Video games rivalry Essay Example for Free

Video games rivalry Essay Introduction The video games industry faces an entirely new rivalry situation. After 11 years of leadership, Sony has nearly lost its strong positions on the market, which gives the other two players – Microsoft and Nintendo the chance to compete for the leadership. While the goal of Nintendo is to stay in the industry, Sony and Microsoft aim to strengthen their positions on the home entertainment market, which is constantly growing. The key factors, the companies need to consider in order to gain a competitive advantage, are good marketing and well developed distribution, as well as providing a huge range of games with recognizable characters. As the market segmentation increases, it is of crucial importance to put an emphasis upon the new target groups and reqruit as many new players as possible. However, there are also a lot of factors outside and inside the industry, which play a major role and have to be considered in order to become a better idea of the state of the industry, and to estimate its profitability and tendency of growing. Summary of macro-environmental analysis Stricter legislation both advantageous and disadvantageous for the video games industry is expected. As governments become more concerned about the increasing violence among teenagers the control of video games content is strengthened. On the other hand the laws against piracy aim to reduce the number of the illegaly copied games. With the rise of the prices of everyday goods, petrol, etc. , while salaries don’t go up as fast, the disposal income declines and for many entertainment becomes a luxury good. People are not willing to spend as much on it as they used to. However, as the average age of the video games players goes up, there are more players with own incomes, who are able to buy more games. The industry is expexted to grow due to the fact that, as surveys of the NPD Group show, kids spend more time playing and the hardcore gamers spend an avegare of 45 hours per week playing video games. On the other hand the growth prospecst are dampened by the increasing concerns of the parents about their children being too inactive and spending more time playing video games than playing sports or taking part in other activities. However, there is also a tendency of video games being increasingly regarded as an entertainment for the whole family. The future growth of the industry is theratened by the declining birthrates. Teenagers are the main consumer and less teenagers in the future means less games sold. This effect is compensated by the fact that the avarage age of the video games players goes up. Video games reach a broader audience and more adults and even elderly people start playing. The technological progress is beneficial for the growth of the industry as the the producers are able to constantly improve the quality of the games and include new features and functions to the consoles. However, this causes higher costs and also the time needed to develop a new game grows. The growing awareness of environmental issues has also an impact on the video games industry. The implementation of eco-friendly technologies and the constant growth of energy prices cause an increase in the cost for manufacturing of the consoles and the DVDs. Overall, the video games industry is expected to grow faster than average industry growth rates, particlularly due to the socio-cultural trends and the constant technological progress. Summary of industry analysis Due to a range of factors, which make it difficult for a new company to take part in the video games industry, the threat of new entrants is low. First of all, the industry is characterized by huge ecomonies of scale, as the producers need to sell great numbers of games in order to make a profit. Second, the capital requirements are very high because of the increasing costs of games development and consoles manufacturing. It is also costly for the customers to switch to a new producer, because this would mean they have to buy a new console. Suppliers pose a medium level of threat. The main reason is the crucial importance, which their input has for the final product. Also the costs for the input are high relatively to the total purchase. However, the concentration of the suppliers is relative low as they are many video games publisher but just three producers of consoles. Threat of forward integration exists as well, due to the fact that some of the big publishers of video games have the ressources to try to enter the industry. Although there are some substitues for video games and the differentiation is fairly low, buyers don’t have a lot of bargaining power. Their concentration relative to the industry is low and they have to face high costs if they want to switch to one of the substitutes (buy a computer for example). To have the newest console or play the latest games is considered to be a sign of â€Å"coolness† at school, so strong incentives for buying exist. The power of substitutes is considered to be low to medium. The biggest threat comes from computer games. Due to the fact that almost every family possesses at least one computer, computer games are a cheaper alternative to video games as one doesn’t have to buy the console. However, the lack of multiplayer function impairs their perfomance, especially when video games are regarded as a family or group activity. The switching costs are high as well and the buyer propensity to switch is fairly low, particularly for buyers, who are addicted to playing video games. The video games industry is charaterized by medium rivalry, which is getting more intense lately. The industry grows slowly as they are three establishes players, that compete among each other and every one of them try to outsell the others and become the market leader. The rivalry is enchanced by the low level of product differentiation and the high fix costs of the manufacturing of the consoles. However, the rivalry is reduced by two major factors: the switching costs for the buyers are high and there is a lack of understanding of the technological differencies of the consoles, because of their complexity. As a result of the stage of these five forces in video games industry, the industry is considered to show a relatively high level of profitability. Interconnections and interrelationships between the two analyses There are several interconnections between the macro-environmental analyse and the industry analyse that can be found. Mostly the macro-environmental trends have an impact on the forces, which determine the profitability of the industry. Sticter regulation of the video games content limits the scope of games a new company can present to the market while trying to enter the industry and make this more difficult for them. The increasing licensing fees for the exclusive rights to intellectual property of media companies or sport organisations are addtitional obstracles for entering the industry as they enhance the capital requirements. Economical factors such as decreasing disposalble income have also an impact. People start searching for cheaper substitutes so the power of substitutes for video games grows. The bargaining power of buyer becomes higher as well, as buyers condition their purchases on the price-performance ratio of the product. As the number of video games players goes up, the demand for a larger library of games rises. This leads to an increase in the power of suppliers due to the fact that the producers need them to develop more new games and develop them faster. With the rapid advance of new technologies it is to be expexted that new substitutes for video games will be introduced to the market for enertainment in the near future. Thus, the power of substitutes will rise, as well as the bargaining power of buyers. The growing rivalry in the video games industry prompts the companies to improve their products, sell them cheaper and expand their target group. As a result video games become amore attractive kind of entertainment for a broader audience. Recommendations With the competition in the video games industry getting more intense, the next steps of the players become of crucial importance for their positioning on the market. Due to the low product differentiation, the next market leader will be the platform provider that manages to offer much more different gaming experience. Furthermore the extra features of the consoles have to be further developed, as the producers aim to establish the consoles as the central tool for any kind of home entertainment, not just for video games playing. Important issue regarding the extra features is the fact that many of the users are not aware of them, so more information and communication with the customers is required. The companies have to learn by the mistakes of the past and try to avoid making them again. It is of significant importance to develop a much larger library of games before the introduction of the next console, as this was proved to be a major factor for success in the past. Another factor that needs to be considered is a better control of the games and their distribution, as well as perfectly realised marketing campaigns. As the video games audience becomes broader, the companies should make an effort to reqruit new players from the new target groups: females and older people, by creating a greater range of games, directed towards the interests of these players, and more intensive advertising. The new image of the video games as family entertainment has to be extended as well. The possible entrance in the industry of some of the big games publisher creates opportunities for establishing of alliances. An alliance between one of the platform providers and a major publisher will give them a very strong position on the market and a sustainable competitive advantage. Thus, they will have the best chances to become the new leader of the industry.

