Luhrmann and Zeffirelli introduce the characters of Romeo and Juliet in their film versions of Shakespeares play Essay Example

Luhrmann and Zeffirelli introduce the characters of Romeo and Juliet in their film versions of Shakespeares play Paper Films are made to make money and attract mass audiences. Most filmmakers want to aim their film at a wide range of people so that their film is a box office success. Films are more advanced than performances of plays in theatres as they can use lighting, sound effects, music and cameras to create atmosphere and influence peoples reactions by using close-up shots of things they want the audience to take notice of. In a film the camera is the viewers eye so they can only see what the camera allows them to but in a play the audience can see everything at once and the camera isnt there to zoom in on something which they need to recognise as significant as it can in a film. Filmmakers can also use costumes and settings to suggest a characters personality or the atmosphere of the place they are in. Also, in films, computerised sound effects and real settings can be used. In films they can have sets outdoors, in houses and anywhere else they need to but in a play they cannot have real settings as they are all artificial and have to be changed for nearly every scene. In plays they cannot have large crowds of people for a battle or suchlike as they would not all fit on the stage so they have to have limited numbers and this, therefore, is not as realistic as it can be in films as they can have thousands of actors if they need them. We will write a custom essay sample on Luhrmann and Zeffirelli introduce the characters of Romeo and Juliet in their film versions of Shakespeares play specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Luhrmann and Zeffirelli introduce the characters of Romeo and Juliet in their film versions of Shakespeares play specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Luhrmann and Zeffirelli introduce the characters of Romeo and Juliet in their film versions of Shakespeares play specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Lastly, as the dialogue in plays is sometimes far too long, filmmakers often cut the text in places and move it around in the plot until they are happy with their scripts. This technique is not often used in plays as they tend to be more traditional and stick to the original text. The Zeffirelli version of the play was made in the late 1960s and was aimed at a wide range of people from very young to very old. Zeffirelli wanted to give people a traditional film of the play so he kept most of the original text and used music and costumes which would have been appropriate to when the play is set. It was a box office smash hit even though Zeffirelli shocked many people by being experimental he chose two, very young, unknown actors to play Romeo and Juliet and used (at the time) very innovative camera movements. Luhrmann chose a very different approach to making Romeo and Juliet into a film from Zeffirelli, as he did not do a traditional version at all. He aimed it mainly to bring the younger generation of people an understanding of Shakespeare and so modernised it so that it would appeal to the audiences of 1997. Even though there was a 30 year gap between the making of these films, they were both very successful and attracted mass audiences. I will now look at the similarities and differences between the two versions. Both directors decided to frame Romeo the first time he is seen Zeffirelli in an archway and Luhrmann in a cliff. Both the films suggest Romeo has been alone in the first shots of him as he is seen walking back into the city by himself. In both the versions Romeo is implied not to be as rough as the other lads and doesnt seem to fit in with them in Zeffirelli he comes back to the city holding flowers while in Luhrmann he uses very soft focus on Romeos face and Romeo is alone, looking out to sea which implies he is very romantic when none of the other lads are. Also, in both the films, as soon as the camera switches to Romeo for the first time the music becomes slow, dreamy and romantic which is emphasising his youth and romantic feelings. Both directors used, at the time of making their film, very innovative camera movements, for example in Zeffirellis version the camera went through peoples legs in the fight scenes. However, there are also many differences between the two films. Zeffirelli aimed to do a traditional film of the play so that people would know what Shakespeare is really like but Luhrmann aimed to bring the modern generation of people an updated version and to show that the story is still relevant today. Therefore Zeffirelli chose to keep most of the original dialogue from the text, to use Shakespearian costumes and music which would have been appropriate to when