UK grocery market - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1839 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? ‘‘Co-Operative Foods Market Segmentation and Brand Positioning Grocery Market Overview Market Structure The Co-Operative Group The Co-operative Foods Segmentation Market Segmentation Consumer Market Segmentation Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "UK grocery market" essay for you Create order Target Marketing Co-Ops Target Market Brand Positioning Marketing Mix (4Ps) Co-Ops Brand Positioning Co-Ops Brand Strategy 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 8 9 10 Executive Summary The Co-Operative group is in UK market for over 150 years and operates across the food, travel, funeral, pharmacy and banking and insurance sectors. It has 4.5 million members and around 5,300 retail outlets. This report provides an analysis and evaluation of the strategy adopted by Co-Op in order to target the consumers and market. It also explores the brand positioning of Co-Op in the grocery retail market in accordance with the consumer demands. In order to do this analysis market segmentation framework is used to separate the target market into groups and by keeping the Co-Ops ethical and fairtrade principles in mind. Brand positioning strategies adopted by the Co-Op food were identified by using the marketing mix framework (4Ps). It is found that Co-Op is having intense pressure from its rival Tesco and Sainsburys who are growing rapidly into the convenience retailing. Although Co-Ops profits are gone up as compared to recent years but there is still room for improvem ent. 1.0 Grocery Market Overview 1.1 Market Structure The UK grocery market is mainly dominated by the big fours who have acquired almost 64% of the market share and of which Tesco is holding the 30% of the market share (Mintel 2009) and it also shows the oligopolistic nature of the market. The grocery market players have divided their customers into two groups: primary shoppers and top-up shoppers , and according to Mintel (2009) the primary shopping is dominated by big fours (Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons) plus Waitrose who are sharing 80% of the market share. The UK is through its worst ever recession which has also affected the grocery retailers and lead to change their strategies. According to Keynote (2009) the ‘hard discount strategy was adopted by most retailers in last two years which was quite successful. Another strategy adopted by the supermarket retailers is to diversify their chains in rural areas in form of convenience stores in order to targets people who have a little access to supermarkets (Mintel 20 09). 1.2 The Co-Operative Group This is UK base co-operative established in 1863 and it is quite diversified organization which mainly operates through its two divisions: trading and financial services. The Co-Operative group is well known for its ethical nature and fair trade principles which reflects within its organisation and differentiates it from its competitors. The Co-operative Group operates across the food, travel, funeral, pharmacy and banking and insurance sectors. It has 4.5 million members and around 5,300 retail outlets 1.3 The Co-Operative Foods The Co-OP food operated in UK through its 2223 food stores which can be found in two formats: convenience stores and small/ medium sized supermarkets (Data monitor 2008) The Co-Op food lies on the 5th place in grocery retail market with 8% shares, thanks to its merger with Somerfield in July 2008 (Mintel 2008). The Co-Op used to be the UKs largest grocery retailer in 1960s and through Somerfield acquisition it will be able gain this position again in neighbourhood market. According to the Telegraph (2009) Peter Marks, chief executive of the Co-op said that: ‘‘the move from the big four UK retailers Tesco, Asda, Sainsburysand Morrisons- to a big five including the Co-op will further boost competition for UK consumers. The Co-Op targets its consumers through its ethical and fare trade approach which is the main emphasis of the Co-Op group as stated above. The key strategy adopted by Co-Op is ‘be local act local but in recent years they are having intense c ompetition from Tesco and Sainsburys who are extended their business in convenience sector and grow rapidly. 2.0 Segmentation According to Jobber (2004) the ways in which individuals and organisations with similar characteristics were put together that have significant implications for the determination of market strategy is called market segmentation. 2.1 Market Segmentation Each buyer can act as a potential separate market due to its unique demands and needs (Kotler 2005). It depends on companies to either follow this approach or not, companies can practise no segmentation (mass marketing), complete segmentation (micromarketing) or something in between (niche marketing) according to Kotler (2005) The Co-Op food is following the micromarketing approach rather mass marketing which has its own drawbacks. Kotler (2005) says that the micromarketing is a way of tailoring products to suit individuals according to their taste and needs. Through these criteria (Co-Op) it is targeting the local market by keeping them in convenient locations and addressing the key ethical issues. Although with the merger with Somerfield in July 2008 (Mintel 2008) they got some medium sized super market in their camp but the main focus is still the ‘c-store format. 