Strategic Marketing by Nintendo Select an organisation

Strategic Marketing by Nintendo Select an organisation Introduction Starting out as a playing card company when it was first founded in 1889, later entered the video game industry in 1985; Nintendo has since become the leading manufacturer and distributor of video-game software and hardware (i.e. handheld consoles and static consoles). Such success has largely been attributed to Nintendos ability to develop and manage some of the most innovative products in the industry, where some still remained as one of the biggest seller of all time. Despite its success and the current position as the market leader in both the console and handheld market, Nintendo is facing increasing competition from its competitors; Microsoft and Sony, the challenges on its market from the recent recession as well as the saturation of demand of the current generation of consoles. This essay will analyse some of the main strategic marketing tools covered in the module, and then evaluate and make suggestions on how they can be used by Nintendo to manage its existing products and product portfolios or help to develop new ones. Defining product Due to the scope of the essay, the strategic marketing tools that will be analysed will be mainly related to product. A product is either tangible or intangible; it can be defined as a good, a service or even an idea or brand. It is an important factor in the marketing mix and can be a companys most important asset. A product can also be broken into three levels, core, actual and augmented (as shown in fig. 1). It is important to note that the core product is not the product itself and is not tangible; it is the basic benefits from gaining the actual product (Dibb, Simkin, Pride, Ferell, 2001). Figure Nintendo has a range of products within the video game industry, from well-known handheld consoles such as the Nintendo DS and the static video-game consoles such as the Wii, to a range of compatible video-game peripherals, accessories and software from its studios. If we take the Wii for example, the core benefit to the user would be the perceived enjoyment or fun from playing the console, the actual product would have the features of running the compatible games, while the augmented product would be the customer service and warranty the end-user could use when console breaks. Some of these products will be analysed in more detail later on using the strategic marketing tools in order to give more details on the current situation of the company and the market. The Tools There are many marketing tools and concepts nowadays to help companies assess their products and the market in order to make more informed decisions in planning. This section will concentrate on three of the strategic marketing tools relating to product as discussed within the module, with focus on the benefits and limitations of each tool when applied to Nintendo and its products. Product lifecycle Perhaps one of the more widely known tools in managing products (Dhalla Yuspeh, 2009), the product lifecycle breaks down the progress of a product developing over time into four main stages: introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. The stages can be seen on the graph in fig. 1. The first line represents the sales a company has made, while the line below is the actual profits gained after deducting all the cost. Time is represented on the horizontal axis. Figure Source: http://tutor2u.net/business/marketing/products_lifecycle.asp At introduction, despite the rapidly rising sales, it is likely that the profit remains in the negative due to the considerable costs incurred to develop and launch the new product. During the growth period, as more people become aware of the product and demand grows, sales and profit increase rapidly. After a period of time, growth in demand would start to slow as the maturity approaches. At the maturity stage, competition could be the strongest and it is also where the most profit can be earned. After the product reaches maturity, sales and profit will fall into decline as the market shrinks. By understanding the stage a companys product is at, strategic decisions can be made to minimise cost or to boost sales. Many of Nintendos products can be perceived as following such cycle. One example can be seen from Wii, one of Nintendos most success products and the current market leader in static consoles. When it was first released in 2006, there was much hype about the new product amongst the gaming community; the product was part of the seventh generation consoles, and features the distinctive motion-sensitive controllers. Although the new console lacks the graphics and processing power of its rivals, Microsofts Xbox 360 and Sonys PS3; the features of which the traditional video-gaming communities (dominated by young male gamers) have placed great emphasis on, Nintendo has dramatically increased sales by expanding the market into new consumer segments (i.e. older generations and other casual gamers) (Mintel Oxygen, 2008). In 2009, sales have slowed as the market for the current generation of consoles reaches maturity, prompting Nintendo to lower the retail price in order to boost sales (Mintel Oxygen, 2010). While the Wii seemed to be going through the stages of a product lifecycle, yet, the product lifecycle would have been too simple for Nintendo to base most of their strategies and planning on. One of its limitations is that it cannot help managers to effectively forecast sales; a reason for this would be that sales can be affected by a number of factors, internal and external. For instance, the product lifecycle could not have forecasted the recent recession which saw a cut back on spending from the casual gamers who view Wii as one of the luxury goods, thus affecting the sales. Another major limitation of the product lifecycle is that not all products will follow the typical lifecycle curve. An example can be seen from Nintendos Virtual Boy when it was first launched in 1995, the console uses a head-mounted display and controller, but since it had many technological limitations, the product did not get the sales needed and was discontinued after one year (Fletcher, 2010). Here, the product did not reach growth and maturity after introduction, and went into decline soon after. Due to its simplicities and many other limitations ( Day, 1981), some critics even argues that companies can make costly mistakes and miss opportunities if decisions are based on the product lifecycle concept, and would be better off using an information system for each product when deciding whether to promote or cut cost (Dhalla Yuspeh, 2009). Boston Matrix Developed by a large US consulting group, the Boston matrix is a strategic planning tool that base around a products market growth rate and market share when determining a marketing strategy (Donald , Hambrick, MacMillan, Diana, 1982). Each product is analysed in terms of relative market share and market growth and placed onto a matrix, where it can be classified into four categories: stars, cash cows, problem child/question mark