Romeo and Juliet: A Text to Film Comparison

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Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has been modified numerous times and has been a source of inspiration for many playwrights and directors. Franco Zeffirelli and Baz Luhrmann are examples of directors that use Shakespeare’s legendary tragedy as a basis for their films.

In the Franco Zeffirelli version of Romeo and Juliet, produced in 1968, the setting is accurate to the times of when William Shakespeare wrote the play. In the last act of the film a few differences arose. In Zeffirelli’s production Romeo does not request a letter telling of Juliet’s well-being from his friend Balthasar, whereas he did so in the play. This letter was to be given by Friar John, who is not mentioned in the 1968 film. In act 5 scene 3 Paris was laying flowers by Juliet’s tomb. Romeo then comes and kills Paris and his page. Both of these details were edited out in Zeffirelli’s version. Lady Montague was alive at the funeral in Zeffirelli’s film. William Shakespeare told of her dying from the stress of knowing her son is dead in his famous play.

Baz Luhrmann took a modern approach Romeo and Juliet. A myriad of differences were presented in his 1996 film. For instance, all characters were given names, such a Ted Capulet instead of just Capulet and Dave Paris as an alternative for Paris. The feud between the two families was not so much because of the “ancient grudge “but because of the families’ rival businesses. Also, when Juliet, played by Claire Danes, takes the potion to make her give the impression that she is dead she had thoughts that it would actually kill her or that it would not work, and was imagining that her dead cousin Tybalt was with her in her bedroom. In the movie she did not have the hallucinations and took the potion without a single...

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...e tragic celebration of young, forbidden love told by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, has been tailored for many motion picture adaptations. The most famous of these adaptations are Franco Zeffirelli’s version and Baz Lurhmann’s film produced in 1996. These two films applied Shakespeare’s most well-known work as a basis for their motion pictures. Both films had similarities, but the differences were much more apparent. Ever since William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has been debuted, it has and forever will be an artistic influence for playwrights, directors, and other artists.

Works Cited

Romeo + Juliet. Dir. Baz Lurhmann. Perf. Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, John Leguizamo, Etc. Paramount Pictures, 1968. Film.

Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Franco Zeffirelli. Perf. Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, John McEnery, Etc. Twentieth Century Fox, 1996. Film.

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