Sophocles Antigone - Antigone Must Challenge Creon Essay -- Antigone

Antigone Must Challenge Creon in Antigone    In his "Funeral Oration" Pericles, Athens's leader in their war with other city-states, rallies the patriotism of his people by reminding them of the things they value. He encourages a sense of duty to Athens even to the point of self-sacrifice. He glorifies the free and democratic Athenian way of life and extravagantly praises those willing to die for it. In Antigone, Creon, Thebes's leader in their recent civil war, also must rally the patriotism of his people. While he, too, praises the loyalty of his people, he does two other things to rally the citizens: he emphasizes his own qualifications for leadership, and he reminds them what happens to traitors.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Creon speaks to his people at the beginning of Antigone because he is now the only ruler of Thebes, and he wants them to be loyal to him. He knows there's a chance they might not have faith in him because in Oedipus the King he claimed to be content to leave the active leadership to others. Also, he's not next in line to be the king after Laius, the late, beloved king. Even more important is the fact that Laius's grandchildren, Oedipus's sons Eteocles and Polynices, ended up on opposite sides of a war over Thebes. Some Thebans were probably loyal to Eteocles, but others may have been sympathetic to Polynices, who tried to take the throne away from his brother. Now Creon, the new leader, will have the best chance for success if he gets the people to forget about Oedipus and the terrible time of his rule, and about Oedipus's sons and the rebellion that divided their country. Although he does praise the Thebans for respecting the royal house of Laius, saying, "your loyalty was unshakable" (line 187), he wants them to reali... ...ells trouble for the city's future and for his own success. Sometimes he sounds harsher and more threatening than Pericles did, but the problem of unifying people after a war between brothers is more difficult than unifying people to fight outsiders (which is what Pericles had to do). After all, Pericles can praise all the Athenians who died for their city's sake in the Peloponnesian War, but Creon can't praise all the Thebans who died in this battle. His idea for unifying Theban citizens behind him is to focus attention on himself as an example of everything they admire, and to show them the terrible consequences for disloyalty. Given the situation, I see this as an admirable goal, but I can also see why it's inevitable that Antigone, the strong-minded daughter of Oedipus and the sister of Polynices, will see Creon as arrogant and will challenge his rule.      

Capital Budgeing Case Study Essay

There are at least six capital budgeting tools a firm can use in analyzing a capital expenditure. They are: net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), profitability index (PI), payback period (PB), discounted payback period (DRP), and modified internal rate of return (MIRR). This case study will focus mainly on NPV and IRR, in addition to the remaining four capital budgeting tools. Net Present Value (NPV) The NPV of an investment proposal for a project is the same as the† present value of its annual free cash flows less the investment’s initial outlay† (Keown, Martin & Petty, p. 310, 2014). Before calculating the NPV you must first forecast the projected revenue for the life of the project to obtain the net cash flow figures. This involves accountants and analysts crunching numbers based on many factors such as the economy, supply and demand, competition, and how the company plans on carrying out the project (University of Phoenix, 2013). NPV looks at the present value of the benefits minus the present value of the costs. You also need a discount rate; it is normally the cost of capital. The cost of capital is used because a firm wants the project to at a minimum make more than what capital is now costing the firm to run its business. The rule for NPV is if the value is greater than or equal to zero the project is accepted (Keown, Martin & Petty, p. 310, 2014). After completing a five year projected income statement and a five year projected cash flow from the capital budgeting case study for corporation A and B, this information was used to calculate the NPV for each corporation. Corporation A’s NPV= $2,025 and B’s is NPV= $3,293. Both NPV’s are equal or greater than zero so both projects are a go, but corporation B has a greater NPV, making it a better choice if based on NPV alone (University of Phoenix, 2013). Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