and dogs. As seen in fig 3. Figure Source: http://www.learnpremium.co.uk/cima/lesson2/page3.aspx Stars are highly successful products with good prospects for growth and high share of the market, although they may use more cash than they generate in order to finance growth and increase capacity. Stars have the potential to become cash cows, where they have the dominant shares in the market but low growth, and more cash are generated than needed to maintain market share. With low market share and low potential for growth, products that are classified as dogs should be eliminated as they are likely to not generate cash for the company. Problem children, sometime called question marks, are products with low share of a high growth market. Some of the problem children can be turned into stars, which is why some companies still invests in them, although there is also a risk of them turning into dogs instead. The current generation consoles (the Wii and Nintendo DS range) from Nintendo can be generally be classified as cash cows, as they have the biggest share of their market but the markets are no longer growing as fast as it used to be. One of the dogs of the company would be the Game Boy Advance range (including Game Boy Advance SP and Game Boy Micro), the predecessor of the Nintendo DS range, sales and market share have dropped after the introduction of the newer versions of the DS range. An example of the question mark product would be Nintendo DSi XL, which is a newer version of the DS range that provides all the features of the Nintendo DSi along with bigger screens. It was released in November 2009, and its future is still unsure as consumers could prefer spending less on older versions that gives similar experience, rendering the DSi XL unnecessary (i.e. becoming a dog), or could potentially replace the older models and become a cash cow in future. The stars of Nintendo can be de monstrated by some of Nintendos video game software developed by its first-party studios, such as the Wii Fit, which was the third highest selling Wii game as of May 2010 (Nintendo Co., Ltd, 2010). Nevertheless, like the product life cycle model it was based on, Boston matrix, with only two dimensions (market share and market growth) is still too simplistic to use alone in making strategic decisions (Majluf, 1983). It also assumes that high market share is always related to higher rates of profit or the only success factor, and that the attractiveness of a market is not only indicated by its growth. For instance, although compared to the fast growing mainstream, casual gaming market with its large market size potential, the traditional hard-core gamer market with its narrower demographic could be seen as much less attractive. However, the latter group would also be willing to pay more for a higher specification console, and their purchase are less likely to be effected by the economic conditions in the same way that has impacted the decision of the casual gamers. Also, despite a general interpretation that dogs should be eliminated, some dog products could be part of a successf ul product mix, and their existence could serve as one of the motivating factors for consumers to purchase a particular product from the company. An example can be shown from Nintendos accessory sector, where market research has shown low market growth and low interest in accessories overall. However, many customers who chose to purchase Nintendo Wii could be influenced by the fact that parts can be replaced and purchased if required, i.e. extra controls are available for purchase should the customer want to play multi-player games. Despite its weaknesses, the Boston matrix can still serve as a simple and efficient tool to help Nintendo to predict where a product is at in its product lifecycle, for instance, question marks can be said to be on the launch stage, the stars are at the growth stage and cash cows are likely to be on the maturity stage. Ansoff Matrix The previous two marketing tools can help companies to identify the stages their products are at, but does little to help the managers formulating on a set of strategies to achieve growth. The Ansoff matrix is a tool that aids companies in making decisions on how to achieve growth depending on the product and the market it targets (Ansoff, 1965). It can be shown in a chart below, as seen in fig. 4. Figure Source: http://tutor2u.net/business/strategy/ansoff_matrix.htm The four strategic choices from the Ansoff matrix are: market penetration, product development, market development and diversification. Market penetration is considered when marketing existing products to existing consumers, this can be achieved through promotions or repositioning the brand. For instance, after it was clear that Nintendos static consoles could not compete in terms of specifications (i.e. powerful processing capacity) with Sony and Microsoft within the hard-core gaming sector (Mintel Oxygen, 2008), the company repositioned its brand to appeal more to the wider public and families in order to increase sales. Product development occurs when companies market new products in existing markets. Within the video game console market, newer models are introduced in order to compete better with the latest features on the market. Within the Nintendo DS range, new models are released almost every year; starting from the original Nintendo DS at release, then the handheld console became smaller with the DS Lite, later a webcam was added on to open up new possibilities with several games in the DSi model, and the current model, DSi XL features a bigger screen for players. All these models compete in the handheld video game console market along with Sonys PSP, with each model offering a slightly different experience to the consumer, but still in the same generation of the video game consoles (Mintel Oxygen, 2010). Market development happens when companies seek growth by introducing existing products in new markets. This can be demonstrated when companies export their products into another country or region, thereby entering a new market. Nintendos consoles and games are usually released in Japan first; the companys home market, before launching and promote them overseas. Lastly, diversification is when the company choose to market completely new products into new markets. This could be within the same industry as the existing products or going into an unrelated industry or sector. Nintendo first started out as a playing card company in the late 19th Century before it diversified into to the video gaming market by launching its first video game console, but still remained within the wider Toys and Games industry. As with the other tools, there are limitations and disadvantages on using the Ansoff matrix. Once again, the format of the two-by-two design similar to the Boston matrix can be too simplistic, and that the real-world markets and decisions are much more complex. Such as that diversification may contain many risks, i.e. lack of knowledge and experience of the new market, and that it may not be the best strategy for growth for some companies with