There have been many different portrayals of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, two of the most famous being Zeffirelli’s 1968 film and Luhrmann’s 1996 film. Of the two depictions, Zeffirelli’s deviates the least from Shakespeare’s intentions. In the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo seems completely overcome by love during the balcony scene. This is congruent with how one would imagine him in the play. It is not common for one to say another is the sun unless they are completely infatuated. To be the sun is to be the center of the universe; therefore, Juliet is the center of Romeo’s world and thoughts. One would believe Shakespeare additionally intended Romeo to be completely entranced by Juliet. This is shown when Romeo says, “She …show more content…
A reader or viewer of the play may imagine Romeo gazing moony-eyed, totally focused on Juliet as he says this, and he was in the 1968 movie. Romeo’s extreme enthusiasm is apparent in his impassioned tone and raised arms as he says “love’s light wings”(Shakespeare 96). As Juliet voices her many concerns, Romeo speedily eases her worries. On the other hand, the 1990’s Romeo seems more eager to see Juliet without her knowledge. Initially, he speaks his lines in a more hushed way and is actively hiding from Juliet. To hide from someone you want to marry seems unusually, especially for bold Romeo. Romeo is a go-getter, and not an observer on the sidelines. Silently creeping is an activity of stalkers in one-way love, not individuals with a mutual love. Later, Juliet sees Romeo and they converse. Smoothly whispering, Romeo is more reserved in the 1996 rendition than the other film. Seeming more serious, the Romeo of the 1996 film abandons the brash personality of Shakespeare’s Romeo. Overall, Romeo’s characterization has greater precision in the 1960’s version of Romeo and Juliet than the …show more content…
Zeffirelli’s film had Romeo and Juliet blocked far away from each other. At first, Juliet is high up on a balcony and Romeo is on the ground, many meters away. Then, Romeo comes closer as he listens to Juliet and when he converses with her, gradually increasing the proximity of the couple. Romeo must overcome many obstacles, such as trees and walls, to reach Juliet. This can be seen as how Romeo and Juliet were originally strangers, and now they have grown close despite the many obstacles in their way. Many writers and directors try to place hidden meanings in character blocking; thus, it makes sense that a famous writer like Shakespeare would intend for the blocking to be such. Blocking Juliet on a balcony seems to be a purposeful choice to keep the lovers separated. After all, it is noticeably more dramatic to place longing, lusty lovers in the star-crossed, “so close and yet so far away” style. Both the lovers want to be together, but they cannot quite meet. In Luhrmann’s 1996 film adaption of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet are blocked extremely closely. One would definitely not envision it that way. Romeo follows Juliet in close pursuit, literally inches away from her as she soliloquizes. Romeo has not been portrayed as one who would creep after someone. Being an impulsive individual, one would assume Romeo is more likely to run toward Juliet
First of all, there are many human factors that contribute to the struggle that is Romeo and Juliet’s romance. The largest factor would most likely be their feuding families. The fact that both Romeo and Juliet don’t want to disappoint their families causes them to have to sneak around in order to see each other. This is demonstrated in a quote spoken by Juliet, “It is, it is. Hie hence, begone, away!” (3.5.26). Juliet says this when she realizes it is morning. This shows how the two had to
Romeo and Juliet is a play about two lovers who have to risk their lives in order to demonstrate their love and will to stay together, regardless the feud between their families. By the end, the death of Romeo and Juliet finally bring the reconciliation to these two families. It is fate that the two most shall-not meet people fall in love and it love that eventually won against hatred. Since then, there have been many different versions of Romeo and Juliet, whether it was for film, stage, musicals. These different recontextualised adaptions change the original play by many ways, some modernise the language, environment, props as well as changing the original characteristics of some characters. Out of all the different adaptions of Romeo and Juliet, two stood out the most. One was the Romeo and Juliet (1996) and directed by Baz Luhrmann and the other one was Romeo and Juliet Broadway (2013) play version,