it is set but Luhrmann cut lots of the text, did not use Shakespearian costumes and had modern pop music playing in the background. Also, Luhrmann did not set the film in Italy as Zeffirelli did, he set it in a big American city which showed the modern audiences that the play is still significant today. In Shakespeares day, Italy was the main country and also had the most power but when Luhrmann remade the film 30 years later, America was now the Italy of the 20th century and so he set it there so that the viewers would think it applied to them, and was not just a Shakespearian play which was not relevant any more. Luhrmann also used references to modern films in his adaptation which a modern audience would understand and enjoy but Zeffirelli did not have any references at all in his film which suggests that he was maybe trying to appeal to a slightly older generation of viewers than Luhrmann was. Zeffirelli shocked people when he made his film of the play as he chose two very young, unknown actors to play Romeo and Juliet but when Luhrmann made his version in the late 1990s he chose two older, better established, American actors. In Zeffirellis version all the characters except the nurse spoke RP which is often associated with Shakespearian characters but in Luhrmanns he changed the text so that it could be spoken in American English and still sound Shakespearian. Zeffirelli also chose to use two actors who fitted the Italian stereotype of dark hair, dark eyes and olive skin but Luhrmann chose two actors who did not fit it at all. However, I think the main difference between these two film versions of the play is that Zeffirelli opted to do a traditional version and Luhrmann updated it so that it would still appeal to a younger modern audience. The introduction of Romeo is quite similar in both films. I will look at how Zeffirelli introduces him first and then how Luhrmann does it. In Zeffirellis dramatisation of the play as soon as the audience get their first view of Romeo, the music becomes slow, innocent, romantic and dreamy. Romeo is framed by a big archway which emphasises to the audience how small, young and vulnerable he is and he is walking back into the town holding flowers which shows that he must have been alone. As he is holding flowers and smiling this suggests that he is not like the other lads he is not aggressive but is gentle and doesnt seem to fit in with the other lads which is why he has separated himself from them and gone somewhere by himself. He is wearing a traditional Shakespearian costume which emphasises Zeffirellis aim to keep the film as authentic as he could. As the music is dreamy it implies that Romeo is a bit of a daydreamer and he seems to have a dreamy expression on his face until he sees his parents and Benvolio when his expression changes to an uncomfortable, uncertain look. He moves into the shadows of the walls which suggests he is secretive and doesnt want his parents to see him. Zeffirelli then uses a close-up of Romeos face which shows the audience how young he is as he has a heart-shaped face and looks small and gentle. He also fits the stereotype of Italians with his dark hair, dark eyes and olive complexion but in the Luhrmann adaptation Leonardo DiCaprio does not fit this stereotype at all as he is blond with fair skin. This shows how Zeffirelli was keen to keep his version a traditional one whereas Luhrmann wasnt. Zeffirelli also suggests that Romeo is defensive as when he is with Benvolio he crosses his arms and says is the day so young which implies that he is in a world of his own and enjoying the fact that he is miserable. Then Romeo is shut out from the injured man because the door is slammed in his face. This is a reminder of the feud between the two families and after his event, Romeo flounces off which suggests he no longer wants to be a part of it. The way in which Luhrmann introduces the character of Romeo is quite similar to the way in which Zeffirelli did it. As in Zeffirelli, when the camera switches to the first shot of Romeo the background music becomes slow and dreamy and Romeo is alone, framed in the cliff on a beach. Romeo is sitting with his back to the city which is symbolic as it shows he does not want anything to do with the feud and he is looking out to sea which immediately suggests that he has depth and is not shallow like the other lads. Then Luhrmann zooms in on Romeos face but uses very soft focus so this gives the impression that Romeo is gentle and romantic but not aggressive and violent like the other lads he is friends with. The camera then zooms back out and shows that Romeo is dresses like a business man but casually as he has his top button open. He is writing and speaking the words as he writes them these are actually his lines but as he is writing it looks like he is writing the play which makes him