Electric shock therapy which will be referred as s Essays

Electric shock therapy which will be referred as s Essays Electric shock therapy which will be referred as shock in this paper is a highly controversial treatment plan. Electric Shock Therapy is misused without proper communication of informed consent with the psychiatric survivor and be a form of violation of human rights and against medical ethics. The treatment plan itself a multi-billion-dollar industry. The discovery of ECT started in Rome, Italy in 1938 by two psychiatrists called Ugo Cerletti and Lucio Bini in a slaughter house. This discovery started when they would apply electros to the temples of the pigs which eased or made them unconscious making the process of slaughter efficient and quick ( " The Brutal Reality: Harmful Psychiatric Treatments", 2010) . In contrast, as for human civilization ECT was misused mainly prior to 1950s and 1960s where pharmaceutical drugs such as antidepressant drugs were not available. During those times consenting with family members or patients was not foll owed through prior of the procedure, ETC was portrayed as a form of punishment for individuals who are not seen as "normal" to psychiatrists. To understand the misuse of shock therapy, it's important to know the procedure and why it is still used in today's world. Shock therapy is used for the following illnesses: individuals who think of killing themselves, hearing or seeing what others are not hear or see and when the use of psychiatric drugs is not helping (Kraus, Chandarana, 1997.) . The procedure a ccording to the National Institute of Mental Health , the use of "small" amounts of electric currents typically 200-450 volts from 0.5 to 5 seconds are passed through the brain creating a seizure like effect. It continues to do so for approx. 30-60 seconds leaving the psychiatric survivor unconscious. This continues either daily or every other day for 1 to 2 weeks ( . To make the process less horrific and painful as it used to be , the use of muscle relaxants such as succinylcholine and the use of anesthesia along with pre-oxygenation of the brain may help "eliminate" (destroy the memory) of the procedure. However, this does not change the fact that there is electricity passing through the brain. The side effects consist of possible brain damage, temporary or most cases permanent memory loss which include the psychiatric survivor's personal experiences in life or certain events. Other improvement s made to this procedure is the EEG seizure monitoring and other biomedical devices made to make the process more efficient. In the years of 2010 till 2011, 16,529 ECT treatments have been carried out in Ontario along with 75,000 treatments delivered in total in Canada respectively (Toronto Star). These numbers are currently progressing higher. In Ontario ECT is covered under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. The industry itself is a multimillionaire money making of course the officials would not support to ban such therapy rather make as much use of it and promote the treatment. Shock therapy is a good source of money on an average American hospital a series of treatmen t can cost between $8,000 (series of 8 treatments) additional with the cost of staying at the hospital. An average American psychiatrist who has specialized in ECT can earn up to 300,000 to 500,000 a year. According to the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2009 to 2010 925,060 patients were hospitalized with mainly depression out of that number 20,251 underwent ETC . Doing the calculation, the elec troshock industry is roughly making $ 162,000,000 yearly. It's a shame that the government officials support the use of shock therapy even though its strong link to violations of our laws of freedom, including freedom of speech and freedom from assault. According to an article in the Globe and Mail, 66-year-old retired nurse was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder during the 1980's and she has been kept as an involuntary patient many times. Currently is she being detained since February 2012 as an involuntary patient and according the claim she has made she had approximately 300 sessions of Electroconvulsive Therapy. Additionally, for her to be released from the hospital she is required to take psychotropic medication. This is a case of misuse for Electric Shock therapy as it is a violation of an individual human rights as

Analyse the hrm aspects and procedures of an organization of your Assignment

