Macbeth a tragic hero Essay Example for Free

Macbeth a tragic hero Essay A Tragic Hero is a common figure in many of Shakespeares works. A Tragic Hero is usually a figure of royalty, fame or greatness. This person is predominately good, but falls from prominence due to personality flaws that eventually lead to self-destruction. Macbeths major flaws are his ambition and impressionability. Due to their flaws, a Tragic Heros actions are often atrocious and cause them to battle with their conscience after their desires have been accomplished. These battles with their conscience evoke empathy from the audience. A Shakespearean Tragic Hero will always lose their life in the end of the play as a result of re-establishment of what is good in the play. In Shakespeares Macbeth, the title figure of the play can be seen as the Tragic Hero. There are many factors which contribute to the decline of Macbeth. The three main factors which contribute greatly to Macbeths degeneration are the prophecies which were told to him by the witches, Lady Macbeths influence and ability to manipulate Macbeths judgment, and finally Macbeths long time ambition which drove his desire to be king. Macbeths growing character decays from a noble man to a violent individual. When the play begins, Macbeths greatness is already established. Macbeth has already earned the title of Thane of Glamis and will soon become the Thane of Cawdor. The fact that he has these titles demonstrates to the reader that Macbeth is good and an important figure of responsibility. He is also addressed as Valiant cousin, worthy gentlemen. (Shakespeare 1:2 26), Brave Macbeth, well he deserves that name. (Shakespeare 1:2 18) and as Worthy Thane. by King Duncan. They way in which he is addressed by the influential members of his country further informs the reader that Macbeth is respectable. However, after Macbeth interacts with the three witches, his curiosity is stirred by their prophecies, especially their prediction that he will become king. He commits murder in order to fulfill their prophecy and then returns to the three witches a second time for reassurance. The three witches, with the aid of three apparitions, then revealed to Macbeth in Act 5, Scene 1 the following prophecies: Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Beware Macduff! Beware the Than of  Fife!Macbeth! Macbeth! Macbeth! Be bloody, bold and resolute. Laugh to scorn the power of man, for none of woman born shall harm MacbethBe lion-mettled, proud and take no care who chafes, who frets or where conspirers are. Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him. (Shakespeare 4:1 80-107) Because of these predictions, Macbeth believes that no one can harm him. However, this is a false sense of security. Macduff, who was born by a Caesarean section and therefore was not born of woman, ultimately killed Macbeth, thus revealing that the witches predictions were only half-truths. Macbeths good nature is increasingly defeated by one of his major flaws-ambition. His ambition and desire to become king leads Macbeth to take rash and sudden actions that are immoral. This includes ordering the murders of his friend Banquo and his son and Lady Macduff and her children, as well as personally handling the murder of King Duncan. His ambition is also displayed by his willingness to kill anyone who threatens his power. Macbeth is largely influenced not only by the three witches, but by Lady Macbeth as well. Lady Macbeth encourages Macbeth to murder the king, Duncan. She helps plan out the murder and even offers to do it herself. When Macbeth changes his mind and decides not to carry out Duncans murder, Lady Macbeth questions his masculinity and love for her. [We will proceed no further in this business.] From this time such I account thy love. Art thou afeard to be the same in thine act and valor as thou art in desire? Woudst thou have that which thou esteemst the ornament of life and live a coward in thine own esteem, letting I dare not wait upon I would, like the poor cat I th adage?When you durst do it, then you were a man; And to be more than you were, you would be so much more than a manThey have made themselves and that their fitness now does unmake you (Shakespeare 1:7 34-62) After Lady Macbeth accuses him of acting like a coward, he agrees to continue with Duncans murder. Macbeth is a prime example of a Shakespearean Tragic Hero. He is represented as a good man who, through his major character flaws- ambition and impressionability- falls from grace. After struggling with his conscience over the evil deeds he had committed throughout the play, Macbeth is killed and the rightful heir to the throne is restored to power.

