Hernan Cortes Hero or Villain

The Sun Cannot be covered by a Finger Hearing of the word hero brings to my mind a good looking man with some qualities of fair, equal, courage, brave, honest and a positive leader. This makes the opposite a villain a person who wishes wrong for someone or a person who creates evil. The event changes dramatically, a hero of the past may not be considered a hero in the present and versa. Hernando Cortes a hero for joining two worlds and conquering the most powerful civilization of America or Hernando Cortes a villain for making the Aztec Empire disappear.Hernando Cortez was an important symbol for the explorations, but killing people, ending the most powerful civilization in America and spreading diseases does not makes him a hero. With good strategy and few men Cortes defeated the Aztec Empire, first Montezuma II and then Cuauhtemoc. (5) Spreading disease â€Å"smallpox† to the Aztecs that then will spread the disease all over Mexico and making many people die. (2) Taking over a civilization that had his culture, language, religion and after doing all this finished with the entire Aztec Empire. (1) If you argue these reasons you get the results of a villain or in this case the result of Cortes. â€Å"For the people of Mexico, Cuauhtemoc is a hero as the Spanish are inhuman exploiters in their treatment of the indigenous population. † (3) Not only Mexicans believe that poor and cruel treatment for human beans is a crime. This is something that we were born and we immediately knew. Treating humans as slaves is shameful and this is exactly what Cortes did.Coming to a place that is not yours and saying that now is you place is one thing, but treating them bad so they would do what he order and killing them if they decided to oppose is another high level of evilness. (4) Cortes was ultimately responsible for the abuses suffered by indigenous and this contributes immensely to the â€Å"black legend† of conquest. (9) The black legend of the conque st was the abuse of the Spanish toward the Indigenous. Spanish began to take women and children for the Indians to serve and to use evil from them; they ate their meals that the Indians got from hard effort and work of everyday from them. 9) All of this where bad treatment towards the Aztecs that before the Spanish got to America was a civilization that was not bad treated by anyone. (6) This was the form they treated the Aztecs that would later lead to the evaporation of the Aztec Empire. The Spanish were starting to settle as well as the diseases.In 100 years 90 percent of the Indians population died and this was a problem that Cortes carried since his arrival. (11) Smallpox was undoubtedly the main villain, though not only, as the Spanish also introduced the mumps and measles, both responsible for many deaths. 17) There is no evidence that these infections exist in America before the arrival of the conquistadores. The disease was certainly bloodiest than the smallpox in sixteenth century in Europe. (11) It can be considerate that this disease was passed in the first try of Cortes trying to conquer the Aztecs in 1521. This being a fast disease that passed from person to person. (16) When Cortes entered the city in August, found that nearly half the population had died. In the course of six months there was hardly a single town without being infected. 11) It has been estimated that nearly half of the Aztec people died in the first epidemic. While Cortes was preparing more men and building ships for attacking the city, the Aztecs were dying by the disease that his men left the first time they enter the city. (8) This was a big extra help to make things much easier so Cortes could conquer the Aztec Empire. (11) Without really looking for extra help, help was falling from the sky towards Cortes; in this case he found out that he had killed a lot of men with one of his disease.In addition, can someone by considered a hero for something that he really did not plan ? After one eventually comes the other. Cortes did not only focus on killing the Aztecs he is still remembered for the battles of â€Å"La matanza de Cholula† and â€Å"La matanza del templo mayor†. Cortes needed men to help him finish the Aztec empire. â€Å"La matanza de Cholula† was an attack by military forces of the Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortes in his path to the city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan in the year 1519. (12) According to writings of Cortes it was a preventing action because there was a rumor that there was going to be a possible ambush inside the city of Cholula. The result was the death of 5 000 or 6 000 Cholula, mostly unarmed civilians in a period not exceeding six hours. (12) The other battle â€Å"La matanza del templo mayor† also known as the night of tears was the night that Cortes lost half of his men trying to escape from the city of Tenochtitlan were also many Aztecs died; this was the 20 of May 1520. 13) The 27 of June 3 days bef ore the night of tears happened Montezuma was killed by his own people, this will lead to the first confusion; days later Cuauhtemoc will be the next leader of the Aztecs being recognized for a more aggressive leader. (14) Cuauhtemoc knowing that Cortes was trying to empower Tenochtitlan, he organized the army and people to defend the city, offered to remove the tributes to his vassals, fortified the plaza and destroyed the bridges.The Aztecs defended their positions for 75 days, until August 13, 1521. After the 75 days the city was impossible the leader tried to escape but they were capture by Spanish people. (14) Cuauhtemoc was then captured and was threatened to death if he did not said were the gold was. Cuauhtemoc remained imprisoned for 4 years. He was killed by the conquerors during the expedition of Cortes to Central America in 1525 and this was the end of a civilization that suffer since the arrival of the Spanish. 14) Getting to a conclusion, we analyze how Cortes treated, killed, fight. Cortes a villain for making bloody battle fields where he stepped. Clearly here is the definition of a villain. Spreading diseases, making people suffer, finishing the civilization only for the purpose of gold and his own benefits. A hero thinks of everyone not just on himself. Once again with good strategy and few men Cortes defeated the Aztec Empire, first Montezuma II and then Cuauhtemoc making this suffer much more.However spreading disease â€Å"smallpox† to the Aztecs that then will spread the disease all over Mexico and making many people die. This disease killed 90% of the Natives in 100 years. Taking over a civilization that had his culture, language, religion and after doing all this finished with the entire Aztec Empire. No one can be considered a hero by doing these evil things. Cortes proof to be a villain in almost every act, sometimes is not enough to be a brave men and courageous. You need to use this qualities for good not for bad treatment.