Factors Influencing Availability of Water in South Africa

Factors Influencing Availability of Water in South Africa There are many factors influencing the sustainability of water supply in South Africa. One of the reasons is that According to the global water balance (figure below), South Africa is situated in a negative runoff zone, which means that annual evaporation always exceeds rainfall and South Africa is further situated in a semidesert / desert latitude zone, which has almost no weathering and soil formation, due to the drop in precipitation and vegetation cover, and the higher temperatures and evaporation rate. Besides the main factors, that will be dealt with in the essay, such as the over exploitation of water by the economic sectors and the main water sources in South Africa being polluted and therefore cannot be used, the situation of South Africa contributes largely to unsustainable usage of water through evaporation and therefore influencing the sustainability of water for future generations. The table below supports The Miller Model (Figure 1) as it shows that in South Africa, the amount of evaporation exceeds the amount of rainfall and the water demand often exceeds the water yield which highlights the shortages of water in that alone without other major factors being looked at. South Africa gets most of its water (66%) from surface runoff which is contained in about 320 dams all over the country which have total capacity of more than 32 400 million m3. Johannesburg being such a huge city is the biggest metropolitan area in South Africa. However unlike other cities of its size anywhere in the world it is one in very few that are not situated on or next to a major watercourse. Johannesburgs main water source comes from the Jukskei and Upper Klip River in the north and south respectively. The Jukskei catchment is situated within the Pretoria-Witwatersrand area. A range of users from recreational activities to industrial users are using the Jukskei River, with different water standards catering for each category and although the catchment is used for a variety of human activities it still has to support a population number of 790  000 in 1991 which has probably increased over the years. The Klip River catchment is one of the most heavily impacted river s ystems in South Africa and is subjected to almost every type of pollution. It furthermore serves all five recognised user groups identified by DWAF (domestic, agricultural, recreation, industrial and the natural environment). It is approximated that 9500 million m3/annum of the total requirements for water of 12  871 million m3/annum is abstracted from surface water resources.   The remainder comes from groundwater, the re-use of return flows, and the interception of water by afforestation.   In rural, semi arid and arid areas, surface water is not abundant therefore groundwater is used extensively instead  the six major aquifers (rocks with porosity and water permeability) in South Africa include, Table Mountain Group sandstones, coastal sand deposits, basement granites, Karoo dolerites, Dolomites and alluvium along perennial rivers.   Most exploitable groundwater occurs in the eastern and northeastern parts of the country and in the Western Cape, where aquifers are concentrated.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  When looking at Figure 3 which is the map of South Africa shows how utilizable groundwater is scarce in KwaZulu-Natal and the south of South Africa whereas water is concentrated in Northern and Western Cape. However with ground water excessive concentration of chloride, nitrate, and other salts, all of which are costly to remove which shows how less and less groundwater will be exploitable for human purposes as it is becoming increasingly polluted with tox ic wates. Looking at the above figure it shows how water in South Africa is concentrated in the Northern part of South Africa. In KwaZulu Natal province, there is 92% of available water that is guaranteed and only a one in thirteen risk of water restrictions which shows its availability. Although water may be currently available, leading scientists predict that SAs economic hub will run short of water should a severe drought occur in the next 10 years. Due to South Africas failure to maintain water pipes that provide households with water 30% was lost through leaking or burst pipes. The right to sufficient water is guaranteed by the countrys constitution, and the government has worked hard to provide access to running water to 88 percent of the population, up from 62 percent in 1996. However, water may be available but it is unevenly distributed and it is extrapolated that by 2025,that water deficits will occur in three of the four water management areas that support most of the countrys economic activity. The Klip River which has been mentioned previously is located in an urban area where there is plenty urban development and Industries. Due to mining activities in the area, the river is subject to pressures from those mining activities as large amounts of water are required to support industries such as those that generate electrical power. Mining on its own has been averaged to use up to 8 % of South Africas water. Mines such as the Grootvlei mine are responsible for intoxicating valuable groundwater by pumping wastes into rivers thus making it useless in regards to human use. IRRIGATION Irrigation accounts for 50% of the total water use in South Africa. Farmers that grow crops or fruit, for commercial use or farmers that practise subsisitence farming, use lots of water to meet the demands of the fields of crops that need watering. The process of meat production uses up a lot of water which is said to be around 3000 litres of water for one Kg of meat which is why people are encouraged to reduce their intake of meat to save water. FACTORIES Factories not only emitt gasses into the atmosphere but they also release effluents into nearby rivers that are both toxic to humans and animals. Some factories use water to cool down tanks and other machinery and the release it back into rivers which is a form of pollution because when water is heated, oxygen decreases which is detrimental to aquatic life. MANAGEMENT AND SOLUTIONS: Community Development and Environmental Education By raising awareness amongst all people in rural areas, that are mostly uneducated, that water is a precious resource which has an impact on all aspects of life people will begin to take note of the significance of water to all that exist. These awareness projects can be made by having people talk to people about how to reduce water usage by not bathing three times a day or leaving a tap running for example. Water Conservation 50% of all water available in South Africa is used up by irrigation purposes. The application of water conservation and demand management (WC/DM) principles in the irrigation and farming sector will have a significant effect on the availability of water to other sectors. In order to successfully manage water resources then stricter boundries must be set on each sector using and only allowed a certain amount of water. Industry, Mining and Power Generation Sector The Industry, Mining and Power Generation Programme oversees the development and implementation of appropriate policies, strategies, projects and initiatives that will promote water conservation in these economic sectors. Such programmes should be improved as they aim to establish a culture of water conservation in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors and this will ensure sustainable use of water. Another solution and initiative that have been taken to combat water shortages is the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (II) which is due to begin in 2020 as It is expected to take more than nine years to prepare for and implement the project. Once the project is underway there will be an estimated transfer of 479-million cubic meters annually to South Africa which is aimed at getting water from Lesotho and supplying Gauteng province with it however Negotiations were still under way with the government of Lesotho regarding the flagship of the project. Desalinization of surrounding oceans such as the Indian and Atlantic Ocean has been considered but later ruled out due to financial, technological and facility constraints in the country to undergo this process. It is true that water is still available in South Africa and it is also true that in a few years this resource will not be able to support and sustain the population. Industries and households have proved to be the guzzlers of water in South Africa. Strategies that have been implemented will be effective in reducing the usage of water by Industries, and programmes that aim to educate the youth and the elderly on water conservation will alert people to the fact that We dont have the luxury of choice and time.

