The Big Lebowski: A Representation of the New West

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Far too often, movies are thrown into easily provided categories known as genres and therefore are forced to follow a certain level of guidelines required of the genre. It is this quality of the genre which provides for a very static and unoriginal library of films within the genre. It is the opinion of the author that good movies should be all encompassing and therefore would not be susceptible to the generalizations of a genre. Prior to writing this I encountered this problem with a movie called The Big Lebowski written, produced, and directed by the Joel and Ethan Coen. In the video store the movie was categorized as a comedy, however, after watching it multiple times it became painfully obvious that it was so much more than just a comedy. The Big Lebowski is a movie about the modern West and the changes in the West since the Western era, and how they have changed the ideals and principles of the genre.

Genre is composed of elements of a film which collectively provides a generalization of the film. Those elements of a Western are easily mapped out by Thomas Schatz in his essay, Film Genre and the Genre Film, "plot development is effectively displaced by setting and character (Braudy 650)." The setting and character of a Western are the crucial elements that make it a Western. First and foremost is setting. The Big Lebowski is set within Los Angeles. The first sentence of the film begins, "Way out west…" thus getting the audience immediately immersed in the idea that this is a western. The very establishing thought you should have when you first begin to watch this movie is that it is a Western and should be viewed as such. The setting of Los Angeles is the epitome of the modern West and is the social epicenter of the Western hemisphere. Secondly and perhaps more importantly is the character. The main character is the Dude, also known as Jeff Lebowski, but prefers to be referred to as the Dude.

For an authority on the subject of the Western hero and the attributes that make him so unique, I consulted Robert Warshows essay, The Westerner. As I began to read the first quality of a Western hero to enter into my view was "a figure of repose (655)." The Western hero is a very relaxed and leisurely individual who makes sudden moves for no man. The Dude is most certainly an ideal representation of the quintessential Western hero, he does not have a job, does not dress up, does not know what day of the week it is, etc. With that under my belt, I was able to classify The Big Lebowski as a Western and went back for more information on the Western genre.

Being that Westerns are all about the setting and character, the issues in which Westerns delve into are also concern that of the setting and character. Schatz goes on to point out the general themes and "fundamental issues" pertaining to a Western, "taming of the frontier, the celebration of the hero's rugged individualism, the hero's conflicts with the frontier community, etc. (64)." All of which apply too perfectly to ignore the connection to the Western genre. The taming of the frontier is that of Los Angeles. Throughout his dealings with the briefcase and all the players involved in the kidnapping, the dude uses the city of Los Angeles to it's complete resources and as a member of the community, embodies it's qualities and meshes perfectly with its ideals and principles.

As far as the Dudes celebration of individualism, he lives and travels alone, with the exception of bowling, the Dude rarely resides within a group of individuals, and is overall comfortable with his solitary situation. The Dude is happy with where he is in life and if it were not for the initial urinating on the rug, the conflict would have never arose. However, it did, and the Dude simply wanted compensation for the rug that was urinated upon, nothing more, than what was due to him. The Dude also has an abundance of conflict with members of the Los Angeles community, the list begins with the Big Lebowski in Pasadena and the kidnapping issues, Jackie Treehorn in Malibu and his outstanding loans from Lebowski's wife bunny, Maude Lebowski and the withdraw of $1 million dollars from the Little Lebowski Urban Achiever foundation, the chief of Police of Malibu, Larry Centers the kid who stole the Dudes car, etc. The conflict within the general Los Angeles community is an ever-growing list for the Dude.

As stated before, the Dude himself is a representation of what Los Angeles has become and the drastic change from a hundred years before when Westerns were set. The changes are drastic, however, the hero still retains his Westerner qualities. For instance, the Westerner is said to be the problem solver and "the man-in the middle, mediating the forces of order and anarchy, yet separate from each (647)." The Dude is the man in the middle of the whole conflict spreading from the fake kidnapping to the conception of Maude's child, the Dude is in the middle of it all. He is working for the Big Lebowski delivering the money, trying to recover the money for both Maude Lebowski as well as Jackie Treehorn, and fighting off threatening Nileists. However, through it all, the Dude has no real connection to the case with the exception of his rug.

The Westerner is always a man of tranquility and peaceful nature; however, his somber mood is not on account of a harsh situation thrust upon him, but rather through his own contempt (647). His somber mood, stems from a higher level of understanding of life and his particular situation as opposed to pity for his place in life. Likewise, the Dude is also very content with his position in life and the way things are going. He is not employed but never mentions that as a problem or something to be ashamed of. The people in his community and practically everyone who opposes him, seems to mention it as an issue against his character but the Dude does not view unemployment in that way. Both the Chief of Police of Malibu and the Big Lebowski both refer to the Dude as a Bum and see his unemployment as a drain upon society immediately generalizing him as the movie was generalized as a comedy. However, lets examine the value of a job in the Western. In old Westerns, the issue of a job or income was not generally brought up, however, the change in values and the society as a whole has lead to the employment dependent community of Los Angeles and the corrupt modern world.

Love is an element of human life which is widely used throughout the film community and in all types of stories. The Westerner never goes looking for love, but rather deals with the women that fall at his lap. There are generally two women in the Western hero's life, the good wholesome women he is to marry, and the well-strong independent barroom girl. As a Gentleman the Westerner will not go against his nature and attempt to woo a woman as most hero's would, but rather the Westerner is involved in situation where "love is at best an irrelevance (655)".

The Big Lebowski brings attention to this element of the Western through the Maude Lebowski character. She is a very independent, feminist, artists, who wants a child from the Dude. Maude represents both of the women in the Westerners life by first and foremost, providing the strong will, sex loving, feminist, to the story and secondly coming a family with the Dude by conceiving his child. The Love might not be as genuine as in the Westerns of old, but that simply reflects the constant alterations of the genre. The values of the community bring forth a different situation and for the audience to reevaluate their perception of the Western and what it represents. Love is never the main theme of a Western and usually serves as a compliment to the action and just another obstacle for the Westerner to conquer. The Westerner is not completely in sync with his female counterparts that is part of the reason for conflict. The women the Westerner confronts generally ensue a "clash of cultures" and thus a breakdown in communication. Through these elements the Westerner is able to control and manipulate the audience and his female counterparts into solving both situations and having everything work out his way in the end.

When he is not by himself or his special lady, the Western hero can be found playing a game of leisure. In the Westerns of old, the Westerner played poker while drinking, a game of skill, leisure, and whit. Warshow explains that poker "expresses perfectly his talent for remaining relaxed and in the midst of tension (656)." The game is an extension of his character and his proficient skill in the game allows for a display of his authority and position in the community. The Dude on the other hand, chooses the game of bowling for his sport of leisure. Although the game asks from some form of physical walking and throwing of a heavy ball, the leisurely nature of bowling fits perfectly within the scheme of the Western. The bowling has now transcended into the poker game of the nineties. No longer are saloons available for gambling on every corner, instead people spend money and enter a league to keep games regular. The method is very different but the principles of the game remain the same to the Western hero. The game is one of leisure, in which drinks are served and skill is tested.

The Western hero is never employed by a structured economy but rather fends for himself on the open prairie. The constant flow of income is not necessary for he himself to survive and provide for himself, instead he survives through other methods of self employment. As stated earlier, the Dude is unemployed and takes pride in the fact that he does not work and is content with that. However, he does accept the opportunity for some outside employment with the Big Lebowski, Maude Lebowski, and Jackie Treehorn too. However, Warshow argues "it is not because he needs to make a living (656)" but rather that the Dude has more noble intentions than that.

The essence of the Western hero however, lies in his selflessness and his dedication to honor and justice. The Western hero exemplifies the American ideal of what a man should be and what exactly he should strive to accomplish. Perhaps even revealing a male fantasy of what the ideal American man is and associating him with the progressive West. The West and the idea of manifest destiny, bring about the connection from the goal for America to progress across North America and it ideally expanding from coast to coast. The same connection can be made with the idea of the Western hero. The Westerner was the ideal model for a man both for men to strive towards and for women to look for in a man, strong, quiet, level headed, and powerful.

The Dude on the other hand is not an ideal model for today's men to emulate and it remains doubtful that women look for unemployed marijuana smokers who bowl for fun in a league. Leading to the obvious conclusion that the cinema no longer provides the audience with positive figures from which to emulate but rather the rebels and criminals which run the crime world and further extend our fascination with crime, drugs, and money. That is the world in which the Dude leads us into even though he is not himself a member.

The Dude is not a member of this crime community because he has higher standards for himself and sustains his high level content nature. He is a noble man, however, his standards do not always agree with that of the common community regardless if he represents them or not. The true essence of the Western hero is his selfless nature only geared towards protecting his stature and personal value. Warshow, touches on this fact and adds that "his tragedy lies in the fact that even this circumscribed demand cannot be fully realized", the other characters in the film, and at times the audience, does not realize the nobility which lies within the Western hero. This realization comes to the audience when what "we respond to is not his victory but his defeat (660)." This point is illustrated beautifully in the death of Donny.

At the end of the movie, the character of Donny dies of a heart attack and although the Dude has already solved the mystery and squared himself with all parties, in essence came out on top, he takes a devastating blow with Donny. However, after Donny dies we see the Dude back where we expect him, in the bowling alley ordering a beer. It becomes obvious to the audience at this point that the Dude chooses this life for himself, he uses this lifestyle to compensate for the chaos and inconsistency of the outside world.

Whether it is the Western genre or any other for that matter, the qualities which once shaped the film might at some point have to be revised do to time. The values and

ethics reflected within the communities these films represent are in constant danger of evolution and thus the film industry must comply. The Dude is a representation of what the west has become and perhaps embodies the true essence of the modern West. Braudy, Leo and Marshall Coen, Film Theory and Criticism.

Oxford University Press, New York, 1.

The Big Lebowski. Dir. Joel Coen. Perf. Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, and John Turturro. Polygram, 18.