2.2 Consumer Market Segmentation As Kotler (2005) stated that there is no single way to segment a consumer market. A marketer has to try different segmentation variable either alone or in combinations. These segments can be divided into four groups: * Behavioural Segmentation * Psychographic Segmentation * Geographic Segmentation * Demographic Segmentation The Co-Op is mainly targeting the behavioural and psychographic consumer segments. Through psychographic approach it is targeting the consumer on the basis of their social class, lifestyle as well as their personality through its ethical and organic food products. On the other hand through behavioural segmentation it is targeting peoples loyalty, their usage rate and attitude towards its product range. 3.0 Target Marketing Choosing a specific segment to serve in a market is called target marketing (Jobber 2004), also firms need to segment the market and target that segment in order to work effectively. 3.1 Co-Ops Target Market The segmentation strategy is been adopted by the Co-Op Food in order to remain competitive in the market. The Co-Ops target market is given below: * Neighbourhood market * Ethical market * Fair trade market * Top-up shoppers These above mentioned areas are the key segments targeted by the Co-Op, as it mainly operates in c-store format and it emphasis on providing fresh food products by targeting the local market and by keeping its ethical dilemma and fairtrade principles in mind. There is another important segment it targets is top-up shopping market, through this area Co-Op gets the opportunity to gain customer and introduce them to their ethical principles. 4.0 Brand Positioning 4.1 Marketing Mix (4Ps) The marketing mix model which is also known as 4Ps is used as a tool by marketer in order to implement the market strategy. The 4Ps are: * Product * Price * Place * Promotion Product: Co-Ops product offering is pretty simple, it has fairtrade products, organic products and also simply range which targets almost all segments of the market on the basis of quality and ethics. According to Mintel (2009) the most of the supermarkets have the good-better-best product range but Co-Op is so far concentrating on the better and best product range. Few of the key brand product offered by Co-Op are mentioned in table2. Price: At Co-Op the price is a big issue at Co-Op which can be expected at a convenience store but its their ethical stance which keeps the prices high too. But in order to remain competitive Co-Op offers range of discounted products and through its loyalty cards it gives an opportunity to get points against spending which can be used for further shopping at store. Place: This is the most important part of the strategy adopted by Co-Op through locating its stores at convenient and accessible places. As reported by Mintel (2009) the first criteria by C-store shopper is the location rather than price. Due to its convenient placement of stores Co-Op provides child friendly and time friendly environment right in the heart of community for its customers who find out of town shopping time consuming and stressful. Promotion: The current slogan by Co-Op is ‘Good with food. Other initiatives include the ‘Green dot scheme, highlighting healthy products. Mainly Co-Op promote its brands through local radio and TV and also by donating in local community projects 4.2 Co-Ops brand positioning According to Mintel (2009) the key rule followed by the Co-Op is getting into the market with bigger brand prospective which weve seen by the acquisition of Somerfield. Through this merger, Co-Ops gone bigger but still theyve opted to remain in the heart of local community by acting as local convenience store. And this message is conveyed by the Somerfields brand message ‘Britains favourite local grocer. 4.3 Co-Ops Brand Strategy The Co-operative Group has adopted strong brand strategy in order to sustain the market shares. As stated by Mintel (2009) its brands lie on the basis of * ethical credentials * environmental issues * local sourcing * Fairtrade. This is underlined by Mintels consumer research, with the Co-ops customers the most likely to buy locally sourced and Fairtrade items. In order to become a responsible retailer Co-Op launched it Ethical Food Policy which resulted because of good response from its 250,000 members. As result Co-op switched all of its premium meat products with RSPCA Freedom-food label (Mintel 2008). Simply value brand is also a replacement for every range and actually it is a Somerfield brand 5.0 Conclusion Although Co-Op operates through its large number of small stores by targeting different location and consumer groups but the