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Romeo And Juliet 1968 And 1996 Comparison

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William Shakespeare’s famous romantic tragedy recounts the lives of two young fictional characters, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ who dare a brief love against their own opposing families, the Capulets and the Montagues. The two star-crossed lovers proceed to take their own lives, after believing their beloved has been condemned to death by fate. The play has been adapted into several different films, including the 1968 version directed by Franco Zeffirelli, and the 1996 version directed by Baz Luhrmann. Zeffirelli selected Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey to play the roles of Romeo and Juliet, while Luhrmann chose Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes to play the same roles respectively. The 1968 version was set in Verona Italy, in the 16th century, and …show more content…

This is used to capture Romeo’s raw emotions, as he slowly drags himself down the hallway, not wanting to face what lays before him. Romeo is wearing a modern outfit, as this relates to the modern style of the film, and is holding a gun in his right hand. This uses dramatic irony because the audience is aware that it will play a part in the death of Juliet. The lighting is dull, as it is set during the night, and the only source of light is the candles and crosses in the tomb. The scene is dark, to represent the tragic events that will unfold. Luhrmann uses dramatic irony by employing a series of close up shots of Juliet’s hands and face moving. This makes the scene more tragic, as the audience is aware that Juliet is not dead, and is anxious for her to wake up in time to stop Romeo from poising himself. In addition, Luhrmann uses a close-up shot of Juliet touching Romeo’s face, followed by his reaction, as he realises that he has made a mistake. This makes the scene more tragic, because we know that if Romeo waited even a few more seconds before consuming the poison, he would have realised that Juliet was alive, and would not have killed himself. Furthermore, it makes his death far more unpleasant, as Romeo realises the consequences of his actions, and dies with

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