limited resources. Also, although the Ansoff matrix can be used to identify the strategic path products may follow, and as with the Boston matrix can help simplify overly complex scenarios for easy and prompt analysis; it does not provide the marketing options which mangers will need to make based on a wider and extensive research of the company and the market. Combining the tools All the strategic marketing tools evaluated here have both benefits and disadvantages to Nintendo. Also, the market conditions can transform over time, such as changes in trend, technological advances and economic conditions (Pride Ferrell, 2008). Therefore, in order to help managers to effectively manage and develop individual products and product portfolios, the best approach will likely to involve using a number of tools. This section will look at how different marketing tools discussed previously along with other concepts can be used together by Nintendo in managing its products as well as developing new ones. Product management Product management can consist of planning, forecasting and marketing of a product in order to achieve the companys objectives. Nintendo may use the tools mentioned before to help it to paint an overall view of its products. By using the Boston matrix on all Nintendos products that are currently on the market, one can find that there are some in each of the four categories, and some may lie on the lines between two classifications. As mentioned in the introduction, the concept of product is not limited to just goods and service, and Nintendo has many products in its product portfolio. The Pokà ©mon game brand were often referred to as one of Nintendos biggest cash cows by the gaming community, with each release for various platforms and little changes to the content and gameplay providing huge profit for the company. Therefore, for the Pokà ©mon range, Nintendo may opt to spend relatively less investment in product development and promotion to maintain sales, and use the cash generated on investing in new innovations and other less successful products. The Boston matrix will also help Nintendo to identify what stage of the product lifecycle some of their products are currently in. When looking at the product lifecycle of the current generation of consoles, the slow sales growth indicates maturity of the market and the product. Therefore, Nintendo should consider developing the next generation consoles. However, care should be taken in using the product lifecycle as not all products share the same trend. To get an accurate view on what stage of the product lifecycle a console is in, and also when it will move to the next stage, instead of only relying on the Ansoff matrix and market data, Nintendo could also compare it to its predecessors, i.e. the Wii compared with Nintendo GameCube and the DS with Gameboy, as the product lifecycle of similar products within similar markets should be more closely related; though Nintendo should still be aware of some of the major differences in market and competition, such as changes in demographics of Nintendos customers and Sonys entrance into the handheld market with PSP, when comparing current generation of consoles with t he last ones. Product development Should Nintendo decide to go into product development; could be in an attempt to extend the product lifecycle of an existing product or to introduce a new product onto the market (based on Ansoff matrixs view of product development), there would also be number of considerations that needs to be taken. The company could choose to either make modifications to an existing line or to release a completely new product to replace the old one. For instance, if Nintendo want to extend the product lifecycle of its Pokà ©mon game brand by boosting sales, the company would make a new release of another version of the existing games. Such move would not require a huge investment in product development, as the concept already exist and proven to be hugely successful with a large base of loyal customers willing to get the latest version, so small changes such as packaging, improving the graphic to adapt to the latest console, and small modifications to the storyline, would be sufficient enough to release another best-selling game onto the market. Figure Developing a completely new product such as the next generation of consoles would require a much bigger investment and time. Firstly, the company will need to make sure it has done the market research required to understand the market, in order to take advantage of the companys strengths. So far, Nintendo has been successful in expanding the market by identify attracting more casual gamers from the older generation and families, thus focusing on improving gaming experience around a wider group in order to make up for its loss of appeal (due to lower performance power) from the traditional hard-core gamers. The Kanos Model as shown in fig. 5 on product development and customer satisfaction (Bergman, 2003) can be used to help Nintendo to assess the requirements of the new consoles or other products. For instance, some of the expected needs could be better graphics and performance than the previous consoles. The company may also need to assess the technology available on the market and the limitations of developing new ones. Nintendo has already announced its next generation handheld console, the Nintendo 3DS, which apparently is capable giving 3D visualisations on displays without glasses (Nintendo Co., Ltd, 2010). How well the company has evaluated its customer needs and expectations will be reflected on the success or failure (like the Virtual boy) after the product is available on the market. Conclusion Overall, the Ansoff matrix can be used as a framework for deciding upon strategies based on whether the market and the product is new or existing, the Boston matrix can be used to predict where a product is at its lifecycle based on relative market share and market growth rate, and the Product lifecycle can help companies to decide on a marketing strategy depending on the stage a product is in, although not all products go through each stage in the same way. All three tools are too simplistic and do not take into account of many real-world factors, thus extensive research on the wider market and the company is required before making strategic decisions. After evaluating the strategic marketing tools and applying them to Nintendo and its products, I believe that the best approach in managing and developing products or product portfolios is to not make judgements and strategic decisions based on one or two tools and concepts, but to use a combination of them. While managing existing products using the tools discussed here as well as extensive market research, Nintendo may decide to make modifications to its products or extend its line with a new product. Also, with the changing market conditions, Nintendo may find that it will need to change its strategic marketing approach overtime in order to adapt and manage risk to effectively manage and develop individual products and product portfolios.