average foot fall in some of stores is relatively less (Mintel 2008). As it is facing intense pressure from supermarkets in order keep the prices at a competitive level which is quite difficult as it is operating on such a large scale and operating cost are high. The main problem is that Co-Op is not seen as a shopping destination for majority of consumers and they treat it is as top-up store which nearby and available most of the time. A recent study by Mintel shows that only a significant percentage of people take ethical issues seriously while they shop. For them fairtrade and organic food are just another premium line on the shelf and the price factor restrict them from buying. Mintel (2009) shows an improvement in fairtrade sale but it seems organic products are struggling to keep up sales target during recession. It is clear that Co-Op is facin g intense pressure from its rivals but it has improved a lot through merger and rebranding strategy. Its profits are record high as compared to last 10 years. More and more people are getting awareness of ethical approach adopted by Co-Op and it shows the significance of Co-operative food in the intense market environment. 6.0 References * Data Monitor (2008), Company Profile: Co-operative Group Limited, June 2008, London: Data Monitor. * Jobber, D. (2004), Principles and practice of marketing, 4th Edition, Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education. * Hall, J. (2008), Co-op swoops on Somerfield in  £1.56bn deal, Telegraph.co.uk, 16th July. * Kotler, C. (2005), Principles of marketing, 5th Edition, Essex: Pearson Education Ltd. * Keynote (2009), Market review Food Catering, Jan 2009, 19th Edition, Keynote Publishing Ltd * Mintel (2008), Mintel market report- Food retailing, November 2008, London: Mintel. * Mintel (2009), Mintel market report- Convenience retailing, September 2009, London: Mintel. * Mintel (2009), Mintel market report- Food retailing, November 2009, London: Mintel. [https://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic/search_results/show/display/id=395621/display/id=496165/display/id=496171#atom2] accessed 10/12/09 * Mintel (2009), Mintel market report- Food retailing, November 2 009, London: Mintel. [https://academic.mintel.com/sinatra/oxygen_academic//display/id=395621/display/id=496166] accessed 05/12/2009

Essay On Motor Impairments In Individuals With Attention...

Research Question: Because it has been hypothesized that motor impairments in individuals with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be related to cerebellar deficits, this study aims to determine if individuals diagnosed with ADHD have motor impairments when completing tasks involving the cerebellum. The researchers hypothesized that the cerebellar function will negatively impact the motor performances of adults diagnosed with ADHD, or adults with ADHD-like symptoms, when compared to controls. Method: In this study, there were 91 participants, 49 of which were female and 42 were male, aged 18 to 30 years old. Part A of the ASRS, which is an ADHD self-report scale, was the diagnostic measure used to determine if an†¦show more content†¦This phase determined if the participant continued to compensate for the rotation when it was removed. In each phase, reaction time, movement time, and angle at maximum velocity were recorded. Reaction time was the time it took the participant to begin moving the cursor when the trial began. Movement time was the time it took for the cursor to move from the starting circle to the target circle, and angle at maximum velocity was measured because, according to Kurdziel et al. (2014), â€Å"the point of maximum velocity represents a point in each trial when the participant corrected for their error† (p. 1148). Results: Baseline did not show significant differences for any of the 3 measures. In the adaption phase, reaction time also did not show a significant effect when comparing the ADHD and control groups. When considering movement time during the adaption phase, results indicate that movement time gradually decreased throughout phases. Also, results showed that individuals with ADHD symptoms had slower correction rates. Regarding the angle at maximum velocity for ADHD and control groups, data showed that participants did adapt to the 30-degree rotation; however, the ADHD group was significantly slower when adapting. Post-adaption phase results show that reaction time did not show significant differences. Also, in this phase, results for movement time and angle at maximum velocity for ADHD and control groups did not differ. Overall,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome1390 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"What is nutrition per say, and how do we maintain the balance of it?† Nutrition is defined as â€Å"the sum of the processes by which [a living thing] takes in and utilizes food substances.† (Merriam-Webster, 2011). It is the responsibility of each individual to assure the consumption of enough nutrients to nourish the body and to be cautious of harmful toxins. 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Shadow Kiss Chapter 4 Free Essays

