Theme of Conflict in Romeo and Juliet Essay Example For Students

Theme of Conflict in Romeo and Juliet Essay Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeares most famous and popular plays. It tells the story of two starcrossd lovers and addresses such themes as Romance but also tragedy. However it also contains themes of violence/conflict/death. The play begins with a prologue which is kind of a summary of the play but doesnt give all the details of the play away to the audience as it includes the setting of the play and a bit of background information. Then a fued is introduced straight away between the younger generation of the two rival families which are the Montagues and the Capulets. We will write a custom essay on Theme of Conflict in Romeo and Juliet specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now I am going to examine the theme of conflict in Act 1 Scene 1 and Act 3 Scene 5. Here we have the opening scene set in Verona. With bawdy banter, Sampson and Gregory discuss their hatred towards the house of Montague and spot two Montagues and discuss about provoking a fight without breaking the law. Sampson bites his thumb at the Montagues which is seen as a highly insulting gesture which results a fight breaking out. In shakespearean times, Women were seen as a mans possession and had no right to an education. Women back then were to have children and look after the house. Prostitution was quite big back then and it relates to Gregory and Sampson, talking of raping Montague women. Stage direction are used throughout the play. They fight is an example of one one which is used in this scene just after Tybalt expresses his opinion towards Peace. As soon as They Fight appears, that is the point where it gets physical and brutal. After Prince Escalus has mad his speech on the brawl the Montagues and Capulets realise that they cant fight anymore as a death penalty has been instituted. Prince Escalus just wants Verona to be a land of not war but peace. In the next scene i am going to examine, we see conflict but in a different way as it is between father and daughter (Lord Capulet and Juliet). Just after Romeo has fleed into exile, Lady Capulet tells Juliet about Capulet’s plan for her to marry Paris on Thursday, explaining that he wishes to make her happy. Juliet is appalled. She rejects the match, saying â€Å"I will not marry yet; and when I do, I swear / It shall be Romeo—whom you know I hate— Rather than Paris† (3. 5. 121–123). Capulet enters the chamber. When he learns of Juliet’s determination to defy him he becomes enraged and threatens to disown Juliet if she refuses to obey him. When Juliet entreats her mother to intercede, her mother denies her help. This scene is more about the violent language and behaviour of the father to his daughter as it is seen as abuse. Capulet shouts horrible remarks at Juliet such as D isobedient wretch! . This is because she had disobeyed her father. Capulet had made his word clear to Paris that Juliet will marry him and in them days what the man in the house said goes and for Juliet to disobey her father is seen as an insult. In them days, you didnt marry for love but for security and your father would choose someone suitable. Capulet feels as though Juliet should be grateful that he has found a perfect match for her. The language of the father towards Juliet kind of contrasts towards Gregory and Sampsons dicussion about raping Montague women as both seem to put women in a lower class as it was like that back then. The play Romeo and Juliet has to have a conflict because; it is one of the main themes in the play. The disagreements and fight between the two family, that is Capulet and he Montague, their children Romeo and Juliet who truly were in love with each other end up dying. So, after this incident, the quarrels stop between the two families. The whole play starts because of the mutual hostility and conflict between the Capulet and the Montague and ends with tragedy of two lovers. .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 , .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 .postImageUrl , .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 , .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534:hover , .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534:visited , .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534:active { border:0!important; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534:active , .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534 .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua48b5e36024797a7c19d3c9ecb7b7534:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Susan Glaspells Trifles EssayThe abundant swordplay throughout the play affects the theme of conflict used in ? Romeo and Juliet?. In this play, there are spontaneous actions of the characters rather than their thoughts. There are many types of conflicts to be appeared in this play such as family conflicts society conflicts and generation conflicts. When lady Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris but Juliet wants to marry Romeo, appears to be a conflict between them. There is also conflict in the two families and their general relationship with their children.

