Essay on The Character of Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, presents ten male characters for every one female character. The only prominent female characters are two: Ophelia, Laertes’ sister and Polonius’ daughter; and Gertrude, the queen and wife of Claudius and mother of Hamlet. This essay will explore the character, role, and importance of Gertrude. Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, is apparently disturbed by her son’s appearance in solemn black at the gathering of the court, and she requests of him: Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off, And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not for ever with thy vailed lids Seek for thy noble father in the dust: Thou knowst tis common; all that lives†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"So lust, though to a radiant angel linkd, / Will sate itself in a celestial bed,/And prey on garbage.† This revelation shows Gertrude’s complex temperament and motivation and renders her much more rounded in the dramatist’s development of her (Abrams 33). The ghost asks the protagonist to disregard revenge on Gertrude: â€Å"Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive / Against thy mother aught,† and to leave her â€Å"to those thorns that in her bosom lodge, / To prick and sting her.† Gertrude has a contrasting character in the person of Ophelia, who is the picture of purity and innocence. Ophelia obeys her very morally and socially conservative father, Polonius, in every detail, even to the extent of giving him her love-letters from Hamlet; unlike Gertrude, who brazenly violates her marriage vow, then breaks social conventions in marrying within a month of her first husband’s funeral, and incestuously marrying her husband’s brother. Though Gertrude and Ophelia contrast morally, they are close socially; the queen confides in Ophelia: â€Å"And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish / That your good beauties be the happy cause / Of Hamlet’s wildness.† Gertrude shares the duties of state with her husband, presiding alongside Claudius before visiting dignitaries, and getting involved with the humdrum daily activities like Hamlet’s courtship of Ophelia. When Polonius and ClaudiusShow MoreRelatedThe Character of Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet Essay1558 Words   |  7 Pages    The character of Gertrude in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, is not a woman for emulation by others. She is too human, and not very intelligent. Let’s consider her in this essay.    Mary Bradford-Whiting, in her article â€Å"Mothers in Shakespeare† compares the mother of Juliet to the mother of Hamlet:    Juliet has a mother, to whose heart of stone she appeals in vain:    . . . O, sweet my mother, cast me not away! [Romeo and Juliet, III.v.198]    Hamlet has a motherRead More The Character of Gertrude in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay535 Words   |  3 PagesThe Character of Gertrude  in Shakespeares Hamlet  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is tempting to condemn Gertrude as evil, but it is probably more sensible to consider her as weak and inconstant. Hamlets heartfelt line Frailty, thy name is woman sums up his view of her actions early in the play. Like many of Shakespeares women characters, she is sketched in rather than drawn in detail. We know that she has a deep affection for her son, which is commented on by Claudius in Act 4 The Queen, his mother, livesRead MoreCharacter Analysis of Gertrude in William Shakespeares Hamlet1404 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Hamlet: Argumentative Essay Introduction The purpose of this essay is to analyze the role of Gertrude in Hamlet, which is counted as one of the famous plays of English language (Thompson and Neil Taylor 74) and the most popular work of Shakespeare (Wells and Stanton 1). This essay will evaluate the role of Gertrude, who was the mother of Prince Hamlet and also the title character of the play. Thesis Statement: Gertrude, the wife of late King Hamlet was disloyal to her husband and also responsibleRead MoreAn Analysis of Queen Gertrudes Position in King Hamlets Death in William Shakespeares Hamlet1056 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of Queen Gertrudes Position in King Hamlets Death in William Shakespeares Hamlet Usually in a playwright, one of the authors objectives is to keep the viewer or reader confused or disconcerted about certain events in the plot. Certain characters in a play or story that have concocted covert schemes to perhaps murder or frame somebody, may have confusing effects on the viewer. Depending on the way the plan was developed in the plot the viewer may have to stop and ask themselves;Read MoreHamlet Tragedy Of The Mother And Son1137 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet-Tragedy of the Mother and Son William Shakespeare is a writer of tragedies—the tragedies within common everyday relationships. Of these various relationships, Shakespeare reveals his interest in the relationship between the mother and son within Hamlet. The mother: Queen Gertrude, and the son: Prince Hamlet is unique within the play because Hamlet’s relationship with his mother is rare in the sense that Gertrude is one of two women within Hamlet. And like the other woman, Gertrude is submergedRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare1178 Words   |  5 Pages In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, the