Analyse the hrm aspects and procedures of an organization of your choice - Assignment Example Such policies address the 4C’s, which is another trait of the Harvard HRM theory. The 4C’s, which stand for the commitment, competence of the workers, and the cost effectiveness and congruence of an organisation’s HRM department, are factors that contribute to the company’s overall effectiveness. Most human resource divisions monitor processes such as the employment, training, and appraisal of their employees. Recruitment An organisation’s recruitment process can either be external or internal. It might consist of functions such as advertisement in elements of the mass media, job application procedures, selection, and finally training. Prior to engaging in hiring, most organisations will do researches on the existing suitable candidates for the available positions and then conduct tests on all applicants so as to find out their areas of competence. Recruitment is a vital stage for all organisations because hiring semi skilled workers can adversely a ffect a company’s productivity. It is not regarded by corporate heads as a process that is the responsibility of junior heads. Recruitment usually requires the input of management executives and long-term planning to ensure that the best candidates are gotten for the existing vacancies. In the recent past, there has been a lot of competition between different companies for the most talented workers between different companies. Most recruiters wish to employ well rounded workers who will fit in with their corporate cultures and add positive characteristics to it. Recruiters also tend to look for candidates who can work well in teams or groups and will actually motivate others through their contributions. In many cases, even skilled candidates have to undergo a period of training in order to learn more about their new company. Most organisations use rigorous employment methods in order to ensure that they only use their resources to train candidates that will give back to the c ompany. Employee Development and Training There is a different training program for new workers in every organisation. Each company’s training program is concerned with its particular needs. It is not just the new recruits who develop from training programs in most companies, but the existing workers can also learn new skills that might enable them to benefit from promotions. Making new plans for recruitment programs is also a program that helps companies to discover areas where they might need to improve or develop more. To make sure that they have competent training programs, most organisations evaluate the existing programs for shortcomings and then make the needed improvements while incorporating new procedures. In the present, business arena, most organisations use different methods to train new recruits. There are many companies, for instance, that make use of online training when seeking to hire students or employees from far flung locations. Using this kind of distant learning is a cost effective measure as it trains potential workers on all aspects of operations of the company while saving on travelling costs. Students, particularly, are enthusiasts of this method because they may be qualified and apply for a position even while taking their final

Individualised Education Plan for a child with ADD Essay

Individualised Education Plan for a child with ADD - Essay Example As it involves the hands, this activity which is carried out through multi-sensory movement affects individual psychology, for example, impulse control. Handwriting stimulates the brain with controlled stimulus and helps the child develop impulse control over a certain period of time. The executive functions of the frontal lobes of the brain which are common in autism and ADHD children can also be stimulated favourably for Marcus (Retrain the Brain, â€Å"Autism†). Capitalizing on this method of fine-tuning a child’s gross motor skills, the teacher must use handwriting in the class as much as possible. The teacher can also encourage doodling in the class in order to focus Marcus’s attention and motor skills on one particular activity at a time (Chatterjee, p. 2). The teacher can also call on Marcus to write on the blackboard as much as possible. â€Å"Writing on the board is a tremendous tool to use to help students develop fine motor skills, as the large body m ovements needed for writing on the board are prerequisites skills needed to eventually be successful with writing on lined paper† (Lougy, et.al., p. 93). In order to improve on Marcus’s self help skills, which would include his recognition of his drawer and his ability to place his things in the drawer in an orderly fashion, requires yet again the assistance of the teacher and also Marcus’s parents. By developing such skills, it is possible for Marcus to imbibe a sense of organization and intellectual devotion to a certain task, including that of taking care of his things. In the classroom, the teacher can colour-code the academic materials to be used. For example, all materials in relation to English can be coloured blue. Notebooks, books, binders, folders, and all related classroom materials can also be coloured blue (ADDitude, â€Å"ADHD Treatment†). The teacher can also place instructions or step-by-step routines in colourful signs in the classroom. For example,