Free Essays on Captain James Cook

James Cook (1728-1779) was an English sailing ship Captain, Navigator, and Pacific Ocean expedition leader. James Cook was born on 27 October 1728 in Marton, England. His father was a poor farm labourer who had worked his way up to Overseer. James began as a farm labourer and grocer's assistant. He soon found employment on the Baltic sea in a Collier (coal transport ship) at the age of 18. During the war with the French in 1755, James Cook enlisted as an Able Seaman on the Eagle. Within a month he was promoted, because of outstanding ability, to Master's Mate. Four years later he was promoted to Master. In command of his own ship, James Cook performed a crucial charting of the St. Lawrence River, which made possible the great amphibious assault upon Quebec City in 1759. In 1763 he was given command of the schooner Grenville to survey the eastern coasts of Canada over a four year period. These excellent charts were used up until the early part of the 20th century. James Cook was selected to lead a 1768 expedition to observe the transit of Venus, and to explore new lands in the Pacific Ocean. In his first Pacific voyage, James Cook rounded Cape Horn in the Endeavour and reached Tahiti on 3 June 1769. After recovering a necessary scientific instrument stolen by the natives, the transit of Venus was successfully observed. The Endeavour then spent six months charting New Zealand. James Cook next explored and claimed possession of eastern Australia. Returning to England, on 12 June 1771, via New Guinea, Java and the Cape of Good Hope, the crew suffered an appalling 43% fatality rate. James Cook thus became very concerned about crew health on subsequent voyages. He instituted compulsory dietary reforms that were copied by many other ship captains. The object of Captain Cook's second Pacific Ocean voyage was to confirm the existence of a theorized Great Southern Continent. His ship the Resolution, accompanied by the Adventure,... Free Essays on Captain James Cook Free Essays on Captain James Cook James Cook (1728-1779) was an English sailing ship Captain, Navigator, and Pacific Ocean expedition leader. James Cook was born on 27 October 1728 in Marton, England. His father was a poor farm labourer who had worked his way up to Overseer. James began as a farm labourer and grocer's assistant. He soon found employment on the Baltic sea in a Collier (coal transport ship) at the age of 18. During the war with the French in 1755, James Cook enlisted as an Able Seaman on the Eagle. Within a month he was promoted, because of outstanding ability, to Master's Mate. Four years later he was promoted to Master. In command of his own ship, James Cook performed a crucial charting of the St. Lawrence River, which made possible the great amphibious assault upon Quebec City in 1759. In 1763 he was given command of the schooner Grenville to survey the eastern coasts of Canada over a four year period. These excellent charts were used up until the early part of the 20th century. James Cook was selected to lead a 1768 expedition to observe the transit of Venus, and to explore new lands in the Pacific Ocean. In his first Pacific voyage, James Cook rounded Cape Horn in the Endeavour and reached Tahiti on 3 June 1769. After recovering a necessary scientific instrument stolen by the natives, the transit of Venus was successfully observed. The Endeavour then spent six months charting New Zealand. James Cook next explored and claimed possession of eastern Australia. Returning to England, on 12 June 1771, via New Guinea, Java and the Cape of Good Hope, the crew suffered an appalling 43% fatality rate. James Cook thus became very concerned about crew health on subsequent voyages. He instituted compulsory dietary reforms that were copied by many other ship captains. The object of Captain Cook's second Pacific Ocean voyage was to confirm the existence of a theorized Great Southern Continent. His ship the Resolution, accompanied by the Adventure,...