seem romantic. As in Zeffirelli, when Romeo sees his parents he suddenly looks annoyed or uncomfortable but different to Zeffirellis version, he does not fit the Italian stereotype as he is blond and pale-skinned. However, the Romeo presented in this film of the play is also bored with the feud and fighting which is the same in Zeffirelli so Luhrmann did try to keep some authenticity but not as much as Zeffirelli did. I will now look at the introduction of Juliet in both the Zeffirelli and the Luhrmann dramatisations of the play. In the Zeffirelli version there is a scene before we see Juliet in which Paris has come to ask her father for Juliets hand in marriage and her father accepts but asks Paris if he could wait a year or so, so that she would be a little older as she is only 13. This prepares the audience for the fact that Juliet is going to be so young and vulnerable even before they get to see her. This scene does not take place in the Luhrmann adaptation. When the camera first switches to Juliet the music becomes very light-hearted and seems to be skipping along so this stresses Juliets youth. Juliet is laughing and playing with the nurse which shows how childlike she is compared to Romeo. She then appears at a window which she is framed in so that she looks like a Renaissance painting as she is very elaborately dressed and heavily made-up. There is then a close-up of her face which shows her to be very young, have a heart-shaped face and be very demure, innocent and wide-eyed which again stresses her youth. She also fits the Italian stereotype perfectly and looks even younger than Romeo did as her hair frames her face as well as the window framing her. She is wearing a red dress which is very bright and rich but also symbolises romance, blood, passion and danger and so stands out when she attends the ball later in the film. Juliet is then called for by the nurse who says her mother wants to see her and immediately, Juliet straightens her hair and dress and runs off in her mothers direction. This shows she is still very obedient and only cares about doing what her mother wants her to do. She is a contrast to Romeo in this scene as she is in a family home, skipping and laughing but Romeo is moping around by himself so this implies that Juliet is still a child without any thoughts of romance or marriage but that Romeo is older and more mature. When Juliet arrives at her mothers chamber the mother sends the nurse out of the room and Juliet looks puzzled and uncomfortable without her presence. This shows that she is actually closer to the nurse than her own mother which the audience will find sad. The audience know that her mother wants to talk to her about her marriage to Paris but Juliet doesnt and seems to be worried when she is wondering why she as been sent for as she bites her lip. When her mother asks her if she will marry Paris, Juliet says she will but she only seems to be saying so because she knows her mother would be angry if she refused. This shows that Juliets mother is very controlling of her daughter, even if she hardly ever talks to or does anything with her. In the Luhrmann adaptation the first shot of Juliet is a close-up of her face. She doesnt match the Italian stereotype and seems to be much older than the character from the play really was. As in Zeffirelli, Juliet is very wide-eyed and her face is framed with her hair but she is not heavily made-up as Juliet in Zeffirelli was. She then plunges her head into the water which symbolises freshness and nature which in turn symbolise her youth. She is dressed in white which is different to Zeffirelli and this symbolises purity and nature. When the nurse calls for Juliet, Juliet is still obedient as in Zeffirellis version but she doesnt seem as respectful to her mother she has a teenage look on her face as if to say oh, not my mother again which is one of the things Luhrmann has updated. When she reaches her mothers room Juliet looks impatient when waiting for her to talk as if she thinks she has better things to do than listen to her mother but she did not do this in Zeffirelli. This has, again, been updated to appeal to the audiences of 1997. Then, her mother shows her a photograph of Paris and Juliet looks puzzled at fist but then she says the same lines as she did in Zeffirelli which shows she is still obedient, if not as respectful. After her mother leaves the room, Juliet looks thoughtful as if it is beginning to dawn on her that a marriage has been arranged for her and this is much faster than in Zeffirelli the whole play takes place over a few days in the Luhrmann film but in Zeffirelli it is much slower. In conclusion, I think that both films were successful in introducing the characters of Romeo and Juliet but that Zeffirelli kept to his traditional aims in doing it and Luhrmann used a more modern approach.