Critical Analysis on Sonnet 12 by William Shakespeare Essay

William Shakespeare wrote a group of 154 sonnets between 1592 and 1597, which were compiled and published under the title Shakespeare’s Sonnets in 1609. Our attention will focus on sonnet 12, a remarkable and poignant poem about the relentless passing of time, the fading beauty, immortality, death and Old Age, these subjects being typical of all Shakespeare’s Sonnets. Time is omnipresent in everyone’s life, just passing and passing inexorably, relentlessly, so unstoppable. It is a universal problem : people have always been very worried about time, trying to gain some, or angry they have lost this precious element. Moreover, â€Å"Time is Money†, maxim born in the business sector, is now an adage applied in all matter. But still, it is not possible to lose or gain time : it is above people, nobody has control on it. This is what Shakespeare tells us in this sonnet. Shakespeare’s sonnets don’t have a specific title, only named by a number. Here, it is 12, and surely this number has not been given by chance, being a way to refer to time : the twelve hours of a day, the twelve hours of a night. What is more, just by hearing it, without understanding the words, it is possible to guess that it is about time. Shakespeare has used an iambic pentametre, which the alternation of strong and weak rhythms reproduces the ticking of the clock, displaying the passing of time. Furthermore, the way in which the meaning of the line finishes with the line itself, with punctuation such as comma and semi-colon at the end of each line, is like the inexorable motion of a pendulum as it beats from side to side. The fact that each line contains ten syllables contributes as well to this idea of regularity and time. We should also mention the presence of alliterations like c and t line 1 (count, clock, that, tells, time), imitating the ticking of the clock, and the repetition of consonants like p line 3 (past, prime), or s and g line 7 (summer’s, green, girded, sheaves), b line 8 (borne, bier, bristly, beard), without forgetting the sibilance line 11 (since, sweets, beauties, themselves, forsake). These alliterations slow down the sonnet and give it a measured rhythm, drawing the reader in an infernal cycle, in a lethargic state. We can observe the way the subject is developed by looking at the two main phases in this sonnet : the first eight lines are a phase of observation, study : we perceive how nature fades and dies, how time passes, as nothing can be done against it. But then, in the second part, Shakespeare opens up his past observation – that was on nature – in an examination based on humans. Nevertheless, these two phases are very similar, offering the same message to the reader : time is devastating and invincible. But before presenting these two main phases, we should not forget to precise that in each of these parts, a narrator appears, speaking at the first person, thanks to the pronoun â€Å"I†, line 1, 3, 5 and 9. The question coming immediately in our mind is who is hiding behind this â€Å"I† and who is this â€Å"I† addressing to ? I do not know whether Shakespeare has created a character, or if he is really expressing his point of view through the sonnet, but if he does so, we can observe that he adopts a different opinion in sonnet 18. Therefore, in sonnet 18, he promises his addressee he will be immortalized through the sonnet itself : â€Å"so long lives this, and this gives life to thee†, while in sonnet 12, he believes procreation to be the only way to live forever : â€Å"save breed to brave him when he takes thee hence†. Officially, the first 156 sonnets are addressed to a dear young man, fading somewhat the romantic image all people have about Shakespeare and his works. Now that we have talked about the sender and the receiver, let us concentrate on the different images, symbols and statements delivering the message. The first part of this poem describes nature. Indeed, the narrator is exposed counting the clock chimes – giving by the way an audible sound to the reader -, and the narrator appears very passive and resigned : he seems to know that time cannot be fought, waiting for it to pass, in a submissive manner. In the same way, the day looks already defeated, but it tries, unlike the â€Å"I†, to fight, as suggest the adjective â€Å"brave†, introducing a notion of combat. However, this is not the only meaning of this word, brave being polysemic : it has almost a visual significance, evoking brightness and gallantry. Thus, Shakespeare joins an attracting adjective to the â€Å"day†, to  finally make it appear even more vulnerable and pathetic, thanks to â€Å"hideous night†. This opposition between â€Å"brave day† and â€Å"hideous night† emphasizes the day’s weakness against the night, literally sinking in the night. This verb, sink, represents a long action and gives us the idea that we cannot discern the limits between day and night, we cannot point out â€Å"this is day†, â€Å"this is night†. It is something we are not aware of, we cannot see happening, until night has completely taken the place. This domination and hopeless fight could imply, by extension, that any struggle in life is a useless task. The violet is also under time control : it is once at its prime state, at springtime best, being emblematic of Spring and new growth, but then soon fades and dies. Here is presented the decaying of nature and furthermore of human, as violet is like a human being : once at its prime, then dying. Shakespeare presents us the same kind of image in the next line, describing sable curls, namely dark hair, having turned white due to the age. This word sable brings nobility, rarity and softness to the curls, but then is even more put down – as it is more precious -, by the whiteness. Behind this description, it is the youth coming to old age which is depicted. â€Å"Barren of leaves†, line 6 indicates us what period the poem is describing : the autumn, season of death and sadness. The trees, which used to be tall and majestic : â€Å"lofty†, are now leafless : all that remains are bare branches. Shakespeare is also suggesting that they are useless, while they used to have a significant role : to protect the herd from the heat of the sun. Thus, it suggests again the fact that everybody, even the more majestic one, will fade one day, that the destructive process of age does not forget anyone, and that old people are useless. We can discover another image insisting on the idea that the passing of time leaves you with nothing, line 7 and 8. By an agricultural image : the sheaves of corn growing during the summer and being tied carried away on a bier, Shakespeare actually represents death – the final stage -, with the sheaves in the coffin which can be associated with an old person in a coffin : â€Å"white and bristly beard†. All these images denoting Nature have actually been used as examples to illustrate Shakespeare’s views on time and the human being. In a second phase, the sonnet expresses the idea of human beauty fading as the time  passes, but also of the renewable cycle, of a continuous mutation, of the constant presence of a next generation. Basically, there is no way escaping â€Å"Time’s scythe† line 13, except having children. Another important subject in this poem, besides linked up with time, is immortality. It is possible to feel how this relentless passing of time is a very serious issue for the narrator, affecting his mind, as he is trying to find a solution to this problem. Thus, we get aware of the consequences of time, making people grow old : â€Å"white and bristly beard† line 8 ; â€Å"since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake† line 11. The narrator draws our attention on the infernal cycle of life : â€Å"and die as fast as they see others grow† line 12, and probably wants to denounce the sentiment of immortality all young people have in themselves, thinking they will always stay young and have their whole life in front of them forever. Being a teenager, I have this feeling too : how could I imagine, being fifteen, that I will be seventy one day ? However, like Shakespeare suggests in this sonnet, life is a cycle, people dying as fast as others grow. The solution offe red here in the rhyming couplet is to have children to be immortal. One must admit that the narrator is absolutely right, children representing a source of youth, and a way of printing his foot on the earth. By giving birth to a child, people are sure they will live in someone’s mind forever, and be mentioned as the time passes by the family, thanks to genealogical trees for instance. Moreover, parents bring up their children in their way : they pass values and rules on to them, but also a name and a way of thinking and living. However, it cannot be denied that there are other methods to remain alive, to immortalize his existence on earth, like accomplishing a great action – good or bad – or writing an autobiography. I have liked this sonnet very much, for the form represents and illustrates the meaning in a brilliant way. It was also very interesting to, step by step, analyze this poem to finally have a good understanding of it, while it was almost incomprehensible at first. Death, the passing of time, the Old Age and the desire of immortality are universal themes which touched everybody, and have, them, crossed the time.

