In this coursework, I am adopting the play Romeo and Juliet for a comtemporary audience. The way I am doing this is by moderising the characters and the feud between the two families. I have still kept the names the same, Capulet and Montague, however the reasons why they dislike each other have changed considerably. In the origional play by Shakespeare, the reasons why the two families conflict is unknown. But, the rivalry between them is clearly visable. In my modern day version, the scene is set in Ireland, the reasons why the Montagues and Capulets are abhorrent towards each other is because of their religion. The Montagues are strong Protestant whilst the Capulets are strict Catholics. The two families are clearly two different types of people.
In my play, the clothes, attitudes, language and props will significantly differ from those of Shakespeares. This will help the audience to recognise that this is a modern-day feud.
To make my play successful, music, lighting and props are all key factors. This is also one way in which I can modernise Romeo and Juliet. The principal props Shakespeare used were generally swords. However, to rejuvenate this play the props I will use will be guns and knives. This will obviously relate to a modern audience. To make the audience accociate with the play more, music and lighting will play an effect when the scene gets into more putrid parts. For example, when Mercutio or Tybalt are getting murdered, flashing lights and fast beat music will play. However, slow music and dimmed lights will have a good impact on the audience when they should be feeling sadness.
As my play will be performed in the Globe Theartre, I will need to make as much use of the stage as possible. When a character has died, they will be dropped through a trap door underneath the stage. Because this is a religious play, it will seem like the character has passed on.
Becaue both families are so strict about religion, I am goin to interpret this in the language I use. In the origional Act 3, Scene 1 Tybalt screamed to Romeo, " Thou art a villian". I could modify this to "You are the devil". This shows that Tybalt see's Romeo as the worst thing of which he knows, the devil.
Tybalt and Romeo are the two prime characters in this scene. At the beggining of the scene, Tybalt is infuriated by the fact that Romeo, a writhing Protestant, has married his cousin, a Catholic. He cannot accept the fact that Romeo and Julilet are love-struck. He wants to murder Romeo as he does not want a Protestant in his family. In a mad rage, he wants to fight Romeo. As much as Romeo wants to fight Tybalt, his love for Juliet is stronger. He refuses to do anything which will hurt her. By this stage, the audience want Tybalt to leave Romeo and Juliet alone to be happy. As Tybalt gets irrational, Mercutio tries to stop the raging fight. This is when horror strikes. Tybalt brutally kills Mercutio whilst trying to kill Romeo.
Now Romeo is out for revenge. He frantically persues Tybalt in a mad rage. All thoughts of Juliet are pushed to the back of his mind, he is too grief-stricken. Grabbing for his gun, he shoots Tybalt several times. He then grasps the Rosemary beads from Tybalt's pocket, throws them to the ground and spits ont them. The audience should now be feeling shock. How could sweet Romeo kill his lovers cousin? They may even feel sympathy for Romeo. Not only has he lost his best friend, but he was provoked into a fight he did not want to conduct.
This play should now be inspiring, exhilarating and provocative for a contemporary audience, as it will relate to them to a greater extent then Shakespeare will. By using modern-day props, language, costumes and attitudes I have transformed Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet.
