Hero or Zero Essay Example

Hero or Zero? Essay Norman Mailer once said, â€Å"For what does it mean to be a hero? It requires you to be prepared to deal with forces larger than yourself,† to be a hero means adequately confront forces and obstacles greater than yourself. In William Shakespeare’s play, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Macbeth is not a hero because he does not overcome forces that are greater than him. The three witches foresee Macbeth’s future as Thane of Cawdor and king. Once he becomes Thane of Cawdor, he also becomes ruthless and ambitious. He thinks the prophecy of becoming king will come true, as well. Macbeth’s ambition weakens him and forces him to kill King Duncan. One can see he is not a hero, but a tragic hero, this leading to his demise. â€Å"Per scelera simper sceleribus tutum est iter† –Agamemmnon. This quote means the safe way through crime is more crime. It pertains to Macbeth because his first crime brings him to future crime. Unlike the witches, there was also a powerful force in reality—Macduff. Macduff had an advantage over Macbeth from the apparitions made by the witches. The apparition of the floating head said, â€Å"Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Fear Macduff. Beware Thane of Fife. † (4. 1) The floating head foreshadows the murder of Macbeth. The apparition was a warning to Macbeth. Macduff is spurred on by his anger of Macbeth killing his family, and takes Macbeth’s life in return. As well as Macduff, Lady Macbeth can be included as a real and powerful force over Macbeth. Between Macbeth and his lady, she is stronger. â€Å"I would, while it was smiling in my face, have pluck’d my nipple from his boneless gums, and dash’d the brains out, had I so sworn as you have done to this. (1. 7) One can gather that from this quote, Lady Macbeth is comfortable with killing. Lady Macbeth is the mastermind of the murder, and convinces Macbeth into it. She attacks his manhood, â€Å"When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man. † (1. 7) She persuades Macbeth by belittling and verbally emasculating him. Macbeth gave in to her prodd ing and killed King Duncan. Deep down, every man has an innate ability to overcome obstacles and succeed, some greater than others. We will write a custom essay sample on Hero or Zero? specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Hero or Zero? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Hero or Zero? specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The difference between one who is overly ambitious or not, is how one controls their impulses to get what they want. Macbeth’s continual pursuit of power leaves him constantly wanting more control. He finds himself trying to fulfill this ambition at any cost, eventually leading him to his downfall. His hunger for power is insatiable and he succumbs to outside forces, such as Macduff who in the end kills him. For one to truly be a hero they must courageously face the odds, no matter how strong outside forces are. Macbeth did not courageously face outside forces, he was corrupted by them.