Betrayal in the City Essay

Betray in the city novel over view FRANCIS IMBUGA was born 1947 in Wenyange village in western Kenya. He is a renowned Kenyan playwright, actor and producer. Betrayal in the City is a political play. The writer examines the problems of independence and freedom in post-colonial states in Africa. The play talks about military regimes that were common on the African continent after independence. Many of such regimes were later overthrown by coup de tats. Francis Imbuga’s major concern is betrayal at two levels, both at a personal and government level. Betrayal in the City shows a decay in morals, greed for power, material possessiveness and selfishness. Doga and Nina lament as they mourn their dead son, Adika. The old couple wishes to perform a ritual for their dead son. This effort is hampered by express directions from the government brought by Mulili and Jere claiming that ritual should not go on in the interest of peace; but Doga and Nina are adamant. Their only remaining son, Jusper, is imprisoned. This shows us what is happening in Kafira – the corruption, injustice and oppression of the people. Critics of the government are not tolerated. Jere and Mosese are henceforth put into prison over false charges. They both suffer the pain of the government’s betrayal. Jere painfully says: â€Å"When the madness of an entire nation disturbs a solitary mind, it is not enough to say the man is mad.† Government officials make use of any opportunity to make money through unfair means. Tumbo for instance declares Jusper the winner of the play writing competition and awards him the winner’s prize money. One third of the six hundred pounds to finance the play writing competition is given to Jusper and his girl friend, Regina; and the remaining two thirds to put records straight emphasizing that everything is being done in strict confidence. Despite all this Jusper vows to revenge someday even if it means going it  alone since he knows that a University student is not a very welcome person in Kafira and is looked at as a nuisance to society and a pest. Government officials first think of what they are going to benefit before deliberating on matters of state. What first preoccupies their mind is how much are they going to gain and that the size of the potato each is going to get should be directly proportional to what their chairman will get. Being a relative Boss gives Mulili a chance to despise his colleagues in service. Mulili falsely accuses Kabito knowing that Boss will believe what he says since he has been made to be his eyes and ears. He is also favoured by Boss in many ways. The semi-illiterate Mulili sometimes completely misunderstands what is said to him and yet threatens to act basing on the strength of that misunderstanding. Boss’ trust of those who advise him especially Mulili make him give unbearable directives to silence those presumably against his government including the simple old couple who were innocent. Boss also tries to take advantage of Regina forcefully. Such scandals speak unfavourably of the Head of State. Nicodemo and Tumbo discuss the state of affairs and how people are being killed: â€Å"we have no choice. Like caged animals, we move, but only inside the cage. It has become infectious-the desire to eliminate others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This implies that there are serious consequences of criticizing the government’s plans. The play within the play, Betrayal in the City, brings about the desired change that everybody has been waiting for. The rehearsal for the play intended to entertain the visiting Head of state becomes a real confrontation arrived at effortlessly by Jusper, Mosese, and Jere; taking everyone by surprise.

