At the Globe where Romeo and Juliet was first performed would have been set out in a certain way with each class separated. The poor would be at the bottom all the poor would be at the foot of the stage and had to stand. In the top in the box seat would be the well off class who would have leather chairs and plenty of room to move around.
During Romeo and Juliet it's likely that the audience would have joined in the play like in panto "He's behind you." For example when Tybalt said, "I'll not inure him" the audience would have said, "GO on kill him." Or when Romeo and Juliet kissed the audience would of gone "Woooooooooo."
During 1968 the film Romeo and Juliet by Zeffirelli was released. It was a brake through because it was the first time Romeo and Juliet were played by actual teenagers. This was a brake through because normally it would be adults who played the characters.
During this time in America was at war in Vietnam. Vietnam military struggle fought in Vietnam from 1959 to 1975. It began as a determined attempt by Communist guerrillas (the so-called Vietcong) in the South, backed by Communist North Vietnam, to overthrow the government of South Vietnam. The struggle widened into a war between South Vietnam and North Vietnam and ultimately into a limited international conflict. The United States and some 40 other countries supported South Vietnam by supplying troops and munitions, and the USSR and the People's Republic of China furnished munitions to North Vietnam and the Vietcong. On both sides, however, the burden of the war fell mainly on the civilians. This would have been relevant because Zeffirelli could of used this for inspiration with the Montague and Capulet just like Shakespeare did with the English and Spanish war in 1500s.
In the time of Zeffirelli in America the woman rights movement. This would have been important to the film because it could have been used for the inspiration for Juliet's character.
Zefferllis Romeo and Juliet were the first to have nudity in the wedding scene of Romeo and Juliet. This version would appeal to teens
- Because they could relate to the pressure of love and adolescence
- Because there is nudity.
During the time of Lurhmann's version (1996) in America people were recovering from the death of the acclaimed rapper 2pac shakur. In September he was killed in a driveby shooting coming out of the M.G.M grand arena after the big Tyson match. The killer was thought to be Orlando Anderson because him and 2pac had a fight in the lobby before. Ironically 42 guards surrounded the rapper. The only witness was killed.
Also in Europe during 96 saw the biggest European football championship Euro 96. Teams from all around Europe competed for the tittle of the best team. The event took place in England, sadly England lost in the semi-final to Germany who went on to victory.
This was not the only sporting event to take place, in Atlanta. America walked away with the most medals of 44 gold, 32 silver and 25 bronze. England came 20th with 1 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze.
In America at the time there were gang wars happening in L.A. Just like Shakespeare's and Zeffirellis Lurhmann would of used this conflict in the film for inspiration for the feud between the Mountgue and Capulet, this would have been helpful because his version which focuses on the feud of the family.
The people in England who would have seen Romeo and Juliet would have been more of the feminine persuasion. The Star Wars saga was re-released in 96 which would have been composition for the film.
The type of person who would of seen the film would have been Females between the age of 12 to 35. The class of these people would of come from working class background and maybe higher class background.
In Luhrmann's script a lot of the script is cut out in act 1 scene 5. The only part he left in, in its full was the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet (line 92-111). This may be because the scene concentrates on the first meeting and the love between the two, and Luhrmann's focuses on the rivalry so the script would had to have been re-modelled.
In lurhmann's water image is used a lot like in the toilets of the party scene where first Romeo drops his mask in the sink of the toilets showing he is no-longer hiding and cleans himself of his family. Then when Romeo first spy's Juliet through the fish tank water images are used there. This has a meaning of A) the fish tank being the separating between both families' B) the water meaning there love is pure a clean.
In this essay I have been writing about the three different versions of the party and who went to see it. In all versions there has been conflict in the same time Spain v England 1596, America v Vietnam 1968 and the gang wars on L.A in 96 which would have reflected the feud of the families. I prefer Lurhmann's version because it uses a blend of mordan day setting and costume and 1500s language. It also uses gang style fighting like the style of the time.
