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Romeo and juliet west side story compare
Romeo and juliet west side story compare
Romeo and juliet west side story compare
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The archetypal tragedy of two star-crossed lovers, separated by familial hate, is a recurring theme, which never fails to capture the minds of the audience. It is only at great cost, through the death of the central characters that these feuding families finally find peace. This is an intriguing idea, one antithetical. I have chosen to analyze both Shakespeare 's Romeo and Juliet and Laurent 's West Side Story. The purpose of this essay is showing how the spoken language is utilized in these different plays to meet differing objectives. The chosen scenes to further aid comparison and contrast are the balcony scenes. Scene VI, West Side Story, finds Tony awaiting the appearance of his beloved, who is living in the apartment above him? Immediately …show more content…
Akin to Laurent 's play, Romeo and Juliet occurs at night. This illustrates the way Romeo and Juliet 's love exists in a world separate from the hatred of the feud, flourishing only at night, an allusion to the forbidden nature of their relationship. This rhetorical feature is only one of a large arsenal that Shakespeare utilizes to convey his story. Romeo begins his ritualistic display of affection in a grand manner, his language resplendent with beautiful imagery. At the open, there is little dialogue; Romeo must first woo his intended. This being achieved through antithetical couplets to highlight the differences between Juliet and everything inferior around her; 'Juliet is the sun...Kill the envious moon ', 'She speaks yet she says nothing ', are prime examples of this technique. This is also often assisted by; 'godly ' references that of 'heaven ' and that of the 'angel, ' to emphasize his rhetoric. Indeed, the rhyming verse adds a pleasant sound to the ear, to heighten the effect of Romeo 's words, a technique very much commonplace in that era of …show more content…
Wherefore art thou Romeo? ' conveyed through a rule of three repetition. Juliet attempts to create divergence between the Capulet name and herself, a reflection Tony similarly attempts. Indeed, she begins a discourse surrounding the nature of what makes a man, what makes a man a 'Montague, ' by asking rhetorical questions to the audience. Romeo responds; their conversation turns into turn taking. Juliet asks the question, Romeo responds; they have seemingly achieved convergence, neither linguistically dominating the other, and here their love unfolds; Juliet ever the realist combats Romeo 's hyperbole, to little avail. Romeo feels it were superior to that his life is 'ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. ' The display of affection ends, as forbidden love does, rather swiftly by the appearance of the Nurse, acting in a similar vein to that of Maria 's parents, but not before Romeo is called back and forth by Juliet, oscillating, on the stage before the audience. Such action creates tension, and heightens their love for one another, perfect physical cues replicated through the spoken word. Indeed, not only do they mirror one another, by running back and forth, but through their repetition of good night; they are unable to part from one another, and simply repeat what the other says, to stall they 're parting. Indeed, this
On the night of the lovers’ first encounter, Juliet, thinking she is alone, reveals her affection for Romeo on her balcony. When she realizes that he overhears her, she urges him to leave, concerned that her kinsmen would find Romeo, a Montague, and execute him. Completely dismissing Juliet’s practical insight, he responds, “Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye / Than twenty of their swords. Look thou but sweet, / And I am proof against their enmity” (2.2.76-78). In other words, he would rather be stabbed by twenty swords than be told that Juliet does not love him. As long as she returns his love, he claims he is invincible against any animosity or hatred. Romeo’s use of hyperboles emphasizes his illusory and unstable personality, which is directly contrasted with Juliet’s sensibility and reason, regardless of her younger age. After Romeo continues pouring his heart out, also in an exaggerated form, Juliet stops him; she wishes him to be genuine in expressing affection instead of overstating his feelings. However, in a later scene, the characters’ personalities switch. Before Romeo leaves for Mantua due to his banishment, the couple exchanges their last words. Juliet, hesitant to let go of her dearest husband, insists various times that the morning song belongs to that of the nightingale, not the lark. Knowing this is not true and that it is, in actuality, morning, Romeo
In the tragic play, Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, Kausse states that “two star-crossed teenagers find one another, fall madly in love and despite their well-thought-out plans, are destroyed by their parents hate as well as other forces beyond their control.” Kausse believes that the “parents hate” is the reason for the teens demise, but it’s actually because of love. Romeo and Juliet never thought through their plans, they were spontaneous. After reading “Romeo and Juliet, any meticulous reader can come to the conclusion that Romeo and Juliet can’t control their emotions. Situations arose and got the best of them.
The play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is about a tragic love story which ultimately causes the death of two star-crossed lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, from feuding families. Throughout the play, Shakespeare incorporates an abundance of figurative language to enhance his writing. This is evident in the famous “balcony” scene in Act 2, Scene 2 where Shakespeare uses metaphors to convey Romeo’s feelings towards Juliet, an analogy to give a better understanding of Romeo’s relationships, and imagery to create a visual atmosphere for the reader to see what Romeo sees in Juliet.
Then, she compares a flower to Romeo. The metaphor Shakespeare uses, comparing Romeo to "a rose" emphasizes the importance of Juliet's soliloquy. Shakespeare also uses a rhetorical question within the speech to further enhance how Juliet is feeling. Here, Juliet is in a vulnerable state where she is speaking to herself about the conflict. She desires to know why a person's name and outer identity matters when once you eliminate their name, the qualities of the person remain the same; just like how the scent of a rose would smell the same even after you stop calling it a rose. Juliet's rhetorical question dramatizes the fact that she is desperate for this forbidden love to work out. The readers learn that Juliet is more of an emotional and exaggerated character through her soliloquy; she does not want Romeo to see this side of her and wants to appear strong and brave on the surface. If Juliet had not met Romeo, she would not be able to understand the importance of love whether it is against her social identity or family honour. At this point, Juliet realizes that the family feud between the Capulets and the Montagues is
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Language of Literature. Ed. Arthur N. Applebee. Evanston: McDougal Littell, 2002. Print.