Jay Greenberg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Jay Greenberg - Essay Example The musical prodigy was discovered in 2004 during a CBS 60 minute news segment and from there he grew into a professional and sought after composer. His first CD was released in 2006 by Sony Classical which featured the Symphony #5 and Quintet for Strings performed by the London Symphony Orchestra as well as the Juilliard String Quartet with Darrett Adkins respectively (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). Some of Jay’s most famous works have been the Violin Concerto produced in 2007, the Four Scenes in 2008 with a double string quartet, and Concerto for Piano Trio and Orchestra. His beautiful works have been publicly performed both nationally and internationally by such renowned orchestras as the Pittsburgh Symphony, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra and the Orchestra of St. Luke's (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†). In 2009 Jay’s work was even commissioned and premiered at Carnegie Hall for the youth orchestras, Skyline Dances (â€Å"Jay Greenberg†) . Jay produces most of his brilliant work on a computer using notation programs and feels that he hears the music taking shape inside his head. There is no doubt that this young and gifted composer will go a long way. Works Cited â€Å"Jay Greenberg.† schirmer.com. G. Schirmer Inc., Mach, 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2011

The Criminal law system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Criminal law system - Essay Example This means that even those who enact laws or promulgate policies are not exempt from the objective purpose of the law-that anyone who commits any crime or aggression must be brought before the courts of justice and be given fair and impartial trial according to non-arbitrary legal procedures. Justice, in the strictest essence of the word, means that all men are equal under the aegis of the law and have the opportunity to develop and to achieve free from state compulsion and threats and intimidation of others. If a person's right is violated and that the law penalizes such violation committed by another, the state may step in to protect the rights of the aggrieved and penalize the aggressor. This, in effect, is the role of criminal justice system There are main major components of criminal justice system. These are the following-1) the existence of law enforcement; 2) the establishment of courts of justice; 3) and the existence of clear objective penalties. These components must be in accordance with the rule of law so that government agencies and institutions tasked with the protection of criminal justice system must act in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, that the courts' duty is to secure the accessibility of justice to all individuals, and that penalties must be fair, non-arbitrary, never excessive, and be meted out only to the guilty. In free and democratic countries like the United States, criminal justice system is defined by laws and policies promulgated by the state through the legislative branch. One of the mechanisms to strengthen criminal justice system is the President's Commission on Law enforcement and Administration of Justice issued in 1967 whose purpose is to prevent and combat crime (McCord, 1997). Every country in the world has its own criminal justice system. This is because sound and efficient criminal justice system will guarantee peace and orderly society, as well as the economic progress and political maturity of a nation. There is an undeniable connection between effective criminal justice policy and good governance, the same way that there is symbiotic relationship between the first and economic development of a nation. Corruption One of the aspects that largely undermine criminal justice system is the practice of corruption, which is a criminal offense since it is perpetrated to defraud the government and the taxpayers. Though generally committed by government officials, private individuals, particularly those who enter into contracts with the government, may also perpetrate corruption. There are manifold forms or facets of corruption, a dim reality that makes it hard to detect and deter. This is the reason why the government must establish effective mechanisms, as well as institutions and agencies, designed to detect graft and corrupt practices and to punish perpetrators. The clever schemes of corrupt individuals, both public and private, including their illegal activities and practices, must be detected and deterred by anti-corruption government agencies in order to discourage impunity and deter future crimes. Based on the report of Transparency International (2007), corrupt practices constitute of the "abuse of entrusted power for private gain." The intent of the

Marketing principles and applications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing principles and applications - Essay Example In fact, a consumer can use the appliance even without reading the instructions leaflet. In opposition with other appliances of the same characteristics the particular coffee maker offers to the consumer the impression of being involved in a unique experience: a series of color icons, showing cups of coffee of different size, helps the user to decide the type of coffee preferred. Then, icons showing spoons full of sugar and coffee help the user to decide on the amount of coffee and sugar that should be used for the type of coffee chosen. Finally, an icon with cup of milk is used for showing to the user his potential to choose a cup of coffee with milk. Particular emphasis has been also given to the components of the appliance. High quality materials have been used ensuring that the flavor of the coffee is strong. In the context of the issues discussed above, the appliance chosen fully supports the firm’s mission statement, which focuses on quality, convenience and innovation, as described in the introduction section. 2.   Classify Company G’s products using the three-way consumer product classification system. The three-way Consumer Product Classification system is based on the following rule: products can be classified in three categories according to specific characteristics. Reference is made particularly to ‘convenience, shopping and specialty goods’ (Boone & Kurtz, 2012, p.352). The particular system is quite helpful for the development of effective marketing strategies (Boone & Kurtz, 2012, p.352). However, the system is also related to an important weakness: consumer preferences worldwide are not standardized (Ferrell & Hartline, 2010). In fact, differences can be identified in consumer trends even within the same market and in regard to the same product. For example, the performance of a product can be changed within the same market under the impact of severe turbulences in the global market (Ferrell & Hartline, 2010). In ge neral convenience products are those that are highly popular, at least more than shopping products which are not necessarily incorporated in consumers’ daily shopping (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). Moreover, specialty goods are goods of specific characteristics and, usually, of high price (Boone & Kurtz, 2012). Using the above classification system Company G’s products could be classified by referring to three categories: convenience, shopping and specialty goods. It should be noted that the Table refers only to the firm’s small appliances and not to all its products. The consumer factors involved in the classification process are presented in the first column. In the three other columns the relevance of the firm’s products to each product category is analyzed. A rounded rectangle is used for showing the product category to which the firm’s products are nearer; the blue color indicates a high relevance, the green color is used for showing an average releva nce while the red color shows the lack of any relevance. Consumer factor (Boone & Kurtz, 2012, p.352) Convenience products Shopping products Specialty products Time spent on identifying the firm’s products The firm’s products cannot be chosen instantly Thought is required before buying the firm’s products The decision-making process in regard to the purchase of the firm’s products may takes a lot of time Location of the firm’s products The firm’s products are not available in all retail stores The firm’