protagonist suffers from struggles with major characters, especially with the women in his life. While reading the play Hamlet, Hamlet appears to be a disillusioned man. Throughout the play, Shakespeare has only casted two females: Gertrude and Ophelia. Gertrude is defined to be incestuous, naà ¯ve and cold-hearted. On the other side, Ophelia is characterized to be ignorant, innocent and fearful. After the quick marriage of his mother and evil uncle, Hamlet’sRead MoreAn Honest Representation Of The Liar1650 Words   |  7 Pagesof the Liar: Gertrude Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, has long been the victim of dissection by English professors and their students. Its multi-faceted plot and sheer length make it a ripe specimen for analysis about nearly anything, given the right spin, but particularly present in this work, and differing from Shakespeare’s usual focal point, is the role of minor characters. While in his other plays the name Messenger is given to one whose sole role is to be a messenger, Hamlet gives full characterRead MoreHamlet and Play Essay1048 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet Essay The act of revenge never fails to accomplish Shakespeare’s goal of keeping the audience in their seats. Hamlet, William Shakespeare’s most well written play carries the theme of revenge or redemption throughout the play. Redemption is defined to be as the desire to undo an injury or a wrongdoing. Many characters felt that they needed to redeem themselves however in doing so, they ended up facing death. For some characters, revenge had sprouted from their urges to redeem themselvesRead MoreHamlet Prequel To Hamlet Analysis885 Words   |  4 PagesI thoroughly enjoyed Shakespeare’s Hamlet when our class first read the book in Mr. Allegretti’s class.The interactions and the emotions of the characters were very interesting to me. That’s why when Mr. Simonds recommended Gertrude And Claudius to the class, I became interested in the book when he said it was an unofficial prequel to Hamlet made by a different author. Gertrude And Claudius serves as a pre quel to Hamlet and is centered around Princess Gertrude’s point of view. This prequel worksRead MoreEssay about Portrayal of Women in Shakespeares Hamlet 1227 Words   |  5 PagesWomen in Shakespeares Hamlet  Ã‚   Shakespeare was possibly the first writer to portray women as strong, crafty, and intelligent. However, he has still received criticism from feminists about his representation of women. Some have even accused him of misogyny. There are only two female characters in the play Hamlet - Gertrude, Hamlets mother and Ophelia, daughter of Polonius. Any debate based upon gender roles must therefore focus upon these two characters. Shakespeare portrays Gertrude as a

Portrayal of Class in 2 Broke Girls - 1867 Words

Analysis of the portrayal of class in an American TV series Contemporary class differences should not longer cause problems in social life. As differences between high class and low class members are growing, difficulties in communication expand at the same measure. The US sitcom â€Å"2 Broke Girls†, produced by Michael Patrick King in 2011, tackles these issues and creates a TV series, which is not as funny as it is expected from a comic sitcom, and therefore criticizes not only sitcoms of that genre in general, but also the American class system. As the sitcom is playing today, in an America of the economical crisis, it also tries to deal with the question how to create a stable market. Therefore â€Å"2 Broke Girls† (2011) shows a utopia of†¦show more content†¦In this episode, Caroline realizes that she needs a bite guard, after biting into an apple and seeing the dental imprint. As she cannot offer to pay her old dentist, Max takes her to a practice in the underground, which is seedy and dirty, and Caroline flees after a few minutes. The fact that she actually knows which of her teeth needs care, pictures her knowledge in things, which Max would never even think of. Her priorities in life differ immensely from those of Max, as Max has not even been to a dentist for years. Obviously, Caroline cannot simply oversee her dental problems and therefore decides to brake into her old home (which is under security observation), to get her bite guard. When she enters with Max through the window of her dressing room, Max is so excited about the luxuriousness and the immense amount of clothes, that she decides to stay a bit longer to take a bath in Caroline’s whirlpool-bath tube. These scenes do not only prove Max’s and Caroline’s completely different lifestyles, but also their attitude towards things which are important in life, and which are nonsense. Another example, is also Caroline’s shoe cabinet, which can be moved by using a remote control, and looks as a gigantic gril l for chicken. Caroline designed it on her own, which is completely incomprehensible forShow MoreRelatedMain Action Of The Mona Lisa Smile859 Words   |  4 Pagesthe norm! I believe the main action of the film was disruption. When I say disruption, I mean coming in and breaking the rules. Julia Roberts (Katherine Watson) played a professor that came into a new school and changed the way of learning. 2. Did you like the movie? Why or why not? - I loved this film! While watching The Mona Lisa Smile, I quickly caught on that these students didn’t have their own mindset or free thinking. The school and their parents went as far as to teach them how toRead MoreAmerican Cheerleader: The Icon, The Stereotype, and The Truth1525 Words   |  7 Pageseyed sex symbol? Is she a drug-addicted girl with no brains and even fewer moral values? 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It is an article from the Telegraph by Robbie Collin, he is writing about the character Mrs Gamp and he says â€Å"Dickens wrote that Mrs Gamp was, ‘four-and-twenty years ago, a fair representation of the hired attendant on the

