The environment surrounding the star-crossed lovers in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet can influence audiences who may interpret the scenes in different ways. The audience can be greatly affected in their interpretation of the story by the mise-en-scene, costuming, and the hidden symbolic meaning. This great piece of literature was edited in two unique and intriguing forms, one Zeferelli directed which was filmed in 1968, and the modern version produced in 1996. The different scenes throughout the length of the party were the most influential to me in that I saw how different these movies were directed, and the different meaning I experienced from watching these movies. Focusing on the environment of the scenes and the costuming helped me in my interpretation, because I found hidden symbolism from these two qualities.
In the 1996 film version of Romeo and Juliet, the interior and exterior designing of the palace helped create certain symbolism. An exhilarating explosion of fireworks in the sky helped recapture an intense party scene. Beautiful colors were reflected throughout the scene. These different rays of colors were reflected in the faces of the actors and actresses. Music was also used to intensify this scene. The song "Young Hearts Run Free" was appropriate, because it produced an irony of how Romeo and Juliet would meet that night. The exterior of the Capulet's palace was intensified by red banners that hung down from the windows. White lights which strung along the palm trees showed an elegance. The interior designing of the house focused on an enormous staircase, and in the background the walls were painted red. The frames hung on the wall were outlined with gold trim, and there were two unusual gold statues by the staircase, that were half man and half fish.
The director's choice of lighting and music helped to create an actual party scene with the liveliness it brought. The explosion of fireworks in the sky could have been interpreted as an explosion of lust that would occur later on between Romeo and Juliet. Also I found that the use of fireworks in the sky emphasized the stars, and Romeo and Juliet were star crossed lovers of their time. The coloring of reds and gold helped make the Capulet house outstanding and showed the audience royalty and richness. The statues that were on each side of the staircase representing half man and half fish were showing the controversy of how a man is torn from being masculine, to being put in the direction of femininity or romanticism.
...eter, Richard C. “Death Penalty Information Center” A Crisis of Confidence: Americans’ Doubts about the Death Penalty. 2007. 1-30 Print.
Koch, L.W., Wark, C., Galliher, J.F. (2012). The death of the American death penalty. Lebanon, NH: Northeastern University Press.
There are over sixty offenses in the United States of America that can be punishable by receiving the death penalty (What is..., 1). However, many individuals believe that the death penalty is an inadequate source of punishment for any crime no matter how severe it is. The fact remains, however, that the death penalty is one of the most ideal forms of punishment. There are other individuals who agree with the idea that capital punishment is the best form of punishment. In fact, some of these individuals believe that this should be the only form of punishment.
“The case Against the Death Penalty.” aclu.org. American Civil Liberties Union, 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2013
One of the most celebrated plays in history, “Romeo and Juliet”, was written by William Shakespeare in the late 16th century. It is a story about two lovers that have to meet in secret because of an ongoing family feud. Tragically, because of their forbidden love Romeo and Juliet take their lives so they can be together. In 1997, a movie was adapted from the play “Romeo and Juliet”, directed by Baz Lurhmann. However, as alike as the movie and the play are, they are also relatively different.
Lewis, Neil A. “Death Sentences Decline, And Experts Offer Reasons.” The New York Times, Late Edition. New York, New York: Dec. 15, 2006. Print.
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.
Analysis of the First Scene of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is a famous play writer from the 1500’s. Most of
Since the 13 colonies were first established in America, the death penalty has been the main form of capital punishment as a firmly deep-rooted institution in the United States. Today, one of the most debated issues in the criminal justice system is the issue of capital punishment. While receiving disapproving viewpoints as those who oppose the death penalty find moral fault in capital punishment, the death penalty has taken a very different course in America while continuing to further advancements in the justice system since the start of the new millennium. While eliminating overcrowding in state jails, the death penalty has managed to save tax payers dollars as well as deteriorate crime and apprehend criminals.
The death penalty continues to be an issue of controversy and is an issue that will be debated in the United States for many years to come. According to Hugo A. Bedau, the writer of “The Death Penalty in America”, capital punishment is the lawful infliction of the death penalty. The death penalty has been used since ancient times for a variety of offenses. The Bible says that death should be done to anyone who commits murder, larceny, rapes, and burglary. It appears that public debate on the death penalty has changed over the years and is still changing, but there are still some out there who are for the death penalty and will continue to believe that it’s a good punishment. I always hear a lot of people say “an eye for an eye.” Most people feel strongly that if a criminal took the life of another, their’s should be taken away as well, and I don’t see how the death penalty could deter anyone from committing crimes if your going to do the crime then at that moment your not thinking about being on death role. I don’t think they should be put to death they should just sit in a cell for the rest of their life and think about how they destroy other families. A change in views and attitudes about the death penalty are likely attributed to results from social science research. The changes suggest a gradual movement toward the eventual abolition of capital punishment in America (Radelet and Borg, 2000).