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Japanese zen gardens

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Byodo-in

The Byodo-in at Uji faces a garden intended to simulate the Western Paradise of Amida Buddhism. This sort of Amida garden was not uncommon in the Heian Period, and remnants of such gardens can be found at sites like Saiho-ji, but only here at Uji can one see an extant Heian building confronting its pond garden. The central chapel and its flanking pavilions were originally part of a country estate built in the early eleventh century by Fujiwara Michinaga and remodelled by his son Yorimichi. The style of the architecture is Chinese�as one might expect in a Buddhist structure of the time�but the juxtaposition of a pond garden with pavilions connected by roofed corridors is an echo of the noble villas and gardens of the Heian Period. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Chishaku-in

Chishaku-in is a temple of the Chizan School of Shingon Buddhism. Erected in 1585 over the site of an earlier temple founded by Hideyoshi, it is most famous for its screens of cherry and maple trees painted by Hasegawa Tohaku. Most of the garden dates from the 17th Century, and was designed by Zuio Hakunyo, Chishaku-ins chief priest. It takes the form of a long narrow pond bordered on the east by a steeply sloping hill. Designed to be viewed from a number of points on the veranda of the abbot's residence as well as from a small adjacent tea house, the garden evokes a mountain landscape complete with cascade, mountain bridge, and satsuki pruned to simulate rolling hills. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Daikaku-ji

Daikaku-ji occupies the general area of a detached palace erected by the Emperor Saga (d.84). In 876, Sagas villa was converted to a Shingon Buddhist temple. None of the original buildings remains, and the specific site of the temple is not exactly that of Sagas villa, but the current structures retain the general appearance of a shinden style residence and its associated gardens. The five-acre lake contains two islands and a number of rock formations. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Daisen-in

The Daisen-in was founded in 150 by the Zen priest Kogaku Sotan (1464-1548) upon his retirement as abbot of Daitoku-ji. The hojo, his residence, was completed in 151, and the most famous of the gardens that surround that structure probably dates from the same period. While the theory that other early Zen gardens were intended to imitate Chinese landscape paintings or their Japanese equivalents is open to question, there can be little doubt that this was the intention at the Daisen-in. The garden that flanks two sides of the hojo is a miniature landscape whose vertical rocks suggest the mountains from which a waterfall and its resulting river flow. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Ginkaku-ji

The temple of Jisho-ji is more popularly known as Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion. Both the pavilion and the garden were part of the retirement villa of Ashikaga Yoshimasa, the eighth Shogun of the Muromachi Period, who began construction in 148. The complex became the very center of Japanese aesthetic concerns during the eight years of Yoshimasa's residency, particularly in the areas of art collecting, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony. Indeed, the location of the villa on the lower slope of the foothills bordering Kyoto on the east gave its name�Higashiyama or Eastern Mountains�to the Zen-inspired culture of the late fifteenth century. The pond garden is based loosely on that of Saiho-ji, a garden which Yoshimasa passionately admired and often visited. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Joruri-ji

Although Joruri-ji as a religious foundation dates back to the eighth century, the main hall is an early twelfth-century structure, and was moved to its present location in 1157 (its original location is unknown). It was at that time that the pond garden located to the east of the hall was constructed. The main hall, famous for its nine statues of the Amida Buddha, represents the Western Paradise, or Pure Land, of Amida Buddhism. This combination of an Amida Hall and a pond garden is a rare extant example of an arrangement that was apparently commonplace in the Heian Period (the Byodo-in at Uji is the only other extant example dating in the twelfth century ). Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Kaju-ji

Kaju-ji (also known as Kanshu-ji) was founded as early as 00, and is the main temple of the Yamashina School of Shingon Buddhism. However, its great pond�called Himuro no ike�is supposedly the remnant of the Heian estate of Miyamichi Iyamasu, whose daughter was the bride of a Fujiwara nobleman and whose granddaughter was a consort of the Emperor. In other words, it would have been the central element in a garden located to the south of a noble shinden-style villa, and is one of a number of such remnants of the secular gardens of the Heian (see also the Shoseien). Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Katsura

Katsura Imperial Villa was built in the early Edo Period as a residence for Prince Hachijo no Miya Toshihito (157-16). The garden to the south of the villa is a stroll garden and also a boating garden, its pond large enough to accommodate modest vessels. The entire complex recalls the world described in the Tale of Genji, and was undoubtedly intended to evoke the golden age of the Heian courts, when such a pond garden would have been viewed from the southern pavilions of the typical shinden villa. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Kinkaku-ji

Kinkaku-ji, Temple of the Golden Pavilion, is the popular name of Rokuon-ji, or Temple of the Deer Park. The pavilion itself is the only remaining structure of a retirement villa constructed by the third Ashikaga Shogun�Ashikaga Yoshimitsu�in 14 (this building is actually a reproduction, the original building having been destroyed by an arsonist in 150). It was converted to a Zen temple upon Yoshimitsus death in 140. The pond garden to the south of the pavilion probably dates back to the thirteenth century, when it would have been part of a typical shinden estate. Yoshimitsu may have added rocks and islands in an effort at evoking Hindu-Buddhist cosmology, in which alternating seas and mountain ranges form the basic structure of the universe. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Konchi-in

Konchi-in is a subtemple of Nanzen-ji, one of the principal Zen temples of Japan. Its Edo Period garden is notable not only for its formal beauty, but also for the fact that its creation is unusually well documented. The designer was Kobori Enshu, to whom many Kyoto gardens are attributed, often on very little evidence. In this case, however, extant documents indicate that Kobori did indeed design the garden for the head priest of the temple, the severe priest Suden, in anticipation of a visit by Iemitsu, the third of the Tokugawa shoguns. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Muri-an

In 184, the Meiji soldier and statesman Yamagata Aritomo constructed his private residence near the great Zen temple of Nanzen-ji in eastern Kyoto. The property is famous for a stroll garden located to the east of the house, using the nearby hills of Higashiyama as borrowed scenery, and the waters of the Lake Biwa Canal as the source of its streams. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Nanzen �ji

One of the most powerful Zen monasteries in Japan, Nanzen-ji was counted among the Gozan the five principal Zen establishments in Kyoto and in 181 was declared number one. The abbots residence in the main complex contains not only important paintings of the Kano School, but also the garden featured on this page (two of Nanzen-jis subtemples Konchin-in and Tenju an also possess important gardens pictured on other pages of this site). Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Nijo

Nijo Castle was built in the early seventeenth century as a temporary Kyoto residence for the Tokugawa Shogun. Its most famous garden is the one adjoining the Ninomaru Palace. Attributed to Kobori Enshu, it consists of a pond with three islands connected to the shore by bridges, the islands evoking one of the Daoist Isles of the Blest, the crane, and the turtle. Its large number of rocks has led some critics to view the garden as typical of the somewhat excessive designs of the Edo Period. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Ryoan-ji

Perhaps the most famous of all Japanese dry gardens is that of Ryoan-ji the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon. The garden is simplicity itself�fifteen rocks arranged in a rectangle of raked white gravel�but it has provoked much speculation about its meaning, its specific relationship to Zen thought, and even its origins. Although probably created in the fifteenth century, its current form may date back only to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. A discussion of its original appearance is included in the history section. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Ryogen-in

Ryogen-in, a subtemple of the Daitoku-ji complex, was constructed in 150. Within or adjoining the abbots residence are five gardens, the most famous of which is the Ryogintei, a rectangle of moss and stones viewed from the veranda of the abbots house. The group of stones in the center of the garden is thought to represent Mt. Sumeru, the mountain axis of the universe according to Hindu belief, or Horai, the mythical home of Taoist immortals. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Saiho-ji

Popularly known as Kokedera (Moss Temple) because of the prevailing ground cover of the garden, Saiho-ji is one of the earliest extant gardens to be associated with Zen thought. It is a large pond garden that was once part of a Jodo temple, in which context it would have evoked the Western Paradise of Amida. When the temple was converted to Zen Buddhism by Muso Soseki in 1, the garden was probably altered to some degree, and Muso is said to have added the rock formations of the upper level. The garden one visits today�heavily wooded and missing the various pavilions that Muso erected on the site�is certainly different from that of the fourteenth century, but it still evokes both the Pure Land of its original Jodo dedication and the inexpressible mystery of Zen. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Sanzen-in

Sanzen-in is a Tendai Buddhist temple located high in the hills northeast of Kyoto, in the area known as Ohara. It is said to have been founded by Saicho, the priest who introduced Tendai Buddhism to Japan, and as a monzeki temple it counts members of the Imperial family among its abbots. Sanzen-in possesses two seventeenth-century pond gardens of great beauty the Shuheki-en Garden (Garden that Gathers Green), and the Yusei-en Garden (Garden of Pure Presence). Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Sento

The Sento Palace was constructed early in the seventeenth century within the larger Imperial Palace complex as a residence for the retired Emperor Gomizunoo. The palace no longer exists, but the garden located to the east of the palace has survived in roughly its original form. Attributed to Kobori Enshu, the garden consists of two ponds connected by a narrow waterway and surrounded by paths for strolling. The southern pond contains two islands connected to each other and to the shore, and part of the shore consists of a pebble beach, each stone of which was carefully chosen for its size and shape. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Shoseien

The Shoseien Garden, popularly known as Kikokutei Hall Garden, is currently part of the Higashihongan-ji Temple (although separated from it physically). Its landscaping�attributed to Ishikawa Jozan and Kobori Enshu�dates to the Edo Period, but the large pond may originally have been part of the Heian estate of Minamoto no Toru, younger son of the Emperor Saga. It is one of a number of such Kyoto ponds that are all that remain of the great gardens of the Heian aristocracy. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Shugaku-in

Shugaku-in was built by Emperor Gomizunoo in 16 as a retirement estate. Of its three gardens, that of the most elevated area is best preserved. It consists of a large pond garden that makes maximum use of borrowed scenery, or shakkei, since it is located on the slope of a hillside at the foot of Mt. Hiei. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Shusui-tei

The south end of Kyotos Imperial Palace Park is marked by a beautiful pond garden noted for its bird life. On the western shore of the pond stands the Shusuitei tea house constructed by the Kujo family, its veranda providing the best view of the garden. The Shusuitei bridge spanning the pond from north to south provides a dramatic view of the southern gateway of the Imperial Palace. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Taizo-in