Research Questions & Hypotheses Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Research Questions & Hypotheses - Essay Example The campus and its supporters are very proud of the sports programs. The most popular sports are mens football and womens softball. Although the football team boasts of winning seasons year after year, it is by no means a powerhouse. The softball team, though, is consistently conference champions and once won the national championship. Therefore, the popularity of sports has been a solid marketing feature of the university along with its well-respected academic programs. Even with all this popularity, all parties agree it is important to grow the campus to maintain its reputation and compete with peer institutions. The new strategic plan at Foothills University reports a need to increase student enrollments by 15% over the next five years. As part of this initiative, three new academic programs are to be implemented, although the subject matter is open to study. Most of the universitys academic programs are at the bachelors level with 6,000 students and a few masters programs with 1,500 students. The executives and board of trustees thought about adding doctoral programs, but are concerned about the potential effects on the universitys liberal arts mission as well as the impact to finances. The Vice President for Academic Affairs has been tasked by the president to oversee the process. Not wanting to make rash decisions about where to increase enrollments and what type of programs to implement, the VP convened a task force to research the issues. He expects the task force to conduct formal, empirical research to study the issues. It has been unanimously agreed that the crux of economic development and poverty alleviation lie in the education. That’s the reason that colleges and universities are deemed not only an engine to socio-economic development but also recognized as invaluable economic assets. Findings suggest that socioeconomic factors and academic factors are not all that separated; they work in tandem. The academically and

Health Demographics in Derbyshire

Health Demographics in Derbyshire (Derby city council, 2013) Dermography Alvaston is in the south east of Derby city centre and approximately covers 702 hectares. It has expanded with the arrival of the railways and linked employment in the 19th century (Derby city council, 2011). The population of Alvaston is 16,255. 50.3 % are females and males make 49.7% and this follows a national trend (D.C.C, 2011). Alvaston has a higher number of children of the ages of 0-4, 2% more than England average (ONS, 2011). An increase in number of children is said to be a result of having a large population of women of childbearing age. This is reflected in the Ward. There is a higher percentage of women in this age range, potentially increasing the number of children in the Ward (ONS, 2013). Due to the vast improvements in healthcare infant mortality rates have continually decreased over the years (ONS, 2013). The high number of children can increase pressures on the local services such as childcare providers, schools and health visiting services. Gender Fig 2. According to ONS (2011) Alvaston ward has more females than males and this follows a national trend. Naidoo and Wills (2010) points out that women live 6 years longer than men on average. This is said to be because women are more likely to report illness and are less likely to be in full time employment, therefore having easier access to healthcare while men are exposed to unsafe working environments and tend to adopt risky behaviours socially, like alcoholism and they contribute to a high number of accidents. (Annandale and Hunt, 2000) Ethnicity Adapted by Author (ONS,2011)Fig 3. Alvaston Ward is not ethnically diverse, its population is predominantly white, accounting to 88% of the ward population, slightly higher than national average (ONS, 2011). However Asians make 5% of the biggest ethnic group population. Ethnicity plays a role in terms of illness and behaviour, furthermore some diseases are more prevalent in certain ethnic groups, and for example, cardiovascular diseases are more common in Asian men (NHS, 2015). Genetics cannot be altered but it is important for health professionals to be aware of such groups to allow proper preventative preparation and screening processes for diseases and illnesses prevalent in particular ethnic groups. Disease Paterns Adapted by Author:ONS,2012Fig 4. Morbidity Alvaston has good access to primary care services. There are three Gp practices, four pharmacies, four dental practices and an Optometrists serving the ward (Derby city council,2012).The ward has a significantly high percentage of people with emergency hospital admissions for myocardial infarction, 40% more than national average (local health.org.uk).The main cause of MI is smoking Coronary heart disease is also high at 38% more than national average. According to Naidoo and Wills (2010) coronary heart disease is one of the most commonly reported longstanding illness in the UK. It is the most common cause of premature death, and often results from a number of lifestyles factors (see Fig ) such as diet high in fat, smoking, alcohol and lack of exercise (Naidoo and Wills, 2010). Health practitioners have a role to construct programmes to tackle causation factors and educating the public about the risks accredited to certain habits and practices. Mortality Fig 5. Mortality is one of the indicators of deprivation, early mortality rates from Coronary heart disease are 39% higher in Alvaston compared to nationally (PHE, 2013). The death rates from CHD has increased to three times higher among unskilled man than among professionals (DOH, 1999). CHD is caused by key lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, poor nutrition, obesity, lack of exercise and high blood pressure (DOH, 1999). The ward is also high in smoking (see lifestyle graph). Poorer people are often exposed to highest risk as low socio economic status and lack of education seem to be associated with behavioural risk factors for CHD (Hemmingway, 2007). The increase of influencing factors to CHD start in childhood, and this has authenticated the healthy child programme.