Theoretical Perspectives Essays

Theoretical Perspectives Essays Theoretical Perspectives Paper Theoretical Perspectives Paper Theoretical Perspectives The three main theoretical perspectives in sociologystructural-functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionismoffer insights into the nature, causes, and consequences of poverty and economic inequality. Structural-Functionalist Perspective According to the structural-functionalist perspective, poverty and economic inequality serve a number of positive functions for society. Decades ago, Davis and Moore (1945) argued that because the various occupational roles in society require different levels of ability, expertise, and knowledge, an unequal economic reward system helps to assure that the person who performs a particular role is the most qualified. As people acquire certain levels of expertise (e. g. , B. A. , M. A. , Ph. D. , M. D. ), they are progressively rewarded. Such a system, argued Davis and Moore (1945), motivates people to achieve by offering higher rewards for higher achievements. If physicians were not offered high salaries, for example, who would want to endure the arduous years of medical training and long, stressful hours at a hospital? The structural-functionalist view of poverty suggest that a certain amount of poverty has positive functions for society. Although poor people are often viewed as a burden to society, having a pool of low-paid, impoverished workers ensures that there will be people willing to do dirty, dangerous, and difficult work that others refuse to do. Poverty also provides employment for those who work in the poverty industry (such as welfare workers) and supplies a market for inferior goods such as older, dilapidated homes and automobiles (Gans, 1972). The structural-functionalist view of poverty and economic inequality has received a great deal of criticism from contemporary sociologists, who point out that many important occupational roles (such as child care workers) are poorly paid, whereas many individuals in nonessential roles (such as professional sports stars and entertainers) earn astronomical sums of money. Functionalism also accepts poverty as a necessary evil and ignores the roles of inheritance in the distribution of rewards. Conflict Perspective Conflict theorists regard economic inequality as resulting from the domination of the bourgeoisie (owners of the means of production) over the proletariat (workers). The bourgeoisie accumulate wealth as they profit from the labor of the proletariat, who earn wages far below the earnings of the bourgeoisie. The U. S. ducational institution further the ideals of capitalism by perpetuating the belief in equal opportunity, the American Dream, and the value of the work ethic. The proletariat, dependent on the capitalistic system, continue to be exploited by the wealthy and accept the belief that poverty is a consequence of personal failure rather than a flawed economic structure. Conflict theorists pay attention to how laws and policies benefit the wealthy and contribute to the gap between the have and the have not. Laws and policies that favor the richsometimes referred to as wealthfare or corporate welfareinclude low-interest government loans to failing businesses, special subsidies and tax breaks to corporations, and other laws and policies can deduct up to $1 million in mortgage interest. Lowering this ceiling to $250,000 would affect the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans, but would save taxpayers $10 billion a year (reported in Albelda Tilly, 1997). A 1998 Time magazine series of special reports on corporate welfare programs gave national visibility on the issue. In one report, Time revealed that between 1990 and 1997, Seaboard Corporation, an agribusiness corporate giant, received at least $150 million in economic incentives from federal, state, and local governments to build and staff poultry- and hog-processing plants in the United States, support its operations in foreign countries, and sell its products (Barlett Steele, 1998). Taxpayers picked up the tab not just for the corporate welfare, but also for the costs of new classrooms and teachers (for schooling the children of Seaboards employees, many of whom are immigrants), homelessness (due to the inability of Seaboards low-paid employees to afford housing), and dwindling property values resulting from smells of hog waste and rotting hog carcasses in areas surrounding Seaboards hog plants. Meanwhile, wealthy investors in Seaboard have earned millions in increased stock values. Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Symbolic interactionism focuses on how meanings, labels, and definitions affect and are affected by social life. This view calls attention to ways in which wealth and poverty are defined and the consequences of being labeled as poor. Individuals who are viewed as poorespecially those receiving public assistance (i. e. , welfare)are often stigmatized as lazy; irresponsible; and lacking in abilities, motivation, and moral values. Wealthy individuals, on the other hand, tend to be viewed as capable, motivated, hard-working, and deserving of their wealth. Definitions of wealth and poverty vary across societies and across time. For example, the Dinka are the largest ethnic group in the sub-Sahara African country of Sudan. By global standards, the Dinka are among the poorest of the poor, being among the least modernized people of the world. In the Dinka culture, wealth is measured in large part according to how many cattle a person owns. But, to the Dinka, cattle have a social, mortal, and spiritual value as an an economic value. In Dinka culture, a man pays an average bridewealth of 50 cows to the family of his bride. Thus, men use cattle to obtain a wife to beget children, especially sons, to ensure continuity of their ancestral lineage and, according to Dinka religious beliefs, their linkage with God. Although modernized populations might label the Dinka as poor, the Dinka view themselves as wealthy. As one Dinka elder explained, It is for cattle that we are admired, we, the Dinka All over the world, people look to us because of cattle ecause of our great wealth; and our wealth is cattle (Deng, 1998, p. 107). Deng (1998) notes that many African people who are poor by U. S. standards resist being labeld as poor. The symbolic interactionist perspective emphasizes that norms, values, and beliefs are learned through social interaction. Social interaction also influences the development of ones self-concept. Lewis (1966) argued that, over time, the poor develop norms, values, and beliefs and self-concepts that contribute to their own plight. According to Lewis, the culture of poverty is characterized by female-centered households, an emphasis on gratification in the present rather than in the future, and a relative lack of participation in societys major institutions. The people of the culture of poverty have a strong feeling of marginality, of helplessness, of dependency, of not belonging Along with this feeling of powerlessness is a widespread feeling of inferiority, of personal unworthiness (Lewis, 1998, p. ). Early sexual activity, early marriage, and unmarried parenthood are considered normal and acceptable among individuals living in a culture of poverty. Certain groups, according to this view, remain poor over time as the culture of poverty is transmitted from one generation to the next. Critics of the culture of poverty approach argue that it blames the victim rather than the structure of society for poverty, justifies the status quo, and perpetuates inequality (Ryan, 19