the future of COBOL essays

the future of COBOL essays COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) was the first widely used high-level programming language for business applications. Many payroll, accounting, and other business application programs written in COBOL over the past 35 years are still possible that there are more existing lines of programming code in COBOL than in any other programming language has been update over the years. Today we already stepped in internet Age, most of old style business also have been combined with intent to create the e-business, so we suppose COBOL is not useful anymore but before we made a conclusion wed better know hows COBOL worked, and hows COBOL will work in future then we could make decision. COBOL was an effort to make a programming language that was like natural English, easy to write and easier to read the coed after youd written it, and COBOL is one of the oldest, and arguably the most successful and popular of all programming languages. The earliest version of the language, COBOL-60 and -61, evolved to the COBOL-85 standard sponsored by the Conference on Data Systems Language (CODASYL). COBOL has been declared dead so many times since April 1968 till now, but COBOL lives on. Nevertheless, the somber pronouncements of COBOLs demise continue, and the pace has picked up with such developments as clients-sever technology, Visual Basic, Java, and the chaos associated with the Year-2000 problems. Since the year 2000 (Y2K) problem is common in many business applications and most of these are written in COBOL, programmers with COBOL skills have become sought after by major corporations and contractors. A number of companies have updated COBOL and sell development tools to meet the requirements about COBOL applications using in e-business. Since the COBOL use for Oriented of business it was mostly serviced for big company. Even now many large companies have a huge pool of COBOL-based applic ...

E-Banking and ABC costing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

E-Banking and ABC costing - Assignment Example This article explores the implementation techniques of Activity-Based Costing (ABC) in the banking sector on the example of bank in order to analyze the cost structure for traditional and electronic channel transactions. The article shows how it is possible to implement ABC in banking and proves empirically that electronic channels help reduce the costs of both banks and their clients. The setup and infrastructure to implement e-banking services requires a huge amount of initial outlay. Therefore, European banks have spent billions of euros into building direct channels like the Web, upgrading branches and call centres, and trying to integrate all these channels. Major financial futurists predicted bright prospects to electronic banking. But after some years of excitement it appeared that the banks' long-awaited sky-rocketing profits from this area would not be yielded. Around the world, Internet banks are faltering. This situation requires a profound analysis to be able to understand the real cost of e-banking, and e-bank transactions in particular. All major banks have declared e-business as one of their core strategies for future developments. Until recently, most of the pricing decisions about e-bank services were made instinctively as the current financial management information systems did not support such analysis. This research expThis research explores the implementation techniques of Activity-Based Costing in the banking sector on the example of bank in order to analyze the cost structure for traditional and electronic channel transactions. Also conclusions are drawn about the profitability of e-banking transactions. The research addresses the following questions: 1. How can ABC techniques be implemented in a bank How it is possible to allocate IT expenses to products 2. What are the cost elements of e-channel transactions What are the major cost groups 3. Are e-channel transactions cheaper than those made via the traditional channels Chapter 2: Role of E-banking In the past, banks have used a set of integrated distribution channels has provided the basis for them to build strong relationships with their customers. Those banks leading to shape the way in which products are distributed can often gain long lasting competitive advantages. Like ATMs and 'phone banking, the Internet is seen by many banks today as a new, low cost distribution channel (Feng 2001). Unlike traditional corporate networks (which usually have private computer networks in place), the Internet has become a mass infrastructure available to an ever-growing segment of the population. It is based on an open, standard protocol for communications, and it is relatively inexpensive and non-proprietary with global accessibility. Most of all, the Internet is not only cheaper than other distribution channels but also allows banks to reach new customers in new areas more easily (Feng 2001). The advantages both for banks and their customers are obvious, especially in terms of cost and convenience. If we assume that the end users have the basic understanding of internet usage then substantial cost savings can be achieved if banks can persuade their