Corporate Failure Rates and the Impact of the 1986 Insolvency Act Essay

Corporate Failure Rates and the Impact of the 1986 Insolvency Act - Essay Example Interest rates are important because they reflect the monetary policy manifestation. Increase in inflation rates also result in increase in failure rates. Lastly, the age of a business is important because the lesser the age of a business, the more chances are that it would not survive. It was assumed that the failure rates would have a positive relationship with interest rates, cost of use of capital, price levels and company formation and on the other hand, it would have a negative relationship with profits and credit availability. An error correction model was constructed which connected these variables with failure rates. Also, ADF test and PP test were carried out to find out the long term effects of the variables mentioned above. Regression analysis was also done on an equation formed by Johanson method (1982). The results from the Chow test show that the imposition of the Insolvency act of 1986 has had some effects on the failure rates. Also, the coefficient of the dummy variable was also negative and statistically important which makes it possible for us to conclude that the failure rates decreased since the introduction of the Insolvency act. Corporate Failure Rates and the Impact of the 1986 Insolvency Act is a very extensively researched case study. ... CritiqueCorporate Failure Rates and the Impact of the 1986 Insolvency Act is a very extensively researched case study. This study aims to find evidence of the effectiveness of the Insolvency Act of 1986 by studying time series data of failure rates after and before the act was introduced. It has studied previous studies, collected present data and carried out statistical analysis on that data and compared the results.The abstract in the beginning is concise and clear as it gives a brief account of what is in the paper. All the important points regarding the previous studies, procedure, results and conclusion are given. Next comes introduction and the introduction also sets a base that makes us ready for what is coming next. It briefly describes the Insolvency Act and its effects on businesses. This not only makes it very easy to grasp the main idea but it also makes it understandable to anyone who is studying the area under discussion for the first time. Technical terms such as 'wron gful trading' and many others that were used throughout the case study were straightforwardly defined right after they were used, which made the matter very comprehensible and easy to understand.The literature that is included in the case study is just enough to give good empirical evidence regarding the subject matter. Every fact that is given is either supported with a previous data, literature of present findings. This case study aims to see the effects of this act 11 years after its implementation therefore it will help us know its long term effects. The limitations of previous studies are also given when it was mentioned that 2 or 3 years is not a long enough time to adequately study the long term

The Creation of Youth Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Creation of Youth Culture - Essay Example Fashion has been considered as a cultural trend since it is associated with certain sets of groups and advances around influence. This paper, therefore, focuses on presenting how fashion is currently being used to identify certain youth culture identity. Rouse (1989) argues that fashion is about change for change sake and the illusion of novelty (Rouse, 1989, p126). By considering this argument, youths of the present generation have emerged, with a number of symbolic identities, to define a set of cultural identities. The symbolic identities are just fashions since they do not have significant meanings within the youths and their cultures. Citing a few examples, in this case, tattooing, the wearing of ornaments and masks are some of the most common fashion trends that youths currently consider identifying themselves with certain identities. Any youth is not under obligation to participate in the above practices since it is a matter of choice. This, therefore, draws a clear distinctio n between culture and fashion. Some youths may argue that tattoos make them feel adventurous while others would reason that it makes them remember a special person in their lives. Some youths also get tattoos in support of some campaign in some illness like breast cancer or some charity work. Contrary to what youths are inclined to these days, tattoos were used as a cultural scribe to churches in the olden days, which showed some signs in faith (Savage, 2007, p109). The ornaments worn by the youths, on the other hand, may signify birth dates and are given as birthday presents or those in a relationship as a sign of remembrance and love. The idea is that the ornament acts as a bond between the parties. Similarly, some ornaments symbolize authority. These are found among the people in positions of power like kings, queen, and some religious leaders. Wearing of masks has also become a common fashion identity among the youths.