(DOH,2008). Although there are many causes of CHD, communities need to be made aware of the changeable risk factors. Unemployment has also shown to increase the risk of CHD, unemployment levels are higher in Alvaston compared to nationally. The DOH(2000) government document ‘Saving Lives: Our healthier nation has recommended that Health and Local authorities should lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive local programme of effective policies to reduce smoking, promoting healthy eating, physical activity and reducing overweight and obesity. In Alvaston, these services are provided by the Live-well, which is a local authority project. Cancer incidence Adapted by author: ONS, 2011Fig 6. Over 250 000 people in England are diagnosed with cancer, despite the developments made to tackle it, a big gap remains in mortality rates (Naidoo Wills, 2010). The increase in cancer rates is said to be a result of longer life expectancy, however according to ( ) work environment contribute to cancer mortalities. Workers from low class jobs are twice as likely to die from cancer as compared to professionals are (Naidoo and Wills, 2010). In Alvaston the majority of the workforce are in elementary jobs (see Fig ) and there are many smokers therefore increasing the prevalence of lung cancer to 44% more than national average. The NHS Framework, a strategy for cancer has set out actions to be used to tackle preventable causes of cancer (DOH, 2011). The focus is primary, this is aimed at health education and support for behaviour changes, especillially in relation to smoking and healthy eating. And secondary focus is intended at increasing the uptake of screening services (DOH.2011). And some of the environmental factors that are linked to cancer are being acknowledged and developed (Naidoo and Wills, 2010). Life expectancy Adapted by Author: ONS, 2011Fig 7. Life expectancy at birth defects in Alvaston is worse off compared to national average, Males at 5% worse and females at 4% worse (ONS, 2011). According to Doyal and Payne (2011) Lower life expectancy is linked to deprivation and lower socio economic status. Determinants of Health Determinants are described by World Health Organisation (2013) as the causes that impact health, such as conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age including the health system. Some of these determinants are changeable like social, economic, environmental conditions that influence the health of individuals and populations (Marmot, 2010).Availability of resources that improve quality of life can have a big impact on population health outcomes, for example, availability of healthy foods, affordable housing, access to education and health services (Marmot, 2010) and these determinants can be altered either at community or social policy level. Index of Multiple deprivation Adapted by Author: (ONS,2012)Fig 8. Indices of multiple deprivation are those factors that are used to measure deprivation in an area. These measures include measurement of income, health, education and housing (Derby city council, 2012). Alvaston is one of the most deprived wards in the country, ranked fourth most deprived of all Derby Wards (Derby city council, 2010). Index of Multiple Deprivations (IMDs) measures level of deprivation in lower layer super output areas (LSOAs) (Derby city council, 2012) Childhood poverty is significantly high in the ward at 15% higher than national average, disadvantaged older people measure high at 25%, makes it 7% higher than national average, income deprivation also measure at 7% higher than England average (Derby city council, 2012). Green et-al (2015) points out that constant childhood poverty is damaging as it does not only affect in short term but it has long lasting effects and it adds to sustaining cycles of deprivation. In order to reduce childhood poverty, the government has set strategies to tackle inequalities (Green at-al, 2015). Fair society, healthy Lives document, and its first recommendations from the Marmot review (2010), are that every child is given the best start in life. These recommendations are sanctioned through a wide range of policy initiatives, including sure start, healthy child programme and Child Poverty Act, 2010. (Marmot, 2010). Education Adapted by Author: ONS, 2012Fig 8. Education is an important social determinant of health Ungerleider et-al (2009). There is a pointedly higher percentage, totalling to 33% of people with no qualification in Alvaston than England average of 23% (Derby city council, 2011). Education is linked to other health determinants in that good education increases the prospects of getting a safe and well-paying job with good working conditions (Benatar and Brook, 2011).educated individuals tend to adopt healthy lifestyles behaviours, furthermore it is Identified Health Need Adapted by Author: ONS,2012Fig 9. Coronary heart disease (CHD) Coronary heart disease is described as the narrowing of the coronary arteries, which are one of the important structures in the heart, due to build-up of fatty material within their walls and therefore damaging these vessels and thus limiting their ability to deliver blood to many organs including the heart.