Case studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Case studies - Essay Example It started as small company but it grew so rapidly that, in 2004 it had been ranked 25th among the Top 50 S&P 500 companies by Business Week magazine. The company has set itself as an example for the other companies in the SME sectors across the world regarding how to become successful in a short span of time. The period of 1990s seemed to be most successful for the company when on average it had opened a new store almost in each working day. This high pace of growth continued even after its entry into the new millennium also. In fact it had been able to maintain thin momentum until recently. The ongoing global down turn had also affected the company badly like the others. Since 2008, it has closed around 900 stores in the United States as demand has declined sharply. However, it still has a growth plan outside the territory of USA in near future. In fact, it is planning to open as many as 900 new stores in the countries outside the USA. (Starbucks- company Overview, 2009) Very often, this company has faced several types of protests on the grounds of trade related policies, employee relations, impacts on environment, and so on. But in the mid of all these issues it has managed to grow at a very fast rate (Starbucks- company Overview, 2009). There are a number of factors that have helped Starbucks to become so successful. These factors are as follows- Rapid expansion on a global basis: Starbucks had adopted the method of expanding its market not only in the domestic front, but also in the foreign countries. This expansion plan has been able to make the name of the Starbucks known by a huge number of people around the world which simply has resulted in magnificent increase in the customer base of this company. By creating its presence in the global market on strong feet, it has been able to dominate the segment of market it caters to. It has been rated as one of the best company to work with and its pleasant working environment has made the company able to expand at such a high pace, while retaining its customer base at its other outlets. Creation of brand loyalty: One major reason behind its success is that it has been able to create huge brand loyalty among its customers. The company has always been careful in meeting the customers' need and providing them with memorable experiences so that they make a return to this brand again and again. This is why the company has been rates as one of those global brands that have created highest level of impact on their consumers. In 2003, a magazine had considered Starbucks as one of most trustworthy brand. Its recognition as one of the most impactful and most trustworthy brand has enhanced its brand value and has made its logo recognizable by the most. Consequently, it has helped to retain its customer-base. The degree of loyalty of the customers to the Starbucks brand is so huge that even when the customers go any foreign location, they visit Starbucks' outlet to have a cup of coffee that they enjoy in their own home town. Adoption of innovative strategies for business: the company has employed a highly skilled research team for developing innovative ways of attracting more and more customers to its brand, while retaining the existing customers' loyalty towards this brand. For example, in 2004, it introduced a CD burning service in one of its outlets in California. This innovative service allows its

Milos secret Essay Example for Free

Milos secret Essay I have chosen two very similar and intriguing cartoons to perform this examination based on information and knowledge I have gained from this study. The first newspaper cartoon is titled â€Å"Milos secret† involving a mischievous cat who gets into a bit of trouble by sneaking into his owners refrigerator while he is sleeping and gradually stealing food every day. All the while, the owner is, of course unaware of the feline perpetrator is is foraging for snacks. Eventually, the frisky feline steals and consumes so much food that he becomes fat and can no longer walk to even reach his own food bowl. Thus, it is not exactly a happy ending for our furry friend. The second cartoon titled â€Å" Dingy Dog† is about pesky little dog who just cannot stay out of trouble. He is constantly stealing food off of the table and always knocking things over. It is not until he is put outside in the rain that he learns his lesson that it is always better to be humble and wise than greedy and silly. The message in both of these stories is quite simple, speaking of discipline and humbleness. For every foolish act there is a punishment. For example, in the first story, the first cat became fat after stealing all of the food. This was his punishment. In the second cartoon, the dog who just cannot behave himself no matter how many times he is scolded is punished by being put out into the rain. The difference between the two stories is that the cat had no owner there to scold him so he continued to sneak around, whereas the dog was repeatedly scolded and still persisted to disobey. The author of the cartoons used strong symbols to show emotions such as sweat marks to show how frustrated the owner of the dog was while he was scolding his dog. He also used exclamation points and numerical symbols to show this. It would not have served him justice to simply put periods next to the owner of the dog to display his discontent and emotion with his pet. If I were to create a place card regarding the topic, it would say â€Å"Be careful what you do, because it will always come back to you. † It was quite easy for me to establish my grounds for interpretation the authors meaning for the cartoons. It is merely a matter of reviewing the stories and depicting the emotions displayed and trying to put myself in the very same situation.