Yeha - Saba (Sheba) Kingdom Site in Ethiopia

Yeha - Saba' (Sheba) Kingdom Site in Ethiopia Yeha is a large Bronze Age archaeological site located about 15 miles (25 km) northeast of the modern town of Adwa in Ethiopia. It is the largest and most impressive archaeological site in the Horn of Africa showing evidence of contact with South Arabia, leading some scholars to describe Yeha and other sites as precursors to the Aksumite civilization. Fast Facts: Yeha Yeha is a large Bronze Age site in the Ethiopian Horn of Africa, established in the first millennium BCE.  Surviving structures include a temple, an elite residence and a set of rock-cut shaft tombs.  The builders were Sabaean, people from an Arabian kingdom in Yemen, thought to be the ancient land of Sheba. The earliest occupation at Yeha dates to the first millennium BCE. Surviving monuments include a well-preserved Great Temple, a palace perhaps an elite residence called Grat Beal Gebri, and the Daro Mikael cemetery of rock-cut shaft-tombs. Three artifact scatters probably representing residential settlements have been identified within a few kilometers of the main site but have not to date been investigated. The builders of Yeha were part of the Sabaean culture, also known as Saba, speakers of an old South Arabian language whose kingdom was based in Yemen and who are thought to have been what the Judeo-Christian bible names as the land of Sheba, whose powerful Queen is said to have visited Solomon. Chronology at Yeha Yeha I: 8th–7th centuries BCE. Earliest structure located at the palace at Grat Beal Gebri; and a small temple where the Great Temple would be constructed later.Yeha II: 7th–5th centuries BCE. Great Temple and the palace at Grat Beal Gebri built, elite cemetery at Daro Mikael begun.Yeha III: Late first millennium BCE. Late phase of construction at Grat Beal Gebri, tombs T5 and T6 at Daro Mikael. Great Temple of Yeha The Great Temple of Yeha is also known as the Almaqah Temple because it was dedicated to Almaqah, the moon god of the Saba kingdom. Based on construction similarities to others in the Saba region, the Great Temple was likely built in the 7th century BCE. The 46x60 foot (14x18 meter) structure stands 46 ft (14 m) high and was constructed of well-made ashlar (cut stone) blocks measuring up to 10 ft (3 m) long. The ashlar blocks fit together tightly without mortar, which, say scholars, contributed to the structures preservation over 2,600 years after it was built. The temple is surrounded by a cemetery and enclosed by a double wall. Foundation fragments of an earlier temple have been identified beneath the Great Temple and likely date to the 8th century BCE. The temple is located on an elevated location next to a Byzantine church (built 6th c CE) which is higher still. Some of the temple stones were borrowed to build the Byzantine church, and scholars suggest there may have been an older temple where the new church was built. Construction Characteristics The Great Temple is a rectangular building, and it was marked by a double-denticulate (toothed) frieze that still survives in places on its northern, southern, and eastern faà §ades. The faces of the ashlars display typical Sabaean stone masonry, with smoothed margins and a pecked center, similar to those at the Saba kingdom capitals such as the Almaqah Temple at Sirwah and the Awam Temple in Marib. In front of the building was a platform with six pillars (called a propylon), which provided access to a gate, a broad wooden door frame, and double doors. The narrow entrance led to an interior with five aisles created by four rows of three squarish pillars. The two side aisles in the north and south were covered by a ceiling and above it was a second story. The central aisle was open to the sky. Three wooden-walled chambers of equal size were located at the eastern end of the temple interior. Two additional cultic rooms extended out from the central chamber. A drainage system leading to a hole in the southern wall was inserted into the floor to assure that the