string(30) " essentially a cooking class\." FOUR IT BEGAN. At first, things weren’t too different from any other day. Dhampirs and Moroi attended separate classes in the first half of the school day, then joined up after lunch. We will write a custom essay sample on Shadow Kiss Chapter 4 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Christian had most of the same afternoon classes I’d had last semester, so it was almost like following my own schedule again. The difference was that I was no longer a student in these classes. I didn’t sit at a desk or have to do any of the work. I was also a lot more uncomfortable since I had to stand at the back of the room the entire time, along with other novices who were guarding Moroi. Outside the school, this was what it was usually like. Moroi came first. Guardians were shadows. There was a strong temptation to talk to our fellow novices, particularly during times when the Moroi were working on their own and talking amongst themselves. None of us cracked, though. The pressure and adrenaline of the first day had us all on good behavior. After biology, Eddie and I started using a bodyguard technique called pair guarding. I was near guard and walked with Lissa and Christian for immediate defense. Eddie, being far guard, walked farther away and scanned the larger area for any potential threats. We followed this pattern for the rest of the day, up until the last class came around. Lissa gave Christian a quick kiss on the cheek, and I realized they were parting. â€Å"You guys don’t have the same schedule this time?† I asked with dismay, stepping over to the side of the hall to stay out of student traffic. Eddie had already deduced that we were parting and had stopped far guard duties to come talk to us. I hadn’t known how Lissa and Christian’s schedules lined up for this new semester. Lissa took in my disappointed look and gave me a sympathetic smile. â€Å"Sorry. We’re going to study together after school, but right now, I’ve got to go to creative writing.† â€Å"And I,† declared Christian loftily, â€Å"have to go to culinary science.† â€Å"Culinary science?† I cried. â€Å"You elected culinary science? That’s like the most brainless class ever.† â€Å"It is not,† he countered. â€Å"And even if it was †¦ well, hey, it’s my last semester, right?† I groaned. â€Å"Come on, Rose,† laughed Lissa. â€Å"It’s just one class period. It won’t be that – â€Å" She was cut off when a commotion broke out farther down the hall. We and everyone near us stopped and stared. One of my guardian instructors, Emil, had practically appeared out of nowhere and – playing Strigoi – reached for a Moroi girl. He swung her away, pressing her to his chest and exposing her neck as though he would bite her. I couldn’t see who she was, just a tangle of brown hair, but her assigned protector was Shane Reyes. The attack had caught him by surprise – it was the first one of the day – but he fumbled only a little as he kicked Emil in the side and wrested the girl away. The two guys squared off, and everyone watched eagerly. A few even whistled and shouted, cheering Shane on. One of the catcallers was Ryan Aylesworth. He was so fixated on watching the fight – which Shane, wielding his practice stake, had just about won – that he didn’t notice two other adult guardians sneaking up on him and Camille. Eddie and I realized it at the same time and stiffened, instinct readying both of us to spring forward. â€Å"Stay with them,† Eddie told me. He headed toward Ryan and Camille, who had just discovered they were being set upon. Ryan didn’t react as well as Shane had, particularly since he faced two attackers. One of the guardians distracted Ryan while the other – Dimitri, I now saw – grabbed Camille. She screamed, not faking her fear. She apparently didn’t find being in Dimitri’s arms as thrilling as I did. Eddie headed toward them, approaching from behind, and landed a blow on the side of Dimitri’s head. It hardly fazed Dimitri, but I was still amazed. I’d barely ever been able to land a hit on him in all our trainings. Eddie’s attack forced Dimitri to release Camille and face this new threat. He spun around, graceful as a dancer, and advanced on Eddie. Meanwhile, Shane had â€Å"staked† his Strigoi and jumped in to help Eddie, moving around to Dimitri’s other side. I watched, fists clenched in excitement, intrigued with the fighting in general and with watching Dimitri in particular. It amazed me that someone so deadly could be so beautiful. I wished I was part of the fray but knew I had to watch the area around me in case any â€Å"Strigoi† attacked here. But they didn’t. Shane and Eddie successfully â€Å"finished off† Dimitri. Part of me was a little sad at this. I wanted Dimitri to be good at everything. However, Ryan had tried to help and failed. Dimitri had technically â€Å"killed† him, so I felt a twisted comfort in thinking that Dimitri had still been a badass Strigoi. He and Emil praised Shane for being fast on his feet and Eddie