Modern World terms :: essays research papers

1. War of the Spanish Succession- (1701-14), conflict that arose out of the disputed succession to the throne of Spain following the death of the childless Charles II, the last of the Spanish Habsburgs. The battles raged across Europe for eleven years. In an effort to regulate the impending succession, to which there were three principal claimants, England, the Dutch Republic, and France signed the First Treaty of Partition, agreeing Prince Joseph Ferdinand, should inherit Spain. 2. War of the Austrian Succession- (1740-1748). Maria Theresa of Austria succeeded her father Charles VI. She, as a woman, was seen as weak, and some other princes alleged rights to the thrown. The hostilities began with the invasion of Silesia by King Frederick II of Prussia and only ended with peace of Aix-la-Chapelle. Most of the military interest of the war lies in the struggle of Prussia and Austria for Silesia. 3. Seven Year’s War- (1754 and 1756-1763). decisive round in the Franco-British competition for colonial empire. With the Treat of Paris (1763) France lost all its possessions on the mainland of North America and gave up most of its holdings in India as well. By 1763, Britain had realized its goal of monopolizing a vast trade and colonial empire for its benefit. 4. cottage workers- workers who were paid to work in villages. Worked in spurts where the man tended to drink after they were paid. 5. enclosure system- authorized the fencing of open fields in a given village and the division of the common in proportion to one’s property in the open fields. It marked the completion of two major historical developments in England: the rise of market oriented estate agriculture and the emergence of a land less proletariat 6. domestic system- also known as the putting out system was a popular system of cloth production in Europe. It existed as early as the 1400s but was most prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries. Workers would work from home, manufacturing individual articles from raw materials, then bring them to a central place of business, such as a marketplace or a larger town, to be assembled and sold. 7. â€Å"spinsters†- widows and unmarried women who spun for their living 8. agricultural revolution- produced a transformation of human society brought about by the invention of the plow, making large scale agricultural production possible and leading to agrarian societies. Many people call it the â€Å"dawn of civilization.

