Adaptation of Act 1, Scene 5 from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in Modern Cinema

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Adaptation of Act 1, Scene 5 from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in Modern Cinema The play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was written by William Shakespeare over 400 years ago and is still a popular story in modern times. It’s a Shakespeare tragedy with all the usual characteristics such as love, hate and death. It tells the story of two young people who fall in love at first sight, only to find that their families are sworn enemies! There is great conflict between both families and the young lovers – from separate families, have to hide their relationship from their parents. This story works in a modern film because it is still something that happens in society today, and is often the theme of popular soaps such as “Eastenders” and “Coronation Street”. In the Lurhmann production, Leonardo de Caprio and Claire Danes star as the ‘star-crossed’ lovers. The story has all the ingredients to make a modern blockbuster. For example, in Baz Lurhmann’s version, he uses guns, car chases, lights, music and the fast delivery of Shakespeare’s text to create a best selling movie. The play opens with a fight between servants belonging to the Capulets and the Montagues. Romeo is not involved because he is lovesick over Rosaline, a relation of Capulet. Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin, tries to talk Romeo out of sneaking into the ball. But when their friend Mercutio says he can get them into the Capulets ball, masked. Romeo sees this as a chance to see Rosaline. Act 1 scene 5 is very important in the play because it is when Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. Lord Capulet has prepared his house for a party. ‘More light, you knave, and turn the tables up, quench the fire….’ Shakespeare has to have his character speak about this because of the lack of scenery in Elizabethan theatre. Plays were performed in the afternoon because there was no false lighting available so that’s why his characters had to talk about the lighting. This is very different in the film because the producer uses bright

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