for realizing we had to treat this as a group endeavor rather than one-on-one trials. I got a nod for watching Eddie’s back, and Ryan was chastised for not paying attention to his Moroi. Eddie and I grinned at each other, happy over getting high marks on this first test. I wouldn’t have minded a slightly bigger role, but this wasn’t a bad start to the field experience. We high-fived, and I saw Dimitri shake his head at us as he left. With the drama over, our foursome split up. Lissa gave me one last smile over her shoulder and spoke to me through the bond, Have fun in culinary science! I rolled my eyes, but she and Eddie had already rounded a corner. â€Å"Culinary science† sounded pretty impressive, but really, it was just a fancy term for what was essentially a cooking class. You read "Shadow Kiss Chapter 4" in category "Essay examples" Despite my teasing Christian about it being brainless, I had some respect for it. I could barely boil water, after all. Still, it was a lot different from an elective like creative writing or debate, and I had no doubts Christian was taking it as a blow-off class and not because he wanted to be a chef someday. At least I might get some satisfaction out of watching him mix a cake or something. Maybe he’d even wear an apron. There were three other novices in the class who were guarding Moroi. Since the culinary science room was large and open, with lots of windows, the four of us worked together to come up with a plan to pool our efforts and secure the whole room. When I’d watched novices do their field experiences in past years, I’d only ever paid attention to the fights. I’d never noticed the teamwork and strategizing that must have been going on. Theoretically, the four of us were here to only protect our assigned Moroi, but we’d slipped into a role where we were protecting the whole class. My post was by a fire door that led outside of the school. Coincidentally, it was right by the station Christian was working at. The class normally cooked in pairs, but there was an odd number of students. Rather than work in a group of three, Christian had volunteered to be by himself. No one had seemed to mind. Many still regarded him and his family with the same prejudice that Jesse did. To my disappointment, Christian wasn’t making a cake. â€Å"What is that?† I asked, watching him take out a bowl of some kind of raw, ground-up meat from the refrigerator. â€Å"Meat,† he said, dumping it onto a cutting board. â€Å"I know that, you idiot. What kind?† â€Å"Ground beef.† He pulled another container out and then another. â€Å"And this is veal. And this is pork.† â€Å"Do you have, like, a T.rex that you’re going to feed?† â€Å"Only if you want some. This is for meatloaf.† I stared. â€Å"With three kinds of meat?† â€Å"Why eat something called meatloaf if you aren’t actually going to get some meat out of it?† I shook my head. â€Å"I can’t believe this is only the first day with you.† He glanced down, focusing on kneading his tri-meat creation together. â€Å"You sure are making a big deal out of this. Do you really hate me that much? I heard you were screaming at the top of your lungs back in the gym.† â€Å"No, I wasn’t. And †¦ I don’t hate you at all,† I admitted. â€Å"You’re just taking it out on me because you didn’t get paired with Lissa.† I didn’t answer. He wasn’t that far off. â€Å"You know,† he continued, â€Å"it might actually be a good idea for you to practice with someone different.† â€Å"I know. That’s what Dimitri says too.† Christian put the meat into a bowl and started adding some other ingredients. â€Å"Then why question it? Belikov knows what he’s doing. I’d trust anything he says. It sucks that they’re going to lose him after we graduate, but I’d rather see him with Lissa.† â€Å"Me too.† He paused and looked up, meeting my eyes. We both smiled, amused at how shocked we were to have agreed with each other. A moment later, he returned to his work. â€Å"You’re good too,† he said, not too grudgingly. â€Å"The way you handled yourself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn’t finish the thought, but I knew what he was talking about. Spokane. Christian hadn’t been around when I killed the Strigoi, but he’d been instrumental in helping with the escape. He and I had teamed up, using his fire magic as a means of letting me subdue our captors. We’d worked well together, all of our animosity put aside. â€Å"I guess you and I have better things to do than fight all the time,† I mused. Like worry about Victor Dashkov’s trial, I realized. For a moment, I considered telling Christian what I’d learned. He’d been around the night it had all gone down with Victor last fall, but I decided not to mention the news just yet. Lissa needed to hear it first. â€Å"Yup,† Christian said, unaware of my thoughts. â€Å"Brace yourself, but we aren’t that different. I mean, I’m smarter and a lot funnier, but at the end of the day, we both want to keep her safe.† He hesitated. â€Å"You know†¦I’m not going to take her away from you. I can’t. No one can, not as long as you guys have that bond.