The National Security Council

The National Security Council was instituted under the aegis of the 1947 National Security Act (Public Law 235 – 61 Stat. 496; U.S.C. 402 n.d.). It was subsequently modified   by the 1949 National Security Act Amendments, which made it a component of the US President’s Executive Office (63 Stat. 579; 50 U.S.C. 401 et seq n.d.). Its primary task is to advice the President in respect of issues affecting domestic, foreign and military policies (National Security Council 2007).The chairman of the National Security Council is the President of the US. Its deliberations are customarily attended by the Vice President, the Secretaries to the departments of Defense, State and the Treasury and the National Security Affairs Assistant to the President. The Director of National Intelligence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the respective intelligence and military advisors to the National Security Council. In addition, the President’s Counsel, the Presidential Assistant for Economic Policy and the President’s Chief of Staff are invitees to every National Security Council meeting. Moreover, the US Attorney General’s and other senior officials’ presence is solicited in the National Security Council meetings, wherever deemed appropriate (National Security Council. The White House n.d.).The primary Presidential framework for scrutinizing matters that affect national security and foreign policy is the National Security Council. In conjunction with cabinet officials and senior advisors the President resolves such issues. Moreover, the National Security Council is the President’s cardinal agency for this purpose (National Security Council. The White House n.d.).The National Security Council’s primary members are the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State. Its staff members are headed by the national security advisor and it constitutes a foreign policy formulating instrument, which is not governed by the State Department (National Security Council. In Britannica Concise Encyclopedia 2006).This council has a number of advisors and the chief amongst them are the CIA director and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Its purpose has been enhanced to provide information and advice regarding foreign policy, intelligence and the military. This expansion transpired in the 1970s and prior to that its function was limited to policymaking and coordinating the efforts of the different agencies involved. Consequent to this growth, the National Security Council commenced to supervise the CIA and to indulge in clandestine intelligence operations. Its endeavors in this area, especially in the Iran – Contra Affair earned it severe opprobrium and a call for it to refrain from such overt operations (National Security Council. In The Great American History Fact-Finder 2004).The national security advisor provides crucial advice to the President regarding foreign affai rs. Some of the better known incumbents were Walt Rostow, Henry Kissinger of Shuttle Diplomacy fame, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Admiral John Poindexter and Lt-Gen Colin Powell. Kissinger was so influential with Nixon that he contrived to override the Secretary of State on several occasions (national security adviser.In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas 2005). National Security Council. (2004). In The Great American History Fact-Finder. Retrieved November 06, 2007, from DISPLAYURL â€Å"National Security Council.† The Great American History Fact-Finder. 2004. CredoReference. 06 November 2007 . The Great American History Fact-Finder, 2004, s.v. â€Å"National Security Council,† DISPLAYURL (accessed November 06, 2007). http://search.credoreference.com/auth/indexThus, the National Security Council supervises the CIA, and contrives, synchronizes and appraises the defense policies of the US. It was accorded enormous importance by President Eisenhower, in the c ontext of his security policy.Works Citedâ€Å"63 Stat. 579; 50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"National Security Council .† Microsoft ® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2007, 2007.National Security Council. In The Great American History Fact-Finder . 2004. http://search.credoreference.com/auth/index (accessed November 6, 2007).National Security Council. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/ (accessed November 6, 2007).â€Å"Public Law 235 – 61 Stat. 496; U.S.C. 402.