Gay and Lesbian Parenting Essay Example For Students

Gay and Lesbian Parenting Essay In the last decade there has been a rise n the number of lesbians and gay men forming their own families. Many do this through adoption, foster care, artificial insemination, and other means. Today, researchers have estimated that the number of children living with one gay or lesbian parent is six to fourteen million. Some have described this current period as a lesbian and gay baby boom. However, lesbian and gay parents face many social and legal obstacles (Lambda Legal Defense and Educational Fund, 1997). In the past, most gay and lesbian parents lived secretive and protective lives. Not only did gay parents have to face his or her coming out issues and separation from spouse, but also face coming out to their children. Because more and more lesbian and gay families choose to have children, they are also more out about whom they are. This means that they are showing up in fertility clinics for information about attempting pregnancy, they are coming to adoption agencies stating clearly the nature of their family, they are going to attorneys for information on second parent same-sex adoption, and they are going to PTA meetings and little league games with the same enthusiasm as other parents (Lev, 2002 p.2). Many of the children parented by lesbians and gay men were born to them when they were in a heterosexual relationship or marriage. Often, when the childs non-gay parent discovers the sexual identity of the other parent, he or she may attempt to limit their parenting roles. Other challenges have been brought upon by other relatives or government agencies, thus causing prejudice towards gay and lesbian parents and denying custody and visitation rights (Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, 1997-2002). The child custody and visitation legal standards vary from state to state. For example, twenty-one states have granted second-parent adoptions to lesbian and gay couples. This enables the child to have the equal opportunity of having two legal parents, especially if one dies. Today, the majority of states no long deny custody or visitation based on sexual orientation. Now, courts apply the notion best interest of the child, when it comes to deciding cases based upon this. Thus, ones sexual orientation cannot be the basis for denying or limiting parent-child relationships, in most states (The American Civil Liberties Union, 1999). Although things seem to be coming along more and more, ones sexual orientation may have drawbacks. A few states, which rely on the myths and stereotypes, have uses ones sexual orientation to deny custody, adoption, visitation and foster care. For example, Florida and New Hampshire have laws that forbid lesbians and gay men from adopting children. Some instances have shown how ones sexual orientation is used to their disadvantage, such as in Sharon Bottoms case. In a notorious 1993 decision, a court in Virginia took away Sharon Bottoms two-year old son simply because of her sexual orientation, and transferred custody to the boys maternal grandmother. And Arkansas has just adopted a policy prohibiting lesbians, gay men, and those who live with them, from serving as foster parents (American Civil Liberties Union, 1999, p.1). Issues of parenting are not the only difficulties that gay and lesbian parents face. Others include the right to a legal marriage, which enables them to have the same rights and laws as opposite-sex couples. The Netherlands became the first to issue legal marriage to same-sex couples on April 1, 2001. These marriage licenses are only offered to its legal citizens and residents. No other state or country in the world allows same-sex marriages. Although many churches marry same-sex couples, ceremonial marriages provide no civil laws and carry no legal benefits or responsibilities. Same-sex couples are considered to be legal strangers, thus, Federal laws regarding marriage does not cover them. It still remains uncertain when same-sex couples will be able to get a legal marriage license. Suits for legal marriages began in the United States in 1971 (Partners Task Force for Gay and Lesbian Couples, 2002). .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f , .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f .postImageUrl , .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f , .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f:hover , .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f:visited , .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f:active { border:0!important; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f:active , .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucf2b2a65e856065831cf528d0a37f53f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: No Future Essay Although same-sex couples remain in the fight for their rights to be legally married, one of the best rulings came from the Vermont State Supreme Court on December 20, 1999. Their final ruling stated that, Same-sex couples must be .