In Romeo and Juliet, it is clear that Shakespeare commonly embodies metaphors in his play to elaborate on Romeo’s love for Juliet. The use of metaphors invites the audience to develop a further understanding of the object comparing values of love. An example of a metaphor can be noticed in the balcony scene when Romeo claims that “Juliet is the sun”. When we analyse this quote we notice that Shakespeare is displaying the respect that Romeo offers to Juliet. The purpose of using this particular metaphor is to show that Juliet’s appearance will always be accepted in Romeo’s heart. When the sun is mentioned it is referred as Juliet being high in the sky; overlooking and invalidating all those beneath her control. This metaphor is referring to Juliet as being truly out of this world, Romeo’s world; conveying ideas of excitement and affection. When Juliet is compared to the sun, powerful messages are given off such as Juliet being forever existent, and forever the love of Romeo’s life; as the sun will never die out, meaning that Romeo will always have a desire towards the angelic figure in his life. To conclude, metaphors are one of the most common language techniques that Shakespeare incorporates into his highly successful play, Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare models metaphors to analyse the affection so we can determine how much love is present in Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. As a result, the messages founded by metaphors helps us connect to the jubilant, however, catastrophic
Romeo, son of Montague and Lady Montague, is introduced into the story as a depressed, upset young man, moping over a girl who will never love him back. As he says to Benvolio, “She’ll not be hit with Cupid’s arrow. She hath Dian’s wit, and, in strong proof of chastity well-armed, from Love’s weak childish bow she lives uncharmed” (Romeo and Juliet I i 203-206). Romeo states that his true love will not love him as he thinks of her, as she intends to stay chaste and turn into a nun, thus upsetting Romeo and putting him in a depressed state of mind. He is a very extreme person, and in a way, that contributes to the hastiness of the whole play, as Romeo is always at either of his two extremes; his mood either quite happy or relatively dismal. He shows that in his thoughts, as he is at first convinced he should never love another woman, but then he meets Juliet only days afterward and forgets about his previous love. His encounter with Juliet is hasty, but he claims he “never saw true beauty till this night” (Rom I v 52). Romeo reveals his personality, and how quickly he is able to get over someone whom he thought he was in love with. However, after encountering Juliet and falling in love once more, Romeo develops an obsession of sorts w...
When Romeo sees Juliet on her balcony, he is struck by her beauty and compares her radiance to the sun. In a soliloquy, as he is aware that Juliet does not hear him, he expresses love for her that outshines his love for Rosaline, the moon. Unlike the sun, the moon is cold and remote, symbolizing Rosaline’s
Juliet`s beauty instantaneously mesmerizes Romeo, which ultimately diminishes his previous affection for Rosaline. In this scene, impulsive behavior and decision- making are greatly portrayed. During Romeo and Juliet`s first encounter, he asks for a kiss “[my] lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready to stand, / To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” (I.v.95-96). On his initial reaction to seeing her, Romeo boldly approaches Juliet with the sudden desire to kiss her. Romeo`s coaxing portrays his persistent personality and the strong emotion he feels towards her to which is far beyond his control. Consequently, the overpowering feeling that has taken over Romeo, which causes him to ask for a kiss from someone he met moments ago. Ultimately, Romeo`s decision to ask for a kiss
Romeo and Juliet is about purity. That´s what Romeo and Juliet are, a story of two young teenagers, against odds, falling in love in an absolutely beautiful way. The 1996 version ruins this purity by having the two lovers die in front of each other. It takes away the feel of originality. The play didn't need extra drama, and neither should the movies. The story line involves, the non adulation of two rebellious youth who decided to fall into a perfect world. Their death is suppose to be a tragic tale, in which fate killed them. This story doesn't need the excess drama of Romeo and Juliet dying in each other's
Romeo can hear footsteps coming. Seeing that he is a wanted man, the logical thing to do would be to run and hide. Instead, Romeo refuses, complaining about his banishment. With his banishment, there is a chance he will see Juliet again, but if he is caught, he will hang for his crimes and have no hope of seeing his true love ever again. O my love, my wife, Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.