It is Act I Scene V in the play and Shakespeare starts it with the servant’s talking and welcoming the guests. This part is completely cut out in the adaptation, it is substituted with dances and Mercutio singing. The substitution wasn’t a loss, in fact it brought more action to the film and introduced character’s costumes. This part is also shown from Romeo’s point of view. The characters is one thing that really gives the director a credit. He made them all really interesting. On the costume feast the costumes symbolically represent the inner worlds of the characters. Lord and Lady Capulet thinking of themselves as the supreme dressed up as Caesar and Cleopatra respectively, Benvolio and his friends are shown as barbarians, not seeing anything around himself Paris wearing a space suit and Tybalt is shown as a devil. Romeo dressed as a knight in shining armor, whom each girl waits for. Leonardo Di Caprio played Romeo as no other actor could, he fully represented the image of Shakespeare’s Romeo. Juliet dresses as light angel as she is. Juliet played by Claire Danes and she is symbol of love. Sweet, young Juliet is not a perfect beauty, she is the girl-next-door. Shakespeare’s Juliet is young and not looking for love, and Lhurmann’s Juliet is romantic, dreamy, innocent, not capable of hypocrisy and betrayal. Mercutio dressed up as a diva from cabaret. The director was able to make this character really interesting. Drugs and indifference help him to hide from the outside world very well. The way he dressed up for the party is another symbol of modernism. High heels, make-up, diva’s wig help make him a great example of a showman of the twentieth century. And the thing that he dressed as a woman not just shows how much fun Mercutio is, but also that he hasn’t come to terms with his sexuality
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.
Zombie, gang, and rival family movies all seem as if they are not similar in the least but, one common characteristic links them all together, a main character who fell in love with someone she is not meant to be with. This common bond originates from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in which, Juliet serves as the inspiration for the main character in many modern day works. The idea of a young girl falling madly in love with someone whom she is forbidden to associate with is not only appealing but, it is versatile and easily adaptable. Altered versions of Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet include Warm Bodies, West Side Story, and Baz Luhrmann’s modernized Romeo and Juliet all in which portray Juliet in many different fashions. Her character is not only popular in movies but, also in many songs, television shows, and spin-off plays. Juliet is an extremely recognizable and versatile character who is portrayed in numerous ways in many contemporary works.
The death penalty has always been and continues to be a very controversial issue. People on both sides of the issue argue endlessly to gain further support for their movements. While opponents of capital punishment are quick to point out that the United States remains one of the few Western countries that continue to support the death penalty, Americans are also more likely to encounter violent crime than citizens of other countries (Brownlee 31). Justice mandates that criminals receive what they deserve. The punishment must fit the crime. If a burglar deserves imprisonment, then a murderer deserves death (Winters 168). The death penalty is necessary and the only punishment suitable for those convicted of capital offenses. Seventy-five percent of Americans support the death penalty, according to Turner, because it provides a deterrent to some would-be murderers and it also provides for moral and legal justice (83). "Deterrence is a theory: It asks what the effects are of a punishment (does it reduce the crime rate?) and makes testable predictions (punishment reduces the crime rate compared to what it would be without the credible threat of punishment)", (Van Den Haag 29). The deterrent effect of any punishment depends on how quickly the punishment is applied (Workshop 16). Executions are so rare and delayed for so long in comparison th the number of capitol offenses committed that statistical correlations cannot be expected (Winters 104). The number of potential murders that are deterred by the threat of a death penalty may never be known, just as it may never be known how many lives are saved with it. However, it is known that the death penalty does definitely deter those who are executed. Life in prison without the possibility of parole is the alternative to execution presented by those that consider words to be equal to reality. Nothing prevents the people sentenced in this way from being paroled under later laws or later court rulings. Furthermore, nothing prevents them from escaping or killing again while in prison. After all, if they have already received the maximum sentence available, they have nothing to lose. For example, in 1972 the U.S. Supreme Court banished the death penalty. Like other states, Texas commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment. After being r...
The death penalty has been an ongoing debate for many years. Each side of the issue presents valid arguments to explain why someone should be either for or against the subject. One side of the argument says deterrence, the other side says there’s a likelihood of putting to death an innocent man; one says justice, retribution, and punishment; the other side says execution is murder itself. Crime is an unmistakable part of our society, and it is safe to say that everyone would concur that something must be done about it. The majority of people know the risk of crime to their lives, but the subject lies in the techniques and actions in which it should be dealt with. As the past tells us, capital punishment, whose meaning is “the use of death as a legally sanctioned punishment,” is a suitable and proficient means of deterring crime. Today, the death penalty resides as an effective method of punishment for murder and other atrocious crimes.