Strategic Management Tool And Techniques In Reference To EBay Inc

Question- Write an assignment that gives an in-depth understanding of strategic management tool and techniques? Answer - Executive Summary This assignment gives an in-depth understanding of strategic management tool and techniques and how they help an organisation in developing its future growth strategies. It studies strategic management in reference to eBay Inc which is a market leader of worlds online market place. First part of the assignment conducts an environmental analysis for eBay using strategic tools like SWAOT analysis, PEST analysis and Porters five forces analysis. The outcome of SWOT analysis shows that strengths and opportunities of eBay outnumber its Weaknesses and threats; this predicts future growth and profitability. PEST analysis for eBay analyses the external factors that affects its operations. Porters five forces analysis for eBay shows that they feel minimum pressure from competitors; substitute products and suppliers however are affected by change in customer preferences. Does The Intricacy of The Topic Intimidate You? Tame Your Fear with Unmatched Assignment Help Services from Professional Writers. Second part of the assignment evaluates the resources and core competencies of eBay that leads to development of competitive advantages that competitors can neither imitate nor substitute. Resources analysis of eBay reveals that it has around $44.48 billion of tangible assets and $10,208 million of goodwill and intangible assets. Innovation forms the base for its high brand reputation and its 33,000 employees across the globe are seen as the most precious assets of the company. E-auction, unique business model and unmatched brand reputation are identified as the core competencies of the company which helps them retaining their competitive advantage and huge market share. Third part of the assignment focuses on recommendation for future development. TOWS analysis is performed for eBay in order to formulate strategies that can help them in maximising their strengths and minimising their weaknesses in order to take advantage of opportunities and avoid threats. Market development, strategic alliance and new pricing strategies are seen as the most sustainable, feasible and acceptable future growth strategies to enter new markets of developing countries like India and China. Table of Contents Introduction. Environmental Analysis for eBay. SWOT Analysis for eBay. PEST Analysis for eBay. Porters Five Forces Analysis for eBay. Resources and Competence Analysis for eBay. Recommendations for future Development. TOWS matrix for eBay to generate strategic options. Recommendations. References. Appendices. Introduction Strategic management is the process of systematic analysis of factors related to the external environment (competitors and customers) and the internal environment (organisation itself) in order to ensure that optimum management practices are maintained (Ansoff, 2007) . The primary purpose of strategic management is to attain an alignment between strategic priorities and corporate policies. eBay Inc. commonly referred to as ebay was founded in year 1995 by Pierre Omidyar (eBay Inc, 2015). It is an American multinational corporation and e-commerce company. It uses internet to provide business-to customer and customer-to-customer sales services. It is a multi-billion dollar company with offices across the global and headquarters in San Jose, California, United States. It comprises of three different business units with their own distinct brands (eBay Inc, 2015). eBay helps businesses and individuals in buying and selling online, PayPal is considered a leader in digital payments transact ions, eBay Enterprise provide customers with digital marketing, commerce and retailing services. Environmental Analysis for eBay Environmental analysis is defined as the systematic process of identifying various environmental factors in a business, studying their possible impacts and formulating strategies in order to benefit from them (Freeman, 2010). A companys environment or marketing environment comprises of all the factors that affect its ways of working. An in-depth analysis of marketing environment helps taking best advantage of positive factors and minimising the affect of negative factors (Baines, Fill, Page, 2013). Internal environment, micro environment and macro environment are three parts of a companys marketing environment (Adler, 2010). Figure below shows the different components of each part. Various strategic management tools can be used to perform environmental analysis for ebay. SWOT Analysis for eBay Swot analysis is a strategic management tool that helps analysing a companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (Pahl Richter, 2009). It the strengths and opportunities combined together outnumbers weaknesses and threats then the outcome is considered positive and predicts future growth. Swot analysis for ebay is shown below. Strengths Weaknesses Giant online marketplace: 105 million active users and 150 million live listings Extensive global presence: Present in 37 countries Economies of Scale: Very less investment with high earning Strong business model: Acts as an intermediate between sellers and buyers. A unique business model that serves as a competitive advantage Brand reputation: A multi billion brand with huge brand loyalty Strong payment methods: Uses PayPal which is considered a secure and convenient payment system Localisation: Displays in local languages and is adapted to local product offerings High Fees: Market research reveals that eBay charges comparatively high fees when compared to other online service providers. Sellers are hardly able to make profits. Scams: A number of shipping scams and frauds have been reported lately as no IT system can be 100% secure. Lacks strong future growth strategies Opportunities Threats Growth of online market: Reports indicate remarkable growth in online market. It is an emerging market and provides ample opportunities. Developing economies: Countries like India and