Purchasing Power Parity and the Big Mac Index Essay

Purchasing Power Parity and the Big Mac Index - Essay Example On the other hand, a US Dollar has more purchasing power than a Pakistani or Indian Rupee. These differences are usually because of availability and demand for the goods amongst other factors. By taking an international measure and determining the cost for that measure in each of the two currencies and comparing them we can solve this problem. (McGuigan, 2008) This formula represents the exchange rate of one currency in relative terms to another currency. P1 is the price of an item in one currency while P2 is the price of the same item in another currency (Investopedia, 2008). Although according to this theory, the relative prices for a same product should be equal in two different locations. However we rarely see this happen. This theory doesn't even hold true in areas inside a city. For example in a high end posh area of a city might sell the same product at a much higher rate than the shop set up in a low end area. This brings us to the most popular example of purchasing power parity, the Big Max Index. Calculated by the Economist Magazine, the Big Mac index is used to find the exchange rate to determine the value of other items. Since McDonalds is virtually in every country, this index is readily applicable. All we need is the price of Big Mac in the two countries we need to find the exchange rate of. For example a Big Mac in US costs around $4 while a Big Mac in India costs Rupees 200 thus the index will be $1 equivalent to Rs. 50. This index is used further to get an idea of the actual exchange rate in the market and to determine the relative value of other items. (McGuigan, 2008) The main use of the index is to find the GDP and hence the standard of living of the people in a certain location. When we are determining the Gross Domestic Product of a country, a fall in the value of the currency relative to another base currency, will make the GDP fall by the same value. Taking the same example of the Indian Rupee and the US Dollar, a fall in the Rupee by 50%, will force the GDP expressed in US dollars to drop to 50%. This piece of information does not reflect true picture of the situation since the devaluation of the Indian currency maybe due to the international trade issues. However when we look at each day's exchange rates of the Dollar to the Rupee, we see fluctuations coming each day. But when we use the Big Mac index, these fluctuations are not reflected into the price of Big Mac each day. The price of the Big Mac remains to be Rs. 200 for quite a while even though the value of Dollar is increasing. Purchasing Power Parity - Analysis When we talk about the long-run, the purchasing power parity theory tells us that differences in the prices of the items in different countries are not sustainable as forces acting in the market place will equalize prices between countries and change exchange rates in doing so. Consider an example of a person who finds that the price of tomatoes is $5 lesser in another state. Traveling to the other state will cost the person $50 in fuel, thus just to save $5, this trip will incur a loss to the person. But when you consider bulk purchase this scenario comes out to be completely

Feminist Analysis of Pop Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Feminist Analysis of Pop Culture - Essay Example Women were projected as mere puppets, and men became all the more chauvinist and domineering. Thus, a need for Third-wave feminism arose, which could deal with the changing norms of objectification. The third-wave feminism provided a strong base that not only transferred the improper objectification in the favor of women, but also upheld womanhood irrespective of race, color, ethnicity and sexual-orientation. Literature and media gained influence from Third-wave and hence, a new-age approach towards feminism developed. This paper is an attempt to identify the core beliefs of new form of feminism, and will analyze its representation in media through a movie that follows similar lines. For this paper, acclaimed director Zack Snyder's year 2011 movie Sucker Punch has been selected to be reviewed, which comprehensively displays post-feminist discourse and entails a convincing portrayal of third-wave feminism in popular culture forms. Understanding Third-Wave Feminism: Feminism in contemp orary era has evolved into a modernized (I-e well-acquainted with the current scenarios) avatar known as the post-feminist approach. According to Judith Butler, the very essence of third-wave feminism implies that â€Å"challenging gender roles alone will be inadequate to effect social change. The new goal for feminist and sexuality movements should be to defy the faith in the existence of an innate sexuality and natural sex categories† (Hull 54). The theory entails that women do not need to fight for gaining self-identity, or long to change the sex-based symbolism in a male-oriented society. Instead, it suggests that women should acknowledge their womanhood and use it to empower themselves; instead of despising being a female, they have to use their femininity for achieving the maximum benefits. Constructivism rules this new doctrine. According to Leslie Heywood and