Mun Resolution Draft

FORUM: General Assembly, Human Rights QUESTION OF: The Treatment of children in areas of armed conflict SUBMITTED BY: Mexico The General Assembly, Deeply Disturbed by the recent number of massacres of citizens including children in Syria since the anti-regime uprising in March 2011, Noting with Deep Concern that the Syrian government has repeatedly and regularly violated its ceasefire conditions, which is causing escalating tension and possibly leading to civil war,Referring to Article 4 of the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child, there lies a responsibility within every government to impose the measures necessary to ensure that all children's rights are fulfilled and protected, Acknowledging the UN's recent efforts in efficiently carrying out punishments on persistent violators of children's rights to ensure that they are stopped and that these children receive the justice they deserve, as in the case of the trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor,Confident that the only possibility for violent forces to be stopped is to demobilize them by removing their weapons and placing leaders of these forces in detainment, Alarmed by the large numbers of children that remain incarcerated in Israel, South Africa, Tanzania and the United States of America, Bearing in mind that there is no ‘lost generation', and the fact that many child soldiers were pressurized under horrifying conditions as children,Deeply concerned by governments that continue to use, produce and stockpile cluster munitions, which target civilians and are a direct threat to the lives of children. 1. Requests the Syrian government to abide by the ceasefire conditions and to accelerate its implementation of its peace plan; 2. Calls upon NGOs and governments to jointly send immediate relief to Syria and establish child-friendly spaces (CFS) to protect and ensure the rights of children; . Encourages governments and NGOs to continue establishing more IDP fairs to reintegrate displaced f amilies into the community and a regular way of life; 4. Calls for further reintegration and rehabilitation policies and strategies that focus on tolerance rather than prejudice, and in which children are consulted and their strengths built upon, encouraged to break with previous violence, and specific issues such as female needs are addressed; 5.Suggests that gender-sensitive strategies are designed and implemented to address the rights of children, which includes establishing a minimum legal marriage age and protecting children from sexual exploitation, harmful cultural practices and abuse; 6. Recommends governments to review legislation and repeal laws that punish and discriminate refugees and other victims of war; 7. Further recommends the immediate and unconditional released of minors from prison in all countries concerned; 8.Expresses its hope that in the future NGOs and governments will send immediate relief to an affected area in the early stages of armed conflict to ensure the least possible number of casualties; 9. Encourages governments and NGOs to recognize the potential of the media in raising awareness of situations in areas of armed conflict, and in turn assists in receiving donations from the general public; 10. Strongly urges governments of countries in armed conflict to impose bans on, restrict import of, and forcibly remove weapons from all citizens; 11.Calls for developed countries to respond positively, in the spirit of burden-sharing, to requests for asylum; 12. Deplores the denial of humanitarian aid to children in armed conflict by warring parties; 13. Requests that the impacts of economic sanctions on children are reassessed and monitored, and that all children are provided with access to food, shelter, emergency water, sanitation and hygiene and emergency education; 14. Trusts that all states are placing this issue above all forms of politics, and will cooperate to ensure that the rights of children in areas of armed conflict are defe nded.

