HOW SUCCESFUL DOES BAZ LUHRMANN PRESENT SHAKESPEARES' 400 YEAR OLD PLAY TO A MODERN FILM AUDIENCE? FOCUS ON THE PROLOGUE AND ACT 1 SCENE 1.

Authors Avatar

FUNMI EBOREIME 11CJM

ENGLISH COURSEWORK

ROMEO AND JULIET

HOW SUCCESFUL DOES BAZ LUHRMANN PRESENT SHAKESPEARES’ 400 YEAR OLD PLAY TO A MODERN FILM AUDIENCE? FOCUS ON THE PROLOGUE AND ACT 1 SCENE 1.

        In this essay, I will be comparing the way the 400 years old William Shakespeare’s film Romeo and Juliet was transformed by Baz luharmann for the understanding of the modern audience.

        Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare 400 years ago. In the past plays were acted in the theatre. The plays were totally different from the way they are now. The theatre had a stage where the play was to be acted; this had an entrance and an exit. There was no lighting and no scenery; there was also a balcony on the first floor where some scenes were acted. Below the stage was where the audience stood to watch the play. There were also two galleries. At the top of the building there was a flag to show there was a play in progress. This is a sign for the illiterate population, who couldn’t read notices.

        A Prologue is a piece of useful information before a play or story is acted. It tells us what we are supposed to expect. In Shakespeare’s time the narrator would have come out before the play started to deliver the prologue to the audience. This is very important as there is no form of scenery or lighting to describe the location or what is happening. Hence, the audience have to be attentive and listen to everything that is said in the play. This can be illustrated in this quotation ‘In fair Verona, where we lay our scene’. This is a typical statement a narrator will say when delivering the Prologue to inform the audience where the play is taking place.

Join now!

        Baz Luhrmann’s film has a totally different way of presenting the prologue. In this present day we have newscasters who give us information about what is happening internally and externally. This is the device Baz Luhrmann’s uses. The film starts with a television set and a newscaster reading the news. This is the way the prologue is first presented. She talks about the setting ‘in fair Verona, where we lay our scene’, she talks about the main story and characters in this quotation ‘two households both alike in dignity’ and she also says short statements which are a brief summary ...

This is a preview of the whole essay