Taizo-in was founded in 1404 as the oldest subtemple of of the Myoshin-ji complex. Its most famous garden is a dry landscape attributed to the painter Kano Motonobu (1475 155), a resident of the monastery. Understated and difficult to appreciate in photographs, its dry stream bed and associated rocks and plantings are thoroughly in the spirit if not the actual composition of Muromachi landscape painting, a tradition closely associated with this and other Rinzai Zen monasteries in Kyoto. Among other gardens located within the Taizo-in complex is an impressive stream-and-pond garden of the twentieth century, designed by Nakane Kinsaku. In its basic elements it is a larger, wet version of the dry garden attributed to Kano Motonobu. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden

Tenju-an

Tenju-an is one of the many subtemples of Nanzen-ji. It was founded in 16 by Kokanshiren, chief priest of Nanzen-ji, in commemoration of the founding of Nanzen-ji in the previous century. Tenjuans two gardens date back to the founding of the temple, although parts were added or altered in the Edo and Meiji Periods. The more famous of the two is the dry garden located to the east of the main hall, but the pond and stroll garden to the south of the main buildings is also worth visiting. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Tenryu-ji

Tenryu-ji (Temple of the Heavenly Dragon) is located on the site of a villa erected for the Emperor Gosaga, who retired there in 156. In 1 the complex was converted to a Rinzai Zen temple, and under its first abbot, Muso Soseki, it became one of the five principal Rinzai temples of Kyoto. Its main feature is a relatively small pond garden featuring a famous rock arrangement located along its western shore. This group of stones consists of a cluster of rocks suggesting a mountainous island, a three-slab stone bridge established along the shore line, and a dry cascade constructed on the hillside just behind the bridge. Choose a view point from the map or click Tour the Garden for more views of this garden.

Please note that this sample paper on Japanese zen gardens is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Japanese zen gardens, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on Japanese zen gardens will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Human Resource Management

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Due to impact of globalisation and economic uncertainty, companies are facing fierce challenges. In order to adapt to this changing environment, changes within firms are vital for business survival and expansion in a knowledge driven economy. Nowadays it is a common experience to note that organisations are relying heavily on their human capital to produce the competitive edge.

Human Resource (HR) has drastically evolved from the 1th century to present time. HR issues have moved from Fayol's era (1841-15), where a rational and structure approach to management of organisation was prevailing. While in this current climate great emphasis are being put on building relationships between employees and employers and mediate individual employment relationships (Cole, 00). Additionally, the role and functions of HR have undergone significant changes since the beginning of last tow decades. Currently, many forces appear to be changing the structure of the HR function, creating new HR delivery modes, reshaping the role of HR leader, changing existing HR jobs and creating new ones.

In today's global environment, with the emergence of new technologies, swings in the economic cycle, dramatic increase in the number and quality of new and existing competitors, have forced organizations to change their designs. In essence, the main internal drivers of change include the desire to become more competitive and to build a high performance organisation, thus better meeting the needs of customers. Therefore, change management is crucial to the success of organisations (Mullins, 00).

Indeed, for organisations that manage change skilfully, it can become the driving force that perpetuates success and growth, with every change presenting a new opportunity to increase efficiency or to build and expand the business. In many cases these changes have taken place, due to merger and acquisitions, joint venture and outsourcing, in order to improve competences within organisations.

Change efforts of the past decade have appeared under many banners, including

• Total Quality Management

• Business Process Re-engineering

• Right-sizing and restructuring

In this context, HR plays a predominant role in performing a successful management of change within an organisation. The role of HR is to understand the human behaviour at work and positively influence the employees to adapt to new changes. Here, HR assists in preparing the employees, by tackling training and development needs prior to initiating the change programme. However, in some cases, conflicts may rise and may disturb the whole process of change management. In these circumstances, HR plays a crucial in giving the staff the confidence and ability to clear the hurdles such as fear of failure and employee resistance. Also, HR role is to ensure communication within the organisations is a two-way traffic with example feedback sessions, anonymous comment/suggestion slips that identify how information must be cascaded during the change process.

In fact, redesigning an organisation will certainly have a fundamental change in the work life of people. But the leader of the organisation and the HR department should ensure a smooth transition from the old forms of working to the new ones. One successful example to illustrate the change in Management is that of General electric (GE)

During the last decade, GE was restructured to build a network of interrelated businesses positioned to capture the number one or two market shares in their respective industries. The steps involved in the change process were

• The CEO, Jack Welch, introduced 'Work Out', a tool designed to help employees participate through teams in the change process

• To improve dialogue between leaders and employees, a programme of 'Town Hall Meetings' gave staff at all levels information on the change process, new roles and work habits required, and elicited open two-way dialogue

• Performance expectations and rewards were realigned; managers previously evaluated solely on ability to manage in a 'command-and-control' environment, now had to meet ownership, stewardship and entrepreneurial goals; those failing to adapt to receive bonus (Ashkenas, DeMonaco, Lawrence J. et al, 18).

Another important issue to look consider is that of psychological contract. According to Rousseau and Wade-Benzoni (15), the psychological employment contract reflects the individual understanding of the employment relationship's term and the normative beliefs about what organisational members owe and in return owed. Surely, the psychological contract has changed as a result of the changes in organisation strategies and restructure and the tie that binds employers and employers and employees has become severely strained (Foot and Hook, 1).

Nowadays, employers have to acknowledge the particular needs and motivation of the employees as well as the performance expectations of the organisation. Since today organizations will provide employability but not employment security, if employees have no stake in performance of the organisation, it is unlikely that the organisation will achieve the levels of commitment found, like in the old days, i.e., a two way loyalty (Monhrman and Lawler, 17).

Employee relations are critical for business success. It is concerned with the relationships between the policies and practices of the organisation and its staff and the behaviour of work groups (Mullins, 00). In 17, a US Business Intelligence report on strategic performance management resulted to an interesting conclusion- for a superior business performance; there is a need for a good relationship between the organisation and the employees. Most of the successful companies emphasise on employee communications and employees rights. During the past decade, much importance has been deployed on employee relations, as the management is aware that for employees to perform well, they should feel that they are fairly treated within the organisation (Sadler, 001).

For example, Consignia in UK had appointed a company board level HR director in 00, to address the company's chronic staff morale problems and improve the working environment. The aim is to drive the culture change by ensuring HR is at the heart of the firm from the top down, where employee' rights are represented. Consignia has introduced a new HR- based complaints procedure and overhauling training. Other changes included revamping its employee opinion surveys so as to improve communication. Additionally, the company has set up a harassment phone line for staff so that employees can take advice without having to involve their line manager. Moreover, Consignia planned to invest around £10 million annually to improve its working environment (Personnel Today, 00).

Nowadays, as part of new strategic planning process, new practices such as team bonuses are adopted. Team bonus is defined as the gratuitous payment by the employer; a payment not directly earned by the teams (Torrington at al, 00). Here, HR main objective is to help to improve team performance or skills/behaviour payments to upskill the workforce or reinforce culture or behaviour change, so that the organisations can meet its corporate objectives and prosper in this fierce economic environment, by increasing the performance of the business.

An example to illustrate team performance reward is that of Continental Airlines in the US, which was ranked last among ten major domestic airlines in baggage handling and on-time arrivals as well as first in customer complaints. The company was heading towards bankruptcy until the new leaders of the company introduced a change management plan. Through a group incentive plan, each of the 5,000 non managerial staff would be given cash bonus in any month that the airline would come among the top five for on-time departures.

The result of introducing such incentive resulted in an improvement in performance of the employees as the bonus program motivated the employees to reach the objective set by the leaders (Knez, and Simester, 00). In this business case discussed above, through the provision of financial incentives, Continental Airlines was able to transform and motivate its employees as a group. The introduction of the team reward bonus led to positive changes in the working environment thus improving the company's performance and profitability.

HR can no longer be considered as an entity separate from the core department of a company. For an organisation to be successful, top management have realised that HR will have to play a predominant and proactive role within the firm. Thus to enjoy success, the HR functions need to be further revamped by addressing the following issues

In reality with such economic uncertainty, HR managers need not only to understand how to manage people but also the overall business strategy, the corporate objectives as well as change approach that the firm is pursuing. Moreover, they need to become a valued member of the top management team by contributing to business strategy and operations decision-making. Some organisations have already starting using this strategy. For example, in the Xerox Corporation, the actual President and chief operating officer, Mulcahy was formerly the HR manager in the organisation. The organisation was aware that leading a business with 7000 employees, which contributes to 0% of their revenue, equals to leading the people within the company and therefore skills such as leadership, management and people are needed (Whiteley, 00).

In many organisations the HR traditional roles of hiring, reviewing, firing, training, career development, and program development should be shifted to line managers and employees. In this way, it will free the human resource organisation from day-to-day management and administration of the human resources in the organisation. The HR department will be able to focus more on the broader picture and on improving the performance of employees in alignment with the corporate objectives and simultaneously satisfying the organisation's customers. For example, at Johnsonville Foods a US sausage manufacturer has eliminated the mentioned above responsibilities from the HR department, thus enabling them to focus more on contributing to achieve the corporate objective (Lancourt and Savage, 15).

There is a growing use of outsourcers as a way to reduce the cost of HR function and to draw expertise on which is not easily built in the organisation. Outsourcing should be employed wherever it is applicable. In Semco, many of the human resources functions are contracted out to one of the satellite organisations started by former Semco employees, who then partner with line managers to perform a number of human resources tasks. This has proven to be cost effective for the organization as the HR department was able to again focus more on change management at a macro and micro level (Lancourt and Savage, 15).

Additionally, The HR teams need to have high level of competency in designing human resource systems and in managing their competencies. Because they have recognised the role and value of their knowledge assets, most of the companies in the sample have focused great attention on identifying and developing their core competencies. This has inevitably led to a greater focus on the need for continuous career and skill development. Although the companies have handled the focus on people development in many different ways, in almost every case, the work encompasses far more than simply putting together a series of training programs. One solution is the career development system where there is an emphasis on employees responsibility for their own careers. At the Eastman Chemical, the human resources department developed a program called PASK-- people applying skills and knowledge-to facilitate the use of employees talents individually and within teams. Human Resources have also focused on developing their own competencies, such as those needed to better support organisational mergers and acquisitions (Lancourt and Savage, 15).