† I was surprised he’d brought this up. I honestly suspected that there were two reasons he and I argued a lot. One was that we both had personalities that liked to argue. The other reason – the big one – was that we were each envious of the other’s relationship with Lissa. But, as he’d said, we really had the same motives. We cared about her. â€Å"And don’t think the bond will keep you guys apart,† I said. I knew the link bothered him. How could you ever get romantically close to someone when they had that kind of connection with another person, even if that other person was just a friend? â€Å"She cares about you. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn’t bring myself to say â€Å"loves.† â€Å"She has a whole separate place for you in her heart.† Christian put his dish in the oven. â€Å"You did not just say that. I have a feeling we’re on the verge of hugging and coming up with cute nicknames for each other.† He was trying to look disgusted at my sentiment, but I could tell he liked being told that Lissa cared about him. â€Å"I already have a nickname for you, but I’ll get in trouble if I say it in class.† â€Å"Ah,† he said happily. â€Å"That’s the Rose I know.† He went off to talk to another friend while his meatloaf cooked, which was probably just as well. My door was a vulnerable position, and I shouldn’t have been chatting away, even if the rest of the class was. Across the room, I saw Jesse and Ralf working together. Like Christian, they’d chosen a blow-off class too. No attacks occurred, but a guardian named Dustin did come in to make notes on us novices as we held our positions. He was standing near me right when Jesse chose to stroll by. At first, I thought it was a coincidence – until Jesse spoke. â€Å"I take back what I said earlier, Rose. I figured it out. You aren’t upset because of Lissa or Christian. You’re upset because the rules say you have to be with a student, and Adrian Ivashkov’s too old. The way I hear it, you guys have already had a lot of practice watching each other’s bodies.† That joke could have been so much funnier, but I’d learned not to expect too much from Jesse. I knew for a fact that he didn’t care about Adrian and me. I also suspected he didn’t even believe we had anything going on. But Jesse was still bitter about me threatening him earlier, and here was his chance to get back at me. Dustin, standing within earshot, had no interest in Jesse’s idiotic teasing. Dustin would probably have an interest, however, if I slammed Jesse’s face into the wall. That didn’t mean I had to be silent, though. Guardians talked to Moroi all the time; they just tended to be respectful and still keep an eye on their surroundings. So I gave Jesse a small smile and simply said, â€Å"Your wit is always such a delight, Mr. Zeklos. I can barely contain myself around it.† I then turned away and surveyed the rest of the room. When Jesse realized I wasn’t going to do anything else, he laughed and walked away, apparently thinking he’d won some great victory. Dustin left shortly thereafter. â€Å"Asshole,† muttered Christian, returning to his station. Class had about five minutes left. My eyes followed Jesse across the room. â€Å"You know something, Christian? I’m pretty happy to be guarding you.† â€Å"If you’re comparing me to Zeklos, I don’t really take that as much of a compliment. But here, try this. Then you’ll really be glad you’re with me.† His masterpiece was finished, and he gave me a piece. I hadn’t realized it, but just before the meatloaf had gone in, he’d wrapped it in bacon. â€Å"Good God,† I said. â€Å"This is the most stereotypical vampire food ever.† â€Å"Only if it was raw. What do you think?† â€Å"It’s good,† I said reluctantly. Who knew that bacon would make all the difference? â€Å"Really good. I think you have a promising future as a housewife while Lissa works and makes millions of dollars.† â€Å"Funny, that’s exactly my dream.† We left the class in lighter moods. Things had grown more friendly between us, and I decided that I could handle the next six weeks protecting him. He and Lissa were going to meet in the library to study – or pretend to study – but he had to stop by his dorm first. So I followed him across the quad, back into the winter air that had grown chillier since sunset seven hours ago. The snow on the paths, which had turned slushy in the sun, had now frozen up and made walking treacherous. Along the way, we were joined by Brandon Lazar, a Moroi who lived in Christian’s hall. Brandon could barely contain himself, recapping a fight he’d witnessed in his math class. We listened to his rendition, all of us laughing at the thought of Alberta sneaking in through the window. â€Å"Hey, she might be old, but she could take on almost any of us,† I told them. I gave Brandon a puzzled look. He had bruises and red splotches on his face. He also had a few weird welts near his ear. â€Å"What happened to you? Have you been fighting guardians too?† His smile promptly disappeared, and he looked away from me. â€Å"Nah, just fell.