Death of a sales man Essay -- essays research papers

No one has a perfect life. Everyone has conflices that they must face sooner or later. The ways in which people deal with these personal conflicts can differ as much as the people themselves. Some insist on ignoring the problem as long as possible, while some attack the problem to get it out of the way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book of a Salesman, is written by Arthur Miller. It takes place at Willy Loman’s - A 63 year old once popular salesman who’s lost his popularity and sales, not to mention his mind, small house in New York surrounded by apartments. Biff, a thirty-four year old son of Willy who has been searching for himself while working on farms in the west to the dismay of his father, returns from the west to visit his family although he doesn’t know how long he’s going to stay. Happy, the younger brother of Biff who tries in all he can to please his father and attempts to continue his father’s dream after he dies, is glad to see him, but Willy seems strangely irritated. Willy has a flashbacks time to time. Biff and Happy were promising high school students. Charley, a father who is fairly successful and offers Willy a job which Willy refuses on the basis of pride, comes to Willy’s house at night complaining of not being able to sleep . Charley and Willy play cards, but at the same time, Willy hold a conversation with his imaginary brother. Charley has no idea what’s going on and leaves. Linda tells Biff that Willy has attempted by crashing the car several times. Willy comes out of his reverie and speaks with his family about their jobs. Happy has an idea of starting a line of sporting goods so Biff decides to go to Bill Oliver to ask to borrow money. Willy decides to go to Howard the next day to ask if he can work in New York so that he wouldn’t have to drive 700 miles to work.. The next day Willy goes to Howard and Biff goes to see Oliver. They decide to celebrate their success by going out for dinner at night. Biff confronts Willy about his attempts and Willy denies everything. He tells Biff that he did not get any money from Oliver and has no hope go get any money. He accuses Willy of not know who he really is. However, after this, Biff cries and leaves. Willy realizes that Biff loves him and de cides to celebrate by himself by crashing the car which would give his family twenty-thousand dollar in life insurance. No one but his family and... ...f, when he couldn’t even afford to buy his wife new ones. Another secret is when Linda finds out that Willy’s trying to kill himself. She doesn’t let Willy know that she found out, so she’s letting the problem go on, instead of fixing it. In Act One, page 59, Linda states, â€Å"I was looking for a duse. The lights brew out, and I went down the cellar. And behind the fuse box---it happened to fall out--was a length of rubber pipe--just short......And sure enough, on the bottom of the water heater there’s a new little on the gas pipe....Everyday I go down and take away that little rubber pipe. But when he comes home, I put it back where it was.† Happy lies constently about everything and anything. An example is when they were at the resturant and he met some s. He told the s that Willy wasn’t his father. Charley’s family has an open relationship. Charley taught Bernard to be honest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Third, there’s appearanceWilly’s family shared the need to be well liked, and wanted to have the personalities to â€Å"win friends and influence people,† Willy tried to make sure his â€Å"image† presented an air of leadership and success, but was more passive than he wanted to appear.

Econet Wireless International and the African Telecommunications Industry Essay

Activities to be completed in this presentation: Carry out a SWOT analysis for Econet Wireless International, identifying the key issues that Econet needs to address from the results of your analysis. Undertake an industry analysis of the African Telecommunications market using Porter’s Five Force Model. Using a competitor analysis framework of your choice, analyse the Big Five mobile operators in the African market Econet Wireless International is facing or faced challenges in a number of markets it entered. Identify these challenges and the sources of these challenges. What Marketing strategy options should Econet use at it tries to grow its operations (Justify your options) and what should it do to successfully implement these strategies? Introduction The selection of a growth strategy is ultimately determined by the company’s strategic goals, core competencies and strategic assets as well as by its target customers, collaborators and the overall economic, technological, socio cultural, regulatory and physical context. An integrative approach of analysing these factors is essential for the development of a successful growth strategy. Overview Econet Wireless International (hereafter to be referred to as EWI) is a Zimbabwean –owned international telecommunications group. The result of Dr. Strive Masiyiwa’s vision, Econet began in mobile telephone service in July 1998, after years of legal battles. Thus it began leading the change in the telecommunications terrain. Zimbabwe has issued only 3 mobile  telecommunication licenses to EWI, Orascom-owned Telecel and the government-owned NetOne. SWOT Analysis for Econet Wireless International As a result of the internal and external analysis, our SWOT analysis is as follows: Strengths Growth through international expansion. As EWI expands onto 3 continents in 10 countries, they are able to develop global footprint, thus increasing their capital base and securing their company. Innovative product range. They continuously developed product range, they developed into becoming a full-service communications company offering mobile telephony, traditional landline telephony, Internet services, data streaming services, transactions systems and contract services for other operators. For example, in Zimbabwe alone, they have a number of viable product offerings, namely