A scholar once said: "We are only men, moved to act in the name of revenge which we consider 'justice'. But when we call our revenge 'justice' , it only breeds more vengeance...forging the first link in the chains of hatred." The contradictory morality of love and hate has led people to feel indifferent to each other. The play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare establishes the theme of hatred and the lesson that only love can drive out hatred. Franco Zeffirelli's film adaptation of the play, produced in 1968, effectively promotes Shakespeare's original intention of hatred. Zeffirelli's film adaptation managed to achieve such an effect by respecting the original storyline. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet tells the story of two lovers from opposing families who want to be together, without being caught up in the fights between their families. Whether it is the contempt of one person or an entire group, the theme of hatred is presented between members of both households through Shakespeare's use of actions and dialogue. The first event that shows hatred took place when Gregory and Sampson made a rude gesture towards the Montagues, starting a conflict. “I will bite their thumb, which is a shame if they put up with it” (Ii43-44). The desire to start a quarrel simply because an enemy is near shows how provoked the Montagues felt by the Capulets' presence. Tybalt arrives moments later and declares his hatred for the Montagues, declaring: "How I hate hell, all the Montagues, all of you, / Be a coward!" » (II72-73). Tybalt is one of the characters in the play who shows a lot of contempt towards Montagues, as seen at Capulet's party where he wanted to fight Romeo because he was "a bad guy". Romeo is called that because he is a member of...... middle of paper ...... rse does not seem to have any negative feelings about Romeo when they first meet before Romeo and Juliet's wedding . This makes the audience believe that the bond between Romeo and Juliet has the power to change a person's perspective and opinion of each other. Romeo and Juliet's love for each other was the key to ending the bitter conflict between the Capulets and the Montagues. but at the cost of their lives. Shakespeare presented this lesson using dialogue and actions to show the hatred between families and how Romeo and Juliet's love continues to change it. Zeffirelli also manages to present this theme through his choice of lines, actors for the play, scenes, costumes and actors for the film. Overall, Zeffirelli did a magnificent job of showing how, in the dark depths of hatred, one can find hope and the ability to change others with love..