Jennifer Drake â€Å"contradiction marks the strategies and desires of third-wave feminists† (Zeisler 1 16). Empowerment is the best word that can describe the approach of this barely structured but extremely powerful theory of feminism in the present age. It cleverly switches gear and transforms significant norms that targeted women before into a tool for them. That is because stereotypical concepts and images that were termed as embodying womanhood, actually were a product of male preferences. The discrimination based on color, physique and race, and â€Å"mirroring the erasure of black womanhood from pop culture† emerged because they preferred white women (Hooks 264). Sex-display genre, which included pornographic images, restrictive attires like corsets, performances like erotic dances, and strip-tease, etc., developed to further objectify women and they became entities of gaining pleasure only (Nally 621). Third-wave feminism re-applied these self-induced norms from a female-benefiting perspective. The take of contemporary females of pop culture, and eminent third-wave act ivists on the genre of sex-display has been an ironic one, and as per Judith Butler’s queer theory, it is also comical. A culture of giving men what they want to see but at the same time being in control and making fun of male preferences started off convincingly with Madonna, and has come of age now with the likes of Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani and Kei$ha (Halberstam 8). Rachel Shteir describes that today â€Å"

Visionary leadership Essay Example for Free

Visionary leadership Essay When discussing the values of Christian leadership, one book that we could not readily ignore is the book of Nehemiah. Many of the most popular Christian values could ready be found in this early book of the Old Testament, only to be reiterated in various events all throughout the Bible. And since before we delve into the New Testament we shall be focusing on Old Testament teachings for they shall provide the background of many of the leadership styles that we would be encountering later on, perhaps it would be a good idea for our paper to first magnify this book in section as an example of leadership (Woolfe, 2000). The book of Nehemiah highlights visionary leadership through prayer. The need to share a vision and to enable and empower others to become involved in making things happen, as well as the need to maintain leadership through periods of conflict and opposition. The book highlights the character Nehemiah, a cupbearer of the Persian emperor. The cupbearer, in case one has no idea of the historical significance of such a position, is an important position of trust for a member of the Jewish minority in the Persian court. It is through his leadership that Nehemiah had enabled established credibility amongof the Jewish people through his example. During that time, it had already been more than a century past sinces the Persians had conquered Jerusalem in many of the Jews at that time had been in exile. Through Nehemiah’s example, the Persian court had recognized the importance of having Jews deter percent minority. However, perhaps the most notable event in Nehemiah’s career as a cupbearer of the Persian court was when he had shared his vision with the king of Persia. The result of sharing the vision mildly end in a nonviolent way had had a positive effect on the king of Persia, again exemplifying that the cupbearer that he had chosen have been supportive of his campaign and many of the requests of Nehemiah had been granted by the king. When the vision was shared to other characters, the response had been different, and Nehemiah had facilitated a more assertive stand, still not one that is confrontational and could have created violent results. When Nehemiah arrives at Jerusalem, he creates a strategic analysis of the situation before sharing his vision with the Jews that had been left in Jerusalem. Of course, being one of the countrymen, the response was positive and in favor of him (Woolfe, 2000). Modern business leaders and managers need to understand that most of the concepts of leadership today, including the model of the transformational leader, had first been rooted in the actions of this biblical character. Many leadership books in the present highlights the importance of transformational leadership, a method of leadership and management where leaders not only give commands to theirhis or her followers in order for them to follow and execute (Bass, 2005). Rather, a transformational leader recognizes the fact that in order for followers to achieve their full potential and create the highest output levels for the company, that the vision of what the company should do it should ought to be shared. In fact, this could be easily recognized in many of the large corporations today where we find ceilings and walls written with their vision and mission statements, together with the values they recognize in the company (Thousand Oaks, 1993). Of course, we should also identify that not all companies follow such values orientation. Transformational leaders are rarely found today in large businesses because of their single-minded purpose of profit. And in a world where in it is either you gain the maximum level of profit, or