temple interior was not flooded by rainwater. Palace at Grat Be'al Gebri The second monumental structure at Yeha is named Grat Beal Gebri, sometimes spelled as Great Baal Guebry. It is located a short distance from the Great Temple but in a comparatively poor state of preservation. The buildings dimensions were likely 150x150 ft (46x46 m) square, with a raised platform (podium) of 14.7 ft (4.5 m) high, itself built of volcanic rock ashlars. The exterior faà §ade had projections at the corners. The front of the building once also had a propylon with six pillars, the bases of which have been preserved. The stairs leading up to the propylon are missing, although the foundations are visible. Behind the propylon, there was a huge gate with a narrow opening, with two massive stone doorposts. Wooden beams were inserted horizontally along the walls and penetrating into them. Radiocarbon dating of the wooden beams dates construction between early 8th–late 6th centuries BCE. Necropolis of Daro Mikael The cemetery at Yeha consists of six rock-cut tombs. Each tomb was accessed via a staircase along 8.2 ft (2.5 m) deep vertical shafts with one grave chamber on each side. The entrances to the tombs were originally blocked by rectangular stone panels, and other stone panels sealed the shafts at the surface, and then all was covered by a mound of stone rubble. A stone enclosure fenced in the tombs, although it is unknown whether they were roofed or not. The chambers were up to 13 ft (4 m) in length and 4 ft (1.2 m) in height and were originally used for multiple burials, but all were looted in antiquity. Some displaced skeletal fragments and broken grave goods (clay vessels and beads) were found; based on grave goods and similar tombs at other Saba sites, the tombs probably date to the 7th–6th c BCE. Arabian Contacts at Yeha Yeha period III has traditionally been identified as a pre-Axumite occupation, based primarily on the identification of evidence for contact with South Arabia. Nineteen fragmentary inscriptions on stone slabs, altars and seals have been found at Yeha written in a South Arabian script. However, excavator Rodolfo Fattovich notes that the South Arabian ceramics and related artifacts recovered from Yeha and other sites in Ethiopia and Eritrea are a small minority and do not support the presence of a consistent South Arabian community. Fattovich and others believe that these do not represent a precursor to the Axumite civilization. The first professional studies at Yeha involved a small excavation by the Deutsche Axum-Expedition in 1906, then part of the Ethiopian Institute of Archaeology excavations in the 1970s led by F. Anfrayin. In the 21st century, investigations have been conducted by the Sanaa Branch of the Orient Department of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and the Hafen City University of Hamburg. Sources Fattovich, Rodolfo, et al. Archaeological Expedition at Aksum (Ethiopia) of the University of Naples Lorientale - 2010 Field Season: Seglamen. Naples: Universit degli studi di Napoli LOrientale, 2010. Print.Harrower, Michael J., and A. Catherine D’Andrea. Landscapes of State Formation: Geospatial Analysis of Aksumite Settlement Patterns (Ethiopia). African Archaeological Review 31.3 (2014): 513–41. Print.Japp, Sarah, et al. Yeha and Hawelti: Cultural Contacts between Saba and Dmt; New Research by the German Archaeological Institute in Ethiopia. Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 41 (2011): 145–60. Print.Lindstaedt, M., et al. Virtual Reconstruction of the Almaqah Temple of Yeha in Ethiopia by Terrestrial Laser Scanning. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences 38.5/W16 (2011): 199–203. Print.Phillipson, David W. Foundations of an African Civilisation: Aksum the Northern Horn 1000 BC–A D 1300. Suffolk, Great Britain: James Currey, 2012. Print. Wolf, Pawel, and Ulrike Nowotnick. The Almaqah Temple of . Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies 40 (2010): 367–80. Print.Meqaber Gaewa near Wuqro (Tigray, Ethiopia)