† â€Å"Come on,† I said. Moroi might not train to fight like dhampirs did, but they got in brawls with each other just as often as anyone else. I tried to think of any Moroi he might have a conflict with. For the most part, Brandon was pretty likeable. â€Å"That’s the lamest, most unoriginal excuse in the world.† â€Å"It’s true,† he said, still avoiding my eyes. â€Å"If someone’s screwing with you, I can give you a few pointers.† He turned back to me, locking eyes. â€Å"Just let it go.† He wasn’t hostile or anything, but there was a firm note in his voice. It was almost like he believed saying the words alone would make me obey him. I chuckled. â€Å"What are you trying to do? Compel me – â€Å" Suddenly, I saw movement on my left. A slight shadow blending in with the dark shapes of a cluster of snowy pine trees – but moving just enough to catch my attention. Stan’s face emerged from the darkness as he sprang toward us. Finally, my first test. Adrenaline shot through me just as strongly as if a real Strigoi were approaching. I reacted instantly, reaching out to grab both Brandon and Christian. That was always the first move, to throw my own life before theirs. I jerked the two guys to a halt and turned toward my attacker, reaching for my stake in order to defend the Moroi – And that’s when he appeared. Mason. He stood several feet in front of me, off to Stan’s right, looking just as he had last night. Translucent. Shimmering. Sad. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I froze, unable to move or finish going for my stake. I forgot about what I’d been doing and completely lost track of the people and commotion around me. The world slowed down, everything fading around me. There was only Mason – that ghostly, shimmering Mason who glowed in the dark and seemed like he so badly wanted to tell me something. The same feeling of helplessness I’d experienced in Spokane returned to me. I hadn’t been able to help him then. I couldn’t help him now. My stomach turned cold and hollow. I could do nothing except stand there, wondering what he was trying to say. He lifted one translucent hand and pointed off toward the other side of campus, but I didn’t know what it meant. There was so much over there, and it wasn’t clear what he was pointing at. I shook my head, not understanding but desperately wishing I could. The sorrow on his face seemed to grow. Suddenly, something slammed into my shoulder, and I stumbled forward. The world suddenly started up again, snapping me out of the dreamy state I’d just been in. I only barely managed to throw out my hands in time to stop myself from hitting the ground. I looked up and saw Stan standing over me. â€Å"Hathaway!† he barked. â€Å"What are you doing?† I blinked, still trying to shake off the weirdness of seeing Mason again. I felt sluggish and dazed. I looked into Stan’s angry face and then glanced over at where Mason had been. He was gone. I turned my attention back to Stan and realized what had happened. In my distraction, I’d completely spaced while he’d staged his attack. He now had one arm around Christian’s neck and one around Brandon’s. He wasn’t hurting them, but his point was made. â€Å"If I had been a Strigoi,† he growled, â€Å"these two would be dead.† How to cite Shadow Kiss Chapter 4, Essay examples

Focusing on act 3, scene 5 The turning point how and why have the directors of the different versions of the play portrayed Juliet in the way they have Essay Example For Students

Focusing on act 3, scene 5 The turning point how and why have the directors of the different versions of the play portrayed Juliet in the way they have? Essay I have been looking at act 3, scene 5 The turning point in different filmed versions of the play Romeo and Juliet. I looked at three different versions, these are the Dicaprio version, Zeffirelli version and the Shakespeare shorts version. The purpose of me writing this essay is to discuss how and why different directors have portrayed Juliet in the way they have, I will also discuss how close their portrayals of her are to my own understanding of her character. The Dicaprio version shows a more modern version of the play. Juliet is portrayed as a more independent woman rather than the innocent child like Juliet we see in the other versions. When she is trying to persuade Romeo not to leave her she teases him, pulls him close but then pushes him away, this shows she does not feel the need to chase after him as she is sure he will return to her. The relationship we see between them show they have more of a partnership than relationship which again refers to the modern day setting as a marriage in Shakespeares time would not have been so much of an equal relationship as the women were usually more dominated by their husband. In this scene Juliet is wearing nothing except for a white sheet. This shows us her nakedness refers to her strong minded personality portrayed in this version, although she is wrapped in a white sheet, showing her innocence. The music used is of a piano, again quite modern music but does create a romantic atmosphere. When Lady Capulet Mistakes Juliets tears for the death of her cousin