Building Sentences With Adverb Clauses

Here well practice building sentences with adverb clauses. Like an adjective clause, an adverb clause is always dependent on (or subordinate to) an independent clause. Like an ordinary adverb, an adverb clause usually modifies a verb, though it can also modify an adjective, an adverb, or even the rest of the sentence in which it appears. Adverb clauses show the relationship and relative importance of ideas in our sentences. From Coordination to Subordination Consider how we might combine these two sentences: The national speed limit was repealed.Road accidents have increased sharply. One option is to coordinate the two sentences: The national speed limit was repealed, and road accidents have increased sharply. Coordination with and allows us to connect the two main clauses, but it doesnt clearly identify the relationship between the ideas in those clauses. To clarify that relationship, we may choose to change the first main clause into an adverb clause: Since the national speed limit was repealed, road accidents have increased sharply. In this version the time relationship is emphasized. By changing the first word in the adverb clause (a word called a subordinating conjunction), we can establish a different relationship--one of cause: Because the national speed limit was repealed, road accidents have increased sharply. Notice that an adverb clause, like an adjective clause, contains its own subject and predicate, but it must be subordinated to a main clause to make sense. Common Subordinating Conjunctions An adverb clause begins with a subordinating conjunction--an adverb that connects the subordinate clause to the main clause. The subordinating conjunction may indicate a relationship of cause, concession, comparison, condition, place, or time. Heres a list of the common subordinating conjunctions: Cause asbecausein order thatsinceso thatExample:Im not a vegetarian because I love animals. Im a vegetarian because I hate plants.(A. Whitney Brown) Concession and Comparison althoughasas thougheven thoughjust asthoughwhereaswhileExamples:You will find that the State is the kind of organization which, though it does big things badly, does small things badly, too.(John Kenneth Galbraith)It is a waste of energy to be angry with a man who behaves badly, just as it is to be angry with a car that wont go.(Bertrand Russell) Condition even ififin caseprovided thatunlessExample:If you have ever lain awake at night and repeated one word over and over, thousands and millions and hundreds of thousands of millions of times, you know the disturbing mental state you can get into.(James Thurber) Place wherewhereverExample:Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out.(Samuel Johnson) Time afteras soon asas long asbeforeoncestilltilluntilwhenwheneverwhileExample: As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)Practice in Building Sentences with Adverb Clauses These five short exercises in sentence combining will give you practice in developing sentences with adverb clauses. Follow the instructions that precede each set of sentences. After you have completed the exercise, compare your new sentences with the sample combinations on page two. Combine these two sentences by turning the second sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subordinating conjunction of time:In a Junction City diner, a sunburned farmer comforts his squirming son.His wife sips coffee and recalls the high school prom.Combine these two sentences by turning the second sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subordinating conjunction of place:Diane wants to live somewhere.The sun shines every day there.Combine these two sentences by turning the first sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subordinating conjunction of concession or comparison:Work stops.Expenses run on.Combine these two sentences by turning the first sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subordinating conjunction of condition:Youre on the right track.Youll get run over if you just sit there.Combine these two sentences by turning the first sentence into an adverb clause beginning with an appropriate subo rdinating conjunction of cause:Satchel Paige was black.He was not allowed to pitch in the major leagues until he was in his forties. After you have completed the exercise, compare your new sentences with the sample combinations below. Sample Combinations Here are sample answers to the exercise on page one:  Practice in Building Sentences with Adverb Clauses. In a Junction City diner, a sunburned farmer comforts his squirming son  while  his wife sips coffee and recalls the high school prom.(Richard Rhodes,  The Inland Ground)Diane wants to live  where  the sun shines every day. Even though  work stops, expenses run on. Even if  youre on the right track, youll get run over if you just sit there.(Will Rogers) Because  Satchel Paige was black, he was not allowed to pitch in the major leagues until he was in his forties.

Using Notepad for PHP

You dont need any fancy programs to work with the PHP programming language. PHP code is written in plain text. All Windows computers including those running Windows 10 come with a program called Notepad that creates and modifies plain-text documents. Saving PHP Documents In your text editor, just save the PHP source code with a PHP extension. Windows may or may not recognize PHP as a valid system file type, but it doesnt matter. You generally dont want Windows to attempt to execute a PHP script. You could, however, associate PHP as a file type that your favorite text editor manages, so double-clicking a PHP file will open it in that editor. Media Files Saved as PHP Some browser plugins that download media from web pages will incorrectly capture the media files correct extension. The file will save with the correct name, but with a PHP extension. This glitch occurs only occasionally and stems from the media file sourcing from a PHP-enabled page. All you need to do is change the PHP extension to something like MP4. Video-playback programs like VLC accept the MP4 extension without complaining, even if the underlying video type is something else. Writing PHP Unlike some programming and scripting languages, PHP is not sensitive to indentations. Therefore, any indentations you make to your PHP code to aid your readibility are fine. Other Programs to Edit PHP Files Notepad is simple, but its not the only choice. Mac users can use TextEdit. Hardcore programmers (usually, on Linux) rely on environments like Emacs or Vim. Better than using a text editor — which, by design, just edits text, without additional functionality — is to use a text editor optimized for coding. On the Windows platform, programs like Visual Studio Code, BB Edit, UltraEdit, and Notepad not only edit your text but can lint (analyze for errors) and format your code with special colors and related visual cues.