Buddie, Ecocash, EcoFarmer, EcocashSave, Econet Solar, Econet Broadband and BusinessPartna Contract Lines. Their business model enabled them to offer quality products at competitive prices. They collaborated in the form of consortium partnerships and also joint ventures. For example, it was able to penetrate markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana, New Zealand, Lesotho, Malawi and Burundi. Their joint venture was with Altech in South Africa. The benefit of this partnership firm was listed in the Johannesburg Stock Exchange thus exposing them to a new source of capital. Their mutually formed company, Newco, would have eventually taken over almost all of Econet’s companys, allowing EWI to backward intergrate with a supplier which in terms of future growth, would enable them to develop an even wider product offering. This alliance would have been mutually beneficial, with Econet getting access to technology products, finance and administrative structures while Altech would get the opportunity to diversify riding on EWI’s mobile network. Multi-branding. EWI used it’s name in countries where it had a controlling stake such as in Nigeria, Lesotho, New Zealand, Malawi and Burundi. In countries where it was the minority shareholder, it operated under different names, namely Mascom ( Botswana), Gulfsat Maghreb SA ( Morocco). Their management structure was such that in each country, the operation was headed by a national, who knew the business climate in that country but the financial aspect was headed by an expatriate from head  office thus maintaining effective control and providing support. This encouraged business relations in those nations as the national heading the operation was able to negotiate deals from a knowledgeable point. Weaknesses Limited capital for operations, thus curtailing their growth, especially in New Zealand and Nigeria as the case study says, the consortium partners resisted a higher stake in Econet, believing they did not have the financial means and/ or resources to invest. In addition, Econet did not have enough money to finance the upgrading of its network and it came under government threat of having its licence revoked, thus they had to borrow $75 million Export-Import Bank. Also, in Kenya, their license was cancelled due to failure by the consortium to fully honour the license fee obligations within the given time frame. They failed to provide a service recovery alternative for the suspended Buddie cards in 2002 in Nigeria. The implication here was that they created low switching costs for their subscriber base, boosting the sales of their competitor. Econet gave their competitors an edge over them in Nigeria, as evidenced by the outcome of their decisions to suspend Buddie cards and also, during their subsequent reintroduction. Both times, MTN gained from these moves. In reintroducing the cards, they were not able to support the resulting call volumes. They had not had the foresight to prepare for this possibility as a result of their reintroduction. Network quality problems resulting from failure to support capacity when the Buddie lines were reintroduced. It was a situation of demand outstripping supply. They had also not expected this outcome as a result of reintroducing the previously popular lines. It’s strong dependance on their Zimbabwean operations means they weakened their efforts at expansion due to the unfavourable economic climate. They had raised capital via the Zimbabwe Stock Market but could not use it externally due to stringent government controls on the basis of hard currency remittance limitations. Their failure to capitalise on the license in New Zealand meant a loss on their part. Opportunities Their listing on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange gave them the opportunity to raise more capital. Acquisition of licenses in various countries through consortium partnerships meant they gained a foothold in countries such as  Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana, Morocco, New Zealand, Lesotho, Malawi and Burundi though from a minority position in the consortium. They were able to obtain licenses in various countries. Threats Stringent government controls. Restrictions to remit it’s foreign currencies to finance it’s operations in other countries, e.g. in New Zealand Intense competition, e.g. in New Zealand where the market was duopoly delaying their entry into that market. Low switching costs. In most of their markets, subscribers are multi-networked. As subscribers used a number of networks to maximise on particular network availability and promotions, EWI could not in depend totally on that these subscribers would be faithful. Key Issues Limited capital for operations. They could list on the Stock Exchange to attract investors. They could offer rights issues to existing shareholders, thereby attracting new capital. Network challenges. They need to upgrade their systems. They need to ensure they have enough technological infrastructure, e.g. base stations, to be able to cater for network loads. Collaboration with suppliers. Government regulations and restrictions. They need to form relationships with the host governments. Decision making. Improve their decision approach at corporate level, e.g. their decision to limit the number of days subscribers had access to the network. From the above analysis, the following threats are of high importance and Econet would do well to take notice: Stringent government controls Intense competition Low switching costs Mergers and acquisitions present an attractive and profitable opportunity thus Econet should explore this avenue further. Industry analysis of the â€Å"Big Five† using Porter’s Five Forces model. Threat of new entrants – High because: There are strong barriers to entry in terms of obtaining an operational license due to government restrictions, e.g. Zimbabwe, as shown in the case when Masiyiwa argued the case that the Telecel consortium should be  disqualified as they did not meet tender specifications. Restrictive license fees in terms of costs of getting the license such as in Kenya when EWI had