Moreover another crucial HR issue to look at is the measurement of human capital, which is term used to describe the people within an organisation and the value they create. In other words, it is the measurement to the bottom line contribution that each employee adds to an organisation. In fact, embracing the concept of human capital and finding the right device to measure it presents HR with its greatest chance to be demonstrably strategic to the board. Clearly by demonstrating the worth of the workforce in a way to the board, will in turn, demonstrate HR's worth as a strategic unit that adds value to the business rather than simply providing a service.

The different approaches that can be used to measure human capital are HR benchmarking that is based on comparing HR policies and practices with those of other organisations. Another approach is the Balance scorecard that presents a holistic view of a company's current state of health by monitoring its activities across all areas via key performance indicators such as finance, quality and guest satisfaction. Here, a good example is Nationwide that introduced in 00 a database of employee, customer satisfaction and HR and business performance data and then benchmarked HR indicators against other organisations. The benefits of the measurement resulted in staff turnover reduction of 1 per cent and showed a direct link between HR indicators and business performance which led to increase in customer satisfaction (Personnel Today, 00).

1.0 Conclusion

The Human Resource functions have undergone many changes in the past five years and will keep changing in the future. For instance, uncertainty in employment security, the psychological contract between employers and employees has changed. Moreover the leadership role has taken a new angle with a tendency towards the transformational style.

Management are more willingly recruiting on a global scale, as talented people can be found beyond a country's boundaries. Methods of recruitment have changed. Organisations, especially multinational enterprises are not only relying on the traditional recruitment process but also using e-recruitment (internet recruitment). Retention of staff has grown in importance and HR is actively involved by providing training and development opportunities. Management are more open to provide equal opportunities in relation to gender, nationality or people involved in same-sex relationship. Moreover, in the reward system, much emphasis is not only put in monetary value but also on flexible benefits. Empowerment of employees is increasing, thus giving rise to motivation. Relationship between employees and organisation is improving as management are aware that if fairness is perceived by employees, they will likely to perform better. There has also been a rise in working balance with employees experiencing a more balanced life, fathers enjoying paternity leave, employees working from home and employees having flexible hours.

It is crucial that HR managers, not only understand the overall business strategy but also participate in the decision-making process. HR should have a bigger role to play other than only in recruitment, training and career development. In fact, those areas should be transferred to line managers and existing employees. Outsourcing should be used wherever it is possible to allow the HR department to focus on a broader picture on the change management process. HR should detect individual talent and develop the talent for the success of the business. Finally, HR should measure human capital and their value and contribution to the company. This can be done through HR benchmarking and Balance scorecard.

These are only a few areas where HR can help in transforming the way in which organisation help to transform their people.

Please note that this sample paper on Human Resource Management is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Human Resource Management, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on Human Resource Management will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Accounting

If you order your custom term paper from our custom writing service you will receive a perfectly written assignment on Accounting. What we need from you is to provide us with your detailed paper instructions for our experienced writers to follow all of your specific writing requirements. Specify your order details, state the exact number of pages required and our custom writing professionals will deliver the best quality Accounting paper right on time. Our staff of freelance writers includes over 120 experts proficient in Accounting, therefore you can rest assured that your assignment will be handled by only top rated specialists. Order your Accounting paper at affordable prices with cheap essay writing service! Merrill Lynch Investment Manager has several core approaches to their 0-year investment philosophy. Rigorous fundamental analysis of investment, the pursuit of quality investment and the construction of concentrated portfolios are the approaches that are responsible for the success of Merrill Lynch.

Merrill Lynch Mercury's1 investment philosophies are as follows

A belief in active management

Merrill Lynch Investment Managers believes in actively managing portfolio where there is an active approach to all levels of the investment process stock selection, sectors weightings and asset and geographical allocation.

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Commitment to primary research

The investment process is driven by research where investment managers undertake double responsibilities of fund management and extensive individual research covering markets open to international investment. Managers are also benefiting from a vast range of analysis from brokers where the management has a privileged relationship. Experience and extensive research has provided confidence to commitments to investment decision.

Style flexibility

In contrast with a restrictive style that might lead to under performance in times of economical change, a flexible approach is practice to accommodate economic circumstances. Thus in the long run, this flexibility allows consistency in performance over the economic cycle. Flexibility also allows investment in a wide range of stocks which are described as "growth", 'value" or "contra-cyclical"

A strong team approach

There is a strong emphasis on collective consensus where individual skills are factored into house views and ideas are discussed within teams.

An emphasis on risk management

A dedicated Performance and Risk management Team monitors all investment performance within the group. To ensure consistency and discipline, a risk control model is implemented where the level of risk in a portfolio is analysed quantitatively

.Investment Style/Process

Merrill Lynch Investment Managers' Australian Equity investment style can be characterised as a bottom-up stock picker. MLIM approach on stock picking depends on factors that drive share prices Management Quality, Business Strength and Valuation (MBV).

Research.

The research process is the first part of MLIM investment process in the Australian Equity. MLIM undertakes team-based research to identify and further evaluate stocks that comply with the MBV criteria.

1) Team Based Research

Each of Australian Equity team's eight Portfolio Managers has individual stock research responsibilities that covers up to 150 top companies in the Australian equity market. These stocks are rated strictly to the MBV criteria and MLIM has an expert in each stock sector that monitors the key development and trend that drives future earnings and growth in that particular sector. Furthermore, the use Lotus Notes research will enable the team to communicate research information efficiently amongst the team. MLIM's team based research efforts allow diverse input on an individual stock, which they call it '60 Degree Stakeholder analysis'. MLIM also research for good value investment based on the multi level analysis of the Discounted Cash Flow model that is also known as a 'waterfall analysis'. This analysis method is more likely to determine the upside or downside of stock as opposed to just using a simple DCF model. Finally the buy/sell decision of a stock must pass through the consensus of the whole team after rigorous team discussion and scrutiny.

) Filters

Incorporated into the investment process are investment filters that seek to filter and organise research information relating to management, business strength and valuation. They are briefly outlined below

a) Merrill Lynch Investment Managers seek to identify management teams who focus on shareholder value principles. Specifically, good management practice will focus on increasing earnings per share and net present value of cash flows.

b) Business strength filters incorporates the competitive advantage a company has which allows it to survive in a competitive and global marketplace.

c) Valuation filters include a primary valuation method of a discounted cash flow approach. In addition to this there are other valuation models and ratios such as the dividend yield and earnings yields/earnings growth

Risk Management

Risk management is an integral part of the investment process where portfolios are constructed with risk controls in place. As there is a pro-active stance in managing the portfolios to reflect changes in market conditions risk, assessment is incorporated into stock research and portfolio reviews. The ultimate aim is to outperform within a controlled environment.

. Portfolio Construction

Stock Selection

After completing the research and filtering process as mentioned above, the construction of portfolio rests in the hands of senior members of the team. 5 to 40 stocks are targeted for the portfolio. A Barra analysis will be run through these stocks to determine the impact to the portfolio's risks. Portfolio construction will be undertaken from the steps outlined below.

Set Indicative Weights

Indicative weights of stocks are assigned based on fund manager's rating in accordance to the MBV criteria. Each stock is given an indicative weighting based on fund manager conviction which in turn is based on the stock's overall rating.

Risk Assessment

MLIM's quantitative team employs a Barra Analysis to ensure that the indicative portfolio weights are appropriate given different opinions of the team in regards to overweight /underweight positions.

Modify Institutional Portfolio

With the alpha analysis, changes are made to indicative portfolio to improve the alignment of conviction levels with portfolio weights.

Scale Up To indicative Specialist Portfolio

Using the Barra Aegis optimiser, an indicative specialist portfolio is constructed with a targeted tracking error of between 4%-7% per annum.

Review Indicative Specialist Portfolio

The output from the optimisation process is reviewed and checked for reasonableness. Allowance might be made to the assumptions that supports the optimisation

Modify Specialist Portfolio

With the aid of implied alpha analysis, the indicative portfolio is modified to a Specialist portfolio.

4.Investment Guidelines, Risk Controls and Compliance

All of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers' funds are audited annually where the fund's financial statements are covered specifically. KPMG will verify all work by reviewing unit pricing procedures, verify valuations and all other associated work as a form of risk control. The use of accounting systems (HiPortfolio) and extensive procedures further enhances accuracy of all auditing.

Compliance

Merrill Lynch Mercury has a dedicated compliance department, which operates on a real time basis, analysing all derivatives position held within all portfolios. Analyses are carried out using an electronic compliance monitoring system developed in house. Any breaches will be detected on the day itself where remedial actions can carry out immediately.

Guidelines and Restrictions

Guidelines and Restrictions are imposed on the use of derivatives. Use of derivatives are governed by

- Trust deeds

- Client investment management agreements

- The investment strategy of a given portfolio

- The terms of Risk management Statement

Derivatives cannot be used to gear portfolios and must be backed by either cash or asset. It can only be used to create exposures that are consistent with the strategy of a portfolio and no net short positions are allowed. Derivatives such as futures contracts on the ASX is used only to the extent to manage cash flow of the portfolios.

5.Investment Personnel/Team

As of June 001, the Australian Equity team is headed by Mark Himpoo, B.Bus, and ASIA. The team consists of 8 members with investment experience that ranges between 1 to 14 years. All the fund managers in the Australian Equities team have diverse qualifications i.e. Medical, Politics and Modern History, Applied Finance, Accounting, Commerce, Engineering and Agricultural Economics. This diverse background of MLIM's fund managers allows them to have a professional insight into different sectors of the economy and stock market. To retain these important human capital in the firm, MLIM ensures that the remuneration packages is in the top quartile of the industry. This includes profit sharing and bonus elements based on profitability. Staffs can also participate in a Long Term Incentive Compensation Plan that has share options.

6.Business/Company Factors

Merrill Lynch Investment Managers target two groups of investors, namely retail investors and institutional investors. They are different products for each type of investors. MLIM have different funds to cater for different investors needs. For a complete list of MLIM's products, you can visit http//www.mlim.com.au.