A Theory of Human Motivation

A Theory of Human Motivation There are five basic hierarchical needs that each person must satisfy in order to achieve self-fulfillment. These needs begin with physiological, which includes the automatic drive to fulfill one’s basic nourishment from food, water and air, as well as the choices in the selection of these needs. If these basic physiological needs are not met, all other needs will be ignored until these are satisfied. Second is the person’s need for safety, which yields to short term and immediate dangers before considering other long term concerns to maintain safety in the future. The motivation to fulfill these needs include relieving physical discomforts such as pain or temperature extremes, avoiding hazardous risks that could potentially cause harm to one’s self, and also seeking surroundings that are familiar. Once the first two needs have been met, a person will focus on finding acceptance with others, not only with sex, but as a sense of belongingness with a person or groups that has a mutual concern for one another. Failure to satisfy the need for love often results in psychological maladjustments and disconnection in the future. The next is the esteem needs, which is the desire for respect from one’s self as well as respect from others. The next need for self-actualization refers to a person’s desire to become whatever they imagine themselves capable of. If all other needs are satisfied then that person will then seek to improve one’s own self in a way that they feel themselves capable of, and that varies from person to person. While further needs are seldom pursued, the final need is the desire to know and to understand that which has been previously unanswered. This is a need to satisfy one’s greatest curiosities in the final stage of self-fulfillment. Once a need is fulfilled and higher needs become satisfied, a person may shift their attention back to more basic needs that have since been depleted or lost. These needs are only applicable in humans and the study of these needs on animals does not suggest anything about the higher needs of human motivation.

Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words - 2

Information Technology - Essay Example It raises questions such as the ability of consumers to make their own products as well as opportunities like cheap and accurate product development. The economic case for the Internet and all related technologies can be depicted in the collection of huge data made possible by the advanced computing and networked capabilities. This information published in the OECD website is just one of the materials that report the increased attention on the subject as a part of modern organizational focus as reflected in actual practice and strategy. Simply put, big data is the humungous information collected, stored and analyzed in complex database management systems. The paper effectively outlined how strong computing power allows these activities to be accomplished in a short time, using meager resources (OECD, 2015). The reader, therefore, has clear understanding about how organizations are able to gain insights about consumer and market behavior so that they are able to respond accordingly, especially in the area of product development and consumer relationship management. All in all, big data is seen as a major factor influencing the decisions of organizations and their management and this material supports it. In addition, it covers almost all operational aspects from product development, human resource management to logistics. DeMetz, A., 2015. The #1 Thing IT Managers Would Do To Strengthen Their Information Security Policies. Forbes. [online]. Available at: . [Accessed 17 March 2015]. This article has identified an unexpected top threat to an organizations information security: its employees. The idea is that employee activities pose as much danger to information security as external forces (DeMetz 2015). This is important primarily because the conventional cyber

