense any owner of an aircraft sued for damages for injuries that arise from false arrest, imprisonment or detention, slander or libel, malicious prosecution, wrongful entry or invasion to an insured person (Grothaus 25). Fire legal liability covers for legally responsible damages to the buildings leased or rented on the insured airport premises caused by fire. Professional liability covers the protection for bodily injury that arises from an omission or error committed on giving of flight instruction, which may result to an accident at a

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Encounter point Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Encounter point - Movie Review Example ed activities that occur behind the scenes, from regular citizens, to improve social and political relationships between Palestinian and Israeli peoples. There is no real effort to show that one side or the other is more dedicated toward peace or that one particular political side is more aggressive in continuing violence. The film, instead, attempts to simply show the frustrations and social anxieties that come from ongoing war and how they impact thoughts, emotions and the family structure; not to mention community relationships. There is one scene in the movie where there are members of both the Palestinian group and the Israeli culture that are working together in what is referred to as the Bereaved Families’ Forum which attempts to group these people together to discuss different misunderstandings and open positive dialogue between both political groups. It shows how similar both groups are in relation to their desires to achieve peace and avoid ongoing violence that continues to disrupt positive relationships. â€Å"Encounter Point† is a hopeful film that shows that many of the problems between these two groups come from simple misunderstandings and that there are members of both groups that are ready to pave the way toward peace. The film attempts to give a symmetrical view of the importance and needs of both political parties, therefore the interests of both are represented sufficiently throughout the film. One of the main advantages of this film is that is does not involve political parties and their own high-level interests, instead it shows the plight of this conflict from the viewpoint of those most affected by it: the regular community citizen. The filmmakers decided â€Å""politicians come and go but whats happening on the street is whats most important." (Freeman, 2010, p.1). This film recognises that showing political viewpoints would give this film an unbalanced view and would be more of a political documentary than a piece of sociology work that

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Essay examples --

All-star football player, Lieutenant Commander, University of Michigan graduate, Yale graduate, adopted, and also the thirty-eighth president of the united states? These are all some ways that you could describe a man by the name of Leslie King Jr. You may be wondering who that is, but he is a president of these United States of America. Leslie King Jr. is the original name of Gerald Rudolph Ford. I am going to tell you all about his childhood, his high school experience, his college experience, his whole election process, his presidency, and his post-presidency experience. Gerald Ford was born July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Dorothy Ayer Gardner and his father Leslie Lynch King Sr. separated just sixteen days after Ford was born. His father was a wool trader and also was the son of a banker. They were officially divorced in December 1913, where Fords mother Dorothy was granted full custody. Soon after, Ford and his mother moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to live with Fords grandparents. (Dorothy’s parents) Fords grandfather (Leslie Sr.’s father) paid child support until his death. In Ford’s biography, written by a member of his administration, Ford said that his biological father was known to get physical with his mother. He also stated that the main reason for their divorce was a few days after Ford’s birth his father threatened his mother with a butcher knife. In the biography it said that his father first hit his mother on their honeymoon, for smiling at another man. In 1916 Dorothy remarried a salesman by the name of Gerald Rudolph Ford. Gerald then went on to adopt Leslie, later renaming him Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. Ford grew up with three younger half-brothers from his mother’s second marriage. Thomas ... ... for the vice presidency. That one time in 1960 he almost became the vice president, but the Republican nominee Richard Nixon chose Massachusetts senator Henry Cabot Lodge instead of Ford. Ford continued to run for Congress and continually got reelected. The Fifth District constituents liked ford a lot. They always gave Ford at least sixty percent of their votes. Later in 1963 Ford was named Republican conference Chairman, and two years later was named House Minority Leader. Ford was not commonly known by very many Americans except those from Michigan and those who are part of Congress. This all changed when Ford and Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen talked together at some press conferences, criticizing the â€Å"Great Society Programs† of President Lyndon B. Johnson. These press conferences were known to many as â€Å" The Ev and Jerry Show† (Frank N. Magill, 791) Essay examples -- All-star football player, Lieutenant Commander, University of Michigan graduate, Yale graduate, adopted, and also the thirty-eighth president of the united states? These are all some ways that you could describe a man by the name of Leslie King Jr. You may be wondering who that is, but he is a president of these United States of America. Leslie King Jr. is the original name of Gerald Rudolph Ford. I am going to tell you all about his childhood, his high school experience, his college experience, his whole election process, his presidency, and his post-presidency experience. Gerald Ford was born July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. His parents, Dorothy Ayer Gardner and his father Leslie Lynch King Sr. separated just sixteen days after Ford was born. His father was a wool trader and also was the son of a banker. They were officially divorced in December 1913, where Fords mother Dorothy was granted full custody. Soon after, Ford and his mother moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan to live with Fords grandparents. (Dorothy’s parents) Fords grandfather (Leslie Sr.’s father) paid child support until his death. In Ford’s biography, written by a member of his administration, Ford said that his biological father was known to get physical with his mother. He also stated that the main reason for their divorce was a few days after Ford’s birth his father threatened his mother with a butcher knife. In the biography it said that his father first hit his mother on their honeymoon, for smiling at another man. In 1916 Dorothy remarried a salesman by the name of Gerald Rudolph Ford. Gerald then went on to adopt Leslie, later renaming him Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. Ford grew up with three younger half-brothers from his mother’s second marriage. Thomas ... ... for the vice presidency. That one time in 1960 he almost became the vice president, but the Republican nominee Richard Nixon chose Massachusetts senator Henry Cabot Lodge instead of Ford. Ford continued to run for Congress and continually got reelected. The Fifth District constituents liked ford a lot. They always gave Ford at least sixty percent of their votes. Later in 1963 Ford was named Republican conference Chairman, and two years later was named House Minority Leader. Ford was not commonly known by very many Americans except those from Michigan and those who are part of Congress. This all changed when Ford and Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen talked together at some press conferences, criticizing the â€Å"Great Society Programs† of President Lyndon B. Johnson. These press conferences were known to many as â€Å" The Ev and Jerry Show† (Frank N. Magill, 791)

