Similarities Between Romeo And Juliet And West Side Story

     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 shared a secret, forbidden love, much like Tony and Maria’s. The Montagues and the Capulets- both sophisticated, wealthy families would have been driven mad to hear that their children had fallen in love, and had plans to marry secretly and run away together. The jets and sharks- two street gangs- would quite literally kill one another upon finding out about Tony and Maria’s short-lived romance. Neither of the groups wanted for the two to fall in love- whether it was because of a family hatred traced back for generations or because of a simple dispute over the street- their love way truly forbidden. When their love was discovered, there was a sense of betrayal, that by loving their enemies they were destroying their allies within their own groups. The gang members of West Side Story felt as if they had to get revenge for the death of their leader- and that led to more killing. Revenge became a common denominator in both

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare's plays about tragedy. It is about two lovers who commit suicide when their feuding famillies prevent them from being together. The play has many characters, each with its own role in keeping the plot line. Some characters have very little to do with the plot but some have the

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.

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.

In life, one of the most baffling motifs that presents itself is the feeling of love. Whether you take it when you have it or be scared and back away is up to you. However, when you decide to take it and embrace it freely, this is when is when people finally decide to open up and be their true self. In the play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, the author portrays a contrasting theme between how life and death relates with how dramatic their love can be.

The meshing of characters between Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Bernstein’s West Side Story formulate significant similarities between the two. In Romeo and Juliet the story of “Two households both alike in dignity,” (Montagues and Capulets) who have been feuding is parallel to the two gangs in West Side Story (Jets and Sharks). This grouping of loyalties keeps the segregation of the two groups at a dead lock, thus producing the tension that keeps the two lovers in each play (Romeo and Juliet, Tony and Maria) in the unattainable, intangible realm of their idealistic love. It is these two groupings that cause the star-crossed

Throughout the existence of humanity, there have been many notable authors whose works are studied and admired. From the works of Aristotle, all the way to Stephen King, many famous and skillful writers have wrote beloved masterpieces that people still love to this day. However, none may be as notable as William Shakespeare is, and The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is perhaps Shakespeare’s most admired, referenced, and beloved work. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is a fateful love story between two teens who are repelled away from each other due to a feud between their families, the story takes place in Verona, an Italian city. The story is centered around a feud between two families, the Montagues, Romeo’s family, and Capulets, Juliet’s family.

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written by Shakespeare around 1595. In the book the two main characters Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed lovers” who have a devastating ending of death inflicted on them by themselves after only being married for3 days. Although everyone plays a role, there are three main culprits for their tragic suicide.

Romeo and Juliet, one of William’s Shakespeare most famous classic works, is a heart-wrenching tale which is composed of passionate love and anger. It is a timeless piece of literature that has lasted to this century. The beautiful story is set in the remote town of Verona. This play recounts a tale of two star-crossed lovers, forbidden to pursue their inescapable love due to the long history of a violent family feud. Passion is strongly represented in Romeo and Juliet’s undying romance. As the story continues, passionate and uncontrolled anger is clearly expressed, fuelled by the noxious hatred of the family’s feud, intensifying as the plot progresses.

Romeo and Juliet is a play about two star-crossed teenage lovers. They are from opposing families; Romeo is a Montague and Juliet is a Capulet. They meet at a party at the home of the Capulet’s and fall in love at first sight. That night Romeo comes to Juliet’s balcony and he watches her for awhile. Finally, he calls out to her, and they talk, him on the ground her in her balcony. After talking they decide to get married. Romeo rushes off to make the arrangement for their wedding. Only days after the wedding Romeo is banished from Verona for the murder of Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, and only days after that Romeo and Juliet take their own lives. Romeo did first believing Juliet had died, however, she was only in a death-like sleep. She woke up and saw her beloved Romeo dead and stabbed herself with his dagger. Although they chose to take their own lives I believe Romeo’s friend Mercutio is most to blame for the two lovers deaths.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy that involves young lovers, their “untimely death,” and a feud between their two families. The Capulets and the Montagues war against each other. The feud continues to escalate and provides the background for the story of these “two star-crossed lovers.” This literary masterpiece is still relevant today since it involves parental ambition, family fighting, and young love.

Romeo and Juliet, a play written by William Shakespeare, tells the story of two young characters who marry in secret. Romeo and Juliet fall in love, despite being from two feuding families, and have the aid of only a few other characters. By the end of the tragedy, multiple characters die, including Romeo and Juliet. In the end, Prince Escalus declares that while they have all suffered, some will be punished but others will not. Many contributed to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, but only a few will be held accountable.

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.