you perish, it would perhaps be safe for us to assume that transformational leaders are nearing extinction. However, this does not necessarily mean that we should stop looking for such leaders and training such leaders. In fact, if we are indeed to do anything about it, we should focus our energies and goals in order to produce such leaders in the future. Again, if you are to use our FMCG Company as an example, transformational leadership may play an important role not only in the continuous profit maximization of such a company, but also in the values integration and achieving of the vision of the business venture. As we have earlier discussed, because of the quantities that is produced by such fast-moving companies, it is also guaranteed that the amount of labor and human capital involved in the production, distribution, and sales of the products would be extremely high. In modern management dynamics, we recognize the fact that as more and more people are employed into a business venture, organization, or company, the efficiency of leaders must also be proportional to the number of employees involved. Still another popular leadership method and leadership theory that we may be able to apply in this case is the team leadership theory. It basically classifies leaders and heads as managers, holding their ability to manage specialized human resourcesin the highest regard. The team leadership model states that the most effective leaders of our time art does not necessarily with the highest level of skill nor specialized abilities. Instead, the team leadership model reiterates the need for leaders which could identify those members in society and organization which are valuable because of their specialized tasks, or any other advantage that they may pose. The job of the team leader is to organize and collate such members of society and group to formulate a team aimed at accomplishing a certain task. S Wing in the journals of team performance management stated the essential role of team leaders in order to bring out the best in human capital. He points out in his article that often people do not view themselves as capable unless others in a higher position than them point out their capabilities. Also, his article points out the importance of being able to collate people into a unified whole affair according to recent statistics that he had cited in the Journal, the output inner slopes rise exponentially and not just the sum of its parts. (Wing, 2005) Now that we had identified the virus leadership models, if it had not been obvious or ready to the reader of this paper, we could claim that the model of visionary leadership that is offered by characters and stories in the Bibleare combinations of the two popular leadership models in management dynamics today. In fact, if we observe closely the stories we have identified as well as the many other stories and parables that could be found within the text, elements of transformational leadership as well as the leadership could be found. So that we may avoid the pitfall of praising the Bible too much, let us point out that perhaps many of the stories found in the Bible are idealized versions of historical accounts. The fact remains, however, if we refers strictly and believe absolutely that counts within the Old Testament books, we discover that our leadership models fit perfectly into combination with the characters that have been highlighted. FMCG companies are usually small in scale with respect to higher-level management but large in numbers for employees (Newcomen Society, 1957). And because of that high average variable costs involved in continuing the operation of the company, it would not be able to afford more section managers and overseers. And logically, what we substitute for quantity is quality. In a company with only a handful of people in management positions, it would be perhaps essential for such companies in such leaders to be able to hire or trade existing managers towards a transformational leadership style. Like our example in the Bible were in wisdom and the sharing of vision must be integrated into leaders, but overall effect of a transformational leader had been modern businesses would have the same effect as that of the story in the Bible.

Soft Corals :: Ecology Great Barrier Reef Essays

Soft Corals Organisms of the order Alcyonacea, more commonly referred to as soft corals, are fascinating and poorly-understood animals. Although they are Cnidarians, and thus among the simplest of all animals, they have developed remarkable ways of thriving in the Great Barrier Reef and all over the world. They possess symbiotic relationships, special toxins, and several different methods of reproduction, each helping to ensure the survival of the various soft coral species. The purpose of this paper is to investigate physiological and ecological aspects of soft corals, especially the purposes and benefits behind their many reproductive strategies. Taxonomy: What is a soft coral? Soft corals are members of the phylum Cnidaria, meaning they have stinging cells, a gastrovascular cavity, and are radially symmetrical. They belong to the class Anthozoa, which also includes hard corals, sea fans, and anemones. Soft corals, sea fans, and sea pens are sometimes