China present good growth opportunities Change in customer preference: Customers today have less time thus prefer to use online marketplace which helps saving time. Impact of social media: use of social media helps in attracting more customers Acquisitions and Mergers: Skype deal opens more opportunities Online Security: As the model is completely IT bases its always open to security threats Increased Competition: High competition from big brands like Amazon and new entrants Changing economies and exchange rate: Changes in economical conditions affects exchange rates which in turn affects eBay. Other IT related issues like server crash, hacking etc. Table.1. Source: Made by Student (2015) SWOT analysis for eBay predicts high future growth however they have to work on their future strategies in order to align with changing business needs. PEST Analysis for eBay PEST analysis is a business management tool that helps analysing the political, economical, socio-cultural and technological factors affecting the overall functioning of an organisation (SWOT analysis and PEST analysis, 2014). PEST analysis for eBay is shown below: Political: This element of PEST analysis evaluated the political factors that affect eBay. eBay has its operations in almost 37 countries across the globe thus is affected by different government laws and regulations of each country. However E-commerce as of now is not that much affected by national governments (Adler, 2010). They are greatly affected by taxation laws, employment laws, security regulations related to online payments etc (Armstrong, 2012). Economical: Like all other businesses eBay is greatly affected by the overall world economical conditions. They are affected by economical factors like inflation, unemployment, rate of interest, currency fluctuation and changes in taxes (Marketing Mix, 2013). Changes in economical conditions directly affect consumer buying power which in turn has direct influence on eBays overall business ( Bizning Vakil, 2012). Socio-Cultural: eBay overall business if greatly affected by changing customer preferences, changes in lifestyle trends and consumer buying patterns. Researches reveal that there has been a significant rise in the number of consumers preferring online retailing as compared to offline retailing (Armstrong, 2012). There has been a huge shift in consumers ways of buying and selling products with so much information available to them at the click of a button. Technological: Rapid advancement in technology has shown a huge impact on all business across the world (Armstrong, 2012). eBays complete business model is based on internet thus it is greatly affected by technological factors like security threats, server breakdowns and changes in terms of online payments. Porters Five Forces Analysis for eBay Porters five forces model is a tool that helps analysing the external competitive environment of an organisation (Porter, 2008). Porters five forces analysis for eBay is shown below: Threat of new entrants: Medium; E-commerce industry provide low barriers to new entrants (Frobes, 2014). It requires high investment in order to compete on a large scale. Online payments are seen as a complex processes. Threat of Competitive Rivalry: Medium to High; Both online and offline companies compete with eBay. It faces high competition from big online players like Amazon and Alibaba (Frobes, 2014). Less entry barriers result in development of a number of new online companies operating on same business model as eBay Bargaining power of customers: High; with too many options available customers enjoys high bargaining power ( Bizning Vakil, 2012). E-commerce companies have to offer fewer prices in order to attract more customers. Customer today has ample of information related to the products thus they know where they can get what they desired at best price. Bargaining power of Suppliers: Low; eBay is a big brand name and suppliers all over are eager to get associated with it (Frobes, 2014). Millions of sellers make product listing on eBay thus bargaining power of individual suppliers is very less. Threat of Substitute product: Low; eBay has a unique business model where numerous products are sold thus they do not feel any threat from substitute products (Frobes, 2014). They can easily change to different products to meet changing needs of customers. Resources and Competence Analysis for eBay Resource Based View (RBV) of strategic management helps identifying an organisations sources behind its sustained competitive advantage (Acosta, Colomo-Palacios, Loukis, 2011).eBay is the worlds largest online marketplace which provides its users with a convenient platform where they can buy and sell their products. The evolution of strategic management over time has made it possible to analyse the resources and core competencies of an organisation which final lead to the development of competitive advantage (Hana, 2013). Strategic management has identified a strong relationship between an organisations resources, capabilities and core competencies (Nilsson Rapp, 2005). Resources are defined as the sources of an organisations capabilities; capabilities future acts as an organisations sources of core competencies which in turn forms the basis for its competitive advantage in the marketplace (Abraham, 2012). Resources: Resources of an organisation can be both tangible as well as intangible. Tangible resources are resources that are physical can be observed and quantified (Graham, 2008). Tangible resources of eBay include its financial assets of $44.48 billion till Q3 of year 2014 (ebay inc, 2015). Its physical assets which include its buildings, product lines, machinery, technological hardware and service equipment amount to $ 2,760 million as declared in eBay Inc. Annual report of year 2013 (Stock Analysis on Net, 2013). eBay has a strong portfolio of technological assets and organisational assets (ebay inc, 2013). Intangible resources are resources that cannot be quantified; they are deep rooted in organisations history and have accumulated over time (Abraham, 2012). As