Self Interest in the Political Philosophies of Mill and Locke Essay

Charles Baudelaire, a well-known English poet, once said that â€Å"Nature... is nothing but the inner voice of self-interest.† The philosophical theme of self-interest has been a common idea among political thinkers for many years. In any issue that is linked to the realm of political philosophy, the role of self-interest within a society must be considered. The role of self-interest within a society is the basis for the moral thinking that involves weighing the â€Å"needs and obligations of an individual against the goods of the individual and in turn society† (The Role of Self interest in Political Philosophy). Before confronting an issue within a society, a political thinker must decide whether or not people are ultimately self-interested. The government system of checks and balances was established to confront the issue of self-interest. The political thinkers, John Stuart Mill and John Locke unveiled the mysteries of what it meant to live in freedom and posses s liberty, in which the self-interest of humanity does not impose on the rights of others. Both Locke and Mills believed that in order to govern over a society, people must have freedom. The difference between these political thinkers lies in how much freedom people should be entitled to within a political society. In order to understand how Mill and Locke came to the conclusion of how much freedom a person should possess, we must understand what a political thinker perceives as freedom and liberty. In John Locke’s writings, The Second Treaties of Government, he states that â€Å"all men exist in a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and person as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave or depend... ... Cited "Charles Baudelaire Quotes - BrainyQuote." Famous Quotes at BrainyQuote. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . "Excerpts from John Stuart Mill, ON LIBERTY." Ashland University. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. . "John Locke: Second Treatise of Civil Government." Index. Web. 04 Dec. 2011. . "Lanterns of Liberty." Lanterns of Liberty | Illuminating the Truth. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . "On Liberty by John Stuart Mill." Utilitarianism : Past, Present and Future. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . Social Apartheid in Tri-Cities Bristol Virginia-Tennessee. Web. 26 Nov. 2011. . Web.

A Study of the Microfinance Institutions Essay

One factor inhibiting the attainment of development goals in less developed countries is the populace’s general inability to access factors of production, especially finance. This limits the entrepreneurial ability of the people, especially the poor. Consequently, potential employment opportunities and household prospects for creating wealth and improving income are lost. Microcredit has been one framework adopted to address this problem. Its evolution reflects acknowledgement of credit market failures especially in the formal financial sector. There has been, therefore, a shift from the formal financial sector to microfinance Micro finance practice has had a long history in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, long before economist and world financial analyst recognized it as weapon against poverty. The practice of micro finance in Nigeria is as old as man; it has been a long-term practice in our context. It is mostly practiced in less developed countries, where per capita income is very low. In the mid twentieth, theorists were concerned over the poverty and process of development with specific attention on â€Å"under developed nations† as developing countries were then tagged. According to the World Bank’s World Development Report 1999/2000: Entering the 21st century, in 1998, about 1.2 billion people 24 percent of the population in developing and transition economies lived on less than $1 a day. In 1999, 4.5 billion people of 75 percent of the world’s population lived in low-and-lower-middle income economies. Of these, 2.4 billion were from low income economies with an average annual Gross National Product (GNP) per capita of $410, while 2.1 billion lived in lower middle income economies with an average annual GNP per capital of $1,200 (World Bank, 2000/2001). W.W. Rostows, a leading proponent on state of progression or growth, noted that the critical â€Å"take off stage† recognize certain minimal rate of investment to take place, to foster development and better the standard of living of individuals. In an attempt to improve the live of the poor and to raise the standard of living in the country, the United states Agency and Implementation Development (USAID), 1995), recognizes while Government are involved in different programs because most government want to encourage the development of  business, to supplement general, policy goals that apply to business, with specific policies and programs aimed at micro and small enterprises. More also, policies that minimize the costs of licensing and registering a business, provide easy access to information about laws and regulations, and facilitates commercial codes, which establish rules to minimize the cost of doing business by defining the rights and responsibilities of all parties to a