their license cancelled after only two months due to failure to meet their obligation in terms of the license fee. A lot of capital is needed to start the business. It is estimated that $14 billion on average is needed as investment in the mobile phone business. Bargaining power of buyers: High because: Low switching costs such as in Nigeria when Econet opted to suspend the sale of its prepaid Buddie cards for 6 months due to quality problems, resulting in them losing subscribers. The buyer’s power is strong in Burundi because they have a population of 7 million people with only 4 mobile subscribers. Bargaining power of suppliers – High because: The government controlled operator supplier, Nitel, had strong bargaining power, as evidenced by their holding back to supply Econet with transmission links for more than a year and Econet had no option but to wait. There were few suppliers. Industry rivals – High because: Customer base grew rapidly between year 2000 and 2005 Intense competition among players in the mobile industry. Substitutes – Low because: Landlines penetration rates were low, for example, in Chad, the rate was on average one landline per 70 people while the mobile phone users expanded between year 2000 and 2005 from 15.6 million to 135 million. The overall rating is high because rivalry is high, threat of new entrants is high, bargaining power of suppliers is high and bargaining power of buyers is high. Competitor Analysis Competitor Key Strengths Key Weaknesses Perceived Strategies Key Segments Millicom First-mover position Market leader status Cost leadership Multi-branded Wide market coverage within South America Less aggressive business approach Easy to attack Low revenues in the big five Mass-marketing Multi-branding Cost leadership Low population markets International markets MTC Innovator High capital base Strong market coverage Market strength through acquisition An aggressive player High rate of economic growth Narrow product range Multi-branding Full market segmentation High population areas MTN Market coverage Market leader Strong capital base Economies of scale Resource utilisation Wide product range No multi-branding Blue ocean Leveraging existing business Growing new markets through acquisitions Research and development High population areas Niche, e.g. Middle Eastern Orascom Strong capital base through conglomeration Multi branding Cost leadership Wide product range Market leader Multi-branding Removed operations in Africa Market development High population Vodacom Strong revenue base Market leader Adequate resources for expansion Investment opportunities Least internationalised Market growth limitations Taking unnecessary risks Joint venture franchising Forward integration Domestic International Table 2 Company Capital/ Revenue (in billions $) Market Coverage (number of countries) Mobile Subscriber Number (in millions) Millicom 1.4 16 13 MTC 3 20 23 MTN 3 21 32 Orascom 2.1 9 41 Vodacom 3 5 27 From the analysis above, the market leaders are MTC, MTN and Orascom in terms of revenue. Millicom and Vodacom take the role of market challengers. In looking at mobile subscriber, Orascom and MTN are the market leaders followed by Vodacom, MTC and Millicom respectively. In terms of market coverage, MTN leads followed by MTC. Millicom is the market challenger. Orascom and Vodacom are nichers as they focus on specific markets. Challenges Legislation Government controls in the form of price controls, barring establishment of private mobile networks Trading policies License to operate Government regulations – licensing board Intense competition Duopoly in New Zealand Infrastructure problem Network support Lack of foreign currency Government foreign currency regulations in Zimbabwe Changes in exchange rate Economical meltdown in Zimbabwe Lack of capital Delay in listing on stock exchange Poor quality Buddie cards in Nigeria Product development and testing was poor Marketing Strategy Options Ansoff Matrix Market penetration – The organisation tries to grow it’s market share through sales of existing products to the present market, for example Econet Zimbabwe trying to grow its market share from 70% to 80%. They could achieve this through promotions such as offering discounted tariffs. This can be done through ensuring that they have got enough capital to support the reduction of cost on pricing. The company needs to develop budgets to steer ample resources towards promotion and advertising. Product Development – Coming up with new or modified products, for example Ecocash has been modified to include an account, that is, EcocashSave. They need to invest in a Research and Development department, tasked to come up with more innovative products. They also to need to emphasize on Total Quality Management to avoid product recalls, for example, in Nigeria where the cards had quality problems. Market development – The company seeks for and finds new markets in which to expand, for example they go into a totally new market such as penetrating Canada. They can do this through acquisition of licensing in that country.  Before acquiring the license, they would need carry out market research to ensure that that market is attractive and can be profitable for them. They should also ensure that they have enough capital to successfully implement this marketing strategy. In addition, they need to have the right management and organisational structures. Blue ocean The process of identifying an untapped market in an effort to run away from competition. For example, Econet came up with Econet Solar where they tapped into the solar provision market in an effort to ensure that their customers’ phones’ battery life did not affect their network accessibility. In these topsy-survy times where clients have become complicated, the only way to survive in business is through eliminating competition through investing in new technology and/ or Research and Development. As a result, they can realise much in terms of profit. We advise Econet to take the Ansoff matrix strategies because it covers the wide scope of marketing strates or options of growth.