these resources are not easily visible it becomes difficult for competitors to understand, imitate or substitute them. Thus, a competitive advantage that results from an intangible resources is always more sustainable. Intangible resources include human resources, innovation and brand reputation (Freeman, 2010). eBay in its annual report of year 2013 has declared a good will and intangible assets of $ 10,208 million (Stock Analysis on Net, 2013). They have more than 33,000 employees across the globe, who are driven by a spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation along with a guiding sense of purpose. They strive for excellence and create a positive impact on customers, community and planet. Innovation is the key behind the remarkable success of eBay enabling it to each an unmatched brand reputation. Core Competence: Core competence refers to an organisations resources and capabilities that server as a competitive advantage against its competitors (Ansoff, 2007). It emerges within an organisation over a period of time and defines its capacity to take actions. It helps adding unique value for its customers and represents only those resources and capabilities that have strategic values. eBays complete business model is an unmatched core competence and serves as prime competitive advantage for the company. It is recognised worldwide for its innovative ideas which cannot be imitated by any of its rivals. Its Brand reputation is another core competence that attracts high customer traffic towards its website. eBay considers its human resources as one of the primary forces that helped it develop a strong brand reputation in the online marketplace. E-auction service is another core competence of eBay which has brought considerable growth to the company. Recommendations for future Development Resources and competence analysis of eBay predicts high growth opportunities in coming future. The company however must emphasize more on developing strategies that can help them prevent frauds especially in customer to customer marketing of products. eBay recently has faced a number of legislation related to selling of counterfeit products. It must deploy effective screening processes in order to control the sale of counterfeit products. It must expand to developing economies and take advantage of ample opportunities presented by them. It is essential for them to formulate future growth strategies in order to meet the dynamic needs of online marketplace and further strengthen their technological portfolio in order to retain their competitive advantage. TOWS matrix for eBay to generate strategic options TOWS analysis is referred to as a variant of SWOT analysis (Baines, Fill, Page, 2013). It helps in bettering understanding of the various strategic choices available to the organisation. TOWS analysis for eBay is present below: TOWS Matrix for eBay TOWS Matrix for eBay External Opportunities (O) External Threats(T) Growing demand for online retailing Acquisitions and mergers Growth in digital market sector Diversification Developing economies Security threats Changing economic conditions Currency fluctuation Sale of counterfeit products Emergence of small domestic players Competition from big brands like Amazon Internal Strengths (S) (SO) Using strengths to maximise opportunities (ST) Using strengths to minimise threats Online market place leader Huge market share Financial Stability Strong leadership Brand reputation Business Model Human resources E-auction Strong technological portfolio Expanding to new markets like India and China Expanding product portfolio Diversifying into new product markets Using Brand reputation to attract more customers Online verification to control sale of counterfeit products Strategic alliances to further increase market share Restructuring marketing and management strategies Internal Weaknesses (W) (WO) Minimising weaknesses to take advantage of opportunities (WT)Minimise weaknesses to avoid threats Weak control illegal and fraud selling of products Complete dependence on technology Comparatively high prices Brick and Mortar stores for eBay to enhance physical evidence element Altering pricing strategies to provide cost advantage Implement strategies that can better control frauds. Strengthen online payments security. Strategic alliances Table.2. Source: Made by Student (2015) The outcome of TOWS analysis for eBay presents ample opportunities for eBay in international online market place. They must consider Market development, strategic alliance and pricing strategies as primary future growth strategies. Recommendations Market development, strategic alliance and new pricing strategies are the most sustainable, feasible and acceptable future growth strategies. They should consider countries like India and China for further expansion. Both these countries are developing economies with huge population thus provide ample growth opportunities. In order to take maximum advantage they should focus on developing strategic alliance with local enterprises that have better knowledge of local community preferences. As they enter these new markets they should emphasize on restructuring their pricing strategies as these countries have lower buying power owing to less stable economic conditions and low currency value. eBay enjoys a huge market share and has high brand reputation which can help them attract target customers in new markets. They should deploy strategies by which can control sale of counterfeit products which will further help them increase brand image and loyalty. References Bizning Vakil. (2012). External environment of EBay within the framework of Porters Five Force analysis. Abraham, S. C. (2012). Strategic Planning: A Practical Guide for Competitive Success. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing. Acosta, P. S., Colomo-Palacios, R., Loukis, E. N. (2011). A review of the RBV of the firm within the e-Business literature: Whats next? Interdisciplinary Journal of Research in Business , 1 (1), 45-52. Adler, M. (2010). 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