This scene will be staged in 1920’s New York, America. The two parties will be gangs, one American, and the other immigrants from Italy. The American gang (Sharkies) will dislike the Italian gang (Stingers), the reason for the dislike is for the fact that America was an intolerant and racist country at the time. An American boy will fall in love with an Italian girl and vice versa. This is where the divided loyalties will come into it as they will both be falling in love with the enemy of their group (just as in Romeo and Juliet).
I will start off by giving you a brief introduction to the point of which I will be starting. The play starts off with a quarrel between the servants of both parties and then turns out into a fight, the fight is stopped by the prince (ion the case of the play I will be staging, the prince will be a sergeant) and both parties are cautioned of death if a public fight occurs again. Here you see the Montague servants (again, will be gang members) being loyal to there master after hearing Capulets party boasting. After which, Romeo, who comes out at night and stays In his room is confronted by Benvolio (fellow Montague) to see why he is sad, and he explains how he is in love with a girl who does not love him back, but this is only an infatuation as he only speaks of her beauty i.e. ‘What doth her beauty serve as a note.’ Benvolio tries to persuade him to forget about her and that the cure is to look out some other fine looking girls. Romeo refuses, again showing loyalty to his ‘so-called’ love. Here, at first, there will be dim lights, to express Romeo’s infatuation but gradually get lighter. This part will be quite slow though it is a short bit.
Later that day, by coincidence a servant appears asking them a question, and they find out a party is being held that evening, one that is of Capulets. Romeo reluctantly goes with Benvolio and Mercutio (friend) to the party, and he meets Juliet, daughter of Capulet, and falls in love. But Juliet father has plans of marrying Juliet off, which will cause problems. As this will be in daylight, there will be focused stage light and a background of the outside, and the characters will seem lively, with jokes trying to cheer Romeo up.
Essentially this is the main part of the scene that I will go into depth about love and loyalty. During the party, Romeo and Juliet talk to each other, learning near the end of the party which families they are from, and both feel regret towards each other as their families hate each other. Here, Romeo and Juliet are speaking a sonnet, which was extremely popular and favoured activity in Queen Elizabeth’s court, thus indicating to the audience how highly regarded they and the party are. Also when Romeo and Juliet were talking about and saints pilgrims, Romeo was like a pilgrim, showed their faith by making long journeys to the shrines of the holy land, and brought back palm leaves as proof. Juliet was like the shrine (saint), who both saint and palmer of equal respect (just as their families). So straight away they both fell in love with each other, and in Shakespeare’s time the audience could relate to this religious imagery (saints and pilgrims etc.) to Romeo and Juliet’s love, as these things were common in their time. This is where love and loyalty play a part, as they fall in love with each other, and are loyal to their love, as it is entrancing for them. Staging wise, I will put a spot light on the both of them while they are talking of their love, emphasising the importance of their love and loyalty at this crucial point.
Tybalt (Capulet) hears Romeo’s voice and recognises it immediately, he is angered and tries to start a fight but told not to by Capulet himself. Tybalt expresses blinded loyalty but never the less loyalty as he wants to chuck Romeo out, being the enemy, as he sees it as an insult ‘gate crashing’ the party. He displays when he tells Capulet ‘It fits when such a villain is a guest: I’ll not endure him.’ Capulet tells him not to, he does this out of fear of the prince carrying out the threat he made and also out of loyalty as the prince has a lot of control. During the party, the lights will be dim, and dance music will be played. This scene will be very lively in the scene there will be a crowd, and lots of things going on, apart from when Romeo and Juliet are talking.