The Montague's and Capulets have been feuding for a significant amount of time before Romeo meets Juliet. They have been feuding such a great deal of time that they forget what the feud is about. After a conversation and a kiss with Romeo, the Nurse tells Juliet that Romeo is part of the Montague house. Juliet says, "My only love sprung from my only hate!/Too early see unknown, and known too late!/Prodigious both of love it is to me/That I must love a loathed enemy." (I.V. 152-155) Later, Romeo meets Juliet at the Capulet house outside her bedroom balcony. Romeo says, "O, speak again bright angel, for thou art/As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,/ As is a winged messenger of heaven." (II. II. 29-31) Romeo has a true unbreakable love for Juliet. He thinks of her as a messenger from
The plot of Romeo and Juliet is familiar and widely known; a pair of star-crossed lovers discovers that they are a part of feuding families, fate is against them, and they die tragic and preventable deaths. Yet, it is still widely read, studied, and re-read because of Shakespeare’s powerful execution of such a story and because of the famous ending. Shakespeare departs from convention through his use of the Shakespearean sonnet, monologues, and soliloquies to give the play a three-dimensional effect.
To Romeo, Juliet is the sun rising from the east, and to Juliet, Romeo is the ‘day in night’, and when they rise to love’s trance, each pictures the other as stars in heaven, shedding such brightness as puts to shame the heavenly bodies themselves. The intensity of feeling in both lovers transforms them into the exquisite and passionate expression of lover’s rhapsody. “What if her eyes were there, they in her head?” “The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars/As daylight doth a lamp” displays the clever language choice of Shakespeare in Romeo’s dialogue as he illustrates that two of the fairest stars in heaven, having some business on earth, have entreated Juliet’s eyes to take their place till they return. Light is also demonstrated in Romeo’s immortal expression of the transforming glory of love, “her eyes in heaven/Would that the airy region stream so bright/That birds would sing and think it
In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare introduces two lovers that are drawn to each other immediately. Although he demonstrates that Romeo and Juliet are not the only influences of their problems, their actions and decisions also contribute to their predicaments’. These complications arise from the feud created from generations before as their families aren’t speaking. Also, the fate and foreshadowing carried out through play. But additionally, as these two young adults are inexperienced and think quickly about their actions.
Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story share many similar themes. Romeo and Juliet both chronicle a story of overcoming prejudice and hatred, forbidden love, and defying stereotypes that nobody thought could be broken. The two stories are similar in a multitude of ways, even though their settings are centuries apart- Romeo and Juliet set in the 1500’s, and West Side Story set in the 1950’s. Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story both teach a lesson of how prejudice can teach you how to hate, and how one of your rivals may be the one who helps you remember how to love.
Lady Montague has a strong love for her son Romeo. She cares about his safety. Her Juliet’s love for Romeo is so strong it causes a negative effect on the both their family's’ lives because of their death. Later Montague says, “My wife is dead tonight grief of my sons exile has stopped her breath” (5.3.214). The love she shows by dying of a broken heart shows a tremendous love for her son even though Romeo is not dead at the point of her death. She can not live without the love she receives from her son Romeo. The nurse and Juliet’s love for Tybalt shows a major negative effect on Juliet’s life. The Nurse is so distraught and does not realize Juliet is asking about Romeo, when she talks about the death of Tybalt: “O Tybalt, tybalt, the best friend I had.../ that I should see thee dead” (3.2.61-63). She is so overwhelmed over Tybalt she does not see Juliet’s feelings. Juliet loves Tybalt and Romeo equally she can not decide who to take the side of. Montague and Capulet have an unconditional love for their only children. They both care about who they love and marry. They honor Romeo and Juliet in a very special way: “For I will raise her a statue of pure gold.../ there shall no figure at such a rate be/ set as that of the true and faithful Juliet” (5.3.303-305). Even though Juliet was married behind his back her father sees the good of her by staying faithful to Romeo. Romeo’s father sees the
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.
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a play involving two star-crossed lovers whose family feud will not allow them to be together in Verona, Italy. In the play, the Capulets and the Montagues have been engaged in a feud for many generations that has resulted in them despising each other. One day, though, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet meet at a party and fall instantly in love. They soon get married without their parents’ knowledge but because Romeo has been banished from Verona, Juliet fakes her death in order to escape and live happily ever after though. Tragically, Romeo does not receive news of this plan in time and kills himself upon finding out that Juliet passed away. Juliet then awakens to find a dead Romeo and commits suicide as well. In the end, the deaths of the two lovers bring an end to the long-standing rivalry between the families. Friar Lawrence, the town’s spiritual leader, bears the most guilt for the kismets of the characters in Romeo and Juliet because he married the two lovers despite the fact that is has been forbidden and he assisted in the faking of Juliet’s death.
Love is a very passionate and powerful emotion that can unite and conquer several generations of hate. William Shakespeare’s play, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is set the 14th century in Verona, Italy. It is centred on the important conflict between two families, the Capulets and the Montagues. The play focuses moreso on the romantic relationship between the heirs of the feuding families, Romeo of the Montague house and Juliet of the Capulet House, and flow on effects of the conflict on both families. The conflict can be shown at three different key stages in the play, at the beginning, near the middle and at end. The two lovers, one from each family, commit suicide after becoming entangled in this conflict. It is only after the deaths of their kin do
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.