Course Project Proposal Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Course Project Proposal - Term Paper Example We deal in a wide range of products such as household needs, family apparel, electronics, assistance in health & beauty, fabrics, jewelry, garden & lawn, shoes, toys and crafts among others. We even provide facilities in pharmacy, photo centers, portrait studios, banks as well as Tire & Lube Express. At the time of the establishment of the company, the founder had set three objectives or rather missions which would characterize his business and they were customer service, respect towards individuals and determination for brilliance (Hayden & Et. Al., 2002). Our company is known for following its mission objectives except for one and that is respect for individuals. The customers are treated with a lot of respect by the company but when it comes down to the employees then a big difference is being observed. The company does not treat its employees with the respect that they deserve and in a way it reflects the fact that the company does not value its employees which has resulted in a high turnover among the employees. My company addresses the employees of our stores as ‘associates’. The company provides liberal financial incentives as rewards for their employees by way of distributing the profit of the company with the employees through the option of buying stocks. However, here I should mention that these facilities and benefits are offered only to the full-time employees. Majority of the employees working in the stores are part-time workers and they are not paid generously by my company. Majority of the workers are just paid the bare minimum local wage. Needless to add that they are not provided any benefits as it takes a time period of five years to become qualified for these benefits. As I have mentioned earlier that a high rate of turnover prevails amongst these employees and so, there are bleak chances that they would reach that required level. I am a manager in one of the stores of the company. I joined the

Ethical Dilemmas in the Police Force Research Paper

Ethical Dilemmas in the Police Force - Research Paper Example Another definition of ethics refers to the development and study of a person’s ethical standards. It is extremely important to check ones ethical standards since social norms, feelings and laws can deviate from what is ethical in the view of professionals. In this respect, ethics means the continuous study of moral conduct and beliefs and hard work to make sure that the organizations we work for practice the standards that are acceptable and firmly based. In respect to this, ethical dilemma refers to a situation where two or more choices are ethically questionable (Davis and Aroskar, 2010). The police profession is one aspect where ethical standards are enforced and implemented. Over the past years, study of ethics in the police force has expanded considerably due to cases of police brutality and corruption surfacing in the courtrooms and the media (Appiah, 2006). The original conception of the police force in England emphasized the need of the police to get the good will of t he people to effectively do their policing roles. In England, the first instruction to police constables was in 1829 and it advocated for low temper from police officers, tolerance from foul language and should do their duty in a determined and quiet way since this will aid the officer in getting support from whomever he seeks it. In the United States, the officers never adhered to legal norms despite their training as law enforcers. The police were part of the political system used by local political organizations and no established code of conduct was in place. This paper will find the various codes of ethics in use by police officers, giving various ethical dilemmas police officers face. The questions to be answered by this paper are: What are the standards, codes of conducts practiced by the police force? What are the ethical dilemmas facing the police force? Ethical Conducts of Police Officers The following are codes of conduct governing police officers, (Herbefeld, 2006): To p rovide service to the public, protect property and lives and in the process shielding citizens from fraud and the vulnerable against oppression, the peaceful against aggression and to revere the constitutional rights of all to equality, liberty and justice. To keep their private life free from illegal activities to be emulated by all and act in a way that does not bring discretion to them and my agency. Maintaining courage and calm in the face of danger ridicule and scorn. Developing self-restraint and mindful of the welfare of others. Honesty in thought and deed in personal and official life and obeying the laws and regulations of a police officer. Anything confidential I see or hear in my official capacity as a law enforcement officer will be kept in secret unless revelation is necessary while on duty. To never let prejudices, personal feelings, aspirations, hatred or acquaintances manipulate their decisions. To not compromise with crime and with relentless prosecution of criminal s, imposing the law considerately and properly without fear or favor, cruelty or ill will and never using force, violence or accepting gratuities. Recognizing the police badge as a sign of public confidence and trust. Never employing acts of fraud, corruption or condoning such acts by colleagues in the law enforcement agency. Cooperating with all legal bureaus and their agents in the pursuit of justice and law enforcement. A law enforcement o