MLIM's distinguishing marketing strengths can be summarised as

- Creativity and Innovation MLIM has a professional team of personnel with high calibre in investment planning

- Openness stresses on the importance of team based research and collaboration

- Proven Investment Expertise MLIM has over AUD 800 billion in assets worldwide as of 0th June 1

- Emphasised on research excellence

- Discipline Portfolio Construction

- Dedication to Client Service

- Ability to Leverage Resources of Merrill Lynch Group resources and size of parent company provides credibility and stability to managed institutional funds.

Financial Status

Table 1 summarizes key figures concerning financial conditions for the 6 months ended June 0 000

Table 1

Operating Results

$144

$1

14.4%

$4.8

$4.8

Net revenues ($ million)

Net earnings ($ million)

Return on average common shareholders' equity

Earnings per share

Basic

Diluted

Client Service

MLIM has made it a priority to communicate with clients therefore clients are always updated with comprehensive written reports and verbal updates including significant events relating to their business. Investors in pooled products receive monthly updates and quarterly report. For retail clients, they are serviced by the Managed Fund Services while institutional investors will be serviced by an appointed Account Manager.

Corporate Resources Backing / Ownership

MLIM is a part of the Asset Management Group, which is ultimately under the wings of the Merrill Lynch & Co INC. Merrill Lynch, & Co Inc is one of the largest US investment bank and therefore provides the stability and credibility to MLIM, resulting in a secured investment management environment for all investors.

Investment In Research/Development/Technology.

In recent times, many enhancements have been carried out to many aspects of the investment process they are

- Development of the Lotus Notes research to efficiently communicate research information amongst the team.

- Restructuring research responsibilities away from sector specialists to a more robust team configuration including stock/sector specialists.

- Simplifying the books of business from three (retail, wholesale and specialists) to two (Institutional and specialist)

- Clarification of the 7-step portfolio construction process.

In addition, MLMAM invested in various systems to complement accounting practices, compliance and research. In accounting, the principle system HiPortfolio is complemented by an internally developed system for pricing and reconciliation. In the Compliance department, an electronic compliance monitoring system is use to conduct analysis on derivatives positions and in research, all information is organised around the Lotus Notes research system.

IT Systems

In recent years Merrill Lynch has focussed on developing its e-commerce business that is expected to play a significant part in the company's growing business. MLMAM has its own Internet portal, which connects clients to one of the strongest trading, research and investment banking capabilities in the world. It also has a number of online facilities such as the MLX online (Merrill Lynch Direct) which provides online trading/research, M&A online advisors, web facilities which allows clients (especially institutional) to get data and provide data, and an excellent web site which facilitates communication, access to products (marketing aspect) and continuity of clients.

7.Performance and Risk Characteristics of the Fund

MLIM has two different portfolios that exhibit different risk and return characteristic

- Institutional portfolios with a target of -% above the ASX All Ord's Index over the medium term and a tracking error of -4%

- Specialist portfolios with a target of -5% above the ASX All Ord's index over the medium term and a tracking error of 4-7%.

The table below will exhibits the performance of MLIM Australian Equity and key performance indicators of the portfolio benchmarked against the ASX All Ordinary Index

1 year years 5 years

ASX Ave MLIM ASX Ave. MLIM ASX Ave. MLIM

Returns 4.1% .16% 8.00% 11.% 15.6% 15.7% 1.10% 15.0% 1.%

Risk/Reward 0.41 0.81 0.66 0.5 1.4 1. 0. 1.6 1.55

Info ratio .46 0.77 .00 0.85 1.68 1.4

Std Deviation 1.08% 11.6% 1.10% 11.81% 11.40% 1.05% 1.1% 11.6% 1.8%

Tracking Error 1.7 4.00 .0 5.1 1.74 5.6

ASX- ASX All Ordinary Index

Ave- Average Fund Manager

MLIM Merrill Lynch Investment Manager (Australian Equity)

Please note that this sample paper on Accounting is for your review only. In order to eliminate any of the plagiarism issues, it is highly recommended that you do not use it for you own writing purposes. In case you experience difficulties with writing a well structured and accurately composed paper on Accounting, we are here to assist you. Your cheap custom college paper on Accounting will be written from scratch, so you do not have to worry about its originality.

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Discuss the themes of love and hate in 'Romeo and Juliet'

If you order your cheap essays from our custom writing service you will receive a perfectly written assignment on Discuss the themes of love and hate in 'Romeo and Juliet'. What we need from you is to provide us with your detailed paper instructions for our experienced writers to follow all of your specific writing requirements. Specify your order details, state the exact number of pages required and our custom writing professionals will deliver the best quality Discuss the themes of love and hate in 'Romeo and Juliet' paper right on time. Our staff of freelance writers includes over 120 experts proficient in Discuss the themes of love and hate in 'Romeo and Juliet', therefore you can rest assured that your assignment will be handled by only top rated specialists. Order your Discuss the themes of love and hate in 'Romeo and Juliet' paper at affordable prices with cheap essay writing service! 'Romeo and Juliet' is a play that shows true love conquering hate. Shakespeare's tragic drama of the 'star-crossed' young lovers is seen to be an extraordinary work and was probably written in about 154 or 155. During much of the twentieth century, critics tended to disparage this play in comparison to the four great tragedies that Shakespeare wrote in the first decade of the seventeenth century ('Hamlet', 'King Lear', 'Macbeth', and 'Othello'). Appraised next to Shakespeare's mature works, 'Romeo and Juliet' appears to lack the psychological depth and the structural complexity of Shakespeares later tragedies. But over the past three decades or so, many scholars have altered this assessment, effectively upgrading its status within Shakespeares canon.

The play opens with a prologue spoken by a Chorus in the form of a fourteen-line sonnet. This is appropriate because it is a very structured play about love, and sonnets represent love. In this concise manner, we are told from the start that the plays setting is the Italian city of Verona, that a blood feud between two families (Montagues and Capulets) is the context in which the star-crossed lovers (Romeo and Juliet) will fall in love, and that only with

their deaths will this conflict come to an end.

The first scene is a contrast to the prologue because it involves fighting and sexual innuendoes. Officers break up the fight, and the Prince, representing law and order threatens to kill "if ever you disturb our streets again". In Act 1, Scene 5 Romeo meets Juliet for the first time and they fall in love. This leads to Romeo sneaking out in the middle of the night and going to visit Juliet at her house. In Act , Scene we are introduced to Friar Lawrence who agrees to marry Romeo and Juliet, thinking that by doing this it may end the feud, but it does not. The wedding is not actually shown because the pace of the play needs to be kept, but also to remind the audience that it is not the marriage that leads to death, but the love between Romeo and Juliet. In Act , Scene 1 Tybalt kills Mercutio, and in turn is killed by Romeo, which leads to his banishment. When Juliet finds out about Romeo's banishment she is devastated, and in Act 4, Scene 1 she threatens to kill herself. Friar Lawrence stops her because he has come up with a plan. He will give Juliet a potion that will make her seem to be dead, and she will be taken to a tomb. However the plan goes wrong, and Romeo thinks Juliet is actually dead, as he did not receive a letter written by Friar Lawrence. He ends up taking an apothecary's potion so that he can be with Juliet. Juliet then awakes, finding out that Romeo is dead and stabs herself with a dagger so that they can finally be together. It is only the death of these two young lovers that enables the feud to end.

Help with essay on Discuss the themes of love and hate in 'Romeo and Juliet'

'Romeo and Juliet' is a play where love and hate are the main themes. Love is presented in many different forms - sexual love, courtly love, dutiful love and familial love, which all contrast the most important type of love, the true love between Romeo and Juliet. In 'Romeo and Juliet' love is a violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that supersedes all other values, loyalties, and emotions. Hate is shown between the two houses, the Capulets and the Montagues. This hate leads to conflict and causes many deaths. Death is often associated with the image of a lover.

In the opening lines of the play the love - hatred theme is presented at a bestial level by the heartless hinds. Hatred is stimulated to fighting by an obsence gesture,

"I will bite my thumb at them",

And loving is mere rape,

"Ay, the heads of the maids or their maidenheads - take it in what sense thou wilt".

Sexual love is shown through the bestial behaviour of the servants - they will take the maids' virginity, or cut off their heads. Throughout the play the audience will realise that sexual love affects everyone - the upper class but also the working class.

The use of puns was very common in the Elizabethan times. Sexual punning begins in lines 5-5 and continues throughout the play, used mainly by the Nurse and Mercutio. The love of Romeo and Juliet, although idealised, is rooted in passionate sexuality. The Victorian ideal of 'pure', non-sexual romantic love has not yet evolved. In this play there are crude allusions to sex and exalted ones, but the erotic is never very far under the surface.

The Nurse, who is one of Shakespeare's most memorable characters, is introduced in Act 1, Scene . She is a bawdy old lady who revels in sex and sympathises with young lovers. Her very first words are about sex, referring to the fact that the last time she was a virgin she was twelve,

"Now by my maidenhood - at twelve year old".

Her final line also suggests that the main joy of marriage is to be found in lovemaking, "women grow by men". This emphasises the physical act of love, and forms a contrast to the idealised love of Romeo and Juliet and formality of Paris' love. The Nurse is a very talkative, caring woman who throughout the play helps to develop the theme of sexual love. She is melodramatic and has a coarse sense of humour, but unlike Sampson she is not offensive.

In Act , Scene 1 Mercutio believes that Romeo is with Rosaline, although he is really with Juliet. The significance of Romeo's hiding and of Mercutio's vain conjuring is to emphasise that Romeo has renounced his conventional love of Act 1. He has no interest in Mercutio's bawdiness, and so appears as it were cleansed of unrealities and superficialities for the purity of the next scene. In Mercutio's next speeches to Benvolio he is very bawdy,

"'twoud anger him / To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle ... Till she had laid it and conjured it down"

Mercutio has a cynical view of love and believes that women are good for one thing only and along with the Nurse he provides entertainment and adds humour to the play using sexual love.

Mercutio and Benvolio cannot find Romeo in Act , Scene 4,

"Where the devil should this Romeo be?"

Mercutio automatically assumes that Romeo has spent the night with Rosaline, and that he has been worn out sexually. After this the references to sexual love become fewer because the play revolves around the love between Romeo and Juliet, showing it is pure. There is no more humour, which was linked to sexual love, as the play becomes serious, and revolves around Romeo and Juliet's love . Sexual love forms a contrast between the love of Romeo and Juliet showing their feelings are honest and their love is true.