transaction. Hence the involvement of Federal Government, and other international agencies in the program of reducing the poverty level amongst Nigerians. Such programs as Directorate for Food, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DEFRRI), Nigeria Agricultural Cooperative Bank (NACB) and Peoples Bank of Nigeria e.t.c. The aim of the program was to assist and deliver financial services and development to rural communities. The purpose of this paper is to take a cursory look at microfinance institutions and their effects on funding of small scale enterprises in Edo State. Concept of Micro Finance Micro finance can be defined as a development tool used to create access for the economically active poor to financial services at a sustainably affordable price (CBN, 2005). Eluhaiwe (2005) opined that micro finance is the provision of thrift, credit and other financial services and products in very small amounts to the poor to enable them to raise their income levels and improve their standard of living. Micro finance has also been defined as the provision of very small loans that are repaid within short period of time and is essentially used by low income individuals and households who have few assets that can be used as collateral (Ukeje, 2005). Micro finance is basically a tool designed to improve the capacities of the economically active poor to participate in the larger economy. The economically active poor are either micro entrepreneurs who operate in the informal sector (trading, farming, food catering, craftsmanship and artisanship) or people earning wages. Such poor people earn their living in either rural or urban areas; and the financial services for which access is sought are mainly savings and loans (Idolor, 2007). Micro finance is about providing financial services to the poor who are traditionally not served by the conventional financial institutions. Many features distinguish micro finance from other formal financial products. Five of these are: the smallness of loans advanced or savings collected, the absence of asset-based collateral, and simplicity of operations (Kimotha, 2005). Others are its targets as the marginalized group of borrowers, and its general employment of a group lending approach (Igbinedion and Igbatayo, 2004). The group lending approach has implication for the pressure that the members of the group bring to bear on one another to ensure loan repayment, so that the group can continue to enjoy borrowing or loan facilities. In developing countries, a majority of the population do not have access to financial services and thus constitute the group that micro finance tries to reach. Nigeria, like any other developing country, is saddled with the problem of rural urban migration, mass illiteracy, poor infrastructures, poverty and low access to formal financial services. Hence the need for the government’s micro finance policy, aimed at expanding the financial infrastructure of the country to meet the financial requirements of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as the rural and urban poor. The policy has created a platform for the establishment of Micro Finance Banks (MFBs) geared towards enhancing the provision of diversified micro finance services on a short-term or long-term and sustainable basis for the poor and low-income groups. It would also help create a vibrant micro finance sub-sector that would be adequately integrated into the mainstream of the national financial system and provide the stimulus for poverty reduction, economic growth and development (CBN, 2005). It also has the potential of not only urban–rural but rural–rural migration as Nyberg and Rozelle (1999) noted with respect to China. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Small and Medium Scale Enterprises are sub-sectors of the industrial sector which play crucial roles in industrial development (Ahmed S. 2006). Following the adoption of Economic reform programme in Nigeria in 1981, there have been several decisions to switch from capital intensive and large scale industrial projects which was based on the philosophy of import development to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises which have better prospects for developing domestic economy, thereby generating the required goods and services that will propel the economy of Nigeria towards development. It is base on this premise that Ojo .O. (2009), argued that one of the responses to the challenges of development in developing countries particularly, in Nigeria, is the encouragement of entrepreneurial development scheme. Despite the abundant natural resources, the country still finds it very difficult to discover her developmental bearing since independence. Quality and adequate infrastructural provision has remained a night-mare, the real sector among others have witnessed downward performance while unemployment rate is on the increase. Most of the poor and unemployed Nigerians in order to better their lots have resorted to the establishment of their own businesses. Consequently, Entrepreneurship is fast becoming a household name in Nigeria. This is as a result of the fact that the so called white collar jobs that people clamour for are no longer there. Even, the touted sectors (Banks and companies) known to be the