How to Help Your Homeschooled Kid Find Friends

It can be difficult for homeschooled kids to forge new friendships Its not because the unsocialized homeschooler stereotypes  are true. Instead its often because homeschooled kids dont have the opportunity to be around the same group of kids on a regular basis like their public- and private-schooled peers do. Although homeschoolers arent isoloated from other kids, some dont have enough consistent contact with the same group of friends to allow time for friendships to grow. As homeschool parents, we may need to be more intentional in helping our children make new friends. How can you help  your homeschooler find friends? Maintain Current Friendships If you have a child who is transitioning from public school to homeschool, make an effort to maintain his current friendships (unless they are a contributing factor in your decision to homeschool). It can put a strain on friendships when the kids dont see  each other every day. Give your child opportunities to continue to nurture those relationships. The younger your child is,  the more effort the investment in these friendships may require on your part. Make sure you have the parents’ contact information, so that you can  arrange regular play dates. Invite the friend over for sleepovers or a movie night. Consider hosting holiday parties or game nights on weekends or after school hours so your new homeschooler can spend time with his old public school friends and new homeschool friends at the same time. Get Involved in the Homeschool Community It is important to maintain friendships for kids moving from public school to homeschool, but it’s also important to help them begin to make friends with other homeschooled kids. Having friends who homeschool means your child has someone who understands her day-to-day life and a buddy for homeschool group outings and play dates! Go to homeschool group events. Get to know the other parents so that it’s easier for your kids to stay in contact. This contact can be especially important for less-outgoing kids. They may find it difficult to connect in a large group setting and  need some one-on-one time to get to know potential friends. Try a homeschool co-op. Take part in activities that reflect your child’s interests to make it easier for him to get to know kids who share his interests. Consider activities such as a book club, LEGO club, or art class. Participate in Activities on a Regular Basis Although some  kids have a new â€Å"best friend† every time they leave the playground, true friendships take time to foster. Find activities that occur on a regular basis so that your child get to see the same group of kids regularly. Consider activities such as: Recreational league sports teamsClasses such as gymnastics, karate, art, or photographyCommunity theaterScouting Don’t overlook activities for adults (if it’s acceptable for children to attend) or activities in which your childs siblings are involved. For example a ladies Bible study or weekly moms meeting gives kids a chance to socialize. While the moms chat, kids can play, bond, and forge friendships. Its not uncommon for older or younger siblings to wait with their parent while one child attends a homeschool class or activity. The waiting siblings often forge friendships with the other kids waiting on their brother or sister. If its appropriate to do so, bring along some activities that encourage quiet group play, such as playing cards, Lego blocks, or board games. Make Use of Technology Live, online games and forums can be a great way for older homeschooled kids to make friends who share their interests or keep in touch with existing friends. Teens can chat with friends and meet new people while playing online video games. Many  homeschooled kids use apps such as Skype or FaceTime to chat face-to-face with friends each day. Certainly there are dangers associated with social media and online technology. Its crucial that parents monitory their childrens online activity. Parents should also teach their kids  basic safety protocol, such as never giving out their address or engaging in private messaging with people they dont know in person. Used carefully and with parental supervision, the Internet can be a fantastic tool for allowing homeschooled kids to connect with their friends more often than they might be able to do in person. One of the best things about homeschool friendships is that they tend to ​break age barriers. They are based on mutual interests and complementary personalities. Help your homeschooled child find  friends. Be intentional about providing opportunities for him to meet others through shared interests and experiences.