Compare the presentation of Romeo in the play with the same character in the 1996 adaption

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Compare the presentation of your chosen character in the play with the presentation of the same character in an adaptation of the play. (Romeo’s Character)

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy exploring the themes of love, loyalty and animosity revolving around two main characters Romeo, from the Montague family and Juliet, from the Capulet family.  In the play, Shakespeare uses many poetic techniques to present the different stages of all these themes and to widen the audience’s perception of the main characters themselves. There have been many different versions of the play; however this essay will focus particularly on Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film adaptation and compare the characterisation of Romeo with the same character in the original play.          

In Act 1 Scene 5 of the play, Romeo attends a masquerade ball held by the Capulet family. He is represented as being ‘love struck’ and a hopeless romantic during his first glimpse of Juliet. The phrase ‘Beauty too rich for use, for Earth too dear:’ demonstrates that he believes she is too good for the Earth itself and ought to be in heaven with the angels. Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter to make the phrase flow together and also a rhyming scheme to show that Romeo is from a well-educated and aristocratic family.  The use of the word ‘rich’ shows that Romeo believes she is valuable and compares her to that of a possession which demonstrates the time period in which it was written in as it was Patriarchal society. Shakespeare uses hyperboles to further emphasise the fact that Romeo is profoundly in love with Juliet and displays that he is idealistic and passionate about her. The use of dramatic irony in the phrase also creates sympathy for Romeo and shows him in a naïve way as he describes Juliet as if she should be in heaven which from the audience perspective is ironic as they know that both Romeo and Juliet will die together because of their passion and love for each other.  

In the film version, Juliet is also seen to have a profound effect on Romeo during their first meeting however Baz Luhrmann has amplified this for the purposes of the film. He shows Romeo as intrigued and open to Juliet, though also indicates his naivety to the audience. Romeo’s first sight of Juliet is through a fish tank as he sees her eye. This has connotations of romance and mystery as he does not know what is on the other side of the tank and it is said that eyes provide entry to the soul. It also demonstrates that Romeo is interested in what he sees as he does not attempt to move away from the fish tank throughout the shot. No words are exchanged during the two characters in this section to illustrate the immediate connection they have towards each other. Romeo wore a knight’s costume to show to the audience that he is Juliet’s knight in shining armour and will save her. Baz Luhrmann chose to have Romeo see Juliet through a fish tank as it expresses Romeo’s desire for freedom from the restrictions of his family as he sees that the fish are not controlled in the tank, however the tank also expresses the fact that he is naïve and mistaken as he does not see that the fish are trapped in the dimensions of the tank itself and cannot escape. The shot is split in half, with a partial view of Romeo in one side and the fish tank in the other. This represents Romeo’s reality side versus his dreams and imagination and demonstrates that he is torn between the two sides.                                                                                                      Prior to this, Romeo is seen removing his mask and throwing it in the water, which symbolises that he is taking off his disguise and is getting rid of his identity as a Montague. The water has connotations of cleansing and starting over which relates to Romeo as he wants to start afresh. The significance of this is very important to Romeo’s characterisation as it shows him as rebellious and disobedient towards both his family, as he is wishes not be a Montague any longer, and towards the social aspects of the party as it is a masquerade ball therefore by revealing his identity he is in breach of the social protocols. He is also causing himself danger as being part of the Montague family; he is enemies with the Capulet’s.

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Act 2 Scene 2, The Balcony Scene, could be considered as the play’s most iconic and recognisable extract. Shakespeare represents Romeo as heroic, hasty and audacious. This is shown in the quote "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.”  The quote demonstrates that Romeo believes Juliet is the ‘light of his life’ and without her, he would not be able to live. Romeo begins in straightforward iambic pentameter, with stresses regularly punctuating every other syllable. He also uses a metaphor to compare Juliet to the sun, showing that she is ...

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