Music, Blues And Ragtime - 1337 Words

â€Å"Jazz is the first true art form to come from the soil of America†, Winton Marsalis made this claim in the film Jazz by Ken Burns. Jazz would be born here in America after the fall of slavery. The interactions between previously enslaved peoples and the rest of society gave the breeding ground for a mixture of cultures and music styles. The city which was most clearly known for the mixing of cultures after the Civil war was New Orleans. In New Orleans the primary cultures and ethnicities seen included: Caucasians, Africans, Caribbean people, and Creoles, i.e. multiracial Africans. Within the mixing of cultures came the mixing of music styles as well. Two of the styles of music which added to the development and birth of jazz were the blues and ragtime. I argue that Jazz as a genre was a coalition between two popular forms of music, blues and ragtime. These two genres created jazz together through their origins, musical characteristics, and large number of performers. 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However, because of the vague definition of its sound, there is no one true definition of the art form. Jazz is an art form that cannot be restrained. Jazz is like watching Michael Jordan go up for an ordinary slam dunk, but in midair, he changes his mind to do something completely

Broken Spears Free Essays

The Broken Spears â€Å"The Broken Spears† is a collection of many accounts of the destruction of Mexico by Cortes and the conquistadors in their invasion. The motive behind this conquest was Cortes’ desire to bring a fortune of gold, spices, and land that can be claimed, back to Spain. Although these desires were admirable, they were sought after at the expense of the Aztecs and consequently changed an entire civilization, due to an initial drive for power, control, land, and money. We will write a custom essay sample on Broken Spears or any similar topic only for you Order Now Cortez along with the Spaniards ultimately destroys the Aztecs in their quest for fortune and fame. The accounts are based on the Aztec’s perception of the invasion and include the revolt of the Aztec people that lead to the terror and the end of the Aztec civilization. The Spaniards first entrance into Tenochtitlan The novel begins with the description of a series of omens or premonitions, observed ten years prior, that was believed to be essential warnings of the coming invasion. The omens arouse many fearful and terrifying reactions. At the time, the meanings were unclear to the Natives. According to the text, â€Å"Montezuma consulted various seers and magicians to learn whether the omens meant an approaching war or some other crisis†, however the magicians could not advise him. Not soon after, according to the second chapter, there were reports that â€Å"the mountains bore a strange people who have very light skin. They all have long beards, and their hair comes only to their ears. † After much contemplation, Montezuma sent five messengers to greet the strangers and to bring them gifts believing that they might be Quetzalcoatl (God of learning and the wind) and other divinities returning to Mexico as they promised. 2:13)Montezuma gave specific instructions as to how to present the messengers and gifts to the strangers. The natives showed reverence to the strangers at their arrival by â€Å"touching the ground before him with their lips†. (25) However, Cortez in return gave orders to chain them by their necks and feet. When the messengers retur n, they inform Montezuma of the various firearms, animals, foods, and resources the Spaniard possessed, and he was astonished and terrified by their report. Montezuma’s attempts to keep the Spaniard away from the Tenochtitlan included everything from sending out magicians and warlocks hoping that they could harm the Spaniards with their magic, to sending out captives to be sacrificed in their presence. With each failed attempt to prevent the Spaniards from entering Tenochtitlan, came the rising fears of the â€Å"inevitable†. As the Spaniard began to inquire about Montezuma, he contemplated fleeing and escaping the â€Å"gods†. Due to Montezuma’s failed attempts, Cortez and the Spaniards decided to begin marching In-land, in their arrival to Tlaxcala and Cholula. One could argue that the invasion of these cities was due to the defiance and the fact that they would not surrender to Cortez’s control. During the march Cortez gained a larger army and allies. Once Cortez and the Spaniards reached the entrance of Tenochtitlan their march was complete. Montezuma then prepared to greet Cortez. According to the text, â€Å"He presented many gifts to the Captain and his commanders, those who had come to make war. He showered gifts upon them and hung flowers around their necks; he gave them necklaces of flowers and bands of flowers to adorn their breasts; he set garlands of flowers upon their heads. Then he hung the gold necklaces around their necks and gave them presents of every sort as gifts of welcome. † Not mentioned in the Broken Spears however, according to the Diaz document, Cortez offered Montezuma his right hand but Montezuma refused it. It also states that Cortez went to place fine a necklace on Montezuma’s neck, but his nephews stopped and refused him. The Spaniards seemed to portray a non confrontational notion, as if they arrived with pure intentions. The document’s perspective seems to contradict those of The Broken Spears. The document describes the Aztec’s conversion to Christianity as a peaceful one. It also states that Montezuma pronounces that â€Å"I am in debt and will give all I poses,† revealing that Montezuma willingly gave of his possessions and land. However, according to The Broken Spears, the Aztecs were tortured and terrorized. The Expulsion from Tenochtitlan (Spring 1520) After imprisoning Montezuma, the Spaniards begin to terrorize the city, causing commotion and inflicting fear into the natives. The terrorism that was taking place caused an uprising battles and massacres to take place. One example of the harshness inflicted on the Aztecs was the events that took place at a Fiesta. The Spaniard invaded the Fiesta, murdering many Aztecs and revealing the Spaniards did not abide by the Aztec rules or expectations of war. They were said to be reckless and extremely brutal, without respect or compassion. Preceding the surprise attack at the Fiesta, other attacks and retaliations arouse, such as the Night of Sorrow. The Aztecs no longer desired to follow