William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay - 1690 Words

William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Although the story of Romeo and Juliet is over 500 years old, it is as relevant and appealing today as it was when first performed. Although dated, the story of Romeo and Juliet still holds great appeal and relevance to today’s society, despite the differences in morals and values between William Shakespeare’s audience 500 years ago, and Baz Luhrmann’s audience today. The arising issues of order and authority, fate and love entertain/ed and appeals/ed to both viewers in different ways. Shakespeare’s original play, Romeo and Juliet reflected the important Elizabethan concerns in relation to authority, law and order, making it relevant to the audiences’ morals and values of the time, as well†¦show more content†¦The general perspective of society is represented throughout the film by panoramic shots of the city of Verona, involving violent, hectic scenes such as police raids, gun fights, speeding cars and other generally violent actions. The scenes are quick and vivid; the sequencing constantly changing and moving quickly. The violence seen is similar to the play in that it is a vital role in the morals of the plot. The panoramic shots of the city also reveal the giant religious statue of Jesus, in the centre of the city. The statue of Jesus is first seen in the opening scene, which introduces the two family households and major business owners, Montague and Capulet: the background is a panoramic shot of two large skyscrapers separated by the statue, with the foreground of two photographs of Old Montague and Old Capulet, also separated by the statue. This paves the way for continuous religious references during the film. The large skyscrapers representing Montague and Capulet businesses are symbols of wealth and power. The audience is introduced to the hatred between the two families and the statue is seen as a barrier protecting from violence and hatred. The violence is then continued when the film introduces the Montague and Capulet boys in the ‘garage’ scene. Luhrmann uses the audiences’ assumed knowledge of society to create moods about the characters. He uses preset genres created and assumed withShow MoreRelated William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet1869 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet In Romeo and Juliet, love is depicted in several ways. Both Luhrman and Shakespeare represent love in different ways in different contexts to both the Elizabethan era and the contemporary audience. Both the original and later manifestations of the text are valued because they both communicate to the audience on the values of love and society by employing a variety of devices. The central subject dealt within Romeo and Juliet is the subject of love.Read MoreWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet558 Words   |  2 PagesWilliam Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragic story of two young lovers whose lives are cut short due to the rivalry of their families, the Capulets and the Montagues. The family feud has been present for decades but once Romeo and Juliet meet they are instantaneously in love. Love at first sight some would say. But could love at first sight really be the case? No it could not. There are many things that serve to prove Romeo and Juliet were not in love. At the beginning of the play Romeo isRead MoreGender In Romeo, Juliet And William Shakespeares Romeo And Juliet1500 Words   |  6 Pagesof masculinity; the ability to act boldly and with purpose. Both directors draw upon the themes of gender to tell their stories subtly and effectively. 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So far, two lovers Romeo and Juliet agree to be marriedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay809 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet is a play based mainly around the theme of love. This theme is good for building a play around because if there is love then you can have hate to contrast it, and many other emotions can be brought in. Love also makes the story interesting to an audience of Shakespeares time; also to audiences of more modern timesRead More Responsibility for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet1449 Words   |  6 Pages Taking Responsibility for the Deaths of Romeo and Juliet in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet, the star crossed lovers, the perfect sadly losing there lives for their great love of each other. The tragic death has many characters to blame, but it is impossible to pinpoint the full responsibility on one individual character. Many of the characters in Romeo and Juliet blame each other, for example, the Prince blames the two families and feud forRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Romeo And Juliet Essay1296 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Romeo And Juliet Shakespeares most famous tragedy is probably the tale of Romeo and Juliet. The immortal tale of two star-crossd lovers destined to an early demise, originated in Italian folklore. Shakespeares prologue is possibly the most insightful piece of the play regarding their death and the explanation of it. The ancient grudge immediately sets the ominous tone of the play. This allows the audience to understand that their deathRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay1768 Words   |  8 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Although William Shakespeare wrote the story of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in the 1500s, the themes depicted in the play had been around for centuries. It was a classic tragic love story. William Shakespeare needed his story to appeal and be accessible to as many people as possible. The main problem was that many people at the time could not read, therefore producing a book was pointless. So he decided to write the story of ‘Romeo andRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay602 Words   |  3 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† is a romantic tragedy written by William Shakespeare in 1595, which is over 400 years ago. Romeo and Juliet are â€Å"two star-crossed lovers†, who fell in love at first sight and struggle through circumstances, which ends with their death. There are some characters that are to blame for their deaths and some more than others. The Montagues are someway to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet becauseRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Essay1016 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Act One Scene Five is such an important scene because its the first time that the two lovers, Romeo and Juliet meet. When they see each other for the first time, they fall in love straight away and is the start of the main point of the play. When Romeo sees Juliet for the first time he makes two comments about how pretty she is O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! and I neer saw true beauty till this night, and he