The text Romeo and Juliet by William Shakspheres and the text West Side Story by Arther Laurents deal with the main themes of love and violence. The two stories are similar in a multitude of ways, even though their settings are centuries apart. The authors explore family, friendship and hate. Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story both teach a lesson of how prejudice and conflict can teach you how to hate, and how one of your rivals may be the one who helps you remember how to love. Romeo acts suddenly when he decides he wants to marry Juliet after only a few hours of meeting. Romeo and Juliet are from different families which are both on a rival conflict with each other, Romeo and Juliet are not allowed to be together due to the conflict between their families, however it doesn’t stop them from falling in love. Romeo and Juliet decides to get secretly married with the help of Friar Lawrence. This can be seen when Juliet say’s “If he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding grave.” This is evidence to Juliet being afraid to marry Romeo as they are both on families who are currently in conflict. Romeo and Juliet show similar themes to West Side Story. …show more content…
West Side Story, is a story that involves love and conflict. The main characters are Tony and Maria, who are both from different gangs and cultures. Tony and Maria are not allowed to be together however when they first met they were blinded by lust. An example shows when Tony says Maria’s name like he hasn’t heard it before,
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story both have a lot in common as well as major differences that set them apart. Although West Side Story is a direct rendition of Shakespeare's original play, many of the themes and symbols are altered to fit the modern perspective. The characters have a direct correlation to each other, yet racial issues give them a new light. Many of the events also reflect each other, yet small differences give them uniqueness. West Side Story differs from Romeo and Juliet in characterizations, plot sequences, and themes.
The film and play Romeo and Juliet has a similar story line to West Side Story. However this story is based in Verona, Italy and the rivals are not gangs but families, the Capilates
Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story are both iconic, enjoyable stories that most people have heard of. Romeo and Juliet was written much earlier than West Side Story was, however it was still based on older Italian stories. These stories can teach us a lot about our daily lives and how we live them. In order to do this though, we have to make other comparisons throughout the story first. So, let’s dive in and analyze the differences between the stories, their origins, and their authors.
West Side Story has been repeatedly produced into remarkable performances over the past few decades. It recites a tragic story of Tony and Maria, who fall madly in love and struggle to stay together due their backgrounds. The protagonist, Tony is the ex-leader of the mischievous and trouble-causing New Yorker gang, the jets. While Maria is the beloved sister of Bernardo, who leads the Puerto Rican gang, called the Sharks. Naturally, both parties are strongly opposed to the idea of Maria and Tony being together. As allies turn into enemies, and rumbles turn into fatal fights, the lovers strive towards a peaceful future.
Love is a universal truth that is portrayed similarly in both Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story. Two members of warring groups fall in love. Love is something that we can all relate to in one way or another and it will never change over time. In Romeo and Juliet both Romeo and Juliet have such a strong love for each other that they both commit suicide when the other dies. In West Side Story, Tony and Maria talk of running away and they have such a strong love that they believe that they can end the hatred with their love.
Although the discrepancies between Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story are too frequent to categorize in such limited space, it is impossible for anyone familiar with both texts to not notice the obvious similarities between the two works ("Theme"). From the opening scenes in both, up through the rumble in West Side Story/death of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, the plays mirror each other (Poelstra). It isn't until the last part of West Side Story, where Tony (our modern-day Romeo) dies and Maria (Tony's Juliet) doesn't (unlike the two star-crossed lovers of Shakespeare's work, both of whom perish), that the major difference between the two works becomes apparent.
West Side Story maintains Romeo and Juliet’s intricate and exciting plot using appropriate adaptations to accommodate mid-twentieth-century pop culture. For instance, both artistic forms portray mutual disrespect between the parties. At the dawn of Romeo and Juliet, Capulet’s cohorts harass Montague’s. "I will bite my thumb at them; which is a disgrace to them, if they bear it," boasts Sampson (1.1.42-43). In the opening scene of West Side Story, several members of a Puerto Rican gang insult A-rab, a member of the opposing gang. It is here where Lieutenant Schrank becomes aware of the potential rumble.
Since the beginning of time people have been intrigued by the story of “two star-crossed lovers”, those who long to be together but never can. Such is the case of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and the collaboration work, West Side Story. The purpose of this paper is to show the similarities and differences between these two tragic love stories.
A Comparison of Scenes From West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet Cinematography The scene before the meeting scene in West Side Story Maria spins around in her dress the camera then carries on spinning which creates a colourful blurred effect on the screen. The effect makes her look like she is almost spinning into the next scene. When Tony and Maria meet, all the other characters that were dancing, slow down and fade behind Tony and Maria. The room becomes dark and there is a spotlight on Maria and Tony.
In an act of trying to seal her fate, the Capulet’s arrange for Juliet to marry Paris. Paris is a wealthy man of the upper class, and by Juliet being united to him, she will be able to maintain her upscale status. With marrying a man of high class, Juliet can continue to bring honor to her family name. The rift between Juliet and her parents widens when they force her to marry Paris. The ultimatum given by Capulet shows his dominance and his demand for obedience, “Hang thee, young baggage, disobedient wretch!/I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday,/Or never after look me in the face.” (III.v.161-163). This final proposition spikes Juliet’s resentment to her parents to grow stronger. Despite the expectations set on Juliet’s shoulders, she defies her parent’s wishes by getting married to Romeo without their knowledge. West Side Story resembles the same circumstance when Bernardo forces Maria to go to the dance with Chino, a member of the Shark’s gang. Both these occurrences are important to the plot of the story because instead of being swayed by authoritative figures, these young lovers continue to fight for their passion. The families in both tragedies pursue what they believe will be best for their young, even if they are not present to see it be
In life love can seem awfully hard to find, but the tragic heroes in Romeo & Juliet and West Side Story always seem to find love in the wrong places. Yes they do find love, but the two stories have many differences from each other that impact the whole outcome. West Side Story, directed by Jerome Robbins, sets itself apart from Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare through racial tensions, settings, and tragic hero differences.
Lastly, the plot of the two stories are greatly different. This again is also in order for the target audiences to better understand. The plot of the West Side Story is much more complex than that of the Gnomeo and Juliet, In the plot of the West Side Story we see death, Violence and loveloss. These are all components that make a a novel appealing to a more mature audience. These are ideas that are advanced beyond what most children can comprehend but this is also the same thing that makes the novel so effective to carrying a message to a older audience.
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.
Many modern day writers expand upon a previous writers ideas to make it more meaningful to a modern day audience. The historical story of Romeo and Juliet set in the 14th century in Verona, Italy, tells the tragic story of two star crossed lovers. It was written by William Shakespeare and published in 1596. A modern remake of this story is the movie West Side Story, set in 1950’s in Manhattan. It tells the story of two rival gangs members falling in love.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a tragic love story. The story concerns the love between two young people, Romeo and Juliet. This is set against a feud between their two families: the Montagues and the Capulets. This feud develops the themes of conflict, deception and dignity in the play. The play includes a lot of themes, love, family, hate, deception and revenge.