(BHF,2010)(Granato,2008). Coronary heart disease is also classed as cardiovascular disease, and these are said to be one of the main causes of death in Europe (BHF). In Alvaston there is a substantial percentage of coronary heart disease, amounting to 177 percent, almost doubling national average amongst the under 75s (ONS, 2012). According to the Derby city council (2012) health and wellbeing is determined by many factors, and it is clear that effects on health can be due to a number of interrelating variables. Coronary heart disease is caused by many lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, unhealthy diet (high in fat and salt), obesity and not exercising. Other factors include family history, ethnicity and co-existing predisposing factors like Diabetes and High blood pressure (Naidoo and Wills, 2010). The more risk factors an individual has the more they are likely to develop Coronary heart disease and the risk increases with age (British heart foundation, 2012). There is a small percentage of people eating healthy on the Ward and as already discussed that this is linked to CHD. Obesity increases the risk by 46 percent and physical inactivity by 37 percent and this reflects the high levels of the disease in the ward (Derby city council, 2012). Although coronary heart disease typically occur in middle age or later, it is said to be higher among the lower socio-economic communities and more men die as a result of CHD while women are more likely to die from stroke, and this is said to be due to behavioural factors associated with the risks (Doyal and Payne, 2011). To combat Heart disease the government has put in place many policies in collaboration with the Food Standards Agency to reduce the intake levels of unhealthy eating and salt (Marmot, 2010) (WHO,2015). The Department of Health document, ‘Saving Lives: Our healthier Nation(1999) has also made recommendation to tackle coronary Heart Disease There has been a reduction in the advertisements for unhealthy foods during children’s television programmes (NICE, 2010). Clear labelling and traffic light system on food labels were introduced to encourage people to make healthy option choices (DOH, 1999) (British heart Foundation). Promoting physical activity in the workplace is very well encouraged across the country and the use of green space areas to encourage exercise (Marmot, 2010) as well as introducing plain standardised tobacco packaging and banning tobacco advertisements and Smoking cessation (The white paper,2010).

FBIs Unique Role in the United States Law Enforcement Community Essay

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has a unique role in the United States law enforcement community. The FBI is not a national police force, unlike other nations (such as France, Italy, Spain and Columbia) where patrol units and first responders are organized under the national government. The FBI is purely an investigative and intelligence agency and focuses on cross jurisdictional crimes and national security issues. Its stated mission is â€Å"To protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners† (FBI.gov). To accomplish its mission, the FBI does not have the relative manpower of the national police forces of other nations and even of some local police forces in the United States – the New York City Police Department has an authorize d strength of 37,838 uniformed officers (NYC.gov) whereas the FBI only has 33,652 employees nationwide (of which only 13,412 are special agents) (FBI.gov). Due to this manpower issue, the bureau must focus its limited resources on those areas where there is the most need and where its services will provide the most utility. For this, the FBI creates a strategic plan every five years to identify and prioritize its areas of focus. The FBI’s strategy is developed based on the changing threat environment and other â€Å"drivers† such as global and domestic demographics, economics, foreign policy, technology developments, new laws and the changing role of the state (FBI). The latest strategic plan published in 2004 laid out the following 8 ranked priorities (FBI): 1. Protect ... ...ps, that the FBI should place a greater emphasis on doing so, especially when illicit criminal enterprises are responsible for much of the other crime listed as FBI priorities. Works Cited FBI. (2004). Strategic Plan 2004 – 2009. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/publications/strategicplan/strategicplanfull.pdf FBI.gov. (2010). About Us – Quick Facts. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/quickfacts.htm Jiminez, David, (2010). Week 2 Added Material Mueller, Robert. FBI Mission Statement. Retrieved from http://anchorage.fbi.gov/mission.htm NYC.gov. (2010). Frequently Asked Questions | Police Administration. Retrieved from http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/faq/faq_police.shtml#1 Poteat, Eugene. (2001).The Attack on America’s Intellectual Property: Espionage after the Cold War. Retrieved from http://www.tbp.org/pages/publications/Bent/Features/W01Poteat.pdf

