Romeo and Juliet are more engaging to me than West Side Story because of the musical present in it. The music I think masks the real feeling and message Leonard Bernstein is trying to get across. I realise that this is an old film and it may have been engaging to my granddad, but now the true feeling behind the song is hard to distinguished, especially to a young modern audience. We as young people don’t have the attention span, or ability to concentrate for a long period of time anymore. The fact that in West Side Story the second meeting of Tony and Maria is in an old fire escape is unappealing because it is less romantic. I can see how it might engage a young modern audience, because to meet in an old fire escape is actually possible and therefore could appeal more romantic to other people because it is. The Romeo and Juliet balcony scene is more engaging because it is more romantic and easier to follow than the singing in West Side Story.
My first impression of Romeo (act 1 scene 1 line 155-168) is that he is over sensitive. When Romeo I stalking to Benvolio he says:
“Well, in that hit you miss: she’ll not be hit with cupids arrow, she has dians wit”
He has tried to win Juliet but she will not be tempted; she has a strong will. (Dians wit). This sounds like Romeo is feeling sorry for himself, wallowing in self-pity because Juliet won’t be tempted by his attempts. I don’t think Shakespeare intended to portray Romeo in this light, I think he was trying to make us sympathise with Romeo. This may have worked with an older generation because they have been though what Romeo is going though. On the other hand I think to a younger female audience Romeo looks like a person you could befriend, a shoulder to cry on. To the younger male audience Romeo looks weak for talking so openly about his feelings, but some may think Romeo is a “bigger man” for doing so and that they could trust him. This over sensitive attitude disengages me because Romeo should be more masculine, in that because he’s prepared to die for Juliet and this is a manly thing to do. Daz in “Daz for Zoë” on the other hand is a “bit of rough” a rebel perhaps. This hard man character is much more engaging than Romeo soft approach. This doesn’t just engage males. I can also see why some females would prefer Daz this, is because he is a bit rebellious and mysterious. Out of the two Romeo figures I still think the older Romeo is most engaging even though he has a soft approach. This seems to work well with a young modern audience as well as older ones because Shakespeare Is good at making us sympathise with Romeo. From when Romeo enters
(Line 152) to line 159 when Romeo says “out of her favour where I am in love” is portraying Romeo as a heart broken, little boy, who is upset about someone he has just seen, so hardly knows. This is also showing how maybe Romeo is not yet mature enough to realise what true love is, so when Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time through the fish tank in Baz Luhrmans production. The fish tank, separates the two lovers, but still allows their eyes to meet. This is a very mesmerising moment. The fish tank represents the fact that there is a barrier between them but it still cannot keep them apart. The fish tank also gave the atmosphere of peace just as you were under the sea and cut off from everyday life.
Juliet’s rebellious behaviour towards the arrange marriage with Paris in act 3 scenes 5 engages me because she transcends her time and place. An example of when Juliet does this is. “ I pray you tell me lord and father, madam, I will not marry yet, and when I do, I swear it shall be Romeo, whom you know I hate, rather than Paris. These are news indeed!” This really proves how much Juliet transcends her time and place by what she is saying, which is engaging to think that in that time women were forced to marry, because it wouldn’t happen today.
In that time it wasn’t unusual for the parents of the son/daughter, and the child was expected to go though with it. Juliet doesn’t and stands up for her self, this engages me because it went against everything that was considered normal in that period. Juliet engages me when she says, “love, lord, husband, friend” because the first two words are what was considered to be true in that time period to obey your husband and for the husband to be the lord. Also these words (husband and lord) are what Juliet’s parents and other people of that time thought to be most important. The last two “love and friend” are what we in modern times consider to be most important in relationships today. This also shows how and when Juliet transcends her time, place and audience.
In Act 4, Scene 3, the audience sees a different side to Juliet. The part that captivates and engages the audience most is where Juliet is explaining that if the bottle of poison doesn’t work then she will kill herself with the dagger rather than be married to Paris. I feel sympathetic towards Juliet and feel frustrated that Juliet has to kill herself to get people to listen and to realise that arranged marriages are wrong. Juliet doesn’t want to be with Paris, she wants to be with Romeo who she deeply adores.
Even though Juliet feels anxious towards the potion she is about to drink, she still drinks it. At this point, I am deeply engaged in what is happening to Juliet. I feel that this experience has made Juliet see life in a different way than she usually would. Juliet is becoming the lady she wants to be, she has control. When Juliet has the potion she is in control of what happens next and I think that control is what she wanted all along, because her parents had, had control over her all her life.
Overall, yes I do think the original Romeo and Juliet characters are still engaging to a young modern audience. This is also because Shakespeare has made them timeless in that some of what Romeo and Juliet do in the text is relevant and relates to modern life and experiences. Most young people have not yet experienced what it is like to fall in love or fell real love towards another person, and this intrigues, excites and therefore engages them further. Romeo and Juliet has been and will be the topic of many directors and writer for years to come. Even though so many writers and directors have used the basic Romeo and Juliet story, the original text has the most charm and feeling.