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Response to Shakespeare Essay

The key character within the mechanicals is Bottom. In the Hoffman version he presents Bottom as a useless dreamer and even gives Bottom wife who actually says ‘he is a useless dreamer’. He is also portrayed as a bit of a town clown as he begins to perform in front of the town people a couple of kids pour red wine all over his white suit. The crowd that has gathered then begins to laugh and no one goes to comfort him or try and catch the kids that poured the wine, they just stand and laugh at him. In the noble version he is portrayed as a larger than life character that everyone appears to love. The actor that has been cast to play this part, who is larger than any other actor in the film, reinforces this larger than life character. The nest group of characters that Shakespeare throws upon the audience are the fairies, which I mentioned earlier. He takes the audience straight to the heart of the fairy world by showing the King and Queen of fairies, Oberon and Titania. They appear to be having a fight, or a lover tiff and this appears to have a direct affect on the mortal world as when they are arguing the weather is wet and stormy. Also because of this argument between the King and Queen the rest of the fairy world is seen to be in disorder. This is shown in the Hoffman version by their being a party and fairies getting drunk and causing general chaos within the fairy world. In Shakespearean times there were only a limited amount of props that Shakespeare could use during his play therefore he had to transport the audience to the fairy world using their imagination. Shakespeare only had a fraction of what is available to use today in his plays and therefore heavily relied on the audience power of imagination and his ability to create a place by using mere words. Shakespeare uses his words very effectively by emphasising the beauty and richness of the fairy world by using world like, orbs, gold coats and rubies. Another technique Shakespeare uses to try and place the audience inside the fairy world is alliteration. Alliteration helps outline the key words in the sentence and reinforces the beauty of the words that Shakespeare uses. An example of alliteration is in Act 2 Scene 1 when Puck says’ ‘And now they never meet in grove of green, By fountain clear or spangled starlight sheen. ‘ Alliteration is used at the end of both of these lines and imprints a picture of beauty into the audience’s mind. Each director confronts the problem of giving the audience the idea that they are changing realms relative to their respective budget. The Hoffman version uses rich props and obscure settings, such as big colourful trees, to resemble the fairy world. Where as in the Noble version where there is a much smaller budget the fairy realm is represented by different colours and lighting effects and a minimal amount of obscure props, such as big umbrellas that the fairies float in on. Through out the play the theme of dreaming becomes very important and is in fact so important it is in the title of the play. Six characters falling asleep and dreaming during the play, which also reinforce the idea of dreaming. When characters fall asleep and dream it causes confusion with the character that has been dreaming and sometimes the dream even stretches to characters around the sleeper. This is when reality and dreams become so closely entwined it becomes impossible for the characters, and the audience to some extent, to tell between the two. An example of this is Bottom, from the mechanicals, when he has a short relationship with Titania and an ass’s head on his shoulders. When he arises he doesn’t know whether his escapade with Titania was reality or just a dream. The fairies playing tricks with the lovers’ emotion’s and feelings as the put fairy dust in their eyes that reinforce this general feel of confusion. This is done while they sleep so when they wake up and are unsure of what they feel about the people closest to them. Examples of this are with Demetrius and Lysander, both of whom where fixated upon Hermia but when they feel asleep they arose madly in love with Helena and couldn’t care less about