At the beginning of the play Montagues description of Romeos melancholy fits the contemporary ideas of lovesickness, contrasting Romeos mooning over Rosaline with the fresh, spontaneous passion, which Juliet will inspire in him. Romeo is not involved in the hatred at the start of the play, his love is too incomplete and sterile. When he first enters he is behaving in the manner of a courtly lover,

"Out of her favour where I am in love."

The language he uses in this scene represents his feeling of unrequited love. He represents a typical, Elizabethan courtly lover. Romeo appears downcast and distracted, but he nevertheless speaks in highly figurative language about the brawl, using oxymorons like "loving hate", "heavy lightness" and "serious vanity". The many oxymorons in Romeos speech are clich�s, meant to evoke his callow, stereotypical attitude toward love. These oxymorons are compared to the religious sonnets shared between Romeo and Juliet to show that this courtly love Romeo feels is superfluous.

Romeo and Benvolio have a long discussion of love, during which we find that Romeo is in love just exactly as the culture of the day said a young man was supposed to be in love. In the popular love poetry of Shakespeares time, the focus is always on the sufferings of the male lover. The lady is beautiful, and her beauty strikes a man through the eyes, into the heart, making him fall in love. He suffers and tries to tell the lady of his suffering, so she may pity him and return his love. However she cruelly rejects his advances, and so he suffers some more, both from the fire of love and the coldness of her heart.

Benvolio tries to counsel Romeo with a series of proverbs grouped for effectiveness at the sestet of a sonnet,

"One man is lessened by another's anguish ... And the rank poison of the old will die."

He tries to cure Romeos love - sickness by persuading him to take a look at someone other than Rosaline. He tells Romeo that the cure for his current love - sickness is a new love - sickness. Later on in the scene Benvolio uses bird imagery,

"And I will make thee think thy swan a crow."

Rosaline is described as a crow in contrast to Juliet who is described as a "snowy dove". Light imagery is also used, but in a different context to the light used with Juliet. When Romeo sees Juliet he uses positive images - brightness of fire, compared to the "hot" fire of Rosaline who has burnt Romeo painfully.

In Act 1, Scene 4 Benvolio says,

"we'll have no Cupid hoodwinked with a scarf."

Cupid was traditionally depicted as blindfolded. This perhaps suggests that the old love for Rosaline represented by cupid is ending. Romeo still thinks he loves Rosaline, and is looking forward to seeing her at the feast, but is mocked by Mercutio who doesn't believe in true love,

"And to sink in it should you burden love; / Too great oppression for a tender thing."

Romeo's last speech before entering the Capulet's house is foreshadowing,

"By some vile forfeit of untimely death. / But he that hath the steerage of my course"

He foreshadows to perhaps remind the audience of the tragedy to come and that Romeo's 'love' for Rosaline is not real. Shakespeare has personified fate to make it sound more dramatic and to create tension. Sea imagery, "steerage of course" has been used to show that the natural force is often unpredictable.

When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time he feels true love,

"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it sight, / For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night."

Romeo equates looking with loving, as Lady Capulet did when she spoke to Juliet about Paris. The rhyming couplet emphasises that Rosaline is totally forgotten, and makes the audience aware that his love for Juliet is totally different. Romeo's character develops from this scene onwards. At the beginning of the play he was suffering courtly love from Rosaline, but at the end he feels true love towards Juliet.

The audience might also feel that Paris suffers from courtly love. His love for Juliet starts off as formal love and he admires her from afar, but as the play goes on the audience will know that Juliet never plans to marry Paris, and never has, or never will love him. Paris did really love Juliet as he goes to Juliets tomb when she 'dies' to glimpse her beauty once more. Romeo warns Paris to leave, but Paris ignores the warning,

"I do defy thy conjuration, / And apprehend thee for a felon here."

It shows Paris' love for Juliet because he is willing to be killed so Romeo can't get past, and in the end Paris does end up getting killed by Romeo.

Paris is a man who plays by the book. His love for Juliet is dutiful not true,

"But now my Lord, what say you to my suit?"

Paris approaches Capulet and asks him for Juliet's hand in marriage. This shows how he wants to do everything right, and contrasts Romeo's love for Juliet, as they decide to get married on the spur of the moment. Capulet however is sceptical, saying Juliet is too young and that he shall have to 'woo' her, as he wants Juliet to be happy in the match.

Paris doesn't appear in the play again until Act , Scene 4. Once again he is talking to Capulet, and not Juliet. He has not yet actually come into contact with Juliet, but feels that he is right for her. Credit must be given to him for acting in a much more proper fashion than Romeo, but the audience will feel that he is getting in the way of Romeo and Juliet's true love.

Act 4, scene 1 sees Paris and Juliet meet for the first time, but their conversation is very limited,

"Come you make confess to this father?

To answer that, I should confess to you.

Do not deny to him that you love me.

If I do so, it will be of more price, / Being spoke behind your back, than to your face".

Their short sentences suggest that they do not have much in common, and do not really know what to say to each other. Their conversation is very formal and lacks passion, which is the opposite of Romeo and Juliet's conversations, which are full of passion and love. Paris sees Juliet as a possession, and not for what she really is,

"Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it".

Paris does not feel true love for Juliet, as he acts wooden and formal when he is with her, "this holy kiss". This once again contrasts Romeo and Juliet's love, showing the audience how passionate they are, and how Paris' love is just dutiful.

Throughout the play the audience can see how Juliet's character changes and matures. At the beginning of the play Lady Capulet tells Juliet that "The valiant Paris seeks you for his love". Juliet says nothing, perhaps because the Nurse does not give her a chance. The Nurse sputters and searches for the words to say how handsome Paris is, then exclaims, "why he's a man of wax". In other words, he is as perfect as a wax sculpture. Lady Capulet also praises Paris as the most perfect flower of Verona, then asks Juliet if she can love him. Both Lady Capulet and the Nurse believe that Juliet should marry for duty - money and possession, as Lady Capulet did, and not love. Juliet being dutiful towards her mother says, "I'll look to like, if looking liking move". Juliet acts as the obedient daughter, and will do exactly what her mum asks. However this obedient character of Juliet changes in Act , Scene 5 when she refuses to agree to marry Paris.

"He shall not make me there a joyful bride."

She disobeys her mother's commands, and has now become the disobedient Juliet. The more independent that Juliet is becoming, the less she is the "hopeful lady of my earth".

Family love is one of the main themes in 'Romeo and Juliet', but in the end it is rejected for true love. After the street brawl of the opening scene, Benvolio stays behind to talk with Romeos parents. Lady Montague shows a motherly concern for her son,

"O where is Romeo? Saw you him today? / Right glad I am he was not at this fray."

She is glad that Romeo was not involved in the fight, which shows that she cares for him. This motherly love is reinforced later on in the play when Lady Montague actually dies from grief. It was believed that sudden violent grief would bring about death for the sudden rush of blood to the heart strangled it. Montague is also worried about his son, and thinks that he should not be alone, for he is in melancholy. Romeo has not told anyone what is wrong, so that he is like "the bud bit with an envious worm, / Ere he can spread his sweet leaves to the air, / Or dedicate his beauty to the sun."

Montague is comparing his son to a flower bud being eaten away from the inside by a worm, so that he will be ruined before he has a chance to bloom. Nowadays such high flown language is not used, but we have the same kind of worries as Montague; any father would be worried to see his beautiful child eaten alive by depression. In Act , Scene Montague's love for Romeo is shown, as he persuades the Prince not to execute him. Romeo's love towards his father is returned in Act 5, Scene 1, when he asks Balthasar how his father is.

The Capulets are not as close to Juliet as the Montagues are to Romeo, however in Act 1, Scene Capulet is portrayed as a loving father. When Paris asks him for Juliet's hand in marriage he replies saying she is too young, but Paris does not agree. Capulet doesn't want Juliet to make the same mistake that he did of marrying too young, which shows that he thinks of her as his young, innocent girl whom he wants to protect and love. Capulet asks for a little understanding, saying,

"Earth hath swallowed all my hopes but she, / She is the hopeful lady of my earth".

In plain terms, Juliet is Capulets only living child and his heiress, but the phrase "hopeful lady of my earth" also means that she is the hope around which his world turns. Nevertheless, he urges Paris to woo Juliet and says, "My will to her consent is but a part", which means that even if he agrees to the marriage, Juliet has the final say. The audience will feel that he is doing the right thing by Juliet, and being a good father, but later on in the play he has a drastic change of heart about this issue.

In the scene following Paris' proposal Lady Capulet wishes to speak with Juliet. The Nurse, when calling for Juliet uses nicknames, "What Lamb! What Lady-bird!" Thus we see the contrast between Juliets relationship with her nurse and her relationship with her mother. The Nurse is the one who calls Juliet nicknames; Lady Capulet is the one whom Juliet addresses as "madam". As the scene progresses, this contrast is heightened. Lady Capulet thinks Juliet is old enough to get married, and wants Juliet to seriously consider Paris proposal; the Nurse will be happy to see Juliet happily married, but what she really likes to talk about is how cute Juliet was when she was a baby. Its as though Juliet has two mothers, one who adores her no matter what she does, and one who wants her to grow up and do something with her life.

In the evening of the day of Juliets marriage to Romeo, Capulet explains to Paris that he has not had a chance to speak to Juliet about marrying. Then Capulet adds,

"Look you, she loved her kinsman Tybalt dearly".

This seems to suggest that Capulet has some sensitivity about her feelings. But within a few moments he offers Paris Juliets hand in marriage, saying,

"Sir Paris, I will make a desperate tender / Of my child's love. I think she will be ruled / In all respects by me; nay more, I doubt it not."

Capulets offer of Juliets love is "desperate" in the sense of "bold" because he has made the offer without knowing how Juliet feels about Paris. But the more common meaning of "desperate" is "reckless" or "thoughtless", and it certainly seems that Capulet didnt think before he spoke. However, once Capulet makes the offer he quickly becomes quite sure that he can follow through. He first thinks that Juliet will obey him, then he has no doubt that she will. Capulet thinks that because Juliet is his daughter he can control her.