Giotto di Bondone - Father of the Renaissance

Giotto di Bondone - Father of the Renaissance Giotto di Bondone was known for being the earliest artist to paint more realistic figures rather than the stylized artwork of the medieval and Byzantine eras Giotto is considered by some scholars to be the most important Italian painter of the 14th century.  His focus on emotion and natural representations of human figures would be emulated and expanded upon by successive artists, leading Giotto to be called the Father of the Renaissance. Places of Residence and Influence Italy: Florence Important Dates Born: c. 1267Died: Jan. 8, 1337 Quotation from Giotto Every painting is a voyage into a sacred harbor. About Giotto di Bondone Though many stories and legends have circulated about Giotto and his life, very little can be confirmed as fact. He was born in Colle di Vespignano, near Florence, in 1266 or 1267- or, if Vasari is to be believed, 1276. His family was probably farmers. Legend has it that while he was tending goats he drew a picture on a rock and that the artist Cimabue, who happened to be passing by, saw him at work and was so impressed with the boys talent that he took him into his studio as an apprentice.  Whatever the actual events, Giotto appears to have been trained by an artist of great skill, and his work is clearly influenced by Cimabue. Giotto is believed to have been short and ugly. He was personally acquainted with Boccaccio, who recorded his impressions of the artist and several  stories of his wit and humor; these were included by Giorgio Vasari in the chapter on Giotto  in his  Lives of the Artists.  Giotto  was married and at the time of his death, he was survived by at least six children. The Works of Giotto There exists no documentation to confirm any artwork as having been painted by Giotto di Bondone. However, most scholars agree on several of his paintings. As an assistant to Cimabue, Giotto is believed to have worked on projects in Florence and other places in Tuscany, and in Rome. Later, he also traveled to Naples and Milan. Giotto almost undoubtedly painted the Ognissanti Madonna (currently in the Uffizi in Florence) and the fresco cycle in the Arena Chapel (also known as the Scrovegni Chapel)  at Padua, considered by some scholars to be his masterwork.  In Rome, Giotto is believed to have created  the mosaic of  Christ Walking on the Water  over the entrance to St. Peter’s, the  altarpiece at the  Vatican Museum, and  the fresco of  Boniface VIII Proclaiming the Jubilee  in  St. John Lateran.   Perhaps his best-known work is that done in Assisi, in the Upper Church of San Francesco: a cycle of 28 frescoes depicting the life of Saint Francis of Assisi. This monumental work depicts the entire life of the saint, instead of isolated events, as had been the tradition in ​earlier medieval artwork. The authorship of this cycle, like most of the works attributed to Giotto, has been called into question; but it is very likely that he not only worked in the church but designed the cycle and painted most of the frescoes. Other important works by Giotto include the Sta Maria Novella Crucifix, completed sometime in the 1290s, and the Life of St. John the Baptist fresco cycle, completed c. 1320. Giotto was also known as a sculptor and architect. Though there is no concrete evidence for these assertions, he was appointed chief architect of the workshop of Florence cathedral in 1334. The Fame of Giotto Giotto was a much-sought-after artist during his lifetime. He appears in works by his contemporary  Dante  as well as  Boccaccio.  Vasari said of him, Giotto restored the link between art and nature. Giotto di Bondone died in Florence, Italy, on January 8, 1337. More Giotto di Bondone Resources Painting of Giotto by Paolo UccelloBooks on Giotto include Giottoby  Francesca Flores dArcais Giotto(Taschen Basic Art)by Norbert Wolf Giotto(DK Art Books)by  Dorling Kindersley Giotto: The Founder of Renaissance ArtHis Life in Paintingsby  DK Publishing Giotto: The Frescoes of the Scrovegni Chapel in Paduaby Giuseppe Basile Giotto di Bondone on the Web WebMuseum: Giotto Extensive examination of Giottos life and work by Nicolas Pioch. Renaissance Art and Architecture