Montezuma’s initial orders for non retaliation. They decided to take up arms and fight against the Spanish. In the attack at the Fiesta, they fought with broken spears and attacked with javelins and arrows. However the Aztecs came to the realization that enough blood was shed. Montezuma’s body was discovered and it was unclear as to his cause of death. Since the Aztec no longer catered to the Spaniards by providing them with food, shelter and supplies, Cortez realizes that they must leave the land. They planned to retreat at night, however the retreat was discovered. According to the text, â€Å"They attacked as the Spaniards were fleeing down the Tlacopan (now Tacuba) causeway, and the rout was so disastrous that it has been known ever since as â€Å"la noche triste,† the Night of Sorrows. Those who escaped the disaster found refuge in the nearby village of Teocalhueyacan, where they were welcomed as friends; but three-fourths of the army had perished in the retreat and in the siege that preceded it. The Aztecs benefited greatly from the fleeing of Spaniards. They gathered things that the Spaniard abandoned and claimed it for themselves. They collected weapons that had been left behind or had fallen into the canal-the cannons, swords, spears, bows and arrows-along with all the steel helmets, coats of mail and breast- plates, and the shields of metal, wood and hide. They recovered the gold ingots, the gold disks, the tubes of gold dust and the collars with their gold pe ndants. The violent recapture of Tenochtitlan (1521) The Aztecs were convinced that the Spaniard would never return. They began to rebuild the city and the temples, and celebrated in a victorious manner. They choose a new King for the city; however it was not long that the Aztecs lived in tranquility. A horrible plague of smallpox quickly spread. The plague spread during the thirteenth month and lasted for seventy days, striking everywhere in the city. It was difficult for some to walk or even move. Many died from the disease, some died of hunger because they were incapable of searching for food. The text describes that the first cases were reported in Cuatlan. By the time the danger was recognized, the plague was so well established that nothing could halt it, and eventually it spread all the way to Chalco. Then its cruelty diminished considerably, though there were isolated cases for many months after. The Spaniards returned without mercy. This time however they had more forces, and resources, and better technology. Although the Aztecs had a previous disposition, they retaliated, being aware this time, of some of the Spaniards tactics. For example, discovered that the shots from the cannons always flew in a straight line, they no longer ran away in the line of fire. They ran to the right or left or in zigzags, not in front of the guns. After a great deal of battles and much bloodshed. The Aztecs eventually surrendered to the Spaniards. The Aztecs culture and civilization was eventually eradicated after the Spaniard burned the temples and destroyed their empires. In comparing the readings of The Broken Spears to some document excerpts, a large disparity is found. There were many actions that the Aztec’s took, that to some were considered barbaric. For instance, in The Conquest of New Spain, Diaz describes the Aztecs to be somewhat savage like. He mentioned that they would â€Å"tear out the palpitation heart, with the blood, they present as idols† and they would eat â€Å"arms and thighs at their ceremonial banquets†. However, The Broken Spears describes these actions as sacred sacrifices that were signs of respect and honor. These reasons alone prove why separate accounts help understand history. There is a saying that states: â€Å"There are two sides to every story. † The Broken Spears would be considered the other side How to cite Broken Spears, Papers

Mask in society Essay Example For Students

Mask in society Essay Masks have served humankind for centuries as artistic instruments, educational tools and have often reflected and magnified human nature while revealing the inner desires and fears of the human heart. However, as we stand in the 90s we have little or no need for masks. Theatre has developed and moved swiftly, parents and schools educate children and humankind no longer feels the need to see their true feelings interpreted and portrayed by performers. Masks and mask work must take their place in the relics cupboard as quaint antiquities. They simply cannot withstand the break neck speed of the 90s- they have lost their appeal and relevancy.As society dives headfirst into the 21st century one cannot deny that there are a number of apparently frivolous concepts which are being sacrificed in the name of technology. Peripheral ideals and out-dated innovations such as LPs, tie dying and the ozone layer are being rightfully pushed aside as the world makes ready for bigger and better things. But the question arises, should masks be included within this list of irrelevant notions? To fully comprehend and reply to this one must have a detailed knowledge of mask throughout history, its educational, theatrical and entertainment value, and most importantly, its current appeal and relevancy in the eyes of todays society. To completely understand and appreciate the entirety of mask and the impact it has made one must first know something of its origins and history. It is not surprising that the birth of mask is most apparent in the same country that is credited with the parentage of drama itself, Greece. Ancient Greek theatre is most renown for its Tragedy and Comedy, including works such as Oedipus Rex and The Wasps. Playwrights such as Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes were capable of enthralling their audiences and moving them to strong emotions- apprehension, compassion, sorrow and joy (EXTENDED STUDY: MASK). But it was their use of mask that warranted them their success. There are two main components within Greek theatrical mask work, that is the actors and the chorus. The Actors would wear masks to define the general category of person to be portrayed. The mask would also be shaped into an emotional position thus revealing the outcome of the play from the beginning. The mask could also be tilted up or down giving different shades of the one mood. The chorus, however, was the backbone of all Greek theatre. Their demeanor and integrity was the product of a visually unified entity through mask. The combination of these effects led to a dramatically enhanced