Hermia because of what the fairies had done while they were sleeping. Dreaming is also reinforced throughout this play as most of it is set in the dark at night time where dreaming traditionally takes place. Also when in the dark, objects are seen in different light and can be construed in the imagination to look like anything as their shadows mangle the shape of the actual object. In the Noble version the power of the subconscious mind is focused on much more than in the Hoffman version, as Noble uses weird sets and strange costumes throughout the play but especially in the woods where so much confusion and mystification occurs. Not only the actual things the viewers see on the screen are used to create this image of a very powerful subliminal world that this play is set in but also the way in which Noble lays out the play. Noble adds a boy to the play and makes it appear as if the play is the boy’s dream and therefore Noble is able to make the play run like a dream which gives him more freedom to make the play more surreal. This idea of the play being the boy’s dream comes from the opening seen when the audience is taken inside a house to the boy that is sleeping with a copy of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ under his arm. The boy is then suddenly awake exploring a house that is larger than and very unrealistic as doors are enlarged and the boy is made to be very small amongst these huge objects. The reason for the boy dreaming these sequences of events could be because he has read the play as a sort of bedtime story and literal events that could have happened around him or within his family. The boy could have jumbled up the two; reality and fiction, in his subconscious mind and when he fell asleep these idea could have come through. The Noble version could also be thought to take the play to the next level if you like thinking the play to be a more deeper philosophical type of play, rather than a light hearted romantic comedy which Shakespeare original wrote it to be. This philosophical reasoning could be construed as that there is no reality and we all live in one huge dream. In conclusion when comparing the two plays yet they consist of exactly the same characters that say exactly the same words they are quite different. The Noble version appears to be a much funnier play than the Hoffman play becomes of the way certain characters, especially the mechanicals, are presented to the audience. Along with the idea that the Noble version is funnier I believe because Noble has tried to make the play funnier he has also added more fantasy that the Hoffman version mainly because of the sets, back drops and costumes that Noble had decided to use. I think that the Noble version appeals to a younger audience than the Hoffman version does because of its funnier side than the Hoffman version but not a wide spread basis, the film will never be nominated for a BAFTA award or anything of that sort because of its low budget. Where as the Hoffman version has a much higher budget and will therefore appeal to filmgoers rather than people who like to watch Shakespeare on stage. Because of its glamour, lush background and expensive actors I feel that the Hoffman is more magical because Hoffman is able to use whatever set he pleases or go out on location and ‘doll’ up a place to his satisfaction, Noble I don’t think never had that luxury. I think it is more magical because the of setting that Hoffman presents with the film, for example when the audience is taken into the woods and the fairy land I think that the tree in which they are partying appears quite magical. I also feel that the Hoffman version is more romantic because the actors and actresses are always quite close to each and the opening scene illustrates this in the Hoffman version where Hermia, Lysnander and Helena are all pressed closed together. Overall I think that the Noble version is better because I like the way in which Noble has presented the mechanicals and feel that it is more light hearted than the Hoffman version. I also think that the Hoffman version has tried too hard to create the sets that Shakespeare writes about throughout the play and at times is a bit over the top with the backgrounds.