The audience is shown in Act , Scene 5 how distant the Capulet family has become. Capulet believes that Juliet should marry Paris, and threatens to disown her when she disobeys. Like most parents, they want what is best for Juliet, and like many parents they think they know her so well that they know what is best for her better than she does. The family started splitting up after Romeo and Juliet got married, and only cared for each other. Juliet has slowly isolated herself from her family, and all that she has left to fall back on is Romeo. When Juliets parents think she is dead they are grief-stricken. Although Capulet had threatened to put her out on the street to starve and Lady Capulet had declared she was done with her, now that Juliet is (apparently) dead, they both say that all their happiness depended on her.

Friar Lawrence and the Nurse act as surrogate parents to Romeo and Juliet. When Romeo comes to see Friar Lawrence he is addressed as "son", and Romeo calls the Friar "father", which is appropriate because of the Friars status as a priest; however, the two of them also seem to have a secular father - son relationship. During their conversation the Friar says, "Our Romeo hath not been in bed tonight". The use of the word "our" suggests that the Friar considers Romeo to be part of his family, and the fact that the Friar guesses the truth about Romeo suggests that he knows him quite well. These impressions are strengthened as the scene unfolds, for when the Friar learns of Romeos love for Juliet, he immediately starts chiding the young man about Rosaline. As the Friar talks about how Romeo has wept and sighed for Rosaline, we see that Romeo has confided in him more than he has in his parents or his friend Benvolio. Also, the Friars chiding is a half-joking way of expressing his concern that Romeo has simply traded one hopeless infatuation for another.

After Romeo kills Tybalt, he hides in Friar Lawrences cell. The Friar acts as a counsellor and says the sort of things that parents would say - that Romeo should grow up, that Romeo should realise how lucky he is, that Romeo should think about all he has to live for - but none of this seems to reach Romeo. The Friar then tells Romeo what to do when knocking is heard, like a parent would. These stage directions and the punctuation used by the Friar in this scene creates tension. The Friar's love for Romeo is ironic, as the more he does to help him, the more trouble that he causes for him and Juliet. Throughout the play the Friar wants to do right, but through his ideas that he thought were harmless he helps to cause the tragedy.

The Nurse, talking with Romeo in Act , Scene 4 about his arrangements for the wedding between himself and Juliet, expresses parental worry that Romeo might be trying to take advantage of Juliets youthful innocence,

"the gentlewoman is young, and therefore if you should deal double with her, truly it were an ill thing to be offered to any gentlewoman, and very weak dealing."

However, when she is sure that Romeo really does intend marriage, the Nurse is very happy showing that she loves Juliet like a daughter. Throughout the play the Nurse and Juliet have been very close, as apart from the Friar she was the only one to know about her and Romeo's wedding. However at the end of the play the audience will feel that their close relationship has changed, as Juliet does not confide in the Nurse of the plan.

Family love is also shown between friends, especially Romeo and Benvolio. Benvolio listens, comforts and gives advice to Romeo when he is down,

"By giving liberty unto thy eyes. / Examine other beauties."

He tells Romeo to look at other women and stop wallowing in self-pity. This is typical of Benvolio, as he is a man who does not believe in true love. After Romeo has killed Tybalt Benvolio says, "Romeo away, be gone" showing that he cares for Romeo and does not want anything bad to happen to him.

Love in 'Romeo and Juliet' is a grand passion, and as such it is blinding, it can overwhelm a person as powerfully and completely as hate can. The passionate love between Romeo and Juliet is linked from the moment of its interception with death. Tybalt has noticed that Romeo has crashed the feast and determines to kill him, just as Romeo catches sight of Juliet and falls instantly in love with her. From that point on love seems to push the two lovers closer to love and violence, not further from it.

True love is first shown in Act 1, Scene 5. When Romeo first sees Juliet he falls instantly in love with her, jettisoning his love for Rosaline. On first seeing Juliet, Romeo describes her beauty in terms of dark and light,

"She doth teach the torches to burn bright"

He means that her beauty is brighter than the blaze of any torch and that her presence makes the whole room light up. The bright blaze of Juliet's beauty is made even brighter by the contrasts with the blackness of an "Ethiope" and the blackness of crows.

In the Elizabethan times it was believed that true love always struck at first sight; love that grew gradually was no love at all. Romeo's first words to Juliet are a sonnet quatrain in which he says that he is an unworthy pilgrim come to the shrine of Juliet's beauty. Juliet replies with a second sonnet quatrain, encouraging him in this vein. In a series of exchanges, the lovers jointly complete a 14-line sonnet and then kiss,

"Have not saint lips, and holy palmers too?

Ay Pilgrim lips that they must in prayer."

Love is being described in the terms of religion, which shows the depth and purity of their love, and later in the play it is described as a sort of magic. The love between Romeo and Juliet is reciprocated as they speak alternate lines that link them closely. The language used is a contrast to the type of language used by the servants, as it is pure love that is shown, not sexual. After Romeo and Juliet kiss Juliet says, "You kiss by th' book" meaning that he kisses according to the book, and implying that while proficient, his kissing lacks originality. In reference to Rosaline, it seems, Romeo loves by the book. Rosaline, of course, slips from Romeo's mind at first sight of Juliet, but Juliet is no mere replacement. The love she shares with Romeo is far deeper, more authentic and unique that the clich�d puppy love Romeo felt for Rosaline. Romeo's development is due to Juliet; her level-headed observations, such as the one about Romeo's kissing, seem just the thing to snap Romeo from his superficial idea of love, and to inspire him to speak some of the most beautiful and intense love poetry ever written. In the next part of the scene Romeo foreshadows by saying "Ay so I fear, the more is my unrest". He can't stop the way he feels about Juliet, it's too late - he is already in love with her. Juliet also uses foreboding and dramatic irony, "My grave is like to be my wedding-bed".

Act , Scene is seen as one of the most famous scenes in the play, and is known as the balcony scene. Here Romeo and Juliet meet for the second time. Thus the entire opening to this scene is devoted to Romeo's fevered desire that she will make love with him. Despite Romeo's passion, he is shy enough, and polite enough not to simply burst in upon her. It is the tension between his overwhelming desire and his reticence that shows how much he truly loves her. Romeo's first speech to Juliet is full of light imagery,

"He jests at scars that never felt a wound ... And none but fools do wear it; cast it off".

Though it is late at night, Juliet's surpassing beauty makes Romeo think that she is the sun, transforming the darkness into daylight. Romeo likewise personifies the moon calling it "sick and pale with grief" at the fact that Juliet, the sun, is far brighter and more beautiful. Romeo then compares Juliet to the stars, claiming that she eclipses the stars as daylight overpowers a lamp - her eyes alone shine so bright that they will convince the birds to sing at night as if it were day. This quote is important because in addition to initiating one of the plays most beautiful and famous sequences of poetry, it is a prime example of the light/dark motif that runs throughout the play. Many scenes in 'Romeo and Juliet' are set either late at night or early in the morning, and Shakespeare often uses the contrast between night and day to explore opposing alternatives in a given situation. Through Romeo's speech the audience will feel the purity of love between Romeo and Juliet. He thinks that Juliet is perfect and full of beauty, and says nothing crude.

Juliet's second lines to Romeo are perhaps the most important in the play,

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo ... And I'll no longer be a Capulet".

Juliet, not realising that Romeo is below in the orchard asks why Romeo must be a Montague. Still unaware of Romeo's presence, she asks him to deny his family for her loves. She adds, however, that if he will not, she will deny her family in order to be with him if he merely tells her that he loves her. A major theme in 'Romeo and Juliet' is the tensions between social and family identity, and one's inner identity. Juliet believes that love stems from ones inner identity , and that the feud between the Montague's and the Capulet's is a product of the outer identity, banned only on names. She thinks of Romeo in individual terms, and thus her love for him overrides her family's hatred for the Montague name.

In this scene Romeo acts impulsively, while Juliet is practical and sensible. Romeo speaks romantically, which is different to how Juliet speaks. During this scene Romeo foreshadows,

"For stony limits cannot hold love out".

This is done by Shakespeare to remind the audience of what this love leads to. Romeo says that he would die for Juliet because he loves her so much,

"And but thou love me, let them find me here, / My life were better ended by their hate".

This shows the contrast between love and hate - a problem in their relationship.

Juliet's first long speech makes clear that she is still a virtuous young women who wishes her love had not been so promptly revealed, but now that it has been, she does not intend to look backwards. Much of the rest of her speech examines a paradox in traditional European attitudes toward love as they concerned women; a woman should fall instantly in love upon first seeing her beloved, but it was highly improper for her to reveal her feelings. Romeo's statement, "O wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied" is obviously startling to Juliet, but he quickly recovers by insisting that he will love her faithfully. Having once proclaimed her love, the font of Juliet's eloquence is unstopped, and she becomes the dominant figure in the rest of this scene. One of the most charming touches in this scene is Juliet being overwhelmed by Romeo's presence that she couldn't remember why she called him back. Bird imagery is often referred to by Shakespeare in 'Romeo and Juliet' and is used once again in this scene, "O for a falconer's voice". It is appropriate because the swiftness and flight soon becomes very important in the play. At the end of this scene the audience will know how strong the love between Romeo and Juliet is.

In Act , Scene 5 Juliet is anxious - she needs to know what Romeo has said to the Nurse. This shows that she is not quite sure if Romeo loves her as much as she loves him,

"Is three long hours, yet she is not come. / Had she affections and warm youthful blood, / She would be swift in motion as a ball".

Juliet feels that if the Nurse was young and had the love of Juliet then she would be quick with the answer. Shakespeare has formed a sense of urgency and tension through the style of the language. Juliet is very cunning. She tries to manipulate the Nurse - flatter her so that she'll tell Juliet the news, "Sweet, sweet, sweet Nurse". This shows signs of Juliet's maturity, which has grown due to her, and Romeo's love. When Juliet finds out that Romeo will marry her she exclaims "Hie to high fortune!" showing her happiness and excitement towards the marriage, which is the total opposite of how she feels when her father tells her that she must marry Paris.