† The National Security Council The National Security Council was instituted under the aegis of the 1947 National Security Act (Public Law 235 – 61 Stat. 496; U.S.C. 402 n.d.). It was subsequently modified   by the 1949 National Security Act Amendments, which made it a component of the US President’s Executive Office (63 Stat. 579; 50 U.S.C. 401 et seq n.d.). Its primary task is to advice the President in respect of issues affecting domestic, foreign and military policies (National Security Council 2007).The chairman of the National Security Council is the President of the US. Its deliberations are customarily attended by the Vice President, the Secretaries to the departments of Defense, State and the Treasury and the National Security Affairs Assistant to the President. The Director of National Intelligence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the respective intelligence and military advisors to the National Security Council. In addition, the President’s Counsel, the Presidential Assistant for Economic Policy and the President’s Chief of Staff are invitees to every National Security Council meeting. Moreover, the US Attorney General’s and other senior officials’ presence is solicited in the National Security Council meetings, wherever deemed appropriate (National Security Council. The White House n.d.).The primary Presidential framework for scrutinizing matters that affect national security and foreign policy is the National Security Council. In conjunction with cabinet officials and senior advisors the President resolves such issues. Moreover, the National Security Council is the President’s cardinal agency for this purpose (National Security Council. The White House n.d.).The National Security Council’s primary members are the President, the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of State. Its staff members are headed by the national security advisor and it constitutes a foreign policy formulating instrument, which is not governed by the State Department (National Security Council. In Britannica Concise Encyclopedia 2006).This council has a number of advisors and the chief amongst them are the CIA director and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Its purpose has been enhanced to provide information and advice regarding foreign policy, intelligence and the military. This expansion transpired in the 1970s and prior to that its function was limited to policymaking and coordinating the efforts of the different agencies involved. Consequent to this growth, the National Security Council commenced to supervise the CIA and to indulge in clandestine intelligence operations. Its endeavors in this area, especially in the Iran – Contra Affair earned it severe opprobrium and a call for it to refrain from such overt operations (National Security Council. In The Great American History Fact-Finder 2004).The national security advisor provides crucial advice to the President regarding foreign affai rs. Some of the better known incumbents were Walt Rostow, Henry Kissinger of Shuttle Diplomacy fame, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Admiral John Poindexter and Lt-Gen Colin Powell. Kissinger was so influential with Nixon that he contrived to override the Secretary of State on several occasions (national security adviser. In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas 2005). National Security Council. (2004). In The Great American History Fact-Finder. Retrieved November 06, 2007, from DISPLAYURL â€Å"National Security Council.† The Great American History Fact-Finder. 2004. CredoReference. 06 November 2007 . The Great American History Fact-Finder, 2004, s.v. â€Å"National Security Council,† DISPLAYURL (accessed November 06, 2007). http://www.credoreference.com/entry/6601167Thus, the National Security Council supervises the CIA, and contrives, synchronizes and appraises the defense policies of the US. It was accorded enormous importance by President Eisenhower, in the context of his security policy.Works Citedâ€Å"63 Stat. 579; 50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.†national security adviser. In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia including Atlas . 2005. http://www.credoreference.com/entry/6450391 (accessed November 06, 2007).â€Å"National Security Council .† Microsoft ® Student 2008 [DVD]. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation, 2007, 2007.National Security Council. In Britannica Concise Encyclopedia . 2006. http://www.credoreference.com/entry/6710540 (accessed November 06, 2007).National Security Council. In The Great American History Fact-Finder . 2004. http://www.credoreference.com/entry/6601167 (accessed November 6, 2007).National Security Council. The White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/nsc/ (accessed November 6, 2007).â€Å"Public Law 235 – 61 Stat. 496; U.S.C. 402.†