Appropriation of Romeo and Juliet

Discuss the appropriation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare and ‘Romeo+Juliet’ by Baz Luhrmann Texts and ideas from texts are appropriated and transformed into other text forms and other compositions in a different context. An appropriation is a text that is appropriated or taken over by another composer and presented in a new way. Romeo and Juliet’ is a well-known high culture text that is a tragedy about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. In the 1997 film, Baz Luhrmann has taken what is valued about the original play of ‘Romeo and Juliet’; the themes, evocative language and poetry, the timeless storyline and humour, and has placed it in a context which is accessible and appealing to a modern audience.This essay will demonstrate how and why Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has been appropriated and valued for modern audiences in relation to: variations in the reactions to the text over time, differences and similarities between language, settings, prologue and chorus, themes, characterisation, techniques, values and contexts, as well as different readings of the play and other appropriations. Shakespeare’s time was an age of great change, as the old ways were being questioned, and more than any other Renaissance figure, Shakespeare exposed an ability to use the past and shape it for his own dramatic needs.As a result of this, his ideas and storyline in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ were being questioned. The earliest registered critic of the play was diarist Samuel Pepys who, in 1662 wrote: â€Å"it is a play of itself the worst that I ever heard in my life†. Ten years later, the poet John Dryden wrote â€Å"Shakespeare show’d the best of his skill in his Mercutio†, praising the play and its comic character Mercutio. In the mid-18th century, writer Charles Gildon and philosopher Lord Kames argued that the p lay was a failure in that it did not follow the classical conventions of drama.However, writer and critic Samuel Johnson thought it to be one of Shakespeare’s â€Å"most pleasing† plays. It is evident that â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† has received mixed reactions, but also gained value by responders as the context has changed over the years. In ‘Romeo and Juliet’, Shakespeare applied two specific aspects of life in Renaissance Italy to create the complication of his play. The first was the history of bloody interfamily disagreements that degraded Italian cities uring the Renaissance era, and the second was the fashionable approach to love, based on the poetry of Petrarch (1304-1374, an Italian poet who wrote about love). However, Shakespeare does not simply adopt and recount history; instead he modified the civil wars of the period into a minor war; a family feud that takes place in a stable state. Also, he contrasted the fiction act of the Petrarchan lo ver with the experience of a young man who is truly in love (Romeo). Baz Luhrmann approaches his new version of ‘Romeo+Juliet’ with the same intent.He entertains contemporary viewers by using modern ideas to convey the values embodied in the play and the impossible love, hate and sorrow that are the essence of Shakespeare’s tragedy. Introducing these same ideas in a different context has proven the value of Shakespeares’ storyline and the importance of the morals associated with it. An aspect of Shakespeare’s play and Luhrmann’s film that varies is the setting. The play is set in the 16th century in Verona, whilst Baz Luhrmann’s film takes place on Verona Beach, 20th century times, resembling Los Angeles.The setting of the film is a striking contrast to the Elizabethan England of William Shakespeare; hence the attitudes expressed in the film vary from those conveyed in the play. This also contributes in articulating the contemporary at titude to religion, violence, duty, etc and how it has significantly changed from those of 16th century England. A major feature that Luhrmann has maintained in his film is the original Shakespearean language that characterises the play.Although the meaning of particular sentences has been changed, other parts have been emphasised. An example is Mercutio’s speech at Sycamore grove, the dialogue is very similar, â€Å"Her wagoner [Queen Mab], a small grey-coated gnat†¦ And in this state she gallops night by night† and this has been reiterated by close up shots of Mercutio’s face, showing his emotions. Also the famous line; â€Å"O Romeo, Romeo! – wherefore art thou Romeo? † is from the original play and has been reinforced by an offer gaze from Juliet, showing her love for Romeo.This shows contemporary audiences Luhrmanns’ ability to capture the core of the tragedy through traditional Shakespearean text, and that even though the context has changed over the years, the language of Shakespeare is highly valued and pondered by the majority of people. In addition, a difference in the film by Baz Luhrmann, compared to the play by Shakespeare is the prologue and chorus. In Shakespeare’s original production, the chorus would have entered the Globe Theatre, and to gain the audiences’ attention, would yell â€Å"Two households, both alike in dignity† and the rest of his part.In Luhrmanns’ portrayal of the chorus, he instead uses close up shots of a television with an African American woman delivering a news report. Whereas Shakespeare’s audience were aurally dependent, modern audiences rely immensely on visual aspects of Luhrmanns’ ‘Romeo+Juliet’. The use of the television ‘caught’ the contemporary audiences’ eye and the African American woman represents the historically important legacy of the civil rights black movement, which is another aspect tha t appeals and relates to a modern audience.This shows that the variation in context has led to new values which Luhrmann has incorporated in his film, proving his appropriation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is much more superior to Shakespeare’s play for a contemporary audience. A vital component and similarity in Shakespeares’ play and Luhrmanns’ film are the themes. Baz Luhrmann has kept the same themes and ideas from the original play in his film which shows they are actually timeless and can impact on all audiences, no matter what age they are a part of. One of the key themes in the play and film is love.When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time, he forgets his former love Rosaline and falls genuinely in love with Juliet. She in turn responds to him with a love that is innocent and eager. Another important theme in the two texts is hate. Peace is destroyed by the hatred that the Montague’s and Capulet’s feel for each other and the causes o f this are not important, the results are. The love of Romeo and Juliet provides a strong contrast to the hate and are aspects of the play that do not have to be â€Å"modernised†.Hate and love can be interpreted as the duality of human life; hence even though the context of the film has differed from the play, these two themes remain to be just as relevant today as they were in Shakespeare’s time. Furthermore, Baz Luhrmann has taken a modern perspective on each character, giving them character traits that may have only been hinted at in Shakespeares’ play. An example is the different representations of Romeo’s first meeting with Juliet at the masked ball.In Shakespeares’ play, the use of language conventions such as sexual innuendo, as well as the line; â€Å"And palm to palm is the holy plamers’ kiss† portrays Juliet as either being a guarded character who is not interested in Romeo to an otherwise much more sexual and suggestive pe rsonality. On the other hand in the film, Juliet is conveyed as a flirtatious and completely exotic character. In the scene where she meets with Romeo, Luhrmann reinforces Juliet’s sensual eye movements, with close-up shots, as she gazes past the fish in the fish tank to lock with Romeo’s eyes.Shakespeare’s characterisation of Romeo and Juliet appealed to the late 16th century audience, however as times have changed, so has the context, and Luhrmann expresses his characterisation of the couple as a way of reaching out to his young and contemporary target audience. Additionally, it is vital to remember that in the 17th and 18th centuries, plays were enacted in theatres and Shakespeare’s audience came to the play with a significant level of aural exposure, whereas Luhrmanns’ film is more visually developed. Hence, a key variation in the two text types is the techniques used.Shakespeare has expressed his ability to use diverse language to appeal to hi s audience. An example is the balcony scene of Act II Scene II, when Romeo says; â€Å"It is my lady, O it is my love†, reinforced with hyperbole â€Å"two of the fairest stars in all the heaven†, exaggerating the view of Juliets’ sparkling eyes. Another example is Shakespeares’ use of puns and bawdy or sexual jokes, which can be seen in Act I Scene IV, when Romeo, Mercutio and Benvolio discuss going to the Capulet’s party; â€Å"A torch for me! Let wantons light of heart, Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels. (Romeo jokes about the ladies at the Capulet party being immoral when they are actually respectable). An additional language feature evident is the use of similes; â€Å"It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiop’s ear†. Romeo says this line to describe Juliet when he first sees her. The Elizabethan culture understood the puns, the sexual jokes, as well as the language that is found so anc ient and old in the 20th century. All these language conventions prove that Shakespeare wrote ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to entertain his audience, writing within the context of his culture.On the other hand, Baz Luhrmann has adopted a style very much of his own in creating the film ‘Romeo+Juliet’. To appeal to a contemporary audience, Luhrmann has used multiple visual techniques. One example is the use of costumes, at the Capulet ball Tybalt was dressed as a devil. This shows his evil and violent personality, representing the theme of violence and hatred. Camera work is another technique used effectively; an example is in the final scene when alternating close ups of Romeo and Juliets’ fingers moving are shown, which creates dramatic irony as we see Juliet waking up just as Romeo prepares to kill himself.Luhrmann also uses playful humour which