Romeo's love for Juliet is reinforced in Act , Scene 6 when he is with the Friar,

"Then love-devouring death do what he dare".

He is saying let death do what it wants, as he has Juliet, ie. One minute with Juliet is worth dying for, which is a bit rational but obviously shows how strong his love is. Romeo and Juliet don't think, they follow their passion and not their heads. This excessive of passion will lead to the tragedy and passion must be controlled by reason.

At the Capulet house Juliet is unaware of the killings and speaks a soliloquy in which she implores the sun to set so that night can fall and she can elope with Romeo. In her speech Shakespeare has personified nature as it was seen as a strong and influential force in the Elizabethan times. Light and dark imagery is also used as it is throughout the play, as it has a strong link to the true love between Romeo and Juliet,

"Spread they close curtain, love - performing night, / That runaway's eyes may wink, and Romeo / Leap to these arms, untalked of and unseen".

Juliet is seeing things as though she is on a bed, seeing the curtains close about her, bringing the dark in which acts of love are performed. In the dark lovers will provide their own light because "lovers can see to do their amorous rites / By their own beauties". This idea, that beauty creates its own light, is the same one Romeo talked about when he saw Juliet on her balcony and described her as an angel shining in the night.

Tension is created in Act , Scene . The Nurse does not tell Juliet who is dead. Juliet, along with the audience may think that it is Romeo who is dead. The death creates dramatic tension, along with the short sentences. Juliet uses oxymorons that link her and Romeo closely, "a damned saint, an honourable villain". These oxymorons are used so Juliet can makes sense of what has happened. When finding out that it is Tybalt that has died and Romeo has been banished, Juliet focuses on Romeo, not Tybalt. She is more concerned with Romeo's banishment than Tybalt's death, showing her loyalty towards him. There is a development in Juliet's character, as her maturity grows when she realises that Romeo isn't what he seemed. He has two sides, positive and negative, "Beautiful tyrant". However Juliet chastises herself for saying these unkind remarks, and fixes upon the word "banishment", and says that she would rather ten thousand Tybalt's had died, than that her Romeo be banished. In this play death is very important, and here Romeo's love is personified as death.

In Act , Scene 5 there is a lot of reference to night and day, and the stars and the sun are personified representing true love. Night has become friendly and brings secrecy, while daylight is the enemy and brings danger. An aubade is used, a song/poem sang at dawn, usually by a parting lover. In Elizabethan times it was seen as a song of mourning - it heightens and intensifies emotions. This scene shows that Romeo and Juliet are deeply in love, but lament the turn of events that will force them to part.

Juliet has a very passionate speech in Act 4, Scene 1 where she says she'd rather die than marry Paris as she is in love with Romeo. She uses violent and wild images of death which mirror her strength of emotion and shows the strength of her love. Agreeing to take the potion shows her loyalty towards Romeo and how much she loves him. Before actually taking the potion Juliet has many doubts. She is scared and thinks that she will wake up in the tomb before Romeo gets there - this is ironic as she actually wakes up too late. The mention of the "bloody Tybalt" is to remind the audience of how Romeo and Juliet got to be in this desperate situation. Juliet's love for Romeo gives her courage to actually go through with taking the potion,

"Romeo! Romeo! Romeo! I drink to thee".

The repetition of "Romeo" shows Juliet's love. There is also a parallel between Romeo and Juliet as they both have doubts about the potion they're going to take, which links them closely. When Juliet wakes up and finds Romeo not with her she is devastated and wished that Romeo could have left some potion so that they could be together. So instead she takes Romeo's dagger and kills herself. This shows how strong her love for Romeo was as she is willing to go through pain to finally be with him.

Romeo goes to buy a potion from the apothecary so that he and Juliet can be together. He does not see it as death or bad, but sees it as good proving how strong his love for Juliet is. In Act 5, Scene Romeo says,

"Why I descend into this bed of death".

Death is personified as a lover. Throughout the play death and love seem to be linked very closely. Animal imagery is used, "than empty tigers" as in the Elizabethan times it was thought that animals acted on instinct and this is how Romeo acts. In Romeo's speech before he kills himself all his emotions are revealed,

"Death that hath sucked the honey of thy breath ... And death's pale flag is not advanced there".

This is ironic because death hasn't conquered her yet. Romeo dies saying that he loves Juliet and the audiences know how strong he felt for her.

We sense the grand irony that in death Romeo and Juliet have created the world that would have allowed their love to live. That irony does exist, and it is tragic. But because of the power and beauty of their love, it is hard to see Romeo and Juliets death as a simple tragedy. Romeo and Juliets deaths are tragic, but this tragedy was fated by the stars, by the violent world in which they live, by the play, and by their very natures. The audience, wanted this death, this tragedy. At the plays end, the audience do not feel sad for the loss of life as much as they feel wrenched by the incredible act of love that Romeo and Juliet have committed as monuments to each other and their love. Romeo and Juliet have been immortalised as the archetypes of true love not because their tragic deaths bury their parents strife, but rather because they are willing to sacrifice everything - including themselves - for their love. That Romeo and Juliet must kill themselves to preserve their love is tragic. That they do kill themselves to preserve their love makes them transcendent. At the end of the play all the other types of love - courtly, faithful, sexual and family have been examined and found wanting. They are ultimately discarded to leave the purest form of love - the true love between Romeo and Juliet.

Throughout the play the themes of death and violence permeate Romeo and Juliet, and they are always connected to passion, whether that passion is love or hate. There is an obvious relationship between hate, violence and death. There is also the clashing juxtaposition of love and hate in the play. The first scene is full of hate and fighting and is a contrast to the Prologue, which is full of love and fate. The hate between the two households is due to the 'ancient grudge', a feud that has existed for a very long time. It is actually unlikely that either household can remember what the feud is about.

Two servants from the Capulet house start a fight with two servants from the Montague house, "[They fight". Thus showing that the feud and hatred between the two families runs all the way through each house, the servants of the houses hate each other just as much as the heads do. The origin of the brawl, introduces the important theme of masculine honour. Masculine honour does not function in the play as some sort of stoic indifference to pain or insult. In Verona, a man must defend his honour whenever it is transgressed against, whether verbally or physically. This concept of masculine honour exists through every layer of society in Verona, from the servants on up to the noblemen. It animates Samson and Gregory as much as it does Tybalt. It is significant that the fight between the Montagues and Capulets erupts first among the servants. Readers of the play generally focus on the two great noble families, as they should. However one should not overlook Shakespeares inclusion of servants in the story the perspectives of servants in Romeo and Juliet are often used to comment on the actions of their masters, and therefore, society. However Benvolio, 'the peace - maker' tries to break up the fight, but when Tybalt, 'the manifestation of hate' enters he provokes Benvolio,

"I hate the word, / As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee"

showing pure hatred towards the Montagues, and causing another fight.

Tybalt is a man who loves to fight, as the first thing that he says when he finds out that Romeo is at the party is, "Fetch me my rapier boy". We know that he has an aggressive nature, but he pretends that he is doing it for the honour of his family,

"Now by the stock and honour of my kin",

But really all he wants to do is fight. This forms a contrast of love and hate, which causes tension. It reminds the audience of the conflict between the two houses, and shows that Romeo and Juliet's relationship is going to be hard. Capulet orders Tybalt not to fight, but Tybalts rage is set, creating the circumstances that will eventually banish Romeo from Verona. Tybalt threatens to turn the "seeming sweet" to "bitterest gall", thus causing tension, as when will Tybalt have his revenge?

Hate does not play an important role in the next act, as the act is more concentrated on the love of Romeo and Juliet. However the audience are reminded many times that hate is the main problem in the relationship, and is one of the causes of the final tragedy,

"For stony limits cannot hold love out", "I have been feasting with my enemy" and "then love - devouring death do what he dare" are such examples. The audience is also reminded of the feud as the Friar says,

"For this alliance may so happy prove, / To turn your households' rancour to pure love".

He thinks that by marrying Romeo and Juliet he will end the feud, but he is wrong.

The sudden, fatal violence in the first Scene of Act , as well as the build-up to the fighting, serves as a reminder that, for all its emphasis on love, beauty, and romance, 'Romeo and Juliet' still takes place in a highly masculine world in which notions of honour, pride, and status are prone to erupt in a fury of conflict. Benvolio feels that if they might the Capulet's there will be a fight,

"And if we meet, we shall not 'scape a brawl".

Heat leaves the character, short - tempered - Benvolio tries to diffuse a possible fight, "mad blood stirring". When Tybalt enters he and Mercutio have a verbal speech where they both suggest that they are willing to fight. However when Romeo enters Tybalt exclaims, "here comes my man", the man he wants to fight is Romeo. This could be because Mercutio is only a friend of the Montagues, while Romeo is actually part of the family whom Tybalt hates with all his heart. Tybalt's aggressive character and the fact that he loves to fight are reinforced as he provokes Romeo hoping that he will start a fight, "thou art a villain". Throughout the play Tybalt represents violence and hatred. Tybalt's strong emotion of hatred makes him end up killing Mercutio, and in turn getting killed himself. Tybalt was the man who showed the most hatred in the play, and was killed off because there was no longer a need for hatred, as it had already been established.

The themes of love and hate dominate 'Romeo and Juliet'. Each type of love is shown through different characters in the play, but either Romeo or Juliet are linked to them all. The Nurse and Mercutio represent sexual love with the use of sexual puns. Romeo and Juliet often refer to sexual love, and spend one night of passion with each other. However at the beginning of the play Romeo is suffering from courtly love, and believes he is truly in love with Rosaline. This love is immediately forgotten as soon as he sees Juliet. Paris feels dutiful love for Juliet. He sees her as his possession. Juliet also feels dutiful towards her parents at the beginning of the play, but this soon changes as she falls in love with Romeo. Family love is seen strongly through Romeo and his friends, but not so strongly between the two families. The main type of love in the play is the true love between Romeo and Juliet. They first fall in love at the Capulet's party and their love blossoms throughout the play, leading to both Romeo and Juliet killing themselves so that they can be together. The hate between the two houses is due to a feud that has existed for many years. This hate is entwined with true love throughout the play, and is the main cause of Romeo and Juliet's deaths.

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