referred to as octocorals, as they have eight tentacles on each polyp. All soft corals belong to the order Alcyonacea, which is composed of several families (Order Alcyonacea 1995-2005.) The most common families on the Great Barrier Reef are Alcyoniidae, Nephtheidae, and Xeniidae. Corals in the family Alcyoniidae are often large and fleshy with medium-sized polyps, but can have many different forms. Xeniid corals have large polyps, usually in pale colors, and some of them pulsate. Corals that belong to Nephtheidae have small polyps, and are often branched and tree-like. Less common families on the Great Barrier Reef include Nidaliidae and Astrospiculariidae (Fabricius and De’ath 2002. ) Life Cycle Soft corals begin their lives as small, featureless free-swimming larvae called planulae (Alderslade and Fabricius 2002.) Planulae generally drift in a planktonic state for several days before finding an acceptable substrate. This allows soft corals to spread throughout large reefs like the GBR (Bastidas et al. 2001,) and also lets them colonize reefs around the world if the planulae are picked up by large ocean currents. The main element that qualifies a substrate as acceptable for a soft coral is the amount of light it receives, although water temperature and the strength of the current are also important factors. Soft Corals :: Ecology Great Barrier Reef Essays Soft Corals Organisms of the order Alcyonacea, more commonly referred to as soft corals, are fascinating and poorly-understood animals. Although they are Cnidarians, and thus among the simplest of all animals, they have developed remarkable ways of thriving in the Great Barrier Reef and all over the world. They possess symbiotic relationships, special toxins, and several different methods of reproduction, each helping to ensure the survival of the various soft coral species. The purpose of this paper is to investigate physiological and ecological aspects of soft corals, especially the purposes and benefits behind their many reproductive strategies. Taxonomy: What is a soft coral? Soft corals are members of the phylum Cnidaria, meaning they have stinging cells, a gastrovascular cavity, and are radially symmetrical. They belong to the class Anthozoa, which also includes hard corals, sea fans, and anemones. Soft corals, sea fans, and sea pens are sometimes referred to as octocorals, as they have eight tentacles on each polyp. All soft corals belong to the order Alcyonacea, which is composed of several families (Order Alcyonacea 1995-2005.) The most common families on the Great Barrier Reef are Alcyoniidae, Nephtheidae, and Xeniidae. Corals in the family Alcyoniidae are often large and fleshy with medium-sized polyps, but can have many different forms. Xeniid corals have large polyps, usually in pale colors, and some of them pulsate. Corals that belong to Nephtheidae have small polyps, and are often branched and tree-like. Less common families on the Great Barrier Reef include Nidaliidae and Astrospiculariidae (Fabricius and De’ath 2002. ) Life Cycle Soft corals begin their lives as small, featureless free-swimming larvae called planulae (Alderslade and Fabricius 2002.) Planulae generally drift in a planktonic state for several days before finding an acceptable substrate. This allows soft corals to spread throughout large reefs like the GBR (Bastidas et al. 2001,) and also lets them colonize reefs around the world if the planulae are picked up by large ocean currents. The main element that qualifies a substrate as acceptable for a soft coral is the amount of light it receives, although water temperature and the strength of the current are also important factors.

Night World : Spellbinder Chapter 17

They walked out to Eric's jeep. The night air was very cold and there was no moon. Thea kept her hand on Eric's back, ready to press if he hesitated. But he never did. At the door of the jeep, Thea looked at Blaise. She was afraid to show any expression. Could Aradia see them? She wanted desperately to give Blaise a last hug. Aradia said, â€Å"Is there a window from the shop onto this street?† Thea looked at Blaise. Blaise said, â€Å"No.† â€Å"Then you can say good-bye. After this you're going to have to pretend not to know each other.† Thea stared at her, then felt a wild choked giggle well up. â€Å"Now I know why you're Maiden,† she said, in a bare whisper. â€Å"But-does anyone else realize?† â€Å"l don't think so. Some may wonder, but I think they'll keep their mouths shut. Say good-bye quick.† Thea hugged Blaise, couldn't make herself let go. â€Å"Thank you. Oh, Eileithyia, Blaise, I'll miss you.† â€Å"Now I'm the last of the Harman line,† Blaise said in a bad imitation of a smirking voice. â€Å"I'll have a bedroom to myself,† she added in more believable tones. â€Å"And I'm going to get Sheena good.† â€Å"Who?† â€Å"That's right, you didn't hear. She was the one who turned us in. She's one of Tobias's little girlfriends, Circle Midnight. It seems he's been spying on us. He told her enough that she understood we were doing forbidden spells, and she told Gran.† â€Å"It doesn't matter now.† â€Å"Are you kidding? I'm getting sent to the Convent. I'm going to kill her.