tybalt, Ever more weeping for your cousins death? and when she threatens to have Romeo poisoned Juliet acts in a different way towards lady capulet then she does in the other versions. Juliet acts quite defiant to her mother she is upset but more angrier than anything, she does not want to marry Paris and does not believe her mother will go through with the threat against Romeo. Juliet keeps quite a strong tone of voice throughout this scene even when she begins to cry, she also shouts back a lot, showing how mad and upset she is. Again Juliet acts differently to the other portrayals of Juliet when reacting to Capulets rage about the situation. Her father does appear quite dominating but Juliet does not hide away from him. She shouts back and makes it clear she wont let them make her marry Paris. She shows she is not scared by using a very challenging tone of voice towards him, which is quite pointless because in Shakespeares time she would have had no power to be able to decide on her own future. When her nurse turns her back on her and advises her to marry Paris Juliets reaction is quite shocked, she is devastated she pleads with her nurse to help her and shows lots of passion but at this point she feels hopeless. The Zeffirelli version is more of a traditional portrayal of Juliet she is more like the classical heroine or the victim in this version. She is an innocent child like young women and not very independent. The way Juliet acts towards Romeo when she is trying to persuade him not to leave her is of a child like manner. She follows him around the room and keeps touching him symbolising she doesnt want him to go. She even helps him dress showing she would serve him and she adores as she craves his attention. Is there any excuse of the behaviour of Shylock in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice EssayJuliets Reaction to her nurse turning her back on her is an act of disbelief, she shows this by shaking her head, she is so upset she becomes speechless. Juliet grabs at her nurses hand in desperation, she has no one else to turn to. The version of the play which shows Juliet as I would expect her to be portrayed is the Zeffirelli version. I chose this version as she is more how I think Juliet should be as she acts more dramatic, very powerless and innocent. The way she throws herself on the floor, screaming and sobbing is how the directors have portrayed her as powerless. She screams and sobs just like a child would and shows how she is not able to handle all the emotions. The Dicaprio version wasnt exactly how I would expect Juliet to be portrayed as it was a very modern version and you wouldnt expect her to be so confident. I also wouldnt expect Juliet to be portrayed in the way she was in the Shakespeare shorts version. My reason for this is because an afro Caribbean actress was used and this wasnt very likely as there wasnt many black people in Italy especially rich ones. You also wouldnt expect it to be set in a tropical island, apart from these points Juliet does act how I would expect her to in this situation a quiet, nervous, scared young girl. If I was a director and had to direct an actor to play Juliet in this scene then I would try to get an actress that looked similar to how you would expect Juliet to look as in Shakespeare shorts version the actress didnt seem to look the part. The costume I would like her to wear would be white as all three versions have used and long like a nightgown. I would use white to show her pureness and I would be long to show her innocence. The background music I would use would be the sound of something quite romantic like a piano or violin but as the scene goes on I would use more dramatic sound like a drum to signify capulets rage. I would direct the actor playing Juliet to be a quiet, lovesick young girl around Romeo, following his every move showing her true love for him and begging him not to leave her. Although I would direct Juliet to act very stubbornly towards her father, as I dont think she deserves to be treated the way she has been. She should use a stronger tone of voice when talking to her father and dealing with his rage but still be very scared and nervous. She would scatter about the room pleading for help from someone. The portrayal of Juliet I prefer is the Dicaprio version. I prefer this version because it is more modern. The other two versions are more traditional and refer to Shakespeares time a little more but I found the Dicaprio version was more interesting and kept my attention more. I also prefer this version because I enjoyed watching the way Juliet was directed to stand up for herself and shout back at her father as I believe it is right to have a say in your life. Although I do prefer the Dicaprio version of the play, after looking at all three versions and looking at all different aspects of Juliets character like her tone of voice, costume and the way she has been directed to act in the scene. I think the way Juliet was portrayed in the Zeffirelli version was most like my understanding of her character.