Romeo has an obsessive personality. The morning before he meets Juliet, he is obsessing on Rosaline. To see Rosaline, Romeo snuck into a Capulet’s party; once there, he meets Juliet and instantly he forgets his obsession of Rosaline, thinking Juliet is the most beautiful creature on earth. Friar Lawrence even acknowledges this when he states, “Young men’s love then lies / Not truly in their hearts but in their eyes” (II iii 67-68). Romeo’s affection is easily swayed from Rosaline to Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is a tragic love story about two young lovers who are forced to be estranged as a result of their feuding families. The play is about their struggle to contravene fate and create a future together. As such, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood would try and emulate Shakespeare’s masterpiece. This had been done before in many films. Prominent among them were, Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 “Romeo and Juliet” and Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 “William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.” Both films stay true to the themes of Shakespeare’s original play. However, the modernised Luhrmann film not only maintains the essence of Shakespeare’s writings, Luhrmann makes it relevant to a teenage audience. This is done through the renewal of props and costumes, the reconstruction of the prologue and the upgrading of the setting, whilst preserving the original Shakespearean language. Out of the two, it is Luhrmann who targets Romeo & Juliet to a younger audience to a much larger extent than Zeffirelli.
Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is a tragic love story about two young lovers who are forced to be estranged as a result of their feuding families. The play is about their struggle to contravene fate and create a future together. As such, it was only a matter of time before Hollywood would try to emulate Shakespeare’s masterpiece. This had been done before in many films. Prominent among them were, Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 “Romeo and Juliet” and Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 “William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet.” Both films stay true to the themes of Shakespeare’s original play. However, the modernised Luhrmann film not only maintains the essence of Shakespeare’s writings, Luhrmann makes it relevant to a teenage audience. This is done through upgrading of the setting, the renewal of props and costumes, the use of water symbolism and the reconstruction of the prologue, whilst preserving the original Shakespearean language. Out of the two, it is Luhrmann who targets Romeo & Juliet to a younger audience to a much larger extent than Zeffirelli.
These are both much more modern than the 1968 version. In both of these movies, the use of motor vehicles is included. At the beginning of the 2014 version, Romeo actually enters on a motorcycle. In the 1996 one, almost everyone in the movie rides in a car at some point. Now, when Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, he intended for it to take place sometime between the 1500s and 1800s.
However, in act two, scene two, the mood is altogether more optimistic and Shakespeare uses a lot of light imagery particularly when Romeo is describing Juliet. When he first sees her on the balcony, he compares her to the sun. This clearly conveys Romeo's passion for Juliet as the sun is a giver of life, a brilliant source of light and has connotations of happiness and cheer, which contrasts greatly with Romeo's previous melancholy. Furthermore, Romeo exclaims that Juliet's eyes and cheeks are 'bright and later call her a 'bright angel' which suggests the strength of his admiration for her - to him, she is more of a divine, or spiritual light; a beacon of hope.
‘Romeo and Juliet’ is a tragic play about two star crossed lovers written by Shakespeare in 1595. The play is a timeless teenage tradgedy. “The play champions the 16th Century belief that true love always strikes at first sight,” (Lamb 1993: Introduction) and even in modern times an audience still want to believe in such a thing as love at first sight. Act II Scene II the balcony scene displays that romantic notion perfectly.
William Shakespeare has provided some of the most brilliant plays to ever be performed on the stage. He is also the author of numerous sonnets and poems, but he is best known for his plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. In this essay I would like to discuss the play and movie, "Romeo and Juliet", and also the movie, Shakespeare in Love. The play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is set in the fictional city of Verona. Within the city lives two families, the Capulets and the Montegues, who have been feuding for generations.