The Virtuous Character of Desdemona

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as is virtue. Such is the case of the virtue of the character Desdemona, from the play The Tragedy of Othello, by William Shakespeare. Desdemona was shown as a low moral, virtue less female in the essay The Character of Desdemona by John Quincy Adams. Contrary to this, the modern reader can see that Shakespeare actually showed her to be a virtuous and loving person, whose own innocence lead to her demise. Is Desdemona a virtuous character? Is there anyone who can be so self-sacrificing? Shakespeare is careful to give her a few minor flaws- her treatment of Brabantio, her stubborn persistence about Cassio, her lie about the handkerchief- to make her realistic. But the overall character of Desdemona is of high stature, it is her very innocence that makes her a victim of circumstance. As a young Venetian woman, Desdemona has lived a sheltered life in her father's home. This sheltering gave her an innate passion for all the things that she was denied. She was denied all things that a modern day women would be allowed to do, including the right to fall in love with someone free of social status, age or race. She then falls in love, probably for the first time, with a man several years older than herself, from a faraway land, and of a different race. She is captivated by the man's stories and wishes she were a man so that she might also have an exciting life, the very life she was denied because of her being a women. Knowing that her father would disapprove of her marriage to such a man, she elopes with Othello. Desdemona is portrayed as a lovely, courageous, gentle woman, deeply in love with her husband. However, she is not a perfect character but her morals, and her virtues are still there. In the play Desdemona says to her father Brabantio, â€Å"(I,iii;180) My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you; you are the lord of duty†. No matter what the circumstances may be, she never stopped respecting her father. Though still she had to follow her heart. Her lover Othello says of her, â€Å"She gave me for my pains a world of sighs† (I,iii;168) However one person in time may see an event or character, another person in another time can perceive the same to be of completely different meanings. John Quincy Adams says that Desdemona lacks virtues and all she does is cause her father grief to his dying bed. He says that â€Å"the passion of Desdemona for Othello is unnatural, solely and exclusively because of his color. † Which if looked at by today†s standards would hold of no significance what the persons skin color is. Second he says that her elopement to him, and secret marriage with him, indicate a personal character not only very deficient in delicacy, but totally regardless of filial duty, of female modesty, and of ingenuous shame. Third he states, â€Å"her deficiency in delicacy is discernible in her conduct and discourse throughout the play. † Altogether he thinks that she has done nothing but wrong when she ran away for her love, and that she has low morals and no virtues because she has wronged her father. In contrast to what John Quincy Adams said of the character of Desdemona, proof from the play itself states otherwise. â€Å"If virtue no delighted beauty lack, Your son-in-law is far more fair than black†, John Quincy Adams uses that quote to illustrate how the skin color love affair had shown Desdemona to be of low morals, and that she had committed an unnatural thing. When as seen by today†s standards it is perfectly all right for two people of different races, ages, sexes, nationality and religions to be in love and to wed. Another quote from the play used by John Q. Adams is, â€Å"With the Moor, say'st thou? –Who would be a father? † that quote helps to illustrate how the father was hurt by the actions of his daughter. When in fact Desdemona meant no harm to her father, she simply wanted to do what†s right as is said by Iago, â€Å"She that was ever fair and never proud, Had tongue at will and yet was never loud†¦ (II,i;158). Also shown to us by Desdemona herself is how she felt towards her father all along, again proving wrong the portrayal of her by John Q. Adams, â€Å"(I,iii;180) My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you; you are the lord of duty†. Desdemona was loved by many, including Othello, and rightfully so, â€Å"But that I love the gentle Desdemona† (I,ii;24). Even John Q. Adams is quoted saying himself in his essay, â€Å"Desdemona, †¦ is amiable and lovely,† towards the top of his last paragraph. Even he in the end admitted to the fact that Desdemona's character is amiable, lovely, virtuous, and still retains its morals. Many people from separate time periods can look at Desdemona in different ways. The modern reader will apply the modern aspects of life to the story and look at it from that perspective, while someone like John Quincy Adams looks at it from the vision of the time period he lived in.