can be seen when Romeo stumbles over to reach Juliet, appealing to his young audience. In addition Latin and punk m usic, a children’s choir and a production number is used in the film to create a blissful and contemporary atmosphere. It is evident, throughout the use of modern technology and visual techniques, Luhrmann has successfully made his appropriation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ much more superior to Shakespeare’s play, for a modern audience. Moreover, a variation in values between the play and film is The Wheel of Fortune and religion.During Shakespeare’s time, it was widely believed that fate and/or fortune was the main controlling force in life. Just as a part of a wheel moves from a low to a high position or from high to low, so does a man’s life. Hence, Shakespeare used this value to portray the idea of as to what extent fate and to what extent human foolishness and error, contributed to the final tragedy. On the other hand, Luhrmann takes what implications of religion there are in the play and makes them a key visual focus in his film.Romeo and Jul iet have a relationship that is based around the church, and there is usually a cross or other religious symbol in the scenes in which they appear, encouraging the story to be viewed in a Christian context. Luhrmann uses his Christ imagery as a way to show contemporary audiences that the young lovers play a Christ-like role in their families – sacrificing themselves for the final peace between their families. Because of the lover’s sacrifice, Verona has hope for life, just as Christians in the world have hope for life because of their Saviour (God).Hence, Luhrmanns’ ‘Romeo+Juliet’ conveys the values of its original context whilst relating to his modern audience by depicting current social issues which make it more relevant and comprehensible to the audience. Furthermore, as the context of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by Shakespeare has changed, so has peoples’ interpretations of the play. Early psychoanalytic critics saw the complication o f ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in terms of Romeo’s overconfidence developing from â€Å"ill-controlled, partially disguised aggression†, which led to Mercutio’s death and the lovers suicide.In the late 1900’s, critics such as Julia Kristeva focused on the hatred between the Capulets and Montagues, arguing that this hatred caused Romeo and Juliet’s passion for each other. Juliet for example, speaks of â€Å"my only love sprung from my only hate† and usually articulates her love through an anticipation of Romeo’s death. Feminist literary critics debate that the blame for the family feud lies in Verona’s patriarchal society. For example, Coppelia Kahn, a feminist critic believes the firm, manlike code of violence implied on Romeo, is the main force driving the tragedy to its end.In this view, the teenagers â€Å"become men† by involving themselves in violence on behalf of their fathers. Juliet also obeys a female code of purity and obedience and she demonstrates this by allowing others, such as the Friar to solve her problems for her. This shows that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has had many different readings over the years and critics’ values, professions and cultures can have a major influence on their interpretations. In addition, Luhrmanns’ ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is not the only appropriation of Shakespeares’ play. The play has been adapted numerous times for stage, film, musical and opera.David Garrick’s 18th century version modified many scenes, removing material then thought of as offensive, and Georg Benda’s adaption excluded much of the action and added a happy ending. Performances in the 19th century, such as Charlotte Cushman’s, updated the original text, and centred on greater realism. In 1935, John Gielgud’s version reinforced the Elizabethan culture and costumes, and kept very close to Shakespeare’s text. In the 20th century, the play has been diversely adapted, including the 1950’s musical ‘West Side Story’ and the 1996’s MTV-inspired ‘Romeo and Juliet’.It is evident that Shakespeares play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has a timeless storyline as well as powerful themes and language, and has been appropriated multiple times as the text is highly valued. In conclusion, it is now clear that William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is highly valued and Baz Luhrmann has taken what is valued about the original play; the themes, evocative language and poetry, the timeless storyline and humour, and has placed it in a context which is accessible and appealing to a contemporary audience.The variations in the reactions to the text over time, differences and similarities between language, settings, prologue and chorus, themes, characterisation, techniques, values and contexts, as well as different readings of the play and other appropriations has shown how and why the text has been appropriated and remains immensely valued. It is through appropriations like Luhrmann’s, which have continually rekindled the fire to enable the original storyline of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to be perceived by an ever changing audience.