performance. Overal l it is obvious that mask was a crucial element to the development of Greek society. For centuries Mask has also been used in tribal traditions. Initiation, celebration, marriage, birth, history and death are all examples where the mysterious qualities of mask have shaped and shifted civilisation. Masks appear in the context of periodic celebrations connected with the ancestors, with the mythical or historical origins of the people, with the critical moments in communal work, or with the events of group-life such as initiation and death. (EXTENDED STUDY: MASK) In a variety of primitive ceremonies mask is used to invoke a spirit (EXTENDED STUDY: MASK) where the mask wearer will become the entity, not just a representative of it. This form of mask work revolves around a transformation event. Masks extend the concept of possession and performers believe themselves possessed as the mask takes over their identity. (EXTENDED STUDY: MASK) Mask itself was the central point within the development of these tribal civilisations; it represented the maturation and succession of t he individual and was a crucial component to their daily life. .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .postImageUrl , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:hover , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:visited , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:active { border:0!important; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:active , .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6a3bccdeb787ee3fb0f23d2e16080a7c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Impact of Child Abuse EssayDuring the 16th Century Mask unveiled a previously unseen and unprecedented facet of its ever-expanding territory. It was known as Commedia dellArte. In certain fiestas the very notion of order disappears. Chaos comes back and licence rules. Anything is permitted Respectable people put away the dignified expressions and conservative clothes that isolate them, dress up in gaudy colours, hide behind a mask, and escape from themselves. (COMMEDIA DELLARTE: AN ACTORS HANDBOOK) The Commedia era was undoubtedly the largest impact that a single mask genre has ever made, for it was the first time that mask had been used in a situation that didnt revolve a round a ceremony, god or religious aspect. The Commedia Masks of 16th Century society were instantly recognisable to the people of that time; such was the popularity and familiarity of Commedia. In that, the common people were aware and involved with the masks, so they were able to relate towards them. An example is the wart or boil commonly found upon Arlecchinos face, it is representative of the poor people and their inadequate survival conditions. Masks will often stereotype the bearers through the use of symbol, colour, size and decoration. This is where the main aspect of comedy was most apparent in Commedia. Il Capitano, for example, is often portrayed with a very large nose, which is in fact, a phallic symbol. The colour scheme, consisting of half black and half white immediately relates to the audience the two sides of Capitanos personality. The first being an apparently strong minded, brave individual, and the other, more truthful one, is representative of his fear and anxi ety. Evidently the power and value of the mask is what has sustained the Commedia art form till today. Its undying worth and importance from the past is another example of the endurance and impact of mask throughout history. Mask in todays society is currently struggling for its rightful recognition. Few, if any contemporary dramatists have explored the possibilities and powers of mask as a central commodity on stage. Playwrights such as Bertolt Brecht and Eugene ONeill have incorporated mask as an alienating device in some of their plays, most notably, The Good Woman of Setzuan (1941) and The Great God Brown (1926), but is this meager mentioning by long dead playwrights sufficient to preserve the magnanimous art form known as Mask? The answer lies within the shrouded artistic circles of modern dramatists. To these people mask will never lose its appeal and relevancy. Although it unlikely that mask will never captivate the entire public over three centuries again, (not unlike Commedia) but the educational, entertainment and shock value of it will continue to be the primary tools at the disposal of actors, directors and other artists. It is evident that the preservation of Mask is not only a worth while c ause but also an essential one. That the consequences of a maskless society which is unable to interpret and translate its own inner feelings of happiness, despair, courage and fear are too great. The question therefore is not what can mask offer society as it enters the 21st century, but what would a 21st century without mask, offer society? The basic power of mask is that of a mechanism for ordering the world, a capacity at once to transform and yet to fix identity. From such an ambiguous process masks derive the historical endurance to withstand the shift of their symbolic references and to come through to the present day in still recognisable form. (MASKS: THE ART OF EXPRESSION)Ultimately, masks are a crucial part to past, present and future society. Although they are not represented or respected as much as they deserve to be within our modern day civilisation, they are however still as profound and mysterious within the different cultural, educational, historical and theatrical instances as ever. It can be safely guaranteed that within its own artistic circle, Mask will never die. .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .postImageUrl , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:hover , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:visited , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:active { border:0!important; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:active , .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8752b12e22ad4273209a8e10994937dd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Lucky's Monologue in Waiting for Godot EssayThe mask is a terrible, mysterious instrument. It has always given me and continues to give me a feeling of fear. With the mask we are on the threshold of a theatrical mystery whose demons reappear with static, immutable faces, which are at the very roots of theatre.Bibliography:John Rudlin, Commedia dellArte: An actors HandbookBertolt Brecht, Assorted playsMasks: The art of expression