One page summary ISO9000 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

One page summary ISO9000 - Essay Example Various types of documents are required for ISO 9000 certification. Apart from the details of quality management systems, details of management responsibility, resource management, production realization, Measurement, analysis and improvement etc are required to submit by a company if it applies for ISO 9000 certification. The 1994 version of ISO certification emphasized quality assurance via preventive actions, instead of just checking final product whereas the 2000 version of ISO 9000 certification brought the concept of process management front and center (Process management" was the monitoring and optimizing of a companys tasks and activities, instead of just inspecting the final product). ISO does not itself certify organizations; but it provides certification through the accreditation bodies and certification bodies formed in different countries. These bodies charge some fees for giving ISO certification. ISO certification can create a more efficient, effective operation, incre ase customer satisfaction and retention, reduce audits, enhance marketing, improve employee motivation, awareness, and morale, promote international trade, increases profit and reduce waste. At the same time in order to get ISO certification an organization should spent a substantial amount of money, time and also it requires massive paperwork for

Discussion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 32

Discussion - Assignment Example In the event of establishing customer satisfaction, the employees seemed accurate in delivering their obligations towards the clientele groups (8-6). The mode of efficiency, cross-cultural teamwork, and value-added approaches inscribed through training was serviceable as their practices matched the strategies of the organization. The group seemed to have the ability to gain new orientations, which when applied led to value propositions and customer satisfaction (9-12). The evaluation process and the performance appraisal plans undertaken on a quarterly and annual basis deciphered knowledge that the group was devoted to deliver their tasks in exchange of the set goals and objectives. Eventually, the employees deserved the top five rankings due to their unified approaches in performances. They revealed a level of aggression towards the implementation of sound decisions. The group gained the ability to respond to customer needs through researches with an aim of acquiring innovative alternatives. Customers revealed their satisfaction in the acquired services through the collected reviews (10-13). Lastly, the appraisal revealed that the top five personnel bore the desired experience and knowledge in their specific careers thus; they had the ability to react towards any challenges, monitor the customer segments, and implement the acquired skill gained in the training for the organization’s

Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Egypt - Essay Example The Giza Pyramids are a symbol of Egyptian beauty and charm and tourists remember Egypt with the picture of the great pyramids in mind. Indeed these pyramids are one of the wonders of the world. (Rosalie, 1997) Around 8000 BC, the Sahara Desert was formed due to the desiccation of the pastoral lands within the country. By about 6000 BC, the Neolithic culture started to have its roots within the Nile valley. There have existed a number of different dynasties within Egypt since time immemorial. As far as the geography of Egypt is concerned, it is the world’s 38th largest country and its size is comparable to that of Tanzania. Most of the population within Egypt lives around the Nile valley and Delta since the climate is conducive enough for populations to settle around these areas only. Around 99% of the total population uses only 5.5% of the Egyptian land area. Its borders are shared by Libya on the west, Gaza strip and Israel on the East and Sudan on the south. Egypt’s strategic location makes it a very dominant player within the geopolitical scenario and its transcontinental location asks for significance in terms of forming a bridge between Asia and Africa. The climate of Egypt is usually dry and the country receives showers only in the winter months. The rainfall averages south of Cairo are 2 - 5 mm each year and sometimes frequent after quite a few years in essence. The temperatures within Egypt range between 80o F and 90 o F in summer while goes up to 109 o F in the area of the Red Sea coast. Thus the temperatures usually average within 55 o F and 70 o F in the winter season. There is a steady wind which blows from the northwestern region which makes the weather pleasant near the Mediterranean coast. The global warming regimes hamper Egypt’s densely populated coastal strip and the same could have ramifications for the country’s economy,