Free Essays on The Myth Of Sisyphus And The Meaning Of Life

-their world is completely engulfed in their child’s life. For that period of time their life is dedicated to that little one, that is their life’s meaning- to raise and provide for their offspring. In that case, they can undisputedly say that their child is what gives the meaning to their life. We can understand that form of reasoning, that one doesn’t see any... Free Essays on The Myth Of Sisyphus And The Meaning Of Life Free Essays on The Myth Of Sisyphus And The Meaning Of Life The Myth of Sisyphus and The Meaning of Life Ever since philosophers started to ponder on life’s perennial questions, one was-and still is, coming back unanswered. What is the meaning of life? There isn’t a one, definite answer to this question, and we can expect as many answers as there are people in the world. Everyone will answer this in a different way, because each person has various meanings for what is valuable in their life. We can give a couple of examples for the life’s meaning, but it is not said that others will agree on our conclusion/finding. The question about life’s meaning is not one where you can go, and discover the answer to. It is rather a set of values, images, visions, some sort of ones creation- a metaphor, a symbol. Each and everyone one of us has a different meaning to his/her life, and in this paper I will try to discuss various values that are meaningful to ones life, and possibly give contrasting views on that entry. The Myth of Sisyphus will be used as a corners tone for a possible answer to the question and as an example of raison d’Ã ªtre to the answer. As mentioned before, there are as many answers to the question about life’s meaning as there are souls on this planet. What factors make a person determine the life’s meaning? One model could consist of someone that answers the question by saying that his offspring is what gives his life meaning. That is a perfectly good reply- if one has children. When a child is born, parents give it all of their attention and foster it. They provide for it, in other words-their world is completely engulfed in their child’s life. For that period of time their life is dedicated to that little one, that is their life’s meaning- to raise and provide for their offspring. In that case, they can undisputedly say that their child is what gives the meaning to their life. We can understand that form of reasoning, that one doesn’t see any...

Euthanasia7 essays

Euthanasia7 essays The term Euthanasia has become well known throughout the country. The word is derived from ancient Greek eu thantos, meaning easy death. Today, euthanasia is referred to as mercy killing. There is much controversy over whether or not the practice is just. Euthanasia raises many religious, medical, and ethical issues. Euthanasia can either be active or passive. Active euthanasia occurs when a physician or other medical personnel induces death. An overdose is administered to the patients in the form of insulin, barbiturates, or morphine, and then followed by an injection of curare. Passive euthanasia, on the other hand, is allowing the patient to die due to lack of treatment. This includes taking the patient off their support system, or respirator. Passive euthanasia also includes stopping the food supply intravenously to comatose patients (Comptons, 1). Debate has flourished against those who accept passive euthanasia, but reject active. Questions are asked why one form is accepted and not the other. The distinction that is made between the two of them is that active is murder, while passive is merciful. Turning off support systems is a positive act of death (Singer, 76). In the Encyclopedia of Bio-ethics, some religious views of euthanasia were given. Hebraic and Jewish denominations strongly oppose the practice. They believe life is a precious and divine gift, and that it must be sustained if possible. Death must never be hastened by intention. Physicians who kill patients in order to spare them pain are considered murderers (554-555). Judaism also rejects euthanasia. They do, however, accept two forms of eu thantos: caring for dying patients, and letting terminally ill persons die. Early Christians opposed self-induced death out of suffering and despair. They also condemn such practices such as infanticide and abortion (556). Roman Catholics permit terminally ill patients to ...