largest employer of labour are on the down-turn following the consolidation crisis and fraudulent practices of the high and mighty in the banking sector. The companies of course are folding up as a result of erratic power supply, insecurity and persistent increase in interest rate which has lead to high cost of production and undermines profit making potentials of companies operating in Nigeria. As a result of banking sector practices and continuous folding up of companies, a lot of Nigerians are thrown into unemployment which inevitably detriment the economic situation of the country. Since the office jobs that people desire are no longer there for the teeming population, and the few ones that succeeded in getting the jobs are thrown out as a result of the factors identified above, the need for the government and the people to have a rethink on the way-out of this mess became imperative. Hence, the need for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) became a reality as a means of ensuring self independent, employment creation, import  substitution, effective and efficient utilization of local raw materials and contribution to the economic development of our dear nation (Nigeria). All the aforestated benefits of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises cannot be achieved without the direct intervention of the government and financial  institutions. Over the years a number of policies have been formulated by the government with a view to developing Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. The Nigerian government under the then leadership of Chief Olusegun Obasajo promulgated micro-finance policy and other regulatory and supervisory frame work in 2005. Funding of Small Scale Enterprises Through the Microfinance Institutions in Edo State Among the economically active population of Edo State, there is a strong demand for small scale financial services. Micro finance institutions try to bridge the gap by accessing credit to low income people to improve household and enterprise management, increase productivity, smooth income flows and  consumption costs, enlarge and diversify their micro businesses, and increase their incomes. Using LAPO Microfinance Bank as a reference point, the challenges hitherto faced by most small scale business owners in accessing finance in the state have reduced drastically. Before, most small scale business found it extremely difficult to expand principally due to the lack of access to loans from financial institutions. This inability is mainly as a result of the stringent conditions attached to such loans. One of the conditions demanded by financial institutions before loans are granted is the provision of the necessary collaterals. The inability of small investment owners to provide such collaterals has often led to the nonexpansion of their businesses. With the establishment of microfinance institutions in the state, all that challenges in accessing needed funds for businesses have been reduced to the bearest minimum. This is so because these various microfinance institutions in the state have been able to provide small and medium scale entrepreneurs with more funds for their business ventures. METHODOLOGY In writing this paper the researchers principally used existing literatures and record relevant to the subject matter of this paper. Using deductive approach, the researchers were able to draw conclusion having critically reviewed salient issues in existing literatures and records. This method was adopted because time would not permit the use of questionnaire which ordinarily has to be administered to a sizeable number of small and medium scale Enterprises, as well as micro finance banks across the state. However, reviewing related works by other researchers gave a deeper insight to the researchers which  enabled us to draw reasonable conclusion. CONCLUSION There is absolutely no doubt that small and medium scale Enterprises contribute tremendously to the nation’s economic development. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises constitute essential ingredients in the lubrication and development of any economy. In Edo State, the story makes  no remarkable difference as Small and Medium Scale Enterprises dominate the economy. Though access to funds by small business owners in the state is still poor, the various microfinance institutions, vis-à  -vis, microfinance banks have been able to provide easy access to the needed funds to small scale enterprises. The mainstream Banks which are suppose to complement and  implement government policies on the development of small scale enterprises also clamour for huge collaterals which prospective poor borrowers usually do not have even borrowers who could afford to provide benefiting collateral are further discouraged by continuous increase in interest rate which make borrowers vulnerable to the risk of continuous indebtedness to rich lenders. REFERENCES CBN (2005), Micro Finance Policy, Regulatory and Supervisory Framework for Nigeria. Abuja: Central Bank of Nigeria. Eluhaiwe, P. N. (2005), â€Å"Poverty Reduction Through Micro Financing: The Case of India†. CBN Bullion, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp. 42-51. Idolor, E. J. 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