† The bells rang as Blaise tossed her head. Then she tightened her grip on Thea. â€Å"I don't know why you want to be with a human,† she whispered. â€Å"But I hope you keep on wanting it now that you have it.† â€Å"Blaise, when you get back-please don't hurt them anymore. They're people. Really.† Blaise sighed noncommittally; Thea could feel it. But all she said, almost too softly for Thea to hear, was, â€Å"I'll miss you-sister.† Then Thea could let go. When she was in the jeep, Aradia leaned into the open door. â€Å"Two things,† she said rapidly. â€Å"And they're all the help I can give you. Mother Cybele mentioned Circle Daybreak. I've heard rumors that there axe witches somewhere who are starting it up again. Witches who want to forget the Burning Times, and who don't hold to Night World law. I don't know if it's true. But if it is, maybe you can find it.† Thea's breath was taken away. The possibility leaped inside her like some unimagined joy. â€Å"And the other thing,† Aradia said, with a rare smile-almost a brief grin. â€Å"Word is that some of your Redfern cousins have started going peculiar. I've even heard that they're talking about finding human soulmates, just like you. You might try and contact them and see what the story is.† Thea's breath came back, and with it, tears. â€Å"Oh, Aradia. Thank you.† â€Å"Good luck, Thea. And Eric. Both of you, wherever you go.† Eric, who had been sitting quietly behind the wheel, reached out to touch her hand lightly. â€Å"And you, too.† Thea could tell by his voice that he was puzzled and dazed, but he was trying not to show it. Then they drove away. Thea turned around to watch Blaise getting smaller and smaller. A little wind blew Blaise's hair, and she looked like a dark and mysterious Aphrodite, a goddess who always did what you least expected. Eric drove fast until they were a good distance from the shop, then pulled to the curb on a tiny residential street. He looked at Thea and said cautiously, â€Å"Am I immune to this stuff? Because I'm not forgetting anything. Or is it going to kick in any minute now?† Thea kissed him. Then she began to laugh hysterically. â€Å"No. No.† â€Å"You mean we're really safe? You're going to keep your powers?† â€Å"Yes! Yes!† She had to keep telling him over and over to convince him. But finally he got it and his face changed. Was transformed by his lightning-bolt smile. He squeezed her and shook her and finally jumped out of the jeep and yelled â€Å"All right! Way to go, Blaise! All right! Yes!† â€Å"Eric!† He pounded the jeep. â€Å"Eric, get back in, you idiot! There might be Night People around.† Then, still laughing uncontrollably with love and gratitude and the relief of tension, she said, â€Å"Come in here.† And she held out her arms. He jumped back in. They fit together perfectly, his arms around her, his breath against her hair. â€Å"I'm so happy,† he said. â€Å"I love you, witch.† Thea was laughing and crying at once. â€Å"I love you, too.† He kissed her temple. She kissed his cheek. Then he kissed her mouth and stayed there for a long while. And Thea forgot about laughing, forgot that there was a world outside the two of them. And then they sat together in the darkness, resting against each other, just breathing. Safe. Connected. Thea was with someone who knew her, who saw what she saw. Her soulmate. And they were free to be with each other, without being hunted, without fear. She was filled with joy and tranquility. And with quiet sadness, too. It wasn't as if this new beginning came free. She still was an exile, cut off from her family. Gran was lost to her. If she saw Blaise, it would have to be in secret. She'd given up a lot. Almost everything. But she didn't regret it. Not with Eric warm and solid in her arms. Not with the Night World saved from civil war, and the threat to the humans here over. And what now? she wondered. Strangely, even though there was no clear answer, she didn't feel afraid. She could visualize many futures, and they all seemed equally likely. Now they would go to Eric's house, and Eric's mother would be puzzled but generous, and Roz would be ferocious but delighted. And next week Thea would go back to school and transfer into honors zoology. She would get a scholarship to Davis and become a vet and use her powers to find out what was wrong with sick animals. Or she would find herself interested in wolves or elephants and would become a naturalist and visit faraway places to study them. Or she and Eric would adopt a puppy like Bud and write a book together to help people understand their dogs. Or she would find Circle Daybreak and meet witches who wanted to forget the Burning Times. And they would be the first to reintroduce humans to magic, and Rosamund would grow up fierce and proud, knowing all the legends of Hellewise. Or she would find her vampire cousins and see if the soulmate principle was really coming back. And their group would be like a magnet, attracting other young Night People with radical ideas, starting an underground revolution. Maybe a new generation of Redferns and Harmans were forming alliances with humans. Maybe it was time for hatred to stop. Maybe the old powers were waking and new times were coming. Maybe the world was about to change. Only one thing was sure. There were infinite possibilities. She held Eric and felt his breathing and was at peace with the night. [The End]